Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Yang Che felt that this woman had a plan and premeditation, because she took the initiative in the second round, and was very proactive. It was obvious that she had been pretending to be weak to take advantage of others.

The dog that bites really doesn't bark.

This made Yang Che feel like he had been taken advantage of, which was very humiliating...

In the end, it was quite enjoyable, and the "energy" it brought to Yang Che was only moderate.

Tao Hong did not take a shower afterwards; she rested for a while before getting dressed and leaving.

Neither of them said anything; it was even more straightforward than treating it as a dream, purely to satisfy their needs…

Hearing the soft clatter of the door closing, Yang Che thought he was a conservative and traditional person.

Yang Che naturally heard Han Wenwen's knocking, but he didn't care much. Before going to sleep, he thought of the girl and felt somewhat fortunate because at that moment he didn't think Han Wenwen was pretty at all.

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

Just as he put breakfast on the table, the phone rang. Seeing that it was Barbara from Colombia, Yang Che gave Benshan an apologetic smile and then answered it.

Good morning, Barbara.

Good morning, Yang Che. I still prefer you to call me Lao Ba.

"Haha, Old Ba, you seem very happy. Is there some good news to tell me?"

"Okay, you're still as wise as ever. Congratulations on winning the Golden Leopard in Locarno, Switzerland for Car 44."

Yang Che was taken aback: "You're not joking?"

Yang Che, whose main profession is already in the film and television industry, naturally has a good understanding of films of all sizes, both domestic and international. Although Locarno is an A-list international film festival, its nature is roughly similar to Sundance in the United States, both targeting independent filmmakers, especially art films.

It's a film festival that's well-known within the industry but little known outside of it.

Yang Che wasn't lacking confidence in the film; it possessed universal value. Even with so many flawed shots in another timeline, it still garnered numerous awards. The surprise stemmed from the timing: the film opened on August 2nd and closed on August 14th, long after the application period had ended. The fact that it still won awards clearly indicated that Columbia Pictures was still actively promoting it!

Barbara was pleased with Yang Che's reaction: "I don't think I have any reason to make you happy so early in the morning."

"Okay, thank you."

"I also want to thank you; 'Car 44' is now profitable."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Haha, your work has indeed won the favor of a group of judges, including Zhang Yuan, a judge from China."

Yang Che was quite surprised, since his reputation among the sixth generation was already bad.

However, he wasn't interested and simply asked, "How much is the prize money?"

"Ten thousand Swiss francs."

"Well, that's quite generous."

"By the way, the trophy will take another week to arrive in the capital."

"Okay, thank you."

The two chatted for a bit more before hanging up. Yang Che was a little unhappy and didn't mention the collaboration on "Looking for a Gun".

"Uncle Benshan, please excuse my rudeness yesterday."

As Yang Che laughed, Uncle Benshan grinned and said, "What are you talking about? You're complaining that I'm making you drink."

Yang Che chuckled.

Benshan immediately asked when Yang Che would leave. In fact, he had already asked him yesterday, but asking again was just an excuse to bring up the important matter.

"I'm filming here, so even if I wanted you to go back to your village and stay for a few days, it wouldn't work."

"Next time, next time I have time, I'll bring Wang Fei to stay here permanently."

"That's great! Our village has mountains and water, so it's cool here."

Yang Che smiled and said, "Thinking back to what we were talking about yesterday, why don't you build a resort in the village, and then use that resort as the core to create a new-era rural ensemble drama, featuring you, Teacher Fan Wei, Teacher Gao Xiumin, and all your outstanding students..."

As Yang Che spoke ramblingly yet clearly, Benshan's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"You, you, oh dear..."

Benshan's focus has always been on movies. Last year, he even won the Best Actor award at the Hundred Flowers Awards for his self-invested and self-starring film, "The Male Women's Director".

Benshan has made many similar satirical comedies, the kind that wouldn't pass censorship in a few years. They are basically extensions of the inspiration from his Spring Festival Gala sketches, and the quality is not bad.

But every film they made lost money; they won many awards, but also spent a lot of money.

He had secretly filmed TV dramas before, but the impact was limited to Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, and he didn't make much money. Now that TV dramas are popular, and after learning from Zhang Yimou that Yang Che had invested in many TV dramas, he became determined to completely transform his career.

As a result, the two began to talk more and more deeply. The story of an old farmer from Northeast China who returned to his village to start a business after living in a big city for two years, and who went through conflicts with his son, emotional misunderstandings, management crises, opposition from villagers, suppression from township officials, and so on, finally had a framework.

In the midst of his conversation, Yang Che even asked a restaurant waiter to bring him paper and pen to write and draw. Unexpectedly, it was Tao Hong who brought the paper and pen, still smiling with her eyes crinkled, her expression towards Yang Che unchanged, even more natural than Yang Che's.

Benshan also praised Tao Hong with a smile, saying she looked very well.

Tao Hong said she slept well.

Yang Che: "..."

Tao Hong tactfully put down her pen and paper and went to another table without disturbing the two people discussing their conversation. Just like the people in the restaurant, it's obvious they're having a serious conversation; going over there to say hello isn't a greeting, it's an intrusion, it's showing off.

Of course, the two only chatted for the time it takes to have breakfast. Benshan said he would meet with He Qingkui later and talk to Yang Che after the script was finished.

As for what they talked about and how they talked about it, nothing was said.

There's no need for so much talk between open and honest people.

After the meal, when Yang Che went to say goodbye to Zhang Yimou, he received a call from Jiang Wen, asking if he had returned to Beijing.

Yang Che chuckled and said, "No, I'll be back this afternoon."

"Then...how about we meet tonight?"

"I'm not free tonight, but are you free tomorrow afternoon, Director Jiang? I've drawn some storyboards recently, and I'd like to get your feedback."

Jiang Wen felt quite uncomfortable, unable to use his strength, and felt a bit "rebellious" inside, but upon hearing the storyboard, he could only say, "Okay."

I'll send you the address.

"..."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Che saw the gloating in Lao Zhangzi's eyes. Although he quickly recovered his composure, Yang Che still saw it clearly.

They say a man is a boy until he dies; this old rascal is no good.

Yang Che then left, along with Tao Hong, since their cameo scenes were finished. As for Ximen Qing, he was going to stay in Dalian for a few days...

In the car on the way to the airport, the two initially made eye contact, but the naturalness of the morning was gone, replaced by a bit of awkwardness.

Neither of them really wanted to ride in the same car. But the film crew had booked their tickets, and although one was flying to Beijing and the other to Shanghai, the departure times were 20 minutes apart, so there was really no need for them to make two trips.

This awkward situation could easily escalate, and Yang Che couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. How could he have been so easily tempted...?