Su Lin's phone call was just for show; he could actually solve the funding issue himself.
He had earned quite a bit over the years since his debut.
However, he wasn't good at managing finances, so he entrusted his money to Su Chen for investment.
While Su Chen didn't possess the Midas touch of Lu Yanbei, he hadn't caused Su Lin to lose money. After several years, the amount in his account was easily in the hundreds of millions.
Ten million yuan was truly nothing to him.
Furthermore, this drama was his sister Su He's debut project; as a younger brother, he had to support it even if it meant pouring money into it!
Thus, Su Lin directly sent a message to Su Chen, stating he needed to withdraw twenty million yuan.
Su Chen glanced at the message and hesitated for a moment. "What do you need such a large sum of money for?"
His tone was remarkably like that of an elder in the family.
"I have an urgent need," Su Lin replied.
Su Chen, too lazy to type, called him directly. "Twenty million is not a small amount. I'll need a few days. Tell me honestly, what do you need the money for?"
Su Lin, unable to keep secrets, explained the situation with the film crew.
Su Chen had been swamped with work in Nancheng recently and had no time to pay attention to other matters. It was only recently, from Jiang Xiaoxiao, that he had learned Su He's comic was being adapted into a TV series.
How could so much trouble have arisen in such a short time?
Su Chen couldn't help but frown. "This situation clearly indicates someone is intentionally instigating things behind the scenes!"
"I know who it is," Su Lin said, pursing his lips.
"Who?" Su Chen's gaze suddenly turned cold.
"Isn't it that adopted daughter from the Su family, Su An'an? She's changed her name to Qiao An'an now and somehow managed to latch onto the heir of Yixing Entertainment." Su Lin felt disgusted just mentioning Su An'an.
This woman hadn't just usurped the position of the Su family's daughter for decades without a hint of gratitude, but she had also repeatedly plotted against Su He. Shameless!
"Her again!" Su Chen gritted his teeth upon hearing the name.
"Let's not talk about such a dampener. Hurry up and find a way to transfer the money to me. I need to cover this shortfall." The most pressing issue now was the funding problem; there would be plenty of time to deal with Qiao An'an later.
Su Chen had also calmed down by then. "I'll cover this amount. Keep your money for yourself."
"That won't do!" Su Lin insisted. "This is my sister's drama, and as her brother, I must support it!"
"Didn't you already save her the acting fee? This money should naturally come from me." Su Chen waved his hand grandly, signed a check, and had his secretary deliver it to the film crew.
"Hey, why do you have to fight me for everything!" Su Lin said unhappily. "Are you showing off how rich you are?"
"I am your elder brother. Your affairs are my affairs." Su Chen hung up the phone before Su Lin could retort.
Su Lin was indignant but helpless.
With the money in Su Chen's hands, he had no savings other than his monthly salary.
When his agent, Xu Jing, found him, he was sulking.
Seeing his displeased expression, Xu Jing sighed. "I told you, why are you getting involved in all this, huh? You agreed to a guest appearance out of friendship, which has already caused the company considerable losses, and now you want to dip into your own pocket to fill this hole!"
"You don't understand!" Su Lin grumbled softly. "Growing up, I've always been the one being taken care of. I've never contributed to this family. Now that I finally have an opportunity to step up, of course I want to do well!"
"But you're too generous! Just giving away ten million yuan like that!" Xu Jing rubbed his forehead. "Have you forgotten the sleepless nights and the injuries you endured?"
"That's all your hard-earned money!"
"Compared to my family, all that hardship is nothing." Su Lin, usually so arrogant, was being uncharacteristically sensible.
He was the youngest of the four siblings and had always been looked after by the others. Now that he had the ability to do something for his sister, he would naturally do so without hesitation. "You don't need to persuade me. I know what I'm doing."
Seeing his determined gaze, Xu Jing knew she couldn't sway him. "Take care of yourself then. I can't be bothered with you anymore!"
"Sister Xu!" Su Lin called out behind her. "Thank you!"
"You go ahead and do it! When you're no longer popular, let's see who still cares about you!" Xu Jing said, half-jokingly. Her worries were not unfounded.
New talents emerged in the entertainment industry every year. Many made their mark, but very few managed to remain popular indefinitely.
Su Lin was considered fortunate; he debuted at his peak and retained his fans through his talent, allowing him to maintain his top-tier status for so many years. However, recently, he had been somewhat listless, whether due to weariness or some other reason.
She had actually opposed him taking on this role.
After all, he had no experience in acting.
Although Director Zhang said he was very talented, it was too difficult to deal with the black fans who scrutinized every little thing. With the slightest mistake, he could fall from grace and become ordinary.
She had finally cultivated a superstar and didn't want him to ruin his future over this.
Unfortunately, Su Lin was stubborn; once he made up his mind, even a team of oxen couldn't pull him back. She could only comply. Watching Su Lin pour money into the production without restraint, Xu Jing felt both angry and heartbroken.
But since he was determined to have his way, she couldn't do anything about it. She could only pray that the drama would be successfully aired and achieve high ratings. Otherwise, she genuinely didn't know how she would manage him in the future.
*
News of the withdrawal of investment spread like wildfire within the industry. Other investors also caught wind of it and came to inquire.
Director Zhang was in a frantic state.
Just as he was getting anxious, three people approached him simultaneously, expressing their desire to increase their investment.
"I am the secretary to President Su of Yiteng Technology. Our boss is very optimistic about this drama and has decided to invest twenty million yuan."
"Here is thirty million. Our President Lu said that he would absolutely not let his wife's drama be shelved like this."
The first two were understandable; one was Su He's brother, and the other was Su He's husband. However, the last one left Director Zhang completely bewildered.
A couple sat opposite him, dressed very ordinarily. The woman was impeccably dressed, and her speech was sweet and soft. The man wore a suit, but his hands were calloused, making him appear somewhat dull.
The woman in the qipao spoke, "We don't have much to offer, only these two bags of cash. We hope you won't find it too little."
Director Zhang glanced at the bundles of cash stuffed into the red, white, and blue plastic bags and almost lost his balance.
Were these two bags of money not a lot? It was at least several million!
Of course, this amount was less compared to the other two gentlemen's investments, but the willingness to carry several million in cash to alleviate his urgent need was a kindness he would remember.
"May I ask who the two of you are?" Director Zhang inquired curiously.
Tang Jiaojiao brushed a strand of hair from her ear and said with a sweet smile, "Ah, I forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Tang Jiaojiao, Su He's adoptive mother, and I've been watching Director Zhang's dramas since I was a child!"
Director Zhang's hand, stroking his beard, suddenly froze.