SFS Chapter 742 Huang Xinxin
Chapter 742 Huang Xinxin
Lin Bufan rubbed his sleepy eyes, yawned, and walked out of the room, just in time to see Xu Hongdou carrying a glass of water up the stairs.
"You're up?" Xu Hongdou asked Lin Bufan in her usual calm tone, but there seemed to be something else in her eyes. "Perfect timing, someone's looking for you at the door."
"Looking for me?" Lin Bufan scratched his messy, sleep-grown hair, somewhat puzzled. "Who is it? Why don't you let them in?"
Xu Hongdou raised her eyebrows slightly and gestured towards the courtyard gate: "There are too many people, and there's not enough room in the courtyard, so I didn't have the heart to invite them all in."
"Too many people?" Lin Bufan curled his lip dismissively, muttering as he lazily walked towards the courtyard gate, "How many people could there be? They can't possibly block the alley..."
"Aren't you going to tidy yourself up before going out?" Xu Hongdou couldn't help but remind Lin Bufan, who was still sleepy-eyed and had messy hair.
"Get ready?" Lin Bufan scoffed dismissively, casually ruffling his messy hair. "They're already doing me a huge favor by even seeing me. Do you expect me to get ready? What are you thinking?" The slight smugness and self-righteousness in his tone were exactly the same as his usual self.
Upon hearing this, Xu Hongdou raised an eyebrow slightly, then stopped trying to persuade her, simply showing a look of anticipation: "Alright, whatever makes you happy. Just don't regret it later."
"Regret? How could I!" Lin Bufan waved his hand dismissively and shuffled towards the courtyard gate.
He reached out and pulled open the wooden door, muttering, "How many people could there be...", but the words caught in his throat.
The scene outside the door truly stunned Lin Bufan.
The narrow alleyway was almost completely packed with people. Some were carrying cameras, others holding microphones, and still others were constantly filming with their phones. The crowd stretched all the way to the alley entrance, completely blocking the way. These people had seemed to maintain a restrained silence until the courtyard gate opened, and it was as if play had been pressed—a sudden explosion of noise.
"Mr. Lin! What are your thoughts on the sensation caused by your wood carvings 'Quiet Moon' and 'Flowing Wind'?"
"Mr. Lin! I'm from Art Collection magazine. Would you be willing to give us an exclusive interview?"
"Master Lin! Look this way!"
"Will you sell the wood carving? The price is negotiable!"
"President Lin! We are from Donghai TV..."
The noise, questions, and camera shutters filled the air, and the crowd began to surge forward involuntarily.
Damn it, you bunch of trash can't handle this and resort to sneak attacks? Are you trying to ruin my image among 900 million girls?
Lin Bufan reacted extremely quickly. Almost instinctively, he used his arm to slam the courtyard gate shut again with a "bang," his movements swift and decisive.
Several unexpected exclamations came from outside the door, presumably from people who had been crowding at the front and nearly bumped into it.
Without much hesitation, Lin Bufan turned around and strode towards his room.
Xu Hongdou, who was leaning against the second-floor railing drinking water, took in the whole scene downstairs. A smile spread across her face, and she deliberately raised her voice, "Eh? Why is our Master Lin back? Didn't you say you were going to give outsiders a lot of face?"
Lin Bufan paused, looked up at Xu Hongdou, and accused her with grief and indignation: "Xu Hongdou! Do you know what you just did? You've just destroyed the dreams of nine hundred million girls with your own hands! Do you know how terrible your sin is?"
Xu Hongdou blinked and innocently put down her water glass: "What are you talking about? I reminded you that there are many people outside. You yourself said that there was no need to tidy up, and that seeing you was a huge honor for them."
"You call that a reminder?" Lin Bufan strode up the stairs, approached Xu Hongdou, pointed towards the courtyard gate, and said exaggeratedly, "That was clearly a provocation! You knew there were reporters with their cameras and microphones outside, and bloggers ready to post online at any moment. You should have just told me, Lin Bufan, that there were cameras everywhere outside. If you went out with messy hair and in your pajamas, you'd be trending on social media the next second! But what did you do? You were vague and ambiguous. You just wanted to watch my glorious image collapse, to see those videos and photos circulate online, to see me make a fool of myself!"
