Chapter 69

In China, almost no one doesn’t know Hengdian Film and Television City; the vast majority of domestic film and television productions shoot here. It is also the largest film base in the country and among the top two globally in scale.

However, very few people know that Hengdian Film and Television City is in Jinhua, Zhejiang.

This film city boasts over a hundred movie- and TV-grade studios. The number of ancient costume, historical, and modern-day shooting sets is countless, exceeding two thousand. On average, more than fifteen production crews are hosted daily; there was even a news report stating that as many as fifty crews filmed here simultaneously.

This gives you some idea of Hengdian Film and Television City’s scale.

Compared to Hengdian Film and Television City, most Chinese people know Jinhua better through Yiwu’s small commodities; not just among Chinese, the words “Yiwu” are famous worldwide.

As for Jinhua, Qin Yun’s knowledge was limited to this. Oh, he also knew about Jinhua ham!

Driving from Hangzhou, it took a little over two hours to reach Dongyang City—Hengdian is located in Dongyang, Jinhua.

Around lunchtime, he parked at a temporary lot and called Lin Yao.

“Brother Yun, have you arrived?”

“I’m here. Send me your location—I’m already in Dongyang.”

“Got it, right away.”

After hanging up, he opened Lin Yao’s location and saw it was just over a kilometer away. In less than five minutes, he spotted Lin Yao.

At first, this guy’s envious gaze drifted over the Land Rover, but only when the car stopped beside him did he notice the driver.

“Brother Yun!”

Lin Yao stood frozen, mouth agape, staring dumbfounded at Qin Yun behind the wheel.

Qin Yun parked, turned off the engine, stepped out, and seeing his expression, gave him a light punch, grumbling: “What are you staring at? Like you’ve never seen the world.”

“Brother Yun, did you buy this car?” Lin Yao reached out to touch the hood, his shock still evident.

“Yeah, nothing special, nothing special.” Qin Yun smiled, slinging an arm around the kid’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s find somewhere to eat and talk while we eat.”

Lin Yao was reluctantly dragged away; they found a nearby restaurant and ordered a few dishes casually.

“Brother Yun, I heard you got divorced?”

Qin Yun nodded: “Yeah, over two months ago.”

“So you’re not in Beijing anymore?”

“I’m divorced—why stay in Beijing?” Qin Yun tasted the food; it was edible, but bland. Still, judging by the restaurant’s sign and furniture, it had clearly been open for years.

If a place like this could last so long, maybe Lin Yao’s idea of opening a restaurant was actually viable.

“Enough about me—what about you?” Qin Yun glanced at him. “Quitting your job to come to Hengdian for your white moonlight—is it worth it?”

Lin Yao’s face flushed, embarrassed.

“Brother Yun, I just want to try again. Maybe Lu Lu will agree to be with me?”

“Why? Because you’re rich and well-endowed? Which one do you have?” Qin Yun bluntly shot back. “Do you even know Lu Lu’s current situation?”

“Lu Lu told me—her finances are dire, she’s deeply in debt, owing several million yuan domestically alone.” Lin Yao’s smile vanished, his expression serious. “But I think those are minor issues. If I work hard and earn money, I can pay it all back.”

Qin Yun was stunned—this guy’s devotion was absurd. Was his brain even functioning right?

He had already retracted half his intention to invest in this guy’s restaurant.

“Did you lend Lu Lu money?”

Lin Yao hesitated, then nodded: “Yeah, I lent her fifty thousand. She said her freelance photography gear needs to be better, otherwise she’ll miss fleeting moments because of poor equipment.”

“…………”

“Do you know she also borrowed fifty thousand from Su Huan?”

“I didn’t know.”

“Forget Lu Lu—this is your own business.” Qin Yun gave up trying to reason with him and shifted to the restaurant. “Where are you planning to rent a shop?”

“On Shili Street. A Jiangxi small-dish owner plans to return to his hometown and is closing up. I checked the location and foot traffic nearby—I think it’s worth investing in. If I can build connections with production crews, I can land some boxed meal contracts—thirty thousand a year is doable.”

