Chapter 22
Liu Yifan stood beside Zhou Ping'an. Their conversation under the sunlight seemed to illuminate the meticulously dissected emotional swamp within her heart, like a simple yet bewildering ray of sunlight. Before she could process her feelings, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of her eye.
Lin Na had unknowingly stopped at the corner of the rammed earth foundation not far away. She didn't approach immediately, but instead quietly stared at them for a long moment. Her gaze was calm, like a sophisticated scanner, silently recording the posture of the man and woman in the sunlight, their distance from each other, and the indescribable, subtle aura in the air.
Then she walked over, her steps steady, her face showing the concentration she showed at work, and a hint of just the right amount of surprise.
"Mr. Zhou?" She looked at Zhou Ping'an first, her tone familiar and respectful. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
Zhou Ping'an turned his head when he heard the voice, but the relaxation on his face did not disappear. He responded naturally: "Director Lin. Are you done with the meeting? I'm fine. I just came over to take a look and not disturb your work." His attitude was as direct as ever, without any intention of greeting or explaining.
Lin Na smiled and turned her gaze to Liu Yifan very naturally, as if confirming that everything was going well at work. "Yifan is here too? Perfect! I was just about to check in with you on a few details about this afternoon's makeup trial."
"Well, I just talked with Mr. Zhou about the impact of light during the day and at night on the texture of buildings. I was quite inspired." Liu Yifan immediately took over, his tone returning to his usual professionalism and calmness.
A fleeting, elusive flash of understanding flashed across Lin Na's eyes. She nodded, then took over the conversation, turning her gaze to Zhou Ping'an with a tone of inquiry, "Mr. Zhou has always been very sensitive to light and shadow. This is indeed the core of our upcoming 'saturation photography'. How to capture the most extreme state of the royal city and its characters under different time of day and lighting conditions."
She cleverly threw out the latest strategic term "saturation shooting" in a manner of reporting progress, both to show Zhou Ping'an the results of her work and to test his possible reaction to this "crazy" plan.
Zhou Ping'an's reaction was quite flat. He simply murmured, "Hmm," as if the phrase "saturation shooting" or "increasing the lunch budget" were merely technical parameters requiring resources, which he had already authorized. His attention seemed to be more focused on the building before him.
He raised a finger and pointed at the massive bracket set, his question still carrying his unique, cross-disciplinary mindset: "How do we address the fire rating of this all-wood structure? The safety regulations for film and television bases should be very strict."
Lin Na was stunned for half a second, the corners of her mouth rising almost uncontrollably, and a feeling of admiration that was both ridiculous and sad surged in her heart.
All her prepared explanations about artistic creation seemed both ethereal and... endearing in the face of his incredibly pragmatic concerns about technical safety. She immediately collected her thoughts and replied earnestly, "Mr. Zhou is right. We have a detailed plan with the contractor, utilizing the latest flame retardant technology and a concealed fire protection system to ensure a balance between safety and historical authenticity."
"That's good." Zhou Ping'an nodded, satisfied with the answer. His focus was always on the most practical and basic aspects, as if the artistic fantasy that had invested hundreds of millions of dollars must first be built on a solid fire protection network.
This brief, first "informal meeting" between the three people quickly slid from the delicate edge of emotions to extremely solid technical details in a way that was beyond everyone's expectations.
Lin Na quickly reassessed the situation in her mind. She glanced at Zhou Ping'an's profile, which was focused on technical issues, and then glanced at Liu Yifan, who had regained his composure and even had a faint smile on his lips. She realized that any discussion about "status" and "feelings" at this moment was unnecessary.
"Mr. Zhou, please take your time to look at it. Yifan and I will check the makeup and hair details." Lin Na said goodbye at the right time, with an impeccable attitude.
"Okay, you guys get busy." Zhou Ping'an responded crisply, his eyes returning to the palace under construction.
Lin Na gave Liu Yifan a look, and they turned around tacitly and walked towards the studio.
