lovenovelstory Chapter 42 I'll Do It
Chapter 42 I'll Do It
The September wind blew in from the alley entrance, carrying the dryness and coolness unique to early autumn.
Doraemon stood ramrod straight outside the west gate of Beijing Film Academy.
He was wearing a blue vest, the collar of which was tied tightly, but when the wind blew, the hem would flip up, revealing his round belly.
"Why haven't they arrived yet...?"
Doraemon stood on tiptoe and peered into the school gate with his round head.
People come and go at the school gate.
Every student who passed by couldn't help but look at this round, blue creature with curiosity and affection in their eyes.
Some bolder girls would even go so far as to touch her face while teasing her:
"Oh my, you're so cute! Who are you waiting for here?"
Doraemon dodged the salted pork knives, not quite used to such enthusiasm, and stammered:
"Waiting, waiting for a friend..."
The girl's eyes lit up immediately: "What friend? Male or female?"
Two more girls gathered around, gossiping, "Is this a case of catching someone cheating? Should I call for backup?"
"My name tells me that I'm a veteran of the Beijing Film Academy; there's no one in this school I don't know."
The chattering sounds surrounded Doraemon.
He felt a wave of dizziness, his vision blurred with circles of mosquito coils, and he almost fainted.
Doraemon couldn't understand what was wrong with this school, why was everyone so enthusiastic?
Actually, it's not really his fault for misjudging the situation.
Since his transmigration, he has only encountered "insiders" like Lin An who know his background, or middle-aged people like Lin's parents who have no understanding of the world of anime and manga.
Lin Yi was indifferent to most things, while Lin Meng was a simpleton who only liked to pull his beard or snatch his bell.
As for Old Zhao and Boss Sun of "Hongda Hardware"... they are rough men who have lived their whole lives and simply do not understand the destructive power of a round head, round body, and big eyes combined.
But students at Beijing Film Academy have normal aesthetic sense.
The image of Doraemon has a fatal attraction for them.
"I...I'm really just waiting for a friend..."
Doraemon's voice grew softer and softer, his round face turned bright red, and his body involuntarily shrank back.
The girls, however, persisted, their eyes shining as if they had discovered some treasure.
The encirclement was getting smaller and smaller, and Doraemon had retreated to the edge of the flower bed, with nowhere left to go.
Just as he closed his eyes, preparing to accept his "judgment of fate," a hand reached in from the periphery of the crowd and precisely grabbed his head.
"Everyone's gone, everyone's gone."
Lin An's voice came from outside the encirclement, tinged with impatience:
"This is my friend, stop crowding around here."
The girls turned around and saw a young man in a black short-sleeved shirt standing behind them, his expression indifferent, his eyes saying "keep away".
"Who are you?" a short-haired girl muttered in dissatisfaction.
Lin An ignored her and rubbed Doraemon's head twice with his five fingers; the feel was as good as ever.
"Are you getting impatient?"
Doraemon opened his eyes and saw Lin An's face, almost bursting into tears.
"W-Why did you take so long to get here!"
Lin An's lips curled up slightly, then he quickly suppressed it.
"Let's go."
He turned around, his hand sliding off Doraemon's head and hanging naturally at his side.
Doraemon followed closely behind him, his short legs moving swiftly, his blue vest whirring in the wind.
The girls stood there, watching the man and the cat walk through the school gate and into the narrow alley, their figures gradually disappearing into the shade of the trees.
"Who is that?" a girl asked.
"I don't know him."
"What's that blue thing? A tanuki?"
"I don't know... but it's so cute!"
……
……
In a dark alley.
Lin An asked Doraemon, "Where's the paper?"
Doraemon subconsciously looked around to make sure no one was passing by before reaching his hand under his vest and into his four-dimensional pocket.
After a rustling sound of rummaging, he pulled out a thick stack of A4 paper and handed it over with both hands.
"Give."
Lin An took it, flipped through it, and found a thick stack of at least two hundred sheets.
"What do you need these for?" Doraemon asked, tilting his head curiously.
