Chapter 60: Wrapped Again! Big Honey's Dirt Delivered Right to the Door?

"Well, that's not out of the question." Zhang Yang did not refuse this time.

He had experienced the complete life of Prince Empty in the world of *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons*.

That world could be considered as created by Stephen Chow, and many details of daily life were filled with a nonsensical, absurd style.

Although many memories had faded after he woke up, his most important experiences remained intact, ready to be recalled and utilized at any moment.

This was the exact reason why his portrayal of Prince Empty was entirely flawless. When acting, he was Prince Empty himself; no one understood "emptiness" better than he did!

Since he knew so much, writing it into a script and filming an absurd-style comedy naturally posed no problem at all.

If he could collaborate with Stephen Chow, he could leverage the other's popularity, status, and filming crew to boost his own career—a perfect execution of borrowing a chicken to lay an egg. By then, he would become the very first "Stephen Chow leading man."

"It's good that you have this idea." Stephen Chow revealed a satisfied smile. "Whenever we have time, we can chat more and flesh out a rough script first. I still have two projects on my hands that I'm preparing to push forward, which require a lot of initial funding. Once those two projects are wrapped up, we'll film *Prince Empty Conquers the Demons*."

Zhang Yang not only had no objections to this decision, but he also supported it wholeheartedly.

If he guessed correctly, the two projects Stephen Chow mentioned were *CJ7: The Super-Cute Mission* and *The Mermaid*. Setting aside the former, the latter had an investment exceeding 400 million and ultimately grossed over 3 billion at the box office—an absolute blockbuster and massive success.

Unsurprisingly, *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons* was scheduled for release during the 2013 Spring Festival, and box office shares typically arrived half a year later. Only then would Stephen Chow be able to initiate subsequent projects, but he would end up being backstabbed by those two parasites at Huayi Brothers, and even lawsuits failed to yield results.

To make matters worse, he would also be targeted by the Heung family of Hong Kong, causing further delays in launching the project.

Before all that, the project *Prince Empty* was simply not viable.

"I can take this time to make more money, and invest in *The Mermaid* when the time comes. Not only will that be providing timely assistance, but I'll also make a huge profit. Investing in *Prince Empty* afterward will then be a matter of course." A brilliant idea flashed through Zhang Yang's mind.

On the surface, he chimed in with a sincere expression: "I have no problem with that. Director, just give me a call whenever, and I will definitely reserve my schedule in advance."

Unaware that Zhang Yang was already plotting to become his "savior," Stephen Chow smiled and shifted the topic: "Since you're also optimistic about this character and want to make a dedicated movie, I think it's very necessary to build up the hype in advance and give you more plot in *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons*. What do you think?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Right, so he was dead set on adding scenes for him after all.

However, this time, he did not refuse again.

On one hand, his filming progress was fast enough; today was only May 8th, so there was plenty of time for additional scenes.

On the other hand, the extra scenes proposed by Stephen Chow were indeed very good. They didn't disrupt the overall plot, yet they added brilliant highlights to the character of Prince Empty.

"Action!"

Clap!

The ending sequence of Prince Empty began.

Holding his box, Zhang Yang first struck a few pretentious poses. CGI effects would be added in post-production, featuring nine flying swords emerging to threaten the demon monkey—the entire process both handsome and domineering.

The demon monkey was briefly suppressed by the nine swords. After being knocked flying once more, it performed an ear-scratching gesture.

"Cut!"

Stephen Chow called for a pause, asking the prop team to hand Ruan Hengyu and Zhang Yang a Ruyi Jingu Bang and a long sword respectively, and filming resumed.

Next came the newly added scenes. Geng Xingyu, hanging on a wire, leaped into the air and swung his staff down toward Zhang Yang. The actor playing Prince Empty combined the nine swords into one in his hand and flew upward. The two engaged in close-quarters combat in mid-air, featuring over a minute of hand-to-hand fight choreography.

Zhang Yang wielded his long sword against Geng Xingyu's staff. The entire series of choreographed moves came entirely from Zhang Yang himself. For someone who had mastered the Emptiness Sword Technique and the Taizu Coiled Dragon Staff, this was merely a piece of cake—every single move ferocious yet losing neither aesthetic appeal nor difficulty.

