After Marrying the Officer Chapter 1173 - 1172: Investment

"What?" Xia Chuyi questioned the director, her expression one of complete disbelief. "Are you telling me that someone wants to swap out an actor?"

The prospect of "changing the actor" ranked as the most baffling surprise Xia Chuyi could have possibly imagined.

After all, she was fairly certain the current cast was entirely locked in as the finalized roster for the production.

"Director, surely you're being overly cautious. There is no way they would actually follow through on that..." Xia Chuyi remarked, struggling to mask her concerns.

Before she could voice more, the director let out a heavy sigh and replied, "You don't understand the situation. The market has opened up, and our studio has begun scouting for outside capital."

"Just a few days ago, some businessmen from Hong Kong offered a massive sum of money for the project.

"But they had a condition—they demanded we replace the lead actress."

Xia Chuyi found this requirement completely baffling.

She recalled the lead actress of this film clearly; the moment the movie hit theaters, the woman had soared to immense popularity.

Of course, this actress didn't seem to have a lasting passion for the industry, as she withdrew from acting shortly after the project wrapped up.

That departure had been a source of genuine disappointment for many fans.

Xia Chuyi simply couldn't grasp why anyone would want to interfere with such a perfect piece of casting.

The woman’s performance had been the ideal embodiment of the character within the script.

True cinematic classics are usually forged through a delicate combination of countless variables.

From the director to the screenplay, the actors, and even the smallest production assistant—every piece is vital to creating a masterpiece.

Without that specific actress, the movie would likely always feel incomplete, bearing a permanent flaw.

Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, the director sighed once more. "I am staunchly opposed to the idea."

"But," he added, shaking his head, "the higher-ups have informed me that unless I can secure a similar amount of investment on my own to fill the gap, I have no choice but to comply regarding the casting change."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Xia Chuyi spoke up, "Director, how much funding is actually required? I will provide the investment."

The director stood there in total shock upon hearing her offer.

He finally regained his composure after a few seconds, staring at Xia Chuyi with utter astonishment. "You want to invest? I previously asked you to consider product placement, and you turned me down flat."

Xia Chuyi smiled as she shook her head. "I wasn't talking about product placement, nor do I have any intention of forcing brands into your film."

"What I mean is..." She paused briefly before continuing, "I will provide the funding for your movie without any strings attached, and once the film is released, we can split the box office proceeds accordingly."

The director was nearly overwhelmed with joy by her proposition, grabbing her hand in his excitement. "Thank you, thank you, Chuyi! I am incredibly grateful to you!"

Despite his enthusiasm, the director soon grew somber, adding, "It's just that if the box office performance is poor with such a large investment, you might not even recoup your capital, Chuyi..."

At this moment, he harbored deep resentment toward the meddling investors who had disrupted his plans.

In reality, the crew never truly needed that much capital to function.

Most of their scenes didn't require any sort of extravagant budget or elaborate settings.

Xia Chuyi simply laughed at his concern. "Why? Have you suddenly lost faith in your own film, Director?"

"I have the utmost faith in your vision," Xia Chuyi reassured him. "Just focus all your energy on perfecting the movie. As for whether or not I take a loss, that is something I have already considered."