Chapter 767: 《Peerless》: You Are Truly Criminal

The trailer for *Peerless* has piqued the interest of many netizens.

Xiao Cai is merely one of them.

What she is curious about now is, is the part of the counterfeit banknote production process shown in this trailer... realistic enough?

Then, carrying this question, she went to browse the comment section of the trailer.

Before long, she saw a top comment: "That's criminal! This production crew is truly criminal!"

Clicking on the replies to this top comment, someone below had indeed asked: "Is it really that professional?"

This netizen, whose real-life profession is unknown, replied: "Anyway, the banknotes would likely circulate on the market."

"Hiss—!" Xiao Cai gasped.

If this netizen isn't just posturing or pretending to know something they don't... then this movie is way too interesting!

She must go watch it!

Here on Blue Star, the May Day holiday lasts for three days. However, since April 29th and 30th fall on a Saturday and Sunday this year, some people might have to work on adjusted schedules.

Precisely because of this, the so-called May Day release window this year actually begins with new films premiering on April 29th.

For the film studios and cinema chains, this is actually a good thing.

In a certain sense, this is beneficial for the film's box office.

Xiao Cai checked the ticketing app, and the number of 【Want to Watch】 for *Peerless* has already exceeded 1 million; for those who clicked 【Want to Watch】, the app will send a reminder notification when the movie is released.

"If I recall correctly, this is the only Hong Kong film in the last two years to break one million, right?" Xiao Cai thought to herself.

She has been a Drama Critic and Film Critic for a while now, so she is still quite sensitive to these figures.

"So looking forward to it!" Xiao Cai is already thinking about which JK Uniform to wear to take selfies in the Cinema.

Should she wear white stockings?

Or should she wear black stockings?

Or perhaps wear ankle socks?

Or maybe wear calf-length socks?

……..

……..

April 29th, nightfall.

University student Xu Jinzhu arrived at the cinema near his school.

As the brother-in-law, he definitely has to be the first to support his brother-in-law's new film, *Peerless*!

Originally, he had arranged to watch it at the cinema with his "son" from university.

But this dog of a person actually prioritized romance over friendship; with a crook of his girlfriend's finger, he stood Xu Jinzhu up and went out to get a hotel room.

To appease Xu Jinzhu's mood, he kept politely sending WeChat messages to Xu Jinzhu while his girlfriend was in the shower, expressing his apologies.

This person was a classmate of Xu Jinzhu's from the class next door in high school, and they happened to get into the same university, so they are very close now.

"Already at the cinema?" he asked.

"Tickets are picked up, about to have them checked in a moment," said Xu Jinzhu.

"Speaking of which, you used to always think no one in this world was worthy of your sister, so how come you've become such a little fanboy of Luo Mo now?"

"What do you know? That's only because my brother-in-law hadn't crossed paths with my world in the past few years!" Xu Jinzhu replied.

The classmate lying on the bed listened to the sound of water in the bathroom, then looked at Xu Jinzhu's WeChat, and couldn't help but shiver; your worship of Luo Mo is very easy to misunderstand.

While queuing to have his ticket checked, Xu Jinzhu typed: "Aren't you a fan of Ding Xiaoyu's looks?"

"Yeah, I am!"

"Look, my brother-in-law is Yu's master, and I'm his brother-in-law; that fairy in your heart, rounding it up, has to call me Uncle-Master!" said Xu Jinzhu.

"Call me Dad, you're Not Losing; you'll be the same generation as Ding Xiaoyu!" Xu Jinzhu added.

"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

After getting his ticket checked and entering, Xu Jinzhu glanced around casually, and then, unable to help himself, picked up his phone and started chatting again.

"Son, let me tell you something."

"Spit it out, Dad doesn't have much time!"

"There's someone sitting next to me wearing a JK Uniform."

"A cross-dresser, right? Did you see clearly?"

"Nonsense, and she's actually kind of pretty!"

"How pretty?"

"Eight-tenths of Ding Xiaoyu."

"Damn, impossible, there's no girl of that level near our university town!"

"Believe it or not!" Xu Jinzhu felt that this idiot just hadn't seen the world.

At this moment, the big screen in the Cinema was playing advertisements.

Xu Jinzhu's peripheral vision couldn't help but steal glances at the young girl beside him.

I don't want to look either, but she's wearing black stockings!

The JK Uniform girl beside him started taking selfies with her phone and the movie ticket stub, and he couldn't help but steal a few more glances.

"Her expressions are quite cute," he thought to himself.

