Mountain boy picks stars

1

A coal train rumbled along.

It sped along the railway from north to south.

In a corner of a coal car, Huang Xiaoxing, a student from Class 3, Grade 5 of Huanghe Experimental School, sat on a pile of coal with his back to the car.

He held a cloth bag tightly in both hands.

He would occasionally flip through the notebooks in his cloth bag, then carefully put them back in his pocket.

A happy smile appeared on her face.

These notebooks were given to him by Yuan Liuxing, Lu Jiahan, Shi Xuankai, and Cheng Hongdou in a fit of pique after he failed to get an autograph from a singer in front of the Superstar Hotel that day, so that he could find a celebrity to sign.

He now plans to take advantage of the National Day holiday to hitch a ride on a train to Guangzhou to get autographs from famous singers in order to complete this "glorious" mission.

As the child of a migrant worker from the lowest rungs of society in the city, he was already very lonely coming from a mountain village to a city school.

He also hoped that through this "lone hero" act of "venturing into the tiger's den," he could obtain the autographs of the "five superstars" and integrate into the urban children's community.

As the train swayed gently, Huang Xiaoxing, clutching a cloth bag,

Gradually drifting into a dream—

2

[In a dream]

Outside a luxurious opera house in the south,

Five handsome and stylish male singers had just left the theater after their performance.

He was immediately surrounded by a group of obsessed young fans who rushed forward like madmen, asking for autographs from the five superstars.

Some girls even threw themselves into the arms of male singers without any regard for the consequences.

"Uranus, I love you—..."

"Emperor Star, I love you—..."

"Phoenix, I love you—..."

"Venus, I love you—..."

"Golden King, I love you—..."

…………

Huang Xiaoxing was pushed to the outermost edge of the crowd.

Holding five notebooks aloft, he continued to push forward, shouting along with the other fans.

"Uranus, I love you—..."

"Emperor Star, I love you—..."

"Phoenix, I love you—..."

"Venus, I love you—..."

"Golden King, I love you—..."

…………

"I really love these five superstars! Please, could you sign my autograph?"

Huang Xiaoxing's voice was hoarse from shouting, but he still couldn't squeeze to the front.

At this moment, a dozen security guards came over and squeezed in front of the male singer to separate the fans.

They joined hands and formed a human wall.

They escorted the male singer to a black luxury car not far away.

As the male singer opened the car door and got in, he turned back and waved.

She blew a beautiful kiss to all the fans.

He blew another sharp whistle and then got into the car.

A plume of white smoke billowed from the back of the car.

It sped away like a shot.

The fans shouted and yelled as they chased after him.

But the car drove faster and faster, farther and farther away.

They gradually left the rest of the celebrity fans behind.

Huang Xiaoxing followed closely behind the group of fans.

Suddenly, he gripped the notebook tightly with both hands and raised it high.

He assumed a horse stance, mustered his strength, and shouted, "Behold my martial arts lightness skill—"

And sure enough, a miracle happened after that shout—

Huang Xiaoxing jumped suddenly and felt light as a feather, as if he could fly.

One step forward is equivalent to dozens of steps for others.

He only took five or six steps before overtaking the other boys and girls.

The young fans stared wide-eyed, exclaiming in amazement and envy, "Wow—he runs so fast!"

"Huh? He knows martial arts lightness skills?"

"Look, look, he's flying..."

Amidst the gasps of many fans, Huang Xiaoxing indeed took flight like a flying man.

It flew right up to the male singer's car, soaring alongside it.

A gust of wind ruffled Huang Xiaoxing's hair and sleeves.

He felt like he was floating on air.

3

[In a dream]

Huang Xiaoxing flew freely above the car.

Fly, fly,

Fly, fly,

Fly, fly...

…………

They chased after the car and flew to a luxury villa in the suburbs.

Just as the car came to a screeching halt in front of the villa, Huang Xiaoxing landed from the air and stood directly in front of the car.

However, he arrived too late. He could only hold the notebooks tightly in his hands, tears of happiness streaming from his eyes, and watch the five male singers gracefully get out of the car and walk into the villa.

At this moment, a long-haired man who looked like a director walked over and asked him enthusiastically:

"Little boy, what are you doing here? This is the residence of five superstars; outsiders can't just come here!"

