San Francisco, 1989.

"Master, master!" Wang Yang stumbled into the small courtyard, looked at the white-haired old man who was slowly playing under the locust tree in front of him, walked over with an angry face, and said, "Master, you must teach me some powerful moves this time!

The white-haired old man was wearing a gray Tang suit, although he was already old, his body was very healthy, his wrinkled face was also energetic, and his eyes were calm and focused. Hearing this immature voice, he took a look, and sure enough, his little apprentice who had closed the door was dirty again, and there were a few bloody marks on his face, and he was fighting again!

He likes Lao Wang's little grandson very much, otherwise he wouldn't accept this little guy as a closed disciple. This little guy not only has excellent martial arts qualifications, but also has a strong mind at a young age, and is smart and clever, and is very good at coaxing people to be happy. When this kind of person grows up, he is a "world boy", not a thing in the pool. But there is one thing that makes him feel extremely headaches, this little guy is sometimes very impulsive, heroic, and loves to fight!

In Chinatown for decades, he has seen too many changes, and has seen too many "world boys" how to become a gang leader, so when Lao Wang's son asked him to learn boxing, he did not agree, because he was afraid that Lao Wang's son would go astray; now the times are different, and the little guy is studying in a foreign school outside, and he is destined to go out of Chinatown, so he recruited this apprentice, taught him kung fu, and taught him Tangshan culture...... But if the little guy has this temper since he was a child, he will suffer sooner or later! The white-haired old man sighed helplessly, stopped his hands and feet, took a towel from the copper basin rack next to him and wiped his hands, and shouted: "I know how brave and ruthless I am all day long!

Wang Yang suddenly had a disappointed expression, his eyes rolled and he thought about it, and then explained: "No! Master, I am hoeing the strong and helping the weak! Recently, a girl came to school, Jessica, she is always bullied, and then I will ......" He waved his fist a few times, wrapped himself around the old man, and said with a smile: "I'll help her beat those bastards!" But there are too many of them, and I was beaten badly, so you must teach me stronger kung fu, like Bruce Lee, Ah Cha! I want to clean them up!"

The white-haired old man looked at him for a long time and asked, "You didn't lie to me, are you helping people?" Wang Yang's eyes widened, and he kept nodding and said: "Yes! How dare I lie to the master! If you don't believe me, I will ask her to come here tomorrow to testify to me! But she is very shy, and her father is very fierce, I don't know if she can come." The old man suddenly patted his little head and said, "You want to fight!" Wang Yang was debunked by him, so he had to touch his head with a smile and said, "A little!"

"Speaking Tangshan! I don't understand the words of foreigners. The old man said in a deep voice. Wang Yang smiled and nodded, followed him to the room, and said, "But I really helped her, she thanked me very much, and she also thanked you very much! Master, you just teach me, let me beat those decrepit people! Isn't this what learning kung fu is for?"

"Xiao Yang, now is not to go to the battlefield to kill people, practicing boxing is just to strengthen the body. The white-haired old man looked back at him and said solemnly: "And you remember, there has never been any invincible kung fu in the world, don't think that you can beat dozens of people, there is no such kung fu! ”

Wang Yang shook his head indifferently, stretched out eight fingers with both hands, and said, "Master, I don't want to beat dozens of people, just beat eight people!" The white-haired old man smiled faintly, turned around and walked towards the house, and said, "Don't teach." Looking at the old man's back, Wang Yang gritted his teeth and made a low voice of "ahhhh......h

※※2001, San Francisco.

After leaving the Shenanda Theater in a hurry, Wang Yang and Jessica rushed to Los Angeles International Airport and took a late flight back to San Francisco.

Yesterday morning, Old Man Wu was fine, drinking morning tea as usual and playing chess with old friends; in the afternoon, he suddenly fainted to death, and his family urgently called an ambulance to send him to the hospital; the doctor said that Old Man Wu's body and many organs had failed, and he should be mentally prepared. And the old man Wu, who woke up, told his family that he knew that he was dying and could not be saved, so they asked Wang Yang to come back to see him for the last time.

They all know that among all the apprentices, the most nervous and loving one of the old people is Wang Yang, even more than their own grandchildren, and the grandchildren often have complaints such as "Grandpa likes Wang Yang more than me!" So no one dared to snub the old man's last request, and immediately contacted the Wang family, and then Wang's mother immediately called her son and informed him of the news.

