Chapter 98: Steven Learns the Truth

Xiao Lu glanced at Hannah, then at Cameron, before finally speaking slowly, “Mr. Steven, have you ever considered that Dolly’s real target isn’t the film itself?”

“Not the film itself? Then why invest in it? Could it be a front for money laundering?” Steven, being quite experienced, immediately thought of many possibilities.

Xiao Lu shook his head, but his expression made it clear to Steven that he already understood everything going on.

Steven looked around and said to his old friend, “Cameron, could you take this police officer outside for a walk and discuss the possible police roles we might need for our next film?”

Cameron rolled his eyes at Steven. “Your next film? You don’t even know where that’s going to be. How am I supposed to come up with a police role for you?”

But for the sake of friendship, Cameron still took Hannah downstairs.

At that moment, Xiao Lu shouted, “Don’t go down there! Watch out, Prince Crash is about to crash again!”

“It’s not me who’s crashing!” Cameron yelled back, clearly in a bad mood.

After Cameron and Hannah left, Steven finally said, “Do you know something?”

“Have you heard of an organization in Xinxiang called the Holy Blood Council?”

“I’ve heard of it. It seems to be a group of wealthy people, kind of like a fraternity.”

“No, that’s just the surface. They pursue extraordinary abilities and immortality. They have a certain method...”

Xiao Lu briefly explained the Holy Blood Council to Steven. Upon hearing this, Steven’s face twitched involuntarily.

“So, you’re saying I was completely off track from the start. The investor’s idea was to hype up that Native American figure?”

“The Native American in their family’s antiques.”

“And I added a love story, which diluted the heroic presence of that Native American.”

“That’s not entirely true. The possibility of extracting bloodline power might be linked to love, and everyone’s attention was focused on the woman behind the Native American hero. His efforts were all in vain.”

Hearing this, Steven began to understand the cause and effect. He wasn’t angry about someone poisoning him; instead, his thoughts shifted elsewhere.

“Do they really gain extraordinary abilities by doing this?”

“There are successful cases, but good things aren’t easy to find, and they’re consumable. Many people in Xinxiang are watching closely; even if they want to snatch it, they can’t. Dolly thinking of using a film to enhance a useless prop in his hands is actually quite clever.”

“But clever or not, he can’t use my reputation for this!” Steven looked dissatisfied. “When things went wrong, he even tried to get rid of me. Who gave him that kind of courage? No way. You know the ins and outs here, help me get rid of him.”

Xiao Lu was a bit surprised to hear such words from a famous director, sounding almost like a gangster.

“What, you don’t believe I’d say that? Sitting firmly in the director’s chair wasn’t just about talk; it was a step-by-step fight. I’ve seen all kinds of things. Now that you know what’s going on and came to me, it’s not out of mere curiosity. If you’re willing to help me get rid of this trouble, I’ll owe you a favor.”

Xiao Lu glanced at Steven and, unexpectedly, smiled happily. After Steven made his request, a mission popped up.

“Interesting.”

Looking at the mission details, it was exactly what Xiao Lu had guessed. The condition to complete it was simple: just deal with Dolly. Whether Xiao Lu eliminated Dolly, pressured him to withdraw, or used other means, as long as Dolly retreated, it would count.

The reward was the same regardless—100 experience points. It was clear the system didn’t enforce how the mission had to be completed.

After accepting the mission, Xiao Lu looked at Steven more favorably. He patted his chest and said, “No problem, I’ll help you sort this out.”

“That’s good. By the way, could you call Cameron back? I want to talk to him about the crew. I think I’m fine now. I want to finish the film first.”

“You’re still going to shoot?”

“Yes. Now I know what’s really going on. Who the hero is will be decided by me. I’m not young anymore; I need to consider my childhood dreams.”

“What was your childhood dream?”

“To be a man with a chest like the captain of the lighthouse team.”

“Another superhero, huh? But I don’t think you’ve ever made a movie like that.”

“If you like a certain actress, would you make a film about being with her and release it?”

“That’d be more like an adult film.”

“Whether it’s a blockbuster or a little film, some dreams can be shared, and some can’t. Like when I was a kid, I thought I had an elephant’s trunk—obviously, something like that can’t be in a movie, right?”

“So, are you planning to reshoot this film?”

“No need. As a director, knowing how to edit is enough,” Steven said confidently. “Just watch closely. By the way, besides the legendary item Dolly’s after, what other legendary things are there?”

Seeing Steven like this, Xiao Lu knew there was no reasoning with him. This was another person obsessed with becoming a superhero. The Holy Blood Council had grown so large in Xinxiang for two reasons: the wealth in the area, and the council’s ability to turn rich people’s money into extraordinary powers.

So anyone with some money who heard about this would consider joining the council, causing it to grow beyond the original founders’ imagination.

Steven was no different. Xiao Lu couldn’t just tell him to stop. In a couple of years, when spiritual energy revives, what kind of extraordinary powers won’t be available?

In the end, he could only chuckle. “I don’t know for sure. Everyone’s situation is different. Except for a few special members, most in the Holy Blood Council are gambling on luck. Dolly is probably the same. I don’t know his rank, but one thing’s certain: he gambled once, and then had to choose the Native American hero as his path.”

“Makes sense. Let me think... maybe I should make a superhero movie and use the legendary props from it?”

Xiao Lu blinked and couldn’t help but sigh, “Not a bad idea.”