Chapter One Hundred and One: The Scheme Begins

In a suburb of East Sea City, all kinds of low, ramshackle prefabricated houses lay scattered in a disorderly sprawl. A few apartment blocks stood nearby, but they were so scarred and precarious that merely looking at them was enough to make one’s heart tremble. The people living here were mostly migrant laborers or the poor. Two years earlier, the municipal government had designated this area for demolition, but due to compensation disputes and a few stubborn holdouts who refused to move no matter what, along with the national crackdown on malicious demolitions that happened to fall during those same two years, the neighborhood had been preserved just like this.

In front of one of the prefabricated houses, a weather-beaten middle-aged man squatted by the doorway, hammering on a wooden stool. Beside him, a dark-skinned middle-aged woman was washing a small handful of cabbage.

“Why hasn’t Rou’er come back yet? It’s getting dark,” the woman said as she placed the washed leaves into a small basket beside her.

“Best if she died outside,” the man said without turning his head.

“Listen to you. However she is, she’s still your daughter,” the woman said, clearly displeased.

“My daughter? She’s not a daughter I raised. She’s a living burden,” the man said, setting down the stool in his hands, his face full of anger.

The woman said nothing. She sighed and went into the house to cook.

This middle-aged couple was Ma Yunrou’s parents. Her father, Ma Jianyun, was a mechanic at a repair shop. He left early and returned late every day, and if business was good he could make a little over three thousand a month; if it was bad, he might bring home barely more than a thousand. Her mother, Zhou Yuehua, was an ordinary worker in a textile factory. She earned just over two thousand a month, and after seven or eight years on the job, her wages had never risen much at all.

At first, Ma Yunrou’s family had not lived here. They had once owned an apartment in the city proper. It was small, but far better than where they lived now. But because Ma Yunrou wanted to attend the Capital Film Academy, they sold the apartment and intended to support her studies with everything they had, hoping she might become a star. Unfortunately, Ma Yunrou did not amount to much. The old couple gritted their teeth and sold their house, yet still failed to raise her into anything. In the end, they could only buy a prefabricated house in this residential area. So whenever Ma Jianyun spoke of this daughter, his anger rose at once.

“Dad, I’m back.” Ma Yunrou hurried toward her house, clutching a small leather purse in her arms. The first person she saw was her father at the door, so she called out to him.

Ma Jianyun said irritably, “Back is back. Go on, get into the house and help your mother cook. Don’t stand here and annoy me.”

Ma Yunrou said nothing and lowered her head as she walked into the prefabricated house.

The house she lived in was not large, only a little over ninety square meters. The rooms were made by joining together thick wooden boards, three rooms in all, one of them serving as the kitchen. Ma Yunrou first hid the leather purse in her room, then washed her hands. After calming herself, she went into the kitchen to help her mother prepare dinner.

Seeing her daughter, Zhou Yuehua smiled. “You’re back, Rourou. Don’t mind what your father says. He’s just tired and spoke in anger.”

Ma Yunrou nodded and reached out to help pick the vegetables, but Zhou Yuehua stopped her.

“Rou’er, don’t get your hands dirty. There’s nothing for you to do here. Go rest in your room. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat. You’re a future movie star, how can you go into a kitchen?” In Zhou Yuehua’s eyes, her daughter was still destined to become a star.

Hearing her mother’s words, Ma Yunrou looked at her lovingly and moved to tears. “Mom, don’t worry. I will become a star one day. I’ll definitely make something of myself.”

“Keep dreaming,” Ma Jianyun said as he stormed in. “You still think you can become a star? Are you trying to bleed your parents dry? Last time you said you were going to study in the capital, we sold the house your grandfather left us for your sake. And what happened? You were dismissed after only a few days. How did I end up raising such an unfilial daughter?”

“Dad,” Zhou Yuehua said, pulling at him.

Hearing her father’s scolding, Ma Yunrou could no longer hold back. She shouted, “How can you blame me? It’s all that bastard’s fault. If he hadn’t lied to me, would I have ended up like this? Why are you blaming me? And what’s wrong with wanting to become a star?”

“You still dare talk back? I’ll beat you to death, you unfilial girl!” Furious, Ma Jianyun’s hand trembled violently. He raised his palm and struck Ma Yunrou hard across the face with a sharp crack.

“Rou’er, are you all right? Let Mom take a look.” Seeing her daughter hit, Zhou Yuehua hurriedly dropped the vegetables and rushed over in panic. When she saw the red handprint on her daughter’s face, tears fell from her eyes in a stream.

Ma Yunrou glared at her father in hate. Suddenly she shook off Zhou Yuehua, ran into her room, and grabbed the small leather purse filled with money. Then she rushed back to her father, unzipped the purse, and revealed the hundred-yuan bills inside. Lifting it high, she turned it upside down. Ten neatly stacked bundles of cash fell to the ground with a series of crisp slaps.

“Dad, take a look for yourself. What is this?” Ma Yunrou pointed at the banknotes scattered on the floor.

Ma Jianyun stared at the ten bundles of money on the ground and exclaimed in shock.

