Journey to the West (2021)

[bunniefuu]

- It's impressive.

- Yes.

Very impressive.

The first television broadcast

in human history was

the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

And that was also

the first time humans used radio

to transmit image signals.

That signal is still floating

around in the universe.

If an alien caught this signal,

then they would know

of the existence of humans.

Tang Zhijung is a promising

young editor at Universe Exploration

For years now, he has been dedicated

to searching for alien civilization.

We're delighted that he has

accepted our request for an interview.

This is Mr. Tang.

Mr. Tang is our editor-in-chief of

the Universe Exploration magazine.

Frankly, frankly speaking,

he is the most well-known

alien expert in China.

This is Mr. Wang from Apollo Solar Energy.

- Nice to meet you, Mr. Tang.

- This is Mr. Liu.

You know, back in the 1990s,

women read Soulmate,

and men read Universe Exploration.

Our circulation was much higher than Duzhe,

Yes, yes.

Back in the 90s.

So...

Your magazine and our company share

the same ideals and brand positioning.

Both have grand ambitions.

Tea, please.

Apollo, huh?

Right, the sun god.

Just like the sun god Apollo,

enlightening all creatures,

this is also the long-term

goal of our company.

We can work together to realise that ideal.

Yes, yes.

This way, Mr. Tang,

This way.

Are we ready?

Yes.

Mr. Tang,

I would like to ask you,

do you really believe there are

aliens in our universe?

The Earth we live on

is like this grain of sand in my hand,

there are many more planets in the universe

than there are grains of sand on Earth.

So it's impossible

that only Earth has life.

So I firmly believe

in the existence of aliens.

This is

a Geiger counter.

We use this device to

explore the signals and radiation

during our expeditions.

Whenever it encounters

an extraterrestrial signal,

it will emit a beep.

This device has been

with Mr. Tang for over 30 years.

All those national UFO

inquiries we used to have...

Mr. Tang would always

personally visit the scene.

Cool.

- Hello?

- Hello, Sir.

We have a great deal on

a two-bedroom apartment

the down payment is only 10%.

- Each apartment comes with a garden.

- No, thank you.

Check this out.

We bought this in the 90s.

This isn't something you

can just buy with money.

You have to have connections.

Normally you can't buy this...

Only through special channels.

Cool, cool.

Theoretically, this spacesuit is

still usable.

Let's print our APOLLO logo on the helmet.

Right here.

Wait a minute...

Actually,

because

the description of deities evolved

in the later period of ancient Greece,

people mistake Apollo for the sun god, but

the actual sun god

in Greek mythology, is Helios.

Instead, Apollo was-

Take a few steps.

Walk.

Right, Mr. Wang,

let's take a group photo.

Sure.

Come.

Three

Two

One

Okay.

Another one-

Three

Two

One

Okay.

Someone go get Mr. Gao.

My boss' head is stuck.

Don't break my suit...

Hurry up

Mr. Tang!

Sir,

blink if you can see me.

These pipes are not working anymore.

Of course, it's been decades.

See you, Mr. Wang.

Tang Zhijun?

Hurry up, please.

We have to cut his helmet.

Cut it, cut it.

We have to get him out first.

Yes, yes, just get him out.

Just hurry, please.

Careful,

Be careful.

Okay, out!

Careful!

Come, quickly.

Let's go!

There will come a day

when all humans will know of

the existence of aliens,

and all our disputes and

misunderstandings

will disappear.

Therefore,

the only way for human

civilization to progress is

to find aliens.

All abnormal fluctuations in the universe

can be observed through this screen.

Which is to say

this is like a telescope for

observing and monitoring the universe.

We used to have a research object

who was able to receive

signals from outerspace

by looking at the white

noise on this screen

coupled with this simple device.

signals from an unknown origin.

This is how he used it.

Actually,

there are only six essential nutrients

needed to sustain a life.

Carbohydrates.

Fat.

Vitamins.

Salt.

Protein.

Water.

So,

eating anything non-essential

is really a waste.

Any sexual activity after

successful reproduction

is a disease.

Lust.

Gluttony.

All traps of consumerism.

All barriers to human progress.

Right?

This won't work.

Bring some cardboard

boxes from downstairs.

Okay.

That company didn't even know

who the sun god is.

We didn't have to accept

their advertising sponsorship, right?

And if we had not accepted the sponsorship,

they would not have come.

And if they had not come,

then you would not have

made me put on the space suit.

That's enough, Mr. Tang,

Stop repeating yourself.

Then I would not have had to

put on the spacesuit.

That's enough.

And if I had not put on this space suit-

Zip it.

And if I had not put on that spacesuit,

I would not have gotten stuck in it.

And if I had not gotten stuck,

then the spacesuit would

not have been damaged.

And if the spacesuit had not been damaged,

then we would have one more chance

to board the UFO when it comes.

So this is my fault?

Who made this suit? Isn't it their fault?

I had to cut you out.

You know that, right?

If I had not cut into it, you'd be dead.

Dead!

