#Shanghai Tomorrow City

[newsjet]

Shenzhen China Wins “World Smart City Awards - City Award”, Enabling Service Requests to Be as Transparent and Trackable as Online Shopping

BARCELONA, SPAIN (ARAB NEWSWIRE) — On November 6, Central European Time, at the 2024 Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) held in Barcelona, Shenzhen stood out from 429 candidate cities from 64 countries and regions to win the World Smart City Awards, demonstrating China’s extraordinary strength and potential in building smart cities. Centered on the theme of “building a new smart city…

[ofmdrecaps]

09/06-07/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Ruibo Qian; Vico Ortiz; Kristian Nairn; Anapela Polataivao; Erroll Shand; Andrew DeYoung; Kay Buchanen; RoseCityComicCon OFMD Panel; Tell Tale Voting Reminder; Another Call To Action; Help Matt Maher go to ECCC!; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Today's Taika;

Hey Crew, I'm working on reaching out to folks to get permission to post more Rose City Comic Con pictures! Hope to have more up tomorrow.

== David Jenkins ==

David and Kinga got married! So happy for you Chaos Dad!

Source: David and Kinga's Instagram

== Rhys Darby ==

SO MUCH RHYS today! He was out doing comedy at Largo LA!

Source: LargoLosAngelos More Comedy with Rhys, 9/10/24 at 8 PM in LA! Learn more!

Guess who's substack is up!?

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

The Toronto International Film Festival is on! Indigenous.tv is reminding you to keep an eye out for Taika!

Source: Indigenous TV

== Ruibo Qian ==

Ruibo is in Shanghai!

Source: Ruibo Qian's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico and Ane are cosplaying Crowley and Aziraphale at Rose City Comic Con!

Vico will also be part of the Drag Pac's Youth Town Hall on Sept 14, 2024 at the Plaza De La Raza LA! Wanna check it out? Visit their site!

Source: Vico's Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

Kristian Djing "Hold the Decks" for us!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristian Nairn (@kristiannairn)

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

== Anapela Polataivao ==

Our beloved Auntie's movie TINĀ (MOTHER) will be premiering at the Hawaii Film Festival this year in October!

"HIFF44 opens at the Consolidated Theatres Kahala with the World Premiere and directorial feature debut of Miki Magasiva’s nuanced drama from New Zealand/Aotearoa. Samoan actor Anapela Polata’ivao (ONE THOUSAND ROPES, OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, SHORTLAND STREET) portrays Mareta, a well-respected and gifted vocal coach in her community, who finds herself at a crossroads, needing to find work after the tragic death of her daughter, a death she is still processing. Mareta goes out of her comfort zone to become a substitute teacher at an elite, all-white private school and forms a choir that begins her healing as a matriarch and caregiver. Director Miki Magasiva and actress Anapela Polata’ivao are scheduled to attend HIFF44 Opening Night."

New Zealand/Aotearoa 2024 | English, Samoan w/English Subtitles | 124M

Source: HIFF Instagram and Website

== Erroll Shand ==

Everyone's sending love to Erroll for his role in The Twelve! Really hoping it'll be available outside of NZ soon!

Source: Jodie Rimmer Instagram

== Andrew Deyoung ==

One of our writers had their new movie premiered at the TIFF!

Source: FilmAndy Instagram

== Kay Buchanan ==

Our fabulous leather worker-- Kay Buchanan has a new movie coming out that she worked on props for! Grafted, a AoNZ horror film will be released in AoNZ on Sept 12! Check out the trailer on her IG!

Source: Kay Buchanan's Instagram

== Rose City Comic Con ==

Our crewmates over at @adoptourcrew were kind enough to share updates from the Cast Panel at Rose City ComicCon this weekend! If you have twitter, you can check it out over at Adopt Our Crew Thread. If not, you can see them below!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Tell Tale Voting Reminders! ==

Only a few more days to vote for Stede and Ed in Tell Tale TV's Battle of the Ships! Please vote here when you get a chance!

Source: Tell Tale TV's Instagram

== Another Call to Action! ==

Sounds like there's going to be another anniversary trailer happening on 09/15! Several crewmates are asking to QRT David's Tweet here with the text "Because The Night Belongs To Lovers #OurFlagMeansDeath" and something a little extra to help keep from being flagged as spam! Let's get ofmd trending again that day!

Source: Lucy's Twitter

== Help Matt Maher go to ECCC! ==

Looks like a few of our crewmates talked to Matthew Maher (Black Pete) and he really wants to go to Seattle! Let's help him get to Emerald City Comic Con, if you have a moment, please put in a request to have him as a guest at their next con! Thank you to Mira (@/havethisonelife on twitter) and @/Callousnstrange for trying to help Matt!

Source: CallousnStrange / Mira (HaveThisOneLife)

== Fan Spotlight ==

= The Gay Pirate News Hour =

The inaugural episode of Gay Pirate News Hour is out now covering a month's worth of OFMD fandom news and speculation including David Jenkins getting married, Rose City Comic Con, and reasons to clown about season 3. GPNH will be live on youtube once a month!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram/Youtube

== Loves Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! I've been sitting with my Dad in the hospital for a few days, and it's given me a lot to think about. Today especially was particularly hard, and I wanted to send out a couple reminders I think are important.

It's okay to be scared. Things don't always go as we plan, and scary things DO happen, and you are absolutely valid in feeling fear in the unknown.

It's okay to ask for help. Sometimes, even if you are the proudest person in the entire world, you need help, and it's okay to ask for that help. Even if you're estranged, or have difficult relationships, ask for help, the worst that can happen is someone says no. Better to know for sure then not ask.

You're absolutely wonderful lovelies. You. When you're scared, when you're happy, when you're sad, you're beautiful, and you're wonderful, and you deserve love and help just like anyone else. Please ask for it if you need it <3 Rest well, I'm rooting for you.

Source: MichellCClark Instagram

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Today's theme is hair, gifs courtesy of these wonderful folks, @piratesleeves and @unaragazzadelnord

[nutty1005]

3 Xiao Zhan.

Original Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7YZimnoaGOkx-vTeiPyckg Original Author: 智族GQ Translator’s note: The article will be published in the February 2024 Issue of GQ

Xiao Zhan: Clear goals, accepting results

01 Relaxation

The studio was by the Huangpu River in Shanghai, Xiao Zhan was wrapped in a black down jacket, he had took off his shoes, and sat cross-legged on the corner of the sofa, looking very relaxed. The filming came to an end for the time being. Although he had been working continuously for more than 7 hours, there was no trace of fatigue on his face.

This is a face that attracts attention all the time. A few months ago, the studio released a Xiao Zhan’s birthday photoshoot, and keen-eyed netizens immediately noticed that his face had “became rounder”. In order to play the character of Guo Jing in the movie “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero”, which was directed by Tsui Hark, Xiao Zhan gained weight before joining the group, his cheeks were no longer so thin and his figure was obviously more buff. In the photographs, he had a stubble and the vicissitudes of life were slightly visible on him.

Strictly speaking, “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero” was Xiao Zhan’s second movie. There were many previous classic versions of Guo Jing’s character, and the pressure on him was obviously visible.

On the day of the cover shoot for “GQ”, Xiao Zhan got up very early to go for a run. He could not help but think, my God, I am going to lose muscle mass again after sweating so much. He debated whether to continue, and finally decided to run for 30 minutes. When the time came, he remembered that body fat would start burning after 30 minutes, so he ran for an additional 10 minutes.

Brown suit jacket, vest, trousers, horse buckle loafers, all Gucci

All of these is for work. “Actually, I don’t want to run. Running will lose muscles mass, but I have to run to reduce swelling.” After the filming, he planned to do weights training no matter how late it was. An actor’s self-discipline is to be always ready to shape his image for the character, but he must also strictly control his diet and manage his body shape. Xiao Zhan regards both as professional standards and expects himself to do so

Before meeting, I thought Xiao Zhan would be very cautious about interviews. To my surprise, Xiao Zhan had a rare sense of relaxation, answered all questions, and was even humorous. When mentioning that actors should observe characters in life, he commented on the sitting postures of several people present; when asked what things he did not expect after joining the industry, his answer was that he could not eat whatever he wanted like his high school classmates.

The interview lasted for almost two hours, I became curious about what kind of experience it had been for Xiao Zhan, who had been under immense attention in the past few years. Xiao Zhan said instead that he had forgotten this matter frequently and it did not cause him a lot of trouble in life, the most “cruel” thing might have been “being unable eat as much as you want”.

“I will still sneak out to ride my bike, take a walk, and do a City Walk. There was only one time when I was recognized after walking in a alley for 5 minutes. I also mingled into the cinema and watched a movie. No one will care about you, really. After leaving the Internet, many things will be solved easily. Sometimes it seems like what is before our eyes is the world, this is a misunderstanding, but yet we cannot avoid this misunderstanding, so there is no way around it.”

There were so many things he especially wanted to do, such as taking the subway and going shopping. “I will really squeeze onto the subway, perhaps tomorrow, it’s so normal, I used to take the subway every day.” For Xiao Zhan, this was the life he really wanted. The voices of social media no longer bothered him, “After all these years, can I still live if I’m still bothered? (laughs) It’s really just fine.”

At this stage, Xiao Zhan is very satisfied with his living situation. “I have a job, a life of my own, and an audience that likes me. I have nothing to be dissatisfied with.”

Denim jacket with GG print details, trousers, and horse buckle loafers, all from Gucci

02 Becoming an Actor

To a certain extent, Xiao Zhan’s sense of relaxation stems from his increasingly clear goals. The voices from the external world no longer bothered him, he is clear about what he wants and what he do not want. Now, he is doing more subtraction for himself. In the past two years, he had rarely appeared in variety shows, taking the career of actor as his most important goal at this moment.

In 2023, 3 television dramas starring Xiao Zhan broadcasted, and each character was a challenge for Xiao Zhan. During the interview, Xiao Zhan said many times that he was “under a lot of pressure”, and he said this almost every time when reviewing every stage. But his tone was light, without the heaviness of complaints, more like a post analysis and summary, the reasons were often specific and objective: the first time he came into contact with performing without props, the first time he took on the leading role alone, the first time he acted in an modern drama…

“Where Dreams Begin / The Youth Memories” was a script that Xiao Zhan particularly liked. He liked stories about that generation very much, as a child he watched some television dramas such as “Once Upon a Time in Beijing” and “Happiness as Flowers”. When he mentioned the 1970s and 1980s, he felt that it was sunny and bright, it was colorful. Many people said that Xiao Chunsheng was a perfect character, but to Xiao Zhan that happened to be his greatest flaw, he thought this character was very interesting and wanted to give it a try. Xiao Chunsheng was a young man from Beijing, hence how to express the character’s imposing manner and speak authentic Beijing dialect was a big challenge for Xiao Zhan, who had lived in Chongqing since childhood.

Denim jacket with GG print details, trousers, and horse buckle loafers, all from Gucci

The Shi Ying character in “The Longest Promise” was aloof, because he did not want to let down everyone’s expectations for his ancient costume appearance, Xiao Zhan tried his best to lose weight before joining the group. “‘The Longest Promise’ was a script I got in 2020. It had the most complete character and most delicate emotions from the scripts I could choose from, it was also very logical and self-consistent, it was my best choice.”

“Sunshine By My Side” was a script that Xiao Zhan has been exposed to for the longest time, starting from the end of 2019. Although Sheng Yang in “Sunshine By My Side” closely overlapped with Xiao Zhan’s pre-debut career, but for him to move his life as a designer to the screen and act in a natural and convincing manner, he did not have confidence. “Modern dramas and life dramas are really unfamiliar fields.” Initially, he was too eager to finish his lines and memorized them completely, but when he said them, it made people think that no one in real life would speak like this, later on he discovered where to break the lines and which words to emphasize in modern dramas, and the logic was actually very strong.

In the past few years, he had acted as a soldier, a doctor, a designer, and a Beijing youth. There were no special considerations, and they all happened naturally. He rarely acted in recurring roles. But when choosing a script, Xiao Zhan would not deliberately avoid themes that he had acted in before, instead he will just put himself in the audience’s perspective to feel whether he could be moved by it.

In 2021, Xiao Zhan starred in the theater play “A Dream Like a Dream”, playing the role of Patient No. 5. On the day of the premiere, many topics related to theater appeared on Weibo hot searches, becoming a phenomenon-level event in the theater circle.

Silver sequin embellished suit ERL, black wide-leg trousers Heliot Emil, black deconstructed embellished shorts Egonlab

Silver sequin embellished suit ERL, black wide-leg trousers Heliot Emil, black deconstructed embellished shorts Egonlab

On acting in “A Dream Like A Dream”, Xiao Zhan hesitated for a long time. There are many reasons for his hesitation: he was from Chongqing, he was not from a professional background, there is no NG in theater plays, it would last for 8 hours, “Dream Like a Dream” was also very famous, and there had been many classic versions of Patient No. 5 prior. But after reading the script, Xiao Zhan felt that he must perform in it.

