Huayu: Serious director, who's eavesdropping on your thoughts?

"Received, checking now."

Zhao Huaiyuan's heart tightened.

The road ahead was blocked, and then people came up from behind.

dilemma!

He glanced around and saw a room next to him with a sign that read "Spare Parts Room," the door ajar.

Without thinking twice, he slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

The room was dimly lit because the main lights weren't on, and there were some odds and ends piled up in the corners.

Zhao Huaiyuan closed the door, breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to peek through the crack in the door to observe what was happening outside.

"ah!"

Suddenly, a slightly panicked voice rang out.

"Who?!"

Zhao Huaiyuan was taken aback. He saw a girl in a white dress sitting on the single sofa by the window.

She was clearly startled; her hand trembled, and half a macaron fell to the ground.

"Has this house been searched?"

"Not yet, this is a storage room for chairs."

"Open it and take a look, but make sure it's safe."

The ward rounds have started!

The girl had obviously heard the noise outside and hurriedly stood up in a panic.

Zhao Huaiyuan acted decisively, rushing forward and grabbing the other person's wrist, quickly disappearing behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains.

There was only a very narrow space between the curtains and the wall.

The two were forced to stick together.

"Squeak."

The door to the room was pushed open, and a beam of flashlight swept around the room.

"Is anyone here?" the security guard called out.

Behind the curtains,

Zhao Huaiyuan took a deep breath, held it, and braced himself against the wall with one hand, trying to create as much space as possible so as not to press down on the other person.

However, in order to prevent the curtains from billowing, the two inevitably had some physical contact.

The moonlight, like water, shone in through the window, and Zhao Huaiyuan looked down.

Upon seeing this, he was completely stunned.

"XiXi?" Zhao Huaiyuan mouthed in surprise.

Liu Yifei stared wide-eyed at Zhao Huaiyuan, a few crumbs of food still clinging to the corner of her mouth, which she hadn't had time to wipe off.

Zhao Huaiyuan raised a finger and made a shushing gesture.

At this moment, he was more nervous than ever!

If they were caught, a man and a woman alone together in a room...

It's one thing if his own plan fails, but another if it doesn't.

If Liu Yifei's reputation is ruined, he will be in deep trouble and unable to clear his name.

In the darkness, Liu Yifei's heart pounded wildly. Her back was pressed against the wall, and in front of her was Zhao Huaiyuan's chest.

The beam of a flashlight outside swept across the curtains before quickly moving away.

"Nobody's here, let's go."

The door was closed again, and the footsteps faded away.

Zhao Huaiyuan immediately stepped back half a body, creating distance between himself and the other party. He had no choice but to do so because the situation was too tense.

"Phew...that was close." Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you filming in Tianjin?" Zhao Huaiyuan asked.

Liu Yifei straightened his hair, calmed his breathing, and said softly:

"The film crew has wrapped up filming. I just got back today. There's an event at school where they're showing our film, so I came to check it out."

"Then why are you here?"

"Sigh, I originally wanted to go to the venue with my classmates, but my mom and godfather dragged me here."

They're in the VIP room over there. There are so many people there. My godfather even wants me to perform a talent for the elders...

I didn't like it, I felt stuffy, so I sneaked out, and I also wanted to eat some snacks..."

That's right...

Zhao Huaiyuan nodded.

Chen Jinfei really went to great lengths to promote this goddaughter, and he would definitely bring her along to pave the way for her appearance at such an event.

Liu Yifei is only 15 years old, which is a rebellious age, and she doesn't understand that much yet.

Liu Yifei straightened his hair, feeling a little guilty, and whispered:

"I'm so hungry! My mom has been feeding me boiled cabbage for a month now!"

I saw some desserts on the table and secretly took some, hoping to find a place where no one could see me. But as soon as I slipped in, you burst in.

At the end, she pouted, looking aggrieved.

They were hiding and secretly eating snacks.

Zhao Huaiyuan was both funny and pitiful.

Who would have thought that the unapproachable, ethereal fairy sister who is surrounded by fairy-like aura wherever she goes would have such a gluttonous time?

"And you? Why did you come here?" Liu Yifei blinked his big eyes curiously.

"I've come to deliver the film." Zhao Huaiyuan paused for a moment, then took out the master tape of "The Tuner" from his pocket.

Liu Yifei's eyes lit up instantly, and he excitedly grabbed Zhao Huaiyuan's arm:

"I knew it! I knew they would definitely show our film at the opening ceremony today!"

