Brother Dao Took the Entertainment Industry by Storm, Fans Beg Me Not to Kill Anymore-Chapter 451: Shield Curtain’s Cooperation Invitation

In the early morning, Xiao He returned to the hotel reeking of alcohol.

Liu Rulan had already arranged for Xiao Chen to be on standby. Once she learned Xiao He had come back safely, she immediately told Xiao Chen to bring over the hangover soup she had prepared in advance.

Xiao He didn't refuse, downing it in one go, then offered a thanks.

He was no longer draped in that black trench coat; he wore only a white shirt and a black suit vest. After finishing the hangover soup, he casually yanked his tie loose and tossed it onto the sofa, then lounged back with a lazy posture.

Right now, Xiao He had completely lost the on-camera "mafia overlord" aura. He was just a motionless salted fish deprived of energy.

"How's it over on your end?" Liu Rulan asked, "The online discussion about you is unprecedentedly huge. Our red carpet wardrobe choice really paid off, the internet's full of praise."

Once the entertainment reporters on site photographed Xiao He, they barely hesitated before sending the frontline photos and updates back home.

Although there were broadcasts of the Cannes scene back in China, live-stream footage could never match the impact of on-the-spot photographs.

Even though it was already two or three in the morning back home, the moment those photos were transmitted and uploaded, a wave of night owls exploded online.

In the photos, Xiao He exuded full gangster-boss energy, practically a walking dangerous weapon among the crowd. The trench coat, paired with an Eastern-style cane and rings, allowed him to fuse Western and Eastern dark aesthetics—equal parts reckless suit-clad thug and proud Eastern tycoon—naturally fitting the role of the admired villain.

The photos were incredibly complete, not due to superior camera skills, but because from any angle Xiao He was the most dazzling figure in the crowd. The instant he entered the frame, the surrounding people blurred out, drawing all attention to him.

So almost the moment the pictures appeared, they became wallpapers on countless phones and computers.

[I thought the racing outfit from before was already handsome, but Xiao He has somehow reached a new level today.]

[I lick lick lick lick lick.]

[No lie, Xiao He is seriously so handsome, totally explosive!]

[I thought Xiao He would show up again in his usual black suit and just go through the motions, but I didn’t expect him to pull this off today.]

[Haha, remember when a few fashion bloggers did their red carpet roundup and skipped Xiao He? I almost thought he was about to give up on fashion.]

[Is Xiao He really this handsome? In my mind he was still the big-bad who carries a knife.]

[Damn, isn’t this handsome? When he wore that plaid shirt I already thought he was full of charm, now as a gangster boss I’m even more smitten, okay?]

[Up there, are you sure you weren’t just terrified when you saw him, adrenaline surging and your heart racing?]

[Ahem, same idea—every time I see Xiao He I feel breathlessly handsome, it’s truly mesmerizing.]

[Diagnosed with arrhythmia, recommend seeing a doctor.]

[Xiao He was already being labeled on foreign sites as a gangster crown prince. With this outfit, that label might stick for real, hahaha...]

[I used to prefer long trench coats, but Xiao He's mid-length coat here shocked me—I need to buy one too!]

[Side note: Xiao He's coat is a special series by designer G, probably custom. I don’t know the exact price, but a similar showpiece was $20,000.]

[Holy crap, a trench coat worth over a hundred thousand? Are you serious? Tears stream from the child's mouth.]

[Fun fact: this coat doesn't suit just anyone. It really emphasizes body shape; if you're not confident in your figure, don't try it.]

[Okay, thanks, calm down immediately.]

The uproar wasn't limited to home; abroad it was even louder. Clips of Xiao He's Cannes appearance flooded foreign short-video platforms. With official traffic support, nearly every short video of his entrance became a hit. Foreign netizens repeatedly watched and expressed their ardent admiration for Xiao He.

Thanks to Xiao He's sudden fame, the upcoming film No Bait also entered many people's radar.

It's no exaggeration to say that because of Xiao He's red carpet explosion, No Bait's future overseas box office would likely surge by several points.

This red carpet was undeniably a massive success.

But Xiao He and Liu Rulan weren't focused on that right now.

"So Shield Curtain suddenly invited you to collaborate, to play their role?" Liu Rulan flinched.

"And it's one of their hottest Eastern fairy-tale IPs. Supposedly they'd offer me the male lead, with a generous fee."

Liu Rulan frowned. "If I remember correctly, they were planning to cast an actor from Japan before?"

She smelled a conspiracy.

Shield Curtain never cooperated with China actors.

Why break their rule this time?

Xiao He shrugged. "I don't know. But something about it feels off."

Besides, they were so embroiled with Han Jae-woo—first Han Jae-woo worked with Shield Curtain on Twelve Sins, and now Shield Curtain might cast another film's male lead with us. It all felt like needle against needle.

Of course, to people in the business world, friction between actors was child’s play, not worth caring about.

So they probably didn't care about Xiao He's or Han Jae-woo's feelings at all.

"Are you interested?" Liu Rulan continued.

Xiao He shrugged, unmoved. "Do these people still have any credibility left after all these years?"

"Also, foreigners making a film about an ancient Eastern country—what's that going to be? Can they even capture our historical depth?"

From what Xiao He knew, recent imported Eastern series weren't any good. Coupled with messy cultural correctness... he'd rather run away.

"That's true—" Liu Rulan started, then stopped, "So did you refuse?"

"I didn't exactly refuse outright, but my attitude was pretty close to that."

Liu Rulan looked at Xiao He with a complicated expression. "Shield Curtain is a well-known Hollywood production capital. They always have ties with Cannes juries. If you accept their invitation, it would mean support from that capital. You might actually clinch Best Actor this year."

Although international awards are prestigious with significant worth both at home and abroad, and their reputation and fairness are relatively good, they had to admit that anything judged by people inevitably carries bias.

Unfortunately, their insiders have rarely been favored in international award selections, so bias against them naturally exists less.

Even though No Bait was excellent and Xiao He's acting was strong, no one could ignore reality and claim a feel-good sweep to Best Actor would happen easily.

Aside from the other two awards, Cannes itself tends to lean commercial, favoring star power and mainstream Hollywood commercial films. In other words, No Bait and Xiao He actually matched Cannes’ tendencies, making this Xiao He's best shot at Best Actor.

If they could use this opportunity to get closer to Shield Curtain, and work Tanis Director's circle a bit more—if they spent some effort socializing—there might be a chance— 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"I don't care."

Xiao He stared at Liu Rulan with dark, calm eyes.

He had never entered the circle to bend over backwards for an award.