Hear this life

The next day, Lixin Bank.

As soon as Kuang Zhilin entered the room, he placed the stack of banknotes on Lu Shicheng's desk.

"Master Cheng, Miss Wen asked me to return the money."

Lu Shicheng paused while writing. Kuang Zhilin subconsciously held his breath. In an instant, the room was so quiet that only the "tick-tick" sound of the Western clock could be heard.

After a while, Kuang Zhilin coughed softly and said, "Master Cheng, do you still want me to try to convince Miss Wen to accept it again?"

Lu Shicheng calmed himself down and said calmly, "If she doesn't want to accept it, don't give it to her anymore."

Kuang Zhilin said no more.

Lu Shicheng signed several documents with a normal look on his face. "Since this investment was made by Wen Tingli, the dividends should be returned to her. It will take Liu Menglin a few days to send the contract over. When the time comes, I will ask Wen Tingli for her opinion. If she agrees, the future dividends will be directly deposited into her account."

"Yes."

Lu Shicheng fell silent again.

Kuang Zhilin sighed, "Such a large sum of money, even a movie company boss like Liu Menglin would need several days to raise it, but Miss Wen was able to collect it all in a short time. In my opinion, this matter is quite suspicious... Master Cheng still insists on not investigating her, don't forget that Miss Wen has already found out about you."

Seeing that Lu Shicheng didn't respond, he advised earnestly, "Over the years, the Lu family has gone through countless ups and downs. It took the efforts of three or four generations to accumulate such a huge fortune. There are countless people secretly coveting the tin mines and rubber plantations in Nanyang alone."

He counted on his fingers: "The local White Dragon Gang, Nanjing, the three northeastern provinces and the Songhu Garrison... all kinds of people keep coming to win over Master Cheng, some flattering you on the surface, some secretly stabbing you in the back, today lobbying Master Cheng to donate airplanes, tomorrow asking Master Cheng to help with military pay, using both soft and hard tactics, taking great pains! Thanks to Master Cheng's carefulness, he has been able to get to where he is today, but no matter how careful you are, there are still times when you can't guard against it. I know that Master Cheng can never be cruel to Miss Wen, because you don't want to believe that she has bad intentions, but as the saying goes: You can't know a person's heart by knowing his face."

"Li Bangdi from Sichuan..." Kuang Zhilin continued with fear, "He killed many revolutionary heroes in the past. In order to prevent assassination, he even brought guards with him when he went to the toilet at night. But he died at the hands of one of his most trusted followers. It is said that the murderer once risked his life to save Li Bangdi's life. In order to take Li Bangdi's life, he lay dormant beside him for two years, and finally succeeded in cutting off Li Bangdi's head and disappeared. This case caused a sensation. This was just a case handled by a few young revolutionary youths. If it was a spy sent from Nanjing or the three northeastern provinces, the methods would be endless, such as the beauty trap, the beauty trap, the self-torture trap..."

These words pierced Lu Shicheng's heart, and he suddenly interrupted Kuang Zhilin: "Uncle Kuang."

Kuang Zhilin choked, and Lu Shicheng pointed to the pile of documents on the desk and said in a slow tone, "I still have a lot of things to do, why don't you go ahead and do it first."

Kuang Zhilin shook his head and sighed, but as soon as he got up from the sofa, he sat down again.

"I have been holding back some words for a long time. Now that we have come to this, please let Uncle Kuang finish what he wants to say. In fact, I have long felt that Miss Wen is not a simple person. I remember when I first met her backstage at the Golden Theater, she was just a female student who would cry at the sound of gunfire. It has only been a short time, but she has become a master of shooting. Who taught her how to shoot? On the night when Master Cheng got into trouble, why did she appear in the abandoned factory of the White Dragon Gang by such a coincidence? Was it an accident, or was it arranged in advance? All these things prove that the person behind her is not a simple person. Nanjing? The three northeastern provinces? Or even the Japanese? No matter which side sent her, it is worth investigating."

Lu Shicheng's expression was uncertain.

His mind was now filled with the scene of meeting her last night. Her tears did not seem to fall on the back of his hand, but seemed to drip directly into his heart, burning and scorching, making him feel confused.

He heard her say behind him, "I love you!"

For the whole night after that, the back of his hand seemed to retain the warmth of her tears, and his ears were filled with her voice, which made him toss and turn, unable to sleep.

At this point, his trust in her has been shattered, but he still has a glimmer of hope in his heart.

Kuang Zhilin seemed to be asking him something, but the voice seemed far away as if it was in the horizon. He knew that his thoughts had drifted too far away, and he tried his best to pull his mind back.

