Zhou You had the salesperson handle the paperwork. After going through the entire process, he got a temporary plate and commissioned the 4S store to help with the permanent license plate. He paid a service fee. The total cost was around 450,000 yuan, and then he drove the car away. The whole process took less than an hour.
Zhao Yun witnessed it all and realized that rich people buy cars faster than he buys phones—he compares several stores before getting a phone. He silently recited to himself: "Comparing people drives you mad, comparing goods makes you sad. I won't compare, I won't compare."
After buying the car, Zhou You told Zhao Yun to head back, which made Zhao Yun fume, muttering about being discarded after use. Xiao Bai, while driving, was still in disbelief that they had just bought a car.
Regardless, this was their own car now. The company didn't have one like this, and Xiao Bai was a bit curious, but with basic driving skills, it wasn't a big deal. The ride back to the neighborhood was smooth and uneventful.
Zhou You sat in the back, enjoying the service of having a driver. It was much more comfortable than driving himself. Aside from the initial thrill of learning to drive, driving later on—whether long-distance or in the city—was basically a chore. Thinking about this, he decided he'd buy another car when he went to the capital next time, since he wouldn't have to drive himself. Riding was so much more comfortable.
Xiao Bai hadn't had time to thoroughly inspect the car at the 4S store before Zhou You rushed through the process. Now, with the car parked in the underground garage, he couldn't help but walk around it a few times. The sleek silver body and smooth lines made Xiao Bai's petite frame feel enveloped in this massive machine, giving a strong sense of security. The more he looked, the more he liked it.
Like a long-awaited reunion after a downpour, Zhou You increasingly felt that learning the complete version of the Eight Brocades should be prioritized.
The next morning, Zhou You and Xiao Bai arrived at the meeting point Zhao Yun had mentioned. Zhou You had initially wanted Zhao Yun to pick them up, but after hearing the location, Xiao Bai said he was familiar with the area, saving Zhao Yun the trouble. Zhou You had a general idea of the place too, but he didn't know which entrance to use, since it was at the multimedia room of Shanghai University. Zhou You was surprised by the choice of venue, and Zhao Yun had just sighed and said, "You'll understand when you get there tomorrow."
At the meeting point, Zhao Yun and Xiao Bai parked the car, and the three of them walked toward the school. "It doesn't feel like there's any atmosphere," Zhou You remarked, looking around at the lack of red carpets, banners, reception, or signs. Zhao Yun shook his head as he walked. "This is already pretty good. They've held a few scattered events before, and guess where? In residential buildings!"
Zhou You knew the documentary industry was niche and declining, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad. "What about the directors' accommodations and meals? And the audience's food?" "They cover their own expenses—everything out of pocket. The screening venue was even donated by a director, who took turns letting others use it. As for the audience? There basically isn't one. No one watches," Zhao Yun said, stopping to look at Zhou You.
"Then how did you manage to get a university venue this year?" Zhou You asked, curious. "You couldn't have made such a big leap, could you?" "Haha, this year, we have you to thank, Boss Zhou," Zhao Yun replied. It turned out that the ongoing popularity of *A Bite of Food* had attracted many college students, and their interest gave them the opportunity to secure this venue with some support from the school.
Well, Zhou You felt like he was learning something new. At least things were improving, right? The three of them walked along, fitting in perfectly. Xiao Bai was petite and cute, Zhou You looked like a university professor, and Zhao Yun, with his older appearance, could pass for a seasoned teacher.
As they walked, Zhou You remembered that Wang Le should be studying at this school. He pulled out his phone and called him. "Hey, A-Le, I recall you're studying at Shanghai University, right?" "Yeah, Bro You, what's up?" Wang Le was curious because Zhou You rarely called him. "I'm actually on campus right now. I'm here for a documentary screening event. Are you interested? If you're free, we can grab lunch together." Since he was on campus, he figured he should let Wang Le know—otherwise, it'd be awkward to drop by his teacher's house for a meal later.
Wang Le was surprised. "Bro You, I'm actually here too! I just finished my grad school exams and have nothing to do. I got hooked on the documentary you invested in recently—it's really interesting—so I thought I'd check this out." "Great, see you soon. I'm almost there. Wait for me at the entrance." Zhou You was surprised that young people were into documentaries these days. He hung up.
Soon, the three arrived at the venue. Zhao Yun was stunned to see the multimedia room nearly full. It wasn't a large room, but it held at least two or three hundred people. In all these years, they'd never had such a crowd. The previous events were held in social settings with poor information flow, but another reason was that college students loved novelty and had a strong sense of curiosity.
"Bro You! Bro You!" Zhou You saw Wang Le waving his arm and calling out. "You've got nothing to do now? Which school did you get into?" Zhou You asked, patting his shoulder. "Heh, I got direct admission to the master's program here," Wang Le said sheepishly. "Impressive. So why aren't you going home?" Zhou You knew direct admission meant it was settled early. "It's boring at home. I do some part-time work on campus."
They chatted for a bit before the documentary screening began. The event was very simple. A host went up, thanked the school and the participating directors, and then the documentaries started playing. Before each film, the director briefly introduced their creative process and production experience. Zhou You found it fascinating, as it was his first time attending such an event.
The films were all in genres Zhou You liked—social documentaries and human-interest stories. Natural scenery, historical science, and other topics weren't something small documentary directors could handle. Moreover, the documentaries shown at this event were ones Zhou You had never seen before. Many never made it to distribution channels, no one bought them, and some were too sensitive to even be released.
As the documentaries played, the audience gradually thinned out. For some college students, these films were just too boring. They hadn't faced the harsh realities of life or known hardship. To them, the future was bright—how could they experience darkness? Faced with stories of people at the bottom, only a few felt empathy. In the current social climate, many dismissed them as lazy and deserving of mockery and criticism.
It wasn't until later, as internet information became more widespread, that many college students, reaching their 30s, realized how tough life could be and began to develop empathy. Grief over the same fate brings its own sorrow.