The Best Director

Chapter 16 Trust

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“What happened here?” As they saw Joshua on the floor, Wang Yang, Rachel, and the others were all stunned.

“Oh, my God! The DV camera!” Rachel suddenly gasped, and as everyone followed her gaze, they immediately noticed the DV camera lying on the ground. Wang Yang felt a sudden tightness in his chest and hurried over to pick up the camera, inspecting it with a stern face.

Seeing Wang Yang’s face turn ugly, Jessica’s heart clenched, and she asked with a glimmer of hope, “Joshua, the camera didn’t fall to the ground, did it?”

“I’m sorry, the camera did fall…” Under everyone’s tense watch, Joshua got up, rubbing his forehead, and said apologetically, “It wasn’t on purpose! I was just walking along when suddenly a rat darted out, tripped me, and I fell. Oh God, that damn rat…”

“A rat? Are there rats here?” Zachary Levi asked in confusion, “I haven’t seen any…”

Jessica looked at Joshua suspiciously and said, “A rat? Oh my God, what kind of rat could trip someone your size?” She suddenly raised her voice, angrily saying, “Please, Joshua, if you’re going to lie, at least make it a good one!”

Rachel gave Zachary a cold look, then comforted Jessica, “The DV camera might not be broken, let Yang check it first.”

“But…” Jessica was still glaring at Joshua.

“Damn it, quiet!” Wang Yang, frustrated and disturbed, raised his head and shouted, then quickly apologized, “Sorry,” and continued to examine the DV camera.

Jessica was taken aback. Damn it? She stared blankly at Wang Yang, feeling as if her heart had been slashed. Was Yang cursing at her… Should I be angry? She bit her lip, turned away, and tried to suppress her sadness, acting as if nothing happened.

The DV camera in Wang Yang’s hands was a Sony DCR-TRV900, a high-definition 3CCD camera launched by Sony this year, arguably the best domestic DV on the market. Of course, the price was also very high; if it were damaged, parts like the lens or screen could cost more than the thousand-dollar deposit, possible even requiring additional compensation.

However, what slightly relieved Wang Yang was that the camera’s outer casing, lens, and screen seemed undamaged; he pressed the power button, but it wouldn’t start. He removed the battery and put it back, then tried to turn it on again. No response. He couldn’t help but shake the camera vigorously. You can’t be broken, if you’re broken, where will I find the money to rent another DV! He cursed, “Damn it… please, please!”

“Yang! Don’t do that.” Rachel stepped forward and grabbed Wang Yang’s hand, giving him a gentle smile and comforted, “There’s always a solution to a problem, right?” Wang Yang took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and nodded, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Watching Rachel soothingly pat Wang Yang’s arm, Jessica struggled for words, her lips moving several times without making a sound. She wanted to offer comfort, but there was another force inside her holding her back…

After fiddling for a bit more, it was still no good. Wang Yang forced a smile, shook his head, and said, “It won’t turn on; there might be something wrong inside. I need to take it to the camera equipment store owner to check it out.” He then took out the minidv tape from the DV camera, checked it, and breathed a sigh of relief, “Good news, the tape is fine, today’s footage is safe.”

“`

Although he tried to stay optimistic, telling himself that the DV camera might just have a minor issue that could be fixed in no time, he wasn’t someone without knowledge of DV cameras. He knew the problem could be either big or small, so while he pretended to be relaxed on the surface, deep down, he was a mess.

Wang Yang clapped his hands and said to Rachel and Zachary, “All right, folks, we’re wrapping up early today. I’ll take the DV camera to the camera shop right away to have it checked, and I’ll contact you once I get the results.” With that, he walked back into the bedroom to shut down his computer.

Rachel and Zachary both nodded, started to pack their things, with Zachary finishing up first and leaving. Rachel needed to change out of the pajamas in the bathroom and put her regular clothes back on. Only Jessica and Joshua were left in the living room.

