Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 487 The birth of the twin stars of the empire
"Xiao Lu! Good news!" Liu Xiaoli, who came out of the ultrasound room, could hardly contain her excitement: "Your wife is having twins!"

"Really? Why didn't you find it last time?" Lu Kuan didn't care that they were in the office; after all, they were all his own people.

So, apart from Zhuang Xu, whose face was beaming with joy, everyone else stared at the big boss in disbelief.

The leap in thinking from "destroying the axis of evil" to "the birth of the twin stars of the empire" is too great.

Liu Xiaoli scolded, "Silly boy, have you forgotten what the head of the obstetrics and gynecology department said last time? If the pregnancy is too early, the ultrasound won't even be able to see the gestational sac."

"What did you think was the reason your HCG was so high last time? It was because of twins, fraternal twins! Haha!"

In most cases, twins can only be diagnosed by ultrasound at least 6-7 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the ultrasound can show two separate gestational sacs, each containing a fetal bud and primitive heart tube pulsation.

As for the fraternal twins mentioned by Liu Xiaoli, which means that two eggs are fertilized by different sperm to form two independent embryos, it means that it is entirely possible to have twins of opposite sexes.

Lu Kuan was happy, and his elderly mother was even happier.

Although having two children means more suffering for the pregnant mother, it at least saves her from the pain of ten months of pregnancy.

Such a wealthy family could not possibly have only one child.

A joyful voice came from the other end of the microphone: "Mom, let me talk to him..."

"Hey? Honey! I'm so amazing! You're amazing too!"

"Ahem..." Washing Machine's ears were unusually hot. She glanced at the teasing looks from the crowd, covered the microphone, and walked away.

The wife was ecstatic, acting both fierce and stubborn.

Liu Yifei didn't care about his embarrassment. She gently shook the ultrasound report, the pages rustling, her voice full of excited anticipation.
"When are you coming back? Look at the MMS I sent you. This time it's so clear, like two tiny peanuts squeezed together, perfectly clear!"

In the background, Liu Xiaoli's gentle scolding could be faintly heard: "Be careful, don't crumple the form. I'm going to take it to your grandparents to see..."

"Soon! You stay in Jiangcheng for one night, and I'll fly back tomorrow to go back to the film set with you."

"Okay, got it."

The dial tone came through, and when Boss Lu turned around again, his eyebrows and eyes were filled with an almost dizzying ecstasy, and even his breath was hot.

Zhuang Xu chuckled and teased, "President Lu, you can't escape this late-night snack after the meeting tonight, can you?"

Boss Lu waved his hand and said, "Hahaha! Dongzi, call all the brothers at home over, let's have a drink together tonight!"

"No problem!" Liu Qiangdong loved this kind of scene, and, riding on his boss's high spirits, chimed in, "No matter how tough it gets! This time, we'll give them a good beating! Let's celebrate for the two little ones!"

"Haha! It's still early, still early. There are two little ones yet." Washing Machine's mouth was practically stretched to its ears.

Just a second ago, the atmosphere in the office was tense, with everyone focused on the deployment against the enemy.

The next second, the future heirs of the empire appeared, and two of them appeared at once.

Dong Shuangqiang silently calculated in his mind that, based on the boss's age, he would only be around 45 years old by the time his two children came of age.

This business empire will be an enormous behemoth by then, and he could easily spend 10-15 years training a successor before retiring at 60.

The Empire's Twin Stars: Can there truly be a crown prince/princess who reigns for fifteen years?
While Wenjie was holding a meeting and having a dinner to celebrate the boss's twin birth, the Axis of Evil was also having a meeting, though much later than Lu Kuan and the others.

After accepting the case, the Beiping Chaoyang District People's Court served a summons to Damai.cn's holding company in accordance with the law. Cao Jie was somewhat stunned after receiving the news.

Damai.cn and Zhao Benshan have no past grudges or recent conflicts. What's the big deal about this kind of business cooperation where they use each other's qualifications to embellish their own image?
Why did they sue themselves?
He didn't immediately realize that this was a counter-probing attack on his intended target. He first made several phone calls to Yao Hailong of Liu Laogen Grand Stage in Beijing to try to communicate, but to no avail.

It wasn't until 7 p.m. that I received a call from Liu Chuanzhi's secretary, asking me to go to Lianxiang's headquarters in Beijing for an urgent meeting.

Cao Jie was led to the office by his secretary, where the big shots he regarded had already arrived.

The atmosphere inside was heavy and subtle, and the expressions and postures of the four industry leaders were vividly reflected in his eyes:

Wang Jianlin sat upright in the center of the leather sofa, his back straight as a pine tree, his hands folded on his knees, his dark suit impeccably tailored. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his sharp gaze swept over Cao Jie, who had just entered the room.

Old Wang is rather detached; he believes cooperation is beneficial, but he also believes that fighting alone is not impossible, and everything is based on self-interest.

