Hear this life

The two of them finished their breakfast quietly.

Later, the waiter came to collect the plates, and Wen Tingli hurriedly hid in the inner room.

"Mr. Lu, Mr. Kuang has something to report to you."

When the waiter left the cabin, I heard Lu Shicheng say in the outer room: "The police are still on the boat. I will go and negotiate with them."

Wen Tingli's cat uttered a "hmm" sound on the sofa in the inner room, and then she heard the sound of a door opening and closing.

With him gone, she couldn't help feeling a little bored. According to the sailing time, they would reach Shanghai in another three hours.

She simply lay down on the big round bed, ready to take a nap first.

When she woke up, Lu Shicheng had not returned yet. She naturally occupied his desk and started to work. She first roughly calculated the company's recent expenses, and then wrote a few work letters. She was busy until eleven o'clock. There was a commotion outside, and she could vaguely hear the horn sounding: "The ship has arrived at the shore. Ladies and gentlemen, please prepare to disembark."

Wen Tingli hurriedly dragged out her suitcase and packed her luggage. During this time, there was a lot of noise outside, except for the third floor where she was. Suddenly, she heard someone outside say, "Mr. Lu, we are looking for you everywhere. The ship has already docked."

Wen Tingli pricked up her ears and heard Lu Shicheng say, "I have a few boxes of valuables that I need to have people move off the boat. It would be best if no one walks around on the deck later."

This person probably knew that the Lu family's things were very valuable, so he quickly responded, "No problem, I'll go down and inform them right away. After your people have moved all the things off the boat, we'll go up to the third floor to clean the room."

Wen Tingli secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After a few seconds, she saw Lu Shicheng open the door and come in. He hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Where are the patrolmen?"

"Already disembarked."

"Did they find the accomplice who killed the bandit leader?"

"They caught a suspicious person in the breakfast restaurant on the first floor. Someone saw this person with Liu Kai in Ningbo."

With Liu Kai's body, it was enough for the patrolmen to go back and claim their rewards. No wonder they left so happily. She glanced at him and said, "Well, I should go too. Thank you Mr. Lu for dinner and breakfast. I'm quite full."

After saying this, she walked to the coffee table and pretended to pick up her suitcase, but Lu Shicheng also came over and picked up the suitcase before her.

Wen Tingli did not stop him. Just like that, Lu Shicheng walked in front carrying the suitcase, and Wen Tingli walked behind with her hands empty. She made a face at the back of Lu Shicheng's head and looked around to appreciate the scenery on the shore.

As expected, there was no one on the third floor deck. They went down to the second floor without any obstruction, and then to the first floor smoothly. Wen Tingli unconsciously slowed down her pace and called him softly from behind: "Hey——"

Lu Shicheng looked forward and coughed. Wen Tingli followed his gaze and looked forward. She suddenly understood everything and saw Kuang Zhilin walking towards them.

Kuang Zhilin first smiled at Lu Shicheng, and then noticed Wen Tingli behind Lu Shicheng.

"Miss Wen?!"

Wen Tingli greeted him calmly: "Mr. Kuang."

Kuang Zhilin was shocked and stared at Wen Tingli, "Miss Wen, what are you doing——"

"She came from Ningbo, and we met by chance on the deck when she got off the ship." Lu Shicheng said slowly.

"Yes." Wen Tingli smiled, "I went to Ningbo to discuss some business matters. Mr. Lu saw that I was carrying a box, and he--"

As she said this, she took her suitcase from Lu Shicheng and turned her body to block Kuang Zhilin's sight.

"Mr. Lu is really a good man."

She looked up at Lu Shicheng, then reached out to take the box back, turned around and smiled at Kuang Zhilin: "Mr. Kuang, I'll take my leave first."

But she heard Lu Shicheng say behind her: "How many cars came in total?"

Kuang Zhilin said: "Three."

"Send a car to take Miss Wen."

"No need! I can call a rickshaw myself."

Kuang Zhilin looked at Lu Shicheng, sighed in his heart, but kept a smile on his face and stopped Wen Tingli: "Wharf 16 is always crowded. Even if you wait for half an hour, you may not be able to get a car. Miss Wen, you have luggage with you, why bother squeezing in? Besides, it's not a big deal. We are going the same way anyway."

At this time, Lu Shicheng waved to the front, and immediately a car slowly drove over here and happened to stop on the right side of Wen Tingli.

As soon as the driver got out of the car, Lu Shicheng told him: "Go to No. 187 Haige Road."

