Although filming for Harry Potter was supposed to begin, even wanting to start filming required some time. There would inevitably be a few minor complications along the way as well.
Still, Edward did not mind.
To him, these filming procedures were nothing too complex.
At this point, he was already quite experienced and familiar with the process. In Edward's eyes, the most important part of starting the Harry Potter production was solving the issue of casting several key actors.
The first priority, of course, was the "Savior Trio" — the iconic combination of Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter. These three young actors had to be selected from childhood, and it wasn't all that easy to find child actors with decent acting skills. Realistically speaking, the only reliable candidates would be child stars.
After all, the majority of children did not have particularly notable acting ability, except for those few who had been trained as child actors. But Edward was not especially anxious about this problem. To him, it was a relatively easy one to solve — after all, he could simply ask the real Harry Potter to come to this world and give live instruction. What mattered most at the moment was the appearance of the children and whether they had the right "feel" for the characters. That was an important point too.
"Zoroark, send out this recruitment notice," Edward said as he handed the document to her. Zoroark accepted it and glanced over the contents, her eyes filled with mild astonishment. She did not expect Edward to be planning to hire so many people. It was indeed quite surprising. But when she saw the long list of requirements for child actors, her expression turned a bit subtle.
Still, since it was what her boss wanted, she would follow through. Edward glanced at her blankly.
"Don't overthink it. Your boss here is definitely not some kind of lolicon." Edward said irritably. He knew exactly what Zoroark was worried about — after all, the hottest piece of news in the entire League lately was the case of a twisted criminal obsessed with lolis. The crimes were so vile that people had temporarily become extremely protective and sensitive about anything involving children.
But Edward had absolutely zero interest in such things. With his wealth and status, one could practically say there was nothing Edward could not obtain if he wanted it. And after living in this world long enough, Edward clearly understood that people with money and power still held influential positions and enjoyed… conveniences. Certain things that could never be made public or known to ordinary people.
However, the strict family rules and upright traditions of the Stone family were right there in place, and the family atmosphere was extremely righteous. Because of that, no one had ever attempted to invite Edward to any sort of strange gathering or suspicious event. It was… unexpectedly refreshing.
As for those kinds of places, Edward naturally had zero interest. Whatever they were like, it didn't matter to him at all. They were not things he wanted. What Edward cared about were completely different matters. So, he never paid attention to such things in the first place. Right now, all he wanted was to quickly complete the filming of his Harry Potter project and, along the way, test how well the market would accept it.
This would be Edward's first time making a movie like this. Although this world did have some films and anime featuring witches, that genre was still relatively niche. Not many people knew much about it. That was exactly why Edward wanted to be cautious.
Very soon, news that Ghost Films needed to hire over a hundred child actors spread through the entire industry. Many people became curious — what exactly was Edward planning to film? Was this related to the recent trending topics?
After all, the hottest news in the entire League recently was the case involving a lolicon and a shotacon pair — a husband and wife who committed atrocious crimes. The League even revived the rarely used procedure of holding a public trial, followed by an immediate execution. For days afterward, people were still heatedly discussing the case online, arguing endlessly and causing major debate everywhere.
And as everyone knew, whenever something reached peak popularity across the League, there would always be people eager to ride the wave. Recently, many streamers had been using the case as content — some pretending to "care" as they streamed themselves crying or dancing. All sorts of bizarre people had appeared.
Naturally, many others wanted to cash in as well. This made quite a few people suspect that Edward might be trying to do the same. Considering how much heat The Grudge 3 had generated, many people with darker imaginations immediately assumed Edward was intending to exploit the situation too and make a dark horror film about it.
Soon after, a strongly worded blog post exploded across the internet. The reason was simple — the author was a very famous online stand-up comedian known for satirizing real-world issues. Many fans considered him their "mouthpiece," appreciating his sharp-tongued style. Now, that very tongue was pointed directly at Edward.
[Stop chasing trends and wait for your fans!]
[In this bizarre and chaotic entertainment industry, some so-called public figures start squandering their reputation the moment they achieve a little success. They shamelessly cling to every trending topic. Director Edward is undoubtedly one of the most "outstanding" examples.
I won't deny that Director Edward is incredibly talented. After all — who can casually exceed one billion in box office revenue?
Remember The Grudge 3? Through charity promotions, sympathetic testimonials from "beneficiaries," and clever PR maneuvers proving Edward's kindness, the movie forcefully surpassed one billion. And this was a horror film.
Behind those numbers were fans drawn in by his atmosphere, or perhaps aggressive marketing. Whatever the reason, he made huge profits during that market climate.
But this director… didn't spend any effort refining his craft. I originally thought he'd hone his skills and create more masterpieces capable of breaking one billion on merit.
Instead, once the hype for The Grudge 3 faded, he became like a starving hyena scavenging for whatever trending scrap he could find.
Today's online world spreads information at light speed. Trends rise and fall within minutes. Edward behaves like a speculator glued to the trending list, rushing toward anything with heat, hoping to grab a portion.
He seems to have forgotten: a real director relies on talent and dedication, not clinging shamelessly to trends.
