Chapter 16 Chapter Fourteen

Tianbao wanted to start a book company with me, so I started looking for an office space.According to our thinking, it is enough to have an office of more than ten square meters and the most basic office equipment in the cheapest office building, just like the few small book companies I have seen.I found a few, and the monthly rent was around 4,000 yuan, and the transportation was good. Two of them were still near the Tianshuiyuan Book Wholesale Market.I asked Tianbao to read them one by one, and he was also very satisfied, but just before signing the contract, he hesitated again.These offices all require an annual payment, which is 50,000 yuan at a time, and with operating funds, there is no room for 200,000 yuan, which is too much for him who is about to buy a house and find a wife.I was pissed: "The landlord's house has no food left after doing it for a long time--it's a mental tooth sacrifice."

I often think of Chen Ning'an, but I have never contacted him. I have no capital to cooperate with him.I was worried that I had nothing to do, so a well-known film company "Jurassic" asked me to talk. They watched the serial on the Internet and were interested.The owner of the company, Tom, is a well-known American in the Chinese film and television industry. He had read reports about him in magazines before coming to Beijing.A few years ago, Tom came to China alone and started his own business like a legend. He made many successful movies with a small amount of money, and made several unknown little actors popular.On the phone, I spoke English cautiously first, and I was taken aback by his grand nasal voice of Beijing movies.

The decoration of Tom's company is very different, like a weird cave bar.The light is dim, and the walls and overhead are covered with movie posters, including classic American movies and some made by our company. Some movie episodes and dialogues echo in the hall.There are even two motorcycles and an empty car hanging on the beams, which looks quite suspenseful.There are quirky sculptures and crafts everywhere, and some small lights flicker.In this dark and eerie environment, employees in alien-looking costumes are hard at work. Tom's handsome assistant took me up to the second floor and brought me a cup of coffee, the noble liquid I hadn't drank in years.While picking up an international call, Tom waved to me with a big smile on his face.Tom, in his early thirties, dressed in a casual T-shirt, shorts, and Nikes, reclined on a leather chair, shaking his legs and putting his feet on the table.He looked handsomer than in the picture, a star, but a true producer.The bookshelf behind him is full of various English books and movie magazines.Tom put down the phone, shook hands with me casually, and after a short greeting, he said: "I heard from my Chinese colleagues that your novel is great."

"Your Chinese is better than my American." After becoming an asshole, he would flatter him without paying attention. "Where is there, I can say something, but it seems to be very difficult." He took out a box of cigars and motioned for me to have one. I said I quit early, and he shrugged regretfully, "I bought it in Florida. Yes, authentic Cuban goods, smuggled in." I laughed: "Authentic, not Zongzheng, Zheng-zong." "Sorry, this is always out of order." He smiled awkwardly, and practiced twice, "Authentic, authentic." "If you find it troublesome, you can say authentic." I added, he was a little confused: "Authentic? Underground passage?"

I explained: "This is polysemy." He nodded: "Oh, I understand, thank you. Chinese is too difficult, it will drive me crazy." I joked: "If you show one-tenth of the enthusiasm and patience that Chinese people learn English, it will be enough." He nodded suspiciously, and then got down to business.Tom took out the two-inch-thick typed draft and shook his head in pain: "This is downloaded from the Internet. I watched it for two nights. It's too difficult. So, I hope you can change it into a script first." I dare not say that I haven't written a script yet, I just nodded and dealt with it.He talked about a movie he is currently making, which is related to drug abuse. It is performed by an actor with superb acting skills and a decadent image ten years ago.He said with emotion: "After many revisions, the script was finally approved. Educate young people to stay away from drugs."

Tom started talking, talking about how he came to China from being black in the eyes, going through hardships, and laying down the current world.But when it comes to the Chinese film market, he is very pessimistic. He said helplessly: "The Chinese market sounds huge, but it is actually very small. There is too much piracy, and there is nothing we can do about it—China is complicated." His "complicated" pronunciation was out of tune and became "tofu dregs". I said, "You are a Sinologist (China Hands)." He suddenly stretched out his hand and waved it twice excitedly, and listed: "China has 1.3 billion people, South Korea has 40 million people, but South Korea's film market is as big as China's; Hong Kong has millions of people, but the film market is one-third of China's." one."