Touch the radiator.

Is it hot or cold.

At this moment, it is cold.

And it will be cold forever!

Madam Cui, I'm heading out.

Okay.

The hydrogen and helium

produced from the Big Bang

are always on the path of yin and yang.

The lecture fees from

this month and last...

Plus this afternoon's...

Should be enough to get

the radiator working again?

About twenty years ago,

back in the 90s,

I began working in telescopes...

Telescopes for astronomers.

All because of his tricks.

He said-

Tang Zhijung said to me-

He said that all humans will

eventually want to look at the starry sky.

Just like washing machines...

Televisions...

Fridges...

Rice cookers...

One in every home.

Those telescopes are

taking up half my apartment.

Nobody wants them.

I was such an idiot

to listen to him.

Mental illness is a label that

humans use to distinguish a

select segment of special people.

Biologically, there must be

a reason for their existence.

There must be a reason.

The brain patterns of

those we term "crazy"

have, to some degree, abnormalities.

The neurons inside their brains

have a different current.

So these people may

pick up on extra-terrestrial signals

that we ordinary people would miss.

If the heart is here

The dream is here

True love is still here on earth.

To have a heroic life

one just has to

start over again.

Therefore,

mental illness offers

those of us interested

in human-alien

inter-civilization communication

an access point.

Let me tell you,

he can't even figure out life on earth,

and yet all he can

think about is alien life.

and how to get his

hands on an alien.

Say if he did find aliens,

wouldn't they come in a spaceship?

And why would they come?

Tell me, why?

To rob us, of course!

Banks...

Oil...

Mines...

Shopping malls...

Places like this-

they'll take everything.

In which case, Tang Zhijun will be

the biggest traitor on Earth.

I think this is a

backward, anthropocentric view.

If aliens were able to come to Earth,

then it means their scientific technology

is actually higher than that of humans.

Similarly, their moral level

will also be higher than ours.

So this is a question

you don't have to worry about that.

He considers himself as a great scientist.

But to be frank he's just a crank.

Tell me, who can stand him

for a long period of time?

Right?

His wife divorced him.

And his wife was awarded

full custody of their daughter.

Two years ago,

his daughter,

passed away.

Depression.

The doctor said it's

genetic in 50% of the cases.

(The fee is standardized. It's the same for

that professor there, and the same for you.

(Let's just split it evenly.

My grandson is still in the hospital.)

How's your daughter lately? Stable?

(Just because you had more performers doesn't

mean we will raise your performance fee)

I sign here, right?

Yes, sign here.

You must help her

stay on her medication.

She must not stop her medication.

(There were four of us!)

(Throwing a tantrum won't help.)

Narisu,

please check the NASA website immediately

and see if they have made any

sudden announcements.

Yes, right now.

So, at this point,

I can't rule out that two

galaxies are beginning to merge,

or if one of the stars of

Centaurus is collapsing,

and the cosmic rays being

emitted are too strong,

which is causing my TV to

overload.

Personally, I think the

most likely explanation is that

an alien civilization is sending

some kind of strong signal.

Let me know what you find.

To start-

Last night, I asked Narisu

to help me investigate.

And I have some news.

An observation report from the

Southern European Observatory.

The Orion's alpha star

located on its left shoulder-

As in the classical poem

"Like Scorpio and Orion,

we meet not again in life."

This is that Orion.

Its brightness has dropped to

its lowest point ever.

So, what does this mean?

All of this indicates that

this red supergiant

has the typical signs of

gravitational collapse.

Stop talking for a minute, Madam Cui.

Okay.

It has already collapsed.

Exploded.

Thank you.

So it's like what I said before,

on the surface, it looks like

the television is broken.

But actually, there's nothing

wrong with the television.

But there is something

wrong with the universe.

So I asked Narisu to expand

his area of investigation.

And we found this forum.

Come take a look.

We can start by eliminating the possibility

that this is a man-made aircraft.

this trajectory is hardly achieved

with our current technology.

We can then rule out the possibility

of natural phenomenon.

We've arrived at the main point

The morning after this

bizarre phenomenon,

the stone lion in the village,

the village where this happened-

Look.

This is the stone lion.

It used to have a stone ball in its mouth,

but now it's gone.

But there is no

damage to his mouth.

When I got home last night,

my television set was still warm.

My calculations indicate

that the television broke

at the exact same moment

as this event.

Therefore, I'd like to

make a bold assumption...

Mr. Tang,

remember, remember

That time-

Do you remember that time..

There was a child

studying computer sciences

who made a fake UFO video?

And who was it that took it seriously?

You took me on a two-day ride

to the Mongolian border.

What did you find except for

that stupid wallet on the street?

What else did you find?

This time, there are

multiple, matching indications.

The timeline is very clear.

So I think the abnormality of the star,

the broken television,

the stone lion event

of Burning Nest Village

indicate that there's a

connection of some sort here.

And it's likely something

extraterrestrial, something..

Oh, Mr. Tang,

could the cold radiator

also be an indicator of some

intergalactic warfare?

