novelraw Chapter 86: Director Wei’s Test Begins at the Hongmen Banquet
Chapter 86: Director Wei’s Test Begins at the Hongmen Banquet
Building A, Apartment 1502.
Jiang Ci woke up on a bed large enough to fit four of him.
The curtains were blackout, leaving the room pitch dark.
He fumbled for the switch on the bedside table and pressed it.
Soft light gradually illuminated the room.
He had slept dreamlessly through the night.
This S-class artist apartment provided by Lin Wan was top-tier in every aspect, from the firmness of the mattress to the soundproofing of the room.
He glanced at his phone.
Seven o'clock in the morning, exactly.
There was a message on the screen from Lin Wan, sent in the middle of the night.[Driver will arrive downstairs at 7:30, license plate number Shanghai A33366.]
Jiang Ci got up, took a hot shower, and changed into clean clothes.
At 7:25, he went downstairs on time.
A black Mercedes-Benz business van was already quietly waiting at the entrance of the apartment building.
The driver saw him and immediately got out, opening the rear door.
"Teacher Jiang, good morning."
Jiang Ci nodded and got in.
The car started smoothly, merging into the morning traffic flow of Shanghai, driving unimpeded all the way to the airport.
Ten in the morning.
Beijing International Airport, Terminal 3 Arrivals exit.
Amidst the surging crowd, one figure stood out conspicuously.
Sun Zhou was wearing a crisp suit, his hair meticulously combed, standing on tiptoe, desperately peering toward the exit.
When Jiang Ci's figure appeared, he almost instantly locked onto the target and rushed forward in a swift stride.
"Ci-ge! Over here!"
Sun Zhou waved his arm excitedly, grabbing the slightly worn suitcase from Jiang Ci's hand.
"Ci-ge, you must be tired! The car is right outside, let's go right away!"
The two walked out of the terminal. A top-of-the-line black Toyota Alphard was parked quietly in a VIP parking spot.
Sun Zhou jogged over and opened the door.
The interior space was luxuriously spacious, with leather seats, a mini-fridge, everything one could need.
In the recess in front of the seats, various beverages were neatly arranged.
Evian water, Perrier, and several cans of imported functional drinks Jiang Ci hadn't seen before.
Jiang Ci sat in the car, his entire body sinking into the soft seat.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Wei Song.
[Director Wei, I've arrived in the capital.]
The message was sent, and almost within thirty seconds,
the phone vibrated once.
The other party replied with an address, followed by no additional words.
Concise, efficient.
Very much in Wei Song's style.
Jiang Ci forwarded the address to Sun Zhou in the front row.
Sun Zhou input the address into the car's navigation system, but the excitement on his face slowly turned into confusion, finally morphing into a trace of incredulous astonishment.
"Ci-ge..."
His voice carried uncertainty.
"This place... it's not right."
"The navigation shows it's not in the city center, nor is it Huaxing Pictures' headquarters building... It seems to be... an old alley in the suburbs."
Jiang Ci leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes.
"Follow the navigation."
"Okay, Ci-ge."
The black entourage van left the airport expressway, passing through the bustling, noisy downtown area.
The tall buildings lining the roads gradually decreased, replaced by increasingly older, low-rise structures.
The car's speed also gradually slowed.
Finally, the navigation route pointed to an extremely deep alley.
The entrance to the alley was very narrow, barely wide enough for one car to pass through.
The body of the Alphard formed a stark visual contrast with the simple, even somewhat dilapidated surroundings here.
The wheels pressed against the uneven bluestone road, making "clunk, clunk" sounds.
On both sides were mottled gray brick walls, with a few withered yellow vines peeking over the tops.
It was excessively quiet here, completely isolating the restless, clamorous world outside.
Sun Zhou's hands gripping the steering wheel unconsciously tightened.
The car slowly came to a stop at the end of the alley, in front of an inconspicuous vermilion wooden door.
There were no company logos here, nor any house numbers.
Only two stone lions, their edges worn smooth by time, crouched on either side of the entrance, quietly watching this abrupt intruder.
"Ci-ge, we're here."
Jiang Ci opened his eyes.
He glanced at that door.
"Wait for me here."
With that, he pushed the car door open and got out.
Sun Zhou looked at Jiang Ci's retreating back, opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed back the words, "I'll accompany you."
Behind this door was not a place a small assistant of his level could enter.
Jiang Ci stood in front of the door, straightened his collar, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the copper ring on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The sound carried far in the silent alley.
After waiting about ten seconds or so.
The vermilion wooden door opened inward without making a sound, revealing a crack.
A middle-aged man wearing a traditional Chinese jacket, with a calm and peaceful face, stood behind the door and made a "please" gesture to Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci stepped inside.
The door closed silently behind him.
The view suddenly opened up.
This was an extremely elegant courtyard house.
The courtyard was spotlessly clean, the ground paved with bluestone bricks, with several clusters of emerald bamboo planted in the corners.
In the center of the courtyard, under an old locust tree with rugged branches, sat a set of ancient-looking stone table and stools.
A figure was sitting before the stone stools.
Wei Song.
He was wearing a simple gray jacket, his head bowed, personally fiddling with a set of small purple clay tea utensils.
He didn't look up, just pointed to the stone stool opposite him.
Jiang Ci understood.
He walked over and sat down as indicated.
Wei Song's movements were neither hurried nor slow.
Heating the cups, warming the pot, placing the tea leaves, brewing.
The entire process flowed smoothly.
In the entire courtyard, only the "hissing" sound of boiling water pouring into the teapot could be heard, along with the occasional clear chirping of birds from the locust tree.
Jiang Ci understood.
This was a test.
A test of his temperament.
A truly good actor needs to unleash extreme emotions in front of the camera.
But off-camera, they must possess a heart capable of quickly settling into stillness.
Able to move, yet also able to be still.
Able to be crazy, yet also able to be composed.
So he also sat peacefully, neither anxious nor restless.
He didn't look at Wei Song, but instead directed his gaze toward every plant and tree in the courtyard, appreciating this rare tranquility within the city.
Time passed, minute by minute, second by second.
It was unclear how long had passed.
Perhaps ten minutes, perhaps half an hour.
A cup of steaming hot tea, with a clear, yellowish-brown liquor, was gently pushed in front of Jiang Ci.
Wei Song finally raised his head.
His gaze was sharp, looking directly at Jiang Ci, as if wanting to dissect him thoroughly from the inside out.
In the quiet courtyard, he asked the first question.
"Have you read 'Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Xiang Yu'?"
Jiang Ci picked up the teacup, gently blew away the floating foam, and took a sip.
The tea fragrance was clear and refreshing.
"I have."
Wei Song leaned forward slightly, the second question following closely.
"Then what do you think, at the Hongmen Feast, why didn't Xiang Yu kill Liu Bang?"
"History books say it was because Xiang Bo pleaded for mercy, plus his own womanly compassion."
Wei Song stared at him.
"What do you think?"