Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 108 Arrangements Before Returning to the Capital
After Dilraba joined the "Detective Chinatown" crew, Chen Xiu's life became less boring.

The two were very familiar with each other. Although their combat strengths differed considerably, Reba managed to hold on by using two accounts to fight in turn.

However, while the combat strength was barely matched, the consumption of resources was by no means reduced.

Just like tonight, when the two of them had warmed up and were ready to make love late into the night, they suddenly ran out of balloons!
Chen Xiu didn't really want Wei Feng and Xiong Ben to handle these essential supplies, and it seemed even more inappropriate to have Reba buy them.

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to buy it himself.

Upon arriving at the 711-Eleven convenience store on the first floor of the hotel, Chen Xiu immediately took down all the lightest and thinnest items from the counter and paid for them amidst the cashier's amazed and admiring gaze.

After putting two layers of bags over the equipment, Chen Xiu was waiting for the elevator when she suddenly heard a conversation in Chinese coming from the elevator next door, which had just opened its doors.

"Baoqiang, you haven't experienced this before, so you don't know! Come with me and try it, and you'll understand. Once you understand, you'll naturally comprehend it."

"Old Chen, I'm inviting you, can't I refuse?"

"That won't do. If you don't go, it'll be so boring if it's just me and Lao Xiao! Let me tell you, everything is great over there, except you have to bring your own stuff, you can't use theirs..."

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Chen Xiu turned her head around.

Then, Chen Sicheng, Wang Baoqiang, and Xiao Yang emerged together from the elevator next door.

Among them, Chen Sicheng was also holding a bag containing a variety of equipment, much more abundant than the basic items Chen Xiu had bought.

The three of them hadn't noticed Chen Xiu until Xiao Yang casually turned his head and met Chen Xiu's gaze. He then stopped in his tracks, stunned.

"Hey, Lao Xiao, why aren't you leaving?"

When Chen Sicheng greeted Xiao Yang, he also saw Chen Xiu, and his previously somewhat lewd face instantly fell.

Wang Baoqiang was the last to see Chen Xiu, but he was the first to greet her: "Producer Chen, good evening."

Good evening, can't you guys sleep?

Chen Xiu made no attempt to hide her gaze as she examined the object in Chen Sicheng's hand, and the smile on her lips gradually turned mocking.

Wang Baoqiang, being a married man, doesn't have the same thick skin as Chen Sicheng.

Caught red-handed by Chen Xiu, he was quite embarrassed: "Producer Chen, we haven't gone there yet..."

"Where to?"

Chen Xiu's counter-question directly cornered Wang Baoqiang, leaving him with no way to answer.

Before he could say anything, Wang Baoqiang blurted it out. It seems that what he heard earlier was true; this simpleton really hadn't been there.

Seeing that his brother was almost sold out, Chen Sicheng quickly stopped him and interjected, "Mr. Chen, we're going to eat seafood later. Doesn't that violate the crew's rules?"

"Of course it's not against the rules! But do you like to bring your own dipping sauce when you eat seafood?"

Chen Xiu's upturned lips were so mocking that Xiao Yang and Wang Baoqiang, under his gaze, wanted nothing more than to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

Unfortunately, the hotel had marble floors...

"Cough cough."

Chen Sicheng coughed awkwardly twice, then slung the bag behind his back: "When we eat seafood, we like to bring our own dipping sauce; the ones here don't suit our taste..."

"However, the seafood is particularly to my liking."

Even with his thick skin, Chen Sicheng found this sudden pressure too much to bear.

Wang Baoqiang, who wasn't really keen on going in the first place, immediately backed out: "Old Chen, no, Sicheng, how about I just not go eat seafood?"

"No, why are you being a coward?"

Chen Sicheng looked at Wang Baoqiang with anger and embarrassment, and was very dissatisfied with his performance.

"That's right, my wife..."

Wang Baoqiang looked at Chen Xiu hesitantly, afraid that he would reveal that he was going to "eat seafood" that night.

Seeing this, Chen Xiu, who had no intention of morally condemning them, shook her head and said, "Don't worry about me, you can go if you want! Just don't let it affect tomorrow's filming."

Wang Baoqiang was taken aback and turned to look at Xiao Yang, who hadn't said a word, wanting to ask for his opinion.

Chen Xiu also looked at Xiao Yang, "I knew Bao Qiang and Director Chen had a good relationship, but I didn't expect that you, Lao Xiao, also had a good relationship with Director Chen!"

"Uh, I'm not..."

Xiao Yang hurriedly denied it, but Chen Xiu stopped him with a meaningful gesture.

