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The car came to a smooth stop in front of the dormitory building where Chen Xiaojun's theater troupe was located.

The announcement that their short trip to Ningbo was officially over was met with a completely different atmosphere than when they set off.

After all, Chen Xiaojun had already gained a basic understanding of Suning, and the two were no longer strangers to each other.

"We've arrived." Su Ning, in the driver's seat, turned to look at Chen Xiaojun, in the passenger seat.

"Yes, thank you for taking care of me these past few days, and for the gifts," Chen Xiaojun said softly, her fingers unconsciously gripping the backpack strap, her feelings complicated.

Along the way, she witnessed Suning's business setbacks, saw his decisiveness and energy in instantly changing strategies, and received the entrepreneurial invitation that made her uneasy.

As she unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to open the door to get out of the car, Su Ning couldn't help but speak up, "Jun Jun, about what I mentioned in the car, I hope you can think it over carefully when you get back. Don't rush to give me an answer; think it through before you speak."

"I promise I will treat you as my partner, and as long as I have food to eat, I will never let you go hungry."

Chen Xiaojun paused for a moment, but without turning around, she simply hummed in agreement before pushing open the door, getting out of the car, and quickly walking into the dormitory building.

Because her mind was really in turmoil, she needed time and space to process everything.

After seeing Chen Xiaojun off, Suning did not linger in Hangzhou, and did not even return to his home by West Lake. He turned his car around and headed straight for the airport again.

His next stop was Beijing, where his girlfriend Fan Lin, whom he missed, was.

After several hours of flight, the plane landed at the Capital Airport.

As soon as Suning stepped out of the arrival gate, he saw the figure wearing a baseball cap and a mask, yet still slender and eagerly waiting.

Fan Lin spotted him immediately and pounced over like a cheerful little bird, completely disregarding the stares that might be around them.

"Darling, I missed you so much!" Fan Lin hugged him tightly, her voice filled with longing.

Su Ning smiled and hugged her back, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair. The fatigue from the days of running around and negotiations seemed to vanish instantly: "I missed you too."

In the following days, Suning completely put aside all his work and devoted himself to accompanying Fan Lin.

Like any couple deeply in love, they enjoyed their private time together.

They cooked together in Fan Lin's meticulously decorated apartment, snuggled on the sofa watching movies, and shared the little things that had happened during their time apart.

Intimate and tender moments are naturally indispensable.

Each deep union of body and soul intensified their feelings for each other.

Su Ning could also clearly feel that as his relationship with Fan Lin solidified and their bodies became more intimate, the mysterious system notification in his mind would arrive as scheduled.

【ding dong】

System repair progress +0.1%

Current overall progress: 8.9%

……

When I left the "Dying to Survive" instance world, the repair progress of the mysterious system had reached 7.8%.

Fan Lin had been visiting him in Hangzhou for just over ten days, and the system repair progress improved by 1%, bringing it to exactly 8.8%.

This improvement is small but stable, as if some kind of energy is being gradually charged.

Su Ning understood that this was closely related to the sincere and intimate emotional connection between him and Fan Lin.

During his five days in Beijing, Suning worked extremely hard, spending almost all his time with and satisfying his girlfriend.

The system seemed to endorse this "more work, more reward" principle. On the eve of leaving the capital, after a particularly intense and intimate encounter, the notification sounded again:

【ding dong】

System repair progress +0.1%

Current overall progress: 9.3%

Surprisingly, the price increased by 0.5% during this trip to Beijing, which was a pleasant surprise.

Looking at Fan Lin, who was fast asleep in his arms due to exhaustion, with a satisfied blush on her beautiful face, Su Ning felt a surge of tenderness and a unique sense of accomplishment.

His success in both his romantic relationships and the progress of the "system" gave him a greater sense of control over the future.

However, happy times always pass quickly, and five days flew by.

The moment of parting arrived once again. At the Beijing airport, Fan Lin was still reluctant to leave, her eyes slightly red: "I don't know when we'll see each other again..."

"It won't be long." Su Ning gently kissed her forehead. "Once I finish what I'm doing, or once you've finished filming, we can meet anytime."

Feeling fulfilled by the system upgrade to 9.3% and satisfied with the deepening of his relationship with his girlfriend, Suning embarked on his journey home once again.

The tender moments in the capital have come to a temporary end, and there are still many things waiting for him to deal with and face.

……

While Suning was in Beijing accompanying his girlfriend Fan Lin, Shandong Film & Television Group quickly convened an evaluation meeting regarding the project information he provided.

After carefully studying "The Great River Flows East" and "All Is Well," as well as several other works by Ms. Anai, the professional copyright evaluation department and senior producers reached a conclusion that was highly consistent with Suning's judgment...

