1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 413 Departure for Tokyo
"Dear passengers, flight CA901 from Beijing Capital International Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport is about to depart..."

Inside the cabin, thirty or forty members of the film crew from Beijing Film Studio sat neatly in rows, waiting for departure.

However, many of them were on a plane for the first time and traveling abroad for the first time, so they kept chattering away.

Cheng Kaiyan sat in the front seat of the cabin, quietly observing her surroundings.

Ahead of us were Professor Shuihua and Professor Chen Huaikai, along with two staff members from the Foreign Affairs Department and the Culture Department, responsible for liaising with the Japanese cultural authorities and providing foreign language translation services.

Behind them are several female colleagues from the film crew.

This time, he was seated next to Liang Xiaosheng, perhaps because they were both screenwriters in the production team and had a collaborative relationship.

"This is an old Soviet Il-62 aircraft. It has a large interior space and a long range, but the equipment is a bit outdated. It's not as good as that Boeing 747 over there, but Japan Airlines is also more expensive."

Liang Xiaosheng seemed to know a bit about airplanes. Seeing Cheng Kaiyan looking around curiously, he smiled and began to explain.

"An old Soviet plane, how long would it take to arrive?"

Cheng Kaiyan wasn't surprised; Soviet-style equipment was extremely common in China, although its performance was generally mediocre.

"I checked the information before I came. It takes six or seven hours and we will need to stop in Shanghai or Osaka to refuel due to fuel issues."

Liang Xiaosheng adjusted his glasses and replied.

"Then we can have dinner in Tokyo."

Cheng Kaiyan calculated that she would arrive around five or six o'clock, just in time for dinner.

"Speaking of dinner, I'm actually looking forward to Japanese food, but unfortunately it's very expensive!"

Liang Xiaosheng said with some anticipation.

"Heh, what kind of gourmet food could we possibly have? We can only afford rice balls, sushi, and ramen."

Cheng Kaiyan thought of the prices in Japan and the money she had brought with her, and said helplessly.

"makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Liang Xiaosheng gave a wry smile.

"However, the free sights are worth seeing. After all, it's Asia's premier city, bustling and extravagant. Shinjuku boasts towering skyscrapers, the iconic Tokyo Tower, Senso-ji Temple, and Meiji Shrine..."

Cheng Kaiyan joked, but he really wanted to go up to Tokyo Tower and take a look.

"You know all this? Tell me in detail?!"

Liang Xiaosheng immediately became interested. Because of the reform and opening up, the Chinese people had developed a great curiosity about the capitalist world abroad, with a mixture of criticism and scrutiny, as well as longing.

Detailed information and specific circumstances about overseas situations are actually not known to many people.

The information gap is huge.

"hehe."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled. He was also very interested in Japan in the 1980s, and the extravagance and prosperity of the bubble economy era were like a myth.

So he casually introduced: "There are many bustling places in Tokyo. First of all, there is Nishi-Shinjuku. It is the administrative and commercial heart of Tokyo and even Japan, and it is home to a large number of super high-rise skyscrapers, often with hundreds of floors."

You absolutely cannot imagine the scene of so many buildings concentrated in such a small piece of land in half a district.

Higashi-Shinjuku is Asia's largest red-light district, with neon lights burning all night and a dazzling array of signs... It's definitely the best place to experience a night market..."

“A skyscraper with over a hundred floors is probably three or four hundred meters tall. The tallest building in Beijing, the East Building of the Beijing Hotel, is only seventy-seven meters tall with seventeen floors.”

Liang Xiaosheng was amazed. He often heard people say that foreign countries were developed, but he never expected them to be so prosperous.

He also noticed Cheng Kaiyan's choice of words: "a lot," implying that there are many such super high-rise commercial buildings.

"Really? Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, you know so much!"

Sitting in the back seat were Liu Xiaoqing, Zhu Xiaodi, and several other women. Hearing the conversation between the two, they immediately became interested and stood up, leaning over their seats to look.

"I know some, but not much."

Cheng Kaiyan shook her head.

"Can we listen in too?"

Liu Xiaoqing asked with great interest, her eyes filled with pleading and anticipation.

"of course."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded and continued her introduction: "After Shinjuku, there is Ginza."

This is Tokyo's traditional and top-tier high-end shopping and social district.

It is home to top international luxury brands such as Chanel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton...

Japan's top department stores, such as Mitsukoshi and Wako, are located here.

High-end clubs and members-only nightclubs are prevalent.

