He had just married a policewoman when he was diagnosed with criminal genius.

[Host detected claiming reward!]

[System issues new mission: Host, become the King of Thieves!]

[Complete the task to receive another blind box reward from the system!]

Lu Chen was dumbfounded when he saw the new task pop up on the system panel.

This mission... seems to be getting more and more outrageous.

He already knew the system wouldn't assign him any normal tasks, but his heart still skipped a beat when he saw the words "King of Thieves".

Become the King of Thieves?

When the system gave him the "Shadowless Star-Picking Hand," Lu Chen had a bad feeling. Now it seems that his premonition was correct.

He tried to figure out if he could exploit the bug again.

But after thinking it over, it seemed unlikely. So he decided to put it aside for the time being, because he had more important and practical things to do.

The time I had arranged to meet Sun Dazhi was fast approaching.

……

Inside a private room at the best restaurant in Jiangbei.

Sun Dazhi was already waiting there. Seeing Lu Chen push the door open and enter, he immediately stood up to greet him: "Brother Lu, come, come, have a seat!"

Lu Chen sat down opposite him and casually asked, "Dazhi, you're pretty fast."

Sun Dazhi poured Lu Chen a cup of tea and said with a cheerful smile, "Normally it wouldn't be this fast, but our film is supported by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of China."

He leaned back and continued explaining, "I mentioned I needed to find actors and filming locations, and they immediately recommended quite a few young, promising actors, all of whom were very good. They also found me several suitable locations for filming the Northern region."

Lu Chen took a sip of tea but didn't rush to reply.

Sun Dazhi then took out several personal files and placed them in front of Lu Chen.

"Brother Lu, these are some good actors we auditioned. If there are no problems, they'll be the ones."

Lu Chen roughly understood what Sun Dazhi meant.

Although it was ultimately confirmed that the actors were Sun Dazhi and the producer, the script was written by Lu Chen after all.

Only Lu Chen could find the perfect candidate to match the temperament of the characters he created.

Sun Dazhi wanted Lu Chen to give it a go.

Lu Chen put down his teacup and started reading.

Lu Chen was quite satisfied with the casting of Sun Dazhi.

While it's impossible to be exactly the same as the original, these actors all fit the style of the original characters very well, making them highly adaptable.

It is conceivable that Sun Dazhi's control over the role is indeed excellent.

"Not bad, the actors you found are very suitable for the script I wrote, no problem at all," Lu Chen said with a smile.

Sun Dazhi beamed with joy: "That's good, that's good."

He then took out another photo file and pushed it in front of Lu Chen: "Brother Lu, take another look at the main filming location we found, the factory from the 'Northern Frontier' telecom fraud storyline. We have several alternative locations, see which one you think is more suitable."

Lu Chen took the photos and flipped through them one by one.

The photos are all professionally taken, including exterior shots, interior shots, and close-up details.

Some of the factory buildings were indeed quite large, but Lu Chen glanced at them and then turned over.

His fingers paused slightly when he turned to the third to last page.

The photo shows an abandoned three-story factory building with mottled exterior walls, rusty iron gate, and overgrown weeds, exuding an atmosphere of desolation and ruin.

But what Lu Chen noticed was the internal structure of the factory building.

The second floor has a row of small cubicles, the third floor has a large open space similar to a "command room", and the first floor is a spacious work area.

This layout is perfect for filming telecom fraud dens.

"This spot," Lu Chen pulled out the photo, "where is this location?"

Sun Dazhi leaned over for a look, his eyes lighting up: "Brother Lu, you have a good eye. This place is in the northern suburbs of Jiangbei City. It used to be an abandoned electronics factory, but it was shut down and has been empty ever since. I thought it was suitable at first glance, but you picked it right away after only flipping to this one, which means we have the same taste."

Lu Chen examined it for a few more seconds and nodded: "The internal structure is intact and doesn't need major alterations. The second floor can be used to film the call center, the third floor for management, and the first floor for the general operations area. Besides, this sense of decay is more realistic than a newly built set."

