4

On Thursday, I took the high-speed rail to Wuxi, armed with the address and contact information provided by the general manager. I thought the shoot would be at a film and television city, but ended up taking a nearly two-hour taxi ride to a remote new development zone.

The final destination was a building with an unfinished facade, seemingly unfinished or abandoned. It wasn't open to the public, and there was a pile of construction debris nearby. The security guard at the door asked for my ID, so I called the number given by the general manager. Expecting Li Zitong to answer, I felt uneasy. Instead, it was a man who introduced himself as the assistant director on set and was waiting to meet me at the door.

The assistant director, estimated to be in his forties or fifties, was balding on top, but with long, artistic hair growing at the temples. His understanding of beauty was truly baffling. He led me through the formalities—first, my ID was checked, then my photo was taken for my records. At the entrance stood an X-ray machine, similar to those found at subway entrances. Everyone had to pass through the machine before entering, followed by a thorough body search by security. Finally, they were given an admission badge to hang on my chest.

“It turns out that security for filming is so strict.” I sighed.

"No, it's not. Normally it's very loose," the assistant director said as he fastened the belt buckle that had been released during security. "It's just that this is a special case."

"Which big star is here?"

He was amused by what I said. "That wouldn't have happened like this, not even if a foreign leader was visiting. As for the reason, you'll know once you go in and take a look."

In stark contrast to the deserted atmosphere outside, the hall suddenly became bustling once inside. It was like a garden party, bustling with people. But a quick look revealed that everyone was busy with their own activities: some adjusting props, some building slides, some adjusting camera equipment... The entire hall was a mess, with piles of materials and equipment piled high in the corners. Only the west side had carpeting, with a proper exhibition booth and numerous glass display cases. The beautiful, soft lighting illuminated the dazzling array of jewels within.

I was a little confused. "Organizing a jewelry exhibition should be the job of our advertising company."

"That's how it should be, but our plot just happened to include this scene."

“There’s also an advertising company setting up an exhibition in the movie plot?”

"No, you haven't read the script yet?" he explained. "The film's heroine is an international thief who specializes in stealing art. We're currently filming the early climax of the film, where she steals the priceless diamond crown 'Dawn Star' from a jewelry exhibition."

"'Dawn Star'? Isn't that the jewel that will be the star of the upcoming 'Starry Night' jewelry exhibition?"

"That's right, but our crew has borrowed it for the next two days."

I glanced around. There were at least thirty or forty pieces of jewelry in the glass cases. Every one looked familiar; they were all pieces I'd seen photographs of when I was writing the proposal, and they were all the pieces I would use to support the collection of the "Starry Night" jewelry exhibition.

"Polka really spent a fortune this time. The jewelry here is worth at least hundreds of millions. No wonder the security measures are so strict."

The assistant director smiled slyly, "This is a rare opportunity. Would you like to take a closer look?"

He led me to a glass case where there was an emerald necklace.

I was about to get closer to the glass to take a closer look, but he unscrewed the lock without hesitation, opened the glass, grabbed the necklace and handed it to me, "Hold it in your hand and take a closer look."

"Hey, what are you doing..." I looked around guiltily and found that no one cared about our little actions. The security guards in the venue didn't even look at us.

"It's okay, just enjoy the view."

I took it with trepidation, but it felt much lighter than I'd expected. Without the spotlight, the emerald's luster was dull, unlike the flowing, clear water I'd seen in photos.

"Is this... a fake?"

"Hahaha, you're shocked, right?" The elderly assistant director smiled innocently, like a child. Perhaps this was his true nature. "Of course they're fake. They're all cheap stuff our prop team bought online, worth a thousand yuan at most. How could we possibly have so many real ones? If something went wrong, we wouldn't be able to afford the compensation even if we sold off our crew."

"I see." I smiled to hide my embarrassment at being easily deceived, but then I realized something was wrong. "If they're all fake, why is the security so tight?"

"Smart! There's a genuine piece here, albeit just one." He pointed to the most eye-catching and largest central display. "That piece, 'Dawn Star,' is the true jewelry star both in and out of the show. You're lucky to see it in person. Polka Jewelry loaned it to us specifically for this scene, for two days only. They also paid for the security team."

I looked in the direction he pointed and saw three security guards standing in a triangle formation, wrapping the central exhibition stand inside, just like defensive players in the backcourt of a football team.

Where their eyes met, a diamond crown shone with an unusually dazzling light.