After walking a distance and making sure Zhou Ping'an couldn't hear her, Lin Na whispered, her tone lacking emotion: "He seems to be in a good mood today?"
Liu Yifan was silent for a moment, recalling the simple "That's good" he said in the sunshine just now, and said "hmm" softly.
"And," she paused, then added, as if it were a calm observation, "he really seems... only concerned with whether the house is built solidly."
Upon hearing this, Lin Na paused imperceptibly, turned her head to look at Liu Yifan with a deep look in her eyes.
She didn't say anything else.
As soon as Lin Na and Liu Yifan returned to the studio, Chen Feng cast an inquiring glance at them. Lin Na shook her head imperceptibly.
"How is it?" Chen Feng lowered his voice.
"Everything is calm." Lin Na sat down and took a sip of the cold coffee. "He cares more about the fire hazards of the brackets than he cares about anyone else's inner thoughts."
Chen Feng was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing and scratched his head helplessly: "Well, my expectations were in vain. It seems that Mr. Zhou doesn't plan to provide any 'status materials' today."
Liu Yifan said nothing as he walked to the window, where he could see Zhou Ping'an pacing alone in the distance. He was squatting, measuring the gap between a floor tile with his fingers. The sunlight stretched his focused back into the distance.
This morning, Zhou Pingan didn't offer any of the "performative interaction" or "emotional tension" they expected to analyze. Instead, he offered only a nearly monotonous obsession with the stability of the physical world.
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The national project was finally exposed.
This news was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, but the ripples it stirred were far more complex than expected. It was a miracle that this project had been kept secret for half a year.
When the keywords "Xiangbei Cinema changes ownership, hundreds of millions spent on reconstruction, Liu Yifan starring, total investment remains a mystery" appeared in a professional forum along with a few blurry photos of the construction site, and were quickly reposted by entertainment and financial accounts, the reactions inside and outside the circle were quite interesting.
Most people's first reaction was disbelief, especially the speculation that "a financial sponsor lavished money on Liu Yifan." It's not that Liu Yifan isn't important enough; on the contrary, her status as an A-list celebrity is so secure that this argument seems lacking in value.
In the words of a senior producer in the industry: "Spending nearly 1 billion yuan to promote Liu Yifan? Does she really need this kind of support? The input-output ratio is ridiculous. It's more like some giant is planning a real-life entertainment business and just happened to use Liu Yifan's brand as a sign."
This rational analysis has become the project's best "protective color." The real focus has been diverted to grand narratives such as "mysterious capital entering the film and television real estate market" or "a new benchmark for film industrialization."
Liu Yifan's team and she herself remained silent on this matter, neither admitting nor denying it. This detached attitude, on the contrary, further confirmed the high level and deep background of the project, and it was by no means an ordinary "star project".
Lin Na and Chen Feng were browsing the news in their studio, feeling a mix of emotions. On the one hand, the disruption of their secrecy was a source of discomfort; on the other hand, this "misunderstanding" had created an unexpectedly relaxed environment for them.
"That's fine," Lin Na put down her phone and said calmly, "It saves us the trouble of making up excuses. Now everyone thinks we're working on an epic industrial project. No one will ask what 'plot' we're filming."
Chen Feng gave a wry smile. "The source can only be the construction team. They've spread themselves too thin, with so many people and so many different opinions. We've been mentally prepared, but we can't defend ourselves. I wonder if Mr. Zhou...will feel any pressure?"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Na's phone rang. The caller ID showed Zhou Ping'an. She exchanged a glance with Chen Feng, picked up the call, and pressed the hands-free key.
"Have you seen the news?" Zhou Ping'an's voice came from the receiver, calm and without a ripple. No emotion could be heard, neither surprise nor anger.
"Just saw it, Mr. Zhou." Lin Na replied in a cautious tone.
