Another leak.

On a crisp winter afternoon, the sky was exceptionally clear. A lone sparrow perched on a withered tree outside the window and let out two mournful cries.

Clang—

With a loud crash, the startled sparrows spread their wings and flew away.

"What kind of food did you send? Even pigs wouldn't eat it!"

The angry shouts echoed throughout the Shanghai Radio Administration Bureau, but the office staff inside were used to it; everyone knew that their Section Chief Li was arrogant and very picky.

Inside the room, Li Shifa kicked the overturned food box and continued to nitpick about the food. Either the vegetarian dishes were too salty, or the braised pork was overcooked. In short, no dish suited his taste.

The seventeen or eighteen-year-old male servant squatted on the ground, looking aggrieved, tidying up the food boxes. He didn't dare to say a word in protest. His head was lowered, his eyes were slightly red, and he was on the verge of crying.

Finally, Li Shifa, his neck flushed red, threw a few bills at the servant's face and roared, "Go to Li's shop and buy more, and bring back a copy of the Shen Bao newspaper while you're at it. You idiot, get out of here! How did I raise such a moron?"

Picking up the banknotes from the ground, the humble servant brushed past the crowd. They shook their heads in sympathy, thinking how pitiful it must be for the servant who delivers lunch to Section Chief Li, getting scolded every day.

After turning a few corners, the servant found an empty alley and quickly unfolded the money Li Shifa had thrown to him. On the banknotes were written four large characters: "The meeting cannot be held."

The servant's heart skipped a beat. Now, his face showed only anxiety, not a trace of timidity. He carefully put away the money, picked up the food box, and ran wildly towards Wu's cart shop.

After leaving Wu's Car Rental, the servant breathed a sigh of relief, but then remembered Li Shifa's instructions to also inform Miss He of the Shen Bao newspaper.

When he arrived at the Shen Bao building at top speed, he found that all the people coming and going were fashionable men and women. He was immediately discouraged and apprehensive, worried that his attire might get him kicked out by the security guard, and that it might seem strange for him to directly approach Miss He.

Just as she was hesitating, a hearty laugh came from across the street. Miss He was with a strange man wearing a mask and sunglasses. The two chatted as they walked toward the gate.

Compared to the man who was wrapped up so tightly, he immediately felt that his own attire was perfectly normal.

So he mustered his courage and stepped forward to stop He Qingcheng: "Miss He, I...I am..."

With outsiders present, the servant's guard was heightened. He glanced at the strange man, his tongue seemingly tied in knots, unsure how to speak.

"Oh, Xiao asked you to bring me lunch, right?" He Qingcheng smiled and took the food box from his hand. "Oh, I forgot to tell him that I'm having lunch with a friend today."

The servant let her take the food box away, and then the man next to Miss He said, "It's over. If my brother finds out that you had lunch with me but didn't eat the food he brought, I'm doomed."

"What are you afraid of? Don't I even have the right to have dinner with my friends? Bai Xi, go upstairs and sit for a while." After Qingcheng finished speaking, Xu Xi turned around and went upstairs.

After Xu Xi's figure disappeared at the top of the stairs, He Qingcheng turned to the servant and said, "Little Song, this is your tip. Did the master give me a message?"

Xiao Song looked at Qing Cheng with some surprise, realizing that Qing Cheng knew her.

When he declined the tip, he immediately mixed the banknotes that Mr. Shi had given him into the money and solemnly said, "That's all, Miss He. I can't accept the tip, otherwise the master will scold me. Just know his intentions and go to work."

The biting cold almost blew the banknotes away, but Qingcheng unceremoniously put them all back into her pocket, patted his head, and reminded him to be careful on his way back.

Watching Xiao Song run away shyly, Qingcheng felt a heavy weight pressing on her chest; it was yet another serious leak.

The organization was originally scheduled to hold a congress in Wuhan at the end of this month, with officials and leaders from various regions going to the meeting in three batches. The first batch of comrades who left will arrive around tonight.