Huang Xiaoxing pleaded, "Uncle, I traveled for days and nights by train from a very, very far place. I'm begging the five superstars for their autographs. My classmates also asked me to come and ask them for their autographs as well."

Huang Xiaoxing pleaded, her voice almost trembling with tears.

The long-haired male director gently stroked his head and said affectionately:

"Young man, you're truly remarkable! Your actions are so courageous, and your heart is so sincere. For that alone, I'll definitely help you get autographs from five superstars!"

Huang Xiaoxing excitedly handed the notebook to Shi.

Her hands were still trembling: "Uncle, thank you so much! You're the best person in the world!"

Long-haired male director: "Wait here for a bit, don't wander off. Otherwise you'll be mistaken for a thief and arrested."

Huang Xiaoxing said gratefully, "Uncle, don't worry. I will be good and wait here. I won't run around."

The long-haired director patted Huang Xiaoxing on the head. He grinned slyly, "Hehe...what a good kid!"

Then, he took the notebooks and went straight into the villa.

The security guard at the door bowed to him before opening the door for him.

A short while later, the long-haired director returned to Huang Xiaoxing with these notebooks and handed him the notebooks signed by the five superstars.

Huang Xiaoxing received the notebooks signed by the five superstars. Seeing that the five superstars had signed their names in every notebook, he was so moved that tears streamed down his face.

"Young man, do you still need an H4 signature?"

The long-haired male director asked enthusiastically again.

Huang Xiaoxing: "Ah! Uncle, you know H4?"

The long-haired director proudly declared, "The H4 are all my brothers, just like the five Heavenly Kings superstars; they're all my best buddies."

Huang Xiaoxing opened her eyes wide in surprise: "Uncle is so great!"

4

[In a dream]

Classroom of Class 5-3, Yellow River Experimental School.

The classroom was in complete chaos after class.

Just then, Huang Xiaoxing excitedly ran in from outside, carrying a stack of notebooks.

He held the notebook high and shouted:

"Quiet down, everyone, I have some amazing news to tell you."

The classroom fell silent instantly, and all the students stared wide-eyed at Huang Xiaoxing.

"Huang Xiaoxing, what amazing news is it? Tell us quickly!"

"Huang Xiaoxing, are you lying to us again?"

"Hey, what good news does the 'Brick Prince' have to offer? Trying to mess with us? No way!"

After Huang Xiaoxing had whetted everyone's appetite,

Finally, the announcement came: "The five Heavenly Kings and H4 all signed my autograph—"

"Oh! Really?" The students crowded around.

Huang Xiaoxing proudly began handing out notebooks: "Yuan Liuxing, this is yours; Lu Jiahan, this is yours; Mao Zhiling, this is yours; Shi Xuankai, this is yours; Cheng Hongdou, this is yours."

Several classmates hurriedly opened the app to view it, and then excitedly exclaimed, "Wow, it really is autographed by the five superstars of the H4!"

"Huang Xiaoxing, you're amazing!"

"Huang Xiaoxing is truly our class's hero!"

"The 'Brick Prince' has become a real prince!"

…………

…………

The whole class gathered around.

While praising him, they lifted Huang Xiaoxing up and tossed him high into the air.

[Dream ends]

6

【Waking up from the dream】

Inside a coal train carriage.

Huang Xiaoxing, immersed in a sweet dream, had her eyes closed.

An undisguised smile of happiness still lingered on her lips.

The train continued its swaying journey.

Huang Xiaoxing, who had already drifted off to sleep, couldn't help but turn over.

The cloth bag he was clutching tightly fell onto the coal pile.

At that moment, a man with long hair, wearing a suit and sunglasses, came from the other end of the coal car.

This man was the same swindler who cheated Shi Xuankai and Cheng Hongdou out of money at Shaolin Temple.

At this moment, he was wearing a wig, and his appearance and attire...

The kind-hearted, long-haired director who signed autographs for Huang Xiaoxing in his dream also looked exactly like him.

The swindler quietly approached Huang Xiaoxing.

I found Huang Xiaoxing sleeping soundly.

After watching for a while, he bent down and began rummaging through Huang Xiaoxing's pockets.

The swindler emptied Huang Xiaoxing's pockets of all the money he had and put it into his own pocket.

He cursed to himself, "Damn it, this little bit of money isn't even enough for me to have a big meal."

He then picked up the cloth bag from the coal pile and started rummaging through it.

