Huayu: I Have a Doraemon

Chapter 40 I'll Do It

The classroom was filled with chatter.

Groups of students huddled together, speaking in hushed tones, their eyes subtly glancing at the window seats in the back row.

A young man wearing a black short-sleeved shirt was sitting in that spot.

He had a copy of the Beijing Youth Daily open in front of him, a pen cap between his teeth, his gaze fixed on the window, his expression calm and unreadable.

"Looks like they really got robbed."

"Nonsense, 8000 yuan a episode and you expect credit? Dream on!"

"That's true, this kind of money isn't something a newbie in the industry should be allowed to earn... Do you think he didn't know about this beforehand?"

"What difference does it make whether he knows or not? Ye Daying is someone he can't afford to offend. The fact that they want his script is a sign of respect!"

Listening to the gossip around him, Lin An slightly curled his lip, finding it all rather boring.

They just repeat the same few sentences over and over again. Can't these people be a little more creative?

"What are you thinking about?"

A figure sat down beside him. Su Xiao put his schoolbag on the table and tentatively asked:

"Are you feeling alright? Why don't you go back and rest?"

Lin An rolled his eyes and said irritably:

Am I the kind of delicate, pampered person?

Su Xiao was silent for a moment, then said with a complicated expression:

"It doesn't seem like it, but I don't think you can accept this kind of thing so easily."

After saying that, he sighed and said, "You should go back and rest for a few days. I'll talk to the teacher; no one will blame you."

Lin An remained silent.

In the past, he would have definitely taken the opportunity to back down and legitimately go home to lie down and die.

But this incident crossed his bottom line.

For the sake of a peaceful life, he doesn't mind being taken advantage of, and even allows a certain degree of deception, but he absolutely will not allow anyone to treat him like a fool and manipulate him at will.

Lin An glanced down at the newspaper.

Half of the entertainment section of the Beijing Youth Daily was dedicated to reports on "Internet Addict's Diary".

The report details director Yeh Tai-ying's creative process for the script, mentioning that the inspiration came from his long-term observation of the lives of young people today. The script underwent months of meticulous polishing, resulting in the story that combines humor and depth...

Lin An twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself that this was a skill in itself.

The bell rang,

The professor left the classroom, and the students packed up their things in twos and threes.

Lin An closed the newspaper, stuffed it into his schoolbag, and was about to leave when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Want to go out for dinner together?"

Su Xiao stood to the side and said with a smile, "The cafeteria has a new duck blood vermicelli soup. I heard it tastes pretty good."

"So gay..." Lin An thought to himself, about to refuse, when his stomach let out a soft rumble.

Su Xiao's lips curled slightly as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and gestured with her chin toward the door:

"Let's go."

Lin An's lips twitched slightly, and he silently followed.

……

……

The cafeteria was bustling with noise.

Lin An carried the tray and followed Su Xiao through the crowded aisle, finding two empty seats against the wall.

The duck blood and vermicelli soup was indeed delicious.

The broth is rich and flavorful, the duck blood is tender and smooth, and the chili oil spreads on the noodles, creating an irresistible aroma.

"How is it? Delicious, right?" Su Xiao grinned.

Lin An snorted, remained silent for a few seconds, and then couldn't help but say:

"Did Teacher Zhang Hua send you to follow me?"

He didn't think his relationship with Su Xiao was that good as it was now.

Su Xiao neither said yes nor no, but simply said:

"I told you before, I used to work at a television station."

Lin An looked up at him.

Su Xiao stirred the noodles in her bowl with her chopsticks and said casually:

"A local TV station in a small city, the kind you've never even heard of. I worked there for three years, working my way up from script supervisor to director. I met a lot of people and experienced a lot of things."

Lin An raised an eyebrow slightly: "You want to remind me that this is actually normal, and there's no need to make a fuss about it."

Su Xiao corrected him, "What I wanted to advise you was that talented people don't lack opportunities to turn defeat into victory; they just need some time."

Lin An neither confirmed nor denied this.

He understands the principles, but understanding the principles and being able to accept them are two different things.

He lowered his head to take a sip of soup, and was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of two familiar figures walking through the passageway toward him.

Zhao Nana and Hai Qing carried trays in their hands, walking one in front of the other with brisk steps.

"Lin An!"

The two of them placed their plates on the table, pulled out chairs, and plopped down in their seats with practiced ease.

Lin An squinted and said, "You guys are pretty familiar with each other, aren't you?"

Zhao Nana glared at him and said coquettishly:

"You heartless bastard! We were just trying to comfort you, and you talk to us like that?"

"Exactly," Haiqing rarely agreed.

Lin An was too lazy to argue, so he gestured with his chin towards Su Xiao:

"Let me introduce you. This is Su Xiao, a classmate from the advanced training program. She used to work at a TV station."

Su Xiao smiled and nodded at the two of them:

Hello.

Zhao Nana nodded perfunctorily, then turned her gaze back to Lin An, her expression playful:

"Do you need to have a good cry? I can lend you my shoulder to lean on~"

Lin An's face darkened.

Hai Qing gave Zhao Nana a playful shove, but also offered words of comfort:

"There are many unspoken rules in this industry, but there are even more opportunities. As long as you have the ability, success is just a matter of time."

Lin An wasn't comforted, but he felt a little happy, so he could only force a smile.

"Do many people know about this?" he asked.

Haiqing thought for a moment, then sighed:

"That's quite a lot. The news that your script sold for eight thousand dollars is astonishing. Many actors might not earn that much money in half a year."

No wonder everyone looked at me like that back then... Lin An recalled the ambiguous smiles on the faces of the people around him when he went to the office building yesterday.

He said with a slight self-deprecating smile, "I guess I got what I deserved."

Zhao Nana spat and glared at him, saying:

"Does this person even know how to choose words? This is clearly malicious suppression!"

She grew angrier as she spoke: "Those people are just sour grapes. Not only will they not help, but they're also siding with outsiders!"

Haiqing didn't reply, but lowered her head to drink her soup, her eyelashes drooping so her expression was unreadable.

Su Xiao said calmly, "Jealousy is human nature, and besides, eight thousand yuan is indeed not a small amount."

Zhao Nana rolled her eyes: "Whose side are you on anyway?"

Su Xiao smiled and waved her hand, indicating that she surrendered.

Lin An listened to their bickering, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, his mood improving considerably.

Just then, a cell phone rang abruptly.

Su Xiao put down her chopsticks, took out a silver-gray cell phone from her pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and pressed the answer button.

"Feed?"

After hearing something said on the other end of the phone, Su Xiao's expression changed from casual to focused, and her brows furrowed slightly.

Lin An lowered his head and continued drinking his soup, not taking it to heart.

The next second, Su Xiao's eyes widened suddenly, and her body involuntarily straightened:

"What did you say?"

His voice suddenly rose, drawing the attention of students at several surrounding tables.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Nana couldn't help but ask, leaning forward.

After hanging up the phone, Su Xiao paused for two seconds, took a deep breath, and said, word by word:

"Director Lin Cong has withdrawn from 'Internet Addict's Diary'."

Zhao Nana and Hai Qing looked at each other in bewilderment.

Su Xiao continued, her voice lower than before, as if she were revealing some incredible secret:

"Moreover, she caused a scene at Ying's Films."

"Making a scene?" Zhao Nana's eyes lit up. "How exactly?"

Su Xiao shook her head: "My friend doesn't know the specifics either, he only knows that it caused quite a stir, and Yingda had to personally intervene to persuade them to leave."

He turned his head and secretly sized up the boy beside him.

Lin An didn't speak, but just lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.