13: Formally joined the Hehuan Sect

"We're leaving, remember to call me." Liu Yifei got into her mother's car and waved to Li Xiuwu.

"Xiuwu, call me if anything happens." Liu Xiaoli also said this to Li Xiuwu; she quite liked this child.

"Goodbye, Xixi, Auntie, have a safe trip." Li Xiuwu stood in the parking lot, watching them leave.

"Mom, Li Xiuwu is so amazing. During the audition, he wasn't polite to Big Beard Zhang at all. He said that Big Beard Zhang seeing him was like an 'ephemera peering at the azure sky'."

Liu Yifei thought of Li Xiuwu's domineering attitude and told her mother.

Liu Xiaoli was also shocked by these words, then shook her head: "He's too young, hasn't experienced much. Young and reckless, he's bound to suffer losses."

He is a top scholar of the college entrance examination, which can earn him respect, but the benefits of being a top scholar are not limitless.

Li Xiuwu, who was being discussed by Liu Yifei and her mother, drove around the capital, admiring the capital of this era.

In his eyes, the old capital, though antiquated, possessed a vibrant vitality, with development and construction happening everywhere.

"Development?" This word made Li Xiuwu's eyes light up.

He went to a newsstand and, at great expense, collected political newspapers from the past year.

He returned home to read them, then went online to gather more information on the subject.

Existing policies allowed for land transfer, but a policy in 2004 suddenly tightened this land enclosure behavior, causing land prices to skyrocket.

He called Qiu Wanjun.

"How much money do we still have in our account?"

"Ten billion," Qiu Wanjun said.

"Establish a real estate company and help me acquire a few plots of land." Li Xiuwu told him about lands that would appreciate quickly in the future. Their current value was less than a hundred million.

Once the restrictions come down, land prices will increase dozens of times over.

"Understood, Mr. Li." Qiu Wanjun was already familiar with Li Xiuwu's way of doing things; he didn't need to question, just execute.

The casting for Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was constantly debated under Big Beard Zhang's manipulation, with the choice for Xiao Feng and the competition for Wang Yuyan receiving much attention.

Li Xiuwu signing the contract was also widely reported by the media; he appeared at the audition site and was photographed by waiting reporters.

"Is Li Xiuwu the only suitable candidate?" some media reported.

"Are Jimmy Lin from Bay Island, Nicholas Tse from Hong Kong, and Huang Xiaoming from the mainland suitable for this role?"

"Why choose a newcomer, just because he's a top scholar of the college entrance examination?"

Another wave of public opinion was stirred up under the media's guidance, and Li Xiuwu probably knew it was arranged by Big Beard Zhang.

He didn't care; no matter how strong the wind, as long as he didn't refuse, Big Beard Zhang would have to quell the public opinion himself.

If public opinion affected the entire production of the TV series, those people behind him wouldn't let him off.

However, Big Beard Zhang is a bit annoying. He'll deal with him when they meet again.

As time passed, in mid-August, admission notices from various universities were mailed out... At the end of August, Beijing Film Academy started. On this day, he drove to the entrance of Beijing Film Academy.

A banner at the entrance made his face darken; he really wanted to turn around and leave.

"Congratulations to Li Xiuwu, the top scholar of the college entrance examination, for being admitted to Beijing Film Academy with a perfect score."

Parents dropping off students at the entrance pointed and gestured at the banner, and the welcoming teachers had unconcealed smiles on their faces.

Even the security guards at the entrance were very spirited.

"Hasn't Li Xiuwu arrived yet?" Zhang Jun stood in the office building, looking far into the distance at the entrance.

Everything today was prepared for Li Xiuwu; if he didn't come to register, Beijing Film Academy would be utterly humiliated.

"I just called him; he's on his way." Wang Jinsong was also waiting.

He was the class teacher for this year's cohort, and Li Xiuwu was his student.

"He's here, he's here! I see his car. He's quite shy, too embarrassed to get out. Principal, you go ahead and be busy, I'll go and invite him out of the car." Wang Jinsong hung up the phone and walked towards Li Xiuwu's car.

Zhang Jun picked up his binoculars and watched as the young man was pulled out of the car by Wang Jinsong, had a large red flower pinned to his chest, and walked towards the entrance.

Zhang Jun smiled, watched cheerfully, and took out his phone.

"Old Zhao, you must be very busy with the new student welcoming today. Hey, let me tell you, this year's top scholar of the college entrance examination in the capital area got into Beijing Film Academy's acting department with a perfect score."