Ma Yun was the most eager, as he had orchestrated this whole affair, and it held immense significance for Alipay.

He paced anxiously back and forth in front of the French windows, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the cuffs of his casual jacket, glancing at his watch now and then at the doorway, a fine sheen of sweat visible on his forehead.

Liu Chuanzhi was half-hidden in the shadows behind his desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the mahogany surface, producing a rhythmic sound. A faint smile played on his lips, but his gaze behind his glasses was unfathomable, as if he were contemplating the current situation.

Li Yanhong maintained his refined demeanor, his slender fingers holding an untouched cup of tea as he nodded to Cao Jie.

"President Liu, distinguished leaders, I have arrived."

Liu Chuanzhi responded, "Okay, sit down, Xiao Cao. We just talked about some things that you might not know yet."

"This afternoon, the lawyer hired by Benshan Media went to the industrial and commercial department to apply for access to the internal files of Hongma (Damai.com), and was informed by the department staff that the files would be made public within three working days."

Cao Jie stared in disbelief, then quickly realized, "What are they doing..."

Ma Yun said in a deep voice, "Cao Jie, in your opinion, our lawsuit with Zhao Benshan was also deliberately orchestrated by the other party, wasn't it?"

"Mr. Ma, this lawsuit is just the other side picking a fight. Even if they win, it won't do them much good. At most, we'll have to apologize and pay some money. It's meaningless."

Cao Jie smiled wryly: "According to what Chairman Liu said, it's obviously intentional, he's trying to test us."

"But how can the realm know..."

This still unbelievable and unwilling guess was interrupted by the cold atmosphere present.

None of them had considered the possibility of an inside traitor.

If such a thing existed, it's impossible that they would wait until now to reveal the information, exposing the truth when they already have a significant first-mover advantage, thus offending both sides.

But the current situation is quite frustrating—

Rather than acknowledging and recognizing the sharpness and decisiveness of this young tycoon, it would be better if we were the ones who were betrayed.

At least we don't have to be on high alert like we are now, having to call everyone together after dinner to discuss countermeasures.

"Alright." Liu Chuanzhi's voice remained calm: "Even the wisest person can make a mistake. Wenjie is the best in the industry. It's normal for him to make such a prediction if he catches any slight movement."

I don't know if the old chairman's words can convince himself, and they obviously can't convince others.

Is that normal? It's practically superhumanly intelligent!
Damai.cn has kept itself deeply hidden behind the scenes from the very beginning, from accepting investment from several companies to jointly operate the company and aiming at the online movie market during the Lunar New Year season.

Even the business expansion of Beijing People's Art Theatre and Beijing Grand Stage is nothing more than a continuation of the company's previous development strategy, without any flaws whatsoever.

Cao Jie came into contact with the Beijing People's Art Theatre because he met Zhang Heping, who was the head of the liaison office, at the Olympics.

Last year, the Grand Stage's domestic revenue exceeded 100 million yuan, and all three preview performances at the Great Hall of the People were sold out. So what's wrong with it being an important ticketing partner this year?

In fact, the total revenue of this Grand Stage Beiping flagship store reached more than 09 million yuan in 6000. It would be a dereliction of duty for Damai.com not to develop its business here.

These two seemingly insignificant coincidences, however, developed into an inevitability through the time traveler's keen insight.

"Since they've already decided to check our shareholder information, it basically means they're aware of the current situation."

Liu Chuanzhi took a sip of hot tea, finding the melon slices today to be too astringent: "Gentlemen, let's discuss how we should proceed."

"Should we openly declare our intentions and seize the opportunity, or wait for the right time before launching a full-scale public relations campaign with major cinema chains?"

What are you waiting for?
Cao Jie thought so, but knowing that his voice carried little weight, he did not rashly express his opinion. Seeing that the other three shareholders were silent, he realized his mistake.

From software design, service scenarios, system integration, and fund settlement, our company has developed a complete solution for online ticketing. In the nearly five months since June, it can be said that the solution is fully mature and we are just waiting for the software to be filed and for the interface data to be obtained.

Starting to conquer theaters now is tantamount to providing the enemy with an operational template.

If you go to China Film Stellar Media today, the solution and demo version of the software will be in the hands of Wenjie tomorrow, which is quite detrimental to both parties in widening the competitive gap.

The founder of Damai.cn was already sweating profusely, and he silently reminded himself of a warning.

The journey of a hundred miles is only half complete at ninety. The opponent we face in this round is not some small fry, but a giant crocodile in the deep sea. A slight mistake could lead to failure.

He recalled his past rivals in the industry, including the gloomy old Ma before him, and knew he had to be careful.

Wang Jianlin was the first to speak: "I suggest we wait a bit longer, or at least put China Film Group and Beiping New Film Union last in our discussions."

"I understand the cinema industry. We can start with local cinemas first. The competition for other top-ranked cinemas and mainstream cinemas is all out in the open."