"Hong Kong is part of China." I reminded him, and he smiled: "I understand what you mean, I'm only talking about the film market." He asked about the publication status of the book, and I lied that it was coming soon.He asked me if I was familiar with the publishing house, and I said I knew some editors. He said that if I was interested, he could help him contact the book copyrights of several movies. , He also paid me at least one thousand "Chinese Yuan" labor costs.I didn't refuse the pie that fell from the sky. Before leaving, Tom gave me a few boxes of movie CDs he made as gifts, and took me to the second floor to have a look. There are reference rooms, small meeting rooms, small projection halls and a chic little bar.He took down two wine glasses, filled them with bright amber liquid, and touched me: "The cooperation is successful!"

This is an opportunity.I want to hand over a qualified movie script to Tom as soon as possible. I don't want to bite the bullet and write it, so I will find a skilled screenwriter to cooperate.I searched online and found the famous Lin Xifan through an editor of the film and television department of "Hee Hee TV". He read the typed draft I sent by express mail and was willing to meet.He said we drank tea and made friends without mentioning money.This man is the main screenwriter of several costume TV series, and he is worth a lot of money.I thought to myself that he didn't ask for an appearance fee, and he was already giving me face. The meeting place he chose, the Old Beijing Mixed Sauce Noodle Restaurant, let me dispel my financial concerns.

When Lin Xifan, who was in his fifties, got out of his "BMW", I found that he was really handsome, fat and shiny in white, wearing a purple Tang suit with dark patterns, Chinese-style black pants, and "Neiliansheng" cloth shoes , if it weren't for the meticulous and shiny contemporary hairstyle and gold-rimmed glasses, he would look like an elegant and luxurious ancient celebrity.Lin Xifan walked into this quaint Beijing miscellaneous sauce noodle restaurant, just like walking into the filming scene of a costume drama.We were seated at a dining table behind an ink painting screen, with vermilion wooden chairs under us and red lanterns on our heads, which made people's faces glow red like makeup.After sitting down, Lin Xifan took out a rather elegant sandalwood folding fan and a jadeite pipe from his pocket and put them on the table, saying, "Hehe, I am a man of ancient times."

It was a good thing he didn't pull out his bong.I complimented: "I also often fantasize that I live in a troubled world in ancient times. Either a hero emerges in a troubled world, or he dies under the knife." Lin Xifan said with a smile: "Haha, young man, you have never suffered. There is a famous saying, 'I only want to live in troubled times, not to be known to the princes', and there is another saying, 'It is better to be a dog of peace than to be a person in chaos'. " "It makes sense, it makes sense, it's better to live than die." I agreed.Lin Xifan immediately denied: "But writing a script is boring. It's life and peace. What we want is contradictions, conflicts, the more exciting the more tossing, otherwise it's called calm, it's called no drama, out of thin air Where's the climax? Where's the climax, this matter--it's the same as sex."