“Joshua, are you satisfied now?” Jessica couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. She glared at Joshua, gnashing her teeth with anger, “I will deal with you when we get home. Now, get the hell out of here!”

With an expression of being wronged, Joshua spread his hands, trying to explain, “Believe me, there really was a mouse, a big one, that tripped me!”

Jessica rolled her eyes and couldn’t be bothered with Joshua any longer, slumping down on the couch with a huff, thinking to herself how awful everything was!

“OK, I’m going, I’m going.” Joshua knew she wouldn’t listen to any explanations right now and didn’t want to make her any angrier, so he turned around and left. R/ê/Ad lat𝙚St ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only

Once Joshua was gone, Jessica had no outlet for her anger. She glanced at the bedroom and sighed.

By then, Rachel, who had changed her clothes, came out. She approached Wang Yang, who was sitting in the chair of his bedroom, and patted his shoulder. Looking at the image on the screen, which was a clip of her walking around in the house, she smiled and said, “I like this part, it’s shot with such feeling.” Then, trying to provide some comfort, she added, “Yang, it’s okay. If there’s any difficulty, you can put my fee on hold.”

“Thank you, Rachel,” Wang Yang felt a warmth in his heart and gave a shrug with a smile, “But I don’t like to be in debt over people’s fees.”

“Then I’ll wait for your good news at the hotel. I’m off, bye!” Rachel smiled again, patted Wang Yang’s shoulder, and left the bedroom. Seeing Jessica on the couch, she offered, “Jessica, want to go together?”

Jessica smiled back at her. “Oh, you go ahead, I still have something to discuss with Yang.” Rachel nodded and left first.

Alone in the bedroom, Wang Yang continued to watch the footage on his computer, and the whole house settled into silence. As he viewed the shots they’d taken, his mood began to even out. There weren’t only one DV camera in the world, after all. There was always a solution!

After a while, he shut down the computer, put on a trench coat, took the broken DV camera, and prepared to leave for the camera shop. When he came out to the living room, he found Jessica sitting by herself on the couch, deep in thought, which caught him off guard, “Huh, Jessica, you haven’t left yet?”

“Oh!” Jessica jumped up, startled, and looked at Wang Yang with a calm tone, “Well, I haven’t left – I was wondering if you could use my help. I drove here.”

“`

“That’s fine.” Wang Yang nodded his head.

In America, people generally apply for their driver’s license after their sixteenth birthday, and both Jessica and Wang Yang had theirs. Arriving at the community parking lot, Jessica drove a silver-colored Fox sedan. She tossed the keys to Wang Yang and sat down in the passenger seat; Wang Yang got into the car, inserted the key, and pressed the accelerator to start the car.

As the car pulled out of the parking lot and out of the community, Wang Yang still hadn’t spoken. Jessica occasionally turned her head to glance at him and finally couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Yang, are you mad?”

“What? No, I’m just thinking about things!” Wang Yang said with a smile, shaking his head and steering the wheel. “Jessica, I was a bit angry earlier, but I’m over it now. This was just an accident, no one wanted it to happen, I don’t blame anyone.”

Even though it was Joshua who had broken the DV camera, Wang Yang didn’t think the kid did it on purpose. Joshua was immature, but at his worst, he was verbally unforgiving; however, he did know his limits. Like the day they rented furniture, he complained non-stop but he still helped move it all day long without being too lazy.

“Thank you,” Jessica nodded, then apologized again, “But I still need to say sorry to you! Perhaps bringing Joshua over was a mistake. He’s always so hostile toward you, I don’t even know if he does it on purpose.”

Stopping at a traffic light, Wang Yang looked at Jessica beside him and said earnestly, “No, Jessica, Joshua isn’t that bad of a person. I trust him. I know the pain of being wrongfully accused, being suspected, so I choose to trust him. His hostility toward me is just because he chose to believe in USC. It’s a natural human reaction; he didn’t know me before.”

Jessica asked in confusion, “He knows about you being expelled? How did he find out?”

