Chapter 1759: The Peacock Displays Its Plumage

For ten thousand li, not a cloud marred the sky; the sunlight was brilliant and clear.

Inside and outside Jingcheng Station in the springtide, the crowds surged like a tide; this was the heart of Shenzhou, where people came from all directions and departed to all directions.

There were young men and women wearing glasses, their spirits soaring, and migrant workers shouldering bundles, hesitating without purpose, stunned by the bustling prosperity of this great city.

Outside, tour guides held up small red flags, leading lines of tourists forward; there were those shouting to sell goods, scalpers selling tickets with furtive cunning, and others soliciting guests for lodging.

"Big brother, just arrived, haven't you? No place to stay yet?"

A brightly dressed woman dragged a young man who had just emerged from the station, pressing close with exaggerated familiarity: "Sister runs a guesthouse not far away, right across the street, less than five hundred meters; the rates aren't steep. We're all here in Jingcheng to make a living; sister knows a few people and might even be able to find you some work."

She had sized him up from head to toe a moment ago and confirmed he was an outsider; for no other reason than that he lacked sophistication and looked utterly rustic.

In this day and age, what young lad still wore rubber shoes and military trousers from the seventies or eighties? The bag he carried was a woven polypropylene sack, and slung across his body was a green postal satchel bearing the slogan 'Serve the People'; only the watch on his wrist, slightly yellowed with age, held any value.

It was the standard attire of a migrant laborer.

One glance told the woman this was her target clientele...

Wang Yan, carrying his bag, smiled with a touch of simple honesty: "Thank you, big sister, but I have no money; once I've earned some, I'll patronize your business."

Yet as he spoke, he was far from well-behaved, slapping the woman's buttocks outright with his palm.

That strike hit the right note; the woman tugged at Wang Yan with even greater force: "What do you mean 'later'? You need lodging anyway; it's the same wherever you go, so trust sister. Judging by your accent, you're from the Northeast, right? We're fellow villagers; would sister ever cheat you?"

"Why wouldn't she? It's precisely fellow villagers who cheat you the most."

At that moment, an acquaintance of Wang Yan approached, wearing a cap askew and a sash slung across his chest bearing the words 'Winter Departs, Spring Arrives—Welcome'.

He lounged with an air of irresponsibility, looking thoroughly unreliable as he stepped before the pair.

He said: "Big sister, this young fellow has come here alone to struggle for a living; don't ruin him—let him go. Otherwise, so young and already led astray, what will become of him? He'll earn every penny and hand it all to you; how will he ever take a wife?"

"Why do you speak so offensively? Does staying at my place mean he can't find a wife?"

"Who can say for sure? I've heard of several falling ill, infecting a whole household; who knows if it wasn't your establishment?"

"Scram, scram, scram! What nonsense are you spouting? Keep slandering and I'll claw you to death. Big brother, don't listen to him; just come with sister—would sister ever harm you?"

Wang Yan reached out again, resting his hand on her buttocks and giving a slight, deliberate squeeze.

"Sister, little brother truly has no money; perhaps another time, I'll seek you out."

The woman spoke a few more words, but seeing Wang Yan would not follow, she could only cast a resentful glare at the two men before departing.

"Is your 'Winter Departs, Spring Arrives' also a guesthouse?"

"Exactly! And I'm from the Northeast too; everyone calls me Little Northeast."

"That name won't do." Wang Yan shook his head. "There are plenty of Northeasterners here; your moniker suffers from too much duplication."

"It's just the general idea, anyway." Little Northeast shifted tack: "My place is very close to the Capital Film Studio, only two streets away; everyone staying there is involved in the arts, so you can soak up some artistic atmosphere as well.

Let me tell you, if you want to become an actor, you can loiter at the studio gates; every day, film crews gather there to recruit extras. Do you know what an extra is? A background actor, shouting 'kill' and 'strike' from the rear, though sometimes you get a shot of your face. If you truly become a great star, then your life is made; no one can predict such things, right?

The likes of that woman earlier are merely common, vulgar beauties; even if you earn money, you shouldn't squander it on them; there are plenty of good girls out there."

This Little Northeast spoke in leaps and bounds, yet his message remained coherent.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "How much do you charge? What are the conditions?"

"Just a basement room, eight yuan a day. Hey, don't look down on basements. Where is this? The Capital! You've come here to earn a living, not to enjoy life. Put simply, you just need a place to rest and sleep. When you leave, dawn hasn't broken; when you return, night has already fallen; there's little difference between ground level and underground.

It may be a bit damp, which indeed cannot be helped. You're young, under thirty, I'd guess? You can endure it. Here's the deal: listening to me talk isn't enough; let's go see the place in person. If you're satisfied, you stay; if not, you leave. The money is in your pocket; I can't reach in and take it. As a grown man, give me a straight answer: are you going or not?"

Little Northeast's string of empathetic arguments showed he was a skilled salesman.