Fix the radiator before

saying another word.

That sponsorship from APOLLO...

could be our investigation fund, right?

That's your sponsorship there.

Would you prefer an apple

or a banana for the road.

How much do you think

we could sell the suit for?

Quit playing the victim.

Even if we could sell that,

it'd go straight to the heating bill

and electricity bill, and

to fix the windows.

Do you think we come to

work because it's fun?

This is not a charity. Grow up!

Give me a break.

Unc.

Where's your mom?

Locking the bike.

I bought spinach today.

The lettuce is not fresh.

I forgot to tell you,

I'm leaving in a few days.

The wedding is at the end of next month,

It was the bride's family's decision.

The bigger halls were all booked,

we only got a medium-sized one.

The package includes

the master of ceremonies.

The bride's family did a lot.

And you...

You only have this one nephew.

And weddings are a significant occasion.

The noodles will keep.

I'll take care of the vegetables and eggs.

Is this trash?

Take it.

I'll do it myself.

From the moment the universe was born,

which we colloquially call the Big Bang...

The heat from the Big Bang

began initially as ultra hot X wavelengths.

But as the temperature decreased,

those wavelengths elongated.

and became cosmic microwaves.

And those microwaves became radio waves

Those radio waves are still drifting

all over the universe, at all times.

These radio waves are caught by

the antennas, a human invention.

The waves then appear on TV as...

white noise.

So

this

is not

ordinary

white noise.

This is

the afterglow

of the universe's birth.

Our magazine is called

Universe Exploration.

Those of you who are

younger may not know that

this was a name

bestowed upon us

when we first started our publication

by Mr. Wang.

What I'm trying to say is that

from then till now,

this has not been an easy journey.

Before he retired, Mr. Wang told me

even if you fall on the ground,

you must turn and look upon the stars.

Working on our magazine is not

an ordinary nine-to-five job.

But the reason why we work

from nine-to-five each day

is that we hope that

there will be a day

when we'll have the opportunity

to explore the universe.

Here they come.

- Ms. Qin, right?

- Yeah.

- Hello, hello.

- Welcome.

This is director Frant Gwo,

from the blockbuster The Wandering Ball

The problem is just here.

It'll be totally fine

for use on a film.

Just a trivial problem.

It's quite a few decades old,

but this is just a minor issue.

- Director, I think it'll work.

- Yes, it'll work.

- Are you kidding? How could this work?

- It's old, but it's authentic.

It's printed upside down here, look.

Don't worry, people won't

notice on screen.

It's perfect.

What the...

No, this is ...

I need to discuss with the director,

give us a minute.

Come on man, seriously?

Actually, this is one of the better ones.

This is a sci-fi film!

We can't spend much more on this.

Let's try the...

most rational way to solve this.

Rock, paper, scissors!

This is all we can afford.

Come!

Get in.

See you at the cinema!

Sure, yeah.

He's coming.

Narisu, hurry, hurry!

It's leaving!

Don't waste the ticket,

There's no refund!

Beer, spring water...

This must be my se...seventh time

on such an excursion.

I work for the observatory.

The observatory...

My job there is actually very simple.

I release balloons-

Weather balloons

into the sky.

They reach an altitude of

roughly 30,000 meters.

They explode at 40,000 meters.

Also...

While up there, the

balloon reflected sunlight.

A local goatherd,

named Batu...

He started spreading rumors

"What is this thing?"

"Something is coming!"

Aliens! And so on and so forth.

Mr. Tang heard the rumors and so

the two of us met and

(became friends).

Searching for aliens

all over the world

is pretty cool.

If you like the stuff,

after you drink it,

it's like a mode of transportation,

like a spaceship, or anything else.

You can go anywhere!

Anywhere you want!

(The ancient poem The Odyssey to Sichuan,

(uses Han Dynasty's folk song rhythm.)

(In the beginning of the poem,)

(by facing the mountain roads)

(as high as the sky,)

(the poet exclaims...)

The road to Sichuan

is no longer difficult,

We've even solved the puzzle of flight.

This is

the great progress of

science and technology.

So, science is the

primary force of production.

Nowadays, it's quite difficult

for people to experience

a mountains high, river deep

kind of longing for

someone you cannot see.

They don't know what it's like...

Excuse me.

Art is just a tool

for humans to remove the

oppression of reality.

The human predicament will always exist,

so the purpose

of progress for us...

When shall you return

from your journey West?

A route so formidable

as to be insurmountable

In the ancient forest,

the birds glumly hum

Birds fly intertwined,

encircling the forest.

The cuckoos cry out

in the moonlit night.

The hollow mountain of sorrow

The daunting path

More difficult than climbing into Heaven,

Those hearing of

the journey turn pale.

Such is the peril

What for have you come from afar?

- You must be...

- Hello, hello,

Ms. Qin, Mr. Tang.

- Hello.

- Hello, Mr. Tang,

I am your biggest fan.

Do you remember the first

edition of Universe Exploration?

