hapter 381: Treating the Wounded and Rescuing the Dying
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
He was kicked out by Xu. Zhang cried out, pointing to Qin Guan's hiding place.
"There they are!"
Bang!
"Ouch!" He took a bullet in the leg and started shouting and rolling around on the floor. Are you blind? I'm too far away from them. Why did you shoot at me?
"Traitor! I'll find them myself! Ha ha! Qin Guan, this is your friend. Push Xu out, and maybe I will let you go..."
With the gun in his hand, Kuhn strode over in their direction without a pause. Xu Xianxiao and Qin Guan exchanged a knowing glance.
Kuhn was approaching. His long shadow was visible on the floor next to Qin Guan.
Now! Lifting up the wooden table top, Qin Guan covered his upper body and rushed out without hesitation like a brave Minotaur.
For the clan!
Little did Kuhn know that there was a counter-attack coming. He fired again.
"Ah!"
Bang!
Suddenly, a single gunshot was aimed at the ceiling. Xu rolled out from the other side and grabbed Kuhn's legs, pushing the crazy man off balance.
Bang!
Kuhn fell and hit the floor, the gun flying out of his hand. "Here... Sir!"
Cong Nianwei had run back, out of breath. Her nurse uniform had gotten torn. In two minutes, she had reached the nearest police station. The gunshot had been too loud to be heard in the noisy campus. Without Cong Nianwei's warning, the policemen would still have been searching.
"Hands up!"
"F*ck!"
Kuhn wanted to stand up, but he was pressed against the floor. His hands were tied.
"I'll call my lawyer! Do you have any idea who my father is?"
Nobody could rescue him now. Before getting into the police cruiser, Kuhn looked back at his arch-enemy angrily.
Cong Nianwei was holding her high heels in her hand. Barefoot, she saw her boyfriend smiling at her like a European knight.
"Cong Nianwei?"
"Yes?"
"Don't your feet hurt you? Put on your shoes, or they will think you are a victim of domestic violence."
"Ha ha!" Cong Nianwei was not as nervous.
The ambulance arrived. The policemen were taking eyewitness testimonies. This was another shocking event after 9/11. The security guard, who had been wounded seriously, had been sent to the hospital. The Barnard party had to come to an abrupt end.
It was early in the evening, but nobody was in the mood to have fun. Xu and Qin Guan were standing by the entrance. The smell of blood was still lingering in the air.
"Shall we continue?"
"You want to go to another party? I don't. Could you take us back to our apartment?"
Qin Guan pointed at Cong Nianwei's turned back. "Her feet are a little bruised."
"No problem." They returned to his car. We should buy a car as soon as possible.
The street was deserted at the time. All the kids had gone back home.
Saying goodbye to Xu, Qin Guan carried Cong Nianwei out of the car. Before he could close the car door though, Qin Guan's pant leg was seized by a hand.
"Cough, cough... Help me!"
A man was lying on the grass beside the building. He was covered in blood.
Qin Guan suddenly turned serious. He put Cong Nianwei down. Xu craned his neck to see the man.
"Be careful, sir!" the driver reminded him carefully. The man looked awful.
Qin Guan squatted down. "Shall I call the police? Or maybe an ambulance?"
The hand on him tightened. The man shook his head slowly. "No... You do it!"
Suddenly, he looked up like a wolf. Under his body was a gun. He pointed the gun at Qin Guan's chest.
It was actually an Asian gun. When he saw Qin Guan clearly, he looked disappointed. "You are not a real doctor? Don't call the police. Do as I tell you."
"Han Zhujiu?" Xu shouted.
Han Zhujiu glanced at Xu. An acquaintance! He's a member of the Xu Family!
"Childe Xu, great! Help me!" The man looked seriously wounded, but his hand was firm on the gun. He noticed that everyone was looking at Qin Guan. So that young man is calling the shots?
The resolute man wanted to say something threatening. Qin Guan cast a glance at Xu Xiaoxiao. "Save him. I know you can!"
Xu grinned. "Actually, I wanted to negotiate with him. But since you already decided, I will help him for free."
Qin Guan nodded and took off his white gown. They couldn't carry the man to their apartment for fear that their landlord would see him.
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Chapter 382: Underground Doctor
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
"Carry him to my car. We'll take him to my restaurant. It must be closed now."
Xu Xiaoxiao and Qin Guan spread the gown on the ground and carried Han on the temporary stretcher. They pulled him in the direction of the car. "Will you go home or stay with me?" Qin Guan asked Cong Nianwei.
Cong Nianwei was worried about him. "Let's stay together. I'll just keep silent." The two boys nodded.
The quality of the gown was really bad. It had not been made in China. As a result, it got torn under the tension, and Han fell down with a bang.