He pulled several notebooks out of Huang Xiaoxing's cloth bag.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he took out another identical notebook from his suit pocket, placed it next to the first one, examined it carefully, and muttered to himself:

"What, it's Yellow River Experimental School again? Huang Xiaoxing—"

The scene of Shaolin Temple deceiving Shi Xuankai and Cheng Hongdou immediately flashed through his mind—

Cheng Hongdou: "Shi Xuankai, hurry up and take your notebook to get the abbot of Shaolin Temple to sign it!"

Shih Hsuan-kai: "Huang Hsiao-hsing took all my notebooks to get autographs from H4 and the five superstars."

The swindler, holding his notebook, chuckled slyly, and everything became clear.

He muttered to himself, "Another fool who's come to my doorstep."

After saying that, he put the notebooks into Huang Xiaoxing's cloth bag.

He then sat down in front of Huang Xiaoxing and leisurely started smoking.

7

The open field was bathed in bright sunlight.

The train, laden with coal, rumbled along the railway from north to south.

The open fields, mountains, and paddy fields on both sides of the train sped past and disappeared.

A long tunnel appeared ahead.

The train whistle blared for a long time as it sped along the tracks into the tunnel.

8

Inside a coal-carrying train.

"Beep—"

The long whistle of the train woke Huang Xiaoxing from his dream.

He sat up, first gripping the cloth bag containing the notebook with a wary look, as if he saw another person sitting in front of him.

He rubbed his eyes and looked carefully again.

He finally saw things more clearly. The person sitting in front of him looked so much like the long-haired director he had met in his dream; they were practically the same person.

I couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, who are you?"

The long-haired conman offered a cigarette in a friendly manner: "Here, young man, have a smoke. Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you."

Huang Xiaoxing pushed the cigarette away and rubbed his eyes again:

"Uncle, thank you. I don't smoke. I just had a dream. I dreamt of a kind director who looked exactly like you. He helped me find the five Heavenly Kings and H4, and they all signed autographs for me."

The conman immediately chimed in, "Yes! That's me! Heaven first appeared in your dream, and then sent someone to help you!"

"Uncle, is that really you?"

Huang Xiaoxing stood up excitedly and gripped the swindler's hands tightly.

"Your name is Huang Xiaoxing, and you're a student in Class 3, Grade 5 of the Yellow River Experimental School, right?"

The swindler boasted about his supposed cleverness.

"Ah! Uncle, how do you know my name?"

Huang Xiaoxing was even more surprised.

The conman said, "Hmm, I was sent by heaven to help you, right? I know everything about astronomy and geography, how could I not know your name? I even know what you're going there to do!"

Huang Xiaoxing was a little skeptical: "Really?"

The conman took a drag of his cigarette and leisurely exhaled smoke rings.

He blew another breath, wiping away the dark circles under his eyes, and said mysteriously, "Hey, don't be naughty!"

You climbed the train because you wanted to get an autograph from your idol singer!

Huang Xiaoxing was extremely surprised: "Huh? Uncle, how did you know?"

The scammer feigned indignation and said, "Hey! I've been in this business for years, how come I didn't know?"

Some of today's singers are so arrogant! So many teenagers are obsessed with them, practically going crazy for them. But they just have to act all high and mighty. It's so pretentious!

Huang Xiaoxing sighed, "Sigh! The five superstars came to perform, but I was too late when I got back to class. As a result, none of my classmates got autographs. They handed me their notebooks, insisting that I find the autographs of the five superstars!"

Scammer: "Oh! I thought it was something serious, isn't this too simple?"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Simple?"

Scammer: "You don't believe me? These five superstars are all my best buddies! We were drinking together this morning!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Huh? Really? You know five superstars?"

The long-haired man deliberately tossed his long hair: "Don't believe me? Do you know what I do for a living?"

Huang Xiaoxing: "You are...you are...an undercover police officer?"

Scammer: "Kid, you're hilarious! Can plainclothes police officers have long hair? Guess somewhere in the entertainment industry!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Then—you're the photographer, right...?"

Scammer: "Almost right, guess again!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Then—you must be the director!"

Scammer: "You're smart. I orchestrated the performance by five superstars in your city!"

Huang Xiaoxing exclaimed excitedly, "Wow! Uncle, you're amazing as a director! What's your surname, Uncle?"

