So what if I work with celebrities?

Looking at his confident underling, the sailor was clearly tempted.

"How confident are you? You have to understand, this is an investment of 800,000. If we lose all our brothers, we won't be able to explain it to them!"

"Ninety percent." Xu Zan didn't say one hundred percent. He was actually afraid that the theaters would rip him off, so he insisted that the various expenses were huge and diluted the profits.

"You're honest enough, kid. I can't agree to your request right now. To be honest, I don't know much about movies, but I do have friends in the film industry..."

The sailor paused for a moment, then lit a cigarette. "However, if the opportunity arises, I wouldn't mind taking a gamble... If you were just making empty promises, it wouldn't be convincing today, but you gave me a script, which shows you're genuinely interested... Wait for my news!"

Xu Zan knew the matter was 60% settled. Once the sailor returned and discussed it with his close associates, he estimated a result would be forthcoming soon. These so-called friends were nothing but a figment of imagination.

After seeing off his older brother, the sailor, he continued working at the shop. Around noon, he made a phone call.

After waiting a while, the call finally connected, and the voice was soothing and melodious.

Xu Zan immediately recalled the time he spent getting tutoring at this aunt's house when he was a child. From elementary school to junior high school, his grades were excellent, until he entered high school, when his grades plummeted after his parents passed away.

He drifted aimlessly through his days, neglecting his studies, and gradually began associating with local hooligans in Beitou's military dependents' village, thus embarking on a shady path.

As soon as he graduated from high school, he joined the Lianzhuhui (a local association for children of high school students). At that time, his neighbor kept urging him to repeat a year of high school and even offered to lend him money to study.

"Auntie, it's me, Xu Zan."

"Ah! Xu Zan? What's wrong? Do you need to borrow money?"

"No, no, Auntie, I wanted to ask if Uncle is home tonight?"

"Xiao Zan, if there's something you need to talk to your uncle about, why don't you just tell me?"

"Hmm..." Xu Zan hesitated for a moment, then heard a sudden question from the other end of the line: "You haven't found a girlfriend, have you? Are you raising money for the wedding?"

"No, Auntie, it's like this, I found an opportunity and got together with a big shot who wants to invest in my movie. I want Hu Huizhong to play the female lead!"

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone. Hu's mother had very high expectations for her precious daughter, hoping that she could go to university and then marry into a good family.

In her eyes, Hu Huizhong was a well-behaved girl since childhood, how could she possibly act in any kind of lousy movies?

What is an actress? Isn't that just a performer?

"Xiao Zan! I truly believe you can handle getting such a large investment to make a movie. However, Hui Zhong is young and inexperienced. I'm worried your movie might lose money." Mrs. Hu's tone remained the same, subtly expressing her disagreement.

"Auntie, I know your concerns. With me here, there will definitely be no messy things in the movie. Besides, if Huizhong becomes a big star, she will definitely be able to marry better. Even without considering marriage, her income is enough to live a carefree life."

Xu Zan, also appearing to be acting in Hu Huizhong's best interest, said this.

"You're really overestimating your little sister. She's not cut out for it. No wonder you wanted to contact your uncle. He's away on a business trip tonight and won't be back for a few days. Hmm... we'll get in touch!" Mrs. Hu hung up the phone.

It seems this isn't something that can be resolved with just a phone call. In this day and age, traditional families still hold prejudices against the entertainment industry.

They think celebrities are all actors, of low status, and will be looked down upon.

In reality, many people haven't seriously considered whether actors in ancient times truly had a low social status. Apart from the gentry and officials, were famous actors looked down upon when they stood before ordinary people?

In Bai Juyi's "The Song of the Pipa," a courtesan laments her eldest daughter's marriage to a merchant. The fact that a courtesan is so dissatisfied with her merchant husband reveals that the perception of courtesans as having a low social status is a view held by officials, not by ordinary people.

Furthermore, in this day and age, the media shapes celebrities into idols, entertaining the public spiritually, which is completely different from the actors of ancient times.

……

"What? You want my girlfriend to be the lead actress?" Tang Chongsheng exclaimed in surprise.

"What? You won't even help with this little thing?" Xu Zan pointed at his nose and cursed, "Damn it, you used me as an excuse countless times to hang out with her!"

"How can that be the same?"

Tang Chongsheng was also a hoodlum, but he was from Beitou and belonged to the Beilian Group. His main business was loan sharking, and he was far less powerful than the Lianzhuhui.