Theater play is a very pure thing. Dozens or even hundreds of people gather in a space to tell a story, this is an experience that film and television cannot bring, hence Xiao Zhan yearns for it. He began to maniacally memorize his lines, and enclosed himself in Tangshan to rehearse intensively with the entire group for more than a month, grinding out one scene after another.

“I was very nervous for the first performance. I am still nervous now when I think about it. When Gu Xianglan rang the bell, I shuddered.” The instant the light hit him, Xiao Zhan felt that everything had stopped, he could not see the expressions of the audience under the stage and there was only white left in front of him.

Xiao Zhan adjusted his breathing and began to speak his lines. The director said that the actors in the opening scene controlled the rhythm of the entire story, so every time he said that line, Xiao Zhan was most nervous. As he spoke, he would gradually forget about his nervousness, and after he was done speaking, he would let out a long sigh of relief, and think, ah, it has finally ended.

Once, towards the end of the first half of the performance, Patient No. 5 went on stage to find Gu Xianglan with a painting and an address, and had a long monologue. Walking to the middle of the stage, Xiao Zhan’s mind suddenly stumbled. He could not remember the beginning of the next line. After hesitating for about 1.5 seconds, he chose to skip that word and continued. The audience should not be able to tell the difference, he thought. He could not remember that word even until the end of the performance.

“I couldn’t remember it even when I got to the lounge, so I flipped over the script to take a look, so it was this word.”

“Which word?”

“A very common word, for example, pure drinking water, I was thinking what kind of drinking water? Distilled water? Tap water? Boiled water? I just couldn’t remember it.” Xiao Zhan replied.

Brown vest, trousers both Gucci

Acting is a domain with very profound knowledge. Xiao Zhan said: “I have only scratched the surface so far.” When filming “Sunshine By My Side”, the co-actors were all experienced actors, and in terms of acting skills, Xiao Zhan was still very immature, tended to be over forceful and left traces of performance marks. He told himself to “be less pretentious”, feel everything the other party throws at him with his heart, and respond honestly.

Xiao Zhan once expressed that he had difficulty understanding many characters due to his limited life experience. He had discussed this issue with his seniors, “Everyone has two opinions. Some people will say that of course you have to go through it, without experience, you don’t have a image, how can you portray it? All that you act is fake. Also, there is a voice saying that everything can be resolved by technique.”

Xiao Zhan’s own answer is, “Act more and be exposed to all types of genres” and “cooperate with more good teams, actors and directors.”

“To be honest, what I can do now is to act what my thoughts can reach, it is really difficult for me to act something that I have no concept of at all. Maybe in the future, through a work or cooperation with more good directors and actors, my confusion can be solved. I look forward to this day coming soon.“

Black deconstructed long leather jacket Juun J Black printed shirt Egonlab Black jumpsuit Zickness Savoy clothing bag Gucci

03 Decluttering

Relaxation is a side of Xiao Zhan, he can balance some of the pressure, but there is a part of it that is difficult for him to resolve. Xiao Zhan does not sleep well. “It’s very difficult for me to fall asleep, and I sleep very lightly, there will be situations where I don’t feel rested after sleeping, which affects my state the next day.” This would happen especially when he just joined the drama group and would be in a state of high nervousness, he would often dream about filming on set, but the filming did not go well.

When he would go to different cities, Xiao Zhan would bring the same type of pillows and quilts. “I will bring anything that can help me sleep well.” He had also tried aromatherapy lamps, lavender essential oil, various products that could make him fall asleep when applied on his body, medicinal spray on the pillow that could make people fall asleep, melatonin and meditation music. In the end, he found that the best things that made him sleep well were sleep masks, earplugs, and not looking at his phone, “because I know that once I look at it, I won’t sleep, then I might as well get up.”

Not long ago, Xiao Zhan found an old book “Decluttering” at home. That was recommended to him by his ex-company boss when he was working as a designer. The concept of organizing life described in the book made Xiao Zhan start to rethink what he wanted and what he should give up.

Xiao Zhan has a particularly obstinate side to his character, “If it’s something I insist on and I think that is right, it will be difficult to convince me.” For example, when he decided to be an actor, he did not want to do anything outside of being an actor, “You come and force me, then let’s debate. No one is right or wrong, the team is also doing this for your own good, since isn’t it a good thing to have a lot of work? But for me, I have to subtract because some things are really not what I want.”

Black deconstructed long leather jacket Juun J Black printed shirt Egonlab Black jumpsuit Zickness Savoy clothing bag Gucci

Xiao Zhan’s acting experience began with a story about “an older commoner chasing dreams in the entertainment industry”. He participated in the talent show at the age of 24, learned dance from scratch, debuted as a boy band, acted in online dramas, played supporting roles in theater movies, until 2019 when he became popular, Xiao Zhan also became a star that attracted attention.

When you decide to do something, you must try your best to do it well. This was what Xiao Zhan has been taught since childhood, when he was in junior high school, his family bought him a mobile phone. When he first started texting, he often used spaces to replace punctuation marks, his father then said to him sternly, “What about the punctuation marks? Why is there no period at the end of the sentence?” From that time on, Xiao Zhan was very concerned about punctuation marks.

Xiao Zhan had been competitive since he was a child, and he was not willing to miss any opportunity when it came to things he could control. When he was taking the bus to school, he would worry about the person on the bus who was asleep and would missed the stop.

For things that he could not control, he would remind himself not to force them and learn to accept them. Until then, do what he could.

When asked which drama Xiao Zhan obtained with his own hard work, Xiao Zhan’s answer was surprising. He said: “Every one.” Before becoming famous, he auditioned for many dramas, and also experienced being replaced after entering the final round of auditions and even trialed the drama in costume. Now, of course, scripts would be handed over, but Xiao Zhan would always tell himself that people only had intentions and could hand them over to many people at the same time. If he found one he really liked, he would take the initiative to meet with the director to explain his understanding of the character.

Black printed shirt Egonlab Black jumpsuit Zickness

Xiao Zhan believes that it is important to have a correct attitude

Xiao Zhan’s growing up environment was no different from that of many born in the 1990s. Mother and father would go to work, grandmother would cook at home, and he would go to and from school every day. If he did not do well in the exam, he would be beaten. After dinner at 6:30 every night, the children would ask him downstairs to play hide-and-seek, wooden figurines, and throw sandbags, as he talked about these, he was very happy. These ordinary little things seemed so precious now. Xiao Zhan said that he was very grateful for the first 23 years of his life before his dream adventure in the entertainment industry. “I cherish it very much, I think it is good.”

He thought that if he had not entered the entertainment industry, he would have lived a life like his classmates and friends, accompanying clients for meals every day, going home and staying up late to catch up on designs.

“Being seen” is a happy thing. No matter how busy he was at work, Xiao Zhan never complained, “If you have a job, then work hard.” “While filming “The Oath of Love”, he was also recording the variety show “Our Song”. During the intervals while waiting for scenes, he would hum softly with his earphones on. The other actors would come over curiously, and Xiao Zhan would smiled sheepishly, explaining that he was practicing the song he was going to sing in the evening. “I don’t have time, I really don’t have time.” At that time, work occupied almost all of his life.

Xiao Zhan rarely takes the initiative to give himself a holiday. “It’s not realistic,” he said flatly. When he was most tired, he could fall asleep just sitting on the set.

This year, Xiao Zhan had a sense of urgency regarding “acting inexperience”, “compared with some seniors, they have already acted in many works in their thirties.” Xiao Zhan knows very clearly that his acting could not improve in leaps and bounds just from one drama, “this might be hard for it to happen to me.”

He once thought about whether to be an actor with a personal style or an actor that the audience would like after watching it. His answer was the latter, “everyone may not be your fan, or even not particularly interested in you, but when you know that he has a drama on and you might want to watch it because his dramas are pretty good. I want to do that, that’s my current goal. Whether or not I can become the level of the actors I like is a long way to go, take it slowly.”

“Making more dramas and cooperating with more good teams, this is just the one goal at the moment, I won’t consider other things for the time being.” Xiao Zhan said.

Black printed shirt Egonlab Black jumpsuit Zickness

Q&A About Acting

GQ: When did it become clear that you wanted to be an actor? Xiao Zhan: When the public started paying more and more attention to me, I wanted to say, why can’t I do it? I think I can. Sometimes I waver and feel it’s so difficult. Why can’t I do it? For example, when it comes to lines, why are they just not good? Why can’t I speak as well as the others? Is it because I’m from the South? I don’t think so. Then I think, so how can I speak well? I can do it, give it a try.

GQ: In your opinion, what are the professional standards for actors? Xiao Zhan: First of all, having excellent professional skills is an unavoidable topic. You can have a non-professional background, but you must have excellent professional skills. This is what I want to do and what I’m currently doing. I feel like I’m not enough, too far behind. After having excellent professional skills, attitude is very important and whether you love it or not is also very important. If you only view it as a job, you may not be able to go very far. But if you really love it, you will cry for it and laugh for it. This may be the motivation for you to persist. Also having a strong body (laughs), I used to not feel tired when I was in my twenties, but now I will feel very tired after staying up late. This is a terrible thing, it is important to have a strong body, this is your foundation.

GQ: When acting in which character or drama did you feel recognition for? Xiao Zhan: At the beginning, when I was working on “The Wolf”, I was under a lot of pressure, the acting teacher would give me a lot of advice and guidance, and I would constantly subvert my acting method every day, it was a period of confusion. After you got over it, you would find that you have grown, and when you started acting again later, you would gradually find a little bit of feeling, and then you would get over it step by step, this was a cumulative process. I feel that I have too little acting experience. Compared with some of the seniors, who have accumulated many works in their thirties, my current works are still too few and I have not accumulated enough.

Black printed shirt Egonlab Black jumpsuit Zickness

Black printed shirt Egonlab Black jumpsuit Zickness

GQ: Do you feel worried? Xiao Zhan: Yes. Because I think (improving acting skills) is a cumulative process. You can’t take a big step with just one movie. This is hard for that to happen to me, so I have to keep filming, and to keep filming good dramas, don’t waste yourself

GQ: The 3 dramas broadcasted in 2023 stretched from ancient costume to era dramas and urban dramas, what were the considerations? Xiao Zhan: Actually, there were no considerations, it just happened naturally, there were no deliberate avoidance of themes I had acted in before, it’s just (selection) by reading the script. When the scripts were handed to me at that time, I felt attracted to a certain script at the moment, so I chose it, it just happened to be a theme that I had never acted in before.

GQ: Do you feel tired from acting in ancient costume dramas all the time? Xiao Zhan: There are many types of ancient costume dramas, don’t have to separate them into ancient costume dramas and modern dramas, it’s nothing more than sticking on a wig and changing clothes, actually the core is the same, but the outer shell is different.

GQ: Once the drama you filmed airs, will you follow it? Xiao Zhan: I won’t follow them, but I will watch them, I will choose the big scenes that I care about and watch them, counts as me looking for problems for myself.

GQ: Will you watch with the scrolling comments? Xiao Zhan: I used to do it really, and I felt very entertained, laughing and joking with everyone, but now I won’t do it.

White backless suit with fringe Jacquemus

GQ: What kind of character do you want to play now? Xiao Zhan: If I could choose, the best would be the ones I haven’t tried before. I need freshness. If I ask you to do the same thing every day, you will be bored.

GQ: What kind of actor do you want to be? Xiao Zhan: I want to be an actor that the audience can like.

GQ: Have you not already done this to make people like you? Xiao Zhan: No, no, I think it’s far from enough. I once thought about whether to be an actor with a personal style or to be an actor that the audience likes just by looking at you. Currently I want to be an actor who makes the audience feel good. Everyone may not be your fan, or even not particularly interested in you, but when you know that he has a drama on and you might want to watch it because his dramas are pretty good. I want to do that, that’s my current goal. Whether or not I can become the level of the actors I like is a long way to go, take it slowly.

GQ: Who are your favorite actors? Xiao Zhan: Many, for example Zhou Xun has always been my favorite actress. I recently watched her movie (“Across the Furious Sea”) and it was really great.

GQ: What are your career plans in 2024? Xiao Zhan: Making more dramas and cooperating with more good teams, this is just the one goal at the moment, I won’t consider other things for the time being.

White backless suit with fringe Jacquemus

Q&A About Life

GQ: Do voices on social media bother you? Xiao Zhan: It doesn’t bother me. After all these years, can I still live if I’m still bothered? (laughs) It’s really just fine. It’s fine as long as I am clear about what I am doing. Every time you make a choice, you must clearly know what you are doing, what you have to give up, and what you have to do. So, it’s fine, maybe the team has more troubles.

