Li Xiaoheng did not mention to Tao Mu the salary for being his personal consultant. It was not that Li Xiaoheng was stingy, but before the global economic situation became more clear, Li Xiaoheng felt that any price offered would be treating Tao Mu irreverently. Not quite suitable. And he also needed more time to observe Tao Mu's personality——whether he was someone who he could cooperate for a long time with, or whether it would be a one time thing.
Tao Mu himself did not ask either. The main purpose of his friendship with Li Xiaoheng was not how much extra money he could make every month. In fact, Tao Mu only made friends with Li Xiaoheng because he regarded this person as a possible investor who could be fooled in the future. After being reborn, Tao Mu was fully aware of the concept of throwing a long line to catch a big fish and so was not in a hurry.
From a certain perspective, the thinking of the two seem to coincide.
At the end of the meal, Li Xiaoheng offered to send Tao Mu home but was declined by Tao Mu. Da Mao and Xiao Pang, who finally freed themselves from the boring meal, fully demonstrated the outspokenness of young people who were overly 2B (TN: SB or 2B is short for shabi, a slang meaning stupid or idiot). The words came out of their mouths without making it up to their brains: "......No need, no need, it's not as if it's the end of a date and about to send a girl home. There are so many of us, Li dage don't need to worry."
With Luo Yang's stupid track record in front, an originally polite courtesy now seemed ambiguous when Da Mao and Xiao Pang made this comparison.
Li Xiaoheng looked at Tao Mu subtly, and he was relieved to find that the other didn't care at all. Tao Mu was a very talented young man in the financial field. It could be seen from just this short conversation that the two have similar temperaments. Li Xiaoheng didn't want to make Tao Mu feel offended because of these trivial matters.
Noticing Li Xiaoheng's glance, Tao Mu said with a warm smile: "Li dage, don't mind them, they are always this loud-mouthed."
"No." Li Xiaoheng smiled and explained: "They are very lively and very good friends."
The most important thing when making friends with people was to never evaluate each other's friends when they were not yet familiar. The so-called social taboo of having a deep conversation with a conparative stranger.
Only after Li Xiaoheng drove away did Da Mao and Xiao Pang let out a few large sighs: "Aiya, I almost suffocated to death. This Li dage is pretty good everywhere, just too stern."
That's right, even though Li Xiaoheng was polite and courteous, the picture of a gentleman throughout the meal, but in the eyes of Da Mao and Xiao Pang, two prospective college students who had just left high school, Li Xiaoheng's speech and behavior were still too mature and reserved. His whole person exuded the same imposing aura belonging to their parents.
Tao Mu smiled slightly: "Let's go, go to the lottery booth with me and have a look."
Da Mao and Xiao Pang were instantly bewildered: "You want to buy a lottery ticket?"
Tao Mu: "I just want to go see."
After being reborn, Tao Mu had been troubled over how to make his first start-up capital. Because he was familiar with financial history, Tao Mu originally set his sights on both stocks and futures. However, his capital was too small, the market was too turbulent, and short selling was not allowed in the country. So no matter how he used his money on the stock market, it would still just be making pocket change.
Even though the saying goes that no matter how small mosquitoes were they were still meat, but for Tao Mu, he didn't want to waste even a little time in his new life. After all, his 'vision and wisdom' only had a ten-year shelf life. In order to live up to his memory of these ten years, Tao Mu searched his brain and checked the information online every day to find possible opportunities. But he did not expect that when he saw news reports about the Olympics, several [Book Reviews] suddenly flashed in his mind once again.
It was these [Book Reviews] that gave Tao Mu the inspiration on where to find his start-up capital.
——The 2008 Olympic Games were held in Beijing. At this point in the previous life, Tao Mu, like all Chinese people, had also paid attention to this nationally celebrated event. After a lapse of ten years, although some memories were blurred, Tao Mu still vividly remembered the ownership of the more important medals during the Olympic Games. And he was reborn at this node before the opening of the Olympic Games and some things could indeed be open for manipulation.
——Unexpectedly, those inexplicable book reviews would actually be useful one day. Thinking about it this way, Tao Mu suddenly felt that these inexplicable comments that popped up in his head from time to time was slightly more acceptable.
It was a pity that only after Tao Mu entered the lottery station did he realize that knowing who won the Olympic medals in advance did not help much in buying sports lottery——it went by number selection. It seemed that he might have to go abroad to find those legal gambling platforms, and think of ways from the outside.
......
