After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 232 Trip to the Capital, First Meeting with Pei Danqing, Xu Lin's Verbal Battle with Old Bi Deng

Around 5 a.m. on May 9th.

Xu Lin then took a plane directly to Beijing.

It only takes a little over two hours to fly from Jiangdu to Beijing, and with other miscellaneous time such as waiting time, it takes a little over four hours.

So by noon on the 9th, Xu Lin had already left Beijing Capital International Airport.

This was Xu Lin's second time visiting Beijing. Before he started high school, Ms. Ren had taken him to Beijing for a trip, visiting the city's best universities, hoping to inspire him, like other parents, to get into a good university.

Clearly, Xu Lin's fighting spirit had not been ignited.

After leaving the airport, Xu Lin hailed a taxi.

"When will I be able to drive my own car in Beijing?"

As we all know, owning a car in Beijing is quite difficult. The lottery system alone can stop countless people from doing so. Many people have had their driver's licenses for a long time and meet all the requirements for living and working, but they are still blocked by the lottery system, making it seem like buying a car is a distant dream.

"Dude, where are you going?"

The driver was an experienced driver; I asked him in Beijing dialect.

"Let's go to this hotel."

Xu Lin searched for a large hotel on his phone and showed it to the other party.

"Alright! Dude, sit tight!"

"Row."

"Dude, your accent doesn't sound like a local. Are you studying in Beijing?"

"Master, I'm here for tourism."

The old man was very enthusiastic, and he spoke in Beijing dialect, which was like an older generation chatting with you in their local dialect. Xu Lin found it quite interesting, so he started chatting with him. Xu Lin said that he was a tourist and asked him which attractions were worth visiting. The old man became even more enthusiastic and recommended more than a dozen attractions to Xu Lin.

Xu Lin arrived at the hotel soon.

Xu Lin had lunch delivered directly from the hotel and didn't even go out.

At 3 p.m., Xu Lin called Jiang Yu.

"Mr. Xu?"

"Mr. Jiang, I've arrived in Beijing. When will the music composition work begin?"

Xu Lin also got straight to the point.

"Haha, Mr. Xu, you're not in a rush today, are you? By the way, Mr. Xu, do you have a place to stay?"

"Just checked into the hotel."

"That's good. I was thinking of arranging accommodations for Mr. Xu."

Jiang Yu said, "Mr. Xu, how about we have dinner tonight?"

"The two of us?"

"No, there are several other people, such as the director, the producer, and two leaders, etc."

"Ok."

To be honest, Xu Lin wouldn't be happy to have dinner alone with Jiang Yu. First of all, he and Jiang Yu just don't click, so it would be pointless for two grown men to have dinner together.

Xu Lin: "What time tonight? Where?"

Then Jiang Yu reported the time and location.

After chatting for a few minutes, Xu Lin ended the conversation.

Jiang Yu is a man without substance; chatting with him is really not very interesting.

Xu Lin now has a few friends, such as older men like Yu Shengzhong and Ye Shengjun.

Although it was just business dealings, Xu Lin was indeed on the same wavelength as them.

It was past four o'clock.

Since dinner time is at 7 pm, we have to go early, and of course, we also need to take a shower.

Xu Lin is a clean person.

After taking a shower, Xu Lin changed into a black suit.

Xu Lin actually wanted to wear his everyday clothes, but he was only eighteen years old and would turn nineteen next month. In the eyes of those middle-aged and elderly people, he was still just a young boy. Wearing a suit and tie would make him look more mature.

As for his buffs, that's another matter, but undeniably, the suit makes him look more mature.

Xu Lin didn't want to be treated like a young kid by a group of middle-aged and elderly people.

As for why it's middle-aged and elderly people? There's no doubt about it. In society, how many people who have made it big, or even those who have achieved some success, didn't start in their thirties or forties? Those who achieve success or fame at a young age are extremely rare.

Xu Lin left home a little after five o'clock.

Because the agreed hotel was quite far away, requiring a half-hour drive, and Xu Lin also had to consider Beijing's rush hour, he had to leave early.

As Xu Lin had predicted, there was a bit of traffic, but thankfully they arrived at the hotel at 6:26.