Many Japanese business elites, politicians, and celebrities hold expensive social events and entertainment here, and spending millions of yen a night is quite common..."

"My God! The cost for just one night is over a million?!"

"The decadent extravagance of evil capitalism! This is terrifying."

Several women jumped to their feet in shock, their voices filled with astonishment. The number of words was terrifying.

The women's gasps of shock immediately drew the attention of everyone in the cabin; if the plane hadn't taken off, they probably would have all come over.

As Cheng Kaiyan continued her introduction, many men and women tilted their ears and leaned against the back of their seats to listen.

It got quite lively for a while.

After explaining, Cheng Kaiyan took out a water bottle from her military green backpack, took a sip, and added, "It doesn't matter whether we go to these places or not, but we can go see the Tokyo Tower, it's an iconic building."

Besides the film crew members, there were also a few staff members from the foreign affairs department in the cabin. Although they were working abroad, they didn't really know much about that bustling city because of the language barrier and their focused work.

After Cheng Kaiyan explained the process, many people started discussing it enthusiastically.

"I know everyone is very curious and eager to hear what Comrade Cheng Kaiyan said."

However, our mission this time is not to go on vacation. After arriving in Tokyo, no one is allowed to act on their own or go out on their own. Any actions must be reported and followed according to orders.

Once everything is arranged and the filming schedule is coordinated, I'll arrange a day or two for sightseeing before leaving Tokyo..."

At this moment, Teacher Shuihua stood up and solemnly warned everyone.

"understood."

Everyone responded.

"Alright, everyone, please sit back down and keep quiet so as not to disturb others."

Teacher Shuihua then glared at Cheng Kaiyan and gave an order.

"..."

Cheng Kaiyan shrugged, looking quite innocent.

"Heh, let this kid show off, what's so great about knowing so much?"

In the back seat of the plane, Tang Guoqiang muttered with a cold laugh.

The cabin finally quieted down, and everyone sat quietly in their seats to rest.

As the plane shuddered and lurched, several timid comrades turned pale with fright, while others suffered from airsickness, vomiting and diarrhea.

Finally, the plane smoothly entered the stratosphere. Thick clouds stretched out of the window, and occasionally the azure sea could be seen.

At 3 p.m., the plane arrived at Osaka International Airport for a temporary rest and refueling.

Cheng Kaiyan went downstairs to get some fresh air and take a walk, then came back up when it was time.

The aircraft engines restarted.

At 5 p.m., accompanied by the airplane announcement, we finally arrived at our destination—Tokyo.

Almost everyone looked down through the porthole with curiosity, and a super-large, bustling metropolitan area appeared before them, with skyscrapers piercing the clouds seemingly within reach, creating a visually striking scene.

"Wow!"

“So big and so high!”

This amazed many comrades, who seemed like country bumpkins who had never seen the world before, prompting them to exclaim in astonishment.

"Sigh...it is indeed bustling."

Looking down at the densely packed city streets and buildings, Cheng Kaiyan shook her head. Given the size and prosperity of this city, it would be difficult to surpass it in less than forty or fifty years of development.

He didn't want to think too much about it, so he started packing his luggage and checked his money to make sure he hadn't lost any.

Then he reached into the inside pocket of his shirt and touched the letter, which his aunt had given him.

Before Cheng Kaiyan could even look at it, she lifted her collar, opened the envelope in her pocket, and a small wad of bright green US dollars appeared before her eyes.

He roughly counted them: five one-hundred-yuan bills, and a few loose bills.

It's about five hundred and sixty dollars.
Lost in thought, I realized that the money could have been four or five hundred, but my aunt had given me five hundred and sixty.

"When did I ever need to rely on others for financial assistance when I'm traveling?"

Cheng Kaiyan felt both touched and frustrated.

This was probably something my aunt had saved up before, and she specifically asked Aunt Minghua to exchange it for it.

He was a hundred times unwilling to take the money, but the stark reality was right in front of him.

The 100,000 yen distributed by the Beijing Film Studio might not even be enough for daily living expenses.

The extravagant lifestyle and bustling streets of Shanghai were all supported by money.

If you don't have money, you can't even afford natto rice, you can't afford to take the bus, and Tokyo naturally won't get hot.

At this moment, looking down at the endless steel jungle above, the Tokyo Tower flashing with neon lights.

He kept thinking about that cold face and that quiet and gentle girl.

Cheng Kaiyan's long-dormant desire to make money was rekindled.

"Money! Foreign exchange! US dollars!"

(End of this chapter)