Huayu: I Have a Doraemon

Chapter 73 A Spark of Fire

Chang Jihong's efficiency was even higher than Lin An had expected.

The equipment and photography team arrived on the fifth day after the contract was signed.

However, judging from the quality of the equipment and the qualifications of the personnel, it is highly likely that it did not come from Hairun, but rather from Chang Jihong's private channels.

Lin An didn't care about this.

1 month 16 day.

Before dawn, the abandoned industrial area along Longgang Road was already bustling with activity.

Two red banners hung on the withered trees on either side of the factory gate, fluttering in the morning breeze.

The left side reads "Happy Start of Filming for 'iPartment'", while the right side reads "Urban Youth Sitcom Relaunches".

The banner was hung up overnight by someone Ji Tao had arranged; it was red with white lettering, tacky but eye-catching.

The offering table has been set up.

An old-fashioned eight-immortal table, covered with a red cloth, is set with roast suckling pig, fruit, and various snacks.

Compared to the last time when only an Apple logo was used for the power-on, this time the power-on ceremony was incredibly luxurious.

Representatives from seven or eight media outlets, including the Beijing Times, The Beijing News, Sina.com, and Sohu.com, came to visit.

A row of long guns and short cannons were set up, and the flashes were popping and crackling.

The reporters were highly aligned in their goals.

Gao Yuanyuan was blocked on the steps to the right of the factory gate, surrounded by layers of people, looking like a white deer being hunted.

"Yuanyuan, was your departure from 'iPartment' voluntary?"

"There are rumors that you left because of pressure from your boyfriend, Zhang Yadong. Is that true?"

"What exactly is your relationship with screenwriter Lin An? Under what circumstances was that photo taken?"

The questions grew increasingly pointed, and the voices became louder and louder, surging in like a tidal wave.

Gao Yuanyuan forced a smile as she answered.

Ji Tao stood on the periphery of the crowd, watched the commotion for a while, a smile playing on his lips, and slowly sidled up to Lin An.

He nudged Lin An with his elbow and said sarcastically:

"A rare chance to be a hero and save the damsel in distress, aren't you going?"

Lin An leaned against the factory gatepost, glanced up at that direction, and quickly looked away:

"I've only ever heard of producers dealing with reporters, never screenwriters doing it."

Ji Tao scoffed, about to say something, when Lin An interrupted him first:

"Where's Lin Cong?"

Ji Tao was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "He was giving instructions to Deng Chao and Chen Shu."

Lin An said, "You should go too. They've all just joined the crew and aren't familiar with the environment and procedures yet."

Ji Tao raised an eyebrow. "And what about you?"

Lin An didn't answer, but instead took out his phone and dialed a number:

"Just come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gray van turned into the factory from outside the gate.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

Seven or eight bread trucks filed in and parked crookedly in a row on the open space of the factory, their doors slamming open.

Some people were carrying folding tables, some were moving plastic chairs, some were holding boxes of drinks in their arms, and some were carrying two bulging plastic bags filled with cooked food and cold dishes.

Ji Tao was stunned and almost lost his balance.

"What...what are they trying to do?"

Lin An said, "Let's have a lively opening ceremony."

"lively?"

Ji Tao's eyes widened. "Are we still going to film the movie? Besides, where are we going to find so many people for the crew?"

Lin An glanced at him, his tone indifferent:

"It will happen."

"Lin An!"

Tang Yu jogged over, panting heavily, followed by seven or eight art students.

"Bring everyone here. It's agreed that they're only here to eat, not to work!"

Tang Yu said, wiping his sweat as he looked around the factory area, then clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"This place is still so dilapidated."

Lin An ignored him.

On the other side, Zhao Nana led the people from the performing arts department to the scene.

She wore a bright red down jacket today, which made her stand out in the crowd.

Behind him were five or six boys and girls, all second- or third-year students in the performing arts department, looking around with curiosity on their faces.

"Lin An!"

Zhao Nana waved from afar, "I've brought them here, you can't mistreat them!"

Lin An nodded, but before he could say anything, another commotion came from the direction of the factory gate.

A black Santana slowly drove in, and after it came to a stop, the door opened, and Zhang Hua, wearing a gray woolen overcoat, got out of the car.

He held an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his gaze sweeping across the factory area before finally settling on Lin An. He walked over with a half-smile.

"Are you trying to turn the opening ceremony into a temple fair?"

