That evening, the main cast and crew gathered for a small dinner.
Zhou You sat at the head of the table.
The director and Yang Mi sat on either side of him.
The remaining main roles filled the other seats, with Liu Yan taking the last seat by the door.
She wallowed in self-pity: *After such a tiring afternoon, I still end up at the last seat. One day, I swear, I'll be at the top.*
Zhou You thought to himself that this would probably come true.
Unfortunately, without capital backing, she was ultimately just a plaything—not easy, all of them clawing their way up from the bottom.
Once everyone was seated, Deng Chao stood up first to offer a toast: "Let me start by toasting President Zhou. I'm incredibly grateful that you saw potential in me, a new director. Without you, this film wouldn't exist. I'll finish mine; you can take your time."
Zhou You had always liked Brother Chao, so he stood up as well: "I'm not much of a drinker, so I'll down this first one, but after that, I'll take it easy. Hope everyone understands."
Yang Mi, sitting beside him, parted her cherry-red lips slightly: "I'd like to toast President Zhou too. As an investor, you've carved your way through the entertainment industry with bold moves. We all admire your vision and courage."
With that, she downed her glass.
Zhou You raised his glass with a smile: "I'm the type who only makes friends by offering help in times of need. Adding glory to success doesn't interest me. It's all thanks to your support."
He only drank half.
Seeing this, the others lined up to toast him one by one. Zhou You didn't refuse anyone, but he only took small sips, keeping his intake under control.
Finally, Liu Yan stood up to toast: "Thank you, President Zhou, for coming in person and letting us bask in your good fortune. I wish you a successful investment and a blockbuster at the box office."
Zhou You stood up last: "I like what Liu Yan said. I also wish everyone success and a huge box office hit. Miss Liu, you've had a tough journey too—I hope everything goes smoothly for you from now on. This one's on me!"
There were no fools in the entertainment industry. Seeing Zhou You's attitude, everyone looked at Liu Yan differently—some with envy, some with jealousy, some with disdain. It was a microcosm of human nature.
But from now on, her path would likely be a bit smoother.
Having someone behind you versus having no one—those were completely different concepts.
Wasn't there a saying online? You see someone shining on stage.
But you don't see the effort they put in behind the scenes.
Yang Mi's expression shifted. She had worked hard to get Zhou You here, only for Liu Yan to steal the spotlight. She felt resentful inside, but there was nothing she could do. She had a shoot in the afternoon and couldn't get away, and she hadn't expected Liu Yan to be so decisive.
Earlier that afternoon, she had someone keep an eye on Zhou You's room and knew Liu Yan had gone in, but she couldn't do anything about it.
Thinking about it, she could only make some small moves under the table.
As Zhou You was reaching for some food, he felt someone rubbing against his thigh under the table. He looked up—everyone's hands were above the table, so it must have been someone's leg or foot.
Liu Yan was too far away to reach.
Shi Wenxiu? No way.
He turned his head and glanced at Yang Mi, whispering, "Do you have athlete's foot?"
Yang Mi's face flushed bright red. That old joke about smelly feet had been around for years—why couldn't it just die? It was relentless.
She leaned close to Zhou You's ear and said softly, "After dinner, I'll let you experience it yourself."
Zhou You nodded: "Good, as long as I don't catch it."
Yang Mi was fuming, but she couldn't do anything about it. He was a big shot, the capital.
If he were an ordinary person, he'd be labeled a clueless straight guy, a loser for sure.
But for a big shot, it was different—it was called being straightforward, unbothered by trivialities, and magnanimous.
Anyway.
*When strength is weak, don't bear heavy loads; when words carry no weight, don't advise others.*
And who qualifies as having no weight? Those without money or power, of course.
Just shut up and don't say anything.
After eating and drinking their fill.
Everyone went their separate ways.
Zhou You lagged behind, and Yang Mi stuck close to him.
Xiao Si, who now never drank when going out with Zhou You and lived across from him, watched Zhou You bring another person into his room. Aside from envy, he mostly admired Zhou You's stamina.
Once inside the room, Yang Mi got up to pour water.
Zhou You paused and couldn't help asking, "Is this the routine for all of you?"
Yang Mi was taken aback: "What routine?"
"Oh, nothing." Zhou You figured he might have misunderstood—maybe it was her unique move.
The water glass was placed normally on the table.
Yang Mi straightened her clothes and said to Zhou You, "This time, I mainly wanted to ask you to invest in my studio. I signed a betting agreement with my old boss. I was a bit impulsive back then, and now I realize it's tough. I know you have good instincts, so I'm hoping you can give me a hand."
Zhou You was slightly tipsy, feeling lightheaded: "How much total? How long?"
"Three years, 300 million, net profit." Yang Mi gritted her teeth.
Hearing this, Zhou You sobered up a bit: "That harsh?"
Yang Mi nodded.
"You entertainment industry capitalists are ruthless—devouring people without spitting out bones. Net profit, no less. Can you pull it off?" Zhou You asked curiously. He knew money flowed fast in this industry, but not *that* fast.
"With gritted teeth, there's hope, but it's not a sure thing." Yang Mi couldn't deny her regret, but it was too late now. She had to push forward.
"What do you need me to do?" Zhou You wasn't sure how he could help. Handing her the money? No way—he wasn't stupid.
"I want you to buy into my studio. I have the resources, you have the vision and the capital. We'll make money together." Yang Mi tempted him.
Zhou You couldn't help but laugh: "Haha, do you know how much I've made from investing in these films? Your 300 million means nothing to me. I don't need you to make money."
Yang Mi had looked into Zhou You's investment track record—almost all successes, small bets with big returns, profits nearing 300 million. If he didn't have that ability, she wouldn't have come crawling to him.
"We can handle a lot of the annoying little things for you, so you don't have to worry. The films you want to invest in are yours. We'll focus on TV dramas. Just give us a role in a movie now and then for exposure." Yang Mi continued.
Finally, she leaned close to Zhou You's ear: "There are plenty of beautiful women in the entertainment industry. If you've got your eye on anyone, just tell me."
Money—Zhou You didn't lack it. He just wanted more experiences, more fun.
That last line was what really hooked him.
"I've got my eye on you right now!" Zhou You joked.
Yang Mi smiled without saying a word, using her foot to tease Zhou You's thigh.
Too bad she didn't know Zhou You had been practicing wrestling lately.
With a quick takedown and throw, he tossed her onto the big bed.
Suddenly, Yang Mi seemed to remember something.
"President Zhou, I saw Liu Yan come out of your room this afternoon. She looked a bit off."
"You're not into anything... weird, are you?"
Zhou You burst out laughing. Seeing Yang Mi now looking so fragile, like a meek little lamb, he couldn't help curling his lips into a sinister grin: "Too late. Once you start, there's no turning back. Enjoy it."
Yang Mi's heart filled with regret. Why had she been so impulsive?
With the agreement.
And now with this.
She couldn't help but cry out.
*I'm doomed!*