My ‘Healing’ Game
Chapter 483: Han Fei’s Third Movie (4000 Votes for Monthly Pass)

Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Han Fei’s Third Movie (4000 Votes for Monthly Pass)

After leaving the zoo, Han Fei received another call from Li Xue. She hadn’t found any information related to the Master of Shrine, but they had dug up something on Boss Gu.

He was the local tyrant in the county before he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. However, the charity foundation he established survived and had since grown many times over, becoming one of Xinhu’s better-known charitable organizations.

To completely unravel Boss Gu’s background, Han Fei asked in detail about the charity organization, and he made an even more astonishing discovery.

After Boss Gu’s death, his charity foundation was close to disbanding due to a lack of funds. It was Eternal Life Pharmaceutical that stepped in with financial support to help them through the hard times.

But from that point on, the charity foundation that had belonged to Boss Gu came under the wing of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical, dedicating itself over the years to assisting orphans and children with disabilities. They also initiated many medical projects to treat psychological illnesses and inborn brain defects in children, most of which were in collaboration with the private hospitals built by Eternal Life Pharmaceutical itself.

What surprised Han Fei the most was that the charity foundation had also interacted with the private plastic surgery hospital built by Eternal Life Pharmaceutical. Many disabled orphans had received free treatment and rehabilitation there.

"Li Xue, who is the person in charge of their charity organization?" asked Han Fei. The private hospital of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical had been abandoned, and all records destroyed. To uncover the secrets, he might have to consider acquiring information from different angles.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I want to donate some money to them, to see exactly how they’re using it." To investigate certain matters, Han Fei decided to spend "some" money. If the money was indeed used for good, the donation would enhance his Hidden Virtue, which could be used to upgrade his Shrine. If his virtue didn’t change, it would mean there was something fishy about the charity foundation and possibly implicating Eternal Life Pharmaceutical in some shady business.

"The overall person in charge is surnamed Kong, called Kong Dongliang. However, he is likely very busy, and if your donation is too small, you might not get to meet him." Li Xue was clear on the phone, "I would advise you against that approach."

"No worries, my money isn’t so easily taken." After attaining the third level of the Shrine Soul Trading, Han Fei had developed a peculiar feeling — as if anyone who took his belongings, or came into contact with him, would subtly be influenced.

Han Fei wanted to test this sensation out to see if it was merely his imagination, which is why he made this decision.

Since he needed to donate money to increase his Hidden Virtue anyway, he might as well choose this organization; he might even stumble upon some unexpected findings.

After hanging up the phone, Han Fei felt strange. The police had found no information about the Master of Shrine, and even now, Han Fei didn’t know the real name of the Master of Shrine, as if the name were indeed Unspeakable.

"Does a name that’s Unspeakable in the Deep World also vanish in reality?" he wondered.

Thinking it over, it seemed to be a similar situation with Fu Sheng; people only knew the Chairman of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical and weren’t aware that the chairman had a brother.

As the sun set and street lights came on, Han Fei was preparing to go home when he suddenly received a call from Director Zhang.

The filming was finished. Han Fei initially wanted to pretend he hadn’t seen it, but considering possible future cooperation with Director Zhang, he hesitated and eventually answered the call.

"Ah, answering calls is such a hassle for someone with social anxiety, involving layers of psychological gameplay."

As soon as he pressed the answer button, Director Zhang’s voice came through the phone, "Han Fei, did you have some kind of falling out with Bai Xian?"

"Not at all," Han Fei replied, a bit surprised.

"Then why did he book a plane ticket to go abroad overnight as soon as he heard he had to attend an event with you?" Director Zhang said earnestly, "You two are my most valued actors. If there’s any conflict between you, let’s lay it all out and talk it through."

"I get along with Brother Bai just fine. A few days ago, we were both involved in a righteous heroic act, and in the end, it was Brother Bai who drove me home."

"Are you sure nothing unpleasant happened between you two? Bai Xian has changed his mobile phone and number to avoid you. Just yesterday, I thought the kid was going to emigrate," Director Zhang said. His film "Mystery Novelist" was yet to be released, and a feud between a lead actor and another principal cast member might affect the box office.

"Something unpleasant?" Han Fei thought for a moment and seemed to grasp the reason, "Director Zhang, I know what happened."

