After Transmigrated as a Black-Hearted Entertainment Boss [Transmigration] - Chapter 25

Seeing that Tao Zui was interested, Zhou Fanghong didn’t hide anything and spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.

“This Lu Junhao is the second young master of the Lu family in North City. Do you know the Lu family?”

Except for Wang Dafa, both Tao Zui and Gu Nan looked entirely blank. Zhou Fanghong didn’t keep them in suspense either, stating directly, “Universal International, you know it, right? That belongs to the Lu family.”

Universal International! Tao Zui’s eyes widened slightly.

Having transmigrated just two months ago, although he inherited the original owner’s memories, he still had only a superficial understanding of China’s wealthy clans. Even so, he had still heard the name of Universal International, whether passively or actively.

Universal International was a comprehensive multinational conglomerate whose core businesses included, but were not limited to, real estate, communications, department stores, and e-commerce logistics. The sheer breadth of its operations and the sheer number of fields it dabbled in made it one of the top conglomerates in China, having ranked among the top 500 global brands several years ago.

In addition to its massive scale, Universal International was also one of the few conglomerates that refused to go public. The chairman of the board held absolute decision-making power, thereby accumulating an astronomical amount of wealth.

No wonder they could shell out over a hundred million in breach-of-contract fees and investments without blinking… Tao Zui lowered his eyes and spat out a clam shell, watching it clatter cleanly into the bone plate.

Wang Dafa suddenly chimed in to ask, “Is this Lu Junhao the exact same ‘Second Young Master Lu’ you used to mention before?”

Zhou Fanghong nodded. “That’s him. A notorious playboy in North City who bullied men and tyrannized women during his student days. If his parents hadn’t kept a strict tight rein on him, there’s no telling what this guy might have done. The year I just returned to the country, he was probably only fifteen? There wasn’t a single circle gathering or wild party thrown that didn’t include him. He dabbled in everything regardless of taste, talking and dressing like a street thug, yet he knew how to degrade people better than a brothel madam.”

“I only met him once; people who aren’t on the same path can’t walk together. But over the last two years, I heard he fell ill or something, so he’s been much tamer. Right now, it looks like he’s doing proper business, though who knows if he’s just using a talent agency as a front to mess around. Still, given that he took a liking to someone like You Hui, his taste is just mediocre… cough, taking a liking to my The Afterlife is probably the wisest choice he’s ever made.”

Hearing this, Tao Zui’s brow furrowed. He detected something off almost instantly and stole a glance at Zhou Fanghong. Being able to party with a playboy like Lu Junhao and enter their circle—even if only once—implied that Zhou Fanghong’s own identity was far from simple.

However, being able to scrape together the startup capital for The Afterlife by selling his house and car was indeed not something an ordinary newcomer to the film industry could achieve. After all, not everyone possessed the exceptional fund-raising capabilities of Director Guo, a famous director from his previous life.

Because of his investment, Tao Zui had reviewed the budget for The Afterlife. Up until now, this production crew had already burned through a budget of three hundred million yuan, and this money had been funded almost entirely by Zhou Fanghong alone.

Tao Zui did a rough calculation. Selling off all the properties under his own name, including the company dorms, would barely net three hundred million yuan as well, but that money wasn’t earned by him—it was entirely a legacy from his ancestors. Zhou Fanghong was twenty-six this year and had been immersed in The Afterlife crew for two years. For a twenty-four-year-old youth to pull out three hundred million, it was highly likely that he, too, had liquidated inherited wealth.

To be able to give a child who had just recently graduated assets worth three hundred million, Zhou Fanghong’s family naturally wasn’t some ordinary household either.

Tao Zui felt somewhat curious in his heart, but he also knew that asking such things bluntly would be quite impolite. Therefore, he reined in his thoughts and shifted to ask about the matter he cared about most: “If that’s the case, Director Zhou and Second Young Master Lu can be considered to have some history. Won’t turning him down like this be… a bit bad?”

Zhou Fanghong let out a disdainful laugh. “How would I dare to have history with the Second Young Master? The one who actually played well with him was my older brother. You don’t need to worry, CEO Tao. Lu Junhao doesn’t dare to do anything. In the past, he played wildly because he knew the people around him shared his filthy tastes, and the people he degraded weren’t from respectable families either, so those sordid affairs never leaked out of their circle. But this is the business world; the rules are different. He has his father and his older sister pressing down on him like two massive mountains—he doesn’t dare to act blindly.”

At this point, he let out a sigh. “Although I’ve never met Chairman Lu or Lu Junxi, I still know a thing or two. I really have no idea how Chairman Lu—who is upright, humble, and raised a daughter as outstanding as Lu Junxi—ended up raising a playboy like Lu Junhao.”

Tao Zui dismissed the worry in his heart and smiled. “The same rice rears a hundred kinds of people. One’s fundamental nature dictates their personality; it has nothing to do with the environment. Otherwise, how could there be such a thing as building an empire from scratch?”

“Makes sense.” Zhou Fanghong nodded in deep agreement, and Gu Nan beside him followed suit with a nod.

Just like himself—he wouldn’t become obsessed with gambling simply because he had a gambler for a father. A person ultimately still had to be themselves and take responsibility for their own words and deeds, rather than whining and blaming external factors for all their mistakes and misfortunes.

After lunch, the four returned to the soundstage, witnessing firsthand how an industrialized film production crew operated. With a crew of over seven hundred people, not a single person remained idle when things got moving. Everyone performed their respective duties, manufacturing props and setting up scenery at an astonishing speed—which included the costumes and equipment for the male lead, Lei Ze.

Since two distinct identities were involved, Lei Ze had two sets of costumes: one was a highly cyber-futuristic police uniform, and the other was an Underworld soldier uniform that blended both technological and ancient styles.