Afterwards, Xu entered the hotel and took the elevator upstairs.

Eighth floor.

There were only two people in the elevator.

Xu Lin and another woman.

She's a very beautiful woman, probably around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, though that might be inaccurate.

She has her hair up in an updo and a great figure.

Moreover, it was business attire: a white shirt on top, a suit jacket draped over his left hand, and a bag in his hand; a pencil skirt on the bottom; and then a pair of high heels.

Xu Lin thought this style of dressing was quite tasteful.

The other person has beautiful legs, a large, round, and firm bottom, and is also very tall.

Xu Lin noticed the other person's high heels and, out of curiosity, began to calculate their height.

The high heels were estimated to be 8 centimeters high. Since the two were standing on the same straight line parallel to the elevator door, judging from the shadow of the elevator door, Xu Lin, with his shoes and hair, was 194 cm tall. The other person was about 4 or 5 centimeters shorter than him. Because the other person had her hair up and had a lot of hair, her hair was estimated to be 4 centimeters high.

The final calculated height of the other person barefoot: 177 or 178?

It's so tall!

Xu Lin only likes tall, beautiful women; he won't even glance at anyone shorter than 1.7 meters.

Also, who is this woman?

Office worker?

surely not.

This woman has a very good temperament, even an air of nobility. It's impossible for a working person to have this kind of temperament unless they come from a very good family. And some people come from very good families and don't lack money, so they just go to work to pass the time.

Xu Lin also discovered that the other person was on the same floor as him.

Soon, we arrived at the eighth floor.

Xu Lin went out first.

He wanted to use the restroom, and just as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw the cleaning lady.

"Auntie, could you tell me where the restroom is?"

"Turn left at the end over there and walk to the end."

"Thank you auntie."

Xu Lin then went to the restroom.

Tread...  

Xu Lin heard the rhythmic sound of high heels behind him, which he guessed was the woman he had been riding the elevator with earlier.

Xu Lin certainly didn't think the other person was following him; they were just going to the restroom.

To be honest, Xu Lin really wanted to strike up a conversation.

Courtship is an instinct of adult males.

Soon, Xu Lin entered the men's restroom.

Boys can go to the toilet faster; they just need to unzip their pants.

After using the restroom, Xu Lin washed his face.

When I came out, I happened to see the same woman coming out of the women's restroom next door.

The woman glanced at Xu Lin and asked him, "Do you know the way around here?"

Xu Lin was surprised that the other party took the initiative to speak.

"you know me?"

"I'm having dinner tonight, so do you think I know you?"

"What a coincidence!"

Xu Lin said, "I don't know the way."

"Come with me!"

"Ok."

Xu Lin followed her, "What's your name?"

“Pei Danqing, not Pei in clothing, Dan in elixir, Qing in the name of a beautiful woman.”

Pei Danqing gave her name, "And you?"

"Xu Lin, the Lin of elegant appearance."

"Ah."

A few minutes later, Pei Danqing led him to a large private room.

There were already ten men and women inside, including Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu saw Pei Danqing and greeted her, "Director Pei, you've finally arrived! Please have a seat here!"

Jiang Yu invited Pei Danqing to sit down.

Xu Lin noticed that the other party addressed Pei Danqing politely, even somewhat obsequiously, as Director Pei, and wondered what Pei Danqing did for a living.

Director? What director?
Within CCTV, these positions have administrative ranks. For example, the position of director has an administrative rank equivalent to deputy director-general. This is unlike those private companies where there are a bunch of miscellaneous directors, or even hair salons on the street that have hair stylist directors.

Pei Danqing nodded slightly, then pointed to the seat next to her and said to Xu Lin, "Xu Lin, you can sit here!"

"Ok."

Xu Lin, of course, didn't stand on ceremony. Should he sit next to a beautiful woman or next to a bunch of middle-aged and elderly people? Xu Lin felt that no young person would hesitate for a second. Speaking of which, the youngest people here were him and Pei Danqing. Judging from the appearance, everyone else was at least thirty years old.

"Director Pei, this is Mr. Xiao's seat..."

Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment, then looked at Xu Lin, his eyes seeming to say: Mr. Xu, why don't you change seats?

Pei Danqing said, "Don't worry about him, Xu Lin, you can just sit next to me."

Xu Lin thought to himself, "Pei Danqing is quite domineering."

But who is Mr. Xiao?
At this point, Pei Danqing introduced Xu Lin to several important figures here, such as the producer and the director.

There was also an old man among them, who was also involved in film scoring; judging from the introduction, he was quite influential.

Xu Lin stood up and reached out to shake hands with the other person. It was polite to do so, and he had always respected the elderly and cared for the young.

However, the old man gave Xu Lin a hard time, not even offering a hand, and sat there motionless, wanting to give him a taste of his power. He said in a somewhat condescending tone, "Hmph, a mere brat, I wonder if he can shoulder this important task?"

?

Xu Lin, when navigating the world, adheres to the principle of never engaging in internal strife. What is internal strife? It's when someone insults you, and you keep it bottled up inside. When you get home at night, the more you think about it, the more uneasy and upset you become. You toss and turn all night, unable to sleep, and then you think about what you should have done.

Xu Lin, however, wouldn't tolerate anyone's behavior and bluntly said, "At your age, I'm worried about your memory. You might need someone to help you walk, right? Besides, you look like you're in your seventies or eighties, so your mind probably isn't working well anymore. Perhaps you've run out of ideas?"

With that, Xu Lin sat down.

Horse riding.

He's not afraid of offending people. "I'm a cheat code user, why would I need to associate with you?"
This kind of old-timer is the same in many circles, because the resources are all controlled by these old guys. Young people who come in later have to behave themselves. Hmm? Don't behave yourself? Then you can forget about getting by.

But Xu Lin wouldn't indulge him.

At worst, he'll just leave.

As Li Bai once said: "I laugh loudly as I go out the door; how can I, a man of such talent, be a mere commoner?"

Li Bai, who lived a carefree life, was one of Xu Lin's idols. If I were to indulge you, I'd change my surname to yours today.

"Ha! Young punk, showing no respect for his elders and showing no regard for seniority at the first sign of talent, he won't go far in the future!"

The old man was taken aback by Xu Lin's complete disregard for his dignity. He was so surprised that he couldn't accept it and almost lost face.

"Confucius said, 'To be old and not die is to be a thief.' Even the ancient sages who were teachers for all ages did not dare to rely on their age to act superior. You, a mere mortal, should be done with it. You're already this old, like an old cucumber. How much longer can you go on?"

"you!"

The old man was furious. Wasn't Xu Lin saying that he didn't have many years left to live?
He snorted coldly: "Hmph, though horses may one day return to the border, young roosters will not fight in the east of the city!"

Old Bi Deng is calling Xu Lin a villain. I'm a gentleman, so I won't stoop to your level.

Ah!
When Xu Lin saw that the other person was talking about ancient poems, he also said: "Reeds on the wall, top-heavy, light-footed, and shallow-rooted. Bamboo shoots in the mountains, sharp-mouthed, thick-skinned, and hollow inside."

You old fool, you're all talk and no action, yet you insult me. Don't you know who's the chicken?

The old man almost laughed in anger: "How much can beasts change? They only make us laugh!"

"You're all talk and no action, kid. You're just a petty person. I'm ignoring you." Xu Lin thought to himself, seeing the other person quoting a line from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," "Do you think I don't read 'Strange Tales'?" So he simply replied with a line of his own.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven; filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, and integrity."

Those unfamiliar with this statement might mistake it for praise, but it isn't. The first line is missing the number eight, meaning it was forgotten to include it, while the second line contains the character for "shameless." Therefore, the two lines together are an insult, implying the other person is shameless and unscrupulous.

The old man understood perfectly. His brows furrowed. "You brat, how dare you call me a shameless bastard!" he thought, his anger barely contained. "You rude brat, how can I possibly understand you!"

Xu Lin continued, "You old scoundrel, you've reached the middle age, and your tomb is now a wooden archway!"

If you had died sooner, the trees on your grave would be as thick as a person's embrace.

