Rebirth 02, the Celestial Being Told Me to Stop Pretending

Beiping is drier than the mountain city.

When Lu Chen returned to his dormitory at Beijing Film Academy, his lips were chapped and his throat felt like it was full of sand.

But now he has even less time to rest.

The next morning, I took the footage to the editing room at Beijing Film Academy.

The school has two non-linear editing computer labs, one for graduate students and one for undergraduate graduating classes. Lu Chen is neither of them, but he has a way to get around it.

After greeting Director Tian Zhuangzhuang, the computer lab administrator accepted two packs of cigarettes and gave him a key.

"I have to leave before 10 p.m., because the graduate students need it during the day."

"OK."

The computer room wasn't large; it had one non-linear editing machine, two monitors, and posters of the previous year's graduates on the wall.

Lu Chen ignored all that, piled the materials onto the machine, and started working.

There are more than 30 tapes of footage, each 60 minutes long, totaling nearly 2,000 minutes of footage.

The final cut was 98 minutes long, which meant that 1,900 minutes of footage had to be cut.

He waited for the graduate students to finish using the computer lab during the day, and then went in to cut the code at night.

I cut hair from 10 a.m. to 3 or 4 a.m., and then got up again at 8 a.m. to attend class.

Zhao Bo and Ning Hao took turns keeping him company, while Wang Yan was responsible for delivering meals.

Ning Hao was also present when Lu Chen was editing the toilet scene.

This scene involves three storylines converging in the same space, with the characters unable to meet each other, and the information gaps created entirely through editing.

After Lu Chen finished editing the video, Ning Hao watched it several times, feeling that something was missing.

"Sound," Lu Chen said.

"What?"

"When Dao Ge is squatting on the toilet, he should be able to hear someone washing their hands outside. The audience knows it's Mike, but Dao Ge doesn't. The visuals create tension, while the sound creates relaxation. This interplay of tension and relaxation is what makes comedy."

Ning Hao glanced at him: "Are you sure this is your first time editing a video?"

"I've seen a lot of movies."

This is the truth.

However, he only saw it in his previous life.

On the fifth day of editing, Zhang Liangying arrived.

She traveled from Chengdu to Beiping by train, carrying an old guitar case, wearing a military green cotton-padded jacket, and with her hair tied in a ponytail.

When she called Lu Chen from the entrance of Beijing Film Academy, her voice sounded a little nervous.

"I've arrived. I'm at the entrance of the Beijing Film Academy you mentioned."

"Wait for me, I'm coming right away."

Lu Chen ran to the school gate to meet her.

Zhang Liangying was thinner than he had imagined, with a small face, high cheekbones, and bright eyes.

At eighteen, I was a resident singer at a bar in Chengdu. I had never traveled far from home before, and this was my first time in Beiping.

"You sound younger than you do on the phone," Zhang Liangying said, sizing him up.

"You're bolder than you sound on the phone," Lu Chen said.

"Aren't you afraid to come all the way from Chengdu to Beiping?"

"Five thousand yuan," Zhang Liangying said. "I only make a few hundred yuan a month as a resident singer."

You're risking your life for a few hundred dollars? Work with me, and I'll make you a huge star.

Lu Chen took her to a small recording studio near the school. Tian Zhuangzhuang helped find the studio; it cost 100 yuan per hour, and the equipment was basic but sufficient.

"I've finished writing the song." Lu Chen handed her a piece of paper.

Zhang Liangying took it and looked down at it.

The lyrics are very short, just a few lines.

I love you, my dear girl.

My heart races when I see you

The wind blows through her long hair

Gently stroking my sleeping chest

She read it aloud softly, then looked up at Lu Chen.

I'll play a piece for you.

Lu Chen took Zhang Liangying's guitar and played it easily.

The melody is simple, mainly consisting of guitar strumming, with a brisk rhythm, like someone walking down the street whistling.

But the chorus suddenly rises in intensity, and the mood shifts from casual to serious.

After listening, Zhang Liangying remained silent for a few seconds.

"Did you write this song?"

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you studying directing? You can write songs, compose music, and play guitar."

"It's always good to have more skills, don't worry about that for now." Lu Chen pointed to the microphone in the studio.

"Shall we try it once?"

Zhang Liangying did not ask any further questions.

She took the guitar, tried a few chords, then closed her eyes, gently plucked the strings with her fingers, and the intro began.

Speak softly:

"I love you, my dear girl—"

The sound rose from a low crescendo, like a river flowing from the mountains, neither hurried nor slow.

The recording studio was quiet, with only her voice and the sound of the guitar strings.

Lu Chen stood behind the control panel, listening.

That's the right sound.

It's a bit different from the singing style of the Buyi Band in the previous life, but it has a rough and authentic feel to it.

Like the fog in a mountain city in winter.

