HuaYu: Starting with Photography to Navigate the Entertainment Industry

"Mom, you can be excited, but don't grip the camera so tightly! It's 16,000 yuan!"

Xu Lang was being sarcastic, but he had a deep understanding for his mother.

Xu Lang looked at the photos he had just taken and initially thought he had photographed the wrong person.

But upon closer inspection, it was unmistakably my mother:

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the glass window of the balcony, outlining a soft, golden edge behind Wu Guilan.

The golden light not only outlined her figure but also pierced through her dress, revealing her inner form.

Standing at 1.68 meters tall, she has gained a little weight after many years of marriage, but this has given her a more voluptuous and mature beauty.

Especially her upper body, the golden light swept across her chest, making her curves even more vivid. In addition, the skin exposed at the collar and her rounded shoulders appeared crystal clear and smooth under the light, like white jade, shining brightly.

On her face, the precise 45-degree side lighting concealed the fine lines etched by twenty years of daily life, but it couldn't hide the charm that time had brought.

In particular, the emotional lighting vividly portrays Wu Guilan's doting love for her son and the emotions she felt when she looked at Xu Jianguo.

"This system is truly overpowered; it's much better than the one I developed in my previous life!"

Xu Lang felt somewhat unconvinced, but he had to admit that this was the truth.

But he also wondered, "Could it be that I've gotten used to shooting boudoir photos? Why do all the pictures I take have a seductive quality?"

It made him feel embarrassed to stare at his mother's photos.

Sure enough, men's feelings are all the same, especially those of fathers and sons who are related by blood.

Xu Jianguo looked at the photo, his breathing inexplicably becoming rapid, and he swallowed twice.

"Honey, is this you?"

"Why wasn't it me?" Wu Guilan's face flushed with excitement. She pinched Xu Jianguo's waist, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness and reproach.

"You're not as good as my son; you can't see my beauty at all."

"No, no," Xu Jianguo quickly explained, "This photo reminds me of you twenty years ago, no, no, you're even more beautiful and captivating than you were back then."

"What are you saying!"

Seeing that the two were getting a little out of control, Xu Lang coughed lightly:

"Ahem, alright, I'll make room for you guys. Don't worry, I definitely won't be back before midnight. Old Xu, you'd better put in the effort!"

His words made Wu Guilan blush even more. Not content with glaring at him, she slapped Xu Lang across the face.

"You disrespectful child, what nonsense are you spouting? Why do you say everything?"

Xu Jianguo took out five hundred yuan from his wallet and stuffed it into Xu Lang's hand, saying, "The child is about to go out to school, so it's only right for him to go out and meet up with his classmates. Go ahead, just be careful."

"Alright!"

Xu Lang took the money, hugged his camera, and hummed a song as he left the room.

At the same time, the system's voice echoed in my mind:

[Congratulations, host, on completing the beginner's quest.]

[The work is rated as: Empathic and Touching Level, rewarded with 1 point of Appearance Attribute;]

[New Task Issued: Sell the first photo. Reward: 1 Free Attribute Point.]

The photo I just took of my mother is definitely better than any photo Xu Lang took in his previous life; it can be said to be his best performance.

"This is only the [Empathy Level]? System, your requirements are a bit too high!"

Although slightly disappointed, he was even more excited about this amazing photography system.

"If I were to take a god-tier photo of this, wouldn't it become the darling of all the otaku?"

Xu Lang felt smug just thinking about it.

"One point in appearance attribute?"

Xu Lang was dissatisfied with the system's appearance evaluation, so he used a camera as a mirror to look at his own face.

"Dude, you only get an 80 out of 100 for how handsome you are? System, are you blind?!"

Despite cursing under his breath, he didn't stop himself from quickly adding the points he gained to his appearance attribute.

Unexpectedly, the system's evaluation did not change to 81%. Xu Lang was puzzled, and the system provided an explanation:

One attribute point does not represent 1%. The current ratio is approximately 10:1, and this ratio will increase further as the ratio rises.

"It takes 10 attribute points to increase it by 1%?"

Xu Lang touched his angular face.

"When my buddy's looks reach 100%, standing at the pinnacle of all men, will all the goddesses fall for him?"