"By the way, Chairman Liu, do you have any ideas about Shanghai Film Studio? Shanghai United is crucial in terms of both theater share and location, and Lu Kuan has a relatively close relationship with Shanghai Film Studio."

Liu Chuanzhi pondered for a few seconds: "I'll ask Lao Guo for help. It's going to be difficult, but it's not hopeless."

The Shanghai Film Group is controlled by the Shanghai Film Group, which is a typical example of a departmental system of governance.
It is subject to both the management of the local Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the professional jurisdiction of the Film Bureau within the industry.

Clearly, if the axis of evil wants to find a solution, it can only start with the former.

Since Lu Kuan became the director of the advisory committee for the Film Promotion Law after the Olympics, the relevant departments in the industry have been a monolithic entity. Without an excellent opportunity and strong connections, it would be impossible to shake them.

Ma Yun said in a deep voice, "Jianlin makes a good point, but I think we can go all out now."

"Even if we consider defeat before victory, even if Lu Kuan has already realized it and is working overtime tonight to develop the software and the model."

"It took us four months to conduct our first round of internal testing. It's impossible for him to make it in time for the Lunar New Year holiday season, is it?"

"If we can win this Spring Festival, then Wenjie has such a big presence. They're competing with Taobao in the mall, Wanda in the cinema chain, and us in the online ticketing."

"Even if he owned a bank, he couldn't come up with that much money, right? I know a bit about the loans that domestic banking syndicates have approved for Wenjie, and they're basically exhausted. If he wants to raise more money, he'll probably have to use Liu's connections, which will involve some political risks."

He glanced at the silent Wang Jianlin: "You don't have much dealings with Lu Kuan, but I know him relatively well."

“Our so-called online movie ticketing model cannot withstand his scrutiny overnight, and there is no need to cherish it.”

"Therefore, I suggest we start immediately and not wait a moment longer!"

This statement sounds somewhat disheartening, but it is also very realistic.

Liu Chuanzhi actually quite admired Lao Ma's pragmatic attitude.

It is always better to anticipate the development of events by treating the enemy with the utmost appreciation and recognition than to be so arrogant as to fail at the last hurdle.

Moreover, is the title of the richest man easily obtained? Liu Chuanzhi himself did not gain any advantage in the previous confrontations.

"I support Lao Ma." Robin Li remained calm and composed, but his reminder to everyone was resounding: "Actually, our only chance is this Spring Festival."

"The financial crisis will eventually come to an end. On the 3rd of this month, the United States passed the $7000 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, and on the 8th, central banks around the world cut interest rates. Our four trillion yuan stimulus package will also be launched soon."

The president of Baidu, who has lived and worked in the United States for a long time, predicted: "Ultra-loose monetary policy is coming soon. If the battle is dragged on until next year, we may have to face the question of Weibo, blogs, video websites and e-commerce platforms going public together."

He smiled and said, "I don't know if you're scared, but I am a little scared—the money is going to burn out without any direction."

Seeing that everyone else nodded in agreement, Wang Jianlin did not offer any further suggestions. Liu Chuanzhi made the final decision: "Then let's get started. Cao Jie, arrange things properly, clarify all the rules and regulations, and let everyone work together."

"I don't see any chance for Wenjie to win the battle during the Lunar New Year season. Even the worst-case scenario is that it will be after the Lunar New Year. We will try to win this battle before the Lunar New Year next year."

"You don't need to worry about the money; the Taishan Club will be your backup force."

Ma Yun and Li Yanhong nodded, while Wang Jianlin remained silent.

Is it easy to get money from the Taishan Club?
If the four parties pool their money and it's enough, that's fine. But if external funds come in, they might have to resort to private placement or debt-to-equity swap.

Borrowing is impossible unless there is no hope of victory.

Therefore, the equity issue of this online ticketing service needs to be handled with caution, lest it end up benefiting Chairman Liu.

Old Wang is shrewd. When dealing with old foxes, he always keeps his wits in mind and takes them out to examine them closely when something happens.

Ma Yun, Wang Jianlin, Li Yanhong, Cao Jie, and Chairman Liu, who was in charge of the overall situation, discussed the matter until the early hours of the morning before finally dispersing, which shows their fear of this CEO of Wenjie.

In the darkness of night, several black sedans split up the thin autumn fog in front of the Ideal Building in Beiping and the headquarters of Lianxiang on Science South Road, speeding toward different strategic locations, and undercurrents began to surge.

Future industry experts, when they recall this ordinary Tuesday, will likely consider it one of the most fateful eves of a covert battle in the history of online movie ticketing, and even in the commercial arena.

The battle for future industry leadership has spread from court summonses to shareholder registers, and from technical codes to cinema contracts.

The gears of history quietly meshed in the autumn of 2008, and a future market share worth hundreds of billions hung between those speeding wheels and the coffee stains in the conference room late at night.