A key focus of the exhibition design was highlighting the crown's splendor, so I was well-versed in its background. Inspired by the vastness of the galaxy, the crown took 1,872 man-hours to create. It's set with 3,853 diamonds, totaling over 230 carats. The center diamond accounts for 50.58 carats of this weight, and its color, clarity, and cut are of the highest quality, making it extremely rare for a diamond of this weight. This exceptional stone eclipses the nearly 4,000 supporting diamonds. Like a fallen seraph, it dominates the dawn sky with its radiant light.

"If I remember correctly, the 'Dawn Star' is worth 258 million yuan. All the other jewels at the exhibition, taken together, are not worth that much. Are they really willing to lend it to you?"

"Originally, I was reluctant to use it and planned to use a replacement. I even spent money to customize an identical replica. It's made of silver and inlaid with moissanite. But after shooting a few shots, I found that the distance was fine, but the close-ups looked cheap. Apart from other aspects, the craftsmanship alone was far from perfect. Director Li even went to consult with Polka last week about this. The result was that the real thing was only used in this one scene, and the close-ups were all shot in a locked glass cabinet. The subsequent theft and chase scenes were all filmed with replicas."

As we were talking, we naturally walked towards the central exhibition stand. Without paying much attention to where we were going, I bumped into a man wearing a mask.

The stack of papers he was holding fell to the floor. I apologized and helped pick them up.

"Isn't this the crew's registration form? Why did you bring this thing out?" The assistant director picked up one of the sheets and questioned the man.

The man who was hurriedly picking up something looked up and exchanged glances with the assistant director. The latter understood something and changed his tone, saying, "Oh, it's you. Why are you wearing a mask?"

"I have a cold and I'm afraid of infecting others." The man said vaguely.

"If you're sick, go back and have a good rest."

"It's okay, just a mild cold." The man packed up all the documents and left in a hurry.

After taking a general tour of the scene, I asked the assistant director about Li Zitong's whereabouts.

"She's a very busy woman, explaining the play to the actors. She should have been the one to receive us personally, but she couldn't find the time. I'm really sorry. That's how crews are. They look glamorous to outsiders, but in reality, everyone is exhausted..."

He was halfway through his rambling when a young woman with a ponytail came over and said, "Director Zhang, there's a problem with the extras. They say it's a pay issue, and two buses of people can't get through. Please help coordinate it quickly!"

"Why do you always have to make trouble at this critical moment?" The assistant director's face changed drastically, and he rushed out in a flash. Fortunately, he remembered me before he took two steps and instructed the girl with the ponytail to stay and show me around. "This is Polka's partner. Please show him good hospitality."

"Ponytail" agreed in confusion.

While the purpose of this trip was to observe the filming process and identify potential collaboration elements, I had no experience in how to begin. Mawei seemed completely bewildered and could only lead me around the front and backstage.

Her position seemed to be a venue assistant, and she was quite busy. Her phone kept ringing, and people on site kept asking her to coordinate things. After standing there waiting for a while, I suggested that she go ahead and do her work while I went on the tour alone.

This proposal seemed to be what she had been waiting for. Ma Wei found me a director's chair and asked me to sit in a corner and watch the filming process at will. She said that she would come back to show me around after she was done, and then she disappeared.

Not far away stood a handsome actor with a high, straight nose that dominated his face, evoking the distant Tianshan Mountains. Staff were adjusting his clothing and makeup. He looked familiar to me, as if I'd seen him on screen before, yet also unfamiliar. On reflection, celebrities these days seem cut from the same cloth, so it's no surprise I'd mixed them up. Perhaps I'd stared too long; the actor noticed my gaze and whispered something to the makeup artist nearby, who came over and politely asked me to move my chair.

People were coming and going, and no matter where I sat, I felt like I was in the way. After shuffling around a bit, I finally found myself in the most secluded corner of the studio. As soon as I sat down, I spotted Li Zitong in the distance. She was dressed in a smart business suit, her hair tied back with a simple shark clip. She wore black-framed glasses, which was odd; I remembered her eyesight as always being excellent.

She accompanied two young men dressed as assistants as they toured several areas of the studio. Wherever they arrived, they quickly became the center of the crowd. Li Zitong spoke briefly and concisely, and the others nodded in agreement before turning around to handle their business.

Before I actually witnessed this scene, I'd been skeptical about her personality suited to being a director, taking charge. It seemed she was no longer the little girl who deliberately answered incorrectly to avoid being the center of attention. I felt both relieved and sad; the old days were truly gone.

