Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

He gestured for Xiaowen to give him the pen.

As a result, when Zhang Ze uncapped his pen and prepared to write his name in the brand-new notebook, the little girl named Zhang Yuwei suddenly spoke up again.

Her voice was soft and somewhat uneasy.

"Mr. Zhang Ze, could you please write something to wish Zhang Yuwei good luck on her monthly exam?"

After Zhang Yuwei finished speaking, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Zhang Ze's reaction.

Zhang Ze's hand, holding the pen, froze in mid-air.

He looked at the little girl in front of him, who was practically burying her head in his chest.

"sure."

Zhang Ze's response was straightforward and without any hesitation.

For him, it was just a matter of writing a few more words, nothing to worry about.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Zhang Yuwei's face lit up with delight.

"Great! Now I can take this autograph back to school; they're all so jealous!"

Zhang Ze could only smile wryly after hearing this.

As he wrote the blessing in his notebook, he glanced at Zhang Yuwei casually.

She was wearing a blue and white high school uniform, a very ordinary style, but it was very clean.

"You're in high school now? And your grades aren't good?"

He asked it casually.

Zhang Yuwei was immersed in the joy of receiving her idol's blessing when she heard the question. She immediately stood up straight and answered seriously.

I just started my second year of high school.

After saying that, she added a little embarrassedly, "Actually, I've been studying very hard, but my grades just won't improve. I always hover around 400th in the grade in every exam."

Zhang Ze noticed the fleeting look of disappointment on her face.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

After signing the last word, he closed the notebook and handed it back to the little girl. Then, quite naturally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow talisman folded into a triangle.

"This is for you too."

He handed over the talisman.

Zhang Yuwei was stunned.

She instinctively reached out her hands and caught the light, fluttering yellow paper.

Her gaze was completely drawn to what she was holding.

The paper was yellow, with strange patterns drawn on it in red cinnabar that she couldn't understand at all. The strokes were winding, intertwined, and complex.

What is this?

symbol?

Zhang Yuwei's mind went blank for a moment.

She has been a fan of celebrities and has seen other fans share their experiences of receiving gifts from their idols. Some received autographed photos, some received merchandise, and some were even lucky enough to receive the same items that their idols had used.

But what celebrity would give something like that to their fans?

Aren't these things obtained by going to temples or Taoist monasteries and asking the masters dressed in Taoist robes or monk's robes?

Zhang Ze noticed her confusion and bewilderment, a smile appearing on his face as he offered an explanation.

"This is a Wenchang talisman, used to pray for academic success. It's also my blessing for you; I wish you ever-improving grades and that you'll achieve top marks in your exams."

He drew this talisman a long time ago when he had nothing else to do. It can help people concentrate more easily during daily study. It can't be said that it has no effect, but it can only be said that it is not significant.

I gave it to this little girl on a completely whim.

Consider it a way to build a good connection.

He looked at the girl's still somewhat bewildered face and added another sentence.

"Study hard, get into a good university, and find a good job in the future. That way, you'll be able to continue supporting me, right?"

These words brought the young girl, who was still in a state of shock and disbelief, back to reality.

Her favorite celebrity not only signed her autograph and wrote her blessings, but also gave her a charm that would help her improve her studies.

This feeling is even more fantastical than winning the lottery.

"I...I will definitely study hard!"

Zhang Yuwei's eyes welled up with tears. She gripped the warm talisman tightly and nodded vigorously.

This gesture seemed to be both a promise to Zhang Ze and a way of encouraging himself.

Zhang Ze was very satisfied with her reaction.

Later, with the help of his assistant Xiaowen, Zhang Ze took a photo with the little girl who was tightly clutching the Wenchang talisman in her hand.

The shutter of the photo was pressed, freezing that moment.

In the picture, the little girl's smile is bright yet a little silly. She holds an autograph book in one hand and treasures the yellow talisman in front of her chest with the other.

After taking the photos, Zhang Ze waved goodbye to her, then turned and got into the nanny van parked by the roadside.

The black car started, smoothly merged into the traffic, and quickly disappeared around the street corner.

……

For Zhang Ze, this chance encounter was just a trivial little episode in his long work schedule.

He quickly put the matter out of his mind and threw himself wholeheartedly into the packed schedule that Sister Sun had arranged for him.

It must be admitted that even in this era, the salaries of artists had not yet inflated to the terrifying level that would be seen in later generations, but the speed and ease with which they made money were far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

For the next two weeks, Zhang Ze practically became a frequent flyer.

He shot the cover and interior photos for a top-tier fashion magazine, posing in the studio in hundreds of ways according to the photographer's instructions.

He also took on a short-term endorsement deal with a well-known beverage brand, repeating "This is the taste" countless times in front of the camera, and drinking that sickly sweet beverage until he felt nauseous.

He also attended two business ribbon-cutting ceremonies, wearing a sharp suit and standing with a group of bosses he didn't know at all, maintaining a standard smile for the camera.

Of course, there are also various interviews and variety shows.

These jobs brought him a very considerable income.

In just over half a month, Zhang Ze's studio account had more than a million yuan in it.

This was after Sister Sun adhered to the principle of "better to have none than to have something bad," turning down a large number of jobs that were either not priced well or did not suit her style.

If he accepts all offers, it's not impossible for Zhang Ze to rake in several million or even tens of millions in a short period of time, given the unprecedented popularity of "Chinese Paladin 3".

But Zhang Ze didn't enjoy these good days for long.

Because the filming schedule for "The Message" has arrived.

That afternoon, he had just finished a video interview for a website and gotten into the car back to the hotel when a call came in from an unknown number in Beijing.

Zhang Ze answered the phone.

The voice on the other end of the phone was crisp and clear, belonging to a man.

"Hello, is this Mr. Zhang Ze? I'm Li Baonian, the production assistant for the film 'The Message'."

Zhang Ze responded.

"Hello, Brother Li."

"Here's the thing, Mr. Zhang," the voice on the phone continued, "Our production team has officially started. We've scheduled the opening ceremony and script reading for the day after tomorrow, the 15th, at the Huairou Film and Television Base on the outskirts of Beijing. Please make sure you arrive before 9:00 AM the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, no problem."

"In addition, Director Chen and Director Gao asked me to remind you that this reading session is very important. They hope you can familiarize yourself with your lines in advance and make full preparations."

"I understand, thank you for reminding me."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Ze leaned back in his seat, watching the street scene rushing past the window.

This comfortable life of running around making quick money, which lasted for more than half a month, is about to come to an end.

He turned to his assistant, Xiaowen, who was sitting next to him, and said, "Tell Sister Sun to cancel all the remaining announcements. I'm going to join the crew."

Two hours later, Zhang Ze returned to his hotel room.

Instead of resting, he took out the script of "The Message" from his suitcase, which was already worn out from frequent use.

The script was covered with dense markings in different colored pens.