Lin An shrugged and said, "It's more lively with more people, and it's auspicious."

Zhang Hua snorted and said nothing more.

His gaze passed over Lin An's shoulder and landed on the crowd setting up tables and chairs. His lips twitched slightly, but he ultimately said nothing and turned to walk towards the photography crew.

Ji Tao was still standing there, stunned.

He glanced at Tang Yu and the people from the Fine Arts Department, then at Zhao Nana and the Performing Arts students behind her, and then at the bread carts that had already been set up and the busy crowds. His head was buzzing.

"When did you hire these people?" Ji Tao's voice was trembling.

What he really wanted to ask was how much money was spent.

Lin An said calmly, "These past few days."

"These past few days?"

Ji Tao felt his perception was being challenged: "You're alone?"

Lin An nodded slightly.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind, getting closer and closer.

Before Lin An could turn around, a round figure suddenly rushed over and crashed into his arms like a cannonball, so hard that he took half a step back.

"Big brother! I'm hungry!"

Lin Meng tilted her head back, her hair tied in two small pigtails, her cheeks flushed red from the cold wind.

Lin An looked down at his younger sister and smiled slightly:

Where are Mom and Dad?

"In the back."

Lin Meng whispered, "Lin Yi is so stupid, he actually called Uncle Zhou and Uncle Chen."

After saying that, she looked around at the crowd, her face fell, and she sighed:

"This isn't enough to go around."

Lin An patted his younger sister's head and said softly:

"I told her to order it, don't worry, there's enough food here for you to eat for a long time."

"Really?!"

Lin Meng's eyes lit up, and she cheered loudly:

"Then I'm not going home! I want to live here with you!"

Lin An was speechless: "That won't do."

"I think it's great."

A clear, cool voice drifted from behind.

Lin An turned around and saw Lin Yi standing three steps away, his hands in his pockets.

She paused on Lin An for a second, then looked away, her gaze sweeping over the busy crowd in the factory area.

"You certainly know how to stir things up." Lin Yi's tone was neither complimentary nor critical.

Before Lin An could reply, her parents stepped out from behind her.

Lin's father was wearing a dark blue cotton-padded coat and carrying an insulated bag. He looked around the factory area with a somewhat sentimental expression.

As soon as Lin's mother entered the room, she began to look around. Her gaze lingered on the media reporters for a few seconds, then paused on Gao Yuanyuan, before finally landing on Lin An.

"Mom," Lin An called out.

Lin's mother hummed in agreement, walked over, and looked him up and down.

"You've lost weight," she said.

Lin An wanted to say that it had only been a few days, but he swallowed the words back and just smiled.

Before Lin's mother could say anything more, a middle-aged woman in a floral cotton-padded jacket peeked out from behind the folding table and waved to her.

"Sister Yuan! Over here!"

Lin's mother glanced at the middle-aged woman, then at Lin An, and finally decisively left her son behind to chat with her best friend.

Lin's father didn't linger. He patted Lin An on the shoulder and then led Lin Yi and Lin Meng to find a place to sit.

Ji Tao stared at this scene in a daze.

He suddenly realized something, his eyes lighting up: "You're amazing! You actually thought of that!"

"With such a grand display and so many media outlets invited, everyone knows that 'iPartment' has started filming again. The entire crew is united. Ye Daying has no chance to cause trouble again!"

Ji Tao became increasingly agitated as he spoke, "As long as we wait for the media to release the press release, and then we take the time to appear on a few programs, the public opinion will definitely suppress him and prevent him from taking any action!"

At this point, he couldn't help but pat Lin An on the shoulder and exclaimed, "You're really smart, kid!"

Lin An smiled slightly but didn't say anything.

……

……

In the study.

Ye Daying sat behind his sandalwood desk, tapping the surface of the tabletop with his fingertips.

Dozens of color photos were laid out in front of him, all of them leaked photos from the morning of the "iPartment" crew.

The photo shows a lively scene with media with their cameras and microphones, students packed together, and colorful banners.

Tan Lin stood in front of the desk, barely daring to breathe, clutching two newly published entertainment weekly magazines in his hands.

Ye Daying shifted her gaze from the photograph to Tan Lin's face:

"explain."

Tan Lin swallowed hard and forced himself to say:

"The articles in Entertainment News and Star Weekly were rejected."

Ye Daying raised an eyebrow slightly, but quickly calmed down:

"You know that's not what I want to hear."

