Darkstone Code
Chapter 146 - 0145 Who knows who is happy

Chapter 146: 0145 Who knows who is happy

The poker game Lynch saw before arriving was actually Mr. Fox passing the time by deliberately "losing cards." Simply put, he was using losing money to gather some ordinary old men around him.

Some might think this actually shows loneliness and consider Mr. Fox a pitiful old man with no friends.

But thinking from another perspective, at least he still has money...

Lynch saw right through it. Someone who deals with money all day and isn’t strictly a good person, being left with very few chips in front of him isn’t normal.

He didn’t think Mr. Fox was pitiful. Maybe in Mr. Fox’s heart, those who play with him and take advantage of him are the pitiful ones. At least he wouldn’t trade the most valuable time of his life for some insignificant money.

People often say money can’t buy happiness, but Lynch felt Mr. Fox was quite happy just now. The kind of happiness where you sit behind the scenes and let the old men think they’ve found an "honest guy," only to become the hooked ones themselves, is something they can’t comprehend.

The two chatted for a while, sitting on rattan chairs. On the open-air platform, exposed to sun and rain, and sometimes harsher weather, leather or fabric sofas wouldn’t last more than half a year, but rattan chairs last longer and have a cultural vibe more suitable for this place.

People are generally like this: once their basic financial needs are met, they start seeking spiritual satisfaction, and pursuing cultural fulfillment is a way suited for the public.

"I heard from other sources that you found a script," Lynch said, sipping the coffee brought by the servant. In fact, many young people like him prefer drinking juice because it’s sweet and sour.

But the real Lynch wasn’t a young man; he was past the age of liking sweet and sour flavors. That taste couldn’t attract him. Instead, he was drawn to some bitterness with a sweet aftertaste.

Mr. Fox nodded, "You know, my good-for-nothing son is a college student..." He called young Fox a fool, but the pride on his face betrayed his inner feelings. "One of his classmates approached him and offered him this script. Young Fox found it interesting, so why not let him try?"

Lynch could understand this feeling as a father. In fact, every father hopes their child can walk the right path, even the leader of a criminal family would have such thoughts.

He nodded, "When I had dinner with the mayor in the evening, I mentioned it. He agreed to give us some financial support. I can’t guarantee how much, but I’ll try to get more."

"Moreover, you can apply for assistance at the social services bureau. They will arrange specialized staff to cooperate with your shooting."

Mr. Fox was taken aback, then thanked Lynch, "You’re a good man, Lynch!"

"We are friends, and friends should help each other, right?"

Mr. Fox didn’t hesitate at all, "You’re right, Lynch, my friend!"

Perhaps Lynch’s arrival distracted young Fox, or maybe he wanted to get Lynch’s opinion and gain some sense of approval. Not long after, he came to the platform on the second floor holding the script and handed it to Lynch, "Do you want to see the script? If nothing goes wrong, this will be the first film we shoot."

The Fox father and son had established a company called "Fox Film Corporation," in which Lynch also invested some money, holding a thirty percent share.

Originally, he meant to hold a ten percent share casually, but the father and son were so enthusiastic that they insisted on giving him thirty percent. For that, Lynch paid an additional 300,000 (yet to be credited, but it will be), these damn father and son duo!

Out of a sense of responsibility for his money, he looked at it seriously. Thanks to previous experience and knowledge, he had some connections to this quick-money industry.

As he read, Lynch’s eyebrows raised with disbelief. It was a very typical road thriller romance. It might sound a bit off, but right now, this genre belonged to the more common mainstream movies.

Before the emergence of faster means of transport, people traveling between cities often chose to take a car. For one, the cost of a car ride was lower than that of a train, and it was also more free. As everyone knows, freedom is written into the Charter, and the spirit of freedom fills the bones of the Federation people.

People love the open road, enjoy the artistic and poetic feeling of driving toward the setting red sun on the desert, so road movies have always been popular, with cheap filming costs being one reason.

