Before leaving, Wen Tingli was worried about Ding Xiao’e and other female workers, so she packed a lot of clean clothes and food overnight and went to the night school with Lu Shicheng to find them.

The Women Workers Night School was originally founded by Xiufeng using the box office revenue from “Spring Breeze Blows Again”. Later, the donations raised by the “Spring Breeze Blows Again – Women Workers Foundation” in the society were also gradually invested in the construction of the school.

The school currently employs ten young female teachers who, in addition to teaching female workers to read and write, are also responsible for recommending jobs to unemployed female workers. In addition, the school has a cafeteria and more than 40 school buildings for food and accommodation for teachers and students.

When Wen Tingli and Lu Shicheng arrived, there were almost no people left in the school. However, Ding Xiao’e and an older female worker named Zheng were still in the dormitory. Ding Xiao’e was squatting beside the bed feeding Zheng porridge.

“Miss Wen, Mr. Lu, why are you here? Don’t run around, there’s a war going on outside!”

Wen Tingli asked anxiously: “Where are they?”

“Everyone left.” Ding Xiao’e was still frightened. “Everyone was scared and ran everywhere after the fight. Fortunately, not long after, the female lawyer surnamed Liu came with a big truck and said she would help everyone move to a safe place.”

Sister Yaqiao! She actually came earlier than me. Wen Tingli was moved and breathed a sigh of relief. With Sister Yaqiao helping with the resettlement, she didn’t have to worry about the female workers being displaced.

Ding Xiao’e pointed at Sister Zheng on the bed with concern: “I didn’t expect that Sister Zheng suddenly started coughing up blood before getting on the bus. Lawyer Liu was afraid that Sister Zheng couldn’t stand the bumps on the road, so he put her in the dormitory first and said that he would find a doctor to take a look and then think about what to do next.”

“What about you?” Wen Tingli held Ding Xiao’e’s hand, “Why don’t you leave?”

Ding Xiao’e grinned and said, “I’m worried about Sister Zheng being alone.”

Wen Tingli turned her face away. In times of crisis, smart people would only care about escaping for their own lives, and only fools would keep their promises of loyalty. However, it was fools like this who were particularly valuable and made people respect them.

She turned back to the patient on the bed and whispered, “Sister Zheng, we’ll send you to see a doctor right away.”

Sister Zheng tried hard to turn her face to the inside of the bed to prevent the sound of her cough from spraying on Wen Tingli’s face.

“I have tuberculosis, and I’m afraid it can’t be cured. Miss Wen, please take Xiao’e away quickly and don’t worry about me anymore. I’m already a burden to others.”

As she spoke, she began to cough more and more violently, with a “hollow” “hollow” sound, as if she was about to cough the lung out of her throat in the next second. Along with this nerve-stimulating sound, a strange smell began to fill the air.

Sister Zheng became more and more panicked and pulled the quilt up to cover her face. Lu Shicheng pushed Wen Tingli and Ding Xiaoe away, leaned over and picked up Sister Zheng from the bed. Sister Zheng was startled: “No, Mr. Lu——”

There was still blood on her lips, and when she moved, it rubbed against Lu Shicheng’s collar, but Lu Shicheng didn’t care at all and said to Wen Tingli, “Let’s go, send her to Huiqun Hospital first.”

Ding Xiao’e was still in a daze, but Wen Tingli took the lead in helping Lu Shicheng open the door of the dormitory. The group hurried to Lu Shicheng’s car, and Sister Zheng began to struggle again: “How can this be so embarrassing? It will dirty your car.”

Lu Shicheng put her in the back seat without giving her any explanation, and took out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Ding Xiaoe: “She sweats a lot, and she might catch a cold on the way. Please help her wipe it first.”

He was so polite, attentive, and enthusiastic that even Ding Xiao’e was no longer restrained: “Okay.”

Wen Tingli didn’t say a word from beginning to end, just staring at Lu Shicheng sweetly. After the car drove for a while, Wen Tingli asked Ding Xiaoe what her next plan was.

Ding Xiao’e said sympathetically: “I don’t know. After Sister Zheng is settled, I might go back to my hometown in the countryside alone.”

Return to her hometown in the countryside? The hometown that never cared about Ding Xiao’e’s life or death? Wen Tingli could almost imagine Ding Xiao’e’s next fate.

“Why don’t you come with us to Hong Kong? When we get to Hong Kong, our company will need manpower, so why don’t you come and help me?”

“Me?” Ding Xiao’e was flattered. “How can I help Miss Wen? I can’t even read a few words. I can’t do it.”

“You can do it.” Wen Tingli smiled bitterly. “You can’t read, not because you can’t learn, but because your living environment didn’t give you the opportunity to learn to read since childhood. If you study hard with Miss Cao and the others, I believe you will be able to do it in less than three months.”

Ding Xiao’e was still a little hesitant: “I…can I really do it?”

“Really, if you are willing to help me, I will be very happy. Xiao’e, you don’t know how much I like you.”

Wen Tingli’s tone was so sincere that Ding Xiao’e’s expression changed from doubt and uneasiness to joy: “Okay, I’ll listen to you. I’ll go to Hong Kong with you.”