Unfortunately, he had fainted. Taking advantage of this, Xu just pulled him up and stuffed him into the car.
After making several calls, Xu closed his eyes to relax. The driver chose to go around the block, where Qin Guan had encountered the three black men.
There were parties and balls held everywhere in the area, but that block was silent. It seemed ghostly thanks to the horrific Halloween decorations.
The luxurious car would be prey for evil men there. However, they saw nobody on the streets. This was actually the domain of black gangs, who could do anything to such a car.
Xu looked at the quiet street with a serious expression. According to his knowledge of New York, even if there were no robbers around, there would be at least some gangsters to show them their middle fingers.
Yet there was no one there...
Qin Guan looked out of the window. He saw some men hiding at the corner of a house. He could only see part of their clothes and feet.
He remained silent. This was not China after all.
They reached their destination in a few minutes. The back door of the restaurant was open. In the hall, two long dining tables had been arranged.
There were white disposable medical sheets, a medicine cabinet and small bottles on the table. It all looked very professional.
"Your daddy never called me."
A young Asian man was sitting in a large wooden chair of a traditional Chinese style. He had curly hair, and a mask was hanging from one of his ears. According to Xu, he was the best private doctor there was.
"Save him..." Xu didn't say much. His driver and staff carried Han to the table.
"Wow! Let me have a look. Then we'll talk about money." He smartly cut Han's clothes off.
"Hey, there is a lady present. You don't need to take off his underwear..." Qin Guan stood in front of Cong Nianwei for fear that she would get frightened.
Zhou Jingtao frowned. Although most of his face was hidden under the mask, his impatient eyes expressed his dissatisfaction. When he glanced back at Qin Guan though, his eyes lit up.
Distracted, he said in a trembling voice, "Oh, my beautiful girl! It would be a sin to let you see such dirty things. Hurry up and pull the curtain."
He scanned Cong Nianwei from head to toe carefully, making her feel uncomfortable.
"Oh, my! My beautiful Asian girl... Your foot is hurt badly!"
He walked up to Cong Nianwei, taking off his mask in the process. "No, the lady deserves help more than that guy."
Are you kidding? You forgot the oath of Hippocrates?
Suddenly, Han opened his eyes and seized Zhou Jingtao. "If you don't help me, I'll break your neck!"
There was a savage Buddha tattoo on his chest and a fierce tiger on his arm. Han looked even more vigorous that moment.
As an experienced underground doctor though, Zhou wasn't afraid of threats.
"I could send you to Hell with one cut! Where does it hurt, bro? Bullet or knife? I'll get you fixed up immediately. I'm a kind-hearted man. I like saving lives!"
At the sight of a small tattoo on Han's body, Zhou had changed his attitude at once.
He is a member of the Black Star Union. He's actually their leader! The shining black Big Dipper tattoo on his chest indicates his identity. He is in the fiercest Chinese gang in New York. Not one of the fiercest, but the fiercest!
The Black Star Union had originally been a friendly Chinese group of special troops and veterans from the Chinese mainland. In two years though, they had taken the place of the Chinese Freemasons and built a solid foundation in Chinatown.
They eliminated entire families over small disputes. They had experienced many cruel battles, and no offenders ever made it out of them alive. That was why Zhou Jingtao was frightened.
One couldn't reason with crazy men.
The treating process went very well. Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei sat in two chairs and watched Zhou perform surgery through the transparent plastic curtain.
Any professional would have been surprised by his speed and accuracy. He made a perfect knot at the end of the line and finished his job.
Fortunately, Han's vessels had not been seriously wounded, or he would have spent all his fortune on emergency blood packages from the black market.
Xu showed up confidently after the surgery, holding a thick package in his hand.
"How much?"
"Old rules. 50,000 dollars in cash."
"Motherf*cker! Isn't your usual fee 5,000 dollars?"
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Chapter 383: I'm not Gay!
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
"He looked like a hornet's nest. There were so many holes! It was a really difficult case. Besides, you lied to me. This guy is very dangerous!"
They were arguing over the money, when suddenly a short man appeared at the back door and told Xu, "Our leader is missing. Could you please direct me to Master Xu?"
Xu pointed in Han's direction, thus putting an end to his mission. Zhou stuffed his payment into his bag and then fixed his eyes on Cong Nianwei.
"My beautiful lady, may I have a look at your slender feet?"
Goosebumps appeared on Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei's skin like mushrooms. That guy was really annoying.
He was still a professional doctor though. Taking his tools in his hand, Zhou suddenly turned serious. He treated Cong Nianwei's wounds carefully.
When he stood up, Qin Guan stretched his hand out to him. "Thank you so much for helping my girlfriend."
I have to stake my claim now, or that playboy will keep thinking about Cong Nianwei.
