Chapter 16: The Last Hunter
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Chapter 16: The Last Hunter
In this age of highly advanced communications networks, the inevitable result was the rapid spread of information. No hot topic could retain its timeliness for long.
Even something discussed by the entire nation a few days ago might go unmentioned a few days later.
Jiang Ren’s story naturally did not vanish quite so quickly, but with the government stepping in, the domestic frenzy lasted less than two weeks.
Several months later, most people regarded it merely as a story rather than a real event.
It was not until three years later, when Jiang Ren turned eighteen, that news of the film Hunter’s upcoming release sent the incident blazing across the internet once more. By then, however, it had nothing to do with Jiang Ren.
Several months earlier, he had armed himself and ventured alone into a perilous tropical rainforest.
For the rest of his life, he would devote himself to battling nature and ferocious beasts.
Decades passed in the blink of an eye.
The world did not stop turning for anyone. The relative peace among the great powers had given rise to a highly developed entertainment industry.
Among its many branches, film had always occupied one of the most important places.
Today was the premiere of the sequel to the world’s most popular film—the film universally recognized as the industry’s most valuable intellectual property, and also the highest-grossing movie in the world: Hunter.
The cinema was packed. Long lines stretched through both the waiting area and the ticket hall.
Nearly seventy percent of the posters displayed throughout the lobby advertised the same film.
The Last Hunter
That was the film’s title. Beneath it was a smaller line of text:
Hunter—Part Nine
“The film is about to begin. All guests for Theater Nine, please line up to enter!”
The announcement rang through the cinema, and dozens of people immediately began queuing for admission, their faces alight with excitement.
“Hurry, hurry!”
Xiao Jie dragged her boyfriend, Xiao Gang, who had just come out of the restroom, to the back of the line.
Xiao Gang was somewhat helpless. “What are you rushing for? The seats are assigned. It’s not first come, first served.”
“Oh? So you have a problem with that?”
Xiao Jie tilted her head and shot him a dangerous look.
Xiao Gang gave an awkward laugh and glanced around for a way to change the subject. He soon spotted a poster for Hunter beside them and immediately said, “It’s a shame this is the final film in the Hunter series. There won’t be another one after this.”
As a devoted longtime fan of Hunter, Xiao Jie drooped at those words. “There’s nothing we can do about it. After all, the movie is based on real events. Grandpa Jiang has retired, and without a story, there’s naturally no way to make another film.”
“But it isn’t really a bad thing. Grandpa Jiang is getting old, after all. We fans are happy as long as he can enjoy a peaceful retirement.”
After chatting for a while, the two finally passed through the ticket checkpoint and entered the theater area.
Along the corridor leading to Theater Nine, posters for Hunter hung on both walls, each bearing a different slogan.
“The Strongest Man in History!”
In the poster, a man stood atop a giant elephant. Around him prowled a pack of wolves, their eyes fixed hungrily upon him. Yet the man showed no fear; if anything, he seemed eager for the challenge.
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“Conqueror of Nature!”
On the left lay a world of ice and snow; on the right, a parched land beneath a blazing sun. The man walked between them, leaving a long trail of footprints behind.
The posters that followed displayed countless other slogans.
The True Hunter. King of Exploration. Scholar of Flora and Fauna. Nemesis of Poachers…
The only thing that never changed was the line of small print at the bottom of every poster:
Based on True Events!
By the time Xiao Jie and Xiao Gang reached the entrance to Theater Nine, they had not seen a single duplicate Hunter poster.
Because they had been the last to have their tickets checked, and because the posters had delayed them along the way, every seat in the theater was occupied except theirs.
“Two minutes left. Hurry!”
Xiao Jie seized Xiao Gang’s hand and pulled him toward the last row.
It was not that they had not wanted seats in the middle. The film was simply too popular, too wildly anticipated.
And since The Last Hunter was also the final installment in the Hunter series, merely managing to obtain two tickets already felt like a blessing from heaven. They had not dared hope for good seats.
“Thank you!”
The two passed by an elderly couple and, after sitting down, hurriedly turned around to thank them.
The old couple smiled and did not seem to mind.
Seeing the masks covering their faces, Xiao Gang felt puzzled. He had the distinct impression that he had seen them somewhere before.
Soon, the film began.
Everyone quieted down and devoted themselves to watching the final installment of Hunter.
Director: Zhang Ke
Adapted from My Life as a Hunter by Jiang Ren
Aside from the crucial matter of theater attendance, one way to judge how exciting a movie was involved counting how many times the average viewer went to the restroom after it began.
In that respect, this film undoubtedly reached the extreme.
At least several people were sitting with their legs clamped tightly together, their faces flushed from holding it in, yet their eyes remained fixed unwaveringly on the screen.
As a result, the moment the film ended, they bolted for the exits.
Some had barely made it halfway there before lowering their heads to glance at their trousers. With a mournful cry of, “It’s over,” they rushed into the restroom.
“That was incredible! I can’t believe they were already in their fifties when they went through all that.”
“Otherwise, why would he be called the strongest man in history?”
“You have to understand—the old man is still the old man!”
“Don’t just talk about Grandpa Jiang. I think Grandma Liu was amazing too. They really were the perfect husband-and-wife team!”
“By the way, why are all of you talking about the real people the movie was based on instead of the actors?”
“The actors were pretty good, but this really happened. Why talk about two people pretending to act when we can talk about the two real people?”
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Most people were still discussing the film’s thrilling plot as they left the theater. Xiao Jie and Xiao Gang were no exception.
“That was so cool! So cool! Grandpa Jiang was incredible, and Grandma Liu was beautiful…”
Walking ahead of her boyfriend, Xiao Jie waved her arms and imitated the movements from the film with exuberance.
Xiao Gang followed behind, shaking his head helplessly. He was afraid that his girlfriend might get so carried away that she would trip and fall. If that happened, he would inevitably be blamed.
“Young man.”
A voice came from behind them, old but powerful.
Xiao Gang turned around and saw the elderly man who had been sitting beside them earlier.
“Meeting is a matter of fate. Take this.”
The old man handed him a book and walked away.
Xiao Gang froze for a moment. When he came to his senses and tried to call the old man back, the couple had already vanished into the crowd.
It was a biographical novel.
The final volume in the My Life as a Hunter series.
As a devoted fan of Jiang Ren, the real-life inspiration for the protagonist of Hunter, Xiao Gang had bought this book long ago. In fact, he owned the complete set.
Xiao Jie happened to turn around. “Hey, where did you get that book?”
Xiao Gang told her what had happened. Xiao Jie immediately took the book from his hands and flipped through it. Just as she was about to close it, she suddenly let out a loud cry.
Xiao Gang blinked innocently.
Had he done something wrong again?
“Autographs! Autographs! They signed it!”
Xiao Jie pointed at the photographs on the book’s final two pages, so excited that she could barely speak coherently.
The photographs were unmistakably of Jiang Ren and his wife, Liu Jingbai. Their names had been signed beneath the respective pictures.
Because Jiang Ren and his wife rarely appeared in public, very few of their autographs had ever circulated. On the secondhand market, their signatures had already been driven up to one hundred thousand, and even then they were virtually impossible to obtain.
“They…”
Looking at the two photographs, Xiao Gang recalled the appearance of the elderly couple. Their eyes and brows seemed to match perfectly.
“I think I’ve missed something.”
He watched his girlfriend jumping up and down, uncertain whether he should tell her.
Forget it. Better not.
He was afraid for his life.
End of Chapter