Scammer: "My surname is Dao, so please call me Uncle Dao!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Uncle Director, could you help me find five superstars to sign for me?"

Scammer: "Hey, things in the entertainment industry are a piece of cake for us! But it's not that easy. Here, give me all the notebooks."

Huang Xiaoxing handed over the notebook: "Uncle Director, the one on top is mine."

The conman took the notebook, flipped through it to the name, and said, "See? You're Huang Xiaoxing. You can't fool me now!"

Huang Xiaoxing's psychological defenses completely crumbled; he felt both admiration and a little shy.

Huang Xiaoxing: "Sigh, that's right! Uncle Director, the 'Xing' in my name is the star in the sky. But the 'Tong' in Huang Yitong, the little phoenix in 'Palace Intrigue,' is the 'Tong' in 'red and bright red.' The little phoenix is ​​my idol. I've always wanted to change the 'Xing' in my name to the 'Tong' in Huang Yitong. But my dad is firmly against it."

The scammer deliberately tried to get information out of Huang Xiaoxing: "Your father?"

Huang Xiaoxing innocently replied, "Yes! My dad carries bricks on construction sites during the day and stays up late writing articles in our rented apartment at night."

Scammer: "Is your father a writer?"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Not yet, my dad has written a lot of novels!"

Scammer: "What about your mother?"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Hey, don't even mention it. My mom went out to work and hasn't come back. People say she was abducted by human traffickers. I don't know if it's true!"

The conman, feigning sympathy, continued his charade: "Well, Huang Xiaoxing, your family is really unfortunate. Here's what we'll do: the president of the most prestigious publishing house in the capital is my best friend. Let me help your dad publish a book!"

Huang Xiaoxing asked with some doubt, "Really?"

The conman said, "How could it be fake? Once your father's collection of novels is published, he'll become a great writer. When he becomes a great writer, he'll be rich, and then your mother will definitely come back."

Huang Xiaoxing was finally moved and grasped the swindler's hand tightly:

"Uncle Guide, this is wonderful! Our whole family can't thank you enough!"

9

The outskirts of Changsha.

The train, fully loaded with coal, headed south towards the outskirts of Changsha.

The railway line is flanked by typical southern water towns with a beautiful environment.

10

Inside the coal-fired train carriage.

The conman asked Huang Xiaoxing, "Huang Xiaoxing, do you know where this is?"

Huang Xiaoxing shook his head.

Scammer: "This is Changsha. I was here a while ago and did something that shocked the whole country!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Uncle Director, what's wrong?"

The scammer said, "I gave Little Phoenix a good beating!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Ah! Little Phoenix is ​​my idol!"

......

The swindler continued his deception: "Yes! Think about it, during the fourteen years of the War of Resistance Against Japan, how many Chinese people did the Japanese devils kill? How much blood debt do they owe the Chinese people? My grandfather was stabbed to death by a Japanese devil's bayonet, and my grandmother was raped by a Japanese devil... But Little Phoenix wears a Japanese kimono, thinking she's beautiful, taking pictures and showing off. It's so hurtful to the feelings of the Chinese people! Isn't that infuriating?"

The scammer became more and more agitated as he spoke, and finally pretended to squeeze out two tears and cried twice.

Huang Xiaoxing was also infected: "Sigh, my idol is just too outrageous."

The conman said, "When she came out after her performance, I splashed a bottle of ink on her kimono."

As the conman spoke, he made a splashing ink gesture: "That's how it is."

This comical action made Huang Xiaoxing giggle.

The conman continued smugly, "Later, the police arrested me!"

Huang Xiaoxing: "Huh?"

The swindler said, "But the whole nation is supporting me! They say I'm ridding the nation of a scourge and punishing a scoundrel."

Huang Xiaoxing: "Exactly!"

The scammer continued his fabricated story: "The five superstars and H4, along with my buddies in the industry, all went out of their way to advocate for me. Countless people online also spoke out for me. They strongly demanded that the police release me, and in the end, the police had no choice but to release me."

Huang Xiaoxing: "Uncle Director is a good person!"

The conman smugly blew smoke rings: "Hey, in the end, lots of reporters interviewed me, and the newspapers called me a great hero..."

Huang Xiaoxing listened with great interest and couldn't help but give a thumbs up:

"Uncle Director, you're amazing!"