"Then let's settle on this one?" Sun Dazhi asked.

"Let's go with this one." Lu Chen put down the photo and added, "But you need to personally check the load-bearing structure and lighting here—it's not very clear from the photo."

"No problem." Sun Dazhi's eyes lit up, and he readily agreed.

He understood that while filming was important, protecting the safety of all the actors and crew was equally crucial. The fact that Lu Chen, an ordinary person with no filming experience, could think of this was enough to demonstrate that he was a very reliable person.

Sun Dazhi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down, his expression becoming more serious: "Brother Lu, next... we should talk about your salary."

"Payment?" Lu Chen was slightly taken aback.

Sun Dazhi nodded, his tone frank: "Your fee is tentatively set at three million."

He paused, then added, "Please don't think this is a small amount of money. Although we have received support from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the money must be spent wisely."

"Besides, you're an amateur. For an amateur to get this much pay is extremely rare in our Xia country."

Sun Dazhi knew exactly what the state of the domestic entertainment industry was like right now.

The salaries of top-tier and A-list celebrities often reach hundreds of millions of yuan, and some actors have even been exposed to earn a sky-high salary of 208 million yuan per day.

He was afraid that Lu Chen would be influenced by these rumors and think that three million was too little.

Lu Chen was indeed a little surprised, but it wasn't that he thought it was too little; rather, he felt... wasn't this a bit too much money?

How long does it take to film a movie?

Films with realistic themes like "All or Nothing" will probably only last a few months at most.

Earning three million in just a few months, is that not enough?

At the same time, he could understand Sun Dazhi's difficulties. As a new director, although the script was good, he definitely wanted to spend all the money on production.

Every penny must be carefully calculated before spending it.

"Three million is quite a lot." Lu Chen waved his hand. "For ordinary people like us, it might take ten years to earn that much. Let's keep it at three million."

Sun Dazhi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"How about this, as the director, I get 8% of the box office net profit, and I'll give you 3% of that, Brother Lu?"

"Isn't that unnecessary?" Lu Chen was already quite content.

"It's necessary. You gave me this script. Without you, Brother Lu, I wouldn't have been able to get this opportunity. Please take it, otherwise I won't feel at ease," Sun Dazhi said.

"Okay!" Lu Chen replied after a moment's thought.

Including the 1% box office share given by the script, Lu Chen now has a 4% box office share.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's agreement, Sun Dazhi visibly relaxed, a smile spreading across his face: "Brother Lu, don't worry—you'll definitely become a sensation after this drama airs. Three million won't be enough to hire you then."

Lu Chen smiled but didn't reply.

Lu Chen knew that although the script was good, luck played a large part in whether a film would be a hit.

He understood this very well: do your best and leave the rest to fate, that's enough.

Anyway, his life now, while not extremely wealthy, is better than most but not the worst either, and he is quite content.

After finishing his meal, Sun Dazhi wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, "Brother Lu, if there's nothing else, I'll head out now. I have just too much to do."

Lu Chen smiled and nodded: "Go ahead, don't delay important matters."

He understood Sun Dazhi very well.

The preparations before filming begin are numerous and complex, from casting and location scouting to equipment testing and overall coordination. Every aspect requires the director to be personally involved and meticulously oversee every detail.

Sun Dazhi walked to the door, then turned back and added, "Brother Lu, if everything goes smoothly, we can officially start filming within half a month."

Lu Chen waved to him and watched the hurried figure disappear outside the door.

Lu Chen leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky outside the window, silently making plans in his mind.

I'll be joining the production team in two weeks.

Once filming starts, I probably won't be able to go home as often.

His only worry right now is about Jiang Xue's situation. He doesn't know if the police can successfully bring down the group of counterfeiters within the next two weeks.

"Forget it, I've done what I needed to do. The rest is none of my business," Lu Chen muttered to himself, temporarily putting those thoughts out of his mind.