Huayu02 started by making films.

On the way back to the village, Han Yi took out his phone and called Jiang Wen. After the call connected:

"Hey, senior! You didn't even let me know you were coming so I could have picked you up at the station!"

Jiang Wen's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Jiang Wu told you, right? I was planning to give you a surprise."

Han Yi thought to himself: This is indeed a "surprise." Last time, when we were making a short film, you complained about the lack of scenes, the short amount of screen time, and the insufficient budget, so you didn't bother. This time it's a feature film. Does Lao Gui know what you're planning?

He chuckled into the phone, "Where are you, senior brother? Shall I come pick you up?"

"You just focus on your work on set, I know where it is. That's all, bye."

"Beep..." The busy signal sounded, and Han Yi looked completely bewildered.

……

On the train, Jiang Wen hung up the phone, looked at Han Shanping sitting opposite him, and laughed, "Hey Han, you really think highly of Han Yi?"

Han Shanping said helplessly, "The domestic film industry is not doing well right now. Those big directors each have their own companies or investors. The Sixth Generation directors are always going against the Film Bureau."

"The Beijing Film Academy finally produced a talent like Han Yi. Back in Cannes, I had a feeling this kid was up to something. I couldn't rest easy without going to see him."

"You're just overthinking things," Jiang Wen said, pursing his lips. "Han Yi is a young man; he won't follow the example of those sixth-generation rich kids."

"Have you seen the script that Han Yi submitted to the Film Bureau for review? That script is incredibly pretentious and empty. I suspect he's learning from you."

"What?!"

……

When Han Yi returned to the film crew, it was just in time for dinner, and he ate authentic "Shijiazhuang Anhui Beef Noodles".

The two cooks hired by the village chief were rolling out dough and cutting noodles.

A large pot of beef brisket broth was simmering, and the rich aroma of spices could be smelled from afar; upon closer inspection, a layer of bright red chili oil and some fried dried chilies floated on the surface of the soup.

Han Yi stirred the contents with a spoon, revealing peeled eggs and fried tofu soaked in broth.

When the manager arrived, the two older women quickly uncovered another pot—it contained boiling water—and began to cook the ingredients in it, saying:

"Boss Han, are you hungry? The noodles will be ready soon."

Hearing that he had gained another title, Han Yi smiled and waved his hand: "Big sister, I could smell the aroma from the edge of the village. This is your cooking!"

After saying that, he gave the two of them a thumbs up.

While eating, Han Yi squatted by the door, took a sip of the soup from his bowl, and savored its spicy and savory flavor. Then he picked up his chopsticks and slurped up large mouthfuls of noodles.

Fan Xiaopang also came over with a bowl, took a magazine and sat down on the ground.

"Director Han, there are seats inside, why are you squatting to eat?" she asked casually.

Han Yi looked up from his bowl and glanced at the Qingdao girl: "It's a habit I developed myself. I feel uncomfortable if I don't squat while eating noodles."

"Hehehe..." Fan Xiaopang laughed.

Just as she was about to continue speaking, Han Yi noticed a few cloves of garlic floating in her bowl and called into the house, "Chenchen, where did this garlic come from? I want some too!"

"They're here."

Chen Chen responded and quickly brought out a soup bowl filled with glistening pickled garlic.

Han Yi scooped a few pieces into his bowl and casually asked, "Where did these come from?"

Seeing that Fan Xiaopang was sitting to Han Yi's left, Chen Chen quietly sat down to his right: "The cook's family makes their own marinated food."

Han Yi slurped his noodles, his words muffled: "This is great! Eating noodles without garlic is like missing half the flavor. Did you pay your older sister?"

"You don't need to worry about that, it was already given to you. At first, my older sister refused, saying the village chief had already paid for the meals..."

"One thing at a time. I'll go to town later and buy some workbooks for my older sister's kids," Han Yi said casually, wiping his mouth after finishing the last bite of noodles.

Chen Chen rolled her eyes: "You're just being mean."

