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Borui Club was one of the Li family's businesses in the Capital City. It had originally been established primarily to train and cultivate security personnel and bodyguards. The club featured a gym, swimming pool, combat training hall, indoor shooting range, and other facilities, all equipped to a first-class standard.
Most of the club's coaches and staff were military veterans. Besides meeting the Li family's own security needs, the trained personnel also took on outside assignments. As a result, there were usually quite a few people stationed at the club.
Last year, when Li Mushi brought Lu Chen to Borui Club for the first time, the unique environment and atmosphere inspired an idea in him, one that he immediately put into action.
He decided to recruit a team at Borui Club and train them according to his own vision.
This team was not intended to serve as Lu Chen's personal bodyguards. He neither needed nor wanted that kind of entourage.
Rather, they were being trained to film wuxia and action movies.
The wuxia action films Lu Chen envisioned came from the memories of the Dream World. In that dream world, countless brilliant and classic wuxia and action films had appeared both domestically and internationally. They were treasures capable of stirring the blood and igniting the spirit.
Lu Chen's grand IP strategy was closely tied to those memories.
The problem was that while he could recreate those classics, and while all the other necessary conditions existed in reality, one crucial element was lacking: suitable wuxia action actors.
In Lu Chen's world, wuxia films had once appeared in both Hong Kong and mainland China, but they had been short-lived. Like flowers that bloomed briefly and vanished, they never made much impact before fading away. The current trend was fantasy and xuanhuan dramas filled with dazzling special effects.
As for action films, their situation was somewhat better than that of wuxia movies, but they still occupied a niche market. In today's domestic and international film industries, adaptations of popular novels, superhero movies, science fiction films, and fantasy blockbusters dominate the mainstream.
The market share commanded by those genres was enormous. A single blockbuster could easily generate billions, or even tens of billions, at the box office. Competition was naturally fierce, and most of the market was divided among industry giants.
Therefore, if Lu Chen wanted a share of the film market while maintaining control of his own destiny, he had to take a different path.
Choosing Hong Kong as his starting point was one strategic move.
Using Borui Club to train personnel was another piece of long-term planning.
The team consisted of twelve members in total. Lu Chen personally covered all of their salaries and training expenses. After a full year of preparation, the time had finally come to put them to work.
This was Lu Chen's very own "Lu Family Squad."
Lu Chen had not expected Li Mushi to bring up the subject. Curious, he asked,
"How did you know?"
"Don't take me for an idiot."
Li Mushi shot him a glare.
"I may not understand the entertainment business, but even I know you're not spending all that money supporting this team just for fun. Now that you've gone to Hong Kong to make movies, they're obviously going over there to help, aren't they?"
Lu Chen was impressed.
"That's right. My first movie in Hong Kong is about to start filming, and they're absolutely indispensable."
Li Mushi nodded.
"Actually, everyone figured it out a long time ago. If you didn't say anything soon, they'd start getting restless. People who come out of the military aren't the type who enjoy getting paid for doing nothing."
She paused before continuing:
"Since you've given them this opportunity, treat them well and don't disappoint them."
"They'll repay you with hard work and loyalty."
The last few sentences were spoken with unusual seriousness.
Lu Chen's expression also became solemn.
"Don't worry. I won't let the people who follow me down."
Those weren't empty words.
Ever since experiencing that extraordinary dream and embarking on his journey into the entertainment industry, no one who had trusted him and followed him had ever been disappointed.
The Lu Family Squad was something he had built with tremendous effort and expense.
He valued it even more than Li Mushi did.
"Good."
Li Mushi smiled.
"I believe your promise. Actually, quite a few people want to join you. Wan Yong wants to get into movies too. He's asked me about it several times already."
Wan Yong was Borui Club's combat and fighting instructor. Thirty-five years old this year, he had spent ten years in the military and had once won a championship in an army martial arts competition. As a result, he enjoyed Li Mushi's great trust and confidence.
Within Borui Club, Wan Yong was unquestionably one of its pillars.
The fact that Li Mushi was willing to let him leave surprised Lu Chen.
"You can bear to part with him?"
Li Mushi replied,
"There's nothing I can't part with. The important thing is that he wants to do it. When I hired him, I promised that whether he stayed or left would be entirely his own choice. Naturally, I can't go back on my word."
Lu Chen thought for a moment before saying,
"Alright. I'll talk to him again. If he's willing to come help me, that would be ideal."
Given Wan Yong's abilities and authority within the club, having him oversee the training and management of the Lu Family Squad would undoubtedly be the best arrangement possible. It would also save Lu Chen an enormous amount of trouble.
Furthermore, Wan Yong's fighting skills and appearance were actually quite suitable for wuxia and action films.
He could even play a leading role.
Just not the heroic kind.
He was perfect for playing the main villain.
Thinking of this, Lu Chen couldn't help but smile knowingly.
He wondered what kind of expression Wan Yong would have when he learned about his plans.
Would he be delighted, or depressed?
Li Mushi eyed him suspiciously.
"That smile of yours looks pretty evil. What bad idea are you cooking up now?"
Lu Chen coughed lightly and stood up.
"Let's leave it at that for now. I'm going to find Brother Yong."
Li Mushi immediately became displeased.
"Why the rush? Let's have a simple dinner together tonight."
Lu Chen sighed regretfully.
"Tonight's impossible. I already have plans. How about I treat you to dinner tomorrow night instead?"
Li Mushi raised an eyebrow.
"With your sister?"
Lu Chen immediately put on an apologetic expression.
"Oh, right! I just remembered I have a dinner appointment tomorrow night too. I'll get in touch another day!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly made his escape.
That guy...
Watching his retreating figure, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Mushi's lips.
Lu Chen found Wan Yong in the combat training hall.
After explaining why he had come, Wan Yong agreed almost without a second thought and appeared genuinely delighted.
Lu Chen quickly added,
"Don't celebrate too soon. In the movies I make in the future, I may need you to play villain roles. Are you willing to do that?"
Actually, it wouldn't matter much if Wan Yong refused. Lu Chen could always find another actor with the right physical presence and train him accordingly.
Still, Wan Yong was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate Lu Chen could find at the moment.
Upon hearing this, Wan Yong hesitated for only a few seconds before replying decisively,
"No problem. A villain is a villain!"
Lu Chen couldn't help being curious.
"Brother Yong, why do you want to make movies with me?"
Most people wanted to act in films because they hoped to become famous.
But Lu Chen didn't think Wan Yong was the type who cared about fame.
Looking slightly embarrassed, Wan Yong explained,
"I heard making movies pays well. I want to earn more money."
Wan Yong's salary at Borui Club was already quite respectable. However, he had long since settled down in Capital City. His greatest wish was to buy a spacious home there so that the entire family, young and old alike, could live comfortably together.
But everyone knew what housing prices in Capital City were like.
Although Li Mushi valued Wan Yong highly, there was no reason for her to simply give him a house worth several million yuan.
So after learning that Lu Chen was building a team to make films, he had started considering the possibility of joining.
Lu Chen immediately understood.
Smiling, he said,
"So that's the reason. Then trust me, within a few years, you won't just be able to buy a house in Capital City, you'll be able to buy one that you truly like."
That was Lu Chen's promise to him.
(End of Chapter)