Chapter 25: No matter how big the hole is, I can patch it up

Inside the banquet hall, glasses clinked and toasts were made.

The men were dressed in sharp suits, and the women were adorned in evening gowns.

Even in her previous life, Shen Ci had never attended such a gala, yet she showed no signs of intimidation. After all, this banquet was held specifically for investors, and she was here today to invest.

Fortunately, the dress Gu Lianxing had lent her was quite presentable; even if it wasn't as ostentatious as those worn by the other women, it didn't look out of place.

"Let me introduce you, honey. This is Miss Shen, whom I mentioned to you."

As soon as they entered, the first thing Lu Jinzhao did was introduce Shen Ci to his wife.

"Miss Shen, this is my wife, Xiao Man."

Xiao Man was draped in pearls, her dark green evening gown looking exceptionally elegant. She reached out warmly to greet Shen Ci. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Shen. You are indeed as young and beautiful as Old Lu described."

Shen Ci naturally withdrew her hand from Lu Jinzhao's arm and shook Xiao Man's hand with a smile. "Mrs. Lu, you flatter me. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Miss Shen, shall I take you around to meet some new friends first?" Lu Jinzhao spoke up at the opportune moment.

At high-society banquets like this, most invitees were prominent figures. Many used the opportunity to make new acquaintances and expand their social networks.

Lu Jinzhao's gesture was clearly well-intentioned.

However, Shen Ci had little interest in this. She smiled at Lu Jinzhao and said, "That won't be necessary, Mr. Lu. I came here today with a specific purpose. I assume you have been waiting for my answer, so shall we discuss the investment?"

Lu Jinzhao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he instinctively exchanged a glance with his wife.

"Miss Shen is truly a straightforward person," Lu Jinzhao remarked with an appreciative sigh.

Xiao Man was visibly excited and quickly stepped aside to invite her. "Miss Shen, let us go somewhere quieter inside to discuss this in detail."

Sitting on a sofa in a corner of the banquet hall, Shen Ci sat facing the couple. She got straight to the point: "Over the past few days, I have finished reading the novel *Destiny of the Phoenix* in one sitting. The content is indeed very captivating. I am very interested in its film and television adaptation."

Upon hearing that there was a chance, Lu Jinzhao was overjoyed.

"Then, does Miss Shen have an intention to invest?"

Shen Ci nodded without denial, nor did she play coy. "I can invest, but I have one condition."

Lu Jinzhao smiled, unsurprised. No investor ever handed over money without reason; there were always strings attached.

"Please, Miss Shen, go ahead."

Shen Ci took out her phone, found a photo of her younger sister, and placed it in front of Lu Jinzhao and Xiao Man. "This is my sister, a freshman at Longcheng Film Academy this year. She ranked in the top fifty in the national arts examination."

"My condition is simple: my sister must get the role of 'Hua Xixi'."

Using investment as leverage to insert someone into the industry was standard practice in the entertainment circle, so Lu Jinzhao was not particularly surprised by Shen Ci's request.

However, with filming approaching, the main roles had mostly been cast and contracts signed; it was unlikely that anyone would be replaced at the last minute.

Looking at Shen Li's photo on the phone, Xiao Man nodded with a hint of admiration. "Miss Shen's sister has excellent qualities. She possesses that classic Chinese beauty in her bone structure."

Lu Jinzhao pursed his lips, falling into thought. After a long pause, he looked up at Shen Ci and asked, "How much does Miss Shen intend to invest?"

Shen Ci smiled. "If you can agree to my condition, no matter how large the remaining deficit is, I can fill it for you, Mr. Lu."

For a project worth only twenty thousand, how much money could they possibly be lacking?

Shen Ci didn't think much of it, but Lu Jinzhao and Xiao Man were momentarily stunned.

They had never met an investor who spoke without a ceiling.

Xiao Man lightly nudged Lu Jinzhao's waist, giving him a look that only a spouse would understand.

Lu Jinzhao nodded, stood up, and scanned the banquet hall. Finally, he waved toward Feng Shan, who was busy socializing in a suit. "Old Feng, come here for a moment."

Feng Shan set down his wine glass and walked over quickly. Upon approaching, he immediately noticed Shen Ci's stunning appearance, then looked at Lu Jinzhao composedly. "President Lu, what is it?"

Lu Jinzhao first introduced Feng Shan to Shen Ci, explaining that he was the casting director for the production.

Then, he asked, "Who has been cast for the role of 'Hua Xixi'?"

"Uh, it's Tian Xiaolu," Feng Shan said with a look of difficulty. "But President Lu, Tian Xiaolu is still haggling with us over the salary. I suspect she's unhappy because Gao Fei signed for 850, while she's only getting 600. But Gao Fei is playing the second female lead, while 'Hua Xixi' is the fourth. The screen time is different, so the pay obviously can't be the same."

Xiao Man couldn't help but sneer. "Even if they are competitors who debuted at the same time, Gao Fei just won the Golden Leaf Award for Best Supporting Actress in May. Isn't it only natural for her salary to rise?"

Both Tian Xiaolu and Gao Fei were popular actresses in the current entertainment industry. Having debuted around the same time, they had always progressed side-by-side, with their salaries remaining in the same tier.

That was until this year, when Gao Fei won the Golden Leaf Award for Best Supporting Actress through a period drama, directly distancing herself from her contemporaries.

Shen Ci also remembered the actress Tian Xiaolu. In her previous life, she was the one who played "Hua Xixi," and she later gained a massive following due to the character's immense charm, catapulting her popularity to become a top-tier star.

Unfortunately, she later committed a fundamental error that led to her being blacklisted by official media, which in turn caused the entire series *Destiny of the Phoenix* to be removed from all platforms.

A bright career was completely destroyed by a single wrong step.

"Stop haggling with her. We have someone else for this role."

As Lu Jinzhao spoke, he tapped the table. Only then did Feng Shan notice the phone on the table displaying Shen Li's photo.

"Eh? Isn't this Shen Li from the Film Academy?" Feng Shan was startled, completely stunned.

"You've met this girl?"

Feng Shan nodded, then explained to Lu Jinzhao how, due to a five-hundred-yuan investment difference, they had been forced to swap two newcomer roles.

Lu Jinzhao naturally knew about the investment issue, and he was aware of the role swap between the two students, but he had no idea that the person being replaced was Miss Shen's own sister.

"Miss Shen, I am so sorry. Please, look... I truly didn't know the details. I didn't know this young lady was your sister."

Lu Jinzhao felt a sense of panic. After all, the person sitting opposite him was his major financier, and he had inadvertently allowed Miss Shen's sister to suffer such a grievance without knowing the truth.

Shen Ci gave a gentle, indifferent smile. "One cannot be blamed for what they do not know; there is no need to apologize, Mr. Lu. Besides, I wouldn't have agreed to let my sister play a maidservant anyway."

As she spoke, she put her phone away and looked at Lu Jinzhao. "So, do we have an agreement?"