Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 263 The Value of a Top Idol, Rise's "Brotherhood"

The filming location for "The Martian" was ultimately chosen in the Qaidam Basin of Qingjiang Province.

It features Yardang landforms, deserts, and salt flats, and has been developed into a simulated Mars base, making it suitable for showcasing space exploration scenarios.

In addition, there are sea routes such as XJ and Ningxia, as well as the Gobi Desert.

In particular, the Hami Great Seaway in XJ has a striking visual impact with its red rock layers and wind-eroded landforms. NASA has studied its geological structure to draw parallels to the Martian environment.

The entire production team traversed several provinces and cities, traveling all over the country, from location selection to set construction, before finally choosing a few scenes with a mild environment.

Many of the scenes were very difficult to build because the scenes in "The Martian" were mostly desolate and uninhabited, yet they had to feel like the "Martian surface".

Under normal circumstances, few people live here, so supplies, equipment, and the daily life of the entire crew need to be guaranteed.

This alone cost a lot of resources, not to mention the special effects and other preparations.

It can be said that "The Martian" is indeed a rare large-scale production in Ikeno's filming career. In his current resume, only "Flu" can compare.

However, "Flu" was more about suspense and tension than visual impact, so building "The Martian" also gave Ikeno a fresh experience like never before.

The same applies to other members of the production crew, as well as Guo Feng's team.

"You've worked hard these past few days to make this project a success."

In the conference room.

Chi Ye looked at Guo Feng, who had clearly lost weight, and didn't hold back his praise.

He likes talented people, especially those who are truly dedicated and passionate.

"...I just want to get to work as soon as possible."

Guo Feng licked his lips and actually urged the "boss" in return: "President Chi, you should hurry up and film that 'Goblin' thing... How can an idol drama compare to our project... The significance and achievements are completely different."

Chiye: "Huh?"

"Really, you should really see it; the environment over there is fantastic."

Guo Feng's eyes gleamed with an "abnormal" light: "We went to the eastern Xinjiang region, where the summer temperatures were 40 or 50 degrees Celsius... The weather was so refreshing. We went straight to work right after our dissertation defense. Can you understand that feeling?"

Ikeno: "...I don't want to understand."

"You really should understand!"

Guo Feng was about to recount the dry process of the defense when Chi Ye waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "I'll have Peng Chen and Sister Shang go when I have the chance; they both seem to like the environment."

Guo Feng: "..."

"Mr. Chi, there's also the issue of the female lead. I have some ideas."

Guo Feng noticed that Chi Ye was unwilling to talk about this topic, and felt that although President Chi was now quite influential, he still couldn't shake off the burden of being a top idol.

What's so good about being a top influencer?
Making solid science fiction movies is more sophisticated than making top-tier films, isn't it?
He felt that CEO Chi had lost his mind. Although being a top-tier celebrity seemed glamorous and indeed was, it was meaningless! What other special meaning did this label have besides making people think you were awesome and popular?
—It would be better to hide in the eastern border and observe the defense without getting a single hair out of it!

He pulled out another list, indicating that he already had his preferred "leading ladies"...

Well... actually, The Martian is a completely male-centric movie, without a female lead or second female lead in the traditional sense... but after all, it's a movie, so even if there isn't one, there are still a few.

As this is the first sci-fi blockbuster he's worked on since he started in the industry, Guo Feng is naturally very invested in it.

Aside from the fact that the male lead, Ikeno, was already cast, he had his own roles and choices for the other characters, including various female characters.

Chi Ye was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Guo Feng to have even prepared this, especially since it was a task Guo Feng had just assigned him a while ago...

He took the list, glanced at it, and was instantly dumbfounded.

“Teacher Zhang… Ling Bingbing… Ning Mo… even Luo Nini is here… are you kidding me? Do you think I’m God? Where am I supposed to find all these people for you?”

Guo Feng said calmly, "They are all quite suitable."

"My wallet isn't quite right."

Ikeno shook his head decisively.

No need to elaborate on Teacher Zhang, Ling Bingbing… well… she's no less of a top actress than Teacher Zhang, Ning Mo is slightly less so, but she's still a genuine top actress in the film industry, and finally Luo Nini… she's not from the mainland entertainment industry, but is of Chinese descent, very famous both domestically and internationally, and is a super A-list actress with a higher status than Teacher Zhang and the others…

Chi Ye thought Guo Feng was a bit off. Putting aside his status and funding, just talking about his relationship with Ling Bingbing and even Teacher Zhang... Do you think people would just come and act if you asked them to?

They're not pliers.

