Huayu 93, I'm the ceiling of combat power from the moment I appear.

A few days later, He Xi boarded a plane heading north again.

At this point, it had only been about half a month since he flew back to Hong Kong from the north.

Accompanying them were actors and staff from the cast and crew of the TV series "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber: The Cult Leader".

This refers to the new movie starring He Xi, which is about to be filmed by Jet Li.

The role he plays this time is Song Qingshu.

He is a supporting actor, ranked only fourth, and his role is not very large.

The company, however, received HK$5 in payment for the film.

He Xi will receive 1 yuan, and the contract period is only half a month.

That's equivalent to a monthly salary of 2!

When I was filming "Tai Chi Master", I earned 6 yuan in two months.

That translates to a monthly salary of only 3.

This improvement is considerable.

However, such good fortune doesn't happen every time.

The main reason is that the production company this time has a lot of money. The budget was maxed out, and the actors' salaries, prop costs, and travel expenses were all quoted extremely high.

He acted like a fool who had too much money to burn.

However, the quoted price is one thing, and the actual amount paid is another.

Moreover, this may involve some vegetable washing and dishwashing operations.

After all, the film was produced by Yong Sheng and the Xiang brothers; those who know, know their background...

Of course, none of this has anything to do with He Xi. He's just the fourth male lead, earning his own money and doing his job well.

On the plane, sitting next to He Xi was the third female lead, who was also his love interest in the drama, Gigi Lai, who played Zhou Zhiruo.

Now 22 years old, Li Zi has a face full of collagen, bright white teeth, and a pair of dimples when she smiles. She is very beautiful and her looks are pleasing to the eye.

She entered the industry in 85 and starred in "Happy Ghost Summer Vacation", but she did not become famous like the Happy Girls Group. She went back to school for a few years in between.

After graduation, he acted in several movies and TV series, but he never really became famous.

In this adaptation of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," she could only play a supporting role to Chingmy Yau and Sharla Cheung, portraying a villainous female supporting character, Zhou Zhiruo, in a heavily modified version.

She truly gained recognition and acceptance from the audience after playing the stuttering character in the 96 film "Young and Dangerous".

Although the "Young and Dangerous" movies were criticized for leading a generation of bad kids, they actually made many people famous.

If given the chance, He Xi would also like to act in it.

Both actors play villains in the film and have scenes together, so they were paired together to get to know each other better for filming.

After the plane entered the stratosphere and began to fly steadily, Gigi Lai finally relaxed and turned to look at Ho Hei.

"Brother Xi, have you ever been to mainland China before?"

He Xi nodded.

"I just returned to Hong Kong from the mainland two weeks ago. But Sister Zi, please don't call me brother. I'm a newcomer to the industry and I'm three years younger than you. I should be calling you sister."

Gigi Lai's face was filled with disbelief.

"You're only 19? I don't think you're... oh no, I didn't mean you're old."

"I mean, you seem to know a lot of people on set. You can talk to Brother Jie and Brother Bao attentively, which is not like what a newcomer should do."

He Xi shook her head and explained.

"Maybe it's because I'm naturally outgoing and enjoy making friends."

"Moreover, I have already worked with Brother Jie on a movie, which just finished filming in mainland China half a month ago, so I am quite familiar with him, as well as some of the crew members."

"Wow, you're amazing! You met so many people just by filming one movie!"

Gigi Lai's face showed an expression of admiration.

"I've never been good at making friends, and I really envy people like you who get along well with everyone."

"I really want to be like you, someone who's good at making friends!"

He Xi raised an eyebrow and tried to speak.

"It's not difficult at all. I can teach you if you'd like."

"Of course I'd like to!"

[Ding! Quest triggered: 'Help actress Gigi Lai make friends'. Do you accept?]

Upon hearing the system notification, He Xi couldn't help but smile, but she also gained a clearer understanding of the task triggering mechanism.

He had previously offered to help Chung Li-ti, but this did not trigger a mission.

This time, however, he offered to help when Gigi Lai expressed a strong desire to make friends, thus successfully triggering the mission.

Therefore, the triggering of system tasks does not require He Xi to refrain from taking initiative.

Is it to prevent him from being proactive like a simp?

Sure enough, simps really deserve to die; even the system doesn't like them.

"Okay, I'll try my best to share all my methods for making friends with you."

He Xi made a bold promise.

"Also, I made some friends in mainland China last time. If you encounter any problems there, you can contact me. I can handle it!"

"You said it yourself, so I'm counting on you to protect me while I'm in mainland China!"

Gigi Lai's expression was noticeably lighter.

It wasn't just because I could make friends with He Xixue, but more importantly, it provided security for going to the mainland.

Like many Hong Kong residents of this era, she was influenced by certain reports and propaganda, and believed that the mainland was barbaric and dangerous.

After boarding the plane, I had a hint of unease on my face, and my smile was somewhat forced.

He finally relaxed, and the dimples on his face deepened with his smile.

"No problem. Once we get to the mainland, I'll take you sightseeing and let you try some of the local delicacies."

He Xi cleared his throat and continued speaking in a native Beijing accent.

"Then, I'll treat you to: steamed lamb, steamed bear's paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose..."

A long, rapid-fire recitation of the menu made Gigi Lai's small mouth appear as an "O," leaving her standing there motionless for a long time, as if she were preparing to eat something.

He Xi's commotion also attracted the attention of some actors and staff nearby.

Some who were more fluent in Mandarin even asked the question directly.

"Xi-zai, what are you talking about? The Manchu Han Imperial Feast? The one that Empress Dowager Cixi ate at every meal?"

"Did Empress Dowager Cixi eat that much in one meal? Was she a glutton? Wouldn't she have died from overeating?"

"Who said that just because there are so many dishes, we have to eat them all? It's fine if she doesn't want to eat them, but if there's nothing she wants on the table, she'll lose her head!"

"One person eats 108 dishes in one meal! No wonder the Beiyang Fleet couldn't afford cannonballs; it was all because of that Empress Dowager Cixi!"

"What Empress Dowager? She's just an old hag!"

"Yes, if it weren't for her, the Beiyang Fleet wouldn't have been beaten so badly by the Japanese..."

"And what else..."

He Xi's recitation of the menu immediately sparked a wave of condemnation and abuse against the old witch, Empress Dowager Cixi.

He wanted to say that reciting the names of dishes and Empress Dowager Cixi's Manchu Han Imperial Feast are not the same thing.

But after opening his mouth, he ultimately sat back down in his seat with no other choice.

Gigi Lai, however, looked at him with a smile.

"Little brother Axi, you know so much!"