All the lamps had been turned on for the surgery. As Zhou held the hand of the young man, the bright lights and Qin Guan's smile made him dizzy.
I like women. No, men... Ugh!
It was like touching a burning iron. Zhou drew his hand back fast for fear that it would melt because of that splendid smile.
By then, Xiao Hengzi, the smartest member of the Black Star Union had finished his report to Han. Han knew that that night had not been just a holiday for monsters and ghosts in New York, but also one for Japanese gangsters. After a long time, they had finally exposed their teeth.
His gang had not been the only one attacked. Nineteen black gangs, the Russian harbour union, and the construction sites of Irish and Mexican groups had all been attacked by unknown forces.
We looked down on you, Yamaguchi Tsutomu. We looked down on Japanese gangsters, while you were taking advantage of the economic depression. For the Chinese, this was both a matter of national and personal hatred. They were happy to pick up the glove.
...
The moon was shining in the sky. After all those soul-stirring incidents, Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei collapsed on their soft bed and fell asleep.
That night, many people were destined not to sleep peacefully. Scared, the monsters on the streets returned to their own world. There were gangsters looking hurriedly for murderers on silent roads.
In a luxurious apartment on the Upper East Side, Yamaguchi Tsutomu was processing Qin Guan's photos carefully on her computer. As a Japanese girl pursuing perfection, she wanted to make that poster look like artwork.
Xue Wanyi was busy those days, as Qin Guan's magazine and perfume projects had been finished. Chinese people had no interest in Halloween. In the daytime, all reports concerning the entertainment circle had been updated.
Qin Guan's TV series were enjoying rising audience ratings. The series reached its peak after the news about Qin Guan were released.
On the screen, the handsome monk Xuzhu continued his affair with Princess Xixia. On the streets, full-page reports were everywhere.
The titles were tasteful, and the photos were striking.
"Close encounter between elegant Armani and a mysterious ancient country"
"Top Columbia student wins at life"
"Unstoppable: An overseas report on Qin Guan"
Various photos of Qin Guan on the show were on the covers of the top five fashion magazines.
Ordinary Chinese people had no idea how the fashion circle worked. The word of Armani, the New York Fashion Week and VOGUE was enough for them.
There was also a happy surprise. The unknown cosmetics magazine had been noticed by the Chinese.
Some international magazines also paid attention to it, wondering if they could introduce it in Asia, like they had done with ELLE and VOGUE.
Of course, the two directors were the happiest.
Zhang Jizhong applied for the Silver Eagle Award and the "Five Ones" with his work "Demi-Gods and Demi-Demons", which was going even better thanks to Qin Guan's fame.
Zhang Yimou was glad about the fact that all the cast of "Heroes" was enjoying international fame. Even an ordinary assassin was now a top Asian model in New York. This would be a good starting point for applying for the Oscars.
Sister Xue hung up the phone with a smile. She had gotten another piece of good news.
If everything went according to plan, Qin Guan would be joining Director Zhang Yimou in Los Angeles for a publicity conference before the award ceremony instead of the leading actors.
She was really excited that she had agreed to the contract with Armani. If Qin Guan was in front of her, Sister Xue would have kissed him.
...
Qin Guan was still living a quiet campus life. Of course, because of the shooting tragedy, Columbia University had increased security around all the entrances.
American people, who were very protective of their privacy, didn't protest the regular security checks in their lockers. Their fellow students who were in the hospital served as a lesson learned from the tragedy.
After a few days, everyone recovered from the terrible event. Prof. Martin was angry at the two crazy men sitting in his office though. How dared they threaten him!
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Chapter 384: The First Film
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
The two crazy men were Director Gus and Director George, who had been sent there by Chuck.
They had used their relations to contact the offices of Columbia University, with the intention to ask leave for Qin Guan in advance.
However, before the stubborn Prof. Martin, the two guys experienced rejection for the first time.
Columbia had granted its professors great power. As a result, they could be as strict as they wished with temporary leave approval.
"Ridiculous! My students are all elite New York residents. As soon as he finishes his courses with me, he could become an economic analyst for stupid rich men in the White House. Why should I ask my good student to shoot silly films with you? Because of your high IQ?"
As a leader of the American academic circle, Prof. Martin had reason to be proud. The two directors were both good negotiators though.
"There are lots of celebrities who have graduated from Columbia. Which one is the favorite of the media though? How many American citizens know their name? Ordinary people could never understand the effort you have put in teaching. Qin Guan could solve that though. Besides, we do not produce silly blockbusters. We aim for the top film awards."
"Yes, we have applied for the Cannes and George in Venice. They are the most respected prizes for independent films."
Martin was moved a little, but he still insisted on his opinion. "But will you win the prize? Besides, Americans don't like indie films."
Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Qin Guan was standing outside.
"Just in time!" Gus pointed at Qin Guan. "Your student can make the decision."
Prof. Martin stared at the uninvited guest. He knew that his student deep down wanted to be an actor.
Qin Guan paid no attention to roles. His dream of acting in indie films would come true in the US. It was a chance he had lost in China because of his perfect looks.
"I won't fail my classes. If my score goes down in the next exam, I won't participate in any more films."
"Your attendance rate will be low though. How will you be able to get an A+? Will you even have time to do your homework?"
"Of course! It won't take me much time. If I wasn't slow at typing, homework would only take me 10 minutes."
"Piss off! All of you!" Having such a clever student was unfortunate.
As he threw waste paper and ink bottles at them, the two old men and Qin Guan retreated from Martin's office. They all smiled at each other.
According to the original schedule, Gus'"Elephant" would be shooting first. The story of the school shooting was very current considering the recent events at Columbia University.
George was still preparing for the film.
Before the first snow, the crew arrived at a public middle school in downtown New York. It was a typical American school, but there was no fence around the campus. The school was one with the rest of the community.
Gus got approval from the principal to get some shots from the students in class. To avoid bothering them, he used DV high-resolution cameras.
On the set, Qin Guan got familiar with Gus' shooting method.
Each role had an independent story to tell. The cameraman would record the real lives of all the witnesses.
All roles had their own meeting points at the school.
The first character was an American boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. His name was John and he had been born into a dysfunctional family. He had a drunk father to take care of.
He was always late for class because he had to look after his family. The principal often had a talk with him in his office.
John was a gentle boy, so he didn't forget to leave the key for his brother after going out of the office. His older brother had to pick up their dad and take him home.
After all this ended, the boy would cry in the silent meeting room.
A good friend of his gave him an encouraging kiss on the face and cheered him up. He left school in the evening and met Qin Guan and another actor, Alex.
Then the scene changed to show the audience the life of another student, who dreamed of becoming a photographer.
Qin Guan felt dizzy by the shift. That was why indie films were only liked by a minority. They were not telling stories, they were expressing the feelings of the director.
Gus favored slow long shots. He wanted to record every detail of every actor, which made Qin Guan suffer a lot.
It was common for Gus to spend three days shooting the starry sky for a four-minute scene. They shot five takes of Qin Guan's first scene, not because of Qin Guan, but because the director wanted to feel a sense of balance between the shots.
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Chapter 385: I Can Play Piano
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan's character was an ordinary boy with black hair and eyes. His name was Eric.
He was a little weak. Athletes were the most popular at school. As a quiet, clever boy, Eric was bullied by other students. During science class, some boys had distracted the teacher while others had thrown chewing gum at Eric's clothes.
The lonely boy couldn't do anything but look at the white sticky gum on his blue jacket. He lowered his eyes. He knew defending himself would not work.
On the camera, his face looked clean. The gentle, silent boy suffered through all that unfair treatment.
The bell rang and only Eric was left in the classroom. He picked up his books and walked to the washroom, where he picked all the gum off his clothes.
He looked indifferent in the mirror, like a butterfly on a spider's net. His wings were broken. He had no idea about the value of life.
The helpless, weak, dark nature of humans and his cowardice shone through his expression.
He walked to the school dining room and recorded the structure and position of the basins and sundries in his notebook.
Meanwhile, gay and straight students were holding a meeting.
"In my opinion, men who wear colorful necklaces are not necessarily gay," Alex was saying with an enigmatic expression.
"And I'm straight." He smiled. Nobody noticed whether the short-haired boy was wearing a colorful necklace or not.
Now all the main characters of the school shooting had been introduced. It was a beautiful day. Red maple leaves were lying on the green grass, and white clouds were floating in the blue sky. It was a good day to walk one's dog...
"Okay! Stop there!"
"All the crew move on to the next scene except Eric and Alex."
The scene ended without any special effects or action. It seemed like a household DV film. Qin Guan nearly fell asleep on set.
Gus was satisfied with the playback. In fact, he was worried about Qin Guan's adjustment to American shooting methods, but he had unexpectedly made a perfect interpretation of the character, taking into account his own guidance.
Suddenly, Gus felt sorry for the gloomy boy in the camera. He must have been treated unfairly to commit such a terrible crime.
The fiery-red maple forest surrendered itself over to the golden aspen trees. Eric's family was an ordinary middle-class American family. Their house had a broad yard, French windows and a fridge with many sticky notes on it.
The parents were busy, and their child was lonely.
Eric was playing the piano. A melancholy, but emotional tune was being produced by his dancing fingers.
For that particular scene, Gus had asked the producer to hire a piano teacher.