Lin An did not answer.
"Am I going to have to draw one of those pictures again?"
Doraemon lowered his voice, his eyes filled with a playful yet lewd expression.
Lin An's forehead veins throbbed twice.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said seriously:
"I might be leaving for a while, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks, so don't let Mom and Dad find out."
Doraemon panicked a little and hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"
Lin An did not give a direct answer.
He stuffed the stack of A4 papers into his backpack, zipped it all the way up, and calmly said:
"Let's talk about something."
Doraemon stared at him for two seconds, then said with a wronged expression:
"Can't you take me with you?"
Lin An paused for a moment, then smiled and reached out to rub the blue chubby boy's head:
"This is something I can do alone."
Doraemon was silent for a few seconds, then earnestly instructed:
"If you encounter any trouble, be sure to let me know."
Lin An smiled and agreed, then turned and walked deeper into the alley.
Doraemon stood there, watching the figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared around the corner of the alley.
……
……
With the arrival of the National Day holiday, Beijing officially enters late autumn.
The ginkgo leaves in the alley are starting to turn yellow. When the wind blows, they fall down with a rustling sound, spreading a carpet of broken gold on the ground.
Red flags were hung in the streets and alleys, and loudspeakers on utility poles played "Ode to the Motherland" on a loop.
The film "Choice of Life and Death", which was released in August, is still dominating theaters.
"A Sigh" is also showing in theaters, proving that stories about extramarital affairs never lack an audience.
However, due to the serious subject matter of the film, which limited the regular audience of Feng Xiaogang's comedies, the box office was destined not to be very high.
Compared to the lifeless atmosphere of movies, television dramas were much more lively.
"Young Justice Bao" was a hit during the National Day holiday, "Spring Bright Pigsy" was rebroadcast and remained incredibly popular, and "Journey to the West II" was a show that children would tune in to every night.
The terrifying viewership ratings pierced the eyes of the GG merchants.
The bidding price for prime-time slots on CCTV-1 was driven up by 20% in just a few days.
The potential of mainland Chinese film and television is expanding at a visible rate.
Nowadays, dozens of film and television projects, big and small, that have been initiated, are in preparation, or have finished filming are all being closely watched by major capital firms, all wanting to get a piece of the pie.
The promotion and distribution of "Internet Addict's Diary" was launched in full swing at this critical juncture.
The huge Google logo was displayed on the Sina.com homepage for three whole days:
"China's first online interactive sitcom."
"We'll be filming and broadcasting simultaneously; your opinions will determine the direction of the story."
"A sitcom featuring a fresh, up-and-coming team has become popular again."
Asia Pacific Video went all out, buying homepage recommendations from three major portals: Sina, Sohu, and NetEase.
The cast and crew of "Internet Addict's Diary" garnered a lot of attention thanks to the names of Ying Da, Ye Daying, and Wang Shuo.
The Beijing Youth Daily, China Entertainment Report, China Actors News... related reports came one after another, almost in real time.
"Shameless!"
Inside a high-end office building.
Lin Cong sat at his desk, gritting his teeth as he stared at the webpage information on his computer screen.
She wasn't unaware of some of the unspoken rules of the industry, but there should always be a bottom line in doing things.
This kind of two-faced behavior is disgusting, and what's worse is that it tramples on her dignity!
"...Director Lin?"
A head peeked in through the door; it was her assistant, Xiao Zhou, holding a cup of hot tea, her expression cautious.
"Just put it there."
Lin Cong raised his chin, his tone so calm it was almost inhuman.
Xiao Zhou placed the hot tea on the corner of the table, hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice:
"The 'Internet Addict's Diary' is calling again, asking about you..."
"I'm not going."
Lin Cong interrupted her, her gaze returning to the screen, "Tell Director Ying that I'm not feeling well and need to rest."
Xiao Zhou opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.
The office fell silent.
Seeing that his assistant hadn't left, Lin Cong frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Zhou's expression was strange; his lips moved a few times, as if he was carefully choosing his words.
