Guilongchao: I played the domineering CEO to the bone.

When Tong went to pick up Chan Chan, Xiao Guang, who was also exhausted, very disloyally went to Longchao Pavilion to rest first, leaving Tong to pick up Chan Chan alone.

Honestly, having Hikaru by my side really makes a difference—since over 9% of the shops in the entire Nakapo Ward have traces of Hikaru's past work, Hitomi walked smoothly back to Ryūchōgaku with Hikaru without even needing to look at the road.

On the contrary, when Tong went to pick up Chan Chan without Xiao Guang, she had to figure out the direction after walking just a few steps, which exhausted her. It was precisely because of her confusion about the road that Tong was able to successfully banish the memories of Min Moyou that were uncontrollably surfacing in her mind once again.

Half an hour later, Tong finally arrived at the factory that produces bad movies—Longchaoge Film Studio, which is also her lair, or rather, her "nest".

At first glance, there is a rusty, retractable railing at the entrance, a blue iron gate with peeling paint at the main gate, and white exterior walls that have turned yellow with the erosion of time. Several tattered movie posters, about to be blown off by the wind, are pasted on the walls above the second floor.

As soon as Tong arrived at the door, she heard Xiao Guang and Master Du having a heated "discussion" inside:

"Master Du, the head steward of Longchao Pavilion? My direct supervisor who manages my performance and salary? I just don't believe it. Don't you have anything to prove yourself?"

“Miss Guang, I am indeed Du, a loyal servant of Madam Shen, the master of Longchao Pavilion. You have already asked me this question at least three times. When the director returns, you can verify it with her yourself…”

"Alright, then let's not talk about my status. Let's talk about my salary for acting for your film studio..."

"As far as I know, when the director approached you to make the film, he did not promise you anything regarding your salary..."

"Regarding the salary, Miss Guang, you've asked me, Du, at least ten times already, and I've given you at least ten different reasons to refuse... I made it clear the first time: with Boss Shen absent, I'm managing Longchao Pavilion's finances on his behalf. Whatever terms the director agrees to for you, Miss Guang, will not be recognized by Longchao Pavilion without my permission..."

"Hey! Are you kidding me?! I'm giving it my all in this acting! Besides, the director said this movie has a real chance of being a huge hit!"

"Sigh... Miss Guang, why are you doing this? It was I, Du, who bailed the three of you out of the Zhenlong Division. How could I not know that the director's film has been strictly banned by the Zhenlong Division?"

"Hey...hehe...maybe we remembered it wrong...?"

"Hey, middle-aged black cat, it's just the two of us here. Tell me secretly, can we release this movie secretly without telling Zhenlongsi? I really put in a lot of effort to get this role, I almost lost my life..."

"Being banned like this... I'm so heartbroken..."

"I'm sorry, Miss Guang, but Longchao Pavilion is a legitimate business that abides by the law and would never do anything illegal..."

"Ah...how could you do this...?"

Tong listened outside the door for a while—she knew that Xiao Guang was no match for Master Du.

Even her sister Tong has had a few bad experiences getting money from the stingy Du Maomao! How could she, with her mere Xiao Guang, possibly manage to get any?

Hey—this brings us to why Xiao Guang was visiting Longchao Pavilion for the first time, but Biao Zi knew Master Du.

This brings us to the time when Biaozi ate all of Xiaoguang's savings, and Xiaoguang, under the pretext of kicking him out, had Biaozi take care of him (and cause him trouble) at Longchao Pavilion.

Tong smiled helplessly, pushed open the door and went in. She could tell that Xiao Guang was almost brought to tears by Old Master Du's scolding!

"Your boss, who controls the finances, is a talking black cat. How exciting is that?"

Accompanied by the creaking of the old gate, Tong soothed the anxious Xiao Guang with a joke, then turned her gaze to Master Du.

"Alright, Mr. Du, why did you call me back in such a hurry? Is there something you need?"

Master Du pushed up his glasses with the paw pads on his front paws and said in a deep voice:

"Where's Wang Hui? Have you found him? Didn't he come with you?"

"How could you not guess? No matter where he is, he's avoiding you anyway."

Tong shrugged and tilted her head, showing no intention of admitting to Mr. Du's questioning—her job was ostensibly as a director, not a police dog, so why was she asking me about finding someone?

Master Du took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes, stroked his long white beard, and stopped worrying about it—there would be plenty of opportunities to teach that brat a lesson—he didn't believe that the boy could hide from him, Master Du, forever.

Wang Hui: There's always someone who can subdue another! Don't get cocky! From now on, whenever I think I might see you, this old cat, I'll bring Chan Chan with me!

"I called you back, Director. It's nothing serious... I'm just worried that if we let you guys 'film' outside any longer, it might cause new trouble."

"Hey, hey, hey! Sister Tong, look at it! What do you mean by 'causing new trouble'? We almost lost our lives filming this movie, and this stinky cat is just making sarcastic remarks..."

