I Become The Richest Man With A monthly Salary of Twenty Thousand Yuan-Chapter 704 - 488: Acceptance_2

"Hehe... that’s true..." Tao Jing scratched his head sheepishly. Taking the bank card, he still felt like he was in a daze. Were his months of worry really resolved just like that? And had his idol inexplicably become his master?

Am I dreaming? Tao Jing thought.

Suddenly, Xia Liang thumped him on the head.

"Ouch!" Tao Jing cried out, clutching his head. "Master, why did you hit me?"

"I was proving that you aren’t dreaming," Xia Liang said with a smile. He had, of course, heard Tao Jing’s inner thought.

"Master! Your Mind Reading Technique is truly as legendary as they say! Can you tell me the secret?" Tao Jing became animated whenever magic was mentioned, a complete departure from his usual shy and introverted demeanor.

"Alright, alright. Go take care of your mother’s situation first. I’ll teach you my skills sooner or later, so what’s the rush?"

"I understand. In that case, Master, can I go pay for my mother’s surgery first and then come back to find you?" Tao Jing asked with some trepidation. After all, he had just taken five hundred thousand from Xia Liang. If he just walked away, wouldn’t Xia Liang be worried?

"Then you should hurry. Here’s my phone number. Call me after you’ve handled your personal matters," Xia Liang said.

"So, I can go now?"

"Go on. What are you still standing here for?"

Seeing that Xia Liang showed no signs of distrust, Tao Jing couldn’t help but ask, "Master... you... you aren’t worried that I’ll take this money and disappear?"

"I trust my judgment of people. Hurry along now, don’t delay your mother’s surgery."

Xia Liang truly did trust Tao Jing. He had used his Mind Reading Technique to hear the young man’s sincere thoughts. Besides, it was only five hundred thousand. If Tao Jing really did run off with the money, Xia Liang wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Deeply moved by Xia Liang’s words, Tao Jing made a secret vow. I will follow Master Xia faithfully from now on, he decided. I’ll do anything to repay this kindness.

「...」

After parting with Tao Jing, it was nearly time for Xia Liang’s scheduled meeting with the film crew. He headed toward the Qingyun Grand Hotel, which was only a short walk away.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Shi Yan.

"Hello, Boss, have you arrived? I’m already at the Qingyun Grand Hotel!"

"I’ll be there in a moment, wait for me."

"Okay, I’ll wait for you at the entrance."

"Alright."

Xia Liang arrived at the entrance of the Qingyun Grand Hotel and met Shi Yan. Since he didn’t have a secretary, Shi Yan, in her capacity as Qingyun City’s Training Director, was naturally filling the role. Accompanied by her, Xia Liang entered a VIP room and met the director and main producers of the Great Magician Drama Troupe.

"Hello, Master Xia. Hello, Miss Shi. I am Cao Yi, the director of *Magician Thief*."

Cao Yi was a supremely talented director from Dragon Country, known for his string of box office hits.

"Hello," Shi Yan said with an elegant smile.

"Hello, Director. There’s no need to call me Master. Xia Liang is fine," Xia Liang said, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"No, no, Master Xia, I know of both your magic and divination, and I’ve had the good fortune to witness them. They are truly extraordinary! You could say I’m a fan of yours...

"That title of Master is certainly well-deserved."

"I’m flattered that a great director like you is a fan of mine. What a pleasant surprise!" Xia Liang replied humbly.

"Master Xia, you’re a highly sought-after magician right now! There’s no need for surprise. You’re being far too modest!"

"Director, please, just call me by my name. Hearing ’Master’ feels very awkward." After all, Cao Yi is quite a bit older than me. It felt fine to be called Master when I was acting as a Diviner, but now... it just feels awkward, like he’s calling me an old man.

"Alright then... Boss Xia," Cao Yi conceded with a cough. Although Xia Liang didn’t seem to care, he did, not daring to be overly casual. "Today, I wanted to discuss a potential collaboration with you."

After the pleasantries, it was time to get down to business.

"What exactly did you have in mind for me, Director?"

"Before meeting you in person, I was hoping to have you serve as our magic consultant and play a supporting role as a magician. But now that I’ve seen you, I feel you perfectly fit the image of the male lead I had in mind. Do you have any acting experience?"

The male lead for the film had not yet been cast. The character was described as a "talented young man," meaning he needed to be both handsome and skilled. While there was no shortage of handsome actors in the entertainment industry, very few could give off an immediate impression of being talented. Talent is an intrinsic quality; if you don’t display it, no one knows you have it. Simply put, the role required charisma.

Very few actors met Cao Yi’s standards. The ones he had his eye on, like Liang Wei and Liu Hua, were unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. Xia Liang, by contrast, had a powerful presence. A single glance was enough to convince someone he was an immensely talented individual. Combined with his handsome features, his humility, and the grace in his every move...

He was the perfect candidate for the leading role in Cao Yi’s mind.

Xia Liang was about to refuse—a supporting role was one thing, but a lead role was too much trouble. However, the System’s voice suddenly rang out, announcing that he had triggered a hidden quest. Seeing the reward of a hefty 100 Work Points, Xia Liang hesitated.

It’s not that I’m weak-willed, he thought, the System is just offering too much!

"As for acting, I have actually studied it for a while," Xia Liang said with a smile.

Hearing this, Cao Yi’s eyebrows shot up. "Oh? That’s wonderful! Would you be willing to perform a short piece for us right now?"

His words were a clear invitation for Xia Liang to audition on the spot.

"Of course. What would you like me to perform?"

"Let’s do this scene." Cao Yi took out the script and flipped to a scene featuring the male lead.

Xia Liang took the script and browsed the page. It was an emotional scene where the male lead confesses his true feelings to the female lead. Xia Liang raised an eyebrow. This seemed easy enough; he wouldn’t even need to exchange for a professional skill.

"Miss Shi, would you mind playing the female lead and running the scene with Boss Xia?" Cao Yi asked with a smile.

"Of course," Shi Yan replied, her interest piqued. She nodded and picked up a copy of the script to look over it.

"So, are you both ready?" Cao Yi asked, smiling.

"Yes, ready."

"Ready."

"Then let’s begin."

Shi Yan stood cooperatively opposite Xia Liang, their eyes meeting. She was genuinely curious about his acting ability.

This young boss has given me too many surprises. He seems to love trying new things, and he turns every profession he touches into an art form. He made a name for himself as a deliveryman. As a Diviner, a practice often seen as little more than a charlatan’s trick, he took the entire city by storm, earning the admiration and awe of countless people. Now he’s a magician, and his performance today was simply breathtaking. It seems like my boss can succeed at anything he puts his mind to, like some kind of decathlete. Now he’s delving into the entertainment industry... I wonder what his acting is like.

While she was lost in thought, Xia Liang slowly walked toward her.

He gazed at her with profound affection, as if she were truly his childhood sweetheart. His stare was so fervent it made her heart skip a beat.

"Have you fallen in love with him?" Xia Liang’s tone was perfect—level, yet tinged with a hint of doubt and heartache that lent the performance a powerful emotional depth.

Indeed, voice and intonation are crucial in acting. If an actor’s performance is impeccable but their voice doesn’t match the character they are portraying, the overall effect is greatly diminished.