This is her home address.

He remembered it so clearly, word for word.

Wen Tingli then got into the car, but she immediately stuck her head out of the window again.

"I forgot to tell you, I opened a film company. This is my new business card." She took out two business cards, handed one to Lu Shicheng and one to Kuang Zhilin.

Lu Shicheng took the business card and looked at it carefully. Kuang Zhilin smiled and said, "Congratulations, Miss Wen. You are so successful at such a young age. When will your company's new film be released? Kuang will definitely go to show his support."

"I've made note of that. The first movie will be released in a few months at the latest. I'll be the first to send tickets to Mr. Kuang." He glanced at Lu Shicheng again and said indifferently, "Goodbye."

After the car started, Wen Tingli recalled what had just happened. When they saw the new title on her business card, not only Lu Shicheng, but even Kuang Zhilin did not show the slightest surprise.

This was really unusual. After all, she had gone from being an actress at Golden Film Company to the boss of Xiufeng Film Company. Unless she knew some inside information in advance, no matter how sophisticated a person was, it would be impossible for her to be as calm as them.

This shows that Lu Shicheng knows everything. Although he has been in Southeast Asia for the past two months, he has been keeping an eye on her movements.

She raised her eyebrows, rested her arms on the car window, and comfortably brushed her long hair against the wind.

When they arrived at the Wen family's door, the Lu family's driver very considerately helped Wen Tingli move the box to the front of the entrance.

Wen Tingli thanked him again and again. Without waiting for Mrs. Zhou to bring out the tea, the man bowed politely, turned around, walked down the stairs, and drove away.

"Whose car is that? Even the driver is more respectable than others." As Mrs. Zhou said this, she thought of a person in her mind. Her face was suddenly filled with surprise and joy. "Could it be Mr. Lu——"

Wen Tingli went upstairs without looking back.

***
As soon as Wen Tingli entered the company gate, a large group of people gathered around her.

"Boss Wen is back!" Everyone rushed around and called out, "Everyone come quickly!"

Because Tan Guiwang rushed too fast, he accidentally slipped in front of Wen Tingli. Everyone laughed at him and reached out to help him up from the ground. Then, they spontaneously surrounded Wen Tingli, and everyone's eyes were full of kindness and warmth.

Wen Tingli felt warm in her heart. When Tan Guiwang stood firm, she teased him, "You are already a first-class director in the company, but you are still so reckless. Be careful that your master will see you and scold you."

"Don't worry, my master will never scold me today. She is working in the studio right now. If she knows that Boss Wen is back, she will definitely rush out faster than I do!"

Before he finished speaking, he heard someone shouting from behind: "Wen Tingli!"

Everyone automatically separated to both sides. As Tan Guiwang said, Huang Yuanshan ran faster than him. Wen Tingli looked at the figure rushing towards her, and she was already overwhelmed with emotions. She couldn't wait to embrace Huang Yuanshan. Huang Yuanshan looked at Wen Tingli, and it was unclear whether he should cry or laugh. In the end, he pulled Wen Tingli forward with red eyes.

"Let's go and take a look at the treasures that you saved with your own hands."

In the studio, two of the latest Bell-Hot cameras were quietly glowing under the lights. On the other side, a dozen carbon lamps and light emitters were arranged around. Everything was new, cute, and ready to go. At first glance, it looked a bit like soldiers on the battlefield waiting for the general's orders.

Yes, they are her soldiers. Wen Tingli gently stroked the machines. Her ideal, her career, her city, were all here.

Everyone watched Wen Tingli's every move silently. As colleagues, they felt the same way at this moment. However, when they saw Wen Tingli lower her head and kiss the top cover of the camera, they were still shocked.

Wen Tingli's expression was so pious, as if she was kissing her lover's face.

Huang Yuanshan barely suppressed the bitterness in his throat, took the lead in clapping his hands and said, "To celebrate our Xiufeng overcoming the biggest crisis since its opening, and to welcome our most resourceful and courageous boss Wen, I propose that we go to Changxinglou for a meal tonight! Do you agree?"

There was a burst of cheers in the shed.

***
At the dinner table, Wen Tingli was busy picking food for Huang Yuanshan while she said, "After the arrival of the machine, I have more confidence in the quality of the finished films of Spring Breeze and Twin Pearls. Three months is too slow, it would be better to finish the filming within two months."