Moreover... even setting aside past grudges and positions, the schedules of each of the above-mentioned groups are booked several years in advance, and Ikeno doesn't believe he currently has the ability to summon and dismiss these people at will.

"This won't work... Go back and think about it again. I'll give you a few options... Let's leave it at that for now."

Chi Ye saw that Guo Feng was still nagging and knew that if he didn't leave today, Guo Feng could keep him talking about casting issues all day.

He immediately waved his hand, indicating that he had other things to do.

"...Mr. Chi, you don't understand 'The Martian'."

"Yes, yes, you know best."

Ikeno waved his hand and walked out of the conference room.

Filming for "The Martian" is still some time away, and he needs to finish filming "Goblin" before he can join the crew. Also, he needs to wrap up some off-screen matters.

A week has passed, and the tax issues surrounding Xu Yingying have completely ignited the Chinese entertainment industry. After investigation, relevant departments have announced that several companies under Xu Yingying's control have evaded taxes amounting to as much as 900 million yuan.

The news caused an immediate uproar in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Once a top-tier actress in the film industry, she "fell" almost overnight. All the movies and TV series she starred in, and even the songs she sang, were removed from her credits, and various partners also came out to urgently distance themselves from her.

As for the works and variety shows that have already been broadcast, those that need to be censored are censored, and those that cannot be censored are simply taken off the air.

In short, this incident has caused a huge uproar. A series of celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry have been exposed for tax issues recently. This matter has attracted the attention of higher authorities, who are preparing to launch a major investigation.

Among them, Ikeno's "out of place" and "paying taxes in advance" undoubtedly became a landmark positive example.

That evening, CCTV-1 even personally praised Ikeno's past "behavior".

Upholding Responsibility and Setting an Industry Example – Praising "Model of Excellence" Ikeno's Deeds in Paying Taxes in Accordance with the Law.

Recently, top-tier celebrity Chi Ye, who has garnered much attention, has once again sparked heated discussions in society due to the incident of "borrowing money to pay back taxes." As one of the representative figures in the entertainment industry with tens of millions of fans, Chi Ye has always adhered to the principle of "paying taxes is an honor and abiding by the law is fundamental," interpreting the social responsibility of a new era's literary and artistic workers with practical actions...

The lengthy article was reprinted by many verified media outlets.

At this point, Chi Ye's case has been definitively concluded, as his appearance on state media contrasts sharply with the tax evasion of Xu Yingying, Chu Luanyu, Qu Qingqing, and other artists, as well as the Yue Na Group, which were all publicly criticized.

In an instant, the entertainment industry underwent dramatic changes, and a once-prominent actress was effectively "played" to death by Chi Ye.

At the same time, not only did Ikeno herself not encounter any problems, but she also reinforced her "high-quality idol" persona and label with several more layers of buffs.

The film industry fell silent instantly, the three major platforms remained silent, and many top and mid-career actors in the industry watched with bated breath, all of them suddenly becoming extremely low-key—at this sensitive juncture, they indeed needed to keep a low profile for a while.

The Chinese entertainment industry, which has been bustling for so long, needs to "low-key" a bit.

—Jiang did not keep a low profile.

The day after the state media praised Chi Ye, Jiang called Chi Ye and the two arranged to meet at a private club, a location chosen by Chi Ye.

Upon meeting, Chi Ye immediately ordered his team to search Jiang... paying particular attention to his anus, and even bringing various detection devices, which displeased Jiang. "What do you mean by this? I already told you I didn't hide anything."

"Your reputation is what it is, we have to be careful."

"...Are you satisfied now?"

"Get to the point."

The team members left, leaving only Chi Ye and Jiang inside.

Jiang stared at Chi Ye's familiar yet unfamiliar face across from him. He seemed to have really changed... Yes, changed. Although his face was still the same, very affluent, his expression had changed, his demeanor had changed, even his eyes had become more composed and confident, as if they held a dazzling galaxy, making anyone who looked at him feel ashamed of themselves.

Red is truly a nourishing color.

Feeling a pang of emotion, Jiang's smile vanished, and he asked bluntly, "Where's the money you promised me?"

Ikeno looked at him: "Didn't I give it to you? You should have received it, right?"

"not enough."

Ikeno raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

Having regained his respectable demeanor, Jiang spoke bluntly: "The captain was praised by the central media, huh? You must be having a lot of fun lately... You're a top-tier idol, an absolute superstar, you tell me..."

"I've helped you so much, isn't what you promised me a little less?"

Ikeno was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "So how many more do you want?"

Jiang stared at him for a long time before saying, "One hundred million."

Chi Ye tilted his head and sized him up a few times: "If I gave you a hundred million, would you dare to accept it?"

