We asked you to make an anti-corruption film, but you made one in the name of the people!

Zhang Songwen has become incredibly famous.

It wasn't the kind of fire that slowly heats up; it was a sudden, all-encompassing fire.

His Weibo followers grew from tens of thousands to more than three million, and his videos are all over Douyin, with even clips of him playing minor roles ten years ago being dug up.

But Zhang Songwen himself hasn't quite adapted yet.

He's still in Hengdian, filming a low-budget art film. He doesn't have many scenes, and he goes back to his rented room every day after work.

In the past, when he went out to buy groceries, no one ever gave him a second glance.

In Hengdian, the streets are full of actors. Even if you wear sunglasses and a mask, no one will find it strange.

But it's different now.

That afternoon, Zhang Songwen finished work early and thought he would go to the market to buy some vegetables so he could have a bowl of noodles for dinner.

He was wearing an old sweatshirt, without a hat or a mask—he hadn't yet developed the habit of wearing a mask when going out.

Upon arriving at the market, the woman selling vegetables stared at him for several seconds before tentatively asking, "Are you... are you Gao Qiqiang?"

Zhang Songwen was stunned for a moment, unsure how to answer. To say yes would be a bit strange; to say no would seem like lying.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the older woman pressed on, "It's Gao Qiqiang, the fishmonger! The one from Jiuchang Street!"

An old man selling tofu nearby chimed in, "Yes, yes, that's him!"

That shout made the whole market lively.

"Gao Qiqiang is here to buy groceries!"

"Come and see! Come and see!"

"This actor is so good at acting, it makes my heart ache just watching him."

Zhang Songwen was surrounded, still clutching the bunch of scallions in his hand, unsure whether to leave or stay.

The vegetable vendor snatched the scallions from his hand and stuffed two more handfuls into his bag: "Take them, take them, it's free! You acted so well! I feel sorry for you just watching you!"

The old man selling tofu was even more honest. He cut off a piece of tofu, put it in a bag, and handed it to him, saying, "Take this too. Use it to make soup when you get home. Kid, don't let anyone bully you in the future. It hurts me to see you like this."

Zhang Songwen was both amused and exasperated. He thanked them several times and finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd.

He glanced down at the bag—besides the bunch of scallions he had bought, there were two more bunches of scallions, a block of tofu, three tomatoes, and a bunch of celery. They were all freebies.

A young man next to him kept filming with his phone, recording the whole thing from when he was recognized until he squeezed out of the crowd.

That evening, the video went viral on Douyin.

In the video, Zhang Songwen is wearing an old sweatshirt, carrying a plastic bag, and surrounded by a group of elderly people, his face clearly showing his ignorance.

The caption reads: "I ran into Gao Qiqiang at the Hengdian vegetable market. The vegetable vendor felt sorry for him and insisted on giving him several bunches of vegetables. Teacher Zhang Songwen is really kind; he kept saying thank you."

The comments section has a unique style.

"Gao Qiqiang, you've finally earned some sympathy, but it's the vegetable vendor who feels sorry for you, not An Xin."

Zhang Songwen: I just came to buy some scallions, how did I end up being stuffed with a bunch of vegetables?

"The vegetable vendors are the real audience; they don't look at trending topics or data, they just watch the show."

"Teacher Zhang Songwen has been wearing this sweatshirt for several years. He wore it when he was an extra, and he still wears it now that he's famous."

"A good actor doesn't change his clothes even after becoming famous."

"Zhang Songwen, you deserve all of this, you deserve all the dishes."

Zhang Songwen was cooking noodles in his rented apartment when he saw the video.

He leaned his phone against the condiment bottle, cooking noodles while browsing the comments section. As he read, the noodles almost burned.

He scooped up the noodles, poured on soy sauce and sesame oil, mixed them, and sat down on the sofa with the bowl in his hand.

My phone vibrated again. It was a message from Zhou Yiwei: "Songwen, you're famous now! Even the vegetable vendor knows you."

Zhang Songwen replied with a helpless emoji.

the other side.