In the 1970s, the red-light district business declined, and they turned to the hotel and catering industries, but in reality, they were still secretly operating the red-light industry.

"At the Beitou hot spring resort, there are always owners who take advantage of girls, using the guise of promoting them as celebrities! Damn it! You're just ripping me off!"

"Will you help or not?"

"I won't help!" Tang Chongsheng said, glaring at him.

"Fine, you won't help, huh? I'll go and tell them that Hu Huizhong is dating a hoodlum. Let's see if you'll ever see her again!" Xu Zan sneered.

Tang Chongsheng clenched his fists, wanting to punch this guy, but since they'd grown up together, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. "Fine, you win. I'll go tell Huizhong."

"I think you should give up on pursuing her. Her parents will never approve of you two being together. You don't even have a proper job," Xu Zan kindly reminded him.

Tang Chongsheng's eyes flickered. He threw away his cigarette butt and ground it on his leather shoe. "Never mind that! I'm warning you, no kissing scenes, no bed scenes, I haven't even..."

"Holy crap! You're still a virgin?"

"Holy shit..."

Xu Zan ignored him and rode her bicycle home. The house was not big, only 35 square meters, with the living room/dining room, the bedroom in the middle, and the kitchen at the back.

He walked to his parents' memorial tablets, solemnly lit an incense stick, and muttered, "Please bless me, I will surely bring glory to the Xu family."

In his previous life, he did not believe in ghosts and gods and was a complete materialist, but unfortunately, he transmigrated and his worldview was reshaped.

When facing the memorial tablets of the original owner's parents, his heart always pounded, fearing that two vengeful ghosts would appear and take him away.

During dinner, there was a knock on the door.

A graceful figure quickly sat down on the stool. "You really want me to be the female lead?" Hu Huizhong opened the box she had brought, which contained braised pork ribs.

"Ha, you're so realistic. I heard I cast you as the female lead, and you sent me ribs!" Xu Zan stretched out her chopsticks to pick them up.

Hu Huizhong reached out and covered the box. "You're really ungrateful. Are you going to eat it or not?"

"Eat, eat! You act like a good girl in front of your parents, but you're actually a little delinquent!" Xu Zan spat out a piece of rib.

"Now, all that's left is to get your parents' approval. If they agree, filming can start in a few days!"

"Sigh~ Zan-ge, can you convince my parents? I've already talked to my brothers, and they've agreed, but they haven't dared to mention it to my parents." Hu Huizhong covered her cheeks with her hands, leaning on the table as she looked at him.

"Damn, you're so beautiful, how could you fall for that bastard Tang Chongsheng?" Xu Zan was captivated by her beauty.

She had exceptionally beautiful, thick eyebrows and large eyes. Her eyebrows were thick with clearly defined arches, her eyes were large and round with slightly upturned corners, and her pupils were dark and bright.

Moreover, her eyebrows and eyes are very similar to those of Brigitte Lin, both being a perfect combination of "purity and heroism".

"He's very generous, interesting, loyal, and handsome," Hu Huizhong said with a slight smile.

"Am I not handsome?"

"You're handsome, but you're such a quiet jerk! You never say a word, and everyone looks like they owe you a fortune!"

Around 7 p.m., Xu Zan went to Hu Huizhong's house alone. She did not go back with him, but went to the tutoring class instead.

When Hu's mother saw his face, she stiffened slightly, but still smiled and welcomed him in. Hu Huizhong's father and two older brothers were also there; clearly, the two boys had stayed behind to help, as Hu Huizhong had instructed.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xu Zan stated his purpose directly.

Mr. Hu refused outright, simply saying, "I just want Huizhong to live a peaceful and stable life."

"Uncle, everyone wants to live a peaceful and stable life. But do you know how difficult that is? I don't think you ever imagined coming to Taiwan when you were young, did you?"

"Life is full of uncertainties. Even if Huizhong finishes university according to your plan, marries a decent and honest man, will you be at ease? Will she definitely find happiness after marriage?"

"If a woman doesn't have her own career, can she hold her head high in her husband's family? Can she rely on her own family for support?"

"If Hu Huizhong becomes a big star, she'll have the leverage to say no to men and can choose someone better! Isn't that right?"

Xu Zan's words naturally did not change Mr. and Mrs. Hu's minds, but the assistants on the side quickly began to persuade them.

"Mom and Dad, just let my little sister give it a try. My brother and I will stay and oversee things. If it doesn't work, we can just stop filming, right?"