Because Huiqun Hospital is located in the French Concession and is not likely to be disturbed by war, it is the ideal choice to place Sister Zheng here to recuperate.

While the doctor was treating Sister Zheng, Wen Tingli called Liu Yaqiao to inform her of the matter, saving her the risk of making another trip.

After taking the medicine, Sister Zheng’s condition stabilized.

Wen Tingli and Ding Xiao’e both breathed a sigh of relief. Wen Tingli quietly went to the accounting office to help Sister Zheng pay all the medical expenses, but she didn’t expect that Lu Shicheng had already paid in advance.

Ding Xiao’e wanted to stay with Sister Zheng for a while longer, and agreed that Wen Tingli would come to pick her up in two hours.

On the way back, Wen Tingli leaned her head tiredly on Lu Shicheng’s arm. The two didn’t speak for a long time, but there was a kind of tacit understanding in the silence. She grabbed his hand boredly and fiddled with his fingers one by one.

When passing by Ci Xin Hospital, Wen Tingli looked up inadvertently and suddenly her whole body was shocked.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Shicheng noticed it immediately.

“I think I saw someone I know, but—that’s impossible.” She shook her head. “I must be dazzled.”

Having said that, she was still feeling nervous. As soon as she returned to Lu Mansion, she asked Lu Shicheng to borrow his study. Under his puzzled gaze, she entered the study, closed the door, picked up the phone on the table and called Head Nurse Liu.

“Sister Xiang Zhi, I want to confirm something with you.” Wen Tingli swallowed, “I think I saw Director Deng at Ci Xin Hospital just now. Could it be that I saw it wrongly?”

Liu Xiangzhi was silent for a moment, then gave a positive answer: “You are not mistaken, she is back.”

Wen Tingli was shocked. Why would she come back to Shanghai at this time? Shanghai could fall at any time. What if Dean Deng accidentally exposed his identity during this period? No, she couldn’t imagine how dangerous it would be.

But Liu Xiangzhi said with a smile: “President Deng is right beside me right now, and she wants to talk to you.”

“Tingli.” A long-lost voice came from the other end of the phone.

“President Deng?!” Wen Tingli’s heart was pounding. “You’re really back. Why are you coming back to Shanghai at this time? It’s too dangerous!”

Deng Yi said in a friendly tone: “Yes, I just came back. I heard from Xiang Zhi that you have grown up very fast in the past year or so. I heard that you have made many new films and set up a foundation to help female workers?”

Wen Tingli could not say anything except wiping her tears.

Dean Deng suddenly sighed and asked in a deep voice: “I also heard that your Xiufeng Film Company was just burned down?”

“Yes, but it’s no big deal. The company was burned down, but we are still here. Sister Huang and I are going to Hong Kong to start over.”

“Okay, okay.” Dean Deng sighed with relief, “I am really proud of you. You have been strong enough to get to this point today. I believe that it will be difficult for any difficulties to defeat you in the future.”

“But what about you?” Wen Tingli said unwillingly, “Do you really want to stay?”

“This is my mission. This defense war needs people like me to stay and contribute. Our soldiers and patients also need the support of Cixin Hospital.”

She said in a playful tone: “Just like you, now Xiufeng and the movie have become your mission and the burden on your shoulders, right?”

“But you were badly injured back then. Is your hand healed now?”

“You can perform some simple surgeries now, and you will recover better and better. Don’t forget, the operating room is my battlefield.” Director Deng’s tone was so uplifting and relaxed, without any sadness in his voice.

After a moment of silence, Dean Deng said with a smile: “Tingli, see you later.”

Wen Tingli’s lips began to tremble uncontrollably.

See you later——

I couldn’t say these four words to President Deng no matter what.

She was afraid, afraid that after this separation, they would never meet again.

She will never forget that early summer night two years ago when she was desperate and rashly went to Dean Deng’s office to ask for help. In the moment of crisis, Dean Deng helped her without hesitation. But now, she can only watch Dean Deng risk his life.

Her heart was broken, tears were pouring down her cheeks, but she tried to speak in a relaxed tone: “See you later. I have only one request: you and Sister Xiang Zhi must take care of yourselves, and I will also take care of myself. I believe that sooner or later, we will meet again with a smile on our faces.”

“Okay, Dean promises you, we will all look forward to that day together.”

After hanging up the phone, Wen Tingli slid down to the floor, holding onto the desk, and burst into tears, covering her face.

This city left too many precious memories and too many people she cared about. She couldn’t let go of Dean Deng and Sister Xiang Zhi. If Xiufeng hadn’t been burned to death and she had only finished filming half of the film “Resistance” that she had put so much effort into, she would never have been willing to leave.

But, as Dean Deng said, this is their mission, and she herself also has a mission.

She didn’t know if Lu Shicheng had given any instructions, but no one came to knock on the door during this time, so she could release her long-pent-up emotions and cry loudly without any scruples.