"Director Chen, I suddenly thought of something and wanted to tell you in advance. Is now a convenient time?"

"That's convenient."

Chen Sicheng nodded slightly, seemingly a little distracted by the topic Chen Xiu had suddenly brought up, probably because his attention hadn't completely shifted from the seafood conversation.

"It's like this, I'm planning to go back to the capital at the end of the month, and I'll probably stay for four or five days..."

While slowing down her speech, Chen Xiu observed the expressions of Chen Sicheng and Xiao Yang: "I will hand over all the work on the film set to Wei Feng. The movie will still be shot according to the storyboard I set up, is that alright?"

"No problem! Of course no problem!"

Chen Sicheng readily agreed, his decisiveness suggesting he had been eagerly anticipating this day.

However, his gleaming eyes did not escape Chen Xiu's notice.

Meanwhile, in a place unnoticed by Chen Sicheng and Wang Baoqiang, Xiao Yang moved his lips, his eyes shifting uncertainly.

Chen Xiu also took in the changes in his expression.

"Okay, then you and Wei Feng should cooperate well. I won't disturb you while you're eating seafood."

After saying that, Chen Xiu walked into the elevator with a smile on her face.

As the elevator doors closed and the display numbers began to rise, Chen Sicheng's long-suppressed smile finally broke into an unrestrained grin!

"Hmph! We've finally gotten rid of that smiling tiger!"

"Old Chen, what do you mean by this?"

"It means exactly what it says. During the few days he was away, I, as the director, could finally stretch my muscles."

Chen Sicheng said smugly.

However, when Xiao Yang heard him say this, his expression became meaningful.

Taking the elevator upstairs, Chen Xiu went directly into the hot bar room with her equipment.

As soon as he closed the door and walked through the living room, he noticed that the bedroom lights had a faint purple hue, giving it a somewhat dim feel.

Noticing the commotion caused by Chen Xiu, a figure suddenly jumped off the dark bed in the bedroom and nimbly rushed into the brightly lit living room, exposing its entire appearance to Chen Xiu's view.

Chen Xiu first felt a blur before her eyes, and only after looking closely did she realize that in the few minutes she had been away, Dilraba had changed her outfit.

She was wearing a mask that covered the upper half of her face, with two cat ears at the top.

She wore a black bodysuit that covered her entire body, outlining her figure perfectly. Her long, smooth, black hair cascaded down her back, swaying with each step she took.

Chen Xiu blinked: "Catwoman?"

"How's it going? Do you like it?"

Dilraba smiled and winked at Chen Xiu with her left eye, which had a beauty mark under its eye.

There was a snap.

Chen Xiu took out a box of equipment from her handbag: "Is this enough?"

"I think that's enough..."

"Let's go then!" Due to her talent and practice since childhood, Dilraba's dancing skills have always been quite good.

Chen Xiu also witnessed firsthand the dance skills she possessed, and then, based on that, helped her develop and become familiar with many new dance styles.

……

The next day, affected by her biological clock and the feeling of hunger in her stomach, Reba rubbed her eyes in a daze.

She held the blanket in her other hand, slowly got up, and then looked around the room blankly.

Finally, on the sofa by the window, I saw Chen Xiu, her face glowing with health from the light of her computer screen.

Dilraba frowned and pouted, "Brother Xiu, are you playing games?"

"Yes, we're playing a numbers game; we're currently clearing out the inventory step by step..."

Chen Xiu stared at the screen, explaining as she operated the controls.

After the initial grogginess from waking up wore off, Reba realized what Chen Xiu meant by "game": "You're buying stocks?"

"No, I'm selling."

After selling all her holdings, Chen Xiu stared at the balance in her account, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

As the new year begins, the A-shares market goes crazy; any string of numbers can make money, and for some, doubling their money in a month is not a dream at all.

Before the Spring Festival, Chen Xiu's account already had three small goals in it, and now it has grown from nine figures to ten figures.

However, knowing the outcome of this big win, he also understood that he should secure his winnings.

Since the beginning of June, Chen Xiu has been gradually clearing out his holdings. Today is the last transaction, and he just managed to close the deal just before the peak.

With a "snap," Chen Xiu slammed the laptop shut, walked back to the bedside, and leaned over to give Dilraba, who looked like Sleeping Beauty, a good morning forehead kiss.

"Now that you're awake, get up and get ready for breakfast!"

"Brother Xiu, I heard from people around me that the market is doing very well right now, why are you selling?"

Reba pursed her lips and looked at Chen Xiu with a puzzled expression.