"Tell me about it, and I’ll help you find Bai Xian and resolve the conflict between you two. He should still give me some face," Director Zhang said confidently.

"Well, the night of the event, Brother Bai was driving, and we went to the suburbs to chase a murderer. Later on, we saw a suitcase in an abandoned building. I found it very odd, so I had Brother Bai record the entire process of opening the suitcase with his phone."

"And then?"

"We opened the suitcase to find a dead body inside." When Han Fei reached this point in his story, it was dead silent on the other end of the phone, "Director Zhang? Are you still there?"

After a long silence, Director Zhang finally spoke, "Now that you’ve explained it, I think I’m beginning to understand Bai Xian a bit."

"Think about the logic behind it. If I hadn’t suspected there was a body inside, why would I go open the suitcase? And if I had anticipated a body being inside, why would I be scared after seeing it?" Han Fei tried to reason with Director Zhang.

"Han Fei, as a horror thriller actor, you are extremely talented, but you must understand, not everyone is as outstanding as you." Director Zhang could already imagine Bai Xian’s expression at the time, "Come to Baixiang Pavilion tonight. The boss of Star Entertainment and Bai Xian will be there too. Filming has been hard on everyone. Now is a good time for us all to get together and relax a bit."

"I’m afraid I won’t have time tonight."

"You have to balance work with leisure; you’re not Superman. You can’t be tense all the time," Director Zhang said with a resigned chuckle, "With other actors, I worry about their lack of discipline, but with you, I worry you’re too disciplined, which could lead to too much stress on your body and mind. Come on, the boss of Star Map Entertainment also wants to meet you. Though they’re a leading entertainment company, they no longer have any noteworthy artists. Apart from one starlet who just can’t seem to make it big no matter how much they’re promoted, they only have the well-known vase, Xia Yilan. You showing up now would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather, and you’d definitely be able to secure a very favorable contract."

"Xia Yilan?" Han Fei had spent a long time in the world of memories, but he had not forgotten this woman.

In her youth, she had undergone a full course of treatment at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical. It seemed she had taken someone else’s face. Her beauty was unimaginable in her youth, and she made it into the near top-tier just on the basis of her looks. Unfortunately, due to a lack of work and slowly aging, she fell to the second tier.

Nowadays, she seldom took roles; mainly, she attended various events to maintain her public profile. Han Fei had even seen her once at the preview event of a film festival.

The quickest way to investigate the plastic surgery hospital and contact patients who had received treatment there was through direct interaction.

"Alright, I’ll head over right away."

Leaving the zoo by taxi, Han Fei rushed towards Baixiang Pavilion located at the junction between the Smart District and the Old City District.

This restaurant included various entertainment facilities and had both the technological vibe of the Smart District and the unique ambiance of Old Xinhu.

After giving his name, the waiter immediately took Han Fei to the top-floor private room.

The boss of Star Map Entertainment valued this private meeting with Director Zhang greatly and had spent a good sum to book the largest private room, which not only served food but also featured separate compartments and various entertainment facilities for any kind of fun they wished.

As the door opened, the sound of music and singing flowed out, indicating the excellent soundproofing of the private room; no matter how noisy it was inside, nothing could be heard from the outside.

"Han Fei is here!" Director Zhang waved Han Fei over, "President Li, I’m not exaggerating when I say this young man is the best actor I’ve encountered in the past ten years."

Director Zhang was not stingy with his praises for Han Fei because no amount of praise would seem exaggerated: "Four stories high, even stuntmen thought it was dangerous, but he just went for it, leaping down and fully unleashing his emotions and acting skills at that moment! You should check out ’Mystery Novelist’; from the moment he steps onto the balcony, you know it’s going to be an iconic shot."

President Li was not tall, a mature middle-aged man with a beard, dressed formally. He stood up to shake hands with Han Fei as he approached.

In the eyes of most entertainment company bosses, actors are merely tools: they can make you popular if they want and can tarnish your reputation anytime if they choose. It was rare for someone like President Li to be so sincere; however, this also showed that Star Map Entertainment was not in an optimistic situation internally.

"From ’Twin Flowers’ to ’Mystery Novelist’, you are the most improved actor I’ve ever seen," President Li said warmly, and Han Fei responded with a professional smile.

