Hey! The Criminal Assistance System Can Even Be Used Like This? 129

The original plan was to shoot before heading to F Country, and they had even set a date. However, during a break, the other party felt the makeup wasn’t right and decided to cancel, believing adjustments were needed.

Now, after spending half a month away, they needed to take the fixed makeup photos. The crew, being quite wealthy, combined the fixed makeup and production photos into one session, which lasted a whole week. It was much simpler than filming, and the whole crew seemed to relax significantly.

In the hectic days prior, they were constantly on the move, so there were more breaks for rest while shooting the fixed makeup photos. Xu Zhizhi’s fixed makeup session was quite intricate, as there were all sorts of profile and frontal shots taken again and again. The poses, props, and backgrounds were also changed up frequently.

In the end, they chose a semi-profile photo that captured an inscrutable gaze, coupled with a sharp smile. Ning Yuehua wore a red dress, vibrant and eye-catching, like a blazing fire burning away all evils. She held a wooden warehouse prop, wearing headphones, her gaze resolutely directed ahead.

Then came the photos for the male lead and important supporting male characters. The quality of the photography was notably impressive. There were also some behind-the-scenes videos of the fixed makeup photo shoots, showcasing a wonderfully positive atmosphere on set.

Yue Nian, being an experienced actor, also took part in the makeup session since he portrayed a police officer, making him a significant supporting character too. Since everyone was relatively familiar with one another, the overall vibe felt very pleasant.

After the production stills were posted online, they garnered widespread praise from fans. However, Xu Zhizhi’s appeared slightly different; many were speculating on Weibo about what might have happened since she joined the crew. Sister Xu always seemed to have something going on when she entered a project.

When Xu Zhizhi saw this, she fell silent, puzzled as to why her fans reacted this way. Feng Jie pulled out her alternate account and quietly liked the popular comment. She didn’t have a fan club; they had planned to create one, but both Yun Ziwei and she felt it would be cumbersome. Plus, once fans formed a group, they might start scrutinizing the actor’s decisions.

In the domestic entertainment industry, such issues weren’t uncommon. Many fans directly interfered with actors’ daily hangouts, or engaged in discussions about drama direction, roles, and studio conflicts. Hence, they decided against forming any fan club from the start to avoid future troubles.

Fortunately, Xu Zhizhi’s fans were quite laid-back. After she made the announcement, it didn’t spark any drama. The results of the fixed makeup photos were, overall, quite good. Everyone was discussing Ning Yuehua’s performance and Xu Zhizhi’s portrayal as a villain, and her popularity spiked instantly.

“Chasing Shadows” concluded by revealing that Jiang Ningfu was orchestrating everything, making sure it was known throughout the internet that Xu Zhizhi was indeed a professional villainess. Discussions flowed like a tidal wave, and as a hit drama, it continued to attract considerable attention.

At the very least, Zhong Man and Zhou Ling, along with Xu Zhizhi and several important supporting characters, all gained increased popularity. In the eyes of the audiences, Xu Zhizhi was subtly gaining a position akin to a budding star.

If she hadn’t primarily played antagonistic roles, she would have been firmly established as a top-tier post-00s flower by now. Endorsements were frequently rolling in, along with various commercial events lined up for her. Looking ahead to the end of the year, she hoped to secure the Best Supporting Actress award at the Chinese Literature Awards.

“Chasing Shadows” was also likely to garner the Best Drama award; as a blockbuster, it was a definite contender for multiple accolades. As for the Best Actress award, Xu Zhizhi held no regrets; every path had to be tread step by step. One day, she believed she would reach the pinnacle of success.

However, before scaling that height, Xu Zhizhi was considering buying a house. Finding a property close to her parents in Beijing City was no easy feat. After paying taxes, she only had 45 million left in hand, which was quite limited when looking around the second and third rings.

There were very few options in the same neighborhood, and most conditions were unsuitable. Besides, while her loan amount was sufficient, going for a full cash payment would be challenging. Primarily, with her fame on the rise, living in an inferior neighborhood could be quite inconvenient and present numerous problems.

Yun Ziwei had even advised her to look for something with greater privacy and a better environment. Old, rundown places were off the table; even if she decided to leave the industry to retire, living in such conditions would be uncomfortable.

Eventually, she could only consider a spacious apartment in the neighborhood next to her parents’ place, but when she calculated the costs, she found herself short by a full 20 million. From being enthusiastically hopeful to disheartened happened in the blink of an eye.

Xu Zhizhi reflected on her rising expectations; previously, she could accept an old rundown place, but now with this money, she found such options unacceptable. People’s mindsets do change!

Xu Zhizhi thought to herself. Even if the house was crafted from concrete bricks, she desired something new and better. Yun Ziwei comforted her, stating that having goals is a good thing.

And so, half a month drifted by. Xu Zhizhi took occasional breaks, but mostly remained busy filming. After Ning Yuehua took her medication regularly, her mental state improved significantly. At the same time, Wang Mingsheng was discharged from the hospital, now officially subjected to mandatory measures.

While those videos were filmed overseas and were indeed secretly recorded, they could still serve as supplementary evidence. Along with some recordings, and the restored V-Chat messages, they provided sufficient proof of the other party’s crimes. Adding to this, there were also allegations of him engaging in **, revealed human trafficking cases leading to death, and tax evasion scandals within the country.

As soon as his case broke, it caused an uproar nationwide. Xu Zhizhi was left speechless upon hearing it; she only knew he was a pervert, but never imagined he was this twisted. However, when she thought more about it, the facts that surfaced weren’t too far-fetched.

A person skilled in luring others to swap organ

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