diymy Chapter 50 A Thunderclap
Chapter 50 A Thunderclap
The bread truck rolled over the crack in the road, its tires crushing the torn corners of paper.
Zhang Yuan gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the dirt road illuminated by the lights ahead.
"Brother Yan, that old bastard Shen Congzhou is blocking people here; he's probably plotting something even worse. Does he know about our trip to the cold storage?"
Chen Yan leaned back in the passenger seat, looking out the dark window.
"He could even find out about my dad's factory in Shanghai, so finding a cold storage facility wouldn't be difficult for him."
"Should we go back? Wouldn't that be like telling the wolf about the rabbit's burrow?"
Chen Yan took out a lighter and flicked the gears with his thumb.
"Even wolves need strong teeth to get into their den. Wu Gang is guarding the cold storage, and there's also the school's approval. Shen Congzhou prides himself on being a cultured man; he wouldn't personally lead a group into a place like this."
The bread truck turned a corner in the wilderness, and the outline of the meat processing plant's cold storage came into view in the distance.
Two large trucks covered with tarpaulins were parked at the entrance of the cold storage.
A dozen or so men in blue overalls were standing in the open space, with heavy aluminum alloy boxes piled up at their feet.
"The goods have arrived."
Chen Yan pushed open the car door and stepped onto the frozen ground.
Su Wan was wearing a long black down jacket and holding several customs declaration forms in her hand, standing at the back of the truck counting them.
She turned her head, her face slightly red from the cold wind.
"Chen Yan, everything is here. It was a three-way trade from Hong Kong, going through three ports before entering Tianjin. There's the ARRI Master Prime prime lens set, twelve lenses in total. And two 535B cameras."
Chen Yan walked to the back of the carriage and looked at the neatly stacked equipment boxes.
The box is printed with black German letters, and there are slight scratches on the corners.
He reached out and unfastened the clasp on one of the boxes.
The cover is opened, revealing a lens with a black paint finish wrapped in dark gray shock-absorbing foam.
The front glass of the lens reflected a dark green luster under the flashlight beam.
Chen Yan picked up the lens and flicked the aperture ring with his fingertip, producing a fine and evenly damped sound from the mechanical structure.
"The $30,000 shipping fee was worth it."
A foreman wearing a red hard hat walked over, holding a short, thick iron rod in his hand.
He was the foreman of the bricklayers hired from Laochang Street, and his surname was Zhao.
"Director Chen, this job can't be done anymore. Two men in black suits just came and said the building is unstable and an illegal structure. They said if we continue, no one will be responsible if something goes wrong, and we'll even be sentenced to prison."
Several workers followed behind Zhao, each carrying a shovel, their faces showing some hesitation.
Su Wan took a step forward.
"It's clearly stated in the contract that this is an experimental project for the Beijing Film Academy, and all the necessary permits are in order. We've already prepaid half the money, and now that work has stopped, you're in breach of contract."
Zhao the Boss spat on the ground.
"Fine, we'll break the contract. We'll refund half the deposit. We're all here to make money, not to go to jail. Guys, pack your tools and get out of here!"
A cacophony of agreement arose from among the workers.
Chen Yan put down the camera and closed the box.
He didn't look at Zhao Tou'er, but turned around to look at the dark iron door of the cold storage.
Wu Gang emerged from the shadows, carrying a crowbar over a meter long.
He stopped at the threshold, the tip of the crowbar touching the concrete floor.
"Brother Yan, those guys were acting suspiciously at the back door of the cold storage, trying to pour water into the electrical distribution box."
Wu Gang kicked away a blue plastic bucket next to his feet.
It had a strong alkaline smell.
Chen Yan turned his head and looked at Zhao Tou'er.
"How much money did Shen Congzhou give you?"
Zhao the Boss paused for a moment, then tightened his grip on the iron rod.
"What Shen Congzhou? I don't know him. We just think this place is weird, so we're quitting."
Chen Yan took out a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it on the hood of the truck.