GQ: Is your personal life unaffected? Xiao Zhan: Very normal! I can go out for a bike ride and a stroll. When you’re walking down the street, no one really cares about you. It’s really not what everyone imagines. Then I walked around freely.

GQ: Are those escape moments for you? Xiao Zhan: Moments of relaxation. Why do I need to escape? I am also in the third dimension, where should I escape to, this is my life, I am the same as everyone. There are many things I particularly want to do, such as squeezing onto the subway and shopping in shopping malls, which are very similar to when I was in school, and maybe I will do them in the future.

GQ: Do you miss the ordinary life very much? Xiao Zhan: It’s not that I miss it, it’s that I think I should do it, this is living. I will really take squeeze into the subway, perhaps tomorrow, it’s so normal, I used to take the subway every day. To me, there’s nothing I can’t do, so what if you discover me? Say hello and leave. It’s just that I don’t want to cause confusion, trouble, or bad reactions to everyone.

White backless suit with fringe Jacquemus

Q&A About Personality

GQ: You haven’t appeared on variety shows in recent years. Is this a conscious choice? Xiao Zhan: Because it’s not suitable, with my personality, being in a variety show is too tiring, I would want to take care of everyone’s feelings, which would make myself very tired. Since I know that it would be this result, then I might as well don’t do it.

GQ: What was your original intention in entering the entertainment industry? Xiao Zhan: I really broke in mysteriously with confusion. The talent shows I used to watch would interview the top contestants, how did you get to this point? The contestant would say that I accompanied my friend to participate in the selection, but my friend failed and I was selected. When I was a child, I thought these things were far away from me, but when it came to myself, it’s really like this, and I think it’s amazing. I entered the idol competition, then I got here and that’s it. Very amazing, life is very interesting.

GQ: What things have you not thought of before after joining the industry? Xiao Zhan: It is a very cruel thing to not be able to to eat freely. When I see my former high school classmates who already have children and have put on some weight, I will sigh, I also want to eat freely like this. Their living status makes me feel that if I had not chosen this path at that time, maybe we would all be the same, we have to socialize and stay up late to catch up on designs, you don’t know how tiring it is to do design, but life is like this and there is no other way.

Dark red blazer Gucci

GQ: How has choosing this path changed you? Xiao Zhan: Maybe I lack a lot of life experiences, in this regard, my classmates and friends are far better than me. They have experienced real things. There are no cameras facing you, no lights, you are living your own real life.

GQ: Are you an emotionally stable person? Xiao Zhan: Comparatively, more, stable. But once it hits some points, I will become very unstable.

GQ: For example? Xiao Zhan: Just… some things that cannot be said, haha. Maybe when something incredulous happens, you will think, what are you doing, or, when something happens that normal people would not do, I will become very angry. Maybe it’s some privacy issue, if this point is breached, I will go “berserk”. Everyone has their own boundaries, and some people have no sense of proportion, I will just stay away from these kind of people. But when the boundaries are broken again and again and the bottom line is touched, I will get very angry.

Dark red suit jacket and trousers both Gucci

GQ: You once said that you have a particularly tenacious side to your personality. What do you mean specifically? Xiao Zhan: Principles, I am a very obstinate person, if it’s something I insist on and I think that is right, it will be difficult to convince me. For example, if I want to be an actor and I don’t want to do anything other than being an actor, if you come and force me, then let’s debate. No one is right or wrong, the team is also doing this for your own good, since isn’t it a good thing to have a lot of work? But for me, I have to subtract because some things are really not what I want.

GQ: Do you have a perfectionist side? Xiao Zhan: I just want to do it well, and do my best in the current moment. Maybe the result is not good, but what can I do, this is all I can do.

GQ: Can you accept failure? Xiao Zhan: I can accept. I might not have been able to accept it a few years ago, but 32-year-old Xiao Zhan has learned to accept this (laughs).

White backless suit with fringe, white leather loafers, both Jacquemus Black suit trousers Bianca Saunders

[toulousewayne]

Beyond the Bat: Pt I 🦇

So I read a story a couple of months ago. It was about Terry McGinnis searching for and bringing all that Batboys (Ex:Dick,Jason,Tim, and Damian) back to the manor as an aging Bruce Wayne begins to die. I liked the story and premise of it. It made be think of stuff I wrote a long time ago and maybe I could write something similar but different. Especially with a reader instead of Terry. So let me know what you think. ;)

Batfamily x batsis!reader

Synopsis: Three years since Bruce’s disappearance, and with all of Batman’s former Robins gone, Gotham is under protection of the Batwoman, but she will need help to take on one of Gotham biggest Civil Wars ever.

—————

A seasoned and experienced Vickie Vale comes on the screen of a television. “It’s been three years since the mysterious disappearance of Billionaire-Philanthropist Bruce Wayne, Wayne was on a flight to Shanghai for a business trip when the flight was thrown off course. Still to this day the flight, crew or Mr. Wayne have been seen. Wayne Enterprise Chairman Lucius Fox released a statement.”

—

“Today marks three years since Mr. Wayne disappearance. I-I was originally supposed to born the plane but Bruce…he felt that he needed to go instead.” He swallows,” After consulting with authorities and with permission from the Wayne Estate I come before you to declare Bruce Wayne as dead. Normally this is something done after seven years,but the family has asked for this closure. We respect their wishes. No further common.” He leaves as several reports and journals ask question after question.

——

Vickie returns, “This was from the press conference earlier today. A private memorial service will be held for Wayne early next week. We from the GCN family as well as Gotham Thank you for your contribution Mr.Wayne and may you find peace wherever you are. I’m Vickie Vale and have a good night.��

————

Gotham City was a sea of old rotten gothic buildings and shiny overgrown skyscrapers. Gotham had been the early stages of becoming more a city of tomorrow. Though the plans had fallen without Bruce. Most of north Gotham was now being rebuilt and renovated, the lights of the older city still shinned just a light more dim due to the new LED light that consumed the night.

Sirens filled the night and busy traffic and honking on every corner. Three squad cars fly down the road chasing after two armed trucks.

Gunfire rings the night and civilian duck away from the street.

“Pull over! This is GCPD!” The cars race onto the bridge and barrel pass cars causing some minor accidents in its wake.

“Lenny,should we stop?” A rookie driver swerves from running into a gas truck. The goon beside him pulls off his skii mask and takes an assault rifle.

“And risk getting thrown into a cell, I’d rather die than let the boss know we got caught, keep drivin.”

Lenny takes the gun and starts firing towards the squad cars. Taking out of the tires causing it to crash into a three car accident.

“Pigs, still too slow for Rupert Throne men.” The car speeds up and then faint sound a ringing as the goons look at each other.

“Did you hear that?” The car jerks as they’re rammed into. “The fuck?”

The turn to see the Batmobile flying towards them.

“It’s the fucking Bat!” The driver floors the gas and takes the exit into East Gotham. The take a sharp turn and rush down the road.

The Batmobile rams into the truck again and the driver runs over a bus stop and light rail.

“Do something!” He shouts. Lenny takes the gun and fires at the car. The bullets fly off the car without a scratch.

“Shit.” The car speeds besides them and slide swipe the truck. It barrels over the Batmobile and crashes into a store front. The goons groan. Lenny takes a pistol and leans out the window.

The Batmobile is parked on the other side of the room but it’s not moving.

“Where’d he gooooooo-“ he fires the gun as he yanked from the window and the sound of punches and grunts are heard. The lanky drive makes a run for it but only get five feet before his foot his tied and he pulled across the ground and pulled up toward the truck.

“Help!!”

The figure leaps down and towers over him. It draws closure until the grab him by the shirt.

“Where’s Throne?” A gruff female voice snarls.

“Look-lady I don’t know.” He punched in the stomach.

“I won’t ask twice.” She grips him tighter.

“He fled this morning, we were supposed to take this stuff to the docks and that’s it I swear.” He cries.

Batwoman grins, “That was so hard was it.” And she punches him in the face knocking him out cold.

Squad cars and a transport truck arrive seconds later. Another black Police van arrives and Commissioner Barbara Gordon wheels her way to the scene.

“Another one of Throne men?” The older woman pushes her glass up. She huffs, “Any word on where he went?”

“He’s left this morning, knowing him he told his men one place and went in the complete opposite direction.” Batwoman holds a phone out and hands it to the Commissioner.

“You think he’d left something at his mansion, he’s not a sharp as he used to be. He’s getting sloppy with his trails.” She turns in her chair as Batwoman hoped into his car.

“I’ll find out.” The car raced down the street towards the outskirts of the city.

“Alfred.” Alfred appears on the screen. He’s more weather and more grey than normal but the older man is still able to assist anyway he can.

“I see you have stopped the stolen goods from reaching the Harbour, I take it as that will conclude your night?”

“Not likely, Rupert Throne’s men said he fled town this morning, any activity on his bank accounts, or the offshore ones?”

“You’d think a man of his age would learn to stop his shenanigans,but I digress. Three days ago $100,000 was withdrawn from his checking account. Nothing sense.”

Batwoman nods, “I’m heading to his house, Barbara thinks he’s getting sloppy and I agree.”

“Very well ma’am,I will be here if you need anything.”

——-

Batwoman drops down in front of the doors to the office and pushes it open. She swiftly moves inside and feels the air is stiff.

She scans the room and sees that it looks slightly messy. Papers scattered around the room and desk, the fire is long gone and it’s cold. The chairs at pushed to the ground and safe is wide open. She glides to it and scans it.

“His finger prints are recent. At least..three days old.” The glances into the safe to find it empty.

She worlds around the find the door toward the hallway ajar. She ventures into the dim hallway. She turns a corner and is shocked at the scene before her.

“Agent A, I’m sending live footage to the Batcomputer.”

“My word, it’s a massacre.” The hallway is full of Throne’s men dead, blood, painting the marble tiles and splattered across the walls.

“Who could have done such butchery?” Alfred asks. Batwoman check the body of one of the men.

Batwoman stands up,” judging by the smell of decomposing and state of the bodies the time of death was 72 hours ago.” She passed by the remaining bodies until she comes to two large wooden doors with blood splattered and a dagger embedded in it. She pushes it and across the room his the master bed with Rupert Throne’s body.

“That smell, he’s been here for just as long.”

“Dear Lord, and no one knew.”

She scans his body and finds a large gash in his chest.

“He was stabbed with a sword.” She scans his hand and find gun power. She finds the gun on his bed and she able to tell he used it.

She looks at the door and sees blood. She scans it and it doesn’t match the blood from the hallway or Rupert’s. She finds a blood trail the leads to the balcony. Old bloody bandages are found along with the bullet.

“Seems like whoever was there wasn’t able to do the job without getting injured. I can’t track any blood trails it been to long and the rain has washed it away.”

“I’ve already notified Ms. Gordon she’s in route.

Batwoman looks toward the city across the bridge. “Something’s missing Alfred, and I’m going to find out.”

——-

The Batmobile races through the waterfall and down the platform until it stop. Batwoman climbs out and takes the lift down toward the Batcomputer where Alfred sits and the computer with a cup of tea.

“And how was the rest of the night ma’am?” She pulls off the cowl and pushes her dark locks from her face.

“There’s assassins back in the city.” She begins typing and pulls up the three other crime scenes.

The two look at each one. A victim with either a single large gash or several closely net ones are the on the screen.

“It’s not the small killer, the one that killed Throne and his men are different than these three. These victims were struggling and suffered. Throne’s was quick.”

“As quick as having a sword shoved into your chest can be I presume.” H sips his tea and stands with his cane. He moved quietly as he always did but a little more slower.

Y/n sighs, “Is he awake?”

Alfred stops at the elevator and nods. “He’s been up for sometime, I’ll prepare breakfast.”

Y/n stands up and was to the display cases. All different suits.

Starting with a few of Bruce’s old suits, then the original Robin and Batgirl suits. Finally she stops at of last suits. Bruce’s last suit was in mint condition as he left it.

She turns to the empty case and start placing her gear in it.

—-

She emerges from the office and ties her hair up waking into the kitchen.

“Mommy!” A little boy with brown hair and blue eyes smile with syrup all over his face. Y/n wipes his cheeks and smiles.

“Did you sleep well?” The five year old boy nods while eating his food.

“Finish up so I can take you to school.” She walks toward Alfred who’s making a plate for her.

“It still feels weird to leave her sometimes.” She takes the mug from him as well and sips on her coffee.

“Master Bruce wanted to be sure you were safe while he was gone. I don’t think he indeed for it to be permanent but he enjoyed the company as do I.” Y/n rolled her eyes.

“If you say so, though I will say we enjoy it with you Alfred. Even considering the circumstances.” Alfred gives her a weak smile and begins washing dishes.