"Get lost."

"Don't be angry, Old Zhao, Central Academy of Drama and Beijing Film Academy are one family." Zhang Jun hadn't finished speaking when the phone was already busy.

He didn't care, smiling cheerfully as he picked up the phone again.

"Old Wu, you must be very busy with the new student welcoming today. Hey, let me tell you, this year's top scholar of the college entrance examination in the capital area got into Beijing Film Academy with a perfect score."

"Get lost."

"Don't be anxious, Old Wu, Beijing Film Academy and Central Conservatory of Music are one family."

"Brother Sun, you must be very busy with the new student welcoming today. Hey, let me tell you, this year's top scholar of the college entrance examination got into Beijing Film Academy's acting department with a perfect score."

"Get lost."

"Brother Sun, what are you doing? Beijing Film Academy and Shanghai Theatre Academy are one family."

After making a round of calls, Zhang Jun felt refreshed, occasionally raising his binoculars to observe the situation at the main entrance.

If not for his status, he would have personally gone to the entrance.

At the entrance of Beijing Film Academy, Li Xiuwu looked helpless. With a large red flower pinned to his chest, he was pulled to the entrance by two senior female students.

The reminders of [Detecting high-quality dual cultivation cauldron] were in his ears, but he directly blocked them.

Wang Jinsong pulled him for photos and announced Li Xiuwu's achievement to everyone.

For how many years since its founding, this was the first time Beijing Film Academy had a top scholar in academic subjects from the college entrance examination come to study there.

From now on, who would dare say that Beijing Film Academy was a gathering place for illiterates?

Zhang Lu happened to arrive at this moment, watching with a smile on his face.

Li Xiuwu noticed him, and he even blinked, then said something to the elegant and dignified beautiful woman beside him.

"Look at his grades. If you could score so well, you'd also make your mother proud."

Zhang Lu stopped smiling and looked at Li Xiuwu speechlessly.

Many parents looked on enviously at Li Xiuwu, who wore a large red flower on his chest. Passersby stopped to share in the good fortune.

Wang Jinsong pulled Li Xiuwu to perform and take various photos before finally letting him go and taking his camera to the office building.

Two senior female students took him to complete the registration procedures.

When it came to dormitory assignments, Li Xiuwu directly refused.

"I won't be staying in the dormitory. My home isn't far from here."

The Courtyard House on the north bank of West Sea was five li in a straight line from Beijing Film Academy, a five-minute drive.

"The school assigned you dormitory 307. Whether or not you stay on campus requires your class teacher's approval."

Li Xiuwu nodded, completed the freshman registration procedures, and turned to walk out of the school.

[Officially joined Hehuan Sect. Please find a Dual Cultivation Dao Companion to bind with to obtain more cultivation resources. Dao Companion favorability enabled. Favorability reaching 80 allows binding as a Dual Cultivation Dao Companion.]

"Li Xiuwu."

He ran into Zhang Lu, who was pushing a suitcase, with the dignified and beautiful woman walking beside him.

"This is my mom," Zhang Lu introduced.

[Detecting top-tier dual cultivation cauldron Yu Ying. Current favorability 35. Cannot bind. Please increase favorability as soon as possible.]

"Hello, Auntie." Li Xiuwu's gaze was pure, without any distracting thoughts.

"Oh, you're Li Xiuwu, right? You're really handsome. Xiao Lu always talks about you. You two should help each other at school from now on." Zhang Lu's mother was dignified and elegant, with a friendly smile on her face.

"We're classmates, we should naturally help each other," Li Xiuwu said with a smile.

"Li Xiuwu, which dorm room are you in?" Zhang Lu asked.

"They assigned me 307, but I don't plan to live on campus."

"I'm in 309. I'll go check out the dorm first. I'll treat you to a meal sometime." Zhang Lu heard that Li Xiuwu wasn't staying on campus, so he didn't bother him further.

After parting ways with Zhang Lu and his mother, he drove away from campus and had just returned to the Courtyard House not long after.

"Li Xiuwu, didn't you come to school to register?" Liu Yifei's voice came from the phone.

"I've already registered and gone home."

"You're not living on campus?" Liu Yifei was surprised, even she had to live on campus; she couldn't run home every day.

"My home isn't far from Beijing Film Academy, so I'm not staying on campus."

"Not far, where is it? Can I come see it?"

"Sure." Li Xiuwu told her the address.