ATLAS TRANSLATES

Sister Xin hadn’t seen it before either, and just stood to the side holding a bottle of mineral water. Mei Yi’s manager shook his head.

Seeing Yan Lu and others get out of the car, the middle-aged woman walked forward two steps and shook hands with Yan Lu and Mei Yi. “Miss Yan Lu, Mr. Mei Yi, welcome to our Xiangcheng. I’ve had someone arrange today’s schedule for you.”

“This is…” Mei Yi looked toward Yan Lu, as he didn’t recognize her and waited for Yan Lu’s introduction.

Yan Lu didn’t know her either, as Jiang Fuli hadn’t mentioned her.

“My name is Sun Dan,” the woman’s smile was very generous, maintaining just the right amount of professional distance, efficient and decisive. “I was transferred to Xiangcheng’s Culture and Tourism Bureau last month. I’m very happy your show could come here.”

She then had people behind her give creative cultural gift packages to the show’s crew.

The director was somewhat surprised – this was actually an official from the Culture and Tourism Bureau?

Sun Dan didn’t stay in front of the cameras for long. She had someone take Yan Lu and Mei Yi sightseeing, then actively went to greet the director. “I heard your variety show is for online platforms?”

Her presence was quite strong, making the director instinctively answer, “Yes, it’s a bit difficult to get on TV.”

They were an online show, though TV would bring more exposure since some elderly people don’t watch online shows.

“Is that so?” Sun Dan took out her phone. “Let me give you my number. I’ll contact Director Zhang later. I’ll treat everyone to lunch – it’s my duty as a host since you’ve come to Xiangcheng.”

After having someone take the group sightseeing, Sun Dan hurriedly left.

After she left, the director exchanged looks with Sister Xin and Mei Yi’s manager. “Director Zhang? The only Director Zhang I know…”

The director was about to ask Sister Xin, but seeing her equally confused expression, he went to ask the young people wearing creative cultural T-shirts who Ms. Sun was.

“You mean Director Sun?” The young man scratched his head. “She’s our Culture and Tourism Bureau director. She was transferred from Jiangjing last month, she used to work at Jiangjing’s Culture and Tourism Bureau…”

The logistics department was very quiet, with everyone including the director initially speechless.

“Someone from the Culture and Tourism Bureau?” Two minutes later, the director reacted, instinctively looking at Sister Xin. “My dear Sister Xin, why didn’t you say so earlier!”

“Come On Friends” was just an online variety show, though popular, how did it catch the Culture and Tourism Bureau’s attention? This Ms. Sun was also from Jiangjing? And knew Director Zhang?

Mei Yi’s manager was also shocked.

It was one thing that Principal Jian was an official figure, but now here came an even more official person, and she was treating them to lunch.

Sister Xin: “…”

…who could she ask?

“Was my attitude a bit impolite just now?” The director spoke softly after realizing.

**

Bai Lian spent the whole day studying in the library.

It was the weekend, and Yang Lin had two part-time jobs, leaving at three in the afternoon. Jian Zhe had developed a daily reading habit and asked Bai Lian many questions today.

Ji Heng and Jiang Fuli caught quite a few fish again today and invited Bai Lian’s classmates over for dinner.

Around four in the afternoon, Bai Lian took them back first, because Lu Xiaohan wanted to film a daily video about the fish to include in Ji Heng’s editing this time.

Lu Xiaohan was very serious about filming the video of Ji Heng and three embroiderers making graduation gowns. The filming would take three months, and she planned to make a 20-minute video.

So she needed lots of material.

In the courtyard, Chen Ju still had his caught fish laid out on the ground, showing them one by one to the returning young people.

“Little Tang, look at the fish I caught,” Chen Ju said to Tang Ming.

Tang Ming responded with a deep “Mm.”

Chen Ju looked up at him strangely, “Are you okay?”

Not getting the response he wanted, Chen Ju simply stopped talking to him. Since Ning Xiao was even more quiet than Tang Ming, Chen Ju went to talk to Lu Xiaohan instead. “This is what I caught, this is what Young Master Jiang caught, this is Uncle Ji’s…”

Lu Xiaohan was very considerate of Chen Ju, filming his caught fish with her camera.

After Chen Ju finished showing his friends, he saw Jiang Fuli casually holding a vegetable basket. He suddenly jolted up, “You and Miss Bai should rest, I’ll cook!”