“I guess most Assistants don’t get his kind of attention, or is it due to the fact I keep Bruce on his toes.”

Alfred smiles, “It had been sometime since someone annoyed him the way you did, and I think it loved having someone to color with again.” He glances at Rowan who has finished his food and brings the plate to Alfred.

“What do we say Rowan?”

“Thank you Alfie.” He sings. Alfred smiles warmly at the kid.

“You’re very welcome, now run along and get your shoes so you can go to school.” Rowan runs out the room and Y/n hums.

“These Assassins, do you think they killed Bruce?” She asks. The room is still.

“I don’t know, but I must say I wouldn’t be surprised. I’ll contact Ms. Gordon and see if she has any information.”

Y/n places her mug down and walks to the foyer where Rowan has his shoes on with his backpack.

She slides into her sneakers and grabs her keys. “Let’s go kid.”

———-

After dropping off Rowan Y/n pushed through the doors of Wayne Enterprises. Some of the staff waved at her while some held other emotions.

She walked past the front desk and into the elevator towards the top floor. She is met the receptionist Sara who doesn’t look up from her computer.

“Good Morning, do you have an appointment with Mr. Fox?”

“Really Sara.” The ginger grins and looks toward the woman.

“How are you hun?”

“I’m good, about as good as anyone.” The double doors open and Lucius waves her inside.

“I’ll talk with you later.” Y/n walked into the large office where Lucius turned to an old chest table and unlocked hidden elevator. They take it down in the underground bunker.

“So what have you crafted this time?” She grins with her arms crossed over her chest eyeing the new prototypes.

He nods takes a blue batarang, he throws it and it instantly electrifies the dummy.

“Fancy.”

Lucius picks up a device and hands it over to Y/n. “This was something Bruce wanted crafted, I’m still getting it fine tuned but it’s useable. Alfred filled me on our new decline of population use it and it will instantly capture and give a small concentrated burst of energy to those wrapped in it. Should help should you get out numbered by assassins.”

“How thoughtful, I appreciate it. Though I’m sure you giving me new tech isn’t the only reason you wanted to see me so soon. What’s going on?”

He takes a seat and sighs. “Bruce’s memorial is next week. They’re gonna be some changes with stuff around here. Now I’m not leaving per se but with him…gone. My attention will need to be focused more on the business side for a while. I’ve asked Luke to come home he’ll be helping craft some more stuff for you while I’m busy.”

She nods. “I understand, I appreciate you still being able to help.”

He gets to his feet slowly, “My kids now I’d never leave this unless I died. But with his services coming there are something’s that will change for you too I’m sure.”

“I asked what will happen to the manor and the cave. Alfred it’s not just his decision,what does that mean?”

Lucius nods, “Bruce’s son will have to decide what will become of his estate. And they’ll all have to agree,not sure how that’ll go.”

The exit the elevator and the office returns to normal. “Let me know how the device works.” Y/n thanks him before leaving and returning to the manor.

She immediately enters the cave, where Alfred is waiting.

“Ms. Gordon is on the line for you.” Y/n sits her purse down and answers.

“What’s wrong Commissioner?”

“You’re not gonna believe this, the mayor was just killed in his office. How fast can you get down here?”

———

Batwoman emerges from the corner of the office. Barbara looks frustrated as the CSI team dust for prints, take pictures and exam the mayor’s corpse.

“When did you find him?” Batwoman strolls toward the body as a few tech move away.

“Just after lunch, his wife found him.” Batwoman scans the body. She notices the same claw marks and a golden dagger imbedded in his chest.

She takes it out and glances at it. The craftsmen was old but it was just as good as if it was made yesterday.

She returns to the Commissioner who she shows the blade to in a clear bag.

“I’ve never seen it before, can’t say it isn’t something new for use.”

“I don’t think this is a common killer this is the work of something more sinister.” Barbara nods and something catches her eye. It’s a small piece of paper with the same dagger holding it into the wall.

Batwoman takes it and unfolds the paper. She read it and turns to the Commissioner.

“I have to go.” Before Barbara can question her she’s already gone from the balcony.

——

As nightfall begins to sit in Batwoman lands on a rooftop of a hotel with the red neon lights of the building flashing.

She scans empty rooftop and comes to a stop, she dodges left as three morning stars are sent flying. She throws smoke and evades another wave of the weapons.

She backflips from a sword attack and disarms the person causing them to stumble. She begins to fight the ninja and is hit a few times.

“You are no match for me, impostor.” She spats. The ninja kicks Batwoman back and she stumbles giving the ninja time to drive a dagger into his thigh.

“You are nothing like your Predecessor. He was a lot more quicker.” She kick Batwoman who punches her in the side.

Ninja regains her balance and glares at her. “You’ll pay.” She picks up the sword and turns to the her.

“Who are you?” The ninja draws her blade at her throat.

“I am apart of the League of Assassins those who don’t want to be apart of the sorry and pathetic League it as become. Me and my faction are purists who only serve Ra Al Ghul and we will complete his mission. Neither you or this court will stop us.”

“What—court.” The ninja chuckles, “You don’t know, the Court of Owls. Your predecessor was on to them before they killed him. They will try to take Gotham back but we will defeat them, we already have the last known location of the Pits something they can’t recreate, they’ll to will bow before greatness—

Batwoman knocks the woman down and disarms her once more. The two are in a fight for the sword and Batwoman pulls the Assassin way and pulls off her mask.

The woman has a short black bob with a white strike throw her hair.

“Who,are you?” Batwoman huffs. She yells as a dagger is driven into her back.

“Mistress are you hurt?” Another assassin yanks the blade out of Batwoman.

She grins, “I am.” She gets her feet. “My name will be the last thing you hear before the poison kills you, I’m Nyssa and don’t worry about Gotham I’ll take good care of it.” And true to her wound everything went blurry and fuzzy. The last thing Y/n felt was hot then cold and everything faded to black.

————

The flashes of light, sound of being and muffled voices come in and out before slowly Y/n wakes up in the cave to the faint beeping of machines. She sits up and groans as a hand is placed on her’s.

“Barbara?” The older woman nods and squeezes her hand.

“Are you alright the poison nearly killed you?” Y/n tries to sit up but is pushed back down by Barbara.

“You need to rest, Leslie and Alfred worked on you for hours to make you stable you need to give your body time to heal.” She offers her a cup of water which Y/n takes in on gulp.

“Who got me off the rooftop?” Her voice is gruff.

“No, Alfred called in some help.” They both turned to a woman Y/n never wanted to see, at least she hoped.

“Hi kitten.”

“Hello,Selina.” Barbara wheeled out of the room and Selina drew closer taking her spot.

“Alfred called me, he was worried. I happened to be back in—“

“…I don’t care why you’re back, or what you’ve come to steal. I don’t want your help.” Selina kept a somewhat vague smile.

“I understand you hate me for leaving you-“

“My entire life was spent in and out of neighbors houses, in the system because you kept getting sent back to Blackgate. You were never there for me, you or my father you talked on and on about. I’m twenty-five and still don’t know who he is or was knowing you. So I don’t need your help. Not now and not again.” Y/n laid back down and grumbled in pain turning to look at her monitor. “You can go Selina.”

Selina nodded and exited the room. A few moments later Alfred entered and sighed.

“Ms. (L/N) You do know the extent of your injury. I needed to remind you what could have happened if Ms. Kyle wasn’t in the vicinity?”

“….”

He sighs,”Very well, while you were done Ms. Gordon and I had to find the Assassin next move. They’re going to kill everyone in their way in order to defeat one another I hate to say it but we do need the assistance.”

If looks could Alfred thought to himself. “I assume you I’m not referring to Miss Kyle, you’re going to need more than one person to help you take on two deadly threats.”

Against his advice Y/n gets to her feet and exits the medical bay and made a beeline for the computer and begins typing away until four files appear on screen.

“He didn’t talk much about them.” She mumbles to herself.

“They all had their own problems and struggles with Master Bruce. But they all knew when he needed the help, I just pray you’ll ask unlike he wouldn’t.”

“Where can I find them,most of these files are four years old and no known addresses for any of them?”

Alfred moved to the side as Barbara wheeled up to the computer and began typing away as if no time had passed.

“Dick will be easy to find, maybe not to recruit. He owns a martial art and gymnastic studio in East Bludheaven. Tim lives in New York he mostly keeps quiet with attending tech events. The others will take me time to find them, they tend to go off the grid.”

Y/n nod, “I drive out in the morning—“

“I’ll take you to Bludheaven myself, I’ve asked Ms. Gordon to look after Master Rowan for a few nights if that’s okay will you?”

Y/n nods,” I’ll pack.”

———

Stepping onto the curb as a sharp wind bits through the air. Y/n pushes open the door into a dojo. A group of kids are doing routines.

She watches for a moment taking in the warm environment before someone walks behind her.

“Are you picking up or are you just here for the classes?” She turns to see a man in his late thirties. Black hair with sliver streaks, weathered features and bright sky colored eyes.

“Barbara wasn’t wrong, you do look the same.” He rolls his eyes and moves past her.

“Adult classes are Tuesday and Thursday, sign up sheet-“

“I don’t need lessons,” she grabs his arm. “But I do need your help.”

Dick removed his arm and turns to her slowly, almost as if his gaze his scanning her from head to toe.

“So,” he leans in a lowers his voice, “Your the new Rookie.” He smirks which in turns makes Y/n scowl.

“I’ve been at this for three—“

“Try a few decades. Look I know about you you’re not the first detective and probably won’t be the last. But I’m done with capes, cowls and spandex I left that life and I left Gotham.”

He walks past the students with Y/n following him.

“Look I don’t know what your relationship with Bruce was like-“

He scoffs and sits at his desk, “Be thankful for that.”

She narrows her gaze at some photos. Some with other boys younger than him and some of him younger than that.

“I came here for help for Gotham, you know as well as I do that Bruce cared about his mission. I’m not asking you to help me for him, but for the people you care about that are still there. For the memories you still have there the good one and the bad ones.” Dick turns away from her.

“I’m sorry but you need to leave, I can’t help you.” He stands up and opens the door for her. She shakes her head and leaves.

“That was a waste of time, think the others will be much help?” She slides back into the car as it drives down the street.

“I can’t say for sure, but I’ve prepared the jet for you, Master Timothy is in New York and he’s attending a gala.” Y/n sighs in her seat.

For the love of God why are your sons so stubborn Bruce?

[meraki-yao]

Transcription and Translation of Taylor's Little Red Book Livestream (9th December 2023, to the best of my ability)

Q: Question A: Answer

Side Banters:

H: Host T: Taylor Anything in brackets: me or additional elaboration

Q: Asking him to share his experience of city walking in Shanghai earlier today

A: They went to Yu Garden which Taylor said was incredible, and he tried 糖葫蘆 Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese sweet which is candied Chinese Hawthorn

Q: How was the past few days for him and where did he go

A: He's been in China for four nights now (He came by himself btw) First night he stayed at the J Hotel which is the third tallest building in the world and the tallest hotel in the world. After that, he went to 濮院 (the venue for the GQ event) for two nights and it was incredible

Q: How's his jetlag?

A: It's hitting right now 😂 He's been drinking a lot of tea and getting better

Q: What led him to choose to become an actor instead of a competitive swimmer

A: That was an easy choice, he swan for 10 years and then decided he didn't want to swim in college, and then decided he didn't want to be a doctor (his brother's a doctor) and maybe disappointed his parents (H: No way!) It was a hard decision but he decided to move to LA and pursue acting (H: and you made it!)

Q: How is he enjoying being an actor?

A: It's tough, ups and downs. It's kind of like swimming, it's an individual activity, but you also get to collaborate with the community, which is fun.

Q: What are his favourite three movies and why?

A: The Matrix, Fight Club and Interstellar, he likes movie with a twist

Q: What type of music does he like

A: Deep House, Tropical House, Reggaeton

And then the host taught him a couple of Chinese phrases

Q: What sparked his interest in fashion

A: His dad bought him a subscription to GQ when he was younger which started his interest in fashion, and then he started watching fashion-related movies (like Brad Pitt in Allied) which further cultivated that interest. Maybe in the future, he'll try out characters like that

Q: Did he meet any friends in the GQ event?

A: He met Li Xian who he met in Italy earlier, otherwise met a lot of new people.

Q: Why is he passionate about being eco-friendly when it comes to fashion?

A: It was inspired initially by his mom. They lived in the countryside with horses, cows, and fields away from the city, and he has seven siblings (he's the sixth oldest/ third youngest) so there are a lot of hand-me-downs and not a lot of new things, so the family kept on using the same things. He gained a deeper awareness of the issue in recent years.

