Global Film Emperor

Chapter 320 Breaking the Face
"Brother Lu, where are you going? I made you some hot tea with goji berries in it, the temperature is just right."

A pair of small, white hands, no bigger than half the size of Lu Ze's palm, held a thermos cup and handed it to Lu Ze. Red goji berries were attached to it, and Lu Ze could smell the passion fruit inside.

Looking at her face, I don't know why she doesn't age. She's clearly a 27-year-old young woman, but she still looks like a baby. People would believe she's a middle school student.

She was wearing a white cotton-padded jacket with a white fur trim around the cuffs. Her hands, holding a thermos, looked like those of a cute anime character. Because of the height difference between them, she was looking up at Lu Ze. With her expressionless face, Lu Ze really wanted to pinch her cheek, and of course, he did.

"It doesn't hurt."

Her cheeks were very soft, and he could pull out long strands of skin. Even though Lu Ze had pulled them many times, they still felt great to the touch. He let go of her cheeks, rubbed them gently, and bent down to hug the girl who had followed him all over the country since she was twenty-one. Many things that had happened between them kept flowing through his mind.

This girl, who is only 1.5 meters tall, brought him so much joy from the moment they met when she ran with her two suitcases weighing several dozen kilograms. He also couldn't forget that snowy Heilongjiang Province that year, when she walked more than 20 miles at night to reach the hotel in town, only to sleep in the hotel corridor all night, until her legs were so numb that she couldn't walk anymore.

These six years have indeed been unforgettable for Lu Ze.
Thank you, Zixuan. Take care.

"Brother Lu."

"Stand there, don't move. I'm leaving first, don't move! Yes, stand still."

Lu Ze opened the elevator door and stepped inside. He leaned out halfway and saw her still standing in the corridor holding a cup. He then waved with a bright smile and pressed the close button.

"Bye-Bye."

She didn't know how much time had passed before she came to her senses. She threw the cup aside, ignoring the hot tea spilled all over the floor, and ran to the elevator entrance, frantically poking at the elevator buttons with her little finger.

As soon as the elevator doors opened and she reached the first floor, ignoring the surprised looks of other passersby, she ran frantically to the door, only to see a Porsche Cayenne leave the parking lot and disappear from her sight.

She leaned against the main gate's supporting pillar, looking around until she could no longer see any vehicles. Only then did she utter a sound, wiping away her tears with her delicate white hands as she sobbed, though her face remained expressionless.

She didn't know what Lu Ze meant by "take care," but she knew in her heart that Lu Ze wouldn't do anything trivial. She was afraid, for no other reason than fear.
"Hello, Brother Lu, weren't you filming? Is filming going well?"

"Good afternoon, Brother Lu! Have you eaten yet? Want to go to the cafeteria together? They have Australian beef today! Although we have a limited supply."

While chatting and laughing with the trainees, Lu Ze actually felt apologetic towards them. They had come to Qian Shi Jia because of Lu Ze's reputation, but Qian Shi Jia was now a huge pit of fire. Although other entertainment companies weren't much better, Lu Ze still felt sorry for them.

"Hey? Why are you back? Weren't you filming? Did something happen?"

Meng Nixin just came out of the office, seemingly heading to the cafeteria for lunch. Upon seeing Lu Ze, she gave him a strange look, wondering what his purpose was in coming to the company.

"What's it to you?"

Finally, I don't have to maintain a facade of peace anymore. I can say what I really want to say without fear of offending anyone. It feels so good. Lu Ze unleashed his hidden talent for verbal sparring and directly made Meng Nixin blush. She pointed at Lu Ze and couldn't say anything except "you, you, you".

Lu Ze ignored him and went straight to the second floor of the company's internal elevator. He walked to the general manager's office, nodded to the secretary, and was led into the office by the secretary.

"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly come back? Is something the matter? You could have just called. Why did you have to make this trip? Just focus on filming. Look, this round trip has wasted another day."

Lee Sun-kyun was working on documents on his computer when he saw Lu Ze. He adjusted his glasses, turned around, and prepared to pour Lu Ze a cup of tea, showing the gentle nature of a considerate boss.

"Mr. Li, I don't want to film 'The Wasteland' anymore."

Lee Sun-kyun's hand, which was pouring tea, suddenly stopped. He looked up at Lu Ze, put down the teapot, leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and his expression became serious.

“Go back to filming, and I'll pretend nothing happened. Why are you talking nonsense? This film relies on you the most. How can we not have you, the pillar of the production? This is ridiculous. If you're tired, then take a break. I'll give you a few days off to rest properly. How does that sound?”

“Mr. Li, I know you’re laundering money, so I can’t film this movie.”

Lu Ze spoke bluntly, and the next second, Li Shanjun's eyes narrowed, staring at Lu Ze without blinking, like a snake, with a sinister look. This was the first time Lu Ze had ever seen the usually amiable Li Shanjun with such an expression; clearly, Lu Ze had uncovered a secret that couldn't be spoken. "Do you know what you're saying?"