And as the sun rises again the following day, they will ignite a spark that will change the fate of the industry, the fate of its practitioners, and even the future of Chinese cinema.

The cruelty and magnificence of commercial civilization are nothing more than this.
-
At 7 p.m. on the 23rd, after arranging all his affairs, Boss Lu was already on an Air China Boeing 737 bound for Jiangcheng.

He couldn't wait even a second longer; he had to get back to Jiangcheng immediately.

When the first-class flight attendants saw this handsome, rich, and talented top bachelor, they couldn't hide the amazement and excitement in their eyes beneath their professional smiles.

Someone took the opportunity of bending down to hand over a blanket, allowing the curves outlined by the bodycon skirt to linger in the road's field of vision for two more seconds;

As someone adjusted the food cart, they deliberately made a soft treading sound with their high heels, their slender ankles peeking out from under their stockings;
When asked about their drink preferences, someone's fingertips seemed to brush against the leather seat armrest, and their eyelashes blinked three times faster than usual.

To be fair, some of the top-tier flight attendants of this era are just as good-looking and have figures as some celebrities in the entertainment industry.

However, this time they could only be considered as flirting with a blind man.

The washing machine, which used to be known for its frivolous behavior, didn't even want to open its eyes, only thinking about returning to Jiangcheng to reunite with Xiao Liu, who was pregnant with twins.

Of course, the fierce competition in the online ticketing sector, which is already on the verge of a storm, has also been weighing on my mind.

This time, both the opponent and the already disadvantaged position make the situation even more unpredictable.

Even if one is unrestrained and makes solemn promises in front of subordinates, one must still take things one step at a time.

He must find an opportunity to catch up and make up for what he is about to miss in the Lunar New Year film season.

It can be said that due to the butterfly effect of time travelers, the rise of online ticketing in this life will obviously be earlier than in the previous life.

However, from a macro perspective, this early boom in the film sub-sector is based on a concrete foundation of industry development and prerequisites.

In January 2009, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will issue three third-generation mobile communication (3G) licenses to China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, marking the beginning of the mobile Internet era.

Throughout 09, the three major telecom operators invested over 1600 billion yuan and built 32 new base stations to cover the entire country. The advent of mobile phone apps by major manufacturers also laid the technological foundation for the subsequent explosion of electronic ticketing.

In addition, the early prosperity of China's film industry in this era, with both the number of screens and domestic box office leading by 1-2 years, forced Ma Yun, who was at a strategic disadvantage, to take the initiative to join forces with the axis of evil and start this attack.

Time travelers sometimes face a very frustrating reality—

When his strength is strong enough to control a significant voice and market share in the Chinese film industry, the course of the entire era will be altered by the butterfly effect.

As a result, when facing various business competitions, Lu Kuan has long been unable to completely apply his past life's experience to deal with them.

Only by observing subtle signs and responding accordingly can we achieve significant results.

The plane landed after 9 p.m., and by the time I rushed to the villa in Bao'an Shanshui Longcheng, it was already late at night.

Liu Yifei's maternal grandparents originally intended to wait for their granddaughter's husband, but Liu Xiaoli persuaded them to go and rest first, as the elderly couple couldn't bear to stay up any longer.

Xiao Liu couldn't contain his excitement and gave him a warm hug as soon as they met.

"You're already a father of two! Aren't you excited?"

The washing machine peeked out and saw that its mother-in-law seemed to be in the kitchen. It joked with its wife, "Luckily, I knew the truth, otherwise I would have thought the whole thing had been exposed."

"Xiao Lu is back?" The mother-in-law was overjoyed these past two days, and brought out a steaming bowl of pork rib and lotus root soup and placed it on the dining table.

Bright green scallions float on the surface of the thick, white soup. The tender lotus root from Honghu Lake is stewed with pork ribs until the meat falls off the bone, and the aroma instantly fills the restaurant.

Next to it is freshly cooked bean curd strips, a specialty of Jiangcheng made from mung bean and rice flour batter, which are now golden and crispy on a porcelain plate, with a small dish of pickled radish cubes and chili sauce on the side.

A very homely and cozy late-night snack, just like the feelings of the people sitting around the table right now.

Liu Xiaoli beamed with delight as she watched them devour their food: "In Jiangcheng, lotus root is available every month starting in April. Lotus root harvested after October is the best for making soup, as it has a high starch content."

"Is it yummy?"

"It's delicious, Mom, have another bowl!" The son-in-law was very supportive, and soon the bowl was empty. Liu Xiaoli smiled and took the bowl to the kitchen for a refill.

Liu Yifei rested her chin on one hand, her phoenix eyes curving into crescents, and a smile she couldn't hide playing on her lips.

"I thought you wouldn't be back for a few more days. How's things going?"

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. We'll just do it." Boss Lu said calmly, though he occasionally had to put on an act in front of his wife.

