Chapter 930: Xiao He: Huh? You mean I’m about to own a museum?
Carranson walked away looking utterly bewildered.
Liu Rulan walked over.
Seeing Caranson leave, she was still a little confused: "What happened to Mr. Caranson? Wasn't he very happy when he came?"
"have no idea."
Xiao He shrugged: "Maybe it's because he originally wanted to save me money, but then he found out that the employer was a rich and foolish man, leaving him with no opportunity to use his talents."
"Well?"
Upon hearing Xiao He's description, Liu Rulan looked around and asked, "Are you talking about yourself?"
Xiao He stared blankly: "Otherwise what?"
"A very self-aware summary."
Liu Rulan rubbed her arms. "I don't even feel like myself anymore."
Xiao He:...I'm so sorry if I scared you.
At that moment, the Qian family members came over.
Xiao He and Liu Rulan both became a little more serious.
"Old Qian, Fourth Uncle Qian."
Xiao He greeted everyone in turn, and Liu Rulan followed closely behind, her face bearing the gentle smile of a top agent.
"Xiao Xiao, I really have to thank you for this!"
Old Qian grasped Xiao He's hand, his eyes brimming with undisguised joy, and Uncle Qian also nodded to the two of them.
"You're welcome, it's what I should do."
Xiao He chuckled, "Mr. Qian, you already expressed your gratitude on the phone last time, there's really no need to repeat it."
"Hey, verbal thanks aren't in the Qian family's style."
Old Qian waved his hand, looked around to make sure it was quiet, and then whispered to Xiao He, "This time, we know it's because of your good character, Xiao. Otherwise, with so many cultural relics and treasures, no one would dare say they didn't have ulterior motives. So this incident has actually proven your character, and we trust you very much."
Xiao He didn't say anything, but he sensed that there was something more to Qian Lao's words.
"We already know about the situation of your Prince's Mansion Garden. The repair costs are considerable, and you might want to consider government subsidies." Old Qian paused, then continued, "Your area is a scenic spot, and we've discussed it carefully. We'd like to try and secure an opportunity for you. I wonder if you're interested in a museum within a scenic area?"
Xiao He was taken aback, a flurry of thoughts flashing through his mind before he quickly regained his composure: "You mean—to display the things we found here? That won't do, will it? I don't have the facilities for that—"
"What's wrong with that?"
Uncle Qian interjected, “I’ve seen the size and specifications of your mansion. The latter half of the building is on the other side of the garden and is not connected to your main building. When you separate this part to create a cultural relics exhibition hall, the space will be more than enough.”
That area was originally a servants' quarters, insignificant compared to the vast royal gardens in front, and quite remote. However, it happened to be the "place of origin" of these cultural relics. Xiao He could easily apply for permission, and they had connections on their side. The leaders already had an impression of Xiao He. As long as the Qian family made some moves, these cultural relics could be exhibited at their original location.
People are generally aware of the state of museums in many places, but they feel even more at ease with Xiao He's place.
"At that time, the cultural and tourism sector will receive special approval, be backed by the state, and the cultural relics will be publicly owned, registered and filed by the state, and protected by the government. However, the site will belong to you, as will the operating rights. Ticket revenue and cultural and creative product revenue will be considered as operating and maintenance subsidies and will belong to you personally. In addition, you will also be able to receive a portion of government support subsidies every year..."
"The government has not only revitalized precious cultural relics and avoided the idle storage in public warehouses, but also generated continuous revenue for the scenic area and provided visitors. As long as you can provide a suitable venue to persuade the leaders, we will definitely find a way to open up this channel for you."
Qian Si rattled off a whole bunch of things, leaving Xiao He and Liu Rulan stunned. They seemed to have never imagined that these guys would have such a method.
No wonder he's a leader; he has more connections than ordinary people like them.
"Doesn't that mean that in addition to owning a royal garden, Xiao He will also have a museum in the future? And one that can make him money?"
Liu Rulan stared blankly as she asked, then seemed to remember something and pressed on, "Among those exhibitable artifacts, does it include... Emperor Chen's painting?"
Uncle Qian nodded with a smile: "This incident will be presented as a special exhibition, so naturally they will all be together. Although private venues usually have multiple layers of strict review for lending first-class cultural relics and there are time restrictions, this place is in Beijing, so the review process is very convenient. As long as you can guarantee the safety of the venue and the cultural relics, there should generally be no problem."
Xiao He immediately rested his chin on his hand and pondered: "If that's the case, then there's really no problem, and there's absolutely no need to worry about safety. I previously collaborated with the restoration center to upgrade their AI system, so we can borrow it to be permanently stationed there to ensure the safety and authenticity of the artifacts. I can also continue to improve the AI security devices for crime prevention and perfect the basic museum facilities..."
If Heguang Technology takes over this part, wouldn't he have achieved a closed loop?
Liu Rulan also gasped, her mind racing as she considered the thought process of an entertainment industry agent—
What else is there to say?
