I Never Pretend

The door was old.

When it was pushed open, creaks echoed throughout the alley.

Zheng Guolong scanned his surroundings and noticed the dust that was covering the tables. After noticing the computer that looked more like a decoration, he couldn't help but laugh inside.

Can you even call this a company? For making films?

The company did not even meet his minimum expectation as he became skeptical.

Fatty Wei quickly took out a piece of cloth and wiped the table before setting the teapot, with tea leaves soaked for hours inside, on it.

Fatty Wei couldn't help but feel disturbed. It was as if God was making a joke on him.

He thought that the call Lu Yuan got from before was just a coincidence that the person on the other side of the phone has the same name as the famous Zheng Guolong.

Instead, it was the real Zheng Guolong.

Fatty Wei was completely in awe when he learned that Lu Yuan was acquainted with Zheng Guolong.

Li Qing sat by the bar quietly, to the point where he was almost holding his breath back.

He was a little confused, but he was completely surprised by the turn of events.

He couldn't cope with why Zheng Guolong was sitting in the same room with him.

There more Li Qing looked at the situation, the more he felt like he shouldn't be at the run-down shop.

"Err… Professor Zheng… Just now…" Lu Yuan coughed and opened his mouth. After learning about Zheng Guolong's identity, his heart was beating at an amazing speed.

Lu Yuan thought that Zheng Guolong was there because of the fake degree that he had bought.

Am I going to jail?

But once Lu Yuan thought about it, it didn't seem like Zheng Guolong came to him for that.

"I've heard that you graduated from Yanying University?" Zheng Guolong asked.

"I don't think that's the reason you're here, right?" Lu Yuan asked.

Lu Yuan tried to remain calm even though he was really anxious.

The question was like a hand grenade thrown straight at him.

His breathing slowly became heavier.

"You're right," Zheng Guolong nodded, realizing Lu Yuan's expression has changed but decided to do nothing about it.

Zheng Guolong lifted the cup and could smell mold coming from his tea. He shook his head and placed the cup back down.

Zheng Guolong has tasted a lot of aged tea in his lifetime, but it was his first time someone has served him tea that was left soaking for so long that mold has already built up.

"Fatty Wei! What the hell are you spacing out for?" Lu Yuan scolded after searching his pocket for a cigarette but realized he has none.

"What?" Fatty Wei looked at Lu Yuan, who was pointing at his pocket, but couldn't understand what Lu Yuan wanted.

What? What do you want?

"Help me buy some cigarette!" Lu Yuan sighed. "Get the good stuff, like Huaxia!"

"I… I'll go right away!" Fatty Wei nodded and was about to leave.

"Don't worry about it. I don't smoke, and I don't like people smoking in front of me," Zheng Guolong stopped Fatty Wei. The more Zheng Guolong looked at Lu Yuan, the more he couldn't see the man that has played Fur Elise in the video he'd seen/

He seems more like… a quack…

Fatty Wei stopped his step after hearing that Zheng Guolong didn't smoke.

"Oh, I don't like to smoke either," Lu Yuan laughed. "I only do so when I needed some inspiration."

Fatty Wei stared at Lu Yuan unbelievably, realizing that Lu Yuan's boasting skill was off the chart.

Li Qing has the same reaction as Fatty Wei too, but his's was more extreme.

Who the hell was forcing me to smoke just now? Huh? Who?

If Zheng Guolong wasn't present with them, Li Qing would've thrown his shoe at Lu Yuan at that moment.

"Fur Elise, were you the one who composed it?" Zheng Guolong asked. Even though he could smell the remains of cigarette lingering on Lu Yuan's clothes, he has decided to ignore it.

No matter how Zheng Guolong looked at Lu Yuan, he couldn't apprehend as to how someone like Lu Yuan could compose such a wonderful arrangement.

"That's right. Why?" Lu Yuan nodded.

"Do you know how much Fur Elise is worth?"

"Of course."

There was no way Lu Yuan wouldn't know since it was originally composed by Beethoven.

"It will become a classic that textbooks all around the world would use!"

"What…" Lu Yuan was stunned.

"But I've seen the video of you playing it. It's hard to believe that with your piano skill you could compose such an arrangement. I'm skeptical of whether you're really the original composer or not…"

Zheng Guolong stared at Lu Yuan as if he was staring into Lu Yuan's soul.

