Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Chapter 84 Liu Yifei's Phone Call (3K)

"That area still needs cleaning; can't you see the cobwebs?"

"Offerings should be placed properly, and sincerity is key to success."

In other words, Zhang Ze has a reputation panel, cultivation, and is physically strong. Anyone else would have been exhausted.

The tidying up took a whole day, and it wasn't until the evening of the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month that the Taoist temple was finally finished.

A faint sandalwood scent filled the air.

After dinner, the old Taoist priest called Zhang Ze into his private room.

Only a dim oil lamp was lit in the room.

The old Taoist priest sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed) and pointed to the futon opposite him.

"sit."

Zhang Ze sat down as instructed.

The old Taoist priest pulled a yellowed, thread-bound book from under his pillow and casually flipped to a page.

"Memorize Chapter 3 of the Qingjing Jing (Classic of Purity and Tranquility)."

Without hesitation, Zhang Ze blurted out his answer.

"A person's spirit desires tranquility, but their mind disturbs it; a person's heart desires stillness, but desires pull it away—"

The sound was steady, the rhythm was clear, and there was no pause at all.

The old Taoist priest raised an eyebrow and turned another page.

"The Sutra of Salvation, Volume 2"

Zhang Ze answered fluently as always.

That night, the old Taoist priest examined more than a dozen scriptures, some of which were even rare and obscure copies.

These were all assignments that the old man had given Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze not only recited the text perfectly, but he could also readily quote the annotations in the scriptures.

Since he activated the reputation panel and enhanced his physical attributes, his memory has become astonishingly good.

Even though he didn't pay much attention to these things throughout the year, and his efforts were sporadic, he still remembered what he needed to remember.

The old Taoist priest closed the book and turned up the oil lamp a little.

He moved closer to Zhang Ze, his cloudy eyes gleaming, and stared at Zhang Ze's face for a long time.

Then, he extended his withered fingers and placed them on Zhang Ze's wrist.

The room was deathly silent, except for the faint sound of a light bulb wick popping.

After a long while, the old Taoist priest withdrew his hand and let out a long breath.

"Your breath is deep and steady, your divine light is restrained, and your pulse is like rolling beads—you have entered the Dao?"

Zhang Ze nodded, "I guess so. I felt lighter a while ago, and I could see things much farther away."

He didn't mention the panel, only saying that he developed it through practice.

The old Taoist priest slapped his thigh and burst into laughter.

The laughter shook the dust off the roof, causing it to fall in a flurry.

"Good lad! I originally thought you were too ambitious and had long since abandoned cultivation, but I never expected you to be a potential cultivator!"

He rubbed his hands excitedly and shifted his position on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Now that you've entered this world, you can leave this lousy entertainment industry. After the New Year, I'll write you a letter, and you can go to Longhu Mountain."

"That's the ancestral temple of Taoism, with tens of thousands of books and expert guidance. It's a million times better than you messing around outside."

Zhang Ze looked at the old Taoist priest's earnest eyes and shook his head.

"I'm not going."

The old Taoist priest's smile froze on his face.

"Why? Do you know how many Taoist priests of Longhu Mountain have dreamed of returning to their ancestral home? Some old priests have spent their entire lives trying to go, but they still can't. Now you have this opportunity, and you're not going! Are you stupid?"

Zhang Ze poured the old Taoist priest a cup of tea, speaking calmly.

"Longhu Mountain has become a tourist attraction now, only concerned with collecting entrance fees and profiting from incense offerings. How many people are truly practicing Buddhism anymore?"

"Most of those so-called experts are just people who seek fame and fortune. Those who are truly capable have long since hidden away in the deep mountains and forests, just like you."

The old Taoist priest opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but then sighed dejectedly.

He knew Zhang Ze was telling the truth.

In this day and age, people are restless and few can calm their minds to cultivate the Tao.

Zhang Ze picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Besides—my life in this mortal world is also a form of spiritual practice. It cultivates the mind and the body, and I can even make money. It's pretty good."

The old Taoist priest stared at Zhang Ze for a long time, then waved his hand.

"That's enough. Children and grandchildren have their own destinies. You walk your own path."

He turned around, opened the wooden cabinet behind him, and pulled out a blue cloth bundle from the bottom.

"These are handwritten copies I collected when I was young, and a few were passed down from my master."

He pushed the bundle in front of Zhang Ze.

"Take it with you. No matter where you are, you can't lose these basics."

Zhang Ze took the bundle and felt its weight.

"Thank you, Master."

Life on the mountain was both leisurely and busy. Zhang Ze was busy but not chaotic, and he arranged his life in an orderly manner.

I get up early to practice my martial arts, write the script for "Like Father, Like Son" in the morning, read the scriptures given to me by the old Taoist priest in the afternoon, and go to the orphanage in the evening to help put up Spring Festival couplets and hang lanterns.

Time seems to stand still in the mountains, but the constant vibration of his phone serves as a reminder of the outside world.

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Ze spent most of his time answering phone calls.

Li Xiaoran called, her voice languid, complaining that the film crew didn't get a holiday during the Chinese New Year and that she missed Zhang Ze's massage techniques.

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Yang Mi sent a text message saying that she was doing very well on set and told Zhang Ze to wait for the good news that she would become a big star.

Tang Yan posted a selfie in her home in Shanghai, smiling sweetly.

The most difficult one to deal with is Zhao Liying.

The girl called, making a big fuss about buying a ticket to come to Jiangxi to find Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze was startled and quickly stopped him.

