The director dialed the number in awe, but no one answered.
The director looked at the phone screen in disappointment, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his palms.
He shook his head at the anxiously waiting staff and said, "No one answered the phone."
"That's natural. How could someone like Mr. Zhuang answer an unfamiliar call?" A staff member gently patted the director's shoulder to comfort him.
"Why don't we just forget about renting the Green Lake Castle? We can just rent a park for the shoot, which will save us money." Another staff member suggested.
The perfectionist director held his breath, then said in agony, "Alright, I'll see if there's another place more suitable for filming the date scene. It's such a shame. Green Lake Castle is a perfect date spot. It's sure to turn out beautifully."
"Alright, alright, stop thinking about it. You're just filming a variety show, not a movie. Why are you being so demanding?" The assistant director waved his hands impatiently.
The cameraman, who had just finished his instant noodles, finally spoke up: "Director, please try calling again. What if Mr. Zhuang is taking a shower and can't answer the phone?"
The assistant director pointed at the wall clock and retorted, "It's already eleven o'clock, why are you still taking a shower?"
The director was a man who would not give up until he reached the Yellow River. After being encouraged by the cameraman, he mustered up the courage to make the call again.
Assistant Director: “…”
The call still didn't go through.
Everyone: "Forget it, forget it, stop calling. Who is Mr. Zhuang? There's no way he would answer your call!"
Cameraman: "Hit one more, hit one more, Mr. Zhuang must be taking a shower!"
Assistant Director: "Xiao Liu, I finally see that you're messing around! Get out of here, get back to filming!"
The director pressed the redial button with great determination and turned on the speakerphone.
Let's be nervous together.
Everyone: "..." This guy must have been driven crazy
The cameraman held the instant noodle bucket and waited excitedly.
The call was finally connected, and a lazy voice came over: "Sorry, I was taking a shower just now, so it's not convenient for me to answer the phone."
Everyone looked at Xiao Liu, their faces filled with disbelief and admiration. Mr. Zhuang was actually taking a shower at this hour. Xiao Liu was a prophet!
Cameraman Xiao Liu bit his tongue, afraid of bursting out laughing. Then, as if possessed by some unknown force, he turned on the camera placed nearby and recorded the scene.
The director opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he wanted to speak, but his throat was blocked by nervousness. He was so anxious that cold sweat covered his forehead. The other end slowly said, "Director, what do you want to talk to me about?"
What's going on? I haven't even said a word yet, so how did Mr. Zhuang know I was the director?
The director's eyes widened, his expression looking as if he had seen a ghost.
"Director, if there's nothing else, I'll go to sleep. I've been working for three days and three nights straight and I'm very tired." This lazy yet magnetic voice sounds more and more familiar the more I listen to it!
In a flash, the director finally recognized the person on the other end of the channel, and his expression became even more terrified and unbelievable.
"You, you, you are Zhuang Li?" He was so scared that his tongue was tied.
Everyone listening: "!!!"
What kind of a development is this? Isn't Zhuang Li a poor idiot pretending to be a rich kid?
The cameraman, Xiao Liu, covered his mouth and tried hard to hold back his laughter. This scene was so funny, and everyone's expressions were more exciting than the last!
"If I'm not Zhuang Li, then who am I? Did you dial the wrong number?" Zhuang Li asked with a smile.
The director immediately checked the number Lawyer Ou had sent him, then pulled out the guest registration form. After comparing the numbers, he realized it was indeed Zhuang Li's phone number. He hadn't dialed the wrong number!
"You, are you Mr. Zhuang?" The director swallowed.
"How did you know?" Zhuang Li asked in surprise, then suddenly realized, "Did Xiao Liu say something?"
The cameraman quickly and loudly denied it, "Mr. Zhuang, I didn't say anything! Believe me! The director wanted to rent your Green Lake Castle as a filming location, so he called you. He got your number from Lawyer Ou!"
Everyone looked at the shouting Xiao Liu: "..."
What kind of luck did this guy have, to actually be able to film Mr. Zhuang for so many days! No! What kind of luck did our production team have, to actually invite such a great god!
"Rent Green Lake Castle?" Zhuang Li's tone was filled with interest as he slowly said, "Please wait a moment. I'll come and talk to you."
"Okay, okay, we'll wait for you in the monitoring room of the work shed. Have you dried your hair? If not, just blow dry it first. It doesn't matter how long we wait." The director's voice finally returned to normal, and his tone was more flattering than ever.
After hanging up the phone, he covered his chest and murmured in disbelief: "Our program team actually invited Mr. Zhuang? Was I dreaming just now?"
Assistant Director: "Don't ask, we all feel like we're dreaming."
"Hey, what's the matter with Mr. Zhuang's ex-boyfriend? Why do people say Mr. Zhuang is a gold digger? Does Mr. Zhuang need to be a gold digger? Also, why did Mr. Zhuang post those stolen pictures? He can afford any luxury goods, no matter how expensive, why would he steal other people's pictures?" The director grabbed his half-bald hair, deeply confused.
