Global Film Emperor

Chapter 217 Drunk
"The dark clouds will eventually disperse, so don't think about anything. Or if you do think about something, just tell me. It's full, I'm going now."

The two arrived at a small but private restaurant. The owner, a friend of Song Guiyuan, led them to a private room on the second floor after they entered. The food and drinks were quickly served, and Lu Ze took a bite and found it to be very delicious.

The two drank Xifeng liquor. It was still a chilly day, so they warmed the liquor slightly with hot water before filling the small, exquisite, and elegant blue-and-white porcelain cups with blue-and-white patterns.

Lu Ze didn't miss out either. He clinked glasses with Song Guiyuan, picked up his wine cup, and poured it into his mouth in one gulp. It wasn't spicy when it entered his mouth, but it warmed up comfortably in his stomach.

"You haven't been sleeping well these past few days, have you? Your eyes look like you've been punched. You can stay silent, because I'm just here to comfort you. I don't care if you talk or not, as long as you listen to what I have to say. Hey! Don't be so dry, eat some vegetables."

Song Guiyuan picked up a piece of fish and put it into Lu Ze's bowl, filled the glass with wine, leaned back in his seat and looked at Lu Ze, playing with his Dupont lighter in his hand, lighting it and then turning it off.

"To be honest, if I were you, I wouldn't be able to take this either. Really, I'm not pitying you, nor am I being a woman who feels sorry for you. It's just that if I were in your shoes, it's fucking awful. This industry is a bloodbath, you know that. Come on, man."

"Ding~"

The wine cup made a crisp sound. Lu Ze was indeed hungry. After drinking the second cup, he picked up a big mouthful of food, chewed it, put down his chopsticks, and sighed with his head tilted back.

"It doesn't really matter now. Once you've taken this bowl of rice, you're the one who gets full, and you're the one who chokes to death. It's all in the hands of fate. Whether you live or die is up to destiny."

"What you said is wrong. It's not predetermined. It all depends on your own thoughts and actions. Although I'm not familiar with Jiang Wenshu, I've spoken to her because you were in the middle. She's a good person, but to put it bluntly, her choice was indeed too extreme."

Old Song picked up a piece of cucumber shreds with his chopsticks, chewed it crunching in his mouth, and waved his hand while holding the chopsticks between his fingers. He did disagree with Lu Ze's point of view because in his eyes, nothing was more important than life. Her choice was a bit too difficult to accept, and it had nothing to do with life.

"She has depression, and it's quite severe."

"Oh, then I was wrong. That's fate, karma. Once you're caught up in it, you can't get rid of it. Apologize to her and then move on."

Not satisfied with just one cup, Lu Ze picked up a wine glass and poured himself a drink, downing almost two ounces in one go. Old Song didn't stop him, putting his thumb and forefinger to his lips, spitting out the fish bone and tossing it on the table, waiting for Lu Ze to continue.

Do you think I'm being too spineless?

"How so? I don't think so. It's the same old story. In this industry, can you really be tough? As an actor, once you're on set, you're controlled by the director. In real life, you're controlled by the company. There's a saying that goes, 'Freedom is only true freedom in an environment that isn't completely free.' So, being tough is only truly tough when you're not completely tough. You need to know what you're doing."

"It has nothing to do with that. Since I came out, I've backed down many times, turned a deaf ear to many things, and pretended not to know or pay attention. Many people say that I cherish my reputation, that I'm too arrogant in front of juniors, and that I never help juniors. They also say that I'm a snob. Actually, I know all of this, but I didn't refute it. I admit that's who I am. Why? Because I don't dare. I have a family to support. In this industry, one wrong step can lead to the collapse of the whole thing. So I take every step very carefully, believing that harmony brings wealth, and retreating when I can."

"Is there anything wrong with that? Everyone is like that. You are mature beyond your years, but I'm the same after I got married and had children. I'm afraid of offending people, and I'm doing it to support my family. Is that wrong?"

Old Song spread his hands, feeling that Lu Ze had no problem at all. He married at thirty-four and had a child at thirty-six. To him, Lu Ze's actions were perfectly reasonable.

"But I didn't stand up when I should have, and in the end I'm the one who regrets it. I don't want that to happen again."

The two drank very quickly, finishing a jin (500ml) bottle of baijiu in less than half an hour. They opened a second bottle and started drinking at 11:30 a.m. until after 5 p.m. They each drank 1.5 jin (750ml) of baijiu, plus a case of beer. Song Guiyuan was getting more and more confused and realized that he couldn't outdrink Lu Ze.

"It's over, I'm no match for you now, I'm really done for, I can't outdrink you anymore. I'm going to take this call in a bit, hello? Honey~ I'm here with Lu Ze, huh?"

Song Guiyuan slurred his words and laughed as he spoke, but he couldn't explain himself clearly to Zhuang Xue. Lu Ze, seeing this, got up and took the phone from Song Guiyuan.

"Sister-in-law, it's me, Lu Ze. Brother Song is here with me, having a few drinks with me. Son? What son? Oh right! He's at Zheng Yi's house, being looked after by Zheng Yi's wife. Hmm, he's had too much to drink, so he'll sleep here tonight, and we'll let him go back tomorrow, okay."

Lu Ze was also dizzy and disoriented. After hanging up the phone, Song Guiyuan grinned at him. He hadn't told Zhuang Xue about his trip, which terrified her. She thought Old Song had gotten her son drunk and lost his way. He was probably the only one in his thirties who was still so reckless.

"Sister-in-law went to Zheng Yi's place to pick up your son. You'll stay here with me tonight."