- Let's go in first.

- I... I...

Bring your identity cards, c'mon.

Ms. Qin, what do you suggest

we do about her expenses.

Isn't she a volunteer?

She's on her own dime.

With your online username,

I thought you'd look

like your profile picture.

I didn't expect you

to look like this...

You're Xiaoxiao, right?

Yes.

And how old are you?

I'm twenty-two years old.

Did you have any other

encounters with aliens?

Not long after,

my family moved into the city.

In any case, my interest in

those things have only grown.

That's good.

It's good to stay curious.

If my daughter was still alive,

she'd be the same age as you.

If only she also had your

curiosity about the world...

That's enough, shut up.

No understanding.

No forgiveness.

Tang Zhijun, man up.

It's our stop.

Let's go.

Can you get through?

Yeah, yeah!

Here he comes!

Coming.

Hello,

are you Mr. Xiao?

We've come from a Beijing-based magazine.

We saw your video online,

and want to learn more about it.

Be careful.

I took the video over there.

The light sets-

sets on the other side of the mountain.

There's a village there.

The village is called...

Burning Nest.

I've heard from the villagers

that a family there has two

stone lions in their courtyard.

Someone saw the ball

inside the lion's mouth glowing.

And a glowing young man

was standing next to it.

The lion spat the glowing

ball out of its mouth

and into the palm of the glowing

young man before disappearing.

The locals began to talk about it,

saying that the Bodhisattva

had come down from Heaven.

I feel like this event happened.

Without a doubt.

But I disagree with the explanation.

It's unscientific.

I do, however

think that this is connected to an

experience I had a few years ago.

No one knows about this.

I haven't told anyone.

I used to be a farmer in Shandong.

One night,

a huge ball of fire

landed in my field.

This was in the middle of the night.

I saw a spaceship

crash.

A man, an alien,

was lying by the door.

The words he uttered on

his deathbed changed my life.

He asked me to wait

for someone who was willing

to spend $520 to meet him.

The Chosen One.

The alien you speak of is... here?

That's right.

It is very well-preserved.

How much did you say?

$520.

Money is not the point but

it would be a pity if

Mr. Tang lost his opportunity.

You've come so far.

I feel sorry for you.

I feel sorry for you, Mr. Tang.

I feel sorry for you.

Stop!

Tang Zhijun, you-

Mr. Tang

I believe in you.

It was badly injured at that time.

This is the bone from its broken leg.

Look-

It used to be shorter,

but it continues to grow.

I think it was a young one...

Still growing.

Before it d*ed, we spoke

openly to each other.

It told me everything.

It was here on Earth

looking for something.

So I asked it,

"What are you looking for?"

It said, "a stone."

It also gave me a task-

To give its thigh bone to The Chosen One

who would help it fulfill its wish.

The bone will help The Chosen One

to connect and enter into a

higher dimensional universe.

I asked it,

"Who is The Chosen One?"

It said,

"No way it's you."

I was heartbroken when I heard this.

But then I thought,

"I have to think of the big picture."

So I suppressed my sadness,

and came up with an idea.

Which is-

The first person to give me $520

and believes what I'm saying

is The Chosen One.

So,

Mr. Tang,

thank you.

Let's generate electricity using love.

Let all mankind bond

together like a machine.

Just like that song,

"Ah"

"If only everyone would

give a little bit of love,"

"than this world would

become a paradise."

I'm telling you,

you won't get reimbursed for that.

Next time, use your brain, idiot.

Five hundred for a fake bone?

And four bracelets.

And is it the bone or love

that will generate electricity?

Cow sh*t can

generate electricity.

We have a factory in inner Mongolia

that uses cow sh*t for electricity.

But love can't for sure.

Science is the primary force of production.

- Mr. Tang taught me that. - Mr. Tang

We're an hour by car

from Burning Nest village.

Have you ever heard of

the Bodhisattva Manjushri?

Did you know he had a pet?

Where to?

His pet was this stone lion.

This is it!

Customers!

Buddha bless you.

The Stone Lions bless you.

Buy one get one free.

What is this place?

Sister!

Tang Zhijun!

What Hell is this?

Look at my shoes!

You've gone the wrong way!

Come this way.

Why didn't you say so earlier?

Do you even have a brain?

Sorry auntie!

He'll help you up.

I'm not going.

I hate this place.

This ball was carved

inside the lion's mouth.

It can't be taken out.

But, look at this one.

All its teeth are intact.

They're intact, right?

See?

But where's the ball?

Look.

What a mystery.

Here, put these masks on.

Hold this when you observe it

to prevent radiation exposure.

What?

Radiation!

Take it.

It's bad for the eyes

to look at it directly.

Madam, use this to

block the radiation.

Well, if you won't wear it...

May I ask, is the owner of this house here?

He's deader than dead.

I told you in the car.

There wasn't even a body.

I saw the ball

fly over and into Buddha's palm.

It was very bright.

You saw this with your own eyes?

The entire village saw it.

A lot of people saw it.