“On the day of the renovation, he accidentally saw my expulsion notice,” Wang Yang shrugged nonchalantly as if telling an amusing story and laughed, “Then he thought I was a racist jerk, even using marijuana, up to no good. He was afraid I would deceive you, hurt you.”

“Is that why he’s so hostile to you?” Jessica understood, rolling her eyes helplessly. Joshua, this guy, does he know about my childhood with Yang!? She couldn’t help complaining, “He knows nothing, yet acts like he knows everything. He’s blaming the wrong person, such a self-righteous kid!”

Wang Yang laughed it off, “It’s fine, I don’t mind. Let’s listen to some music.” Saying this, he pressed the car’s radio, and a song began to play from the station, a lively country tune. Both listened quietly for a while.

Amidst the music, Wang Yang and Jessica arrived at their destination, “Preserving Beauty,” a photography equipment store. Located in the downtown area, close to USC, the store sold and rented various photography equipment, including all the latest models. Wang Yang and his classmates used to rent equipment from here; the owner was a middle-aged white man with a pot belly named Frank Spencer, who sported a beard. Wang Yang knew him, but they weren’t particularly close.

At that moment, the chubby store owner was frowning, standing behind the glass counter, turning the rented DV camera over in his hands, complaining incessantly, “Damn it! Yang, when I rented this camera to you, I told you not to break it! This TRV900 is Sony’s latest handycam model, very expensive! How could you let it fall to the ground? Damn it! If the lens is damaged, your one thousand deposit won’t be nearly enough to cover it!”

Jessica and Wang Yang both stood in front of the counter, listening to Frank Spencer. Jessica was dissatisfied with his tone and said with a furrowed brow, “Boss, can’t you talk about it nicely?”

The owner looked up at her, snorted, and said, “Little miss spicy, the DV camera isn’t yours, so you’re not worried. If the DV is completely ruined, I’m the one who has to pay!”

Wang Yang frowned, his voice tinged with annoyance, “Frank, what’s the use of complaining now?” He pointed at the DV camera, “I’ve checked it out. The casing, lens, and display are all fine; the problem must be inside the body.”

“Hmm…,” Frank Spencer fiddled with the camera for a bit, shoved the battery back in, pressed the power button, but there was still no response. He put down the DV camera, looked at Wang Yang and Jessica, and spread his hands, “It could be something related to the battery connection that got damaged, or maybe a component— who knows! I need to send this guy back to the original factory for repairs, which will take some time.” He then said to Wang Yang, “Of course, the repair costs will be deducted from the deposit, and you better pray to God it’s not too much.”

This was truly bad news… Sending it back to the factory for repairs would take at least half a month, but now the issue wasn’t the repair cost, it was that Wang Yang needed a DV camera to finish his filming work.

Wang Yang let out a resigned sigh, “Alright, it’s got to be this way then! So, Frank, can you lend me another DV camera in the meantime?” Frank immediately replied, “No, no, no, don’t even think about it!” Wang Yang held up three fingers, “Frank, I only need it for three days!”

Frank refused flatly, “No, nothing to discuss, even if you pay again, I’m not renting to you. Go rent somewhere else.”

“OK.” Wang Yang didn’t want to argue with the fat man and said to Jessica, “Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay,” Jessica nodded, feeling terrible inside. If the DV camera hadn’t been damaged, would Yang be taking flak here? Yang didn’t blame Joshua, but could she really be at ease with herself?

Just then, a group of four young couples walked in— two men and two women, one white couple and one black couple. Spotting Wang Yang, one of the muscular black men with a shaved head suddenly yelled out, “YOYO, look who it is! Oh, it’s China Yang!”

Hearing that voice, Wang Yang’s brow furrowed immediately, and he glanced towards the entrance. He recognized the two men: they were both classmates from the University of Southern California; the white man was Matthew, and the black man…

“That would be Terrence Ben…” Wang Yang murmured to Jessica beside him, his fist slowly clenching.

