Five days had passed, and Zhu Yu knew it was time for Brother Zheng to return.
She suggested he take the rest of the script with him. Although his character didn’t have many lines in the latter half of the story, she felt it would be better for him to read the entire volume to gain a deeper understanding of the production. Of course, she knew there were parts that would surely infuriate the First Emperor.
The day after Ying Zheng returned, Zhu Yu received a call from the director—or rather, the director was calling to inquire about Ying Zheng.
"An interview?"
Zhu Yu frowned. The production crew had been very low-key since resuming filming, and compared to the rest of the entertainment industry, Brother Zheng was a total newcomer. Why would anyone want to interview him?
"It seems to be from Wandering Entertainment News," the director said. He paused, then the sound of him shouting at someone came through the receiver; it seemed the actors were performing poorly again. "Look, President Zhu, since the crew is officially back to work and the cast is finalized, I thought it would be a good time to make a public announcement."
*Wandering Entertainment News?*
Zhu Yu wrinkled her nose. That tabloid was notorious in the industry for taking a single photo of an actor and spinning a wild, defamatory story, often using crude and vulgar language. She didn't recall having any conflict with them.
"No, thank you, Director Wang," she said, waiting for him to finish lecturing the staff before declining. "Brother Zheng’s mental state isn’t very stable. It’s best to push back on things like interviews whenever possible."
The director was easygoing. "Fair enough. I suppose he won’t be attending the promotional roadshows after the show airs, either?"
"That’s right," Zhu Yu confirmed. "As I said, he’s not quite stable. You know how those reporters have no bottom line when it comes to questioning. If he actually loses his temper and hits someone, honestly, no one on set would be able to stop him."
"..." The director rubbed his neck uncomfortably, finding her logic sound. In truth, he didn't approve of that tabloid either, but he felt that letting Ying Zheng make a public appearance was feasible; that face alone should be enough to stun the entertainment world. After all, it wasn't good to keep such a gem hidden away. With his years of industry experience, he could guarantee that if this show aired successfully, the newcomer would certainly be a hit!
Still, since Zhu Yu had put it that way, it meant he was truly there to play the role of Ying Zheng. The director felt a twinge of regret.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yu wanted to ask System 0208 to investigate why the tabloid was sniffing around, only to discover it was linked to Yuan Boshi. It seemed he just wanted to see what Ying Zheng looked like. A persistent pest—even in the middle of a lawsuit, he still had the energy to stir up trouble.
Zhu Yu felt speechless. She couldn't understand what he was trying to achieve. Was he really just curious to see what Brother Zheng looked like?
[Host, I have good news! The heat collected from our live broadcast is almost full. Soon, you will be able to summon the next historical figure to work for us.]
Zhu Yu looked up, bewildered. "What live broadcast?"
[Huh? Does the Host not know?]
As the System finished speaking, a blue light screen popped up before Zhu Yu’s eyes. According to Article 5, Volume 2 of the System Manual, the energy used to summon historical figures was gathered from the live stream. The number of viewers and the duration of their watch time were recorded, and once the value was full, a summon could be performed.
"No way." After reading the entry, Zhu Yu remained dazed. In fact, she understood the meaning, but it was still quite a shock.
"You mean to say I’ve been being broadcasted for the past few days!?" she cried. "What about now? Am I being broadcasted right now?"
Zhu Yu sprang from her chair, took one step, and then froze. She wanted to sit back down, but her body wouldn't obey; she remained rigid and flustered, not knowing what to do.
[That is not the case, Host, please rest assured.]
[The broadcast only activates when both the Host and the historical figure are present, and the main camera follows the Host.]
[Furthermore, when the System detects that both the Host and the worker have gone to sleep, or are in private spaces like the bathroom, the camera automatically pans away. The Host does not need to worry about personal privacy leaks.]
System 0208 didn't quite understand why Zhu Yu was so nervous. Upon hearing she wasn't being broadcast at that moment, Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why didn't you mention this before?"
[Because it is written in the System Manual. Did the Host not read it?]
Zhu Yu: "..."
*What do you think?*
She recalled the interactions between herself and the First Emperor over the last few days—it was too embarrassing to even think about, not to mention her own blunders. What was she supposed to do about the sheer awkwardness of it all?
Following the System’s reminder, Zhu Yu spent half an hour reading the entire manual. It detailed the System’s functions, including the professions the "workers" could engage in. She also gained a more thorough understanding of how she could intervene in their lives.
At the same time, the moment the First Emperor returned to the Great Qin, the Skyscreen went black. Upon his return, the first thing he did was check the items he had brought back.
The script: present.
The dictionary: present.
The notes: present.
The little pink electric fan: gone.
Ying Zheng frowned, searching his pockets again, but it was nowhere to be found. This made his heart heavy, and he began to contemplate why he couldn't bring it back.
At that moment, an attendant came to report that Wang Wan, Li Si, and a group of other ministers were waiting outside for an audience. In the days Ying Zheng had been absent, the machine of the Great Qin hadn't completely broken down; it was still slowly running, but without the First Emperor, everyone felt a sense of panic, even though they knew his departure was only temporary.
Life after Ying Zheng’s return didn't change much, other than the addition of reading the script to his daily routine, along with pondering how he could "work" and earn money after he finished acting in this play. Ying Zheng didn't like acting; it wouldn't have gone this smoothly if he hadn't been playing himself. But what else could he do? Become an Emperor? He felt the Little Immortal would surely laugh if he proposed that.
"Summon Xiangli Mo!"
Ying Zheng looked at the script in his hand. He had already read and memorized the first part. The Little Immortal had said it was his to do with as he pleased, so Ying Zheng didn't stand on ceremony.
"I pay my respects, Your Majesty," Xiangli Mo knelt.
"Xiangli Mo, I command you to produce paper within one month," Ying Zheng said calmly. As he spoke, he tore off a few pages from the script—the cover and some basic information that didn't involve the plot. "Take these. I permit you to use them for your experiments."
Upon hearing this, Xiangli Mo was ecstatic. "I shall not fail your trust, Your Majesty!"
*Paper—is this paper?*
He received the pages with extreme care. The material was light, as light as a goose feather, and soft; it felt smooth to the touch, causing his hands to tremble. He was terrified of damaging it.
After giving the order, Ying Zheng dismissed him. There was little time left.
"Li Si."
"I am here, Your Majesty."
"I command you to clarify the protocols for official examinations and the imperial civil service, and present a memorial in seven days." Ying Zheng tore off another page from the script. He needed money to unlock technology, but these pages weren't technology—he had seen them in the book and copied them down.
Li Si held the page, looking equally stirred. "I shall not fail your trust, Your Majesty!"
Seven days—he had never had such ample time to handle a state matter.
"Wang Wan, I command you to summon the various schools of thought..."
...
Orders were issued one after another from Xianyang Palace. With the First Emperor back at the helm, everyone finally had a backbone, and their path forward became much clearer.
Two days passed quickly, and the Skyscreen lit up once more. This time, when the First Emperor opened his eyes, he found himself in a different setting.
He opened the door and saw Zhu Yu sitting at a table, flipping through several books, a pair of glass lenses perched on the bridge of her nose.
"Brother Zheng, you're here. Have a seat." Hearing the movement, Zhu Yu looked up from her books. She was wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which added an air of elegance and sophistication to her appearance. "Something came up with the crew this morning; we probably won't be able to head over until the afternoon. You should eat something first."
On the table sat a bag of steamed buns and a bottle of soy milk, both still warm.
Ying Zheng nodded and thanked her. Before arriving, he had skipped breakfast. Eating the food here, then returning to eat his usual fare—it was truly like night and day.