In the corridor and rest area outside the ward, Old Man Wu's eldest apprentice, son and daughter-in-law, granddaughter Wu Yue, who is studying at the University of San Francisco, as well as Wang's father and Wang's mother.

"Huh, huh......" Wang Yang, who ran frantically all the way, looked at them with a sigh of breath, sweat dripping from his forehead, his face was full of anxiety, and he couldn't say the whole thing for a while: "I, I ......" Wang's mother stepped forward and stroked her son's back and said, "Xiao Yang, your master is still there." Wang Yang suddenly showed a bitter smile, nodded, and took a breath before saying, "Uncle Wu, Auntie, Mom and Dad, Yiyeta...... What the hell, you should have informed me earlier!"

"Xiao Yang, we have called you back as soon as possible. Father Wang also patted his son on the shoulder and said, "Everyone is sad, don't be like this." Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu sighed, and Wu Yue also comforted him and said, "Yang, grandpa knows that you have won 7 awards, and he is very happy." ”

"I'd rather not have any. Wang Yang said softly with gloomy eyes, how could it suddenly be like this, it should have been happy! Although it is normal with the master's advanced age, it is ...... He wiped the sweat from his forehead, blinked his reddish eyes, and asked, "Can I go in to see him now?" Seeing Uncle Wu nodding, he opened the door of the ward and walked in.

At this time, Jessica, who was left behind, also came quickly, she was still dressed for the awards ceremony, but she changed into a pair of jeans, she panted slightly, looking at everyone. Wang's mother gave her a smile and said, "Jesse, he's in the hospital room." Jessica nodded with a frown.

Wang Yang walked into the ward, gently closed the door, and walked lightly to the bed, only to see Old Man Wu lying on his back on the bed, with a breathing mask on his face, and ventilators and other instruments next to the bed. He fell asleep peacefully, looking no different from his usual appearance...... Wang Yang sat down in the chair, looking at this familiar, wrinkled old face, and felt very painful in his heart, why can a good person say that he will die...... He held Old Man Wu's old and rough right hand with both hands, and called softly, "Master, I'm here." It's me, Xiao Yang, Ji Fei, ...... "Ji Fei is the name given to him by Old Man Wu on his 18th birthday. Although he usually forgets that he still has such a word, but since he was 18 years old, Old Man Wu has called him almost always Ji Fei, and when he is serious, he is called Wang Yang.

Seeing that Old Man Wu was still asleep, he didn't call anymore, just looked at the old man silently. At this moment, the door of the ward was gently opened, and he glanced at it and returned his gaze to the master. Soon he felt a gentle grip on his shoulder, and a gentle voice in his ear: "Young, the Lord will bless us." He let out a low hum and his hand slowly clenched so tightly that he didn't even notice it.

"Is it Ji Fei......" Old man Wu slowly opened his eyes, his eyes were very cloudy, and he didn't have the aura of the past at all. Wang Yang's heart suddenly ached, and he hurriedly nodded in response: "Well, master, it's me, I'm here!" Hearing his voice, Old Man Wu's eyes lit up, his eyes gradually became focused, his left hand opened the breathing mask, and said, "It's really uncomfortable to wear this thing." ”

Seeing that he had regained his spirits, Wang Yang couldn't help laughing, couldn't help but think in an optimistic direction, and said with a smile: "Master, are you scaring me, right? Look at you like this, you are fierce, at least you can live for a few more years! We will be transferred to a better hospital immediately, believe me, you will be fine!" Although he basically couldn't understand what he was saying, seeing him laugh, Jessica suddenly smiled and breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

"No, I know myself, it's just a flashback. Old man Wu laughed weakly, feeling that his body was getting worse little by little, but his thinking was still very clear, and said: "I'm 87 years old, it's okay to leave now, you don't have to feel sorry for the master." Wang Yang frowned again, refusing to believe that there was any return to the light, and said firmly: "No, master, you will definitely be fine!"

Old man Wu looked at his heroic face, but many phantoms of his childhood appeared in front of him, and he raised his hand weakly to touch his face, and said, "You have grown so big in the blink of an eye." Wang Yang hurriedly lowered his body and leaned over, took the old man's hand on his face, and smiled bitterly: "Well, master, I have grown up." Don't you want to see me marry Jessica, see my son, my daughter?"

Vaguely hearing her name, Jessica smiled at Old Man Wu and said in English, "Master Wu, you have to take good care of your health." Hearing that Yang seemed to be translating her words, she felt a little guilty in her heart, and quietly made up her mind that she wanted to learn Chinese.