That's great, thank you.

Where you going?

I'll be here.

Hello!

A glowing man-couldn't see who it was,

but he was glowing.

It was the ball

in the stone lion's mouth that was glowing.

It was like a shadow passing by.

That was the glowing man.

I did,

I did see it.

I saw a whitey white pearl.

The whitey white pearl

went on the white person.

Whitey white pearl

And then it vanished.

The whitey white pearlie pearl.

That family's son is named Sun Yitong.

The father was named Sun Ertiao.

They only had each other.

The old man was working

at the stone factory.

He was crushed by a falling stone.

- Stone factory?

- Yeah, the stone factory.

The owner didn't have

money to compensate them

so he gave them a pair

of stone lions instead.

Yeah, right in front of the door.

Here it is.

At first the donkey was

too stubborn to move.

So we came up with this ingenious plan.

We dangled a carrot in front of it.

If it wanted the carrot,

he had to work for it.

But it went missing a few days ago.

That was the same day

the glowing man appeared.

The donkey disappeared the same day.

Madam!

Hello.

Have you heard any

unsual sounds?

Anything different?

No idea!

My ears don't work!

I'm deaf.

What else do you want to know?

Do you know how long Sun

Yitong has had the lions?

Auntie!

How long have the stone lions

been at Sun Yitong house?

Give me a g*dd*mn break you psychos!

How the hell should I know?

It's the same f*cking horse sh*t everyday.

Get a g*dd*mn life for crying out loud!

She said she doesn't know.

Sun Ertiao is dead.

Is there anyone else?

He has a son, Sun Yitong.

Follow that speaker and walk that way.

You'll find him.

Hello!

He is

from a low income household.

An orphan.

The village takes care of him

and lets him work here.

We give him a stipend.

Wait a minute, where

do you think you're going?

Come back here!

I want to make something very clear.

We welcome your visit.

But, you have to understand

the direction your investigation is taking.

At the end of your investigation,

you must give us a scientific explanation.

Don't promote superstition.

Am I clear?

So you aren't with the Red Cap man?

Alright, wait here.

(Next up is the Literature

and Arts Corner.)

(Today, I will recite a poem for you.)

(Written by)

(Sun Yitong.)

(The hidden expl*si*n swallowed the dust)

(A white cloth flying in the woodshed.)

(Elephants show their

size by their absence)

(The hand is woven fingers)

(Pointed towards the canyon)

(This is the end of today's broadcast.)

Hello,

Are you Sun Yitong?

We are a magazine publisher from Beijing.

We came here to learn about

what happened to your-

I understand.

Could you share with us

all the details of the event?

We are-

Narisu, your bag!

He went over there!

Stop running!

A pot just ran inside.

How long have you had the stone lions?

Can this pot receive cosmic signals?

723 days.

723 days.

Is your television broken?

It's not broken, it just

no longer performs.

It's been like that since the

night of the thunderstorms.

The night when the lion glowed, right?

Yeah.

Other than the white noise,

Can you see anything else?

Little Wang Milk...

China's Got Talent...

Late Night with Li Baiqing

Haier refrigerator

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils

Teletubbies

Stanley's Fertilizer...

Too many for me to list...

What I mean is,

though it looks like white noise,

can you see anything in the noise?

It's hard to describe.

You do see something

but it's hard to describe?

Is that what you mean?

I don't know how to explain it to you.

Excuse me!

Excuse me!

It has no brakes!

Excuse me!

Pardon me.

I was not able to brake.

Hold this for me.

This is roughly what it feels like.

Other than this pattern,

have you experienced

anything else abnormal?

Xu Tianshun invited me over

to play cards that night.

but he's never invited me over before.

And when this pattern

appears, how long...

911?

Don't touch him!

Unless you want to lose another $500!

He's fine! He'll wake up in a bit.

What happened to him?

He fainted!

Fainted? But is he still breathing?

Yes!

I don't know if he's been

possessed or something.

Despite everything that's happened,

he never prays or lights incense.

This is karma!

Flip him before he suffocates.

The signal is consistent.

Give me a hand!

The signal is strongest at

his head, going up to 1.8 cpm...

It's the man in the red cap.

Mr. Tang,

1991, at the Chengdu Science

and Technology Conference...

We met.

Any recollection?

The one who sang.

After all these years,

Mr. Tang, you have not changed.

You've come a long way.

But,

I have to tell you...

It's not here.

It's not here.

So long.

Look, it was all because of the incense.

It has nothing to do with the incense.

We have to believe in science

and shun superstition.

We detected a pulsing signal from you.

It could be some sort

of communication signal.

How do you feel now?

My brain hurts a bit.

That could be a signal

overload of some sort

causing your neurons to spasm.

So you're using this pot to

receive some kinds of signals, right?

He's a great scientist.

He understands everything.

Everything, everything.

I'm only telling you.

Were all the other expeditions like this?

A great get-together of lunatics.

Two nutjobs.

My initial conclusions are...

First of all, the pot he wears

is only used to protect his head

because he frequently passes out.