After Zhang Liangying finished singing, he opened his eyes and looked at Lu Chen behind the control panel.

"How is it?"

"Record it again. In the last take, you took a breath too early on the second line of the chorus."

"You could tell from that?"

Why can't I tell?

Zhang Liangying raised her hand and gave Lu Chen a thumbs up, then sang it again.

This time it's fine.

After recording the theme song, Lu Chen had her record two more background music tracks.

A guitar-based piece is used in the scene where the dark-skinned man is on the run. A slow piano piece with vocals is used at the end.

"Does the five thousand yuan include these?" Zhang Liangying asked.

"Include."

"You're really good at business."

"You're not at a loss either. This song will be a hit."

Zhang Liangying smiled and didn't take it seriously. She put the guitar back in her bag and zipped it up.

"Shall I go then?"

"What time is the train?"

"It's tomorrow morning. I'll just find a hotel to stay in tonight."

"Don't stay in a hotel," Lu Chen said.

"I'll have someone find you a girls' dormitory to stay in for the night; it's warmer than a hotel."

Zhang Liangying hesitated for a moment: "Is it convenient?"

"It's convenient. My roommate Wang Yan has a wide network of connections and knows many people."

Wang Yan does indeed know a lot of people.

Ten minutes later, Zhang Liangying was arranged to spend the night in the dormitory of a fellow villager from the performing arts department.

Before leaving, Zhang Liangying stood at the entrance of Beijing Film Academy for a while and looked back at the school gate.

"This school is really good," she said.

"You want to come?"

"I want to," she smiled, "but I might not pass the exam."

"Not necessarily. You have a good voice and a talent for singing. You also have a good appearance. If you want to take the exam, try again next year."

Zhang Liangying didn't reply, picked up her guitar, and turned to leave.

Eighteen-year-old Zhang Liangying, carrying a guitar and with five thousand yuan in her pocket, waited for the bus in the cold January wind of Beiping.

As Lu Chen watched Zhang Liangying's departing figure, his mind was preoccupied with poaching people.

She didn't know that three years later she would be standing on the stage of "Super Girl", and she didn't know that the song would make all of China remember her name.

We must find a way to recruit Zhang Liangying to our side first, and then promote her.

There are many people who sing well, so why did Lu Chen specifically choose this one? Her talent was only one aspect; another was that she was one of Liu Yifei's few close friends in her past life. For this reason alone, Lu Chen was willing to lend a helping hand in advance.

Just like Shu Chang.

After Zhang Liangying left, Lu Chen incorporated the theme song and background music into the film.

"I love you, my dear girl, my heart races when I see you..."

Ning Hao sat beside him, listening without saying a word.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Who wrote this song?"

"I."

"And the singers?"

"A singer who performs at a bar in Chengdu."

"Five thousand yuan?"

Five thousand yuan.

Ning Hao was silent for a few seconds, then said, "You're a fucking genius."

Lu Chen stared at the last image on the screen: Blackie running on the road, getting further and further away, until he disappeared into the fog of the mountain city.

The end credits are rolling.

Director: Lu Chen.

Screenwriters: Ning Hao, Xing Aina, Lu Chen.

Photography: Zhao Bo.

Starring: Guo Tao, Liu Hua, Huang Bo, Xu Zheng, Su Chang.

Theme song: I Love You, My Dear Girl, sung by Zhang Liangying.

The film is 102 minutes long. Although it has four more minutes of screen time than the previous film, the plot is more compact.

Lu Chen leaned back in his chair, his eyes still fixed on the words on the screen that were slowly dimming.

"How are you feeling?"

Ning Hao slapped his thigh with delight, "It's going to be a hit, it's definitely going to be a hit!" He paused for a moment, then continued...

"If this movie doesn't become a hit, it would truly be an injustice."

Neither Xing Aina nor Zhao Bo said a word, but the joy on their faces was obvious to everyone.

Lu Chen felt that his version was at least on par with Ning Hao's version from his previous life, but it was impossible for it to far surpass Ning Hao's version.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Mr. Han, the video is finished editing. When would be a convenient time for me to show it to you?"

The person on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback.

"It's over so quickly? Then come to China Film Group tomorrow afternoon."

Lu Chen hung up the phone and stood up.

"Let's go eat. It's on me today."

"You're treating?" Wang Yan poked his head in from the doorway. "Do you have money?"

"I can afford to treat you to a bowl of noodles."

"Then I want an egg."

"Add an egg."

As the group stepped out of the machine room, the cold January wind of Beiping rushed into their collars, making them shiver.

Lu Chen walked at the front, his hands in his pockets.

There was a train ticket stub in my pocket, from Chongqing to Beiping, hard seat, 26 hours.

He clenched the ticket stub, then loosened his grip.

Tomorrow afternoon, China Film Building.

Han Shangping should see if his money was well spent.