Huayu: From "Good Fortune Across the Sky" to becoming a top star

It should have been the time to leave work long ago, but there were hardly any people leaving Xinlong Travel Investment Company on time.

The entire building was brightly lit, and you could feel the bustling activity inside even across the street.

It's not that everyone has work to catch up on; it's more that everyone is just too excited.

Only a minority worked overtime; most of those who stayed were reluctant to leave, just wanting to get together and chat for a bit, fantasizing about whether Xinlong would truly be transformed and seen by more people after the promotional video was released.

Mr. Zhang specially set aside an office for Jiang Xun so that he could focus on his creative work.

Inside the room, Jiang Xun sat in front of the computer, his fingers slowly tapping on the keyboard.

His handwriting wasn't exactly beautiful, but the paragraphs he typed into the document were neatly arranged and very aesthetically pleasing.

On the sofa to the side sat a middle-aged man wearing glasses with a few strands of white hair at his temples. He was none other than Lao Wu, the best story writer in the travel investment company.

He held a cigarette between his fingers, slowly exhaling smoke, quietly keeping me company.

Originally, General Manager Zhang was worried that Jiang Xun couldn't handle it alone, so he specially sent Lao Wu to lend a hand. However, Jiang Xun only said that he should write a version first, and if it worked, he could use it; if not, they could discuss it together.

Old Wu noticed that he stared at the screen in silence for a moment, then asked softly, "Xiao Jiang, do you need any help?"

Jiang Xun looked up and smiled: "No need, Uncle Wu. It's just a short film, and I'm almost finished writing it."

Old Wu nodded, didn't ask any more questions, put out his cigarette, got up, and added hot water to his cup.

After a while, Jiang Xun stretched his sore neck.

"Uncle Wu, I've finished writing it. Come and take a look."

Old Wu immediately stood up, walked behind him, gently placed a hand on Jiang Xun's shoulder, pushed up his glasses, and looked at the screen.

He was stunned at first glance.

"Dual-perspective parallel narrative?"

Old Wu was truly shocked.

This line of thinking, this structure, how could a junior high school student without professional training come up with this?

"Yes, it's a dual-perspective parallel narrative with no dialogue, relying solely on visuals and narration. This will make the audience feel more immersed," Jiang Xun said calmly.

"Great, this is absolutely perfect." The more Lao Wu read, the more amazed he became. "It's very well written, flawless. By the way, who are you planning to cast for the female tourist role? How about Xiao Cui from the operations department?"

Jiang Xun coughed lightly, lowering his voice: "Not pretty enough. Let's find someone with a sweet face who's photogenic. When the two lines converge, let her appear in Tibetan clothing. That will give netizens another reason to check in."

Old Wu clicked his tongue in amazement: "How did you even get this brain? It's so sharp! It's a real shame you're not in the tourism industry."

Jiang Xun smiled and said, "Then it's settled?"

"It's settled!" Old Wu turned and walked out. "I went to call General Manager Zhang, but he's still here. If there are no problems, just make the decision!"

A short while later, Mr. Zhang followed Mr. Wu in with a smile.

"Xiao Jiang, you're really efficient! I thought I'd have to wait until tomorrow. Old Wu said you handled it all by yourself?" General Manager Zhang was full of energy and anticipation.

"Uncle Wu also helped a lot."

Old Wu waved his hand, smiled, and pulled General Manager Zhang over to look at the computer together.

After reviewing the entire proposal, General Manager Zhang immediately approved it: "I think it's fine, let's go with this one! Which internet celebrity or actor do you have your eye on? I'll make the arrangements." He paused, then added candidly with a smile, "However, our county's tourism investment budget is limited, so forget about big names."

"Understood. I'll think about it tonight and give you an answer tomorrow."

"Great job!" Manager Zhang gave a thumbs up, finding Jiang Xun increasingly reliable, yet also feeling a pang of regret. "If you don't leave, nobody will want to go. Alright, time to go home!"

The three of them walked out of the office together, and everyone in the office area turned to look at them.

"Everyone has worked hard, let's go home." With a shout from General Manager Zhang, everyone smiled, packed their things, and went downstairs in twos and threes.

"I'll take you to the hotel," Mr. Zhang said, putting his arm around Jiang Xun's shoulder.

The travel agency arranged for Jiang Xun to stay at the Danxia Hotel, which was also the best place to stay in the county.

It wasn't luxurious, but it was clean and tidy. The ordinary single room on the third floor was equipped with an electric blanket, 24-hour hot water, and Wi-Fi, which was more than enough for Jiang Xun.

.........

Shanghai Theatre Academy dormitory in Shanghai.

Tian Xiwei lay on the bed, crossing her legs and scrolling through her phone.

Xiao Lu from the next shop leaned over and whispered, "Hey, have you seen Jiang Xun on Douyin? He's so popular lately."

Tian Xi rolled her eyes: "Didn't see it... yeah right. My Douyin feed is full of him, it's so annoying."

"He's quite handsome, why do you have such a big problem with him?"

Tian Xi sat up slightly, shoved her phone in front of Xiao Lu, and swiped it casually. At least three out of ten videos were of Jiang Xun.

"Even if my mom becomes this famous, I won't allow Douyin to push content to me like this!"

"So what do you think of him?"

Tian Xiwei instantly switched into her dramatic persona, gritting her teeth and snorting, "What can you think? Envy, jealousy, hatred! So what if he has a handsome face? I'm not bad either, okay?"

After saying that, she threw her phone down, looked up at the ceiling, and wailed:

"I want to be famous too! Please, Your Honor, save me! Can't you give me a proper leading role in a drama? I'm graduating soon!"

Xiao Lu chuckled and patted her head: "Go to sleep, go to sleep, you can have anything in your dreams."

……

The next morning, Jiang Xun woke up early.

The hotel bed was much softer than the one at home. The only downside was that there was no air conditioning or heating, and we had to rely on electric blankets for warmth.

It made him feel thirsty all night.

He unscrewed a bottle of mineral water that was on the table and took a big gulp.

The icy coldness instantly brought him back to his senses.

He took a shower, quickly put his clothes back on, and then went to the window to look outside.

The city below doesn't have many tall buildings, and the shops on the streets are all closed.

Occasionally, one or two herders would walk by with their cattle and sheep.

This made the small town appear even more desolate.

He took out his phone and glanced at it again; he had considered several candidates last night.

However, it seems they all have jobs now; they're either already on set or about to join one.

Compared to big-budget movies or TV series, they certainly wouldn't want to come to this godforsaken place to film a short film that looks like a promotional video.

When it was 7:30, Jiang Xun left the hotel and headed to the company.

Many people from the company have already arrived. Several large trucks are parked in the yard, and workers wearing safety helmets are going back and forth loading these things onto the trucks.

"What's going on here?" Jiang Xun asked someone casually.

"Let's renovate the whole city. This morning's data shows that the search volume for Xinlong has increased significantly compared to usual. Mr. Zhang expects that after the short film is released, Xinlong will usher in a tourism boom. Let's prepare in advance to leave a good impression on tourists, so that they won't be disappointed and give us a bad review after they come back."

Jiang Xun nodded, his impression of Xinlong Tourism Investment improved.

Putting everything else aside, at least he has the guts.