"Director! I recognize her! She's Xia Zhining, the animal communicator who's all the rage online!"
She turned to the still-shaken crew members around her and fanned the flames, saying:
"Everyone, look carefully! What just happened was not an accident at all. She deliberately directed these animals to attack and intimidate us! This is a blatant act of malicious threat! We should call the police and have her arrested!"
These words were like pouring cold water into a hot oil pan, instantly igniting the emotions of the "Journey to the Desert" crew.
The bodyguards and staff, who had just been intimidated by the flock of birds, surrounded her again, their eyes fierce, as if they wanted to devour Xia Zhining alive.
The atmosphere, which had just eased, instantly became tense again!
Just as tensions were rising and the air seemed to freeze, several official vehicles arrived at the scene of the conflict, accompanied by sirens blaring, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Several police officers quickly got out of the car. The captain, who was in charge, frowned and asked in a serious voice when he saw the chaotic scene of birds circling and people confronting each other: "What's going on here?"
The director and lead actors of "Journey to the Desert" rushed forward as if they had seen a savior, pointing at Xia Zhining and accusing her all at once:
"Officer! It's her! This woman deliberately directed these animals to attack us, seriously threatening our personal safety!"
The director, with his sharp eyes, was overjoyed when he spotted someone getting out of a black sedan behind them.
That was actually the mayor of Loulan City! He had met the mayor once before due to issues related to the project site selection.
He immediately shrugged off the police, rushed to the mayor, and instantly put on an expression of deep grievance and heartbreak, his voice even trembling with emotion:
"Mayor! You must do us justice!"
Pointing to his crew's equipment, which had been "baptized" by bird droppings, and the still-shaken actors, he embellished his story with tearful lamentations:
"Our 'Journey to the Desert' is an S+ level key project for film and television this summer, with an investment of hundreds of millions of yuan. It is a major production of the year that promotes the scenery of Northwest China and boosts the local tourism economy!"
"But now, we're being bullied like this by some small film crew that appeared out of nowhere!"
He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, as if he were the biggest victim: "They condoned the animals' violent acts and disrupted filming; this is utterly disregard for the law and lawlessness!"
"Mayor, with this kind of business environment, who will dare to film or invest here in the future? You must severely punish these lawbreakers and give us justice!"
His emotionally charged "complaint" successfully portrayed himself as a victim and a contributor to the local economy, while shifting all the blame onto Xia Zhining and He Xi's film crew.
Just as the director of "Journey to the Desert" was tearfully making his accusations, the two top-tier male and female leads immediately surrounded him, adding fuel to the fire with their own words:
"Mr. Mayor, look at our condition!" The male lead pointed to his still-shaken face. "We were almost attacked by those wild beasts! This has caused us permanent psychological trauma!"
The female lead even squeezed out two tears, pointing at Xia Zhining: "It was this woman who ordered it! She's a devil!"
All the pressure and all the negativity on set were focused on Xia Zhining.
However, the mayor of Loulan City completely ignored the group of glamorous celebrities in front of him in the face of these fierce accusations.
His gaze swept over the crowd and landed precisely on Xia Zhining, who had been silent all along. A warm smile instantly bloomed on his face as he strode toward her.
Amidst the incredulous gazes of the entire crew of "Journey to the Desert," the mayor grabbed Xia Zhining's hand and shook it vigorously, his voice so loud it could be heard throughout the entire desert:
"Expert Xia! It's so good to finally meet you! Your discovery of the gold mine with the gerbils is a blessing to our Loulan City!"
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