Huayu, my cheat code is a bit strange.

Chapter 76 Everyone Has a Backer (Please read on, please recommend, please do everything!)

In the entertainment industry, you might not be the most shrewd person, but you're definitely not a fool.

Everyone understands the meaning behind Mr. Jin Yong's last words.

Zhang Jizhong's face was ashen, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He opened his mouth, but his dry throat could not produce any sound.

Zhou Xiaowen couldn't stand it any longer and said in a deep voice:
"Let's continue, follow the procedure."

There was no fierce competition as I had imagined, no amazing impromptu performances, and no stunning makeup and styling.

Lin Zhiying managed to recite two more lines, but her lingering Taiwanese accent seemed particularly jarring in the context of the period drama, and her performance was too greasy and exaggerated, which was out of place with the martial arts spirit of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

So much so that Gu Xiao barely had time to perform before Zhou Xiaowen announced the end of the audition, and Gu Xiao won the role of Duan Yu.

No one at the scene objected to this.

It's not that Gu Xiao is particularly suitable, but rather that a certain Taiwanese artist is really not suitable.

……

……

Corridor of the Guide Building.

An old man and a young boy stood by the window.

A sense of emotion welled up in Zhou Xiaowen's heart:
"After all the twists and turns, I never expected you to actually succeed."

"What? You didn't think highly of me from the beginning?" Gu Xiaoping asked calmly.

“That’s right,” Zhou Xiaowen nodded frankly, “Zhang Jizhong is even more domineering than I imagined. To be honest, I originally thought you wouldn’t dare to come to the audition.”

Everyone criticizes unspoken rules, but when they actually encounter them, how many people dare to resist?

Let alone resist, most people don't even have the courage to stand up and howl.

Gu Xiao calmly replied, "It's simply a matter of being invincible when one has no desires. Besides, they've already bullied us to our faces, is there any need to tolerate it?"

Zhou Xiaowen agreed, "If you don't stand up for yourself, you'll be bullied. You did the right thing."

Gu Xiao, however, was somewhat curious: "Actually, I'm more curious about your offer of help." Jin Yong isn't someone you can just invite on a whim.

Zhou Xiaowen was silent for a few seconds, then took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a lighter: "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for myself."

He said, "In a film crew, authority is something you have to fight for. If Zhang Jizhong dares to touch the actors I've chosen today, he'll dare to change my script tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow he'll be riding on my head and directing the filming. I know his level very well; his mind is full of business calculations. I won't allow him to ruin the hard work I've put in over the past few months."

Gu Xiaoruo pondered: "But things have gotten so tense, do you think he'll still be willing to help you wholeheartedly in the future?"

Zhou Xiaowen scoffed, with the arrogance typical of a director:
"When do I need outsiders to interfere when I'm filming? He just needs to manage his own logistics and not cause me any trouble."

"What if he insists on causing trouble?" Gu Xiao pressed.

"You underestimate the weight of the four characters 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'."

Zhou Xiaowen exhaled a long puff of smoke and said in a cold tone, "This is a project that CCTV is involved in, and it is benchmarked against the 97 Hong Kong version. Everyone in the crew may not say it, but who is not under pressure? Who is not expecting? If Zhang Jizhong dares to drag us down, not only the production company and Mr. Cha, but also all the main actors and their agencies will not let him off the hook."

Gu Xiao suddenly realized, "No wonder he panicked so much when he saw Mr. Jin Yong."

Zhou Xiaowen nodded slightly: "That old guy is very shrewd. He knows that Jin Yong dramas are a huge hit and that new projects will most likely be launched in the future. As long as he has this idea, he won't, and wouldn't dare to, act recklessly at this time."

After speaking, Zhou Xiaowen looked at the boy beside her with a complicated expression:
“It’s just that you’re being wronged. There are a lot of dirty tricks in this industry. If he’s focused on smearing you after filming is over, your acting career will be greatly affected.”

Gu Xiao curled her lip in disdain, took out her phone, and made a call.

After the call connected, he said to the person on the other end of the phone, "I've finished here. Okay, I understand. Just talk to the security guard directly."

Zhou Xiaowen looked puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Gu Xiao didn't speak, just stared quietly at the school gate.

Zhou Xiaowen frowned, followed his gaze, and soon saw a Mercedes-Benz van drive into the school. Her expression changed drastically.

"What's this?" Zhou Xiaowen looked at Gu Xiao with a face full of astonishment.

Gu Xiao sneered, "Just because I don't care about pulling strings doesn't mean I can't."

……

……

Inside a commercial office building in Chaoyang District.

Inside the office, three people sat around a table, the room filled with suffocating smoke.

