Global Film Emperor

Chapter 448 Hengdian No Longer Belongs to Him
Hengdian.

The place where his dreams began, he never imagined that one day he would revisit it in his current capacity, sitting in a luxurious business vehicle, and re-examining this place with a detached, contemplative attitude.

Compared to when Lu Ze was there, the Hengdian film and television base itself hasn't changed much, but the surrounding area has changed a lot. For a moment, I really wasn't sure where I was.

The place has become bustling. When Hengdian World Studios was designated as a tourist project a few years ago, it was different from the Hengdian in Lu Ze's memory. Various antique-style inns were posted with notices saying "For Sale". The pedestrian street in the antique style was crowded with people, but tourists rarely carried souvenirs.

It's clear that business here isn't as easy as these people initially imagined.

At the entrance of the base, the group of people who were waiting for work had long since disappeared. After all, with WeChat, who would want to work out in the dead of winter? On the contrary, tourists lingered here, hoping to catch a couple of celebrities, which would make their trip worthwhile.

Er Mao's grilled cold noodle stall is gone, which is not surprising. It would be strange if the city management allowed a guy from out of town with no relatives or friends to set up a stall in front of a tourist attraction. But to be honest, Lu Ze was really craving Er Mao's not-so-authentic grilled cold noodles.

On a freezing cold day, when you're shivering and your arms and legs are tucked in, a plate of grilled cold noodles with double the chili sauce would be perfect. Fresh out of the pot, it would be so hot you couldn't close your mouth, and your breath would be two inches long. Add a bottle of Coke to soothe your throat, and the thought of that feeling still makes Lu Ze feel comfortable. It's just that Lu Ze hasn't experienced that kind of life for several years.

"Brother Lu, shall we go down and take a look? There are too many people here, and if we wait any longer, we might get photographed."

The car had been parked at the entrance of the base for a long time, but they hadn't gone in yet. Xiao Wang offered his opinion, but Lu Ze didn't take it. Suddenly, he didn't want to go in anymore. If it were ten years ago, he would remember every little building, every little room, and even every blasting pit clearly. He would really like to see that Hengdian base again. But now that he was inside, he would definitely not recognize it. Things had changed. So, it was better not to go in.

"Let's take a walk around the outside."

He was afraid that if he was recognized, he wouldn't be able to leave, so he spoke to the driver. The driver was young but clever. He knew that this was a big shot coming to reminisce about his youth, so he naturally slowed down the car to the slowest speed. Even as cars passed him one by one, he didn't care at all.

After walking around, he found that the front of Hengdian had changed, but the back hadn't changed much. He passed the restaurant where he had eaten on his 26th birthday, the telephone pole where he had vomited when he was drunk, the empty space where a large number of Mobike bikes used to be placed, and finally, he also passed his former home in Hengdian.

"Pause."

The car stopped, and he put on sunglasses and a hat, opened the car door, and slowly got out. Wang Zixuan accompanied him out of the car. The small courtyard was more dilapidated than before, with moss growing between the walls and the ground. Clothes were hanging on the wire in the middle of the courtyard, with men and women, young and old, all kinds of people.

Among them were some sexy women's lingerie and stockings, which received the same treatment, swaying in the autumn wind. It's unknown whether these bras and panties will ever be lost again.

He knew perfectly well, and everyone knew perfectly well, that it was some damn henpecked landlord who stole it.

When he looked at the house he used to live in, he was stunned. No one lived there, and no one had lived there for a long time. The windows were covered in dust, and he couldn't see what was inside. The house next door where Yang Dan used to live was also uninhabited, and it was in even worse condition. The windows were broken and the glass was covered with patterns.

He couldn't resist going up the steps and peering through the glass. Inside, apart from a few newspapers lying on the bed, there was nothing else that anyone had used. The room was empty, with peeling paint all over the floor.

"Brother Lu, you used to live here?"

"Yes, more than ten years ago."

Upon hearing his answer, Wang Zixuan also tiptoed to look inside, found a good angle to take some photos, and kept them to post on social media later.

"Who are you looking for?"

