The Path to Becoming a Movie King

PS: Thanks to "xpc000000" and "galencl" for their tips.

***

Ren Ziling intended to have a heart-to-heart talk with Luo Qiu. The twenty-nine-year-old deputy editor of the newspaper began by saying she had been busy with work lately and had neglected her duties as a mother. Her voice was so soft and gentle it could melt most men.

Then, boxes upon boxes of pastries interrupted Ren Ziling's speech. By the time she realized what was happening, Luo Qiu had already closed the room door.

Listening to the old-fashioned CD player, a gift from his father, playing Eagles' "Desperado" from inside the room, Ren Ziling quietly munched on a box of pastries.

And then, there was no more.

"You brat, do you have to be so sentimental..."

Actually, there was no one in Luo Qiu's room.

After returning to his room, he turned on the CD player and immediately phased back to the Club.

Who knows what that was playing...

Sitting behind the counter of the Club, Luo Qiu said it was too late for tea. The considerate maid opened the liquor cabinet behind the side bar for the first time in front of Luo Qiu.

A bottle of vodka, a bottle of cocoa liqueur in a black bottle, and a bottle of fruit-flavored gin. You Ye looked at Luo Qiu with a faint smile on her face. She then filled the cocktail shaker with ice until it was eight parts full, poured a small measure of each of the three liquors into it, closed the lid, and began to shake.

There were no fancy moves, but You Ye's gaze never left Luo Qiu.

As the saying goes, beauty and fine wine are always a perfect match; perhaps this was what it described. Watching, Luo Qiu felt a sense of ease and pleasure.

You Ye stopped only when the outside of the cocktail shaker was covered in a light frost. After preparation, the pale brownish liquid was poured into a cocktail glass. Accompanied by the rhythmic clatter of high heels on the wooden floor, the prepared drink was delivered to Luo Qiu.

Luo Qiu joked, "I think I might have to invade the kitchen again next time."

You Ye looked at Luo Qiu, not understanding. Luo Qiu smiled and said, "Because watching you prepare food or drinks is truly an enjoyment."

You Ye's faint smile turned into a genuine smile. She walked slowly to the main hall of the Club. A vintage black vinyl record player, made of old pine wood, was placed there.

You Ye put on the vinyl record, pressed the needle down, and a gentle, slightly mysterious melody began to play. You Ye then returned to Luo Qiu's side and sat opposite him.

The maid revealed a languid expression, her legs crossed beneath her skirt. Her elbows rested on the round table, propping up her face.

Luo Qiu took a sip of the cocktail. He had expected it to be strong, made with a mix of vodka and gin, but it turned out to be refreshingly sweet and smooth. Perhaps it was due to the addition of the other black cocoa liqueur?

He fiddled with the White Jade Token he had received from Pianxian and suddenly asked, "Does this world truly have past and present lives? And are there ten kings of hell for reincarnation?"

You Ye softly replied, "There are many ancient legends in the East. People believe because they believe. But who knows? After all, this is not something that can be seen with one's own eyes."

Luo Qiu asked, "Then how does Su Houde explain it?"

You Ye said, "Humans have thoughts, and thoughts are souls. Therefore, the persistence of souls means the persistence of thoughts. It's not that there aren't ghosts, vengeful spirits, or fierce demons in the world. But in You Ye's view, these are all concentrated spiritual entities. They have left their physical bodies but have not dissipated due to strong emotions and obsessions."

Hearing this, Luo Qiu hummed and said, "I've read some strange magazines that say a person's spirit is like a wave. When two people's spiritual wavelengths are similar or almost identical, one might be able to receive the other's thought waves. In other words, there's no such thing as past and present lives; Su Houde just found a vessel that could accept his thoughts?"

You Ye smiled, "How one chooses to believe is the master's prerogative."

Luo Qiu shook his head, took another sip of the cocktail, and lightly furrowed his brow, savoring the lingering aroma of the wine. "It's strange, really. If there were reincarnation, there weren't many humans at the beginning. Now the population has exploded. If the dead could reincarnate, where did the first ones come from?"

But perhaps it did exist. A soul's existence that couldn't be explained by spirit, and there was also an unknown management that could explain this phenomenon without reincarnation.