Q: Talk a bit about fashion sustainability

A: A lot of fast fashion material and clothes are thrown out really soon and disposed of really quickly (despite still being in good shape) but a lot of clothing material, especially synthetic fabric can't be recycled, so it's just like throwing out plastic. Actually, a lot of clothes can keep being reused and styled. He's had the inner shirt he's currently wearing for four years.

Q: Any future plans?

A: He has a film project early next year and there are other things he's excited about but can't talk about yet

Q: Is he going to Shanghai Disneyland?

A: He wants to but he doesn't have time

H: You don't even need to go to Disney you look like a Disney character already! (Damn right!!!)

Q: What food have you had in China so far?

A: Don't get him started on the subject of food 😂 He's had a Shanghainese Lunch today and a Cantonese (YAY) lunch yesterday, and he's looking for some spicy food for tomorrow. Also, he had a really crazy allergic reaction and his lips got giant (???). He needs to be careful with food.

T: I see talk about RWRB, what do you want to know? I'll give some secret intel

(me: YESSSSSSSSSS FINALLY)

RWRB questions speedrun:

Q: sequel?

A: ... He doesn't know. He says he thinks Casey has to write another book for that.

Q: Deleted scenes?

A: They're deleted for a reason (DUDE)

Q: BTS?

A: He says he has some on his phone and he would show us but he doesn't have his phone right now, he might post it later (PLEASE DO)

H: He's leaving after three days

T: (reading off comments) Come visit Hong Kong next time? Yeah! (me, who lives in Hong Kong: AHHHHHHHHHH)

Q: Do you know any Chinese nicknames of yours?

A: 忒樂. (tei le, or "Tay"-le) meaning too happy (I made a list of the boys' Chinese nicknames here)

Annddd... That's it! The live was pretty short, like 20 minutes? He ended it by picking up the phone and showing the audience the Shanghai city view himself (I was too busy typing to get a screenshot)

All transcription or interpretation mistakes are mine

[filmnoirfoundation]

FNF Donation Drive Giveaway!

For a chance to win three winners in random drawings will receive five NOIR CITY Magazine digital back issues — #16, #25, #28, #33, #38 —sent via WeTransfer file transfer service to your email address, donate $20 or more to the FNF between now and September 5. Your name will be entered in a random drawing. Three winners will receive the issues.

And, for a donation of $50 or more, a winner in a random drawing will receive Flicker Alley’s Blu-ray/DVD releases of two FNF restorations — Too Late for Tears (1949) with Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea and The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950) with Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, and John Dall. Special features produced by the FNF included on each Blu-ray/DVD.

All winners will be announced Tuesday, September 10, on the FNF's news page.

Everyone who donates $20 or more and signs up on our e-mail list, will automatically receive the digital version of NOIR CITY e-magazine for a year! What do Viola Lawrence, William Friedkin, Morris Lipsius, Rose Glass, Peter Lorre, Kyle MacLachlan, Jean Gabin, The Lady from Shanghai, Cruising, Finger Man, D.O.A., and Love Lies Bleeding all have in common? They are all discussed in the latest issue of NOIR CITY, the world’s greatest magazine devoted to our favorite subject, film noir.

Your donations help the FNF locate, restore, and exhibit films that, without our intervention, would be lost forever.

Already a NOIR CITY subscriber? We have drawings for you too!

Three separate $20 donors will receive either the Criterion DVD release of The Asphalt Jungle (1950), a Criterion Blu-ray of Bound (1996) starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, or the FNF restoration Blu-ray/DVD of Too Late for Tears (1949).

For $60 donations, a winner in a random drawing will receive the Criterion Blu-ray release of Thelma & Louise (1991) starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, illustrator Graham Chaffee’s To Have and To Hold, and the NOIR CITY Experience book about the first twenty years of the NOIR CITY film festival.

For $75-100 donations, a winner in a random drawing will receive the new Blu-ray release of Kino Lorber’s Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XVII with Edward G. Robinson films Vice Squad (1953), Black Tuesday (1954), and Nightmare (1956); the Flicker Alley Blu-ray/DVD release of the FNF’s latest restoration No abras nunca esa puerta (1952 - Argentina); and a copy of Eddie Muller’s The Distance.

For $125+ donations, one winner in a random drawing will receive a Gloria Grahame trio – Human Desire (Kino Blu-ray Special Edition), Odds Against Tomorrow (Kino Blu-ray Special Edition), and In a Lonely Place (Criterion DVD); the Flicker Alley Blu-ray/DVD release of the FNF’s restoration El vampiro negro (1953 - Argentina); the about-to-be-published NOIR CITY Annual 16 (releasing September 2024); and the NOIR CITY Experience book – 20 years of the NOIR CITY film festival.

For a shot any of these goods, make your donation to the FNF between now and September 5. Your name will be entered into the random drawings for your donation amount. All winners will be announced on Tuesday, September 10, on the FNF's NEWS page.

[funmintix]

CFMOTORacing tiktok live TMI -David Alonso's Travels in China

This trip will take them to Beijing,Hangzhou,and Shanghai.They will be in China for about a week.

Today's itinerary:Morning at Beijing Zoo .Afternoon at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

Tomorrow go to the Great Wall.

In Hangzhou,they plan to visit West Lake.Haven't decided where to go in Shanghai yet,as they have been to the Bund before.

Alonso's parents don't speak English,so cfmoto hire a Beijing tour guide who speaks Spanish to accompany them.

Because he's always riding motorcycles,he rarely goes out to play.His last visit to a zoo was when he was seven or eight years old.

It's his first time seeing a giant panda.

He never saw kangaroos when he went to Australia for a race,but he saw them this time.

Visit impressions:He likes the giant pandas and Asian elephants the most.

He wanted to climb the elephant statue in the garden,but he gave up after seeing the sign"No Climbing"below it.

He likes to play with remote control cars,so he bought a lot,but he's afraid of being criticized by his mother,so he asked the staff to secretly take them to the paddock for him.

His phone wallpaper is a photo of himself as a child.

He loved eating roast duck during his last visit to China for the Chunfeng Day,so he came to eat it again.He really likes Chinese food,so when he comes to China,he says he doesn't want to eat Western food and wants to try more Chinese food.

Alonso's mechanics from moto3 will go with him to moto2.

They said they would dress him in a dragon robe,but by the end of the broadcast,they still couldn't find where to borrow the clothes.

[theculturedmarxist]

SHANGHAI — Over the past generation, China’s most important relationships were with the more developed world, the one that used to be called the “first world.” Mao Zedong proclaimed China to be the leader of a “third” (non-aligned) world back in the 1970s, and the term later came to be a byword for deprivation. The notion of China as a developing country continues to this day, even as it has become a superpower; as the tech analyst Dan Wang has joked, China will always remain developing — once you’re developed, you’re done. 

Fueled by exports to the first world, China became something different — something not of any of the three worlds. We’re still trying to figure out what that new China is and how it now relates to the world of deprivation — what is now called the Global South, where the majority of human beings alive today reside. But amid that uncertainty, Chinese exports to the Global South now exceed those to the Global North considerably — and they’re growing. 

The International Monetary Fund expects Asian countries to account for 70% of growth globally this year. China must “shape a new international system that is conducive to hedging against the negative impacts of the West’s decoupling,” the scholar and former People’s Liberation Army theorist Cheng Yawen wrote recently. That plan starts with Southeast Asia and extends throughout the Global South, a terrain that many Chinese intellectuals see as being on their side in the widening divide between the West and the rest. 

“The idea is that what China is today, fast-growing countries from Bangladesh to Brazil could be tomorrow.”

China isn’t exporting plastic trinkets to these places but rather the infrastructure for telecommunications, transportation and digitally driven “smart cities.” In other words, China is selling the developmental model that raised its people out of obscurity and poverty to developed global superpower status in a few short decades to countries with people who have decided that they want that too. 

The world China is reorienting itself to is a world that, in many respects, looks like China did a generation ago. On offer are the basics of development — education, health care, clean drinking water, housing. But also more than that — technology, communication and transportation.

Back in April, on the eve of a trip to China, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sat down for an interview with Reuters. “I am going to invite Xi Jinping to come to Brazil,” he said, “to get to know Brazil, to show him the projects that we have of interest for Chinese investment. … What we want is for the Chinese to make investments to generate new jobs and generate new productive assets in Brazil.” After Lula and Xi had met, the Brazilian finance minister proclaimed that “President Lula wants a policy of reindustrialization. This visit starts a new challenge for Brazil: bringing direct investments from China.” Three months later, the battery and electric vehicle giant BYD announced a $624 million investment to build a factory in Brazil, its first outside Asia.

Across the Global South, fast-growing countries from Bangladesh to Brazil can send raw materials to China and get technological devices in exchange. The idea is that what China is today, they could be tomorrow.

At The Kunming Institute of Botany

In April, I went to Kunming to visit one of China’s most important environmental conservation outfits — the Kunming Institute of Botany. Like the British Museum’s antiquities collected from everywhere that the empire once extended, the seed bank here (China’s largest) aspires to acquire thousands of samples of various plant species and become a regional hub for future biotech research. 

From the Kunming train station, you can travel by Chinese high-speed rail to Vientiane; if all goes according to plan, the line will soon be extended to Bangkok. At Yunnan University across town, the economics department researches “frontier economics” with an eye to Southeast Asian neighboring states, while the international relations department focuses on trade pacts within the region and a community of anthropologists tries to figure out what it all means. 

Kunming is a bland, air-conditioned provincial capital in a province of startling ethnic and geographic diversity. In this respect, it is a template for Chinese development around Southeast Asia. Perhaps in the future, Dhaka, Naypyidaw and Phnom Penh will provide the reassuring boredom of a Kunming afternoon. 

Imagine you work at the consulate of Bangladesh in Kunming. Why are you in Kunming? What does Kunming have that you want?

The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore lyrically described Asia’s communities as organic and spiritual in contrast with the materialism of the West. As Tagore spoke of the liberatory powers of art, his Chinese listeners scoffed. The Chinese poet Wen Yiduo, who moved to Kunming during World War II and is commemorated with a statue at Yunnan Normal University in Kunming, wrote that Tagore’s work had no form: “The greatest fault in Tagore’s art is that he has no grasp of reality. Literature is an expression of life and even metaphysical poetry cannot be an exception. Everyday life is the basic stuff of literature, and the experiences of life are universal things.” 

“Xi Jinping famously said that China doesn’t export revolution. But what else do you call train lines, 5G connectivity and scientific research centers appearing in places that previously had none of these things?”

If Tagore’s Bengali modernism championed a spiritual lens for life rather than the materiality of Western colonialists, Chinese modernists decided that only by being more materialist than Westerners could they regain sovereignty. Mao had said rural deprivation was “一穷二白” — poor and empty; Wen accused Tagore’s poetry of being formless. Hegel sneered that Asia had no history, since the same phenomena simply repeated themselves again and again — the cycle of planting and harvest in agricultural societies. 

For modernists, such societies were devoid of historical meaning in addition to being poor and readily exploited. The amorphous realm of the spirit was for losers, the Chinese May 4th generation decided. Railroads, shipyards and electrification offered salvation.

Today, as Chinese roads, telecoms and entrepreneurs transform Bangladesh and its peers in the developing world, you could say that the argument has been won by the Chinese. Chinese infrastructure creates a new sort of blank generic urban template, one seen first in Shenzhen, then in Kunming and lately in Vientiane, Dhaka or Indonesian mining towns. 

The sleepy backwaters of Southeast Asia have seen previous waves of Chinese pollinators. Low Lan Pak, a tin miner from Guangdong, established a revolutionary state in Indonesia in the 18th century. Li Mi, a Kuomintang general, set up an independent republic in what is now northern Myanmar after World War II. 

New sorts of communities might walk on the new roads and make calls on the new telecom networks and find work in the new factories that have been built with Chinese technology and funded by Chinese money across Southeast Asia. One Bangladeshi investor told me that his government prefers direct investment to aid — aid organizations are incentivized to portray Bangladesh as eternally poor, while Huawei and Chinese investors play up the country’s development prospects and bright future. In the latter, Bangladeshis tend to agree.

“Is China a place, or is it a recipe for social structure that can be implemented generically anywhere?”

The majority of human beings alive today live in a world of not enough: not enough food; not enough security; not enough housing, education, health care; not enough rights for women; not enough potable water. They are desperate to get out of there, as China has. They might or might not like Chinese government policies or the transactional attitudes of Chinese entrepreneurs, but such concerns are usually of little importance to countries struggling to bootstrap their way out of poverty.

The first world tends to see the third as a rebuke and a threat. Most Southeast Asian countries have historically borne abuse in relationship to these American fears. Most American companies don’t tend to see Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sumatra as places they’d like invest money in. But opportunity beckons for Chinese companies seeking markets outside their nation’s borders and finding countries with rapidly growing populations and GDPs. Imagine a Huawei engineer in a rural Bangladeshi village, eating a bad lunch with the mayor, surrounded by rice paddies — he might remember the Hunan of his childhood.  