But he only assumed this girl was just taking a photo to post on her social media, little knowing that she would be promoting his brother-in-law's new movie in a moment.

Up-and-coming Film Critic Xiao Cai checked her photo album to ensure she had three photos worth editing, and then she stopped taking selfies.

Today she had originally arranged to come with her best friend, but her best friend had period cramps today and said she couldn't get out of bed, standing her up.

Right now, she is sending a WeChat to her best friend, Xiao Fang.

"When I was taking a selfie just now, the camera swept over the seat next to me and I discovered that the person sitting beside me was actually quite handsome."

"Laughing to death, how handsome could he be?"

"Six-point Luo Mo!"

"Holy crap, that is very handsome!"

"It seems like he's also quite tall."

"Eh? My period cramps are gone?"

"Forget it, you horny woman! I think you want to get pregnant! Once you're pregnant, you won't have period cramps anymore!"

Amidst the idle chatter, the movie officially began.

Xu Jinzhu and Xiao Cai tacitly cast aside all distracting thoughts!

Heh, how could men (or women) be as exciting as watching a Luo Mo movie!

…….

…….

As "Peerless" began, amidst the background music, one could see someone scraping paint off the wall to make ink, and then holding something that couldn't yet be identified, drawing something.

"It looks like a fish bone? Is he using a fish bone to draw?" Xu Jinzhu recognized it.

Here, a close-up shot was given, as if he were drawing on a large sheet of paper, revealing every detail without a doubt.

At this moment, the camera gave a close-up of someone else.

It turned out this was a prison.

Li Wen, played by Hua Jiaqun, was half-lying on the ground, using the fish bone he had hidden to draw.

The cellmate opposite him was watching silently.

He drew too well, too neatly!

If one said it was printed by a machine, everyone would believe it!

What's more, he was using a fish bone to draw!

Soon, the person delivering food in the prison arrived, and while delivering the food, he shouted in Thai: "Mail a letter home, ten bucks!"

"Sending a letter, do you want to send a letter home?"

At this time, someone took out a letter and ten US dollars.

This food deliverer then took a stamp from his pocket and stuck it onto the letter written by the prisoner.

Xiao Cai and Xu Jinzhu took a look at the stamp and couldn't help but be greatly shocked.

"This pattern, isn't it the exact pattern drawn just now?"

So……. he actually hand-drew an identical stamp!?

Because a close-up was given at the beginning, it gave the audience an illusion that he was drawing something very large.

But who would have thought he could draw such a small thing so well!

The food deliverer soon arrived at Li Wen's side and asked with a smile: "Do you have money?"

"I mean real money, not your fake money." He laughed and mocked.

Just at this moment, the cellmate opposite Li Wen suddenly started screaming like a madman, immediately attracting the food deliverer's attention.

Li Wen took the opportunity to throw the letter with the fake stamp on it into the pile of letters.

"Thank you," Li Wen said to the cellmate.

This old man seemed to know that Li Wen was a very capable person, and he smiled and said in Thai: "It's fine, Laozi is destined to die here; after you leave, you must find some fun."

His laughter was incomparably chilling.

Not long after, a prison guard opened the door and informed Li Wen that Hong Kong police were coming to take him away.

Seeing this, Xiao Cai was a bit puzzled.

"Since the Hong Kong police have already come to pick him up, who is this letter for? Is he sending the letter not to escape, but for another purpose?"

The Hong Kong police soon brought Li Wen back.

He looked so weathered and haggard, and the whole person also looked somewhat timid and honest.

At this moment, a voice came: "February 2nd, two years ago, Canada highway, 7 Central Bank guards were killed."

"In June of the same year, Golden Triangle Malin Guerrilla, 82 dead, 157 injured."

"September 10th last year, Tuen Mun dye factory arson murder case."

"A few hours later, Canadian mounted police Li Yongzhe and art dealer Luo Wen were killed."

"Several murder cases are all related to an International Counterfeit Group."

"The members inside include……"

"They were all killed, only two are left alive."

The speaker looked up at Li Wen and said: "You are one of them."

"The other one is your boss—the 【Painter】."

"His identity is unknown, and no country in the world has his information."

Everyone only has one rather blurry photo of his Back Shadow.

The policewoman took a look at Li Wen: "Drink something."

Li Wen nodded, his fingers trembling slightly as he picked up the cup, his whole person looking cowardly and incompetent.

"Tell me, what kind of person is the Painter?"

"Do you know why there is no information about him anywhere in the world?"