She cried until she was exhausted, until her whole body was weak and her chest was swollen. Only then did she feel a little relieved. She buried her head in her knees, closed her eyes tiredly, rested for a long time, wiped her tears with a handkerchief, raised her head again, and walked out as if nothing had happened.

As soon as she went out, she calmly called Yu Peiling, Gu Jie and others over: “Are you all ready? We are leaving.”

Life must go on, and this is her extraordinary quality. No matter what happens, she can always adjust herself in the shortest time and start again with a new look.

***
Principal Zou was busy arranging the relocation of Shiwu Girls’ Middle School to the south and could not leave for the time being. Upon hearing the news, he brought Yan Zhenzhen and Zhao Qingluo to the dock to see them off.

The dock was packed with people, and all you could see were people busy fleeing.

Wen Tingli stood up with them and was bumped by others from time to time. Fortunately, the four of them always held each other’s hands tightly so as not to be separated.

Yan Zhenzhen and Zhao Qingluo agreed on the way not to cry, but as soon as they saw Wen Tingli, they burst into tears uncontrollably.

Wen Tingli thought sadly about how friendly Yan Zhenzhen and Zhao Qingluo were to her when she first transferred to Shiwu Girls’ Middle School. That time was almost pink. The three of them could often be seen walking together on campus, along with Gao Xiaowen. The indestructible friendship between the four of them would not fade in a hundred years.

After today’s farewell, she didn’t know when they would meet again. She hugged them one on each side, and the sweat and tears of the three of them blended together.

“Don’t cry, kids.” Principal Zou said with a sad face, “Do you remember the school motto of pragmatism? The first one is to be optimistic. Now is the time when we need optimism the most. The principal firmly believes that we will win this battle.”

“Principal…” The three of them whimpered collectively, like a wounded puppy, and all three heads turned to Principal Zou. Principal Zou held the students in his arms with a look of pity.

In any case, during this relocation of major schools in Shanghai, a large number of teachers and students helped each other on the road. Principal Zou would never be alone, and Zhao Qingluo and Yan Zhenzhen would not be displaced because they were traveling with their parents. Thinking of this, Wen Tingli felt a little more at ease.

It was really late, and Wen Tingli reluctantly left them and got on the boat. Principal Zou and the other two waved at her at the dock, just like when they saw Gao Xiaowen off, and were reluctant to leave.

After boarding the ship, Wen Tingli went to the bathroom to wash the tears off her face, and then came out to drag the suitcase out from under the bed and put it in order. Although Xiao Taozi was a little scared yesterday, she was still very excited because it was her first time on a ship. She dragged Yue Zhaoyun, Ding Xiaoe and others around on the deck, and suddenly “dong dong dong” ran in and said, “Mr. Lu is here.”

Wen Tingli didn’t look up and continued to squat in front of the suitcase: “I was just about to look for you, which room are you in?”

Unexpectedly, when Lu Shicheng came in, he actually left the door ajar. This was a rare situation. She looked up at him in surprise.

He pulled her up from the suitcase and said, “I have something to tell you. I will get off the ship soon. You go first. I will leave in a few days.”

“Why?!” Wen Tingli was shocked.

“On the one hand, I have to deal with Lu Kejian, and on the other hand, I have to move all the equipment of Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory out before I can leave. You see, that place is in the Chinese area, and the equipment in the factory is new. The Japanese have been eyeing it covetously for a long time. If the factory is occupied by the Japanese, wouldn’t it completely go against my mother’s original intention of building a western medicine factory? I can leave, but I must move all the equipment and raw materials in the factory out as well.”

Wen Tingli understood what he said, but she was still worried: “How many days will it take? Will there be any danger?”

Lu Shicheng laughed, “It’s okay. I’m not the only one who needs to relocate equipment in Shanghai. Recently, a large number of factories are planning to relocate to Chongqing. Today, the ‘Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Circles Southward Migration Alliance Committee’ was established. We all share the same hatred and the same enemy. There’s nothing to worry about. You can take them to Hong Kong without worry. I will arrive at most 20 days later than you. By the way, Kuang Zhilin will leave before me. When he arrives in Hong Kong, you can go directly to him. Remember, Uncle Kuang is always trustworthy.”

Wen Tingli was completely relieved now, but she still felt reluctant to leave. She put her arms around his waist and said, “I’ll find Uncle Kuang if there’s anything. You can arrive at most 20 days later than me, and you are not allowed to go back on your word.”

She squatted down and fished out a small box from the suitcase and handed it to him, “See if you like it.”

“A gift for me?”

“Ah.”

Lu Shicheng opened the lid of the box with great care, and inside was a shiny platinum ring.

Turn the ring and you will see a line of small words engraved on the inside: you are the one for me.
He gazed at Wen Tingli, his heart filled with happiness.

She urged him: “Try the size quickly, hey, don’t wear it wrong, it’s on the middle finger.”

He tried it on and found it was a perfect size. Wearing it on his hand, he could see the ring at all times.

He pushed it a little deeper into his knuckles with great care and raised his hand to show her: “Okay, from now on it’s part of my body.”

