Li Banfeng stood at the doorway, looking at the hologram of Ling Miaoying and marveling at the exquisite mastery of the projection technique.

Just look at this hologram. It looks exactly like the real thing.

When Li Banfeng first saw it from the doorway, he had not been able to tell it was merely a hologram. Now that he was examining it carefully inside the Pocket Dwelling, he still could not tell the difference between it and the real person.

He could not see any flaws in its appearance, expression, clothing, or movements. Even the hologram's voice sounded exactly like Ling Miaoying's.

Judging from the Glove's reaction, the hologram also felt incredibly real to the touch.

The Glove shrieked, "Boss, save me! His grip is too strong. He's about to squeeze me to death!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I want to save you too, but this hologram is impervious to blades and bullets."

During the fight at Freewind Wharf, the Tang Saber had already struck the hologram once and even cut off its head, yet the thing could still move.

"Boss, think of something else."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and said, "Oh! Why don't I set it on fire?"

The Glove shouted, "You can't set it on fire! You'd just be burning me to death too! Boss, you just need to find a way to turn off that projector."

Li Banfeng's lips spread into a slow smile. "What projector? When I came back, I counted all the enchanted artifacts and spirit-bound items we seized. I didn't see a projector."

The Glove explained, "Boss, I saw that you were tired, so I kept it safe for you first."

Li Banfeng moved around the Ling Miaoying hologram, went to the corner of the room, and picked the film projector up off the floor.

The film projector had a very complicated structure, but Li Banfeng had been studying filming and photography recently, so he knew where its core was.

He simply blew out the scandle inside the projector. The film projector was still running, but without its light source, it could no longer produce the hologram.

Once the hologram disappeared, the Glove was finally free. He could only watch helplessly as Li Banfeng took the film projector away, yet he still had to say sincerely, "Thank you for saving my life, Boss."

Li Banfeng was not quite fully awake, but he had recovered around seventy to eighty percent of his strength, so he decided not to go back to sleep. After eating something, he took out all of Ling Miaoying's spirit-bound items and enchanted artifacts and inspected them one by one.

He first studied the film projector carefully and figured out where the film reel was loaded. Just as he was about to yank the film reel out, the Film Projector shouted, "Wait. Flip the switch first, or you'll damage the axle."

His voice was rich, deep, and resonant, sounding like a tenor singer.

Judging from the logic in his speech, this was an enchanted artifact.

Li Banfeng looked at the Film Projector and asked, "Are you willing to follow me from now on?"

The Film Projector adjusted himself to a suitable angle, pointed his lens straight at Li Banfeng, and said, "That depends on whether you truly understand art."

"What if I do?"

"Then we are kindred spirits."

"And what if I don't?"

The Film Projector raised the stand at his base, making itself look slightly taller. "If I cannot meet a kindred spirit, I would rather follow Miaoying into death."

The Blood-Drinking Pendulum snorted. "How pretentious!"

The Old Teapot sneered. "I can't stand these stubborn types."

The Film Projector asked Li Banfeng, "Are you someone who understands art?"

Li Banfeng placed the Film Projector on the table, then he turned and took a film reel from a chest. He had shot this at Blackstone Slope. In terms of quality, this was one of Li Banfeng's finest works.

He loaded the film reel into the Film Projector. The film was over three minutes long, with over a hundred meters of film. Logically, such a small projector should not have been able to hold such a large film reel at all. However, the capacity of the projector's film reel compartment could not be judged by sight. The entire reel of film went in quickly, and there was still plenty of space left inside.

The Film Projector first ran through the film once and used one word to describe it. "Crude!"

Li Banfeng did not explain. He simply waited for the Film Projector's next comment.

The Film Projector watched the film again and gave his review. "Yet, within its crudeness lies great elegance!"

Li Banfeng gave a slight nod. "Now that sounds like someone who knows quality when he sees it."

The Film Projector said, "Please lend me a flame."

Li Banfeng struck a match and lit the candle. With the light source restored, the film projector projected the film onto the wall.

A young woman stood with her back to Li Banfeng, revealing the faintest hint of a smile. The pale blue qipao she wore slid down her curves.

