Chapter 5: The Charismatic Brother Zhou!

The summer breeze carried waves of heat.

The buzzing of mosquitoes was infuriating, making Chen Jianfeng toss and turn in bed, so irritated he wanted to tear them apart.

At two a.m., he finally opened his bloodshot eyes, lit two more coils of mosquito incense, and after the fragrant smoke curled around him, he felt slightly better.

In 2003, some dormitories at Yanying College had no air conditioning.

In June 2003, during graduation season, there weren’t many people left in Chen Jianfeng’s dorm...

In the final days, everyone was either interning, job-hunting, or going home—except him, the unlucky fool who refused to accept reality.

He opened his secondhand Nokia phone with a black-and-white screen and saw a text message.

Just now, the romantic film “Love Ferris Wheel” had sent him: “Sorry, you did not make the shortlist. Please stay tuned for future events.”

The wuxia film hadn’t sent him a message either, but it was clearly dead too.

The casting crew had never even looked at him—only shouted orders for him to do free grunt work.

Graduation meant unemployment...

He leaned back on the bed, feeling a bitter taste.

The entertainment industry truly rewards looks and acting skill, but you must at least step onto the audition stage to have a chance to compete.

Yet the steps leading to that stage were paved with connections and bribes.

A senior had warned him: a stingy bastard who couldn’t even afford a pack of Zhonghua—how could he possibly compete for roles?

He took the advice to heart and tried to change his dull personality to fit this world.

But after half a year of working part-time, buying countless packs of Zhonghua, and bowing and scraping like a proper fool, it all vanished into thin air...

His only shining moment had been as a silent extra in a small production...

“Sigh...”

Chen Jianfeng shook his head bitterly, realizing he couldn’t keep drifting like this.

Fuck.

What if, after getting his diploma, he just went home and sold pirated DVDs?

People said a small-time DVD seller in Guangzhou could make sixty to seventy thousand a year...

That night.

Passed in Chen Jianfeng’s restless thoughts and sleepless tossing.

The next morning, he suddenly remembered last night’s big Hollywood-Chinese co-production...

He pulled out the gold-embossed business card and stared at the information on it.

He recalled the hand-drawn poster, the Zhou Zong, and how Zhou Zong had looked at him and immediately cast him as the male lead!

Fuck!

Why did every thought make this crew seem so sketchy?

But finally, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind!

“Fuck!”

“As long as they don’t sell me for my kidneys, if they give me a meal, I’ll take even the worst movie!”

“At worst, I’ll strip naked and do porn!”

“...”

After psyching himself up, he finally pulled out his phone and dialed Zhou Zong.

The call connected quickly.

“Have you decided?”

“Can I... ask a few questions first?”

“Of course.”

“Zhou Zong, where are you?”

“At the door...”

“Huh?”

The morning breeze brushed against Zhou Yang’s face.

Zhou Yang wore sunglasses, a pure black suit and trousers, a trendy hairstyle, and stood before a red Audi A6 sports car—his striking presence drew many glances.

As Chen Jianfeng stepped out, he saw many girls pausing to stare; a few bold ones even approached Zhou Yang to chat.

Zhou Yang maintained a cold demeanor, answering briefly, even refusing to hand out business cards—utterly aloof.

Yet the more he acted that way, the more girls gathered around him...

“Zhou, Zhou Zong...”

Seeing Zhou Yang’s scene, Chen Jianfeng’s eyes widened.

For some reason, though dressed in black, Zhou Yang seemed to glow under the sun, making his knees go weak.

“How’s the A6?”

When Zhou Yang saw Chen Jianfeng approaching, he removed his sunglasses and smiled.

“Good, good, good...”

“The A6 is great—new price around a million...” Zhou Yang laughed. “Want me to get you one someday?”

“Zhou, Zhou Zong, don’t joke—I...”

“Have you decided to join me?”

“Zhou Zong, I want to understand first, and I’m willing to try—I’ll do any job.”

“Good. That’s all I need. Get in.”

“Where to?”

“To discuss the deal...”

“Oh, okay.” Chen Jianfeng nodded and reached for the Audi’s door handle—but pulled for a long time, and the door didn’t budge.

“Why are you pulling the A6’s door handle?” Zhou Yang stared, stunned by Chen Jianfeng’s awkwardness.

“Ah, no...”

“This car’s nice, but it’s not mine. I’m just standing here for a bit. Here, hop on my electric scooter!”