"I heard from Deng Chao that A-Yang's mastery of martial arts choreography is extremely strong. It really lives up to its reputation." Shu Qi was chatting with Huang Bo and the others, unable to help but voice her admiration.

In mid-air, after a round of exchange, Zhang Yang sent Geng Xingyu flying with a single punch.

Following that were more CGI-heavy sequences. The demon monkey used its staff to forcefully resist a giant flying sword, approached Prince Empty, and smiled benignly: "Not bad. Did you have a lot of fun playing today?"

It was evident that the demon monkey had simply been holding back earlier, purely playing along to toy with Prince Empty.

Prince Empty's complexion at this moment was several shades paler than usual, and his smile was strained: "Ah, yes, yes, yes. It was just for fun, and I had a lot of fun too. Well, I'll take my leave now, oh~"

Zhang Yang turned around to make a gesture of fleeing, at which Geng Xingyu let out a roar.

"Cut, that's a wrap!"

Stephen Chow called out.

Once the actors finished their scenes, he took the lead in applauding: "Congratulations to Young Yang on wrapping up."

That evening, Stephen Chow generously treated the entire crew to a meal at a nearby agritourism restaurant to celebrate Zhang Yang finishing his scenes.

The next day, after Zhang Yang and his small team finished their buffet breakfast, they arrived at the *Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons* set once again.

Although his role had wrapped, Zhang Yang had no intention of leaving the crew immediately. Instead, he chose to stay under the pretext of studying, not to mention he also held the identity of a screenwriter.

"I have private business to attend to today. You stay on the set and study hard. I've already greeted Master Xing, Brother Bo, and the others; they'll look after you. If anything comes up, you can also consult Sister Mo Wan."

After giving a serious reminder to Naza, Zhang Yang called for his driver, Brother Liu, preparing to head out.

"What private business could you possibly have that you can't take me along?" The grievance in Naza's eyes was practically overflowing.

Having stayed by Zhang Yang's side for nearly two months, today was the first time they were going to be separated, and she felt utterly uncomfortable all over.

"I'm heading back to my own home in Hangzhou. It wouldn't be convenient for you to tag along." Amusement danced in Zhang Yang's eyes.

Naza desperately wanted to retort: "What's inconvenient about it?"

However, Mo Wan and the others were right there, and they might whisper something to Amy Chang behind her back. Deciding she had better put on an act, she waved her hand dismissively as if losing interest: "Fine, whatever. Just bring me back some good food when you return."

"Alright, I'll make sure you're satisfied," Zhang Yang promised readily.

Based on his experience, Naza was now completely ripe for a full home run.

However, she was a hopeless romantic prone to wearing her heart on her sleeve. With Liu Yifei previously on the set, and considering his upcoming entry into the cast of *Xuan-Yuan Sword*, he decided not to rush into anything just yet.

Let's treat this as a deep, lingering game of push and pull.

"Brother Liu, let's go." Zhang Yang summoned the driver Liu Guoqiang and set off.

A few hours later, the car drove into a high-end apartment complex in the Binjiang district of Hangzhou.

This was a large flat left to Zhang Yang by his parents when they divorced. For now, it was only worth a few million, but after the G20 summit, its value would skyrocket into the tens of millions.

"Brother Liu, if you don't have anything urgent, you can go tour the West Lake, or find a nearby teahouse or cafe to sit in. I have some family matters to take care of, and it's not convenient to host you as a guest at my home today." Sending Liu Guoqiang away, Zhang Yang went inside, took a shower, changed into an all-black outfit, put on a face mask and a duck-billed cap, packed photography equipment worth tens of thousands, and drove to his next destination.

[Time: May 9, 2011, 13:24]
[Location: Zone XX inside the Xixi Creative Industry Park, Hangzhou]
[Guide: (Pending Unlock / 1 Character Point)]

"This place, this exact time—it definitely has to be that incident."

"I wonder who on earth is actually in the wrong."

"Perhaps I can get some juicy dirt on Da Mi Mi putting on diva airs?"

"Or maybe, some scandalous dirt on that Taiwanese director throwing a ridiculous tantrum?"