After the conversation with Li Xiaoheng, Tao Mu continued his routine as a stand-in body double. On Monday morning, while there was no scenes to be filmed, he sneaked out of the crew and went to a nearby securities company to open an account. According to the memory of the previous life, he bought a few stocks that would rise soon. He had limited funds, and the market was extremely unstable due to the impact of the global financial crisis. So the best way was to continuously speculate short-term.
Tao Mu's memory was getting better and better. He remembered the financial information he had memorized in his previous life, and he still remembered the dark horses that broke through the overall decline of the stock market prices during the 2008 financial crisis and soared instead. Although occasionally there would be losses due to memory deviation and operating errors, but in general, his earnings were still very impressive.
Da Mao and Xiao Pang watched Tao Mu's funds snowball in the stock market, and both immediately felt their blood rushing in excitement. The two smiled ingratiatingly and brought their private money in front of Tao Mu, asking Tao Mu to help them speculate. The three of them were brothers for two lifetimes, Tao Mu of course would not refuse. But before accepting, he forced them to write a three thousand word essay of praise each. It was to avenge his deep hatred when the two of them 'cursed' Tao Mu by saying he would lose all of his hard-earned savings when he first opened his account.
Just when the three of them were addicted to stock trading, Tao Mu received a call from Zhao Keping to tell him of the audition——not the campus idol drama he had mentioned before but a supporting role in another martial arts drama.
"I know you are very stubborn. If you say you don't want to violate the school rules of Beijing Film, you really would have the heart to refuse the invitation of a male No. 4 audition. I think Beijing Film really should give you a certificate of 'the most obedient student'." Zhao Keping didn't hide his grievances. He had been in the industry for so many years, and he had never met such a stubborn little guy. Sure enough, the one who was more eager to seal a deal was at the disadvantage.
Zhao Keping snorted to himself and continued: "This time the situation is different. Although "The Legend of Heroes" is also a project invested by Summer Star, this film has been filming in Hengdian for more than a month. The actor who plays the male number three was foisted onto the crew by another investor. During filming, he sneaked out to audition for another movie. After the audition was successful, he kicked "The Legend of Heroes" to the curb. The crew was temporarily unable to find anyone, and the director also happened to be my old classmate so I felt that this was a good opportunity and I reported your name. It happened that Zhao Xin had also heard about you."
The circling of news in the entertainment industry had always been fast. The gossip about Tao Mu's amazing outbreak when the crew of "Purple Cloud" encountered trouble had been spread all over the industry. Basically, the directors and action stars who were filming in H Town knew that there was such a person. In addition, Chen Yiqian also had intentions to help Tao Mu out so when the director of "The Legend of Heroes" called him to verify, he spoke alot of nice things about Tao Mu. So on both fronts, the audition was settled without Tao Mu even knowing it.
"......At two o'clock this afternoon, you just go directly to the audition on the set of "The Legend of Heroes"......forget it, you'd better wait for me in the crew. I'll drive you there." Zhao Keping said very decisively: "I asked around for you already. The role is not too heavy. It is estimated that the filming will be completed in half a month, and it will definitely not delay your reporting to Beijing Film. Don't have any pressure. This role is solely for the purpose of apologizing for the idiot Mu Huating. It has nothing to do with our cooperation."
Before Tao Mu could speak, Zhao Keping threatened: "I have already worked around your scheduling problem very clearly. If you still want to refuse, then I can unilaterally think that you don't want to forgive Mu Huating at all, and prepare to find a chance to do something shady against us?"
Was there ever such a forceful foisting of an audition on someone?!
Tao Mu had nothing to say to this and could only accept and thank him.
Zhao Keping hung up the phone quite proudly. In his opinion, Tao Mu's situation was like some fledgling young actors. In the beginning, he stuck to his high moral pedestal and refused to accept the rules of the game in the circle. When one met this kind of person, one must first find a way to open up his appetite, give him some desserts to let him taste the sweetness, and then cut off the resources for a blow. After he felt the disparity in treatment before and after it was then relatively easy to persuade and train him patiently.
