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The final cut of "The Massage Therapist" received high praise from Kong Sheng and the internal staff of Shandong Film & Television.

However, when discussing the release strategy, the experienced director Kong made a suggestion: "Xiao Su, the film is very good. But I suggest that it's best to wait until 'Parents' Love' is broadcast on satellite TV and gains popularity before releasing 'The Massage Therapist'."

He further explained, "Our Parents' Love is a heartwarming period drama with a broad audience base. After it airs on TV, the popularity of Teacher Guo, Teacher Mei, Teacher Liu, and you will all reach a new level. At that time, when the original cast appears on the big screen again in such a subversive image, the topicality and attention will be explosive! This is called leveraging the momentum, which can maximize the benefits of The Massage Therapist."

After a moment's thought, Su Ning understood the reasoning behind it.

Movies are not only works of art, but also commodities, and the timing of their release is crucial.

He readily accepted this professional advice and decided to let "The Massage Therapist" remain dormant for the time being, waiting for the best opportunity to make its debut.

"Okay! Let's do as you say, Director Kong."

"Don't worry! This movie, 'The Massage Therapist,' is sure to be a huge hit."

"Hehe, that's exactly what I want too, so that 'Bizarre and Bizarre' can become an instant hit."

"You little rascal! You even set up a company specifically for making movies. Looks like you have some ambitions in the film industry?"

"Yes! Director Kong, I want to film some stories that belong to me, so that I can be remembered in history a hundred years from now."

"Haha, you want to go down in history? Looks like you have quite the ambition."

……

As the National Day holiday approaches, the campus is filled with the restlessness of the upcoming break.

The students were all discussing going home or traveling.

Suning, however, had no intention of returning to Qingdao; he was brewing another plan in his mind.

That means taking advantage of the holiday to make a move in advance and acquire the film and television adaptation rights to several films that he thinks are good.

This is a crucial element of the "bizarre and fantastical" design.

Just then, his girlfriend Fan Lin, who was far away in Beijing, called, "Su Ning, you're on vacation, can you come to Beijing to see me?"

"Okay! But I need to go to Ningbo first."

"Ningbo? What are you going there for?"

"Let's talk business."

"Hmph! It's about your shell company again?"

"Yes, I still really want to make 'Bizarre and Wonderful' a success."

"Don't tell me these things! I don't want to hear them! I always feel like you're wasting your time on trivial pursuits."

"I..." Hearing Fan Lin's words at this moment naturally made me feel very heartbroken.

However, getting others to understand you is a difficult problem in itself, let alone the fact that Fan Lin had preconceived notions about herself from the very beginning.

So Suning didn't continue arguing with Fan Lin, but instead deliberately changed the subject with a laugh.

"Sister Lin, my trip to Ningbo won't take long, maybe two or three days at most, and then I'll fly directly from Ningbo to Beijing."

"Okay! I'll wait for you."

……

Just as Suning was planning the specific itinerary, a name suddenly popped into his mind: Chen Xiaojun, the female driver who caused the accident.

During this period, they would occasionally chat on WeChat and sometimes make a phone call.

The conversation gradually expanded from the initial awkward greetings to everyday trivia and hobbies.

Su Ning could sense that Chen Xiaojun was a thoughtful and gentle girl, and that she always felt deeply guilty about the accident, always expressing a desire to make amends.

So he picked up his phone and called Chen Xiaojun directly: "Junjun, are you familiar with Ningbo?"

"It's alright! I've been there a few times, what's wrong?"

Suning immediately extended an invitation: "I need to go to Ningbo for business during the National Day holiday. I'm unfamiliar with the area, could you be my guide?"

“This…” Chen Xiaojun seemed somewhat hesitant.

Su Ning raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't want to?"

"No!" Chen Xiaojun quickly denied. "It's mainly because I'm not particularly familiar with you, and I'm afraid I might do more harm than good and delay your important business."

Su Ning had already prepared her explanation: "It's alright. The other party is a local from Ningbo. My main concern is that during communication, if there are some dialects or local customs that I don't understand, having a local nearby will make things easier. As for you as a guide, you just need to be a temporary translator in critical moments. For example, if we don't reach an agreement and the other party calls me an idiot, I won't take it as a compliment."

"Pfft! You're so funny!" Chen Xiaojun was amused by Su Ning's explanation.

"Really! The Wu dialect spoken in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is very strange! As a northerner, I am really easy to be bullied."

