Nevertheless, Liu Rulan persisted in sending text messages to these gentlemen during holidays, hoping to become familiar with them and maintain a superficial relationship.

Xiao He was embarrassed: "Sister Liu, you actually had such thoughts?"

Going to kidnap someone else's son to become an actor... cough cough, that's really clever.

I never expected Lin Yipeng to have such a powerful background. No wonder Lin Yipeng knew everything so quickly.

It turns out that he has connections everywhere in the industry, from directors to insignificant production assistants and logistics staff!

“What do you know? Lin Yipeng’s family has members working at the broadcasting station, in high positions, who are in charge of us.” Liu Rulan patted Xiao He’s shoulder earnestly: “You have no idea how happy it is to be carried around by these young masters and ladies.”

Directors from that era could never be from ordinary families. They were surrounded by connections in the entertainment industry, some even famous, with three generations of their families holding official positions. Their families might have existed even longer than the founding of the nation, and their descendants were naturally swarmed with favors as soon as they entered the industry.

"Qin Lezhang, you know him, right? He's from the Beijing entertainment circle. Although he's not particularly good-looking and his acting is passable, he has amazing resources. He can get any role he wants with a wave of his hand, regardless of genre or subject matter. Even if he doesn't act well, he still has countless fans who adore him and try to save face for him. His manager posts on WeChat Moments every day to show off. I really want to block him."

Xiao He didn't know Qin Lezhang, but that didn't stop him from watching the drama unfold: "Is that even possible?"

Liu Rulan shrugged: "That's right. If you're interested, you can check out his comment section. It's like they're possessed. They keep calling him 'Young Master' all the time, and the fans call themselves 'Old Slave.' Even though the Qing Dynasty is over, they still want to be slaves to this ugly man. It's really baffling."

"Furthermore, they do not allow other celebrities or fans to use the title 'Young Master,' saying that Qin Lezhang is the only true 'Young Master' in the entire industry, and the only person qualified to be called 'Young Master.'"

Xiao He: "..."

Fans are truly a terrifying bunch.

—Oh right, excluding his fans.

"So, our crew was carried by Director Lin this time?"

"Perhaps that's part of the reason, but it's definitely not the main reason." Liu Rulan shook her head. "I deduced Director Lin's identity based on the contact information I left behind. Others probably don't know yet. The quality of the thief catchers is also good. There's no way Director Lin would use his identity to help with vote-rigging or anything like that. So I guess he's just using his identity to protect the thief catchers and prevent others from causing trouble."

Of course, from the perspectives of filming, direction, and script, it's not unreasonable to say that Lin Yipeng carried her to success.

"Director Kobayashi's talent is truly a direct inheritance from his father..." Liu Rulan exclaimed. "He can be considered a successful example of a son following in his father's footsteps in the industry."

It's quite strange, really. Many famous directors and actors emerged from that era, but very few of their descendants successfully followed in their footsteps, especially directors. Their children either chose acting or went into other industries, without getting involved in directing. Even those who wanted to inherit their fathers' positions remained unknown for years, far from being recognized by the audience.

Lin Yipeng's ability to make a name for herself is truly remarkable.

Xiao He echoed his agreement: "Indeed—"

Before he could finish speaking, the phone on the table rang.

Xiao He glanced at it and realized that it was Lin Yipeng, the person he and Sister Liu had been discussing.

"You answer the phone first."

Liu Rulan gestured and left the room.

"Hello, Director Lin."

Xiao He answered the phone, his tone unchanged, showing no change even after learning Lin Yipeng's identity. He even joked, "You're not calling to tell me about The Thief Catcher 2, are you?"

Lin Yipeng remained silent for a while, then gave a wry smile: "Sorry, I just wanted to tell you that it's unlikely there will be a second horror movie."