Huaiyuan, do you know? I'm actually very tired today, but I'm not resting. I just want to see our work on the big screen!

"Why...why are you so sure you'll release it?" Zhao Huaiyuan asked tentatively.

He was hesitating whether or not to tell the other party that the film had been rejected.

Liu Yifei tilted his head, looked at him, and said matter-of-factly:

"Because I believe in you."

Zhao Huaiyuan fell silent.

"You said you'd help me win an award, you wouldn't lie to me, and your film was so good, and I acted so well, the school will definitely let it go, right?"

Liu Yifei didn't notice Zhao Huaiyuan's expression and continued talking excitedly to himself.

Zhao Huaiyuan looked at her.

Suddenly I felt a lot of pressure, but at the same time, an unprecedented sense of pride welled up inside me.

Even if the King of Heaven himself stops us, this movie has to be shown tonight!

"Yes, I will definitely release it, but now I've run into a little trouble." Zhao Huaiyuan's eyes were sharp.

"What's the trouble?" Liu Yifei asked.

"Those two security guards outside are checking too strictly, and there's a teacher standing guard at the entrance of the corridor. I can't get close to the screening room, but I have to get this tape in. Sisi, I need your help right now."

"How can we help?" Liu Yifei immediately perked up his ears.

"It's simple, lure the tiger away from the mountain."

..

In the corridor.

Two teachers were chatting while the security guard was checking the remaining rooms when he suddenly spotted a beautiful girl in a white dress.

"Liu Yifei?"

"It's her, the freshman. Sir, we've found her. Thank you for your hard work." A teacher greeted the security guard, who then went downstairs.

Liu Yifei walked up to the two of them, his palms sweaty.

"Hello, teachers. Excuse me for bothering you, but could you please tell me how to get to the VIP lounge? I think I'm lost. Dean Zhang is still waiting for me."

Upon hearing Dean Zhang's name, the two teachers dared not be negligent.

"The lounge is over there, classmate. Let me take you there."

"Thank you for your help, teacher."

The two teachers were very enthusiastic, leading the way and even trying to chat a bit more to get closer to the students.

It was during this once-in-a-lifetime gap.

A dark figure flashed out.

Zhao Huaiyuan hugged the wall and, like a gust of wind, plunged into the projection room at the end of the corridor.

The whole process was very quick, taking only seven or eight blinks.

Out of the corner of Liu Yifei's eye, she saw her give the two teachers a sweet smile: "Thank you, teachers, you are so kind!"

..

Inside the screening room.

A college sophomore who works part-time as a projectionist is wearing headphones and humming a song.

Suddenly a hand patted his shoulder.

"Who?"

The projectionist was startled, took off his headphones, and turned around.

A boy was standing behind him, holding a tape in his hand, looking at him.

"Excuse me, who are you?" The projectionist was stunned.

"I'm from the directing department. I just received a notification from the school leaders." Zhao Huaiyuan caught his breath and handed over the tape in his hand:

"President Han might want to watch this video. Vice President Hou asked me to send it over as a backup, saying it's a backup tape. Keep it safe, so it won't cause any problems."

"Oh? It was sent by Vice President Hou? I see, just put it here." The projectionist didn't ask any further questions when he heard that it was arranged by a leader.

"Alright, the stuff's delivered. I'm heading back now. Thanks for your hard work, buddy."

Zhao Huaiyuan patted the projectionist on the shoulder, turned around, opened the door, peeked into the corridor, and after confirming it was safe, quickly slipped out.

Only after he had hidden himself in the shadows of the stairwell did he lean against the wall and let out a long sigh of relief.

It became.

Sister, and Teacher Tian, ​​it's up to you now.

..

Inside the venue, on the second-floor stands.

Unlike the lobby on the first floor, the view here is worse, and the distance to the table is too far, so you can only see a rough outline.

Zhang Jian led Jiang Yan ahead, with Guo Lili obediently following behind them.

She looked east and west along the way, finding everything before her both unfamiliar and fascinating!

The group found seats in the last few rows and sat down.

Zhang Jian crossed his legs, exuding an air of superiority:

"Phew, the air up here is so much better. Don't think it's better down here. Actually, looking up at the screen from that angle is tiring and hurts your neck."

Moreover, the first floor is crowded and noisy, and the leaders are all there too. Sitting there, I didn't dare to even breathe loudly; it was incredibly stifling.