"This……"

Then Su Ning used his "trump card," typing in a half-joking, half-serious tone: "Alright! It's settled then. You knocked me out of my memory, so now you're going to be my guide to make amends. Isn't that fair?"

This statement indeed struck at Chen Xiaojun's weak point.

She paused for a few seconds before finally replying, "Okay! I'll give it a try. But I'm not sure I can be of much help."

“No problem. Send me your location, and I’ll pick you up at nine o’clock the day after tomorrow.” Su Ning made the arrangements decisively.

"No need to trouble you!" Chen Xiaojun seemed a little embarrassed. "It's easy for me to take a taxi there. But where should we meet?"

"The south gate of Zhejiang University's Zijingang Campus, 9:00 AM."

"Okay! I'll be there on time."

……

The appointed day arrived quickly.

The autumn sun was bright but not scorching.

Suning parked his car on the roadside near the South Gate ten minutes in advance, and then stood in a conspicuous position at the school gate to wait.

He looked at the crowds coming and going, and couldn't help but feel a little curious.

Chen Xiaojun's voice on the other end of the phone and WeChat is gentle, and her tone is always a little cautious. What is she like in real life?
Last year in the hospital, every time Chen Xiaojun came to visit me, she wore a big mask. I wonder if she was afraid that I would retaliate against her?

So Suning really doesn't know what Chen Xiaojun looks like. If she turns out to be a monster, wouldn't that be disastrous?

At exactly nine o'clock, a figure appeared in the direction of the school gate. After glancing around briefly, he walked quickly towards his location.

She was a tall, well-proportioned girl, wearing a simple white knit sweater and blue jeans, carrying a canvas bag, and her long hair was tied into a neat ponytail.

She walked briskly, the sunlight shining on her face, revealing her delicate features and slightly nervous expression.

Su Ning didn't immediately connect her with "Chen Xiaojun," but simply thought the girl had a very good appearance and temperament. He mentally praised her and continued searching for a target in the crowd.

However, the tall girl walked up to him with a clear purpose, her eyes filled with confirmation and a hint of barely perceptible excitement:
"Suning?"

Su Ning was slightly taken aback, then realized what she meant and looked at the girl in front of her again with a hint of surprise: "You are... Chen Xiaojun?"

"Yes! It's me." Chen Xiaojun nodded, a shy smile on her face. Her gaze swept quickly across his face, as if confirming something, and then she added softly, "You seem a little different from before."

Only then did Su Ning truly connect the voice on the phone with the person in front of her.

He chuckled. "That's right! I used to be the silly goose you bumped into! Now, if you want to bump into me again, it won't be so easy."

"I'm really sorry about what happened back then! But I really don't drive anymore now." Chen Xiaojun knew that Su Ning was joking with her.

"Haha, just kidding! Let's go! Our car is over there."

"it is good."

Chen Xiaojun's gaze occasionally fell on Su Ning's tall, straight back, her eyes filled with complex emotions—guilt and curiosity...

An unexpected reunion, triggered by an accident, began peacefully in front of the south gate of Zhejiang University.

……

Once Chen Xiaojun got into the passenger seat, Su Ning put on his sunglasses and set off.

The car quickly left the bustling city of Hangzhou and entered the expressway leading to Ningbo.

The car fell silent for a moment, with only soothing background music playing.

Chen Xiaojun sat upright in the passenger seat, her body slightly stiff, her gaze seemingly unsure where to fall, so she pretended to look at the scenery rushing past the window.

Her hands were awkwardly clasped on her knees, revealing her inner tension and unease.

After all, the person driving next to her was someone she had seriously harmed in the past, and this relationship made every breath seem heavy.

Suning keenly sensed the almost frozen awkwardness.

He understood Chen Xiaojun's situation and knew that a topic was needed to break the uncomfortable silence.

After a short rest at a service area, they resumed their journey. Su Ning reached into the back seat, took out a briefcase, and pulled out a thick book that showed signs of being read. He then handed it to Chen Xiaojun, who was sitting next to him.

"Huh?" Chen Xiaojun was taken aback by the sudden action, and subconsciously took the book and looked down at it.

On the dark cover, the four large characters "The Great River Flows East" appear steady and powerful.

She looked up at Su Ning, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion, "This is...?"

“A novel written by A Nai.” Su Ning looked straight ahead and explained casually, as if talking about something very ordinary. “The main reason I went to Ningbo this time was to meet this author, A Nai. My goal is to find a way to buy the film and television adaptation rights to this novel from her.”

