Chapter 23: Staying Up Late to Steal Vegetables

In the room, Qi Hui had gauze taped to his forehead, and a faint smell of disinfectant alcohol clung to him.

The left eyebrow ridge was split; the doctor stitched three stitches.

But there was good news too: the wound wasn't large, and it was treated in time, so it wouldn't leave a very obvious scar.

"Luckily my face isn't disfigured..." Qi Hui sighed in relief. Though he could rely on his talent, after all, he was currently making a living off his looks.

Yao Chen... Qi Hui took a deep breath. Was it intentional on her part, or an accident?

Feeling the dull pain faintly emanating from his temple, Qi Hui's gaze darkened slightly... Truly the Flower of Evil.

This matter couldn't just be left like this; he'd have to find a chance to get it back...

"Qi Hui, are you okay?" Zhu Jie leaned forward, looking at Qi Hui from the doorway.

She arrived only after the director had left.

Qi Hui composed himself, gave her a chuckle, and said, "It's fine, just a little scrape."

Zhu Jie walked over and sat beside Qi Hui, glanced at the gauze on his temple, and asked, "Does it still hurt?"

"It's bearable," Qi Hui said, then took out his camera and handed it to Zhu Jie: "Take a picture of me."

"Like this right now?" Zhu Jie paused, startled.

Qi Hui chuckled lightly: "Of course. If I wait any longer, the wound will heal."

"Haha, you're so funny." Zhu Jie laughed at his joke and immediately picked up the camera to take a few shots.

Qi Hui took back the camera, opened his laptop, and prepared to post on Weibo.

The director, worried he'd get bored and overthink things, had specially brought his computer over.

Zhu Jie leaned in and saw Qi Hui typing a line on the screen: 【This is my newest photo, and also my oldest photo.】

Top-tier copy from the Stupid Bar; Qi Hui had read plenty of it back in university.

Of course, the Stupid Bar doesn't accept actual idiots.

"Eh?" Zhu Jie was surprised; that sentence was quite interesting.

She couldn't help asking, "Qi Hui, did you write this yourself?"

Her gaze toward Qi Hui gained a bit more sparkle.

Qi Hui: "No, I saw it while surfing the internet. Sandiao... ahem, netizens' wisdom is boundless."

"Is that so? Haha..." Zhu Jie smiled somewhat awkwardly.

She certainly went online too, but... she always ended up seeing many things she shouldn't.

Like, for instance, European-American or Japanese stuff, censored or uncensored, and such things.

Soon, Qi Hui's Weibo post went out.

"Qi kid... oh, sorry, looks like we came at a bad time."

Outside the door, footsteps accompanied a male voice as Feng Enhe, Teacher Zu Feng, and others entered, only to find a lone man and a lone woman huddled together.

"What are you talking about, Teacher Feng..." Zhu Jie's face turned bright red: "I was just looking at the blog Qi Hui wrote."

"Is that so?" Teacher Zu Feng said in surprise: "Could you let me see it too?"

He also liked writing articles and had even fallen in love with a female teacher from the Central Academy of Drama because of it.

Back then, he hadn't even graduated yet.

"Eh? The young man surfs the internet too?" Feng Enhe was overjoyed, rubbed his hands together, and grinned: "Can you add me on QQ? I want to sneak into your space and steal vegetables."

Qi Hui's face froze: "You still have that hobby?"

"Um... Teacher Zu, I posted on Weibo, not a blog; it's just one sentence."

Saying this, he handed the computer over.

"This sentence is quite interesting..." Teacher Zu Feng and Sun Honglei looked at the sentence on the screen, exchanged glances, and said thoughtfully.

Don't let his age fool you; Old Sun may have played Liu Huaqiang, but he's also a cultured man.

Feng Enhe kept bringing it up: "Just one sentence is too little; let's talk about stealing vegetables instead."

"..." ×4

This old man didn't sleep well last night; could it be because he stayed up late stealing vegetables?

In Qi Hui's resting room, crew members came and went, went and came again, all stopping by to visit the injured Qi Hui.

His insistence on finishing filming despite his injury earned them their respect.

Qi Hui smiled and accepted their kindness, then smiled as he saw them off.

