Weapon seller in the world of magic-Chapter 796: Earth 1712: The Photoshoot

"What the hell?"

"Who turned off the lights?"

"Manager!"

Someone screamed. Glass clinked to the floor. Voices shot up in panic.

Meanwhile, Zealot quietly slipped into the private booth. His night vision shades captured the boy’s position.

As if the heavens were helping him out, the target himself left the group and walked toward him, mistaking him for a staff member. "Hey, you. What the hell is happening here? Go and brin..."

Smash

The sound of glass shattering was deafening in the silence. A bottle of beer broke cleanly over the 19-year-old’s head, its shards slicing into his scalp.

"Argh..." He screamed and tried to stand, his mana surging into his body. "Who is..." However, before he could speak any further, Zealot grabbed him by the collar and hurled him against the wall with terrifying force.

The sound of his body slamming into the surface echoed through the booth, but the boy’s scream was the only thing that filled Zealot’s ears.

The others shrieked, scrambling blindly to figure out what was happening.

"WHO IS IT?"

"WHAT’S GOING ON!"

Meanwhile, the boy tried to stand again, but Zealot raised his fist, crackling with dense mana.

Crack

The Punch landed cleanly on the boy’s knee, shattering its hard bone inside. He collapsed, howling in agony.

"Argh... who... Aaahhh"

Zealot then crouched beside him, pressing close and whispering into his ear. "You think your daddy’s money protects you? It could save you from the corrupted officers, but there are people whom not even your dear daddy dares to offend."

The boy trembled, too stunned to respond. And his mind was in a mess. He just didn’t understand what was going on and why this was even happening.

"You’re lucky that I have strict orders not to kill anyone, Young Master Tang," Zealot continued, his tone low and deadly. "Next time, if you are spotted acting like a spoiled rich brat and bullying whoever you see, the punch will land directly on your skull instead. Understand?"

Then, like a ghost, Zealot disappeared from the private booth before the lights flickered back on.

The young man was seen on the floor, barely conscious, as blood had flowed from his knees like a stream.

By noon, they arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel for the Elle Global photoshoot.

The Presidential Suite had already been transformed into a bustling studio. Photographers, lighting technicians, stylists, and assistants moved around, setting up equipment. Amidst the commotion, a familiar face was waiting—Lee Hye-rin.

The moment she spotted Xueli, her eyes lit up. "Unnie!" she called cheerfully, walking up to her.

Xueli blinked. "Rin Rin, when did you get here?"

The younger actress grinned. "Just a while ago."

With that simple greeting, Hye-rin subtly made it clear to everyone in the room that she and Xueli weren’t just industry colleagues but very close friends.

Then, her gaze shifted to Tianzhu. "Oh? Tianzhu-ssi?" She tilted her head. "Are you sick or something?"

Tianzhu, wearing his mask as usual, simply nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing.

Before Hye-rin could press further, Xueli redirected her attention with casual conversation. Meanwhile, Tianzhu got to work.

As a road manager, his job wasn’t just about following Xueli around. In the absence of the manager, he needed to ensure everything ran smoothly.

First, he met with the Elle Global staff, confirming the schedule.

Next, he checked if all required personnel had arrived, then met with the principal photographer to review the planned poses and backdrops. He flipped through the reference images on a tablet, making mental notes.

Then, he moved on to the outfits.

Inspected the garments to ensure they were clean and wrinkle-free.

Checked the accessories—jewelry, shoes, gloves—making sure they were all present.

Confirmed the emergency kit had essentials like pins, wipes, and extra shoes.

Once everything seemed in order, Tianzhu headed to the changing rooms—two separate bedrooms assigned to Xueli and Hye-rin.

He stepped inside Xueli’s first, checking for any hidden cameras. After that, he moved to Hye-rin’s changing room.

With everything clean, Tianzhu walked out of the room and headed back to Xueli.

Keeping his voice low, he gave her a brief rundown of everything he had done—the schedule confirmation, wardrobe inspection, and security sweep. Then, he gave her the green signal.

Xueli nodded in approval, while Tianzhu added, "I also called Yuna. She’s on her way."

"Oh? You did it for me, too?" Hye-rin smiled warmly at the same time, listening to his report from the side. "Thanks."

He gave a small nod in response.

Xueli couldn’t help but praise her brother with a grin on her face. "You’re learning fast. It’s only Day 2, and you’re already acting like a pro."

