There's lifespan value!
Xiao He's eyes widened.
Perfect! Finally regained some lifespan!
But what the hell is this Bone-Cleaving Knife Technique? Who needs this kind of thing!
But it was too late - strange knowledge suddenly flooded Xiao He's mind, including but not limited to human and animal anatomy, skeletal structures, joint connections, and knife selection and usage methods...
Xiao He could now confidently say that given any person, dead or alive, he could swiftly reduce them to bare bones. He was terrifyingly skilled now!
Ah, the flesh trembling beneath the knife's edge!
Ah, the bones soaked in crimson blood!
Ah... *cough* Xiao He, stop these horrifying thoughts immediately!
Xiao He closed his eyes, silently repeating: I'm not a psychopath, I'm not a psychopath...
Just then, someone called out from behind.
"Brother Xiao, wait! This is from the director."
Xiao He quickly shook off those disturbing thoughts and turned to see Xiao Song running up, holding out a red envelope.
Xiao He looked surprised: "For me?"
He had specifically told Xiao Song he'd work for free to secure this role. He'd prepared to work two days without pay, never expecting the production team to be this decent..."Yes, our director personally prepared this. He said he really appreciates you saving the production and significantly reducing our working hours," Xiao Song explained with a smile. "Plus, giving lucky red envelopes is industry tradition. Just take it, Brother Xiao."
In this production, Xiao He played a serial killer who got unceremoniously shot by the protagonist in the end. Since he'd essentially played a dead person, it was customary for productions to give such red envelopes as symbolic protection against bad luck.
Xiao He stopped refusing and accepted it.
After bidding Xiao Song farewell, Xiao He pondered his next points while walking away from the set.
Not far from the production area, someone called out to him again.
This time it was director Hou Rongxuan from the neighboring production - the same person who'd mistaken Xiao He for an actual killer and called the police, resulting in that embarrassing misunderstanding.
Hou had awkwardly apologized and fled last time, so Xiao He was surprised to see him again now.
Xiao He eyed him warily: "What do you want?"
This was the first time he'd been arrested since getting the Criminal System! Xiao He didn't have favorable impressions of Hou Rongxuan.
Hou appeared to be in his thirties, slightly portly with premature balding - only a tuft of hair remained on his head, waving in the wind like a dandelion.
Before leaving, Xiao He had heard from Xiao Song that this director had some reputation in the industry, specializing in crime films and known for being extremely serious on set.
But seeing Hou's current cheerful demeanor, Xiao He couldn't guess his intentions.
Hou didn't speak immediately, first giving Xiao He a thorough look-over before saying: "I saw your performance from the hillside over there. Your acting was excellent, and your overall appearance fits a role in my current production. Would you be interested in hearing more?". Xiao He: "..."
Hillside? Wasn't that a steep slope? Did this guy have giraffe neck?
Xiao He looked respectfully at Hou's rotund physique: "May I ask what kind of role this is?"
If it's a crime drama... there should be some killing scenes.
Seeing Xiao He's interest, Hou immediately produced a newspaper: "We're adapting a true crime case - perhaps you've heard of the Rongtou Pig Farm Brothers case? I want you to play the youngest brother."
The name sounded familiar. As Xiao He skimmed the newspaper article Hou handed him, he drew a sharp breath.
He remembered now!
This happened in Lu City, C Province about twenty years ago. Three brothers who ran Rongtou Slaughterhouse monopolized the business by terrorizing other local butchers, extorting meat vendors, and threatening customers. Eventually they planned a horrific massacre that shocked the entire province.
The role Hou wanted him to play was the youngest brother. Though still in high school, this scumbag had already committed every imaginable crime - school bullying, molesting female classmates, slandering teachers... Finally he helped his brothers dismember a victim family of three and fed them to pigs, completely devoid of humanity or morality.
— Most crucially, in real life, this bastard was still at large!
While his two brothers had been executed (their graves now overgrown with weeds), this one escaped before police arrived, leaving the case unresolved in many people's hearts.
Now Xiao He hesitated.
Though he could play villains... *cough* scumbags convincingly, he had to consider his future. This role attracted too much hatred, and with the perpetrator still uncaught, both the production and himself would face backlash if they made this film.Xiao He knew of a TV drama that adapted an unsolved murder case - it got torn apart online for disrespecting victims and retraumatizing families.
Maybe he should avoid this mess.
Noticing Xiao He's hesitation, Hou pressed his advantage: "Don't worry, we've obtained permission from the victims' family - even their support. Their only request is that the actor resembles the real youngest brother by 70-80%, and that we prominently display his wanted poster during promotions."
The entire family of three had died, leaving only the husband's elderly parents. Now twenty years later, these ninety-year-olds might pass away any time. Their final wish is to see the last perpetrator caught before they die.
When approached by the production, the elderly couple proved more forgiving than expected, only asking that the film help circulate the fugitive's image nationwide - to permanently brand him with infamy!
Of course, if this actually led to his capture, even better.
"But I look nothing like this criminal!"
Baffled, Xiao He held the wanted poster next to his face: "He's clearly much uglier than me!"
Not just ugly - the guy had been a pimply teenager with a face swollen like a pig's head. Xiao He couldn't see any resemblance to his own handsome features.
Couldn't he at least narcissistically call himself good-looking?
Any similarity would be insulting.
Was the director trying to whitewash the criminal?
Xiao He's expression changed as he looked at Hou Rongxuan. Maybe he should be calling the police on this guy instead!