novelraw Chapter 366: Tianguang Fully Funded, Specializing in Dealing with All Kinds of Defiance
Chapter 366: Tianguang Fully Funded, Specializing in Dealing with All Kinds of Defiance
Chapter 366: Tianguang Fully Funded, Specializing in Dealing with All Kinds of Defiance
The assistant's voice was drowned out by the roar of engines.
Several beams of stark white light pierced through the floating dust above the ruins, illuminating the dim factory building as bright as day.
Tires ground over gravel, emitting a piercing screech.
Three elongated business cars parked with an arrogant swagger.
Lin Wan tucked her phone back into her pocket, smoothing down the collar of her trench coat in the same motion.
The assistant, having never seen such a spectacle, instinctively shrank back.
Gu Zhiyuan, clutching the box of lukewarm braised pork knuckle rice, dug his fingers into the edge of the plastic takeout container.
He slowly straightened up from the tire he'd been leaning against, squinting, somewhat unaccustomed to the glaring light.
Sister Wang, teetering on sky-high heels, had foundation so white under the strong light it looked like she'd painted a wall.
Behind her followed the young actress named Li Feifei, who had now toned down the arrogance she'd shown earlier,
though her eyes kept darting toward the luxury car, clearly her source of confidence.
The last man to step out wore a silver-gray high-end tailored suit, his pocket square folded sharper than a knife's edge.
Zhang Dezhi, the "God of Wealth" of Huachen Pictures, also notoriously known in the industry as the "Nepotism Specialist."
For any production he invested in, if he didn't stuff it with at least half a company's worth of connections, it meant he was having a bad day.
"Well, well, still experiencing the 'real life' this late?" Sister Wang's voice was shrill.
She cast a disdainful glance at the scattered prop waste littering the ground,
then another at the takeout box in Gu Zhiyuan's arms,
her expression more insulting than any direct curse.
Lin Wan didn't take the bait, merely straightened her back even further.
Sister Wang wasn't bothered either, turning sideways to push Li Feifei to the forefront.
"This child is stubborn, went back and cried her eyes out, said she couldn't grasp Teacher Jiang's profound artistic realm."
Sister Wang smiled, but there was no apology in her eyes.
"I figured, young people are immature, better bring her back for you all to guide her some more. After all, our Manager Zhang is quite concerned about this matter too."
Li Feifei cooperatively lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "I'm sorry, Teacher Jiang, I'm stupid."
In the corner, Jiang Ci was completely absorbed in poking a lump of half-dried super glue on the ground with a dry twig.
The strands it pulled were stickier than the fake smile on Sister Wang's face.
He seemed utterly oblivious to the tense standoff around him.
Sister Wang's smile began to falter.
She turned to Zhang Dezhi, raising her volume. "Manager Zhang was originally here to inspect the base. Hearing an old friend was here, he specially came to see."
Zhang Dezhi covered his nose and mouth with a silk handkerchief,
frowning, his leather shoes stopping a full half-meter away from a puddle of oil stain on the ground with exaggerated caution.
His peripheral vision swept the surroundings,
finally resting on Gu Zhiyuan's disheveled hair for a second,
before shifting away with disgust.
"Old Gu, I thought after finishing 'Kite,' you'd switched to collecting scrap. Didn't expect you're still clinging to your 'art'?"
His gaze fell on the braised pork knuckle rice in Gu Zhiyuan's arms, letting out a derisive snort.
Zhang Dezhi had no interest in watching a loser's embarrassment and turned to Lin Wan.
"Director Lin, Spark Media must have it tough. Only an 'artist' like Film Emperor Jiang would be willing to play with this kind of unwanted mess."
Lin Wan sneered. "Art indeed isn't something suited for those reeking of money."
Zhang Dezhi wasn't angered, instead laughing—the kind of look a superior gives an ant.
"Director Lin, a tough mouth is useless. Making movies requires two things: money, and face."
He snapped his fingers.