“??? ”

Before countless eyes, Zhou Yang put his sunglasses back on, didn’t get into the Audi, but quietly donned a helmet—and, under Security Zhang Shun’s murderous stare, straddled the electric scooter.

“Brother Zhang, I’ll return your car this afternoon.”

After saying that, he frowned at Chen Jianfeng, still standing there dazed. “Get on.”

“Oh, okay.”

As Chen Jianfeng climbed onto the electric scooter and they rode off,

the girls who had approached him slowly froze their smiles.

A few turned pale with anger, muttering curses.

But...

Nobody noticed.

In a building at Yanying College, a tall-legged girl stood staring blankly in their direction...

The electric scooter rumbled through the noisy streets of Beijing.

Chen Jianfeng still felt dazed.

Why...

This Zhou Zong seemed utterly unreliable.

And the more they rode, the stranger it felt—why weren’t they heading toward office buildings, but instead into narrow alleys?

Fuck.

What the hell is this Zhou Zong up to?

The electric scooter stopped in front of a cheap, stinking rental apartment.

Zhou Yang straightened his clothes and pushed open the door.

Chen Jianfeng followed, head down.

When the door opened, Chen Jianfeng saw a disheveled young man staring at Zhou Yang with a bitter expression.

“Zhou Zong...”

“How’s the script coming?”

“Finished.”

“Positive energy?”

“As you asked—very positive.”

“Did you add lines about protecting Earth, protecting the universe?”

“Added them, added them—but these lines are so cringey. And when Superman powers up, he yells ‘Dynamic Energy Wave’—it gives me goosebumps. Is this movie really meant for kids under ten?”

“Exactly. It’s meant for kids under ten.”

“??? ”

Chen Jianfeng looked at the disheveled guy, then at the messy room, and finally glanced instinctively at the title of the script he’d written.

"Sun Wukong vs Superman 2"!

At first glance, he thought he had misread it.

Once he confirmed it was indeed that name, his ass clenched tight and he sucked in a dozen cold breaths!

Fuck!

Am I really going to shoot this?

"Let me introduce you—this is the male actor I invited, Xiao Chen, Chen Jianfeng. He graduated from Yanying in Class '03; strictly speaking, he’s your junior. Xiao Chen, this is Director Shen..."

Shen Long stared up blankly at Chen Jianfeng.

Chen Jianfeng gawked at Shen Long.

The two locked eyes, each sensing a familiar sense of existential dread in the other’s gaze.

Chen Jianfeng took a deep breath.

Maybe...

I should just quit and sell pirated DVDs instead.

At least that’s more reliable.

"By the way, have you finished listing everything the crew needs?"

"I’ve listed them..."

"Good, give them to me—I’ll handle it. Oh, and Xiao Chen is yours now; take him through the script. I’ll take the outline for preliminary review."

"Alright..."

"..."

Just as Zhou Yang picked up the script, glanced at it, and prepared to leave, his phone rang.

He saw an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Is this Mr. Zhou?"

"Yes, hello, I’m Zhou Yang. Who’s speaking?"

"Oh, hello, Mr. Zhou. I’m An Xiaoshi, a 2003 graduate of Yanying’s Directing Department..."

"Oh, Miss An, hello..." At these words, Zhou Yang’s face broke into a smile.

Her voice was soft and melodious, like a skylark’s song, instantly lifting Zhou Yang’s spirits.

That voice was perfect—sweet and pliant; if she worked customer service, she could fool plenty of young guys.

"Here’s the thing, Mr. Zhou—I got your contact from Mr. Zhang, the security guard. Could we talk?"

"Of course."

"Great. There’s a [Muyu Coffee Shop] beside campus—I’ll wait for you there?"

"Perfect!"

"By the way, Mr. Zhou, what are your thoughts on urban films?"

"Thoughts? Ha, I’ve got plenty..."

"Oh oh, you probably don’t have much acting experience, right?"

"Acting experience? I’ve had plenty—depends on what you mean by 'experience'..."

"Oh oh, good. Let’s talk when we meet."

After hanging up, Zhou Yang felt a bit puzzled.

Why’s this lamb suddenly asking about my acting experience?

Does she want me to coach her?

Oh wow, coaching is perfect!

After hanging up the phone.

After giving a few words of advice to Chen Jianfeng and Shen Long, the odd pair.

Zhou Yang hopped on his electric scooter, tucked his briefcase under his arm, and sped off into the distance.