The First Emperor’s move was unexpected, yet entirely logical. Liu Bang and the others, who had been feeling a bit dejected, could not help but sympathize with the First Emperor for a fleeting second.
Liu Bang recalled many years ago, when he was performing corvée labor in Xianyang, he had the fortune of catching a glimpse of the First Emperor on tour. How magnificent, how imposing it had been. He could not help but blurt out, "A real man should be like this!"
"Sigh, the character of one's descendants is truly critical." Liu Bang’s expression looked deeply moved, yet it could not mask the schadenfreude in his tone: "But if it weren't for Huhai, I would still be a mere Sishui Pavilion Chief."
"My own descendants will certainly be better than the First Emperor’s..."
He stopped mid-sentence, retracting his wide grin. His own son wasn't exactly impressive either.
"They will certainly be better than that brat Huhai!"
Who else would raise a descendant capable of being an exterminator of his own bloodline?
In the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu did not yet go by that name. The youth, radiant with spirit, ran to his uncle. "Uncle, do you know who this Xiang Yu is? He actually wiped out the entire royal clan of the brutal Qin!"
Xiang Liang’s expression was complex. He did indeed know this Xiang Yu, though the boy had not yet appeared in this world; he had already settled on the name "Yu" for him long ago. He felt a mixture of gratification and terror.
Even more shocked was Fusu. The entire Great Qin royal house... was gone? How could this be? And what did it mean that Huhai and Xiang Yu killed them together? Who was this Xiang Yu? Why would his younger brother Huhai do such a thing? Fusu felt his mind in chaos, simultaneously confused and clear. What power could Huhai possibly have to slaughter the entire Qin royal family? An absurd thought sprouted in his heart.
"Young Master." Fusu’s personal attendant looked at him with pity.
On the Skyscreen, the chaos had not yet ended. Ying Zheng pressed forward step by step, his sword grazing past the necks of the director and the screenwriter, followed by another round of terrified screams. Fortunately, the hotel had decent soundproofing.
"Brother Zheng, calm down!"
Zhu Yu saw this scene and felt a wave of darkness wash over her eyes. She made a split-second decision, jumping up to grab the arm holding the sword and pulling him back. If she didn't, this out-of-control situation would never be resolved.
"We can look into things slowly later!"
"Don't lose your temper, everyone is watching!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the rationality that had been suppressed by Ying Zheng’s fury instantly returned. The little immortal was right; there were still people watching. Since returning last time, Ying Zheng had been informed by his subordinates that his every move in the Immortal Realm was visible to the people of Great Qin.
The cold glint of the blade reflected not only in Zhu Yu’s eyes but also in the hearts of the director and the screenwriter. The two men, combined, weighed nearly five hundred pounds, and their layers of fat were trembling. When that chilling cold had grazed their necks, one would have to be an idiot not to understand the gravity of the situation. That was a real sword!
*Damn it, what the hell... did Zhu Yu bring a madman here?*
The two men watched as the fierce-looking new actor sheathed the sword with fluid, practiced movements. The only remnant was the lingering aura of icy detachment and wrath that clung to him, his brows as cold as frost.
The director was shaken. "President Zhu, it’s good for an actor to be immersed in a role, but your guy... isn't he taking it a bit too far?" He had actually brought a real sword!
"I'll make him change it when we go back." Zhu Yu pulled the First Emperor behind her, unable to stop herself from giving him a mournful look. *Brother, you really don't hold back, do you?*
"I’m so sorry, Director. This artist is just a bit obsessive. His psychiatrist suggested that letting him act it out, letting him vent, might help him improve."
*Psychiatrist...* The two men opposite her wore ugly expressions. Having been through such a scare, no one would be in a good mood. *Fine, at the very least, we’ll just schedule this Ying Zheng’s scenes tightly and finish them as soon as possible.*
The director waved his hand. "President Zhu, will you be accompanying... this Ying Zheng when he films?" The screenwriter next to him began to diligently wipe his glasses. Abandoning this actor was impossible; he fit the role in every respect, and aside from his mental issues—which weren't a concern since President Zhu could manage him—he was perfect.
