The door of the courtyard house has been welded dead

In summer, Beijing is like a stuffy tin can, with cicadas chirping loudly in the old locust trees.

He Yuzhu clutched a sweaty towel as he wandered through the winding alleys near Sanlitun.

The bluestone slabs underfoot were scorching hot from the sun. Several educated youths who had returned to the city lay sprawled at the base of the wall, their faded shirts rolled up to their elbows, revealing their sun-darkened arms.

They fanned themselves with newspapers, their eyes lazily sweeping over passersby, the cigarette butts dangling from their mouths glowing and flickering, occasionally bursting out with a few roguish laughs and curses.

Seeing these idle people, the leftovers of society, with nothing to do, He Yuzhu subconsciously straightened his back.

He specially changed into a crisp white shirt, neatly tied, a sign of respectability for a chef at a state-run restaurant.

As I passed by the Workers' Stadium wall, I heard sporadic shouts coming from the other side. A few young people were leaning against the wall, their wristwatches gleaming brightly, looking very fashionable.

Compared to last year, there are more and more things brought in from the south this year, and all sorts of changes are coming one after another, leaving Dazhuzi somewhat at a loss.

The floral shirts worn by those young people looked out of place compared to the work clothes of regular workers or the shirts of cadres.

These people reminded him of the restless young men in the kitchen who used to secretly discuss the novelties of the South in the corners of the workshop.

Turning the corner, the words "Youth Video Hall" were written in chalk on the wall, looking somewhat out of place in the alley of the large courtyard with its gray bricks and tiles.

The faded vermilion door was half-open, and several movie posters were crookedly pasted on the wall next to it. Jackie Chan, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket, was striking a martial arts pose with a man in black.

The corners of the poster were frayed by the wind, and a blackboard hung below it, with the name of today's movie written crookedly in chalk.

It looks both formal and informal, but it's just such a sloppy layout.

This also attracted a dozen or so young people standing at the door, all of whom were impatient and craning their necks to look inside.

Two teenagers were clinging to the door frame and making a fuss when they heard the sound of a stool moving inside. They shouted to the people around them.

"It's over, it's over, we're out!"

Just as He Yuzhu was about to take a step, he was suddenly bumped from behind and stumbled.

Looking up, I was met with Xu Damao's donkey-like face, his slicked-back hair styled with mousse, so thick that even a fly would slip on it, and he was wearing black glasses, looking incredibly pretentious.

The upper body is a floral shirt with coconut trees in a Hawaiian style, and the lower body, just the metal belt buckle at the waist, is so dazzling in the sunlight that it makes people unable to open their eyes.

"Hey! Brother Zhu, you're here today!"

Xu Damao grinned and affectionately put his arm around He Yuzhu's shoulder. A strange scent wafted from his sleeve, like a woman's, and it smelled quite nice, unlike soap.

"They showed 'The Eight Steps of the Snake and Crane' today. That big-nosed guy, that kid's fighting is really exciting!"

"Boss Xu~!"

"Mr. Xu, the last game is over, can you open the door and let us in?"

The young people waiting outside were already anxious, but when they saw Xu Damao arrive, they were incredibly enthusiastic, even more so than when they saw the factory leaders, leaving He Yuzhu completely stunned.

"Take it one at a time, don't rush. The neighborhood committee says we can't gather too many people at once. This isn't a state-run movie theater; they're just letting people watch TV when they're bored."

"I don't want to cause trouble either. If you want to watch TV in the future, you have to follow the rules here. You can't mess around. If something goes wrong, none of us will be able to watch TV anymore!"

Xu Damao seemed used to the eagerness of the people outside to get in, and with just a few words, he calmed the situation down.

Business in the south took a turn for the better when it moved to the north, thanks to Xu Damao's skillful management. It went from one yuan for a whole day of free viewing to fifty cents for a single viewing. It was undeniably ruthless, but also undeniably profitable.

In the south, there are many competitors, and Mr. Zhao and his team face competition from their peers, so they can only compete on price.

In Beijing, Xu Damao is currently the first person to get involved in this industry. There's not much competition. For an ordinary person to expect to watch movies all day for just one yuan, that's wishful thinking!

Money can't be collected directly upon entering like in the south. Being too open and aboveboard won't work. Even with connections, you have to go through roundabout ways to get in. After half a year, they've gained quite a reputation in the Sanlitun area.

As the previous movie ended, the locked door opened, and people began to file out. Whether they knew him or not, everyone addressed Xu Damao respectfully as "Boss Xu."

While Xu Damao put his arm around He Yuzhu's shoulder in front of him, he would deliberately raise his hand with a touch of arrogance, showing off in front of Zhu Zi, which made Damao feel pleasure from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He has indeed been to prison and is a marginalized member of society, but now he is Boss Xu of the Youth Video Hall, making money not only in terms of substance but also in terms of prestige.

"Come on, Zhu Zi, you've never seen a Hong Kong movie before, have you? Today, I'll show you!"