These works are rich in cultural heritage, feature vivid characters, and have strong dramatic conflicts, making them highly valuable for film and television adaptation. Moreover, their subject matter is rare, which aligns with Shandong Film & Television's consistent pursuit of "high quality and high reputation" in selecting topics.

The group quickly made a decision: to fully acquire the film and television adaptation rights to A Nai's works and list it as a key development project for the next few years.

This time, it's no longer Suning testing the waters alone, but rather one of the giants in the domestic TV drama industry making a formal move.

Director Kong Sheng personally led a team, including Shandong Film & Television's professional copyright negotiation team and legal advisors, to Ningbo once again.

Faced with the prestigious reputation of Shandong Film Group and the personal visit of director Kong Sheng, Ah Nai's attitude was completely different from when she faced Suning.

The negotiations proceeded exceptionally smoothly, almost like a natural outcome.

Shandong Film & Television Group also demonstrated great sincerity, not only offering generous terms for the copyright purchase, but more importantly, their commitment to respecting the spirit of the original work and guaranteeing high-quality production deeply moved Ah Nai, who cherishes her own work.

Soon, the two parties reached a comprehensive cooperation agreement on the film and television adaptation rights of several core works, including "The Great River Flows East" and "All Is Well".

After the signing ceremony, Director Kong Sheng smiled and shook hands with A Nai: "Teacher A Nai, I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration. Shandong Film and Television will do its best to make your excellent works into high-quality television productions."

Ah Nai was also in a good mood and replied, "It's a pleasure to work with you, Director Kong. I have faith in Shandong Film & Television's strength and sincerity."

She paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and suggested in a seemingly casual tone, "By the way, Director Kong, I have a favor to ask regarding the project's progress. If possible, I would like to participate in the script adaptation process, since no one understands the core of these characters and stories better than me."

“Of course!” Director Kong immediately agreed. “We warmly welcome the original author to personally take on or participate in the screenwriting work, as this can ensure the authenticity of the work to the greatest extent. We will definitely contact you as soon as possible.”

At this point, the atmosphere became very harmonious.

Ah Nai's eyes flickered slightly, as if she had considered it for a moment, before continuing in a half-joking, half-serious tone, "I have another little idea, but I don't know if I should say it?"

"Please say."

“I’ve recently been watching a period drama called ‘Under the Zhengyang Gate.’ The young actor who plays ‘Taozi’ is named Su Ning. I think he has a very natural talent for acting and a very upright image. If ‘The Great River Flows East’ is to be filmed, I think he would be quite suitable to play the young version of the male lead, Song Yunhui. I wonder what Director Kong thinks?” After saying this, Teacher A’nai casually picked up her teacup, but out of the corner of her eye, she carefully observed Kong Sheng’s reaction.

This was both her true thought—she genuinely thought Su Ning's acting was good—and a carefully planned test...

She wanted to thoroughly verify how genuine the young man who came alone and claimed to be cooperating with Shandong Film and Television was.

Director Kong Sheng was a man of great stature; he instantly understood Ah Nai's little scheme.

A meaningful smile appeared on his face, and he said in a completely natural tone, "Su Ning? Hahaha, what a coincidence! He's not just an actor we have high hopes for, but also an important partner of Shandong Film & Television. His own film and television company, 'Guangguai Luli,' has a deep cooperation plan with us. You have a good eye; his acting skills and dedication are beyond question. We will definitely give him priority consideration for the 'Da Jiang Dong Qu' project."

Director Kong's answer was understated yet packed with information, not only confirming the partnership but also clarifying that he was a "partner" of Suning, rather than just an actor.

Hearing Director Kong Sheng's unwavering and even somewhat admiring reply, Ah's last trace of doubt vanished completely, replaced by an unavoidable sense of embarrassment and regret.

She recalled how tactful yet firm her rejections had been when Su Ning came alone a few days earlier, and now they seemed so short-sighted and ridiculous.

It turned out that the other party was not just using someone else's name to make a big fuss, but actually had real leverage; she just hadn't recognized their true worth at the time.

A fleeting hint of regret crossed her face, but she quickly regained her composure with a smile: "I see! That's wonderful! It seems I really am destined to be with Director Kong and President Su."

Director Kong Sheng noticed her subtle reactions, but he simply laughed heartily, raised his glass, and said, "It's all fate! For the smooth progress of our upcoming collaboration, and for producing a great work!"

"For a good work!" Ah Nai raised her glass, feeling a mix of emotions, but also more determined to collaborate with Shandong Film and Television.

We are all smart people; there's no need to dwell on past incidents. The key is to achieve win-win cooperation in the future.