Fan Xiaopang, standing to the side, couldn't stop laughing: "Hehehe..."

Han Yi gave her a disgruntled look: "Fan Xiaopang, I know how well you've been doing at the Central Academy of Drama. Don't you dare let me down tomorrow!"

Fan Xiaopang suppressed his smile and said decisively, "Director Han, let's wait and see."

"OK!"

Han Yi waved his hand and went back to his room to make a phone call.

As a director, Han Yi's room was naturally different from others; while the others were separated by gender, he had a room to himself.

He originally wanted Chen Chen to move in as well, to engage in some unspoken rules. However, Chen Chen made an excuse that she needed to take care of a junior female student from the art academy, so she didn't move in.

Back in his room, Han Yi dialed the number of the professional manager at BNP Paribas, having already explained the matter to him.

After the call connected, Han Yi issued the following instructions:

"In the USA vs. Portugal game, I bet everything on Portugal. Of course Portugal lost. China? They lost too. Argentina too… You ask about France? France lost as well, so I went all in…"

It was late at night when the transoceanic phone call was finished.

Silent all night.

The following morning, filming proceeded smoothly.

"Click!"

Han Yi pointed at the villagers watching from the perimeter, picked up a megaphone, and shouted, "Li Xiang, come here! Didn't I ask you to coordinate with the village chief yesterday? Why are there still so many people here?"

Li Xiang jogged over: "Director Han, I already talked to the village chief yesterday, and he said he would make arrangements. I don't know where these people came from..."

Han Yi sighed and rubbed his forehead: "Let's just treat them as background. The photographer should be careful not to film the villagers, and is the sound recording okay?"

Gao Qiang and Zhao Bin gave each other an OK sign. Du Zhe then checked the equipment again.

Filming continues.

"Where's the makeup artist? Come and touch up Jiang Wu's makeup. I want him to look like a lazy man in his forties who can't find a wife."

Makeup artist Xiao Li looked completely bewildered.

Han Yi pointed to a man watching from the sidelines: "Just do the makeup like that on his face."

Xiao Li ran outside, stared at the man for a while, and then ran back to do Jiang Wu's makeup.

Han Yi was giving Fan Xiaopang acting instructions: "Fan Xiaopang, remember this, you are now playing 'Shanju,' a woman who was just abducted by human traffickers and sold to Old Man Zhong. She is seventeen years old and has only been working for a year."

Fan Xiaopang nodded thoughtfully: "It's about the same as when I first debuted."

"Yes, that's how you should think. Put yourself in the shoes of someone being bullied on the set of 'Pi Yanzi Looking for Her Wild Father'."

"good!"

After another round of hard work, we finally finished shooting three shots after a whole morning.

Han Yi waved his hand and said, "Serve the food!"

At lunchtime, two visitors arrived: one as expected, the other unexpected.

Han Yi asked the cook to prepare three dishes and entertained Jiang Wen and Han Shanping privately in a small room.

At the dinner table, watching Jiang Wen engrossed in his food, Han Yi joked, "Senior brother, what's wrong with you? Did you run into robbers on the road?"

Jiang Wen finished his rice in his bowl, and Han Yi handed him a bottle of Beibingyang soda. He opened the bottle, downed it in one gulp, and let out a burp.

"Han Yi, if I had known your place was this remote, I would have driven here with Lao Han. You have no idea how awkward we looked staring at each other in town..."

Han Yi covered his face: "I said I would pick you up, but you didn't want it."

Han Shanping interrupted the two: "It's alright, they haven't gone very far."

"My feet are covered in blisters!"

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business." Han Shanping ignored Jiang Wen and turned to Han Yi, asking:

"Director Han, the main reason I'm here is to ask if your film needs investment?"

Han Yi laughed and said, "Mr. Han, please don't call me Director Han. Just call me what you would call my senior brother Jiang Wen. To be honest, although my last short film didn't make much money, it was enough to make a feature film."