“Anai?” ​​Chen Xiaojun repeated the unfamiliar name, her fingers unconsciously tracing the book cover, her confusion deepening. “Buy the adaptation rights? You mean…”

She couldn't quite connect the idea of ​​"buying the adaptation rights to a novel" with this young man who was still in college.

This sounds like something only big companies and big producers would do.

“Yes, Ah Nai. A very low-key but incredibly talented female writer.” Su Ning confirmed her question and continued to explain, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible admiration and ambition. “This book is about the economic changes in the early stages of reform and opening up. It has a grand scope and the characters are very well-developed. I think it would be very suitable to be adapted into a TV series.”

He turned his head, glanced quickly at Chen Xiaojun, and smiled slightly: "Otherwise, did you think I came all the way to Ningbo just for tourism? This is important business."

Chen Xiaojun held the thick book "The Great River Flows East" as if it were a heavy brick, or as if she were holding a key to open the door to a new world.

She looked down at the book title, then secretly glanced at Su Ning, who was focused on driving beside her.

At this moment, Su Ning's image in her eyes became somewhat blurred and complicated.

She was no longer just an accident victim she felt guilty about, nor just a college student from a prestigious university, but was shrouded in a mysterious aura that she didn't understand at all, a aura of business acumen and decisiveness.

The awkward atmosphere dissipated without them realizing it, replaced by a strong sense of curiosity and a subtle excitement.

She began to realize that this trip to Ningbo might not be as simple as she had imagined.

The book in her hand is the first piece of the puzzle to understanding the ambition of the mysterious boy beside her.

……

The thick volume of "The Great River Flows East" acted like an efficient icebreaker, instantly breaking the suffocating silence in the car.

Chen Xiaojun's attention was completely drawn to the book and Suning's sudden "business plan".

Holding her book, she couldn't help but turn to the side, curiously observing the young man beside her who was both familiar and unfamiliar, and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time: "Su Ning, aren't you a student at Zhejiang University? And majoring in computer science. Why would you suddenly think of buying the adaptation rights to a novel? This sounds like something only film and television company bosses would do."

Her tone was full of incomprehension; she simply couldn't connect the seemingly unrelated things of "college student" and "purchasing film and television copyrights" with one person.

Upon hearing this, Su Ning smiled knowingly. While steadily steering the wheel, he asked in a relaxed tone, "Then you should know that I recently filmed a TV series called 'Under the Zhengyang Gate,' right?"

"Yes! I know!" Chen Xiaojun's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of this, and her tone became much lighter, even carrying a hint of girlish excitement. "You played 'Taozi'! Many of my colleagues in the troupe are watching the show, and they all say you acted exceptionally well. You're both roguish and handsome, and very loyal! I never expected you to be such a good actor!"

Hearing others acknowledge his role made Suning feel good.

He continued to reveal more information, as if gradually unveiling another mysterious side of himself: "Actually, before that, I also acted in another film directed by Kong Sheng, 'Parents' Love.' Although it was a minor supporting role with few scenes..."

"Is he playing Jiang Weimin?"

“Yes.” Su Ning nodded, her tone calm but with an undeniable certainty. “Through these two experiences, I found film and television creation quite interesting and saw the opportunities within it. So, I used some of my earnings from acting and… well, some other income, to register my own film and television culture company. This purchase of the copyright for ‘The Great River Flows East’ is a new project that the company is officially operating.”

He spoke casually, but to Chen Xiaojun it was like a thunderclap!

A college student not only acted in popular TV series and works by top directors, but also quietly established his own company, and made a big move by purchasing the film and television adaptation rights of a well-known novel!

She stared blankly at Su Ning's sharply defined profile. The simple guilt and unease she felt earlier were quickly replaced by a complex mix of shock, admiration, and intense curiosity.

She suddenly realized that her understanding of the boy who had "lost his memory after being hit by her" was probably less than the tip of the iceberg.

He is like a huge mystery; just when you think you understand him a little, he immediately reveals a deeper and more unexpected side of himself.

The atmosphere inside the car completely changed.

The previous awkwardness and caution vanished without a trace, replaced by a slightly excited sense of exploration based on the new discovery.

Chen Xiaojun began to ask him various questions about setting up the company, film and television production, and how he discovered the book "The Great River Flows East".

Suning was happy to hear from others, and patiently answered questions, selecting the parts he could share.

The scenery along the highway rushed past, but the conversation inside the car grew increasingly lively.

A journey that began out of guilt and a desire for redemption has, unknowingly, transformed into a thrilling and exciting adventure into the unknown.

...(End of chapter)