"The receptionist said that a student from the Literature Department of Beijing Film Academy is looking for you. His name is Lin An."
Lin Cong paused, holding the teacup, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I won't see him."
Xiao Zhou's expression became even stranger, and he lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard by the person outside the door:
"He said... he came to you for an explanation. He said you deceived his feelings, and if you don't see him, he will spread your scandalous affair throughout the entire Beijing Film Academy campus."
Lin Cong's face darkened instantly, and his chest heaved.
She paused for a good ten seconds before finally saying, with a mix of exasperation and amusement:
"Bring that kid in!"
……
A short while later, the door was pushed open again.
Lin An walked into the office at a leisurely pace, his gaze sweeping around before finally settling on Lin Cong behind the desk.
"Director Lin, it's been a long time."
Lin Cong leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and looked at him expressionlessly.
"You dare to come?"
"I haven't done anything wrong, so what's there to be afraid of?"
Lin An sat down on the sofa, put his schoolbag at his feet, and leaned back, looking as relaxed as if he were there to have tea.
Lin Cong stared at him for a few seconds, her lips twitching slightly.
"You're something else."
She said with a forced smile, "Don't let my appearance fool you. I am, after all, the daughter of the vice president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre. You know me, Huang Yao, and it's not just a matter of not being able to make it in the film and television industry."
Lin An smiled and said, "That's why I dared to say those things. After all, no one would believe it."
Lin Cong leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression playful:
"But you should understand now that not everyone in this circle is a human being."
"Indeed."
Lin An nodded in agreement, reached into his bag and pulled out a stack of manuscripts, placed them on the coffee table, and pushed them toward Lin Cong.
He said coldly, "That's precisely why I don't intend to leave them any room to maneuver this time."
Lin Cong glanced down at it but didn't reach out: "What's this?"
Lin An said, "The script."
Lin Cong frowned slightly: "What script?"
Lin An's tone was flat, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary:
"This is a sitcom script, with a background inspired by 'Internet Addict's Diary', and it contains five episodes."
Lin Cong's pupils suddenly contracted, and then he gave Lin An a deep look, his expression becoming playful:
"You're very brave."
Lin An lowered his eyes slightly and did not reply.
The room fell silent.
I don't know how much time has passed.
Lin Cong finally spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than before:
"It's pointless. Nobody will vote for it. You know why."
She leaned back in her chair, her tone calm, yet carrying an undeniable certainty:
"In the sitcom genre today, the Ying family is the absolute king. No matter how outrageous your script is, no film and television capital in the capital will be willing to take it on."
After all, this means going to war with the Ying family and the Beijing circle.
Her eyes held a complex expression as she said, "You're a smart person; you should know when to cut your losses..."
"I've already secured the investment," Lin An interrupted her.
Lin Cong's words came to an abrupt end.
She stood there, her lips slightly parted, her expression shifting from certainty to astonishment, and then from astonishment to disbelief.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lin Cong frowned, and his voice unconsciously rose a few octaves.
Lin An didn't explain, but simply reached into his bag, pulled out a neatly bound document, and gently waved it in his hand.
The cover of the document was printed with the words: Letter of Intent for Production.
Below is a line of small print: Shanghai Television Film and Television Production Center (Tomato Channel).
"The total production budget was 200,000 yuan. After the first episode was completed, it was screened in advance."
Lin An said calmly, "If the preview screening goes well, we will invest an additional five million and make a 10% bet on the viewership ratings."
He placed the contract on the coffee table, looked up, and stared directly at Lin Cong:
"If we win the bet, we'll become famous overnight, and you'll break away from the Ying family and become completely independent; if we lose, we'll be utterly defeated and suffer a full-scale backlash from the Ying family and the Beijing entertainment circle."
Lin An said, word by word:
"Will you do it or not?"
The room was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the wall clock.
Lin Cong stared at the contract on the coffee table, his pupils suddenly contracting again.
Her breathing became heavy, and her chest heaved much more dramatically than before.
After an unknown amount of time, the female director with an astonishing background grinned and said:
"Let's do it!"