diymy Chapter 44 Dust and Lightning
Chapter 44 Dust and Lightning
The van was parked at the intersection of Laochang Street, its tires crushing half a dead tree.
In the rearview mirror, those black Santanas came to a stop.
Blue police lights spun in the mud after the rain, casting shadows on the broken walls of the clock tower.
Chen Yan pushed open the car door, stepped into the puddle, and fixed his gaze on the man in the lead.
The man was wearing a dark blue cotton overcoat and holding a notebook in his hand.
He stepped over the mud pit and stood in front of Liu Cong from the Safety Supervision Bureau.
"City Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Division, Special Task Force."
The man showed his identification, his fingertip pressing against the edge of the photo. "Director Liu, this involves a major criminal case. Your blockade order has been lifted."
Liu Cong stood by the jeep door, his right hand still clutching the document stamped with a red seal.
He looked at the Santana, then at Lu Haiming, who was surrounded by the old workers.
"This is a production safety review approved by the province."
Liu Cong raised his voice, trying to regain his composure, "The procedures aren't finished yet, you can't just take over."
"The takeover order was issued directly by the ministry."
The man interrupted Liu Cong, waving his arm, "Go, clear the safety inspectors out."
Four police officers rushed toward the jeep in unison.
Two safety inspectors were pulled off the vehicle.
Liu's briefcase fell into the mud, splashing a ring of stains.
Chen Yan walked to the edge of the deep pit and looked down.
Liang Qinian sat in the mud, holding the red plastic hair clip in both hands.
He sensed someone approaching and looked up at Chen Yan.
"Director Chen."
Liang Qinian stood up, his knees cracking. "Got the stuff."
"Hand it over to the forensic pathologist."
Chen Yan pointed to the bottom of the pit, "That's evidence."
Liang Qinian nodded and put the hair clip into the transparent evidence bag.
He brushed the mud off his clothes and walked up to Lu Haiming.
Lu Haiming was being held by two police officers; his suit and shirt were crumpled into a pile of old newspapers.
He raised his head, his gaze fixed on Chen Yan's chest.
"Chen Yan, you think you've won already?"
Lu Haiming spat out the mud in his mouth, his voice icy, "Who decides whether a movie can be made or not?"
Chen Yan didn't speak, and put his right hand into his pocket.
There's no place for you in domestic cinemas.
Lu Haiming moved closer to Chen Yan, his breath hitting the cold air. "You won't get the dragon seal, and the film processing plant won't issue you a copy. What you shoot will just rot in the gutter."
Chen Yan turned his head to look at the camera in Zhang Yuan's hand.
"Old Zhang, get this in the shot."
Chen Yan spoke calmly.
Zhang Yuan adjusted the zoom and aimed the lens at Lu Haiming's face.
"Mr. Lu, your foundation has collapsed."
Chen Yan turned around, his back to Lu Haiming, and said, "What's beneath the foundation is your real movie."
Lu Haiming was about to start cursing again.
Liang Qinian stepped forward and took out metal handcuffs with his right hand.
"Lu Haiming. You are under arrest for the 1982 clock tower construction project that resulted in a death."
Liang Qinian said.
"Click".
The metal ring was fastened tightly to Lu Haiming's wrist, pressing down on his expensive Vacheron Constantin watch.
The police car's back door was pushed open.
Lu Haiming was shoved into a seat, his head hitting the door frame.
He turned his head and stared intently at Chen Yan through the glass window.
Chen Yan didn't look at him.
He was looking towards the east entrance of Laochang Street.
A red Jetta sped into the construction site, slamming on its brakes.
Zhou Man pushed open the car door and jumped out.
She was wearing a dark red coat, and as she ran, her high heels sank into the mud, causing her to sway slightly.
"Zhou Man?"
Su Wan walked over and stood in front of Chen Yan.
Zhou Man didn't say anything, but reached her right hand into the inside pocket of her coat.
She pulled out a brown paper bag, the opening of which was already soaked by rainwater.
"This is the original."
Zhou Man looked at Su Wan, her voice hoarse, "The real transfer agreement for Su Zhiqiang's debt, and Lu Haiming's signature."
Su Wan took the paper bag and pulled out the documents inside.
The paper absorbed the rainwater, becoming heavy and sticky.
The black text above has blurred, but the four large characters "Transfer Agreement" are still clearly visible.
Su Wan looked down.
"Lu Haiming asked you to use this in exchange for evidence?"
Su Wan asked.
"He made me ruin Chen Yan."
Zhou Man took a step back and looked at the police car in the distance. "But I have to live. Lu Haiming is in there, and this thing is my execution device."
Su Wan raised her head and gripped the sides of the document with both hands.
"Zira—"
The soaked paper didn't make a crisp tearing sound; instead, it was torn apart like tattered cotton.
Su Wan kept moving.
She tore the document into palm-sized pieces and tossed them aside.
The fragments fell into the mud and were crushed deep by the tires.
"Su Wan".
Chen Yan walked over.
"The debt is gone."
Su Wan patted the mud off her hands.
Chen Yan nodded.
He looked at the technical team that was setting up a cordon.
The veteran workers are covering the ruins with the last piece of plastic sheeting.
Wu Gang carried the crowbar and walked to Chen Yan's side.
"Director Chen, the man's been arrested, are we still filming here?"
Wu Gang asked.
Chen Yan looked at the ruins of the collapsed clock tower.
Between the broken stone pillars, a camera is still mounted on its rail, its lens pointed at the shattered bell.
