Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 25: The Red Carpet at the Tip of a Needle

4:30 a.m., Dashilan.

Chen Yan stood up from the buzzing Pentium computer, his back, worn out from staying up all night, cracking like a dry twig being broken.

He pushed open the window, and a cold wind, mixed with coal dust and the smell of fried food, rushed in, stinging his cheeks.

"Chen Yan".

Su Wan handed over an enamel mug, and the steam from the hot water hit Chen Yan's face.

He took the jar, but didn't drink from it; he just used the heat to warm his stiff fingers.

"Now that the list is finalized, do you feel uneasy?"

Su Wan's voice was a little hoarse.

"It's not that I'm uneasy, it's that I'm calculating."

Chen Yan took a sip of hot water, a warm current flowing into his stomach. "Going to Cannes, the airfare, accommodation, and dress all cost money. Sister Lin's trip is an investment, not a gift."

Su Wan looked down at the frayed edges of her cloth shoes and remained silent.

She understands that before fame can be monetized, it's just a piece of paper that needs to be held onto with money.

"Take Qingqiu to Jishuitan first thing tomorrow morning."

Chen Yan put down the jar and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Her waist is a thorn. If it's not removed, she won't be able to walk straight on the red carpet."

……

The clinic at Jishuitan Hospital smelled of disinfectant.

The old Chinese medicine doctor Zhou pressed his withered fingers on Lin Qingqiu's lower back. When he touched the third lumbar vertebra, the girl tensed up and her face turned pale instantly.

"Old wounds, stagnant blood pressure affecting the nerves."

The old Chinese medicine doctor laid out a row of silver needles from his cloth bag. "If you can't get through the needles, you'll feel soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain. If you can't bear it, your back will be ruined."

Su Wan watched from the side, her fingernails digging into her palms.

As soon as the first needle pierced her skin, Lin Qingqiu immediately gripped the iron railing of the hospital bed. Her knuckles turned blue, and the iron bars made a grinding sound as they were squeezed, but she didn't make a sound.

"What's the point?"

Dr. Zhou twirled the needle tip, muttering to himself.

Sweat beaded on Lin Qingqiu's forehead, and he squeezed out his voice through clenched teeth: "I don't care about fame, I just want some light."

Chen Yan stood outside the consultation room, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

He looked at Lin Qingqiu's tense profile, his eyes showing no sympathy, only approval, with a hint of ruthlessness.

Without this ruthless determination to undergo painful self-examination, one cannot even make it to the forefront.

……

The news spread faster than the wind within Nortel.

As soon as Chen Yan entered the school gate, he felt those complicated gazes.

A crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board, which displayed a donation notice from Haiming Film & Television.

"Lu Haiming wants to donate a building for the Haiming Art Center."

Zhang Yuan suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his face grim. "Brother Yan, this bastard did it on purpose. He built the building right across from our old photography department building."

Chen Yan looked up at the foundation in the distance, but remained silent.

The vice principal's office was filled with the smell of smoke.

Yan Huaizhong pushed a check for 50,000 yuan over: "It's a travel allowance approved by the institute. It's not much, so use it sparingly."

He pointed out the window again, "The matter of Lu Haiming donating the building has been basically decided in the hospital. You need to be prepared."

"He can donate the building, and he can leave his name behind."

Chen Yan accepted the check, his tone calm, "As long as our film wins an award at Cannes, the first person students from the Haiming Centre will want to pay homage to is me, not him. At that time, this building will be a monument to my good deeds."

Yan Huaizhong was taken aback, then gave a wry smile: "You kid... what else do you want?"

"One producer position."

Chen Yan looked into his eyes. "Su Wan, she's coming with me. Without her, the film can't be shot."

Yan Huaizhong remained silent for a moment before finally signing the form.

……

It was drizzling in Beijing the day the visa was issued.

A black Audi A6 silently rolled to the side of the road in front of the French consulate.

The car window rolled down, and Lu Haiming, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, looked like a refined scholar.

"Director Chen, congratulations."

He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "However, in the film industry, trophies alone aren't enough. Ms. Su, don't you agree?"

Su Wan tensed up and took half a step back.

Chen Yan stepped forward, blocking her behind him.

He took out a cigarette and lit it.

"Mr. Lu, the building is being completed quite quickly."

Chen Yan exhaled a puff of smoke, the smoke blurring his expression. "Remember to send me an invitation for the opening ceremony. I also want to see if a building built on human blood buns is stable."

Lu Haiming's face darkened.

"Young man, you have a long road ahead of you."

He adjusted his glasses, a cold glint flashing across the lenses. "See you in Cannes."

Audi disappeared into the rain.

"Is he going too?"

Lin Qingqiu frowned.

Whether he goes or not is not important.

Chen Yan stubbed out his cigarette; the rainwater was icy cold. "The important thing is, he panicked."

……

On the eve of his departure, Chen Yan returned alone to the photography department's darkroom, which was slated for demolition.

The air still carried the bitter smell of medicine.

He found a rusty film tube in a dusty corner.

Pull back the film and hold it up to the dim safety light; a blurry woman's silhouette is seen holding an umbrella in the rain.

In his previous life, the banning of "The Sound of Rain in the Old City" stemmed from Tianjin, and this background is also related to Lu Haiming's rise to power.

Without hesitation, Chen Yan carefully rolled up the tattered film and tucked it into the inside pocket of his coat, close to his chest.

Old scores need to be settled with a bigger plan.

……

Beijing Capital International Airport, May 2001.

Lin Shufen, dressed in a smart business suit, handed Chen Yan an envelope.

"This is a list of media outlets in Cannes and information on several key film critics. Lu Haiming will likely start by targeting them."

Chen Yan took it and stuffed it into his pocket.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker informing passengers of boarding.

He turned to look at Su Wan, who was wearing a white shirt and had her hair tied in a ponytail, looking neat and clean.

Are you scared?

Su Wan shook her head, her gaze steady.

"I'm not afraid."

Not far away, Lin Qingqiu was slowly bending down to tie her shoelaces. Although her movements were slow, her back was very straight.

Chen Yan withdrew his gaze and walked towards the ticket gate.

BJ's silhouette blurred behind him.

This trip wasn't just about winning an award.

He pressed the film tube on his chest.

It is also to tell the story that was not finished in the previous life to the whole world on a bigger stage.