Zhu Yu pursed her lips. "Accompanying? Of course. And what’s more, this artist will be performing in this film for free."
Zhu Yu continued to smooth things over, easing the tension for the director and screenwriter. When they heard that Ying Zheng’s salary would be zero, they couldn't help but brighten up.
After the contract was officially signed, Zhu Yu led Ying Zheng away. On the way back, Assistant Fang was driving as usual. The journey was silent. Zhu Yu was still thinking about what had just happened. The final fate of Ying Zheng and Great Qin was filled with regrets. What if someone else came over and encountered a similar situation? She asked the system how it would handle such things, and the system replied that as long as no casualties were caused, it would not interfere.
"But Brother Zheng was about to shave off the heads of the director and the screenwriter!"
[Host, please rest assured. The system’s algorithm indicates that this worker had no intention of harming the director and screenwriter. If he had, the system would have taken precautions and kicked him back to his original world in advance.]
In other words, he still possessed his sanity. He was a tyrant, but not a muddle-headed ruler.
After arriving at the company, it happened to be the time for employees to get off work. Zhu Yu told Assistant Fang to head home. The assistant patted his chest in relief, having survived a close call. Later, Zhu Yu received a message from him: *President Zhu, this actor you found is truly something else. Can we really not sign him long-term?*
Zhu Yu: "..."
Having lost her home, Zhu Yu couldn't take Ying Zheng back with her, and she didn't feel at ease leaving him alone in a hotel. After some thought, she decided they would both stay at the company. As it happened, she had been living at the office for a while now. The office had a temporary folding bed and a small blanket; she could only apologize to the monarch for the indignity. Dinner was instant noodles bought at the company, which made the others in the office hungry just looking at them.
"Little Immortal."
A few minutes after finishing his meal, Ying Zheng knocked on the door of Zhu Yu’s office. Zhu Yu stood up and opened the door, confused. "Brother Zheng, is there something you need?"
She had entrusted the lawsuit entirely to her lawyer, a man nicknamed the "Ever-Victorious General," so she didn't have to worry much. Now, the director had sent over the remaining schedule for the cast and crew; filming would begin the day after tomorrow.
Ying Zheng bowed to Zhu Yu. "Today, I was reckless and offended those two... immortals. I have come to apologize to the Little Immortal." He had considered whether humbling himself would diminish the dignity of an emperor, but after thinking about who the other party was, he felt relieved.
Zhu Yu raised an eyebrow. She had expected she would need to bring this up herself, so the First Emperor’s apology came as a surprise. "Brother Zheng, but I wasn't the only one you frightened."
Ying Zheng responded decisively, "Then tomorrow, I shall apologize to Old Fang, as well as the director and the screenwriter."
Zhu Yu smiled. "Fine. But you’ll have to figure out the gifts for the apology yourself."
Ying Zheng nodded. That was only right.
"And one more thing, Brother Zheng, let's make an agreement: weapons like that must never be brought here again. It’s not allowed on our side."
"I understand."
Seeing this, Zhu Yu quickly shoved the remaining half of the script into Ying Zheng’s hands. "The director sent a message; we go to the set the day after tomorrow. Spend these next two days reading the script so we can try to finish filming as soon as possible." *Finish early, and you can go find other work to earn money.*
Zhu Yu also had the system set up a screen for Ying Zheng and forwarded the system's rules to him, saving herself the trouble of explaining it.
The next day, the two exchanged few words. Toward dusk, Ying Zheng, looking a bit embarrassed, asked Zhu Yu for a set of clothes. "I did not prepare gifts before coming here. Fortunately, this material is of high quality and could serve as an apology. However, walking about in this undergarment is highly improper, so I formally request a set of clothing from the Little Immortal to cover my body."