He patted my hand and laughed, and I hurriedly made a gesture of admiration: "Tall, it's really tall!" I asked him to order, and he only ordered hand-rolled braised noodles, cold kelp shreds, cucumber and pure raw Yanjing, emphasizing that it was his fixed menu.His thoughtfulness was unexpected, and I said: "Mr. Lin, you are too polite. I am so grateful that you can condescend to take the time to see the younger generation. I didn't expect you to save me money." Lin Xifan smiled slightly: "I am so simple, this is called returning to basics, called true colors." After a few words of persuasion were ineffective, I duplicity said that it was important to keep my true colors.Talking about the script, he said: "Actually, you are looking for the wrong person. I always write costume dramas, but since you have found me, I believe that it is destined. I also want to try it and see you young people What are you thinking now, the society is very lively now! I think what you wrote still has some meaning." "Thank you senior for your encouragement." I said hastily.Lin Xifan turned to ask, "Is the book out?" "It's coming soon." "Which film and television company will shoot it?" I went downhill: "Jurassic, a small company, but very good." He looked up to the sky and closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "Oh, I've heard of it. How far have you talked about it?" "The boss—that Yankee Tom personally told me that they were interested and asked me to change it into a script first, but I don't have the confidence to operate it alone." Lin Xifan talked eloquently: "Transforming a novel into a script is a re-creation, not to mention that your novel is written in the first person. You can only tell what you saw, what you experienced, what you heard and what you thought. If you don't change the person, the scene will It’s limited. The language of words and the language of the camera are two different things, so it’s troublesome.” I nodded repeatedly and said: "You can still go to the film school to be a professor." "I was originally a visiting professor at several universities." Lin Xifan smiled contentedly, and took out his business card to show me the long list of titles, and my respect increased.He drank tea for a while, and asked casually, "Did you talk about the cost?" "Not yet." I quickly refilled his tea.His complexion suddenly turned cloudy, and he didn't speak for a long time, only drinking and eating.I asked with some trepidation, "Do you want the company to pay first?" "Of course, who will work if you don't pay? It's like my car, if you don't refuel, can it move?" "That makes sense, then—how much?" "If it's a movie book, pay 150,000 to 200,000 yuan in advance; if it's a TV series, pay 100,000 yuan in advance. Now I'm worth more than 30,000 yuan per episode. Go ask." Lin Xifan showed his cards.I was secretly surprised, and said cautiously: "Mr. Lin, is the fee negotiable?" He smiled: "Generally, there is no discussion, but you have to be sincere if you want to discuss it. You haven't even written your horoscope yet." I have nothing to say.He quickly finished his meal and got up to leave. I pretended to ask if I could have some tea, and he squeezed out a smile and said that time was short, and there will be a date later.Looking at the shadow of his car going away, feeling disheartened, he had a strange idea——Since Lao Lin kept saying that he was going back to the original, why didn't he come with a carriage? I went to Tom and asked him to advance some expenses first, but he said there was no precedent.I found a few more full-time screenwriters. They were very polite on the phone, but there was no need for an interview if they didn’t pay 30,000 to 50,000 first.I made an appointment with a few graduate students, and they were all willing to write first and then pay. I was afraid that something would happen later that I would not be able to cash in on the script, so I just "put it aside" like this. Seeing that it was time to pay the rent, Liu Jing was found, but she said she had no money.I said, "Didn't you agree to pay it back at the beginning of this month? It's the end of the month now." She said in embarrassment: "I really have no money, and I owe my rent." I said sincerely: "I'm out of ammunition and food now, you have a job anyway, should you be paid?" "It's all spent on applying for a permit and eating." She took out her temporary residence permit, which is also a C certificate, and she works for "Lenovo" Group.I laughed: "You are already in the 'Lenovo' Group, how much money do you need?" "Are you mocking me?" She laughed. "This is someone else's idea, saying that the 'Lenovo' Group is a big company with a large number of people, so it is easy to pass the test." "Then what should I do?" "Look for a friend to borrow money." "I never borrow money, and I have no friends." I advised her, "Go to your master to borrow some money." "If you borrow money, you have to pay the rent first. The landlord has yelled at me several times. If you don't believe me, ask." She cried, "I can't find the person, and I still owe so much