Huayu: I Have a Doraemon

Chapter 4 Target: Chinese Entertainment

A dazzling array of props appeared before my eyes.

Lin An's heart raced as he watched, and Doraemon beside him reminded him:

"The effects and prices of items will fluctuate depending on the technological differences between the two sides."

"You mean these things are a bit underwhelming? It's like a watered-down version..." Lin An calmed down and asked:

"There's nothing like time travel up there, how will you get back?"

Doraemon said, "You can use points earned from spending to upgrade your privileges and unlock more products."

The person who developed this feature must be surnamed Ma... Lin An silently complained.

Doraemon hinted, "In the 22nd century, humanity possesses the ability to explore interstellar space and has extremely abundant material resources."

"What do you mean?"

"Exchange for something that won't exist in the future."

"So you don't have anything?"

"I've heard that the 'Stone Lezhi' Group plans to launch a new type of robot, 5 meters tall, that can emit special effects lasers of nine colors from its eyes. Young people are really looking forward to it."

Lin An said blankly, "You'll just rot here for the rest of your life."

Doraemon lowered his head, looking aggrieved.

……

……

Despite the complaints, the tasks still need to be done.

After selling most of the items in the room, Lin An roughly understood the exchange mechanism of the [Future Shop].

First, living things, or "life forms with independent consciousness, cannot be exchanged," meaning the exchange cannot be completed; the cat-selling bug failed.

Second, precious metals, jade, and other similar items will not have much value in the future.

Third, the completeness of the item will greatly affect its exchange value.

Fourth, when exchanging similar items, their value will decrease dramatically.

Fifth, people in the future will have emotions, and selling garbage will result in a deduction of credit points, affecting prices and permissions.

Lin An flicked away the booger from his nose and wrote down five conclusions on a piece of paper.

Considering that the metals and jade currently available for exchange are of very poor quality and lack any artistic embellishment, he questioned the second point.

The "weight" is made of bronze, and so is the "Statue of Liberty," but the latter possesses uniqueness and artistry, making its value far superior to the former.

The exact amount of the bonus needs to be tested.

Yes, cultural relics should also have an added bonus.

However, considering the existence of the Time Machine, the bonus is unlikely to be high, unless it has some special significance.

Examples include the Wright brothers' "Flyer I", Hargreaves' "The Spinning Jenny", and Qin Shi Huang's "Imperial Seal".

If age equates to value, then I'm already richer than a country... Lin An chuckled to himself, then wrote down his conclusion on the paper:

The future will not lack material things, but it will lack stories and art.

And in this world, the place where these two things are most easily encountered...

Lin An looked at the newspaper in his hand with a complicated expression.

Under the black headline is a photo of Li An dressed in a suit, smiling elegantly; the accompanying report is suggestive.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" premiered in South Korea, receiving widespread acclaim for its martial arts style, demonstrating the growing popularity of Chinese culture overseas...

……

……

"You want to be a director?"

At 2 p.m., Lin Yi returned home and looked at his older brother with a surprised expression.

Lin An corrected him, "It's film and television production."

"...Isn't that still being a director?"

Lin Yi went to the kitchen, opened the upper cabinet, and after confirming that the Wuliangye liquor his father had secretly hidden had not been touched, he reached out and touched Lin An's forehead.

He doesn't have a fever...

Lin An slapped her hand away and said seriously:

"Tell me honestly, how have I treated you all these years?"

Lin Yi placed his hand on his chest and calmly said, "So-so."

Lin An choked for a moment, then squinted and said, "Are you serious?"

Lin Yi repeated, "It's just average."

What a heartless woman! Lin An's face turned ashen. He looked around and immediately spotted Lin Meng rummaging through the refrigerator. He hopped over, grabbed her small hand, and said:

"What did you say?"

Lin Meng scratched her head, about to speak, when Lin An said earnestly:

"Third brother, you must grant my wish. Our family's future rests on your shoulders."

He released her hand, patted her small shoulder, and said earnestly:

"I place all my hopes on you!"

Lin Meng straightened her back immediately and said in a crisp voice:

"Don't worry, brother! I'll definitely support you!"

"Well said!"

Lin An waved his hand dismissively, "You can have all the Want Want Little Buns in my room!"

"Really? Yay!"

Lin Meng was so excited that she danced around and rushed into the second bedroom like a bull, startling Doraemon, who was repairing the electric fan in the room.

Watching Lin Meng rush into the room, Lin An put away his playful smile and whispered to Lin Yi:

"I'm serious."

Lin Yi thought for a few seconds, then shook his head and said:

"It's no use for me and the third brother to support you on this matter; Mom and Dad won't agree."

There are many people in the family, and major decisions are always made by voting, but this matter is clearly not within the scope of voting.

Before Lin An could speak, she added insult to injury:

"You may seem indifferent to worldly affairs, but you're actually more proud than anyone else. You'll only go to places like the Beijing Film Academy or the Central Academy of Drama. The entrance exams for arts schools ended in March, so if you want to study directing, you'll have to wait until next year."

Lin An had planned this long ago:

"I plan to first attend a literature major course, study for a year, and then switch to directing."

Lin Yi was speechless for a moment, not expecting him to go to such lengths.

"At least explain why."

She said calmly, "Don't talk about dreams or anything like that. You and I both know that's impossible."

It's like you're saying I don't deserve to have dreams... Lin An suppressed the urge to retort and analyzed:

"It's impossible to escape poverty by working these days, but you know my family's situation; I didn't have the initial capital to start a business."

He said, "I need an industry that requires mental effort and is based on results. The film and television industry is the one I can currently access that has the lowest barrier to entry, the least risk, and the greatest potential."

Lin Yi glanced at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then sighed:

"I know that's not the truth, at least not entirely."

She paused, then slowly said, "But I will speak up for you."

Hey sis, you're such a good person! I'll never steal your illustrations again to pretend to be an art student and pick up girls!

Lin An clasped his hands in thanks and dragged his right leg, which was bound by a cast, toward the room.

The "Future Caravan" project still needs further testing; Doraemon's food and lodging also need to be addressed; and there's the investigation at the Beijing Film Academy's Department of Literature...

Lin An hadn't felt this sense of urgency about not having enough time in a long time.

……

……

After Lin Meng had looted all the Want Want Little Buns from the room, she happily carried the tin can to the living room to watch TV.

Doraemon squatted in the corner, busy working on the electric fan whose casing had been cracked from the explosion.

Lin An sat on the edge of the bed, turned the screen of the [Future Store] to its lowest brightness, and flipped through the product list page by page.

The trash in the room has been swept out.

Other things don't need to be rushed, but at least a set of tables and chairs should be bought. You can't keep writing while lying on the floor.

Current points: 132

This is the total income he received after selling various coins, commemorative coins, stationery, and magazines.

According to Doraemon, the value of points in the Future Store depends on the "technological gap".

In other words, general items without technological content should be cheaper.

Lin An suddenly wondered if he could have a gold table and diamond chairs custom-made...

It's not that I have any ulterior motives; I just think these things look nice.