Brother Dao Took the Entertainment Industry by Storm, Fans Beg Me Not to Kill Anymore

Chapter 640: Xiao He, Traffic Actor? Dual Best Actor?

”Xiao He...”

Qiu Zhenlong stared at the photo for a long while before finally uttering the name.

These were eyes that stirred a deep desire to craft stories around them.

Just a single glance was enough to ignite a flood of inspiration in Qiu Zhenlongʼs mind, making him intensely curious about this actor.

It had been a long time since heʼd encountered an actor with such raw talent.

Without even bothering to look at the dense work history and achievements listed next to the ID photo, his hand had already flipped to the next page, continuing to examine the other photos this actor had submitted.

This young manʼs agency clearly knew how to submit materials with expertise. None of the accompanying photos were over-processed, deliberately posed glamour shots. Instead, every single one was a role he had portrayed—historical costumes up front, modern outfits in the back. No filters, no beauty mode, clear facial features, and eyes that told different stories in each shot. They fully showcased this actorʼs strengths without a single wasted image.

Qiu Zhenlong absorbed this effective information almost instantly, his gaze tracing the contours of the actorʼs features. One photo in particular caught his attention—the one where Song Chenyeʼs face was streaked with blood during his revenge scene. The young man was dressed all in black, the line between his clothes and the blood already impossible to distinguish, but those eyes burned with an undying hatred, blazing so fiercely they almost scorched the viewer.

This actor was truly fascinating...

Qiu Zhenlong flipped through the photos repeatedly, feeling very satisfied, before turning back to the first page to examine the actorʼs resume.
”Linghui Entertainment?”

Qiu Zhenlong muttered the companyʼs name, searching his memory carefully, but found no impression of it.

However, the name Xiao He was far from unfamiliar to him—

The moment Qiu Zhenlong pulled out his phone just to check the time, a recommended news notification about Xiao He popped up at the top of his screen.

Recently, it had become even more prominent. The buzz Xiao He generated from the Beijing TV Spring Festival Gala had almost overshadowed the Central Spring Festival Gala, and the marketing push for his upcoming film release was nothing short of explosive, seizing the opportunity to spread far and wide with another powerful preheating.

Even though Qiu Zhenlong had long since retired from the entertainment industry and stopped following the news there, he still had some impression of this actor.

It just went to show how massive and overwhelming the other partyʼs promotional campaign was.

But Qiu Zhenlong instinctively disliked actors like this.

He had seen too many young people like this before—flamboyant, unable to keep their composure, easily getting carried away with simple successes, difficult to control. They couldnʼt even walk properly yet, but they were already sprinting ahead, terrified that someone else would beat them to the opportunity, only to end up fighting each other tooth and nail until no one came out with anything to show.

Take this recommendation slot situation, for example—

Qiu Zhenlong narrowed his eyes.

It was Ding Cheng, wasnʼt it?

Fighting over a single slot, deliberately manipulating public opinion, sabotaging competitors, and ultimately not hesitating to get someone thrown into the bureau to completely ruin their career... If it hadnʼt been exposed, everyone would probably still be in the dark.

Of course, Qiu Zhenlong wasnʼt saying the actor who got thrown in was innocent. He just thought the whole affair was too horrifying and unsightly.

In Qiu Zhenlongʼs view, truly talented actors should never stoop to argue or market themselves. They should always stay low-key and fiercely protect their reputation.

So Qiu Zhenlong was about to casually categorize Xiao He as ”a traffic actor with great marketing.”

But after seeing Xiao Heʼs various achievements, he couldnʼt look away.

”He won both major Best Actor awards in the same year?”

Qiu Zhenlong murmured, recalling those photos. He found it hard to hold a prejudice against such a ”traffic actor” against his own conscience.

After a momentʼs hesitation, Qiu Zhenlong placed the resume on his left side.

After all, he had been out of the entertainment circle for far too long. Perhaps the rigid framework of the system had dulled his judgment.

Qiu Zhenlong thought nonchalantly.

When the time came, a live demonstration would make everything clear.

...

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, *The Phantom Thief Alliance 2* was released.

Xiao He and his family went to the nearest cinema to watch it.

Although this was still just a cameo role, Xiao Heʼs screen time was quite generous, and his aloof yet reliable demeanor provided a sharp contrast to the bumbling phantom thief duo.

When the white-haired hacker made his debut with an overwhelming presence, only to have his composure shattered by Shi Jiʼs comments about ”unmanly guest” and ”Little Third,” the entire screening room burst into laughter.

Even though Xiao He had already experienced secondhand embarrassment reading the script, watching this scene with his family now still made him cringe so hard he scratched at his seat in agony.

On the screen, the white-haired young man wore an expression of fury, his eyes burning with irritation, yet even that couldnʼt diminish his handsome looks and sharp outfit. But the cold, mysterious hacker persona was completely gone—he had fully devolved into comic relief.

Xiao He was genuinely looking forward to seeing how Shi Ji and Lu Xiaokong would keep ”screwing him over.”

This was even the first role he had ever played—a handsome guy with a bit of bad luck mixed with comedy.

He had to admit, he had some comedic talent after all.

Mother Xiao glanced at the screen, then at her son. Although she didnʼt laugh out loud, her shaking shoulders gave her away.

Father Xiao remained stoic, staring at the movie with a straight face and even furrowing his brow a little.

Clearly, for a boring man like him, watching a commercial comedy was like watching a bunch of people play the fool. He needed to observe every detail of the film with rigid scrutiny, then try to analyze its meaning and value afterward.

Xiao He couldnʼt help but recall how, as a child, his dad would make him write a review after every movie they watched. So he leaned over and whispered in his fatherʼs ear, ”Dad, donʼt forget to write a review when we get home.”

As expected, he got an eye roll from his dad.

Xiao He shrugged and shrank back into his seat guiltily.

Alright, alright. Getting the old man to come along and boost the box office was already a win. He wouldnʼt expect this boring middle-aged man to actually appreciate anything.

But during the intermission, Father Xiao suddenly leaned over and whispered to Xiao He, ”I think that so-called ʼBlack Marieʼ was already in the employerʼs hands from the very beginning.”

Xiao He looked at his dad in surprise.

His dad was actually seriously paying attention to the plot.

And he had guessed the direction of the story with surprising accuracy.

*The Phantom Thief Alliance 2* was set in the small French town of Grasse. Shi Ji and Lu Xiaokong, now famous for their phantom thief exploits, were forced to accept an invitation to steal a bottle of what was said to be the original perfume left behind by Marie Antoinette, queen of Louis XVI. Only one bottle remained in existence—a priceless antique beyond measure.

The filmʼs plot revolved around the craftsmanship of this perfume and the historical backdrop of France, weaving together a series of adventures.

But as everyone knew, the value of many objects was something people assigned to them.

Like a story, or an adventure that cost countless lives.

Early on, when the butler tasked the two protagonists with finding the perfume, many sharp-eyed viewers already sensed that the perfume they were supposed to steal might not even exist. The employer simply wanted to bestow special value upon it.

No, that wasnʼt quite right either.

Because many details suggested it had once existed.