"Don't come here. This is still a dry toilet. It's cold to use the toilet because of the wind. You have to boil your own water to take a bath. There are also wild boars and wolves on the mountain."

"Besides, there's no internet in this remote mountain area, and the signal is bad. You have to go up the mountain to make a phone call."

Zhao Liying remained silent for three seconds on the other end of the line before decisively hanging up the phone.

Zhang Ze looked at his phone and smiled helplessly.

Just as I was about to put my phone back in my pocket, the screen lit up again.

Caller ID: Liu Yifei.

Zhang Ze was somewhat surprised.

Since the last time I went to Yang Mi's villa to meet her and Aunt Liu and had a meal with her, the two of us haven't had much contact in private.

I don't know why they suddenly called.

When the call connected, Liu Yifei's unique soft and sweet voice came through the receiver, but it sounded somewhat downcast.

"Zhang Ze — Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year. Why do you sound a little unhappy? Who made our fairy sister angry?"

Zhang Ze leaned against a pine tree at the entrance of the Taoist temple, looking at the myriad lights of homes below the mountain.

Liu Yifei sighed on the other end of the line.

"Stop calling me Fairy Sister, I'm getting so annoyed with it."

The two chatted for a few minutes about their recent situations.

Liu Yifei said that although she is still going international and auditioning for Hollywood projects, she has not given up on the domestic market after listening to Yang Mi relay Zhang Ze's advice.

However, the current environment in China is not very friendly to her.

"I have something I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

After hesitating for a long time, Liu Yifei finally got to the point.

"My negotiations with Huayi Brothers haven't gone smoothly. I want to sign, but my mom thinks the terms are too harsh and insists on negotiating herself, so we're at an impasse now."

"I wanted to talk to Mimi, but she's filming and she's incredibly busy. I don't have many friends, and even fewer who can give me advice. After thinking it over, I realized I can only turn to you."

There was a sense of helplessness in her voice.

Within this circle, she was both overprotected and overly controlled by her mother.

When faced with such major decisions concerning the future, she seemed somewhat lost.

Zhang Ze switched hands to hold the phone, quickly reviewing Huayi Brothers' situation in 2009 in his mind.

At this time, Huayi Brothers was at its peak, but it was also rife with factional struggles.

Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing compete for attention, while Huang Xiaoming firmly holds the top spot.

If Liu Yifei goes in, her resources will definitely be diluted, and given her mother's strong personality, she will definitely clash with Huayi Brothers.

Those two CEOs from Huayi Brothers are no pushovers.

"Does your mother want you to have access to Huayi Brothers' resources while maintaining the rights of an independent studio?" Zhang Ze asked pointedly.

Liu Yifei asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Just a guess."

In her past life, Liu Yifei tricked Huayi Brothers, resulting in the loss of domestic resources, a flood of negative press, and even the revelation of her transgender status. She's completely out of touch with reality.

Zhang Ze smiled and said, "Huayi is a big company that values ​​control. They won't allow a disobedient top artist to exist."

"So what should I do? Refuse?"

"It's not a refusal, it's a delay."

Zhang Ze analyzed the situation calmly.

"Right now, you're in a hurry, but Huayi isn't. The more eager you seem to want to get in, the harder they'll try to drive down the price."

"Furthermore, your current focus should be on balancing domestic and international resources. If you sign with Huayi Brothers, they will definitely tie you to making money in China, and you can forget about Hollywood."

"Think carefully about what you really want."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Only Liu Yifei's soft breathing could be heard.

After a long pause, she said softly, "I want to act, to act well. But my mom thinks I want to be an international superstar."

This statement reveals her current predicament.

"Then don't rush to sign the contract of servitude."

Zhang Ze gave his final advice.

"You can discuss project collaborations with Huayi Brothers and sign a per-project contract, not a full-term contract. Although you'll have fewer resources that way, you'll have more freedom."

"Also, sometimes you have to learn to make your own decisions. After all, you're the one acting, not your mom."

"And it's best to find a professional agent. Neither you nor Aunt Liu understand the market as well as a professional agent."

Zhang Ze muttered a silent complaint.

Liu Ma's problem is that she's too presumptuous, and her understanding is out of touch with the industry. Liu Yifei's problem is that she's too eccentric; whether it's the script she chooses or the clothes she wears, her taste is hard to describe.

Liu Yifei took a deep breath, her voice becoming firmer.

"I understand. Thank you, Zhang Ze."

"Don't mention it, just treat me to a meal later."

"Okay, give me a call when you come to Beijing, and I'll treat you to a big meal!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Ze looked at the darkening sky and exhaled a puff of white breath.

This girl is also a pitiful person who has no choice in what she does.

However, this has little to do with him.

To say those two words is already more than enough; of course, it would be a different story if it were one's own woman.

The thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Lunar New Year's Eve.

As dawn broke, a chill permeated the main hall of Qingyun Temple.

Zhang Ze stood before the statue of the patriarch, lit the long incense stick in his hand, and the blue smoke rose straight up.

The old Taoist priest stood to one side, holding an ancient bronze oil lamp in his hands, the wick soaked in clear oil.

This is an ever-burning lamp. According to Taoist rules, it is lit on New Year's Eve and must burn until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, without being extinguished in between.

Zhang Ze took the oil lamp and placed it steadily in the center of the offering table. The flame flickered and emitted a faint aroma of plant oil.

Without elaborate chanting or lively music, the two masters and disciples respectfully bowed to the statue of the deity, and the New Year ritual came to an end.