So he probably has

some sort of brain disease.

But, he did tell me

something very important.

Sun Yitong said

there's an

extraterrestrial

unidentified

life form

that has been consistently

sending him signals.

That Sun Yitong told me

the alien

wants him to

to retrieve something.

And what could it be?

Let's all guess!

A donkey, right?

Didn't the village

just lose a donkey?

The alien wants Sun Yitong

to go to a certain place

and to retrieve the stone lion's ball.

But!

He doesn't know where.

And if he doesn't go,

his head will never stop aching.

He knows when he has to go-

It's when the lion

is covered in sparrows.

This is cuckoo!

Sun Yitong, sorry to impose.

This is a bed.

Here is a couch.

Someone can sleep here, and here.

Okay.

- Don't mind us.

- My shift starts soon though.

May I come with you?

But...it's work... my shift...

Okay.

Stay here and call me if you need me.

You live alone right?

What do you live off of?

You know the chicken I have in my yard?

She's a very good layer.

But we're very good friends,

I think it would be

weird to eat her eggs.

So I bring the eggs to Xu Tianshun

to trade them for some rice.

Old Tang, wait for me outside.

Yes, sure.

Good.

Today's broadcast starts now.

First is the international news.

My job is to charge

the camera and set it up.

Is this the sh*t you want?

Yes, this is good.

Rolling!

Are the poems you write...

Are they related

to the signals you receive?

Old Tang, do you write poems?

When I was in grade school,

our math teacher often

took over our literature class.

He told us,

"Poetry is just a tool for humans

to communicate their emotions.

"But

"math is the universal

language across the universe."

I asked him, "Are you sure?"

And he said, "Did you raise your hand?"

So I raised my hand

and he said "I'm certain."

Math is too certain.

I'm no good at it.

I prefer literature,

But Mrs. Zhang was pretty mediocre.

She was our literature teacher.

"That's it for today's broadcast."

"Next is a public notification"

"Could Mr. Forever-Wealthy Xu visit

"the government building

for your seasonal poverty relief fund."

Thank you.

It's sticking to the pot.

Stop fanning.

Old Tang, your cooking is quite terrible.

- Thank you.

- Slippers are there, Old Tang.

Okay.

Thanks a lot.

Probably around third grade,

I read a lot of books like

The Unsolved Mysteries of Earth.

Demystifying the Galaxy.

Demystifying the Milkyway?

And of course, Universe Exploration.

All to say, I read a lot.

So when I saw that bright,

floating dot in the sky,

I thought it must be

a UFO.

I even began chatting with it.

I was very nervous, but happy.

One day, I worked up the courage

to tell my father this.

He stood by the window,

and didn't say a word.

The next day,

he took the day off and

brought me to get glasses.

When I returned home,

I realised that all along,

it had been an ad

on the opposite building.

Later on, after my parents

got a divorce,

I moved out with my mom.

I asked her, "Where's Dad?"

she told me that

"Your father was taken by

the spaceship you saw"

Taken by the spaceship...

Let me recite a poem for you.

Ready?

b*ating the ears of wheat into ash,

amidst deep chewing, a snowstorm passes

The wind-trapping balloon

begins its vivid voyage.

The cicadas cover

the riverbed in their chirping.

The people gather on

the shores of autumn.

An inferno

Beside the haystack of feathers

Sizing up the returning steeds,

The moonlight which

breaks the eggshells,

Returned to the deep sea by high tide.

In return, jellyfish hike mountains.

Covering the moving windows,

Curious fish swam into the room

In the room, time grinds away its dust.

The cloud above the forest

canopy begins to snow.

You know, when I thought about your cooking

I didn't want to go back.

I don't want to go back.

What sort of books do you normally read?

I only have one book.

What is it?

- Do you have a girlfriend?

- No.

The best luck goes to those

who give a couple hundred.

That's enough.

Go home.

Don't be so superstitious next time.

The valley overflows with lonely tourists.

They bottle their sweet love into flasks.

Tender babes gone before their time

spit out glowing fireflies

To guide souls from the altar

Sidestepping the barking dogs,

Drifting along with the fog

Shadows float on the

relentless sea of trees

Here comes the longest and most spectacular

Eclipse of the century.

Let's hope this speeds things up.

Astronomers predict

This eclipse will first

be observed in Africa

After which is will come to the arabian

Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent

before entering our lands.

After this eclipse,

it will be 500 years until

the next eclipse of this kind.

In one of the Milkyway's main

spiral arms, the Perseus arm,

there is a nebula called W3.

They say that

that nebula is full of ethanol alcohol...

There's enough for every person on earth

to drink themselves into

a stupor until the sun dies.

And if there are any

lifeforms in that nebula,

they must be alcoholics.

How much did he drink?

Narisu.

Narisu.

That beer bottle

crossed a line.

This blanket...

who handed it to me as I climbed up here?

(Today's broadcast is beginning..

The Eclipse is about to happen.)

(The eclipse will last about...)

