Chapter 53 Fermentation
During the days when Fu Guanshan was on the hot search, his partner, agent, family, and classmates took turns to talk to him, and his phone rang non-stop with messages.
"There's a new Cantonese restaurant nearby, it's really authentic. I've booked a private room, how about we go and try it together?"
"I can eat half a pound of chicken breast in one meal, and I'm fine."
"It's been a while since we played tennis together. Let's make a date this weekend?"
"I run five kilometers every day. I'm fine."
"I heard there's an uninhabited island near Fiji with beautiful scenery. I've booked my flight and ferry. How about going there to admire the seagulls?"
“…I’m not filming a wilderness survival show!”
Fu Guanshan hung up the phone and smiled bitterly at the screen. They rushed to fill his life with all kinds of activities, as if he would be upset by this little setback. He was deeply touched by the care hidden behind the invitation. But to be honest, he has no time to pay attention to those rumors right now.
The only person he frequently contacts is Director Chen.
Preparations for the film are progressing steadily, including casting, auditions, scene construction, and shooting plans. Every time Hai Qiu visited him, he was like the exaggerated stock trader in the financial films of the last century, holding a mobile phone in each hand and switching between different calls.
It was Meng Chu who welcomed him in and poured him tea. Before he arrived, Meng Chu seemed to be typing something on the computer. With Fu Guanshan's presence in the noisy environment, he can still work and may have evolved into the next species form.
Hai Qiu scratched his head, put down the contract, and waited for Fu Guanshan to get away from his busy official duties.
“Brother,” he said, “you have to audition.”
Fu Guanshan was puzzled: "Someone is looking for me at this time?"
Hai Qiu took out the script from her bag and handed it to him. There were two big words "Undercurrent" written on the cover. This was the role that his boss had fought for him to prevent him from starring in "The Missing Children of Wing On Street".
"Boss Wu said that no matter when, the company's most promising book will be reserved for you," Hai Qiu said, "as long as you want to go."
Fu Guanshan stared at the script for a while and then snatched it away.
"By the way, brother," Haiqiu took out his phone again, "Have you been on Weibo recently?"
“No time.”
"Oh, it's quite lively now," Hai Qiu clicked on a few interfaces, "The director and senior who worked with you before reposted your post and clarified it for you. Netizens said that this was a press release bought by the company, but it's not. The Internet users in the comment section were bought by the company."
Fu Guanshan took the phone hesitantly and browsed several messages that Hai Qiu liked and forwarded. Although the support from his peers was brief, the attitude was clear - he was not that kind of person.
Fu Guanshan frowned and thought for a long time, feeling puzzled by the development of the incident. Director Chen spoke for him, and he could understand it, after all, they were preparing a new movie together. But the other seniors… although I had worked with them before and had a harmonious relationship with them, there was no mutual interest. Once the matter is suppressed, the public may not remember that they spoke out for justice. If the matter continues to ferment, they will be accomplices.
Fu Guanshan stared at the screen and sighed, as if lamenting the impermanence of life: "What's going on? This is not like the circle I remembered."
Hai Qiu looked at him in disbelief: "Brother, you are not serious?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"Do you think you got to where you are today because of your face?"
"Be careful what you say."
"Not only that," Hai Qiu said cautiously, "You have a good temper and are a righteous person. You didn't terminate your contract with Huasheng even when you became rich, and you accompanied the company out of the trough. As long as you are still alive, Mr. Wu will never give up supporting you."
"Who is left with only one breath? How unlucky!"
Hai Qiu continued, "Although you've been popular for a long time, your asking price has always been reasonable, you never make unreasonable demands, and you obey orders on the set. You don't know that some fourth- and fifth-tier stars are not very famous, but they are very arrogant and difficult to please. Do you think directors like to choose you because you have the most traffic? It's because you have the best value for money."
Fu Guanshan thought about it for a while and felt that this should be a compliment to him, so he did not refute.
"Oh, yes, Mr. Wu knows that you are planning the 'disappearance incident'," Hai Qiu said, "He still wants to remind you to be cautious. After all, making movies is expensive."
Fu Guanshan smiled. Just as he was obsessed with filming the script, his boss was also obsessed with making him give up. "Thanks for your concern," he said, "but I can't stop."
Hai Qiu looked at him, eyes full of worry: "I know you want to find the truth..."
"No," he said, "it's different now."
Now, he wants to spread the truth.
The moment Qi Liang's father told him the story of the past, he suddenly understood. Zhong Wenchu sniped him, perhaps not because of Meng Jining, but because of this movie. The other party knew that he wanted to make a movie about what happened that year.