The cast and crew of "Raging Storm"

Su Xiaoding was the quickest to act, immediately sending the video link to the group chat three times in a row, as if afraid that others wouldn't see it.

The first one is a link, the second one is @ZhangSongwen, and the third one is a long string of exclamation marks.

Su Xiaoding: "Bro! You're trending! The one about buying groceries!"

Wang Jiachuan was the second to chime in, sending a laughing emoji: "Songwen, is that scallion in your hand a prop or a real scallion?"

Zhang Songwen ignored him.

Long Li also chimed in: "@Zhang Songwen, bro, I laughed so hard after watching the video."

Li Yitong posted a pitying emoji, but it looked more like she was gloating: "Songwen-ge, call me when you go grocery shopping next time, I'll cover for you."

Zhang Songwen finally replied: "That's enough."

Su Xiaoding persisted: "Brother, you've been wearing that hoodie for years, haven't you? It's become popular, you should get a new one."

Zhang Songwen replied with a single word: "Poor."

The group chat erupted in laughter.

Wu Gang then stepped in and said calmly, "Songwen, it's a good thing to be famous. It means the audience remembers you, but they remember Gao Qiqiang, not you, Zhang Songwen. You need to understand that."

These words were spoken with maturity and composure, like an elder reminding a younger person.

Zhang Songwen replied quickly: "Teacher Wu Gang, I've got it."

Zhang Yi rarely spoke at length in the group chat, and it wasn't a joke; he was serious: "The audience feels sorry for Gao Qiqiang because you brought him to life. This popularity didn't fall from the sky; it's something you've built up over a decade. You should seize the opportunity."

At this moment, Jia Bing interjected, his focus always different: "Songwen, where is the market where you buy your groceries? I'll go there tomorrow and see if anyone knows Xu Jiang."

Su Xiaoding replied instantly: "Teacher Jia Bing, don't go. If you go, they won't just try to force you to eat; they'll call the police."

Jia Bing sent an eye-rolling emoji.

The group chat erupted in laughter again.

......

Lin Mo is finally moving.

His previous house was in an old neighborhood outside the North Fifth Ring Road.

The rent is 3,200 yuan a month, which takes up most of my salary.

He lived in that house for almost two years, from a junior staff member at the Supreme People's Procuratorate to a deputy director on temporary assignment at the Ministry of Public Security.

But the total time he actually lived there was less than three months.

Filming for "In the Name of the People" took two or three months on set.

Filming for "All or Nothing" took more than a month in Hainan.

Filming for "The Storm" took nearly two months in Jiangmen.

The rest of the time I spend is either at the Ministry of Public Security or the Supreme People's Procuratorate; when I go back to my rented room, I just take a nap.

Why not move?

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't have time.

Viewing apartments takes time, moving takes time, and he doesn't even have enough time to sleep, so where would he find the time to move?

But it's different now.

"The Storm" aired, and the money arrived in my account.

He wasn't an investor, but he received director and screenwriter fees plus a share of the profits; the total from several films amounted to seven figures.

Not extremely wealthy, but more than enough to buy a new house.

Lin Mo's criteria for finding an apartment were simple: it should be close to the Ministry of Public Security, quiet, and preferably have an elevator.

The agent showed him three properties, and he chose the second one.

It's located on the East Third Ring Road, a 15-minute taxi ride from the Ministry of Public Security, and not far from the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

It's about 70 square meters, with two bedrooms and a living room. It has an elevator, the neighborhood is quiet, and there's a supermarket downstairs.

The rent is seven thousand a month, more than double what it used to be, but he can afford it now.

On the day of the move, Lao Zhao came, bringing a moving company with him.

Lin Mo didn't have much stuff. His clothes were packed in two suitcases, his books in a cardboard box, his computer in a bag, and all the pots and pans in the kitchen belonged to the landlord, so he didn't need to bring them.

Looking at the several boxes in the living room, Old Zhao was somewhat incredulous: "Director Lin, you've lived here for two years, and this is all you have?"

"There were a few boxes of instant noodles left, they were expired, so I threw them away."