However, what surprised Qi Hui a bit was that Teacher Zu Feng stayed until the very end and said a few words to him.

"Qi Hui, I said some offensive things earlier," Teacher Zu Feng said. "I hope you don't take it to heart; I apologize to you."

"Teacher Zu, you're overreacting, overreacting." Qi Hui was taken aback, then replied.

He had certainly heard some gossip in the crew and knew Teacher Zu Feng was somewhat dissatisfied with him.

But Qi Hui hadn't expected Teacher Zu Feng to apologize personally like this. He said, "Everyone has times when they feel uncomfortable; saying a few words is normal."

"Just call me 'Senior Brother'," Teacher Zu Feng smiled. "I'm also from Beijing Film Academy, the Class of '96."

There were many stars from Beijing Film Academy's Class of '96: Chen Kun, Huang Xiaoming, and Yan Danchen who played Chang'e, Zhao "Buffett" Wei, and others.

Without the system, this would definitely be a powerful thigh to lean on.

"Senior Brother." Qi Hui readily complied.

Although Teacher Zu Feng was from the Class of '96, he stayed on at the school to teach after graduation; calling him "Teacher" wasn't just a special honorific in the entertainment industry, he actually was a teacher.

This was an exchange between equals.

"Let's exchange contact information," Teacher Zu Feng smiled. "If there's anything I, your Senior Brother, can help with, just come to me; I'll do my best."

Qi Hui immediately agreed, and he and Teacher Zu Feng exchanged contact details. The entertainment industry isn't about fighting and killing; the entertainment industry is about human relations and worldly wisdom.

……

On the internet, Qi Hui's Weibo once again drew comments... it's just that the tone of the comments was a bit off.

"This sentence is so philosophical."

"Damn, you're truly a genius!"

"You intellectuals always manage to come up with some new tricks."

"Damn, I'm jealous of your talent! How come I can't write sentences like this?"

"Injured again? Did you catch some wanted criminal?"

"The one above, where did that 'again' come from? Wasn't he injured last time?"

"Really? Did I remember wrong?"

"Don't blame you. This is called the Mandela Effect, referring to the phenomenon where humans sometimes form false memories that contradict reality. This is the latest psychological research from abroad."

"I see. Thanks, big shot, for clearing this up. You're such a good person; may you be reborn in America in your next life!"

"Speaking of Mandela, is he dead?"

"Yes, the Beyond band even wrote a song for him called 'Glory Days'."

"Exactly, haven't you heard that song?"

"But Baidu says he's not dead..."

"What? Is that true or fake?"

"Who cares if he's dead or not? That thing turned a well-developed nation into a backward one; he deserves to die a thousand deaths."

"Nonsense! Their economy is built on the plunder and oppression of white people; it should be reformed!"

"Ah, right, right, right... reformed into a poor, backward nation."

"..."

Qi Hui looked at the comments under his Weibo, speechless. The silly netizens had started discussing politics again.

Does no one care why he was injured?

Does no one notice that even while injured, he is working hard on filming?

How outrageous! Why do the little fresh meats get attention?

Ding-ling-ling~

"Hello?"

"Comrade Qi Hui?" A powerful baritone male voice came from the phone.

"Yes... it's me." Qi Hui sat up straight; he knew who the caller was.

"Here's the situation," the voice on the phone continued. "Regarding the reward from last time, it has been approved. The bonus money and the banner of honor— are you still at the 'Infiltration' film crew? I'll bring them to you."

"Still here. Thank you for your trouble."

"It's our duty, comrade."

"What about Ling Xiaosu and Zhang Ruoyun?" Qi Hui asked; he hadn't forgotten his senior and junior brothers.

"Our comrades will also deliver the rewards for the two of them; you don't need to worry."

"Thank you," Qi Hui said.

After hanging up the phone, he thought for a moment, then dialed Director Jiang's number.

This is his film crew; if not him, then who?

……

Hunan Province

Yang Mi looked at the computer screen and unconsciously clenched her fist.

That bastard Qi Hui has time to post on Weibo but no time to pay attention to her, right?

When has Yang Mi ever been treated like this by a classmate?

How outrageous!

Just wait; when I return to school, when the day we meet comes...