sovbooks Chapter 20 Housing is a serious matter
Chapter 20 Housing is a serious matter
"Don't be nervous, it's just a joke."
The middle-aged man chuckled, pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Lin An, speaking in a friendly tone:
"The students in the continuing education program come from all over the country, but you are the first one to come right after graduating from high school. I can't help but be impressed by you."
So that's how it is. You didn't learn about him through the assault incident, but rather you knew about him first and then learned about the assault incident later... Lin An looked enlightened, but still didn't have a pleasant expression.
He always felt that the other person was mocking him.
To mock others for being foolish and rich.
Lin An said in a calm tone:
"Are you still watching? If not, I'm going home for dinner."
The middle-aged man glanced at him in surprise. "You're not afraid of me?"
Lin An was baffled: "Why should I be afraid of you?"
I didn't lend you any money.
The middle-aged man was speechless for a moment, then lowered his head, opened his notebook, and began to read quietly.
The reading room fell silent.
The middle-aged man read very slowly.
Turn a page, pause for a moment, run your index finger under a paragraph, and then turn the page again.
He would occasionally frown, and sometimes nod slightly, the movements so subtle they were almost imperceptible.
Lin An sat opposite him, his hands in his pockets, his legs shifting under the table in several different positions.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but just when he was about to curse, the middle-aged man finally finished reading, gently closed the notebook, and put it back on the table.
He exclaimed:
"Your notes are well done."
Lin An denied it:
"I found this in the toilet!"
The middle-aged man chuckled and said:
"Assuming it's yours."
He continued:
"The film and television industry is different from other industries. It is constantly facing competition, and hiding your abilities will only make you miss opportunities."
After saying that, he added with emotion:
"Even an old guy like me knows that the competition in this industry will only get fiercer in the future, and you guys don't have much time left."
Of course I know, but I'm more afraid of being exposed than of remaining unknown... The former is just being broke, the latter is being killed... Lin An muttered to himself, then coughed and said:
"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving now. My family is strict; they don't give me dinner if I come home late."
The middle-aged man ignored this remark and continued speaking to himself:
"Unlike actors, there are few shortcuts in screenwriting. After all, writing well and filming well are two different things, and the latter often determines the reach of a work."
Lin An rarely nodded in agreement: "Humans are visual creatures."
The middle-aged man said noncommittally:
There are two kinds of vision in the world: the vision of the body and the vision of the mind. What the eyes see is sometimes forgotten, but what the mind sees is forever remembered.
That's a pretty high-class statement.
Okay, I'll write it down so I can tell others next time.
Lin An muttered a few words, sighed, and decided to be blunt:
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
The middle-aged man laughed: "I'm a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy. Tell me what I want to do."
Lin An squinted, unable to resist the urge to argue:
"Do all professors at the Beijing Film Academy like to talk in such a mysterious and enigmatic way?"
"I guess so. Most artists are a little bit eccentric."
The middle-aged man said with a self-deprecating smile, his tone ambiguous:
"From this perspective, coming here right after graduating from high school might have been the right choice."
"What the hell do you mean by this...?" Lin An's forehead veins bulged, and his inner universe ignited once again.
The reading room fell silent.
The middle-aged man tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Even at the Beijing Film Academy, the chances of making a name for yourself aren't that many."
He paused for a moment, his tone becoming serious:
"If you don't take what Heaven offers, you'll suffer the consequences. Once you're at the table, you have to keep playing."
Lin An gave him a strange look and tentatively asked:
"Are you from the crew of 'Internet Addict's Diary'?"
The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "I only have some connection with Lü Xiaopin."
He said, "My name is Zhang Hua. I graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. In the past, when the school encountered the Central Academy of Drama's directing team, I was the one who would handle the handover."
Lin An blinked, trying hard to search his memory for the name, but finding nothing, he decisively gave up the struggle.
He joked, "I wasn't even in the crew, so how could I be considered on the table?"
Zhang Hua pushed the notebook back in front of Lin An and said slowly:
"From the moment you caught the crew's attention during your audition, you were already on the table."
Before Lin An could refute, he continued:
"Going forward, your work will be watched by many people, and your actions will be observed by many people, whether with good intentions or malice. As long as you stay in this circle, it will most likely not stop."
Lin An fell into deep thought.
Zhang Hua didn't say much, but took out a business card from his pocket and placed it on the table.
Lin An looked down.
The white card features the name "Lv Xiaopin" in the center, with her job title, contact information, and the full name of her company, "Yingshi Film & Television," below it.
Ying's Film & Television is currently among the top tier of private film and television companies in China and is the absolute leader in the sitcom field.
Most of the sitcoms broadcast on satellite TV these days come from this company.
"The Idle Man Ma Dajie" is currently a TV series that dominates the screen, and the subsequent "A Family in Northeast China" is even more popular.
Lin An turned the business card over; the back was clean and blank.
He looked up and saw that Zhang Hua had left sometime earlier, leaving the reading room empty.
"They left way too fast, I didn't even ask how much I'd get..."
Lin An muttered something, casually stuffed the business card into his pocket, put away his notebook, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and got up to leave.
……
……
Late at night, in Building 14, Dengshikou, Dongcheng District.
After dinner, Lin Yuan called Lin An and Doraemon over, gesturing for them to talk on the balcony.
Lin An and Doraemon exchanged a glance, both of them feeling a little guilty.
The three people walked through the living room and pushed open the glass door to the balcony.
The early autumn night breeze blew in, carrying a hint of coolness.
Lin Yuan closed the door slightly, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a deep drag.
The smoke slowly dissipated in the dim light of the streetlights.
"I've looked at three houses for you."
Lin Yuan spoke, but not loudly, clearly not wanting the people inside the room to hear.
Doraemon looked up at Lin Yuan, his round eyes blinking nervously.
"The first place is in Jimenli, a one-bedroom apartment, 70 square meters, with a monthly rent of 800 yuan, and utilities not included."
Lin Yuan flicked his cigarette ash. "Sixth floor, no elevator. The landlords are a retired elderly couple, they're fairly friendly, but they require a two-month deposit and six months' rent in advance."
Lin An frowned: "That's too ruthless."
"So I don't really recommend it."
Lin Yuan said, "The second place is in Huangtingzi, where I share a two-room apartment in a three-bedroom house. It's 50 square meters and the monthly rent is 600 yuan, with utilities split equally."
He paused for a moment, then said, "My roommate is a male art student who owns a dog."
Upon hearing the word "dog," Doraemon instinctively shrank behind Lin An.
Even though he is Doraemon, even though he can easily lift objects weighing several tons, and even though he can withstand the impact of a train, he still feels like a baby.
Lin An suppressed a laugh, shook his head, and asked, "What about the third place?"
Lin Yuan put a cigarette in his mouth, took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and drew a simple map on it with a ballpoint pen.
"Across from the west gate of Beijing Film Academy, in an alley, there is a small courtyard."
He pointed to a spot on the paper with his index finger:
"The landlord's surname is Zhao. He is a retired worker. He built a two-story house on his own. He uses the first floor as a small shop and rents out the second floor. There are two rooms, which are about 40 square meters in total. There is no private bathroom. The monthly rent is 300 yuan."
Lin An raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are there any conditions?"
Lin Yuan nodded approvingly and said slowly:
"He requires tenants to have certain business knowledge, be able to help him run the convenience store, check inventory and accounts, and, if necessary, help him watch the store."
Lin An's lips twitched slightly.
Who says citizens are simple and honest these days?
These people are quite skilled at taking advantage of loopholes.