Because the male lead hadn’t been finalized previously, the costume designs had been approved and materials prepared, yet they had remained strictly in embryonic form. Now that Gu Nan was here, the costume department essentially carried him off instantly, surrounding him to take measurements to alter and finalize the apparel.

The head of the costume department, Su Xiao, was a petite girl who looked exceptionally young. She sported a crisp, short haircut. Facing Gu Nan, she had to stand on her tiptoes just to help adjust the fabric around his neck. She spoke like a little rolling marble—clinking away rapidly and cleanly.

“The police uniform is easy; as long as it’s handsome, we’re good. But I won’t be able to confirm the effect of the Underworld soldier uniform until it’s tried on. The contrast between the internal and external styles is just too massive. Designing it was a blast, but if it doesn’t deliver the right effect on a real body, we’re completely doomed.”

Tao Zui watched from the side, nodding silently in deep agreement upon hearing those words.

At this moment, Gu Nan was wearing the black undergarment of the Underworld soldier uniform. The style resembled a diving suit—molded in one piece—and the fabric used was the kind that had a certain thickness, slick enough to reflect light. Subtle patterns were embroidered onto the pure black fabric; they weren’t conspicuous at a glance, but once the lights hit them, they would reveal themselves due to the differing directions of the reflected light. According to Su Xiao, the threads used to embroider these hidden patterns incorporated luminescent material that would glow in the dark, and the designs were referenced from Taoist talismans.

To match a skin-tight suit that looked highly high-tech at first glance was a pair of black boots. They had no laces or zippers, completely molded as a single piece. The sizing had been intentionally made a bit larger to adapt to the actor, yet surprisingly, it fit Gu Nan perfectly when he put it on.

With this full set on, while the sense of technology was dialed to the maximum, it also carried a risk of looking incredibly sketchy due to being overly skin-tight—for reference, see the shadowy criminal figures in Detective Conan.

If anyone else were dressed like this, Tao Zui would definitely complain that the person was simply unattractive yet trying too hard, wearing whatever they pleased regardless of whether it was an eyesore. But placed on Gu Nan, it looked exceptionally good. Furthermore, because the collar was slightly high, the sense of asceticism built by that half-wrapped neck made his heart skip a beat even more.

As expected, fashion completion relies entirely on the face and build. With these broad shoulders, toned glutes, and long legs, who wouldn’t be dazed looking at this… Tao Zui stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping up from the boots to the neck and back down from the neck to the boots. Right as he was watching with great relish, he suddenly felt a glare fly past. Lifting his head, he bumped right into Gu Nan’s resentful eyes.

Tao Zui: ?

Gu Nan shifted his gaze away, staring dead at the top of Su Xiao’s busy head, silently clenching his jaw.

What is he staring at! Staring so… Gu Nan took a deep breath, trying to use it to suppress the electrical current running rampant through his body, only to be barked at by Su Xiao:

“Don’t move!”

With that, the petite lady took a few steps back. In a manner almost identical to Tao Zui’s, she began sizing him up from top to bottom, observing the costume’s fit to see if anything needed alterations.

The exact same gaze from a different person, yet Gu Nan didn’t experience the same feeling at all. His body, which had originally been raring to move under Tao Zui’s gaze, cooled down rapidly. He also looked down to examine himself, moving his limbs under Su Xiao’s instructions.

“Lift your arms up, straighten them out. What about your legs? Try giving a kick. Can you squat down?”

Seeing Gu Nan squat down obediently, Su Xiao focused her gaze on a certain area, asking thoughtfully, “Does it pinch your crotch?”

Gu Nan: “…”

Tao Zui: “Pfft!”

Gu Nan bounced right back up, his face flushing violently red instantly. It took him a long while to squeeze out two words: “No… pinching.”

Su Xiao lifted her head to look at him, her expression dead serious. “What is there to be embarrassed about? The movie features a lot of action scenes; the costume must fit well and allow easy movement. If anything feels uncomfortable, you must speak up.”

At this point, she paused, her expression turning a bit strange. “Besides, even if it really doesn’t pinch, this won’t do either. Otherwise, our movie is highly likely to be blasted by audiences for ‘hiding a grenade in the trousers.'”

Tao Zui: “Pfft—hahahahahahahahaha!”

Amid Tao Zui’s earth-shattering laughter, Gu Nan’s ears flushed red enough to bleed. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to cover the area hiding the grenade, or cover Tao Zui’s mouth.

Why is this man so exasperating! Can someone please kick him out!

Kicking him out was out of the question; an agent absolutely had to confirm the costume and makeup, ensuring the artist didn’t appear before the public sporting a completely unsuitable look.

Tao Zui finally managed to control his laughter with great difficulty, discussing the exposed issues with Su Xiao. “The shoulders are a bit narrow, and it’s best if the ankles are a bit longer so they can tuck into the boots better, to prevent a strip of skin from showing every time he moves. The crotch… cough, it shouldn’t be pinching, it’s just that the fabric is too tight-fitting. This thickness was originally supposed to cover it, but once the fabric stretches tight, it’s a bit…”

Su Xiao nodded, examining Gu Nan alongside Tao Zui. “This set is a standard version manufactured according to a Size 96 mannequin’s frame, and the fabric is elastic too. Theoretically, it should adapt perfectly to a 180cm male physique. But it doesn’t matter; I’ve reserved extra fabric at the seams, so the shoulder width and length can all be altered. As for the crotch area…”

After a brief thought, she turned around to grab a long robe sitting on the adjacent table, giving it a majestic shake. “Just cover it up! If it gets exposed during fights, we’ll just have post-production clean it up.”

Tao Zui: “…Pfft!”

Post-production crotch-cleaning… why on earth is that so hilarious!