Chapter 23: Three Ten-Pull Draws

"Disposable Magic Acting Patch, Height Pill, Random Dialect Skill Book, Bad Habit Oral Granules, Beauty Pill, Healing Pill, Voice-Changing Chewing Gum, 'The Little Prince' Novel Gift Pack, 'Blue and White Porcelain' Song Gift Pack."

The turntable had landed on some pretty good items this time!

Thanks to the internet frenzy surrounding "No More Bets," Cheng Cheng had accumulated over 30,000 points, which he immediately spent on three ten-pulls.

The prizes received were as follows:
Energy Pill x14, Disposable Magic Acting Patch x3, Height Pill x1, Random Dialect Skill Book, Bad Habit Oral Liquid, Voice-Changing Chewing Gum, Acting Experience Book x2, Singing Experience Book x1, Magic Eye Drops x1, "Tante" Song Gift Pack, "Risen Wind" Song Gift Pack, "Eating Noodles" Skit Gift Pack, "Gintama Season 1" Manga Gift Pack, "The Little Prince" Novel Gift Pack.

Although he didn't draw a new movie, the results were excellent. The "Gintama Season 1" gift pack was definitely a treasure, and "The Little Prince" was a heavyweight—it wasn't a global bestseller for nothing.

"Risen Wind" and "Tante" were also "divine songs" that could cause a sensation once released.

"Eating Noodles" was a bit lackluster; it had appeared in the early years of the skit format in his previous life and could be considered a pioneering masterpiece, but in this current timeline, which followed the same developmental trajectory, it no longer fit the era.

Then there was the Magic Acting Patch, which could be used on himself or others to briefly boost acting skills—a sharp weapon he would definitely need for his upcoming film.

After using the Random Dialect Skill Book, Cheng Cheng drew the Cangshan dialect, a dialect from the northern Shaanxi region of his past life, which might come in handy for future films.

The Bad Habit Oral Liquid was a godsend; it could eliminate a specified bad habit, such as staying up late, smacking one's lips, or crossing one's legs. Cheng Cheng used it to fix his subconscious tendency to slouch, which improved his posture and made him stand as tall and upright as a ballet dancer.

The Voice-Changing Chewing Gum, as the name suggests, allowed the user to alter their voice to sound like an elderly person, a woman, a man, a child, an infant, a petite girl, or a middle-aged man. It was the ultimate tool for online dating, though unfortunately, it only lasted for one hour.

After using the Height Pill, Acting Experience Books, and Singing Experience Book, his personal profile updated to the following:

[Host: Cheng Cheng.
Points: 3986
Age: 21
Height: 186cm
Weight: 72kg
Appearance: 91 points.
Singing: 77 points.
Acting: 75 points.
Dance: 87 points.
Skills: Beginner Taekwondo, Beginner Driving, Beginner Cangshan Dialect, Beginner English, Beginner Japanese, Beginner French, Beginner Lu Cuisine, Beginner Skateboard, Beginner Parkour, Beginner Mental Arithmetic, Beginner Eidetic Memory, Beginner Acupuncture, Beginner Magic.
Inventory: Energy Pill x102, Disposable Magic Acting Patch x3, Magic Eye Drops x5, Luck Potion, Inedia Pill x8, Voice-Changing Chewing Gum, Disposable Mind-Reading Magic Book, Hair Dyeing Pill x1, Weight-Loss-Free Food Pill x5, Acne Eraser Pill, Body Feature Fine-Tuning Pill, Danger Perception Amulet, Peace of Mind Tea x10, Charisma Instant Lipstick, Terminal Patient Simulation Patch x1]

His acting skill had now reached 75 points, not far from his small goal of 85. Cheng Cheng estimated that Wang Chuanjun from his past life was likely around 85, while Jin Chen, Darren Wang, Zhou Ye, and Zhang Yixing from the film crew were slightly lower, between 60 and 80.

