Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 713 The Shortcut, Will You Take It or Not? Naza's Choice!

"This movie really exceeded my expectations!"

After the screening of "Bad Genius," Naza naturally had to return to her regular work. She had been invited to participate in her friend Dilraba's promotional event, so of course she had to play the role of a "casual movie fan."

Hmm... is this considered a shill? A movie shill?
However, to be fair, she wasn't lying. The movie was truly excellent, and she said what she really thought, which made her feel quite satisfied.

Naturally, interacting with Dilraba and others was also great; we had a very pleasant conversation.

As for whether it will be reported in the newspapers later, Naza doesn't really care.

This movie greatly shocked her. She really didn't expect that it could be filmed like this, and all of this... was related to that guy.

Thinking of this, Nazha couldn't help but picture Ma Xun in his mind, along with all the details of that night.

No, I can't keep thinking about it, or things will get really bad.

And so, with mixed feelings, Naza ended this special movie-watching experience.

Of course, it's impossible for him to go back with Dilraba; that would just make it seem like a setup.

Of course, after the event, Dilraba called to invite Nazha to a dinner party, but Nazha declined.

She can't be considered a person in the entertainment industry yet; she hasn't really entered it, even though she has signed a contract with Tangren Media.

Therefore, there must be some distance between me and Sister Mi and others, and this feeling is definitely not good.

Naza naturally wouldn't go.

The event ended, and it was already late.

Naza walked alone on the streets of Shanghai, a place known as the "Magic City," which was indeed incredibly bustling.

As they walked, it seemed they were drawn towards an even more beautiful street scene, and soon Naza arrived at the Bund.

The night view here has always been praised, and countless people come to take photos every day.

This wasn't Nazar's first time here, but no matter how many times she comes, it's fine, because she's beautiful.

What she didn't expect was that she would run into that guy as she walked.

……

Ma Xun came to Shanghai to discuss business.

The initial planning for "Bad Genius" is complete; now it's time to really unleash its power.

That's right. Even though it's been released for a while, some movies, especially those featuring newcomers like Dilraba, require a lot of patience.

Therefore, even now, it can be seen as a 'warm-up'!
Currently, all the conditions have been met: reputation, the poor quality of competitors, and so on.

Then we should really ramp up the screening schedule!

Ma Xun was there to discuss business with the Shanghai Film Association, and he was very sincere. Since he was sincere, he also needed to know how to express it. In China, business is usually discussed over a meal, and there are quite a few high-end hotels along the Bund.

Everyone enjoyed the food and had a good discussion; now it's time to really get started.

Ma Xun has come to Shanghai again, this time to discuss business on the Bund. Why not take a stroll along the Bund and wander around a bit?

After all, it had been a while since he had been to Shanghai, and the night view of the Bund was truly a feast for the eyes.

By the way, that was the beginning of a major infrastructure project, meaning it wasn't as beautiful as it is now.

This time, I saw that things had changed quite a bit. The neon lights were much brighter, and the buildings were much taller.

As they walked, a girl appeared in front of them.

Nazar.

What to do? For a moment, Ma Xun was at a loss, as this was a rare situation for him.

It's probably because we haven't been in contact since that night.

However, Ma Xun did what he was supposed to do: since you wanted to enter the entertainment industry, I've already sent a company to sign you.

Of course, from a business perspective, this is perfectly fine. Naza is a girl with commercial value, as long as she doesn't get too love-obsessed.

Now that they've met again, what should they say to each other?

Faced with this predicament, Ma Xun couldn't help but laugh.

His laughter was actually a laugh at himself, but in Nazar's eyes, the girl understood it differently.

She was angry because she felt that Ma Xun was laughing at her.

He snorted coldly and then turned and left.

This seemed to be the standard action of a girl when she was angry, and Naza performed it so skillfully that Ma Xun wanted to laugh even more.

His approach was quite conventional: he simply quickened his pace and grabbed the girl's hand.

This action makes them look like a couple, especially since it's the guy who annoyed the girl.

However, although Ma Xun is a bit older, he doesn't look like someone over 35.

After all, it's well-maintained, and the method of balancing Yin and Yang is used too often.

If someone else had grabbed the skewer like that, the girl would have definitely shaken it off and even cursed at them.

Interestingly, Naza had originally imagined what she would do if she met Ma Xun again, determined to teach this guy a lesson!
But at that moment, her hands were grabbed, and she was completely at a loss for what to do.

What frightened Naza somewhat was that she felt a secret sense of joy.

How could this be?
Just as Naza was hesitating and at a loss, he heard Ma Xun speak.

"Let's find a place to talk."

