Huayu: This producer has no bottom line.

Chapter 70 Using a borrowed knife to kill

"Cut! Passed."

Da Peng breathed a sigh of relief, carrying his guitar as he walked up the steps from the school gate, his nose tingling from the cold.

"Pingsheng, is there any news from Sister Zhi?"

Ren Pingsheng handed him a cup of ginger tea. "Don't worry about her. Qiao San will be back soon. We'll go straight to filming the rooftop scene later."

Da Peng, holding the paper cup, paused for a moment. "What about the female lead's scenes? How about we wait for Sister Zhi to arrive and shoot the group scenes first? Sanzi and I can make do with the other shots."

Da Peng was genuinely afraid of offending the auntie his master had invited.

"Don't worry about that, just focus on your performance," Ren Pingsheng said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger. "Now, call your senior brother, Xiao Shenyang, for me. I need to speak with him."

"puff!"

Da Peng almost spat out the ginger tea he had just drunk.

He stared wide-eyed at Ren Pingsheng, his face filled with terror. "Holy crap, Pingsheng, you're not going to have that old habit again, trying to get my senior brother Shen Yang to play the female lead, are you?"

Ren Pingsheng rolled her eyes at him. "Is there nothing else on your mind besides cross-dressing as the female lead?"

It is indeed a cross-dressing role, but not a cross-dressing female lead.

Both "Old Boys" and "Goodbye Mr. Loser" feature a transvestite character with limited screen time but who is extremely eye-catching.

And Xiao Shenyang is now the universally recognized synonym for effeminate men and women of all ages across the country, which is quite fitting.

After securing Zhang Baizhi's services, Ren Pingsheng originally did not plan to hire any more people.

The role didn't have many scenes to begin with, and the original plan was to have Kong Lian-shun, a special effects artist who had just joined the studio, play the part. There was no need to make the expenses too high.

But now that Cecilia Cheung is causing this kind of trouble, they'll have to find another popular actor to carry the show.

Inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult.

She was personally brought to them by Uncle Bensan. If Ren Pingsheng told her to get lost, even if he was in the right, he wouldn't be able to explain it to Zhao Bensan, and Dapeng would also be in a difficult position within the sect.

What if she wants to leave on her own?

Ren Pingsheng's lips curled up.

Xiao Shenyang is a rising star, and wherever he goes, he is followed by countless paparazzi and cameras.

When the reporters followed Xiao Shenyang and flocked to the set, they were pleasantly surprised to find that Zhang Baizhi, who had been out of the public eye for a long time after the photo scandal, was also in the crew.

Guess how they'll react?

She'll either stay and cooperate with the filming, letting her work speak for itself.

She could either run away, but the news had already spread, and it was a done deal that she had been to this film crew. Ren Pingsheng could use this topic however he wanted.

Using someone else to do your dirty work—that's the best way to do it.

"Should we fight or not?" Ren Pingsheng urged.

Although Da Peng was unaware of Ren Pingsheng's malicious intentions, he still obediently dialed the number.

"Hey, Senior Shen Yang, this is Da Peng... Oh right, we're filming a movie here... Oh, there's something I'd like to ask you. Our director wants to speak with you."

After a brief introduction and pleasantries, Ren Pingsheng took the phone.

"Hello, Brother Shen Yang, I've heard so much about you. I'm Ren Pingsheng."

"Oh, Director Ren, hello there! I've heard my master mention you. You guys are doing really well!" Xiao Shenyang's signature voice came through the receiver.

After some pleasantries, Ren Pingsheng got straight to the point.

"Brother Shen Yang, I'm calling today to invite you to make a cameo appearance in the short film we're currently shooting."

The person on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment.

"Oh, Director Ren, it's not that I'm being disrespectful," Xiao Shenyang complained. "I'm currently on tour, and I'm about to join the Spring Festival Gala program team. As you know, after 'Not Short of Money' became a hit, people all over the country are expecting my master and me to produce an even better program. I'm under a lot of pressure. I can't let everyone down. It's really not appropriate to act in a movie at this time, and I can't schedule it."

This excuse was perfectly crafted, both elevating himself and invoking the prestige of the Spring Festival Gala.

But Ren Pingsheng was well aware of Xiao Shenyang's current situation.

"Brother Shen Yang, I know you're busy, but I definitely won't take up too much of your time. This cameo role only involves three scenes, which can be filmed in half a day."

"This isn't Peng's first time playing the male lead in a movie. Without a real big star to carry the whole film, he felt insecure and wanted to ask you for help but was too embarrassed to ask."

At this point, Ren Pingsheng paused and lowered his voice.

"Don't worry, I know the rules. We'll pay you your normal guest appearance fee so you won't come for nothing."

Xiao Shenyang didn't respond.

"Oh, right," Ren Pingsheng said as if he had just remembered something, "Brother Peng also prepared a red envelope for you. I wanted to give it to you in person when I went to Shenyang a few days ago, but you were performing outside and I didn't get a chance."

Since his breakout performance on last year's Spring Festival Gala, Xiao Shenyang has become an overnight sensation, with his commercial value soaring to fourth place nationwide.

But then, Ben San Media turned him into a money-printing machine, arranging 103 high-intensity tour performances from the beginning of the year to the end, ending at the end of January, and then seamlessly connecting him to the Spring Festival Gala production team.

This treatment of people like animals, coupled with the exorbitant profit-sharing ratio of Ben San Media, made Xiao Shenyang eager to break away from the Errenzhuan stage and switch to making movies, so that he could keep the lion's share of the income in his own hands.

This is why he later directed, starred in, and invested in "The Invincible Dragon".

as predicted.

"Oh dear! Look at you, Director Ren, is this about money?"

Xiao Shenyang's attitude made a complete 180-degree turn: "If Master knew I was getting paid for a cameo in my junior brother's movie, he'd break my legs! We're all family, helping each other out is only right!"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming extremely enthusiastic: "But Director Ren, I only have time on the 30th. The last performance is on the 31st, and I have to go rehearse for the Spring Festival Gala on February 1st. What do you think..."

"No problem, we'll be waiting for you on set on the 30th."

"Alright! Pengzi can pick me up then."

"Definitely, definitely."

……

Just as Ren Pingsheng was secretly plotting against Zhang Baizhi, preparing to use her as a powerful tonic...

The person in question is comfortably nestled in a suite at a five-star hotel.

"Cecilia, won't this make things difficult to explain to Teacher Zhao?" The assistant stood to the side, looking somewhat worried.

Zhang Baizhi put down the small celadon bowl in her hand, chuckled, and her face was full of indifference.

"Explain what? He asked me to come and support his apprentice."

She picked up the fashion magazine next to her and casually flipped to a page.

"What's wrong with waiting a few hours? Uncle just sent me to the mainland to test the waters. Does he really think I need to rely on some crappy web series like this to make a comeback?"

The assistant opened his mouth, wanting to persuade her again, but seeing Zhang Baizhi's determined expression, he swallowed his words in the end.

Outside the window, the cold wind of Yanjing howled past.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Baizhi, a vast net, enough to plunge her into another media storm, had already been quietly cast.