A genuine smile appeared on the woman's face.
"Thank you all for your hard work today. I've made a reservation at the restaurant, how about we eat and chat?"
...
The meal was a pleasant one for both the host and guests.
Carlanson, who had been summoned, straightened up again and worked with the people the Qian family had hired to handle the matter.
To be honest, Xiao He even wanted to give him a separate salary. He really wanted to poach such a shrewd butler and make him one of his own.
After this matter was settled, the troupe officially confirmed their departure time.
Their plane tickets, hotels, and everything else have been arranged meticulously.
The final major rehearsal for "The Root of Evil" in China has finally been confirmed.
-
The next day, Xiao He returned to the National Theater, only to hear that his understudy, Shi Yi, had been hit by a falling platform, suffering a head injury and bleeding profusely. He was rushed to the hospital for stitches.
Upon hearing this news, Xiao He, while adjusting his costume and props, raised an eyebrow slightly: "Was it that high platform on the stage? Why did he get hit by it? Where is the safety officer? Why wasn't he there to prevent it?"
"It's not the one on the stage, it's the official performance platform prepared by the backstage props team."
An actor immediately answered Xiao He's question, "It is said that when he came backstage to check in the morning, the screws on the frame suddenly came loose, and the upper part fell down and hit him on the head."
"Yes, yes."
Another actor added, "It was probably around 7 a.m., and many people were still warming up, so I couldn't see very clearly. There were no safety officers nearby either."
The troupe has two elevated platforms. One is the ordinary platform they use for daily training, which is basically just a frame without any decoration. It looks quite ugly, emphasizing simplicity.
Another feature is the performance platform used for the official performance on the international stage. This platform is already decorated and is a beautiful small stage assembled by combining props according to the plot requirements and stage conditions of "The Root of Evil".
They don't use this stage much; it's only used for the last few official rehearsals. After today's final rehearsal, the performance platform will be temporarily dismantled, packed up, and flown to Bosnia and Herzegovina with them.
"Fortunately, he went to get checked out, otherwise it would have been troublesome if something had happened during the performance."
Amidst the lively discussion, someone suddenly let out a cold laugh and walked over from the other side.
He was the stage design instructor whom many in the troupe secretly feared.
The middle-aged female teacher, with a serious expression and sharp eyes, glanced indifferently at the group of young actors in the troupe, crossed her arms, and sneered: "I've said it countless times, the troupe isn't for you to make friends. When it comes to competing for roles, everyone is a competitor. Don't be all smiles and jokes, befriending all sorts of weirdos—and also, please think before you act. Don't think about harming others. If you don't have the brains or the ability, then just keep quiet and do your job well!"
Her words were very blunt and frightened the young actors.
On the contrary, the other actors who had been in the troupe for a while and had seen a lot of things looked at each other and had some guesses in their minds.
Xiao He understood the stage designer's reminder.
This means that Shi Yi, that fool, wanted to harm people, but ended up shooting himself in the foot.
Xiao He slightly curled the corners of his lips, a dark glint flashing in his eyes, and nodded slightly to the stage designer: "What the teacher said makes sense, but for the tasks ahead, we all need to work together, support each other, and cooperate. So, basic trust is still necessary. We can't let the problems of a few individuals affect the team's cohesion and unity, can we?"
The stage designer was stunned, seemingly not expecting Xiao He to say such a bold thing. After all, judging from Shi Yi's identity, almost everyone knew who he was targeting with his underhanded tactics. Even if his scheme failed, it was not a virtuous method. Xiao He should be angry.
But Xiao He remained as composed as ever.
The other members of the troupe nodded in agreement. Although they loathed and despised Shi Yi's actions, they didn't want to doubt or be wary of their comrades at this time, nor did they want to maliciously speculate about their teammates. So they echoed Xiao He's words: "Yes, we would never do such a thing! We are all comrades-in-arms, companions, and trustworthy people! As for that kind of guy, he was never part of our group—"
The last sentence was spoken very quietly, but everyone understood what it meant.
Shi Yi and some of the actors were originally borrowed from other troupes.
The reason is simple: to go abroad with their troupe to compete and gain prestige.
Even if some of them are just substitutes and don't intend to take other people's positions, people aren't stupid.
Now that such things are being laid bare, the actors in the original troupe have developed a stronger sense of responsibility and honor, and their cohesion has become even stronger.
The other actors who were seconded also pursed their lips, unwilling to become one of Shi Yi's people and tarnish their professional beliefs. So they secretly decided to continue to work hard and not let others look down on them.
The stage designer, who had only intended to give everyone a little nudge and temper their tempers, was slightly speechless as he noticed that Xiao He's words had actually boosted everyone's morale. He couldn't help but admire Xiao He even more, and smiled at him with an expression of praise.
Xiao He returned the greeting with a hearty smile.
But when he turned around and no one was around, he became expressionless again.
"How dare such an idiot?"
It's already merciful of him to only need to go to the hospital for a few stitches.