Although she doesn't manage her own finances, mainly because she doesn't have spare money to do so, she always knows one or two brave souls around her.

Especially since last month, Reba's WeChat Moments have been flooded with all sorts of money-making information, as if you can make money no matter what you buy, which made her want to open an account.

Seeing Chen Xiu doing the opposite of what others are doing, Reba is naturally puzzled.

Seeing her furrowed brows, Chen Xiu raised her hand and smoothed her brows again: "I've already made money, so there's no need for me to take the last bite of the profit."

"The last bit of profit? You mean..."

"There are no waves in the world that only rise and never fall; just be good enough."

Chen Xiu didn't explain further, but just patted Reba: "Alright, get up now! The sun's already high in the sky."

"Hey, don't hit me!"

Reba protested by slapping Chen Xiu's hand away, but eventually got up anyway.

The two had breakfast in the living room and then went out together to the film set.

Upon arrival, the two automatically separated. Dilraba went to the dressing room to prepare, while Chen Xiu went to her own workstation next to the director's monitor.

Chen Sicheng, who went out for seafood last night, looked exceptionally energetic today. When he saw Chen Xiu coming over, he greeted her warmly and proactively.

"Good morning, Mr. Chen, or Producer Chen!"

How was the seafood last night?

"It was amazing! Especially the Australian abalone, wow, absolutely incredible! Do you want to come eat it with me next time?"

"Haha, you're welcome."

Chen Xiu rolled her eyes inwardly, but on the surface, she refused Chen Sicheng's "kindness" with a forced smile.

After the rather insincere greeting, Chen Xiu went to her seat, while Chen Sicheng rushed over with a fawning expression before filming began.

"Producer Chen, you said last night that you were going back to Beijing. I wonder when exactly you'll be going back?"

"It's not certain yet. Do you really want me to go back?"

"No, no, I was just checking in. After all, if you go back, I need to make some preparations!"

Chen Sicheng's attitude was very good; you couldn't tell at all that there was another side to him beneath that smiling face.

Chen Xiu looked at him noncommittally, and after hesitating, decided to give each other another chance.

"Director Chen, I already told you last time that as long as you shoot according to the storyboard I give you, you don't need to worry about anything else, and you'll get some credit in the future, right?"

"Yes, yes, I've always remembered!"

Chen Sicheng answered without hesitation, almost immediately after Chen Xiu finished speaking.

This kind of thoughtless answer either indicates that he had a pre-planned strategy, or that he simply didn't care what Chen Xiu said and was only thinking about Chen Xiu disappearing as soon as possible so that he could stretch his arms.

Chen Xiu glanced at him calmly and said, "Prepare well for today's filming."

"Okay, I will definitely shoot according to the storyboard you provided."

Chen Sicheng nodded honestly, perfectly capturing the essence of the word "obedient".

After the conversation ended, until the filming officially started today, Chen Xiu did not go to talk to Chen Sicheng again.

When Xiao Yang's scenes were finished, and everyone followed Wang Baoqiang and Peng Yuchang to move on to film the next scene, Chen Xiu approached Xiao Yang, who was squatting in a corner smoking.

"Can I have one?"

"Oh? Mr. Chen, what brings you here?"

"You don't need to get up, just squat like that."

Chen Xiu pressed down on Xiao Yang's shoulder, and then squatted down herself.

Seeing the big shot's actions, Xiao Yang realized what he had just said and hurriedly pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"Mr. Chen, do you like this cigarette?"

Chen Xiu snatched the cigarette from Xiao Yang, lit it herself, and took a long drag.

"Hiss~~, you're a celebrity now, why don't you smoke some cigarettes?"

"Hehe, I used to smoke this when I was writing songs. It's a habit. If you don't like it, Mr. Chen, I can ask someone else for a pack."

"There's nothing I can't get used to smoking. I've even tried Daqianmen before, ugh, it was so strong."

"You've smoked this kind of cigarette before?"

Xiao Yang exclaimed in surprise, completely unaware that his nervousness had been dispelled by Chen Xiu's few words.

Chen Xiu continued chatting and joking with him until the cigarette had burned halfway before they started talking about serious matters.

"Old Xiao, what exactly is your relationship with Chen Sicheng?"

"Well, he's a friend I can talk to, since he got me this role..."

"Let me correct you. I'm the one who put you in this role, and I could even give you more."

Chen Xiu watched him take a deep drag on his cigarette and exhale rings, then said, "I'll ask you one more time, what's your relationship with Director Chen like? Think it over before you answer."

"My relationship with Director Chen is purely professional; we don't contact each other often after get off work."

(End of this chapter)