Wasn't he in here just a minute ago?

(Attention, do not look at the

eclipse with your bare eyes.)

(Please use protection

such a welding masks)

(or solar viewers)

(Whatever you do, do not look

at the sky with your bare eyes.)

Sun Yitong, meet me at the

broadcast station immediately!

Sun Yitong!

Yes?

I don't know when he returned.

He's just standing there.

Just now I-

shook him pretty hard

but he didn't move at all.

Sun Yitong?

He hasn't..?

Just now...

I hated the dark when I was a child.

Every afternoon, I would run west

to follow the sun for as long as I could

I thought, if I ran fast enough

then darkness would not come.

But darkness always came.

And swathes of darkness started to come

even during broad daylight.

Later on, I could not

even clearly see the roads.

At the time, Xiao the

Witch had not yet passed.

She said, "You probably

stepped an unmarked grave"

There are many ancestors over there

who were victims of the Great Famine.

The witch told my father to

buy some pig head meat

and find a Taoist monk born

in the year of the horse

To light incense, and let it lead the way.

To slice up the pig

head and dip it in wine.

To spill it along the way as atonement.

My dad said, "I don't know..."

"That's way too complicated."

Instead he took me to the health clinic

The doctor held down my head

and dropped some liquid in my eyes.

At that point

light began to fill my eyes.

The doctor said to me,

"Baby, don't look directly into the sun"

"You'll go blind"

Close your eyes.

Okay.

Close yours, too.

Stay closed.

Open your eyes

when I count to three.

Three.

Two.

One.

You know what, fine.

Fine, I'll let you have this one.

From our previous experiences

99% of supernatural phenomena

have a scientific explanation.

Oh, shut up.

Those little nervous birds,

that bone, those bracelets...

What's going to happen next?

If that silicon alien is "a bit" suspect,

then just write about

those"ghosts"or "gods"

and the Bodhisattva!

Just write whatever you want,

people love reading about these things!

Even I'm excited!

We can't jump to any conclusions yet.

The proof is not substantial enough.

Mr. Tang, you are too conservative.

Old Tang,

Would it be possible for

you to let go of my hand?

Sorry.

(Check the luggage.)

Don't you think it's rather convenient

that you wake up just in time for dinner?

Mr. Tang,

it's on me.

Enjoy your meal.

So long.

Someone stopped for us.

They're going the same way.

Can we all fit?

Yes, definitely.

It's spacious.

Tang Zhijun!

You are truly the only man

who has never lied to me.

This car is truly spacious.

We definitely all fit.

How much are these potatoes?

I don't think there's a hotel

or motel or inn that way.

Tang Zhijun, you won't make me

sleep in a tent again, will you?

I...

Did I... Drink too much?

Or is the panda...

on fire?

The panda is on fire.

Narisu!

Is your bag...

still inside?

My bag was also inside.

And the dictionary

was inside the bag.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Alcohol is bad.

I didn't mean to.

It's much warmer than earlier.

Hey!

Hey!

Here!

Hi!

Hey!

There's people!

Are you getting married?

That bride looks like she's crying...

This whole trip is cursed.

It just gets worse and worse.

This godforsaken place

rains whenever it wants

and it's all just mud.

And they complain that my

photos don't give them the "feels."

How does it feel now?

I even lost a lens!

We've really got to

thank that nice truck driver

for giving us a bag of potatoes.

Otherwise...

we'd get by on water, right?

Listen, you have no idea.

This is going to be the end of me.

We don't make a lot of

money in my line of work

And this trip

will straight up be the end of my career.

If it wasn't because he's an old client

I wouldn't even be here.

Add some firewood.

Enjoy that potato while I starve over here.

What are you doing here?

I'd also like to know.

Maybe we were too bored.

Yes, keep this emotion.

Let's take a group photo.

Madam, why don't you

stand in the front row?

Red hat!

Jeans!

Jeans, put your legs down.

It's photo time.

You can fish later.

Susu, step back a little.

Hey, Pot!

Stop spinning,

squat, okay?

This is it! This is it!

Alright, smile.

Keep smiling,

Eyes on me!

Three.

Two.

Smile, please.

Three.

Two.

One.

This river is very special.

That's the river over there.

Head north a bit, and then

It's not that complicated.

Go this way.

You'll find a burnt tent.

Stay along the riverside, and

you'll eventually be able to get a ride.

Got it.

Got it!

Thank you!

Sun Yitong?

Sun Yitong?

Sun Yitong?

Where did he go?

Sun Yitong?

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

What was that?

Did he take a UFO out of here?

Good boy...

Now he's a good boy.

This counts as a work injury.

You will

be compensated.

Work injury?

I'll give you a work injury!

I'll give you a work

injury to remember!

Do you even see me as a person?

Do either of your

phones still have battery?

Narisu, Narisu-

Call the ambulance, or the police.

Just tell them

Someone was bitten by a rabid dog

and is not vaccinated.

The rabies is starting.

Tell them to have mercy

and send a car to pick us up.