"Hehehe!" Old man Wu suddenly laughed weakly, it turned out that people were about to die, and they would really remember a lot of things, he remembered that day, the little apprentice pestered him to learn some strong kung fu, saying that he wanted to protect a girl...... He said: "Ji Fei, is this Jessica the girl you wanted to protect when you were 9 years old? You fought every day at that time, and your eyes were swollen......

Wang Yang nodded, and Old Man Wu said seriously: "Don't fight anymore, don't go to prison anymore! And no matter who you marry in the future, your children must not forget their roots, and they should not even speak Tangshan dialect." Wang Yang, do you know?"

"Yes, yes. Wang Yang kept nodding his head again, rubbing his face against the old man's hand, and said a little choked: "Master, I know, I won't go to prison again...... I promise you everything. Seeing him sad again, Jessica couldn't help but feel sad and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Then I'll go in peace. Old man Wu said with relief, his face had gradually returned from the radiant look just now to a bleak dying color. Wang Yang's eyes turned red, and there was a sense of grief churning in his heart, is the master really leaving? Old man Wu said slowly: "I heard Xiao Yue say, you won 7 more awards tonight. ”

Wang Yang wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, nodded with a smile: "Well, master, there are many, many awards!"

Old man Wu reluctantly showed a smile again, the little guy did not disappoint him, he became an amazing person, and he also fought for them Chinese! He looked reminiscing, and said: "At that time, it was bitter, we came to Citigroup by boat, and when we came to Jinshan, we didn't have any money on us, and we were driven to Chinatown by those foreign ghosts...... What's the use of boxing well, it's useless, Wang Yang, seeing that you have this achievement now, the master has no regrets when he dies. ”

"Master......" Wang Yang's tears suddenly welled up. Old man Wu raised his strength again and rebuked: "What are you crying about! Wang Yang snorted, held back the tears in his eyes, and listened to Old Man Wu say: "The movies you are making now, the master doesn't understand very well, but Xiao Yue said that you are amazing, what kind of miracle director, you are in the newspapers and TV, and you have won those amazing awards...... The master really died without regrets, died without regrets...... You have to shoot those film and picture scenes well, and you have to fight for yourself...... When we were on the ship, we all said that Citi had to get ahead...... It was so hard at that time, you have to fight hard, make movies hard, make money and win awards......"

Listening to his incoherent words, and the pair of eyes that became cloudy and godless, Wang Yang couldn't hold back any longer, tears flowed uncontrollably, and shouted loudly: "Master, don't you go?!You live two more years, just two years!" His tears dripped down the old hand, and he choked up: "I'll show you the Oscar right away, it's the most competitive and amazing award, okay? I'll take the best director, okay? Don't go...... I'll take the best director!"

He cried out loud, grabbed the master's hand tightly, and cried: "Take a lot, a lot, and the first one the year after tomorrow, okay?" I promise! Don't go, don't you want to see me fight......

Seeing her beloved's grief-stricken appearance, Jessica's eyes were also red, and her hands pressed on his trembling shoulders, silently giving him silent comfort.

"Xiao Yang......" Old man Wu flashed a flush on his face, and called a "Xiao Yang" that he hadn't used for a long time, and he seemed to wake up again, but before Wang Yang could rejoice, he heard his incoherent words: "I have no regrets...... You became your own son, what kind of prize did you get...... Don't go to jail, you know? You remember what you said, you promised me...... When you get to Citigroup, you want to get ahead, and you have to fight for ......"

"I remember, master, I promised you......" Wang Yang kept nodding with tears in his eyes, watching the pale old man Wu slowly close his eyes, he hurriedly pulled the breathing mask back, and shouted loudly: "Help! Doctor, come quickly-" Jessica hurriedly pressed the distress button at the head of the bed, and ran outside the room for help.

※※Old Man Wu still left, maybe under the Nine Springs, maybe he went to heaven, but he left this world forever.

The whole funeral was very solemn and quiet, because the old man was already 87 years old, so his family, apprentices, and friends were not too sad, Wang Yang, who was dressed in a black suit, was very silent from beginning to end, he watched the old man Wu lie down in the coffin, looked at the coffin lid, and watched the coffin be buried...... When he splashed a shovel of soil on the top of the coffin, when he saw the tombstone with the name of Old Man Wu erected, and when he put the flowers next to the tombstone, Wang Yang knew that the master was really gone, and the stern and kind master who loved him was gone. He could no longer hear the calm voice, could not see the old face, the rebuke, the encouragement, the smile...... All of this can only be found in memories and images.