Xu Hongdou suppressed a laugh and shrugged, mimicking his usual nonchalant attitude: "Anyway, I reminded you, but you didn't listen. How can you blame me?"
"Fine! Xu Hongdou, you win!" Lin Bufan pointed at her, with a "I'll remember this" expression: "You did it on purpose, didn't you? I'll remember this, you just wait."
After saying that, Lin Bufan stopped arguing, turned around and quickly went back to his room, slamming the door shut.
Xu Hongdou watched his slightly exasperated back and finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, then continued drinking her water in a good mood.
A moment later, the door to room number 5 opened again. Lin Bufan was completely transformed, his hair neatly combed, dressed in a smart casual outfit, and his face once again sported that familiar smile, tinged with a bit of roguishness and confidence, as if the person who had just run back in a rage was not him.
He glanced at Xu Hongdou, who was still watching the play on the second floor, tossed his head triumphantly, and walked towards the courtyard gate again with his head held high.
This time, he took a deep breath, adjusted his expression to be just the right amount of composure and politeness, and reached out to open the door.
The noise outside paused for a moment because of his reappearance, but then more questions erupted.
Lin Bufan raised his hand, making a downward gesture, and his voice clearly drowned out the noise: "Everyone! Everyone, please be quiet!"
His voice seemed to have a strange magic; after hearing it, the crowd gradually quieted down.
Emotional rendering can be quite useful sometimes!
Looking at the quietly listening crowd, Lin Bufan gave a very friendly smile, or at least that's how he saw it: "Thank you all for your kindness and attention! However, as you can see, this courtyard is for accommodation, and the space is cramped, making it inconvenient to accommodate guests. Moreover, gathering here also affects the normal lives of other villagers."
"So, if everyone doesn't mind, please move to the village's woodcarving workshop. It's more spacious there, and it's where these two works were created. We can chat there, shall we?"
Upon hearing this, the crowd agreed that it made sense, and since squeezing into this narrow alley was not a solution, some people began to respond and move towards the wood carving workshop.
Lin Bufan's gaze swept across the crowd, and as expected, he spotted Huang Xinxin, the "Little Sun" of Yunmiao Village, standing with a smartly dressed and capable young woman. Huang Xinxin was the village's college graduate village official and village committee director. Both of them, looking at the "grand occasion," wore identical expressions of mixed joy and worry.
Lin Bufan waved and called Xie Zhiyao over.
Xie Zhiyao strode closer, a helpless smile on his face, and said in a low voice, "President Lin, you really have given our Yunmiao Village a huge surprise! I just got a call from Xin Xin saying that the village entrance was blocked, and I thought something had happened, but I didn't expect it was all because of you." He glanced at the crowd that was still slowly moving toward the wood carving workshop, and said with emotion.
Lin Bufan raised his chin slightly, a matter-of-fact smile curving his lips, his tone carrying just the right amount of "trouble": "Sigh, there's nothing I can do, I was born to be so dazzling. I want to be low-key, but my talent won't allow it. I easily become the center of attention wherever I go, and I'm helpless about it." His expression was like that of a peacock spreading its tail feathers, clearly proud, yet deliberately putting on an air of helplessness.
Upon hearing this, Huang Xinxin couldn't help but burst out laughing. Realizing her lapse in composure, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but the amusement in her eyes was still evident.
Lin Bufan seemed to only then notice her, turning his gaze to this seemingly shrewd and capable girl.
Xie Zhiyao quickly introduced, "President Lin, this is Huang Xinxin, the village committee director of our Yunmiao Village. She's a college graduate serving as a village official, and our village's development is largely thanks to her hard work."
Huang Xinxin extended her hand gracefully, her smile bright and cheerful, tinged with a hint of teasing: "President Lin, I've heard so much about you! I've only seen you on my phone and on TV before, but today I finally get to meet you in person. Indeed... well, you truly live up to your reputation as the dream of nine hundred million girls, your charm is extraordinary." As she spoke, her gaze swept over Lin Bufan's meticulously styled hair and his newly changed clothes, a touch of good-natured banter in her eyes.
Lin Bufan shook hands with Huang Xinxin, feigning humility and waving his hands repeatedly, but the smugness in his eyes was almost overflowing: "Oh, Director Huang, you flatter me! What 'dream of nine hundred million girls'? That's all in the past, empty fame! It's not good now, the hype has died down a bit, I reckon... at most 890 million left? No more than that!"
