Chapter 427 - 222: Is He Worthy?

Chapter 427: Chapter 222: Is He Worthy?

When the group arrived in the basement, they were all stunned by the sight before them. Even Sicong and Qin Fen, who had been here many times, were no exception.

"Young Master Su, did you turn this basement into a museum?" Qin Fen asked in astonishment.

As far as the eye could see, the space was filled with glass display cases, much like those in a museum. They were arranged in perfect order, and the lighting cast a classical, elegant charm over the entire basement.

"I was thinking about opening a private museum, but then I figured, ’why bother?’ So I just set something up casually at home," Su Chen said with a faint smile.

At his words, everyone turned their attention to the display cases. Yu Qian, the foremost antique expert in the group, had already walked right up to one.

"Th-This is... N-No... Impossible! How can this be?" Initially, Yu Qian had approached with simple curiosity. But when he reached the nearest case and saw the artifact inside, he felt as if he were dreaming.

He rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Then, with a look of utter shock, he quickly moved between several more cases. He was now certain: everything on display was authentic.

Everyone noticed Yu Qian’s muttering and shocked expression. Wu Jing, being a good friend, went over to his side.

"Brother Qian, what’s with these volumes? Why are you stuttering just from looking at them?"

Though the others were still looking at the display cases, their ears were pricked, eagerly awaiting Yu Qian’s answer.

Yu Qian shot a complicated glance at Su Chen, who was sitting at a nearby bar pouring red wine. Only then did he speak. "What’s in these display cases... is the *Yongle Encyclopedia*!"

"The *Yongle Encyclopedia*?"

Several gasps echoed in the room instantly.

Everyone present, even Chen Feiyu, who had lived in Xiangjiang for years, understood the significance of the *Yongle Encyclopedia*. Moreover, one of them had even played a Ming Dynasty emperor in a film, so he was acutely aware of its value.

"How can it be the *Yongle Encyclopedia*? I just did a quick count—there must be nearly a hundred volumes in these cases. You have to understand, there are only about two hundred known volumes in the entire country!" Deng Chao exclaimed, his face full of shock.

Deep down, they all knew that anything Su Chen put on display would undoubtedly be authentic. Recalling his earlier comment about opening a private museum, they realized he truly had the means to do so.

While the others were engrossed by the *Yongle Encyclopedia*, Su Chen called Wu Jing and Sicong over to the lounge area.

"There aren’t any issues with tomorrow’s premiere, are there?"

Su Chen gently swirled the glass of red wine in his right hand and looked at Wu Jing, asking softly.

"No problems at all! I’ve already spoken with the celebrities invited by Young Master Cong and Young Master Chen. We don’t need to worry about a specific appearance order, and I’ve contacted all the major media outlets!" Wu Jing replied, his face beaming with excitement.

He was incredibly moved when he got the call from Sicong and learned the extent of Su Chen’s support.

Su Chen was the majority investor in the film, but its profitability was still a complete unknown. For a tycoon like Su Chen to be helping him with every little detail, and with such dedication... to say he wasn’t grateful would be a lie.

He was especially grateful for the promotional channel Su Chen had set up on Douyin, which had practically pioneered a new way of promoting films.

A short compilation of highlight clips was all it took to create a massive storm online. The topic generated over a hundred million engagements, dominated the trending charts for days, and brought the film to a point of nationwide awareness.

Furthermore, pre-sale tickets had already been booked by over ten million people, a number that shattered all existing records in the film industry.

Sensing the shifting winds, many people had started reaching out recently. Wu Jing’s phone had practically become a hotline; he was getting at least a dozen calls a day, all inquiring about the movie.

The film hadn’t even officially premiered yet, but based on the online feedback, everyone knew it had the potential to make cinema history.

Wu Jing knew, of course, that this was all thanks to Su Chen. Without his help, forget promotion—he probably couldn’t have even gotten a single star to attend the premiere.

After all, he had only returned from Xiangjiang a few years ago and hadn’t made many good friends in the industry yet.

The entertainment industry is, after all, the most realistic of places. When you’re a nobody, even a lighting tech can give you the cold shoulder. But if you hit the big time? Congratulations... you’ll have more friends than you can count.

"Good, no problems is for the best." Su Chen nodded. ’The main reason I’m so invested,’ he thought, ’is that this film is my first real, proper investment project.’

’I only decided to greenlight the investment after reading the script. If it ends up being a huge success in the industry, it’ll just go to show that my judgment is pretty good.’

The three of them fell back into casual conversation, mostly listening to Wu Jing recount his experiences filming in South Africa. When he got to the part about all the military hardware, Sicong was kicking himself with regret.

You see, there was a role in the film for a rich second-generation character. Wu Jing’s first thought had been Sicong. He’d even called him about it, but Sicong had rejected the offer outright.

His excuse was that it was too far away, plus he didn’t have much faith in his own acting. Who could have possibly imagined he’d get to play with real military-grade hardware on set?

Just then, Yu Qian, Deng Chao, and the others walked over, still deep in conversation about the *Yongle Encyclopedia*.

Yu Qian, in particular, kept glancing at Su Chen. He looked like he wanted to say something, but seeing the size of the group, he swallowed the words he was about to speak.