Brother Dao Took the Entertainment Industry by Storm, Fans Beg Me Not to Kill Anymore

Chapter 780: Zhou Zhiyi! The Vanguard of Anti-Metaphysics!

“Cut!”

This scene wrapped up smoothly.

Zhuang Hongyi stared at the monitor screen, his expression serious, then nodded to Xiao He. “This segment is good.”

“Alright.”

Xiao He let out a breath of relief. The cat he had been holding in his arms seemed to know that this kind of “torment” was finally over, too. It raised its head and meowed, then turned around, lifted its back legs, and frantically kicked Xiao He’s chin. Taking advantage of this, it unhesitatingly leaped out of Xiao He’s embrace, landed steadily on the ground, and then hissed at Xiao He, looking extremely angry and disgusted.

The black cat fixed its almost brilliant golden, mysterious eyes on Xiao He, meowing incessantly, as if cursing him out, until its owner ran over and fed it some dried fish treats. Only then did it finally quiet down.

The others were also very worried. Xiao Chen hurried over to check Xiao He’s face. “Brother Xiao, did it scratch your face?”

“No, I just got kicked.”

Xiao He said with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

The pet’s owner also rushed to apologize to Xiao He. “Sorry, Brother Xiao. I don’t know what’s gotten into my cat. Maybe she’s been in a bad mood lately.”

Looking at the black cat, which was now being completely docile under its owner’s touch, Xiao He helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead. “It’s fine. I guess I’m just not her cup of tea.”

Cats of such a unique breed and appearance were quite rare in all of Hong Kong, so the production team had gone to great lengths to get in touch with this little “actor.”

But no one expected that when they got to the set, this usually friendly cat would be so resistant to Xiao He’s touch. However, the filming schedule had to move forward, and this part of the plot was a must-shoot.

So, after acquiring two claw marks for his trouble, Xiao He finally managed to grab the cat and film this segment. Fortunately, the original script called for Zhou Zhiyi to pick up the cat by the scruff of its neck, making it behave in his hands, so the actual filming was still relatively easy for Xiao He.

Xiao He had originally worried that filming this way would stress the cat out. But surprisingly, once they entered the scene and the official shooting began, the cat was exceptionally cooperative. It only started cursing Xiao He out in cat language after the scene ended, to the point where even though Xiao He didn’t understand a word of cat, he could still tell exactly how much it was swearing at him.

This left Xiao He feeling quite heartbroken.

“So I really am more of a dog person after all,” Xiao He sighed.

If his work as an actor weren’t so busy, he’d consider getting a pet too. But now, seeing this, keeping a pet was still such a hassle…

“A mystical black cat has spirit. Perhaps it simply doesn’t like the energy you carry,” an elderly man who had been standing nearby said, stroking his beard and looking at Xiao He thoughtfully.

This was the actor who had played the “fake master” in the previous scene. He was a local of Hong Kong. In real life, he actually was a genuine kind of “master,” but compared to the official members of the Tianshi Association, he was nothing more than an unknown wild practitioner, with no formal background or recognition.

Originally, he was hired simply because his appearance and aura were very “convincing.” As a veteran specialist in playing “masters,” he drifted from set to set, playing everything from eccentric old beggars, to gate-sweeping monks at temples, to these true-and-false Celestial Master roles. But as time went on, he gradually picked up some knowledge about Feng Shui and metaphysics. So he evolved from an “actor playing a Celestial Master” into a “half-baked Celestial Master” with a bit of real insight. In addition to taking on acting gigs, he now ran a fortune-telling stall in the old district.

For this film, the production team had naturally valued his appearance and invited him to play the opening “fake master.” After all, the old man really did look the part. The Tianshi Association certainly wouldn’t provide them with a “real one” to play a “fake”—that would be slandering their own image, wouldn’t it?

But the problem was, a half-filled jar sometimes really does make the most noise.

Take the present moment, for example—

“A black cat has spirit. Perhaps Mr. Xiao He has something unusual about him. I advise you, Mr. Xiao, to pay a little more attention, cultivate your character, calm your energy, and soothe your spirit.”

Upon hearing the half-baked master’s words, Xiao He’s mouth twitched. Xiao Chen also got angry and shot back, “What do you mean by that?”

Since the script for *Dragon* had a certain mystical element, and Hong Kong itself had a strong cultural atmosphere in this regard, saying something like this right on set, in front of everyone, was actually a very rude behavior. It was as if he were hinting that Xiao He was “unclean” in some way.

