Chapter 58

McXiaoyu skipped work for a day, drawing unanimous "condemnation" from Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan.

The next morning, McXiaoyu arrived at the company and was immediately cornered in the office by the duo—condemning him.

"Boss, you're really out of line. As the highest leader of the company, you led by example in skipping work without even a word!"

"Yuer, you need to change your lax and undisciplined habits. We're a legitimate film company now, not a scam operation."

"Your actions make you look very unprofessional."

"If it were anyone else, I would have cursed their whole family long ago."

Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan were genuinely worried.

The company was at a critical juncture, with Liu Tao about to enter the television industry at a high starting point. If successful, the status of Mengren Film would be greatly elevated, and the two would be one step closer to their former dreams.

Perhaps due to being long intimidated by McXiaoyu's "tyranny," and feeling that the two of them weren't enough, Xiao Xing also brought in Liu Tao to persuade McXiaoyu to take Mengren Film seriously.

To the company, McXiaoyu was very important and irreplaceable.

In the past, when they were conning people, McXiaoyu was the main force; now, as Mengren, he still carried the entire load, while the two of them were always in a supporting role.

Whether it was conning people or being Mengren, they couldn't do it without McXiaoyu; otherwise, it wouldn't work.

"Director Xiao, Teacher Zhang, don't blame Boss Mc. He is a responsible person. I think he must have had something very important to do yesterday."

Liu Tao's trust in McXiaoyu stunned Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan, and it also warmed McXiaoyu's heart, making him feel a bit heavy.

After finishing his cigarette leisurely, McXiaoyu finally spoke.

"Old Xiao, did you find the teacher I asked you to look for yesterday?"

"The school is on holiday, so it's hard to find a teacher..."

"Don't beat around the bush, just say if you found one or not."

Of course, he found one.

After the call yesterday, Xiao Xing rushed to the Beijing Film Academy. Through the gatekeeper Uncle Qin, the school security, and students who hadn't gone home, he finally got a general understanding of the teachers in the Beijing Film Academy's acting department.

Through unconventional means, he obtained the phone numbers of a few teachers and started contacting them.

It's not easy to invite a teacher from the Beijing Film Academy. Xiao Xing spent a small ton of saliva, and his phone almost ran out of power, but after much persuasion, he finally convinced one to agree to spend two hours each evening at home guiding Liu Tao in acting. Classes would start tonight, with a charge of 200 yuan per hour.

200 yuan?

So cheap!

Is Old Xiao not worried about the cost?

McXiaoyu raised an eyebrow: "How old is that teacher? Forty? Fifty? Sixty?"

In the acting world, being older doesn't necessarily mean better acting, but acting skills can't be achieved overnight; they require time to mature, which is an unchanging truth.

"Seems like he's just thirty this year..." Xiao Xing's confidence was somewhat lacking, "But he's the head teacher of the 1997 acting class at the Beijing Film Academy, very popular among his students, and his teaching quality is definitely guaranteed."

Head teacher of the acting class?

That should be fine.

McXiaoyu nodded, and Xiao Xing regained his confidence: "It wasn't easy to get him. I talked on the phone for over half an hour, and then chatted for another hour over dinner before he agreed. He's only available for ten evenings because his students are graduating this year. After ten days, he'll be going out of town to film, but I think he's reliable."

Alright, let's go with him.

Ten days should be enough to prepare for the "Journey to the West 3" casting audition.

Should I sign Liu Tao up for the Beijing Film Academy's acting improvement course?

If she passes the "Journey to the West 3" audition and joins the production, she won't have time for classes.

McXiaoyu pondered, then suddenly thought of something: "Old Xiao, is the teacher you found male or female?"

"Male, why, are you worried about him..."

"F*ck, he better not!"

Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan turned their heads at the same time, startling Liu Tao: "Shouldn't, shouldn't be, right?"

"Xiao Tao, you're still young and don't understand many things. In the entertainment industry, there's nothing they can't do, only what you can't imagine." Zhang Xiaoquan, with his eight years of experience as a photography assistant, began to educate her, recounting various sordid things he had heard and seen on set.

Truly, it's a world of oddities, utterly outrageous.

"F*ck, don't scare her." Stopping Zhang Xiaoquan, McXiaoyu said to Liu Tao: "Don't worry, I'll be responsible for picking you up and dropping you off every evening, waiting for you downstairs at his place. If anything happens, call me."

"Thank you, Boss Mc."

Liu Tao smiled sweetly, and Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan switched to their clown mode, starting to tease.

"Wow, wow, wow, Boss, I didn't know you were so professional at pursuing girls!"

"Shut up, it's mutual attraction."

"Right, right, right. Speaking of which, I'm the matchmaker. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have met."

"What about my contribution!"

After so long, Liu Tao had already adapted to Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan's various clownish behaviors. She just looked at McXiaoyu, her face slightly red, waiting for his reaction.

McXiaoyu yawned and asked Xiao and Zhang seriously: "Are you done joking? If so, listen to me."

He valued Liu Tao's opportunity to audition for "Journey to the West 3" more than Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan. With Su Youpeng's recommendation, the last-minute audition was a sure thing, but whether she would pass the audition was up to Qiong Yao.

To increase the success rate, the audition had to be targeted. Roles like Zewei, Xiaoyan, and Qingge were out of the question. If she aimed for those roles, she would surely face a lot of rejection.

After much thought last night, McXiaoyu decided to have Liu Tao audition for the role of Princess Mushi, the eighth princess of Myanmar, based on the cast list from his strange dream. Therefore, Liu Tao needed to selectively strengthen her acting training over the next few days.

Brave and lively, romantic and unrestrained, blending the straightforwardness of a man with the innocence and sentimentality of a woman, she exudes a heroic and spirited demeanor.

In short, a bit of a tomboy.

McXiaoyu spoke confidently, describing the characteristics of Princess Mushi based on his dream, which would be Liu Tao's main focus for the next few days. The goal was to pass the audition and secure the role of Princess Mushi.

According to the information from his dream, in the second half of "Journey to the West 3," Princess Mushi would become one of the core characters, and Qiong Yao's TV dramas... have genuinely made many actors famous.

Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan sensed something was off and asked separately.

"Boss, what did you do yesterday?"

"Yuer, where did you get the character information for 'Journey to the West 3'?"

McXiaoyu shook his head: "Don't worry about it, just do as I say. Old Xiao, find a suitable person to take over the agent's work as soon as possible. In a while, I might arrange for you to join the production as an assistant director. F*ck, your side... the cinematographer is more complicated. I can't guarantee anything, but I'll try my best."

The last words were said with a determined tone. Although he used uncertain words like "might" and "can't guarantee," the information was clear to Xiao Xing and Zhang Xiaoquan, who had been partners for over two years.

Could it be... he corralled another fat sheep yesterday?