The Racetrack

"What are you worried about? It's not like he can kill me, is it?" Zhou Rui showed no fear at all. He got by here because he had people backing him and money in his pocket. Who was afraid of whom?

"He won't kill you, but he can certainly make you sick of it." Li Ke set down his wineglass and sighed. "Have we really been cast aside by the times? Who would've dared say such things in front of me before?"

That sigh immediately extinguished Li Zeng's anger. Ever since the eighties began, the filmmaking ideals of their old generation had gradually been phased out. Even the actors they had once worked with had mostly either retired or stepped back to recuperate.

Even their former big-shot employer had ruthlessly cast them aside once they no longer had any value. Mr. Di, who had once been the company's leading man, had been injured while filming and was discarded without a second thought as well.

Fortunately, he had some savings and had been recuperating at home ever since. By now, he had almost completely vanished from the entertainment industry.

"There's really no need for everyone to be so discouraged. As they say, gold will shine eventually. It may gather some dust along the way, but none of you have lost your talent. What's there to fear?" Xue Chen immediately sensed the oppressive atmosphere and decided to give them a little pep talk.

"Exactly. I'm only in my thirties—what the hell do I have to be depressed about?" Li Ke sat up straight and said nonchalantly, "Besides, what young person nowadays doesn't want to make something of themselves? No matter the era, there will always be people who stand out as the best. Even if we leave the entertainment industry someday, when we're home taking care of our grandkids, we'll still be able to proudly tell them how their grandpa fought his way into showbiz. That's something to be proud of."

As soon as Li Ke finished, Li Zeng rolled his eyes at him. "The way you put it, it feels like I'd be letting you down if I got even a little depressed.

"But let me remind you—you're already thirty-nine this year. Stop pretending to be young."

Li Ke: "..."

"Hahaha." Li Zeng laughed awkwardly. He had only said it casually and hadn't expected to deflate Old Li so thoroughly.

"Brother Li, don't lower yourself to Old Li's level. That guy just loves picking on people," Zhou Rui hurriedly comforted him.

Li Ke shook his head and smiled. "It's fine. We've known each other for so many years. He always likes pouring a bucket of cold water over me whenever I'm happy, just to keep me clearheaded."

He turned to Xue Chen. "Mr. Xue, I think you've had about enough to drink tonight. Where are you staying? I'll take you back."

"No need. I'm staying upstairs." Xue Chen waved a hand.

"Oh!" Li Ke did not insist. He nodded and said, "In that case, I'll head back first. Since the funds are in place, everyone can start work the day after tomorrow."

"Alright, get on with your business. I'll be leaving too." Zhou Rui stood and said goodbye to Xue Chen.

But just as they stepped out the door, they heard an exceptionally loud voice. "Old Xue? Where did you go? I've been looking for you forever!"

The Racetrack

"Young Master Fang?" Li Zeng and Li Ke were both from Hong Kong Island and knew roughly who was who among its wealthy circles. Most people recognized Fang Jimin's face.

Fang Jimin was also a well-known young master on Hong Kong Island. Unlike the other spoiled playboys, however, he did not seem to have any bad habits. They had heard that he had made quite a bit of money in the stock market recently, leaving Old Master Fang so delighted that he praised his grandson to everyone he met.

"I walked around a bit and happened to meet Director Li and Brother Li." Xue Chen smiled. "We had a pleasant chat, then sat down and had a meal together."

"Director Li, are you still looking for investment for your film? How about I put in some money too?" Fang Jimin asked Li Zeng and Li Ke.

"Young Master Fang wants to invest in a film?" Li Zeng was somewhat surprised. "That would be wonderful! It's just that Mr. Xue's money is already enough to cover our film's reserve funds. If there's another film next time, then just..."

Young Master Fang could come by and have some fun.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Li Zeng, Li Ke, and the others from their production crew left the hotel. Only then did Xue Chen ask, "Ji Min, what was so urgent that you came looking for me?"

Fang Jimin found a comfortable spot on the room's sofa and slumped into it. "Can't I come find you if nothing's wrong? You left too quickly just now—I didn't even see where you went."

"You know I'm not familiar with that Fu Hengzhou. You two were bickering, and I didn't dare offend an important figure." Xue Chen smiled as he poured him a cup of coffee, then picked up one for himself as well.

"What important figure am I? You were just using me to get away from him." Fang Jimin rolled his eyes at Xue Chen before continuing, "Still, there really is something wrong with Fu Hengzhou. Try to stay away from him in the future."

"I know." Xue Chen nodded. On the surface, Fu Hengzhou did not look much different from any ordinary rich young master, but Xue Chen could see what lay beneath that exterior.

He was an extremely ambitious man. If this had been twenty years earlier, Xue Chen would have said without hesitation that he had the makings of a true overlord. He had no desire to provoke someone like that.

"As long as you know." Fang Jimin patted Xue Chen on the shoulder. "I came over this time to tell you that Chen Jiayao invited us to the racetrack tomorrow. We can watch some horse racing while we're there. I don't know if you've played before, so I thought I'd take you along to see it."

"I can ride, but I don't have riding clothes. I don't even have a horse." Xue Chen knew that wealthy families on Hong Kong Island enjoyed horse riding and gambling on horses.

When his previous life's business had just begun to take off, several of his clients had been from Hong Kong Island. To fit in with them, he had specifically learned horsemanship and even raised a white horse named Little White. He just wondered what had happened to that horse after his rebirth.

"What did I think it was? I have plenty of fine horses in my stable. I'll take you to pick a few, and tomorrow we'll go to the racetrack together." Fang Jimin said, "As for clothes, give me your measurements and you'll have something to wear tomorrow."

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Xue Chen smiled and made the sort of gesture martial artists used to express thanks in period dramas.