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

After getting to know everyone, the atmosphere in the lounge relaxed a bit.

Zeng Zhiwei picked up his iced lemon tea again, Lin Jiadong continued flipping through the script, and Huang Qiusheng closed his eyes again.

But Ye Mo noticed a few details.

When Lin Jiadong flipped through the script, his eyes weren't even on the page—he was glancing at Ye Mo sideways.

Huang Qiusheng's eye was closed, but his eyelid twitched occasionally; he was pretending to be asleep.

Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen were talking in hushed tones, but they were clearly not discussing the script.

Andy Lau, on the other hand, kept reading the script, maintaining a relaxed attitude and not taking sides.

Ye Mo didn't say anything and sat down near the door.

Zhang Yuan sat next to him and said in a low voice, "This group of people is not simple; they are all veteran actors."

Ye Mo nodded.

If you pulled out the resumes of these people, each of them would have one or two classic works attached to them.

Andy Lau's films are all classics.

To gain their approval of a newcomer from mainland China, it's not enough to just have Zeng Zhiwei call him "Brother Jiaqian."

Just then, Liu Weiqiang put down his storyboard and waved to him.

"Ye Mo, come here for a moment."

Ye Mo stood up.

He glanced back at Zhang Yuan, gesturing for her to join him.

The two followed Liu Weiqiang out of the lounge. Several boxes of unopened lighting equipment were piled up in the corridor, and a faint smell of paint lingered in the air.

Liu Weiqiang leaned against the wall, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and put it in his mouth, but didn't light it.

Then I looked at Zhang Yuan.

"Who is this?"

"Zhang Yuan is the agent I just hired," Ye Mo said. "She'll handle the contract matters."

Liu Weiqiang raised an eyebrow, looked Zhang Yuan up and down, and then smiled.

"Zhang Yuan—Deng Chao's former agent?"

"Does Director Liu know me?" Zhang Yuan nodded slightly.

"He's worked with me before and mentioned you—a rare reliable agent in the industry. Ye Mo has found the right person this time."

He took the cigarette out of his mouth and his tone became more serious. "This kid used to work alone. I was worried for him when I sent him the audition notice. He didn't reply to emails for three days and I couldn't get through to him on the phone. I almost had the production crew put up missing person notices in Hengdian."

Ye Mo coughed.

"Alright, having an agent will make communication easier in the future." Liu Weiqiang steered the conversation back on track. "I didn't call you here to talk about that. We're here to discuss the important matter: the payment."

Ye Mo and Zhang Yuan both looked at him at the same time.

"The contract states four million," Liu Weiqiang said. "That's not a low amount for a newcomer. The investors approved the contract based on the standards for newcomers."

He paused for a moment, then said, "But I heard some news these past few days—the script for your latest TV series has already reached twelve million."

Zhang Yuan adjusted her glasses: "Director Liu's information is very accurate."

"It's not that the information is accurate, it's that Ye Mo is worth this price now." Liu Weiqiang tucked a cigarette behind his ear and looked at Ye Mo. "Two famous scenes from 'Brotherhood of Blades,' plus the previous Feng Yuxiu, you'll bring your own buzz when you join the cast, which will help with publicity. The investors have done the math—trading the publicity budget for your salary isn't a bad deal. I've talked to the higher-ups and raised it to eight million for you."

The smell of paint in the corridor suddenly seemed to become clearer.

Ye Mo looked down at the boxes of lighting equipment on the ground, the boxes bearing the old Shaw Brothers logo.

From four million to eight million, it doubled.

He didn't ask for it; Liu Weiqiang helped him get it.

This renowned director, who has made films such as "Young and Dangerous," "Storm Riders," and "Infernal Affairs," negotiated with investors over the salary of a newcomer leading man.

It wasn't about saving money; it was about giving Ye Mo the treatment he deserved.

"Thank you, Director Liu," he said.

The voice wasn't loud, but every word was meaningful.

"Don't thank me, don't give me that."

Liu Weiqiang took the cigarette from behind his ear, put it back in his mouth, but still didn't light it. "It's only right that you get paid properly. You should get what you're worth. I didn't hire you to take advantage of you. The people I've used before, whether they were big names or newcomers, never tried to lower their prices."

He pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said softly, "Act well, don't make me waste my breath in front of the investors."

Ye Mo didn't speak, but bowed slightly.