Xiao Liu looked around at everyone, his tone slightly smug. "Don't you understand? Mr. Zhuang isn't pretending to be rich, he's pretending to be poor! Just think about the level of luxury goods he's playing with. A castle worth billions is just a toy to him. Would he really show off such things?"
There was also a racing club with over a billion in gold, but Xiao Liu didn't dare to tell anyone about it. The rich were also divided into different classes, and the gap between the bottom and the top was as great as the gap between the common people and the nobility.
The director was even more confused: "Pretending to be poor? Why?"
Xiao Liu showed everyone the truth or dare video she'd filmed that morning, speculating, "It's probably to prevent her ex-boyfriend from feeling inferior. He wants pure love, not the trappings of money. You see, he said the gap between him and his ex was too big, so he's always worried. He also said he posted a fake Weibo post to conceal his identity."
"You may think that the things Mr. Zhuang gave out are luxury goods, but in his mind, they're probably just ordinary street goods. He probably doesn't understand why others accuse him of showing off his wealth. And let me be honest with you, the bike he rented from the rental agency is barely a bicycle compared to his own."
Director: "...Xiao Liu, come on, stop bragging! You called a multi-million dollar car a bicycle!"
Xiao Liu glared in dissatisfaction, but ultimately did not dare to continue exposing the information.
MAX owns the fastest Formula One racing car in the world, which costs more than 100 million Chinese yuan. Although the other racing cars belonging to the club are of lower grade, their average cost is more than 10 million yuan.
A car worth three million is really not even a fraction of what others pay.
Therefore, Zhuang Li’s understanding of luxury goods is completely different from that of ordinary people.
Xiao Liu shook his head and sighed deeply.
The others' emotions were too complex to describe. They had never imagined such a dramatic reversal in the already-decided plot! The rich man was no longer a rich man, and the poor man was no longer a poor man. This heartless drama, which only cared about money and not people, was turned into a love story of a prince falling in love with a pauper!
The audience will be shocked when they see this, right?
Thinking of this, the director clenched his fists, his whole body shaking with excitement. He was willing to bet his life that this show would be a hit, and a huge hit!
While daydreaming, Zhuang Li put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly into the monitoring room.
The director immediately gave him the only sofa to sit on and busied himself serving him tea and water.
"I can lend you Green Lake Castle free of charge as a filming location, and I can also sponsor you an additional 30 million. But the prerequisite is that you must add one more male and one more female guest. I'll choose the male guest, and you can choose any female guest you want. By the middle of the show, everyone who's attracted to each other should have already fallen in love. Suddenly adding a new guest will definitely spark new sparks, making it more conflicting and dramatic. Don't you agree?"
Zhuang Li gently blew on the hot tea in the cup and expressed his thoughts lightly.
Director: "...You are right!" Thirty million was the largest sponsorship fee he had ever received, and he had no way of refusing.
"Which male guest are you going to invite? Do you have his photo and information? Our program has very high requirements for the guests' appearance, work and academic qualifications. The audience only likes to see handsome men and beautiful women with excellent conditions fall in love. You should understand this, right?" The director reminded carefully.
Zhuang Li supported his forehead with one hand and tapped the table with the other, seeming to be thinking.
The director secretly complained: What are you hesitating about? Are there too many men and women around you and you are overwhelmed by the choices?
"I'll inform you when there's news from the male guest." Zhuang Li shook his head and sighed.
The director thought to himself that he was really overwhelmed by the choices.
At that moment, Zhuang Li's phone rang. The voice of the renowned lawyer, Attorney Ou, came through with a hint of joy: "Mr. Zhuang, we have fulfilled your mission. We have purchased the MAX for you."
Zhuang Li's calm eyes gleamed brightly. "So soon? How could Chang Fan bear to let go?"
"He withdrew when he knew you were the other buyer, so we only spent 1 billion dollars. By the way, Mr. Chang also said he wanted to meet with you to discuss financial cooperation. I want to know if you agree."
"Sure, please ask him out for me. I'm currently recording a show, but I have plenty of free time. By the way, do Xi Ming and MAX still have two years left on their management contract? I'd like to invite him to be the fifth male guest on 'Love Shack'. Ask him if he's interested."
Lawyer Ou directly exposed Zhuang Li's intention: "Are you planning to have a romantic relationship with your idol on the show?"
Zhuang Li's fair face actually flushed, a rare occurrence.
The director and others who heard this conversation said: "..." These rich people really know how to have fun! Is there anything in the world that they can't buy?
Xiao Liu slapped his forehead vigorously. He finally understood why Zhuang Li had humbled himself enough to participate in this show, even claiming it was the right decision. It turned out he'd already planned to buy MAX, secure Xi Ming's contract, sponsor the show, increase the number of guests, and then arrange for his idol to date him.
This plan is really a perfect match, one link after another!
Zhuang Li was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "Show the contract to Xi Ming. Don't force him to make any decisions. If he wants to come, he can come. If he doesn't want to come, forget it. I'm just dreaming for myself. This dream may become a reality, or it may be nothing from beginning to end. He is the only thing in this world that I can't force."
Lawyer Ou responded with equal seriousness: "Mr. Zhuang, I understand what you mean. I will let him decide for himself. I wish you good luck."
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