The two of them stayed in the cabin for a while. Lu Shicheng walked back and forth beside the bed, repeatedly helping Wen Tingli check if she had left anything behind. While Wen Tingli was not paying attention, he quietly stuffed a large check that he had prepared long ago into her bag.

Wen Tingli was completely unaware of this. After a while, the captain came over and said that the boat was about to set sail. Only then did Lu Shicheng get off the boat, looking back every few steps.

This time it was his turn to see her off at the dock, while Wen Tingli leaned on the side of the boat and looked at him from afar.

Even at such a distance, she was sure that he could see her entire expression. She gently covered her lips with her fingers and blew this invisible kiss gently towards him.

As expected, Lu Shicheng lowered his head and laughed, then looked up at her with sharp eyes.

Wen Tingli held her chin up and looked at him. She really stood out from the crowd. She was so tall and beautiful. Just standing there, she was a sight in herself.

Finally, his figure turned into a small black dot and disappeared. Wen Tingli had no choice but to look away and returned to the cabin reluctantly.

***
Half a month later, the passenger ship arrived safely at the Hong Kong Star Pier. From a distance, two long red banners were seen fluttering on the pier.

【Warmly welcome all members of Shanghai Xiufeng Films to Hong Kong. 】

【Warmly welcome the famous movie star Ms. Wen Tingli, the movie queen Ms. Yu Peiling, the famous director Ms. Huang Yuanshan, and the famous writer Yue Zhaoyun to Hong Kong. 】

Wen Tingli knew without any guessing who got these two banners. Gao Xiaowen was always so exaggerated, and he would often make a big fuss before doing anything.

At just one glance, she caught sight of Gao Xiaowen in the crowd. Gao Xiaowen was wearing a bright red maxi dress and a wide-brimmed hat. From a distance, she looked like a moving flame.

As soon as they got off the boat, the fire rushed towards them, first hugged Wen Tingli tightly, and then rushed towards Huang Yuanshan on the stretcher.

Huang Yuanshan had been recuperating for these days, and his mental state had improved a lot, but his strength had not yet fully recovered. Gao Xiaowen held him in her arms forcibly, and he could not speak for a long time. He raised his hands weakly and said in a muffled voice: “Let go quickly, Gao, are you going to murder me as soon as we meet?”

Everybody laughed, because it was war time, the dock was crowded and chaotic, men, women, old and young were all in dire straits, it was a hellish scene that was heartbreaking to watch. The worst thing was that they were so crowded that they could not stand steadily after just a few words, and Huang Yuanshan’s stretcher was nearly knocked to the ground.

Fortunately, Gao Xiaowen brought a few friends to help, and everyone fought hard to protect the group from squeezing out of the crowd.

Gao Xiaowen’s apartment is in Central. The house is not big and its luxury cannot be compared with Gao Mansion in Shanghai, but Gao Xiaowen herself is obviously very happy living there.

Here, she is the queen and she has the final say in everything. Although she works hard every day and even lives in fear, the sense of accomplishment she feels is by no means comparable to when she was a “second-class citizen” in the Gao family.

When the food was served, Gao Xiaowen clapped his hands in the room with great enthusiasm: “Everyone, let’s put aside our national hatred and family feuds for the time being and have a good meal tonight.”

Wen Tingli was looking for newspapers everywhere and was busy looking for the phone in the house. Logically, Lu Shicheng should have left Shanghai ten days ago, but the situation was changing rapidly and Lu Shicheng might be stranded in Shanghai at any time. She called Lu Mansion, but no one answered the phone. If he was still in Shanghai, someone in Lu Mansion would definitely answer the phone. Only if everyone left Shanghai would such a big mansion be empty.

Wen Tingli was completely relieved now. She guessed that she would be able to see Lu Shicheng in ten days at most. That night, Wen Tingli, Yue Zhaoyun, Zhou Sao, and Xiao Taozi shared a bed, while Ding Xiaoe, Yu Peiling, and Cao Renxiu shared the bed next to them.

Everyone had difficulty even turning over, but perhaps because they were temporarily away from the war, they slept extremely soundly at night.

Because Huang Yuanshan was still ill, the task of finding a house fell on Wen Tingli. Early the next morning, Yue Zhaoyun and Ding Xiao’e stayed to take care of Huang Yuanshan, while Gao Xiaowen drove Wen Tingli and her group out, and took them to visit her “Aoshuang” cosmetics counter in Wing On Department Store in Hong Kong.

Gao Xiaowen was right, her counter was doing extremely good business. Wen Tingli stood by and watched, feeling happy for Gao Xiaowen from the bottom of her heart.

After several people got out and got into the car, Gao Xiaowen said, “As soon as I received your telegram that day, I started looking for a house non-stop. With so many of you, you definitely need a lot of rooms, and they also need to function as offices. The best option is to rent a whole building, but because of the tense situation, the rent for office buildings like this in Central is much higher than last year.”

“What should I do?”

“Don’t worry. It just so happens that a small factory in Kowloon Tong has closed down, and the boss is in a hurry to sublet it. There is a staff dormitory. I am very satisfied with it, but the location is a bit remote. You can take a look at it later. If you are not satisfied, you can find another place.”