……

Naza wanted to refuse, but ultimately didn't say it.

Let's give this guy a chance.

Ma Xun quickly led Nazha to a coffee shop on Wukang Road. There are many coffee shops in the area, and they are all quite good.

Of course, he also has a house nearby, making it convenient for him to go home.

"Why are you strolling along the Bund alone?"

The coffee arrived, the waiter left, and Ma Xun spoke directly.

He didn't ask about what happened that night, nor did he mention anything about the Tang people. Instead, he asked a question that he was more concerned about.

This warmed Naza's heart. "It's nothing," she replied, but her answer still felt somewhat cold.

Is this considered playing the aloof goddess?

Ma Xun didn't seem to mind, but he didn't say anything more, just sipped his coffee.

Naza was still young, and she immediately regretted saying "it's nothing" afterward.

Because those three words can really kill a conversation.

In reality, she really wanted to talk to Ma Xun, after all, there was the story of that night.

As a result, she ruined what could have been a simple conversation.

I was a little annoyed, but then... wait, I've got it!
“I watched a movie.” Naza’s next words were quite good.

It was obvious that she wanted Ma Xun to ask her what movie she had watched, so that they could start a conversation.

Ma Xun, being an old hand, naturally saw through Na Zha's thoughts long ago. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't bother asking anything, but Na Zha... that night had indeed left a deep impression on Ma Xun, so he might as well go along with her this once.

"What movie do you want to watch?"

The tone of the question was somewhat listless.

Naza seized the opportunity with "Bad Genius".

Ma Xun was somewhat surprised and smiled, "Thank you for your support."

Upon hearing this, Naza chuckled, "Don't take this as a joke. How could someone like you be short of my movie ticket?"

Ma Xun shook his head, "Then we should still express our gratitude."

Naza simply told the whole story: "Actually, I didn't spend any money; Dilraba invited me."

Ma Xun remained noncommittal. "That's fine too. After you've seen it... well, I guess I shouldn't have asked that."

Yes, do you expect that beautiful young woman to write a review in front of you?

Naza, however, didn't seem to care. Instead, she wanted to say, "This movie is really great... By the way, is the ending really different between the Hong Kong version and our mainland version?"

That's a good question. On one hand, it means that Nazha actually watched the movie, and on the other hand, it seems that Nazha has some thoughts about the movie.

Ma Xun's smile deepened, and he nodded. "There are indeed differences. Okay, let me ask you a question: if you were the female lead, Lin Xiao'e, what would you choose?"

Choice? How did this become a multiple-choice question?

But at this moment, Naza was convinced that Ma Xun was right; this was indeed a multiple-choice question.

In the movie, Lin Xiao'e actually faces two choices: one is to accept Aben's invitation and continue cheating to make money, and the other is to honestly "turn herself in" and reveal the whole truth.

So, how should we choose?

Naza then turned the question back to Ma Xun, "If it were you, what would you choose?"

Ma Xun laughed heartily after hearing this, "Of course I'll choose the shortcut."

Ah... Ma Xun's answer was quite clever.

He portrayed cheating on exams as taking shortcuts, which wouldn't be a big deal under normal circumstances, but in this context, especially in the context of the movie "Bad Genius".

This has so many implications!

Cheating is indeed taking a shortcut, but taking a shortcut is not necessarily just cheating. Taking a shortcut can include many things, such as the "golden finger" in our online novels nowadays.

If you're a mortal cultivating immortality, you need a little green bottle, right?

And we need to understand why such works are popular.
Is it just about simple pleasure?
Even the power struggle between the mortal and his master from the very beginning truly reveals the dark side of human nature.

But is this really just about cultivating immortality?
It's obvious that everyone in our society roughly understands this, even if we don't say it.

As the saying goes, a horse won't get fat without night grass, and a person won't get rich without unexpected wealth.

If a person is just diligent and hardworking, they are actually doing quite well in our society; at least they can maintain a minimum standard of living.

But to succeed is almost impossible.

Successful people all take shortcuts.

but……

Ma Xun then added, "But I won't break the law."

That's even more powerful.

Naza was actually a bit slow-witted, but she understood what Ma Xun meant at that moment.

The stunningly beautiful girl retorted, "Do you think I should be like Lin Xiao'e? No, like the Lin Xiao'e in the Hong Kong version, right?"

In other words, they also chose to take shortcuts!
Ma Xun smiled after hearing this, but he placed a large bill on the table and then stood up.

"I didn't actually say anything; the choice is yours."

After saying that, Ma Xun left the coffee shop.

Naza sat there, but in less than thirty seconds, she got up.

After leaving the coffee shop, she caught up with Ma Xun and grabbed him.