Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

"It's not certain yet," Zhang Ze replied casually.

Then he handed the cat back to Liu Yifei, who looked nervous, and let her hold it for a while.

He crouched down and began to examine the machine carefully.

The casing and power cord appear to be in perfect condition.

He ran his fingers along the edge of the machine's grain outlet.

The next second, a slight but clear electric current sensation came from my fingertips.

The truth came out.

Zhang Ze coughed twice, stood up, and came to Liu Yifei.

"I know what's going on."

Once they got back to the living room downstairs, Yang Mi immediately rushed over.

"How's it going? Are we going to set up an altar and perform a ritual? Did you bring the necessary tools?"

Zhang Ze was amused by her seemingly eager-to-make-a-fuss attitude.

"No need for that."

He pointed upstairs.

"The problem lies with that feeding machine."

Yang Mi was immediately filled with question marks. "Huh? What could possibly be wrong with a machine?"

"That machine is leaking electricity."

Zhang Ze explained the situation succinctly, "And it's intermittent, only leaking electricity when the automatic feeding happens at night. So every time the cat goes to eat its midnight snack late at night, it gets a shock."

"In this way, the incidents will naturally occur at fixed times. After being shocked many times, they will naturally develop fear, and their subsequent refusal to eat or drink is also due to their fear of being shocked again."

After he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the living room.

Liu Yifei was the first to react. She hugged the ragdoll cat in her arms tightly, kissing and comforting it.

"Oh my god, so that's how it is! Poor baby, it's all Mommy's fault!"

Liu Xiaoli, who was standing to the side, also looked enlightened and immediately instructed the nanny to get rid of the machine.

Only Yang Mi's pretty face was filled with disappointment.

After all that, it turns out it wasn't some supernatural event, just an electrical malfunction?

Why did she call Zhang Ze over from so far away?

With the problem resolved, the leaky feeding machine was quickly put into a black garbage bag and thrown into the outside trash can by the nanny, under Liu Ma's arrangement.

The oppressive atmosphere in the villa was completely dispelled.

Liu Yifei was completely relieved, and a bright smile returned to her face.

She and Yang Mi soon started playing around, the two girls chasing and fighting in the living room, full of youthful energy.

Zhang Ze stood aside, quietly watching the beautiful scenery before him.

It's quite a rare sight to see two beautiful young women playfully fighting.

To express her gratitude, Aunt Liu personally cooked a large table of dishes.

The dishes were plentiful, filling the entire table, but most of them were light in color, with green and white interspersed.

Zhang Ze picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and found that the taste was indeed excessively bland.

He looked at Yang Mi across from him and noticed that she was also eating in small bites, her chopsticks moving between the dishes, unable to find a target to eat.

Zhang Ze found it amusing.

He already knew Yang Mi's tastes from their previous meals together; they were similar to his, both preferring dishes with lots of oil and salt. He knew she definitely wouldn't be used to this kind of light, healthy food.

Yang Mi noticed his gaze, looked up, and met his slightly teasing eyes.

She quietly reached her hand under the table and pinched his thigh hard.

At the dinner table, the conversation naturally turned to work.

Liu Yifei asked Yang Mi, "Mi Mi, what are your plans for the future? Are you still filming?"

Yang Mi picked at the rice in her bowl, looking rather uninterested. "There aren't any good scripts. I guess I'll just be doing some promotional appearances and attending some events."

After saying that, she asked Liu Yifei, "What about you? I heard that many TV dramas want to cast you."

When her work was mentioned, Liu Yifei perked up.

"My mom turned down all those TV dramas for me because I have a movie coming up, a big international co-production, where I'll be playing the lead role."

Yang Mi stopped what she was doing, looked up, and exclaimed with envy, "A movie? And the lead role? An international blockbuster? You're amazing!"

Liu Yifei smiled a little shyly, revealing her white teeth, "My mom answered it for me."

Zhang Ze listened quietly; he knew, of course, the path Liu Yifei was about to take.

This path sounds glamorous, but in reality, it will leave her battered and bruised. Not only will she fail to go international, but she will also squander a lot of the popularity she has accumulated in the domestic TV drama industry.

He looked at Aunt Liu, who sat at the head of the table with a gentle demeanor, and asked, "Auntie, are you planning to let Qianqian focus on the big screen? So, she won't be taking on any more domestic TV dramas?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu put down her chopsticks and answered frankly, "Well, we don't plan to let her take on any more TV dramas for now. Actors, after all, should eventually make their way to the big screen."

"Once we gain recognition through this movie, we can consider going international in a couple of years."

Her plan was clear, and she had high hopes for her daughter's future, aiming for her to become an international superstar.

Zhang Ze simply nodded, but did not agree. He knew that this plan was destined to fail.

The truth is, according to her plan, Liu Yifei not only failed to make a name for herself internationally, but also offended Huayi Brothers. If it weren't for the solid reputation she had built up from her previous TV dramas, Liu Yifei wouldn't have been able to get any domestic film and television offers.

"Auntie, I think Xixi is better suited to acting in TV dramas," Yang Mi said from the side. "I heard from my agent that if you want to participate in big productions and go international, you need capital involvement. You can't rely on personal effort alone."

The smile on Liu Ma's face faded a little.

Zhang Ze looked at Yang Mi in surprise. He hadn't expected this girl to have such profound insights. No wonder she was able to achieve great success later on.

"My agent, Jiajia, said that the domestic film industry is still immature, and the market is basically divided up by a few established film and television companies, leaving very little room for others."

"In addition to the impact of Hollywood blockbusters, without very strong connections and resources, trying to gain a foothold with just one or two movies is likely to be a waste of effort in the end."

"TV dramas boost popularity, while movies elevate one's status; this is a consensus in the industry."

"The best way is to take two steps at the same time. If Xixi gives up on TV dramas as her core business now, she may not be able to keep up with the development later."

Yang Mi's analysis was very logical, but Liu Ma's smile had vanished.

Zhang Ze nodded secretly.

He was well aware of the future trajectory of the world and knew that Yang Mi was right.

For the next ten years, television dramas remained the mainstream of mass communication.

It was precisely because most celebrities turned to the big screen that Zhao Liying was able to rise to prominence and become a ratings queen.

Yang Mi was still talking animatedly.

"Once we go abroad, it means our exposure in China will be greatly reduced."

"The overseas market is exclusive and the opportunities are slim. If you can't consistently produce quality work, domestic audiences will quickly forget you."

"By the time you want to come back, the market will have changed drastically."

She didn't notice that Liu Ma's expression was getting worse and worse.

Although Liu Yifei also thought Yang Mi was right, seeing her mother's expression, she still carefully nudged Yang Mi under the table.

Yang Mi turned her head and immediately saw Liu Ma's expression. She realized that she had said the wrong thing, so she quickly corrected herself.

"Of course, these are all things we young actors need to consider. With Auntie behind her, Sisi will definitely succeed!"