They booked a private room just for the convenience of talking. Gu Jie and Li Zhen were busy chatting about the latest news in the industry. When they heard this, they said, "Boss Wen is worthy of being from Golden Film. His hardworking spirit is even better than Liu Menglin's."

Huang Yuanshan: "I don't allow you to confuse Wen Tingli with Liu Menglin. Liu Menglin made quick films to make money, while Wen Tingli made quick films because the preparations were sufficient. She and Miss Cao secretly prepared for three or four months just to collect materials about the female workers in Spring Breeze. How can the two be compared?"

Gu Jie has always been a bit cynical. Upon hearing this, he raised the cup above his forehead and said, "It's my fault for saying something wrong. Don't be offended, Boss Huang. I'll drink a glass as a punishment first."

Everyone at the table laughed. Tan Guiwang said, "Speaking of Liu Menglin, his company's new film Sands of Time has been very successful recently. It is said that the initial investor of this film was Lu Shicheng. It was because he insisted on replacing the male lead Deng Tianxing with Zhu Xiaozhou that it became successful. Now people in the industry say that Mr. Lu has a sharp eye. The eldest son of the Gao family is jealous and wants to enter the film industry. Liu Menglin is planning to prepare a grand appreciation party and invite Lu Shicheng as the first guest of honor. At that time, upstarts like Gao Tingxin will surely come to join in the fun. In this way, Liu Menglin will not worry about not being able to make a lot of money for his next film."

Li Zhen was stunned for a moment: "Liu Menglin is full of ideas, no wonder the gold company has grown so quickly, but as far as I know, Lu Shicheng escorted Mr. Lu to Southeast Asia to recuperate a while ago, so how can we invite him to the meeting?"

"He should be returning home soon." Although Tan Guiwang followed his master and left the former company, he has been in contact with several good buddies in the past. He knows some internal news about Huang Jin faster than anyone else. "I heard that Liu Menglin has made a lot of efforts in advance to invite Lu Shicheng." Cao Renxiu and Xiaotian are a little envious: "Huang Jin is already very powerful. If they can get a few more big sponsors at the appreciation party, won't they have the momentum to dominate? He and Sister Huang have always been at odds. Will he use his power to suppress us?"

Huang Yuanshan and Wen Tingli looked at each other tacitly.

The next second, Wen Tingli laughed, "I was just worrying about how to get sponsorship for our next film. We finally got our new machine back. Sister Huang and I don't want to be too conspicuous these days, but the competition in Shanghai's film market is so fierce. If we do nothing, the opportunity will inevitably be snatched away by others. These past two days, I have been thinking about how Xiufeng should plan its next move. Now, Liu Menglin has built a straw boat for us. Why don't we just use it to borrow arrows?"

Everyone in the seat showed a look of surprise, except Li Zhen who looked hesitant. He was the oldest person in the box and also the one who considered things most carefully.

"It's not that I don't believe that Boss Wen has the ability, but to borrow arrows, you first need a platform to borrow arrows. If I were Liu Menglin, I would never let Boss Wen and Boss Huang in. If they can't even get in the door, how can they get sponsorship for Xiufeng at the appreciation party?"

Huang Yuanshan raised his hand and pointed at his chest, "Don't forget that I am the golden elder. I have my own tricks."

Her expression was so funny that everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Huang Yuanshan drank a lot of wine at the banquet. Wen Tingli was worried about her driving back alone, so she asked Tan Guiwang to drive Huang Yuanshan's car and helped Huang Yuanshan into her own car.

Although Huang Yuanshan felt a little uneasy, his mind was clear. As soon as the car started, he held his forehead and sighed in the back seat: "When my mother was alive, she often told me: 'Don't be impatient when encountering things, observe first, then decide what to do'. I never took this to heart, but now that I have started my own company and encountered setbacks one after another, I slowly realized the truth of my mother's words."

She was only willing to share these heartfelt words with Wen Tingli.

"When you went out to do something, I was very nervous. Don't interrupt me. I promised not to ask you anything, so I won't say anything. I just thought that if I don't change my impatience, I will have a long way to go. If I don't make Xiufeng something good, how can I justify the hard work we put in in the early stages?"

Wen Tingli sighed in her heart that people have to encounter things in order to grow. Since she started her own company, Sister Huang has become more calm day by day.

"Just now at the table, you said you would finish two films within two months, but I didn't respond. I'm not afraid of anything else, but I'm afraid your body can't handle it. You'll start school in a few days, and even if you're energetic, you can't stay up all day. Anyway, the company's affairs are on track, so you can shoot slowly, there's still time."

