Chapter 058: All Bust, No Brains

Chapter 058: All Bust, No Brains

Zhang Xiaowen arrived swiftly, less than ten minutes after the call. He'd been scouting locations nearby for suitable filming spots and, upon receiving Zhong Baisong's call, hurried over without a word. This impressed Chu Fei, who began to see the effeminate man in a new light.

However, Zhang Xiaowen's appearance surprised Chu Fei. At first glance, he looked less like a famous director and more like a streetwise ruffian—utterly unkempt, with a brash manner of speaking.

“Mr. Chu, don't worry. It's just a short advertisement—I’ll handle it in no time. Leave it to me.” Zhang Xiaowen patted his chest confidently, clearly already informed by Zhong Baisong that this young man was no ordinary figure. His attitude was exceedingly humble.

“Thank you, Director Zhang.” Chu Fei, in high spirits, smiled and shook hands with him.

Zhang Xiaowen became somewhat excited, shaking his head vigorously. “No trouble at all! Serving Mr. Chu is my honor.”

Damn, those words... Chu Fei was speechless. Zhang Xiaowen's way of speaking was too much—it almost sounded as if Chu Fei had some peculiar tastes.

Yet Zhang Qing and the other two women seemed oblivious to this, including Murong Wei. All three were visibly thrilled by Zhang Xiaowen’s arrival, especially Xiaoyu, whose eyes sparkled with adoration and infatuation. Her excitement bordered on abnormal.

The process became straightforward from there. Not only did Director Zhang arrive, but his entire crew accompanied him. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, preparations for filming began immediately.

“Xiaoyu, go tell that tardy director’s crew to get lost,” Chu Fei beckoned the girl over. With the big director here, there was no need to entertain the useless one anymore.

“Got it!” Xiaoyu cheered, running off with evident enthusiasm. She’d disliked the previous crew for a while but hadn’t dared offend them. Now, with Director Zhang present, she felt emboldened and stormed out.

But as swiftly as Xiaoyu left, she returned—this time followed by two people.

“What the hell is wrong with your Feilu group? First you want us, then you don’t. Do you even respect us?” The leader was a middle-aged woman, haughtily sharp-tongued, her gaze locked on Chu Fei. “You must be Feilu’s team lead. If you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation today, don’t blame us for being harsh. We’ll see you in court.”

Xiaoyu quickly leaned in and whispered to Chu Fei, “Chu, this is the head of the tardy director’s crew.”

“Is that so?” Chu Fei frowned, sizing up the not-unattractive woman, and sneered coldly, “What do you mean, disrespect? Did you ever respect us? You promised a two o’clock shoot but failed to show up. You breached the contract. Now I’m not using you—get out and stop making trouble.”

“You—” The woman’s face darkened, furious at being scolded so bluntly.

“All bust, no brains. Threatening to sue us? We could sue you and it’d be justified.” Chu Fei snorted, turned, and strode away, unwilling to waste another word.

“You—”

The woman trembled with rage. That wasn’t just a rebuke—it was an outright insult.

“Truly all bust, no brains—” Xiaoyu, emboldened by Chu Fei’s dominance, felt her grievances vanish, replaced by a refreshing sense of satisfaction. She followed Chu Fei out, but not before tossing another jab at the woman, glancing disdainfully at her ballooning chest. Xiaoyu felt oddly “inferior”—the woman’s chest looked like two inflated balls.

“Bastards, all of them—” The woman, realizing what had happened, erupted into a string of curses.

“Sister Liu, don’t be angry. Let’s not stoop to their level…” Her assistant, a young woman, tried to console her.

“No, this isn’t over…” Furious, the woman pulled out her phone and dialed the director’s number. Instantly, her voice turned saccharine, “Director Liu, something big’s happened. Feilu is outrageous—they told us to leave, said they won’t use us… It’s true, I was insulted just now, and they threatened to sue us. Yes, yes, alright. Come over quickly, I’ll wait right here for you.”

