Boarding the plane, Su Yu, wearing a mask, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
Perhaps it was due to his constant traveling recently, but he felt his energy waning, sometimes even experiencing dizziness.
However, with the system's automatic healing function, his body should be fine.
Therefore, it was likely just being too tired lately.
The music aspect was almost complete; he needed to focus on film and television to ensure Chinese cinema could go global, thus contributing to Chinese culture.
The film side was straightforward, thanks to his capable assistants, Zhang Li and Gu Qianqian. Zhang Li had just finished filming "Journey to the West" and was now thriving, constantly attending promotional events. Su Yu expected him to request new scripts soon.
Gu Qianqian, after a period of rest, had also begun filming "A Chinese Ghost Story."
Although this drama shared the mythical background of "Journey to the West," it primarily featured smaller scenes, making filming swift. With the current efficiency of Gu Qianqian's film crew, a month for filming and post-production should be entirely feasible.
Zhang Li's drama team and Gu Qianqian's film team had already formed a basic structure. With everyone growing more familiar and coordinating smoothly, and no diva actors slowing down the progress, their efficiency was certainly on par with, and in some aspects even surpassed, top domestic teams. This was largely due to Su Yu's incredibly detailed scripts and storyboards.
Directors only needed to shoot, and actors only needed to act – such was the importance of a good screenwriter.
"After the 'Era Music King' competition concludes, no matter what my father-in-law says, I need to rest!"
After the previous round of competition, Su Yu had gained some insight into the skill levels of the producers. What he truly wanted now was to export Chinese culture to foreigners, making them genuinely appreciate Chinese music.
As he pondered this, he suddenly felt someone approaching.
Su Yu opened his eyes and looked up, seeing a tall girl with long, wavy legs and blue eyes. She spoke in fairly standard Chinese, "Excuse me, sir, could you let me pass, please?"
"Oh, certainly." Su Yu shifted slightly, clearing a path.
The foreign girl thanked him again and then walked past him to sit in the seat beside him.
After that, there was no further interaction between them.
Throughout the journey, Su Yu remained with his eyes closed, but when he did open them, he noticed the foreign girl staring at him.
"What is it?" Su Yu asked, touching his face.
Had he drooled in his sleep?
No, he hadn't.
"Are you Tingyu?" the foreign girl asked shyly.
Su Yu nodded, "That's correct."
"It really is you. I thought I had mistaken you for someone else..."
Then, the foreign girl began to talk.
Her name was Rossi, an international student from E Nation studying in China, also pursuing music. Naturally, she was very familiar with the most influential producer in the Chinese music scene.
In fact, except for a few countries that maliciously slandered China, for many foreigners, China had always been a mysterious land, with Eastern culture holding significant appeal.
Rossi was one such person. Influenced by her father from a young age, she developed a fondness for Chinese instruments, Hanfu, and ancient poetry. Thus, when choosing where to study abroad, she unhesitatingly selected China.
"Are you going to E Nation for the 'Era Music King' this time?" Having been exposed to Tingyu's music, she had naturally become a fan. Moreover, with the current popularity of 'Era Music King' and the second episode being filmed in E Nation, she could easily make the connection.
"That's right."
Su Yu had initially thought this girl would be of the aloof type like Mina, but unexpectedly, she was a chatterbox.
He already regretted answering her question. Judging by her speaking speed, the rest of the journey was likely to be anything but quiet.
However, as it turned out, his guess was wrong. After introducing herself, Rossi stopped when Su Yu didn't engage much in conversation.
This surprised Su Yu, making him think the girl was quite sensible.
...
The production team did not go to the capital of E Nation this time. Perhaps due to the crew's own arrangements, the location was set in a small city called Stoke.
Compared to the bustling capital, Stoke was incomparable. Furthermore, due to recent conflict, some ruins had yet to be fully repaired.
Of course, the hotel arranged by the production team was not in the slums but in the relatively prosperous central area.
As soon as he entered the room and finished unpacking, Su Yu lay on the bed and sent a video call to Lin Yanyu.
"Su Su, you've arrived?" Due to the time difference, it was already late night in China.
However, when he left, Lin Yanyu had specifically instructed him to report his safety, no matter how late it was.
"Just arrived at the hotel and finished unpacking," Su Yu said with a smile.
"Have you eaten yet?" Lin Yanyu was lying in bed, wearing a nightgown.
"I'll eat in a while. The hotel provides free dining, but I want to try some local specialties," Su Yu replied with a smile.
In his opinion, arriving in a new place meant trying the local food, as taste was the most profound aspect of human memory.
"Okay, have a rest for a bit then go eat," Lin Yanyu said, clearly very sleepy but still forcing her eyelids open, looking endearingly clumsy.
Su Yu could see this, so after a brief chat, he urged her to go to sleep.
Amidst a string of affectionate goodnights,
Su Yu hung up the phone.
Wishing to experience authentic E Nation cuisine,
Su Yu put on a trench coat and headed out.
Although it was early July, and China was experiencing a sweltering summer, the nights in E Nation were still somewhat cold.
Because Lin Yanyu had helped him with a travel guide earlier, he quickly found a commercial street next to the hotel.
Despite the city having recently been through the fires of war, this area was still quite prosperous.
After having dinner at a local restaurant, he began to stroll along the commercial street.
After only a few steps, he was drawn to a tavern.
Inside, a song about war and love was being performed. A deep female voice sang with a poignant melody, evoking the most typical E Nation style, with the iconic accordion producing a mournful sound.
To his surprise, the singer was the foreign girl who had sat next to him on the plane earlier that day.
Truly a music student, she sang quite well.
Just as Su Yu was about to leave, his steps suddenly halted. The song that had just finished was over, and the prelude to the next song was very familiar to Su Yu.
"Qing Hua Ci."
This foreign girl was actually singing a Chinese song.
Su Yu checked the time. It was still early. Traveling alone, he felt a bit bored and feared he wouldn't be able to sleep if he went back. Having a drink seemed like a good option.