Chapter 153: Banknotes

The trip was scheduled for a few days later, and preparations were gradually underway. The filming workload was not particularly heavy, which gave the cast a well-deserved breathing space.

With the customary one-take perfection that always won the admiration of Zhu Xueshuang and the others, Chu Luoxi walked down carrying a toy gun in her hand, smiling as she said, "Bai Yufei, you're here. What did you bring today?"

"Blood Phoenix" was inherently a story of valiant women amidst battle smoke, meaning the cast was heavily dominated by actresses. Whenever Bai Yufei visited, regardless of anything else, he always brought food that catered perfectly to their preferences. Besides, with his own substantial income, he certainly didn't lack the funds.

"Nothing much, just bought some random snacks," Bai Yufei said, beaming with a radiant charm. As a young scion who was wealthy, handsome, capable, and youthful, he was the focal point of attention wherever he went. Right on cue, the eyes of quite a few women lit up.

"Look, I've gathered all your favorite treats right here for you!" Bai Lingxiao pointed to a bag in front of her and teased, "I wonder what's going on—are we just too exhausted? We keep eating these things, and everyone's appetite is getting fiercer by the day. Brother, why don't you buy a lot more next time? It's all bought the same way anyway."

If such words had been spoken by someone else with a different tone, they might have sounded grating. However, Bai Lingxiao's joking manner and playful expression made her entirely endearing, erasing any irritation about being perceived as a big eater. Instead, some of the more lively actresses began to chime in, frankly admitting their voracious appetites and urging Bai Yufei to buy even more in the future.

"Then thank you so much. I won't stand on ceremony!" True to her word, Chu Luoxi found a chair, sat down, and began unboxing the packaging to eat herself, without stopping anyone else from coming over to share.

In truth, such a harmonious atmosphere was exceedingly rare, especially with so many women present. Generally speaking, unless anchored by a top-tier superstar, a cast like this easily fractured into cliques, resulting in direct confrontations over minor frictions—something directors were powerless to stop even when aware of it. Furthermore, "Blood Phoenix" lacked a male lead or any heavyweight male characters to serve as a buffer. Wherever there were people, there was a martial world, and strife was inevitable.

Chu Luoxi felt that in the later stages of production, Bai Yufei, this diamond bachelor, deserved the utmost credit. He essentially fulfilled the role of an exceptional male lead.

Just as she was chatting merrily with the group, Chu Luoxi caught sight of her assistant stealthily waving at her from the outer perimeter of the crowd, wearing a mysterious expression as if harboring some wonderful news.

"Hey, your assistant is calling you!" Zhu Xueshuang had noticed it too, and she gently reminded Chu Luoxi, offering her a convenient out so leaving wouldn't seem too abrupt.

Chu Luoxi nodded, set down what she was holding in her hands, and walked over.

"What is it? Keeping secrets now?" Chu Luoxi looked at Ding Ju's defensive posture and found it quite amusing. They were already far enough away that no one could overhear, weren't they?

Looking around with an exaggerated air of caution, Ding Ju immediately pulled a stack of cards from her handbag. The designs were exquisitely crafted with a dreamy aesthetic, possessing immense collectible value for anyone who enjoyed hoarding memorabilia.

"Um, the Heavenly King Xiao sent these for you. He said to distribute them as you see fit..."

Distribute as she saw fit? What on earth did that mean? Puzzled, Chu Luoxi took the stack and looked closely, instantly dropping her jaw in astonishment. These—these were actually tickets to Xiao Jingxuan's upcoming debut solo concert! They had been crafted into the form of cards, exceptionally refined and perfectly suited for fans to collect.

Moreover, every single ticket card featured a portrait of Xiao Jingxuan. And these were not mere photocopies; each card portrayed a different image. Combined with the serial numbers printed on them, every single ticket was entirely unique. Even after the concert concluded, these would appreciate in value as official merchandise belonging to the Heavenly King Xiao.

He truly lived up to his reputation as the legendary Xiao. Whatever he did, he did it to absolute perfection. His very first solo concert had been designed with such unique character and commemorative value. The production cost for these cards alone must have been staggering!

As Chu Luoxi marveled at them, she suddenly recalled that the legendary Xiao's concert was being held at the massive Beijing Gymnasium. No singer had ever dared to host their debut concert in such a massive venue; if fan turnout fell short, how deeply awkward and tragic would that be? Yet Xiao Jingxuan was simply that audacious.

That venue seated a hundred thousand people. Good heavens, with every single ticket featuring a different portrait, just how many photos must the legendary Xiao have posed for? Would his muscles have cramped up from all the posing? For a moment, Chu Luoxi found it unimaginable. Even with a backlog accumulated over time, a hundred thousand was a terrifyingly huge number, wasn't it?

As for whether ticket sales could actually reach that number, Chu Luoxi never even entertained such a foolish question. The legendary Xiao's starting point had always been far higher than anyone else's. A hundred thousand for a debut concert? There would only be more demand.

If she remembered correctly, in her previous life, when online ticket sales for the legendary Xiao's debut concert opened, a mere ten minutes were enough for eighty thousand—eighty thousand tickets to be completely snatched up. Those who acted fast secured theirs; those who acted slowly were left with nothing. The remaining twenty thousand tickets were reserved for on-site sales, originally scheduled to begin three days before the concert. However, countless fans who failed to secure online tickets resorted to relentless pressure, inducement, and every trick in the book. Ultimately, under immense pressure, Fengjing Entertainment had no choice but to release the remaining tickets online as well. This time it was even more terrifying: in a single minute, twenty thousand tickets vanished without leaving a single ripple.

Many fans with slightly sluggish internet connections barely managed to open the website before the tickets were already gone, leading many to suspect that Fengjing Entertainment was playing tricks on them and hadn't actually released the tickets online at all.

When the concert finally commenced, countless members of the dazzling fandom discovered to their shock that their ranks extended far beyond China; fans from numerous neighboring countries had also successfully snapped up tickets. No wonder the battle had been so fierce—they had even crossed international servers to grab them! What kind of internet speed was required for that? It defied science! Ever since that incident, many domestic fans realized just how pathetic their own internet speeds were, and amidst a chorus of wailing curses directed at internet service providers, telecom companies suddenly found themselves under massive pressure.

In short, Xiao Jingxuan's debut concert shattered numerous records, leaving countless singers gasping in awe—a description that still fell far short of reality.

As for these highly collectible tickets, their market price was being bid higher and higher. Although scalpers were virtually non-existent in this era, online resale quotes soared higher and higher, reaching a point where countless industry insiders and entertainment companies drooled with envy, jealousy, and lingering frustration.

Especially considering the terrifying aftermath: once the concert concluded, these card tickets retained purely collectible value. Yet no one could have anticipated just how far Xiao Jingxuan would eventually climb. By the time he achieved international acclaim, the ticket cards from his debut concert had skyrocketed in value, even surpassing their original face value, allowing countless industry peers to personally witness the profound impact of genuine dedication and unique value.

This was the true meaning of the high-end boutique route; it was far more than mere empty boasting.

Therefore, Chu Luoxi's hands trembled. Were the items in her stack of tickets really concert passes anymore? They were unequivocally cold, hard cash!