"Can you help him with the tune in two days? Qin Guan, can you play the piano?"
Qin Guan nodded. "No problem. I can watch the tutor play it once. I will just need the music score."
What a proud young man! Anybody would need to spend at least half a day on the track if they were learning it for the first time. You can't master everything.
"That's why beautiful people are always silly," the tutor murmured to himself.
The director was an idiot to cast that actor.
The tutor made an elegant gesture and pressed the first key slowly. "Okay, pay attention..."
Pigeons flew into the sky... The player closed his eyes, lost in thought while the audience got absorbed into the scene. Qin Guan fixed his eyes on the keys and on the tutor's dancing fingers, memorizing the movements silently.
After the last note, the tutor opened his eyes. "Do you remember the feeling? Shall I play it once more, or should we get back to the music score?"
Actually, Qin Guan wanted to start on the music score. Come on! Ask me!
Qin Guan looked into his eyes seriously. His dark pupils looked charming and confident. The papers between his slender fingers were rustling along with the breeze.
"Let me try," the handsome Asian boy said.
The tutor looked at Qin Guan blankly. He wants to try? Impossible! Won't he ask me to play it one more time?
The director and stage manager also fell silent. Is the US really supposed to be the most confident country in the world and China the most modest one?
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Chapter 386: Forbidden Kiss Between Boys
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
What's happening?
"May I have a try? Just pick up the bugs for me."
"Okay..." The tutor surrendered his seat over to Qin Guan, who sat straight down before the piano and put his hands gently on the keys.
Willow catkins started murmuring, and elves began dancing. Qin Guan's fingers moved as his body swayed with the rhythm.
A fluent melody flew from the keys, lingering around the room. It sounded natural, yet poetic.
When he played the last note, everyone was shocked. The greatest geniuses were often hidden ones. That Asian boy was gifted! He knew how to play without ever learning.
The tutor was over the moon. Grabbing Qin Guan's hands, he said with quivering lips, "You should be learning music, not acting in these stupid films..." In his eyes, Qin Guan was a future world-class virtuoso.
Watch your words before the crew, please.
He was paid back for that statement. The strongest man in the crew threw him outside. Of course, he got paid first.
The most difficult scene in the film had actually been the simplest one. Taking advantage of the spare time, the crew had lunch and rested.
Working overtime cost a lot in the US. According to labor union regulations, there was a strict limit on the working hours and salary of the crew.
Independent films didn't involve any processes like special effects or editing. Otherwise, the producer would never get his money back.
Daytime was short in the winter. After a one-hour break, Gus organized all the crew.
"Attention, everyone! There's only one scene left. Cheer up! Tonight, Cara Gistro! My treat!"
All the men applauded. It was a rare invitation coming from that guy.
When they found out what the scene was though, they realized they had been cheated. If the scene didn't go smoothly, they'd never get that drink.
Why?
The scene involved a common element of indie films from all over the world: the forbidden love between two people of the same gender.
Eric, the gloomy boy, had been suppressing his desire for sex. He was thirsty for the love of a man, not a woman. That strained plotline made the whole story interesting.
Homosexuality, teenagers, school violence, shootings: all the elements of indie films were used in "Elephant" one after the other.
The scene was taking place in the bathroom of Eric's house.
American directors never borrowed shooting methods from the Chinese. Instead, they used scenes smartly to take real, but not exposing shots.
Since they were both male, Qin Guan and Alex were naked in the bathroom. Neither of them felt awkward about it.
The shower was on, and water was falling down. Only the two young men were in the room.
"Close the door. Lights on. Cameras ready! Three, two, camera!"
White mist was lingering around their naked bodies. Their clean skin looked blurry behind the glass.
The slender one was Eric, and the stronger one was Alex. They looked at each other gently.
"We'll die today."
"Yes, Alex. I have never kissed a person in my life."
His voice was husky, but Qin Guan tried to suppress his desire. He was afraid of getting hurt. He was like a puppy waiting to be petted.
The other boy didn't laugh at his sentiment. He slowly supported his arms against the wall.
The camera behind the glass moved. The audience could only see Qin Guan's face and his blank eyes. His face looked weak, yet elegant.
With his back turned to the camera, the boy with the golden hair opened his arms. His bare back, waist and tight bottom were indistinct under the disguise of the mist and the glass.
It was more of a lure than a direct exposure.
"Me neither..." The golden-haired boy leaned closer to Qin Guan. The young men's lips met before they were covered by the thick mist.
The director and the crew re-arranged their clothes and stood up straight, waiting solemnly for the final lines.
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Chapter 387: Adoration
Translator:Lan_
Editor:Efydatia
"Great! Perfect! Pass!"
The voice put an end to the shot, as well as the romance.