"Because he is clean; if there is even a little suspicion, he will kill to silence them."

"If he knows you are here……" the policewoman said.

Li Wen suddenly raised his head, his speech speed reaching the extreme: "How do you know he doesn't know?"

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

"So what if he knows?" the policewoman said, unperturbed.

"If he knew I was here, everyone here would die," Li Wen said, his voice trembling. "Really!"

The scene cut, the elevator door on the other side opened, and everyone saw Xu Gangsheng appear on the big screen.

He was wearing a police uniform and saluted: "Morning! Sir!"

The camera gave a close-up of a black bag in the elevator.

"A lot of people will really die!" Li Wen said, his voice trembling and tearful.

The next moment, an explosion occurred, and everything was blown into ruins.

The movie title appeared right then—"Peerless"!

"Is it this exciting right from the start?" Xiao Cai, wearing black silk stockings, tightened her legs abruptly.

However, the next moment, that imposing policewoman said calmly: "Are you trying to scare me?"

Damn, it turned out to be Li Wen's delusion!

"Believe me, otherwise send me back to jail, okay? I beg you, a lot of people will die!" Li Wen pleaded while crying.

"Take Mr. Li out to rest," the policewoman waved her hand helplessly.

This segment of the Drama seems a bit nonsensical.

In fact, it is shaping the character, shaping Li Wen's character image.

At the same time, it lets 【Wu Fusheng】, played by Xu Gangsheng, show his face, indirectly giving the audience a psychological hint—【Painter】 is him, and this is what the Painter looks like!

The person Li Wen fears in his heart is the character played by Xu Gangsheng!

At this moment, the Hong Kong Police also believe that Li Wen is fearful of 【Painter】 and dares not say everything about 【Painter】, so they begin to threaten him.

They will frame him with some evidence, make him go to jail, and will definitely put him in a place where 【Painter】 can find him.

Li Wen's emotions collapsed instantly, as if 【Painter】 were truly a terrifying existence in his heart.

Just at this time, a woman named Ruan Wen brought people to bail Li Wen out.

She is hailed as a national treasure-level Painter and claims that Li Wen is her good friend.

Ruan Wen wore bright red lipstick, a pair of sunglasses, and had an incredibly exquisite face, yet she looked full of aura.

During the negotiation, the Police stated that as long as Li Wen tells everything about the Painter, they will release him; if he doesn't, they absolutely will not release him.

Ruan Wen indicated that she would make him say it.

Note that the following dialogue all has subtext, which will become intriguing after the big Reversal of the Drama.

As soon as she saw Li Wen, she said: "They said, as long as you tell them about the Painter, they will let you go."

"You know that if I say it, We Two will be in danger," Li Wen said.

"Then you should know, if I leave now, there is no danger, right?"

"If you don't say it, then I'm leaving," Ruan Wen stood up.

"Why is this?" Li Wen asked her.

"Why? The person I loved most was killed by the Painter; I have the right to know, right?"

"You have the right," Li Wen replied after deep thought.

He began to sit back down and then started to recount everything he knew.

In his narration, he and Ruan Wen were once a couple in love, but their paintings were appreciated by no one.

Once, he even heard the conversation between an art dealer and Ruan Wen outside the door.

The art dealer stated that Li Wen's paintings only imitate, just mixing things from several masters together, only repeating what predecessors had done.

Ruan Wen is different; her work is creation from nothing, it is true art.

But Ruan Wen stated, if you refuse to represent Li Wen's works, I will not let you represent mine either.

Li Wen began to persuade Ruan Wen and lied to her that someone had bought all his works and that he had even received the deposit.

But in reality, it was just him being made to paint fake paintings.

Yes, he had no creation of his own, but he had one very powerful trait: he could... pass off the fake as genuine!

But in the end, the truth was still discovered by Ruan Wen.

She felt that all of this was not Fairness to Li Wen.

"There is no such thing as Fairness or lack thereof; Mr. Luo is right, masters are all unique and Peerless in the world, and other imitators have no value."

"But there is only one Li Wen in this world, you have your own value!" Ruan Wen said.

Upon hearing this, Li Wen was suddenly somewhat agitated.

"These past few days, I have been painting these. I... I paint with great pleasure!" he said: "I suddenly feel that I was born to paint this!"

"If my value is forgery, can you accept it?" he said.

"You are the person I love most."

"I am asking you, can you accept it?" An emotional dispute occurred right then.

The sound of "dong dong dong" rang out, and all the memory content was forcibly interrupted by the policewoman.