"Sure, no problem."

Seeing his condition, Lu Ze paid the bill and took him away. The two of them staggered out the door, hailed a taxi, and headed home. In the neighborhood, Lao Song even tripped and fell, scraping his palm until it bled, but after drinking, the two of them were too thick-skinned to care.

Once inside, Lu Ze tossed Lao Song onto the bed in the guest room, then turned and left. He sat on the sofa, took a sip of water, and felt dizzy, but he didn't want to sleep at all. He lit a cigarette and silently listened to Lao Song's thunderous snoring.

After staring blankly at the TV for two hours, Lu Ze felt he hadn't had enough to drink. He got up and rummaged through the refrigerator, but there was no more alcohol inside. After thinking for a moment, Lu Ze took his keys and left home, taking a taxi to a nearby bar.

It seems he hasn't been to a place like this since his debut, whereas before he worked as a waiter at one of Lu Hua's bars.

They booked a booth, ordered a table full of drinks, poured a glass of Highland whiskey, and the female singer on stage sang a gentle song, "Shape of My Heart," the theme song from "Léon: The Professional." Lu Ze liked this song very much, hummed along softly, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Handsome guy, do you mind sitting here?"

Lu Ze did not refuse. The girl sat down next to Lu Ze. Her makeup was a bit heavy, making it hard to tell her age. She poured herself a glass of wine and gently clinked glasses with Lu Ze.

Lu Ze's hat was pulled low, and the bar was dark, so the girl couldn't see his face clearly. She didn't care what he looked like, as long as he wasn't too ugly. She liked people who looked like they were there to drown their sorrows. She often went to bars at night and didn't have much money. She was used to being taken away by men, doing things with a man she found somewhat agreeable, and finding herself a place to stay. Maybe the man would even give her a small gift the next day. The two didn't talk much. The girl tried to bring up topics several times, but Lu Ze didn't seem very interested in answering, leaving her unsure how to continue the conversation. She pouted and started listening to music and playing on her phone.

It was past 10 p.m., and she was used to going to different places. At this time, the nightclubs were starting to get lively, and most men wouldn't mind going for another round of fun. However, she met Lu Ze, a boring man.

"how old are you?"

"Twenty, what's wrong?"

Lu Ze looked her up and down. Having seen so many trainees in the company before, he grinned and asked, "Really twenty?"

"Yeah, is there a problem? Or do I just look old? Hey? You're Lu."

"Here, find a place to stay. Go back to school and study hard tomorrow."

The girl seemed to recognize Lu Ze, and her expression instantly became quite interesting. After all, the matter between Jiang Wenshu and Lu Ze had caused quite a stir recently, so how could someone of her age not recognize him?

Lu Ze didn't continue the conversation. He simply took out all his cash from his wallet, about two or three thousand yuan, handed it to the girl, and got up to leave.

In the past, he wouldn't have cared where the girl lived, or even whether she was alive or dead, because it was none of his business. He probably wouldn't have even let her sit next to him.

Now that he's given her some money, whether she spends it at nightclubs or actually finds a place to stay, Lu Ze doesn't believe his advice can bring this girl, who's really only sixteen or seventeen, back to the right path. He's only giving her money to amuse himself; nothing more.
no other meaning.

He hadn't actually drunk much at the bar, but he probably drank fake alcohol. As soon as he caught a gust of wind, Lu Ze walked to the corner and vomited on the ground. His brain then went completely dizzy and shut down, and he stopped thinking.

He originally wanted to go home, but as he walked, he realized, "Where am I? This place feels familiar, but I don't recognize it."
He didn't know where he was; he just found a sheltered spot to sit down and shield himself from the biting wind.

A person walked up to him, and Lu Ze looked up and smiled.

"So, what are you doing out here again?"

"Can you still get up? Let's flag down a car and go home. If you sit here, don't let your joints get damaged from the cold."

"I can't take it anymore, I'm so dizzy, I can't stand up, so do you want to use my body?"

Dr. Lu looked down at Lu Ze with a complicated expression, but shook his head. In reality, even in his drunken state, he could only walk in circles. He didn't want to suffer the dizziness that Lu Ze was going through.

"I remember you should have studied psychology on your own, right? Did you figure out she was sick?"

“I see that, but this is your life, and no one will interfere. This is what you have to bear, not what one of us has to bear.”

“I never said you should take responsibility. Even when she was alive, you didn’t give me any hints. I knew it was impossible to give you any hints. It doesn’t matter anymore, it’s all in the past.”

"No one gives us any hints about our lives, so why should we give you any hints about yours?"

"But you don't have more than a thousand people living in your brains throughout your entire lives."

“But our lives are not as long as yours. You live a lifetime, we live for a few years, a dozen years, and for you, it’s just one night.”

The two looked at each other and laughed. Lu Ze took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and pointed at Dr. Lu, twitching his finger.

"I'm starting to get a clue. I think I know what's going on with you guys."

"Then I'll wait and see."

Dr. Lu left, walking further and further away until he could no longer see his back, at which point Lu Ze closed his eyes.

"You're crazy."

The raggedly dressed scavenger left, cursing and swearing. He didn't know what the drunkard sitting on the garbage heap was muttering to him. Then he stopped, glanced back at Lu Ze, hesitated for a moment, quickly walked over, rummaged through Lu Ze's pockets, opened his wallet, found it was empty, and threw it at Lu Ze.

He clenched the ring on his hand so tightly that he couldn't take it off, so he gave up, put his watch and phone in his pocket, and ran away.

"."

(End of this chapter)