Trembling At A High Altitude

The next day.

Morning.

Li Teng got his wish.

The helicopter came.

"Director Liu is quite reliable after all!"

Li Teng climbed aboard the helicopter and fumbled in the dark, rummaging out bread, biscuits, and drinks from a box.

A feeling both strange and familiar.

As if from another lifetime.

When he woke up from a nap, the helicopter had arrived at Film and Television City.

And dropped Li Teng off by the beach.

"Actually, the first time I came here, the scenery was beautiful, but I never stopped to appreciate it." Li Teng looked out at the ocean and then at the palm trees on the beach.

Perhaps it was because of his age, Li Teng now began to pay attention to the details around him.

No matter what he saw, there would be more sentiment and reflection.

"Maybe after getting young again, I won't be so fussy," Li Teng said with a smile, turning to walk toward Film and Television City.

The sign still pointed in the direction of the cafe.

When he arrived at the cafe, there was not a soul in sight at the tables in front of it.

Li Teng's mind was slightly muddled, but he quickly realized that he was the only one returning for cell repair therapy, not here for acting, so of course, the other actors wouldn't be present.

With old age, he could remember something one moment and then forget it the next.

Without anyone else around, the three plates of snacks on the table were all his.

Li Teng grabbed a handful of cashews and stuffed them into his mouth.

Chewing vigorously, he swallowed, but one nut was not well-chewed and got stuck in his throat.

Li Teng hurriedly looked for a staff member to get him some cold water.

After the staff member brought the cold water, Li Teng took a gulp, but it didn't help him swallow the cashew.

Struggling to breathe, he took another drink and ended up inhaling it into his windpipe, which caused him to cough violently, but he accidentally coughed out the cashew stuck in his throat.

It was a close call; he nearly choked to death on a cashew.

A few staff members looked at Li Teng with disdainful expressions on their faces.

The sight of elderly people felt unclean to them, and seeing how gluttonous this particular old man was, they naturally didn't have a good impression of him.

"I'm not as young as I used to be. Better to eat these one by one slowly, since no one else is competing for them anyway." Li Teng walked over, poured a cup of coffee, and began to eat the remaining cashews one by one.

Five minutes later, just as Li Teng had started to tackle the plate of cookies, Director Liu Shiyuan arrived.

"You've come?" Liu Shiyuan greeted Li Teng.

"Good morning, Director," replied Li Teng with a greeting of his own.

"I've called you here today not about the cell repair, the application wasn't approved, and there might be some trouble," Liu Shiyuan explained to Li Teng.

"Oh, is it very troublesome?" Li Teng began to worry.

If the application wasn't approved, he could only continue living out his twilight years.

Of course, it was all his own choice. If that was the case, he had nothing to complain about.

"The decision on the accident is mainly stuck because the higher-ups believe it was caused by human factors, not an accidental incident within the script. So, they are reluctant to approve the application. I could only provide additional clarification, explaining that your brain sustained damage after entering the Scripted World, leading you to stubbornly stay inside and not want to leave. It's necessary to persuade the investigation team that you're a victim for them to approve it," Liu Shiyuan explained to Li Teng.

"Oh." Li Teng sensed that things were not going well.

"Film and Television City also runs on relationships. Whether the application can be approved depends on pulling some strings with friends," Liu Shiyuan added.

"I've caused you trouble, Director," said Li Teng, unsure of what else to say or why Liu Shiyuan had called him back at this time. Was it just to inform him about this?

Regardless, there was no loss for Li Teng. Coming back was better than staying on top of that stone pillar.

"I called you here because there's something I need you to do," Liu Shiyuan mentioned to Li Teng.

"What is it?"

"Here's the thing, the application is stuck with the accident investigation team. But luckily, I have a senior director friend who is well-acquainted with a member of the investigation team. I need this senior director's help to get the application approved quickly. However, this senior director has also encountered a minor issue that I can't resolve, but you could be of help. So, I've called you here," Liu Shiyuan continued.

"Sure, Director, tell me," said Li Teng, curious about what kind of issue the director couldn't resolve, but he, a mere extra, could.

"This senior director friend has an exclusive additional filming task at Film and Television City to complete, but this filming task carries certain risks. Actors participating in the performance could possibly be wiped out with no survivors. However, if one is clever enough, there's also a considerable chance of surviving. He's in the middle of shooting several big serial productions, and he isn't willing to pull any of his actors away at this time to take the risk. Therefore, he's looking to borrow an actor from me to complete this filming task."

"As a director, I must ensure fairness among the actors in my crew, which is a fundamental principle of my management. Since it's your issue for which we need the help of this senior director friend, I can't force other actors, like Gao Fei and Elsa, to take this risk. It would be unfair to them. That's why I've only called you back. What do you think? Are you willing to do it?" Liu Shiyuan sought Li Teng's opinion.

"Sure, it's just the Hell Mode shoot, right?" Li Teng's smile was somewhat bitter. Now at 78, he was not as young as he once was. Going back into Hell Mode could mean little chance of coming out alive.

While in "Time Prison," although his physical abilities and mobility declined significantly after turning seventy, the endless supply of energy and protein drinks, particularly the Energy Drink that would restore him to his youthful state for half an hour, allowed him to manage.

But once he left "Time Prison," without access to the Energy Drink, he was no different from other frail old men his age. The only difference was that his physical foundation was stronger and his will more resolute.

"It's not as terrifying as Hell Mode. It's just a regular shoot, though the location and scenario could pose some risks. But with a bit of luck, there might not be any danger, and you could safely return after a week or half a month inside the Time Bubble," Liu Shiyuan clarified.

"Alright, I'll follow the director's arrangements," Li Teng could only agree.

"By the way, I'll try to arrange an interface for you in that script, turning the scrapped 'Time Prison' into a side quest. It might help you out," Liu Shiyuan thought for a moment and then informed Li Teng.

"A scrapped side quest?" Li Teng didn't quite understand.