The Tang Saber straightened himself and silently watched the woman in the film. The Glove climbed onto the Tang saber and did the same.

Huff, huff~

The tea inside the Old Teapot boiled for a moment, and puffs of steam escaped from its spout.

The Liquor Gourd sneered. "You old thing, that spout of yours is pretty stiff too, huh."

The Old Teapot snorted. "She appeared out of nowhere. I was just startled. At my age, how could I still have those thoughts?"

The woman in the film bent down slightly, resting one hand on her knee while lifting her hair with the other. Then she turned back and glanced at everyone.

The Glove trembled. "This is... real..."

The Tang Saber trembled along with the Glove for a moment before scolding him, "Why are you shaking? Stop moving around!"

As the young woman bent over, her "conscience" hung a little lower, while her "peaches" were raised a little higher into the air.

The Judge's Brush suddenly murmured, "Hmph~"

Huff!

The Old Teapot sprayed out a mouthful of tea that was a little red.

The Blood-Drinking Pendulum laughed. "Are you bleeding?"

The Old Teapot coughed a few times. "No, I'm not. At my age—"

Li Banfeng handed the Old Teapot a piece of cloth. "If anything else comes out later, remember to use this."

The Old Teapot panted. "It won't. Nothing else is coming out. I'll just wipe up the tea."

The Liquor Gourd laughed. "He's not telling you to wipe up the tea. He's telling you to cover your face, you shameless old thing!"

During the screening, the room split into two factions.

The Tang Saber, the Glove, the Judge's Brush, and the Old Teapot were all watching the film very seriously.

The Blood-Drinking Pendulum, the Liquor Gourd, the Threaded Earring, and the Illustrated Calendar were all making comments.

"Look, her 'conscience'... they aren't small, but the left and right aren't the same."

"Exactly. The folds between her legs and 'peaches' don't look right either!"

Hong Ying was very impatient. She could not see the film, so she had no idea what was happening.

Since you're not letting me watch, I'm going to ruin it for everyone!

"Wicked woman! Wicked woman, wake up! Your man brought a woman home!"

The Gramophone was still sleeping soundly and did not wake up.

The film Li Banfeng had shot soon finished playing very quickly, but the film projector's screening was not over yet.

The young woman cupped her fist toward Li Banfeng and said, "Mister, would you be willing to exchange a few moves?"

The Film Projector could control the people in the film and make them act beyond the film itself.

Faced with the young woman's invitation, Li Banfeng shook his head. "Miss, I am a married man..."

The Tang Ssaber leaped up and stood between Li Banfeng and the projection. "My lord, you need not feel troubled. This general is willing to give it a try!"

"Sure!"

Li Banfeng agreed to it, but the Tang Saber was too slow. The Glove went first.

The Judge's Brush called out lazily, "Wait a moment. I also—"

The Old Teapot coughed twice and sighed. "Look at your faces. Don't any of you feel ashamed? I am already this old, yet none of you even thinks to let me go first."

Before he finished speaking, the Glove and the young woman had exchanged more than ten moves without deciding a winner.

The Glove did not like fighting and killing, but he was quite skilled. His attacks were swift and strange.

The first time Ling Miaoying's hologram had grabbed him, he had been caught off guard. This time, he was prepared, so he was much calmer while fighting the young woman.

However, being calm was one thing. Defeating the young woman was not an easy feat.

The young woman quickly adapted to the Glove's fighting style. Her attacks also became swift, and her movements grew strange and elusive. Now and then, she even used her "conscience" and "peaches" to distract the Glove.

After a few more exchanges, the Glove suddenly fled beyond the range of the hologram.

The film projector grew anxious. He tried his best to adjust the projection angle, but the young woman in the hologram still could not catch up to the Glove.

This was the Film Projector's greatest weakness. Once the opponent left his projection angle, it was the same as going off-screen.

The Film Projector's holograms could not leave the screen. Unless the Film Projector readjusted his angle so that his opponent was within the screen, he had no combat ability.

The sparring match ended there. The Film Projector had no intention of insisting on deciding a winner with the Glove.

