Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Wuxi.

Winter in Jiangnan lacks the biting wind of the North, where "going out means being whipped like a dog," but it has a damp, bone-chilling stickiness. The cold wind isn't fierce, but it feels like fine needles pricking at seams, specifically targeting the gaps in clothing.

In the train station square, taxi drivers soliciting passengers, pedicab operators, map vendors, and women carrying children begging for money created a cacophony of sounds. The popular song "Too Softhearted" was playing on the loudspeaker; the sweet vocals were distorted by the amplifier, but the lingering sentimentality unique to the 1990s was still unmistakable.

"Hey young man, need a place to stay? Cheap and clean, close to Water Margin City!"

"Come and see! Authentic Wuxi-style braised pork ribs, fresh out of the pot!"

"Want a taxi? We offer delivery to both Water Margin City and Three Kingdoms City at reasonable prices!"

Among the crowd, a tall young man stood out, carrying a faded canvas bag and an old military green shoulder bag.

He was 1.85 meters tall, with short, neat hair. He wore a dark gray jacket, dark trousers, and shiny leather shoes—second-hand, but carefully polished.

It was Liu Xiang.

Next to him stood a man in his thirties, with messy hair, an unshaven beard, and wearing an old down jacket. He looked rather "rough".

Kang Honglei.

"We're going to the Water Margin City." Kang Honglei hunched his shoulders and put his hands in his sleeves. "The film crew will arrange everything at the hotel; we'll register when we get there."

"Okay." Liu Xiang nodded.

"Come on, let me tell you, Wuxi is especially cold and damp in winter. Don't let yourself get chilled," Kang Honglei muttered as they walked. "If you catch a cold, you'll be dead before you even see the tiger."

"I'm not that delicate." Liu Xiang smiled. "Back in martial arts school, we'd get up at five in the morning in winter to run, and the track would be covered in frost."

"You're pretty good at holding on." Kang Honglei glanced at him. "Okay, that's good."

As soon as the two stepped out of the train station square, a middle-aged man wearing a military overcoat and an old cotton hat approached them: "Hey—you two, are you from out of town? Are you going to the Water Margin City to film a movie?"

Kang Honglei glanced at him: "How did you know?"

"Hey, lately, eight out of ten people coming to Wuxi are going to the Water Margin City." The man smiled and handed over his business card. "My surname is Zhou. I work for film crews. I offer private car service, and the price is cheaper than a taxi. If you're an actor, you can contact me for work assignments."

The business card reads: "Master Zhou - Dedicated shuttle service for film crews, available anytime." Below are a series of landline and pager numbers.

Liu Xiang put the business card in his pocket and looked curiously at his Jetta.

Master Zhou lowered his voice and continued, "You're here to audition for the role of Wu Song, right?"

Kang Honglei clicked his tongue: "Your information network is pretty good."

"Of course, you two are quite fierce." Master Zhou proudly raised his chin. "A group of people came a few days ago, saying they were here to apprehend Wu Song, but when they found out they had to deal with tigers, they disappeared the next day."

Upon hearing the word "tiger," he instinctively shuddered. "You're risking your lives for this show."

Kang Honglei snorted: "He's the one who risked his life for the role."

He gestured with his chin towards Liu Xiang.

Liu Xiang smiled and said, "Let's eat our fill first before talking about fate."

Master Zhou glanced at him, his eyes holding something indescribable—sympathy? admiration? or simply a feeling that this man was a bit crazy?

"Let's go, I'll take you to Water Margin City," said Master Zhou. "I'll give you a discount."

"Okay," Kang Honglei readily agreed.

……

The taxi drove along the slippery road, the scenery outside the window gradually transitioning from old streets to newly developed urban areas. On the roadside signs, there was the "GG" sign for "Santana 2000", the slogan "Haier Refrigerators, Sincerity Forever", and a huge poster of "Water Margin" - although it hasn't aired yet, CCTV has already started its promotion.

On the poster, the images of Song Jiang, Lin Chong, Li Kui, and others are already taking shape, but the space for Wu Song is still blank, with only a few large characters written on it:

—"Wu Song, pending confirmation."

Looking at the blank space, Liu Xiang suddenly felt a strange sensation in her heart.

If this were a web novel, the system would probably display a notification right now: "Congratulations, host, you have triggered the main storyline—Robbing Wu Song!"

Unfortunately, his system only pops up when he's touching a tiger; otherwise, it's as quiet as a mobile phone that's been disconnected due to unpaid bills.

……

Water Margin City is located on the outskirts of Wuxi, right next to Taihu Lake.

As soon as the car turns onto the cement road outside the film studio, you can see the ancient-style city gate tower in the distance, with its gray-black bricks, tall flagpole, and the three powerful characters "Water Margin City" above the gate.

Although the city gate is not high, its overall imposing presence is already evident.

"We've arrived." Master Zhou parked the car in the film crew's designated parking lot.

"Okay, thanks." Kang Honglei paid the fare and got out of the car with Liu Xiang.

As soon as I reached the door, a staff member greeted me: "Director Kang!"

"Yes." Kang Honglei nodded. "Where is Director Zhang?"

"Director Zhang is in a meeting. He wants you to register at the hotel first, put your things away, and then go over there," the staff member said.

"it is good."

The two followed the staff through the front gate area and arrived at the film crew's hotel next to the Water Margin City.

The hotel wasn't particularly high-end, but in Wuxi in 1997, it was considered quite respectable. The lobby had terrazzo floors, and behind the reception desk hung a plaque that read "Feel at Home," next to which was a large-screen color TV that was just becoming popular, playing a rerun of the evening news.

"Please register first." The young woman at the front desk glanced at Kang Honglei and then at Liu Xiang, her eyes filled with curiosity.

After Liu Xiang took the pen and registered the form, she returned it to the little girl.

"Okay." The young girl quickly took the form and handed over the room key, "Room 306."

"OK."

……

The corridor on the third floor was covered with a dark red carpet, and the doors on both sides were tightly closed. Occasionally, sounds of arguing, laughter, and reciting lines could be heard from the rooms.

This is the feel of a film crew from the 1990s.

Liu Xiang threw his canvas bag onto the bed and slumped down – he was a bit tired after the long car ride.

"Wash your face first and rest for ten minutes," Kang Honglei said. "Ten minutes later, come with me to see Director Zhang."

"Okay." Liu Xiang nodded.

He quickly washed his face and tidied his hair with his hands to make sure he looked presentable before following Kang Honglei out.

As soon as the two reached the meeting room door, Kang Honglei encountered a middle-aged man.

"…Old Kang, what do you mean by this? We've almost finished booking everyone, and now you're suddenly bringing in another security guard?"

"What's wrong with being a security guard? Can't a security guard play Wu Song? That's occupational discrimination!"

"I'm not saying the security guards are no good, I'm saying—you should at least find someone reliable, right?"