Rei da Informação do Entretenimento Chinês

June 2002, Hengdian.

In a cramped hotel room, Yan Li pressed stop on his incessant alarm clock. He opened his eyes, about to get up and wake his roommates for class, only to be greeted by the sight of an aging ceiling fan.

He froze for a second or two before realizing he wasn't on the Beijing Film Academy campus. He was in Hengdian, shooting for the crew of "The Legend of the Sui and Tang Heroes."

"It really is cooler here than in Beijing."

Stretching, Yan Li got up to use the bathroom, then brushed his teeth and washed his face. The hotel he was staying at was provided by the production crew; it was a typical, modest establishment from the turn of the century. It wasn't large, and apart from the bed, wardrobe, quilt, and table, the only electrical appliance was the fan. He had to fetch hot water from a communal room with his own thermos. Fortunately, there was a private bathroom, though he had to figure out his own way to shower.

Still, Yan Li was quite satisfied. To say nothing else, having a single room made Yan Li, who had lived in a dorm for nearly two years, feel deeply emotional. He finally didn't have to listen to his "beastly" roommates snore.

After washing up, shaving, and getting dressed, he saw that there was still plenty of time, so he sat back on the bed and whispered in his heart:

"System."

A virtual screen instantly appeared before Yan Li. Even after seeing it for nearly half a year, the sci-fi-like interface still felt slightly surreal.

[Daily Int