The next morning.
It was late September, and a fine drizzle drifted through the air.
Li Mu was driving the Mercedes-Benz S350 given to him by the wealthy benefactor. He slowly pulled into a parking space at the high-speed railway station, got out of the car, and walked briskly to the exit to wait for Uncle Ge.
Wang Hao had been beaten up the day before, so Li Mu had logged it as a work-related injury and given him a few days off.
Therefore, today Li Mu came to pick up Uncle Ge all by himself.
This suited Li Mu just fine, as opportunities to get on the good side of Uncle Ge did not come around often.
This year and the next could be considered Uncle Ge's peak period. During the filming of Let the Bullets Fly, Uncle Ge also shot Sacrifice and If You Are the One 2.
This was ample proof of Uncle Ge's immense influence.
With these thoughts, Li Mu glanced up at the electronic screen above the main hall.
If all went according to plan, Ge You's train would arrive in about forty minutes. There was no helping it; when someone was a major star, a small fry like him had simply to wait here ahead of time.
Seeing that he still had plenty of time, Li Mu found a seat and sat down.
As soon as he sat down, his phone rang.
It was a call from Wang Hao.
Without hesitation, Li Mu answered it.
"Brother Mu, have you picked up the guest yet?" Wang Hao asked with concern.
"Not yet," Li Mu shook his head, then asked with concern, "You don't need to worry about the crew for now. Just focus on recovering from your injuries. Filming starts in a few days, and even if you want to rest then, I won't let you."
Wang Hao chuckled, "I've been fine for ages. This little injury is nothing to me."
"Even if you're fine, you still need to rest. Your pay isn't getting cut."
"Thank you, Brother Mu."
Wang Hao gave an honest, awkward laugh, and Li Mu replied in all seriousness, "Why are you being so polite with me? And do me a favor and stop calling me Brother Mu from now on—it sounds weird. Just call me Li Mu."
"Then should I call you Teacher Li Mu?" Wang Hao ventured tentatively.
"Oh, fine, whatever you want to call me," Li Mu brushed it off impatiently, then sternly reminded him once more, "I'll be heading back soon. You make sure you get some proper rest, understand?"
"Yeah," Wang Hao choked out a reply, his voice thick with emotion.
Li Mu hung up immediately, feeling a swirl of mixed emotions.
To be honest, Li Mu's first impression of Wang Hao hadn't been good.
Sloppy, snobbish, with a sharp-mouthed and monkey-cheeked face, his appearance gave off a naturally cunning and treacherous vibe.
Yet through their contact over the past few days, Li Mu discovered that this guy was truly resilient.
When it came to work, he was second to none, running around all day like he'd been injected with chicken blood.
With him around, Li Mu hadn't felt the physical strain at all.
"This guy really isn't half bad," Li Mu thought, chuckling to himself in the seat. He narrowed his eyes, leaned back against the headrest, and closed his eyes to rest and kill time.
About forty minutes later.
The station broadcast announced the arrival of Ge You's train, and Li Mu stood up from his chair.
He walked to the hall exit and called Ge You using the number Director Jiang had given him.
"Uncle Ge, I'm the one Director Jiang sent to pick you up. I'm right under the electronic display screen at the high-speed rail exit. I'm wearing a black jacket and black casual pants, and I'm holding our crew's sign. You'll see me as soon as you come out," Li Mu announced.
"Ah, got it," Ge You replied and hung up.
About ten minutes later.
Li Mu suddenly spotted a man walking toward him. He was in his forties, of medium build, with striking facial features and a parted mustache.
He wore a Mickey Mouse-colored fedora and a pale, yellowish-white long gown over his upper body.
He looked just like Counselor Tang from the movie.
Who else could it be but Ge You?
Well, look at that, already in costume?
Li Mu sighed inwardly, taking the initiative to step forward and meet Ge You halfway.
He reached out a hand and greeted him, "Hello, Uncle Ge. I'm Li Mu, and Director Jiang sent me to pick you up."
Ge You's eyes flashed, and he gave Li Mu a thumbs-up. "Ah, what a great name! 'The State of Qin repeatedly struck Zhao, but Li Mu successfully repelled them every time.' A famous general of the State of Zhao—it seems your late father had high hopes for you."
Li Mu was amused; this old urchin certainly knew how to say pleasing things.
"In my humble opinion, Uncle Ge's demeanor is equally extraordinary. Your current bearing is just like the lines: 'The great wind rises, the clouds fly away!'" Li Mu blinked and shot back with an equally cheerful smile.
Ge You burst into loud laughter.
After a bout of mutual flattery, Li Mu led Uncle Ge to where he had parked. Once they got in and Uncle Ge settled comfortably into his seat, Li Mu stepped on the gas and headed straight for the studios.
The car drove smoothly along the highway.
Li Mu maintained a relaxed and composed expression as he drove forward. Uncle Ge slipped into his "Ge You slouch," sprawling bonelessly across the backseat while chatting idly with Li Mu.
"Xiao Mu, I suppose calling you by your name is fine, right?"
"That's more than fine, Uncle Ge."
"Don't call me uncle-uncle, it makes me sound so old."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Call me big brother—makes me look young."
Li Mu was choked by his own saliva and coughed, asking awkwardly, "Would that be appropriate?"
Ge You and Director Jiang were sworn brothers; if he called Ge You big brother, wouldn't that elevate his own generation?
What are you looking for, Second Uncle? Big brother will help you find it!
Just thinking about it made Li Mu feel thrilled.
Uncle Ge was in a great mood and happy to joke around with this young man. "What's inappropriate about it? It's just a form of address. The moment I laid eyes on you, I felt a connection. Calling me big brother won't shortchange you."
"Big Brother!" Li Mu brazenly shouted.
"Yeah."
"Big Brother."
"Mm, not bad, that's the spirit."
The atmosphere inside the car grew lively, and Li Mu got a little carried away.
Damn it, if Uncle Ge wasn't afraid, what did he have to be afraid of?
After a brief exchange to liven up the mood, Uncle Ge began asking about Li Mu's work on the crew.
Li Mu answered truthfully, and Uncle Ge asked with a chuckle, "Aren't you a student at the Beijing Film Academy? How did you end up doing production assistant work?"
"Ah, well, Director Jiang didn't quite fancy me, I suppose," Li Mu said with a hint of desolation.
Understanding dawned on Ge You. Dropping his previous banter, he consoled him, "The script for this film is one your director has polished for a very long time. Everything from the production value to the cast is top-tier, so it's only natural that he's strict."
"Big Brother, I think I'm doing a pretty good job at this anyway," Li Mu smiled.
"What's so good about it? Isn't it just a job waiting on people hand and foot?" Ge You blurted out, but immediately regretting it, he hurriedly tried to patch things up. "What I meant to say is, you're still young, so you need to look at the bigger picture and not just focus on what's right in front of you."
"I'll listen to you, Big Brother. Once I finish this film, I'll quit," Li Mu replied with a hearty laugh.
As the two of them were talking, they exited the highway.
Suddenly, a black Maybach darted out from Li Mu's flank. Li Mu hastily slammed on the brakes, but it was a fraction too late. With a loud "bang," his car rear-ended the trunk of the black Maybach.
The body of the Mercedes jerked violently, and Uncle Ge let out an "ouch" as he was knocked over onto the floorboards.
Before Li Mu could even check on Uncle Ge's condition, the owner of the Maybach had already stepped out of his car, pointing angrily at Li Mu inside and cursing, "Are you blind, you motherfucker? How do you manage to crash into something like this? Driving a beat-up Benz and thinking you're someone special?!"