Wen Tingli shook her head: "Sister Huang, you heard it at the table. Huang Jin is about to make a big move. Huamei's Chen Maoqing is not an easy person to deal with. Compared with them, our Xiufeng is like a small boat that has just entered the channel. Any wave will capsize it. Only the work is the 'anchor' for us to settle down. There is no time for us to take our time. The sooner we finish the filming, the more competitive we will be."

Huang Yuanshan just remained silent.

Wen Tingli comforted her, "You know that our major is famous for having easy courses. Besides, I am naturally more energetic than others. I can handle it. At worst, two seniors in our last class took a leave of absence due to illness. They came back this year to study as sophomores. I think they are no different from other students. At worst, I can take a leave of absence too. Anyway, we all get the same certificates when we graduate."

Of course, this was only said to reassure Sister Huang. She would never graduate a year later unless it was absolutely necessary.

Huang Yuanshan really objected: "When I invited you to film "Southern Beauty", I was just a director and never delayed your studies. Now we are our own bosses, so we should have more autonomy. Give me a copy of your new semester's class schedule, and I will rearrange the schedule of the two dramas. At worst, the film can be released next year. Don't worry, I will support you if the sky falls."

As he was talking, a short and high-pitched sound came from the alley ahead. Huang Yuanshan didn't react for a moment, but Wen Tingli's face changed instantly: "Gunshot..."

Under Huang Yuanshan's horrified gaze, Wen Tingli quickly stepped on the accelerator and the car shot forward like an arrow.

When they arrived at the Huang family's door, the two men jumped out of the car, ran into the house and locked the door. Huang Yuanshan's face no longer showed any trace of drunkenness, but only fear and confusion in his eyes.

The place where the gunshots were heard earlier was only a few hundred meters away from them at the time. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her sweat: "Why are there gunshots in the middle of the night? Could it be another assassination?"

"Again?" Wen Tingli was surprised. "There have been a lot of shootings recently?"

Huang Yuanshan quickly walked to the coffee table and took out two old newspapers to show Wen Tingli.

The first page reads [Another stabbing on the streets of Nanshi.]

Huang Yuanshan pointed at the words on it and said, "There have been three assassinations this week alone. The latest victim was a middle school teacher. Some say he was a member of an underground patriotic organization, while others say he had a grudge against the White Dragon Gang. In short, the murderer has not been found yet."

Wen Tingli stared at the photo of the murdered young teacher in the newspaper. He was really young, not much older than her. She had a feeling that this man was the same person as Sister Li - because his eyes were so determined and calm that she suddenly thought of Dean Deng and Sister Li.

Perhaps, the White Dragon Gang was just a cover, and the real perpetrators were the Japanese in the Japanese Concession. It was no wonder that the case in the French Concession had not been solved for a long time.

After reading for a while, she couldn't help but hold the newspaper close to her chest. They were probably determined to sacrifice for their country, so there was no fear in their eyes, but she still felt extremely heartbroken and regretful.

Huang Yuanshan sighed, "These assassinations have caused a lot of uproar. You weren't in Shanghai a few days ago, so it's no wonder you didn't know about it. How about this, you stay at my house tonight, so you don't run into any trouble on the way back."

Wen Tingli suddenly remembered that she had an important phone call to make. "No, I have to go back. I'm worried about Xiao Taozi and Mrs. Zhou."

The way back was smooth. As soon as she entered the house, Wen Tingli was busy calling Huang Yuanshan to report that she was safe. As soon as she put down the receiver, the phone rang again. It was from Head Nurse Liu.

Wen Tingli felt guilty: "I went back to Shanghai at noon, and then I got busy and forgot to call you. I made you worry for so long in vain."

"My companions have reported the details to me. I wonder if everything went well on the boat yesterday?"

Wen Tingli briefly described the situation when she encountered the police, of course, skipping the part about her and Lu Shicheng.

"Anyway... the gun is lost." She sighed bitterly.

This gun was originally given to her by Sister Li, and her shooting skills were taught by Sister Li and Head Nurse Liu. After that, she got used to using the gun for self-defense. Now that the gun was lost, she felt extremely heartbroken, as if the last bond between her and Sister Li was broken.

On the other hand, after the accident on the street just now, she also realized that she must get another gun for self-defense as soon as possible.

I wanted to find someone to buy it as soon as I got off the boat, but I was delayed because I had too many things to do.

Liu Xiangzhi said, "Leave it to me. Our comrade in charge of the replacement is not in Shanghai at the moment. It won't work tonight. I will send it to you tomorrow night at the latest."

