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

But in the end, Xiao He didn’t accept Zhuang Hongyi’s male lead invitation on the spot.

If this were before, an invitation personally extended by a hundred-billion box office director like Zhuang Hongyi, and a lead role that didn’t even require an audition at that, Xiao He would have unquestionably agreed without a second thought.

But things were different now.

”Dragon” was a ghost... ahem, a horror thriller, destined to lose the mainland box office market. Xiao He had to consider whether this project could bring him positive benefits.

Moreover, he hadn’t even seen the script yet.

What if they wanted him to play a role running from ghosts? He doubted he could pull that off... Well, not that Director Zhuang’s personality would allow something like that.

Forget it. He’d discuss this with Sister Liu when he got back.

Zhuang Hongyi probably understood Xiao He’s concerns and didn’t push. He simply nodded and said, ”The script is still under review, and the final version isn’t set. I’ll have my assistant send it to your email later. I hope you’ll give it serious consideration when you get back. I really want you to be part of ’Dragon,’ especially after seeing your versatility in ’Let the Mistake Slide.’”

”To be honest.”

Maybe because he’d had a bit too much to drink, Zhuang Hongyi was unusually candid: ”I originally wanted to approach Actor Chen You for the male lead, but after seeing you, I felt that role might have even more possibilities.””Besides, your overseas traffic and name recognition fit our production team’s needs perfectly. In some respects, you’re my best and only choice right now.”

If Xiao He didn’t join, Zhuang Hongyi felt this project would ultimately wither and die.

Getting project approval was one thing; finding the perfect male lead was another.

He just had this inexplicable gut feeling—this role had to be Xiao He.

Xiao He’s expression didn’t change at Zhuang Hongyi’s words. After all, directors would say anything to lock in an actor.

And a director like Zhuang Hongyi was a master of this game.

”Alright, I understand.”

After watching Zhuang Hongyi get into his car, Xiao He followed the others out of the restaurant and returned to the hotel.

Actually, Liu Rulan had also come to the celebration banquet today, but she sat on the other side and didn’t interfere much with Xiao He’s conversations.

It wasn’t until they got back to the hotel that she finally asked him about the situation: ”So, Director Zhuang did talk to you about the new script, right?”

”Mm.”

Xiao He nodded. ”The script is called ’Dragon.’ It’s a... horror thriller.”

Liu Rulan raised an eyebrow, quick on the uptake: ”And they specifically went to Hong Kong for that? So it’s a ghost film, basically.”

”Pretty much.”

”That’s still a pretty big difference.”

The woman sighed with some exasperation, sat down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and said, ”So he directly asked you to play the lead, and you didn’t agree?”

”No. You told me before, how could I make such a hasty decision?”

Besides, he hadn’t even seen the script yet. He didn’t even know what kind of character the protagonist was.

”Good. Let’s talk about it after you get back. I’ll ask around about the investment situation.” Liu Rulan breathed a sigh of relief, then sighed with mixed emotions. ”Come to think of it, this doesn’t seem like Director Zhuang’s style. Looks like ’The Phantom Thief Alliance 2’ really got to him.”

”Huh?” Xiao He was surprised. ”How can you tell?”

What did this have to do with ”The Phantom Thief Alliance 2”?

”After the Phantom Thief series came out, a lot of people said he was just a businessman who could only make mindless popcorn blockbusters with no artistic depth.” Liu Rulan shrugged. ”Sure, netizens trash-talked him, but they still bought tickets in droves. But maybe he’s been stewing over it this whole time... What if Director Zhuang is trying to use ’Dragon’ to chase awards internationally? That could be an opportunity for you too.”

”Whew... That actually makes some sense.”

Xiao He drew a sharp breath.

This type of film was indeed easier to win awards overseas.

After all, they were perfect for layering on depth, filming artistry, and social allegory.

Many directors from other countries loved using the horror film shell to hide critiques of society and humanity. Even if it was pure gore and violence, with just a little packaging, it could become high art.

And coincidentally, international awards ate that stuff up.

The sharper, darker, more taboo, and rebellious, the more popular they were.

Many famous horror films were darlings of international award circuits.

And without a doubt, this was a challenge for actors too.

”But there’s no rush.”

Liu Rulan quickly shifted her tone. ”We’ll look at it once the script arrives.”

If they were really going to continue pushing into the international market, Director Zhuang’s script might actually be the perfect opportunity.

Xiao He fell silent for a moment, then nodded. ”Mm, I understand.”

”Also, I heard you’re planning to visit the National Theater tomorrow?”

Liu Rulan stood up, walked over to the side, and pointed at the pile of gift boxes that had already accumulated on the floor. ”These are the gifts I prepared in advance. The ones with labels are for the more important teachers. The rest are mainly to be distributed to the other people in the theater.”

Xiao He walked over and took a look, then clicked his tongue in surprise. ”Sister Liu, you prepared all this in such detail?”

The gifts came in all shapes and sizes—some long, some short, and some packages looked so irregular he couldn’t even guess what was inside. They were all jumbled together, piled up almost into a small mountain!

He had no idea when Liu Rulan had managed to prepare all of this.

They’d been busy lately, and he’d never seen her working on this...

He’d probably have to get up early tomorrow just to load these gifts into the car. He wasn’t even sure their van could fit everything.

”And I still think it’s too rushed. A lot of things I couldn’t find the perfect options for, so they’ll just have to serve as modest little greeting gifts.”

Liu Rulan crossed her arms, looking regretful. ”You should have told me earlier. Something as important as visiting the theater, and you didn’t even let me prepare in advance.”

Xiao He: ”I was originally planning to just go take a look as a friend first. I intended to make a formal visit to all the seniors there next time.”

”Don’t put everything off for a ’next time.’ What if there is no next time? Since you’ve managed to grab this first opportunity, you need to meet as many senior teachers as possible.”

Liu Rulan didn’t share Xiao He’s optimistic outlook. Her philosophy was to never let any opportunity slip through her fingers.

”This is the National Theater! The actors there might not seem that impressive if you pluck them out and drop them into the entertainment industry, but in the performing arts circle, they’re artist-level figures.”

She warned Xiao He very seriously: ”Make sure your attitude is good. If you get a chance to show off your skills, don’t let it go. Maybe one of those teachers will take a liking to your performance and invite you to perform. That would be a learning opportunity.”

Plenty of people wanted to get in there but couldn’t!

Opportunity must be seized!

”Most importantly, building good relationships with them will be a huge help when it comes to your ranking.”

Liu Rulan spoke with utmost seriousness. ”You’ll soon have four years of performance experience. Now you’ve got both projects and awards to your name. Getting rated as a Third-Class Actor shouldn’t be a problem. If you can build good connections with the people at the National Theater and then participate in a few of their stage performances, it’ll go a long way toward helping you climb the ranks.”

Xiao He was stunned. He finally understood Liu Rulan’s intentions.

”Actor ranking?”