Chapter 16

At the dining table, Jiang Qinqin and Chen Shasha mainly focused on the script for "Car 44," asking various questions.

In fact, these questions were similar to those discussed by the film group that day, and Wu Yuchen answered them one by one, satisfying the various doubts of the two women.

Seeing that the atmosphere was good and everyone had opened up, Yin Qiaoqiao asked as if casually:

"Wu Yuchen, didn't you just enter school? Why are you thinking of shooting a short film?

And how did you build this crew?"

Wu Yuchen didn't think much of it; there was nothing to hide about this, so he simply explained the matter of the film group and how he invited the actors.

"Wow! You're so amazing!" Chen Shasha exclaimed.

Hearing this, Jiang Qinqin couldn't help but look at Wu Yuchen with new eyes:

"I heard that many senior directors in their senior year haven't even touched a camera yet. I didn't expect you to be able to form a crew to shoot a short film just after entering school!"

For a freshman, penniless and starting from scratch, to be able to crowdfund tens of thousands of yuan in this way and personally pull together a crew—few people could do it, and they couldn't help but admire him.

On the contrary, Yin Qiaoqiao, who asked the question first, was greatly disappointed after hearing Wu Yuchen's answer.

She thought Wu Yuchen was either rich or noble, which was why he could build a crew. It turned out that this crew was just a makeshift group of students pieced together, not at all what she had guessed.

He is handsome, but a face can't be eaten as a meal!

What's the use of a little talent?

In this circle, which of the resources like connections, opportunities, and money isn't more important than talent?

Even if you have talent, you have to be able to display it!

She thought he was a "golden turtle son-in-law," but he turned out to be a "dirt phoenix." This made the enthusiasm in Yin Qiaoqiao's heart dissipate by more than half.

Wu Yuchen had no idea what Yin Qiaoqiao was thinking. His focus was on Jiang Qinqin, after all, she was his female lead. He kept talking to her about the role of the female driver, trying his best to explain it thoroughly to help her better understand and shape the character.

After a while, Jiang Qinqin suddenly asked Wu Yuchen: "Do I need to go learn how to drive?"

Wu Yuchen was stunned when he heard this; this was something he hadn't considered before. He thought about the original film; there were indeed shots of the female driver driving. In his past life, Gong Beibi went to learn for half a month specifically to shoot this short film.

Actually, one could skip the shots of the female driver driving, but since this was a short film, it was best to get such details right.

Wu Yuchen thought about the 5,000 yuan Huang Lei gave him, and felt a bit more confident.

"Learn. Senior, how many days of leave can you take?"

Jiang Qinqin thought for a moment and said: "With Senior Huang there, I can take 3 days of leave, plus the two days of the weekend. Is 5 days enough?"

The next day, Wu Yuchen brought Jiang Qinqin to the Beijing Bus Company.

"It's a bus? Not a long-distance coach?" Jiang Qinqin asked strangely.

Wu Yuchen said with a smile: "How could we afford to rent a long-distance coach? It costs two or three thousand yuan a day!"

In this day and age, long-distance coaches were incredibly profitable, and ticket prices weren't cheaper than in later generations. A ticket from Magic City to Beijing cost over 400 yuan, which is why there was the saying about traveling far to save up for travel expenses. Think about how much they could earn in one trip; the bus company naturally wouldn't be willing to rent it to you for a low price.

Wu Yuchen continued to explain:

"The title of my script is 'Car 44,' as in the No. 44 bus. You can just treat it as running a suburban line.

Moreover, buses exist in every country and every region. Few people haven't ridden one, so as soon as they see it, they will have a sense of immersion, making people feel that such things could happen around them."

Hearing this, Jiang Qinqin couldn't help but nod secretly; so there was this layer of intention.

After a friendly exchange between Wu Yuchen and the bus company manager, they rented the bus for 5 days at a price of 180 per day, but they were also responsible for teaching Jiang Qinqin how to drive first.

It wasn't necessary to really teach her; it was just to learn the starting process, and then be able to drive in a straight line and stop on an empty road. When the time came to shoot a few shots, these two days of learning were mainly to let Jiang Qinqin have the look of a female driver.

"No. 44? Can't I just give you any bus?" Manager Liu said.

"Learning to drive for these two days is fine, but when shooting, it must be the No. 44."

"You guys have so many requirements for shooting a movie." Manager Liu complained, but for the sake of the money, he agreed.

While Manager Liu went to find someone, Jiang Qinqin asked: "Why must we have the No. 44?"

"Think about what the final outcome of everyone on this bus is," Wu Yuchen reminded her.

Everyone on this bus, except for the male lead, died in the end; "4" sounds like "death."

Thinking this through, a flash of brilliance crossed Jiang Qinqin's beautiful eyes as she looked at Wu Yuchen. It turned out that this script had so many details she hadn't thought of, and she admired him even more.

The person found to teach Jiang Qinqin how to drive was a female driver, which was also requested by Wu Yuchen.

However, he couldn't just leave Jiang Qinqin here. Public security in '95 was far from as safe as in later generations, let alone for a great beauty. Since she came to help him shoot the film, he had to at least ensure her safety.

However, after this day, the two of them unconsciously became much closer.

In the evening, Wu Yuchen sent Jiang Qinqin downstairs to the girls' dormitory. Jiang Qinqin suddenly said with some embarrassment:

"Wu Yuchen, there's something I need to apologize to you for."

"Ah? What is it?" Wu Yuchen was a bit puzzled.

"It's that when you were interviewing, I gave you the wrong directions and led you to the acting department, delaying your interview.

I didn't see you again at the time, and I couldn't find you to apologize.

Fortunately, you got in, otherwise I would have really felt bad~"

After Jiang Qinqin finished speaking, she didn't hear Wu Yuchen's reply. She turned her head and saw him standing there in a daze, his face hard to distinguish under the dim light.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't do it on purpose.

I didn't hear clearly at the time, and seeing you like that, I really thought you were there to take the acting department exam."

Jiang Qinqin apologized while explaining.

"You, you..." Wu Yuchen was speechless. After a moment, he said:

"Just act the role well. Go back."

Jiang Qinqin nodded upon hearing this, only feeling that Wu Yuchen seemed a bit strange at this moment, but she didn't think too much about it. She said goodbye and turned to walk into the dormitory building.

Watching Jiang Qinqin's shadow gradually lengthen under the light, Wu Yuchen's eyes were very complex.

He thought of his past life, where he also came to take the exam for the Tao Jingying directing department, but he went to the wrong place during the interview. He only realized it halfway through. Although he finally rushed to the directing department side and they gave him an interview opportunity, his state was affected, his performance was poor, and naturally, he couldn't get in. Instead, he went to a less well-known institution to study photography, and finally climbed up step by step to become a director.

It turned out that the person who gave him the wrong directions back then was Jiang Qinqin!

How could Wu Yuchen's mood not be complex?

Perhaps if it weren't for this, he would have embarked on a different life path in his past life, and perhaps his path as a director would have been much smoother?

But now, Tao Jingying had admitted him.

Wu Yuchen had a sudden realization in his heart: wasn't this God giving him another chance, letting him be reborn and walk a different path at an important node in his life?

Should he blame her, or thank her?

For a time, his mind was filled with thousands of thoughts. Standing downstairs for a long time, Wu Yuchen let out a long breath, and his mood eased slightly.

Seizing the present and looking to the future is what matters most.

No matter what, in this life, he would live out his own brilliance.