"Director Qi, this film has been completed. From now on, you may use this young woman to fight for you. Please pay the production fee for this film."

"There's a fee?"

"Yes."

Li Banfeng froze, then he asked, "You charge the cost by the number of productions, not by the number of battles?"

The Film Projector replied, "Director Qi, the battles are free, but I charge a fee for the production process."

"Director Qi? What kind of title is that?"

"Others call you Master Qi, so I will call you Director Qi. That is how directors are addressed on set."

Li Banfeng found that rather nice. "What kind of payment do you want?"

"Footage and film stock. I want excellent raw footage and excellent film stock. The raw footage must be at least three minutes long, and it must earn my approval. The quantity of film stock will depend on the raw footage."

In other words, if Li Banfeng wanted this Film Projector to produce a film, he had to shoot raw footage for it. Whether that footage would be approved still depended on the Film Projector's standards.

Li Banfeng had quite a lot of raw footage, over ten hours in total. He handed the film reels to the Film Projector.

The Film Projector reviewed the reels one by one and sighed. "They are all much the same. I can only barely cut out three minutes from them. I don't consider this footage excellent, so please give me three hundred and fifty meters[1] of film stock, Director Qi."

Three hundred and fifty meters of film stock could hold eleven minutes' worth of footage. Li Banfeng had blank film stock on hand, so he gave the Film Projector a reel of it. The Film Projector accepted it, placing it in his film reel compartment with no problems.

Judging by the combat power the Film Projector provided, the cost he demanded was not high. This was a good enchanted artifact. Li Banfeng cast the Film Projector an approving look.

A familiar voice rang out behind him, exclaiming in admiration. "Oh, my dear, this thing is quite good. Keep it well. I will also have use for it in the future."

Li Banfeng was pleasantly surprised. "Wifey, you're awake!"

The Film Projector looked at the Gramophone and praised, "The craftsmanship of the Amikan Kingdom truly has a special charm—"

Before he could finish speaking, a burst of steam nearly heated the Film Projector until it exploded.

The Tang Saber chided him, "When speaking before the Mistress, you must know the rules. Come with me to the second room, and I will teach you slowly."

The Film Projector slunk away.

The Gramophone said to the Liquor Gourd, "Little sister, please take everyone to the outer room and wait there. I have something to say to my husband."

Everyone left with the Liquor Gourd.

The Gramophone said to Li Banfeng, "My dear, I have regained my strength. Today, I shall take you to level six. Are you ready?"

Li Banfeng took off his fedora, tidied his hair, and reached into the Gramophone's horn.

"Summer arrives, and willow strands grow long.

I embrace my husband, my darling Qi. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

With Homebound Heart and Thickset Body, my dear can withstand all,

So I will add yet another room for my dear husband."

This is Grandpa Train's train. If Wifey says she will add a room, then she will add a room. Clearly, Wifey knows far more about this train than I do. However, she's not willing to tell me about it yet. If she does not wish to say, then I won't rush her to tell me.

More importantly, the Pocket Dwelling has changed... I wondered if she noticed it.

Twenty minutes later, Li Banfeng pulled his arm out of the horn and asked the Gramophone, "Homebound heart and kindhearted[2]... Are you saying I'm an honest and considerate person?"

“Oh, my dear, it does not necessarily mean you'll be thick in the middle[3]. You could also be thick on both sides. In any case, it can make you a thick and heavy person."

"A thick and heavy person..." Li Banfeng muttered. He could not figure it out.

"It means it can help you withstand a critical blow."

Li Banfeng smiled. "Wifey, hurry and teach me how to use this ability. I'm in a rush to buy groceries."

1. I rounded up because the raw is 1000 Chinese feet. The conversion would be 333 meters. Sounds awkward to say. ☜

2. There’s a homophone wordplay here that I can’t translate into a way that works in English. The characters used for “thick body” and “kindhearted” sound the same in Mandarin, so Li Banfeng thinks it’s the one that would make more sense out of context. ☜

3. More homophone wordplay here. The characters used for “honest and considerate” sound the same as the ones for "thick in the middle". ☜