"Let's go; we'll take a look first."

"There, that settles it; follow me."

Little Northeast turned to lead the way, and Wang Yan followed, carrying his luggage.

Not far away, they reached the roadside; Little Northeast opened the door of a small van and offered Wang Yan a cigarette: "Wait here a moment; a few more vehicles are arriving. I'll try to gather a few more passengers; sending you alone would cut into my business.

Don't worry; stroll around nearby. It should take about an hour. Oh, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Perfect; there are plenty of vendors here; after traveling so far, have something to eat and rest a while."

Having said all this, Little Northeast returned to recruit more guests for lodging.

Wang Yan placed his luggage inside the vehicle, then, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, began strolling nearby.

It was now 1994, yet Jingcheng was already prosperous; people flowed like a river, crowds surged endlessly. Near the railway station, traffic was congested and the noise deafening.

He had just arrived from the same era; though the times were alike, the situation in Mazhi County compared to this place was truly heaven versus earth—not even on the same ground.

However, Wang Yan had long been prepared for this; accustomed to such shifts across time and space, he wandered nearby with keen interest, savoring this small surprise delivered by the fabric of spacetime.

In truth, he had visited Jingcheng before while still in Mazhi County, even disembarking at this very railway station; but then he was merely passing through, whereas now he intended to remain here for long.

If one spoke of understanding this Jingcheng, absolutely no one in the present world could surpass him.

Upon this very land, he had been present since the era of the Three Kingdoms; he had even served as Emperor here, and also worked as a laborer... He had truly come here too many times.

After more than half an hour had passed, from afar Wang Yan spotted a Miss of delicate features and slender figure; she stood there, her face radiant with a smile, brimming with longing for this vast Jingcheng.

She believed she would attain the success of her dreams here and was willing to strive for it, just like so many others who had come here clutching ideals.

Yet in the end, most departed bearing only the weight of reality.

Not far from this Miss, a man stood holding a camera, taking photographs while gazing at her with infatuation; another long-unseen acquaintance.

Just then, a man with shifty eyes and a rat-like demeanor passed by; as he brushed past the Miss, he swiftly snatched the small bag slung across her shoulder, and with tremendous force, caused the Miss to cry out in alarm.

"Thief! Catch the thief! He stole my bag!"

Just as the Miss shouted loudly, the acquaintance taking photographs on the other side reacted, joining the cries and rushing out in pursuit.

The direction in which the thief fled led straight toward Wang Yan.

As the man passed, Wang Yan lightly extended his foot and tripped him; the thief flew through the air and landed flat on his face, limbs splayed.

The Miss who had chased after him hurried over, picked up the bag from the ground, and, wearing an expression of relief after surviving disaster, said: "Thank you."

"A mere trifle; no need for thanks." Wang Yan, pressing his foot upon the thief's back, replied with a smile: "However, you must wait with me a moment; we need to hand this thief over to the authorities."

"Agreed! I will testify for you; he is simply abominable! In broad daylight, daring to snatch property—they must all be arrested!" The one who answered was not the delicate Miss, but Wang Yan's acquaintance.

Now, stirred by lust and eager to show off, he was competing with Wang Yan, strutting like a peacock displaying its plumage.

Wang Yan said nothing, merely offering the Miss a smile.

The train station here was bustling with people coming and going, the mix of individuals complex; since this was still a key area of the capital, extra caution was naturally required, so police presence was quite sufficient, with railway police, public security officers, and armed police all on duty.

When the situation arose here, bystanders gathered to watch the excitement; within two minutes, police pushed through the crowd to separate them, then dispersed the onlookers and escorted Wang Yan and the others to the police station.

After some registration and explaining the situation, the three of them exchanged names.

"Thank you, Wang Yan; leave me your address, and once I've settled in, I'll treat you to a meal."

Outside the police station, Zhuangzhuang looked at Wang Yan with utmost seriousness.

"Taiping Taiping Hutong, Winter Goes Spring Comes—as I just mentioned," Wang Yan replied with a smile.

"Right, right, right; Zhuangzhuang, I'm with him," Xu Lv Shengyi chimed in from the side, eager to show his involvement.

Zhuangzhuang glanced at him, then shifted her gaze back to Wang Yan: "Then I'll be off; I need to find a place to stay quickly."

Wang Yan asked, "You still need to look for lodging right now?"

"Yes, I have no one here to turn to."

"Then why not come with us to take a look at Winter Goes Spring Comes? If you're going to study singing, expenses will certainly be high; for daily food and lodging, one should save where possible. Winter Goes Spring Comes is in a basement, costing eight yuan a day..."

Wang Yan relayed Little Northeast's words with hardly any difference from the original.

Hearing such familiar words, Xu Lv Shengyi looked at Wang Yan differently, yet he still eagerly chimed in: "Wang Yan is right, Zhuangzhuang; living anywhere is living, and that Winter Goes Spring Comes is cheap, so it's very suitable; besides, we're acquaintances now, so we can look out for each other."

