Operation A

"...So after the show airs, I want to give Lu Heng one percent of the program's profits as a bonus. It's a reward he deserves."

That was also an important reason Wei Linxuan had insisted on dragging Lu Heng back for dinner.

Lu Heng, who had been gnawing on a rib with his head lowered, froze. Once he came back to himself, he immediately waved his hands and declined. "That won't do. I didn't do anything. I just said a few things casually. How could I take a share of the program's profits?"

At most, the suggestions he had given were industry common sense that everyone tacitly understood. Even if he had not said them now, Huaxia Imperial Entertainment would gradually discover and refine them while implementing the talent competition. They were not particularly technical suggestions, so how could he accept money for them?

Lu Heng's attitude was very firm.

Hearing his grandson's words, Old Master Wei gave Lu Heng a rather surprised look and said with a smile, "I didn't expect Little Heng to have such a talent for business too."

These suggestions were not things a rookie youngster could notice. Some of them even made his old eyes light up.

Old Master Wei's thoughts were similar to his grandson's. Money could never all be earned, but talented people should be properly won over. If Lu Heng's suggestions could truly bring them benefits, then one percent of the profits was nothing.

As for why Lu Heng, at such a young age, could offer such steady and seasoned suggestions... that was not important. What mattered most was that Lu Heng was a contracted artist of Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, and his talent could bring benefits to the company.

Grandfather and grandson exchanged a smile. Wei Linxuan patted Lu Heng's shoulder. "Stop refusing! Don't think that one percent is so easy to take. I'll need you to help improve my proposal. As for how much you get, that depends on how much work you do."

Wei Hongxuan really could not stand seeing Old Master Wei and Wei Linxuan getting along so perfectly. He turned to look at his father and said, "Grandpa, I also have some things I'd like to report to you about the progress of the educational charity project..."

Wei Linxuan's reality show Exchanging Lives had not only changed Huaxia TV's embarrassing situation of plummeting ratings, but had also expanded the social influence of Huaxia Imperial Entertainment and the Wei family. The subsequent "Under the Same Blue Sky" educational charity program also helped Huaxia Imperial Entertainment and the Wei family build images as charitable, conscientious enterprises while expanding their domestic connections.

The educational charity program had two parts. Huaxia Imperial Entertainment and the Exchanging Lives production team were responsible for exposing the gap between urban and rural education before the media cameras, purchasing teaching materials, textbooks, and cultural supplies, calling on teachers of every subject to teach locally, and even helping the area uncover business opportunities. The practical work of constructing schools, libraries, gymnasiums, and other infrastructure, as well as building roads, fell to the real estate company managed by the Wei family's eldest uncle.

For various reasons, the Wei family's eldest uncle handed the charity project over to Wei Hongxuan. After taking over, Wei Hongxuan truly racked his brains and prepared diligently. Based on Wei Linxuan's plan, he came up with many good ideas to fill in the gaps and maximize the benefits by every possible means.

Old Master Wei nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "I'm at ease leaving it to you."

Having received his grandfather's praise, Wei Hongxuan immediately shot Wei Linxuan a smug look.

Wei Linxuan, however, paid no attention to Wei Hongxuan's conversation with their grandfather. He was busy placing ribs and sweet-and-sour crispy pork into Lu Heng's bowl, peeling braised prawns for him, intending to fill him up before exploiting the child laborer.

After all, having offered one percent of the profits, Wei Linxuan felt he was being an exceptionally generous boss. Thus, with a clear conscience, he kept Lu Heng at the Wei family home to work overtime.

After dinner, Father Wei, Wei Linxuan, and Lu Heng plunged headfirst into the study and began sifting through Wei Linxuan's proposal for omissions from every angle.

Given Lu Heng's "vast experience," he naturally became the first person Wei Linxuan and Father Wei consulted. The father and son were like the harshest interviewers, throwing every difficult question they could think of at Lu Heng.

Lu Heng had battle-tested "standard answers" for most questions concerning program operations and promotion. He trimmed and revised the answers he remembered, discarded the parts that did not suit the era, then explained everything in language appropriate for his age. For questions without any "standard answer," his many years of professional experience from his previous life, combined with the collective wisdom of the other two professionals, still allowed them to work out a fairly solid solution in the end.

Lu Heng's thoughts were simple. He absolutely could not let that one percent of the profits go to waste.

But Father Wei, who had originally raised the questions merely to test him, grew more astonished with every question. He had thought Lu Heng was merely a gifted little prodigy, but now it seemed this child was far more than merely gifted!

Though some ideas sounded wildly fanciful, on closer thought, they might not be impossible to achieve.

Huaxia Imperial Entertainment had truly found a treasure!

Just as Lu Heng was being jointly exploited as child labor by the Wei father and son, a phone call came into Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, bringing Lu Heng his second audition opportunity.

As it happened, Film Emperor Liu Jiawei had helped him secure this opportunity.

Author's note:

Little Theater—

Little Bottom Lu: I finally have work! I can get away from these evil capitalists who exploit child labor! o(^▽^)o

Little Top Wei: I just wanted to spend a few more days with my wife (T_T)

Film Emperor Liu: Is this somehow my fault? →_→

Operation A

Around the year 2000, movie fans who enjoyed Hong Kong films could probably remember the names of several well-known directors. For example, Mai Chengliang, who specialized in police-and-gangster films; Yun Feng, who excelled at gunfight and explosion scenes; and Xu Mengxin, who was skilled at literary films...

The movie Lu Heng was going to audition for was director Mai Chengliang's new work, Operation A.

Eighteen years ago, Hong Kong police officer Li Guorui met his informant, Sister Red, while investigating a drug case.

Sister Red was the top courtesan of the red-light district, a very charming woman—seductive, glamorous, and alluring. Every man liked her, including Brother Ming, the drug lord Li Guorui was investigating.

Li Guorui deliberately approached Sister Red because he wanted to gain her trust, gradually obtain evidence from her, and find a way to persuade her to become his informant.