Seeing him speak so coherently, Qin Yun asked: “So you’re planning fast food?”

“Not exactly fast food—more like this kind of place.” Lin Yao glanced at the restaurant they were in.

“What’s the main customer base on Shili Street?” Qin Yun didn’t know Hengdian’s situation, but it was surely one of three: production crews, locals, or tourists.

“Locals and production crews make up about seventy percent of customers; the other thirty percent are tourists—I’ve researched this.” Lin Yao spoke without hesitation, clearly prepared. “Shili Street is near the Ming-Qing Palace Complex and close to the influencer street, with convenient transport and concentrated hotels. I’m confident that if the food tastes good, it’ll succeed.”

"Local residents and the film crew make up about seventy percent of the foot traffic; the remaining thirty percent are tourists—I’ve already checked this," Lin Yao said without hesitation, clearly prepared. "Shili Street is near the Ming-Qing imperial palaces and close to a popular online hotspot, with convenient transportation and a high concentration of hotels. I believe that if the food tastes good, this place will definitely succeed."

“Eight thousand a month, paid yearly, three-year contract.”

“How much money do you have? How many employees will you hire?”

Lin Yao calculated: “I have one hundred thousand left. I’ll hire two staff—I’ll be the boss and chef.”

Damn, he was risking one hundred thousand to open a shop—didn’t he fear total loss?

Qin Yun shoveled a few bites, then, lying through his teeth, asked the owner while paying: “Brother, how long has your restaurant been open? The food’s pretty good.”

The owner chuckled: “Six or seven years. Are you tourists?”

“Yeah, just visiting.” Qin Yun lied casually. “You run this place alone? Isn’t it too much work?”

“I can’t afford to hire anyone.” The owner shook his head. “One employee costs four to five thousand a month—that’s fifty to sixty thousand a year. I barely make twenty thousand a year. No point hiring. Besides, I mainly serve production crews. If I relied on locals and tourists, I’d starve from low turnover.”

Outside the restaurant, Qin Yun suddenly asked: “You haven’t already rented that shop, have you?”

Lin Yao nodded: “It was hotly contested. Luckily I moved fast—if I’d waited, I wouldn’t have gotten it. I paid an extra month’s rent.”

Qin Yun sighed: “Alright, let’s go see your shop.”

Soon, Qin Yun drove to the address Lin Yao gave, parking under a sign still reading “Jiangxi Small Dishes.”

To the left was a hardware store; to the right, a guesthouse; further on, several local cuisine restaurants.

It was a four-story building, clearly self-built, with peeling red bricks and faded signs.

Lin Yao rolled up the shutter door. The dining area was clean enough, but the kitchen was a mess—clearly Lin Yao had been cleaning.

“Have you applied for your business license?” Qin Yun had completely given up on investing—but he’d still lend the money.

“I’ve applied. Should be ready soon.”

Qin Yun nodded, pulled over a stool: “I’ll lend you the money. But I want you to remember one thing.”

Qin Yun nodded, pulled over a stool, and said, "I’ll lend you this money, but I want you to remember one thing, brother."

“I’m not worried about your restaurant’s profitability—you’re hardworking. But saying you’ll give yourself three years is too long.”

Seeing Lin Yao open his mouth, Qin Yun waved him off: “Don’t interrupt. Lu Lu suddenly decided to become a freelance photographer in Hengdian—do you think she’ll stick with it? If she quits after a few months and leaves, what will you do? Follow her? That’s not how you chase a girl.”

“Restaurants are a grind—you put in effort, you get results. And you, chasing a girl this desperately, I bet you can easily network with production crews. If you can leverage their connections, you might actually build something here—far more than you’d earn coding in Hunan.”

"Running a restaurant is hard work—you put in effort, and you’ll get returns. Besides, you’ve gone this far just to chase a girl, so I’m sure meeting some people from the film crew won’t be hard. If you can connect with the crew’s network, you might actually build something here—far more than you’d earn coding in Hunan."

