EFB Chapter 75 Let's Reconcile
Chapter 75 Let's Reconcile
The spread of public opinion was faster than Yingda had imagined.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of the morning, spread across the internet by noon.
In 2001, the internet speed was still very slow, and it took several minutes to load a single image, but this did not stop the news from spreading like a plague in BBS, forums, and chat rooms.
"The set of 'iPartment' is suspected of being deliberately set on fire; police have launched an investigation."
On an unknown forum, the red background and white text title stood out, followed by a news flash of less than two hundred words and images of the factory after the fire.
The comments section has exploded.
"I heard he offended someone."
"I watched this movie, it's pretty good, who's so mean?"
"It's the Beijing circle, who else could it be? Didn't it get reported before that the screenwriter of this show had his credit stolen?"
……
It can only be said that the fact that Ju Peng was stabbed to death in the street in the capital last year, and the whereabouts of the murderer are unknown, has caused too much shock to netizens.
When similar incidents occur now, everyone automatically associates them with conspiracy theories.
After all, people can be killed, so what does arson count for?
……
……
Beijing Film Academy, Yifu Building Studio.
Several art students huddled in front of their easels, pencils in hand, but not a single stroke on the paper.
"Have you heard? The set of 'iPartment' burned down last night."
The speaker was a boy wearing black-rimmed glasses. His voice was very low, but loud enough for the entire art studio to hear.
"Really?"
"It's all over the internet, people are saying it was arson."
"Who did it?"
"Who else could it be..."
Someone chimed in, their tone certain as if stating a fact:
"First they snatched scripts, then they poached actors, and now they're setting fires. Those people in the Beijing entertainment circle are capable of anything."
The discussions rose and fell, like oil boiling in a pot, getting hotter and hotter.
Just then, the studio door was pushed open.
Everyone fell silent at the same time.
Tang Yu stood at the door, one hand supporting himself on the door frame, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale.
The studio was completely silent.
Several students lowered their heads, pretending to draw, their pencils scratching on the paper, and none of them dared to look up at him.
Tang Yu didn't say anything, staggered in, pulled out a chair, and slumped heavily into the seat, lying face down on the table, motionless.
Silence spread through the studio.
They exchanged a glance, conveying their message in a way only they could understand.
The girl sitting diagonally behind him hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist and gently patted his shoulder.
"Senior, don't be too sad."
Tang Yu looked up at her, raising his eyebrows slightly.
The girl thought he was holding back, so she bit her lip and lowered her voice.
"Those people like Ye Daying will not have a good end."
Tang Yu blinked, looking bewildered.
Seeing his reaction, the girl assumed he had hit a nerve, and her tone became even more indignant:
"Stealing scripts, poaching actors, and now arson—this kind of person will get their comeuppance sooner or later!"
The people around them also chimed in.
"Exactly! Just because they're part of Beijing's elite circles, they bully a student. What kind of skill is that?"
"Don't worry, senior, Lin An will definitely pull through."
"Yes! We all support him!"
What are these people talking about...? Tang Yu looked around the room, chuckled, then buried his face back in his arms and closed his eyes.
Ye Daying, Beijing Circle, arson... He's obviously drunk; he's hallucinating.
……
……
At the same time, at the Nortel office building.
When Liu Shibing walked in, Zhang Hua was sitting behind his desk, clutching the newspaper in his hand, his expression a mixture of shock and anger.
"Old Zhang."
Liu Shibing called out and slammed the door shut behind him.
"What exactly is going on?"
Liu Shibing's voice deepened as he leaned on the table with one hand and pointed at the newspaper with the other:
"How did the film set suddenly catch fire? Are the students alright? Is anyone inside?"
Zhang Hua looked up at him, his lips moved, and finally he managed to squeeze out only the word "death":
"have no idea."
"have no idea?"
Liu Shibing's voice suddenly rose half an octave, his face full of doubt as he said:
"Didn't you take him to the opening ceremony? You've been following up on this project recently, and the set burned down, and you didn't even know?"
Zhang Hua, enraged, retorted, "I said I don't know, and that's it! How would I know what that kid did?"
Seeing his expression, Liu Shibing withdrew his probing gaze.
Silence spread between the two.
A moment later, the two looked up, their eyes met, then looked away, and sighed in unison.
As is customary in previous years, these teachers should be packing up and preparing for their holiday in the next couple of days.
it's good now.
The students' film set was burned down, causing a public outcry; they were lucky they didn't die from exhaustion.
孽 孽!
……
……
The Lin family's residence is located at Building 14, Dengshikou.
The living room was packed full.
Besides the few people who attended the opening ceremony, there were also patients who frequently went to the clinic to get their medication.
Several people were still blocking the entrance, peering inside, unwilling to leave even though they couldn't get in.
"This is outrageous! Is there no law anymore?!"
"The clinic was vandalized, their home was vandalized, and now they've even set fire to the filming location! They're trying to wipe them out completely!"
"Dr. Lin, say something!"
All eyes fell on Lin Yuan, who was sitting in the center of the sofa.
Lin's father frowned, looking at the furious crowd, unsure of what to say.
Lin's mother stood by, her eyes red with anger, cursing. Several middle-aged women nearby joined in the cursing, their phones constantly dialing 110 (the police emergency number).
Lin Yi stood quietly in the corner of the kitchen watching this scene. He subconsciously wanted to dial Lin An's number, but suddenly heard a noise from the side.
I looked down.
Lin Meng was sticking her butt out, her upper body completely inside the newly bought refrigerator, her two short legs kicking outwards as she tried to reach for something with her hands.
Lin Yi's lips twitched slightly, he closed his eyes, and gave up struggling.
Whatever, do whatever you want.
……
……
Dusk, Chaoyang District, a luxury villa.
Ye Daying slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The study is in a terrible state.
The bookshelf was tilted, the screen was broken, and fragments of the purple clay teapot and broken glass were scattered all over the floor.
The door was pushed open.
Zheng Xiaolong stood at the door, his gaze sweeping over the mess in the room. He frowned, said nothing, stepped over the broken pieces on the floor, and sat down opposite Ye Daying.
"How is it?" Ye Daying's voice was so hoarse it didn't sound like his own.
Zheng Xiaolong was silent for a few seconds. "We've discussed it. The only thing you can do now is to reconcile with Lin An."
Ye Daying did not fly into a rage, did not slam the table, and did not even react in any way.
He simply remained gazing at the ceiling, like a soulless shell.
A long time passed, so long that Zheng Xiaolong thought he wouldn't speak again, before Ye Daying finally spoke:
"Isn't there any other way?"
Zheng Xiaolong said, "The Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts has spoken."
Ye Daying finally looked up from the ceiling and onto Zheng Xiaolong's face:
"What does this have to do with them?"
"I don't know. But the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts contacted the Beijing Film Academy and asked Lin An to go there."
Zheng Xiaolong paused for a moment, then continued:
"Besides the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Gengnian from the Film Bureau is also in contact with the Beijing Film Academy."
Ye Daying straightened up, her lips moving a few times, as if to confirm that she hadn't misheard:
Are you serious?
Zheng Xiaolong ignored the question and calmly continued:
"Just a few hours ago, we received news from Miramax in the US that they wanted to buy out Lin An's script for $300,000."
Ye Daying's mouth opened slightly, then closed, then opened again.
His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.
Zheng Xiaolong was silent for a few seconds before speaking again:
"Let's reconcile. If we don't take the initiative to find a way out now, we won't have the chance later."
Ye Daying clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently, then grabbed the phone in front of him and slammed it against the wall with all his might.
With a bang.
The phone shattered into pieces, with fragments scattered everywhere.