Thinking this, Luo Qiu felt that if he continued to ponder, he might fall into some unknown dead end.

Not having intended to be a philosopher, he chuckled at himself and ended his rambling thoughts.

Then, the bell placed at the entrance rang.

Zhong Luochen had arrived, looking travel-worn.

When he arrived, Zhong Luochen had used his phone's map to check the information on this street. He couldn't find the Club on the map at all; instead, it was marked as another store—even with street view images.

However, the Club had mysteriously replaced that store.

He had stood at the entrance of the Club and watched as pedestrians walked by him, entering the Club he saw, but quickly coming out with only some items.

Clearly, the Club he saw and the store that pedestrians saw were in the same location, but likely in different spaces.

This marvel filled Zhong Luochen with deep reverence. He took a deep breath and pushed open the Club's door once more.

He saw the man wearing a clown mask and the beautiful woman in a maid outfit. Zhong Luochen wasn't in the mood to linger on such beauty and got straight to the point, "Mr. Clown, I've brought my grandfather. He's staying at a nearby hotel."

Luo Qiu gestured, signaling Zhong Luochen to stop talking. Then, he lightly swung the black cane in his hand, and something even more marvelous and inexplicable appeared in Zhong Luochen's eyes.

A corridor filled with soft lighting, carpeted. Zhong Luochen said with slight fear, "This is... a hotel?!"

Luo Qiu walked ahead with his hands behind his back. "Guest, take me to see your grandfather... However, there's one condition. I hope there won't be any more outsiders, besides you and your grandfather."

Zhong Luochen immediately replied, "My family was worried and insisted on coming along. But Mr. Clown, please rest assured, I've had them all waiting on the lower floors... but, we don't have much time."

Luo Qiu calmly said, "Understood."

In a suite, Luo Qiu finally saw Zhong Luochen's grandfather.

An old man lay in bed, an IV drip inserted into his arm, with a large array of medical equipment beside him. The old man's expression was haggard and pale, almost devoid of color.

He lay there, not far from death.

Luo Qiu walked to the old man's side, suddenly thinking if he had seen too many old men today. But this distraction didn't affect what he needed to do.

Luo Qiu reached out and hovered his hand over the old man's face. Some black light spots began to slowly emerge from the forehead of Zhong Luochen's grandfather, being absorbed into Luo Qiu's palm.

Just then, the suite door was suddenly knocked upon, and a man's voice came through, "Luochen! I heard some commotion, did you come back? Open the door! Open the door! What do you mean by not letting us watch Grandpa?"

The sound of the knocking was very loud, clearly with great force. "If you don't open the door, don't blame me for breaking in! Is there anyone else inside?"

Zhong Luochen looked at the door, his expression anxious. By the sound of the voice, he knew it was his elder brother, Zhong Luoyun... This guy was very suspicious. He must have found some way to monitor things, otherwise, it was too coincidental that his elder brother showed up right after he returned.

"Mr. Clown, I don't know..."

Zhong Luochen turned around in a hurry, but where could he see Luo Qiu's figure? The scene before him almost made his heart jump out of his chest.

The old man lying on the bed had, at some unknown time, opened his eyes and sat up. Although his complexion was still haggard, his gaze was clear.

"Where... where is this? Luochen?" the old man slowly said.

At the same time, Zhong Luochen heard a sentence.

"Guest, the goods you requested have been delivered. Transaction complete."

Zhong Luochen was momentarily lost in a pitch-black world. A scroll of parchment floated and burned before his eyes, then disappeared. He felt as if something had been pulled out of him, and he subconsciously touched his body.

His vision cleared at this moment, and he was back in the suite.

As if seeing Zhong Luochen's strange appearance, the old man slowly spoke again, "Luochen, what are you looking for?"

Zhong Luochen suddenly jolted, stopped his hands, looked up at the old man, and suddenly slumped to the ground.

He... felt no joy at all.

It was as if he were looking at a complete stranger.

"Luochen?" the old man said for the third time.

Zhong Luochen swallowed, stood up. He didn't know what his expression was, he only knew that he had tried his best to force out an expression of ecstatic joy.

"Grandpa! It's so... so good that you woke up!"