Volume One: High School Days Chapter 087: Making a Movie

"President Wu, they're here to make trouble! Hurry up and deal with them!" Manager Zhao had barely finished speaking when President Wu slapped him across the face, then rushed over to Yusheng, bowing deeply as he said, "President Yu, this is my failure in oversight. Please punish me as you see fit."

Yusheng nodded, clearly approving of President Wu’s attitude, before saying, "This is your company's problem—handle it yourself."

Manager Zhao, seeing President Wu address Yusheng so respectfully, quickly retreated a few steps, slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor.

President Wu turned to the boss and demanded, "Who are you? Why haven’t I seen you before?"

"President Wu, I’m the owner of the Student Loan Company—it's a subsidiary of Ruiyun Technology, after all." The boss hoped to avoid President Wu's wrath by making this clear, knowing full well Yusheng was no ordinary man. So, he turned to Yusheng and pleaded, "President Yu, I failed to recognize your status. Please let me off this once."

Yusheng glanced at President Wu, who immediately barked at the boss, "Shut down the business at once! From now on, you’re not allowed to operate, and none of you are to show up in Chong City again!"

The boss's face changed dramatically. He dropped to his knees before President Wu and begged, "President Wu, my whole family lives in Chong City. I have elderly above and children below—to leave means they can’t survive. Please, don’t drive me out."

President Wu remained unrelenting. "No! Do you realize who you've offended?"

The boss could sense Yusheng’s identity was not simple—otherwise President Wu wouldn’t grovel before a young man who looked like a student. Still, he didn’t know the whole truth, so he glanced at Yusheng but said nothing.

"President Yu," President Wu announced, "is the newly appointed head of Liuyao World Film Company, and the administrator sent by Huayong to manage Chong City!"

Upon hearing this, the boss hastily grabbed Yusheng’s leg, tears in his voice as he pleaded, "President Yu, Master Yu, please let me go. I’ll never lend to students again!"

"Have you ever considered what would happen if your own child borrowed money from you? And what about the loans you’ve already granted—what will happen to those if you close down?" Yusheng’s tone was icy.

The boss knelt there, speechless and deep in thought. Yusheng pressed further: "The money you’ve lent out belongs to President Wu. If you just up and quit, do you expect President Wu to simply lose all that money? Aren’t you putting him in a difficult position?"

Yusheng had said this deliberately for President Wu’s benefit. If the business closed, Wu would take the loss. President Wu caught his meaning immediately and hurried to reassure Yusheng, "It’s nothing, a mere trifle. I had no idea there were such operations under my company. Rest assured, there will never again be a Student Loan Company."

Yusheng nodded. Turning to the boss, he said, "Do as President Wu says. Leave when you’re told. Don’t make me lose my temper." Then, addressing President Wu, he added, "You have three days to shut down every student loan operation under your companies."

"Consider it done, President Yu. Absolutely no problem. We’ll follow your orders." Though President Wu agreed readily, his heart was bleeding. Closing all those branches meant massive losses—money lent to students would be unrecoverable.

Under Yusheng’s supervision, Manager Zhao deleted all student videos, burned all the ledgers, and mailed the confiscated student IDs back to their owners.

Only when all this was done did Yusheng finally leave, but not before warning President Wu, "Three days. Not one day more, or prepare for bankruptcy!"

President Wu rushed to say, "Yes, yes, President Yu. Would you care to join me for dinner? My treat."

Yusheng ignored him entirely and left without giving him the slightest face.

As soon as Yusheng was gone, President Wu unleashed all his pent-up anger on the boss, landing two heavy slaps across his face. "Get out of my sight! You’ve cost me a fortune. If you ever show your face in Chong City again, I’ll destroy you!"

Yusheng went straight back to Liuyao World Film Company. Upon investigation, he discovered that not only did Ruiyun Technology have student loan subsidiaries, but even his own company, as well as countless others, were involved.

Before the end of the year, Yusheng mandated the immediate closure of all such companies in Chong City, eradicating every institution that preyed on students. Any company even remotely involved in student lending was ordered to cease operations, under threat of their parent company being shut down entirely.

During this period, Tang Xin successfully claimed the third floor of Yusheng’s home, while Yusheng registered himself on the second.

On the morning of the lunar New Year’s Eve, Yusheng and Ren Xiadong descended the stairs together. Tang Xin, already having breakfast on the first floor, looked at them and declared, "It’s so much better living here—meals and clothes all provided, everything at hand."

"It’s the holiday and a rare break. Why not go home?" Yusheng asked, settling at the table.

"I don’t want to." Tang Xin’s reply was curt, and she said nothing more, focusing on her food.

Yusheng understood why she didn’t want to return to Xinghai City. Though that was his home, it was also the place where Tang Xin’s nightmares had begun.