Unexpectedly, Wen Tingli fell in love with him the first time she arrived.

The entire factory covers an area of ​​at least five acres. The front building is a gray and white two-story building, which can be used for office work. The middle factory building has been emptied. The ceiling is very high, and it can be used to build a studio in the future.

At the back is a row of low bungalows, about twenty in total, each independent and perfectly suited for use as staff dormitories.

There are large plants of brightly colored frangipani planted on the back windows of the dormitory. They have a very strong fragrance and create a southern scene that is pleasing to the eye.

There is a large public bathroom on each side of the corridor, which can be used as a female employee bathroom and a male employee bathroom. Although the rent is a bit high, it is a place with all the facilities for Xiufeng at present.

Cao Renxiu and others had nothing to say, but Yu Peiling was more or less disgusted. Compared with her villa in Shanghai, this dormitory was about the size of a toilet, and the worst thing was that there was no separate bathroom.

But she also knew that it was not easy to find such a suitable place at this time. When Wen Tingli asked her opinion, she shrugged and said, “Let’s just live here for a while. I’ll find a place to live by myself later. Sister Yue also likes quietness. I can go out with her to look for a house then.”

Wen Tingli followed her and happily contacted her boss directly to sign the contract. When paying, she unexpectedly found a check for 200,000 francs (note) in her handbag. She was shocked to see that it was from a bank account in Hong Kong and could be withdrawn at any time.

She smiled sweetly, gently put the check back into her purse, and took out her own money to pay the bill.

After moving, Wen Tingli discussed with Huang Yuanshan the reshoot of “Defense”. The company had suffered a fire and many things had to be started from scratch. In order to recover as soon as possible, in addition to filming “Defense”, they also planned to shoot “The Wild Geese Return South” at the same time to guarantee box office revenue.

But whether it is to shoot one or two films, first of all, there must be a decent studio. Before Xiufeng’s new studio is built, the best way is to rent. Rent a studio (note), rent a camera, rent an editing room – in short, save as much as possible.

After reaching a consensus, Wen Tingli immediately contacted local film companies. The news spread very quickly, and the next day, two companies contacted them.

The first one was called Xingfa, founded by a local businessman named Hong. The company had made many films in the silent film era, but later went bankrupt due to poor management. Now it makes money by renting venues and equipment.

The price offered by Boss Hong was very reasonable. No matter how many days Xiufeng filmed, the total price would be used to settle the bill, and no additional deposit was required. However, after visiting the studio, Wen Tingli was very disappointed. The camera was still an old-fashioned EMI Camel camera, and the lighting equipment was too old.

The other one had all the first-class equipment, but it was not a film company, but a foreign film factory called Effiline. The old chairman of Effiline was named Philip. He had a lifelong fascination with movies, but later he was unwilling to go to the cinema to buy tickets to watch other people’s movies for a long time, so he simply used his own money to build a glass studio in the suburbs. He also spent a huge amount of money to buy the latest cameras, carbon lamps and other equipment. In his spare time, he recruited a few actors to shoot some landscape documentaries and comedies for his own entertainment.

After the old chairman passed away, the studio became idle. His son Philip Jr. couldn’t bear to see a large amount of funds sitting idle, so he simply rented it out. The person who contacted Wen Tingli was the factory manager, named Robinson.

Wen Tingli was quite satisfied with Aifeilin’s studio, but Robinson asked for a sky-high price. The rental period was three months, the rent was 30,000 yuan, and a deposit of 10,000 yuan was required. If any damage was caused during the filming, compensation would be required according to the market price.

Tan Guiwang gasped: “This price is enough to build a new studio.”

The foreigner said proudly, “We can’t help it. Your company is in a hurry to use the space to shoot. Currently, there are only two local studios with vacancies. The other one, Xingfa, must have contacted you. Their conditions…tsk tsk, anyway, our Aifeilin Studio is the best one in the local area. Even some regular local film companies don’t have such conditions. You will definitely not lose out.”

These words hit Xiufeng’s soft spot, but no matter how anxious they were, there was no reason for them to be slaughtered like fat sheep. Tan Guiwang wanted to bargain with the foreigner, but Wen Tingli smiled and put her business card on the table.

“Mr. Robinson, please pass my business card to your boss, Mr. Philip Jr., and tell him: We won’t pay a penny for the rent, but when the movie is released, Xiufeng can consider giving your company 10% of the box office revenue. Of course, the premise is that both parties are happy with the cooperation. If there is any disagreement in the middle of the process, Xiufeng will terminate the cooperation with your company at any time.”

Robinson was dumbfounded: “This is simply wishful thinking. Our Mr. Philip will never agree to your request.”

Wen Tingli stopped talking to him and stood up and left. After returning, Cao Renxiu and Tian Lingqi told Yu Peiling and others what had just happened.

Everyone offered suggestions, but Huang Yuanshan only asked Wen Tingli one question: “Is it feasible?”

Wen Tingli smiled and said, “Okay, just wait and see.”

Two days later, Aiflin’s boss, Philip Jr., really took the initiative to invite Wen Tingli to have coffee at the Peninsula Hotel.