He was well aware of the difficulties this situation would face, and there weren't many good solutions before the Lunar New Year film season.

How are you feeling physically?

"Very good, very good!" Liu Yifei said with a smile, "The experts you found are amazing. The doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital was practically besieged when we had the tests done at Tongji Hospital."

This refers to Lang Jinghe, a student of Lin Qiaozhi, who is now the director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Even the richest man in China had to pull strings to access this level of medical resources. Originally, the plan was to take Xiao Liu back to Beiping for a checkup at Peking Union Medical College Hospital over the next two months, but Director Lang was very cooperative and proactively came to Jiangcheng, borrowing equipment and departments from Tongji Hospital.

It would only be two months anyway, and after filming, she would stay in Beiping to rest and prepare for childbirth.

Liu Xiaoli, who came out of the kitchen, placed the steaming bowl of soup in front of her son-in-law: "Director Lang is a very nice and easy-going person, without any airs."

"Several other doctors, including Leng Jinhua and Zhu Lan, from different fields, are also very professional and have developed a prenatal check-up plan for Qianqian that extends all the way to the prenatal stage."

This customized plan for the wife of a billionaire is certainly not the same as that for ordinary families, but in reality, the items are still largely the same.

With the expert team overseeing the process, the first advantage is that the stress on pregnant women can be minimized. Unnecessary tests are avoided, and the intake of various nutrients can be obtained naturally through diet.

Secondly, you can start building a personal health record now that spans the entire pregnancy, covering hormone levels, fetal growth curves, maternal metabolism, and other dimensions.

No matter what unexpected situation arises during the process, a multidisciplinary consultation can be initiated in a timely manner.

In this way, the original team is responsible for everything from ultrasound monitoring to delivery, which can effectively avoid information transmission errors and reduce the probability of medical mistakes to near zero.

As for Mr. Lu, as a father and husband, at least in terms of material conditions, they couldn't have done any better.

After dinner, the couple returned to their room to rest. Liu Yifei opened his suitcase to pack his clothes, and a stack of brand-new parenting books tumbled out.

She picked it up and looked at it, then couldn't help but exclaim, "My goodness! Who would have thought that a washing machine would one day read these books!"

The top book is *The Sears Parenting Encyclopedia*, and there are also titles like *A Must-Read for Expectant Fathers: From Preconception to Newborn Care*, *Scientific Nutrition During Pregnancy*, and *How to Raise a Baby with High Emotional Intelligence*.

Lu Kuan, who had just finished showering and dried his hair, came out and joked, "How was it? Professional, right?"

Xiao Liu chuckled: "If your... substitutes, and even laundry detergent and liquid detergent saw this scene, your image as a charming artist would probably be ruined."

The washing machine smiled and said, "It's not shameful to be a humble servant of the people."

"Besides, ever since I fell into your hands, my public image has been completely ruined. I've tried to purify it countless times."

Lu Kuan gently stroked his chin with his well-defined fingers and asked curiously, "By the way, we probably can't see the baby's gender yet, right?"

Liu Yifei smiled and asked, "What are your thoughts? Do you favor boys over girls?"

"Turn it upside down!" Lu Kuan said with a straight face, spouting nonsense: "You cherish your daughter in the palm of your hand, but hang your son up and beat him!"

"I'll hit you first! No way!" Liu Yifei pointed her slender white fingertip at her husband's forehead: "You have to wait about four months to see if it's a boy or a girl. You can only see the gestational sac clearly now."

"I also asked Director Lang how to distinguish between the eldest and the second eldest son."

Boss Lu was dumbfounded: "Huh? Isn't whoever is brought out first the eldest? This is like they were born at the same time, how are we going to divide them?"

"No, that's not it." Little Liu pouted her pink lips slightly as she patiently explained to him:
Fraternal twins develop from two separate fertilized eggs. The embryo that implants first occupies the upper part of the uterus because it is closer to the mother's source of nutrition, so it develops faster and usually weighs more.

"The doctor said that generally speaking, during a vaginal delivery, the second child is located in the lower part of the uterus and is born first. So, the order of birth can be determined based on the weight of the babies."

Of course, this is all in the medical sense of tooth order. If you don't want to arrange them this way, you can just pick out whichever one is the eldest and decide for yourself.

Liu Yifei has been cramming on pregnancy knowledge for the past two days. The two chatted for a while, leaving Boss Lu completely bewildered.

"That's amazing! These two little ones are already making their own territorial claims inside your belly. They're really starting their battles right from the womb, haha!"

The couple leaned against the bed, and Xiao Liu curiously flipped through the parenting books in her hands: "Your profession is quite professional, but there are so many different kinds. Which one are you planning to try out first?"

Boss Lu frowned: "When I bought them at the airport, I thought it was just one puppy, but now there are two. This is a problem. How do we raise them separately?"