Qin Guan opened his eyes and looked at the 17 year-old boy. He looked flushed and lost in tender feelings.
The Asian boy had attracted his attention without any effort. His expression and body were an undeniable invitation for Alex.
"He… Hello. Do you have any spare time tonight?" The popular high school boy was asking that for the first time in his life.
Qin Guan was stunned. He pushed the door open and went out, exposing himself to the onlookers.
"Wow! Excellent, dude!"
Everyone applauded Qin Guan's figure. American people always appreciated the beauty of the human body.
Qin Guan turned his head around with the warmest, brightest smile in the world. He put his hand on Alex's hair and smoothed it down.
"Thank you for the invitation, but I am busy tonight..."
Qin Guan pointed out of the window. A simple Ford was parked out on the yard. Alex saw a comely Asian girl sitting in the passenger seat.
He grimaced and tried to say something. but it was in vain. His wet blonde hair was pasted on his forehead.
Qin Guan patted his head gently again, put on his clothes and left.
Cong Nianwei was waiting for him, and the driver was undoubtedly Xu Xiaoxiao. They had decided to buy a car after the shooting.
Most car dealing companies were in the suburbs, where there was enough space for cars of different brands.
Unlike the single-brand 4S companies in China, in the US every dealer could sell different brands. In the event of an economic depression, they could even sell private second-hand cars.
In late 2002, there was no online platform for trading second-hand cars. Acquaintances always sold and bought cars from each other. Xu himself was also a greenhand in that field. All his family's cars had been purchased by his father, but he still wanted to buy a car for himself.
Lan Jin had recommended a company to Qin Guan, but at the sight of the price list, Qin Guan had rejected his suggestion immediately.
Prices between 60,000 and 80,000 dollars were reasonable for the Chinese, but unnecessary for New Yorkers.
In 10 minutes, they had driven to the biggest dealership in the suburbs. Flocks of cars of different colors and shapes were parked outside the company building.
In the US, the average person had only two choices when purchasing a car: Japanese or American. Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei were facing the same dilemma.
The salesman was a short but smart guy, who gave his practised speech before them.
"American cars are safer. The steel is thick, and the frame is quite large. The accelerator and brakes are steady..."
"People say that American cars are heavy and suffer from high fuel consumption, but we can deal with that. Ford and Chevy are much better than A."
"Look at this one. It's got plenty of space inside. It's very safe and comfortable."
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei smiled politely. Actually, they were planning on buying a Ford for their first car, but the details were also important.
Qin Guan showed his ability of collecting data once again. He was no longer the weak boy in that film, but a confident man.
"As far as I know, the Japanese are leading in MGP [1]. Most of their cars can reach 25-30 MGP. This one though..." He patted the blue Ford, creating an echo.
"It's a household car, so it can only reach 18-22 MGP. The international price for raw petroleum went up again. Considering the current economic situation..."
The salesman grimaced slightly. That Asian boy is so cunning. He will not buy a Japanese car, but he keeps talking about the advantages of Japanese brands. He is waiting for me to lower the price.
"This is my final offer. You can see the labels on all the new cars. Of course, if you are interested in a second-hand car, I have some cars for only 2,000 dollars... No, a 200-dollar gas-filling card is the most I can offer you..."
When they were done negotiating, Qin Guan bought the blue Ford with a temporary licence plate.
In two weeks, the dealership would finish all the necessary procedures, including getting him a formal plate.
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei drove off in the blue car, waving farewell at the salesman, whose heart was hurting as if it had been stomped over by a thousand fat horses.
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Chapter 388: Massacre
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
The salesman wanted to cry over the deal. The final price had been barely over the bottom price of his company. As a salesman relying on commission, he would be leading a miserable life if he relied on customers like Qin Guan.
Under the golden rays of the setting sun, the new car looked like an avant-garde steel sculpture in an LA art museum. The blues music signified the start of their new journey.
The next day, Qin Guan was busy with studying and work. After his morning classes, he rushed from the northest point of Manhattan to the southest.
They were still shooting in Eric's home. When they got out of the bathroom, the two boys arranged their belongings silently.
Qin Guan was dressed in black. He stuffed his policeman pants into his military boots. The fitting waistcoat used for field operations was fastened around his upper body.
His backpack was filled with light bombs. A mini submachine gun was in his hand, and a backup pistol was in his pocket. Alex was watching Qin Guan in admiration as he tied a camouflage kerchief around his head.
They drove to school, discussing their attacking routes on the way. One would head to the left and one to the right. They would surround everyone and then start killing them.
The sunshine shone through the French windows, but nobody felt warm.
The camera followed the running car, witnessing the slaughter plan gradually come to life. Eric, the weakest boy in school, had thought up a professional plan worthy of a special operation team. The script was based on real events that had happened in the US, so the role of Eric was based on a real person.