Before filming began, the set had to be cleaned. Sweeping with a broom and then hosed down. After a quick scan, the camera discovered some details were still flawed, so the crew immediately rushed in to remedy the situation.

After a long wait, all preparations were complete, and the busy staff could finally sit in a corner and play with their phones. The actors officially got down to work, the cameraman focused on controlling the camera movements, and Li Zitong stared intently at the monitor. The only sound on the set was the actors' voices, and everyone else seemed to be holding their breath.

After finally wrapping up a shot, everyone got busy again, and the set became lively. However, one take wasn't enough; Li Zitong instructed for an extra take. The seemingly simple action sequence began filming again, repeating the sequence numerous times until dark. Just when we thought we were finally done, we were met with lunch boxes, and after a quick meal, everyone got back to the next take.

I didn't get any lunch, as if my existence had been forgotten. I wanted to go out for a bite to eat, but then I thought about going through security twice, which would be a long process, so I gave up. Just a little longer and it should be over, I thought, leaning back in my chair, hungry and exhausted, and I fell asleep at some point.

When I woke up, there were quite a few people around me. Li Zitong's face was very close to me, as if she had woken me up. I quickly climbed out of the chair and wiped the saliva from the corner of my mouth with my sleeve.

"Thank you for waiting so late." She forced a tired smile.

"No, no, you are the ones who work hard. You are busy from morning till night. I can feel your professionalism just watching you." I said politely, but my stomach growled a few times at inopportune times.

Li Zitong seemed a little surprised, "Are you hungry?"

"Well, I was planning on going out for dinner, but I thought security was too much trouble. I'll do it after I'm done."

Li Zitong turned to look at the assistant director, "Lao Zhang, what's going on? Didn't I ask you to receive them according to the investor's standards?"

The assistant director scratched his sparsely haired forehead. "It's all about the extras. They've wasted all our time... But I've already told Qin Lu to be in charge."

"It was my oversight. I didn't think about ordering food." Ponytail timidly admitted her mistake. "I'll go find the logistics department right away. They should have some extra lunch boxes..."

"Okay, let's stop here." Li Zitong frowned and looked around at the people around him. "Let's stop here for today. Xiaolu, drive Manager Su to the restaurant. I'll go there myself later."

Mawei drove me downtown. The restaurant we'd chosen was tucked away in a quiet corner of a central street. Its sign was unassuming, and the name, a French translation, was hard to remember after just one hearing. As the car pulled up, a woman in a cheongsam emerged to greet us. Mawei mentioned Li Zitong's name, and we were led up to an elegant private room on the second floor.

I thought it was a business dinner with the crew, but Ma Wei escorted me to a private room and then left. I waited for twenty minutes, confused, until Li Zitong pushed the door open and walked in alone.

She wore a plain, ruffled, pleated gown, accessorized with a bright pearl necklace. Her glasses were off, her long hair had been re-combed. With minimal makeup, her face shone like crystal. It suddenly occurred to me that I'd never seen Li Zitong wear makeup before. I'd naively assumed that even makeup wouldn't change a beautiful woman much.

"I accidentally got my clothes dirty on the set, so I went back to the hotel to change," she explained shyly. "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It's okay, but what about the others?"

"I didn't invite anyone else. We haven't seen each other for so many years, wouldn't it be nice for just the two of us to have a meal together and catch up?"

For some reason, this woman with lively expression and eloquent speech in front of me made me feel very unfamiliar, and I couldn't say I had any good impression of her.

"I'm on a business trip at public expense. This isn't a good idea."

"What's the matter? No matter how busy you are, you have to eat first." She pushed the menu on the table towards me. "This restaurant has a very good reputation. Although it's not as good as the Michelin-level ones in first-tier cities, it can still be considered outstanding."

I opened the heavy menu and saw that the dishes were Western and there were no prices listed.

"Instead of looking at the menu, I'd better check out the restaurant review software. Maybe there are group purchase coupons." I picked up my phone.

"This is a members-only restaurant, a bit like a 'private kitchen.' Ordinary people can't get in, and there's no information on review apps," she said, a bit embarrassed. "If you don't have anything you want to eat, just ask them for recommendations."

Li Zitong pressed the order bell. Ten seconds later, a waiter in a tuxedo quietly appeared in the room.

"Today's recommended dishes are charcoal-grilled Australian Wagyu beef and tapioca pearl oysters with caviar," he offered. "They were just flown in, so they're super fresh."

