Chapter 559 - 365: So Jealous They Could Crush Their Molars

Chapter 559: Chapter 365: So Jealous They Could Crush Their Molars

Li Wei nodded, glancing toward the kitchen where Megan was frantically making tea and pouring coffee. He turned back and said, "Your wife..."

"Megan," Jason said. "Does she look familiar, Mr. Li Wei? She used to be an actress for a while."

"Just a bit-part actress. I never even made it to the big screen," Megan said as she walked over with the coffee and sat down next to Jason. "It’s embarrassing to even mention."

Jack had been hiding behind Jason the whole time, poking half his head out to peek at Li Wei.

"Anyone who has tried their best is no joke." Li Wei took a sip of his coffee. "Also, I need to tell you both something." He set his coffee down and looked at Jason and Megan. "The LAPD has already cracked the case. All the gang members involved have been arrested and brought to justice."

Megan breathed a slight sigh of relief at the news.

"In addition, for safety reasons," Li Wei continued, "I’ve arranged a remote security service for your family for the next six months, just in case."

Megan clearly didn’t understand what "remote security service" meant, and neither did Jason.

"It means there will be people protecting you from a distance," Li Wei explained, "but they won’t interfere with your daily lives."

Before Jason could respond, Megan said worriedly, "But... a service like that must be very expensive. I’m afraid we... we can’t afford it."

Hearing Megan’s words, Li Wei smiled. "Since the injuries and risks Mr. Jason sustained far exceeded the scope of his job, you don’t need to worry about that. All expenses will be covered by Vision Holdings."

Megan finally relaxed.

"Furthermore," Li Wei said, "in light of Mr. Jason Miller’s intelligence and bravery, the company has decided to award him an additional personal bonus of 100,000 USD."

Both Megan and Jason froze, exchanging a stunned look.

"Boss, I can’t accept—"

"Take it," Li Wei smiled. "You took their money without spending it, got whacked over the head, and I heard you almost lost an eye?" He added, "You’re lucky just to make it back alive."

Jason Miller fell silent for a moment, glanced at Megan, and nodded.

"I’ll follow you for the rest of my life, Mr. Li Wei," he said.

"Alright, alright." Li Wei waved his hand and stood up. "Get some good rest. Take three days off before coming back to work."

After Li Wei left, the money was quickly transferred to Jason Miller’s account. Staring at the account balance, which had now surpassed 200,000 USD, the couple fell completely silent.

"Mr. Li Wei is truly a savior sent by God," Jason sighed emotionally, turning to Megan. "How about I take you shopping tomorrow? What do you want to buy? LV or Dior?"

"You should go to work tomorrow," Megan said suddenly. "Don’t take the time off."

Jason’s eyes widened. "You were just saying the job was too dangerous."

"I never said that." Megan turned her head away. "You misheard me."

"Then I want to get a new car," Jason Miller said. "My Camry is older than Jack."

"Just because you have a little money, you don’t know—"

"I’m going to work tomorrow."

"Fine... just keep a low profile."

...

That afternoon, Jason Miller visited a used car dealership in Sherman Oaks. He wandered around the lot for half an hour before finally stopping in front of a 2019 Mercedes-Benz E300. Silver-gray, 32,000 miles, a spotless interior, and a complete maintenance record. The most important point was that it cost just 38,000 USD. Merely 38,000.

When that thought first popped into Jason’s mind, he was startled by his own audacity. He hadn’t managed to save more than 10,000 USD in his previous ten years of work.

But now—

"What do you think?" he turned and asked Megan. "Is this one okay?"

"Isn’t it a bit too flashy?"

Despite her words, Megan Miller ran her hands all over the car, thoroughly satisfied, her eyes practically glued to the vehicle.

"What’s your absolute lowest price for this car?" he turned to the sales manager. "If we can work out a deal, I’ll pay in full right now."

Megan looked at Jason. Even though his head was currently wrapped in bandages like a white rice ball, she felt he looked incredibly handsome at that moment.

That night, despite his limited mobility, Jason enjoyed a full-service treatment from Megan.

The next day.

Looking refreshed, Jason Miller drove his Mercedes-Benz E300 to the Warner Bros. Burbank Studio. He had gone to bed late the night before and slept in a little. By this time, a line of three or four cars was already waiting at the entrance to the parking area.

Jason Miller rolled down his window and swiped his ID badge on the sensor. The barrier lifted, and he slowly drove into the parking lot. Since he was running a bit late today, his usual fixed spots were all taken. Jason cruised slowly down the lane in his E300, his peripheral vision scanning row after row. It wasn’t until the very last row of the lot that he spotted an empty space.

He flipped on his turn signal and was just about to reverse into the spot when another car approached from the opposite direction. A black BMW 3 Series. The noses of the two cars stopped at opposite ends of the empty space. Neither moved.

The driver of the BMW 3 Series took one look at the Mercedes hood ornament and grille, silently shifted out of gear, and slowly backed away, yielding the parking spot.

Jason felt a subtle shift in his heart. A Hollywood parking lot was not a place known for politeness. People had been known to flip each other off, hurl abuses, and even get into fistfights over a parking space. That was precisely why he used to arrive so early every day to secure a spot. But those battles were clearly reserved for Camrys, Civics, and Fits. The standoff between a Mercedes and a BMW didn’t require such intense hostility.

Jason parked the car, turned off the engine, pulled out the key, and stepped out. He looked up. Ah! The breeze felt sweet at that moment, the sunlight was just right, and everything was simply beautiful.