"Hey, I don't want to hear this," the policewoman said ruthlessly.

Xu Jinzhu watched this scene and said in his heart: "Exactly, exactly!"

"Ah! I want to hear it!" Xiao Cai said in her heart.

After being interrupted, Li Wen stopped laying the groundwork.

【Painter】 appeared right then!

……..

Xu Gangsheng, dressed in a suit, appeared on the big screen.

I have to say, although Brother Sheng is quite old, once he puts on a formal suit, his charisma is truly still there.

The Painter, Wu Fusheng, whom he plays, is in the middle of collecting paintings.

That person told him that this painting is an authentic work by a master, and if it weren't stolen goods, it certainly wouldn't be sold to you for only fifty thousand US dollars.

"I want to meet... the person who painted this," Wu Fusheng said in a low voice.

"Boss, stop joking with me, this painting was painted in 1513!"

Wu Fusheng raised his head, staring at him with a powerful aura, word for word: "I meant... the person who painted this fake."

The scene shifts, and Li Wen goes to see Ruan Wen's art exhibition.

Ruan Wen also brought his paintings and lied to him, saying that many collectors had consulted her about this painting.

Li Wen, however, exposed her directly: "I heard all your paintings were sold, and only this one is left."

Ruan Wen's eyes shimmered with tears, and she said weakly: "You haven't been home for several days; let's not argue today, okay?"

Her Chu Chu, pitiful, and Gentle appearance stood in stark contrast to the cold and glamorous queen with a powerful aura in the police station.

Li Wen apologized immediately as expected, and the two began to Embrace.

This look of reconciliation, with shimmering tears and a soft tone, was truly pitiful to behold!

Xu Jinzhu thought to himself: "Who can withstand this?"

Xiao Cai thought to himself: "I need to learn this technique!"

But at this very moment, a voice came from below.

"I am truly moved! All the brushwork of the four great masters of the fifties actually appears on this canvas at the same time!" Wu Fusheng walked into the exhibition and stood in front of Li Wen's ignored painting.

"The painting technique is a vivid imitation, more precise than a photocopy; is this painter's name perhaps 'Photocopier'?" he joked.

"Art allows us to see the beautiful side amidst our degenerate lives."

"But this painting makes me see this world as nothing but a table of leftovers."

". ……."

Amidst his sarcasm, Ruan Wen was so angry that she splashed wine on his face and drove him out.

Little did she know that the Painter was deliberately using this method to lure Li Wen out.

Li Wen chased after him to apologize, just as expected.

The two later sat opposite each other drinking, and Li Wen talked eloquently to him, explaining how he managed to make fakes look real.

"The paper is very complex; for paper from four hundred years ago, you can see the texture by moving the light source, just like the watermark on banknotes."

"Putting paper into calcium carbonate and lignin can soak out the texture; the ink used by experts is mostly vegetable oil, which dries fast and is stable."

"And I use a mixture of walnut oil, coal ash, and turpentine..."

As he spoke, he felt a bit embarrassed himself.

He said: "Do I seem more like someone in the chemical industry?"

The well-dressed Wu Fusheng looked at him and said: "We shouldn't be here; we should choose a good place and open a bottle of good red wine; that is what an artist like you deserves!"

Li Wen lowered his head, and the down-and-out man said: "An artist like me? Beer is more suitable."

"You underestimate yourself; anything, when taken to the extreme, is art. If you have the heart, fakes can also be made better than the real thing," Wu Fusheng said, delivering that line from the trailer.

Xiao Cai and Xu Jinzhu immediately became excited: "It's coming, it's coming! Afraid he's going to recruit him!"

Looking at the somewhat honest and simple Li Wen, he asked: "Do you also make fake paintings?"

"It's paintings that look real, paintings that look so real that even the best experts can't tell them apart!"

He indicated that one must find the right stage and left a business card for Li Wen.

Li Wen returned to the exhibition, where Ruan Wen was still arguing with the art dealer Luo Wen, and the content of the argument was still about Li Wen.

Li Wen walked in and told Ruan Wen that he was quitting.

He silently lit a cigarette, stood in front of his own painting that wouldn't sell at the exhibition, exhaled a puff of smoke, and then silently used a lighter to ignite the painting before turning and leaving.

The next day, he went to find Wu Fusheng.

The scene from the trailer appeared again: "Tell me, which master's painting do you want to copy?"

Wu Fusheng took out a hundred-dollar bill.

"Setting the bar so low," Li Wen said.

