040 Yan Li: This industry is too dark!

Early September, Shishi City.

Just past the White Dew solar term, the residual summer heat still lingered during the days, but the evenings were turning gradually cooler. Many people had already traded their T-shirts for long-sleeved shirts.

A red Ford Probe coupe slowly turned into a certain street and pulled up by the curb.

The car door opened. A handsome young man dressed in a suit with a slicked-back hairstyle stepped out, humming a tune. He clicked his car keys and strolled toward an alley branching off the street.

"Good, print."

Gao Qunshu called out. Yan Li walked back while the makeup and prop crew attached squibs and blood packs to his body.

Then, the floor staff drove a van over to block the Ford coupe. Sun Honglei and a few others got out, each wearing a menacing expression.

With the cameras repositioned, Gao Qunshu gave the signal, and rolling resumed.

Yan Li was back in the car. Just as he was about to drive off, he found his path blocked. He honked twice, but to no avail. Frowning, he stepped out of the vehicle to confront the other party.

Inside the van, Sun Honglei gave an order, and his henchmen Li Yixiang and Zhang Li rushed toward Yan Li wielding hunting rifles.

The moment Yan Li stepped out, he found the barrels of hunting rifles pressed against his head and chest, leaving him completely dumbfounded.

His eyes were filled with blank confusion and panic. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, hoping to de-escalate the situation, Li Yixiang and his companion opened fire with vicious glares.

Bang, bang, bang—

Three shots in total: one to the head, two to the chest. Without even a chance to struggle, Yan Li collapsed backward against the car door, his face covered in blood.

Li Yixiang and the others quickly withdrew. The cameraman stepped forward to get a few close-ups of the "corpse," and Gao Qunshu announced a wrap for the scene.

This also meant that Yan Li had officially wrapped up his filming for the crew of *Conquest*.

In fact, he still had one more scene left, where the police come to inspect the crime scene and he has to lie there as a corpse to complete the sequence.

However, Gao Qunshu figured that since it was just a single shot, there was no need to keep Yan Li around for another two days. They could just find an extra later and shoot a half-close-up of the legs to finish it.

True to form, Yan Li's wrap didn't come with any flowers or cake.

His status within the crew had risen noticeably, especially after the drinking showdown. No one in the *Conquest* crew dared to mess with Yan Li anymore, placing him second only to Gao Qunshu, Jiang Shan, Sun Honglei, and Liu Weiwei.

Yet, the *Conquest* production was simply too poor—every penny that could be saved, was saved!

Forget flowers and cake; the crew's boxed lunch that evening was stir-fried potatoes and chicken, with a total of less than ten small pieces of meat per portion. Yan Li managed to dig out four chicken feet from his box, though he didn't dare ask about the meal budget for fear of making the production manager cry.

Of course, it wasn't without any progress. At least the "calming red envelope" money Yan Li received for filming a death scene had increased quite a bit.

It had skyrocketed fivefold from the single yuan he got in *Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties*!

Yan Li treated Sun Honglei and the others to drinks on the spot. Last time, he had been somewhat clueless and thought keeping the money and the red envelope had some special significance.

Later, after chatting with other actors, he learned that this money shouldn't be kept; spending it immediately was the only way to bring good luck.

As for the red envelope itself, there weren't any specific taboos, but Yan Li didn't keep it either. Since it was associated with the character for "death," it was better not to hold onto it, as it tended to invite bad luck.

Though he didn't keep the deposit red envelope, Yan Li did find himself a souvenir to remember *Conquest* by—

Wu Tian's fake gold Rolex and fake gold chain.

The props had been bought at a small commodities market for just a few dozen yuan in total. Yan Li asked Director Gao for permission and simply took them away.

***

In truth, the souvenir Yan Li wanted most was that red Ford coupe, but the moment he mentioned it, Gao Qunshu told him to scram, leaving Yan Li with no choice but to let out a regretful sigh...

...

There were no flowers or cake, and a wrap banquet hosted by the crew was out of the question.

However, since Yan Li hadn't called Jiang Shan sister in vain, she looked out for her younger "brother" and took the initiative to organize a farewell dinner.

Aside from his good buddy Zhou Yiwei, actors like Binzi, Li Yixiang, Zhang Li, Liu Weiwei, and He Tiehong (who played Zhou Guoquan), all of whom got along well with Yan Li, came to attend.

Sun Honglei showed up too, but he was busy with filming and couldn't stay long. After drinking a couple of glasses and chatting for a bit, he headed out.

Since there was a large crowd scene scheduled for the next day and many of the actors had to work, the group didn't organize a second round and dispersed directly after the meal.

Yan Li had booked his train ticket for the next day and wanted to go back to his room to pack his luggage, but Jiang Shan called out to him.

"The train leaves at noon, no need to rush your packing tomorrow. You're leaving soon, yet you won't stay and chat a bit more with your sister?"

Yan Li felt a bit awkward. He threw a glance at Zhou Yiwei, who blinked in confusion before catching on.

"Brother Li, you guys chat. I drank a bit too much, I'm heading back to my room first."