And now? He openly recruits a large group of child actors, aligning perfectly with the current scandal. His nose for heat is sharper than a hunting dog's!
His behavior is grotesque — like someone who's already overeaten at a feast yet still eyes untouched dishes. Every action he takes reeks of desperation and greed.
He thinks exploiting trends will draw attention again, let him surpass one billion again. But he forgets: audiences are not fools. Such insincere heat-chasing only breeds disgust.
Worse, he keeps slapping fake labels on himself — claiming to be an "artistic master," claiming he has a "unique vision," claiming he's just a dedicated philanthropist.
His behavior damages his own reputation and poisons the industry. He cheapens the efforts of directors and actors who truly pour their hearts into their craft. He makes audiences distrust the entire field.
In this age of information overload, trends matter — yes. But they should never be the only goal. Especially not for someone like Director Edward, who stands at the top of the industry. At his level, he should be producing meaningful works. Works with soul that move people.
But he sees only short-term benefits and willingly trades his reputation for scraps of attention.
I sincerely hope Director Edward wakes up soon. Those clownish heat-chasing antics will never last.]
"Boss! Look at this guy! What is he even talking about!?" Zoroark burst into the room angrily, with the PR department trailing behind her. The post was rising fast in popularity, and its momentum would only grow.
"I saw it," Edward replied calmly, sipping his tea. He had already read it — and he knew exactly the tactics behind it. But he wasn't particularly angry. He had seen far worse online. Compared to some vicious insults he'd encountered before, this was practically mild. Things like "you spent the holiday eating alone" hardly even counted as an attack anymore.
So, Edward's mood was surprisingly good. But that didn't mean he would simply let things slide. These accusations were quite malicious, and if left alone, they would stir up even more uproar. Naturally, he needed his PR department to handle it properly.
The reality of business warfare was that it could be very petty. People constantly tried new tricks to smear you. Some would even show up at your company to do bizarre things, bribe security guards to turn off your power, or perform bad-luck rituals. All sorts of outrageous nonsense existed.
Hiring someone to slander you online was the simplest tactic. And when they were eventually hit with a lawyer's letter, all they had to do was apologize. The money would already be in their pocket, the tangible benefits obtained. Who cared what their misguided fans thought afterward? That was exactly why Edward wasn't overly upset.
These idiots were just guns for hire. Edward simply had to raise his shield to block the attack.
Soon, Ghost Films released an official announcement strongly condemning the online misinformation. They clarified that Director Edward was filming a perfectly normal children's adventure movie and that the project had nothing to do with the recent scandal. The slanderer swiftly issued an apology — so swiftly that Edward suspected they had written it in advance, waiting to see his reaction before sending it.
However, the company's announcement stirred up even more curiosity. Everyone was confused — When did Director Edward start making a children's adventure movie? Children's films typically weren't scary at all. But looking at Edward's entire filmography, aside from the award-chasing productions, everything else he made was horror.
In fact, on search engine encyclopedias, his list of representative works was practically a wall of horror films. Many enthusiastic internet users even called him the "Father of Horror Movies" or the "Horror King."
Still, unless something truly viral happened, most online discussions stayed within niche circles and didn't reach mainstream attention.
Online speculation intensified. Meanwhile, Edward sat in his office, massaging his temples as he looked at the middle-aged man sitting across from him.
"Deck, I understand what you're trying to say, but you…" Edward's mouth twitched. His expression was complicated as he looked at Deck — who happened to be one of Ghost Films oldest employees. In fact, he was practically a founding member of the company. He used to be a manager and now held a senior position. But today…
"Boss! I just don't get it anymore! What did I ever do wrong!? All the money I earned, I gave to her! I paid for all the kids' expenses! Every day I only carry thirty pokedollars for cigarettes! I'm really suffering here!" Deck's eyes were red. Edward rubbed his forehead, feeling a wave of sympathy. He truly felt bad for the man — Edward already knew what had happened.
In simple terms, Deck was an honest, hardworking man who spent years supporting his family. His wife lived beautifully thanks to him. One day, after Edward dismissed his employees early, Deck happily went home from overtime — only to discover a prairie growing on top of his head.
Sigh.
"You know how it is," Edward thought privately. "These days, relationships are full of traps. With all those shady social apps out there, a crowd of scammers mixed with a few 'straying petals' ready to jump the fence…"
But he couldn't say that out loud. It would be too hurtful.
Deck was genuinely a good man — hardworking, driven, responsible. But…
Edward sighed again. In this era, are honest men simply destined to be humiliated by adulterers? Who would still want to get married then? And you can't even hit anyone — if you do, they call the police and you go to jail. Disgusting.
Edward scratched his head. He thought of all the people who had lost faith in relationships, people who believed the world was too chaotic, that showing genuine affection only led to betrayal. Some preferred staying single, getting massages instead.
Others had developed strange "preferences," thinking that since they had suffered, they must spread misery to others — actively trying to put hats on people.
The decline of social morals.
Many people were eager to humiliate others but would fly into a murderous rage if the same happened to them. Hypocrites everywhere.
"…Should I have the legal department take a look for you?" Edward finally asked after a long silence.
(End of Chapter)