"I want you to copy this US Dollar!" Wu Fusheng looked at him deeply.

Li Wen thought he was crazy.

I don't even know who the hell you are, and you're dragging me into making fake money!

Wu Fusheng began to introduce himself.

His self-introduction was truly Ox.

Good heavens, his family has been making fake money for three generations, and no one has ever been to prison!

—What kind of fake money dynasty is this!

He informed Li Wen that those who cooperate with him are powerful and influential people who will protect him.

He said: "I dare not say what I can guarantee, but there is one thing I can guarantee: the Super US Dollar I produce is the one most liked by people all over the world... it's a painting that looks real!"

And he had specifically taken a fancy to Li Wen because he was a loser, so he also used his words to provoke him.

What is very strange is that because this person is played by Xu Gangsheng, he has a powerful aura and a unique temperament, and the things he says are just damn convincing!

Listening to it just makes one damn hooked!

It's just like how on Earth, the one playing him is Fa Ge, and he has played both Xu Wensheng and the God of Gamblers.

When Brother Qiang and the God of Gamblers both ask you to join them, it's hard to refuse, isn't it? Otherwise, it seems a bit ungrateful...

The reason Wu Fusheng recruited Li Wen was because a new version of the US dollar had been released in Meiguo.

On the plane, the two chatted about every detail of the new US dollar.

Then they began to talk about the Electroplate, Color-shifting ink, Acid-free paper, and so on, and introduced the person in charge of each part one by one.

The group arrived at a mysterious Factory and began to experiment with the new US dollar.

For some reason, as Xu Jinzhu watched these scenes, he felt it was particularly compelling! It was very satisfying to watch!

What kind of "creating wealth with one's own hands" is this?

Li Wen seemed to adapt very quickly as well.

As expected, the master leads you to the door, but the sentencing depends on the individual.

During their leisure time, this gang would even place bets.

They bet on whether the painting in front of them was real or fake.

Everyone bet that it was fake, and some even claimed they had seen the original work at a certain boss's place.

Others were betting with one thousand, two thousand, or five thousand, but only Li Wen took out 20 dollars and said, "The two you mentioned are real, and this one is also real."

"If you don't know what you're talking about, keep quiet!" Someone was annoyed; what are you saying?

Li Wen said calmly, "Traditional Chinese painting mounters have a craft where they can peel a water-ink painting apart layer by layer; depending on the thickness of the rice paper, it can generally be peeled into three layers."

"Top-tier Painters have such strength that it penetrates the back of the paper; even if peeled into three layers, each layer is almost identical."

"The ink on this one is relatively light; it should be the bottom-most layer."

Xu Jinzhu and Xiao Cai both thought to themselves: "Damn, is it that Ox?"

And this remark gave Wu Fusheng inspiration.

He began to talk eloquently.

"Hey! I've got it!"

"The watermark on a banknote is made during papermaking; while the pulp is still wet, a wire roller is used to press out a pattern. Once the pulp solidifies, the pattern remains in the middle of the paper to become a watermark. If we make the watermark first, then sandwich it between two sheets of paper and press three sheets into one, we can create the effect of a watermark!"

"Genius, even the security thread can be added in!" Xin Shu exclaimed in admiration.

Upon hearing this, Xu Jinzhu was terrified.

Good heavens, why are they revealing their techniques to the audience!

"Damn it, should I take out a little notebook and write this down!" he thought to himself.

Later, when working on the Electroplate, Li Wen asked Xin Shu for guidance.

Xin Shu indicated that accuracy to one-thousandth of a millimeter or one-ten-thousandth of a millimeter is not enough!

What we need to achieve is the flavor of the original US dollar.

"Chemical reactions and optical principles can all be measured, but the Kung Fu Hustle of making the plate relies on a primitive feeling," Xin Shu guided him patiently.

"How much water flow to use, how high a temperature of fire—everything needs to be adapted randomly according to the changes in materials."

Amidst the soft background music, Xin Shu looked exactly like a good teacher.

"The goal is to restore the flavor of the pattern's image."

Li Wen continued to recount the story of that period.

"It took us two months to make the seventeenth Master Plate."

In the movie, every step was shown to the audience.

They worked very hard, were very meticulous, and were very particular about every detail.

Although Xu Jinzhu and Xiao Cai couldn't understand or follow some of it, they were greatly shocked.

"They are clearly committing a Crime, yet I see a sense of struggling entrepreneurship; the filming is just absurd!"

(PS: Asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month.)

(End of this chapter)