Chapter 2 was marked as familiar.
The room was dimly lit with blackout curtains drawn, the light from the huge screen shone on the sofa, and the air conditioner hummed softly.
Zong Linhan leaned back on the brown sofa, his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes focused intently on the screen. The screen light illuminated his profile, revealing a pale complexion, dark eyebrows and eyes, and a calm emotion in his pupils, as if he were always composed and undisturbed by external influences on his emotions and judgment.
As the rough cut of "Silence" played, right at the climax of the plot, the producer next to me sat up straight and couldn't help but slap his thigh, "This shot is so natural! That pause is just right, without saying a word, the hesitation and tension are all there!"
The assistant next to him chimed in, "I almost cried on set. There was a lonely light in Teacher Zong's eyes that was incredibly captivating. When I turned around, wow, several extras were crying."
Zong Linhan chuckled, "You guys are exaggerating."
Emotions accumulate and are released on the screen, and changes in light and shadow express the character's inner turmoil and confusion. The well-timed dialogue, the clever camera rhythm, and the superb performances immerse the viewer in the emotions and allow them to empathize with the protagonist's pain.
After this scene, the assistant wiped away her tears, her voice nasal, "Teacher Zong, did you cheat?"
Zong Linhan was slightly taken aback: "Hmm?"
"Even though you're not feeling well and are always taking medicine and getting injections, as soon as the camera is on you, you can express whatever emotions and state the director needs without being affected by your illness at all. That's some serious acting skill."
She had seen it with her own eyes: on set, Teacher Zong sat in a chair, his eyelids slightly drooping, his breath weak, as if he might faint at any moment due to a high fever. But when filming began, his fingers traced the script, and his eyes gradually became clear and firm.
That scene featured the misunderstood protagonist refuting his accusations. His voice was firm, his movements natural and fluid, and every line of dialogue was delivered with intonation and full of emotion. Especially the slight tremor of his hand as he reached out to the judge's bench at the end, which made the scene feel real and full of tension.
She was stunned. It wasn't until the camera slowly panned back to its original position and the lights dimmed that she came to her senses. Teacher Zong's shoulders slumped slightly, and he coughed twice. His assistant hurriedly helped him up, and he managed to keep from falling by bracing his fingertips on the edge of the chair.
Zong Linhan smiled and said, "It's not that exaggerated. It's all thanks to Director Liu."
Director Liu sat on the sofa beside him, his jaw clenched, and remained silent from the start of the rough cut. The assistant was apprehensive, afraid of making things worse and stirring up a conversation that would lead Director Liu to criticize Teacher Zong, which would be a huge offense.
Director Liu turned his head, glanced at Zong Linhan, and said calmly, "That's only if you have the ability to give the performance I want, unlike some people..."
"Hey! Thanks for coming today!" After watching the rough cut, the producer escorted Zong Linhan out of the building, full of complaints. "You don't know, Lao Liu called me early this morning, crying and saying he was a good-for-nothing, what kind of garbage he filmed, and threatening not to air it. I was so drunk that I was scared awake."
The producer was still shaken, but luckily Director Liu really liked Zong Linhan. He persuaded Zong Linhan to come over and watch the rough cut with Director Liu again, which finally calmed down the notoriously emotional director.
Producer: "Artists who create things are really something else. They drink like this every day, and once they get drunk, they start causing trouble. I really can't control them on my own. Alcohol is really something else—hey, shall we have a drink together later?"
Zong Linhan chuckled: "Invite Director Liu along?"
The producer laughed loudly: "I wouldn't dare, hahaha, let's drink together, and we won't bring him! Linhan, you're really not being fair. How many years have I known you? I even held you when you were just a tiny little thing, coming to the set with your dad. You were so cute as a child, always saying you'd drink with your uncle when you grew up. Well, now that you're all grown up, we haven't even had a single drink together!"
“Uncle Liang, I’d like to have a drink with you too.” The morning breeze was slightly cool. Zong Linhan pulled his coat tighter, turned his face away, and coughed twice. “I still have a bit of a cold. I just took some anti-inflammatory medicine this morning.”
"Hey, you shouldn't work so hard. I heard you're still taking Chinese medicine? Every medicine has some side effects, and you can't drink it every day."
"……Um?"
"You didn't come to the last drinking party, your assistant said so. He said you're drinking twelve cups of Chinese medicine a day now, saying it tastes better than cola, and you won't let go of it. The time before that, when we were filming in Shangluo, Lao Liu and I asked you to have a late-night snack, and he said you had overdosed on Chinese medicine and were vomiting."
