Huayu: Enjoy Yourself

Chapter 1 ended before it even began.

Beijing in 1995. 🌷🐙 ♪♟

Walking down the street, Chen An looked at the city around him, still not used to it even after more than a year.

It's been three years since I was born in my previous life, and the capital city already has many high-rise buildings, no less impressive than my small county town decades from now.

"No wonder I was jokingly called a Celestial Dragon online in my past life, I was really ahead of the curve." Chen An, who had just shaved his head at a street stall, sighed as he walked.

It's been over a year since I came to Chen An's world, and I still feel a little out of place. In my previous life, I just closed my eyes and suddenly found myself in this world.

Then he received an admission letter from the Cinematography Department of Beijing Film Academy. Through his memories and the movie posters in the earthen house, Chen An knew that the original owner was a movie enthusiast.

The room was decorated with movie posters, both foreign and domestic. The poster above the bed was Ge You's masterpiece, "To Live," which won him the Best Actor award at Cannes.

Therefore, the original owner was determined to get into the cinematography department of Beijing Film Academy, and his biggest wish was to be Zhang Yimou's cinematographer and to find Ge You to make a movie.

After all, a cinematographer who doesn't aspire to be a director isn't a good graduate of the Beijing Film Academy!

Chen An admired this. Someone born in a rural area of ​​a small county in southern Hunan, and a recent graduate, was able to pass the exam. He must have worked very hard and was also very lucky.

It was just a minor cold, and when I opened my eyes I was back to myself. What bad luck, and what a ridiculous situation.

For Chen An, who attended a second-tier university in his previous life, the photography department of Beijing Film Academy was a promising career path. He packed his luggage in a sack and came alone to Beijing, a city he had only visited once as a tourist in his previous life.

"I didn't go back to my hometown last year, and I should go back this year, but these days long-distance buses and trains are not easy to travel. Last time I came to Beijing, I almost lost my life." Chen An thought of the letter his hometown had sent him.

Safety isn't great these days, and transportation development hasn't kept up. To get back to my hometown, I have to take a train and then a bus, and then walk a long way after that.

My family was poor and didn't have a landline. There was only one in the village store, which could only call the school, and I wasn't sure if I could answer it. So I just mailed the letters.

Last year during the Spring Festival, Chen An had no money and stubbornly stayed at school. The teacher saw that his conditions were poor and allowed him to stay, so he could check on the dormitories.

So Chen An spent the New Year alone in the dormitory.

Outside, it was bustling with activity, and fireworks lit up the sky at night, but Chen An was definitely feeling terrible inside.

Fortunately, I borrowed a radio from my roommate beforehand and listened to the Spring Festival Gala broadcast.

These days, the Spring Festival Gala isn't like it used to be. Nobody watches it anymore, and everyone who listens to the broadcast is totally captivated by Chen Anle. While listening, I drink the rice wine I bought at a high price in the market, which helps to slightly alleviate the loneliness in my heart.

So, taking advantage of the rudimentary knowledge he had acquired in the first semester, Chen An audited classes in the directing department while inquiring around film crews, hoping to find a job as a handyman or help carry the camera.

Occasionally, you can find opportunities to learn practical skills on film sets.

He doesn't ask for much, just a dozen or so yuan, and occasionally he can get a few dozen. Some film crews collect bottles and scraps and he can save some money, but anything of value never ends up in his hands.

Although life was tough, Chen An wasn't a complete naive young man, and he felt he still had a chance to turn things around.

In my past life, I wasn't rich, but I had enough to eat and drink. I liked to watch movies in my spare time, and I watched all kinds of movies. I watched quite a lot of them.

I have a better understanding of the situation now.

Actually, Chen An sometimes felt quite helpless. More than a year had passed, and he still hadn't come up with any way to make money.

I don't understand stocks. I only know a few big-name companies. I haven't even seen Tencent or NetEase yet, and I don't have the money to buy them. I can't sing songs either, and I can't remember many. I can hum a few lines, but I can't do much else.

I haven't read many books, and I don't really like watching TV series, but I can watch a few movies when I have free time.