"Hmm." There was silence on the other end of the line for two seconds, as if he were thinking. Then came his clear and steady command, "No need for any official response. If media outlets dig deeper, the unified narrative will be 'a large-scale historical scene reconstruction and video art exploration project.'"
This definition is precise and vague, perfectly covering all possibilities while revealing nothing.
"I understand." Lin Na responded, then added apologetically, "It must be a management oversight on our part. The construction workers..."
"As expected," Zhou Pingan interrupted her directly, his tone even carrying a hint of indifference that had been calculated long ago. "It's such a large-scale event, it can't be hidden. This way, it's easier than holding a press conference."
He downplayed the accidental leak, characterizing it as a premature, low-cost public notification. This calmness incorporating the unexpected into established procedures once again filled Lin Na with a complex mixture of chill and admiration.
"I understand." Lin Na took a deep breath. "We will do a good job of internal management to ensure that the creation is not disturbed."
"Yes." Zhou Ping'an's response was as concise as ever. "If additional security or isolation measures are needed on site, just tell Ruan Xiaoyun and have her approve the budget. You can proceed as planned and there's no need to be distracted by these matters."
"Okay, Mr. Zhou."
The phone was disconnected. Silence fell over the studio. Chen Feng sighed deeply. "This boss's concentration is truly remarkable... He seems to only care about two things: getting things done, and ensuring the people doing them aren't disturbed."
Lin Na said nothing, walked to the window, and looked at the construction site outside, which was still busy but destined to attract more prying eyes.
At the same time, in Rongcheng, Anping Battery Headquarters, Zhou Pingan's office.
Li Dingshan rushed in almost as soon as the news broke, his face filled with uncontrollable anxiety: "Ping An! Have you seen the news? It's all out now! There are rumors everywhere! What a shame for your reputation..."
Zhou Pingan raised his head from a technical report, looked calmly at his long-time partner, and interrupted him, his tone full of matter-of-factness:
"Dingshan, you know me well." He paused, as if stating a simple fact. "I sold my shares just to... be more comfortable."
At this moment, he seemed to remember something. He looked up at Li Dingshan's still anxious expression and added lightly, as if arranging a very ordinary task:
"Besides, let Weihua handle the media and public opinion. That's what they're best at."
Zhou Ping'an's words, like a gust of wind, gently blew away the anxiety on Li Dingshan's face, but blew out a deeper confusion. Li Dingshan opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.
All his concerns about business logic, market reaction, and shareholder sentiment lost their basis in the face of Zhou Ping'an's words "just for the sake of freedom".
He looked at Zhou Ping'an, who lowered his head again and whose attention had completely returned to the technical report, as if the uproar brewing in the outside world was really just a trivial matter that could be handed over to the "person who is most capable" to handle.
In the end, he said nothing and quietly left the office. The moment he closed the door, he knew in his heart that the difference between him and Zhou Pingan was not just the level of wealth, but also a difference in world view and outlook on life.
He also clearly remembered that shortly after cashing in part of his battery factory shares and gaining that astronomical fortune, Zhou Ping'an experienced an extremely abnormal period.
At that time, he was like an overclocked engine that had suddenly been decommissioned, emitting a dull hum in huge idling. He still showed up at the office on time, but often stared blankly at a simple report for a long time; he had the freedom to buy anything, but seemed to have no interest in anything.
During those days, Zhou Ping'an was enveloped in a light, empty feeling that even Li Dingshan couldn't understand. It was the confusion of not being able to find a new goal, the even more suffocating emptiness that one sees from the top of the mountain after conquering wealth.
It was not until later that he suddenly and almost paranoidly came up with this crazy plan called "Destroying the Country".
Li Dingshan stood in the empty corridor and suddenly understood everything.
The confusion during that period did not disappear, but was completely absorbed and transformed by the even larger and more cost-effective "nation-shattering" project in front of us.
Zhou Ping'an ignited all his wealth, along with the huge emptiness caused by the wealth, and threw them into this furnace of light and shadow.
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