As he walked toward Studio 9, he passed by the BMW 3 Series.

WHIRRR.

The window of the BMW 3 Series slowly rolled down. It was the obnoxious Jeremy. Jeremy recognized Jason too. He first looked at Jason, then craned his neck like a giraffe to stare at the silver-gray E300 with its standing hood ornament. His expression shifted from a forced smile to confusion, and then from confusion to sheer disbelief.

"Jason Miller," he said. "You got a new car?"

"Yeah," Jason replied.

"This isn’t your car, is it?" Jeremy forced a smile. "It’s Li Wei’s, right?"

"I don’t believe you haven’t seen Li Wei’s cars in the media," Jason shrugged. "His daily drivers are a Cadillac Escalade, a Rolls-Royce, or a Koenigsegg."

"It’s really... yours?" Jeremy swallowed hard. "Paid in full? Or financed?"

"Paid in full, Jeremy," Jason said. "Relax, it’s just a used car. I’m in a hurry."

Despite claiming to be in a hurry, Jason Miller stood rooted to the spot in front of Jeremy, not moving an inch.

Jeremy’s face twitched. He had saved up for a long time and took out a 60-month loan just to buy his BMW 3 Series. What was going on with Jason Miller? How did he strike it rich in less than a month? On the surface, he forced a smile, but behind his lips, his teeth were clenched tight. He hated it. He was so consumed by jealousy that he was ready to grind his back teeth to dust. He thought bitterly about how that damn Jason Miller was now driving a Mercedes.

"That’s... pretty great," he managed to squeeze out. "It seems working for Li Wei pays really well."

"I actually have to be thankful for the opportunity. If NBC hadn’t kicked me to the curb," Jason Miller sighed with emotion, "I would never have had the chance to work for Mr. Li Wei."

Jeremy didn’t reply. The car window slowly rolled back up. The BMW 3 Series suddenly floored the gas pedal and drove off to find another parking spot.

Jason Miller chuckled and strode toward Studio 9. Everything felt even more beautiful.

He entered the studio and happened to see Li Wei filming a scene. Jason Miller slowed his pace, walked around to the outer work area, and found a corner to stand in where he wouldn’t block the cameras. He watched the crowd of people gathered around the monitors, and the stunt double standing off to the side who looked like he was about to fall asleep. He turned to a female staff member nearby and asked, "Why isn’t a stunt double arranged for Mr. Li Wei?" He pointed at Li Wei, who was personally wielding a prop sword on set. "What if he gets hurt? Would the insurance company even allow that?"

The staff member turned around. Her name tag read "Erin." She jumped in fright when she saw the bandages on Jason Miller’s head and hands. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Is that..."

"It’s not a prop," Jason Miller quickly clarified. "I’m actually injured."

"You’re Jason Miller!" Erin suddenly realized, marveling. "You’re a celebrity among the whole crew right now."

"Thanks..." Jason Miller pointed back at Li Wei. "You haven’t answered my question."

"I’m in the makeup department, so I’m not entirely sure," she hesitated, lowering her voice. "But I heard Mr. Li Wei personally requested not to use a stunt double."

"Huh?" Jason Miller was stunned. "It’s one thing not to use a double for regular scenes, but not even for action sequences?"

"He insists on doing it himself, completing the shots on camera," Erin shook her head in admiration. "He’s so dedicated. It’s incredibly impressive. Just watch."

She pointed in Li Wei’s direction, and Jason followed her gaze.

A motion-capture actor lunged at Li Wei. Li Wei’s body leaned back like a reed bending in the wind, dropping into a deep, gravity-defying backbend to seamlessly dodge the strike. Then, he bounced back up like a spring, leaped into the air, executed a 360-degree spin, slashed the mo-cap actor with his prop sword, and landed perfectly on his feet.

"Cut!" Del Toro yelled excitedly. "Passed in one take!"

Jason Miller stood in the corner, his jaw hanging open.

"A full set of armor plus weapons weighs at least ten kilograms," Erin whispered. "Look at Li Wei’s movements. They’re so light and agile. I’ve been in this industry for years," she continued, "and I’ve practically never even seen a stunt double pull something like that off."

"I’ve been in the industry for fifteen years," a lighting technician chimed in. "And I’ve never seen it either."

"This must be the physical prowess of a Super Bowl MVP," a props assistant added. "People say that only those who can’t make it in the NFL go play in the NBA. Now I truly believe it."

Jason Miller committed all these words to memory.

Li Wei had just finished his take and could rest for the day. Seeing Jason Miller show up to work with bandages on his head, Li Wei couldn’t help but smile and shake his head as he walked over to him.

"Didn’t I give you a few days off? So dedicated? I’m impressed," he joked. "At this rate, people are going to report me for being a sweatshop boss."

"I actually wish there were a few more bosses like you in the world," Jason Miller shrugged. "Leading by example and filming your own action scenes with such dedication—I’m the one who should be saying I’m impressed."

Li Wei let out an "oh" and nodded. "True," he said. "After all, if you can do it yourself, you should do it yourself."

He wondered how he would farm points if he let a stunt double take his place. Looking at the 0.1 free attribute points that had just been added to his quest log, he smiled without saying a word.

Noticing the looks of worship and admiration from the people around him, Li Wei was just about to say something humble yet boastful when he saw Del Toro leave the monitors and head toward the main creators’ lounge.

"Get back to your business and make sure you rest," he patted Jason on the shoulder. "I need to go talk to the director about something."

Jason Miller nodded gratefully, watching Li Wei hurry after Del Toro.