Zhang Yuan watched this scene unfold from the side.

She has managed three artists and has witnessed too many scenes of directors and actors negotiating their salaries—directors desperately trying to lower the price, actors desperately trying to raise the price, and agents caught in the middle suffering from both sides.

But Liu Weiqiang proactively increased the salary of a newcomer before filming began, not because he was generous, but because he was smart.

If you want an actor to work hard, first let him know that he is respected.

This kind of vision is not something every director possesses.

The opening ceremony was scheduled for the morning of the following day.

In the center of the set, there was an offering table covered with a red cloth, and three tall incense sticks were inserted into the incense burner.

A roasted pig, its skin golden and glistening with oil, lay sprawled on the offering table, an orange dangling from its mouth.

The entire film crew was present.

Liu Weiqiang led the way by burning three incense sticks, followed by Andy Lau, Ye Mo, Zeng Zhiwei, and Huang Qiusheng—they all stepped forward in order of their billing.

The camera crew's shutters clicked away in a rapid, continuous clatter.

As Ye Mo placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, a sound suddenly echoed in his mind.

System's cold, electronic voice: [Host detected entering a new film crew; new map unlocked. The cast includes several award-winning actors. Teamwork buff granted—acting alongside award-winning actors temporarily increases acting skill level by half a level. Current acting skill level: A. Temporary boost: A+.]

After Ye Mo finished lighting the incense, he took a step back and silently cursed in his heart: Is there really such a good thing?

After the opening ceremony, Liu Weiqiang wasted no time.

The first scene was filmed immediately.

But it wasn't Ye Mo's.

Andy Lau changed into a suit and stood in front of the camera.

He plays Lau Kin-ming—a young and promising senior inspector in the police station, impeccably dressed in a suit, with a clean-cut look in his eyes.

No one could tell that beneath this clean surface lay Han Chen's deepest pawn planted within the police force.

Andy Lau stood there with his eyes closed for five seconds. When he opened them again, his expression had changed.

It wasn't an outward change—his brows didn't furrow, his lips didn't move, and his hands didn't tremble.

But suddenly, his entire demeanor had gained an extremely thin layer, like a transparent membrane covering his body.

You can see him, but you can't see through him.

This is the skill of a four-time Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor winner.

Ye Mo stood next to the monitor, arms crossed, watching.

Zhang Yuan appeared next to him at some point, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She didn't drink it, just stared at Andy Lau on the monitor, speechless.

Next up is Zeng Zhiwei's scene.

He plays Han Chen, a gangster boss who is short in stature but has an imposing presence.

He snapped his fingers while sitting in the chair, and his whole rhythm suddenly changed.

His pauses when speaking are half a beat longer than normal—just long enough to make you uncomfortable and unsure what he'll say next.

When he smiled, his expression was warm, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Zhang Yuan said in a low voice, "This kind of person—who hides a knife in a smile—is much more terrifying than someone who directly pulls out a knife."

Ye Mo didn't respond; he was watching Zeng Zhiwei's rhythm control.

That "half-beat" pause wasn't written in the script; Zeng Zhiwei added it himself.

Then they filmed Huang Qiusheng and Lin Jiadong. Every scene was filmed in one take.

Ye Mo stood by the monitor for the entire morning, his heart growing heavier and heavier.

It wasn't nervousness, it was excitement.

Filming scenes with this group of people is like a martial arts practitioner encountering a true top master.

The more you get beaten, the faster you learn.

But he was also pondering a question: This group of people is too strong. In front of this group of award-winning actors, is an A+ level of acting skills enough?

During the lunch break, Liu Weiqiang turned around from behind the monitor and pointed at Ye Mo.

"Ye Mo".

"exist."

"The next round is yours, the rooftop, get ready."

Ye Mo placed the unopened bottle of water on the chair and nodded.

As he stood up, he caught Lin Jiadong glancing in his direction out of the corner of his eye.

Huang Qiusheng also opened his eyes. Liu Dehua was still reading the script, but his fingers stopped turning the page.

He understood the look in those people's eyes.

It wasn't hostility, it was curiosity, it was scrutiny.

It's a question mark: "Do you really deserve the title of male lead?"

"Add Money Bro" is a meme, and "Very Smooth" is satisfying, but those are all in the past.

The rooftop that followed was his first real test against all of them.

.......