Huayu: It's normal for me, as a director, to mentor young actresses, right?

Chapter 33 I dare not wade into these muddy waters.

Are sugar figurines really that powerful? How did they even manage to find one?

"Brother Huo, what's up?" Lin Yu rubbed his temples, feeling a headache.

"Nothing important," Huo Qigang chuckled. "I've arrived in Yanjing. How about we have dinner together tonight and catch up?"

Hearing this, Lin Yu felt relieved.

It shouldn't be related to the sugar figurine.

What could possibly make Kenneth Fok make a special trip to Beijing for something so trivial? The sugar maker business had gone bankrupt; at most, he could only get Fok to make a phone call.

"Okay, send me the location, I'll be there on time tonight."

Lin Yu put down his phone and sighed. He was supposed to have a day off, but it turned out to be more tiring than the days he was filming.

I got up and stretched. I need to go home first and pick out some decent clothes.

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At six o'clock in the afternoon, it was already completely dark in Yanjing in December.

The streetlights on both sides of Chang'an Avenue shone with a warm yellow light, giving this ancient yet modern city a gentle glow.

The driver dropped Lin Yu off in front of an unassuming gray building.

The building's exterior is made of bluish-gray stone, with no signs, only a heavy mahogany door.

Two doormen in Chinese-style stand-up collar uniforms stood in front of the door, their backs straight and their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lin Yu got out of the car and went inside after the doorman opened the door.

Lin Yu had heard of this place before, but had never been here.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a huge sandalwood screen.

Behind the screen is a throne, carved with dragons and phoenixes, its gold lacquer mottled; it is said to be a one-to-one replica of the one in the Qianqing Palace.

On either side of the throne were pairs of large blue-and-white porcelain jars, in which koi carp were kept, and the sound of flowing water could be heard.

The waiter led the way, and there was no extra conversation along the way.

After walking through the winding corridors, we arrived at the elevator. The waiter helped us press the floor button, then stepped aside and stayed until the elevator doors closed.

When we arrived at the ninth floor, the elevator doors opened, and new service staff were waiting at the door.

This time it was a young man, also wearing a Chinese-style stand-up collar uniform, who led Lin Yu through a carpeted corridor.

At the end of the path, the man pushed open a door and gestured for the door to open.

As Lin Yu walked in, the first thing he saw was Huo Qigang standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, with his back to the door, looking at the night view outside.

"Brother Huo, didn't we agree to have dinner?" Lin Yu looked around and saw only two sofas and a low coffee table in front of him.

No matter how you look at it, I don't want to eat there.

Hearing the sound, Kenneth Fok turned around.

"Xiao Yu, come and sit down," Huo Qigang greeted with a smile, his tone very warm.

As soon as Lin Yu sat down, someone held up a box of cigars for him.

Huo Qigang sat opposite Lin Yu, smiling broadly: "Come on, have a taste, it's authentic Cuban goods."

The staff behind him immediately took it, skillfully cut open the seal, trimmed it with a cigar cutter, lit it with a cedar stick, and handed it back to Lin Yu.

The whole process was smooth and seamless, without a single unnecessary word.

"Brother Huo, didn't we say we were going to eat?" Lin Yu took the cigar and looked at Huo Qigang with a smile. "Why is this place? I don't even see a place to serve the food."

In this situation, Lin Yu cannot speak first; if he loses his composure and speaks first, he will lose the initiative.

"There's a restaurant downstairs," Kenneth Fok waved his hand. "No rush to eat. Look, isn't it quite pleasant to have a drink and a cigar here?"

He paused, then smiled and said, "Besides, we haven't seen each other in a long time, let's catch up first."

"Brother Huo said he's treating us, and I haven't had lunch yet," Lin Yu joked, leaning back on the sofa.

"You think you'd go hungry?" Huo Qigang chuckled, then handed him a lit cigar. "They say Cuban cigars are rolled by young girls on their laps, and they still have that girlish scent. I've been smoking them for years, and I've never noticed it. Why don't you try some?"

This is a classic myth about Cuban cigars, and the legend was quite popular in 11.

Lin Yu smiled and put the cigar on the table. "Legends are just legends, whatever you want to hear them. As for whether it's a young girl or an 80-year-old lady, I don't know."

Perhaps Lin Yu's taste is rather "vulgar," and he is indeed not used to the taste of cigars.

Seeing Lin Yu's actions, Huo Qigang also put down his cigar.

He picked up the teacup on the coffee table, took a sip, then looked at Lin Yu and asked casually, "I heard from a friend that you're planning to enter the film and television industry?"

"Is news from Hong Kong Island really that bad?" Lin Yu looked at Huo Qigang. "It's been so long, and you're only just getting the news?"

"Looks like the person who provoked you was from Hong Kong." Kenneth Fok laughed at this. "Tell me who it was, and I'll take care of them for you."

"No need for you to bother, I've already had someone handle it." Lin Yu waved his hand. "But Hong Kong Island is indeed a problem."

"The situation in Hong Kong can't be resolved overnight," Kenneth Fok leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming more serious. "Most people still have their hearts set on the mainland. Let's take it slow."

Kenneth Fok, who hails from Hong Kong Island, still hopes to handle the issues on Hong Kong Island in a gentler way.

However, Lin Yu knew that the longer this matter was delayed, the more troublesome it would become, and eventually, a strong strike would be necessary.

The atmosphere in the room fell silent. Huo Qigang waited for Lin Yu to speak first and take the initiative to help his older brother solve his problems; Lin Yu waited for Huo Qigang to speak, as Huo Qigang's favors were quite valuable.

In the end, Kenneth Fok lost his composure.

He put down his teacup, smiled, and said, "Aren't you going to ask me why I wanted to see you today?"

"I know, weren't you treating me to dinner?" Lin Yu began to showcase his acting skills, despite having applied to the acting department but never having received any formal training. "When are we eating?"

Kenneth Fok patted his head, truly at his wit's end. "You... never mind."

He paused, then continued, "It'll be one or two years already, don't you have any thoughts?"

Lin Yu was shocked. "You're asking me this question? I finally managed to come out of this predicament."

"No, I wouldn't dare. Goodbye." Lin Yu stood up abruptly, not even finishing his meal.

"No, no, no, let's not talk about this, let's not talk about this." Huo Qigang quickly pulled Lin Yu back, "Let's change the subject, let's change the subject."

Huo Qigang: Shouldn't these young people be very talkative when discussing these kinds of things? Why is this guy so cautious?

Lin Yu sat back down with some skepticism. He knew that Huo Qigang's visit to Yanjing might indeed be related to this matter, but he was sure that Huo Qigang hadn't come to see him for this reason.

Lin Yu was all too familiar with the tactic of "hitting the bulls before the horns are gone."

"Didn't I hear you've gotten into the film industry?" Kenneth Fok sat back down. "Would you be interested in collaborating?"

"So anxious?" Lin Yu understood Huo Qigang's intention. "There's no need. No matter what the higher-ups do, as long as that island isn't returned, your position is rock solid."

"But we'll have to come back to that island sooner or later." Huo Qigang shook his head. "You have to be strong yourself to succeed."

"Isn't your focus on sports?" Lin Yu still didn't back down. "Why did you decide to stir up trouble in the entertainment industry?"