"You! You brat, how dare you tell me to die sooner?"

As people get older, they are most afraid of birth, aging, illness, and death. The old man couldn't hold back anymore, pointing at the other person, his hand trembling with excitement.

"You think you can act like a big shot just because you're old? What are you afraid to criticize? Do you think you're my father or grandfather?"

Xu Lin sat there, looking completely calm and fearless.

"You! You brat!"

Snapped!
Just then, Pei Danqing spoke up, her tone stern: "Alright, tonight is just a meal, let's all be amicable!"

The old man's chest was heaving; if he kept cursing, wouldn't something bad happen? Pei Danqing stopped him in time, afraid that the old man would end up in the hospital from anger.

"Humph!"

The old man, clearly out of respect for Pei Danqing, snorted coldly and fell silent, though the pent-up anger in his chest was making him feel depressed.

Damn it, I'm so angry!
He had a smooth life, and everyone treated him with courtesy and respect. But he always got the short end of the stick when it came to Xu Lin. Which old guy could stand up to that?

Several people present also disliked the old man, because he was really arrogant and liked to act superior and point fingers at others. However, they dared not speak out or show their anger. Now, seeing Xu Lin being so assertive, they were extremely pleased and almost wanted to give Xu Lin a round of applause.

the other side.

Xu Lin almost burst out laughing when he saw him sitting there, angry but only able to hold it in.

He was a man who respected the elderly and cared for the young, but he wouldn't give face to Old Bi Deng, who relied on his age to act superior.

Many young people have a romanticized view of the elderly, believing them to be kind and amiable. This is clearly not the case. Do bad people not get old? Some elderly men and women are incredibly wicked, even more so than when they were younger. At this age, society can't do anything about them, not even the law. Even if Uncle Hat sees them climbing over the highway fence, he can only say a few words; you can't just arrest them, can you? It's too much trouble, and you might even have to take care of them.

Tread...  

At the same time, another man in a suit and tie entered. He looked to be about thirty years old, tall, and had a slicked-back hairstyle.

Xiao Minghua glanced at Pei Danqing's side.

To Pei Danqing's right was a woman, and to his left was a boy.

"Dandan, what's this?"

"Find a seat yourself, and call me by my full name, or Director Pei!"

Pei Danqing glanced at him.

amount……

Xiao Minghua was speechless for a moment, and could only find an empty seat to sit at. However, since the table was already full, Xiao Minghua had to go to another table to sit at.

After he sat down, his eyes kept glancing at Xu Lin. He hadn't quite figured out what was going on yet. He had already arranged for Xu Lin to sit there, and now an uninvited guest had appeared. Xiao Minghua wondered where this little punk came from.
Xu Lin also glanced at Xiao Minghua. With his keen perception, he was pretty sure that Xiao Minghua was Pei Danqing's sycophant.

And now that I'm sitting here, am I being used as a shield?

Xu Lin quickly realized this.

But Xu Lin wasn't angry, because being a shield for a beautiful woman was nothing, as long as he could sleep with her in the future.

The goal is to win her over, not to be a nice guy to her.

If the relationship can't move forward, then he'll really become a clown, but Xu Lin will never be a clown.

The dinner party started quickly.

Strictly speaking, however, the meeting has begun.

There are two tables here, and a total of sixteen people.

Director Pei Danqing is the big boss here, a tough person, and she calls the shots at the dinner table.

The discussion was actually about the upcoming arrangements for the variety show "Chinese Humanities Chronicle".

For example, Xu Lin and Lao Bi Deng, who were opposite him, were responsible for the background music of this program.

Director Pei, with her decisive and efficient demeanor, succinctly explained the specific arrangements and schedule for the upcoming program, giving the impression of a strong, capable woman.

After half an hour.

"Alright, I've finished speaking. What do you all want to say? Please feel free to speak your mind."

Director Pei was somewhat domineering, but he didn't act like a Mazda spokesperson, dictating who was in favor and who was against. So, other people then began to express their questions and opinions.

Thirty minutes later, Pei Danqing asked Xu Lin, "Xu Lin, is there anything you want to say?"

For almost an hour, Xu Lin remained silent.

