Chapter 14: Sewing Machine Band

The best thing about a buffet is always fried rice and dim sum.

That's for someone like Master Ci who's grown tired of mountain and sea delicacies—I just love meat. Look at this steak, doesn't it look like an axe?

After finishing a whole day's work, Lao Zhao and the others insisted on trying the newly opened Western buffet.

Anyway, Chen Ci isn't used to it, so he just got a pair of chopsticks and ate fried rice.

"Brother Ci, when eating Western food, do you hold the knife in the left hand or the right hand?"

"I know, when eating Western food you hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right."

Yang Tongxue gave a demonstration, and after getting along recently, she and the members of the Broken Guitar Band have gotten along fairly well.

Chen Ci chuckled: "Actually there aren't that many rules; British people usually hold the fork in the left hand and knife in the right. Some Americans like to cut with the knife first, then put the knife down and pick up the fork."

"Put simply, just do what feels natural; foreigners aren't without left-handers."

Shi San tried it, and sure enough, the left-fork-right-knife setup suits most people.

He was just about to cut when he heard Chen Ci say from beside him: "Shi San, you eat first; when you're full I'll show you something."

Shi San simply put his hands down: "Brother Ci, you've said all that—do you think I can still eat?"

Chen Ci laughed: "You know what I'm going to say?"

"Just now, while I was tidying up my gear, I spotted it, and Lao Zhao and Pang Zi saw it too."

Sure enough, Lao Zhao and Pang Zi exchanged a knowing glance and stifled their laughter, while only Yang Tongxue remained clueless.

"Alright."

Chen Ci took a document out of the bag beside him.

"What is it?"

Yang Tongxue, being impatient, snatched it from Chen Ci's hand and wiped her mouth.

"Sewing Machine Band… what is that?"

Flipping open the cover and taking a glance, she let out an astonished exclamation: "A script? You wrote this?"

Chen Ci took the document back: "It's just an outline and story synopsis; it's not finished yet."

"Then why call it that? Aren't you guys the Broken Guitar Band?"

Yang Tongxue's question is also what the other three want to know: why not just call it 《Broken Guitar Band》?

"It's in the story; you'll see once you read it."

Sure enough, the first page has an introduction: the Broken Guitar Band is a legendary band that disbanded many years ago, and it's also the starting point of the protagonist's rock dream.

Looking back at the real-life Broken Guitar, it may not be legendary, but its disbanding matches up.

The script outline Chen Ci produced doesn't have many details, but it does tell a complete story.

The protagonist, Chen Gong, as an unsuccessful agent, saw the legendary Broken Guitar Band disband under his watch.

Then, due to a twist of fate, he was tricked by a loyal fan of the Broken Guitar Band into reuniting the band to save the band's symbolic Big Guitar monument.

During this time the protagonist's mindset shifts—from disdain to being influenced by another main character, then an unexpected yet understandable betrayal occurs.

Especially when Chen Gong mentions "rock is dead," Yang Tongxue doesn't feel much special, but Lao Zhao and the two others all fall silent together.

The beginnings of Chinese rock should be in the 1980s with stars like Cui Jian, Tang Dynasty, Black Panther, etc., who are household names.

In the 1990s a new wave emerged, led by Dou Xian of the Moyan Three Heroes, Zheng Jun, and others, pushing rock to its peak.

It's no exaggeration to say that back then, whether on college campuses or city streets, you could constantly hear their names—they were truly national idols.

But the good times didn't last; the mid-1990s felt like a watershed.

Some say rock was already dead at that point; others say it opened a new chapter of warlords vying for supremacy.

The Moyan Three Heroes gradually declined, while new rock stars found it hard to have anyone whose fame could compare with theirs.

Even after the new millennium, the rise of Midi, which deserves a place in Chinese rock history,

Putting those two characters together with Dou Wei and Cui Jian, whose influence is greater? Everyone has their own opinion in their heart.

In short, after the new millennium, rock hardly breaks out anymore; even if new talents arise, it almost becomes an internal carnival for rock enthusiasts.

The reasons are complex; even the existence of something as buggy as "Chinese parents" has played a part.

It is said that for safety considerations during the Olympics, countless rock fans' longed-for pilgrimage site—the Midi Music Festival—will be postponed or even canceled next year.

Probably rock really is dead. But fashion is a cycle, and music is the same—maybe one day it will ride the wind of the new era and blow back.

But after all is said and done, Chen Ci isn't a pure rock person. He has some rock sentiment, but not much.

The one who truly has that sentiment is probably Shi San.

The thin few pages of story outline, he wouldn't let a single word go. Countless soft words.

The steak on hand had long gone cold; Chen Ci called a waiter and took it to be reheated in the microwave.

"Shi San, if you like this story, then come play the lead role."

"Ah?"

Shi San hurriedly put down the script in his hand, snapped his head up: "Brother Ci, you, you're saying what?"

"Isn't that good?"

Chen Ci sized up Shi San's face—though a bit thin, too young, not very good-looking—but just based on his attitude, Chen Ci thought he could give this opportunity a try.

Shi San immediately declined: "Don't joke, Brother Ci, I can't act."

Pang Zi chimed in: "Exactly, Master Ci doesn't care about money, Shi San's demolition compensation……"

"If you're worried about that, I'll lose money and pay you back."

Chen Ci's sincere words: at worst, I'll repay ten thousand a month, mortgage……

"No no, with this face I'd surely mess up the lead role. Brother Ci, if you really think it's fine, just arrange a supporting role for me—I'm only thinking about the movie's quality."

Chen Ci chuckled, reaching out to take back the script outline.

Midway, however, he met resistance; looking up, he saw a slender, snow-white small hand added on top—its owner was Yang Tongxue.

What are you doing?

You really want to make a movie?

Yang Tongxue's eyes flickered; as it turned out, she still harbored doubts even until now.

Yeah, a bunch of band members, what movie would they even make? Just hearing it sounds unreliable.

Before Chen Ci could speak, Lao Zhao explained for him: 'Of course, sister-in-law, once Shi San gets the demolition compensation, we'll start work right away.'

You really mean it?

Chen Ci laughed: 'That's not fake.'

Well...

Yang Tongxue's alluring fox eyes were now even more cunning than a real fox's: 'I want to play the female lead.'

Having expected this, Chen Ci showed no special reaction, only lightly saying: 'You?'

I'm a professional actor, okay? I started acting at four...

Yang Tongxue began earnestly promoting herself—the opportunity was right before her eyes.

She had also read the earlier story; lacking any rock-and-roll sentiment, she merely treated it as an ordinary tale, yet it was still quite profound.

Moreover, she's already acted in films like Gate; she doesn't believe there could be anything worse. It's already hit rock bottom—only a rebound remains.

Furthermore, as mentioned before, Gate's flop had basically given her a death sentence on her film career.

The company basically couldn't give her another chance to film a movie; if she didn't fight for it herself, she'd really have none left—who among actors doesn't harbor a movie dream…