Tan Lin swallowed hard and forced himself to say:

"There are reports that Lin An went to Hairun and met with Chang Jihong."

Ye Daying's forehead vein throbbed, then he slowly calmed his breathing and let out a cold laugh:

"What good is an agent? She may have some resources, but in the end, she's just a middleman."

Tan Lin said cautiously, "There are a lot of press releases online, and many media outlets have received money, so it might be difficult to operate during this period..."

"Am I that stupid?!" Ye Daying roared.

Tan Lin immediately shut up.

"So what if you've found a powerful backer? So what if you've won over online media?"

Ye Daying's voice was unhurried:

"If it doesn't pass censorship, whatever you film is garbage."

Tan Lin's eyes lit up, thinking that this was indeed a good method.

Just as he was about to speak in agreement, Ye Daying's voice rang out again.

"I'll not only make sure he fails the censorship, but I'll also shut him down."

His eyes were bloodshot, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:

"I'll make sure he can never write scripts again, never touch a film crew again, and no one will dare to hire him again. I'll make him understand that in this industry, offending Ye Daying isn't just about losing a project!"

Tan Lin stood there, his throat tight, unable to utter a single word.

……

……

noon.

Huayi, Chairman's Office.

When Wang Zhongjun opened the Beijing Times on the table and saw the report about the second phase of filming for "iPartment," his expression became subtle.

At this moment, Wang Zhonglei pushed open the door and came in, also holding a newspaper in his hand, the same "Beijing Times".

He had clearly looked around outside as well, and said with a sneer:

"Looks like Ye Daying isn't any better either; he's been trying for so long and still can't hold that kid down."

Wang Zhongjun placed the newspaper on the table, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

"Because of his connection with the Beijing Film Academy, Ye Daying ultimately cannot use some of his methods."

Wang Zhonglei sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and said dismissively:

"It's just a refresher course, what methods can't be used? To put it bluntly, it's Ye Daying who's useless, he can't even handle a student."

Wang Zhongjun didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the newspaper photo, lost in thought.

The photo shows the opening ceremony, with a group of handsome men and beautiful women surrounding Lin Cong, smiling and posing for a group photo in front of the camera.

The young man named Lin An stood in the corner, looking calmly at the camera.

"Tell me," Wang Zhongjun suddenly spoke up, ""could we bring this kid into the company?"

Wang Zhonglei was stunned. He put down his crossed legs and looked at his brother with disbelief.

He was about to speak when Wang Zhongjun spoke first:

"Never mind, it's unnecessary."

Wang Zhonglei breathed a sigh of relief and crossed his legs again:

"You can't use this kind of unorthodox method lightly. If you raise it too big, it might run away, and it might even turn around and bite you."

Wang Zhongjun nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing with the statement.

……

……

dusk.

Hairun Pictures, General Manager's Office.

Liu Yanming placed the newspaper on the table and lightly tapped a certain photograph twice with her fingertip:

"Is this the kid you were rooting for?"

Chang Jihong picked up her teacup, her gaze sweeping over the photos, a slight smile playing on her lips:

"I guess so. I quite like his lawless attitude."

Liu Yanming glanced down at the photo again and nodded slightly: "He is indeed handsome, it's a pity he's a screenwriter."

"Maybe he's thinking of becoming an actor?" Chang Jihong joked.

Liu Yanming shook her head and pushed the newspaper aside:

"Too domineering, too lacking in forbearance, this kind of personality won't last long as an actor."

Chang Jihong wanted to say something more.

"Alright, let's leave it at that."

Liu Yanming withdrew her gaze, her tone indifferent.

Chang Jihong paused slightly, then swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the photograph in the newspaper, and said nothing more.

……

……

Late at night, on the dirt road in Ximen.

The lights on both floors of the convenience store were on, and warm yellow light spilled out from the windows.

The downstairs area, where shelves should have been placed, now has three folding tables put together, covered with disposable plastic tablecloths, and piled high with takeout food from restaurants.

There weren't enough tables and chairs, so some people sat on the windowsill, while others sat cross-legged on the carpet. The bookshelves against the wall were pushed aside to make room, but it was still so crowded that it was hard to turn around.

We've already had several rounds of drinks.

Ji Tao took off his coat, leaving him only in a gray thermal shirt, and his face was as red as the shrimp shells on the table.

"Let me tell you!"

His voice was so loud it made the whole room buzz:

"I worked at Huanya for eight years! Eight years, you know? Eight years!"