Xi Jinping famously said that China doesn’t export revolution. But what else do you call train lines, 5G connectivity and scientific research centers appearing in places that previously had none of these things? 

Across the vastness of a world that most first-worlders would not wish to visit, Chinese entrepreneurs are setting up electric vehicle and battery companies, installing broadband and building trains. The world that is looming into view on Huawei’s 2022 business report is one in which Asia is the center of the global economy and China sits at its core, the hub from which sophisticated and carbon-neutral technologies are distributed. Down the spokes the other way come soybeans, jute and nickel. Lenin’s term for this kind of political economy was imperialism. 

If the Chinese economy is the set of processes that created and create China, then its exports today are China — technologies, knowledge, communication networks, forms of organization. But is China a place, or is it a recipe for social structure that can be implemented generically anywhere?

Huawei Station

Huawei’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party remain unclear, but there is certainly a case of elective affinities. Huawei’s descriptions of selfless, nameless engineers working to bring telecoms to the countryside of Bangladesh is reminiscent of Party propaganda and “socialist realist” art. As a young man, Ren Zhengfei, Huawei’s CEO, spent time in the Chongqing of Mao’s “third front,” where resources were redistributed to develop new urban centers; the logic of starting in rural areas and working your way to the center, using infrastructure to rappel your way up, is embedded within the Maoist ideas that he studied at the time. Today, it underpins Huawei’s business development throughout the Global South. 

I stopped by the Huawei Analyst Summit in April to see if I could connect the company’s history to today. The Bildungsroman of Huawei’s corporate development includes battles against entrenched state-owned monopolies in the more developed parts of the country. The story goes that Huawei couldn’t make inroads in established markets against state-owned competitors, so got started in benighted rural areas where the original leaders had to brainstorm what to do if rats ate the cables or rainstorms swept power stations away; this story is mobilized today to explain their work overseas. 

Perhaps at one point, Huawei could have been just another boring corporation selling plastic objects to consumers across the developed world, but that time ended definitively with Western sanctions in 2019, effectively banning the company from doing business in the U.S. The sanctions didn’t kill Huawei, obviously, and they may have made it stronger. They certainly made it weirder, more militant and more focused on the markets largely scorned by the Ericssons and Nokias of the world. Huawei retrenched to its core strength: providing rural and remote areas with access to connectivity across difficult terrain with the intention that these networks will fuel telehealth and digital education and rapidly scale the heights of development.

Huawei used to do this with dial-up modems in China, but now it is building 5G networks across the Global South. The Chinese government is supportive of these efforts; Huawei’s HQ has a subway station named for the company, and in 2022 the government offered the company massive subsidies.

“For many countries in the Global South, the model of development exemplified by Shenzhen seems plausible and attainable.”

For years, the notion of an ideological struggle between the U.S. and China was dismissed; China is capitalist, they said. Just look at the Louis Vuitton bags. This misses a central truth of the economy of the 21st century. The means of production now are internet servers, which are used for digital communication, for data farms and blockchain, for AI and telehealth. Capitalists control the means of production in the United States, but the state controls the means of production in China. In the U.S. and countries that implicitly accept its tech dominance, private businesspeople dictate the rules of the internet, often to the displeasure of elected politicians who accuse them of rigging elections, fueling inequality or colluding with communists. The difference with China, in which the state has maintained clear regulatory control over the internet since the early days, couldn’t be clearer. 

The capitalist system pursues frontier technologies and profits, but companies like Huawei pursue scalability to the forgotten people of the world. For better or worse, it’s San Francisco or Shenzhen. For many countries in the Global South, the model of development exemplified by Shenzhen seems more plausible and attainable. Nobody thinks they can replicate Silicon Valley, but many seem to think they can replicate Chinese infrastructure-driven middle-class consumerism.

As Deng Xiaoping said, it doesn’t matter if it is a black cat or a white cat, just get a cat that catches mice. Today, leaders of Global South countries complain about the ideological components of American aid; they just want a cat that can catch their mice. Chinese investment is blank — no ideological strings attached. But this begs the question: If China builds the future of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Laos, then is their future Chinese?

Telecommunications and 5G is at the heart of this because connectivity can enable rapid upgrades in health and education via digital technology such as telehealth, whereby people in remote villages are able to consult with doctors and hospitals in more developed regions. For example, Huawei has retrofitted Thailand’s biggest and oldest hospital with 5G to communicate with villages in Thailand’s poor interior — the sort of places a new Chinese high-speed train line could potentially provide links with the outside world — offering Thai villagers without the ability to travel into town the opportunity to get medical treatments and consultations remotely. 

The IMF has proposed that Asia’s developing belt “should prioritize reforms that boost innovation and digitalization while accelerating the green energy transition,” but there is little detail about who exactly ought to be doing all of that building and connecting. In many cases and places, it’s Chinese infrastructure and companies like Huawei that are enabling Thai villagers to live as they do in Guizhou.

Chinese Style Modernization?

The People’s Republic of China is “infinitely stronger than the Soviet Union ever was,” the U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, told Politico in April. This prowess “is based on the extraordinary strength of the Chinese economy — its science and technology research base, its innovative capacity and its ambitions in the Indo-Pacific to be the dominant power in the future.” This increasingly feels more like the official position of the U.S. government than a random comment.

Ten years ago, Xi Jinping proposed the notion of a “maritime Silk Road” to the Indonesian Parliament. Today, Indonesia is building an entirely new capital — Nusantara — for which China is providing “smart city” technologies. Indonesia has a complex history with ethnic Chinese merchants, who played an intermediary role between Indigenous people and Western colonists in the 19th century and have been seen as CCP proxies for the past half century or so. But the country is nevertheless moving decisively towards China’s pole, adopting Chinese developmental rhythms and using Chinese technology and infrastructure to unlock the door to the future. “The internet, roads, ports, logistics — most of these were built by Chinese companies,” observed a local scholar. 

The months since the 20th Communist Party Congress have seen the introduction of what Chinese diplomats call “Chinese-style modernization,” a clunky slogan that can evoke the worst and most boring agitprop of the Soviet era. But the concept just means exporting Chinese bones to other social bodies around the world. 

If every apartment decorated with IKEA furniture looks the same, prepare for every city in booming Asia to start looking like Shenzhen. If you like clean streets, bullet trains, public safety and fast Wi-Fi, this may not be a bad thing. 

Chinese trade with Southeast Asia is roughly double that between China and the U.S., and Chinese technology infrastructure is spreading out from places like the “Huawei University” at Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology, which plans to train 100,000 telecom engineers in the next five years. We’re about to see a generation of “barefoot doctors” throughout Southeast Asia traveling by moped across landscapes of underdevelopment connected to hubs of medical data built by Chinese companies with Chinese technology. 

In 1955, the year of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, the non-aligned world was almost entirely poor, cut off from the means of production in a world where nearly 50% of GDP globally was in the U.S. Today, the logic of that landmark conference is alive today in Chinese informal networks across the Global South, with the key difference that China can now offer these countries the possibility of building their own future without talking to anyone from the Global North. 

Welcome to the Sinosphere, where the tides of Chinese development lap over its borders into the remote forests of tropical Asia, and beyond.

[joylinda-hawks]

Tomorrow we will celebrate another anniversary of ZZH's mini concert, which took place in Beijing on October 18, 2020. It may not have been a big event in general, but it was certainly a big event for ZZH himself. He had finished working on the set of the WOH series less than a month earlier, and there were more challenges ahead of him. This challenge for him was ZZH's first and only public concert so far. ZZH was certainly very happy before the concert, but I also think he was stressed. Firstly, he had never performed in front of an audience alone at his own concert, which he was responsible for, and secondly, the event was held in a foreign city. ZZH, who had lived in Shanghai for many years, knew the city he lived in very well, and he only came to the capital, Beijing, for some performances, promotional sessions. Therefore, he must have felt stressed, which, as it turned out, was completely unjustified. The audience received his performance very well and that was probably the most important thing for him, not the presence of journalists, some of whom did not speak too highly of him as a performer. One can only guess why. In preparation for the performance, ZZH not only had to develop the program itself, prepare the songs and take care of most of the organizational matters. Of course, he did not do it personally, but he had an influence on many things. Among other things, I think it was the choice of the right outfit for the performance. ZZH chose two styles in colors that he had to feel best in. One style was black with white accessories, and the other was red. ZZH looked amazing in both styles. Today I decided on the black style. ZZH dressed here in black trousers, a black turtleneck with a white pattern and a longer black, probably woolen coat with an interesting texture, to which he matched a black belt, thanks to which he emphasized his slim waist. If I remember correctly, at one point ZZH got too hot in this style and the audience suggested that he take off his coat. Just as a curiosity. The photos of ZZH were taken during the concert and during the photoshoot. All of these photos are beautiful, and the ones taken during the concert show us how much ZZH enjoyed the event. Today, I decided to use a close-up photo of ZZH's face for the description. The photo was taken during the performance on stage, so we can see the concentration on ZZH's face when he sings, he is completely immersed in the music, because he wants to convey the emotions of his singing as best as possible. Looking at this photo, we admire his nice hairstyle and the amazing little gold hairpins holding ZZH's hair strands. You could say that this hairstyle has become almost iconic and will always be associated with this mini-concert. ZZH is wearing some makeup here, in addition to subtle lipstick, his eyes are nicely emphasized, the red eyeshadow applied to the eyelids further emphasizes his huge almond eyes. I believe that when ZZH gets justice and returns to official events, he will organize a concert that he will be proud of and that will fully show his vocal skills.

[gerec]

AU-gust 2023

Pairing(s): Erik/Shaw, Cherik Warnings: Implied domestic violence

4. Runaway

“Don’t go anywhere,” Sebastian warns, while he has Erik pinned beneath him, panting and writhing and pretending to want it, like he can’t get enough. “I’ll have Azazel check on you while I’m gone. Make sure you’re okay.”

It’s not for his benefit that Sebastian has someone looking in on Erik while he’s away; it’s about control, and about Sebastian being omnipresent in his life. He’s learned the hard way not to argue or try to push back, knowing it would only make his alpha angry and impose even more restrictions to Erik’s day to day activities.

So he smiles, and kisses Sebastian back, and tells him he’ll miss him while he’s in Shanghai for the week. Azazel won’t check in until tomorrow, so he has an almost twenty-four hour head start. Still, he waits until Sebastian’s flight is in the air, and only after he calls the airline to verify that his husband actually boarded the plane. Then it’s a mad scramble to get the bag he’s hidden in the garage, and to grab the emergency money Sebastian has stashed away in the study. He has his driver’s license but not his passport; that’s locked away in the safe unless he’s on vacation with Sebastian. Everything else he leaves in the drawer of his nightstand so it can’t be traced back to him – his cell, his credit cards, his laptop, his wedding ring – anxious but more than ready to leave this life behind him.

He leaves the car – another tie, another way to trace his whereabouts – and takes a cab into the city, where he takes transit to the place where’s he’s stashed an old Toyota in long term parking. It had taken him a couple of years of scrimping to save enough for a used car, even one that won’t last much more than the cross-country trek he’s about to make to New York.

The I-15 takes him out of the city in good time, and he’s almost tempted to drive as long and as far as he can without stopping, eager to put as much distance as he can from the place he’s called home for the past ten years. But he also knows that he needs to stop and rest – if not for him, then certainly for the baby – even if the irrational fear he feels is overwhelming; that Sebastian is right on his heels, ready to drag him back and punish him for daring to leave him.

He’s done his research and mapped this trip meticulously, so he knows exactly where to stop for the night, paying cash for his room and grabbing a quick bite at the diner across the street. It’s hard when he has zero appetite, his nerves rubbed raw and adrenaline still coursing through his body. Still, he forces himself to eat all the food on his plate, because he has to take care of the baby inside him; has to do everything he can to protect them and keep them safe.

(Ironic, that in a way, the baby is also keeping Erik safe – he doesn’t know if he would have ever followed through with his plans to leave if not for the unexpected pregnancy.)

He takes a shower after dinner, and takes his time cleaning all traces of Sebastian from his body; traces he left inside Erik before he left that morning for the airport. The bruises don’t disappear quite as easily, though he supposes they’ll fade away like all the others he’s worn under his clothes. It barely hurts him anymore, when Sebastian is rough with him in bed; it’s only the thought of Sebastian accidentally hurting the baby – or of him finding out about the baby – that fills Erik with dread.

Once he’s dried off and dressed again, he grabs the burner phone from his bag, along with the card that he’s kept hidden away since graduation. Erik desperately hopes that the number still works, and that the person on the other end still remembers him, and considers them friends.

He dials the number, and waits for the call to connect.

“Hello? Charles Xavier speaking.”