"I'm here studying and providing prenatal education for them, I can't very well ask the other person to cover their ears!"

"Haha, are you playing an online game here? Are you going to give them two classes like in Shanda's 'Zhu Xian'?"

Lu Kuan raised an eyebrow and then embraced his wife tenderly: "Of course, since we're running two accounts, we should definitely play a complementary style."

"The eldest son will become a mage, inheriting our mantle and specializing in the field of art; the second son will become a warrior, focusing on business practice, and will take over Wenjie in the future to fight in the business world."

He has already begun to envision: "It's just that prenatal music can't be differentiated. Otherwise, we could play Chopin for the eldest to cultivate emotional thinking, and 'Croatian Rhapsody' for the second to stimulate their fighting spirit."

"Hahaha!"

Looking at her husband's expectant and longing expression, Liu Yifei's thick, sword-like eyebrows relaxed, and an undisguised smile played on her lips. Even her jawline tightened slightly with excitement.

The hands that usually held paintbrushes and palette tubes were now carefully stroking her abdomen, the long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles carrying an incredible gentleness.

Under the dim light of the bedside table, the girl suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

Liu Yifei turned her head to look at the pure joy flowing between them, and in a daze, she saw the river of time swirl at this moment.

The artist who seemed out of place in the world and acted eccentrically and recklessly when she first met him now looked just like any ordinary father in the world.

Vibrant and lively, it stirred even deeper ripples in her heart.

The mists of time and space that once stood between them were gradually evaporated by the most ordinary human moments.

The warmth emanating from his palm at this moment is more convincing proof than any vow:
This soul that transcends time and space has long since planted its roots deep within the mortal world where she exists.

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei returned to the film set in Yuanshan County early on the 24th. Their dedication speaks for itself, and the filming of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" is progressing smoothly.

With top-tier actors, production support from Wenjie Films, and frequent discussions between Lu Kuan and Zhang Yimou, the planned filming schedule is likely to be brought forward.

Especially when directing young actors and extras, if Zhang Yimou's instructions are not effective, Lu Yimou can give them a different approach and guide them. Wang Baoqiang, Tong Liya, and many extras can then understand the intentions well and complete their performances.

On the evening of October 30th, after finishing work and having dinner, Zhang Mo suddenly knocked on her father's door in a hurry.

"what happened?"

“Dad, someone claiming to be from our crew posted on Weibo and revealed that Xixi is pregnant, along with some photos, but they’re not very clear.”

"Zhuo Wei also retweeted this Weibo post, and it's going viral online now."

Zhang Yimou was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and shook his head: "Hey, it's been more than a month since it got out, it's not early at all."

“I’ve talked to this couple before, and they also have a ‘whatever happens, happens’ attitude. You can’t just shut people up, can you?”

"If Xiao Lu wants to block the news, he can just have someone delete the posts himself. I'll talk to him about it later, it's fine."

Zhang Yimou bent over his desk for a few seconds, then looked up and saw his daughter standing awkwardly in front of him.

"What's going on? Is there more to this story?"

Zhang Mo stammered, "I also... I also received an anonymous email claiming that the whistleblower was Zhang Weiping."

"Huh?" Zhang Yimou frowned, put down his pen with some annoyance. Could it be that his old partner was really causing trouble for him?
"What reason should I give?"

Zhang Mo analyzed in detail: "Most of the photos posted by that Weibo user were of Mr. Lu helping Qianqian take a walk by the river, or of Aunt Liu bringing people to deliver meals for pregnant women from a distance."

“I carefully examined the costumes of Xixi and Director Lu, as well as other elements in the picture. The date of each photo basically matches the time when Zhang Weiping arrived at the film crew.”

Zhang Mo is the assistant director of the crew, and can be said to be the female manager in charge of all matters of the crew. She is also Zhang Yimou's daughter who is being deliberately trained.

She actually had a problem with Zhang Weiping a long time ago.

The latter's interference in his father's creative work is nothing new. Whenever they drink, he would often talk about how he made a big bet when Zhang Yimou was still struggling, which was quite annoying.

In particular, Zhang Weiping's interference in her father's relationship and family, whether it was Gong Li in the beginning or her "stepmother" Cheng Ting later, no matter what role they played, always made her, a child from a broken family, feel uncomfortable.

But this wasn't something Zhang Mo made up. After comparing the information provided in the anonymous email, she found that Zhang Weiping was indeed the more suspicious one.

Especially...

“Dad, if Zhang Weiping is just trying to create hype, he might actually do something like this.” Zhang Mo was speculating about that ugly guy with the utmost malice.

"From a market perspective, the biggest selling point of our film is obvious, but do you think he can resist causing trouble?"

Zhang Yimou gently interrupted his daughter: "Alright, don't make baseless speculations. Don't be so shameless next time you see him. He watched you grow up when you were little, so why do you have such a big problem with him now that you're older?"

