Ch. 41Volume One: Days in the Shantytown — Charging in Naked (Part One)
Plot points
- Luo Qian visits Director Wolslo and offers to finance his films. By presenting an enormous check and promising lavish support, he convinces Wolslo to accept a partnership.
- When Pei Sefei arrives with police and her uncle, she sees Luo Qian warmly talking with Wolslo—the director who had mistreated her. She thinks Luo has sided with him and leaves in tears.
- Wolslo assumes Luo is investing to promote Pei, but Luo firmly forbids Chinese actors from appearing in their films. Wolslo agrees, since the condition suits his own preferences.
- At the next day’s shoot, Pei cooperates professionally but ignores Luo when he tries to invite her to dinner.
- The narrative reveals how Luo secured the promised funds: he used three pieces of Immortal Jade to persuade the country’s leading jewelry businesses to pool two billion yuan to buy them and form a major company.
- After the commercial is completed, Luo signs a contract with Wolslo and transfers $300 million to him.
Character developments and interactions
- Luo Qian presents himself as a wealthy, shrewd investor, using money and calculated appearances to gain Wolslo’s trust. His refusal to cast Chinese actors, despite Pei’s apparent connection to him, leaves his motives unclear.
- Wolslo shifts from suspicion and condescension to enthusiastic respect once Luo demonstrates his wealth. He assumes Luo’s investment is tied to Pei, then readily accepts Luo’s casting condition.
- Pei Sefei feels betrayed by Luo’s friendly manner toward Wolslo. Hurt and angry, she withdraws from him and maintains that distance at the film set.
- The jewelry-shop owner and two other industry leaders respond to the Immortal Jade by joining forces to fund its purchase and pursue a larger business venture.
- Pei’s uncle arrives with her, but she cuts off his concern and leaves before he can explain further.
Significant themes
- Money as power: Wealth buys respect, access, and influence, while Luo uses displays of affluence to control negotiations.
- Appearance and misjudgment: Wolslo assumes Luo’s motives, while Pei interprets Luo’s partnership as a betrayal; Luo’s true intentions remain ambiguous.
- Ambition and exploitation: Wolslo’s artistic prestige is bound up with commercial gain, and the investors see Immortal Jade as a route to market dominance.
- Cross-cultural hierarchy: Wolslo’s prejudice against China coexists with his eagerness to profit from Chinese capital, highlighting the gap between his attitudes and his interests.