My girlfriend is from the future!

When He Tianran arrived at Wen Liang's boxing gym, it was already about 10:30. In January, the children were on winter vacation, so there were quite a few students learning boxing in the large gym.

Upon entering, a row of photos of Wen Liang from childhood to adulthood was displayed on the door. These photos were not there before; they were only gradually brought out and shown after she became famous.

To be honest, when Wen Liang was little, she played with a sandbag and had short hair that reached her ears, she really looked like a tomboy. The turning point was when she was about 11 years old and filmed the children's version of Dream of the Red Chamber. Her makeup was cute and charming, and she held a small fan in her hand. Although her pretending to be dignified at that time was a bit funny, from then on, you could really see that she was a beauty in the making.

The photos were arranged according to Wen Liang's age from childhood to adulthood, and the time and place were written below each photo, showing that the exhibitor was extremely meticulous. He Tianran took a few more steps forward and stopped at a photo of Wen Liang from her high school days...

In that photo, Wen Liang was standing in the top row, near the side, with Ye Jiaqi and Xue Yong standing next to her. In the very center were Cao Aiqing, Bai Tingting, Zhang Zhifan, and other students who were the teachers' favorites. Meanwhile, He Tianran was standing in a corner further away from both groups.

The man's gaze lingered on their youthful faces. In high school, their short, cool hair reached their shoulders, and their eyes were full of brightness and exuberance. Back then, everyone was looking forward to the upcoming university life, believing that they would have a bright future...

He Tianran stood there, lost in thought for a long while, seemingly pondering something...

Just then, a series of rhythmic drumbeats entered his ears, interrupting his reverie.

He followed the sound, walked past the students who were having class, and arrived at the deepest part of the boxing gym. There he saw a huge yellow and black figure moving around and flipping up and down on a four-cornered platform, which was very agile!
Someone is performing a lion dance!
As He Tianran approached, the drumbeats gradually subsided. The lion's head leaped high, and the person controlling the lion's tail assumed a deep squatting stance. With both hands supporting the lion's waist, the former stepped directly onto the latter's shoulders and stood up!

In an instant, He Tianran below the stage and the lion head high on the stage locked eyes. The men were all stunned, and the atmosphere froze. The lion head swayed a few times, the drumming stopped completely, and He Tianran couldn't help but applaud.

The lion landed, its head was removed, and it turned out to be Wen Liang's father, Wen Rui'an.

He Tianran was surprised that the other person, who was over fifty, could still perform a lion dance; Wen Rui'an was also clearly not expecting his daughter's boss to suddenly appear at the boxing gym, and they both spoke in unison:
"Mr. He, what brings you here?"

"Master is still as sharp as ever."

Wen Ruian was taken aback. Perhaps it was because the other party called him "Master" so naturally. Although outsiders would also call him "Master Wen" with his surname when they respected him, He Tianran's use of such an intimate term made Wen Ruian feel a little uncomfortable.

Before he could react, He Tianran said with a smile, "Whose birthday celebration is this for? It's so kind of Master to trouble you to bring out the Huang Zhong Lion."

In the lion dance culture of Lingnan, the yellow and black Huang Zhong lion is generally only seen at the birthday celebrations of highly respected elders.

"Mr. He has a good eye. Some students from the boxing gym came to ask about it before, but not many of them knew the meaning of the lion..."

Wen Rui'an first praised him, then lifted the ropes at the edge of the ring, crawled out, took off his clothes, and said:

“One of my old company commanders from when I was in the army has always taken good care of us veterans. He’s a local from your port city. He even helped me out when I opened my boxing gym here. Now that he’s celebrating his birthday, we old comrades-in-arms should put on a show. By the way, Mr. He, you’re here because…?”

"I see. Master, you can just call me Xiao He. This time... isn't Wen Liang here?"

He Tianran looked around. He didn't really expect Wen Liang to be there. After all, she was becoming more and more famous. Even at his own boxing gym, it would be inconvenient for her to show up during apprenticeship classes.

Unexpectedly, his gaze fell upon a person who had been sitting in the corner, holding a small portable speaker, wearing a hoodie, a black sweatshirt, and a mask.

The man was fully armed, but his exposed eyes shone like two stars. Their gazes met in mid-air, and He Tianran clearly felt the other man's mouth, hidden by a mask, smile slightly. Then, his eyes curved into crescent moons as he looked away from the man, holding up a small speaker and flattering Wen Rui'an:
"Dad, your movements this time are much better than last time."

It turns out that the drum sound just now came from her speaker.

Wen Ruian, a grown man, was actually a little embarrassed to hear his daughter's praise. He said:

"Sigh, I haven't practiced for long, and I can only do a few simple routine moves. It's all thanks to your good teaching, Brother Wu."

"Brother Wu is amazing! He managed to scold my old dad like that!"

Wen Liang, who was offstage, gave a thumbs-up to the ring. He Tianran followed the girl's gesture and saw a tall man standing on the ropes, smiling as he watched a few people chatting below.

"You have to call him Uncle~"

He corrected one sentence.

He Tianran observed him. The man was wearing a lion dance costume on his lower body and a black vest on his upper body. He had a buzz cut and his face was full of wrinkles when he smiled. He was about the same height as He Tianran, and visually he looked to be around thirty-seven or thirty-eight or forty-one or forty-two. He was not very sure, but he should be about the same generation as Wen Rui'an.

Looking at the bulging muscles under his black vest and his exposed arms, He Tianran thought to himself, "Holy crap!" His arm circumference was almost half the size of his head.

You have to understand, Wen Rui'an is a strong man who is 1.9 meters tall and weighs at least 200 pounds. That's with the weight of the lion's head. Although he used inertia in his movements, he lifted it up just like that. And judging from his expression, he seemed to be doing it very easily, which shows how amazing his strength is!

The man was chatting and laughing with Wen Liang, but seemingly out of some instinct, he sensed He Tianran's scrutinizing gaze and quickly turned his head to look over.

"Ah, let me introduce you. This is Wu Xiao, one of my comrades-in-arms, and one of the last batch of soldiers my old company commander led. He's an expert in lion dancing. Xiao Zi, this is He... Xiao He, He Tianran, who is A Liang's boss. The two of them used to be classmates, and now he's a big director."

Wen Rui'an then gave a brief introduction, and He Tianran noticed a hint of disappointment in the eyes of the man named Wu Xiao when he talked about the last batch of soldiers.

"Hello Director He, my daughter mentioned the period drama you directed for Xiao Wen."

Seeing the other person extend their hand, He Tianran took two steps forward, grasped it with both hands, and said:
"Hello Brother Wu, everyone says that lion dancing is 30% head and 70% tail. Just now, Master's 'picking the green' move was something that most people couldn't handle. You're a real expert."

What makes flattery most pleasant is when the other person understands you. He Tianran's simple statement, "three parts beginning and seven parts end," perfectly captured the difficulty of lion dancing. After listening to He Tianran's words, Wu Xiao's earlier wariness vanished, and his smile deepened.

"No, no, I just learned a skill from a lion dance troupe when I was a child in order to beg for food. I wouldn't dare call myself an expert."

“Brother Wu, you’re being modest. When you joined the army, my dad happened to be your instructor. He said you were a troublemaker back then and he made an example of you. Then you beat him up with a Cai Li Fo (a type of Chinese pancake) and left him with a face full of bruises.”

Wen Liang then came over and chimed in. He Tianran naturally understood that she was subtly introducing the other person to him.

"Hey, what do you mean by a face full of bumps? Your dad just fell down, right, Owl?"

Wen Rui'an touched his nose, and Wu Xiao immediately nodded:
"Oh right, right... I was just lucky back then, it was just a coincidence. Xiao Wen, your dad used to be a big shot in the company. The military skills competition couldn't do without him. I tripped him, and he made me feel bad for a year. I didn't dare to joke with him. Only you could do that."

Wen Liang laughed heartily. Wen Rui'an reached out and pressed her head down, shaking it gently a few times as punishment for embarrassing his father.

He Tianran wisely didn't dwell on the matter. A man's greatest fear is losing face in front of his family and loved ones. He continued speaking to Wu Xiao on the stage:
"Choi Li Fut Kung Fu? This style of kung fu is quite rare in Hong Kong. Has Brother Wu opened a branch here now?"

Cai Li Fo, a Southern martial art, while its long, hard stance style resembles that of the Northern style, still retains many Southern techniques that utilize short, powerful strikes. It is a style that combines expansive, powerful movements with cunning and ruthless attacks. When work was mentioned, Wu Xiao's face became somewhat uneasy.
"Ah... well, I've only been in Hong Kong for a short time... I haven't even settled in yet, please forgive me, Director He."

He Tianran was taken aback upon hearing this. Logically speaking, Wu Xiao was not young anymore. If he truly possessed exceptional skills, he shouldn't be in such a predicament. As for being poor, veterans of Wen Rui'an's rank would receive a substantial severance pay. Even if Wu Xiao wasn't as well-off as Wen's father, he shouldn't be so restrained...

"Hey, Owl, just tell me straight. Maybe Xiao He can help you. Don't let his young age fool you, he's very sensible and capable."

Although Wen's father didn't know He Tianran's purpose for coming, since he had arrived, he ended up thinking the same thing as his daughter.

He Tianran pondered to himself, it seemed that Wu Xiao was indeed in an awkward low point in his life.

"Brother Wen...this..."

Perhaps out of embarrassment or shyness, a faint blush appeared on Wu Xiao's dark face.

"Let me say it for you. Anyway, our trip to see the old company commander was also about your matter..."

Wen Rui'an took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow, then sat down on the edge of the arena. Seeing this, Wu Xiao also lowered his head and sat down cross-legged.

"Xiao He, this young man of mine didn't retire normally; he was forced to leave. He seriously injured a comrade in the army, which had very serious consequences. Not only was he expelled from the military, but he also served three years in jail. After he got out, not only did his family fall apart—his daughter was awarded to his wife—but he also had to pay off his comrade's medical expenses until last month when he finally finished paying off his debts and came to the port city to see his wife and daughter. Of course, I had already retired from the army for many years when this happened, and I only found out recently. Am I right?"

Wu Xiao nodded, looking guilty.

Wen Rui'an nudged his dejected head and continued:
"At his age and in his current situation, finding a job that matches his abilities and salary is almost impossible. The reason he came to me is quite clear. My boxing gym has been doing well these past two years, and I could easily give him a sum of money. But it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. It's beneath him to teach boxing at my gym. As for letting him open his own lion dance gym, that's probably unlikely too..."

Father Wen paused here, then looked at He Tianran:
"So, Xiao He, do you think you could help my brother find a way out, like working as a stuntman on a film set? I heard from A Liang that it pays well, has prestige, and a good future."

Okay, Wen's father did think the same way as Wen Liang, but they went in the wrong direction.

No wonder Wen Liang said before that this opportunity would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Wen Liang could easily arrange for Wu Xiao to join the martial arts troupe. Wen Rui'an probably discussed this with his daughter in private as well, which is why she asked him to come over now. After all, her father had spoken, and she couldn't very well refuse.

He Tianran thought about it carefully and replied:
“Master, Brother Wu, what about the stunt team… Sigh, let alone the fact that our film and television industry is full of cliques, the stunt team is even more so. Everyone supports the young people they train, they all know this is lucrative, which is why it's so entrenched. I can arrange it, even A Liang can arrange for Brother Wu to get into the industry, but whether he'll actually use him on the job after he agrees is really hard to say…”

Moreover, to give you an analogy, the person who takes a photo is a photographer, and the person who makes a film is also called a cinematographer. They both learn the same basic knowledge, but the further they go, the more they diverge. The work of a stuntman is not the same as what Brother Wu learned from his apprentice or was taught in the army. He has to learn it all over again, and even supplement his knowledge beyond martial arts. After all, stunt work is not something you can just film if you can fight..."

The more He Tianran spoke, the more dejected Wu Xiao became. At his age, many avenues were naturally blocked, and how easy was it for him to make a comeback?

However, as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. He Tianran changed the subject and asked a question:
"Brother Wu, what branch of the military are you in? Would you mind telling me?"

The owl raised its head and said:

"Ah, I was a regular army soldier for the first three years, and then I was selected through internal selection to study at the aviation academy."

He Tianran's eyes lit up:
"Are you in the Air Force?"

The other person shook their head and corrected a little-known fact:

"No, it's the Army Aviation Corps."

No wonder, non-combat casualties are often punished more severely by these special forces than by ordinary soldiers for making mistakes.

"So...can you fly a helicopter?"

He Tianran asked again.

"Yes...yes, I can fly helicopters, but..." Wu Xiao stammered, not very confident, "Being a pilot requires extremely high emotional stability and psychological qualities. My fighting directly proves that I have serious deficiencies in these key qualities, making me unsuitable for flight missions. My flight qualification was revoked long ago..."

"Brother Wu..."

Before the other person could speak, He Tianran suddenly interrupted:

When a helicopter is hovering, is it mainly controlled by the cyclic stick or the rudder to stabilize the nose direction?

Wu Xiao was taken aback, not expecting the other party to ask such a relatively technical question. However, to him, it was simply a matter of adding one to one. He gestured with his hand and answered decisively:
"Rudder. But you also have to coordinate with the cyclic stick, otherwise even if the nose is stable, the fuselage will drift."

"..."

"..."

The Wen family father and daughter, standing to the side, watched the two immortals chatting, completely bewildered, unable to understand a word.

"Go get a helicopter instructor's license..."

He Tianran made a decisive decision.

"What? But I..."

Wu Xiao thought the other party wanted him to be a helicopter instructor, but even the most basic private helicopter license was very expensive, which was beyond his means...

"I'll pay for it for you."

He Tianran seemed to have guessed what the other party was thinking. Wu Xiao, shocked, clicked his tongue and exclaimed:

"But... to get a coaching license... you need at least 1,500 hours of flying time... My military credentials have been revoked, so it will take at least two to three years..."

He Tianran smiled slightly:
"For the next three years, Brother Wu, it might be a bit tough. You could drive on the road for a while and also act as my driver and bodyguard. I can offer you this amount."

Having said that, he raised a hand and waved it. (End of Chapter)