“Charles? It’s Erik. I need your help.”

[newsjet]

معرض المدينة الذكية العالمي 2024 · اختتام مرحلة هانغتشو، مما يعزز التعاون العالمي في المدن الذكية

**الموضوع: “تجمع! ازدهار أعمالنا في مرحلة الانتقال”** هانغتشو — (ARAB NEWSWIRE) – اختتم معرض المدينة الذكية العالمي 2024 · مرحلة هانغتشو بنجاح كبير، حيث جمع أكثر من 150 منظمة دولية من 18 دولة، وما يقرب من 200 من قادة المدن الذكية العالميين، وأكثر من 70 وفدًا من المدن. تحت شعار “تجمع! ازدهار أعمالنا في مرحلة الانتقال”، عرض الحدث أحدث التطورات في تكنولوجيا المدن الذكية بينما يعزز التعاون والابتكار…

[likeadevils]

2014 Lover Diaries Transcripts

Jan 6, 2014- Los Angeles, CA

So I’ve decided I want to look at places in New York. I know I went through this phase months ago, but it has to mean something that I’ve circled back to it, right? You know what they say, if you love something let it go and if it comes back … blah blah blah. So I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. Dating is awful. Love is fiction/ a myth. I’m over it all.

Jan 25, 2014- Los Angeles, CA

It’s the middle of the night and I was at the Clive Davis party tonight which means … the Grammys are tomorrow. Never have I felt so good about our chances. Never have I wanted something as badly as I want to hear them say “Red” is the Album of the Year.

Feb 22, 2014- Los Angeles, CA

This week I’ve been in the studio with Max and Johan every day and it has been the most creatively successful and fulfilling time. The first day, Johan just made a really up tempo drum beat because we decided we needed something UP and light. We worked at it for a few hours before I just started singing “shake it off, shake it off.” And then the best way I know how to describe it is that the chorus just fell out of the sky. It ended up being this song about doing your own thing even though haters are gonna hate, and you just have to dance to your own beat. We all went home and I wrote the first and second verses and brought them in the next day. We wrote this chanty cheer leader bridge that I absolutely LOVE. We spent all day doing vocals and the next day recording background vocals. I think it’ll end up being the first single and Max said it’s his favorite song he’s ever been a part of.

Mar 24, 2014- New York City, NY

So in the last few weeks, I’ve completely moved into my apartment in Tribeca. That’s right, I’m writing this from my new bed in my new place, watching Law and Order with Meredith. Strangely, I’ve never felt more busy.

May 30, 2014- Shanghai

So we got to China at around 2pm and I knew it would completely ruin me if I slept when I got to the hotel, so I decided to work out. WHY IS THIS PEN RUNNING OUT?! Just went to my purse and got my own pen. So a crazy story unfolded in the last 24 hours. Last night, I had this vivid dream where the photo I’d chosen for the album cover wasn’t good enough, intriguing enough, artful enough. It woke me up. I couldn’t shake it and it stayed with me all day. Because that nagging feeling I’d been pushing back for weeks was now confirmed in my gut … It wasn’t good enough. I went to the venue, mind racing, wondering if I’d have to do an entirely new photo shoot … I got to my dressing room with newer versions of the “cover.” I looked at it and felt nothing. The team pulled up this new scanned file of the Polaroids we had taken during the shoot. I saw within 10 seconds. The shot. The cover. It’s a Polaroid of me sitting against a beige wall with a blue seagull swear shirt on. You can see my red lips, but the photo cuts off my eyes. From some reason unknown to me, it’s the most intriguing photo I’ve seen. I think it’s the mystery of not seeing my eyes. Maybe it just looks effortlessly cool. The craziest moment came when something caught my eye. The cover photo is photo 13. I kid you not. I played a sold out show in Shanghai tonight and the crowd was amazing. Tomorrow we go to Tokyo, where they’ll have the whole ticker tape parade at the airport. Smile and wave … Taylor

(2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 & 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 & 2017)

[druidx]

Her Countenance was Light - Chapter 13

CW: Alcohol Mention, Drunkenness AO3 ; Chapters: 01. 10. 11. 12 Tag list (ask for +/-): @aquadestinyswriting, @hannahcbrown, @jacqueswriteblrlibrary, @babyblueetbaemonster

"So what's happening tomorrow night?" Elo asks. They are safely ensconced within the Scholar, and his Nibs already has a beer in hand and has demolished half a plate of wings, so she feels it's reasonable to ask now. For security's sake, they have also dropped the titles – here, they are just two people having a drink – so neither does Elo have to keep up the charade of diplomacy. She is also using it to distract herself from the stares of her fellow officers. Elo straight-and-narrow – Elo, who is married to the force – has brought a man into the Scholar. And not just any man, either – an older man, decked out in expensive watch and shoes. She does not want to imagine the gossip tomorrow. "There is to be a state dinner," King Storri says, wiping his fingers on a paper napkin. "During which my government's intentions towards yours will be made known." Elo takes a sip of her cola. "Right. State dinner. Lots of assassination opportunities and angles to cover. I guess I'd better find out my old body armour, and Merri'll need floor plans–" The King clears his throat. "It was suggested I ask you to accompany me." "Well, I will be. As your security detail." He looks pained. "As a companion." The bustle of the pub sounds in the background. Elo breaths. "Brauma and Clayrmantle." "Yes." "Fu-udge." King Storri has set aside his beer. His brow and lips are pinched with concern. "Will you?" Elo remembers to breathe again. "I know why they want me there as your plus one. They've not exactly been subtle about the political implications of me being seen in your company. Why do you want me there?" "I don't follow." "I have to be there anyway. Whether Agent Gruksdottir likes it, I've been shanghaied into your security detail. But you have the pick of the crowd. I'm almost certain I could find some willing volunteers. So why me? Unless…" Elo draws back, giving him the side-eye. "You're twice my age and nowhere near my type." King Storri snaps something vitriolic in Icelandic. Elo doesn't know much of the language; but she knows a curse when she hears it. "No," he says, emphatic. "Thor's arse, no." "Then why? And while we're at it, why do you keep testing me, and why didn't you throw a flid when I called you an emmerdement? I must have insulted you enough today to start a dozen wars."

King Storri rocks his beer glass between thumb and palm, the first sign of nerves he's shown. "Because Alexis held you in high regard, and I held her in high regard. I do not think it unbecoming to see for myself if that regard is correctly placed. And I also do not think she would want me to start a war because my step-daughter has a temper." "What? Hang on. Roll that back. Step-daughter? You and Aunty Lex? You were-?" Storri holds up a hand, his eyes cast down. "No. I apologise. I misspoke." His hand falls flat on the tabletop. He hauls in a breath. "Töffari. This is not going as I planned." Elo forces herself to recenter. "Let's start over. You held my Aunt in high regard…" She makes a rolling motion with her hand to encourage him to pick up the lost threads. "I… loved your Aunt. And I should have liked to step out with her. She would have liked to step out with me too, I think, but she felt our stations were too different. I respected her choice then, though I did not understand it." Elo frowns. That doesn't sound like the Alexis she knew – a woman who was the epitome of the City's motto: fearless and bold. Never concerned with how she was perceived. Never afraid to push forward in the direction she'd chosen. Elo pulls a photograph from her wallet. In black and white, it shows her Aunt sitting in some camp. Alexis has a beer in one hand, a teasing expression on her face, and her long rifle, Foreign Policy, leaning against a truck beside her. "You're sure you met Alexis Dalliance?" Elo asks, passing the photo over. King Storri's expression softens as he looks at the photo, one finger tracing over Alexis' face. "Yes. This is the woman I met. Whom I loved and who left me for a greater purpose." He hands the photo back with a sign, and Elo tucks it away. "And how do you feel about her choice now?" "I still respect it. And after much thought, I do understand it. I even agree with it, to some extent." "Cuthbert's scales. This is a lot." Elo presses against the divot between her eyes. "Wait, so… If I understand this correctly… I could have been a princess?" King Storri rocks his head in a hum-haw gesture. "Possibly, or not. It's complicated. There are rules of succession to determine the ordering one takes in the royal line." "But I might have been?" "Hmm. Yes." "Damn," Elo says wonderingly. Storri smiles and finishes his beer. "Just remember this: if you hate being a Lady now, you would have loathed being a princess."

A waitress comes to take Storri's empties and asks if there's anything else she can get them. Elo has another cola and her usual – the bean, sausage and potato casserole. It's cheap, filling, and nutritionally balanced. The king surprises her by ordering a fully loaded burger, a side of fries, more wings, a bowl of chilli and six of the one-third-of-a-pint craft beer tasters. While he's rattling off his order, Elo turns her thoughts to the point of this conversation: The state dinner. She's always hated the things. Dull, vapid and polite affairs, filled with too many speeches, and too much two-faced-ness, and too many people thinking of her like public property. And she abhors dresses – too many petticoats to reach a gun, high-heels impossible to run in. The only good thing about state dinners was being with Evie, and now she doesn't even have that. The waitress smiles, chirps that she'll be back soon with their drinks and flounces off. Elo sniggers as she catches King Storri glancing after the waitress. Colour grows across his cheekbones. He frowns, growling, "Holding affection for your Aunt does not negate a man's basic needs." It only makes Elo laugh harder, until all those parts of his face not covered with beard are a rosy pink; a blush that is not a blush, because Elo is sure that is not something a King is allowed to do. Between bursts, she cocks her head to also check out the waitress's fine lines and says, "I don't blame you for looking. Coppers have needs, too." Then he relents, and the laugh that joins hers is a loud, hearty thing busting with a fervency that makes it seem it doesn't get let out much. "If I come to the dinner as your plus one," Elo says when she catches her breath, "can you promise me it'll be as fun as this?" Storri puts his hand over his heart. "I shall do my very best."

They spend the rest of the evening talking about everything besides the current circumstances – of his children and her aunts, their respective cultures and jobs, food and drink. And the latter increasingly dominates the conversation as His Nibs demolishes all that food, orders more, and gets increasingly sloshed on those one-third-of-a-pint tasters. The Skiving Scholar is located halfway between the University and the 88th, so it has to cater to the discerning palates of both coppers and Uni staff. As such, it sports a wide range of liquors, wines and speciality beers. His Nibs seems intent on sampling – and passing judgement – on all of them. Elo supposes he's somewhat qualified. A side effect of all those volcanoes in Iceland is their natural aquifers produce some of the purest water she's ever encountered, which lends itself well to Icelandic liquor being world-class and some of the best she's ever tasted. An unfortunate side effect of all those craft beer tasters is that the drunker Storri gets, the more boisterous he becomes, and the more boisterous he becomes, the less able he is to modulate his volume. And he's loud. Elo puts this down to him being a monarch – she assumes he has to be able to project his speeches and decrees and whatnot. And the side effect of His Nibs being loud and having opinions is that he quickly becomes the center of attention to a band of die-hard beer aficionados who all seem to delight in arguing the toss with him regarding their favoured poison. Elo is perfectly happy to sit back and watch the shenanigans with a wary eye. But when she is dragged from her conversation with a pretty admin girl who works at the Uni, by Storri and some portly scholar stripping to the waist in order to solve a debate through fisticuffs, Elo thinks that it's time to put an end to the shenanigans.

She pays for the meal and drinks using the cheques she finds in his pocketbook, adding a large tip to quell the barman's stinkeye, and manhandles him outside. Disappointed people from his court of booze trail outside after them, and Elo uses them to help her load His Royal Drunkenness onto her bike.

She rides so very carefully back to the Emerald Star with His Nibs drooling on her shoulder. Then she overtips the valet who helps him off her bike with money in his pocketbook, and she overtips the doorman who raises his eyebrows as she struggles in with the King because, dear gods he's heavy. And she double-overtips the concierge because she doesn't know his room number and, of course, he doesn't have a key on him – keys are for other people. Finally, she overtips the liftman before they stagger out and onto his floor. She hopes the money she's spent will buy their silence for at least a few days. They all have a passing familiarity with her, and by tomorrow they will know who he is; she doesn't fancy turning up in the gossip rags with the vultures speculating why she was manhandling the utterly gazeboed King of Iceland up to his rooms at two in the morning. She knows Clayrmantle and the Exchequer want her to be seen in his company, but they probably didn't mean like this.

He is slurring at her as they stumble along the corridor to his suite. It takes a while for her to pick out the words – he's speaking Icelandic, after all – but when she does, she flushes. "I suggest your Majesty shuts your royal cake-hole before I shut it for you," Elo growls, her patience dangling by the proverbial thread. "Why's'at, 'Lo?" he asks. "You seem to be mistaking me with my Aunt." "Uh?" "And if you don't quit, I'm going to start a war." "How's that?" "Because when drunks misinterpret their audience and start spouting flatteries like you are so ineloquently doing so, they usually follow up with hands. I don't take kindly to that sort of activity. It makes me liable to get stabby. When I get stabby, it tends to be a permanent situation for the stabbed party. Ergo – I will kill you if you get handsy, and I will have started a war. So shut your damn cake-hole." His Royal Majesty, King Storri Norgandsson of Iceland does as he is ordered by a sergeant of the smallest precinct in Toreguard, and shuts his damn cake-hole.

