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墨書 Inktalez
I didn't respond immediately; I just thought for a moment and said, "Well, I don't know yet. Maybe there are others. Didn't you capture a lot of ghosts before? Do you really think you only provoked one?" My words carried a hint of intimidation. It was unlikely that capturing a few would mean provoking just as many; if that were the case, who would dare to burn Joss Paper in the wild?
As soon as I finished speaking, the car came to a stop. Xiaolin said, "We're here." The director didn't continue the conversation but opened the car door and got out. I followed suit. Once outside, I finally understood what the director meant by "not extravagant." I had been to this place before; the food could only be considered average, but the prices were very cheap. It was just a small farmhouse with a main hall that had seven or eight tables made of cheap composite materials. The lighting inside was dim, and there were ceiling fans that didn't provide much ventilation, resulting in poor air quality. I couldn't understand why the director chose this place for a meal—was it just for the low cost? Later, I learned he really was after the bargain; this place was practically their crew's cafeteria. If he didn't eat here, he wouldn't be able to claim expenses and would have to pay out of pocket. This director was truly meticulous about his finances.
The meal was tasteless—not because I was picky or due to the food and environment, but as our conversation deepened, I realized our values were completely misaligned. His constant talk of official jargon and personal gain left me feeling uncomfortable. Moreover, from his demeanor and attitude towards Xiaolin, it was clear he didn't regard her highly. Although he spoke politely to her, the disdain in his eyes was hard to conceal, which significantly diminished my impression of him. At the same time, I felt pity for Xiaolin; she was compromising herself and would ultimately not get what she wanted. Still, she had her own choices and convictions that deserved respect. As her friend, all I could do was offer gentle reminders in the future.
As we were finishing up, the director went to the restroom. Taking advantage of his absence, Xiaolin quickly asked, "Why didn't you tell the director about that little girl behind him earlier?"
I chuckled lightly and replied, "It's probably for the best that I didn't say anything. Your director is too focused on fame and profit. If I'm not mistaken, he would definitely use this ghost sighting as material for publicity—what do you call it in your film industry? Stirring up interest?"
"Promotion," Xiaolin corrected.
"Right, promotion. But we can't let him exploit matters related to ghosts; it would be detrimental to them. Every ghost is bound by rules. If they cause panic among humans due to their own actions, they will face punishment. Regular people might not be affected much by this, but he's a director. If he spreads this news, it could have significant repercussions," I explained.
Xiaolin nodded thoughtfully and said, "He's just an ordinary director; how much impact could he really have? Besides, I don't understand how your decision not to tell him about the Little Ghost relates to this anyway—he already has a recording. If he wants to promote something, he can just use that recording."
"It is promotion," I reiterated.
"Yes, yes, it's promotion! How did you manage to twist my words around?" Xiaolin said exasperatedly.
I continued, "I'm keeping quiet about the Little Ghost because I want to use it as leverage to get him to hand over that recording. I've even been wondering if this Little Ghost has its own agenda—after all, why else would it follow the director without harming him?" From the moment I learned that Li Da Ye was connected with that little girl, I suspected they had a purpose. If it truly was about that recording, then it made sense. Normally, I could have fulfilled this Spirit God's wish and sent them on their way like before; however, this time the victim was special and might not cooperate at all since there could be personal gain involved for him. People often lose some rationality when faced with benefits—myself included—but perhaps mine would waver less.
He nodded and said, "You figured out the director's intentions while in the car? Brother Liu, you really are quite cunning; it's a shame you're not in showbiz."
I borrowed a line and said, "It wasn't on the bus, but when I first saw you, Director, I could tell. An ordinary person would be too terrified to work if they encountered a ghost. At the very least, they would feel anxious. But look at you, Director; you’re not only taking your time with the shoot but also chatting with us for so long. You’ve only mentioned the ghost that knocked over a cup in your room last night once. If it were you in this situation, would you be so calm? The only reason you're so unhurried is that you're thinking of ways to profit from this ghost. Do you believe me? He might ask me to collaborate on filming real ghosts later."
He nodded thoughtfully, just about to speak when the director, who had just returned from the restroom, interrupted him. "What are you two talking about?" I chuckled and replied, "Oh, nothing much. Just discussing how far Xiaolin can go in the entertainment industry. Director, we’ve eaten enough; let’s head back and check on Recording."
"Alright, don’t worry. Xiaolin is a good actor; as long as he puts in the effort, there will be plenty of opportunities. Waiter, please bring the bill," the director said without sitting down and immediately grabbed his bag and turned to leave.
...
On the way back, the director seemed hesitant to bring up the collaboration again. I was relieved; I certainly wouldn't agree to such a thing—it goes against my principles. I just wanted to see Recording with my own eyes and check if that Little Ghost was in it.
Once we returned to the director's room, I eagerly said, "Director, let me see that Recording." The director took out a hard drive and plugged it into his computer, quickly pulling up a video and playing it.
The video was short—only a few dozen seconds long—and its content matched what Xiaolin had described. Several Spirit Gods appeared around Li Da Ye, who was burning paper offerings; they were scrambling for the ashes of the Joss Paper. I searched through it multiple times and confirmed that there was no sign of that Little Female Spirit. After closing the video, I turned to the director and asked, "Director, what do you plan to do with this video?"
The director's eyes lit up as he finally expressed his thoughts: "Master Liu, to be honest with you, I think this is a huge selling point. We have genuinely captured a ghost on film. If we release this video during promotions, it should create quite a stir. Look closely; some of the ghosts are barely visible, and each one has a different level of transparency. This is incredibly realistic—something that ordinary special effects or post-production can't achieve. So I think we can make use of this video. Of course, one video isn't enough; if Master Liu could help by shooting a few more ghost-related Lens, it would be even more convincing."
Hearing this from the director, Xiao Li turned to look at me as if saying that this was indeed his intention. However, from the director's perspective, he likely thought Xiaolin was advocating for him.
I chuckled lightly and said, "Director, I'm not trying to scare you. If you really dare to use a video of real ghosts for promotion, the consequences will be severe. First of all, the National Radio and Television Administration won't allow it; it's considered feudal superstition. Whether your production can pass review is another issue altogether. Secondly, do you really think this will be credible? How will ordinary viewers know that this isn't something created by technology? They will still think it's fake. And most importantly—if you actually use this video for publicity..."
"It's for hype," Xiaolin interjected.
"Exactly! If you really use this video for hype, those ghosts in your footage won’t let you off easily." I laid out all the potential pitfalls of this situation in one breath.
The director chuckled and said, "It's nothing much. Since it's all about hype, I'll make sure this video looks as real as possible, leaving no room for the audience to doubt it. As for the first point, I will definitely wait for approval before I start promoting it. And regarding the most important point you mentioned, I think that's something you need to consider. I brought you here to solve the problem, after all. Of course, if you can't handle it, I'll just find someone else. You're still young and have managed to get into this industry; I believe there are plenty of people in your field who are more capable than you and not hard to find."
I felt quite uncomfortable hearing this. If it weren't for Xiaolin, would I even care about your opinions? You still have to keep track of expenses, and that Red Envelope was given to me out of Xiaolin's own pocket, adhering to industry rules. How can you say that you brought me here just to solve problems? Besides, can such matters be resolved so casually? Though I thought this in my mind, I couldn't voice it out loud because he was right; finding someone else in my field wasn't difficult at all. Although I knew most of my peers wouldn't agree to such things, what if I happened to encounter someone unscrupulous? The probability was low, but who could guarantee that it wouldn't happen?
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