When they arrived at school, the director let out a breath of relief. The smile on Qin Guan's face looked horrific.
Innocent brutality was the most horrible. The boys would kill innocent students, the principal, and then each other with a smile on their faces. The audience couldn't sense any emotions on them.
Qin Guan and Alex got out of the car with their weapons. They stood at the entrance of the school leisurely. Eric let John, the kind boy shown earlier in the film, go. The boy had a kind heart despite all the hardships he had been through.
Then the two of them began their attack. All the disorderly earlier scenes suddenly came together, reaching a conclusion.
Some of the students lived, while others died. The film was partly dedicated to the memory of the deceased.
The camera started filming. John went out of the office of the principal slowly, looking sad. Then he met Eric, the boy who had been bullied and humiliated at school just as much as he had.
His classmate was not a coward anymore. Instead, he had become cruel and evil.
"Hey, dude. What are you doing here?" John asked Eric in concern.
Qin Guan looked solemn in his black kerchief. "Piss off! Get as far away as possible! Don't come back!"
That was his final cold greeting. The sensitive boy ran away like an animal. On his way, he looked back time and again, trying to warn every student and teacher.
"Stay away! Don't enter the school! Something big is about to happen..."
He had hardly finished speaking when the building behind him exploded.
Qin Guan and Alex had entered the building, which would be the beginning of the massacre. Before the librarian could say anything, a bloody flower bloomed on her chest.
There was no counter-attack. In barely a few seconds, they had killed everyone in the library. A boy who had appeared at the beginning of the film was holding his camera in his hand as he died. In the camera was the final shot of his two schoolmates, who were about to kill him.
Following their plan, one of them headed left, and the other right. Gus' camera followed Qin Guan's face and movements quietly.
The boy didn't look flurried or excited after the killings. His boots stomped on the wooden floor. That echo was the final sound of the concert of his life. He moved along the corridor until he found his arch enemy, the demon who had been bullying him every day.
With his slender arms and legs and his cold face, Qin Guan looked like the God of Vengeance. The camera retreated before him as the crew got absorbed in his performance.
"He was more than good enough to be the leading actor. The box office will be great!"
"I don't want Qin Guan to go that way. Look at his acting skills! Commercial films would be an insult to him..."
They were actually afraid that the fat salary of commercial films would win him over.
In three minutes, Qin Guan had reached the place of the real massacre. It was the school cafeteria, where the students had been driven by the shots.
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Chapter 389: The Real Demon
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Dazzling sparkles were ejected from the cold muzzle. The students screamed out. They broke the windows in an effort to escape from that hell. Blood was flowing around the hall during the afternoon tea break.
Qin Guan felt tired. He kicked a corpse away and picked up a cup of warm tea. White smoke was hovering over it. Before his lips could soak into the water, his partner walked in.
Feeling a little delight and excitement, Alex recalled the moment he had shot the principal in the head. He stopped Qin Guan, who was trying to drink the tea.
"Watch for herpes..." His voice sounded like the students' who had used to bully Eric.
Qin Guan smiled dangerously and put the cup down gently. Gus pushed the camera forward to zoom in on his face.
There was an unyielding flame in Qin Guan's eyes. "What about you? All dead?" he asked Alex calmly.
"I killed everyone in the principal's office," Alex answered arrogantly, waving his smoking weapon around.
The boy, who admired Qin Guan a lot, wanted to share the joy of his success. Suddenly, Qin Guan took action though. He pointed his gun at Alex and shot him without hesitation.
Bang!
A bullet went through his blonde head, blood spraying against the white wall.
Alex had an incredulous expression on his face. He couldn't believe that his lover had killed him in such a calm way, although they had decided to commit suicide together.
Qin Guan stood up silently with a poker face, paying no attention to the corpses on the floor or to Alex, who had been talking to him one minute earlier. He was showing extreme indifference and brutality.
What Qin Guan had done was reasonable though. He wanted to find the most popular boy at school, the captain of the football team, the crush of every girl and the bully in his class.
That was the student who had thrown gum at his coat.
The boy and his girlfriend were hiding in the kitchen. The final shot had scared the girl and forced her to make a sound.
Qin Guan smiled suddenly, as if he had been relieved of a heavy load. Nobody felt relieved when they saw his smile though.
As he chewed gum, he recalled the past and pointed his gun in the right direction.
He went around corners fast. There were no cracks from the burning wooden stairs or screams from the escaping students. Only his unceasing steps echoed in the hall, announcing the arrival of death.
"Wow! Who is this? Guess who it is!"
Finally, the hunter had found his prey. Qin Guan's poker face changed, and his expression became arrogant and vindictive.