In that case, he would try his best.
He wanted to have this movie shown in all the theaters across the country, he wanted people on the streets to talk about the plot of the movie, and he wanted it to become eternal evidence, always lying in front of the instigators to remind them what they had done.
He wants to put everyone at the forefront and make the entire country a court to judge their crimes.
Even so, he could not avenge the life that had been lost so early. However, we cannot just let this go.
We can't just let this go.
Hai Qiu sighed, knowing that it was hopeless to dissuade him, so he sent him the time and place of the audition and said that he would send a car to pick him up that day.
The main task was completed, and the agent was about to turn around and leave when Fu Guanshan suddenly spoke up: "By the way, I remember that our boss graduated from the Finance Department of C University, and he also knows some partners in securities companies and investment banks?"
Hai Qiu blinked, feeling that answering the question would lead to some serious consequences. "Yes?" He asked hesitantly, "Brother, what do you want to do?"
"I'd like to ask him to help me check some things," Fu Guanshan said, "Zhong Wenchu's shell company and that IP... IP..."
Meng Chu added, "Pre-IPO project."
"Oh," Hai Qiu was confused, "Why are you checking this?"
"He framed my brother so smoothly, it doesn't seem like this is his first time," Meng Chu explained for Fu Guanshan, "He dared to make a murder plan at the age of ten. It is impossible for such a person who likes high risks, high returns, and playing with the law to stay quiet for so many years. If we continue to dig, there must be other things. As long as he has done it, just like the watch that forgets as soon as it gets excited, there will always be omissions."
It was just past noon when Meng Jining arrived at the coffee shop. During the lunch break on a weekday, the cafe was packed with people. The waiters were shuttling between the coffee machine and the sink, handing out porcelain cups and taking back plates.
He sat in the innermost corner, ordered two cups of coffee, and then stared out the window, emptying his mind.
Passersby are hurrying back and forth. If you squint your eyes, you can see blurry figures moving back and forth, just like the out-of-focus camera in a movie.
In this fast-moving phantom, a strange block of color suddenly broke in. It was steady and unhurried, with a hint of chilliness about it, and was slowly approaching him.
Meng Jining opened his eyes, and the moment the world became clear again, Zhong Wenchu appeared in front of him.
He stiffened unconsciously, leaning back against the hard back of his chair in a defensive posture.
Zhong Wenchu smiled. At this time, this person can actually smile.
"It's a public place with a lot of people and cameras everywhere," he said. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."
Meng Jining put down his arms that were crossed in front of his chest: "Why did you come to see me?"
Zhong Wenchu sat down opposite him: "I just wanted to see you."
Meng Jining looked at him for a while and pushed the coffee on his left hand over to him.
Zhong Wenchu glanced down and didn't pick up the cup. He suddenly realized that Meng Jining had ordered two cups of coffee before he came in.
"Are you afraid that I'll poison you?" Meng Jining said, "This is a public place."
Zhong Wenchu still didn't move it.
Meng Jining curled the corners of his mouth, seeming to find the scene absurd. "I really don't understand what's the point of you asking me to go back now," he said. "Everything I push on you, every glass of water, you have to send to the laboratory for testing before you dare to drink it."
Zhong Wenchu looked at the slightly bitter liquid in front of him.
The person on the other side didn't understand what he meant to him.
Precisely because you don’t understand, there may not be any good results from the beginning.
"You were the first one to come to me," said Zhong Wenchu.
To this day, he still remembers that day clearly. It was a boring dinner, with directors in suits and ties with big bellies, amber wine, and hypocritical smiles. Everything was as boring as every charity dinner.
His assistant walked up to him, whispered to him, "It's that guy again," and handed him the business card.
He glanced at it briefly and threw it back into the assistant's hands. There are too many private equity firms trying to recruit him, and those who dare to come to him are at least MDs. An associate who has been in the industry for three to five years actually has the nerve to hand out his business card. Even after being rejected by his assistant, he still comes to him again and again, showing his perseverance.
He glanced at his assistant, very unhappy that the other party was bothering him with such things.
The assistant immediately explained: "Mr. Xie's son mentioned him to me last time. The projects he is working on have made good profits. He is quite capable..."
Zhong Wenchu was unmoved: "Have you seen him?"
"Hmm? I have seen it."
"She looks pretty, doesn't she?"
"yes."
He glanced at the business card. In the financial circle, it was not uncommon to sleep with clients to get projects. However, he didn't let them throw it away after sleeping with them. He was also willing to use his connections to say a few good words for him. He was quite capable.
But, it has nothing to do with him.