Zhang Jizhong sat on the sofa with a gloomy expression, the ashtray in front of him overflowing with cigarette butts. Yu Min sat opposite him, her face equally grim, and couldn't help but rebuke him:
"Director Zhou is really unruly; he actually pulled the rug out from under us!"

Chen Jinfei, standing to the side, frowned:
"What do you mean? Isn't today's audition just a formality?"

Yu Min was speechless for a moment, secretly observing Zhang Jizhong's expression. Seeing that he remained silent, she could only take the initiative to recount what had happened.

Chen Jinfei was stunned and speechless for a moment.

But he quickly remembered something and said disdainfully, "For a small actor like him to offend the executive producer like this is really short-sighted."

Yu Min shook her head with a wry smile, thinking to herself that a film crew is not like an outside company.

Here, the actors respect you because you're the executive producer. If they don't, your title is less effective than a brick, especially since Gu Xiao isn't an ordinary actor.

In fact, from the moment Mr. Jin Yong invited Gu Xiao to his home to discuss the ending of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", no one in the crew could touch him.

Having navigated the business world for many years, Chen Jinfei's ability to read people was second nature. He naturally noticed Yu Min's distress and said with a strange expression:

"Then let this matter go?"

"What else can we do but forget about it?" Yu Min was about to speak when Zhang Jizhong, sitting in the main seat, suddenly opened his eyes and said in a loud voice, "Forget about it?"

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Chen Jinfei, his chest heaving violently.

"I, Zhang Jizhong, have been in this industry for so many years, and I've never suffered such humiliation!"

He slammed his hand on the table, making the ashtray jump. "A kid who hasn't even grown his first hair, just because he has a few crooked talents, dares to shit and piss on my head! Just because Zhou Xiaowen protects him and Jin Yong appreciates him, he can act all high and mighty in the drama series!?"

He was panting heavily when he grabbed a large gulp of the cold tea on the table, his eyes filled with extreme malice.

"The production manager is my man, the logistics coordinator is my man, and I can also get in touch with the publicity team."

Zhang Jizhong gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "I accept that Zhou Xiaowen can film the scenes according to his own ideas! But what happens outside of the scenes is not up to him!"

Yu Min's heart skipped a beat.

His name is listed as the director; he certainly doesn't want this promising project to fall through.

I was about to offer some words of advice about "putting the bigger picture first," but seeing Zhang Jizhong's murderous look, I swallowed my words back.

Chen Jinfei's eyes lit up, and he quickly chimed in:
“Producer Zhang is right! That kid needs to be taught a lesson and shown some manners! Is there anything I can do for you? Putting aside everything else, I do have some connections in the media.”

Zhang Jizhong glanced at Chen Jinfei, feeling that the other party was being too eager, but still waved his hand and said:
"No need. Dealing with a minor actor doesn't require much effort. I have plenty of ways to make him suffer in silence."

Just as he was about to begin his eloquent speech, a sudden, urgent knocking sounded at the door.

A surge of anger rushed to Zhang Jizhong's head, and he growled impatiently towards the door:
"What is it? Don't you know I'm busy?!"

The office door was carefully pushed open, and the assistant peeked in, a hint of fear and bitterness on his face.

"Mr. Zhang, there's something you might need to know right away."

Zhang Jizhong's tone grew increasingly impatient: "What is it? Speak!"

The assistant glanced at Yu Min and Chen Jinfei inside the room. Seeing that Zhang Jizhong didn't intend for them to leave, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say:
"Just now, we received news that Ms. Wang Fei has gone to the Beijing Film Academy recording studio to record a song at the invitation of Gu Xiao."

"."

The office fell into a deathly silence.

Yu Min's eyes widened in surprise, and she almost dropped the teacup in her hand.

Chen Jinfei went even further, his mouth opening unconsciously wide enough to fit an egg.

Zhang Jizhong's facial muscles stiffened, and his expression of clenched teeth and absolute confidence froze on his face.

The assistant swallowed hard and added in an even softer voice:
"In addition, Director Zhou also called to ask if our crew wanted to take this opportunity to cooperate with the publicity, leveraging Wang Fei's popularity to increase pre-release attention and buzz for 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'."

"."

Yu Min and Chen Jinfei both turned their gazes toward Zhang Jizhong, who was in the main seat.

Zhang Jizhong was silent for a few seconds, then squeezed out the word through gritted teeth: "Get out."

The assistant paused, not quite hearing him: "What did you say?"

Zhang Jizhong suddenly raised his head, grabbed the ashtray on the table, and smashed it hard on the ground!
"boom--!"

Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and ashes scattered!
Zhang Jizhong roared at the top of his lungs:
"I said get out! Get out!!!"

(End of this chapter)