"Don't tell me about this yet, let me see how to handle it."

Even if the parties involved are easygoing and don't mind, it doesn't mean they can tolerate Zhang Weiping, who is also an investor, engaging in such underhanded tactics.

Moreover, Zhang Yimou knew all too well the consequences of offending such a wealthy and powerful figure.

"Do you think people won't know if I don't tell them? This email won't just be sent to me alone. You'll see if you don't believe me."

Zhang Mo snorted: "To be honest, Director Lu, Qianqian, and Aunt Liu are all so kind to everyone in the crew, without any airs. It's been over a month and no one has released anything like this. Coincidentally, all the photos were taken when he was there. Do I need to say more?"

Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain. Zhang Mo already viewed her father's investor with prejudice, not to mention that the person who guided her was a purely "bad person".
-
"You bad guy! You're just framing Zhang Weiping like this? What good will it do?" Xiao Liu was surfing the internet in his room, but he was only watching his own drama unfold.

"Ah Fei's photography skills are really good now. These pictures of us walking by the river have a kind of romantic feel to them."

That's right, these photos were taken by the people involved as keepsakes, but they've been temporarily repurposed.

Sowing discord between the "golden duo" to save the soldier and the old strategist.

Lu Kuan sat down next to his wife, looking with great interest at the increasingly agitated comments from netizens:

"It's not that I framed him. When it comes to someone like Zhang Weiping, we should judge by his intentions, not his actions. I could already see that he had this idea of ​​creating hype, but he didn't dare to do it because of my intimidation. That's called helping others achieve their goals."

"Hahaha! You're so shameless, washing machine!" Xiao Liu blurted out, then quickly corrected herself, "No, no, honey, you're so clever!"

She really values ​​prenatal education, but it seems to be too early.

The girl gently touched her lower abdomen: "Baby, don't learn from Daddy, and it's best not to learn cleverness either, I'm afraid you'll learn the wrong things."

In fact, Liu Yifei's examination at Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Jiangcheng a few days ago could no longer be hidden from public view.

In a large hospital in the provincial capital, it's impossible to implement a lockdown like in a small local hospital, so the mother and daughter just let things take their course.

In short, Xiao Liu is not like other female celebrities who have to hide their marriage and children.

Incidentally, these two are both lead actors and investors, so they're also promoting themselves and adding some hype to the production team. The photos released are all sweet and loving pictures of the two of them.

So this time, they simply used the photos to their advantage and put Zhang Weiping in a bad position. To use Boss Lu's shameless words, Zhang Weiping must have been thinking about using the two of them for publicity for a long time, but he just didn't dare to.

Thinking about it is forbidden, even thinking about it is a sin!
"I think I'm guilty too? Yi Mou, it really wasn't me!" Zhang Weiping, who was in Beiping, was really in a bind this time. His old partner called him and started questioning him.

"You've seen it these past few times, haven't you? When I went to the film set, President Lu was always keeping his tail between his legs, afraid of doing something wrong and incurring someone's jealousy."

"Just like those two apprentices of Zhao Benshan that night, wasn't Lu Kuan deliberately trying to get back at me? Do you still remember that little conflict during 'Curse of the Golden Flower'?"

Zhang Yimou originally only wanted to give him a small warning before going to talk to Lu Kuan himself and bring things up openly.

But listen to what this person is saying...

Do you still remember that unpleasant day with Zhao Benshan, and how Lu Kuan took sides?

He's harboring resentment!

This time, Zhang Yimou didn't even need his daughter Zhang Mo to add fuel to the fire; he had already practically pinned the blame on his old partner.

In fact, the person who understands Zhang Weiping best is himself. It's just that Zhang Weiping has an old-fashioned side to his personality, which sometimes causes him to overlook some details.

"Weiping! This is the last time I'm telling you this!"

Zhang Yimou had to give him a stern warning, otherwise he wouldn't be able to protect Lu Kuan if he angered him: "This matter ends here. I'll go find Xiao Lu later and talk things out."

"Don't come to the film set unless it's absolutely necessary. Filming will be over in a month or two anyway, and—"

"Regardless of whether it was you this time or not, never think about using anything related to these two people for publicity again!"

Zhang Yimou earnestly advised, "Wei Ping, think about it carefully. He's also an investor and the lead actor, not to mention that Ren Lukuan's film marketing skills are far superior to ours."

"If they want to create hype or promote themselves, they'll plan it themselves. You don't need to worry about it, okay?"

Mudd!

What are you saying! What kind of talk is this?!
Zhang Weiping was truly furious this time. His ugly face twitched even through the phone. How could Old Zhang wrong an innocent person like this!
With this blatant favoritism, could it be that he's really planning to collaborate with his junior brother for the long term?
In the general manager's office of Beiping New Picture Film Industry, a deep wrinkled, chubby face instantly turned a deep liver color, and his thick lips trembled violently.

"Yi Mou! I'm telling you this one last time!"