"Master Cheng, in this turbulent world, if you are not careful, the Lu family will sink with it. Since you know that Miss Wen has problems, it is not appropriate to contact her anymore, otherwise you will only bring yourself into danger."

Danger.

Lu Shicheng lowered his eyes and thought to himself, Kuang Zhilin has always been swift and resolute in investigating people. This time, he will have to start from Wen Tingli's social network. No one can guarantee that this investigation will not alarm Wen Tingli's superiors. No matter where she was sent from, once her identity is exposed, she will inevitably become a discarded pawn.

The fate of an abandoned person is often not good... No matter what mission she came with, since she didn't hurt him, how could he bear to let her face danger.

After a long silence, he heard himself say, "No need to check."

Kuang Zhilin was stunned. Lu Shicheng wanted to calm down, but his heart still hurt uncontrollably. He waited quietly for the pain to disappear on its own, and after a while he said: I will not see her again, and you don't have to report any news about her to me."

Kuang Zhilin felt slightly relieved.

When he came out of Lu Shicheng's office, Kuang Zhilin looked back with mixed feelings, and saw Lu Shicheng with his arms on the table, his hands clasped together and resting on his forehead, with his head lowered, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The gloomy atmosphere made Kuang Zhilin feel sad. He knew very well that the only time this child was truly happy since he was a child was when he spent the few months with Miss Wen. Unfortunately, good times were always so short and slipped away in the blink of an eye.

He sighed bitterly. That was all. It was normal for life to be unhappy. When it was time to let go, we had to let go. He closed the door quietly and left.

***
After that night, Wen Tingli made up her mind not to talk to Lu Shicheng anymore. Unlike the previous times, this time her determination was harder than a weight and truer than gold.

She did quite well.

For several days in a row, she didn't pay attention to any news about Lu Shicheng. However, she couldn't stop the news about him from coming into her ears from all directions.

After the company accepted Lu's investment, it immediately began to rebuild a new studio. Liu Menglin always said, "Mr. Lu is our partner," and he took people to Kuang Zhilin's branch company every now and then. Unfortunately, he miscalculated. Although Lu Shicheng was young, he was very smart in business. After several competitions, Liu Menglin did not get any advantage.

In the end, both parties drafted the terms according to Lu Shicheng's wishes.

On the day of signing, Wen Tingli heard Liu Menglin yelling outside his office: "Swindler!"

Wen Tingli almost laughed her belly off. She never dreamed that there would be a day when Liu Menglin would scold others as unscrupulous businessmen.

On the other hand, as the release date of "Southern Beauty" approached, Wen Tingli gradually felt an invisible pressure.

This was a film that the company had high hopes for, with huge initial investment and a long shooting period. During the casting process, in order to build momentum for the film in advance, they almost offended big stars such as Yu Peiling, Xiao Diejun, and Zhou Manru.

In this regard, Liu Menglin and others had already predicted that this film must succeed and not fail, otherwise Golden Pictures will become the biggest joke in the film industry this year.

But everyone knows that no matter how many films a company has made or how well it understands the preferences of the public, it is ultimately impossible to predict whether a film will be a hit.

Success or failure depends entirely on God's will.

Under the influence of this tense atmosphere, Wen Tingli, who never suffered from insomnia, actually did not sleep well for several nights.

In a blink of an eye, it was the day before the release.

That day happened to be the fifth day of the first lunar month. Liu Menglin and Huang Yuanshan led the crew to visit the home of Weng Weiyue, vice chairman of the Film Association, to wish him a happy new year. Weng Weiyue is a senior producer and also a famous film critic who has always had a say in the literary and art circles.

On this day, the Weng Mansion was packed with guests as usual. Among those present were the great director Wang Lie of the Yilin Film Company, the president of the Shanghai Spring News, boss Li of the Xinguiyuan Opera Company... and of course, the most conspicuous person was the big star Yu Peiling.

She sat next to the piano in the living room, and her every move seemed to attract everyone's attention. Her manager, Chen Maoqing, was also there, and was busy chatting with director Wang Lie.

"Mr. Weng, happy New Year." Liu Menglin led the crowd forward.

The guests in the living room stood up to greet them: "Boss Liu, Director Huang, I heard that you have a new movie coming out? Congratulations, and I wish it a big hit in advance."

Liu Menglin bowed in return and said, "Thank you all for your kind words. The show will be screened tomorrow night. Please come and show your support."

Someone pointed at Wen Tingli and said, "Is this the heroine that your company finally selected? Her name is Wen——"

"Ms. Wen Tingli." Huang Yuanshan patted Wen Tingli's shoulder proudly. "She is a newcomer, but she is very talented. Our company is very optimistic about her. However, she has little experience. I hope the seniors can give her more advice."