"Okay, okay!"

Shen Teng lay on the table, her face buried in her arms, and interrupted him in a muffled voice, "You've said it eight times already."

"I'm going to say it for the ninth time!"

Ji Tao waved his hand, almost spilling the wine in his glass:

"The thing I regret least in my life is getting on that Lin family's pirate ship! Come on, Lin An..."

Where are they?

"here."

Lin An's voice came from the corner.

He sat against the wall on the windowsill, one leg curled up and the other dangling down, his gaze fixed on the night sky.

Ji Tao held the cup and waved it in his direction.

"Let me tell you, you're a good person in every way, except you're too good at pretending."

Ji Tao let out a hiccup, his eyes red as he glared at him:

"Such a big event today, and you just stood there watching the whole time, like nothing happened. Aren't you excited? Don't you want to shout something?"

Lin An raised his glass and smiled faintly: "Didn't I drink with you guys?"

"That's different!" Ji Tao persisted.

"Alright, alright, stop making things difficult for him."

Tang Yu fished a piece of tripe out of the hot pot, stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled a word in defense of Lin An.

He paused, then bent down and scooped another handful of potatoes from the pot, pulling one out.

"Listen to this! Listen to this!"

Ji Tao, as if he had found a kindred spirit, slammed his fist on the table and shouted at Lin An, "Even Tang Yu has spoken like a human being, shouldn't you do something?"

Lin An swirled the remaining half-glass of wine in his glass, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then showed the bottom of the glass to Ji Tao.

Ji Tao was satisfied then, and turned to find his next target.

Lin Cong had also drunk quite a bit, but his posture remained ramrod straight.

Zhao Nana downed an entire bottle of beer by herself, her face turning as red as if she had applied two layers of blush.

She leaned against Wen Zhengrong, pointing her finger in Lin An's direction, and said with a thick tongue:

"Do you think he's just destined to be without women? Huh? This whole film crew is full of them..."

Wen Zhengrong quickly covered her mouth, then awkwardly smiled around, "She's had too much to drink, too much to drink."

Dong Xuan and Gao Lu squeezed into a corner of the sofa, sharing a dark green blanket, each holding a cup of hot tea, their faces flushed with a slight intoxication.

Deng Chao was the one who drank the most.

He somehow ended up standing on a chair, holding a chopstick as a microphone, and belting out a Cantonese song he'd learned from who-knows-where.

Qiao Zhenyu sat next to him, expressionless, covering his ears, with veins throbbing on his forehead.

Chen Shu, carrying a cup of hot tea, walked through the crowded people and sat down next to Gao Yuanyuan.

Gao Yuanyuan huddled in the corner of the sofa, wrapped in a dark green blanket, watching the lively scene before her with a faint smile on her lips.

"It's really lively," Chen Shu said softly.

Gao Yuanyuan snapped out of her daze, turned to look at her, and smiled slightly:

"yes."

Chen Shu took a sip of tea, her tone casual yet tinged with a hint of probing:

"I heard you're going to be working in Professor Zhang Guoli's group next?"

Gao Yuanyuan didn't hide anything and nodded gently.

"My Life," a script by Lao She.

Chen Shu paused for a few seconds, then carefully said:

"That's a good project."

Gao Yuanyuan chuckled and said self-deprecatingly, "If everyone says that, then it probably is."

Chen Shu was taken aback for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Gao Yuanyuan shook her head, her gaze drifting back to the bustling crowd.

Her gaze passed over Deng Chao's waving arm, over Ji Tao's raised wine glass, over Shen Teng's face, which was gasping for breath from the spiciness, and finally landed on the figure sitting against the wall by the window.

Lin An noticed something and turned around.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment amidst the cacophony of voices and the steaming hot pot vapors.

Gao Yuanyuan did not look away as usual, but just sat there quietly.

Lin An looked at her for two seconds and nodded in response.

He put down his wine glass, jumped off the windowsill, weaved through the crowded people, and headed towards the stairwell.

Behind him, Ji Tao's loud voice was still chasing after him:

"Hey! Lin An! Why are you running away! I haven't had enough to drink with you yet!"

Lin An didn't turn around, but waved his hand dismissively.

The wooden stairs creaked underfoot.

He walked to the end of the second-floor corridor and pushed open the door to the room.

Thanks to the noise absorber, Doraemon had already fallen asleep and was lying on the second bunk bed, his belly rising and falling with his even breathing, fast asleep.