Qin Yun shook his head: “Send me your account. I’ll transfer you the money. I won’t pressure you to repay it for three years. Do what you think best.”

As he spoke, Qin Yun stood up, ready to leave and tour the scenic spots as a tourist.

But then, suddenly, a system voice rang in his ear, and a panel dropped into his vision.

【Publishing check-in task: Host must experience five roles across production crews in Hengdian Film and Television City to complete check-in】

Acting… no, being a background extra—he, an ordinary person, could never land a real role. But experiencing extras might already be a business here?

Qin Yun wasn’t sure, so he asked Lin Yao.

“Ah Yao, I heard tourists can also experience being extras in Hengdian?”

Lin Yao looked confused: “I don’t know—I’ve only been here a few days. But I have a childhood friend here—I’ll call him and ask.”

Lin Yao looked confused. "I don’t know—I’ve only been here a few days. But I’ve got a childhood friend here in Hengdian too. Let me call him and ask."

Qin Yun wasn’t surprised by Lin Yao’s interest in being an extra—most tourists to Hengdian dream of it. If Lin Yao weren’t focused on his own goals, he’d probably try it too.

After all, everyone wants to see themselves on screen.

Soon, Lin Yao’s call connected. The other end was delighted to hear Lin Yao had arrived in Hengdian. After brief pleasantries, when Lin Yao mentioned the topic, the friend immediately said he was busy and suggested meeting at six p.m. elsewhere.

After hanging up, Lin Yao said: “Brother Yun, my childhood friend’s name is Jia Tian. He came to Hengdian right after high school—he’s now a group leader for extras.”

A young man chasing celebrity dreams, Qin Yun thought.

“By the way, Brother Yun, should I call Lu Lu?”

Qin Yun flatly refused: “No. Ever since she cut off contact after going to the U.S., I don’t want to know her.”

Do you think everyone is as obsessed with her as you are?

But the next moment, a call came in—Lu Lu was coming to see Lin Yao.

Qin Yun sighed, waved his hand, signaling him to do as he pleased.

Fifteen minutes later, a sharp figure appeared in his sight. She looked no different from his memory of Lu Lu, except for her dyed blonde hair, slightly dry skin, and visibly tired eyes.

When she saw Qin Yun, embarrassment flashed across her face, then vanished, replaced by delight.

“Senior Qin, is that you? Senior?”

Qin Yun smiled faintly—he couldn’t ignore a smiling face. “Lu Lu, long time no see.”

Lu Lu patted Lin Yao’s arm, scolding: “Senior Qin is here, and you didn’t tell me? I came without even getting dressed!”

Lin Yao scratched his head, embarrassed: “I didn’t expect you to call today. Brother Yun just arrived.”

“Senior Qin, let me treat you to dinner tonight—we haven’t seen each other in ages.”

Lu Lu didn’t mention her silence after leaving for America—she acted warmly, as if nothing had happened.

“No, tonight Ah Yao’s meeting his childhood friend.”

“Can I join?” Lu Lu turned to Lin Yao.

“Of course!” Lin Yao wouldn’t refuse. “You’re perfect timing—we’ve got time before dinner. I’m going to clean up—want to help?”

Lu Lu looked at the filthy storefront, wanting to refuse—but Qin Yun was here, so she couldn’t say no. She gritted her teeth and agreed.

“Of course! I came to help you clean. A guy like you can’t clean properly.”

Lin Yao’s face lit up with joy: “Really?”

Lin Yao immediately broke into a joyful smile: “Really?”

"More real than real gold."

Shi Lulu replied, her gaze falling on Qin Yun. Though Qin Yun wore no branded clothes, one could tell his caliber just by his bearing.

In her eyes, Qin Yun was still incredibly handsome, his looks surpassing many celebrities and far outshining the dim-witted Lin Yao beside him. Suddenly her eyes lit up as she spotted the Land Rover Defender parked nearby.

"Wow... this car is so beautiful. I saw it online—it costs over a million."

The sycophant Lin Yao chimed in: "This car was bought by Yun Ge."

Shi Lulu’s eyes sparkled!

…………………………

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