“Is that the jerk who framed you!?” Jessica took a deep breath, turned to look at the approaching Terrence Ben, her face becoming expressionless.

Terrence Ben had the prototypical quarterback build— bulging arm muscles and a chest that swelled with each section, all of which made him look very formidable. He was wearing a red T-shirt with a skull printed on it, stretched tight over his muscles as if he had deliberately chosen a size too small. Walking over with an arrogant look, he mocked, “China Yang, what are you doing here? Haven’t gone back to San Francisco yet?”

Matthew followed behind him, wearing a sarcastic grin and wrapping his arm around his white girlfriend, an average-looking woman in both face and figure; whereas Terrence Ben’s girlfriend, the black girl with fluffy hair and sausage lips, wearing large hoop earrings, followed with a face eager for drama.

“What I do here is none of your business,” Wang Yang retorted with disdain. The guy might be built like a bull, but he was just a loudmouth who was a complete pushover when it came to a fight. Wang Yang sneered, “Didn’t you get enough last time I beat you?”

Terrence Ben’s attention had been firmly on Wang Yang upon entering the store, but he suddenly noticed Jessica. Her “angel face, devil body” immediately caused his eyes to light up, and he stood there stunned, exclaiming, “Oh my God, beautiful girl!”

“`

Matthew from over there was also stunned, and Terrence Ben incredulously looked at Wang Yang, “You guys can’t be in cahoots, right?” Matthew also seemed puzzled as he said, “Could it be Yang’s girlfriend? Haha!” After speaking, they all laughed mockingly, thinking Jessica was just a passing customer and had nothing to do with Wang Yang.

However, the scene they imagined where the beauty would shrug her shoulders and say “it’s not me” did not happen. Not only did it not happen, but to their astonishment, the beauty actually laughed and wrapped her arms around Wang Yang’s arm, intimately pressing herself against him.

“I am Yang’s girlfriend.” Jessica had a charming smile on her face, clung onto Wang Yang’s right arm tightly, sweetly leaning against him, her head rubbing against his shoulder. But her heart was definitely not as calm as it appeared on the surface; her heart thudded wildly, accelerating crazily, her body temperature soared, her palms were burning hot, as she kept telling herself, it’s just an act, just an act…

Wang Yang was initially taken aback, but he quickly understood Jessica’s intention—she was helping him. So he kept his composure, a faint smile on his face, and casually said, “Yeah, my girlfriend Jessica.” He wanted to maintain his calm, but it felt great, and a fragrance entered his nose, like the scent of hair, or maybe body fragrance… all of these were continuously assaulting his senses.

“Are you kidding me?!” Terrence Ben and Matthew were dumbfounded, gazing at Jessica’s sweet and charming face, looking at her tall and sexy figure, especially in the black leather outfit, which made her look exceptionally hot. She was Wang Yang’s girlfriend?! They couldn’t help but curse enviously and jealously in their hearts, damn it, how is that possible!

Terrence Ben, unwilling to believe it, said, “No way?” He looked at Jessica as if trying to save a lost girl, “Don’t you know? That guy is a racist, he discriminates against us black people! He is a disgrace!”

Wang Yang said, “I don’t have time for you,” and was about to leave, but Jessica did not want to let it end like this. She clung tightly to Wang Yang’s hand, a surge of anger rising on her face, and scoffed, “Save it, you are the disgrace! I know the truth. I bet this isn’t over yet, and one day Yang will reclaim his innocence, and God will punish you!”

Upon hearing her say she knew the truth, Terrence Ben stopped pretending, and laughed arrogantly, spreading his hands and saying, “Oh, God hasn’t punished me, but he has already punished Yang! Haha, who got expelled from school now?” Matthew and two girls also laughed out loud.

