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The van drove along the coastline, and the salty sea breeze seeped in through the cracks in the windows, carrying the unique scent of the ocean.

Su Ning leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the beach and reefs recede outside the window. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked at Chen Tao, who was holding the steering wheel, with a hint of confusion.

"Cousin, I'm a little curious. Since you used to be in the seafood wholesale business, how did you suddenly switch careers and get involved with film and television production teams?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Tao smiled smugly, casually resting one hand on the steering wheel and gesturing with the other: "You don't understand, do you? When film crews come to Qingdao to shoot, the biggest fear is that they're unfamiliar with the local situation and can't handle the miscellaneous tasks. By cooperating with a local like me, helping them manage logistics and deliver meals, they save themselves trouble, and I can make some money. It's called 'mutual benefit,' understand?"

He winked slyly and lowered his voice: "Besides, the job of supplying boxed meals may seem simple, but there are actually a lot of tricks to it—the ingredients have to be fresh, the taste has to suit everyone's palate, and they have to be delivered to the set on time so as not to delay filming. If you don't have some local connections and can't find a reliable supplier, you might not be able to get this job."

Su Ning immediately understood the implication in the words.

He took another look at Chen Tao beside him...

He wore an ordinary jacket, spoke with a somewhat unsophisticated manner, and looked no different from any other businessman on the street.

Unexpectedly, he had such extensive connections locally, easily navigating between the completely different industries of seafood wholesale and film and television logistics.

"So, cousin, you're considered... a local 'big shot' in Qingdao?" Su Ning asked half-jokingly.

Chen Tao burst into laughter, slapping the steering wheel: "Haha, what 'local tyrant' nonsense, how awful! It's just that I've been here a long time, so I know a lot of people and have a wide network. In Qingdao, remember this: more friends, more paths, you can't go wrong!"

……

After driving for about half an hour, we finally entered the Qingdao Film and Television Base.

In the distance, a cluster of buildings in the style of the early days of the People's Republic of China came into view.

Red brick walls, pointed roofs, even the streetlights along the road are old-fashioned.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the place was already a hive of activity: stagehands were pushing carts full of props back and forth, lighting technicians were using ladders to adjust huge lights, and assistant directors were using megaphones to loudly direct the crew. Everyone was in a hurry, not daring to slack off for even a moment.

"See this? This is the Shandong Film Studio's production crew. They're filming a drama called 'Parents' Love,' which tells the love story of a military officer and a teacher in the 1950s and 60s. I heard it's going to be a hit!" Chen Tao said, pointing to the set as he looked for a parking spot. His tone was full of pride. "Being able to provide boxed lunches for such a big production crew isn't an opportunity everyone gets. I had to pull a lot of strings to get this job."

The two parked their car and had just walked into the back-of-house area when they saw several actors dressed in simple period costumes passing by.

The woman was wearing a blue overall dress and had short hair that reached her ears; the man was wearing a gray Zhongshan suit and black-rimmed glasses.

Chen Tao immediately lowered his voice, nudged Su Ning with his elbow, and excitedly pointed to one of the actresses: "See that? That's Teacher Mei, the female lead of this drama! And that one over there is Teacher Guo, the male lead! They're both nationally famous stars!"

Su Ning looked in the direction he pointed and saw the actors surrounding the director, seriously discussing their lines and occasionally gesturing.

He observed quietly, but felt nothing special; he was neither excited nor curious, just like he was looking at a few ordinary strangers.

"How is it? Isn't it exciting to see such a big star for the first time?" Chen Tao leaned closer and asked with an expectant look on his face.

Su Ning shook her head honestly: "I don't feel anything. I don't remember seeing any of their works, and I don't know why they are famous, so... I don't feel that they are any different from ordinary people."

Before he could finish speaking, a production assistant wearing a black vest and a name tag rushed over, looking anxious: "Boss Chen, you're finally here! When will the lunch boxes arrive? We have a big group scene to shoot this afternoon, dozens of people are waiting for lunch!"

"I'll be there soon! Don't worry, it won't delay the filming!" Chen Tao immediately dropped his casual demeanor and put on a professional smile. He turned to Su Ning and said, "Come on, Su Ning, let's go to the entrance to meet the delivery truck and help unload the goods."

Suning handled the subsequent unloading and meal distribution quietly and efficiently.

He followed Chen Tao and unloaded boxes of meals from the truck, delivering them to the actors' rest area, the director's team, and the general staff area as instructed by the production crew.

While working, his gaze would occasionally sweep across the film set, silently observing the people and events in this little world.

He saw the lead actors surrounded by assistants, sitting on chairs under parasols, with someone handing them water and someone fanning them, and even having a special small table for meals; he saw the director standing in front of the monitor, his brow furrowed, and everyone on set would immediately fall silent. He would say, "One more take," and no matter how tired they were, the actors and crew would immediately get ready again; he also saw the ordinary stagehands and lighting technicians, so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water, and could only squat by the roadside to quickly eat a few bites of food, and after finishing, they would immediately throw themselves back into work, and few people would notice their existence.