“I didn’t mean anything by it.” The half-baked master hadn’t expected the young man from the mainland to be so hot-tempered. He didn’t show any respect for the elderly at all, immediately jumping to demand an explanation. Feeling the subtle glances from the people around him, he quickly waved his hands and forced a sheepish smile. “I was just talking. Just talking.”

“Hehe,” Xiao Chen scoffed.

If the old man had real skills, he wouldn’t have said anything. But a half-baked, half-dead old geezer—what did he have to put on airs about? Acting all mysterious and putting on a show here. He thought their Brother Xiao was young, huh?

Well, too bad. Their generation of young people didn’t buy that kind of nonsense.

Xiao He wasn’t really angry. He just shot a sidelong glance at the half-baked master, then let out a light laugh and said, “A black cat avoids people. More often than not, it’s because it dislikes the foul, murky energy in its surroundings, or it clashes with someone’s destiny and aura. It’s never just one absolute factor. The true art of reading faces and energy has never been about using a cat to make wild guesses, judging right and wrong based on superficial appearances.”

“Sir, I’d advise you not to cause such misunderstandings next time. In a place full of murky energy, making baseless accusations can easily invite trouble, bad dreams, and loose tongues.”

After finishing his words, Xiao He finally turned his head, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at the man.

At that moment, the half-baked master was rendered completely speechless.

No matter how glib his tongue, when faced with the young man’s icy eyes, all his struggles became nothing but a ridiculous performance with his innermost thoughts completely laid bare.

And then, right on cue, someone nearby cheered loudly: “Well said!”

Everyone turned to look. It was a chubby, middle-aged man wearing a tank top, who was idly fanning himself.

Once he recognized who it was, Xiao He was stunned. “President Mao? What brings you here?”

As for the half-baked master, who also recognized the newcomer, his face went from white to red.

“To read faces, read people, and read hearts, the prerequisite is to first cultivate yourself,” the chubby man said. Even though he looked as jovial as a Buddha himself, his words were incredibly stern. Though his gaze was gentle, it made the half-baked master’s face drain of all color.

“S-sorry. I was judging others by my own standards,” the half-baked master stammered, not daring to say another word. He was terrified that this legitimate Association President would target him and cut off his future income. He didn’t dare look at Xiao He anymore and hurriedly turned to leave.

Fortunately, his acting work for the day was already done. The bustling set didn’t quiet down because of his departure, either. Everyone was still busy with their own tasks, completely ignoring the man who had just left.

Xiao He, however, quickly walked over to President Mao and greeted him. “President Mao! What brings you here today? Are you looking for Director Zhuang?”

“Haha, don’t mind me. I just came by to have a look. Just a casual visit,” President Mao waved his hand, signaling Xiao He to get back to his own work. “Don’t let me disrupt your job. I’m just here to hide away and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. Don’t worry about me, and don’t bother Director Zhuang or the others, either. I don’t want them disturbing my tranquility.”

Xiao He couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Director Zhuang had indeed been extremely busy lately. The production team was a mixed bag of people. Even with Zhuang Hongyi personally overseeing things, there were still countless issues he couldn’t handle alone. Luckily, this was already the third time Xiao He and Zhuang Hongyi had collaborated. No matter how many problems existed off-camera, at least during the actual filming, their cooperation was always very smooth.

And Xiao He had a very good grasp of his character—

Zhou Zhiyi. A disciple from an orthodox school of metaphysics, who, because he was completely uncompetitive in the job market and couldn’t steal jobs from the fake masters who were all “old-timers,” decided to just “turn dark” and make a decision that “betrayed his sect”—he would use science as a counter-force. He would launch a science-versus-metaphysics showdown, expose the true nature of all those fake scammers, and use science to rebrand himself, replacing the scammers’ metaphysics to become the new authority!

Don’t find that strange. Due to cultural influences, people in Hong Kong at that time not only strongly believed in Eastern metaphysics, but also firmly believed in Western science. They were superstitious, afraid of karma and reincarnation, constantly praying to gods and seeking solace. Yet at the same time, they blindly worshipped “Western advancement and the omnipotence of science,” treating the West as a promised land, foolishly praising Western technology, even blindly believing many outlandish rumors that came from the West, and slavishly imitating and admiring them.

The people of that era seemed both superstitious and not superstitious, both scientific and unscientific.

But from a fundamental perspective, it was actually a generational schism. The older generation believed in metaphysics, but that part of the market had already been occupied by others. So Zhou Zhiyi stepped up, using the more “fashionable” science to make money from the younger generation, white-collar workers, and the middle class!