money." I wanted to say something else, but she suddenly yawned profusely, with runny nose, and said she was sleepy, so I had no choice but to go back angrily.Not long after, a rejuvenated Liu Jing knocked on my door in pajamas and slippers, smoking a cigarette, and said to discuss matters with me.She had a charming face: "It's true that I don't have any money to pay you back, I——will accompany you." "Are you with me?" I froze. She sat on my bed with her hands propped up behind her back, her chest was like two angry balloons, she whispered, "What do you mean?" I suddenly realized, quite surprised, I asked: "Are you using this to repay the debt?" She nodded, and then said, "I'll accompany you once—twice, okay? I really have no money." I froze for a moment and saw her lying down on my bed and closing her eyes.She murmured: "The songs on the computer are really nice." I looked at the woman in a daze, then turned around to look at the familiar and unfamiliar surroundings.At this moment, at a depth of ten meters below the ground on the North Third Ring Road of Beijing, in an empty space made of reinforced concrete, the air is so moldy and damp that water can be wrung out, the singing of the third-rate singer from the mainland is babbling and singing. It came out from a broken speaker; under the white fluorescent lamp, a plump and dignified woman came to Beijing from thousands of miles to find love but failed, and when she was desperate, she was lying on a broken bed like a debtor's doghouse, desperate for a mere four hundred yuan in debt. She is eager for debtors who are as poor as her to manipulate her body. The pure lust with Yanzi that came to an abrupt end last time was actually because of a mere two hundred yuan.My mind spins rapidly.She said that she would accompany me to pay off the debt, and she also said the number of times she said it, and the price was clearly stated. Is this a sex transaction or taking advantage of others?It's really fucking unbearable.Hunger, exhaustion, panic, boredom and sadness have already made instinctive happiness a burden. When this kind of happiness is realized in a transactional way, it adds another layer of nausea and entanglement.What's more, four hundred yuan is far more deadly than the short-term ecstasy and long-term shame-that is one month's rent and rations.Even though I hadn't touched a woman in two years, I was still excited. I touched Liu Jinghong's wet face. She opened her docile eyes, took off her clothes, and pulled the quilt over her. Damn, I can't do it!Long-term turmoil, tension, depression, hunger and exhaustion drive out a man's instinct!Liu Jing did everything she could to help me, but to no avail.I am so ashamed, like a Liangshan hero being castrated in public.I repeatedly explained that it was the result of two years of abstinence, but Liu Jing laughed silently without speaking. "Does this count as one time?" After Liu Jing completely gave up, I asked courageously. She got up and dressed in one go, rushed out the door, and the door was slammed loudly.I stood motionless in the empty room, like a lonely dead tree, humiliated.Although there were several times of vindictive and extraordinary arrogance in the next few days, I didn't look for her, and I nodded and smiled as usual when we met.That debt has also been disputed. In a financial term, it is called bad debts and bad debts. Shortly thereafter, the basement underwent several more raids, which changed from the usual morning to an irregular schedule.During a sweep, I was surprised to find that Liu Jing and several men and women were searched out of her house by the police.Like those people, her clothes were disheveled, her hair was disheveled, and her face was full of snot and saliva. When she passed in front of me, she glanced at me with blurred and sleepy eyes.I asked the landlord what was going on, and the landlord whispered to me: "Drugs, prostitution." It was only then that she remembered that time when she suddenly yawned and had a runny nose.The landlord complained: "I have suffered a lot, the rent has not been received, and I have to pay fines." "She's pretty poor, too," I said. "Poor people must have evil things. If you don't have the money to pay the rent, can you have the money to eat ecstasy? ——Oh, she was traded with her body." The landlord said angrily, "Oh, don't mention it, it's my bad luck. Have a good one Girl, why do you touch that thing?" This was the last time I saw Liu Jing before she evaporated with the disputed debt.When I went to her master's place, when she mentioned Liu Jing, she became very angry, saying that this apprentice who fished for three days and posted nets for two days still owed her a thousand dollars.The IOU that Liu Jing wrote hastily was torn up carefully. The landlord urged the rent several times, and hurriedly helped Tom contact the publishing house.I found Tianbao and Chenge, both of which have published film and television books, and I arranged for them to have a talk with Tom.Tom was much more optimistic about the Chinese book market than the film market, and his offer