During the break, Chen Tao handed Su Ning a bottle of ice water. Looking at the lead actors resting not far away, he said enviously, "You know, celebrities are just different. The pay for one film is enough for us ordinary people to work hard for several years. If we could have that kind of life, it would be worth it."

Suning unscrewed the bottle cap, took a sip of ice water, and asked casually, "Why should celebrities be special? Aren't they just doing their jobs? Just like you, cousin, are responsible for delivering lunch boxes, the stagehands are responsible for moving props, and they are responsible for acting. Aren't they all essentially fulfilling their own tasks?"

Chen Tao was taken aback by the question. He opened his mouth, but after a long while, he said, "That's a bit much... But they're celebrities! People all over the country know them and like them, so of course it's different!"

“But I don’t know them, and I don’t understand them.” Su Ning’s tone remained calm. “In my eyes, they are no different from the lighting technicians and prop movers over there. They are all doing their jobs, just with different job content.”

Chen Tao shook his head, patted his shoulder with a wry smile, and said, "You! You've really lost your memory completely. You've even forgotten the kind of admiration ordinary people have for celebrities. But that's good, so you won't be like others who get so excited and incoherent when they see a celebrity."

Su Ning didn't say anything more, but just looked at the male and female leads who were acting in the distance, a sense of confusion rising in her heart.

In his blank memory, there was no special meaning to the concept of "star", and he could not understand why some people were given an extraordinary halo because of their "fame".

In his view, everyone is an equal individual, striving for a better life, and there is no distinction between high and low status.

Perhaps this detached perspective, unbound by past perceptions, is one of the few gifts he received after losing his memory.

Not far away, the director suddenly shouted, "Cut! That take is a wrap!"

The once quiet film set suddenly became lively.

The staff were busy packing up the equipment, and the actors relaxed and chatted and laughed with those around them.

Suning stood up, dusted off his pants, and prepared to continue his work.

In this bizarre and rule-bound world of the film set, he remained a clear-headed observer, quietly going about his business, maintaining a rare sense of peace and clarity.

……

On the temporary basketball court at the Qingdao Film and Television Base, the filming of "Our Parents' Love" is at a crucial stage.

Teacher Guo, who plays the male lead, is wearing a military academy uniform. He and the second male lead are playing back and forth on the basketball court. The "thump thump" of the basketball hitting the ground is mixed with the cheers of the staff on the sidelines. The atmosphere is as hot as the midday sun.

Just as Teacher Guo jumped to shoot and the basketball went in steadily, the whole stadium was about to cheer, but when he landed, his body suddenly swayed, his face turned pale instantly, and he fell to the ground with a cry of "Ouch," his hand tightly gripping his right ankle, his knuckles turning white.

"Cut! What's going on?" The director shouted through a megaphone, rushing over in three strides, turning the once lively film set into chaos.

The staff knelt down around Teacher Guo. Someone tried to help him up, but as soon as they touched him, Teacher Guo gasped in pain, and cold sweat streamed down his face.

His ankle had swelled up at a visible rate, like a steamed bun.

"Quick! Find a car to take Teacher Guo to the hospital!" The assistant director was so anxious he was stamping his feet.

The two stagehands tried to help Mr. Guo up, but as soon as they exerted force, Mr. Guo groaned in pain, which startled them so much that they quickly put him down again.

"Where's the crew's doctor? Where's the medical team?" The director glared at the assistant director, his voice full of anger.

The assistant director wiped his sweat and said with a bitter face, "The medical team went to the city to purchase medicines today, and the action director also took leave to be with his family. Now... no one can handle this!" On the outskirts of the crowd, Su Ning was helping Chen Tao pack up his empty lunchbox. Seeing the chaos, she also came over to take a look.

He stared at Teacher Guo, who was in so much pain she couldn't speak, and suddenly tugged at Chen Tao's arm, saying softly, "Cousin, I think I know a little bit about bone manipulation, how about... I try?"

Chen Tao suddenly turned to look at him, his eyes wide open: "What? You can do bone manipulation? Really? When did you learn this skill? I didn't know that!"

“Just a couple of days ago, Beibei from Uncle Lin’s house next door had its leg broken by someone and couldn’t stand up. I felt sorry for it, so I tried pressing it, and then it was able to walk again.” Su Ning said seriously, and fearing that Chen Tao wouldn’t believe her, she added, “After that, I also looked up some professional bone-setting books and specifically studied the techniques of bone manipulation.”

"Beibei? Uncle Lin's grandson?"

"No! Beibei is Linbo's husky."

"I..." Chen Tao's newly ignited hope was extinguished again, and he almost choked on his own saliva: "Don't be ridiculous! She's a big star! If something happens to her, we couldn't afford to pay for it even if we sold our house!"

Su Ning blinked and didn't say anything more.

I just stood to the side, watching the increasingly anxious crowd in the arena.

On the field, Teacher Guo's complexion worsened, his lips turned white from the pain, and any movement caused him to scream in pain.

After all, I'm getting old, and if I'm not careful, I really won't be able to handle it.

The director spun around twice, then suddenly shouted at the crowd, "Is there anyone here who knows how to set bones or provides first aid? Whoever it is, come and give me some emergency treatment! I'll pay any price to relieve the pain!"