Yan Li genuinely wanted to kick him. *Did I tell you to play along like that?!*

There was no helping it, though. Jiang Shan had taken pretty good care of him on set, and Yan Li wasn't the type to wipe his mouth and forget. Since things had reached this point, chatting it was.

Jiang Shan led Yan Li to her room.

As the biggest star on the crew, and taking on the role at a friendship rate, no matter how poor the production was, they couldn't possibly make her share a room with anyone else. Thus, Jiang Shan had the only business suite with a large bed in the entire *Conquest* crew, living even better than Gao Qunshu.

"It really is great to be famous."

Yan Li felt a touch of sentiment. The status and treatment of a famous actor on set were worlds apart from ordinary actors. No wonder everyone in the industry wanted to make it big.

"You have good raw conditions and solid acting skills. You'll be famous one day too."

Jiang Shan offered words of encouragement, telling Yan Li to take a seat while she went to take a shower and change clothes.

Moments later, Jiang Shan emerged wearing a somewhat breezy, low-cut black silk nightgown, and sat down right in front of Yan Li.

Given Yan Li's height, a casual glance across the low table offered him a full view of spring scenery.

"Right."

Remembering something, Jiang Shan stood up, opened the cabinet, took out a bottle of red wine and two goblet glasses, and smiled at Yan Li.

"I know you have a high tolerance for alcohol, you probably didn't get enough to drink earlier. Try this. I bought it the day before yesterday at the hotel where we were filming—imported from France."

She poured a generous half-glass and handed it to Yan Li. Watching him take a couple of sips, she asked, "How is it?"

Yan Li honestly shook his head. "I'm not used to it."

Jiang Shan laughed cheerfully, crossing her legs in a way that let the hem of her nightgown ride up dangerously close to a sensitive spot. Holding her glass in one hand, she swirled it with elegance and took a small sip herself.

"I wasn't used to it at first either, but you get the hang of it. Red wine nourishes the skin, fights aging, and protects the blood vessels. Drinking a little is good for your health."

Yan Li pulled his gaze back and took another two sips, still finding it rather unaccustomed.

The taste was tart and acidic, with a sticky texture. It wasn't as refreshing and thirst-quenching as beer, nor as mellow and fatigue-relieving as Chinese liquor, though it wasn't exactly unpalatable either.

Still, since Jiang Shan was entertaining him out of kindness, Yan Li followed the local customs, took a few more sips, and offered some perfunctory praise.

"Yeah, it feels much better after a few more sips."

Jiang Shan didn't mind. She chatted idly with Yan Li, starting with work, moving on to industry gossip, and finally touching upon relationships.

Especially when talking about her own romantic life, Jiang Shan's emotions began to fluctuate violently.

"...That husband of mine, he was fine right after we got married, but later on, things just became unbearable... One time, I caught him on the phone with some woman, and he actually had the nerve to say she was just a friend... Bah! I know all too well what goes on in that sleazy mind of his—he wants to eat from the bowl while looking at the pot. He's no good..."

It was clear that Jiang Shan harbored deep-seated resentment toward her husband. What started as a couple of polite complaints quickly devolved into a relentless stream of scolding and blame, making Yan Li feel rather awkward.

For one thing, it was a private matter between a married couple. For another, some of the phrasing sounded suspiciously like she was scolding someone while pointing at a mulberry tree, and even he wasn't spared.

The more she cursed, the angrier she got, and Jiang Shan downed several glasses of red wine in a row.

With the better part of a bottle of red wine now in her stomach—on top of what she had already drunk at the dinner banquet—Jiang Shan was visibly quite drunk. Her cheeks were flushed red, and the gaze she cast toward Yan Li turned somewhat hazy. Suddenly, she stood up and dropped right onto the sofa beside Yan Li, her voice hoarse.

"Little brother, what do you think of your sister here?"

Feeling things slipping out of control and wanting to make his escape, Yan Li said, "Sister, you've had too much to drink. You should rest, I'm going to head out."

Before he could even stand up, his hand was grabbed by Jiang Shan. She leaned in close, the wine-scented breath from her red lips washing over his ear.

"Don't be afraid. Sister doesn't mean anything else, I just want to tell you that this circle is far too complicated."

"Even though your conditions and abilities are good, you're still too young and lack connections. If you want to get ahead and make a name for yourself, sometimes you need someone to give you a hand."

"Sister genuinely thinks you're a good kid and wants to help you out."

Yan Li: "..."

Help out if you want, but what is your hand wandering downward for!?

***

Roughly two hours later, Yan Li returned to his room. Zhou Yiwei was already fast asleep.

Yan Li breathed a sigh of relief, tiptoed into the bathroom for a quick shower, and had just lain down on the bed when Zhou Yiwei's concerned voice drifted over from the side.

"Brother Li, you okay?"

Yan Li remained silent for a moment before letting out a profound, lingering sigh. "This circle is too dark. When you go out to film on your own in the future, you must remember to protect yourself."

"Brother, if you didn't want to, could a mere woman hold you back?"

Yan Li paused for half a minute. "Did you know that sometimes the things you say make people really hate you?"

Zhou Yiwei let out a chuckle and didn't reply. As his mind drifted to the mature and alluring Jiang Shan, he thought that if he ever bumped into "darkness" like that...

He'd gladly accept it!