Chapter 23 'Looking up at the Starry Sky' program group
Mei Qian and Ning Chi set off from Xiadu on September 16th and flew to the provincial capital of the Western Regions that night. They signed the contract at the provincial capital TV station the next day. When they learned that the film crew had gone to the destination in advance to prepare, they did not delay and flew on the same day.
Arrive at Yingsha County.
There were staff at the airport to receive them, and the two of them transferred to a long-distance bus. It took them half a day to reach their destination, SL County in the Western Region.
There was a lot of twists and turns along the way, but Mei Qian's purpose was to travel. The Western Regions in early autumn and the majestic scenery of the Gobi desert along the way were absolutely unmatched elsewhere, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
Ning Chi, on the other hand, complained: "I didn't expect the program team to choose such a remote place. It's close to the border. Will it be chaotic?"
Mei Qian looked back with a smile and realized that the physical work of carrying a bag was not suitable for a young girl. Now that he has this little follower, he can feel much more relaxed.
He did not speak, and Ani, who was responsible for receiving the two people, explained: "Where can there be chaos in the country now? It is bordered by the Great Desert to the east and the Kunlun Mountains to the south. The folk customs and traditional economy are very unique, and they only developed due to historical reasons.
It's slower. This time the program team is shooting, it also has the purpose of promoting regional culture." The three people communicated very happily along the way, so Ani's attitude now is not as rigid as it was at the beginning.
Speaking of which, this young man from the Western Region has a very long name. Ani is his "stage name". He speaks Chinese very fluently. If you didn't look at his appearance and just listened to this long talk, you would never think that he was from an ethnic minority.
Mei Qian, wearing a mask and sunglasses, walked out of the waiting hall leisurely with his hands in his pockets.
Ning Chi followed behind, dragging the trolley suitcase, while Ani took out his mobile phone and made a call.
Sure enough, not long after, I saw several people coming to greet me.
"Teacher Mei, nice to meet you..."
The leader called himself You Xiude. What is surprising is that such a young Han man in his twenties turned out to be the chief director of the "Looking at the Stars" program group. The few following him were the crew members of the film crew.
He was a tall, round-waisted man from the Western Regions, which made Mei Qian take a few more glances.
After a few people got into the business car, Mei Qian asked casually about the other guests.
The answer was that he was the only real guest.
You Xiude explained that originally this program was based on observing the starry sky at different locations in the Western Region as a gimmick. In fact, the main focus was on travel guides and promoting local characteristics. Due to limited funds, other members of the Western Region Branch of the Xia Kingdom Explorers Association will participate.
He is considered an amateur. After all, only Mei Qian is somewhat famous in the show.
"Why me?" Mei Qian frowned. You must know that the other party gave him a lot of money, enough to hire several third-rate stars. And he didn't think that he, a book writer, could support a variety show. From this point of view,
It’s not easy to make money either.
"Actually, the purpose is to take advantage of your current popularity to promote the program. And..." You Xiude lowered his head shyly and took out a book from his bag: "I am a loyal fan of your books, especially this book "Tomb Robbers"
"Memoirs of a Writer", I especially like the content about the underground ruins of the Xiangfeng Buddhist Kingdom, can you sign it for me?"
Meeting another reader, Mei Qian could say nothing but sign his name on the page.
When they arrived at the hotel where they were staying and had dinner together in the evening, Mei Qian finally saw the amateurs who were going to appear with him.
All I can say is that I really don’t know what kind of brain circuit you have.
It's okay if you don't invite celebrities or "big names" to your TV show. At least you can find a beauty from the Western Region to participate. How many people will watch the travel show of a bunch of rough guys?
After the exchange, he couldn't help but worry about this variety show. With such a lineup, he didn't know whether the first season could be successfully completed.
As for the ratings? Haha!
However, the contract has been signed, the process arrangement is reasonable, and the director has even arranged the scripts for the show, and there is even a one-person script.
Mei Qian, who was just trying to make a fool of himself, had nothing to say and set off with the film crew the next day.
It has to be said that although the lineup is stretched, the logistics force of this team is still very strong. Security guards, doctors, and chefs are all available. They drove out ten off-road vehicles and entered the desert in a mighty manner.
The shoot went very smoothly, everyone got along well, the food was delicious, and everyone had a great time.
The weather was also favorable, the wind was gentle and the sun was bright. When looking up at the stars, Mei Qian was completely mesmerized by the majesty and vastness, and all the depression in his heart was swept away.
I don’t know how the program works, but the purpose of the trip has definitely been achieved and it’s a worthwhile trip.
But two days later, when heading to the next destination, an accident happened.
After the convoy filled up the tank, it headed towards the Gobi Desert. Tired of the scenery outside the window, Mei Qian fell asleep without realizing it.
But he was suddenly awakened by several strange noises.
"Gunshot? Is this gunshot?" Ning Chi on the side also looked like he had been woken up, with an uneasy look on his face.
Mei Qian listened carefully and saw that it was indeed gunshots, coming from the rear and kept ringing, as if there was a fierce exchange of fire between two parties.
Only then did he realize that the sun outside had already set after the convoy had been walking for an unknown amount of time.
He hurriedly patted You Xiude on the shoulder of the co-pilot and asked what happened.
You Xiude also frowned and chatted with the driver in Western dialect. Then he took out his walkie-talkie and started chirping for a while before turning to Mei Qian and said: "There may be terrorists who sneaked into the border and encountered the officers and soldiers of the Xia Kingdom, and a conflict broke out. Let's
Go quickly and stay away from this place."
After that, Mei Qian obviously felt that the speed of the car had accelerated, but he and Ning Chi were sitting in the car and did not notice at all that the three off-road vehicles did not follow...
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The next morning, the Third Criminal Investigation Detachment of Xiadu Police Station.
Zhang Yu was typing up the case report on the computer in distress when suddenly there was a loud noise and the door to the room was pushed open with great force. Captain Qin Sen stood outside the door with a livid face, wrote two words: "meeting", and then strode away
Entered the conference room.
Not long after, all the police officers from the three detachments arrived.
After seeing everyone gathered, Qin Sen turned on the projector, and several photos appeared on it.
"News came from SL County in the Western Region. Last night, a domestic convoy left the country without authorization, encountered patrol officers and soldiers, had a shootout, and stopped three off-road vehicles.
Moreover, the opponent has sophisticated weapons and rich combat experience, so we left no one alive."
Then, Qin Sen pressed the remote control pen, and another photo appeared. It seemed to be a hotel bathroom, with a middle-aged man with a shaved face lying naked in the bathtub.
"This murder also occurred in Shule. The body was found dead in the hotel yesterday afternoon. His identity has been verified. He was the chief director of the "Looking at the Stars" program group of Western Region TV. He died three days ago. Surveillance shows that several people who were killed were
"Terrorists all appeared in this hotel as members of the film crew, including Mei Qian, who we were paying close attention to."
Qin Sen turned off the projector, turned to face everyone, and said solemnly: "I have arranged for people to conduct an investigation last night. Mei Qian's mobile phone cannot be contacted at all. It may be turned off, or it may not be on the server. And based on the existing evidence, it is enough to confirm
He has arrived overseas."
"Then let's analyze it. Is this a well-thought-out escape in fear of crime? Or is it a premeditated kidnapping by foreign forces?"