Beyond these stats, the cultural works Cheng Cheng currently possessed, after filtering for future utility, included:
"A Little Thing Called First Love" Gift Pack, "Restarting Life" Gift Pack, "The Glory Part 1" Gift Pack, "The Rap of China" Gift Pack, "Who's the Murderer" Gift Pack, "Desolate Land" Gift Pack, "Jingwei" Gift Pack, "White Moonlight and Vermilion Mole" Gift Pack, "The Three-Body Problem Part 1" Gift Pack, "Wukong Biography" Gift Pack, "Selling Crutches" Gift Pack, Gao Cen's "Handan Youth Journey," Ouyang Xiu's "Account of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion," "Tante" Gift Pack, "Risen Wind" Gift Pack, "Gintama Season 1" Manga Gift Pack, and "The Little Prince" Novel Gift Pack.

He subconsciously discarded works like "Chong Zi," "Start Now," and "First Encounter Photo Studio," though the "Chong Zi" gift pack did contain the original novel, which could be useful later.

In short, he had plenty of works. The next step was to film "No More Bets" as well as possible, recoup the funds, build up the company, and expand his reach.

The next day, Cheng Cheng and the crew met at the airport.
Na Liquan whispered, "Why does it feel like Director Cheng looks even more handsome after just one day?"
Xiao Du replied, "Don't say it, I feel it too. He seems even more upright..."

Upon arriving in Fuhai City, Yuanxing Province, Cheng Cheng met "Haven't Done It in a Long Time" at the airport.
He was wearing a police uniform, looked to be in his thirties or forties, with a resolute face and upright posture, followed by several subordinates.
Judging by his appearance, it was hard to tell he was a "little hater" whose online handle was "Haven't Done It in a Long Time."

Cheng Cheng stepped forward to shake his hand, saying happily, "You must be 'Haven't Done It—'"
"Ah! I am... Hao Jiumei..." the man was startled and quickly interrupted, then turned to his subordinates, explaining sheepishly, "Hao Jiumei is my screen name. 'Hao' for good, 'Jiu' for September, 'Mei' for plum blossom; it means 'what a fine plum blossom in September.' I like meaningful screen names!"

His subordinates chimed in with praise.
"Great name!"
"Brother Tang has such a positive image online."

"Haven't Done It in a Long Time" extended his hand, looking at Cheng Cheng.
"Let me introduce myself formally. My name is Tang Biao, from the Publicity Department of the Fuhai Public Security Bureau."
"Nice to meet you, Brother Tang!" Cheng Cheng said, trying to build rapport, then introduced his crew: "This is our film crew. This is Island Guide, our director; this is Director Du, the manager of our crew; this is Director Liu, in charge of location scouting..."

After the introductions, Tang Biao said, "Let's talk as we walk. I've submitted your ideas, and the leadership is very optimistic. Since we haven't seen the specific script yet, do you want to head back to the hotel to settle in, or come straight to the bureau with me?"
Cheng Cheng replied, "Time waits for no one. Let's go straight to the bureau."

Cheng Cheng turned back and informed the crew. He, Na Liquan, Xiao Du, and Beret Cap went to the bureau, while the others returned to the pre-booked hotel.
Tang Biao asked, "Brother Frog, are you prepared? Did you bring the script?"
Cheng Cheng took this collaboration seriously and said, "Don't worry, Brother Tang, everything is ready. No problem at all."
Tang Biao replied, "That's good. Come, get in the car."

Once in the car, Cheng Cheng said, "Brother Tang, thank you so much for this. If you hadn't built this bridge for me, I wouldn't have found a way in."
Tang Biao said, "I just helped where I could. You know, I'm in the Publicity Department, and I've long been disgusted by certain phenomena but couldn't do anything about them. You did a great job, and even I admire you. Brother Frog, don't be nervous when we get to the bureau; I've got your back."

Cheng Cheng smiled sincerely and said, "Thank you, Brother Tang."
This reminded him of a poem:
*Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead,*
*For the whole world is full of 'little haters'.*
The "little haters" were a precious treasure left to him by the original host!