Sister Wang immediately, like presenting a treasure, led another girl out from the car.
Dressed in a white dress, long hair cascading over her shoulders, clean as if just fished out of milk.
Zhou Meng, the new talent Huachen Pictures was pushing hard.
"Studied abroad, professionally trained, brings her own traffic."
Zhang Dezhi walked up to Gu Zhiyuan, slapping his shoulder heavily.
"Heard you're short on funds? I'll top you up with thirty million."
"Cash, in the account tomorrow, no shares required."
Thirty million.
The three words echoed in the vast, empty factory building, striking a tremor in people's hearts.
For a film crew on the brink of running out of funds, this was a lifeline.
"Just one condition."
Zhang Dezhi pointed at the girl floating in white.
"The female lead, goes to her."
Lin Wan watched that finger almost poking Gu Zhiyuan's nose.
She could feel the man behind her trembling,
the humiliation of having money slapped in his face, worse than killing him.
"Manager Zhang."
Lin Wan stepped forward, her high heels clicking crisply on the concrete floor.
"My Spark Media hasn't fallen to the point of selling ourselves into slavery."
Zhang Dezhi's face darkened. "Lin Wan, don't push it when given face. Thirty million is more than enough to buy this pile of junk."
Lin Wan suddenly smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Sorry, Manager Zhang, you're too late."
She took another step forward, her gaze pressing against his.
"This 'pile of junk' in your eyes is already an S-Class project of Daylight Entertainment."
She paused, then uttered the name. "Gu Huai, full capital investment into the crew."
"Your 'charitable donation' is better saved for propping up those pretty vases with only faces and no brains."
Daylight Entertainment.
Gu Huai.
The names struck Zhang Dezhi's well-maintained face rigid.
Sister Wang's mouth fell open, her jaw nearly hitting the floor.
Li Feifei, who had been waiting to watch the show, shrank into a quail.
The haughty expression on Zhang Dezhi's face cracked.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a dry laugh. "Director Lin, even when bluffing, you need to follow basic logic."
"Gu Huai? You think I, Zhang, scare that easily?"
Right then.
Jiang Ci tossed away the twig in his hand and sauntered over unhurriedly.
He stopped in front of the girl in the white dress.
Zhou Meng, under his stare, instinctively took half a step back, the hem of her dress brushing against dust on the ground.
Sister Wang hurriedly offered an ingratiating smile. "Teacher Jiang, look at this image, doesn't it perfectly fit that..."
Jiang Ci ignored her.
He looked at Zhou Meng and suddenly asked, "Can you ride an electric scooter?"
The question was so off-the-wall it left everyone stunned.
Zhou Meng blinked blankly, looking to Zhang Dezhi for help.
The cheapest car she'd ever ridden in was a Mercedes-Benz business van.
The concept of an electric scooter only existed in her cognitive blind spot.
"I... I can learn..." she stammered in reply.
Jiang Ci tossed another candy into his mouth, his tone casual.
"Then can you change the battery one-handed in a rainstorm? And guarantee not a single drop of soup spills from the braised pork knuckle rice on the back seat?"
Zhou Meng was utterly dumbfounded.
Zhang Dezhi flared up. "Jiang Ci, are you messing with me? That kind of dirty, hard work, just get a stand-in! With thirty million right here, you're talking to me about electric scooters?"
Jiang Ci turned around.
He looked toward the dim little path in the distance, the image of that bulky yellow delivery uniform flashing before his eyes.
"Manager Zhang, your thirty million is indeed invested in the wrong place."
His voice was soft, carrying a lazy, indifferent drawl.
Jiang Ci walked up to Zhou Meng, his gaze sweeping over her spotless white dress,
then turned to Zhang Dezhi, his eyes filled with pity.
"What we're filming is the wild grass in the mud pit, not the plastic flowers in the greenhouse."
His tone was so sincere it was infuriating. "This money is too clean, it burns. Our film crew can't afford it."