Little Philip was about 40 years old, with typical British looks. After two days of cooling down, his attitude had clearly softened, but his face was still cold. As soon as he sat down, he looked at Wen Tingli with a hawk-like gaze: “I have also seen many movie stars, and others are not as smart as you. Miss Wen, don’t you really consider changing your career and specializing in business?”

Wen Tingli smiled: “I will take this as a compliment from Mr. Philip.”

Little Philip took a sip of coffee leisurely. “You Chinese have a saying: things change over time. Hong Kong is not Shanghai, and Xiufeng is not the Xiufeng of Shanghai. Miss Wen, the conditions you proposed are so harsh that no company will agree to them.”

Wen Tingli looked relaxed: “But we Chinese have a saying: If you have food in your belly, you won’t be worried. Although Xiufeng was forced to move to Hong Kong, his strength has not been compromised. Director Huang Yuanshan, Miss Yu Peiling, Ms. Yue Zhaoyun, and I, Wen Tingli, any one of us can be independent. The most valuable thing is that we are always united. This is Xiufeng’s ‘food in his belly’. Mr. Philip took the initiative to contact us that day. Doesn’t it mean that you recognize Xiufeng’s influence very much?”

Philip sneered: “I understand why Miss Wen is so tough. It’s because we, Ai Feilin, were the ones who took the initiative to contact me, so you expected me to bow my head first?”

Wen Tingli said sincerely, “Cooperation requires honesty, and there is no such thing as winning or losing. I am just very sure that whoever cooperates with us, Xiufeng, will gain the most, because since its establishment, Xiufeng has never lost in terms of box office and word of mouth, and is very good at keeping up with the times. This is not only known by your company, but also by other local film companies.”

But to be honest, Xiufeng is still far behind big companies like Huangjin and Huamei. Even if the famous Huangjin moved here, it might not be able to open up the market in Hong Kong. It might not adapt to the local environment. Miss Wen, it’s better not to negotiate with others with empty promises. What if the box office is bleak? Wouldn’t I earn nothing? It’s better to be more practical and don’t make ridiculous demands. “

Wen Tingli just smiled and said nothing.

Phillip’s fist seemed to hit cotton, and he had nothing to say for a while. After waiting for a while, seeing that Wen Tingli still didn’t move, he had to say with a straight face: “It seems there is nothing to talk about. Goodbye.”

But just three days later, Ai Feilin called Wen Tingli and said, “Ms. Wen, Mr. Philip has agreed to your terms. If it is convenient for you, please come to our company tomorrow morning to sign the contract. Everything will be done according to what Miss Wen said.”

The whole house cheered.

Wen Tingli patted her chest and smiled, “After all these days of tension, we finally finalized an important matter. Let’s relax tonight. I’ll go buy some drinks.”

In fact, she wanted to take the opportunity to call Lu Gongguan while she was outside. She had been in Hong Kong for more than ten days, but there was still no news from Lu Shicheng.

What disturbed her most was that she had a very strange dream last night. In the dream, she was standing at the gate of Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory. She knew that Lu Shicheng was waiting for her in the office, but she walked around and couldn’t find his office. Finally, she was so anxious that she kept shouting: “Lu Shicheng——”

It was midnight when she woke up. She sat in the dark and gasped. Her heart felt empty, as if a large piece of it was missing. She couldn’t fall asleep again after that. She thought to herself that she had to contact Lu Shicheng today no matter what.

Tan Guiwang and Cao Renxiu were afraid that the things were too heavy, so they hurried out with Wen Tingli. On the way, Tan Guiwang excitedly asked Wen Tingli: “Boss Wen, did you expect that Aifeilin’s boss would agree to our conditions?”

“From your professional perspective, are the conditions of Effilin’s studio good?”

“Of course it’s good. It’s impeccable.”

“With such good conditions, there is a three-month gap. What does that mean?”

“Their studio isn’t as popular as they say?”

Wen Tingli smiled and said, “The local small film companies cannot accept Little Philip’s offer, and Little Philip also looks down on the influence of these film companies. The two sides are in a stalemate. The machines are becoming less and less valuable, and they have to hire people to maintain them every year. In the end, Little Philip suffers the biggest loss. It’s not easy for a new film company to move south, and it’s a film company like Xiufeng that has a certain reputation. Do you think he can still sit still? Once he takes the initiative to contact us, he will have lost 30% of his momentum.”

Tan Guiwang laughed angrily, “I thought so. He is still so arrogant, especially his subordinate Robinson. He speaks in a tone that says he has never heard of Xiufeng. It makes Xiao Cao and I almost lose our confidence.”

“Businessmen are often unwilling to reveal their true thoughts in order to pursue profits, which is understandable, but -” Wen Tingli raised her eyebrows, “As long as we recognize our own strength, the right to speak is always in our own hands. If we are pearls, but others suppress us for a few words and then sell ourselves as plastic beads, that would be a tragedy in the world.”

Cao Renxiu and Tan Guiwang were convinced.

