Huayu: Returned Overseas Chinese

At Beijing Capital International Airport, the Gulfstream V slowly pulled into its designated spot, and Chen Jingming led Lin Zhou and his family down the connecting stairs.

After exiting the airport, Chen Jingming arrived at the pick-up point and, looking at Lin Zhou and his family, said, "Mr. Lin, shall we part ways here, or shall we have a meal together?"

Lin Zhou rolled his eyes upon hearing this, and looking at Chen Jingming's teasing expression, he said irritably, "You're so carefree. Look at all the luggage our family has. Do you think we'd eat with you? You wish! Let's part ways here and contact each other by phone later."

"Okay." Chen Jingming replied with a grin, then looked at Lin Zhou's wife Li Wei and son Lin Dong and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, Dongdong, see you again in a few days."

Li Wei and Lin Dong waved goodbye to Chen Jingming. Seeing this, Chen Jingming opened the car door and got in, then patted the driver's seat and said, "Old Xu, let's go."

As the car sped along, Chen Jingming looked at the capital city in 2000 and was filled with emotion. No one could have known what kind of earth-shattering changes this country and this land would undergo in just twenty years, directly becoming the world's second-largest economy.

"Old Xu, how are you? Are you getting used to being back in China?" Chen Jingming turned his gaze from the window to Xu Hu in the driver's seat and asked.

"Mr. Chen, it's alright. There are no problems with the food and drinks, but I still need to gradually adapt to the lifestyle habits," Xu Hu replied earnestly while driving.

Hearing Xu Hu's words, Chen Jingming raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What aspects of life are you having trouble adjusting to?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Hu thought for a moment and then explained, "The air here is dry, and there are occasional sandstorms that can make your throat uncomfortable. The environment is also quite noisy, and everyone likes to chat, whether they know each other or not, acting like they're already old friends. Moreover, the driving here is uncivilized; I've encountered people cutting in and jaywalking several times. If I hadn't reacted quickly, there would have been an accident long ago."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming chuckled. Xu Hu glanced in the rearview mirror and, seeing Chen Jingming laughing, asked curiously, "Mr. Chen, what's so funny?"

"It's nothing." Chen Jingming waved his hand without explaining. What Xu Hu said, even twenty years later, would still be the same. Apart from some changes in driving regulations, nothing else had changed much; it was still the familiar thing he remembered.

The car slowly pulled up in front of the BJ New Century Hotel, and Chen Jingming got out. This was the closest hotel to the Beijing Film Academy, and Chen Jingming had specifically chosen it, intending to stay there until the start of the semester before moving to his dormitory.

As for Lin Zhou's family, Chen Jingming had already made arrangements. His company had been registered a week ago, and he had even bought several large apartments in the company's name for his own residence, as well as to allocate to future senior executives.

With his luggage in hand, Chen Jingming completed the check-in process under the guidance of the staff, took the elevator, and arrived at his room.

When Chen Jingming woke up, it was already six o'clock in the evening. The sun was setting outside. He lifted the thin blanket and felt a bit stuffy.

After getting up and washing up, Chen Jingming put on a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, dragged a pair of slippers, and walked out of the New Century Hotel on his own.

Looking around at the bustling crowd across the street, Chen Jingming, unfamiliar with Kyoto, crossed the pedestrian crossing and slowly walked forward with the flow of people.

The authentic Beijing dialect accented his voice, which sounded quite amusing. Occasionally, Chen Jingming would walk into a roadside snack shop and buy a serving, imitating the locals by squatting or standing on the street to eat.

The fermented mung bean juice was no good; it tasted sour, exactly like the description in the short video he remembered. But the donkey roll was chewy and sweet, which suited Chen Jingming's taste perfectly, and he ate quite a bit of it.

Following the flow of people, he walked to a square with a river beside it. Chen Jingming didn't recognize the place, so he could only keep walking along the riverbank.

He walked to a large entrance with a sign, and then looked up – it was the Beijing Zoo. Unfortunately, it was already closed, but the Ferris wheel inside was still lit up, and it looked quite nice from a distance.

Further on, there was another park, and this one was much more crowded. Everywhere you looked, you could see groups of friends chatting, and in the square not far away, people were dancing. Chen Jingming stood and watched for a while, but thought it wasn't as good as the square dancing of later generations.

As Chen Jingming walked slowly through the bamboo forest, he could occasionally hear the sounds of opera. If he heard something pleasant, he would stop and listen for a while; if he couldn't understand it, he would continue walking.

He passed the Beijing Exhibition Center Theater and Ganjiakou, arriving at Zengguang Road. The area was bustling with activity, filled with snack shops, food stalls, and barbecue stands. Unfortunately, he'd eaten too much donkey roll earlier and wasn't hungry yet.

They walked and stopped frequently until they reached the vicinity of Yuyuantan Park, where an open-air movie was being shown. Chen Jingming stood not far away and watched for a while; although it was in black and white, it was quite interesting.

Looking down at the time, it was already past ten o'clock. Chen Jingming turned to look at the road he had come from and realized he didn't know how to get back, so he hailed a taxi and headed towards the New Century Hotel.

The next day, Chen Jingming got into Xu Hu's car and headed straight to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office on Fuchengmenwai Street in Xicheng District.

After registering at the gate, Chen Jingming, carrying his briefcase, walked directly into the office building and found the floor of the foreign affairs department according to the signage.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he approached the receptionist and asked, "Hello, I'm an overseas Chinese. I'm here to handle some paperwork. Who should I speak to?"

As Chen Jingming inquired, he handed over his passport. The receptionist took the passport, examined it carefully, and then replied, "Please come this way and wait in the small conference room for a moment while I inform the relevant leader."

Chen Jingming nodded upon hearing this, and then followed the receptionist to the small conference room. The receptionist poured him a cup of hot tea and then withdrew.

About ten minutes later, the conference room door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man carrying documents walked in. He looked at Chen Jingming with a smile and said, "Hello, I am Liu Tianxi, who is in charge of the Europe and America Department."

"Hello, Director Liu, I am Chen Jingming, an overseas Chinese who returned from the United States." Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming took the lead in extending his hand and shaking hands with the other party.

Liu Tianxi released his hand, gesturing for Chen Jingming to sit down. Once they were seated facing each other, Liu Tianxi asked, "Mr. Chen, is there anything we can help you with?"

"Director Liu, my company has already been registered in China and mainly operates in the film and television culture industry. I believe the letter from the embassy has been delivered to your company. The main reason for my visit is to request policy guidance and relevant coordination documents from your company," Chen Jingming stated directly.

Upon hearing this, Liu Tianxi nodded, then opened the document in his hand and looked it over before saying, "We did receive the document from the embassy, ​​and we have also prepared the coordination documents. We'll bring them to you in a bit."

At this point, Liu Tianxi paused for a moment, then continued, "Is there anything else you don't understand regarding investment?"

"Thank you for your concern, Director Liu. The Commercial Section of the Embassy has already explained it to me, and I understand," Chen Jingming replied with a smile.

Liu Tianxi nodded upon hearing this, then stood up and gestured for Chen Jingming to follow. The two walked to an office, where Liu Tianxi handed the coordination documents to Chen Jingming. Chen Jingming took the documents, glanced at them, and then took his leave.

Chen Jingming attached great importance to this document—it was the key to his company gaining access to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the Film Bureau, or China Film Group Corporation. Otherwise, if he went to them seeking cooperation, who would recognize him?