The people gathered around looked at each other, but no one dared to step forward.

Everyone knows that Teacher Guo is a big star. If this is not handled properly and he is harmed, we will not be able to bear the responsibility.

Looking at Teacher Guo's distressed appearance, and glancing at Su Ning standing beside her, Chen Tao felt like two little people were fighting inside him: one was "What if something happens?", and the other was "I can't just watch her die in pain."

He gritted his teeth, pulled Su Ning aside, and lowered his voice to confirm, "Su Ning, tell your cousin the truth, is your technique reliable? This is no joke, we can't cover for it if something goes wrong!"

Su Ning looked at him with a very calm expression and nodded: "Reliable. I followed the instructions in the book and remembered all the steps. It should be fine."

"But……"

"Cousin, have you forgotten? I'm a top student who got into Zhejiang University."

"Alright! But don't you dare mention the husky bone-shaping thing later! If you say even one word, your cousin won't let you off the hook!" Chen Tao slapped his shoulder hard and warned him.

Then he squeezed out of the crowd, got close to the director, and whispered to himself for a long time.

The director looked at Su Ning in the direction Chen Tao was pointing, frowning: "So young? She looks like she's not even twenty yet, right? Can she handle it? Or is she just a sham?"

"Director, there's no other way at this point. Let him give it a try! It's better than just waiting here. What if it actually works?" Chen Tao urged anxiously.

The director looked at Teacher Guo, who was sweating profusely from the pain, and then at Su Ning, who was standing ramrod straight in the distance. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Let's try anything! Let him come over here!"

"..." Teacher Guo, who was standing to the side, had mixed feelings when she heard the director describe her as a "dead horse".

Su Ning followed Chen Tao to the center of the arena. Everyone around quieted down, and dozens of eyes fell on him, some with suspicion, some with curiosity, and some with worry.

Su Ning wasn't nervous at all. He slowly squatted down next to Guo Tao, but instead of immediately taking action, he reached out and gently touched the area around Guo Tao's swollen ankle. His movements were very light, as if he were afraid of damaging something.

"There's a slight tear in the ligament and a slight misalignment in the joint, but it's not too serious, don't worry," Su Ning said softly as she touched the joint.

His tone was as calm as that of a seasoned doctor, which stunned everyone around him.

Teacher Guo winced in pain, barely managing to open her eyes to look at him: "Young man, are you... are you really sure? If my leg is ruined, you'll have to take responsibility."

He said this half jokingly and half worriedly.

Su Ning looked up and smiled at him. Her smile was so pure and honest that it made people feel inexplicably at ease: "Don't worry! It'll be fine soon. I won't let you be crippled."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Su Ning suddenly grabbed Guo Tao's ankles with both hands, found the right spot with his fingers, gently twisted them, and then pushed them hard...

Two crisp "click" sounds were heard, so fast that no one could react in time.

"Alright, try moving your ankle slowly to see if it still hurts." Su Ning let go of his hand, took a step back, and stood aside to wait.

Teacher Guo paused for a moment, then hesitantly moved her right ankle.

At first he was very cautious, but after moving a couple of times, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Although my ankle is still swollen, the excruciating pain has lessened considerably, and I can even exert some force now!
"No...it doesn't hurt as much anymore! It really doesn't hurt as much anymore!" Teacher Guo was both surprised and delighted. He propped himself up on the ground and sat up, moving his ankle more boldly. "Young man, your skills are amazing! Who did you learn from?"

The audience was silent for two seconds, then erupted in gasps of amazement, and some couldn't help but applaud.

The director quickly came over, squatted down next to Teacher Guo, and asked, "Teacher Guo, how are you now? Can you stand up?"

"Yes! I can stand up!" Teacher Guo, holding the director's hand, slowly stood up.

Although I still walk with a slight limp, it's much better than before.

He turned to look at Su Ning, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Young man, thank you so much for today! What's your name? I'll have to thank you properly in the future!"

"My name is Su Ning." Su Ning scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "No need to thank me, I was just helping out. But I still suggest you go to the hospital for a thorough examination and have it fixed again, that way you'll recover faster."

Chen Tao breathed a sigh of relief and secretly gave Su Ning a thumbs up, his face beaming with joy.

The crew quickly contacted the hospital and arranged for a car to take Teacher Guo there.

Before leaving, the director walked up to Su Ning and patted him on the shoulder: "Su Ning, right? Well done! Thanks to you today, I'll remember you! Chen Tao, your cousin is really something!"

Watching the car that had taken Teacher Guo drive away, Chen Tao excitedly put his arm around Su Ning's shoulder and shook him vigorously: "Wow! You're a hidden talent! Now we're famous in the crew! Who will dare to look down on us anymore!"

Watching the car disappear into the distance, and then glancing at the approving looks around her, Su Ning smiled gently: "Hehe, it's nothing, I just did what I was supposed to do."

The sea breeze blew across the film set, carrying the salty smell of the ocean, and felt cool on my face.

Unbeknownst to Suning, this unexpected little incident, like a pebble thrown into a lake, had opened a brand new door for him, a door leading to a different future.

...(End of chapter)