Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

This is the second time!

This guy touched me from behind a second time, and didn't make a sound!

Xie Jin could tell that Hu Yang was doing it on purpose; he had a perverse sense of humor and wanted to scare her!

Seeing Hu Yang's expressionless face, but with a hint of excitement in his eyebrows, Xie Jin knew that this guy was doing it on purpose!

"Brother Hu, I think you'd be perfect for one of my plays."

Hu Yang, with only one eyebrow raised, said, "Oh? I was born with sharp eyes, yet I'm destined for such great fame?"

"Yes! It's a show called 'Lurking,' which is about spies!"

Hu Yang laughed heartily: "If there's ever a movie like this, remember to ask me to give you a small role. Let's go, Mr. Liu is waiting."

Gu Renlong smiled as he looked at the several burly men in the distance, but felt uneasy inside.

Several times she was about to speak to stop him, but Xie Jin shook her head slightly: "Renlong, keep an eye on the tickets. If we miss the Golden Horse Awards, President Yu and President Han will be angry. I'll go sit with President Liu first."

Hu Yang nodded: "Brother Gu, it won't be long before I lock up your artists."

..........

..........

I thought I would have to drive somewhere else, but I didn't expect that Mr. Liu's office was on the top floor.

I only found out after asking around that the hotel owner had run into problems with triangular debt, the unfinished building couldn't be completed, and in the end, the non-performing assets were disposed of to Mr. Liu...

I was wondering why they could stay as long as they wanted... Indeed, swords and cannons are different.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, a picture of a tiger descending a mountain hung on the wall below the entrance, a tribute to Guan Yu. The tiger was depicted with its four limbs outstretched, eyes wide and teeth bared in anger.

It can ward off evil spirits, suppress malicious people, and bring wealth.

"Xiao Xie, you've worked hard today!" The burly Mr. Liu turned around in the room, wearing a simple T-shirt, his short hair half-white.

Perhaps it's due to age, but the flesh on his body has become a bit loose, and a scar on his lip runs across his chin, through his neck, and disappears into his collar.

He had a smile on his face, but a menacing aura emanated from him.

When he speaks, the scar looks like a living earthworm, twitching and jumping.

Like an old, ferocious tiger...

  

"Mr. Liu, you're too kind. It's your son's wedding day that's so special; you and your aunt must be very tired."

Hu Yang remained silent, standing in the corner of the room like a quiet clay sculpture.

Mr. Liu leisurely took out a few red dates and walnuts and roasted them on the small clay stove.

The clay stove has a peculiar shape; it's a strange animal head with charcoal going into its mouth and tea being brewed on top.

Mr. Liu was slowly and methodically brewing tea in his pot when he glanced up and noticed Xie Jin observing his stove.

"like?"

Xie Jin scratched his head: "I've never seen this design before. It looks a bit like those clay sculptures from Little Western Paradise."

Mr. Liu smiled smugly: "You have a good eye. This is the Song Dynasty style green lion incense burner made by the master craftsman in Shanxi Province who makes clay sculptures for temples."

"In Shanxi Province, clay sculpture emphasizes the fewer knife strokes the better. A few strokes are enough to create a shape. The goal is to show how the knife went in and out. The fewer the strokes, the more you can see the craftsman's judgment and confidence when making the cut."

Just like being a person, you should know where you came from and where you are going.

"Try it, this is tea grown in my own tea garden in the south."

Xie Jin wasn't sure what they were up to. Surely they weren't trying to renege on their debt? That shouldn't be the case.

Xie Jin respectfully picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea in the can contained rock sugar and tasted sweet, but Xie Jin couldn't really tell whether the tea was good or not.

"How's the tea?"

"sweet"

Mr. Liu slapped his thigh and laughed heartily: "A big piece of rock sugar, isn't it just sweet with no other flavor? It's just an ordinary wild tea tree, but other customers insist on saying that this tea is the same as the tea from those mother trees."

"Xiao Xie, is it okay for me to call you that?"

"No problem, my son and I are about the same age."

