"Bang bang bang!"
The knocking on the door sounded particularly jarring on the quiet street.
"Who is it? So early in the morning!"
An impatient voice came from inside, accompanied by the clattering of slippers.
"Boss, it's urgent! Open the door!"
Su Jianguo patted it twice more heavily.
The roller shutter door was pulled up halfway with a "whoosh," revealing the sleepy-eyed face of the photo studio owner.
He had messy hair, round-framed glasses perched crookedly on his nose, and a wrinkled cotton-padded jacket draped over his shoulders.
"It's you."
The boss recognized Su Jianguo and yawned.
"Returning the camera?"
Su Jianguo shook his head and took his camera bag out of the bicycle basket.
"I need to develop photos urgently."
Upon hearing that there was business, the owner's eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled the roller shutter door up completely.
"Come in, come in."
The photo studio was filled with the pungent smell of developing solution, and the walls were covered with various sample photos.
Su Jianguo followed the boss through the front hall and into the darkroom at the back.
The boss turned on the light, and under the dim red light, rows of equipment were neatly arranged.
"Take the film out."
The boss extended his hand.
Su Jianguo carefully took the film out of the camera and handed it to the boss.
"These photos are very important; they must be thoroughly cleaned."
The shopkeeper took the film and gave it a cursory inspection under the red light.
"Wow, all thirty-six photos were taken? What's the rush?"
"Some...evidence."
Su Jianguo gave a vague answer and did not want to say more.
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, didn't ask any further questions, and skillfully loaded the film into the developing tank.
"Regular printing is 50 cents per sheet, rush service is 1 dollar. How many do you need?"
Su Jianguo gritted his teeth.
"Wash five sheets of each."
Five portions?
The boss paused in his work, then looked up in surprise.
"That's one hundred and eighty sheets!"
"Yes, I want them all."
Su Jianguo pulled a wad of banknotes out of his pocket.
"How much?"
The boss pushed up his glasses and quickly did some mental arithmetic.
"A regular wash is 90 yuan, and express is 180 yuan. Since you're a regular customer, I'll give you a discount: 150 yuan for express service, and you can pick it up this afternoon."
Su Jianguo counted out fifteen 10,000-yuan bills and slapped them on the table.
"The sooner the better."
The boss became even more enthusiastic when he saw the money.
"Okay! You sit down and wait a bit, I'll get started now."
He turned and busied himself, deftly loading the film into the developing equipment.
Su Jianguo sat on a stool in the corner of the darkroom, watching his boss skillfully operate various chemicals and equipment.
Under the red light, the boss appeared exceptionally focused.
Time passed second by second, and the only sound in the darkroom was the sloshing of the medicine.
About two hours later, the boss finally straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Alright, the negatives are processed. Now we'll start developing and printing."
One by one, photos were ejected from the machine, and the owner hung them on a rope to dry.
Su Jianguo couldn't help but lean closer to take a look, and the image in the photo gradually became clearer.
The moment Ma Sanbao slipped money to the train conductor, the scene of workers unloading vegetables from the coal car, the stark contrast between the "Coal Dedicated Transport" sign on the carriage and the fresh vegetables...
"These..."
The boss stared at the photo, his voice suddenly becoming cautious.
Are you sure you want to wash this much?
Su Jianguo's gaze was firm.
"Absolutely certain."
The boss swallowed hard and lowered his voice.
"Brother, I've run a photo studio in Beijing for twenty years. I've seen all kinds of photos. You're really stirring up a hornet's nest!"
"That's why I need five portions."
Su Jianguo said calmly.
"Boss, just focus on developing the photos; you'll get your money back. Everything else is none of your business."
The boss hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Alright, but I have to warn you, you'd better be careful..."
"I know."
Su Jianguo nodded.
At 3 p.m., all the photos were finally developed and printed.
The boss neatly packed them into five large envelopes, each containing all thirty-six complete photographs.
"As you said, five portions, not one less."
The boss handed the envelope to Su Jianguo.
"Take care, brother."
Su Jianguo nodded, paid the remaining balance, and carefully put the envelope into the cloth bag he carried with him.
After leaving the photo studio, he didn't go straight home, but instead rode his bicycle to a teahouse near Dongdan Market.
There weren't many people in the teahouse, so Su Jianguo asked for a quiet corner and ordered a pot of Longjing tea.
He took out paper and pen from his cloth bag and began to write an article.
The pen scratched across the paper as Su Jianguo paused to think, then wrote furiously.
He used the "shocking style" from his past life memories, writing the headline in a striking way.
Shocking! Official vehicle misuse: The leader's brother-in-law acts with complete lawlessness!
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