"I know, and I had no intention of revealing it. I just didn't want to film anymore, and I didn't want to break the law, that's all."

"You don't want to film anymore? You think you can just quit like that? Who do you think you are! Let me tell you! You have to film this movie whether you like it or not! Because I'm the one in charge here! You really think you can decide your own future just because you've won a few awards and have some fame? Don't forget! Qian Shijia can make you famous, but he can also send you back to Hengdian! I can make you beg for food, and you'll have to do it! Do you believe me!"

Hearing Li Shanjun's threat, Lu Ze had no doubt about the truth of his words. It would be too easy for a large corporation to crush him, but since he had decided not to participate, he would bear the consequences that he could already foresee.

“I believe you. I know the company needs me now, but only now, right? I know the company is training new people and plans to replace me. If you don’t ruin me then, the new people won’t let me off the hook either. Since I’m destined to be a beggar, I’m not afraid to beg sooner.”

Lee Sun-kyun really hadn't expected Lu Ze to be so clever, able to guess his intention to replace him. Yes, even if he let Lu Ze fend for himself, the new leader wouldn't let Lu Ze roam under his nose. After all, two tigers can't share one mountain. If Lu Ze were to make a comeback with his top-notch skills, the new leader would definitely not be able to sleep soundly. If he wanted to get rid of Lu Ze then, would he stop him? Of course not, who knows if Lu Ze would hold a grudge?

He still wanted to appease Lu Ze, but seeing Lu Ze's calm demeanor, his anger flared up. Since they had already broken off all pretense, wasn't it normal for him to make threats?

"You brought this on yourself! I invested money in you to set up your studio, but you wouldn't do it. I wanted to help you make money, but you wouldn't put any money in your pocket! So don't blame me for helping others make money! I'm only giving you one choice: go back to acting! Once you leave this industry, I'll guarantee you a life of luxury."

Lu Ze believed Li Shanjun's promise, but compared to the cowardly rich man, he preferred to go begging on the street.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li, my decision is final. If you say we won't film this movie, then I won't. I think we have nothing more to say. Goodbye."

Lu Ze hadn't even sat down yet. He glanced at Li Shanjun, who was about to explode, and then casually pushed open the door. The secretary, unaware of what had happened, still smiled at Lu Ze until a loud thud came from inside the room. She froze, looking somewhat bewildered, not understanding why Li Shanjun had become so angry.

"Fuck him! Get Li Jun to my office! Right now! Make him come here!"

The secretary dared not delay and immediately went to the legal department to ask Li Jun, who was reviewing documents, to follow her. When the two arrived at the office, they were dumbfounded. The room was in a mess, with broken glass and porcelain shards covering the entire floor. Documents were scattered in every corner of the room, and even the desk had a dent from a golf club.

Li Shanjun threw down his golf club, hands on his hips, breathing heavily, but his anger showed no signs of abating. He glared at Li Jun, pointed at the door, and roared.

"Summon Lu Ze! Sue him for breach of contract! I'll make him bankrupt! I'll make him slink back to his rural hometown in Northeast China!"

This huge turn of events left Li Jun and his secretary completely bewildered. They never expected that Lu Ze would breach the contract for no reason. After Li Jun came to his senses, his face gradually turned helpless. He took off the "Manager of Legal Department of Qian Shijia Media" badge from his left chest and gently placed it on the table.

"Mr. Li, I'm sorry. You can ask me to sue for financial fraud, illegal fundraising, or even defend a family killer, because they have the right to use the law to protect their own interests. But I can't sue my own friend. A man can betray anyone but his brothers. I may be naive, and I'm over forty years old but I still value loyalty, but a person must have a conscience. I will do a good job of handing over my work. I wish the company all the best."

The short, balding, middle-aged, overweight man nodded slightly to Li Shanjun, turned and left the office, making sure to close the door gently behind him. He could no longer hear what Li Shanjun was cursing.

"Lu Ze! Lu Ze! Wait, wait! Why are you walking so fast?"

"Brother Jun, why are you out here?"

Just as he stepped out of the main entrance of the building, he suddenly heard Li Jun shouting. Lu Ze was completely confused and didn't understand why Li Jun was out during working hours.

Li Jun laughed twice, took off his suit jacket and draped it over his shoulders. He walked to Lu Ze's side and put his arm around Lu Ze's shoulder. Because of their height difference, he had to stand on tiptoe to put his arm around Lu Ze's shoulder.

"We'll talk about it later. Let's go to the restaurant for a drink. I can't outdrink you, but let's drink more tonight. Let's go."

Lu Ze seemed to understand something, his expression was a bit complicated, but he eventually laughed. The two middle-aged men were already walking unsteadily before they even started drinking.

On a bright, mild midday, I headed toward the nearest restaurant.

Let's drink until we drop!

"."

(End of this chapter)