Bai Lian was holding a knife, slowly gesturing at the fish.

The back of the blade glinted coldly.

Making people think she was going to quarter the fish.

Hearing this, she looked toward Chen Ju with raised eyebrows. “You?”

“Of course,” Chen Ju was very confident. When he returned to Jiangjing, he had specifically asked Chi Lu for guidance. He put the vegetable basket aside and took the knife from Bai Lian’s hand. “Don’t worry.”

Worst case, he could video call Chi Yundai.

Bai Lian stood to the side, watching Chen Ju very skillfully fillet the fish, only then believing him.

In the kitchen besides Chen Ju were Ji Heng and one embroiderer.

These three didn’t let the group of students get involved.

Outside, Ning Xiao washed the fruit they bought, cut it and brought it out on plates.

Two embroiderers were embroidering patterns on the side. After filming the fish, Lu Xiaohan went to film them. Next to them, Jiang He sat on a high stool, watching with wide eyes.

Ming Donghen stood beside Jiang He with his arms crossed, only speaking when Bai Lian and Jiang Fuli called him.

Tang Ming was playing Five in a Row with Wen Qi, and finally couldn’t help asking his opponent, “Don’t you think I’m cool?”

Wen Qi: “…Huh?”

Ok, Tang Ming understood.

After washing the fruit, Ning Xiao saw he had nothing else to do, so he took out his phone and asked Jiang Fuli about a problem.

Bai Lian looked down at the time on her hand – five forty. She looked up and spoke to Jiang Fuli: “I’ll go guide Yan Lu.”

“Alright.” Jiang Fuli nodded, his fingertip pointing at Ning Xiao’s phone, only giving Ning Xiao a glance.

Ning Xiao fell completely silent.

**

At the entrance of Qingshui Street.

The show’s two cars were parked there. The director got out of the back car, and the cameraman carrying equipment followed. Passersby on the road looked several times at the filming equipment.

“Are you sure it’s this way?” The director hesitantly looked at Yan Lu.

This area was all old houses, even the road was made of bluestone slabs. On the sides were old shops. Though there were quite a few people, it didn’t feel like there was a fighting arena here.

Was the fighting arena just an old workshop? Though the show’s crew had already been shocked by Sun Dan’s appearance in the morning and had filmed many rare scenes, so their expectations for Yan Lu and Mei Yi’s evening travel were moderate.

But seeing this desolate area now, they still had doubts.

Yan Lu looked down at Bai Lian’s reply on her phone, leading them inside, “Yes, she’s waiting for us at a small shop.”

The group walked forward skeptically, with several cameras already rolling to film along the way.

Yan Lu wasn’t familiar with this area, so she chatted about trivial matters with Mei Yi.

The two discussed acting topics.

Behind them, Mei Yi’s manager looked at the surroundings with furrowed brows, “Sister Xin, is this reliable?”

Sister Xin didn’t know either.

The group hadn’t walked far when they saw Bai Lian ahead. Today she wore a blue mandarin collar top with a white long skirt, her hair half tied up.

One hand held a red Want Want drink as she talked with the shop owner. Only showing everyone a side profile.

At dusk, in the ancient-feeling alley, a giant old tree overhead with branches lazily stretching into the alley, smoke and clouds lightly embracing the background.

The show’s crew unconsciously paused for a moment.

Until Yan Lu called out to Bai Lian, who turned her head slightly while biting the straw, did they react.

Yan Lu had already told the crew to try not to film Bai Lian.

“Only five people can go in.” Bai Lian finished her drink and crushed the box.

The director wore an earpiece, “I know, we’ll wait at the entrance then.”

Though he said this, the director had his own considerations. He brought cash, planning to use money to negotiate with them at the entrance, or pay several times the price to buy other people’s tickets to get more people in.

Bai Lian threw the milk box into the nearby trash can.

Hearing this, she glanced at the director, roughly knowing what he was thinking, but just curved her lips without saying anything.

She led the group toward Qingshui Bridge.

Many cameras were filming along the way. Passing neighbors who knew Bai Lian smiled and greeted her, “What are you doing, is this for TV?”

“…”

The crew captured all these genuine local reactions.

“These are all my neighbors.” Bai Lian spoke to Yan Lu and Mei Yi.

Mei Yi looked at Bai Lian and smiled, “You seem very popular.”

