Chapter 131: Asking Li Li to be my Foster Sister!

He recognized that Lin Mu’s professional ability far exceeded that of other celebrities; she could sing, dance, and possessed an innate talent for acting that even Li Li couldn’t stop praising.

Even during tonight’s live stream, he could tell from the audience’s reaction that the netizens were very fond of her. She definitely had the potential to become a top-tier superstar!

The more he realized this, the more determined he became to find a way to sign Lin Mu under his own banner. However, having just spent thirty million without making any impression—and seeing her favorability rating drop instantly to zero—he was at a loss as to how to proceed, especially since she had refused to meet him in person.

"I almost forgot about Sister Li Li. Since they are so close and Lin Mu even calls her 'Auntie,' wouldn't it be easier to win Lin Mu’s favor if I could get close to Li Li and have her help me?"

With this thought, Lin Fan decided to change his strategy and take a different path, attempting to win Lin Mu over through Li Li’s influence. He understood, however, that he couldn't just ask to be her "godbrother" outright; given Li Li’s experience, she would immediately see through his ulterior motives.

The next day at noon, Lin Fan approached Li Li under the pretext of visiting her studio to discuss investing in a new film. Li Li readily agreed.

Li Li was not at home that Sunday; she was at her studio. She owned several villas in Hangzhou, not to mention properties in all of China’s first-tier cities. She had simply spent most of her time in Hangzhou during the two years since she stepped out of the limelight.

Upon arriving at Li Li’s studio, Lin Fan saw posters of the films and dramas she had starred in throughout her career in the main lobby. He realized then that she had actually produced a vast body of work; he had previously been so focused on her films that he hadn't realized the breadth of her career.

In the reception area, Lin Fan unexpectedly encountered someone: the famous film director Xu Ke. As a visionary known for his mastery of martial arts and fantasy cinema, he was a true heavyweight in the industry. Lin Fan had seen almost every film he had ever directed.

"Director Xu, may I take a photo with you?" Lin Fan asked, walking over with an excited smile.

Xu Ke, wearing sunglasses, looked up with an expressionless face. Just as he was about to speak, his assistant suddenly stood up.

"Did your boss not tell you that you aren't allowed to take photos with other celebrities? Director Xu doesn't like taking photos with people!"

"There’s such a rule? My apologies, I really wasn't aware."

Lin Fan looked confused. He genuinely didn't know that such bizarre rules existed in the entertainment industry. Was it to prevent rivals from smearing them? Or perhaps to avoid being betrayed by staff?

Such things were common in the industry. Competitors would often disguise themselves as staff to infiltrate a company and act as spies, stealing photos or information to help their own bosses discredit the talent. Consequently, odd regulations had emerged, such as staff being forbidden from asking for autographs or taking photos with the stars.

Clearly, the assistant had mistaken him for one of Li Li’s employees. Lin Fan immediately clarified his status.

"Actually, I’m a business partner of Li Li. I’m looking to invest in a major film project with her. I wonder if Director Xu would be interested?"

"You? Investing in a film? Which company are you from?" Director Xu removed his sunglasses and gave him a puzzled look. Because he was speaking in a regional dialect, Lin Fan didn't catch it clearly. The assistant had to translate into Mandarin.

Lin Fan explained that he was a shareholder at Starlight Entertainment and wanted to cultivate his own artists, which was why he hoped to collaborate with Li Li on a few film and television projects.

"A major film these days requires an investment of at least three to four hundred million. Our Director Xu is famous for large-scale, high-budget productions. Your bit of money probably won't be enough..." Because Xu Ke was tired and there was a language barrier, he left the communication to his assistant.

Hearing this, Lin Fan felt a surge of irritation. It was clear the assistant was looking down on him. He knew well enough that Xu Ke was a big-budget director whose projects often exceeded their initial projections by fifty percent. Furthermore, his intention to force his own female artist into the project had clearly caused friction with the director.

"Director Xu suggests you stick to web dramas and low-budget online movies. Don't meddle in the film industry; it's thankless work and you'll likely just lose money." The assistant crossed his arms, eyes narrowed, looking at him with utter disdain.

Lin Fan muttered to himself, wondering why the assistant was acting so arrogant. Even though he didn't understand Xu Ke's dialect, he could sense the director’s true tone, which didn't match the assistant's words at all. The assistant was clearly embellishing the situation, treating him as if he were just playing around and not worth taking seriously.

"Director Xu, I’ve seen your *Detective Dee* series. Although the last two films didn't perform well at the box office, the audience feedback showed that people really loved your 'Tang Dynasty' aesthetic. If you could increase the investment and continue the series, I believe there’s a great opportunity to turn around both the box office and the reputation."

"If you replaced those actors from Taiwan who can't even speak proper Mandarin in the third installment with others, the box office might even be higher."

Lin Fan spoke earnestly about the series. He had seen the concept art for the later installments, which had been highly sought after by fans; some low-budget online films had even borrowed from his design concepts. If Xu Ke continued, the series could very well become the highest-grossing film franchise in China.

"It's a pity that no one is willing to invest anymore. The bigger the investment these days, the higher the chance of a flop. Large companies could afford to take the risk two years ago, but they can't anymore..."

This time, it was Xu Ke himself who spoke, without the assistant's translation. Clearly, even he couldn't stand the way his assistant was twisting his words.

"What if I were to invest two or three billion? Enough to film all the remaining installments!" Lin Fan dropped the bombshell.

"You have that much money?" Xu Ke’s eyebrows arched, his eyes gleaming as he stared at him.

Seeing this, Lin Fan realized that these so-called great directors were just like anyone else—driven by money and quick to judge people by their pockets. In the end, money could solve ninety percent of all problems.

"Money is not an issue. The question is, is Director Xu interested?" Lin Fan interlaced his fingers, resting them on his lap, and smiled with absolute confidence.

To his surprise, the assistant chimed in again. "Two or three billion? You’re really underestimating Director Xu. I’ve heard that there’s a *Fengshen* series in China that invested over three billion and only managed to finish the first film! The *Detective Dee* series has been popular for years—with that little money, how is the director supposed to eat? How is everyone else supposed to eat?"

Lin Fan frowned, looking at him with annoyance as he babbled on. It was obvious that all the man wanted was a bigger cut of the money. He knew that since the implementation of the salary caps, the fees for many stars and directors had been slashed, which was why there were fewer major-budget films being made now.