After buying things, Wen Tingli found a telephone office on the side of the road and called Lu Mansion, but still no one answered. She called Kuang Zhilin’s apartment, but no one answered either. On the way back, Xiao Cao and Tan Guiwang talked non-stop, and Wen Tingli remained silent all the way.

After entering the house, Cao Renxiu shouted, “We’re back. We heard that the boss bought a lot of vegetables. We’ll have fish and pork ribs for dinner tonight.” But the crowd did not come up to greet him happily. Everyone’s face looked very wrong. Even Gao Xiaowen, who usually loved to joke, was silent.

Wen Tingli keenly smelled a hint of something unusual, and glanced at Yue Zhaoyun secretly hiding something over there, so she rushed over and snatched it away.

It was a newspaper. Wen Tingli stared at the headline for a long time without moving.

“What’s wrong?” Tan Guiwang and Cao Renxiu walked behind Wen Tingli, and when they took a look, they suddenly felt a darkness in front of their eyes.

【Last night, a fire broke out at Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory, and business tycoon Lu Shicheng was killed in the flames.】

The two men were terrified and read quickly.

“Last night, the Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory under the Lu family suddenly exploded. The fire was so fierce that it took three hours to put it out. Afterwards, more than a dozen men’s bodies were found at the scene. One of them was Mr. Lu Shicheng, the young master of Nanyang Hongye. According to eyewitnesses at the time of the incident, they saw Lu Shicheng arguing with Mr. Lu Sanye, who was kicked out of the house a while ago. Therefore, it is speculated that the other body is likely to be Lu Kejian. The remains of jade jewelry on the body also prove this. As for the remaining dozen victims, they were all Japanese military personnel-

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Mr. Lu is a patriotic man. He founded the Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the factory has sent countless boxes of emergency medicines to the front line. The Japanese have long been eyeing it. Now the relocation work has not been completed, and Mr. Lu has suffered a tragic disaster. This is clearly a long-planned conspiracy. This newspaper is deeply saddened and regretful. Alas!”

A short headline, every word was heart-wrenching. Cao Renxiu was afraid that Wen Tingli would fall, so he held her arm in panic. Unexpectedly, Wen Tingli pushed Cao Renxiu’s hand away with a relaxed look, and said with a smile: “It’s fake, don’t believe it. There are so many such fake news every year, I’m tired of seeing them, it’s really annoying.”

Everyone looked at her with worried eyes. Yue Zhaoyun wiped her eye circles and went forward to support Wen Tingli. Wen Tingli pulled her arm away and said, “Why are you supporting me? Sister Yue, even you take such fake news seriously?”

She had a smile on her face. She piled the food she bought on the table and walked to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Huang Yuanshan and Ding Xiao’e followed her closely. Wen Tingli looked puzzled: “I’ve already told you that it’s fake news. I just called Lu Gongguan and found out that Lu Shicheng is already on his way to Hong Kong.”

She closed the door without hesitation, but then a muffled “bang” sound came from inside.

Xiao Taozi seemed to have a premonition and ran to the door and knocked on it: “Sister.”

Everyone hurriedly kicked the door open and saw Wen Tingli lying by the pool. Several people hurriedly carried her out. There happened to be a private clinic nearby, so Gao Xiaowen dragged the doctor to her home.

At night, Wen Tingli finally woke up. She stared at the ceiling for a while and was about to get out of bed. Huang Yuanshan was so scared that he quickly held her down and said, “What are you doing? The doctor said you need to rest.”

“I’m fine.” Wen Tingli looked at Huang Yuanshan, “Not only am I fine, Lu Shicheng will be fine too. I’ve known Lu Shicheng for so long, and I’ve never seen him break his word. He will definitely come to see me, Sister Huang, you believe me.”

Huang Yuanshan’s throat tightened and she quickly turned her head away to wipe her tears. She didn’t dare tell Wen Tingli that not only did the Minle Evening News publish the news of Lu Shicheng’s murder, but authoritative newspapers such as the Hujiang Daily, the Dashen Morning Post, and even the local Huashang Daily had confirmed the news.

The Hujiang Daily even published photos of items at the fire scene. One watch had been burnt beyond recognition, but from the shape of the remaining metal ring, it could still be recognized as the one that Lu Shicheng often wore. It was a very unique style, and she had dealt with Lu Shicheng many times, so she was sure of this.

The most terrifying thing is that just now, Dong Qinfang called and said that Old Master Lu seemed to have fallen ill due to the severe shock he suffered. Only a few people know this news yet, but the newspaper will soon publish related news.

She didn’t dare to imagine how long it would take Wen Tingli to face the reality. In the next few days, no one dared to mention this matter in front of Wen Tingli. Wen Tingli herself never mentioned it. She even refused to read the newspapers again.

On the surface, she was no different from usual. She went to Philip to sign the contract as scheduled early in the morning. After returning, she discussed the script writing of “The Wild Geese Return South” with Yue Zhaoyun. In the afternoon, she and Gao Xiaowen went to play mahjong, learn Cantonese, and make friends with shareholders of several local department stores. She made witty remarks at the table, and the ladies all felt like they had known her for a long time.