Jiang Yan immediately gave him an admiring look and leaned softly against him, but she did it just right, making him feel like he had gotten a little advantage without losing too much herself.

"Really? You really know your stuff! I also think this place is pretty good."

She glanced around the room subtly, but didn't see Zhao Huaiyuan. She felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Senior, that Zhao Huaiyuan is hilarious! He tried to sneak in with a few fake tickets. Look where they are! Where are they? I can't see them!"

After saying that, the two of them chuckled.

Guo Lili listened from the side. She had just met the two of them and they weren't very close. Hearing them joking around, she didn't dare to say anything.

Zhang Jian gets angry whenever Zhao Huaiyuan is mentioned.

He sneered, unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and said disdainfully:

"If I'm not mistaken, he's probably already been identified as having a fake ticket by the machine and has been kicked out by security."

You have no idea how strict our school is about this kind of thing. I'm not kidding, but trying to force your way in with a fake ticket is a serious disciplinary offense. He might be sitting in the security office right now, writing a self-criticism and crying his eyes out.

In Zhang Jian's understanding.

Previously, Zhao Huaiyuan had used connections and back channels to get a bad short film into the Class A exhibition hall. However, the school's higher-ups were furious and directly threw the bad film into the trash. The tickets given by the organizing committee were also taken back.

Guo Lili had been listening to the two talking, and at that moment, a strong sense of relief welled up in her heart.

Fortunately... fortunately, I made the right choice at the last moment.

In fact, in many ways, the most important thing in life is making a choice.

Fortunately, she made the right choice.

If she had persisted in her own way just now, for the sake of so-called camaraderie and sisterhood, then she would be the one making a fool of herself in public now.

"Thank you... thank you for bringing me in," Guo Lili said softly, her tone somewhat ingratiating.

The person in front of me is a prodigy from the Beijing Film Academy.

She works in a factory; if she could use this opportunity to get close to him...

A bold idea suddenly popped into Guo Lili's mind.

Zhang Jian naturally enjoyed being admired by the two girls.

Although one of them was rather plain-looking and not from this school, he was in the prime of his youth and quite attractive; if I could have a little fun with him...

A bold idea suddenly popped into his mind.

But Jiang Yan is right here, so he hasn't succeeded yet; otherwise, he would never have been so restrained.

These factory girls are the easiest to manipulate.

"Let me tell you, what's the most important thing in this industry? It's connections. Connections are the most important thing!"

See that chubby guy who just sat down in the first row? That's Yu Dong, the CEO of Bona Film Group. Thinking back to last year, I went to a dinner with my advisor and even had drinks with him.

Mr. Yu is a very generous person. He kept patting me on the shoulder and saying, "Xiao Zhang, I have high hopes for you. After you graduate, come straight to Bona. I want to give you a big job!"

actually..

He only offered a toast to his mentor at his gathering, and the mentor didn't even look at him properly from beginning to end, but that didn't stop him from bragging.

"Wow! Senior, you have such a wide network of connections!" Jiang Yan exclaimed, her eyes practically sparkling.

"That's amazing." Guo Lili licked her lips in admiration.

"This is nothing."

Zhang Jian waved his hand dismissively, his face calm and collected, as if it were nothing more than a trivial matter to him.

"Although my film was only in Category B, Professor Li and Professor Wang from the judging panel both spoke to me on my behalf."

If my camerawork has a Turkski-esque feel, I'd easily win an award for excellence.

One professor even told me privately that "Mr. Han might actually take a look at my film during his visit."

The two women didn't quite understand, but at least they knew that Zhang Jian was very capable, so their choice wasn't in vain.

As time went on, more and more people filled the venue, and it was almost 7 o'clock.

The lighting technicians began adjusting the overhead lights, and a slight electrical hum could be heard from the speakers as they tested the sound.

Inside the venue, the various conversations gradually subsided, and everyone looked towards the small door on one side of the stage.

Two tall, elegant hostesses stood at the small doorway.

The lights suddenly dimmed and music burst into play.

The group entered the venue through a side door.

Leading the way was Mr. Han Sanping, the head of China Film Group.

Beside him were several leaders from the Optoelectronics Bureau, as well as Zhang Huijun, the president of Beijing Film Academy, and others.

Zhang Huijun stepped aside to lead the way, her face glowing, occasionally whispering something as she spoke.

Behind them were some foreign guests.

"Whoosh!"

The entire audience rose to their feet and erupted in applause.