Jessica was so angry she clenched her teeth, looking at the people in front of her, her rage reached a breaking point. Terrence and the like were the same type who used to bully her at school, these people kept on hurting others, and now they were smug…

Seeing their ugly faces, hearing their arrogant laughter, Jessica couldn’t hold back any longer. She snapped, “I know what you are, a bunch of trash! Bullying the weak in school all day, and when you encounter the strong, you resort to despicable slander, all of you are those who don’t have the balls!” After finishing in one breath, she paused—she had just cursed without minding her manners, it was the first time she had sworn like a rock chick on the streets, feeling a bit uneasy inside, yet also exhilarating.

Jessica… Wang Yang was a bit stunned, don’t have the balls?! Wow! When did she become so “spicy”? He remembered how Jessica used to be shy and timid as a child, and he couldn’t help but sigh—they really had grown up!

“Hey, want to find out if I have balls? Come and try!” Terrence had a smug look on his face and made a few thrusting gestures.

Without waiting for Wang Yang to speak, Jessica seemed to have had enough and immediately retorted, “I bet you’re thinking, oh, why don’t I have such a hot girlfriend? Of course, because you’re a scumbag. Compared to Yang, you’re not even fit to carry his shoes! You? I wouldn’t give you a second glance!”

“Damn it! Girl, what are you babbling about?!” Terrence Ben was seething with anger, his veins bulging. Being humiliated like this by a beauty, especially in front of his own girlfriend, where was he supposed to put his face?

The black girl was also fuming, her eyebrows furrowed in anger. Her boyfriend was being insulted, and she felt equally humiliated. She retorted angrily, “Hey, you think you’re so hot?”

“`

“Am I spicy or what?” Jessica laughed derisively, glancing contemptuously at Terrence and said, “Didn’t you see that nauseating look on your boyfriend’s face just now?!” She eyed the furious Terrence Ben and feigned surprise, “Oh my God, look at his clothes, they’re hilarious! Haha, does he think by wearing a size too small and showing off his muscles he’s some sort of tough guy?”

Jessica rolled her eyes and said, “Give me a break, he just got knocked flat by Yang!” She looked at the black girl and sighed, “I really feel sorry for you, girl, having a boyfriend like that. I’m wondering if he even counts as a man!”

“You little bitch! Are you asking for a beating!?” Terrence Ben was so angry he was practically gasping for air, his fists cracking with tension.

Hearing Terrence Ben verbally assault Jessica, Wang Yang was instantly enraged, but the excitedly swearing Jessica beat him to the punch once again, inwardly cheering “I’m a rock girl!” with a swift step forward, she stomped on Terrence Ben’s foot and cursed, “Go to hell!”

“Ahh!” Taken by surprise and unable to dodge, Terrence hopped away in pain. He immediately started to fuss, “Damn, there’s a crazy woman here! I’m going to call the police! She just attacked me!”

After stepping on his foot, Jessica felt both thrilled and vindicated, finally taking a little revenge for Yang! Hearing him threatening to call the police, she laughed heartily and said, “You gonna call them? What are you going to tell them, racial discrimination or murder? ‘Oh, that girl stepped on my foot, she’s trying to kill me’, please! Oh right, I haven’t even turned 17 yet, at most I’ll pay you a few thousand bucks and do some community service, am I scared of you?”

Terrence Ben glared with his bulging eyes, speechless with rage.

Wang Yang pulled Jessica back and shielded her, to prevent any sudden violent outburst from Terrence, he looked at him with a look of readiness and chuckled, “Hey Terrence, if you want to fight, I’m right here!” Jessica mocked from behind, “Yang, does he dare? He doesn’t have the guts, he can’t even beat me! He’s just a kid who goes running to teachers and police.”

“Hey, if you want to cause trouble, take it outside!” At this point, the shop owner Frank Spencer, who had been enjoying the show, felt the atmosphere getting dangerously tense, and he didn’t want a bunch of kids brawling in his store, so he yelled from behind the counter, “Out, out!”

But at this point, no one paid him any attention, Terrence Ben clenched his teeth; although he felt humiliated and was seething with anger, he dared not make a move. For one, he knew he couldn’t beat Wang Yang; and secondly, in America, whoever strikes first, whether it’s a punch or just a shove, the other person may hit back hard, and even if you’re beaten half to death, a good lawyer and a solid defense could get you off scot-free.