Lin An went over and tucked the blanket around him.

The round body rolled over, and mumbled something incoherently, probably something like dorayaki in its sleep.

Lin An didn't say anything, but bent down and reached under a pillow to find an envelope.

It was made of kraft paper, and a red sticker with a feather pattern was pasted on the seal.

The envelope was bulging, and you could feel the astonishing heat emanating from the contents inside when you held it in your hand.

Lin An took out a lighter from his pocket, flicked the flint wheel with his thumb, and with a snap, the envelope was ignited.

The parchment burned very slowly; it would take at least several minutes for the flames to spread.

Lin An flicked his wrist.

The burning envelope slipped from his hand and flew away on the night wind into the distance.

It drew an orange-red arc in the night sky, passing over the branches of withered trees, over low rooftops, and plummeted in a certain direction.

Lin An gazed at the window quietly for a while, then reached out to close it and turned to walk towards the door.

He paused as soon as the door opened.

Gao Yuanyuan stood outside the door, still wrapped in that dark green thin blanket.

"Can we talk alone?" she asked.

Lin An did not answer, but only glanced downstairs.

The once bustling first floor was now deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at Gao Yuanyuan, and nodded:

"it is good."

……

……

Even though it was late at night, the number of vehicles on the dirt road in the west of the city was still astonishing.

One car headlight after another swept across the road, beams of light sweeping over roadside trees, over newsstands, and over two figures walking side by side under the streetlights.

Gao Yuanyuan, dressed in a white cotton coat, walked quietly down the road.

Lin An walked on the side closest to the road, his hands in his coat pockets, and didn't urge her.

"Is my filming finished for today?"

Gao Yuanyuan suddenly said.

Lin An nodded. "For now."

Gao Yuanyuan did not respond.

Lin An said, "I'll arrange for you to come back after you're done there."

Gao Yuanyuan walked a short distance with her head down, then kicked a cigarette butt that someone had thrown on the ground with her toe, watching it roll into a crack in the sewer.

"That sounds great, there's absolutely no risk."

Lin An glanced at her and said calmly:

"No one will blame you. Anyone would have done the same in that situation."

Gao Yuanyuan scoffed, "You can do that too?"

Lin An thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes."

Gao Yuanyuan's sarcasm intensified, but this time it was directed at herself.

Has anyone ever told you that your lies are full of holes?

Lin An fell silent, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

Gao Yuanyuan said, "Do you know why I auditioned for your film crew?"

Lin An shook his head.

Gao Yuanyuan said, "It was my birthday that day, but my boyfriend wasn't there and didn't even send me a happy birthday message."

Her tone was calm, as if she were talking about someone else's business:

"I was angry and upset, and I didn't want to stay at home at all. As soon as I heard there was a film crew audition, I went there immediately."

Lin An thought for a moment and nodded slightly:

"That makes perfect sense."

Gao Yuanyuan ignored him and continued speaking to herself:

"I thought it was a low-budget, no-name film crew, just something to kill time, but I never expected to meet everyone, Director Lin, and you."

Before Lin An could answer, she took a deep breath and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

Even through the thickness of the cotton-padded coat, Lin An could feel its negligible weight.

"I like this production crew, I like everyone."

Her voice was muffled. "So please, don't let it go before I get back."

Lin An paused for a moment, then resumed his normal pace.

"Don't worry," he said, "it won't fall apart."

Gao Yuanyuan straightened her head and looked at him intently:

"Be careful. Ye Daying is a big-name director in Beijing's film circle; he's not so easy to deal with."

She paused for a moment, then added, "Even if you bribe the media and get things done with online media, those people won't let you off the hook."

Lin An didn't speak, but simply turned his head and looked into the distance.

Gao Yuanyuan followed his gaze.

As night fell, thick smoke, as black as ink, surged and rose into the sky.

Immediately following was the sharp wail of fire sirens, growing louder as they approached.

A crimson expanse stretched into the distance.

Spreading out from the horizon, it dyed the clouds in the sky red, dyed the branches of the withered trees red, and dyed their shadows standing side by side under the street lamp red.

Gao Yuanyuan realized that it was the direction of the film set, and her pupils contracted slightly.

She turned her head sharply and looked at Lin An.

Lin An withdrew his gaze and calmly continued forward.

He said that if it needs to be resolved completely, then it must be resolved completely.

This is his method for a complete solution.