Of course, there were also the kind who simply had hard bones and would not bow their heads no matter what, refusing to compromise at all. But Zhao Keping believed that Tao Mu was not that kind of person.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Yiqian also called Tao Mu over to give some advice: "Don't be nervous when auditioning. I know that old Zhao is a bit temperamental, but he likes to support newcomers very much. I also chose some scenes of your performance in "Purple Cloud", to send to him in a video. He knows your skills. The character you will be auditioning for is a ruthless killer. Originially the role doesn't have much lines either so I guess you will mainly be considered for your appearance in ancient costume and your martial arts skills. Have you read the novel "The Legend of Heroes"? I remember it said in the book that this killer's weapon was a p jian......" (TN: Chinese double edged sword)
Director Chen went on a long-winded speech. The central idea was only one——with Tao Mu's appearance and martial arts skills, there was no need to worry about whether he could pass the audition and that he shouldn't be afraid at all.
Of course Tao Mu was not nervous. But he could feel Chen Yiqian's kindness and naturally appreciated it.
The news that Tao Mu was about to audition for a supporting actor role in "The Legend of Heroes" spread through the crew somehow. Everyone ran over to cheer him on, and even Mu Huating, that idiot, came over and said: "You have taken the role that brother Zhao introduced to you, and the matter between us will now be even. Can you speak to young master Luo and have him stop making difficulties for me?"
After the meal that day, Li Xiaoheng acted decisively and directly bought a ticket and flew back to country M to preside over the operation of Xiaoheng Capital in the international market. It was estimated that he also wanted to take advantage of the situation and make a fortune. Luo Yang stayed in H Town by himself and with no one to restrain him and no one to look after him——like a husky who broke free of its leash, he became more and more lawless.
Because of Mu Huating's instigation, Luo Yang was so angry that he scattered all the fire on Tao Mu. Knowing afterwards that he was being used by others, of course with Luo Yang's character he would not swallow his anger. So besides shamelessly apologizing to Tao Mu, he began to make trouble for Mu Huating. It had Mu Huating grumbling and complaining endlessly. The key was that Zhao Keping also deliberately wanted to teach Mu Huating a lesson, and he actually watched it all on the sidelines, too lazy to mediate. Mu Huating faced so much difficulty that he couldn't help but run over and bow his head to Tao Mu.
It was just that his way of bowing his head was not very clever.
Tao Mu was not a person who repaid grievances with virtue. The most important thing was that he was in no position to ask Luo Yang to let Mu Huating go.
It was Shen Yu who sympathized with Mu Huating's recent tragic experience, and gave him an idea: "How about you speak honestly to Luo Yang and see how he can let you go. If it doesn't work, you should jump off the building in front of him. Of course, don't forget to update your Weibo and make the whole thing clear before jumping off the building. Maybe your fans will help you out of sympathy and will help you scold surnamed Luo."
Mu Huating: "......" Was this guy helping him come up with an idea or just eager to watch some more excitement?
Shen Yu chuckled and winked at Tao Mu: "You yourself can't even go to extremes to help yourself, then don't come and pester our Tao Tao. It is not our Tao Tao who instigated Luo Yang to teach you a lesson. You should look for Ye Yao instead of Tao Tao. "
After all, the two of them were official boyfriend and girlfriend. Although, they had been going back and forth on splitting up recently, their personal drama dazzling the eyes of all outsiders.
After Shen Yu's words, Mu Huating was completely speechless.
After Mu Huating left, Shen Yu said to Tao Mu: "Don't pay attention to this kind of person. He is an example of one who picks the softer persimmon." (TN: expression for taking advantage of the more easy target)
Tao Mu didn't say a word.
Shen Yu stared at Tao Mu's slender but not skinny shoulders, and his arm suddenly felt an itch to move——in truth he truly wanted to throw his arm over Tao Mu's shoulders and have a brotherly relationship with Tao Mu. But for some reason, Tao Mu seemed to be a little rejecting of him.
Fortunately, Shen Yu was originally quite good at finding amusement on his own and was also an enthisiastic and considerate person. Even if he kept getting rejected, he didn't feel discouraged——don't know why but if someone else dared to treat him so coldly, the little prince would definitely have a temper. But when it was Tao Mu, Shen Yu felt an inexplicable sense of indebtedness, like if he didn't make Tao Mu happy his whole body would feel uncomfortable. The kind where even when sleeping at night he wouldn't be free from anxiety.
"By the way, when do you have time, I would like to ask you to teach me how to pose. There will be a few wire scenes in a few days, and I want to personally——"
"No!" Tao Mu's reflexively refused. When he came back to his senses, he casually said: "Hanging on the wires is very hard and dangerous. A young master like you should just act in speaking scenes."
Shen Yu looked at Tao Mu with bright eyes, acting like a baby cat looking for cuddles, "Are you worried about me?"
Tao Mu responded with a black face followed by stomping away angrily.