"Alright then—let’s go see a movie tonight. Liuyao World Animation’s new feature is premiering. We’ll go to one of our own theaters—VIP suite."

After breakfast, Yusheng handed out red envelopes to the housekeeper and chef and granted them a two-week holiday to spend the New Year with their families.

That evening, the three of them ordered a feast from a restaurant, and once everything was delivered, Yusheng opened a bottle of red wine and said to the others, "Another year has passed. The people I spend New Year’s with change every year, except for Ren Xiadong—she’s always been with me."

His mood was tinged with melancholy as he poured each of them a glass and added, "This is the smallest gathering we’ve ever had. I wonder how the others are faring now."

Ren Xiadong suddenly grew serious, losing her usual levity. "Has Xiaoya ever contacted you again?" she asked.

Yusheng shook his head.

"After all this time in Chong City, have you ever thought of seeking her out?" she pressed.

"I didn’t tell her I was coming. I don’t want to disrupt her family because of me."

Ren Xiadong smiled faintly and continued, "What about Liu Meng? Have you heard from her?"

"Not since she left. Even Wang Chen hasn’t contacted me." Yusheng replied with a wry smile.

Tang Xin seemed to catch on. She fixed Yusheng with a stern look, her tone laced with accusation and a trace of anger. "Are you two-timing? Besides those two, do you have any other women?"

Yusheng was taken aback, especially by Tang Xin’s sudden mood swing—he was at a complete loss.

Ren Xiadong, however, burst out laughing. "Tang Xin is jealous!"

Tang Xin shot her a fierce glare, and Ren Xiadong quickly stifled her laughter. "It’s all just Yusheng’s past," she explained.

"Hmph! Rich people like you must have plenty of women. From what you’re saying, does Yusheng have another woman in Chong City?" Tang Xin pouted, clearly dissatisfied.

"Eat your dinner. We’re going to a movie later. Whoever these women are, none of them are mine!" Yusheng cut her off, quickly changing the subject, and soon it was nearly half past eleven.

When they arrived at the Liuyao World Film Company’s cinema, Yusheng was surprised to see Wang Yi there. Ren Xiadong immediately called out her name.

"Wang Yi!"

"President Yu! President Ren!"

Wang Yi bounded over and, spotting Tang Xin by Yusheng’s side, asked, "President Yu, is this your girlfriend? She’s so pretty—tall and slim. I really envy her figure."

Tang Xin, pleased by the compliment, immediately clung to Yusheng’s arm and replied, "Hello, I’m Tang Xin."

Just then, people passing by greeted them: "President Liu, President Ren, Manager Wang."

Yusheng looked at Wang Yi in surprise. She quickly explained, "Everyone knows today’s animated film is President Yu’s work, so many of our company’s staff came to watch."

"If I’d known, I would have given each employee a ticket," Yusheng mused.

He led the group into the VIP screening room, which seated six and was equipped with reclining massage chairs. Wang Yi, delighted, settled into a seat at the back. "I nearly missed out on a ticket for the regular theater, and now I get to enjoy the VIP experience!"

As their conversation wound down, the movie began, and they all fell silent. Even though Yusheng had created the film, and Ren Xiadong had seen a version without the voice acting, both were thoroughly excited by the finished product.

The suspenseful, thrilling animated movie was impeccably constructed, each plot point tightly woven, the crime scenes meticulously arranged, and the scares genuinely chilling. The ending was utterly unpredictable—no one could have guessed the identity of the culprit, whose motive was flawless and unassailable.

Afterward, leaving the theater, everyone was abuzz with discussion, replaying scenes in their minds, shocked that the least likely suspect had been the killer, with a motive beyond reproach.

As they exited, Wang Yi exclaimed, "If President Yu’s talent was applied to live-action films, Liuyao World Film Company could take on the world, not just dominate the national market!"

A spark lit in Yusheng’s eyes. "That’s right! I have nothing pressing for the next six months. Why not write a script myself, hire a few stars, and shoot a film for fun? Whether it becomes a hit or not doesn’t matter—it’ll be my first attempt at live-action."

He looked at Wang Yi. "That’s an excellent suggestion. After the New Year, I’ll make a movie myself, just for the experience!"

That night, upon returning home, Yusheng shut himself in his room. He took out paper and pen, as if sorting through all the knowledge in his mind, and began to outline a story—a grand adventure.

Once the structure was set, he mentally reviewed everything he knew about literature, then began writing furiously.

Meanwhile, Ren Xiadong slept soundly, and Tang Xin drifted into dreams with her headphones on. The entire world seemed to pause in silence, save for the clock on the wall, marking each second.

At eight in the morning, Yusheng stretched, gazing at the thick stack of papers on his desk, and muttered to himself, "Writing a screenplay is far more troublesome than making animation."

With that, he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep.