Chapter Twelve: The Evergreen Star

Liu Hua was truly confused now. He couldn’t understand what this younger man, who was even younger than him, wanted—why bring him to this deep well to eat roast goose. Yet, despite his doubts, the roast goose here was indeed as good as its reputation; he had eaten it here a few times before.
Xiao Ran’s current demeanor was unexpected—this was the same guy who had written several good scripts. He didn’t have the slightest trace of a scholar’s refinement; eating the roast goose was like fighting with a goose. Yet it was precisely this that made Liu Hua feel a bit more at ease.
Only after filling his stomach about 50% full did Xiao Ran close his eyes contentedly, looking extremely satisfied. It took a while before he opened his eyes and stared at Liu Hua. After all, Liu Hua was now a star in various fields—film, television, and music—and it was rare for him to be so kind.
“You’re actually very good at acting!” For some reason, Xiao Ran said something that even surprised him. Amid Liu Hua’s astonished expression, Xiao Ran rhythmically tapped his thigh and said, “I mean your appearance!”
Liu Hua might not have listened to Xiao Ran anyway. After all, Xiao Ran still seemed a bit younger than him, and his youthful appearance made his words less convincing. But Liu Hua sensed a strange aura about him—whether it was called aura or something else, at least he felt that Xiao Ran didn’t care much about others, which piqued his interest.
Xiao Ran indeed didn’t care much about others, but more importantly, he dismissed the strict hierarchy in the film industry. Simply put, his broad insights gave him the confidence to ignore such rules. Plus, having met many important people over the years, he remained humble yet carried a unique charm.
However, Liu Hua didn’t like Xiao Ran’s last remark. He didn’t want to be seen as someone who succeeded based solely on appearance. It was obvious from Liu Hua’s expression that he had seen many people. Xiao Ran chuckled lightly and said, “Relying only on appearance won’t lead to great success. What matters are aura and acting skills.”
When it came to aura, Xiao Ran always believed that Zhou Runfa was the most charismatic actor in Hong Kong. Clearly, Liu Hua still lacked this so-called aura. Aura doesn’t appear out of nowhere—it requires insight, ability, experience, and life experiences. So, in Xiao Ran’s eyes, Liu Hua’s aura in twenty years would be a hundred times better than it is now.
“From my observation, as long as you have these two qualities plus enough diligence, you’ll surely become incredibly famous in the future!” When it came to diligence, Xiao Ran found it amusing. In his dreams, Liu Hua represented diligence and hard work, which was somewhat misleading. Xiao Ran believed that while diligence was important for anything, talent was what truly mattered.
“But that’s for the future!” Xiao Ran laughed heartily and raised his cup of plain water. “This time, I just want to be friends with you. I hope you don’t think I’m trying to climb the social ladder!”

“How could that be!” Liu Hua didn’t quite understand Xiao Ran’s actions—why come to this deep well just to make a friend? Yet he clearly felt some fondness for Xiao Ran and immediately used a more familiar address: “A Ran, that’s not right. I’m just a minor actor; there’s no such thing as someone rising above me! By the way, why don’t you become an actor? You have a great look!”
“Me?” Xiao Ran waved his fingers in front of his nose, saying helplessly, “I’ve just started in this industry. For now, I can only work as a screenwriter; acting is something for the future!”
Xiao Ran indeed had an impressive appearance—tall at 1.76 meters, taller than Liu Hua. Interestingly, he wasn’t the type of handsome guy; instead, his facial features had a unique charm, enhanced by his healthy, dark skin.
He certainly wanted to be an actor, as the income would be much higher. If he acted in more films, he might even be able to use the earnings to start a film company. But everything was just beginning, and there was no rush.
Money, money! Xiao Ran’s mind was filled with complaints. If it weren’t for money, why would he go to such extreme lengths to steal future scripts? But having money wasn’t enough; he also needed strong connections and a good reputation in the industry to achieve something.
To start a film production company, Xiao Ran estimated he would need about five million. But what he wanted wasn’t just a production company—it was a production and distribution company, the kind that could make big profits. Unfortunately, setting up a production company wasn’t easy. First, it required substantial capital, and second, approval from the film authorities was needed.
When Liu Hua brought up this frustrating matter, Xiao Ran felt a sense of oppression and had to change the subject: “Hua-zi, since we’re friends, I should give you some advice. Whether you like movies or TV, a long-term contract with TVB will definitely be a major obstacle to your development. What are your thoughts on this?”
It seemed Liu Hua had thought about this before. After pondering for a while, he said, “Actually, I expected this. That’s why I plan to discuss it in detail with TVB!”
Nonsense! Xiao Ran wanted to show his disdain openly. Shaw Brothers thought they were a big company—how could they possibly yield to their own actors? If Shaw Brothers had really let go of their pride, there would probably be no Golden Harvest today, nor would they have let away stars like Li Xiaokong and Xu Guanwen.
After building some rapport with Liu Hua, they each went home. Xiao Ran didn’t head straight to his place but bought some gifts and took a taxi home. He didn’t really want to cause trouble, but since he was their son, it would be awkward not to go.
By the time he got home, it was already getting dark. Xiao Ran took the keys and opened the door. As soon as he stepped in, he heard a clear voice calling from inside, “Brother…”
Interestingly, it was clearly Xiao Han’s voice, but it suddenly stopped, as if cut off by scissors. Xiao Ran went into the living room and indeed saw the family of two eating. Wait—there should have been a younger sister, Xiao Han. Where was she?
Liang Wenhui exclaimed in delight, “Son, where have you been these past few days? Have you suffered anything? Are you okay?”