But this script... Lynch wasn’t optimistic. A woman’s car breaks down, then she hitches a ride with a psychopathic killer. Even more ridiculous, after being harmed and tormented, the woman actually falls in love with the psychopath, ultimately leading to his inexplicable redemption as he turns normal and surrenders himself. She even has a child with the psychopath.

The thrilling part isn’t the atmosphere but the writer’s mind. Lynch put down the script, using some arm gestures, and tried to find a relatively neutral word but failed.

"I don’t know how to describe it..."

Young Fox might have misunderstood, "Were you also shocked by it?"

Lynch glanced at Mr. Fox, who also seemed to be watching him earnestly, wanting to get some reference value from him. He frowned, "Maybe I don’t understand the deeper meaning of this script, but I know it’s not a script I like. I wouldn’t pay to see it in a theater."

Young Fox showed a look of disbelief, "It’s an excellent script, packed with metaphors. Didn’t you notice it’s actually related to some religious stories?"

Next, young Fox began to explain to Lynch what a certain part of the script represented, the metaphors behind it, and what other things it alluded to. In his description and explanation, some deeper aspects of the script were revealed.

Actually, just like the author, this script lacked people who could clearly interpret it, which meant that much of its interesting and deeper content went undiscovered by people.

But Lynch wasn’t very interested in that, "Entertainment is about joy, not making people think. That’s something philosophy would have people do."

"Audiences won’t spend a few bucks to take the family to a theater to reflect on why this and that. They just want happiness, which is precisely what I didn’t find in your work."

"I know saying that might make you feel bad, but I must express my feelings because I also have to be responsible for my money."

Mr. Fox kept a smile on his face. He didn’t understand movies well, but he knew what would and wouldn’t interest people. He also didn’t think it was a good story, but these college students thought it was great.

As a father, he was definitely incompetent, so he hoped to somehow make up for what young Fox lacked. He didn’t say it was bad but remained silent instead.

If old Mr. Fox tried stopping young Fox from shooting this script, it might not be very effective. But it was different with Lynch. From a certain perspective, young Fox admired Lynch more than Mr. Fox. At the very least, it was with Lynch’s help that the father and son duo succeeded, which was just a small step in Lynch’s plan.

"Is it really that bad?" He started to step out of his frenzy, vaguely feeling that it might really be...bad?

"Show it to some unrelated people on the street, they will give you the truest perspective!"

Young Fox left feeling somewhat uncomfortable. Mr. Fox, however, asked, "Do you have any good suggestions?"

The question left Lynch puzzled, "Do you mean in which area?"

"The script, the movie story!" Mr. Fox continued, "In fact, he has already rented the entire set of things needed for filming. These things aren’t cheap, and the leasing company said that even if we don’t use them, there won’t be a refund..."

The current economy being bad makes getting a refund impossible. Some might say that it’s only twenty to thirty thousand or thirty to fifty thousand. If it can’t be refunded, so be it. Do the Fox duo really care about that money while earning so much?

Perhaps it was true during better economic times, but now with the downturn, circumstances have changed.

Moreover, these things weren’t sold to them, so even if they can’t be refunded, they can’t keep the items. They’re leased, and after exceeding the contract period, they’ll be returned to the leaser, leaving them with nothing.

Initially, Mr. Fox intended young Fox to suffer a loss. He always thought society was simple and believed that even if they didn’t follow the current path, they’d still make a name for themselves.

If Lynch hadn’t known about it, everything would proceed according to Mr. Fox’s plan: film completion, then failing upon release, leading young Fox to understand the complexities of society and Mr. Fox’s accurate perception due to experience. This would positively affect their father-son relationship.

But now, not only did Lynch know, but the mayor also knew, so if they implemented this plan as originally devised, more than just young Fox would suffer a loss, even Mr. Fox might also "suffer."

People would witness a big joke, which wasn’t part of Mr. Fox’s old fox plan, so he must retrieve it back.

Lynch was about to express his helplessness when he suddenly remembered a truck driver telling him about a fool named James in the fleet who often writes things, reportedly selling them to film companies or the Union. Maybe he might have a way?