The producer glanced left and right. "What's wrong with your health? You've been drinking this for about a year now, what kind of problem is it?"
As he spoke, he glanced down at Zong Linhan's waist and said, "Young man, you have to take good care of your health. It's a very important thing in your life. If anything happens, just tell me. I know many traditional Chinese medicine doctors who can help you. Don't be shy."
Zong Linhan paused for two seconds, a rare occurrence, and then said softly, "Yes, I will be careful."
As the vehicle drove along the tree-lined avenue, Meng Run handed a steamed bun to the back seat. "Captain, are you hungry? Are you sleepy? You only slept for less than two hours yesterday before coming to work. It's really not easy working two jobs a day."
Zong Linhan took it: "Thank you, is there any more?"
Meng Run glanced at the rearview mirror: "What's wrong?"
Zong Linhan: "I haven't taken my Chinese medicine yet."
Meng Run: "..."
Zong Linhan: "You have to drink a sip every two hours, right? It's quite difficult to drink a lethal dose."
Meng Run gripped the steering wheel, feeling extremely guilty. "The mission just came out of nowhere. I'm not like you guys who can just spout off anything. The excuse I made up was terrible."
The captain's gaze was piercing, making Meng Run feel uncomfortable. He quickly changed the subject. "Captain, you should take a nap. Director Yu said there's a meeting to hear about the situation on the ground and discuss the arrest of the suspect."
Zong Linhan closed his eyes. "Go to number 24."
"Twenty-four...you're going home?" Meng Run whirled around, his neck almost snapping. "You're abandoning the suspect? Weren't you quite interested yesterday, listening in at the office for a bit?"
He was met with the sound of calm breathing.
"team leader."
"..."
Receiving no response, Meng Run muttered to himself, "Does Director Liu have any plans for a new film?"
He said, "I recommend you play a dead person; you'll definitely look like one."
*Smack*
The steamed bun bounced precisely onto the back of Meng Run's head.
-
At night, the rain poured down, the wind blew the umbrella inside out, and the sound was muffled by the rain.
"Mom, I have to go now, I'm hailing a taxi!"
"They're still taking taxis! Everyone's saying the driver committed the crime; they've already arrested over thirty people!"
"Hey, stop reading all that weird news!"
"More than three hundred people, just gone like that!"
In just two seconds, the criminal group achieved a rapid growth from thirty to three hundred, which made the woman both angry and amused.
"Your dad just told me there are three thousand; too many people have gone missing in the last two days!"
“I… am thirty… ready.”
"Mom, could you please tell Dad that his daughter is walking home, which is over 20 kilometers away? Is that alright?"
"Okay!"
"..."
The woman sighed, wiping her damp forehead with the back of her hand. Thank goodness she'd hung up; otherwise, the number would have risen to 30,000. A taxi with its hazard lights flashing slowly approached. The woman quickly ran towards it, not wanting anyone to block her way.
The man was tall and slender, with a refined air. He wore a black mask, and his rain-soaked black hair clung to his forehead, giving him a kind of messy yet handsome look. He had very beautiful eyes, and his smile was gentle and charming. "Excuse me, I'm in a hurry."
The woman didn't react immediately: "Huh?"
This handsome man with beautiful eyes and a very gentlemanly smile shamelessly stole the taxi. The taxi sped away, and the woman cursed, "Damn it, so good-looking, yet he has absolutely no manners!"
The heavy rain slanted against the glass, a faint smell of smoke filled the enclosed space, and the windshield wipers swished through the car. As the car approached the traffic light, it slowed down and came to a stop. The driver tapped the steering wheel rhythmically, glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then, his expression shifting from initial annoyance to curiosity.
The man, who was casually resting with his eyes closed, opened them after sensing the frequent gazes. He smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
The driver frowned. "You look familiar."
The man smiled: "Doesn't it look a lot like Zong Linhan?"
"Oh right!" the driver exclaimed, then added doubtfully, "You're not really me, are you?"
The man laughed, "How could that be? We just look alike."
"Oh." The driver's gaze fell on his rolled-up sleeves, and a designer watch on his slender wrist, which was quite expensive. "Hey buddy, what do you do? What are you doing at the docks at this hour?"
The man sighed, "I just run errands for people, and I earn my money through hard work. Otherwise, who would come out to do errands in the rain?"