scared Tian Bao and Chen Ge away.After leaving his devil-like company, they said in unison: "This Yankee is really smart." I tried my best to match up, but the difference in expectations between the two parties was too great, so nothing happened.But this shrewd Yankee didn’t break his promise. A few days later, when I was out of ammunition and food, I went to him to collect the labor fee. He readily asked the financial department to pay me 1,000 yuan, and quickly used it to pay the rent.Apart from Hu Meng's five hundred yuan, this was the second money I earned in Beijing. Hearing that Tom is interested in my novel, Chen Ge has some confidence in publishing this book, saying that if the film and television can be promoted together with the book, the effect will definitely be good.I showed a distressed smile: "Don't worry about this, it's all numb." When I walked into the landlord's house, the landlady was cooking and her husband was watching TV.As soon as I fed it, Wu Tongtong complained: "Why did you wait so long? International calls." "I live at the other end of the corridor." "Where have you moved now?" "Moving from one cellar to another, the only difference is that this cellar is larger and deeper, and can be used for tunnel warfare." I said with a wry smile, "But it's okay, it's not even on the eighteenth floor." The landlord who was cooking next to him interrupted: "What are you talking about, is this hell?" Wu Tongtong asked: "Are you short of money now?" "You sound like you're doing charity work." She just smiled: "Unfortunately, it's too far away." "That's a good excuse, but thank you for your kindness, and you have no obligation." "Yes. Is your book out?" "Forget about the book, the contract was signed and then ruined." I was frustrated and annoyed, and she was shocked, and I said that weird things in this world can't happen, don't you change it just by saying it?Love someone. "Don't drag me into it. So what do you do?" "There's nothing to do, just do whatever you want, love whoever you want." "Ha, you've learned Beijing dialect. You're in a good mood, so I'm relieved." "What are you worried about, what are you worried about?" "I'm afraid you will suffer." "Come here to suffer. I'm doing a survival experiment." "Didn't you check your temporary residence permit?" After hearing my description, Wu Tongtong was very nervous, "What kind of mess is it? Did you really not hit you? Are you embarrassed to say it?" "It's okay, they just want money." I said, and the landlord couple also chimed in, "That's right." "That's good. I'm worried that your stubborn mouth will make you angry." "It's your turn to say, what's the matter?" "It's fine if there's someone next to you." She stammered. "It's okay, it's cooking, besides, who cares about other people's shit now." "I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you—" She hesitated, "I'm reconciled with my boyfriend." "Why are you so cheap?" I got angry, "Isn't that guy a professional gangster who specializes in playing with women of different races?" "That's not the case. It was the woman who pestered him. He confessed to me, and he asked me to apologize. He was crying." I sneered: "Hehe, the Chinese women defeated the Latin American women and won glory for the country." "You can sneer as much as you want, you don't know our feelings at all." "It's none of my business." I said coldly. "I know you're nice to me, but that doesn't prove that I can't be nice to others. I'm telling you now to make you give up." "I fucking gave up a long time ago!" I slammed the phone down. The landlord and his wife were surprised that the basement had received a call from the United States, and then sighed for me. The man said: "It's still an old saying. Every generation who kills dogs for righteousness is a scholar who has a heart!" The woman thought that this woman must still have feelings for me, but it was hard to tell. "Emotions are a fart, and they are crazy." I paid fifty cents, and left angrily, with a sense of congestion and tearing in my chest. "I'm pregnant!" Swallow screamed as soon as she came back, as if FMD entered the "Supergirl" finals.Qi Shunzi said "ah", and I was also taken aback: "Don't talk nonsense, Shunzi is definitely a boy, and uncle doesn't have sleepwalking." "Huh, you're so sentimental!" She protested, and threw her satchel on the bed with a "snap", and her body fell like being shot. The spring mattress bounced her up, and then fell again. She continued to curse Go on, "Dare to act but dare not to be, men are really fucking nothing!..." Yanzi cursed more and more badly, Shunzi and I made faces, but didn't talk to each other.Swallow's legs slapped the mattress and screamed, "I'm pregnant! Why don't you say anything?" As if being forced to stop masturbation, Shunzi put down the "Ball Times" in annoyance, and muttered, "Is this your private matter? Could it be caused by the US imperialism and Japan?" "That's right. Zhou Yu hit Huang Gai." I said eccentrically, "You can't scold men all over the world, can you beat them to death with one stick? Take the two men in