Journey to the West (2021) Movie Script
- 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 died, 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 shit can
generate electricity.
We have a factory in inner Mongolia
that uses cow shit 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 goddamn break you psychos!
How the hell should I know?
It's the same fucking horse shit everyday.
Get a goddamn 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 explosion 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 shot 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?
Beating 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 explosives 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 suicide,
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.
- 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 died, 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 shit can
generate electricity.
We have a factory in inner Mongolia
that uses cow shit 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 goddamn break you psychos!
How the hell should I know?
It's the same fucking horse shit everyday.
Get a goddamn 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 explosion 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 shot 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?
Beating 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 explosives 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 suicide,
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.