“If it were me, I would admit it, and I would definitely tell you, whether before or after.”

"But it wasn't me! Nobody can frame me!"

Zhang Weiping couldn't control his temper. He wanted to tell his old partner not to think about switching jobs, as that would be very unethical!

Looking at the photo of herself and Zhang Yimou on the office wall—an intimate picture of them with their arms around each other at the celebration banquet for "Hero"—she hung up the phone and ended the argument.

"that's all!"
-
"That's it, Xiaolu."

Standing at the top of the fourth-floor staircase, Zhang Yimou looked troubled: "Actually, it's really hard to say who did it. You've seen the emails, and I'm inclined to think..."

Zhang Mo stood beside her father, her face ashen, her lips pursed, her heart filled with resentment and disapproval.

Even at a time like this, you're still speaking up for him!
"Director Zhang!" Lu Kuan, who was deep in thought, interrupted his senior's attempt to exonerate him after hearing a few words of explanation.

“Zhang Weiping is your old partner. This is not a big deal. It’s just a few photos. It’s basically impossible to cover up Xiao Liu’s pregnancy now.”

"Even if it is Zhang Weiping, I won't make a fuss about it for your sake."

Boss Lu looked like he had a lot of good intentions, as if he wanted to reprimand someone, but he forcibly held back.

Liu Xiaolv, who was standing next to him, also managed to hold back her laughter and cooperate with her husband's performance: "Director Zhang, don't be so formal. You came all this way to talk about this in person so late at night. You could have just made a phone call."

"That won't do. Given our relationship, we can't just let this matter pass by without mentioning it."

“You and Mo’er get along so well, you can’t let this affect your relationship.”

Zhang Yimou's expression was serious. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Wei Ping, well... how should I put it? Sometimes I can't see through him, but after all these years, it's just like a married couple living their lives, nothing special."

“Director Zhang, that’s different!” Xiao Liu said with a smile, “Living life is a lifelong thing, and your creative work should also be a lifelong thing.”

"It's like the shoes you wear. If they're a little uncomfortable and rub your feet, it'll pass. But if you get blisters every now and then, it'll still hurt, right?"

The washing machine, though expressionless, was secretly full of praise!

Hey! This wife! Her voice is as beautiful as her face!
Zhang Yimou shook his head helplessly, pretending not to understand the meaning behind those words.

Looking up again at the little girl with clear eyes and a curved smile, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.

This isn't Jingqiu, this is Huang Rong!
The first attempt, which wasn't really a test, passed just like that.

"Director Zhang, you and Zhang Mo should go back and rest. Don't take this little thing to heart, it's not worth it."

Mr. Lu laughed and said, "I just saw the photos, and to be honest, they're all pretty good. I don't think the person who posted them on Weibo had any bad intentions."

"Alright, then I won't disturb your rest." Zhang Yimou waved his hand helplessly, forcing a smile.

"Mo'er, let's go back."

"Understood, Dad." Zhang Mo, his face ashen, spoke the first words he'd uttered, then grasped Liu Yifei's hand again.
"Sisi, I'm so sorry."

Xiao Liu smiled sweetly and said, "What are you saying, Sister Mo? If you keep being so polite, I won't give you any more pine nuts!"

Overwhelmed by a mix of self-blame and frustration, Zhang Mo looked like she was about to cry. She quickly nodded to Boss Lu, then turned and followed her father.

The inexperienced female assistant director couldn't hold back any longer: "Dad, I think you should start working with Zhang as soon as possible..."

"Shut up!" The old man rarely spoke sternly to his daughter. He glanced at her aggrieved lips, and remembering the suffering his daughter had endured since childhood, his heart softened again.

I just don't know how to say it.

As the "movie star couple" at the stairwell watched the father and daughter walk away, Boss Lu couldn't help but sigh, "Old Zhang is truly a sentimental and honest man."

Having just put on a dramatic performance, Xiao Liu turned to her husband and asked, "So you've had a change of heart?"

"I've always had a good conscience, haven't I? You touch me every day, don't you know?" Lu Kuan looked at Xiao Liu with a serious face. "No one in the world is perfect. Judge by your heart, not your actions. Zhang Yimou and Zhang Mo will thank me in the future."

The previous one judged Zhang Weiping's "fabricated charges" without any psychological burden, based solely on his intentions and disregarding his actions.

At this moment, he judged by his intentions rather than his actions, and righteously portrayed himself as a redeemer, demonstrating a clear flexibility in his standards of justice.

Helplessly becoming an accomplice to her husband's evil deeds, the young mother watched as her husband turned and went into the room with light steps. She subconsciously touched her belly, which showed no signs of pregnancy yet.

Like begets like, and the children of a washing machine are no exception.

Sigh, I don't even want to think about it.

They're even doing prenatal education?

I can't keep up with this prenatal education for even a day.

(End of this chapter)