These words, so blatantly "modest" and shameless, stunned Xie Zhiyao and Huang Xinxin. They then exchanged a glance and saw the bewilderment in each other's eyes.
After the joke, Huang Xinxin looked at the bustling crowd in front of her, straightened her expression, and spoke seriously, revealing a hint of worry: "President Lin, to be honest, the attention you've brought this time has truly exceeded our expectations. We are delighted, as this is an absolutely golden opportunity to promote Yunmiao Village and develop tourism. But with so many people coming all at once, the village's reception capacity, order maintenance... we are indeed a bit caught off guard. I'm afraid that if we are not well prepared, something might go wrong, which would be worse."
Xie Zhiyao nodded in agreement, his brows furrowing slightly: "Yes, too much of a surprise can easily turn into a shock. We need to come up with a plan quickly."
Seeing the undisguised tension and worry on their faces, Lin Bufan knew what they were worried about, so he took the initiative to say, "Alright, alright, look how nervous you two are. Although I, Lin Bufan, may seem unreliable and like to joke around, I can still distinguish right from wrong. Don't worry, since we're on Yunmiao Village's territory, I will definitely cooperate with your work as much as possible and won't act recklessly or cause trouble for the village."
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyao and Huang Xinxin almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, their tense shoulders visibly relaxing. Their main purpose in rushing over today was actually to sound out Lin Bufan, fearing that this unpredictable and eccentric "master" might suddenly create some unforeseen situation they couldn't handle. Now, with Lin Bufan's personal assurance, a huge weight was finally lifted from their hearts.
"That's great! Mr. Lin, we can rest assured now that you've said that!" Huang Xinxin's face lit up with a bright, relieved smile.
Xie Zhiyao nodded with a smile, her tone much more relaxed: "Yes, President Lin, it's so good that you understand our difficulties."
"However..." Lin Bufan changed the subject, crossed his arms, and looked at the two of them with a leisurely air, a familiar, slightly calculating smile returning to his lips: "I've always believed in reciprocity. I've helped you, giving your Yunmiao Village so much attention, shouldn't you reciprocate this favor?"
Xie Zhiyao and Huang Xinxin exchanged a glance, their hearts skipping a beat at the same time, knowing that the real challenge was about to begin. Xie Zhiyao cautiously spoke up: "President Lin, please feel free to share your thoughts. As long as it's within our capabilities and we can help, we will definitely do our best."
"Actually, it's nothing major." Lin Bufan nodded with his chin toward the wood carving workshop, speaking casually: "It's just that I promised Lao Xie that I would revive his wood carving workshop and make the wood carving industry great again. If it's just me shouting about it, the hype will come and go quickly, and it's not a long-term solution. Don't you guys have to do something too?"
After hearing Lin Bufan's words, Xie Zhiyao and Huang Xinxin not only did not show any signs of embarrassment, but they also laughed.
Huang Xinxin spoke first, her tone filled with excitement and determination: "President Lin, you don't need to worry about that at all! Even if you hadn't mentioned it, supporting the wood carving workshop and developing the traditional handicrafts of our Yunmiao Village was already one of the key focuses of our village committee's work going forward! This is our own cultural treasure, the root and soul of our Yunmiao Village, how could we possibly give it up? Before, we were just struggling to find a good opportunity and a breakthrough, but now that you've brought so much attention, it's like a timely help for us! We will definitely seize this opportunity, plan carefully, and develop the wood carving industry as an important tool for our village's distinctive tourism and rural revitalization!"
Xie Zhiyao nodded solemnly in agreement, his eyes filled with the determination of a pragmatist: "Yes, President Lin. The wood carving workshop is my uncle's life's work and one of the hallmarks of our Yunmiao Village. For both public and private reasons, I will not watch it decline. I have been exploring how to combine traditional craftsmanship with the modern market. Now that you, a great leader, have paved the way and attracted so much attention, you can rest assured to leave the specifics of implementation, resource integration, and building the industrial chain to me and Director Huang. We will absolutely go all out to cooperate with you to make this a success!"
Seeing that the two had expressed such positive and clear opinions, Lin Bufan nodded in satisfaction.