Wen Tingli was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. Head Nurse Liu smiled bitterly and said, "Your gun was lost because of us. If you want to replace it, we have to do it. Besides, Shanghai is not peaceful these days. I won't feel at ease if you don't have a gun."

"You mentioned this. I was just about to tell you something. There was a gunshot near Lafite Road just now. I wonder if it was another assassination."

"Lafei Delu?" Liu Xiangzhi seemed a little surprised and paused. "I'll ask someone to find out what happened. Has the White Dragon Gang bothered your company again in the past two days?"

"No, I think they won't act rashly for the time being, otherwise they will be embarrassed."

"Still, don't be careless. They are a gang of hooligans after all. Call me if you have any problems."

After saying that, he hung up the phone in a hurry. Wen Tingli was full of doubts, but she had to swallow her words.

The next morning, Wen Tingli was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly awakened by a pair of tender little hands. She opened her eyes and happened to meet a pair of round dark eyes. Mrs. Zhou peeked out of the door and said, "The little one missed her sister so much. She didn't wait for her sister last night, and woke up before dawn this morning. She insisted on going upstairs, and I couldn't persuade her."

Wen Tingli smiled and pulled up the quilt to cover her sister's head. In the dim light, she kept kissing Xiao Taozi's cheeks. "Did you see the toy that your sister brought you? Do you like it?"

As he spoke, he smiled and tickled Xiao Taozi's round belly. Unexpectedly, he bumped into something hard on Xiao Taozi's side and quickly lifted the quilt.

"what is this?"

It was a sealed small suitcase. Little Peach said excitedly, "It was sent by Santa Claus."

"What Santa Claus?" Mrs. Zhou didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Someone rang the doorbell before six o'clock. I went to open the door, but there was no one outside. There was only this thing on the carpet in front of the door. This person acted very carefully. I didn't know until I heard a noise behind the bushes that someone had been watching me."

Wen Tingli had learned some self-defense skills from Li Chengying, so when she heard Mrs. Zhou's description, she first put her ear to the box with extreme caution and listened. When she didn't hear any sound, she opened the box carefully. As soon as she opened a crack, she quickly closed the lid again.

It was a gun! Her heart beat faster.

Mrs. Zhou was far away and didn't see anything, but Xiao Taozi saw it all clearly. Wen Tingli didn't wait for her sister to ask any questions and hugged her and got out of bed.

"Can I take you to the garden to play for a while?" She stuffed the box into the safe beside the bed and locked it.

The two sisters played wildly in the back garden for a while. Xiao Taozi felt sleepy again and clamored to go into the house. Wen Tingli carried her to Mrs. Zhou's room. She fell asleep as soon as she was put on the bed. Wen Tingli then went back to the second floor to get the things out.

There was indeed a gun in the box, and it was much more exquisite and compact than the previous one.

Held in the hand, it is just the size of a palm.

She suddenly felt excited. It was the first time she had seen such a sophisticated gun. She didn't expect Head Nurse Liu to act so quickly. However, Head Nurse Liu had clearly said last night that she would send her the gun in the evening.

Maybe their friend came back early?

Although she was full of doubts, Wen Tingli didn't have time to think about it anymore. Once she got the gun, her sense of security immediately returned.

The key is that this gun is small enough to be hidden close to the body, unlike the large Mauser pistol in the past, which had to be put in a bag and could be exposed at any time.

There were dozens of bullets under the box, no wonder it was so heavy. Wen Tingli couldn't put it down and played with it, thinking that Head Nurse Liu was really thoughtful, so she quickly picked up the phone to thank Head Nurse Liu, but the other end rang for a long time but no one answered.

She was a little worried, so she called the internal medicine ward at Ci Xin Hospital instead. The person on the other end said that Head Nurse Liu was on rounds with Dr. Thompson and was not available to answer the phone.

Wen Tingli felt relieved. Perhaps just as she had guessed, Nurse Liu's companion had returned early.

After hanging up the phone, Wen Tingli held up the gun and practiced in front of the mirror. Suddenly she remembered something and went back to the closet to take out a petticoat to try it out. The gun could indeed be hidden in the inner garment without any trace. It was just not very convenient to take it out, but that was not a problem. At worst she could send the inner garment to a tailor for alterations.

She was a woman of action, so she immediately took out all the petticoats in her closet and excitedly sent them to a nearby tailor shop.

(End of this chapter)