He now understands what it's like to lose someone close to him, sad, sad, lonely...... It's very unbearable, and I never want to do it again! And he has a new feeling and understanding of the story of the transformation, after the transformation of Vickers, his wife and parents, all the closest relatives did not die, but it was he who died, he lost all his relatives at once, what kind of desolation is that?

On the balcony of the hotel apartment, looking at the moon in the night sky that was missing more than half of it, Wang Yang vigorously crumpled the empty beer can in his hand into a ball, threw it to the ground, opened a bottle and poured a few sips, and suddenly heard a rebuke in his ears: "Wang Yang, those who practice martial arts must not indulge in lust, but cherish their bodies!" He couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly, put the beer on the table next to him, and said to himself: "Old ghost Wu, be satisfied." ”

Just as he was silently distracted again, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated with a whining, and he reached out to take a look, Natalie Portman...... He half-reclined on a wicker chair, answered it, and said calmly, "Hello, Natalie." ”

"Jan, good evening. Natalie's voice was soft, not at all in her usual style, and she said sincerely, "I'm sorry for your master's death, I'm sorry." It's a very sad thing, but don't make yourself too sad, okay?" Wang Yang shrugged his lips and said to his phone: "It's nothing, I'm fine." My master is 87 years old, he is happily leaving, it's nothing, I'm fine. ”

Natalie then chuckled softly, "Well, I'm relieved when you say that, I know you're strong." Wang Yang smiled when he heard this, and said lightly: "Natalie, you are really not used to talking to me in such a tone. Natalie over there snorted, and then both of them fell silent, naturally not in the mood to make any jokes.

After a while, just as Wang Yang was about to say, "That's it", Natalie suddenly said: "By the way, Yang, maybe I shouldn't mention it, but today...... Well, it's my birthday. ”

Wang Yang was stunned for a moment, is it her birthday? Then he remembered it, it seemed that today was indeed her 20th birthday, and she had invited him to New York to her celebration party a few days ago, and it was best not to bring Jessica...... As a result, the master left. He sighed and shook his head, the 20th birthdays of his two girls who liked him were not good memories.

With a faint smile on his face, he blessed, "Well, Natalie, happy birthday." "He's not happy at the moment, anyway. Natalie over there snorted again and said, "Dude, I'll save your words first, and then when you recover, I'll take it out and use it." Otherwise, it's a waste now, and your voice can't make me happy. ”

Wang Yang didn't disguise his mood anymore, and said in a calm tone: "Well, let's save it first!" Natalie said: "Okay, brother, then good night!" Wang Yang said good night, then ended the call, looked at the distant moon, and remembered the words of Old Man Wu before he died, and the promise he made himself, he would not go to prison again, he wanted to fight.

As for winning the most amazing and competitive Oscar for Best Director two years later? Is this one of his promises? Wang Yang blinked, he promised his master, then try his best to do it! We must do our best in "District 9...... We have to do 200 or 300 percent well!

Of course, whether he had promised his master or not, he would have done it, always.

And the Oscars, no matter which award has both on-field and off-field factors, but first of all, you have to have a good, convincing enough film, which is a ticket. When "District 9" can make the audience and media critics give a thumbs up, everyone says "if it doesn't enter the Oscars, it will be a shame for the United States", so that he will have a ticket to the Oscar and a chance to fulfill his promise.

But even if you get the ticket, it's obviously very difficult to win the award, because whether it's the sci-fi genre of "District 9", the R-rated cult film style, or his age, skin color, and seniority, add it all up, and then let those old guys from the academy award him the "Oscar for Best Director"?

"Haha!" Wang Yang shook his head with a smile, telling himself not to think about these possibilities or impossibilities, it was stupid to think about this, what he had to do now was to shoot the story he wanted to shoot well! He smiled and shouted into the night sky, "Hey, master, although you didn't stay, I'll show you! in two years!okay!?"

At this time, Jessica, who had just finished taking a shower and was wearing a set of pajamas, walked out, she kissed him on the cheek, sat down on the rattan chair next to her, and asked, "Yang, what were you talking about just now?" Wang Yang laughed and said, "Some stupid words." He turned his head to look at her face, and suddenly said with great interest, "Jessica, let me tell you some interesting stories about my master, huh...... I was 10 years old......"

Jessica smiled sweetly as she watched him regain her energy and listen quietly to the story he told.

(To be continued)