The black girl couldn’t stand it anymore, she felt embarrassed and pulled Terrence, saying, “Let’s get out of here!” While Matthew and his girlfriend didn’t say a word, opting not to get involved.

Terrence glared at Wang Yang and then at Jessica, cursed in a frenzy, “Damn it!” With nowhere to vent his fury, he shook his hands violently.

Wang Yang’s eyes lit up, seizing the fleeting opportunity! He deliberately leaned forward, and with a “thump”, Terrence’s swinging fist hit him squarely!

“Die!” Wang Yang cursed and bent down to throw a punch straight at Terrence’s midsection, so fast that Terrence couldn’t react in time, and before he knew it, Wang Yang’s fist had smashed brutally into his stomach! The punch was so powerful that Wang Yang’s fist almost sunk into it.

“Oh my God…oh…” Terrence cried out in agony, reflexively covering his belly, struggling to stay upright. The black girl covered her mouth in shock, Matthew and his girlfriend were also stunned!

So cool! Jessica was stunned for a moment, watching Wang Yang’s fierce and rapid punch, and seeing the quarterback-sized Terrence cowering on the ground gave her a surreal feeling. Snapping back to reality, with adrenaline surging, she also rushed forward and kicked at Terrence while cursing with satisfaction, “Die, you bastard! Just die!”

Terrence curled up into a ball, arms protecting his head, yelling, “Oh God! Stop hitting, are you guys crazy? Oh, please stop!” Struggling to stand up, Wang Yang cursed, “Just stay down,” and kicked him over again. While beating him, he glanced at Matthew beside him and sneered, “Wanna have a go?” Matthew smiled awkwardly, “No, no…”

The black girl was so panicked, she was losing her ability to think, just yelling, “Help! Somebody help!”

“Get out! Get out, all of you! Don’t fight here!” Frank Spencer shouted loud, “If you don’t leave now, I’m calling 911!”

Although it was Terrence Ben who had started the fight, Wang Yang didn’t want to hassle with the police, as it might even mean a trip to the station, so after kicking Terrence one last time, he pulled Jessica, who was also laying into Terrence, saying, “Jessica, that’s enough, we’ve got to go!”

Jessica let him pull her, walking with him towards the exit of the shop. She turned back to look at Terrence and the others, sneering, “Idiots!” Then glanced at the black girl and Matthew’s girlfriend, “Get yourselves a new boyfriend!”

Once they reached the street outside, they started running, and didn’t stop until they were out of breath and far away. They looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

After a good laugh, they began walking towards a nearby parking lot. Wang Yang was eyeing Jessica as they walked, as if seeing her anew, unable to believe, “Wow, Jessica, what was that just now… was that really you?” The infuriating mockery, the swearing, the fighting, that wild girl just wasn’t the Jessica he remembered.

Jessica took a deep breath, looking up at the sky, smiled and replied, “That was me.” She paused before confidently saying, “Yang, I’m no longer the weak Jessica who always cried ‘help me.’ In fact, I hate being the girl that needs help and protection from others.” She swung her fist, smiling, “I’m strong now, capable of protecting myself; no one can mess with me!”

Yes, the current Jessica was confident and self-reliant, an actress who had achieved success through her own effort; the timid, scared Jessica only existed in memory now. Wang Yang nodded with a smile, “Congratulations, I’m really happy for you.” Then, exaggerating a bit for humor, he joked, “You know? You were like a lioness just now, truly fierce!”

Jessica rolled her eyes and punched Wang Yang in the arm, “Like this?” She laughed a few times, explaining, “I’m not like that all the time… I was just so angry now, they were the wrongdoers, getting away with it and acting so arrogant! I couldn’t stand it, I told myself I had to be tougher on the bad guys, and then I turned into that.” After speaking, she kicked at the air.