Train stations and docks have always been key locations for spies to check. Now we can only stop people at Nanjing Railway Station and Shiliupu Wharf, but what about the first batch of comrades?

Old Li only informed her, but didn't let her participate. She could only wait and see. Qingcheng walked up the stairs with heavy steps. That damned cockroach had been lurking in her hometown for a long time, and who knows how many secrets it had already revealed.

I heard that when Section Chief Ouyang tracked down the spy's transit station last time, he did make some progress, but when people from his hometown went to clean it up, they only found the body of the radio operator who was disguised as a civilian. He had been shot in the back and died on the spot.

The body was still warm, indicating it had only recently died; they were too late. To maintain internal unity and avoid panic and suspicion, Wu Hao forcefully suppressed the matter and launched a secret investigation, but so far found nothing.

"Qingcheng, Miss He, He Qingcheng!" Xu Xi waved in front of Qingcheng, trying to pull her out of her reverie.

"I see you! Big star, you don't need to be indoors, you're still all bundled up like this." Qingcheng glanced at Xu Xi. "Be careful, the boss outside might think you're a member of the Communist Party and arrest you for sneaking around like this."

Xu Xi seemed to have just realized how hot it was, and quickly took off the three layers of wide scarf and hat he had wrapped around his head, revealing his handsome face: "Hey, how did you know I was mistakenly arrested by those dog spies?"

Seeing that Qingcheng didn't believe him, Xu Xi rolled up his sleeves, revealing bruises. He had just left the film crew a few days ago and still had to be wary of tabloid reporters. He was quietly waiting for his nanny van at the door when he was suddenly forced into the car by two men in black who appeared out of nowhere.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in a small Western-style building. There were two menacing men in black who started punching and kicking him without asking any questions, but they didn't hit his face. At first, he thought they were gangsters trying to force him to make a movie.

"Are you alright? Have you been to the hospital? I haven't heard anything about it." Qingcheng asked in surprise, concerned about Xu Xi's injuries.

Xu Xi waved his hand to indicate that he was alright, and sat down leisurely in the chair to continue recounting his experience. After he was beaten, the men in black interrogated him about whether he was a member of the Communist Party and who his superior was. Xu Xi was completely confused by them and could only say that he knew nothing. He immediately brought up his older brother, Xu Qiao, and asked the junior agent to clarify things and not to harm the boss's family.

However, even though the black-clad agents stopped beating him, they didn't release him immediately. Therefore, Xu Xi suspected that those agents weren't his brother's men. If the CC Clique members had heard him announce his name, they would have been terrified and run away in a panic.

Hearing this, Qingcheng guessed the identities of those black-clad agents. They must be Team Leader Dai's men. They had chased the suspects all the way from Xuzhou to Shanghai without any trouble, and even bought a small villa specifically for interrogating suspects.

"Where is that building? How did you get out?" Qingcheng poured tea for Xu Xi and asked with concern.

“I don’t know. Later, they confirmed my identity, apologized for arresting the wrong person, blindfolded me, and dumped me at the nearest hospital.” Xu Xizheng was flipping through a magazine on the coffee table when his eyes suddenly widened. “Actually, I had a clue. I was in the car and heard more than one shop playing Japanese folk songs, along with the sound of the river. I suspected that the building was in the Japanese concession in the North Bund. My brother probably suppressed the news, and I just thought it was bad luck that I got bitten by a dog when I went out.”

"That's so pitiful. Since you're still injured, don't rush to film 'Chu Nu Huan Huan.' A few more days won't make a difference. This is a sound film, so you'll have to memorize a lot of lines. It'll be mentally taxing," Qingcheng suggested with concern.

"No, I must ensure that 'Chu Nu Huanhuan' can be released during the summer season. The forced labor by the six states in your script is actually an allegory for warlords forcibly conscripting men, isn't it? We've been suffering from war for too long, so we should at least subtly criticize the various warlords." Xu Xi's thin lips opened and closed, quite pleased with himself.

