Chapter 130 Clash

Chapter 130 Clash

Qi Di came to the audition accompanied by his agent, followed by the diligent little assistant.

As soon as the assistant saw Qi Di's expression, his internal alarm bells rang, fearing that Lu Xu and Qi Di might clash at any moment.

Everyone knew that Lu Xu and Qi Di didn't get along, but the problem was, this was the audition site for "Reversal City." If a scene broke out, how would Director Mu Lang save face?

Among the actors who came to audition, there were several more established actors than Qi Di and Lu Xu.

When Lu Xu and his group casually pressed the elevator button and left, while Qi Di was left red-faced holding the eye drops, the assistant could only feel a sense of relief from the bottom of his heart.

Although... Qi Di was seething with anger.

The assistant really didn't understand. Qi Di knew he couldn't compete with Lu Xu, yet he kept picking fights with him. What kind of mindset was that?

Did he feel better after giving that glare?

Having been Qi Di's assistant for so long, every time he chatted with friends, he would first ask, "Is it just me?" Only after getting a negative answer would he feel at ease.

The assistant often doubted his own sanity because he couldn't agree with Qi Di and his agent's way of thinking.

For example, right now, with Qi Di fuming with anger, the agent said, "Our main focus now is for 'Song of Tears' to win an award. Once it does, Lu Xu won't be able to act so cocky."

Assistant: "??????"

Why are they both so confident that "Song of Tears" will win an award?

And... what's the inevitable connection between "Song of Tears" winning an award and Lu Xu's cockiness?

He didn't think Lu Xu was cocky at all!

Shouldn't the priority be securing the audition role?

The assistant questioned life every day, and he had a premonition—soon, he'd end up just like Qi Di and his agent.

...

Lu Xu had a meal with Guan Sha and Xu Wen. Guan Sha was easygoing, and Lu Xu could tell she was still upset with Xu Wen for no longer being her agent.

Being the newcomer, Lu Xu just ate quietly, after all, he was the one who "stole" Xu Wen.

Guan Sha never brought up the audition during the meal. Lu Xu didn't know the reason, but Xu Wen did—veteran actors often looked down on younger ones, believing that their fame was hard-earned and based on real talent, while many younger actors skyrocketed to fame overnight despite their lackluster acting.

As they were eating, Lu Xu's phone suddenly rang.

Guan Sha had just been discussing investments, and coincidentally, Lu Xu had recently invested in "The Female Grandmaster." Although she wouldn't star in a pure newcomer project like "The Female Grandmaster," she was keen on the investment itself.

The higher she climbed, Guan Sha realized her roles were becoming fewer and farther between. Many actresses in the industry were creating their own opportunities.

However, Guan Sha lived life on her own terms and naturally didn't have as much money as some of her peers who started at the same time. She usually paid more attention to projects that had investors, and she would fight for suitable roles.

If Lu Xu was starting to invest now, he'd inevitably take on more projects in the future, and they might even collaborate down the line.

What Guan Sha didn't expect was—the collaboration came much sooner than she imagined.

Lu Xu put down his phone and said calmly, "I landed the role."

Guan Sha blinked, processing the news, and then she heard Lu Xu's next sentence: "Director Mu just called me."

Guan Sha finally looked at Lu Xu with astonishment.

No one knew better than Guan Sha how tough it was to land the role in 'Reversal City.' The actors who came for the audition were all well-known and popular, with several recognized for their acting skills.

Lu Xu didn’t fit the villain role in the film, neither in age nor looks.

Yet, Director Mu Lang still chose him.

From what Guan Sha knew about Mu Lang, he wasn’t the kind of director who would just throw roles around, nor would he bow to the pressure of investors. After all, there were plenty of investors begging him to make films, and if he wasn't satisfied with one, he could easily switch to another.

This meant Lu Xu was the real deal—a genuinely talented actor, so much so that Mu Lang ignored all his shortcomings and handed the role to him.

That’s when Guan Sha really started to wonder about Lu Xu.

She didn’t get to see Xu Wen often, so she took the chance to chat with him longer. During their conversation, Xu Wen kept mentioning Lu Xu, which left Guan Sha feeling a little jealous.

Xu Wen’s attitude made her feel like, when it came to her and Lu Xu, he naturally sided with Lu Xu.

This inclination wasn't even due to the constraints of his role as a manager, but rather because Xu Wen genuinely believed that, in the acting profession, Lu Xu could go further than she could.

Was it really that big of a deal?

Guan Sha admitted that the box office hits 'Deception' and 'Feather of Youth' were tempting, but to some extent, their success was a one-time thing, with a certain degree of serendipity.

But now, Lu Xu had practically wrestled the role away from his competitors, with odds of more than ten to one, and none of the competing actors were weak. Even for her, the odds of winning were slim.

"Looks like we’ll be working together," Guan Sha said, shaking Lu Xu’s hand. "Looking forward to it."

For 'Reversal City,' both Lu Xu and Guan Sha had cleared their schedules, but they both knew that, with Mu Lang’s track record, starting in two months would be quick.