After the dinner, he walked to the entrance of the hotel, looking down at the messages while waiting for the waiter to drive the car up for him.
It started to drizzle, and when the car lights were turned on, the raindrops rolled like waves in the dim light. Suddenly, a hand covered with water was stretched out in front of him. "Sir, your car keys."
He raised his head, and the man's face gradually came into view, with a round but pointed chin, a delicate nose, and bright eyes.
He didn't take the key: "You are not a waiter."
The other party was not wearing an employee uniform, which meant that he had no intention of hiding anything.
"It's so hard to meet you, so I can only be a little tricky," the man said, "I'm Meng Jining, you probably threw my business card away."
He didn't answer. This was the advantage of being successful. He didn't need to deal with questions he didn't want to answer.
The appearance of this person, this person's entire existence, only proved his previous inference.
Meng Jining had been observing his expression, and when he looked away, she suddenly laughed. "I didn't sleep my way into that project."
Zhong Wenchu frowned and looked at him.
“Give me a cup of coffee,” he said, “and I can prove it.”
For a few seconds, Zhong Wenchu just looked at him indifferently, then he took the key from his hand and walked towards his car: "Meet me in the conference room on the tenth floor of Kexin at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
He really only had a cup of coffee with him, and it was coffee from the company's tea room.
In those few short minutes, Zhong Wenchu confirmed that the person opposite him had more than just a pretty face.
He was willing to hear more of his story, so they had another dinner. In the candlelight and music, Meng Jining told him that he once went to an African country whose name was difficult to pronounce as a volunteer during his summer vacation in college.
“Their language is beautiful,” Meng Jining said, “even though I only learned a few words.”
He pointed at Zhong Wenchu's hand and said, "Dairu."
Then he pointed to his chest, right at the position of his heart: "Rukuxi."
Then, he put his hand down and looked into the eyes of the person opposite him: “Dairu Rukuxi.”
In the corner of my eye, the candle flame flickered. "What does this mean?" Zhong Wenchu asked.
"Oh," he said, "I'll tell you next time we meet."
So, dinner turned into a movie, an outing in the suburbs, and a night at the villa. Meng Jining still didn't tell him the meaning of that sentence, and always said "next time", but he didn't mind. There is something fresh and passionate about Meng Jining. He is interested in everything in the world and devotes his whole self to the things he loves, as magnificent as a moth to a flame.
Before Zhong Wenchu realized it, he had already fallen in love with him.
And then... then everything was ruined.
They can only sit in a crowded store, relying on the eyes and cameras of others to restrain themselves from tearing each other into pieces.
Meng Jining observed his eyes. He knew he was reminiscing about the past, and only then was his expression different.
Suddenly, Meng Jining had a ridiculous idea. "Why don't you ask me if I ever loved you?" he said, "Isn't that what two people always ask when they reach a dead end?"
He wanted to stab him again, but Zhong Wenchu didn't ask.
He just said, “I know you have.”
If he didn't know, he wouldn't be so persistent.
He finally met someone who loved him, maybe the only person who truly loved him in his life, but he messed it up.
He couldn't bear this result. Even though their past had been shattered, he had to piece the pieces together. Even though it would give him knife-like pain every day for the rest of his life, he would hold on to it.
"Come back to me," he said.
"You should have guessed that I already knew what happened eighteen years ago," Meng Jining said, "How could I be with someone who killed my family?"
Zhong Wenchu was silent for a moment, then said, "I have some properties in the Cayman Islands. We can move there, away from everything now and everything in the past."
Meng Jining looked at him and said, "What if I say no?"
"Then I will destroy them all," he said. "In fact, even if I don't do it, your brother and the others will come to me. You don't think I will just sit there and wait for death, do you? You promised me that we will go abroad together, which will be a good thing for everyone. If you stay in the country, I promise that I will kill them all."
"Are you giving me an ultimatum?"
"Yes," he said, "I hope it won't come to pass."
He thought Meng Jining would splash the coffee on his face, but the other person's expression was unusually calm.
"Give me two days," Meng Jining said, "I need to take care of things around me. I'll still be waiting for you here in two days."
Zhong Wenchu stared at him. "Okay," he said, "but if nothing comes of it in two days, I'm going to do something that everyone will regret."
Meng Jining ignored his threats, picked up the cup of coffee in front of him and took a sip.
He walked out of the cafe and returned to his brother's apartment. When he entered the room, he saw the other two people sitting opposite each other at the table, studying something. Seeing him come back, Meng Chu looked up and asked him where he had been.
"After a cup of coffee," he said, "you can check his company or account registered in the Cayman Islands. There may be problems."
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