"Sure." Li Zitong nodded and turned to me for my opinion. "The honey bean tilefish and seven-bone lamb chops are the signature dishes of this restaurant. Would you like to order one of each? Bordeaux is usually a good choice for red wine, and for dessert, the redwood cherry croissant is recommended."

Except for the wine, the other dishes are things I can't imagine what the finished product will look like just by hearing the names.

"Director Li, you're so polite. It's so late, I think we should have something quick and filling. Any options like pasta or pizza?"

Li Zitong and the waiter were stunned. True to his profession, the waiter, with a quick expression like a Sichuan opera performer, continued to recommend in a respectful tone, "We have pasta. We have basil pesto, seafood squid ink, and Neapolitan."

"I want a Neapolitan one, with more noodles, and nothing else."

Li Zitong pursed his lips tightly, then relaxed after a moment. "Then I'll order the seafood ink pasta, and one serving each of the Wagyu beef and oysters I recommended earlier. Let your chef help choose a good bottle of red wine..."

I interrupted her and said, "We have work to discuss later, so please don't drink."

When the pasta arrived, I scooped up huge handfuls with my fork and devoured it in minutes. I left the other dishes untouched. Li Zitong only moved his knife and fork a few times, barely eating anything.

I could tell she had something to say, so I spoke first, "Now that we've eaten, let's talk about the serious business of working together."

"Is time so tight?"

"Indeed. Unlike Director Li, I work for someone else, and my superiors only approved two days of travel time. I've wasted a whole day today, and if I don't speed up, it will be too late."

"Can you please not call me by my profession? There's no one else here, so just use my original name."

"I'm sorry, I've long forgotten how to say your name when I was a child."

Li Zitong held her breath for a moment, her chin resting on her hand as she stared at me blankly, the subtle expression evading her face. After a long moment, she regained her composure, pulled out a sealed A4 document from her Chanel handbag, and placed it on the table.

"Here are the documents I've compiled, including the script, cast, and so on. I'm not sure what you'd need for your advertising partnership, so I've incorporated promotional stills, pre-production period information, and promotional plans based on my own ideas. I hope this helps."

I took it in my hand and flipped through it. The content was very detailed. "Thank you for your trouble. Thank you very much."

"No rush to talk about business now, right?"

"Well, that's not necessary. This document is all I need. I'll head back right away. There might be a high-speed train available at this hour."

I put the documents in my bag and started to put on my coat. Li Zitong stared at me with an oppressive look for a few seconds, then sighed and lowered his head sadly.

"Don't you really want to see me?"

"It has nothing to do with personal wishes, I'm just too busy with work."

She didn't respond, staring intently at the table. Then she raised her gaze again. "I was going to apologize to you. I waited until halfway through the meal, when the atmosphere was more relaxed. I didn't recognize you at first at the Polka bidding meeting. I was filming until midnight the day before, and I was catching a bus the next day, so I forgot to wear my contact lenses. You were sitting far away, so I didn't realize it was you. I don't agree with the concept of the proposal, but as you said, business is business. I'm sorry I said something that affected your work."

"You weren't nearsighted until high school."

"Didn't I give up a university offer during my senior year of high school? Later, to retake the Gaokao, I stayed up all night studying by flashlight and accidentally developed eye problems... Anyway, the bidding meeting was really just a coincidence."

"Don't worry, I didn't take that matter too seriously. Anyway, I won the bid in the end, thanks to your help and good words."

"Then why..."

"I'm afraid if I stay any longer, some bad memories will be revived."

I passed by her and her hand was held. "I know you are hurt by what happened in the past, but give me some time, I can explain it to you..."

I felt a little bit sorry, but when I thought back to what happened during the winter break of my freshman year, I became tough again.

"No need to explain. Let bygones be bygones. It's not like I have any fond memories of it anyway." I didn't look at her. She finally let go.

When I pushed open the door of the private room, I was almost knocked down by the man rushing towards me.

For a moment I thought I had met some gangster, but it turned out that the person who came was actually the assistant director.

He ignored me and burst into the room breathlessly, "I called you multiple times, but you never answered."

"I accidentally turned it to silent mode." Li Zitong didn't turn around and lowered his voice, "Is it about the crew? Don't bother me for now, let's talk about it tomorrow."

"My dear aunt, please stop complaining! Something terrible has happened!" The assistant director's features twisted into a knot. "'Dawn Star' has been stolen!"