"No need to decide in a hurry; just go take a look first; since you have to find a place to stay anyway, if you're not satisfied, we can talk then," Wang Yan said thus.

So Zhuangzhuang pondered briefly and finally nodded: "Alright, then let's go take a look together."

Xu Lv Shengyi eagerly carried Zhuangzhuang's luggage, and the three of them went together to find Little Northeast.

"Aiyo, where did you two go? If your luggage hadn't still been in the vehicle, I would've thought about heading back. So what happened? Where did you pick up such a beautiful lady?"

"I've brought you some business; let's all go to your place to check out the accommodation conditions," Wang Yan said, lifting his chin.

"That's wonderful! Let me tell you, Miss, Winter Goes Spring Comes will definitely not disappoint you. To put it this way, nowhere in all of Jingcheng is better than my place. It has culture, it has art; at a glance, I can tell you're no ordinary person—you're in the arts too, right?"

"She's a singer, a future great vocal artist."

"Is that so? Then, future great vocal artist, shall we get in the vehicle first?" Little Northeast, very adept at keeping the mood lively, cheerfully ushered everyone into his small van, which puttered off toward the lodging.

All along the way, Little Northeast's mouth never stopped; he kept chattering away, introducing the places they passed to the three of them, occasionally whipping up their enthusiasm by saying he'd been here many years, that many people who stayed with him later achieved success, and so on.

He indirectly showcased Winter Goes Spring Comes' good fortune, constantly laying the groundwork to persuade them to pay and stay.

But it was indeed quite pleasant; they were all young people, and amidst the laughter, they unconsciously grew closer; meanwhile, listening to the many inspirational stories Little Northeast told, both Xu Lv Shengyi and Zhuangzhuang wore expressions of longing.

"Hey, Wang Yan, those two are a great screenwriter and a great vocal artist; what do you want to do?" Little Northeast, noticing Wang Yan's silence, took the initiative to ask.

"Me?... " Under Zhuangzhuang's gaze, Wang Yan slowly spoke, "What I most want to do is make money."

"Who doesn't want to make money? But making money also has its pathways; what pathway will you take? And after you've made money, what will you do? Those are your true dreams."

Xu Lv Shengyi sounded somewhat displeased and somewhat contemptuous, displaying the condescension of the educated toward the uneducated.

Wang Yan shot him a sidelong glance and said with a chuckle: "Of course, on the premise of not breaking the law, I'll do whatever makes money. After making money, I'll invest in the music industry to help Comrade Zhuangzhuang rise to prominence; naturally, I'll also invest in filmmaking, and then we'll see what tone you use when speaking to me."

"You..."

"Don't you two say otherwise; what Wang Yan said truly makes sense," Little Northeast interrupted Xu Lv Shengyi. "In today's world, what can be done without money? No matter what one does, ultimately it still takes money to set up the stage; only then can the rest be carried out."

"Only when someone invests money will someone make a film, and only then can a screenwriter's script sell for money. Only when someone prepares a stage can a vocal artist perform before an audience; otherwise, it's just admiring one's own fragrance in solitude. Our Northeast fellow is a man who understands."

"But having money doesn't mean one can do whatever one wants," Xu Lv Shengyi remained displeased, feeling Wang Yan's remarks about him were unfair. "We've only just met; you can't straightaway assume I'm a snobbish petty man, can you?"

This competition to strut like a peacock, seizing opportunities to undermine rivals in front of a woman—Wang Yan naturally wouldn't indulge such faults.

So Wang Yan repeated Xu Lv Shengyi's earlier words, mimicking even the tone, and said: "Come, Great Screenwriter, based on the content and tone of your speech, try to understand what emotions the speaker conveyed?"

"Or let me ask another way: if there were a director selecting scripts right now, would you speak to him in this manner? Of course not! Right? So, do I owe you money? Have I eaten your rice? Tell me, aren't you a petty man?"

Xu Lv Shengyi, having had his thoughts hit home, cared somewhat for his dignity and felt a bit embarrassed; yet after losing face, his mind turned to how to maintain it, so he opened his mouth to argue back.

"Enough, enough; we've all come to Jingcheng together to seek our futures; later we'll all be living in the same place, seeing each other constantly; it's just a couple of remarks, so why get angry? Right, Great Vocal Artist?"

Little Northeast spoke up at just the right moment, blocking Xu Lv Shengyi's retort once again.

Zhuangzhuang nodded and said with a smile: "Right, there's no need; what was said all makes sense. Little Northeast, what place is that building over there?"

Zhuangzhuang changed the subject; Little Northeast started chattering again, while Xu Lv Shengyi snorted and fell silent.

As for Wang Yan, he lounged lazily against the seat, wearing an expression of complete indifference...

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