The road was quite long. When they were almost at Qingshui Bridge, a middle-aged man holding a phone walked slowly toward them.

The man had a scar above his brow bone, looking somewhat intimidating.

The crew avoided him.

However, when he saw Bai Lian he stopped, “Where are you going? Didn’t Ning Xiao say you’re eating at your grandfather’s?”

“I’m taking people to Heishui Street, I’ll be back soon.” Bai Lian spoke to him leisurely, and turned to introduce him to Yan Lu and Mei Yi, “This is Uncle Wang, my classmate’s uncle.”

“Hello.” Mei Yi and Yan Lu were very polite.

“I see,” Wang Youfeng looked at the director’s group and grinned, “Then you should hurry, I still need to get fish soup from your grandfather’s.”

Bai Lian’s neighbors were everywhere. Seeing that Wang Youfeng was also from this area, the cameraman didn’t film him, only pointing the camera at Mei Yi and Yan Lu, with only some other cameras catching Wang Youfeng’s back.

They also carefully avoided Bai Lian, since she was a high school student and couldn’t be filmed randomly.

Behind them, the director withdrew his gaze from Wang Youfeng and spoke to Sister Xin and others, “This Miss Bai has many friends, seems like everyone on this street knows her.”

Just that there weren’t many funny moments, the evening trip was indeed a bit boring.

But it was fine since they filmed something good this morning, enough for them to edit.

**

As they talked, they arrived at Qingshui Bridge.

Qingshui Bridge wasn’t very long, arched, and quite magnificent, standing out from the rest of Qingshui Street.

At six o’clock, the bridge lights turned on. Suddenly seeing such a bridge, everyone in the crew was startled.

At the middle of the bridge, they could see the barriers at its end, and the towering signboard.

Further ahead, the three characters “Heishui Street” appeared before everyone.

The director looked at the patrolling people dressed in black and turned his head in shock, “Sis-Sister Xin, this is…”

Sister Xin: “…”

Great, the director saw another Sister Xin who knew nothing.

In front, though Yan Lu and Mei Yi were on camera and shocked, both were well-trained actors and tried to keep their expressions looking normal.

“Seems like Yan Lu doesn’t know this place either, have you been here before?” Mei Yi lowered his head to speak to Bai Lian.

He was tall with long legs, cultured and refined, a well-known gentleman in the industry.

Bai Lian held her phone, already seeing Xiao Wu talking to someone. She explained: “You have to go through here to get to the fighting arena.”

As she finished speaking, Xiao Wu had already seen them and hurried over, “Sis.”

Then he grinned at Yan Lu and others, “Are you bringing them in?”

“Yes,” Bai Lian reminded him lazily. Though fights and brawls were common in Heishui Street, no one dared to mess with people from the bars and auction house. “Call me if anything happens.”

Xiao Wu, sporting flashy red hair, promised her, “Don’t worry.”

As the two talked, the crew beside them was very quiet, not daring to say a word.

Xiao Wu had already prepared entry passes for five people.

He had five people come out to go in with him.

These five were Yan Lu, Mei Yi, the director and two cameramen.

The director stiffly followed behind Xiao Wu. A staff member suddenly remembered something, “Director, didn’t you say you’d pay them to let us all in…”

Director: “…”

How annoying, what pay?

Why do you have to bring that up?

After watching them go in, Bai Lian turned slightly and raised her chin at Sister Xin, “Want to wait here or go back?”

Sister Xin snapped out of her daze, “Let’s-let’s go back.”

Inside.

The director was next to two cameramen. At this time they didn’t dare film the show at all, silently putting down their cameras and nervously following behind Xiao Wu.

These were people Bai Lian had introduced, so Xiao Wu was very polite to them.

After passing the checkpoint, they saw the vast Heishui Street and the Blue Dragon Bar facing them.

Xiao Wu enthusiastically introduced Heishui Street to Yan Lu and Mei Yi. Seeing the two cameramen still hadn’t turned on their cameras, he scratched his head in confusion: “Aren’t you here to film the show? Go ahead, it’s fine.”

As he spoke, the cameramen including Yan Lu and the director saw a burly man pass by with gun holsters strapped to both knees—

The cameramen who had just nervously raised their cameras lowered them again.

The director stiffly looked at Yan Lu, he was going crazy, where exactly was this?

They hadn’t mentioned there would be this kind of situation!

Would they have to cut here today?