27. The Regulations

Xing’s cousin had a crush on Susan as well, but this cousin’s crush had almost bordered on paranoia for he was so jealous of the fact that Susan had a boyfriend and they were living together. With that being said, the cousin’s favorite thing was to peep at Susan.

Xing found that out and confronted the creepy cousin, the cousin turned angry from shame and started to bad-mouth Susan, saying her was an easy bit.

Xing had always seen Susan as a goddess, he couldn’t stand anyone slandering Susan, so he fought with the cousin and mover out.

Xing had been working hard since he moved to the city, so he could afford to live by himself. A month later, Xing ran into Susan and found that Susan and her boyfriend had broken up and she had nowhere to live.

Xing screwed up his courage and took Susan in, Susan moved into the second room on the agreement that she would pay half of the rent. Xing had hopelessly fallen in love with Susan, but unfortunately, Susan just saw Xing as a little brother.

Susan was an escort girl, Xing would refuse to go to sleep until he heard Susan came back home safe and sound, how he wished he could convince Susan to change her job.

This night, Susan was still not home at 2 a.m., Xing got so worried and he went to Susan’s work to pick her up. To his surprise, he found a hooligan trying to take advantage of Susan while she was drunk.

Xing gave the hooligan a good beating and told Susan how he had felt about her, Susan didn’t say anything, but she moved out the next morning.

Xing was crushed by that, he started to indulge in excessive drinking and neglect work until he heard the news that his father had passed away.

Like all the other boys, father was Xing’s first hero and role model. Xing rushed back to his hometown for his father’s funeral, he swore he would be the backbone of the family when he saw his mother drenched in tears.

Xing was a changed person after the funeral. He went to the capital city with grand ambition, he wasn’t overwhelmed by the traffic speeding in an endless stream or the hustle and bustle on the streets, he swore he would gain a foothold in the city and support his mother who had devoted all her life to him. He would find a way.

Qi Le An finished the screenplay at a stretch, he fell for Xing, he knew how cruel life could be, and he liked how the story had an open ending instead of a fairy tale happy ending. Life was not a fairy tale.

Qi Le An felt Xing’s frustration about fate, love, and the future, but his father’s death was such a wake-up call for him, he reflected on what he had done and he shouldered the responsibility as a son, as a man! Xing’s story was profound and powerful, Qi Le An felt so related and he loved the story.

The room was so quiet, Qi Le An was still thinking about the screenplay while Wei Chang Feng and Gary each held a notebook in hand. Anyone who walked in the room would be so dumbstruck, it was hard to believe a room in East Wind could be this quiet.

Wei Chang Feng noticed Qi Le An had put the screenplay back on the table, he asked, “You are done?”

Qi Le An nodded.

“What do you think of it?”

“This character is very different from what you have played before.”

Gary put his notebook aside and stared at Qi Le An, wishing to hear more.

Wei Chang Feng laughed and asked Qi Le An to continue.

“Xing is a very obstinate young man, life keeps throwing things at him since he was a little boy, his heart is bashed and battered, so he is desperate to find some warmth. But his love for Susan isn’t returned, and, understandably, he gets so depressed, he just wants a touch of sweetness in his life. But all the characters you have played, Wei Sama, don’t have such a complicated relationship with the outside world.”

Wei Chang Feng nodded in agreement, “What do you think of the cousin who slanders Susan?”

“He is someone we all have met in life... ...” Qi Le An shared his opinions and a big smile lingered on Wei Chang Feng’s face the whole time.

Qi Le An hadn’t watched the movie in his last life, all he knew was this movie had won a few international movie awards. Qi Le An was just sharing his honest opinions with Wei Chang Feng, he didn’t cheat by searching his memory for film reviews.

Wei Chang Feng closed his book and asked Gary to meet him outside in the car.

Qi Le An started to question himself whether he had been talking too much, then Wei Chang Feng patted his shoulder and said, “Keep the screenplay and I will handle the rest.”