It was already broad daylight.
The bluish morning light shone on the construction site.
Chen Yan walked behind the camera and pressed his eye against the viewfinder.
In the picture.
Liang Qinian stood at the edge of the pit, looking in the direction the police car had left.
The old workers squatted in the pile of rubble, each lighting a cigarette.
"It's available throughout the entire venue."
Chen Yan called out.
The sound spread across the empty ruins.
Zhang Yuan put down the camera.
Wu Gang stopped what he was doing.
All the veteran workers looked up and gazed toward the director's position.
Chen Yan picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the call button.
"Old Zhang, turn off your phone."
"Old Wu, that's a wrap."
Chen Yansong turned on the walkie-talkie.
He turned his head and looked at Su Wan.
"This scene is finished."
Freeze.
On the distant highway, the taillights of the last three police cars disappeared around the corner of the old town.
A gust of wind blew by.
A tattered fragment of the agreement flipped twice in the muddy water, covering half of a rusty detonator.
……
"Is that all?"
Zhang Yuan walked to Chen Yan's side, somewhat incredulous, "Lu Haiming... he's just gone like that?"
Chen Yan bent down to disassemble the camera's battery pack.
"Lu Haiming is gone. But 'Thunder' has not yet been born."
Chen Yan carried the heavy battery in his hands. "Back to Yanjing. We're going to fight a battle with those old fogies at the Beijing Film Academy."
"That dragon emblem..." Su Wan asked with some concern.
Chen Yan threw the battery into the storage box, making a dull thud.
"That's the script for the next scene."
Chen Yan led the way toward the bread cart.
The veteran workers began moving the scaffolding.
Wu Gang held the heavy lead box in his arms; it contained all the film negatives he had just recorded.
"Director Chen, can I keep this?"
Wu Gang asked.
"Following you is the safest option."
Chen Yan got into the passenger seat. "Let's go."
The bread truck engine roared, spewing out a plume of blue exhaust fumes.
Su Wan sat in the back seat, the feeling of tearing up waste paper still lingering in her palm.
"Chen Yan".
Su Wan called his name softly.
Chen Yan turned his head.
"How much money do we have left?"
Su Wan opened the account book.
"There's still some deposit left from the sale to WildBunch."
Chen Yan closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "But this money will be used to restore every single part of the clock tower. I'm going to rebuild this building in the studio at Yenching."
"Cover it again?"
Zhang Yuan was stunned. "Didn't it just explode?"
"It's Lu Haiming's life that's being blown up."
Chen Yan's voice was calm, "I haven't filmed the real thunder yet."
The bread truck drove onto the highway.
Outside the window, the old buildings of Tianjin rushed past.
On the distant horizon, a streak of blood-red light pierces through the clouds.
……
Yanjing.
Film Academy Staff Quarters
Yan Huaizhong sat in his study, with a newspaper clipping spread out in front of him.
In the very center of the clipping is a photo of Chen Yan receiving an award at Cannes.
"This child is making too much noise."
Yan Huaizhong picked up his reading glasses and looked at the phone on the table. "Haven't they called back yet?"
"Just past the Hebei border."
A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Keep an eye on it. Although Lu Haiming has gone in, his old buddies in Yanjing are watching the tape right now."
Yan Huaizhong took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That's the kind of thing that keeps them awake at night."
"Understood. I've already arranged for security personnel to meet me at the school gate."
hang up the phone.
Yan Huaizhong got up and walked to the window.
The morning light fell on his wrinkled face.
He looked in the direction of the teaching building and muttered to himself:
"The seventh generation... did it grow out of the ruins?"
……
at this time.
The bread truck drove into the gates of Nortel University.
Two black Volkswagen cars were parked at the school gate, their windows closed.
As the bread truck passed by, the Volkswagen rolled down its window slightly.
A pair of sharp eyes were fixed on the rear of the car.
Chen Yan saw that gaze in the rearview mirror.
He showed no expression, only glancing at his watch.
2000 12 Month 23 Day.
It was eight o'clock in the morning.
"arrive."
Chen Yan said.
The bread cart came to a steady stop in front of the photography department's laboratory building.
A group of technicians in white coats were already waiting at the door, carrying lead-coated protective covers.
Zhang Yuan jumped out of the car.
Wu Gang walked in the middle, carrying the box.
Chen Yan was the last to come down.
He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the familiar red brick building.
Several men in suits walked out from the side corridor.
The man leading the group was in his early thirties, with a meticulously combed slicked-back hairstyle.
"Director Chen, I've heard so much about you."
The man blocked their way.
Chen Yan stopped in his tracks.
"Who is it?"
"Special advisor to the board of directors of Haiming Pictures. The man surnamed Lu has been arrested, but the company is still in operation."
The man pulled a lawyer's letter from his pocket and handed it to Chen Yan. "We need to renegotiate the copyright ownership of 'The Night Watch' and its spin-off project 'Thunder'."
Chen Yan did not take the paper.
He looked at the other person's tie clip.
"Get out of here."
Chen Yan uttered two words.
The other party was stunned.
"Mr. Chen, you may not understand the current situation..."
Chen Yan shoved the man's shoulder aside and strode towards the stairs.
"The situation is..."
Chen Yan left without turning his head, saying:
"It's Chen Yan's time now."
The glass doors of the laboratory building opened automatically.
Chen Yan led his team, like a commando unit, into the dark corridor.
Behind.
The Lu family's lawyer stared at his retreating figure, clenching the lawyer's letter tightly in his hand.
Freeze.