In the kitchen was a large freezer. The alarmed boy and girl were hiding between the freezer and the wall. The evil black figure finally entered the kitchen.
The scene stopped there abruptly, ending in an anticlimactic way.
Qin Guan held the gun silently for a minute before Gus shouted, "Okay... finish it!"
Everybody had thought that he had fallen asleep.
Qin Guan put the gun down, which was the most expensive prop in the entire film. Most of the budget had been spent on it.
Rubbing his arms, which had gone numb from maintaining that posture for so long, he asked Gus, "Are we finished, director?"
"Of course!" Gus answered without looking up, watching the playback in satisfaction.
"I think we need an ending scene to complete the story though. Why just stop there? What about Eric's end?"
Gus reached the final frame and closed his hurting eyes. Then he smiled.
"This film is based on a real event. I don't need to shoot the aftermath. Nothing could be changed, neither in film or reality. It's not a commercial Hollywood film. No one will save the day, and no policemen will arrive in time to catch the culprit."
"The meaning of the film lies in its open ending. You can picture any possibility, or just rethink its most interesting points. Every character has their own story. Anyone could be the main character of the film."
"That's enough for me. What about you?"
Qin Guan shrugged. He realized that Gus was very much like the directors of the 6th generation in China, who wore shabby clothes and gathered in old warehouses.
Directors of indie films were always different from ordinary people. They had their own unique way of thinking. Only someone with a common goal would be able to understand them.
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apter 390: Battles Among the Ivy League
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan felt relieved. It was his first time being a real hero and the first time the was acting in an indie film. He had learned a lot from that.
In that liberal situation, he had learned to express himself freely. During the shooting, Gus hadn't intervened with Qin Guan's performance. He had just chosen a reliable script, cast and crew, and he had depended on them.
Red maple leaves were flying in the wind as Qin Guan waved farewell at the crew and got into his new car.
Alex's parents had come to pick up their son. They were arranging his luggage carefully in their car. The boy with the blonde hair watched the small blue car drive away in obsessive admiration.
"Jimmy! Honey, let's go!"
"I'm coming!" Nobody knew what influence Qin Guan would have on his future career.
After the film, Qin Guan had spare time to enjoy his life on campus. The Ivy League football league was about to start. Joseph had been talking about it non stop, annoying Qin Guan.
Columbia University could be considered the founder of the football league. In 1876, Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Columbia had organized the first college football league in the US.
Then four more universities from the Northeast had joined the league to form the top eight football teams in the US. After that, other universities had imitated them, forming 60 different leagues at different places.
In the early 1900s, Ivy League universities started granting sports scholarships, and sports became fashionable and popular around campus. At the time, those eight teams were considered the best in America.
The champion of the national football league would always be in the Ivy League though.
However, as society progressed, the eight universities realized they had gotten distracted from their goal, which was elite education. The sports scholarships didn't bring any real advantages to their development. Instead, they lowered the academic level.
As a result, they began to rethink the point of education and make wise reforms. They cancelled athletic scholarships and poured all their resources into academic studies. Now, Ivy League universities were not famous for their sports league anymore, but their elite studying programs.
On the other side, after a whole century, the game had become a tradition of these universities. It was like a holiday for them. That day, older students would return to campus to meet their old friends. They would spend a day on campus, drink coffee or tea, and remember the old times by wearing their old school uniforms.
As a result, this was the best chance for the university to find sponsors. Graduates tended to make generous donations after all.
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei felt regretful as they sat amid the audience. Joseph had told them it would be an easy match and they would only have to cheer for him by the court. They were feeling like they'd been sandwiched on the spectator stands though, while Joseph was enjoying the applause of the court.
The ability of the athletes aside, they all looked really cool in their sports equipment. Their white protective suits and silver helmets made them look formidable.
Qin Guan had invited Susanna and her girls, who were dancing and cheering in their traditional Columbia uniforms.
Their opponent was Harvard, whose team had the tallest players. Of course, Guan Jian was in it. He was the only international student in their team of five.
He was a strong man who loved sports, so he had become a member of the Harvard football team. He was also the only Chinese player in the game, which made the Chinese students feel proud.
The two teams were getting ready for the match. They were playing at Columbia's home court, so most of the audience was made up of Qin Guan's fellow students. Harvard was very powerful though. Every Harvard graduate in New York had asked for a day off that day. Wearing their traditional Harvard school uniforms and T-shirts, they had gone there to cheer for their Alma Mater.
John led Qin Guan to a corner and handed him a T-shirt in secret. Qin Guan unfolded the T-shirt and saw the Harvard badge on it.
"Qin Guan, do me a favor and put it on."
"Hey, this is our opponent. I'll get beaten."
John grinned, baring his white teeth. "Don't worry, trust me."
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