Qi Le An’s heart gave a jolt, he knew this was a good sign.

“Shall we leave them?”

Qi Le An nodded and Wei Chang Feng took him the car, “An, you are going back to Glory, right?”

Qi Le An nodded with reluctance, it was time to face Mr. Li’s reign of terror.

“Gary, let’s drive An to Glory first.”

Qi Le An fastened the seat belt and asked Wei Chang Feng, “Can you keep my screenplay for me please, Wei Sama?”

The last thing Qi Le An wanted Mr. Li to see was this screenplay, he knew on-set shooting ran counter to Glory’s plan for him, Glory only wanted to use him to make a quick buck.

Wei Chang Feng didn’t pester Qi Le An with any question, he just nodded and promised Qi Le An that he would keep it for him.

Hearing that, Qi Le An beamed with smiles, Wei Chang Feng also smiled on seeing Qi Le An’s little dimples.

Qi Le An asked Gary to drop him off at the street next to Glory.

“Are you sure? Gary doesn’t mind dropping off at the gate of your dormitory or your company,” asked Wei Chang Feng.

Qi Le An appreciated the offer, but he shook his head, he didn’t want Wei Sama to see those ugly faces.

“All right, Gary, An insists.”

Qi Le An got off the car and thanked them.

Wei Chang Feng reassured Qi Le An that it was no trouble at all, he wished he could find a way to make this young man not stand on ceremony with him.

Qi Le An walked to Glory after he gazed affectionately after the departing car.

Glory now was in an uproar, all the trainees had been talking about how Qi Le An had acted in defiance of Mr. Li.

In a towering rage, Mr. Li waited for Qi Le An in the lounge where he could see Qi Le An the second he walked into the building. He wished to give Qi Le An a good beating for absenting himself from the activity that afternoon, a fat check was thrown down the drain just like that!

“You are finally back, big star!” Mr. Li’s tone smacked with acid.

With that, all the other trainees had turned their heads and wanted to see what was in store for Qi Le An.

Mr. Li rose to his feet, he knew he needed to exert his authority now, “Qi Le An! I need an explanation!”

Qi Le An stopped and turned to Mr. Li, he said with poise, “I don’t have anything to say.”

Dead silence.

Then a trainee’s chuckle had broken the silence, Qi Le An felt thoroughly discredited, he shot the trainees a warning look to shush them.

“Nothing to explain? All right, tell me the thirteenth clause in the Regulations!”

There were quite a few harsh terms in the Regulations for Glory Trainees, some physical punishment clauses were included as well. All the trainees had signed their names on the Regulations when they were ‘sold’ to the company.

“Any form of absenteeism is not allowed, any violator shall run ten kilometers.”

Mr. Li sneered, “So you know what you should do now.”

The other trainees gazed at each other in speechless despair, they didn’t know whether Mr. Li was being serious.

“What are you waiting for? Do you want me to make you do it?”

Qi Le An’s face turned pale, he knew what Mr. Li meant by that.

Glory had a special security team to make sure the punishments run smoothly, they would throw you in a dark chamber for three days after your punishment if you dare show attitude. And they would only provide you the minimum amount of water and bread.

Mr. Li showed a triumphant smile, and Qi Le An turned around to walk to the track, he knew the smart thing to do was to receive punishment.

Qi Le An knew he couldn’t afford to be locked in a dark chamber for three days, what if Director Chen asked him to the audition the day after. He couldn’t disappoint Wei Chang Feng's expectations.

“Just a few days, Wei Sama said he would handle the rest!” with that in mind, Qi Le An was confident that he could power through it.

Having brought Qi Le An to his knees, Mr. Li was puffed up with pride, he lectured the other trainees, “Never disobey me! I can make you a star and I can also make you hit rock bottom, Qi Le An is an example!”

Qi Le An clenched his fists on hearing that.