Everything was left unsaid, and the meeting ended in an atmosphere that seemed harmonious and congenial, but was actually fraught with undercurrents.

Although Suning was not present, it has once again demonstrated its strength and vision through this event.

……

Having just returned home by West Lake in Hangzhou, Su Ning, weary from her journey, hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath, nor had she had time to send Chen Xiaojun a message to inquire about her decision.

That familiar yet unsettling electronic notification tone suddenly exploded in the depths of his mind without warning...

【ding dong】

[The next instance world is ready. Energy is barely sufficient, and the spacetime coordinates are stable. Host, would you like to proceed with the travel immediately?]

Having had the experience before, Suning's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't panic like he did the first time.

He took a deep breath, quickly suppressing his surging emotions, and his eyes became sharp and calm.

He knew that once this mysterious system issued a command, there was almost no room for maneuver.

"Time travel," he murmured to himself, while instinctively gripping the sofa armrests.

In an instant, that familiar, soul-tearing electric current surged from the depths of my brain once more, sweeping through my entire body!

His vision was filled with distorted light and shadow and fragmented data streams, and his body felt an extreme sense of weightlessness and pulling, as if he had been thrown into a high-speed spinning vortex.

The next second, all sensations suddenly returned to normal.

After the intense dizziness subsided, Suning found himself standing on a secluded street with an exotic atmosphere.

The first sensation isn't visual information, but rather the most direct physical sensations...

Oxygen deficiency!

The air was cold and thin, and each breath required more effort than usual, with a slight feeling of pressure in my chest.

The intense ultraviolet radiation on the skin brought a burning sensation unique to the high altitude.

In the distance, there are rolling brown mountains covered with sparse vegetation, and the sky is an almost unreal blue.

"Plateau? Where is this?" Su Ning subconsciously looked around. Low Tibetan-style houses, fluttering prayer flags, and the occasional pedestrian in Tibetan robes walking by...

Everything was unfamiliar and strange.

Immediately afterwards, the system notification sounded again, coldly revealing the answer to him:
【ding dong】

[Spatiotemporal deployment to the host has been completed.]

[Current instance world: [Sito]]

[Current Time: 2020]

[Current Location: Dana] (Note: A fictional location on the border of Sichuan and Tibet in the novel)
[Main Quest (One) Issued: Immediately proceed to rescue target NPCs Qin Fang and An Man. The host is authorized to eliminate any hostile targets posing a threat during this process without being punished by the laws of this world.]

[Mission Notice: The situation is urgent; the target's vital signs may disappear at any moment.]

[Task Reward: System repair progress +2%, unlocking some missing memory fragments of the host, and a task reward of ten million yuan]

"Qin Fang? An Man? Who are these people?" Su Ning was completely bewildered; he knew nothing about this so-called "Si Teng" world!
However, the system didn't give him any time to think.

A semi-transparent virtual map, visible only to him, instantly unfolded in his field of vision.

A glaring red cursor is moving rapidly across the map, while a fainter cursor appears to be moving with the red light, but is actually stationary.

At the same time, a clear path guide appears on the map.

"Damn it!" Su Ning couldn't help but curse under his breath.

This system is utterly thuggish; it throws people into a completely unfamiliar, high-risk environment and then issues them an ambiguous emergency task!
Despite the complaints, Suning acted without hesitation.

A strong sense of crisis and the system notification that "vital signs have disappeared" made him realize that this was no joke.

With a thought, a cold, heavy pistol appeared out of thin air in his right hand...

This is the Glock I bought on the Indian black market for self-defense in the world of "Dying to Survive," and it has been sitting idle in the system's storage space ever since.

Skillfully checking the magazine and loading it, the cold metallic touch brings a strange sense of security.

A quick glance revealed an old motorcycle parked by the roadside, with the key still in the lock!

"This is truly a stroke of luck!" Su Ning didn't care whether this was the system's "arrangement" or whether it counted as theft.

At this moment, everything in this instance world seemed just like the settings in the game.

He leaped onto the motorcycle and twisted the throttle sharply!
The old engine roared hoarsely, its tires screeching against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Guided by the virtual map in his field of vision, Suning drove his motorcycle like an arrow, speeding towards the direction the red cursor was moving.

The wind on the plateau whipped fiercely across his cheeks, and the thin air made his breathing a little rapid, but his eyes remained unusually focused and calm.

No matter what dangerous places lie ahead, and no matter who Qin Fang and An Man really are, since the system has issued the mission, he must resolve all the troubles as quickly as possible!

I just hope the system won't mess with me like it did last time, where all that restored memories turned out to be just reliving the plot of "Dying to Survive".

...(End of chapter)