Someone chuckled.

Wen Tingli looked in the direction of the sound, but unfortunately there were too many people over there and she couldn't tell who made the sound.

After the tea was served, Huang Yuanshan and Liu Menglin each went to talk to their friends, and Wen Tingli was left alone in the corner. Fortunately, this did not bother her. She looked around with bright eyes and kept looking for opportunities to meet new friends. However, she was usually good at chatting up people, but tonight she kept running into obstacles. Whenever she tried to join a conversation, the other party would avoid her without any prior agreement.

At first Wen Tingli thought it was just her illusion, but gradually, she realized that these people didn't even bother to pay attention to her.

They are a country of their own and she cannot fit in.

It was the first time that Wen Tingli encountered such an embarrassing situation. She was caught off guard. After thinking for a moment, she went to the bathroom to touch up her makeup. When she came back, she heard people chatting in the tea room.

"This little girl has no other skills, but she is a first-rate flatterer. Look at how much she tries to curry favor with Mr. Weng."

It was Chen Maoqing! He had a hoarse voice and spoke very fast. "So what? I didn't see Mr. Weng willing to pay attention to her. After so many years in the industry, I have never seen anyone who almost bankrupted the company as soon as they debuted. I think she is a living plague god. Liu Menglin didn't think it was unlucky to bring such a person out to pay New Year's greetings during the New Year."

"I don't know what Liu Menglin is thinking, but Huang Yuanshan is still very supportive of this girl, praising her as a 'rare talent' wherever he goes."

"I think it's a rare unlucky star!"

Several people laughed unrestrainedly.

"Director Wang Lie seemed to be interested in getting to know her, so I stopped him without saying anything and told him: If you don't want to become an unlucky person like Liu Menglin, you'd better stay away from her as soon as possible."

"Mao Qing, I heard that you were angry a few days ago because this person stole the heroine of Yu Peiling. Now you can finally rest assured. Everyone in Shanghai knows the name of this Miss Wen, the 'disaster star.'"

Chen Maoqing said smugly, "This is what they call God disposes, and we should blame Liu Menglin for his lack of vision. Our Miss Peiling is a big hit in every movie she makes, and she is a well-known lucky star, but he and Huang Yuanshan chose to cast a disaster star with great fanfare. Just wait and see, if Liu Menglin doesn't lose everything in this movie, I won't be named Chen!"

There was another round of gloating laughter.

Wen Tingli's blood rushed to her head, but she did not forget that she came to wish Chairman Weng a happy new year. If the scene became too ugly, she would be laughed at by more people.

She had no choice but to hold back her anger. However, these words were not only unpleasant to hear, but more like a curse, which was firmly engraved in her heart.

She spent an unprecedentedly bad night at the Weng family.

When the party was over, Yu Peiling and Chen Maoqing were surrounded by people, as if today's party was held for them, and within three steps around Wen Tingli, there was no one else except Huang Yuanshan.

Liu Menglin personally distributed tickets on the steps: "Good brother, tomorrow night at the Enpaiya Cinema, if you have time, come and support us with your family..."

Everyone agreed verbally, but as soon as they turned around, most of them had a look of mockery on their faces.

Wen Tingli saw it and felt heartbroken.

When she got home at night, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

In the past, the more people hoped that she would be bad, the better she would be to them. But now, after going through so many things, she gradually understood that many things were determined by God, and the right time, right place, and right people were all indispensable, especially in movies.

No matter how much she wants this film to be a success, it can't change tomorrow's ending.

If tomorrow's box office is really as bad as Chen Maoqing predicted, will she be able to make movies and commercials in the future? I'm afraid she won't be able to do that. At least she will be known as a "disaster star" and people will avoid her.

Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything now and could only wait for dawn in anxiety.

The next day, before dawn, the phone at the Wen family kept ringing. It was Deputy Director Tan who called to say that two newspapers would come to the company at eight o'clock to interview the crew members, and urged Wen Tingli to go over quickly to put on makeup and change clothes.

On this day, Wen Tingli was in a very busy state.

After finally making it to the evening, she changed into the dress provided by the company and went to the Enpaia Cinema to attend the premiere in her best attire along with the company's elders, several producers, and crew seniors.

The neon sign of "Southern Beauty" was already lit up in front of the door, and the steps were piled with flower baskets. Led by the theater manager, a group of people walked to their pre-arranged seats, and later, audience members came in one after another.

Wen Tingli stared at the screen intently. When the words "Southern Beauty" slowly lit up on the screen, she suddenly felt a cramp in her stomach. She stood up hastily and said to her colleagues, "I'm sorry, I feel a little uncomfortable. I have to go away for a while.