front of you as an example. The boss and I are an old eunuch, by the way An old virgin, we didn't recruit you, did we?" Qi Shunzi wailed: "Boss, stop talking about it, it's like a handle." "At least you still have something to catch, old eunuch, I don't even have anything to do." I comforted him. Yanzi rolled on the bed laughing for a while, and then condemned us again: "I don't have any sympathy at all, and I still gloat over other people's misfortunes! What about old men, bullying other little girls..." Qi Shunzi and I were left speechless, and Yanzi couldn't help but say, "We're both degenerates in the world, and we think we're of high quality..." We had no choice but to go to her bed and sit down, greet each other with smiles, and even accompany her a few times.Qi Shunzi said: "Looking at your happy face, I thought you won the lottery." "You are a child who knows what a fart, this is called a woman's heart, made of glass, do you understand?" I scolded Shunzi, then turned to Yanzi cautiously, "That kid's?" "What kind of quality is this guy? Isn't he in IT?" After Yanzi acquiesced, Shunzi scolded.At this moment, Yanzi clarified that the bastard is not engaged in IT, he has no job, so he is just a gangster. "What little bastard? Little bastard is also a pure man! To be precise, scum!" I said angrily, and Shunzi seriously agreed with me. "Don't talk about others..." Yanzi was half screaming and half crying, "What should I do?" "That's weird, why are you asking us?" Qi Shunzi said.I secretly rejoiced at the dramatic "crime stop" of the last celebration, and said eccentrically: "Yes, the wrongdoer has the head and the debtor, the person who drinks the wine only recognizes the person who carries the pot, and the person who tied the bell has to be untied, who digs the hole Who to go to?" "He didn't care about me, and beat me..." Yanzi cried hoarsely, and Qi Shunzi stood up suddenly: "It's unreasonable! Why did he beat you?" "He doesn't admit it!" She covered her head and cried.Qi Shunzi was extremely angry, baring his teeth and claws like a martial arts scum: "You bastard! If Yanzi is my sister, I will eunuch you! Whoever wants to eunuch you, we will donate two months' wages." "To be honest, do you still have a boyfriend?" I asked softly, and she said excitedly, "My hometown, we broke up a long time ago. It's not like I can't count time." I urged: "Go find his parents, Xiao Wang Ba was born to Lao Wang Ba." She wiped her tears: "Her mother still scolded me." "Report the crime." Qi Shunzi thought he had come up with a bad idea, and Yan Zi burst into tears and smiled: "Damn! Shunzi, do you understand the law? It's not rape." "Report to your dad, isn't he a policeman?" Shunzi tried another trick, and Yanzi said, "Looking for death? Besides, he's just from the security department of the factory, with a police uniform but no gun." I couldn't help laughing: "After a long time, it turned out to be a puppet army." "Why are you like this? You are still laughing at him when everyone is like this!" She cried even louder, and there were people watching outside the door, so I hurriedly sent them away: "It's so rare, have you never seen a girl with a stomachache?" Based on my limited knowledge of physical hygiene, I asked the swallow some details.Swallow giggled as if laughing at me old-fashioned, and took out the test report from the hospital.At this time, Yanzi offered to borrow a thousand yuan from me and Shunzi, and Shunzi and I agreed half of it.For the rest of the day, no matter how Yanzi begged me, I said I would not accompany her to the hospital.I don't hate her, but I'm sick of it, though that boredom, like her madness, is intermittent.I said this is a matter of principle, and I can't help it.I was moved by her affection: this green hat cannot be worn even if killed, and whoever wears it will be bad for a lifetime; I understand the reason for her: in business, it is about who invests, who benefits, and who pollutes and manages it. But Shunzi couldn't resist "Shunzi's elder brother Shunzi's elder brother is short" after all, and accompanied her to the hospital several times as her boyfriend.Initial examination, re-examination, appointment for surgery; and a weekend as her boyfriend accompanied Yanzi to the hospital, running before and after, signing for the surgery until the end of the surgery.After returning from the hospital, Qi Shunzi arranged Yanzi to rest on the bed, and then took me to buy nutrition for her.As soon as he went out, Qi Shunzi wailed: "Boss, this Lei Feng's learning is so disgusting!" "Think about it, Yanzi is a beautiful woman anyway, and you are also very beautiful." I comforted him. Qi Shunzi cried and said: "Brother, don't talk about it, it's a good thing you didn't go, I'm so embarrassed! That bastard eats meat, I didn't even take a sip of the soup." "That's mung bean soup, you don't need to drink it." I enlightened him again, "Besides, first figure out the procedure, and you will be familiar with it in the future." Shunzi looked up to the sky and screamed, "Human——, why can't you control your lower body?"