Tianzhu shrugged. "Manager Li sent me a step-by-step checklist. I just followed instructions."

Xueli chuckled. "That guy really takes his work seriously." Then, her expression turned thoughtful. "I wonder what’s going on with him... Even when his wife got into a serious accident, he only took two days off. It’s strange for a workaholic like him to skip work on personal issues. Must be something serious..."

Tianzhu glanced at the schedule as he asked, "Do you want to visit his house after the shoot?"

Xueli tilted her head in thought, but before she could reply, Hye-rin checked her phone.

"It’s already 12:08." She sighed, letting out a comment. "We haven’t even started makeup yet. The shoot will probably be delayed by at least an hour. You know the reputation of Taehyun-ssi. He is literally a perfectionist. Unless he is satisfied, he won’t let us go..."

Xueli shrugged at that. "Then we’ll just ditch meeting Stunt Master Ha. I’ll ask for a rain check."

Tianzhu raised an eyebrow. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," Xueli replied smoothly. "I haven’t even signed the contract yet. No need to rush when I have other commitments."

Tianzhu simply nodded in understanding.

*

The photoshoot stretched on for three hours as planned, with three concepts.

The first part consisted of solo shoots—Xueli and Hye-rin, each taking turns in front of the camera. The crew worked in meticulous detail, adjusting the lights, fixing stray hairs, and ensuring that the angles captured the essence of the luxury brand they were representing.

Xueli, with her undeniable presence, owned the set with effortless grace, as expected of her.

Dressed in a sleek black Saint Laurent power suit, she exuded a sense of authority and elegance; each pose of hers made everyone realize her status as an A+ listed celebrity. Whether she stood against the backdrop of the hotel’s marble-clad interior or casually draped herself over a plush velvet chaise, every shot screamed sophistication just naturally.

However, Tianzhu, being her brother, didn’t have much reaction to her beauty or the poses.

Then came Hye-rin’s turn.

She stepped onto the set in a soft ivory Dior silk gown, the delicate fabric cascading around her as she settled by the floor-to-ceiling window. Just as he stood there and posed, Tianzhu’s eyes fell on her, and from then on, they never left.

Song Taehyun, the fashion photographer from Xcess Entertainment, directed her to tilt her chin slightly, letting the natural sunlight bathe her face. The contrast between the golden glow of the afternoon and the cool tones of the gown created an almost dreamlike quality. Well, atleast for Tianzhu.

From his position in the corner, he observed silently with his mask still in place. For some reason, he just couldn’t take his eyes off Hye-rin. Fortunately, everyone was too busy to observe his expression.

Each pose she struck, whether a graceful turn of her wrist or the subtle way she let the gown flow around her, felt just as effortless for her as Xueli’s. As someone who won the Southern Wu’s nation crush award twice in a row, during the past two years, Hye-rin was indeed a natural attraction for others. But Tianzhu, who didn’t care much about her appearance so far because of her lack of mana, found himself just as attracted to her as the others.

And then in the middle of the solo shoot, for a brief moment, her gaze flickered towards him, and their eyes met.

A small, mysterious smile played on her lips when she saw his expression, but she didn’t say anything and simply turned back to the camera, continuing her work.

Tianzhu exhaled sharply, turning his attention back to his phone, pretending to check the schedule. "Okay, I need to stop staring at her. Man, she is beautiful though."

The next phase of the shoot began with twin shots featuring both actresses together.

Xueli and Hye-rin stood side by side, a stunning contrast—Xueli’s sharp, bold confidence against Hye-rin’s soft, understated elegance. They wore matching diamond earrings with their dresses flowing together.

"Now, please interact with each other as naturally as possible. We’ll take shots from different angles and finalize later," Taehyun spoke, already ready with the camera.

Both of them nodded at the same time, going into their work mode. Meanwhile, Taehyun wandered all around the place as he continuously clicked on the shutter.

By the time the final flash went off and Taehyun called "Alright! That’s a wrap!", everyone was relieved.

Xueli stretched her arms, rubbing them a little bit. "One hour non-stop shooting... God, my back is stiff."

Hye-rin looked at her in worry. "You alright, Unnie?"

"Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been a while since I have done photoshoots for magazines. Forgot how rigorous they will be. Fortunately, we pulled it off the first part without much delay..." Xueli chuckled, waved off casually.