Cheng Che ran ahead.
His breathing was steady, his steps were light, and he moved like a gust of wind.
He had run less than two hundred meters when Guo Xin was already panting.
"Wait... wait a minute..."
Guo Xin carried the video camera, his legs feeling like lead, each step unsteady and shaky.
He was leaning against the roadside wall with one hand, bent over, and panting heavily.
"No, no..." He looked up, watching Cheng Che's retreating figure, his face filled with despair. "Is this guy Blitzcrank?"
Zhou Mingxuan followed behind, and although he wasn't as exaggerated as Guo Xin, his breathing was also heavy.
He stopped, glanced down at the video recorder screen, and frowned.
"The picture is completely blurry. It's all shaky."
Lin Xiao squatted by the roadside, her hands supporting her knees, her face flushed red.
She usually takes a car whenever possible and never walks, but today she ran less than a kilometer and already felt like her lungs were going to explode.
Su Qingyue stood at the very back, still holding the camera in her hand.
Her face was a little pale, but the camera remained focused on Cheng Che in the distance, never looking down.
"If we keep running like this, not only will we fall behind, but the footage we shoot will also be unusable," Guo Xin said, leaning against the wall, panting.
The four people remained silent by the roadside.
Just then, Guo Xin looked up and his eyes lit up.
Two shared electric scooters were parked next to a utility pole by the roadside.
"I've got it!" He suddenly stood up straight, pointing at the two vehicles, "Let's chase after them on our electric scooters!"
Lin Xiao and Zhou Mingxuan looked up at the same time, their eyes lighting up.
Su Qingyue put down the camera, followed his finger, and hesitated for a moment.
"But..." Zhou Mingxuan frowned, "We can't film while riding our bikes, can we? It's too dangerous."
Guo Xin had already taken three steps in two, and while taking out his phone to scan the QR code, he said:
"We'll ride two bikes. Two people per bike, one riding and one filming. The footage will be considered shared footage, and we'll divide it proportionally during editing."
Zhou Mingxuan thought for a moment and then didn't refute it.
Guo Xin rode on a bicycle and patted the back seat. " Su Qingyue, you sit behind me, you're in charge of taking pictures."
Su Qingyue ran over with the camera in her arms and sat in the back seat.
Lin Xiao got into another bike, Zhou Mingxuan rode it.
Four people in two cars chased after Cheng Che in the direction he had run.
Cheng Che had no idea what happened next.
He ran comfortably.
[ Natural Breathing Rhythm ] allows his breathing and steps to be perfectly synchronized, inhaling every three steps and exhaling every three steps. There is no need for conscious control; his body knows how to breathe on its own.
His Self-Healing Instinct repairs every tiny bit of fatigue as it is generated, making his body like a machine that never overheats.
I ran out of the park and walked along the streets of Spring City.
The morning air was crisp and refreshing. The plane trees along the roadside cast large shadows, and pedestrians strolled by in twos and threes.
He ran through the old streets, past Green Lake, and through the narrow alleyway of the flower and bird market.
The wind brushed past my ears, and my footsteps grew lighter and lighter.
When he had run nearly ten kilometers, he heard the horn of an electric scooter behind him.
" Cheng Che! Stop running!"
Guo Xin caught up on his electric scooter, with Su Qingyue sitting on the back, holding a camera up to him.
Cheng Che slowed down and glanced back.
Guo Xin's face was filled with "Do you know how hard this is for me?" Su Qingyue's hair was messed up by the wind, but she was still holding the camera, the lens always pointed at him.
Cheng Che stopped, took a few breaths, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"How many kilometers?" Guo Xin asked.
"It's almost ten kilometers."
Guo Xin's eyes widened, his mouth opened and closed, but he could only manage to utter, "Are you even human?"
Su Qingyue got out of the back seat and looked down at the footage on the camera.
Sunlight shone from behind Cheng Che as he stood under a sycamore tree by the roadside, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and his hair slightly disheveled by the wind.
He was tilting his head to look at Guo Xin, a slight smile on his lips.
Su Qingyue stared at the screen, her breathing suddenly quickening. "The footage I shot is no worse than that of a variety show cameraman!"
Su Qingyue thought to herself with a delighted feeling.
"Alright, alright, let's go back, we still have time." Guo Xin parked the electric scooter, patted the back seat, and said, "Get on, we'll take you back."
Cheng Che glanced at him. "Are you sure you can carry me?"
"... You ride one yourself."
Four electric scooters: Cheng Che rode one by himself, Guo Xin and Lin Xiao rode one, and Zhou Mingxuan and Su Qingyue one.
Halfway there, Lin Xiao suddenly shouted:
"Let's take the bus! We have to return this electric scooter, it's too much trouble."
So the group returned the car at the nearest bus stop and boarded the bus back to the park.
There weren't many people on the bus.