She headed straight for the VIP bathroom at the back.

She was too nervous to sit there and observe the audience's reaction to the film.

At that moment, she felt like a criminal about to be taken to the execution ground. Her forehead was hot, her legs were weak, and she was sweating coldly. This feeling made her unable to stay there for a moment.

She had to escape for a while. Fortunately, there was no one in the bathroom. She rushed to the dressing table, turned on the faucet and wanted to wash her face. Suddenly, she remembered that she had makeup on her face, so she withdrew her hand abruptly. However, her heart could not calm down at all. Instead, she covered her chest, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Growing up, Wen Tingli never thought that there would be a day when she would become a coward.

There was total silence outside, but she had no intention of listening.

At this moment, she just wanted to stay away from the crowd. There was a sofa in the dressing room, and she walked over absentmindedly and sat down. It was quiet outside most of the time, and only a little noise could be heard occasionally.

Wen Tingli remained curled up on the sofa quietly. Strangely, no one came to use the toilet during that time, and even the crew didn't send anyone to look for her.

I don't know how long it was, but there were strange noises coming from outside, like the sound of sifting beans, or like a sudden heavy rain. Wen Tingli stretched her neck to listen, and the sound was not short-lived, but continued for a long time.

She was curious and had a premonition, so she slowly stood up. Unexpectedly, when she opened the door, the sound waves rushed into the room like a rising tide, instantly dispelling her consciousness.

"Xiao Wen!" Someone in the corridor was running towards this side quickly.

It was Assistant Director Tan, and he had an ecstatic expression on his face.

"Stop hiding! The audience is going crazy! They heard that the leading actors are also at the premiere, and they will not leave until they see you.

Wen Tingli was still a little dazed, and was suddenly grabbed by Tan Guiwang, stumbling out.

All the lights in the corridor were on, and the huge theater was packed with audiences. As soon as Wen Tingli walked under the lights, someone pointed at her and shouted something, and then more people noticed her.

Soon, crowds of people came from all directions and surrounded them.

Wen Tingli's head felt empty as if it had been washed, but suddenly a strange drumbeat sound rang in her ears, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, beating wildly along with the beat of her heart.

It seemed like a mysterious voice that only she could hear.

Later she realized that it was the drumbeat of fate beating in her ears.

"Beauty of the South" was shown at the Enpaia Cinema for seven consecutive days, and every show was sold out.

The second round of screenings was at the Summer Park Cinema and Hujiang Cinema, and every show was a huge hit.

Next comes the third round, the fourth round, the fifth round... (Note)
The box office is soaring at an unexpected speed every day, 5,000 yuan, 20,000 yuan, 40,000 yuan, 100,000 yuan...

The popularity was so great that even Liu Menglin and others were a little shocked.

The film's influence was not limited to the local area, and even cinema managers in Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan and other places came to buy copies to show them back home. (Note).

The film received rave reviews from major newspapers and magazines, with a senior film critic commenting as follows.

[The film inherits the spirit of the New Culture Movement, and tells the life experience of a woman with progressive ideas in a tragic way through a delicate and daily performance method. The audience's inner powerlessness and sadness reached a peak at the moment of the protagonist's death. As the film came to an end, everyone seemed to have followed Miss Nanqi through her life and was reluctant to leave. This is an unprecedentedly successful art film.]

[The lead actress, Ms. Wen Tingli, has a divine acting skill. When she is happy, her infectious smile seems to penetrate the screen, attracting the audience to laugh along. But when she is sad, her beautiful eyes seem to hide infinite sorrow, which makes people feel moved. Some audience members are so immersed in the play that they go to the door of Golden Film Company every day to wait for the Miss Nanqi in their hearts. This is a great success for a new actor.]

In order to cope with the surge in invitations from all walks of life, the company worked overtime day and night, copying films, arranging interviews, holding receptions... and was extremely busy.

Wen Tingli ushered in a completely new life without any preparation.

Every day before dawn, the company's car would come to her house and wait for her, and then take her home at midnight. Every day she was either rushing here or there. There were endless people to meet, countless parties, and interviews that could not be turned down...

No matter where she goes to attend an event, she will become the focus of the scene.

Some people would shout at the top of their lungs to call her "Miss Nanqi". Some people would break through all obstacles just to give her a bouquet of flowers.

At this point, Wen Tingli fully understood that a person's success requires years of hard work, but becoming famous often happens overnight.

Overnight, she went from an unknown little actress to a hot star.

Her popularity far exceeded her own imagination.

(End of this chapter)