She hung up and shot a cold glance at the door.

Her assistant discreetly curled her lip, clearly disdainful of the woman’s behavior but unwilling to say anything.

—

Zhang Xiaowen’s style was brisk and decisive. Within barely ten minutes, the filming was underway.

Watching the busy set, Chu Fei couldn’t help but nod approvingly. Glancing at the effeminate man beside him, he smiled, “I didn’t expect your friend to be so efficient.”

“Indeed, Director Zhang is all about efficiency.” Zhong Baisong was in high spirits, eager to please after Chu Fei initiated conversation.

“Thank you for your help this time.” Chu Fei smiled.

“No need to mention it. I hope Mr. Chu will look after me in the future.” Zhong Baisong was both flattered and grateful.

“Heh—” Chu Fei chuckled, but soon his brow furrowed. Not far away, a well-dressed woman approached—none other than the female head who had previously confronted him. This time, she wasn’t alone; a man walked beside her.

“That’s the bastard—he not only threw our people out but hurled insults,” the woman pointed at Chu Fei as she spoke to the elegant man beside her.

“Is that so?” The man frowned, sizing up Chu Fei. “Are you Feilu’s representative?”

“So what?” Chu Fei raised an eyebrow.

“I am the director for this advertisement. If you unilaterally terminate our collaboration, we have every right to sue,” the man said sternly. Normally, he wouldn’t get involved in such matters, focusing solely on directing. But this time his distant cousin—who was also his lover—had been insulted, and everyone knew it. As the saying goes, you have to look at the owner when you hit the dog. He had to restore his dignity, or else people would think they could treat him this way in the future.

“Sue? Who are you planning to sue?”

Before Chu Fei could answer, a loud, boisterous voice rang out behind him, “Little Liu, you’re getting bold now, huh? Playing diva, did you forget how I used to teach you? Don’t talk to me about your reputation—even if you’re a success, you should always keep yourself humble. With your arrogant attitude, how can you make a good film? Hmm?”

With the voice, a burly figure appeared—it was Zhang Xiaowen, who had spotted the commotion and walked over.

Chu Fei was taken aback. From Zhang Xiaowen’s words, it seemed he knew this man.

“Master—no, Director Zhang, what are you doing here?” The most shocked was Director Liu, who’d been questioning Chu Fei. He stared in disbelief, rubbing his eyes as if expecting a mirage, his expression stunned.

“Why am I here? Because you played diva and showed up late, so I got roped into this.” Zhang Xiaowen swore, not bothering to hide his irritation.

“Huh? Roped in?” Director Liu’s expression became even stranger, as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. Zhang Xiaowen was his mentor, though the master never acknowledged him as a true disciple unless he produced an advertisement that satisfied him. That’s why he started to call him “master” but quickly changed to “director”—he hadn’t yet earned the title.

“Cut the crap. Get lost and stop interfering with my work,” Zhang Xiaowen waved dismissively, unconcerned even in front of his own disciple, utterly unpretentious.

“Yes, Director Zhang. I’ll leave right away!” Director Liu didn’t say another word. He turned and left, quick as a flash.

The abrupt shift left everyone stunned, including the woman following Director Liu.

“Director Liu, are we just leaving like this? Feilu has treated us so unfairly…” Sister Liu, frustrated, followed him, her anger unresolved.

Smack—

Without warning, Director Liu slapped her across the face, sending her reeling.

“You hit me, Liu Wei?” she blurted out his name in shock.

“Hit you? I could kill you right now…” Director Liu glared at her, gritting his teeth. “You’re all bust and no brains, always causing trouble for me. Get out—go home now, and don’t leave without my permission.”

He strode off toward the lounge, determined to find a way to repair his relationship with Director Zhang.

The woman was left completely dumbfounded. Even a fool could see that Director Liu was genuinely furious this time—furious in a way she’d never seen before.