This series of questions popped up suddenly, catching Xiao Ran off guard. But before he could react, a cold snort came from Xiao Shaohao’s nostrils. With a furious expression, he said coldly, “So you still know how to go home? So you still know where your home is!”
“Xiao…,” Mother Liang Wenhui glared fiercely at Father Xiao Shaohao. Seeing his wife’s gaze, Xiao Shaohao knew he definitely couldn’t scold Xiao Ran this time and sighed deeply, “A kind mother spoils her child. Aran is just spoiled by you!”
“What are you talking about! Didn’t you dote on him when he was young? Now you’re bringing this up to me!” Liang Wenhui immediately showed her fierce side. Xiao Shaohao could only glare angrily at Xiao Ran before turning away, adopting the strategy of ignoring things to avoid trouble.
“Mom, I rented a place some time ago, that’s why I didn’t come back!” Xiao Ran sighed inwardly. He never expected he’d have to comfort people who weren’t his family. “I’m currently writing scripts for several film companies, and my income is pretty good!”
A screenwriter? This turn of events clearly stunned the couple. They had never imagined that Xiao Ran, who used to dislike studying, had become a screenwriter—a seemingly promising career. A cry of surprise came from Xiao Ran’s room. Needless to say, it was Xiao Han eavesdropping.
Xiao Ran took out all the gifts he had brought and gave another ten thousand yuan to his mother, Liang Wenhui, saying, “Mom, keep this money for now. My income isn’t high yet. But it might increase in the future!”
“Son, keep this money for yourself. When has your mother ever lacked money?” At these words, Liang Wenhui glared provocatively at her husband. “Look at your son—how successful he is! He’s already a screenwriter!”
Xiao Shaohao’s expression gradually softened. Although he still didn’t believe Xiao Ran was really a screenwriter, the fact that he could bring money home made him happy. Of course, men are always reserved, so Xiao Shaohao didn’t show his true feelings—only a slightly relieved look revealed his thoughts.
“Han, come out quickly! I bought you a gift!” From his past memories, Xiao Ran knew Xiao Han really wanted a computer. But Xiao Ran wasn’t stupid. Modern computers were like typewriters—useless, and they would waste already scarce funds, so he refused.
“I don’t want it!” Xiao Han blurted out in anger, then realizing she should have been eavesdropping, she panicked—had her brother caught her? Her face turned bright red instantly.
“Whatever you want!” Xiao Ran shrugged indifferently. But in his dreams, he had no siblings, so he still hoped to have such a sister when facing Xiao Han. After thinking for a moment, he gave her his address.
After staying for a while longer, Xiao Han still didn’t come out of the room, so Xiao Ran left. As soon as he returned to Xiaoyaowo, he saw Wei Dongling drinking alone, looking extremely depressed. Smelling the alcohol, Xiao Ran felt a bit dizzy and frowned, asking, “A Dong, what happened?”

“I’m unemployed again…” Wei Dongling wasn’t just depressed now—he was filled with a rage that made him want to destroy everything. He didn’t understand why suggesting something beneficial for the company’s future would get him fired, or why opposing a plan would also result in his dismissal. Did they really have to force him to become the boss? But Wei Dongling knew his own personality—he simply didn’t like being a boss; it was too exhausting. He worked for others not only to showcase his abilities but also to enjoy the sense of being busy.

Xiao Ran shook his head. He didn’t understand either why such an excellent person like Wei Dongling went unnoticed. Yet sometimes life’s circumstances were truly strange, and there was nothing to blame. Leaning back in the sofa in the most comfortable position, he asked the disheartened man by the window, “What are your plans?”

“I think I’ll go to the United States after all…” Wei Dongling smashed the jar out of the window in frustration, his disappointment evident in his expression. “But I’ve changed my mind now. You’re all curious about why you like movies so much, so I’ve decided to apply for a job at Jiahe tomorrow!”

Xiao Ran felt dizzy. Could it be… that the Wei Dongling in his dreams went to the United States after this failure? Could it be that he started making movies in the U.S. under You Zhi’s influence? Could he, who had always been cautious, have changed his future this time?

TO I’m a Murder Man: Of course I’m not from Hong Kong. Even if I were, it’s impossible for me to write in Cantonese. Otherwise, friends from other provinces wouldn’t understand.

TO The Landlord: Meeting the actors is a setup for the future.

TO Cancer: I won’t write about those things you mentioned. What I want to write about is movies—do you understand?

TO The One Who Loves Listening: I feel the same way. It’s just that the protagonist’s personality isn’t very clear, making it hard to provide detailed descriptions. The details are indeed my mistake.

TO The Dark Blue Demon King: The difficulty of this book is much greater than that of Spy Change. It’s natural that it doesn’t seem as good as Spy Change at first glance.