Xiao Guang shook Tong's arm, pouting her little mouth, unconvinced.

"Alright, alright, Lao Du, I remember my work contract with Longchaoge mentions that I'll be paid for every shoot, right? After all, Longchaoge needs to release films from time to time to maintain its facade as a film studio, right? Give it to me."

Tong unceremoniously stretched out his hand in front of Master Du and rubbed his thumb and forefinger a few times.

"Huh? So, Sister Tong, your main job isn't directing? And Dragon Tide Pavilion isn't a film studio...?"

Xiao Guang seemed to realize something then, released Tong's arm, and looked terrified, as if he was meeting Tong for the first time.

Did we stumble upon some kind of pyramid scheme?

Tong Jie always puts her arm around me, I'm afraid she wants something from me.

What valuable things do we have on us? We can't even keep the Nine Coins we earn each day for the next day...?

Biaozi?

That's not worth much, is it?

Tong tapped Xiao Guang's head, and seeing that he quieted down for more than three seconds, she knew he was overthinking again.

"Doesn't your sister Tong have any self-awareness? If she relied solely on making movies and working for this shady shell company, she would have starved to death long ago."

"Cough cough!"

Unable to tolerate Tong's slander against Longchao Pavilion, Master Du coughed twice, interrupting Tong who was about to continue her rant.

"Director, you're an adult. You know that favors are a luxury. I used up a lot of favors to get the three of you out of the Zhenlong Division as quickly as possible."

"Director, you know this too, don't you? You can't withstand deep interrogation and digging."

"Moreover, the final filming results were strictly prohibited from being released..."

"Given this poor performance, in accordance with Article 111 of the Longchao Pavilion Salary Agreement, Longchao Pavilion will not recognize Ms. Guang's labor contributions, and Director will only be able to receive the most basic attendance allowance and base salary."

Faced with the serious-looking Mr. Du, Tong rolled her eyes helplessly.

"Come on, Du Lao Mao. I haven't memorized those hundreds of salary clauses in years. You can't just say whatever you want. Hurry up, base salary it is. Xiao Guang and I will split it privately."

Tong looked at Xiaoguang, who had given up hope of getting her salary, with a grin, patted her bun that seemed to be cheering her up, and laughed:

"Isn't your sister Tong good to you?"

"Ok!"

Xiao Guang nodded vigorously, pounded his chest with his fist, and looked at Tong with eyes full of deep emotion, "My best friend is in my heart."

"Hey, by the way, Sister Tong, how much is your base salary?"

"28."

"What?"

"Miss Guang, you heard me right, it's 28 Nine Square Coins."

Old Master Du had somehow managed to rummage through the money box and retrieved a stack of nine coins, some in small amounts, on the cat's paw, before handing them to Tong.

Tong, as if it were second nature, grasped her hard-earned wages, counted out eight coins, and handed them to Xiao Guang, who was standing there dumbfounded.

Here, this is yours.

"When have I, the esteemed working king of Zhongpu District, ever suffered such humiliation?!"

Xiao Guang held the nine-coin hand high, as if about to throw it, but saw that Master Du and Tong were watching her with expressions of amusement...

Xiao Guang reluctantly withdrew his hand and grumbled as he stuffed a handful of coins into his backpack.

At this moment, Biaozi, whose size took up most of the backpack, was fast asleep, breathing through his open mouth...

Biaozi: Thank you, nature, for your bounty!

Biaozi didn't "accidentally" chew and swallow all the Nine-Fang Coins. He even took out a Nine-Fang Coin that he hadn't unconsciously bitten, wiped the drool off his furry belly, and tossed it into the corner of Xiaoguang's backpack for her to buy steamed buns for tomorrow morning.

As a social cat named Biaozi who had been involved in society even earlier than Xiaoguang, it understood human relationships better than anyone else.

It knows that life is not about taking, but about the art of mutual compromise.

...........

"Look, he's in a hurry."

Seeing that Hikaru had crossed his arms and was giving her a "friendship over" look, Hitomi had no choice but to explain to Hikaru:

"Xiao Guang~ You're now considered an intern at our Dragon Tide Pavilion, and there are some things I haven't had a chance to tell you yet..."

"Actually, making movies is just a front for our Longchao Pavilion. The quality of the movies is not the standard for performance evaluation."

"The core principle of Dragon Tide Pavilion is to accept special commissions from various dragon descendants, regardless of the reason, only for the reward."

"Hmph~ What kind of fabricated scenario did you come up with on the spot this time?"

Xiao Guang was puffed up with anger, his cheeks bulging out. Tong, being mischievous, poked him with his finger—and sure enough, with a "poof," the air deflated.

Master Du also spoke up at the opportune moment:

"The director is right. We will record the process of handling the commission and make it into a special effects movie that does not require post-production special effects costs, so as to run the 'production studio' with double the revenue."