Touching his newly cut buzz cut, which looked a bit rough, Chen An looked at the hurried crowd in front of him and said, "Chang'an is big, but living here is difficult. The capital is the same. One day I'll be able to film all the movies I've seen!"

Turning around, I looked at the glass of the store next door. The glass was sparkling clean, reflecting my slightly blurry image: a neat buzz cut, a clean short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of fairly new jeans.

He has a rather dashing and handsome appearance, and looks quite energetic!

"It's the first day of work today. I think Boss Lin will be coming. Dressing smartly should make a better impression."

Looking at his youthful appearance in the mirror, Chen An was quite satisfied.

This job was introduced to Chen An by a senior classmate, a Shanghai businessman surnamed Lin who runs a clothing business.

The business is growing quite large, so we're planning to create a brand and promote it through movies.

My senior's surname is Liu. He is a graduate of the directing department and has a girlfriend who is a year ahead of him in the acting department. It was this senior who helped me get into university.

Carrying a sack to school did attract some attention. Later, when Chen An spent a lot of money to treat his senior to a meal at a restaurant near the school gate, he and his senior came together, and that's how they met.

Later, whenever his senior brother sent him something, Chen An would help him pick it up, and they usually got along well.

However, Chen An had no impression of either of them, probably because they hadn't made it big in their past lives.

Chen An originally planned to continue looking for film crews to see if he could get a chance to work there, but this senior brother suddenly came looking for him.

He said he had secured an investment. A Shanghai businessman surnamed Lin wanted to promote his clothing store and planned to make a movie. He asked him to help him as a cinematographer for 2,000 yuan.

Although no script or anything was given to him, and Chen An didn't even know his name, he agreed without a second thought.

This is such a great opportunity, and I even have two thousand dollars. I can make any bad movie myself, even those with ratings, as long as I don't put my name on it.

The other party was also very straightforward. The two of them signed the contract and gave me the money directly. I then took the contract to report to my teacher and ask for leave.

I quickly tidied up my clothes, got a haircut on the street, and then rushed to the film set.

When we were signing the contract, that senior brother Liu said that the production team was almost ready, all the actors had been found, and most of the other staff had been found. He also said that Boss Lin would be coming over.

The capital city is very large, and Chen An was reluctant to take a taxi, so he walked all the way.

After walking for a while, Chen An realized they were almost there: "Thank goodness, the film crew isn't too far from the school, otherwise my legs would have been in real trouble!"

If this movie could attract investment from Boss Lin, then it's impossible for him to promote his clothing brand in remote areas.

After walking for a few more minutes, Chen An finally arrived at the place. As soon as he entered, he saw a man standing in front of everyone shouting and cursing.

"You were all signed by him, and now he and that female lead have both disappeared without a trace, and you didn't even know!"

"All the money in the account is gone. He's so generous, isn't he? He paid all of your salaries in advance, and now he's disappeared. You all say you know nothing about him. Do you think I don't believe you?"

Chen An felt his scalp tingle, as if struck by lightning, and his head felt like it was about to explode!

The person has disappeared?

My first movie ever, and the director ran away before it even started?!

The contract is signed, and the money is received, but the director has run away with all the money and his girlfriend.

Chen An didn't quite understand either. If the money was returned, that would be fine, but if there were legal consequences, he couldn't stand it!

After speaking, the man turned to Chen An, who had just entered, his face darkening, and asked, "Were you also someone he hired? What do you do? What's your relationship with him?"

He immediately launched into a barrage of three questions, leaving Chen An with no choice but to honestly reply, "I was the photographer he hired. I don't know where he went. How about I refund your money?"

"What use would I have for your little bit of money?!"

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because once he did, the man's face darkened even more.

"He gathered a bunch of people, pretended to set up a film crew, rented these cameras, bought film rolls, and I transferred the rest of the money to him. He took it all and ran away!"

"Your little bit of money isn't even worth as much as the film stock for these cameras. What use is it to me?"

"Now I need to find his men!"

To be honest, it's from a long time ago, so there might be some discrepancies. Just consider it a parallel world.

(End of this chapter)