Upon hearing this, the officials of Great Qin felt their hearts ache for their Emperor. "It is all my fault. Knowing His Majesty was headed to the Immortal Realm—and that the Immortal Realm is not inhabited solely by the Little Immortal—how could I have failed to prepare gifts?" Li Si, seeing the First Emperor’s rare awkwardness, wished he could peel off his own robes to offer in apology. The officials responsible for such matters were similarly filled with regret; how could they have overlooked this? They resolved to beg for his forgiveness as soon as the Emperor returned.
Fusu was stunned, forgetting all about the news of Huhai killing the royal clan. Thinking of his father reduced to needing clothes to offer as an apology, he cried out, "Father!"
Zhu Yu was also taken aback. She never imagined the First Emperor would go to such lengths. She quickly said, "No, no need! Brother Zheng, I was just saying. And there's no rush to apologize; can’t you just pick something out properly after you return?" She didn't want to force an emperor into this position, especially since she was a fan of his.
Ying Zheng lowered his eyes, insisting, "The Little Immortal is right. It was my recklessness. It is only proper to apologize, and a gift is necessary."
Zhu Yu said, "Really, no need. Brother Zheng, your original robes are antiques. Giving those to those three philistines would be a loss. Just give them money."
"Money?" Ying Zheng’s eyes shifted, recalling the currency he had standardized. "Ban Liang coins?"
"No, it’s RMB." Seeing Ying Zheng’s puzzled look, Zhu Yu explained, "You probably don't have this in your time. Just give them gold, silver, or jade."
Giving away his robes was too much; now Zhu Yu felt a pang of heartache for the Emperor. *We haven't reached that point yet!*
*So that is how it is. It seems these worldly goods circulate in the Immortal Realm as well.* Ying Zheng obtained the answer he sought.
On the third day, Zhu Yu and Ying Zheng rose early. Assistant Fang was already waiting downstairs, and the three of them headed toward the film set. Assistant Fang had other matters to attend to, so after dropping them off, they agreed he would come back to pick them up once they were finished in the afternoon.
The production, which had been halted for days, was finally back in full swing. Everyone cherished the opportunity. The stage manager was directing the workers on setting up, and some safety lines were being marked. The director was shouting into a walkie-talkie, his tone somewhat harsh. When he heard that Zhu Yu and the others had arrived, he quickly told an assistant to bring them over.
"We start in ten minutes. President Zhu, why don't you bring your actor over to get familiar with the other characters?" He pointed toward the other actors.
Zhu Yu nodded, then whispered to Ying Zheng, "Brother Zheng, your identity here is an actor. In the eyes of others, you are playing the First Emperor of Qin. If someone says something unpleasant, please don't get angry—it's against the law to hit people here."
Ying Zheng glanced at Zhu Yu and nodded.
Entering the palace set, they saw a group of actors gathered. They were all older men, some of grandfathers' age, yet each one was hale and hearty. These were the veteran actors, the backbone of the production. One of them saw Ying Zheng and immediately called out, "Yo, our Majesty has arrived!"
The others turned to look at Ying Zheng, their eyes lighting up. This young man had an excellent appearance and aura, and in his costume, he looked truly dashing. The sweep of his gaze—tsk, tsk—he was just like a real emperor.
"Your Majesty, your old subject Chunyu Yue is here."
"Your Majesty, it has been many years. Do you still remember General Wang Jian? Hahaha!"
"Your Majesty is still as majestic and noble as in the days of old."
"Hahaha, has our Majesty come to the modern world as well?"
The old men were familiar with each other, and one couldn't help but crack a joke, with the others following suit.
"And there is me, Li Si."
As the names were mentioned, the ministers of the Qin Dynasty whose names were called out froze. Looking at the faces of the actors on the Skyscreen, they couldn't help but touch their own faces.
*Ah, how did I end up looking like that?*