Zhou Yuehua hurriedly knelt down, picked up one bundle, moistened her finger with saliva, and drew out a bill to examine it closely. Then, with a trembling voice, she said, “Dad, this money is real.”

“What?” Ma Jianyun also crouched down and picked up the money from the floor to inspect it carefully.

“My poor daughter, you haven’t gone and done anything illegal, have you? Don’t scare your mother like this,” Zhou Yuehua said to her daughter with a sob in her voice. She thought such a large sum must have come from something unlawful.

“Mom, don’t worry. Someone gave me this money. It’s not illegal. Really, you can relax,” Ma Yunrou said, comforting her mother.

“Someone gave it to you? Who do you think you are? Tell me at once—where did this money come from?” Ma Jianyun said sternly, not trusting his daughter.

“It was a famous domestic director. He saw my potential and thought I had talent for acting, so he wanted to cultivate me. Before long, I’ll be back at the Capital Film Academy. Everything’s been arranged for me—food, lodging, tuition, all of it. This money is the deposit he paid after signing me, for the roles I’ll take on later,” Ma Yunrou said. She had long since prepared herself and spun a colossal lie.

“Really? Dad, see? I told you our daughter would amount to something someday. A great director has already taken a fancy to her. Tonight I’ll make a couple of good dishes to celebrate,” Zhou Yuehua said, her fear turning to delight. She had always trusted her daughter.

Ma Jianyun still looked half-convinced and half-suspicious. He studied his daughter. “Is it true? You’d have that kind of luck? Tell me the truth—what exactly is going on with this money?”

“It’s true. Why would I lie to you? I have the director’s number. If you don’t believe me, call and ask him yourself.” Ma Yunrou took out the Apple phone Xiang Shu had given her, unlocked the screen, found the stored number, and pressed the call button. Then she handed the phone to Ma Jianyun.

Ma Jianyun took it doubtfully. The call was already connected, and an elderly voice came from the other end. “Young lady, what is it?”

“Uh... I’m Ma Yunrou’s father. You’re the director?” Ma Jianyun asked cautiously.

The voice on the other end paused for a moment. “Yes. I saw that your daughter has potential, so I wanted to sign her in advance. Is there some problem?”

“No, no. I just called to make sure it was real.” Ma Jianyun’s face lit up with joy.

“Rest assured. Your daughter will be a big star in the future. I’ll spare no effort in making her famous. I still have matters to attend to, so let’s leave it there for now. We’ll be in touch when I have time.”

“All right, all right. Please, carry on with your work,” Ma Jianyun said happily before hanging up.

All of this had been arranged with Xiang Shu on the way back. Ma Yunrou knew that if she suddenly brought home so much money, her parents would never believe it, so she came up with this plan.

“Heh heh, Rou’er. That was Dad’s fault just now.” Ma Jianyun rubbed his hands together and returned the phone to his daughter.

Ma Yunrou took it with a haughty air. “Hmph. Still don’t believe me. Mom, put the money away. Oh, and leave me ten thousand. I have something to deal with these next few days.”

“What kind of thing needs that much money?” Ma Jianyun asked in astonishment when he heard that she wanted to keep ten thousand.

“Why do you need to interfere? Haven’t you seen how stars buy cosmetics, clothes, and all sorts of things? Ten thousand is nothing,” Ma Yunrou said dismissively.

“That’s right,” Zhou Yuehua said. “In any case, our daughter will be able to earn money in the future.” She gathered the money and handed her daughter ten thousand yuan.

Ma Jianyun nodded and said no more.

Afterward, Ma Yunrou returned to her bedroom, while Zhou Yuehua gave the remaining money to Ma Jianyun. With this cash, their current living conditions could be greatly improved.

Dinner was exceptionally lavish. Zhou Yuehua had specially brought out the preserved goods she had been saving for the New Year and made a large table of delicious dishes. Her daughter had made something of herself, so it was only right to celebrate properly. Even Ma Jianyun took out the liquor he usually could not bear to drink.

At the table, Ma Yunrou proudly boasted to her parents about the life she would soon be living, and said that in a few more days the director would send another nine hundred thousand. That way, they could buy back the house they had sold, and still have money left over. Those words shocked Ma Jianyun and Zhou Yuehua completely. Nine hundred thousand. My heavens. The two of them could work their whole lives and never earn that much. At last, Ma Jianyun truly believed that his daughter had made it.

After dinner, Ma Yunrou returned to her bedroom and took out a dust-covered box. Inside were all the things she had used back in middle school. After rummaging through them for a while, she finally found a few gifts that Xiao Lin had once given her. They were all old now, and only a silver fountain pen was still usable. Seeing the pen, Ma Yunrou remembered its story.

“Heh. Xiao Lin, don’t blame me. I’m only doing this because life has left me no choice. Since you once said you’d do anything for me, then sacrifice a little for me this time. I, Ma Yunrou, will remember you.”

Holding the fountain pen, she murmured to herself.

After thinking for a moment, Ma Yunrou took out her phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, is this the class president? It’s Ma Yunrou. Haven’t you heard from me for so long that you’ve forgotten me?”

“It’s nothing important. We haven’t seen each other in years since our graduating class. Since you were the class president, could you help get in touch with our old classmates? We should organize a reunion.”

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