Jiang was nervous inside, but remained outwardly calm: "What, are you also part of the entertainment industry's underworld?"

Ikeno looked at him seriously and nodded: "Yes."

Jiang's expression froze.

"Stop looking. This shop is one I invested in recently. The private rooms have signal jammers, and you don't have any communication or recording devices on you right now."

Chi Ye crossed his legs and said, "Give me a fair price. I'm not like Xu Yingying or Qu Qingqing. I'll do whatever I promise you. If you want more now, I can give you more too."

"...Captain, you are indeed different now."

Jiang suddenly sighed and said again, "Fifty million, give me another fifty million, and I will never appear in front of you again, nor will I let this matter continue. No one will know that you asked me to mess with Xu Yingying... They won't be able to get any evidence."

Chino stared at him: "How can you guarantee that?"

After thinking for a moment, Jiang smiled and said, "I guarantee it with my integrity."

"If you don't want to make a guarantee, you can say so directly."

"...Really, Captain, you believe me. We're different from the others. We used to live together. In the end, everyone else is an outsider, but we're friends, brothers."

While saying these words, Jiang was carefully observing Chi Ye's expression.

Actually, he was quite uneasy inside, but whenever he thought about Chi Ye's current status, identity, and the money he earned, he felt hatred and jealousy—they were from the same group, and Chi Ye used to be the one he bullied in the group, but now…

Leaving aside the present, even before Chino left Yuena, at the height of her obscurity, she was more popular than him…

Unlike Peng Chen, he was genuinely jealous of Chi Ye and Peng Chen, and even Chicken Claw Zhang. He felt he wasn't much worse than them; they all debuted together and were once members of the same group, but now…

It seems he's the one who's doing the worst...

I heard that Sister Shen got a role in the Thai version of "My Love from the Star" in Thailand, and even got the lead role of Cheon Song-yi through her "connection" with Ikeno.

Only he, after wandering for half his life, returned still a beast, having nothing and being nothing.

This time, he risked offending everyone because he was forced into a corner and wanted to make a fortune so he could live comfortably for the rest of his life.

So, he agreed when Qu Qingqing contacted him, he agreed when Xu Yingying contacted him, and finally, he agreed when Chi Ye contacted him…

He only cares about money, especially Ikeno's "money".

The more the better.

"...Okay, I'll transfer the money to you before 8 PM tonight."

Chi Ye suddenly spoke.

"Um?!"

Jiang was stunned, staring at Chi Ye in disbelief, thinking he was hallucinating.

Chi Ye seemed to have lost interest in the conversation. He stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "Never again."

"...You really will give me an extra fifty million?"

Mr. Jiang still couldn't believe it.

Chi Ye turned around, puzzled: "You don't want it?"

"...Captain, thank you, you're such a kind person."

What an idiot, still as easy to bully as ever... Looks like he hasn't changed much... He's just learned to live off women?
Overjoyed, Jiang replied sincerely, "I will absolutely keep my word."

Ikeno didn't reply and turned to leave the private room.

Mr. Jiang watched his figure disappear. He originally wanted to leave as well, but when he saw so many dishes in the private room, he realized that they were all delicacies he hadn't dared to dream of in recent years. This was because the Empress Dowager liked to eat in this private room, and many of the dishes were Mr. Hu's favorites.

Jiang had never seen many of these things before and found them incredibly "high-end".

He hesitated for a moment, then sat back down, picked up his knife and fork, and muttered, "I'm not eating this, it's a waste."

After saying that, he lowered his head and began to wolf down his food, and as he ate, he realized what he was eating—these were all the foods he liked to eat this summer, right?

Ikeno, Ikeno, the only thing you have over me is a pretty face, but in everything else, you're no match for me!
Ten minutes later, he finished his quick meal, patted his round belly, picked his teeth, and walked to the trash can. But then he remembered what Chi Ye had said earlier—that the club was now his… He threw the toothpick on the ground, chuckled, and walked to the door, ready to leave.

Click.

He opened the door to the private room and was about to step out.

"do not move."

A voice suddenly sounded.

Jiang was stunned. He looked up and froze on the spot.

Outside the private room, several uniformed police officers had appeared.

"Jiang Yi, right? Have you finished eating? If you're done, let's go. More than a dozen people have filed reports, saying you're suspected of fraud and illegal trading... Let's go."

The leader stepped forward and pinned Jiang to the ground, saying, "You're quite the runner, aren't you? You've been running for so long."

Jiang's eyes widened in shock, and he muttered, "Chi Ye... Chi Ye... You deserve to die a horrible death... How could you do this to me... You promised to give me the money... You lied to me!"

(End of this chapter)