"Well, does it matter? Who said that I can't compose something good even though I'm not really good at playing the piano?" Lu Yuan challenged.

There's just no way that he knows who Beethoven is anyway!

"It doesn't. I've heard that you wrote a song for An Xiao? And its music too?"

"Yes. Someone can help me prove that."

"Jinxue, right? I've heard from her that you wrote a film script and that she had just invested one million on the film too."

"She's right."

"Can I have a look at it?"

"… Sure thing…" Even though Lu Yuan wasn't able to catch up with where Zheng Guolong was leading towards, but he still handed the professor his script.

As for Li Qing and Fatty Wei, their eyes widened under the dim light. Even though they kept their mouths shut, their hearts were beating vigorously.

They couldn't believe that under all that gangster act, Lu Yuan was actually gifted.

To the point where he had written and composed a song for the famous idol An Xiao.

And got a one million dollars investment in his film.

Wait a minute… Didn't Lu Yuan said he only has 800 thousand dollars? Where's the other 200 thousand?

Fatty Wei and Li Qing both turned to look at Lu Yuan. Li Qing wasn't very much affected by the fact, but Fatty Wei was another story. Fatty Wei felt like he just got scammed.

"I've got to admit, you sure are talented," Zheng Guolong sighed after reading the script.

Lu Yuan reminded Zheng Guolong of his younger self. Other than his attitude, Zheng Guolong realized that Lu Yuan was better than his younger self in every aspect.

Yet, no matter how Zheng Guolong looked at Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan just looked like a nobody.

Why did God give such talent to a person like him?

When Li Qing heard Zheng Guolong's acknowledgment, it stirred something inside him up.

Li Qing has finally become interested in the script that Lu Yuan has written.

"It was nothing…" Lu Yuan laughed wryly.

"How much more funding do you need?" Zheng Guolong asked.

"I have enough."

"Then, an actor, perhaps?"

"Not really."

"The film that you are planning to make requires a professional actor, one that has perfected most of his actings. It's hard to find someone like that in all of China," Zheng Guolong said with a serious tone.

"Do you have someone in mind?" Lu Yuan asked, realizing what Zheng Guolong was getting at.

Zheng Guolong has someone in his mind that he wanted to recommend.

"Yes. I can give that kid a call, and he'll definitely come. You don't have to worry about his paycheck too."

"How much?" Lu Yuan asked. The only thing that really troubled Lu Yuan was the money problem.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? For real?"

Lu Yuan was genuinely surprised to hear that.

"Yes."

"Who is the actor then?" Lu Yuan shook his head, thinking that Zheng Guolong was going to recommend some nobody that has just graduated from some acting college.

"He has the same last name as you. Lu Yihong."

"Lu Yihong?" Fatty Wei exclaimed. "You mean the one that won the Best Actor at the Golden Bull Award last year?"

"Yes. That's him. Why?"

"Nothing… It's just that I've invested a lot in this film. I'll have to vet every recommendation that comes my way," Lu Yuan shook his head even though he was shocked to hear that it was a famous actor too.

"Lu Yuan! Do you know how much attention we could gain just by having Lu Yihong on board with us? This is not a joke!"

"Fatty, go and get me some cigarette," Lu Yuan requested.

"I told you to not call me a fatty!"

"Are you going or not?"

"… Fine. Just… don't ruin this chance… This is going to be the film that will make my name known…"

"Just go!"

"Alright!"

After Fatty Wei has left the office unwillingly, Lu Yuan turned to look back at Zheng Guolong.

"I understand that you will need to audition him first," Zheng Guolong smiled.

"Thank you. And I'll be the one calling all the shots."

"That's understandable too."

"So, is that why you're here today? To recommend someone for my film?" Lu Yuan then asked.

"Right! I almost forgot why I came! I'm here to talk to you about Fur Elise."

"What's there to talk about?"

"I'm recently working as an editor for a piano textbook. I was thinking of including Fur Elise into it. I'm here to ask for your permission."

"What?" Lu Yuan was completely stunned.

"Seriously?" Even Li Qing widened his eyes.

Textbook? Did I hear that wrong?