The ticket checkers inspected the moviegoers; each had a stamp on their wrist that could be wiped off after they were put inside.

He Yuzhu, who was personally led in by Boss Xu with his arm around his shoulder, enjoyed special treatment and was taken inside without being checked. "Linzi, this is my buddy, He Yuzhu, the 'sticker.' From now on, you have to call him Brother Zhu. Without him, there would be no Xu Damao today. From now on, whenever he comes to watch TV, he can just walk in with his face!"

If Xu Damao is to be considered a person of principle, he really is. After entering the room, he pointed at He Yuzhu's face and said some very polite words. He Yuzhu originally disliked Xu Damao's arrogant behavior, but since he was being polite, he could only suppress his displeasure.

"Well, Zhu Zi, you're pretty straightforward, aren't you? How you treat me, Xu Damao, is how I'll treat you. Like I said before, even if you offer me a secure job now, I won't bother with it!"

"Look at this, only 50 cents a person (whispering)!"

Xu Damao patted Dazhuzi's chest, his smile incredibly smug. He had indeed turned his life around, but he hadn't forgotten his brother, and the last sentence was whispered in his ear.

"Alright, Mr. Xu, you've really risen to the top. As long as you stay on the right path, I have nothing to say. I was originally going to see how things were going, but it seems I won't need to help you out anymore!"

He pursed his lips and watched the young people eagerly rushing into the house. He Yuzhu roughly counted the number of people in his mind, and with the people who had just come out of the house, his heart couldn't help but clench. In just a short while, he had almost earned twenty yuan.

No wonder Mr. Xu looked down on a stable job; now that he has a golden job and money, he has nowhere to show off but himself.

The moment He Yuzhu stepped into the video arcade, it felt like he had fallen into another world.

As you walk through the corridor with the blue cloth curtain hanging down, a cool breeze carrying the smells of smoke, sweat, and cheap perfume hits you.

Ten long wooden benches filled the room completely, and several young people stood on tiptoe in the back row, looking around. They had come in late and there were no seats left.

Several beams of light slanted in through the gaps in the curtains, scattering countless floating dust particles in the air.

"Sit here!"

Xu Damao led Dazhu forward, revealing the "VIP seats" against the wall. In reality, it was just two bamboo chairs with backrests. Two young men were sitting there, but when they saw Boss Xu arrive with his entourage, they quickly stood up and offered their seats with a sheepish grin.

As soon as Zhu Zi sat down, Xu Damao didn't sit down. Instead, he went to the television and started operating the machine. The television was a color television, which He Yuzhu had never seen before. Department stores only had black and white televisions. He didn't know where Xu Damao got it from.

As he calmly adjusted the machine, the television screen began to display an image, and whispers could be heard from the crowd watching TV.

"That's Mr. Xu's friend?"

"I don't know him, I've never seen him before. It must be Boss Xu. He has connections in the south. He started out tinkering with videotapes, and in less than a year, he opened a video arcade. That color TV alone must have cost at least a thousand yuan!"

Hearing this, He Yuzhu gripped his pants at the knees. He still remembered that time last year when Xu Damao, wearing faded work clothes, stopped him at the supply and marketing cooperative.

In the blink of an eye, their business is thriving. Looking at the more than twenty people in the room, if they leave the TV on all day, they can easily earn a month's salary.

The lights suddenly went out, and the television screen lit up with a blinding white light.

Suddenly, a gong rang out, a banner with dragon patterns swept across the screen, and a suppressed gasp erupted from inside the room.

On the screen, Jackie Chan, with short hair, somersaults and throws punches at such a fast pace that they are almost invisible, while shouting incomprehensible Cantonese.

He Yuzhu felt his temples throbbing. He had never seen a fight like this before. Unlike the stiff martial arts in model operas, this one had a wild, untamed energy. Every punch landed hard, and even the somersaults had a street-smart feel to them.

He only intended to check on Xu Damao's business, but unexpectedly, the films shown on TV were much better than those in the cinema.

"Roar~!"

"Ha~!"

"Was that fun?"

Xu Damao came over at some point and sat down on the bamboo chair next to him, holding a filtered cigarette in his hand. He was smoking a Peony brand, which was on par with Li Feng's.

"This is a genuine Hong Kong kung fu movie, it's awesome!"

He flicked his cigarette ash triumphantly, crossed his legs, ran his fingers over the young people who were captivated by the movie, and poked his own chest.

"Zhu Zi, I'm not bragging, but looking across the entire capital, no state-run cinema can compare to the movies in my video arcade!"

"This movie isn't even showing in Hong Kong until March, but I can see it here right now!"

"Alright, I know you're capable now, Mr. Xu. Quiet down and let me finish reading first!"

He Yuzhu pushed Xu Damao's arm away from the screen and stared intently at the TV, mainly because he couldn't be bothered to listen to Xu Damao continue his boasting.

To be honest, the movies Da Mao chose were actually quite good. (End of Chapter)