“However,” Jessica looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling slightly, “I’m not any lioness, I’m just an ordinary girl.”

“Hmm, Superman is also ordinary most of the time,” said Wang Yang, shrugging and using his hand to brush away the sweat-soaked hair sticking to his forehead.

“Hey!” Jessica suddenly frowned and stopped, looking at him, “Yang, your hand seems to be hurt, let me see.” She grabbed Wang Yang’s right hand and saw several scratches on the knuckles. Wang Yang smiled indifferently, “It’s nothing, probably got it from punching Terrence and hitting the decorative iron chain on his pants.”

Jessica gently blew on the scratches and looked up asking, “Does it hurt?”

Wang Yang looked at her gentle appearance, and couldn’t help but feel a skip in his heart. He shook his head with a smile, “No, it’s quite cool.” Jessica was still the same Jessica. She wasn’t a lioness, perhaps only when facing bad guys would she turn into one. Normally, she was just an ordinary girl.

“That’s good to hear, this is your badge of bravery!” Jessica said with a laugh as she gently patted Wang Yang’s hand.

By this time, night had fallen, and the shops on both sides of the street were lit up with colorful lights, even more eye-catching than the stars. They talked as they continued walking towards the parking lot when suddenly, a voice came from behind, “Hey, Jessica, Yang, wait up, wait for me!” They stopped in their tracks and turned around, surprised to find Joshua running up from behind.

Joshua didn’t stop until he was right in front of them, then he leaned on his knees, his face covered in sweat, heaving for breath. Wang Yang and Jessica both got a scare, and Jessica asked with surprise, “Joshua, what are you doing here?” Joshua panted heavily, “Um… Actually, I didn’t go home. I was waiting all the time in the community’s parking lot, and then when you guys came out, I started following you, all the way to the equipment store.”

Jessica’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief, “You followed us!?” Joshua quickly tried to explain, “No, no, no, I was just concerned about the DV camera!” He then laughed, still gasping for breath, “But, I saw everything that went down in the store just now.” He made a fist and, looking at Wang Yang, he exclaimed, “Wow, Yang, that punch was so cool! Was that Chinese Kung Fu?”

Wang Yang shook his head, “No, it was just a regular punch.”

Joshua suddenly became serious, “Dude, I saw everything that happened, heard it all. I think the University of Southern California might have made a mistake! So I’ve made up my mind!” He grinned, “I believe that you are not racist, and you don’t do marijuana. You must be a good person.” Wang Yang shrugged, “What do you mean ‘must be’? I am one.”

“Anyway, check this out.” Joshua shook a bag he was carrying, then mysteriously pulled out a box from inside the bag. Printed on the box were the words “DCR-TRV900”, it was a new DV camera! He looked proudly at the stunned Jessica and Wang Yang, “I just bought this DV camera, I’m lending it to you. Dude, don’t refuse! I owe you.”

Jessica was moved and joyful, looking at Wang Yang expectantly, “Yang…”

Wang Yang looked at Joshua’s sincere face and was a bit touched himself, this kid! He threw a punch at Joshua’s chest, laughing, “I’m not going to refuse! But… you shouldn’t have bought it from Frank’s store, making that fat guy richer!”

Joshua winced, touching his chest, making a grimace, and chuckled, “My savings are all spent on this, I’m going to get that rotten scoundrel!” Then he added seriously, “Dude, you have to make that movie great, show those bastards what you’re made of. I’ve got your back!” He bumped fists with Wang Yang and then leaned in close to whisper in his ear with a chuckle, “But you know, if you ever hurt my family, I won’t let you off the hook.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t!” Wang Yang gave his hand a firm shake, causing Joshua to yelp in pain again.

Watching the two men embrace, Jessica smiled happily, fixing her hair that the wind had tousled, feeling better than she ever had before.

※※

Note: The DCR-TRV900 was launched by Sony in September 1998. In the story, it’s introduced a bit earlier, just so you know.

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