He was filled with anticipation and a hint of excitement.

After standing by the roadside pondering for a while, Xu Lang called Wang Zhe.

"Hey Wang Zhe, didn't you go to the Music House bar at Yulin Square before?"

"Yeah, I originally wanted to apply for a singing job there, but they didn't want me. Why are you asking? Do you have connections to get me there?"

"With your skill level, you shouldn't embarrass yourself."

Xu Lang showed no mercy in his attacks on his best friends; this was the source of pleasure for men.

"I wanted to ask you, is there a singer named Zhang Liangying performing there?"

"Zhang Liangying? Yes!"

Wang Zhe immediately became interested. "Let me tell you, don't let that little girl's unassuming appearance fool you. Her voice and explosive power are absolutely amazing."

"Alright, stop nagging. If you have some free time, come with me to the music house for a bit."

"I'm free! I'll head out right now!"

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Less than twenty minutes later, Wang Zhe came running over with a cheeky grin.

"Brother Lang, I know the way there. Follow me."

Before he could take two steps, Xu Lang pulled him back.

"Why take the bus? Let's take a taxi!"

"Take a taxi?"

Xu Lang's family lived in Pixian, a county under Chengdu, which later became Pidu District.

That's right, Pixian Douban (Pixian chili bean paste) is a specialty of his hometown.

Taking a taxi from Pixian to the city is about 30 miles, which most people wouldn't really want to do.

But after touching the "clearance fee" that Lao Xu had just given him in his pocket, Xu Lang immediately straightened his back considerably.

"We can't force ourselves to endure hardship if it's not necessary, you understand?"

Xu Lang hailed a taxi and headed straight for the city center.

Upon arriving at Yulin Life Plaza, the curtains of the Music House could be seen from afar.

Looking at the time, it was already past six in the evening. Wang Zhe touched his belly, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Brother Lang, shall we go inside to eat? Let me tell you, the Western food there is amazing, especially the fried chicken wings, they're just... Hey? Hold on a minute."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Lang dragged him into a noodle shop next door.

"Let me teach you another life philosophy: After dinner, if you go to a bar, save where you should, spend where you should. Remember that!"

"Holy crap, Lang, you've taken being stingy to a whole new level!"

Around 7 p.m., the Music House bar wasn't particularly crowded.

Xu Lang and Wang Zhe sat down at a table on the side, ordered two beers, and listened to music while drinking.

Wang Zhe, having visited a few times, kept showing off to Xu Lang the gossip he knew about the music house.

But Xu Lang sat there silently, his eyes vacant, not hearing what Wang Zhe was saying at all, nor the singing on stage.

Xu Lang was a little excited as he was about to meet his first celebrity since his rebirth.

To be honest, in his previous life, Xu Lang had no feelings for Zhang Liangying at all. The only thing he remembered about her was that she sang really well and had a lot of good songs.

As for people?

From the perspective of a photographer, especially a private photographer, Zhang Liangying has nothing to offer and simply doesn't meet Xu Lang's standards.

Taking any photo of her is a waste of film and electricity.

But in the two years before his rebirth, when Xu Lang was browsing videos, he would occasionally come across clips or videos of Jane Zhang singing "Ambition" at a concert, which caught his eye!

Especially the way he pushed up his glasses, even Xu Lang, who had seen countless women, couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat.

After browsing through her information online, Xu Lang couldn't help but sigh:

"In 2018, Zhang Liangying divorced Feng Ke, which can be said to be the most worthwhile deal she ever made in her life."

I lost money, but I survived!

Even Xu Lang, a picky person, had to admit that Zhang Liangying had become more and more beautiful since then.

This kind of beauty is not physical, but rather a kind of temperament, giving off the feeling of a "leading lady" from a novel!

Looking at the time, it's already 9 PM.

Xu Lang couldn't sit still and wandered around the bar.

As he walked, he circled around to the back. The music quieted down, but people's voices became louder.

"Zhang Liangying, did you get all cocky after winning some lousy competition? You dare disobey me? Didn't I tell you to put on makeup before you came? Look at yourself, could you be any more tacky?"

Upon hearing the name "Zhang Liangying," Xu Lang felt a jolt of fear.

Is that such a coincidence?

I really need to hear that!