"This is a brilliant idea from the director! Our Dragon Tide Pavilion takes on the commission from the Dragon Princes, lets the Dragon Princes act for free, and saves money on special effects. Isn't that amazing?"

Under Xiaoguang's disdainful gaze, Tong proudly put her hands on her hips, looking as if she was waiting to be worshipped.

Xiao Guang's cold words pierced her young heart.

"Even so, that's no excuse for your poor filming skills!"

"Hey—you..."

Tong pointed a trembling finger at Xiaoguang, covering her ears with her other hand, unable to believe that her best friend could say such vicious things—Ahhh, it's a bad comment! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!

"Sorry, Director, I have to go find work somewhere else right now!"

It seemed Xiao Guang had no interest in this sneaky and stingy criminal gang; he turned and slipped out the door, leaving behind the words:

"Once I succeed, I'll promote you!"

Tong watched Xiaoguang's departing figure and sighed heavily.

"The nth actor recruitment attempt has failed."

How can a film studio only have a director? Shouldn't there be a filming crew to make it seem more realistic?

However, it is clear that despite Tong's repeated attempts to recruit people and form a "professional team," she has not succeeded.

Master Du saw through it but didn't say anything.

"Since Miss Guang has other matters to attend to, I will arrange for an assistant for the director later. Director, please wait for good news."

Although making movies is not Longchao Pavilion's main source of income, it is still a source of income, isn't it?

"There's one more thing, Director. Madam Mirage has told you that she's waiting for you on the second floor."

"Madam Shen doesn't usually inquire about your filming process, but I sense that she is interested in your experience this time."

"Wow, even the elusive proprietress has been alerted?"

Without looking back, Tong ran upstairs—Mr. Mirage is finally back! Shouldn't the bed, door, and stuff that the director has been so eager to see—?

Tong rushed upstairs in a hurry.

"Mr. Mirage—!!"

But just as she arrived at the door of Boss Shen's room, and caught a glimpse of the alluring yet sinister figure reclining on the sofa inside, she saw the door to Boss Shen's room slam shut by a gust of wind.

"Why is it closed...?"

Tong was a little disappointed; she had thought she would have another chance to get close to Boss Shen...

This secretive behavior is like something a homebody would do...

Tong was stopped at the door and felt a little annoyed, secretly complaining to herself.

"Young director, maintaining a bit of mystery is a sign of leadership!"

The Boss Shen's soft voice came from inside the room. It was gentle, yet Tong could hear it clearly; it had a very strong penetrating power.

"Goodness...you heard my innermost thoughts? Boss lady, you're getting more and more terrifying..."

Tong suddenly realized that if Boss Mirage could read minds, then all her previous fantasies about Boss Mirage must have been...?

There's no way around it! Boss Shen's outfit is just too revealing!

She wore a black, form-fitting leather jacket and a short, hip-hugging apron, with Miao-style silver jewelry around her neck. Her long, white legs were incredibly eye-catching—perfectly proportioned and shapely. Her bright, blood-red eyes were simply irresistible…

Wait! Damn it! Why am I starting to imagine things again—

"That's right~ Little director, I 'heard' all those dirty thoughts you had about me before~"

Tong chuckled awkwardly and changed the subject, quickly picking up on the Dragon Realm experiences that the landlady was interested in and telling her a whole story. Madam Shen didn't dwell on Tong's awkward moment and listened quietly as Tong continued.

During this time, Boss Shen made several cryptic statements, which still provoked Tong's inward dissatisfaction and complaints.

'Why does this Mirage Boss always speak in such a cryptic way... I can't understand a word he says...'

"Little director~ Sometimes, it's a good thing if you don't understand."

Boss Shen showed Tong absolutely no respect—this little pet of his was disobedient, daring to repeatedly defy him in his mind; it was time to teach him a lesson.

"Boss lady, could you please stop trying to read my mind...? I was really wrong, I won't think like that again!"

"Hehe~ Did you bring something back from the Dragon Realm?"

Even through the door, Tong could clearly feel a gaze fixed on her for a long time before disappearing as Boss Shen continued to ask questions.

Tong roughly knew that Boss Shen didn't intend to pursue the past, so she proudly pulled the mask fragments out of her pocket and waved them through the doorway.

"These are fragments of a mask that Xiao Guang brought back from the Dragon Realm. Boss lady, you're amazing! You knew before I even told you!"

"Hehe~ I can't hide this from you..."

Then, silk-like dragon power chains extended from the room and slowly climbed up Tong's body.

Tong thought that Boss Shen still refused to forgive her previous despicable thoughts, and loudly begged for forgiveness.

Then I realized that I didn't seem to feel any sense of harm?

Only then did they realize that it was the curse power left by Boss Shen on the mysterious fragment.

“I saw it… Our long-cherished wish has been fulfilled—the Supreme Dragon Mantra.”

…………