Approaching the dining table, Han Fei immediately spotted Bai Xian and sat down next to him, "Brother Bai, that new phone looks pretty cool."

"Bro, give me a break. I get flashbacks of that scene every time I close my eyes. I can’t even think about eating meat now; my stomach’s filled with nothing but acid," Bai Xian said while holding his glass of wine, appearing elegant on the surface but inwardly frantic.

"It wasn’t that bad; the corpse was pretty intact."

"You mean you’ve seen ones that weren’t?"

"I’ve probably seen all the shapes you can imagine," replied Han Fei, who was a bit socially anxious. He disliked staying in crowded places, so he could only chat with Bai Xian, "What did Director Zhang summon us here for?"

"Star Map Entertainment wants to collaborate with Director Zhang and stake the company’s fate on the next film. It’s a pity that such a veteran entertainment company has come to this," Bai Xian subtly gestured towards the entertainment room and the adjacent booth, "See those young people? Star Map has been pushing them, but unfortunately, they’re hopeless cases—poor acting skills, yet high and mighty attitudes."

Such words could only be spoken by a veteran like Bai Xian, who had been nominated for the Movie Emperor several times and was on the verge of becoming a first-line star.

"I remember Star Entertainment once fostered first-line actors too, right?"

"The truly talented actors left when their contracts expired. I feel like they now want to sign a long-term contract with you through collaboration. Be mindful when the time comes; they’re the ones in need, not you. Don’t settle for less," Bai Xian, with his experience, knew the ins and outs of the industry.

"Han Fei, I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon," said Xia Yilan, coming down from the small stage in the private room where she had been singing.

This woman was in her thirties but still exuded a captivating charm, her beauty seemingly transcending time.

Smelling the familiar, rotting stench from deep within her soul, Han Fei already knew who was approaching.

He greeted Xia Yilan with a smile, maintaining proper etiquette.

"Don’t be so formal; we might end up working together on the next film," Xia Yilan said naturally as she took the seat next to Han Fei, "I’m envious of you guys. Just looking at the presales for ’Mystery Novelist,’ it’s already impressive, breaking records for mystery movie presales. You’re definitely going to be a huge hit."

Xia Yilan traded the tea on the table for wine, "President Li wants to collaborate with Director Zhang on the next film, capitalizing on the ’Mystery Novelist’s’ popularity and challenge the mystery genre again."

"Mystery genres aren’t easy to film; the work begins with the script. You only see the popularity of mystery dramas but fail to consider the effort we’ve put in to polish the work," Bai Xian said, abstaining from touching the wine on the table and discreetly sending a message to Han Fei’s phone, essentially reminding him to stay sober and not to sign any contracts rashly.

Bai Xian was a good man, but his concerns were unnecessary.

Among everyone in the private room, Han Fei was the only one who could completely ignore Xia Yilan’s beauty. He knew how Xia Yilan’s face had been acquired and, more importantly, he could smell the rotten stench emanating from her.

"Don’t worry about the script; we’re adapting from real events," President Li added, joining the conversation with Bai Xian and Xia Yilan, "A few years ago, when biotechnology had a major breakthrough, it sparked a trend in cosmetic surgery, as people ceaselessly sought the limits of beauty. At the same time, there were many unregistered plastic surgery facilities that led to numerous tragedies."

Han Fei had no interest in President Li’s movie until he heard those words, and he slowly raised his head, "The mystery movie you’re planning to shoot is related to plastic surgery?"

"Yes, real terror doesn’t necessarily come from ghosts and monsters. Plastic surgery can’t change a person’s soul either," President Li affirmed.

"If your company is making the film, is Xia Yilan going to be the female lead?" Han Fei turned to look at Xia Yilan.

"Yilan has always been the second lead. This time, we want to give her a full push, but we’re lacking a male lead who can work well with her," President Li said, sensing Han Fei’s interest, albeit misunderstanding it.

Han Fei nodded, "If Director Zhang agrees to direct it, I might be able to help you out."

Making the movie was secondary; Han Fei’s main goal was to investigate the truth. If he could use the guise of filming to interact with Xia Yilan, he might be able to uncover the secrets in her heart.