“Oh my, your awareness has improved after working with screenwriter Xia. Why don’t you try playing the male lead, Li Yuan? This character is quite complex. He has love for the female lead, a motivation for revenge, and a desire for power. It’s a very layered character.” Qingcheng patiently explained the role.

“I won’t act. I don’t like this character. How can someone give up their beloved to two different men for revenge and then comfortably become the emperor’s brother-in-law? I can’t understand it, I can’t act.” Xu Xi threw down the magazine in his hand, his eyes full of disdain.

"You don't want to play the villain Lord Chunshen, do you?" Qingcheng guessed the big star's thoughts. Xu Xi gave Qingcheng the feeling of being not only generous but also a bit childish.

"That's right, Lord Chunshen was an incredibly lucky, power-hungry, and corrupt official. Although he did some good things for the people, it was just like raising chickens and ducks or scattering grains. He only wanted to increase the tax revenue of his fiefdom. Later, he even wanted to seize the throne. With such greed, he deserved to be used by the female lead and eventually killed by Li Yuan." Xu Xi gestured excitedly.

“Young Master Xu, Lord Chunshen was a great general who came from a humble background. Your demeanor doesn’t seem like that of someone from a humble background,” Qingcheng said with a smile.

"The greater the difference between my character and myself, the better it showcases my acting skills. I'm one of the movie's selling points," Xu Xi blinked.

“Excuse me, are you kidding me? Don’t degrade yourself just for the sake of selling points. If the audience finds out you’re playing a major villain, they’ll curse the director and the production company to death.” Qingcheng shook her head.

“Then I’ll play the King of Chu. The King of Chu has been childless for many years, so he should realize that he has that kind of problem. But he has the throne to inherit, so when he took the pregnant Li Huan as his wife, he must have planned it all out. As long as Lady Huan gives birth to a child, his Chu kingdom can be stabilized, and he won’t have to bear the infamy of being a king who has lost his country.” Xu Xi’s insights impressed Qing Cheng.

“Indeed, an emperor should consider things from the perspective of the big picture. Your understanding of the King of Chu is quite novel. According to your idea, the King of Chu is the ultimate villain. But playing such a role is not good for your reputation. If people criticize you in the future, you might call yourself the King of Chu Lie.” Qingcheng reminded him with concern.

"It doesn't matter, anyway, nobody likes me." The light in Xu Xi's peach blossom eyes disappeared.

"Hey, hey, hey, that's going too far. Aren't those fans human beings?" Kiyosumi gossiped. "You look like you've just broken up with someone. I haven't had time to read your gossip lately. Did you have another fight with some beauty?"

"The gossip is all fake. It was just a temporary team formed for publicity. My girlfriend has always been the same one, I haven't changed her." Xu Xi pouted and played with the silk scarf on his chest, his resentment seemingly forming a dark cloud hanging over his head.

"Miss Song?" Kiyosumi asked cautiously.

"Well, she's gone to the General Staff Headquarters in Nanjing now, surrounded by promising young talents. She probably wouldn't even look at an actress like me." Xu Xi turned his face away absentmindedly.

Qingcheng had mixed feelings about her cousin and Xu Xi. She thought that her cold-blooded cousin would dump Xu Xi as soon as she was done using him, and that Xu Xi, being a womanizer, would break up with her once the novelty wore off. But the two of them are still together now.

To be honest, Xu Xi is a great friend, but as a husband... I can't say the same. However, compared to the hypocritical scum around my cousin, Xu Xi is at least a decent person. A real playboy fell for a fake lady; both were willing participants, what a tragic fate!

"Forget it, Mr. Xu, let's think about how to make money first. You came here today just to show me the leading lady you've chosen, right?" Qingcheng could only change the subject.