The driver mentally calculated the side road to the dock, thinking, "Sounds like that'll make a good living, right?"
“Not many.” The man smiled contentedly, shifting to a more comfortable posture. “Compared to murder for money, they are far fewer.”
The driver froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes, then abruptly turned his head, "You're from the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations—"
His arms deformed, turning into tentacles wrapped around the steering wheel. With a bang, he smashed through the glass, and the enormous creature squeezed through the cramped car, trying to escape. Then came a shrill scream. He didn't even see when the man in the back seat made his move. Most of his body was brutally sliced apart and forcefully thrown out of the window.
...
The cordon was set up, the red and blue lights on the roof of the vehicle shone, and commands came from the walkie-talkie. The junior assistant officer, holding a recorder, bent down and crossed the cordon, jogging into the warehouse.
Zong Linhan leaned against the police car, took a cigarette from the pack, and searched his left and right pockets but couldn't find a lighter. Frustrated, he lowered his eyelids.
He was almost completely soaked by the rain, his coat draped loosely over his shoulders, and three buttons of his gray silk shirt were missing. Water droplets trickled down the broken buttons, leaving crooked marks on his fair skin, just like his unrefined appearance.
Raven's deputy captain, Meng Run, raised the cordon, greeted the familiar security personnel, and walked to Zong Linhan's side.
Zong Linhan watched the work of detaining the superhumans coming to an end in the distance, lazily took a drag on a cigarette, and reached out to ask Meng Run for a lighter, looking like a social scoundrel who couldn't be bothered to say another word.
Meng Run ruthlessly slapped his hand away. "Captain, what time is it and you're still thinking about smoking? If you get a craving for cigarettes on that reality show, your dad will beat you to death."
"That really hurts." Zong Linhan glanced at Meng Run and reached into his coat pocket to pull out a lighter, making Meng Run jump up and down in anger.
With a father who is a renowned director and a mother who is an award-winning actress, Zong Linhan, a second-generation star, debuted in elementary school and has participated in numerous works, winning countless awards at a young age. Unfortunately, he has poor health, and although he has talent in acting, his energy is limited. In recent years, he has appeared less and less in the public eye, which has been a pity for many.
However, the reality is that this person inherits the performing arts career according to his family's wishes during the day, and secretly fights supernatural crimes at night behind his parents' backs.
Meng Run always lamented that even criminals weren't as diligent as him. But recently, supernatural criminals have indeed caught up, becoming increasingly active.
Meng Run shared his doubts with Zong Linhan, who, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, replied, "Because this year is a 'year of three springs'."
Meng Run remembered that in the world of superpowers, the year is calculated in three years. Every superpowered creature has a chance to start over in the three spring years. If they make good use of this time, they can become stronger or learn skills from other races.
For some weaker superhumans, the three spring years are also the years when they are most likely to break free from deep connections with other superhuman beings.
The driver was escorted by two heavily armed guards. Although he was missing most of his body, he could still move around on his own. His missing half of his face was a bloody mess, which was extremely horrifying. Zong Linhan met his gaze expressionlessly.
The driver's mouth gaped open, a terrifying smile on his face. "I never would have guessed. The Raven of the Surveillance Bureau, whom everyone fears and wants to kill, is actually someone who's exposed to the public eye every day..."
Zong Linhan's voice was cold, "Yes, it's a pity that you won't have the chance to tell the good news to others."
He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and a wicked smile crept across his lips. "Ah, but you've already eaten everyone around you, haven't you? No one can hear you if you want to share. Your wife and kids have all gone into reincarnation. Even if you want to order takeout, there's no one to share the order with, right?"
The driver, his sore spot struck, his eyes turning bloodshot, yelled, "You!"
Zong Linhan lowered his eyes coldly, speechless at this despicable creature who couldn't control himself and was even capable of harming his own family.
The driver trembled with rage, glaring at Zong Linhan as if he wanted to bite him to death. Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he let out a cold, mocking laugh. "But the infamous Captain Raven also smells like people like us..."
Zong Linhan frowned slightly.
The driver's smile was laced with malice. "You've been marked for so many years, and you didn't even know it?"
His tone was sinister, "Captain Raven, everyone has moments when they lose control. You'd better be very careful. When the poison that marks you goes into full force, it can turn you into a lowly creature without any self-control, making you want to kneel down and beg for a bite..."
Meng Run shouted, "Take him into custody immediately!"
A note from the author:
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Thank you for your messages, my darlings! Sending you all a kiss! -3-
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