042 Earning a Living in the Mountains

After discovering that Li Jie was completely different from other people in the industry, Ding Wei's "buddy" mentality instantly transformed. In short: If Lord Li doesn't mind, Wei is willing to pledge his loyalty...

"President Li, you've got quite the setup here—designer, prop master, voice actors, lighting... This must cost a pretty penny, right?" Ding Wei's assistant wasn't a proper agent, just an agent's assistant. Originally, following Ding Wei offered little future, but now, seeing this, he thought, good heavens, the "Howling Celestial Dog" from the effeminate Erlang God’s household was even more impressive than in the movies.

Before Ding Wei's attitude changed, his assistant's had already shifted. If he could work with Boss Li, wouldn't that be better than his current company?

"Oh, they're just students here for the fun. Most are upperclassmen. Over there is the School of Industrial Design, those are from the Broadcasting Department, and those are from our Photography major..."

Our? Photography major?

As Li Jie introduced the two, Ding Wei suddenly realized: Not a buddy, but still a college student?! Ding Wei was dumbfounded, feeling the Yangtze’s new waves push the old ones forward—college students these days are really wild.

"What do you think, Wei? Pretty good, right?"

"Really impressive."

"When I have money next year, I plan to take over a nearby empty lot and turn it into a dedicated special effects filming site. Then I'll spin off the props workshop into an independent props company. That way, both the site and props can be rented out—it’ll definitely make money."

Goodness! He’s got it all figured out.

Ding Wei immediately dropped any pretense and quickly asked with a smile, "President Li, President Li, do you think... I could get a minor role or something?"

"Wei, we're all friends here, no need for such formality. How could I let you play a bit part? If you work with me, you must be the lead! A positive character!"

Hearing this, Ding Wei nearly decided to pledge himself to Boss Li, only hesitating because he worried Li wasn't the type to exploit others.

When heading to the hotel, Li Jie didn’t accompany Ding Wei. Ding Wei rested for a day, and after tomorrow’s event, he’d even get reimbursed for tickets to the local attractions.

That night, Ding Wei chatted with his assistant. The assistant had just graduated and knew nothing, but one thing was clear: working as Ding Wei’s agent's assistant had left him feeling frustrated.

"Ding, you want to work with Boss Li?"

"Xiao Dong, do you think President Li is interested? I mean, would he bring me on board?"

"He probably is? Otherwise Boss Li wouldn’t have taken us to see the workshop."

"I think so too. But our popularity is low, we're just minor celebrities—what gives President Li a reason to offer us resources?"

"A selling-yourself contract?"

Ding Wei felt Xiao Dong was quite insightful—what boss doesn’t like employees to sign such contracts? But at nearly thirty, signing one would be foolish. The difference from newcomers was that he looked decent, had some acting skills, and was good enough for a special effects show.

He didn’t have many fans, and their loyalty was weak, but he could still stir up a bit of buzz. He was better than unruly, rough, unknown newcomers, and he wasn’t a seasoned "old-timer" either. He just wanted a stable job and planned to shift toward training newcomers—a definite advantage.

The problem was...

How could he express this advantage to Li Jie directly?

An agent would be perfect, but Ding Wei's real agent was useless, always hanging around the company’s stars, and Ding Wei was all but forgotten, awaiting his final downfall.

So Ding Wei planned to bring Xiao Dong along to work with him.

Since he’d already played the effeminate Erlang God, things couldn’t get much worse. There were plenty of comic roles and many special effects actors.

"Xiao Dong, you handle my events. You get thirty-nine hundred a month, right?"

"Plus a hundred for food—four thousand total."

Ding Wei was speechless, but found Xiao Dong rather endearing.

"Let’s do this—keep helping me. If President Li really wants me, I’ll pay you six thousand a month. How’s that?"

Xiao Dong was stunned, then asked seriously, "Before tax?"

"After tax!"

"Deal!" Xiao Dong didn’t hesitate. "Ding, whatever you want to convey to Boss Li, just let me know!"

"Good brother, even if we end up eating dirt, I’ll let you have the best portion."

Xiao Dong twitched at the corner of his mouth, thinking that might not be necessary.

The next day, when they went to "Three Rivers Plaza" in Zhuque District, Xiao Dong mustered his courage and first spoke with Li Jie's agent, Chen Pi.

"Chen, can I ask you something?"

Though it was a bit forward, Li Jie had instructed Chen Pi to treat Ding Wei well and, after the New Year, bring him into the fold.

So Chen Pi replied courteously, "Hey, we're all friends. Ask anything you want."

"Well... Chen, does Boss Li need more people?"

"Xiao Dong, are you looking to join our 'Creative Ability' team?"

"Not just me—do you need more artists?"

"Xiao Dong, how about we step next door to 'Luba Coffee' for a latte and chat? This event won’t end any time soon."

"Chen, what would you like? I’ll order."

"Latte—coconut latte."

"Alright, Chen."

Meanwhile, on the temporary stage, Li Jie had already changed into the "Crimson Power" suit. Because "Crimson Power" had multiple forms, there were several costumes, one of which emphasized the muscles.

So it wasn’t just children who enjoyed it—older women did too.

Male fanservice was still a blue ocean market. Seeing the crowd, Li decided to show a little more skin.

Now it wasn’t just older women; men of all ages were captivated.

Today, the main audience was the children from Niutou Mountain's "Hengqiang Loving Heart Kindergarten." Their parents came, received small gifts, and everyone was happy.

Ding Wei’s arrival also excited local fans in Jianye. Though few in number, the autograph session felt authentic.

These fans had started supporting Ding Wei while in college. Now, Ding Wei was no longer a "traffic idol," heading toward the age of dried sausage, and his fans had matured from young girls. Now, seeing Ding Wei wasn’t just about him, but about their own past.

When interacting with fans, Ding Wei mentioned his collaboration with Li Jie in director Lu Xiaoguan's big screen debut, which sparked interest among many.

"Awei, what role do you play in the movie?"

"You might not believe it—I play Erlang God."

Holding the microphone, Ding Wei smiled on stage as he said this.

So Li Jie must play "Divine Giant" or "Four Heavenly Kings," right?

Instead, Li Jie, holding a microphone in one hand and the "Crimson Power" helmet in the other, grinned and said, "You may find this even harder to believe—I play the Howling Celestial Dog."

The audience burst into laughter, but Ding Wei continued, "Really, it's true. Li Jie plays the 'White Canine God,' which is the Howling Celestial Dog. Our duo is all about contrast..."

Their remarks immediately piqued the audience’s interest; some began searching for Lu Xiaoguan’s new film.

They found the trailer for "The Fairy Ape," featuring Ding Wei as Erlang God in his divine palace, beating his chest in panic and exclaiming, "Scared me to death, scared me to death," while the camera shifted to the "White Canine God," flexing muscles and striking poses, with a group of Heavenly River generals in the distance fleeing in terror...