Lu Xian, however, clearly did not expect Feng Shicheng to say something so sensible. But Lu Xian still had no change in his opinion of Feng Shicheng. In his eyes, Feng Shicheng was just a guy who relied on his glib tongue to gain the City Lord's favor, so, in the end, he was still someone without real talent and did not need to be taken seriously.
Lu Xian was about to take Shen Feng and Feng Shicheng to meet the artists. On the way, Shen Feng said to Feng Shicheng, "There's no energy to develop the arts in Yuzhou right now. Yuzhou can barely provide for the basic needs of its people. Developing so-called arts is not feasible. You should oppose it when the time comes."
When Shen Feng said this, Feng Shicheng immediately understood Shen Feng's intention. Shen Feng could not directly refuse Lu Xian's suggestion, as Lu Xian was Shen Feng's capable subordinate, and such a refusal would inevitably hurt him. However, Shen Feng still needed to reject these artists, so he needed someone to play the bad cop. Feng Shicheng was that person.
"Understood," Feng Shicheng quickly nodded, clearly understanding Shen Feng's meaning.
Finally, Lu Xian brought Shen Feng and Feng Shicheng to a hotel. In a private room in the hotel, a group of people in various attire appeared before Shen Feng's eyes. There were about a dozen of them, mostly dressed in suits, but among them were also a few women in formal wear, and they were all celebrities. Shen Feng wasn't a big fan of TV dramas, but he recognized a few stars now, and felt a bit uncomfortable. He thought he was meeting painters, writers, or musicians, but it turned out to be people from the entertainment industry.
"City Lord, these artists are not quite right," Feng Shicheng also said to Shen Feng in a low voice.
Shen Feng said subtly, "It's fine. Since they are just people from the entertainment industry, we can just deal with them casually."
At this moment, upon seeing Shen Feng, the people in the private room immediately came forward with smiles and said, "Lord City Lord, it's a rare sight. We are troubling you today, but we are also considering the future of Yuzhou. City Lord, you once conquered Rongcheng, rescued Yanjing, and even returned to Yuzhou from the Southern Hemisphere. Such achievements are unprecedented. Wouldn't it be a pity if no one understood them? We are here to promote your reputation."
Upon seeing Shen Feng, the group immediately began to flatter him, subtly mentioning Shen Feng's achievements.
Shen Feng said, "Hello, everyone. Please sit down. Let's talk slowly."
After speaking, Shen Feng shook hands with each of them, and they all sat down. Feng Shicheng, however, simply skipped the handshake and sat aside, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and started cracking them.
Seeing Feng Shicheng like this, the crowd immediately felt displeased, thinking, "Damn it, the hotel only sent us one plate of sunflower seeds. If you eat them all, what will we eat?"
However, at this moment, no one dared to show their stinginess, so they could only bury their dissatisfaction in their hearts.
The hotel here was quite luxurious. It not only had tables and chairs but also sofas and coffee tables, which were specially for people of noble status to talk. Eating was secondary, and if one wanted to sing, it could also be turned into a karaoke room at any time.
Shen Feng found a sofa and sat down. After exchanging glances, a few big shots from the entertainment industry had two actresses sit beside Shen Feng. If Shen Feng hadn't maintained an unapproachable demeanor, these two women would have already clung to him.
At this time, Feng Shicheng sat on a chair not far away, cracking sunflower seeds and thinking about how to refute these people. Feng Shicheng had basically never played the bad cop before, and now that he had to do it, he could only try his best.
At this moment, a man with a big belly and a beard said seriously to Shen Feng, "City Lord, actually, we have all noticed that everything in Yuzhou City is quite good. Although it's not as good as life before, if you compare it horizontally, Yuzhou's current situation is still very good. There's just one problem."
"What problem?" Shen Feng asked casually. Shen Feng often discussed Yuzhou's current problems with others and had a relatively clear understanding of them. At this moment, Shen Feng also wanted to know what extraordinary insights these people from the industry could offer.
"City Lord, I am not dissatisfied with you, but there is indeed a problem, and that problem is: Yuzhou's current cultural life is not very good. There are no TV dramas, movies, or even various idol activities. Therefore, we believe that it is appropriate to develop the cultural industry appropriately in the future, as it can satisfy the spiritual needs of the masses, can't it?" The man with the big belly was surnamed Zhao. He was a director before, but he clearly couldn't make a living in the apocalypse.
Shen Feng nodded and said, "Director Zhao, is it? You can elaborate on how to develop the cultural industry. I'm all ears."
Upon hearing this, Director Zhao was overjoyed. Since the City Lord said he was all ears, he must have some thoughts on his suggestions. He should strike while the iron is hot and finalize the matter. This way, he would not have to worry about food and drink in the future.
Then, Director Zhao said seriously, "City Lord, we want to shoot a TV series based on your experiences during the apocalypse, telling the story of what happened to you. It will be a hundred episodes, and then it can be broadcast within Yuzhou. At that time, after the people below watch the TV series about you, they will surely be able to understand your feelings and enhance your prestige, making them love you even more. We are willing to share this important matter for you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng couldn't help but want to laugh, because after learning about this, Shen Feng knew the intentions of these people.