After coming back in the evening, she told stories to Xiao Taozi again.

She was so busy that she didn’t even have time to think, and she didn’t have time to listen to anyone who talked to her.

Sometimes I go to bed too early and fall asleep in my room before eight o’clock. No matter who knocks on the door, no one can wake me up.

No one could persuade her, because she was so calm and composed. She didn’t vent or talk, and all her emotions were tightly suppressed by herself.

Within two days, Philips was ready, and Xiufeng brought people into the studio to reshoot “Defiance”. This time, Wen Tingli had more reason to be busy. A week passed, and at noon that day, Philips’ manager named Robinson suddenly ran in and said, “Miss Wen, someone from Shanghai is here to see you.”

Wen Tingli stood up suddenly and accidentally kicked over the stool under her feet.

“He is a very respectable gentleman, he is waiting for you in the reception room.” There was no trace of Wen Tingli in front of her. She ran to the reception room at a whirlwind speed, and when she saw it, the surprise on her face froze instantly.

It wasn’t Lu Shicheng, it was Kuang Zhilin. He looked at least ten years older, his hair was completely white, and his face was haggard, as if he had been seriously ill.

“Miss Wen.” Wen Tingli watched him walking towards her. Although she met an old friend again, she felt no joy at all. Instead, she was filled with fear. Kuang Zhilin began to speak to her, but his voice seemed to be covered by a thick membrane and could not be heard clearly.

Gradually, she seemed to understand a little:
They are still searching, and the Lu family members are also trying to rush to Shanghai, but basically there is little hope.

It was Mr. Lu Sanye and the Japanese who did it.

Mr. Lu Sanye had studied in Japan in his early years and knew some students from Japanese military academies. The last time the Japanese attacked Peking, Lu Kejian happened to recognize two of them. He used the Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory as a token of his allegiance and asked the two Japanese to help him take back the control of the Lu family in Southeast Asia. After the success, he would return to Southeast Asia to take charge of the Lu family and donate all of the Lu family’s industries in Shanghai to the Japanese.

On the night of the incident, Lu Shicheng was directing the relocation matters in the factory. Master Lu San brought a large group of Japanese soldiers to Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory to cause trouble for Lu Shicheng. Probably because there was no hope of escape, Lu Shicheng detonated the explosives hidden in the warehouse in advance.

Lu Kejian and the Japanese were blown into pieces on the spot, but Lu Shicheng also failed to escape. When Kuang Zhilin arrived after hearing the news, the scene was already a sea of ​​fire.

So the newspaper was not wrong, Lu Shicheng was really dead.

But Wen Tingli didn’t believe it and didn’t want to believe it at all.

But the one who said this to her was Kuang Zhilin, who had almost grown up watching Lu Shicheng. He would not fail to recognize Lu Shicheng’s things. No, there was still a strong force in her heart supporting her. She didn’t believe he would break his promise. He had never broken his promise to her.

Kuang Zhilin sobbed quietly, “The Lu family is now in a mess. Lawyer Cheng and I insisted on not announcing the death of Master Cheng. Old Master Lu is currently unable to manage the affairs. Once the death of Master Cheng is announced, there will be a big commotion in Nanyang, so we have to delay it as much as possible. But we all know that this is just deceiving ourselves. There is no trace at the scene to prove that Master Cheng is still alive.”

He forced himself to cheer up and placed a suitcase he had brought in front of Wen Tingli.

“This is what Master Cheng left with me. He was worried that Miss Wen would come to him for something urgent while he was on the boat to Hong Kong, so he left a sum of money with me in advance and will remit it to you if necessary.”

That seemed like a huge sum of money, but Wen Tingli’s soul had already drifted away to who knows where.

“Also, these are some of Master Cheng’s belongings. I thought Miss Wen might want to keep them as souvenirs, so I brought them along.”

The word “relics” immediately stimulated Wen Tingli. She turned her head sharply and looked at the things in the box. She saw the burnt watch at a glance.

“Are they all here?”

“what?”

“His relics were found at the fire scene. Are they all here?”

“Yes.” Kuang Zhilin’s voice was trembling.

Wen Tingli buried her head in the suitcase and began to search. As she was searching, a strange light suddenly appeared in her eyes: “He is not dead!”

Kuang Zhilin seemed not to understand.

“I said Lu Shicheng is not dead!”

Her expression was so calm, her eyes were bright and her whole face was emitting a strange glow. As she spoke, she raised her right hand to show Kuang Zhilin: “Before I came out, I gave Lu Shicheng a platinum ring. He wore it on the middle finger of his left hand. He told me that he would always wear it, and this ring is not among the relics.”

Kuang Zhilin looked at Wen Tingli with shock on his face, but gradually, the shock was replaced by ecstasy.

“You mean-“

“Yes, he is not dead, that body is not him! He may be injured, but he must be alive.” She held Kuang Zhilin’s hand tightly, her tone was full of joy but steady, “The explosion that night was a trap set by him. He was afraid that his identity would be exposed and detected by the Japanese, so he dared not contact us for the time being. He must be on his way to Hong Kong now!”

(End of this chapter)