Mr. Liu nodded and continued, "I called you here today for two things. One is that I heard from the second brother that you wrote two songs specifically for this event, and you even gave Wenruo a gift?"

"Yes, mainly because the price you offered was too high, so naturally I wanted to do my best. As for the dowry, well, it's part of the wedding."

Mr. Liu nodded: "That's right, business is business, and etiquette is etiquette. Your father has raised you very well. Xiao Jin, the first thing I want to do is to gather a total of 166 million for you and have Wenruo make up the difference of 200 million."

Xie Jin doesn't seem like she wants the money at all.

If you don't understand the other party's purpose, taking the money is either too easy and risky, or it could be fatal.

Seeing that Xie Jin was about to refuse, President Liu raised his hand to interrupt: "Of course, I just have a small favor to ask you. You wouldn't want to offend your uncle, would you?"

Now that things have been said, Xie Jin had no choice but to refuse, even if she wanted to.

"Uncle, please speak."

Mr. Liu stood up and pointed to the tiger statue in the entryway: "Xiao Jin, do you know who hung this tiger statue?"

Xie Jin had worked in sales and as a broker in his previous life, so he had at least some basic common sense: "The tiger descending the mountain wards off evil spirits and villains; it's often used by soldiers, police, and...heroes. It also afflicts those seeking wealth."

Old Liu suddenly burst into laughter: "If my son were half as slippery as you, I'd be relieved. What kind of hero are you? To put it bluntly, you're just someone who dies by risking your life, someone who can kill gods and Buddhas if they try."

"Someone like me has no education, and even if I had a good father, there wouldn't be any good connections on his family's grave."

"But I'm not the type to settle down; if I want to live like a human being, I have to risk my life."

That's impossible to answer. Uncle Liu, if it's really that bad, I'll just forget about the money...

Mr. Liu then continued, to himself, "But I don't want to hang up the tiger on the mountain anymore. Taking another step forward is easier said than done."

Uncle Liu, please don't say anything more, I don't want to hear it at all...

"Xiao Jin, let me ask you a question. We bosses from the Northwest all know that the antique dealers in Beijing sell fakes, so why do we still buy them?"

Xie Jin shook her head

"Throughout history, scholars and nobles have loved associating with literati. They are otherworldly beings, detached from worldly affairs, while I am just a country bumpkin."

"If I don't buy antiques, they won't know I'm willing to go to great lengths to get into this circle. If I don't buy fakes, how will they have the opportunity to give me pointers?"

"People only offer incense in front of the Buddha, not gold. Even if you want to make offerings, you have to exchange gold for incense sticks first."

"I need an admission ticket."

"In this new era, those of you who work in film and the arts are naturally favored by the powerful and wealthy."

Xie Jin couldn't hold back any longer: "Mr. Liu, could you please explain it more clearly...?"

"I want to make movies."

If you're in the film business, just say you're in the film business! Why are you bringing up other things? Do you think I'd listen to this nonsense? You're messing with my book cover!

Objectively speaking, the fact that coal mine owners got involved in filmmaking did, at a specific time, promote the development of the domestic film industry.

It has injected a large amount of fresh money into the industry, and it is fresh money that gives creators confidence.

The coal bosses in Northwest China knew that if an amateur directed operations from an expert, people would die.

Therefore, they hardly interfere with film creation. Even if they cast actresses, it's just to give them a minor role to appease their mistresses, which is harmless.

Cutting corners in the construction of underground supports can also lead to deaths, so they aren't extremely strict with the budget; they understand the principle of "you get what you pay for."

Of course, all of this is on the premise that you don't take him for a fool.

Coal mine owners are willing to accept that the production company earns a reasonable profit, even if the film loses money despite all the effort put in.

But if you really think coal mine owners are fools, then being planted in the mine as a mine spirit wouldn't be unexpected.

As for why they make movies, some might do so to make money.

But at least a group of business owners seek new social status and integrate into new circles after their wealth reaches a certain level.

............

Xie Jin was pondering

Suddenly, Mr. Liu leaned forward abruptly, looked Xie Jin in the eyes, and said, "Xiao Jin, are you afraid of dealing with someone like me?"