Stay

and wait for a car with them.

Drink less.

Stay

curious.

Right.

I've figured it out!

I'm telling you-

It's crystal clear now!

I finally see that

you'll never figure it out!

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Old Tang,

do you have a lighter on you?

Where did you go the other day?

I went to pee.

When I came back, everyone was gone.

I thought maybe you went with the

bride and groom to their wedding banquet.

Is this the one that

drunk man always carries?

I feel like it's longer.

You picked it up?

A monkey gave it to me.

He said he ran into a dog,

and the dog asked

him to give it to me.

A monkey?

He also said they're closing the

mine with expl*sives tomorrow.

He told me not to run around.

And told me to sleep here for the night.

And then he asked me if I had any peaches.

I said, "I don't."

He said, "Oh, come on!"

and then he ran away.

Let's go.

Did you bring the lighter?

These wall paintings....

Sun Yitong?

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Why are you yelling?

Your shouting would wake even the dead.

Is this the pattern you

see in the white noise?

Something like that...

but you're not good at drawing either.

In the Han creation myth,

the earliest creation gods, Fuxi and Nwa

are represented like this.

Intertwined in this way.

Old Tang, do you have anymore potatoes?

Three isn't enough to share.

I still have a mushroom.

You can't eat this.

It's poisonous.

Are you sure?

I already ate one.

How are you feeling?

I'm going to die.

You already threw it up. You'll live.

Talk to me.

Tell me a story.

Anything to keep me from passing out.

Actually, I'm not here

to retrieve the stone.

I'm here to deliver it.

The stone was originally

unearthed from here.

You mean-

When the villagers were talking about

the man who took the

ball from the lion's mouth-

The man who glowed...

It was you...

wasn't it?

I mean, anyhow...

I just received a message

that told me to bring the stone here.

That unidentified

life form

will come and get this stone,

right?

That's the gist of it.

When you and this alien rendez-vous,

and if you can communicate,

could you ask them a question for me?

What is it?

My

daughter...

She...

On the day she...

Committed su1c1de,

Early that morning, she

sent me a short message.

She asked me a question.

I...

Didn't know how to

answer at that time.

I...

still don't know.

I still don't know.

Her question was

What does our

existence as human beings

mean

in the grand scheme

of the universe?

Sure.

But-

What if they also don't know the answer?

Or what if they

came all the way here

to ask us the same question?

Sun Yitong?

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong?

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong.

Sun Yitong!

Sun Yitong!

Old Tang.

Last night, I wrote another poem.

Let me read it to you.

In an endless dream

Using the rice from

my bowl to build a wall,

Dark clouds full of magic spells.

Cover up the tired

bones of living creatures

The foxes in the mountains,

their whisperings like poems

The Nian beast on the

hearth hibernates again

Twilight carves open the

wide prairie of Earth's fingerprint

Seaweed entangled in the wind

The self-reflection is

frozen in the dreamland.

The birds of the bosom

Passes a hundred thousand suns.

Take away the clapped thunder

Take away the clouds and the tides

Take away the murmurs of the immortals

Take away the anchor that roots us

Take away the oxidized love song,

the vengeance of the mountain

Take away the treasures,

and the fantasies

Take away the sleepwalker's footprints

and the undying fire.

Take away everyone's name

Take away the fossil of the rainbow

Old Tang,

this is as far as you can come.

I'm off.

Please welcome

both sets of parents!

Today, my son is getting married,

I'm very happy.

because..

What a sweet and simple speech.

Let's give the mother-of-the-groom

a round of applause.

This gentleman is our

groom's uncle.

Do you have anything

you'd like to share with

our guests here today?

Let's give him a round of

applause to encourage him!

A month ago, I had a dream,

I think it was a dream.

A friend and I were in a cave.

We were being carried

by a quarrel of sparrows.

We kept flying.

We flew very high.

We left the atmosphere.

We flew into space.

Afterwards, we were enveloped by darkness.

It was pitch black.

My friend said to me,

"This is the end of the universe"

He had to keep going,

but that was the end

of the journey for me.

I could only turn around.

But, when I turned around,

I saw the outline of the entire universe.

Actually, we humans have never figured out

why the universe exists.

Or why we humans exist.

But, at that moment,

the outline made me feel like

I had found the answer.

The answer is not in space,

or the depths of the universe.

Instead-

It is in each of our bodies.

It turns out, the mystery

of our individual existence

also houses the answer to this mystery.

Later on, I

took the outline I saw

and printed it as the final

cover of the final edition

of the magazine where I work.

That outline made me feel that

if the universe was a poem-

Each of us are a word

that makes up that poem.

We continue to multiply

and love each other without end.

So as we words join together

to become lines and stanzas,

This poem will continue to be written.

And when this poem gets long enough,

There will be a day

when we'll be able to find,

in this poem of the universe,

the meaning of our existence.

Thank you.

Very touching, very touching.

Uncle's speech was very...

I...

wrote a poem.

It's

dedicated to my

daughter.