Xu Lin said, "If possible, I want to finish all the music in the next few days. I need to go back and get busy on the 15th."

"What kind of soundtrack could be produced in just a few days? Soundtracks are not something to be taken lightly."

Old Bi Deng spoke up again, seizing every opportunity to teach Xu Lin a lesson.

Xu Lin looked at him and said, "That's because you're old and useless. I won't talk about how talented or capable I am. Let's look at the results directly. None of the songs I've written before took me more than a day to complete, but which one was bad? And the market has already proven that I'm capable. Don't tell me you don't use the internet, old man."

Xu Lin advocates a direct results-oriented approach. What does results-oriented approach mean? For example, if a man claims to be very powerful and wealthy, but you look at what he wears, uses, and lives in—none of his belongings are expensive, and he has no women around him, or the women around him are ugly and unattractive—then he is just bragging. On the other hand, some people drive luxury cars, live in mansions, and are surrounded by beautiful women. They don't even need to say a word; everyone knows that this person must be a top-tier expert.

This is consequentialism.

"you!"

The old man was speechless for a moment. It wasn't that he didn't use the internet; in fact, he had even done some research on this Mr. Xu and knew that the young man was indeed capable. But Old Bi Deng was unwilling to admit it. The younger generation surpasses the older generation, and the older generation is afraid of being washed ashore and having their position challenged by a young upstart. How many of the older generation can stand that? These old Bi Dengs have been standing on the clouds for too long and are afraid of falling. They are too afraid of losing.

"Mr. Xu, is that right? You're showing far too little respect for the senior figures in this industry."

Taking the opportunity, Xiao Minghua put Xu Lin down, saying, "Even if you are talented, those who have climbed the mountain should not mock those who have descended, let alone the fact that Mr. Wu has not yet descended the mountain!"

Xu Lin looked at the other person and, not one to tolerate it, immediately said, "If you're an outsider, you have no right to point fingers at me. Anyone who understands music knows that I, Mr. Xu, am no ordinary person. As long as you're in this circle, you'll understand that I'm a towering mountain that countless people can't surpass in their entire lives. If you're not in this circle, you have no right to question me!"

"you!"

Xiao Minghua was stunned, thinking to himself that this little punk dared to contradict him, didn't he know who he was?

And you're so arrogant?

The others present were also astonished, thinking that this Mr. Xu was too awesome. Whoever insulted him, he would directly retort? And he didn't even use any swear words when he did it.

I'm rough!

It's so arrogant!

Xiao Minghua continued, "Director Pei, look at this person, isn't he incredibly rude? I believe that talented people should also possess virtue. As the saying goes, 'If virtue doesn't match talent, disaster will surely follow.' If someone only has talent but lacks the corresponding morality, then I think that person has a serious problem. Moreover, this person is very arrogant. I admit he is very talented, but the fact that he is so disrespectful shows how despicable his character is..."

Can you handle this?

Director Pei's beautiful eyes sparkled as she ignored Xiao Minghua, looking at this sharp-witted young man with newfound respect.

“If I didn’t have the ability, I wouldn’t have taken on this task. This program is aimed at the general public, especially countless teenagers who are studying. I, Xu Lin, know this very well. I understand that I have a responsibility to them, so of course I will do my best. If I didn’t have enough ability, I wouldn’t dare to stand on this stage.”

Eighteen-year-old Xu Lin was full of vigor and spoke with great conviction.

Director Pei nodded: "Okay, I trust you."

Xiao Minghua panicked immediately. How could Dandan still trust this little scoundrel?

Which link went wrong?

Xiao Minghua spoke again: "Director Pei..."

"Okay, stop talking!"

Pei Danqing interrupted her directly, and judging from her expression, it was clear that Director Pei was quite annoyed with Xiao Minghua.

Then, the dinner continued. Actually, the food hadn't even been served yet; it was a mobilization meeting before the official filming of the program.

The dishes are only just beginning to be served.

The meeting lasted for more than an hour, and the meal took another hour, totaling two or three hours in total.

When Xu Lin came out of the hotel, it was already past nine o'clock at night, and it had been dark for a long time.