"One thousand per person, this is the extra charge for tonight. Those who want to leave, take your money and get out now. Those who stay will have two extra meat dishes added to each meal, and after the filming is finished, they'll get another ten thousand in red envelopes."
The workers looked at each other, and stopped in their tracks.
Ten thousand yuan was equivalent to their annual income in 2000.
Zhao Tou'er's eye twitched, and he swung the iron bar, smashing it against the tree trunk next to him.
"No one is allowed to take anything! Do you have a death wish? The Lu family said that anyone who works here will never get another construction project in the north!"
Chen Yan strode towards Zhao Tou'er.
His steps were steady, and his feet made a soft rustling sound on the gravel.
Zhao the Boss instinctively raised the iron rod.
Wu Gang swung the crowbar horizontally.
"when!"
The crowbar struck the middle of the iron bar, sending sparks flying.
Zhao Tou'er felt a sharp pain in his hand, and the iron rod flew out and landed in a pit two meters away.
Wu Gang stepped forward, pressing the tip of his crowbar against Zhao Tou'er's throat.
"When Lu Haiming was in Tianjin, didn't he teach you how to talk to the director?"
Zhao's body stiffened, his back pressed against the truck tire.
The surrounding workers gasped in surprise and quickly retreated.
"Let them go."
Chen Yan stood in front of Zhao Tou'er.
"Take your money and tell Shen Congzhou that he can use such underhanded tricks in Shanghai, but he won't fall for them in Yenching."
Zhao's face turned ashen. He grabbed the money from the ground and, along with a few of his cronies, scrambled and stumbled into the darkness.
The remaining dozen or so honest workers stood there, heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.
Chen Yan looked at them.
"Move things in. Enter the venue."
The workers bent down and laboriously lifted the heavy wooden crates into the cold storage.
Su Wan walked to Chen Yan's side and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"If they all really ran away, there would be no one to finish the final layer of the clock tower. Shen Congzhou's move to cut off their supply lines was truly ruthless."
Chen Yan watched the figures slowly entering the cold storage.
"It's not over yet. He holds the Dragon Seal in his hand; that's the trump card he thinks can crush me."
In the distance, two bright headlights pierced the night.
A black Audi A6 was parked steadily outside the cold storage room.
Yan Huaizhong pushed open the car door and got out.
He was holding a brown paper bag in his hand, and his face was very serious.
"Chen Yan, this was stamped by the ministry overnight. They sent word from Shanghai that your film has serious political risks and ethical issues. Shen Congzhou is trying to completely shut you down."
Chen Yan took the paper bag and pulled out the documents inside.
The top sheet of paper has a red official seal printed on it: National Key Art Experiment Support Project.
"Teacher, what connections did Shen Congzhou use?"
Yan Huaizhong sighed.
"Lu Haiming donated two cinemas to the Shanghai Film Studio back then, but that was only on the surface. Privately, Shen Congzhou's brother-in-law had just been promoted to deputy head of the censorship team at the Shanghai Film Studio. He only needed to write 'unclear direction' in your application materials, and the film would die in the editing room."
He pointed to the license.
"I still have some influence within the ministry. This certificate will ensure you finish filming in the cold storage; no one can shut it down through administrative means. But what happens after the film is released is up to you."
Chen Yan put away the documents.
"This certificate is enough."
Yan Huaizhong looked at the huge cold storage.
"What are you trying to do? Shen Congzhou is already waiting for your call to beg for mercy."
Chen Yan didn't answer. He turned around and made a gesture to Wu Gang.
"start."
Inside the cold storage, the lights flickered a few times before returning to their original brightness.
The massive clock tower framework has been erected up to the third floor.
Lin Qingqiu stood on the top of the scaffolding.
She was wearing a dark gray, coarse cloth dress, barefoot, with a blackened bandage wrapped around her ankles.
Her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered with a special foundation that gave it a sickly grayish-white appearance.
Chen Yan walked behind the camera.