Elo manages to negotiate opening the door whilst keeping Storri upright. They stagger in, and he stumbles a few more steps to faceplant into a waiting couch while she closes the door. Elo stands over him for a moment, collecting herself. Behind her, a door creaks open, and the floorboards sag under a foot. "I see you had a good time," says a familiar voice. Elo relaxes from where she is reaching for her revolver and turns. Meredith is standing in the doorway to a bedroom wearing a nightshirt, the frizz of her hair released from its braids. "He had a good time," Elo corrects and is rewarded with a soft smile. "Help me get him into bed?" Between the two of them, they manhandle His Royal Drunkenness out of his suit and boots, force some water between sleepily protesting lips, and get him into bed. A waste-paper basket is lined with the day's newspaper and left for his convenience, alongside a tall glass of water and painkillers. They hardly have to speak as they do so – they've had enough practice with each other and other members of the group they once ran with that this is second nature now. When they are done, Agent-in-Charge Ironforge makes hot cocoa as Sargent O'Toreguarde gives her a debrief of the night's activities. They are finishing their drinks when Merri says, "It's very late. You should stay here. There's plenty of spare pillows and blankets. Sleep on the sofa, get fresh clothes tomorrow." Elo considers it. "Thank you, but no. It's not far to home, and I'd prefer to sleep in my bed. I'm not needed until lunch. I'll get more rest if I'm not here come morning." "Very well." Elo drains her drink and rises, with Merri following suit. "Thank you," Merri says suddenly. Elo cocks her head. "For what?" "For that," Merri says and tilts her head in the direction of soft, kingly snores. She clasps her hands and briefly looks at her feet, as if considering her words. "Things have been difficult back home. Lord High Commander Bloodvein admitted to me before we left that His Majesty's not been sleeping well. That Kóngurinn minn worries well into the night, and what sleep he has is filled with nightmares. It makes council sessions tense and difficult. Our people are a reflection of our Regent, you understand, and the more pent up Kóngurinn minn is, the more our people grow tense and wary. Kóngurinn minn has no way to release that steam at home. I'm glad he was able to do it here." "He's taking a holiday?" Merri frowns. "No. There are serious matters to be settled, that is why he is here in person. But the time away will do him good. And," Merri fiddles with her hands, "you're good company for him." Dimples appear as she smiles fondly. "You won't stand for his bullshit the way others might, but you'll listen, and I think you understand some of what he's going through." Elo looks away. "So thank you, for taking care of Kóngurinn minn and allowing him the space to relax." "No problem," Elo says and ducks her head in a parting gesture.

[country-corner]

Who Wants One of These?

The three-wheel-drive, battery-powered Toyota i-REAL “Personal Mobility Concept” came out in 2008 (but never went into production) and has been upgraded (relatively) recently to a "high speed" mode that can go 18.6 mph or 30 km/h. The original concept was for use by people with mobility issues. Now Toyota is bringing back the high speed mode for urban (think 15 minute cities) personal transportation.

Or this Segway-based EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) a concept personal mobility vehicle conceived and created by a partnership between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC). The two-passenger pod is versatile enough to function as a rather large “scooter” or as a capable commuter vehicle for tomorrow’s crowded urban (think 15 minute cities) areas. The under-1,000lb vehicle carries lithium ion batteries that allow a range of up to 25 miles of range. With a top speed of 25 mph or 40.23Km/h

[tiny-buzz]

You probably know by now that Regis Weekend has been extended, but have you ever wondered how Regis Weekend gets extended? We did too, which is why we set out to do a deep dive on what Regis Weekend Extensions are and how they make the perilous journey across the world and onto your electronic device:

-

[int. Industrial Factory Floor, TINY BUZZ is riding on the shoulder of a REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER]

TINY: Bep? Bork beep bonk zorp bonk?

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: Not just made Tiny! This is the place we do all the distribution! Every Regis Weekend Extension comes through here, and wowie does it get busy! Here, lemme show you!

[REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER and TINY BUZZ lean over the edge of an industrial storage container]

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: Here you can see some of the raw material.

[REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER reaches inside the container and runs his hand through a pile of Nude Thanoses soaked in Clam Juice]

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: Yep, these aren't ready quite yet [calling to REGIS WEEKEND SCIENTIST] Hey Francis! Just what the heck are you planning on doing with all these?

REGIS WEEKEND SCIENTIST: [shouting back playfully] Hey! I've been in this business a long time! You can't rush these things! But when you see it, I think you're gonna like it!

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: Haha! OK! Can't wait to see it! [to TINY BUZZ] C'mon, there's something else I wanna show ya!

[TINY BUZZ and REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER walk across the factory floor and towards the shipyard. On the way they pass two REGIS WEEKEND WORKERS carrying a LARGE INDUSTRIAL VAT]

REGIS WEEKEND WORKER 1: Hot poop coming through! Better watch your step!

REGIS WEEKEND WORKER 2: Let me tell ya, you do NOT want this spilling on ya!

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: Hey! You don't have to tell me twice! C'mon Tiny lets go!

[TINY BUZZ and REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER arrive at the Shipyards]

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: So here we are! This is where every Extension is loaded up and then sent to data centers across the world! We've got ships going to ports in Shanghai, Antwerp, New York City, you name it!

TINY BUZZ: Bep?

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: That's right Tiny! In fact since i knew you were coming today, I have an extension made just for you!

[REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. The piece of paper contains an image of ship EVERGREEN being pushed out of the Suez Canal by a much smaller excavator. EVERGREEN is labeled "Regis Weekend" and the excavator is labeled "24 hour extension". REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER slowly puts on his reading glasses]

REGIS WEEKEND ENGINEER: So based on this it looks like Regis Weekend has been extended for 24 hours until October 22nd! Isn't that something?

-

So there you have it! Regis Weekend has finally been extended. What will tomorrow's extension be? Stay tuned to find out all this and more at Tiny Buzz!

[redux-pain]

chapter 12: Home again

まずは、お疲れ様。

現在、搬送中のターゲットは、 朝までには検査が終了すると思う。

Ｇｏｏｄ　ｗｏｒｋ　ｔｏｄａｙ．

Ｔｅｓｔｓ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｔａｒｇｅｔ　ｓｈｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ　ｆｉｎｉｓｈｅｄ　ｂｙ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ．

[NOLA:] First of all, good work.

The target is being transported currently, and it's looking like testing should be finished by morning.

----

検査が終了次第、データを 送ってもらって解析するわ。

もし彼が上海事件の引き金になった 男だったとしたら、

ひとまず今回のミッションは終了ね。

Ｏｎｃｅ　ｔｈｅｙ’ｒｅ　ｉｎ　Ｉ’ｌｌ　ｃｈｅｃｋ ａｎｄ　ａｎａｌｙｚｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ．

Ｉｆ　ｈｅ’ｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｇｕｙ　ｗｈｏ　ｓｅｔ　ｏｆｆ ｔｈｅ　Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ　ｉｎｃｉｄｅｎｔ，

Ｔｈｉｓ　ｍｉｓｓｉｏｎ’ｌｌ　ｂｅ　ｄｏｎｅ．

[NOLA:] Once the tests are done, the data will sent to us for analysis.

If this is the man who sparked off the Shanghai Incident...

...then the mission will be over for the moment.

----

確かに奴の感染したサイレントは、 オリジナルではなかった。

しかし、今回の深層検査で、 その街に居ないことがわかれば、

潜伏地の調査から、チーム編成と もう一度作戦を立て直す必要がある。

Ｔｈｅ　Ｓｉｌｅｎｔ　ｉｎｆｅｃｔｉｎｇ　ｈｉｍ ｗａｓｎ’ｔ　ｔｈｅ　Ｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌ．

Ｉｆ　ｔｅｓｔｓ　ｓａｙ　ｔｈｅ　Ｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌ’ｓ ｎｏｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｏｗｎ，　ｔｈｅｎ　ｗｅ’ｌｌ

ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｓｔａｒｔ　ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ ｏｖｅｒ　＆　ｒｅｔｈｉｎｋ　ｏｕｒ　ｐｌａｎ．

[NOLA:] We do know that the Silent infecting him wasn't the Original.

But if the upcoming deep scans show that the Original isn't in this city...

...then we'll have to reformulate our team setup and strategy after an underground investigation.

----

だけど、今日アツキに排除された サイレントのことは問題かも。

別のルートから派生したものである 可能性が残っている。

Ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｉｌｅｎｔ　ｙｏｕ　ｅｒａｓｅｄ ｔｏｄａｙ　ｍａｙ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍ．

Ｉｔ’ｓ　ｐｏｓｓｉｂｌｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｔ　ｃａｍｅ ｆｒｏｍ　ａ　ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔ　ｒｏｕｔｅ．

[NOLA:] That Silent you erased today might be a problem, though.

There's a possibility that it came through different channels.

----

現在、それも解析中だけど、 その調査を依頼されるかもしれない。

所長の決定はまだ出ていないけど、 一応そのつもりで居てね。

Ｗｅ’ｒｅ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｉｔ，　ｂｕｔ ｗｅ　ｍａｙ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｉｎｖｅｓｔｉｇａｔｅ．

Ｔｈｅ　ｃｈｉｅｆ　ｈａｓｎ’ｔ　ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ ｙｅｔ，　ｂｕｔ　ｇｅｔ　ｒｅａｄｙ　ｆｏｒ　ｉｔ．

[NOLA:] We're analyzing that at the moment. You may be asked to investigate further.

The chief hasn't made a decision yet, but be ready for it.

----

だけど明日は結果が出るまで、 ゆっくり出来るはずよ。

それじゃ、おやすみなさい。

Ｙｏｕ　ｃａｎ　ｔａｋｅ　ａ　ｒｅｓｔ　ｕｎｔｉｌ ｔｈｅ　ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ　ｃｏｍｅ　ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ．

Ｇｏｏｄｎｉｇｈｔ．

[NOLA:] You can take it easy until the results come in tomorrow.

Good night.

GOOD VERSION}

====

{BAD VERSION:

話は聞いた。

ターゲットを目の前で 殺されたらしいな。

Ｉ　ｈｅａｒｄ．

Ｔｈｅ　ｔａｒｇｅｔ　ｗａｓ　ｋｉｌｌｅｄ　ｒｉｇｈｔ ｉｎ　ｆｒｏｎｔ　ｏｆ　ｙｏｕ，　ｈｕｈ．

[RAY:] I heard what happened.

The target was killed right in front of you.

----

もし、殺された奴が追ってきた者 だったとしたら、

これで手���り寄せてきた糸が 切れたことになる。

Ｉｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｅ　ｗｈｏ　ｗａｓ　ｋｉｌｌｅｄ ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｎｅ　ｗｅ’ｒｅ　ａｆｔｅｒ，

ｔｈｅｎ　ｔｈａｔ　ｍｅａｎｓ　ｗｅ’ｖｅ　ｌｏｓｔ ａ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔ　ｌｅａｄ．

[RAY:] If he was the one we're after...

...then the thread we've reeled in has now snapped.

----

奴が追ってきた者でなかったと しても、捜査は振り出しだ。

どうしたアツキ？

Ｂｕｔ　ｉｆ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓｎ’ｔ　ｏｕｒ　ｍａｎ， ｗｅ　ｒｅｉｎｖｅｓｔｉｇａｔｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｚｅｒｏ．

Ｗｈａｔ’ｓ　ｗｒｏｎｇ，　Ａｔｓｕｋｉ？

[RAY:] Even if he wasn't the one we're after, the investigation has to start from zero.

What went wrong, Atsuki?

----

ミッションが続いて疲れでも 出ているのか？

一度、本部に戻ってきたまえ。

Ｉｓ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｍｉｓｓｉｏｎ　ｅｘｈａｕｓｔｉｎｇ ｙｏｕ？

Ｃｏｍｅ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　ＨＱ　ａｔ　ｏｎｃｅ．

[RAY:] Are you tired after all these missions?

Come back to headquarters at once.

----

そちらには代わりの者を 送ることにする。

わかったな。

Ｉ’ｌｌ　ｓｅｎｄ　ｓｏｍｅｏｎｅ　ｅｌｓｅ ｏｕｔ　ｉｎ　ｙｏｕｒ　ｐｌａｃｅ．

Ｇｏｔ　ｉｔ？

[RAY:] We're sending someone in to replace you.

Got it?

[CREDITS ROLL]

BAD VERSION}