But since they had taken on the roles, Lu Xu's schedule had to be cleared. 'Chivalrous Fragrance' hadn't started airing yet, and the crew didn't need Lu Xu for the time being.

So Xu Wen shipped him off abroad.

This year’s fashion week was in full swing, and Lu Xu, despite having two major luxury brand deals, hadn’t been to a single show abroad. He was less enthusiastic than your average ambassador, making him a real oddball in the endorsement game.

"I’ve been worried the brands might drop you one day," the manager sighed. "Go make an appearance."

"Don’t worry," Lu Xu said, patting his shoulder. "I’ve got movies lined up. I’ll keep you afloat."

Xu Wen: '...' #Obviously lying# #But not entirely out of the question#

Anyway, Lu Xu went.

Xu Wen didn't go abroad with him because Lu Xu only needed to focus on filming and attending events, following the manager's instructions, while Xu Wen had to handle everything else—scheduling events, cooperation details... the manager had to consider every aspect.

Lu Xu sometimes felt that the manager's job was exhausting, but he also understood that Xu Wen enjoyed it.

Feiyang Entertainment sent an assistant and a senior manager along with Lu Xu. Besides Lu Xu, two other artists from the company were also heading to the show, and the three of them traveling together could showcase Feiyang Entertainment's unity and progress—as one executive put it.

Lu Xu was at a loss for words.

He didn't collaborate much with his fellow company artists and wasn't very familiar with them, but the manager accompanying them, Sui Lei, was very good at handling people, and Lu Xu got along well with him.

Of course, Lu Xu didn't realize that he was now nominally the top artist at Feiyang Entertainment.

The term "alpha male" means he is the strongest!

No one dares to mess with him; he’s the one who calls the shots.

Of course, Lu Xu isn’t the type to bully anyone, though.

...

When the group got to the airport, a brand-sponsored car was waiting for Lu Xu, and the accommodation and itinerary had been arranged well in advance.

Originally, the trip was going smoothly, but shortly after getting off the plane, the car was running a little late, and Lu Xu’s crew bumped into members of a K-pop boy band.

Lu Xu has had little personal contact with K-pop stars, but he has read reports and knows that they are very active in the fashion scene, with many fashion brand events and banquets attended by K-pop stars.

Although not deliberately shown, K-pop stars and local celebrities don’t exactly see eye to eye.

Lu Xu decided to keep things civil with the boy band member, as he was there to attend the event, not to cause trouble. However, the problem was—the boy band’s fans blocked Lu Xu’s way, pushing him into the street, and now he couldn't get through.

In addition, even overseas, the boy band member had beefy bodyguards in tow. As Lu Xu passed by, one of the bodyguards shoulder-checked him hard, and the bodyguard didn't even apologize, instead walking past Lu Xu with disdain.

Lu Xu immediately reached out and stopped the star: "Can’t your dog even say sorry?"

The bodyguard was caught off guard by someone standing up to the star and was about to hit Lu Xu, but Lu Xu silently extended his arm, pointing to the jewelry on it: "This C-brand jewelry is worth 400 million K-dollars. Are you sure you want to kick it off?"

"I’m an investor with a net worth of 80 billion K-dollars. How much is the annual salary of the bodyguards your company provides?"

The boy band member froze when he heard this.

Lu Xu hadn’t spoken earlier, but when he approached, the boy band member had already noticed him and even knew that he was one of the hottest male stars in China at the moment.

His face... was like a work of art.

Country K has had its eye on the Chinese market for a while and naturally pays close attention to news about Chinese celebrities—although their boy bands have been trying to break into Europe and America, the earnings from those markets are pretty slim.

The income of each group is skyrocketing, with album sales hitting insane numbers, but the problem is that the pop industry’s overall revenue hasn’t seen much of a boost.

When the bodyguard bumped into Lu Xu, the boy band member noticed but pretended it was no big deal.

He had done this more than once, and in the past, the Chinese celebrities he encountered had let it slide lightly.

But Lu Xu came off as cocky, making him feel as if he was facing those stuck-up veterans backstage or those veteran actors who looked at boy band members as if they were dirty.

Weak people don’t intimidate him, but arrogant ones? That’s another story.

"Take my info," Lu Xu said. "If there's any damage to the C-brand jewelry, I will protest to the brand at any time and inform them of your company's performance."

At that moment, the C-brand car arrived to pick up Lu Xu—a perk only brand ambassadors get.

Sui Lei couldn’t help but ask Lu Xu: "400 million K-dollars, how much is that in our currency?"

Lu Xu blinked: "I was bluffing; it’s not that much money."

Sui Lei: "..."

That's Lu Xu for you.

Sui Lei is a very good-tempered person, but even he couldn’t help but complain about the K-pop star: "He has bad manners; he deserves it."

"Didn't someone take off their shoes on the high-speed train before? And those who came here to make a lot of money, then went back and badmouthed us—what a pain."