Zhang Yuan has already mounted the Master Prime 35mm lens on the camera body.
"Push the camera up to Lin Qingqiu's profile to capture the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes."
Chen Yan looked at the screen on the monitor.
In the very center of the image, Lin Qingqiu hangs like a withered plant on the edge of the clock tower.
"Wu Gang, is the fuse connected?"
Wu Gang squatted at the base of the clock tower, clutching two red wires in his hands.
"All set. Manual detonation. Ensure the first detonation causes the building to tilt to the left. The second detonation causes the bronze bell to fall."
Chen Yan picked up the walkie-talkie.
"Attention all departments. This is the first and only scene of 'Thunder.' We have no chance to reshoot. This building is the only one."
Su Wan stood at the edge of the cold storage, her palms sweaty.
She mobilized all her overseas funds for this replica bronze bell.
That lump of copper alloy, weighing half a ton, was replicated at a 1:1 scale.
"Power on."
Chen Yan's voice was very soft.
The camera's motor made a faint turning sound.
On the monitor, Lin Qingqiu slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were empty, devoid of any light, only blank.
She released her grip on the beam.
"fry."
Chen Yan issued the order.
"Bang!"
A muffled thud exploded inside the cold storage.
Large amounts of white dust billowed out from the first floor of the clock tower.
The massive wooden structure emitted a sickening, twisting sound as the entire building began to slowly tilt to one side.
Dust instantly filled the entire frame.
Lin Qingqiu's body tilted with the building, her long dress swaying in the wind like a bird with broken wings.
"Click!"
The pulley system on the second floor broke.
The bronze bell hanging at the top lost its support and fell vertically.
"Thump—!"
The bell crashed into the mud at the bottom.
The splashing mud obscured the camera lens.
Chen Yan did not call a halt.
He stared at the monitor.
Muddy water slowly slid down the lens glass.
The image gradually became clear.
In front of that tilted, half-collapsed clock tower, the bell is stuck in a deep pit.
Lin Qingqiu lay on Zhong's body.
Her arms hung down, her fingers digging marks into the mud.
The surroundings were deathly silent.
Only the remaining wood chips fell from above, making a sound as they hit the bronze bell.
"stop."
Chen Yan stood up.
He walked to the edge of the mud pit and looked at Lin Qingqiu, who was still trembling.
"What did you think of just a second ago?"
Lin Qingqiu raised her head, her lips trembling.
"I heard... a heartbeat. It wasn't mine, it was the clock's."
Chen Yan bent down and grabbed a handful of soil mixed with sawdust and copper powder.
He put the clump of soil into a transparent sample bag.
"Su Wan".
Chen Yan turned around and looked at Su Wan, who was waiting beside him.
"Find a photo lab. Get a sample print tonight. Make a digital copy and send it directly to Vincent in Shanghai so he can pass it on to Shen Congzhou."
Su Wan took the sample bag, somewhat hesitant.
"Send it now? He hasn't even started reviewing it yet!"
Chen Yan took the cigarette Zhang Yuan offered and lit it.
"Tell Shen Congzhou that I've finished editing the film. This is the ending. The bell has already fallen. He can draw wherever he wants with his judge's pen."
The iron door of the cold storage was slowly pushed open.
The first rays of morning sunlight streamed in, illuminating the ruins and dust.
Chen Yan stood in the light, his back to the collapsed clock tower.
He looked at Shen Congzhou's number displayed on his phone and immediately added it to the blacklist.
Freeze.
Chen Yan held a cigarette between his fingers, the butt of which trembled slightly in mid-air.
His eyes remained calm amidst the swirling smoke.
The bread truck in the distance had already started, and white smoke was billowing from its exhaust pipe.
The camera slowly pulls back from Chen Yan's profile.
Beneath the collapsed bell tower foundation, the blue brick inscribed with the words "Repay Debts" was shattered by the falling bronze bell.
The fragments were mixed in the soil, and could no longer be distinguished from each other.