He plays Feng Yuxiu, and his girlfriend is a fairy-like beauty.

Two days later.

New York JFK Airport.

Ye Mo landed at 3 p.m. local time.

Chen Sicheng sent a car to pick him up. The driver was an older Chinese man who stood at the arrival gate holding a sign.

The sign had three characters written on it: "Boss Ye".

Ye Mo paused for a moment when he saw the sign.

Once in the car, the older man turned the steering wheel while glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

"Director Chen told me to write it this way, saying that since you are now an investor, calling you Teacher Ye is not respectful enough."

Ye Mo leaned back in his chair.

"What were his exact words?"

"His exact words were—'Write about Boss Ye, let him experience what it's like to be a capitalist.'"

Ye Mo didn't speak, but looked down at Chen Sicheng's WeChat profile picture on his phone screen.

Row.

The filming location was in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan.

The film crew booked three intersections of an entire street, with red lanterns and signs in both Chinese and English hanging on both sides.

The production crew set up a cordon at the street corner, with a group of Chinese international students standing around holding up their phones, peering into the film set.

When Ye Mo walked through the crowd into the film set, the first person he saw was Liu Haoran.

He was squatting next to the monitor eating a boxed lunch, wearing a faded denim jacket and with a piece of sweet and sour pork rib stuffed in his mouth. He almost choked the moment he looked up and saw Ye Mo.

"Brother Mo!"

He put the lunchbox aside, stood up, and wiped his hands.

"Why did you arrive early? Director Chen said you weren't arriving until tomorrow."

"We flew ahead of schedule, since we had nothing else to do anyway."

As the two were talking, Xiao Yang came out of the dressing room.

He was wearing a floral shirt with the collar open, his hair was sprayed with half a pound of hairspray, and his face still had the slick expression of the character he played in the play.

Upon seeing Ye Mo, he paused for a moment, then chuckled twice and rubbed his hands together as he approached.

"Oh dear, Director Ye! No, Boss Ye!"

"Brother Xiao, I'm afraid it will shorten my lifespan if you change how you address me."

"You absolutely have to say it. What's your status now? A double Golden Horse Award winner, an investor, and a director."

you do not say!

In the past year, Ye Mo's popularity in the industry has been incredibly high.

Everyone has witnessed his rise from extra to movie star, and now to a powerful figure.

Although they are far inferior to other capital groups, they are no longer on the same wavelength as these actors.

Ye Mo smiled but before he could reply, a familiar voice drifted over from the side.

"Ye Mo, it's been a long time!"

Wang Xun emerged from behind the prop box, a prop cigarette dangling from his hand, his face radiating the nonchalant air of someone who had been through it all.

Ye Mo went up and gave him a hug: "Look at you, it's only been a few days since we finished filming 'Go Fighting!'"

Their relationship was the envy of everyone.

Wang Xun's popularity in the industry is just so-so; he's basically a variety show personality.

But the people around me are all incredibly capable.

Xiao Yang glanced at Wang Xun, then at Ye Mo.

"To be honest, I'm a little envious. It's not about anything else, but I applied for two seasons of 'Go Fighting!' and I wasn't selected either."

Wang Xun patted him on the shoulder, his expression sincere with a hint of barely concealed smile.

"The spots for the second season have been taken by Yue Yunpeng, Xue Zhiqian, Song Xiaobao, and Ye Mo. Sorry, there are limited spots available."

"Could you please stop laughing when you say that?"

"I'm not showing off, I'm just telling the truth."

"Then what happened to the corner of your mouth?"

"Physiological reaction"

Xiao Yang took a deep breath.

Then Ye Mo spoke.

"If you want to go, you'll have to get on good terms with Brother Xun. Maybe he'll recommend you to Director Yan someday."

Xiao Yang turned to look at Ye Mo, her eyes lighting up for a moment.

He turned to Wang Xun with a fawning expression and said, "Brother Xun, I still have a bottle of thatch. How about we finish this today?"

"Oh! You were hiding this!"

"Let's go, let's get this over with today! I've been craving this foreign stuff for months!"

Everyone chatted and laughed.

At this time.

Chen Sicheng stood up from the director's chair and walked over quickly.

He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, holding a cup of coffee, and had two dark circles under his eyes from staying up all night.

"Boss Ye, you've finally arrived."

"You really dare to let them call me Boss Ye."

Chen Sicheng shrugged, showing no remorse whatsoever.

He handed the coffee to the stagehand next to him, picked up the script, turned to the folded-corner page, and handed it to Ye Mo.

"Let me get down to business first. The investment structure for Detective Chinatown 2 is quite complex. In addition to the three main investors, the filming costs in the US exceeded expectations by about 10%, mainly due to location rentals and insurance fees. I've calculated your share based on the previously agreed proportions. The additional amount will require about this much, which isn't much."

He made a gesture.

Ye Mo glanced at it.

"Okay, you can directly contact the finance department. If it's urgent, I can transfer the money to you right away."

Chen Sicheng was stunned for a moment.

It has to be said that Ye Mo is straightforward; he enjoys dealing with people like that.

But this habit is not good.

As a brother, I still feel I should remind you.

"What kind of habit is this? Last time, Sister Zhang told me that you paid the post-production team's hard-earned money from your own account. Are you here to film a movie or to do charity?"

"I'm used to it. When we were filming 'The Storm,' the post-production budget was exceeded, and they just deducted it from my money. Anyway, we won't lose money. This little bit of money is nothing."

"You directed 'The Storm,' but I directed 'Detective Chinatown 2.' You were just an investor and cameo actor; what business is it of yours if the budget went over budget?"

"I invested money, so if the production budget goes overboard, it's my budget that's overboard."

Chen Sicheng looked at him for three seconds.

No problem!

Then he turned to the staff member next to him and shouted something.

"From now on, report any budget overruns to Boss Ye; he's easier to talk to than I am."

Xiao Yang, who was watching the commotion, and Liu Haoran, who was touching up his makeup, both laughed at the same time.

We filmed a group scene in the afternoon.

Ye Mo's character is a mysterious figure in Chinatown. Although he doesn't have many scenes, he appears throughout the entire film, and every appearance of him is at a crucial turning point in the case.

When Chen Sicheng wrote this character, he referenced Ye Mo's own temperament: not talkative, steady in action, and always one step ahead of others in seeing things.

In front of the monitor, Chen Sicheng watched the first playback and muttered something to himself.

"Before you came, I was confident I could be a director."

Ye Mo sat down next to him: "What's wrong? Are you feeling pressured?"

"Absolutely!"

......

After finishing work, Chen Sicheng took Ye Mo, Liu Haoran, Xiao Yang, and Wang Xun to a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant in Chinatown that had been open for thirty years for a late-night snack.

When the char siu rice was served, Wang Xun was reviewing the group scene from the afternoon with Xiao Yang, and when he got excited, he was gesturing with his chopsticks in the air.

Liu Haoran ate quietly beside him, occasionally interjecting with a word.

"By the way, Brother Mo, 'Raging Waves' is airing this summer, right?"

"CCTV-8, Summer Vacation."

"I'll definitely watch it then."

Xiao Yang nodded and placed her chopsticks on the bowl.

"Count me in. I'm impressed by the promotional efforts of your show. When you lost at the end of 'Go Fighting!', half of the entertainment industry was there to support you. Could you please give my next show a shout-out when it's being promoted?"

"Yes, but on one condition."

"you say."

"You have to watch 'The Storm' first."

Xiao Yang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"make a deal."

Just then, Ye Mo's phone rang.

A caller ID popped up on the screen: Uncle Long.

......