Chu An's sarcastic remarks had quite an impact.
Not only did they put Ma Guoyou in a difficult position, but his final line, "Let the crew film it," really made Ma Guoyou feel like his heart was being squeezed.
At this point, he stopped arguing and forcibly dragged Sun Lianqiao into the car to leave.
However, he couldn't let go of his sense of righteousness and morality, saying, "Come on, let's go, let's not stoop to the level of those two kids, we'll do it for Old Chu's sake!!"
Sun Lianqiao was still angry and refused to leave.
Ma Guoyou just shoved him into the passenger seat, got in the car, and with a stomp on the gas pedal, sped off.
Once they left the residential complex, Ma Guoyou started to feel more and more uneasy.
He finally said, "I'll talk to the factory manager. Let's hold off on tomorrow's workers' congress vote. We'll wait until this storm passes."
Sun Lianqiao was stunned, "No way, brother-in-law! You seriously believe that little brat? Who does he think he is, getting the crew to put us in the show?"
Ma Guoyou glared at him, "Better safe than sorry!"
"Give it a break!" Sun Lianqiao shot him a look of contempt, "You're just too timid! You always second-guess everything."
Ma Guoyou was furious, "That's called caution! You wouldn't understand!"
To be honest, Ma Guoyou was cautious. If he hadn't been, he wouldn't have made it to his current position. It was his carefulness that, back in the day, allowed him to spot the potential trouble early, and through tears and begging at Old Chu's house, managed to get Chu Jianjun to take the blame for him.
So, Ma Guoyou felt there was no harm in being extra careful.
He shot a glance at Sun Lianqiao and, half-threatening, half-reassuring, said, "Better safe than sorry! The crew's been hanging around his house every day, and I heard Chu An even got a role. Who knows what's going on, but what if he's worked his way up with the crew's leadership?"
"Besides, there's no rush. As long as I'm in logistics, no one can take that storefront away from us."
Sun Lianqiao wasn't happy but still listened to his brother-in-law. However, he couldn't help but feel frustrated, slamming his fist on the car door.
"Little brat! You just wait!"
Meanwhile, the neighbors who had been watching the scene were in shock. The mighty Ma Guoyou had been completely shut down by Chu An.
They exchanged glances, feeling awkward and a bit guilty, before gradually dispersing.
In the blink of an eye, only the Chu siblings remained on the road.
Chu Ning felt a mix of emotions. She had vented her frustration, but the price was steep. Offending Ma Guoyou meant it was now impossible to rent the storefront.
Her faint hope had been shattered completely. She felt deflated, like a balloon losing air, and her spirit was crushed.
Yet, thinking back to everything that had happened today, she couldn't stop herself from trembling, and tears began to flow.
"Why can others live well, but we can't? Why are we so unlucky?"
At that moment, the inner strength and stubbornness she had been holding onto seemed to collapse, just like the sound of the Jetta driving away.
Chu Ning slowly crouched down, burying her head deep between her knees, her long, dark braid brushing the dusty concrete ground.
Chu An quietly watched her without saying anything. He didn't try to console her but instead gently leaned toward her, allowing her to rest her head on his small leg.
In fact, she should have cried the moment she decided not to go to university. This emotional release had come much too late.
After a long while, when Chu Ning's breathing had steadied, Chu An spoke gently, "Are you done crying?"
"Get up if you're done. Don't let others laugh at us!"
Chu Ning suddenly snapped out of her emotional slump. She quickly stood up, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and raised her head high.
"Life goes on. Even when knocked down, we have to live strong."
She remembered reading something like that in a book somewhere.
Chu An couldn't help but laugh. He didn't expect his sister to have a literary side to her.
"Really deep!" he joked.
Chu Ning shot him a glare, "Shut up! Haven't beaten you in years, have I?"
Chu An grinned, "Okay, now that you've cried and vented, are we going?"
Chu Ning was still processing what had just happened. "Where are we going?"
Chu An grinned. "To find the crew and rent the storefront! There's one thing Ma Guoyou didn't get wrong—the shop is owned by the factory, and Ma Guoyou really doesn't have the final say."
Chu Ning was momentarily stunned. Then her eyes suddenly lit up, "Wait, wait… you're not seriously thinking of getting in good with the crew and having them change the script, right?"
The crew was a big deal in those days. It suddenly dawned on Chu Ning that if the crew were involved, there might still be hope.
But this time, Chu An wasn't pretending like before. He spoke plainly, "Sis, the crew barely stayed at our place for a day. Even if I'm the most charming guy in the world, I'm not going to work miracles with them!"
Chu Ning was taken aback. "So, how are you going to ask them for help?" She thought Chu An was daydreaming, so she quickly stopped him, "How about we wait? You can build a better relationship with the crew first, then ask them for help!"
"Or at least wait until you've pickled the vegetables and sent them out before you ask!"
Chu Ning's logic was simple: to get something from someone, you either had to have a relationship or offer something in return. Otherwise, why would they help you?
Chu An smiled, "This time, we don't need to wait. We'll go directly to them."
As they reached the bottom of the building, Chu An casually told Chu Ning to wait downstairs. He was going to take care of something and would be back soon, then went inside to get the things he had bought earlier—the eggs and materials for pickling.
Meanwhile, the crew was at Chu An's house, filming the scenes for Liu Xia's family. The set needed absolute quiet, no background noise whatsoever.
Sister Lan, upon seeing Chu An carrying bags of items, was startled. She worried the kid might accidentally make noise and provoke Director Lu Mingze, whose temper was already on edge.
She gestured for him to be quiet.
Chu An, aware of the rules, moved quietly. He glanced at Sister Lan and pointed toward the kitchen, signaling her to follow him if she wanted to talk.
Sister Lan was puzzled but followed. She didn't know what Chu An wanted to discuss.
Once inside the kitchen, Chu An went straight to the point, without any preamble.
"Sister, I need to ask you something. I'm wondering if the crew can help us out."
Sister Lan raised an eyebrow, "What's the matter?"
Chu An continued, "I saw in the script that there's a scene set in a school's snack bar. It's a pretty important scene."
"Oh, I see," Sister Lan nodded. "We do have a set for that."
"It's just not confirmed yet."
Chu An asked, "Is it a set or a borrowed location?"
Sister Lan wasn't trying to hide anything. She had a good impression of Chu An and answered straightforwardly, "We don't have the budget for a set. The art department is looking for a location."
Creating a set meant building it from scratch, which was costly but ensured it was perfectly suited to the script. Borrowing a location, on the other hand, was cheaper and quicker but might not match the script exactly.
This show was not like a big-budget film. Most of the budget was tight, so they were trying to save where they could.
Sister Lan smirked at Chu An, "So, does your family own a shop?"
Chu An laughed, not denying nor confirming it.
Sister Lan gave him a knowing look, then said, "If it's a shop, why would the crew use your family's location?"
Chu An quickly shook his head, "We'll open the shop ourselves, no need for the crew to pay. It's free for them to use."
Sister Lan couldn't help but smile. This kid was clever, but still a little too eager. He thought he could use the crew's power to his advantage.
After a few moments, she smiled and said, "Alright, I'll ask around and see what can be done. If I can help, I will."
As she exited the kitchen, she saw Director Lu still filming. She slipped away quietly and made a call.
"Hello, Secretary Yao, this is Lan. I've got a small favor to ask…"
Chu An waited downstairs, and when he saw his sister, he grinned. "It's done! The storefront is ours!"
"Huh?!" Chu Ning's jaw dropped. "Wait, you're telling me… It's already done?!"
She couldn't believe how quickly things had happened.