There are three rooms in this row of houses. Lu Ze lives in the middle one. The room on the right is still occupied. As if hearing some noise, an old man came out. He was wearing only a white tank top despite the cold weather. He was quite fat. He scratched his armpit as he spoke. Wang Zixuan stuck out her tongue at Lu Ze with her back to the old man.

"Grandpa, why are these two houses no longer inhabited?"

"We haven't lived here for seven or eight years. It's haunted. Someone died. An old man had a lung problem. One hot day, he had a relapse and died in the house. After that, we could always hear people coughing in the middle of the night, so no one dared to live here anymore, afraid of bad luck."

Lu Ze said he understood. The old man who died was probably the first resident after Yang Dan left. He had already moved in when Lu Ze was still there. The room on the right has a separate corridor, so a brave person wouldn't be afraid. But the middle room and the room on the left share a corridor. Even if you're brave, you wouldn't dare to live there if you heard something.

"Young man, have you lived here before?" "About ten years ago."

"You've made it big?"

The old man glanced at the two men's attire and, seeing that they didn't look poor, casually asked, "Not everyone living here is an extra." So it wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize Lu Ze in disguise. To this, Lu Ze could only nod and smile.

"You are the only successful person I have ever seen living in this courtyard."

"Sir, you've only lived here for a few years. I've lived here much longer than you. Alright, it's cold, please go back inside. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two went down the steps and were walking out when the old man went back into the house. Lu Ze happened to run into the landlord carrying a tea mug and a toothbrush. He squatted down and brushed his teeth skillfully. White foam dripped from the corners of his mouth, stretching out long, and instead of falling to the ground, it hung on his chin, swaying in the air with the frequency of brushing.

He's still the same old jerk, getting up in the middle of the day, making a living by collecting rent from a dozen or so houses, just waiting for the demolition to bring in a Land Rover. He hasn't changed much, except he has more white hair.

Lu Ze met his gaze, but didn't say anything. He just nodded and walked away. The two didn't have any grudges. The landlord was also straightforward and returned the lease when it was time to terminate the lease. He was a good person, except for his slightly perverted hobbies.

The problem lies in his fetish. When Yang Dan first moved in, he stole her underwear and stockings. But then again, she was the prettiest girl, so who else would he take from the old lady next door?
In the end, Yang Dan blamed Lu Ze for the whole thing. For a long time afterward, Yang Dan thought that Lu Ze had stolen her underwear and done something wrong. If she hadn't seen the landlord sneaking around trying to steal another piece when she went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and been scared away by her cough, this matter would probably still be unclear to this day. It was because Lu Ze ignored the landlord.

When the landlord saw Lu Ze, he didn't pay any attention at first, but then suddenly seemed to remember something, turned his head sharply, saw Lu Ze get into the car, and swallowed a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

……

This place is full of memories, carrying a large part of Lu Ze's youth. But now, it is difficult to find those memories of youth here anymore, which makes Lu Ze gradually lose the desire to visit it again and head straight to the Hengdian Actors Guild.

Here, he had nowhere to hide; too many people could recognize him at a glance, and then exclaim in astonishment, "No way..."

He didn't bring any bodyguards. Ever since those unprofessional bodyguards left him with a bad impression years ago, he had never hired any bodyguards again. Even so, no one dared to stop him. After all, this was the actors' union, and everyone present was either a union member or an extra. Anyone who dared to stop Lu Ze would have to give up their career in Hengdian.

So he easily walked to the office that Wang Zixuan had found out about, a single room where he would be teaching today. But it was still early, so he took the time to visit an old friend.

"Dong dong dong..."

"Please come in."

Lu Ze took off his sunglasses and hat, pushed open the door and went in. His old friend was bent over writing materials. He didn't look up, but just pointed to the corner and said something.

"Just put it here."

"Are you that busy, Brother Long?"

This address of "Brother Long" completely stunned Zeng Long. No one had called him that for many years. Nowadays, everyone calls him Director Zeng. Brother Long? Such a distant term.

He looked up and saw a face that looked somewhat familiar. Wait a minute... it wasn't just familiar; he finally recognized him. In the next instant, Zeng Long uncontrollably uttered a vulgar curse.

"Fuck!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)