“That makes sense. If I win this award, I’ll retire from acting, become a boss, and pursue my love.” Xu Xi said, pulling an envelope from his pocket.

The envelope was full of photos of popular female celebrities. Given Xu Xi's status in the film industry, he could invite them over in no time, as long as they were available.

The problem is that Ms. Bai Die, whom Xu Xi likes the most, is not available in the first half of the year. She would be very willing to join the filming in the second half of the year. Ms. Yan Yan, whom he likes the second most, was busy with her wedding last year and missed a lot of progress. She has to catch up on the previous filming this year, so she may not be able to join the crew in time.

"Has Miss Yuling asked? You two are the best on-screen couple, and I even referenced Miss Yuling's image when I wrote this." Qingcheng flipped through the photos in her hand with little interest. Her first choice was, of course, Miss Yuling. Her portrayal of "bad" women was captivating with every smile and frown.

“When Yu-ling was filming with me, she did take the initiative to ask me about it. After we talked, I refused her because Yu-ling’s Jiangnan accent was too heavy and she couldn’t pronounce her lines properly. Our film is a sound movie, and we can’t let audiences from the north not understand it, right?” Xu Xiyi spread his hands to express his helplessness.

Qingcheng hadn't expected the accent. She frowned and looked at the photo in her hand, raising her objection. The actresses in the photo were too seductive, which didn't match her description of Li Huan: a face like Guanyin, but a heart of a serpent.

Xu Xi also felt that with Li Huan's good background, she must have the temperament of a lady from a prominent family, or even the demeanor of royalty.

Sighing helplessly, Xu Xi had already decided on the male lead, Xiao Jin, a newcomer recommended by screenwriter Xia, but the female lead was still nowhere to be found, which was driving him crazy.

"So that means you, the male lead, are planning to use a newcomer, and you'll be the newcomer's companion?" Seeing Xu Xi nod seriously, a bold idea popped into Qingcheng's mind.

“Bai Xi, why don’t you boldly use a newcomer for the female lead?” Qing Cheng said, taking out a group photo from the drawer. “This is my god-sister, Li Xiangxiang. She was born in Beiping and is the star of the school’s drama club. I can send her to the set for an audition.”

As expected, Xu Xi's eyes lit up when he saw the lively Xiang Xiang, and he excitedly asked Qing Cheng to arrange for the girl to audition at his company the next day.

"Okay, but let me make this clear first: my sister is still in college, and she has a boyfriend. Don't even think about making a move on Xiangxiang. Otherwise, I won't be so polite." Qingcheng deliberately put on a stern face to intimidate her.

"Pfft—really, what do you take me for?" Xu Xi spat out a mouthful of water, wiping his mouth as he eagerly assured her that he already had someone he loved and would never touch Xiangxiang, and that the young, inexperienced girl was not his type.

Hehe, Qingcheng smiled noncommittally. No matter how bad things got between the Xu brothers, their taste in women was remarkably consistent.

Besides, she was just joking. The one who should be worried is Xu Xi himself, as Xiang Xiang is a huge fan of Xu Xi. Qing Cheng doesn't follow celebrities and doesn't quite understand Xiang Xiang's feelings, but the girl would probably be ecstatic to be able to act on the same stage as her idol.

Despite being a fan of celebrities, he placed Xiangxiang under Xu Xi's command so that she could better help the organization pass on intelligence. At the same time, he would use Xu Xi's special status to protect her, hoping that the girl would not disappoint him. After all, she was Uncle Qi's daughter, and like father, like daughter.

After arranging her downline, Qingcheng became worried about the leak again. After get off work, she made an excuse to send Gao Junxiao away, and rushed to the church without even eating dinner.

Upon entering the church, Qingcheng noticed that there were twice as many unfamiliar faces as usual. Father Tong was already serious, and even the usually optimistic Wang Renyong looked worried.

While everyone gathered at the church, a silent contest was unfolding at the dock.