He then took out his phone, intending to hail a taxi back to the hotel.

Just then, a gray BMW M4 stopped not far from him.

As the car window opened, Xu Lin saw Pei Danqing.

"Get in the car!"

Seeing Director Pei beckon, Xu Lin immediately went over.

Before long, Xu Lin got into the passenger seat. Xiao Minghua, who was in the back, felt like the sky had fallen when he saw this.

But Xiao Minghua's situation was about to collapse even further, because he was still following Director Pei's car.

Meanwhile, inside the car.

Do you have a place to stay?

Director Pei asked him.

Xu Lin originally wanted to say that he had already opened a hotel.

But Xu Lin thought about it again and decided not to say anything. He simply asked, "This is my first time in the capital, and I don't have a place to stay yet. Does Director Pei have any recommendations?"

"Then let me take a look."

Director Pei said.

After a while, Pei Danqing said again, "Those two people just now, the old one and the other one with the slicked-back hair, don't take their words to heart. Especially the old one, those old hands, they like to act like they're old and powerful. Don't pay attention to him. Actually, he hasn't had any works for a long time, he's been creatively exhausted for many years, but he has a status in the industry and likes to give orders. It's just that I don't have complete control over the program, otherwise I would have kicked this old man out directly."

After a pause, Pei Danqing said, "As for you, I specifically asked for you. I don't like those old fogies who like to pontificate."

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Director Pei." Xu Lin suddenly realized.

Pei Danqing smiled and said, "You're quite individualistic; anyone else would have to hold back."

"I thought to myself, at worst I'll just leave. It's not like I have to make a living this way."

"You are confident, courageous, resourceful, and sharp. I like your personality."

Pei Danqing said calmly.

The two chatted for half an hour before it all passed.

Then, Pei Danqing pointed to the courtyard house in front and said, "Why don't you stay here tonight?"

"There are courtyard hotels in Beijing?" Xu Lin thought he was just ignorant.

"this is my house!"

"Live at your house?"

"Ah."

Director Pei nodded.

Xu Lin stopped talking, afraid that she might change her mind.

Soon, Pei Danqing parked the car outside and led Xu Lin through the main gate of the courtyard house.

Xu Lin thought Pei Danqing's family was still here, but they weren't.

It seems like she lives alone.

The courtyard house is a very special place in Beijing.

Furthermore, this isn't a courtyard house outside the Sixth Ring Road, but rather a courtyard house in the old city of Beijing within the Second Ring Road. The former can be bought for a few million, while the latter would cost nine figures.

After entering the courtyard, Xu Lin thought to herself, "No wonder so many people were so polite to her tonight. Pei Danqing must have a powerful background. But then again, if she didn't have a powerful background, how could a girl in her twenties be the person in charge? And why would everyone be so polite to her?"

ability?

Are you very capable?
Do you think of yourself as Huo Qubing, a figure who only appears once every few thousand years of history?

Pei Danqing then said, "I live here all by myself, it's quite deserted. You can think of it as adding some liveliness to my place."

"I thought it would be inconvenient."

"I didn't say it was inconvenient, so you don't need to overthink it."

"Row."

Xu Lin didn't stand on ceremony anymore; this was Xu Lin's first time staying in a courtyard house.

Out of curiosity, he asked Pei Danqing for her opinion and then started wandering around inside.

He was genuinely curious about what lay inside the courtyard house.

This courtyard house is quite large. A standard courtyard house is 400 square meters, and Pei Danqing's is estimated to be 500 or 600 square meters, which is indeed quite large.

At this moment, Xu Lin strolled around leisurely, wanting to see what a courtyard house actually looked like.

As Xu Lin strolled around, he arrived at the place where Pei Danqing was hanging out her clothes to dry.

He saw Pei Danqing's clothes, he saw her underwear.

I rely on!

What a huge lantern!
Tonight, Pei Danqing tucked the hem of her shirt into her pencil skirt, and it wasn't tight, so the top looked loose, and Xu Lin didn't even notice.

I never expected Director Pei to be so secretive!

Isn't this figure even better than that of older sister Chi Lin Yue?

(End of this chapter)