Cheng Che found a seat by the window, and Guo Xin and the other three spread out, holding up their equipment to film him from different angles.
Cheng Che felt a little uncomfortable being filmed. "Stop filming, there are other people in the car."
As soon as he finished speaking, an elderly man sitting in the front row turned around, looked at Guo Xin holding the video camera, and came over with great interest.
"Young man, what are you filming? A TV program?"
Guo Xin was taken aback. "Uh... we're filming a video."
"A video? What video? Can I be on it too?" The old man's eyes lit up. "I'm seventy-two years old, in excellent health. I go to the park to practice Tai Chi every morning. Want me to be filmed?"
Before Guo Xin could answer, another middle-aged woman next to him also came over:
"Take my picture! Take my picture! I go to square dancing every morning, I can perform a piece for you!"
Cheng Che, watching from the side, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
They were supposed to be filming Cheng Che, but the elderly people on the bus stole the spotlight.
Guo Xin held up the video camera and filmed for five minutes. Most of the footage showed elderly people exercising, while Cheng Che sat in the corner laughing. He didn't even get a single complete shot of Cheng Che.
After getting out of the car, Guo Xin looked helpless. "All the footage is ruined."
Cheng Che patted his shoulder. "It's okay, the one that filmed me running earlier should still work."
"That's true." Guo Xin flipped through the previous footage and nodded. "The footage of them running was pretty good. Su Qingyue's camera was steady."
Su Qingyue looked down at the camera without saying a word, her ears turning slightly red.
The five of them casually ate a bowl of rice noodles near the park.
Guo Xin finished his meal with a slurp, wiped his mouth, and asked Cheng Che, "What's next?"
Cheng Che thought for a moment, "My family bought a storefront and wants to get into cultural and creative products. I'm going to go take a look."
Guo Xin's eyes lit up. "Great, let's film that. A cultural and creative store, that sounds like it has a lot of cultural and tourism elements."
Zhou Mingxuan put down his chopsticks and spoke up, "We still need to film some scenes showcasing the unique characteristics of Caiyun Province. Should we go to other places to film, or find material online?"
Cheng Che waved his hand dismissively. "Let's go see other places; I'll cover the travel expenses."
Lin Xiao and Su Qingyue exchanged a glance, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Lin Xiao said, "No need, no need, let's split the bill."
"A what A?" Cheng Che stood up and put away the dishes. "Let me enjoy the pleasure of spending money."
He had long wanted to experience what it felt like to "spend money without batting an eye."
I used to have to calculate for ages before buying a bowl of rice noodles, but now that I'm somewhat wealthy, I should be generous when necessary.
Seeing his resolute attitude, Su Qingyue and Lin Xiao did not refuse any further.
Zhou Mingxuan nodded:
"Okay, then I suggest we go to a nearby place first. There are many unique things in the old street, so we don't need to go too far."
The group left the rice noodle shop and walked along Spring City Old Street towards the primary school.
Spring City Old Street is the most charming place in this city.
The buildings on both sides of the stone-paved road still retain the style of the 1970s and 80s, with white walls, gray tiles, wooden doors and windows. There are vendors selling sugar paintings, handmade ornaments and old-fashioned pastries by the roadside.
People come and go, and the atmosphere is lively.
After walking for less than ten minutes, Cheng Che stopped in front of a shop.
The shop wasn't big, and the roller shutter was halfway down. A row of newly placed shelves stood by the entrance, already stocked with various small commodities.
Postcards, washi tape, keychains, refrigerator magnets, plush pendants, and several hand-painted fans depicting scenes of Spring City.
Jiang Xue stood at the doorway, putting things on the shelves.
Seeing Cheng Che and his classmates walking over, she smiled and waved.
" Cheche! What brings you here? And you brought a classmate?"
Cheng Che walked over quickly, and paused for a moment when he saw that the shelves were already mostly filled with goods.
"Mom, how come it's done so quickly? Didn't you say the transaction was just yesterday?"
Jiang Xue put down what she was holding, dusted off her hands, and said matter-of-factly, "
There was no need for renovations in the first place. The previous tenants ran a stationery business, so the shelves, counters, and plumbing were all already there. We took over the space yesterday afternoon and put the goods on the shelves this morning. Look, it's almost all set up."
Cheng Che opened his mouth slightly.
He thought his parents needed his help, but they had already gotten there before him.
"You think opening a cultural and creative store was a decision your dad and I made on a whim?" Jiang Xue glanced at him. "We've been researching it for a long time."
Cheng Che scratched his head sheepishly.
Guo Xin followed behind, her eyes sparkling as she looked around the shop. She leaned closer and said, "Auntie, your shop is really nice. How about finding a spokesperson? What do you think of me?"
Jiang Xue looked him up and down and comforted him, "There will be other opportunities in the future."
Guo Xin: "..."