The prosperity of the cultural industry needs to be based on good economic conditions. After all, when people are struggling to get enough to eat, not many are willing to watch movies, especially if they have to pay for them. And at this moment, the entire world is facing a survival crisis. Almost everyone is worried about whether they can survive tomorrow. Who would have nothing better to do than watch movies?
Therefore, filmmakers could neither get investment nor make a living. Logically, people in the entertainment industry who were even slightly famous had already made a fortune. However, in the apocalypse, the financial system had directly collapsed, and the money they had earned had all turned into waste paper. In Yuzhou, real estate had all been confiscated and distributed uniformly. For a time, these filmmakers became penniless wretches.
It was still okay in Yuzhou. As long as one worked with their hands, they could at least support themselves. As for other places, it was not easy to survive, especially in disaster-stricken areas where food was a problem.
The people in the private room had all been engaged in mental labor before. Now they needed to do physical labor to support themselves. The contrast between this treatment and before was worlds apart. These people naturally wanted to seek change, and they thought of Shen Feng. He was the City Lord of Yuzhou. As long as the City Lord was willing to make movies, the current situation could surely be quickly changed.
Shen Feng understood their intentions and then smiled and said, "A TV series can enhance my prestige. It seems a bit exaggerated."
The crowd quickly said, "It's not exaggerated, not exaggerated at all. Please believe in our skills. We will definitely be able to add positive energy to the filming and focus on depicting the touching love story between the City Lord and his two wives. Once it's released, it will surely move people."
Shen Feng smiled and said nothing, thinking to himself, "These people are really good at finding loopholes. This time they are filming a TV series for me. If I agree, these people can lobby others to do this. In this way, Yuzhou might have to support idlers."
At this moment, a woman sitting beside Shen Feng handed him a cup of tea and said softly, "City Lord, please have some tea. I have always admired your reputation. It is my great honor to meet you for the first time. Please taste this humble tea."
Just as Shen Feng was about to take the tea, the actress beside him suddenly went limp, and the tea spilled onto her skirt. Then, she slumped onto Shen Feng. Shen Feng was stunned by this scene, thinking, "Can it be played like this?"
Shen Feng was sitting on the sofa when the woman beside him suddenly fell down. Before he could react, he smelled a fragrance, a rich perfume, which made Shen Feng feel uncomfortable. This was because Shen Feng preferred a more natural scent, and when he smelled the perfume, he felt unnatural, especially the strong perfume.
As the woman fell, she leaned against Shen Feng, and her modest bosom pressed against Shen Feng's arm. If he turned his head, he could see the woman's alluring red lips, and this was something Shen Feng hadn't expected. Just then, another woman on the side said, "City Lord, I forgot, Sister Liu has low blood sugar. Shall we take Sister Liu to her room to rest?"
Before Shen Feng could speak, Director Zhao continued, "City Lord, Liu will have to be taken care of by you. She is not easily approachable at other times. Please take good care of Miss Liu and cherish the time, seize the moment."
Shen Feng was startled by this, thinking, "Damn it, are there 'honey traps' in the entertainment industry too?"
Shen Feng naturally didn't believe that the woman beside him had fainted due to low blood sugar. It was most likely an act. Moreover, Shen Feng also noticed that the woman beside him had too much makeup on her face, and she probably wasn't very good-looking. Now, she was actually offering herself up for a quid pro quo.
Shen Feng immediately turned his head and said to Feng Shicheng, "Old Feng, it's up to you. Take good care of Miss Liu."
When Shen Feng said this, Feng Shicheng understood Shen Feng's intention. At this moment, it was Feng Shicheng's turn to step forward, not only to extricate Shen Feng but also to make everyone present leave obediently.
Feng Shicheng smiled, walked to the side of the sofa, and slowly said, "Taking care of Miss Liu is not a problem, but I won't give Miss Liu a chance to develop a relationship with me. Please forgive me for this. After all, as far as I know, Miss Liu grew up in North America and was raised by a rich godfather. Moreover, it seems that Miss Liu and her mother served the same man together. Therefore, I am not interested in a used flower."
When Feng Shicheng said this, Shen Feng immediately cooperated and asked, "No way?"
"It's true, City Lord! This Miss Liu is called 'Fairy Sister' among her fans, but her personal conduct is indeed problematic. Let's not even talk about having a rich godfather. Later, she married a Korean and developed in Hollywood for many years without winning any awards. She's a total vase. Oh, and now she's not even a vase anymore," Feng Shicheng said with a cold smile.
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng immediately stood up. It turned out that the purity of the woman beside him was fake. Since that was the case, there was no need to consider it further.
Shen Feng then stood up, leaving the fainted Liu Tianxian on the sofa. After all, this so-called Liu Tianxian was only popular due to marketing, but she was not even qualified as an actress.