Chapter 275: Hold on Tight, I Drive Fast

Not long after the meeting, Director Babank's studio quickly came up with the budget for *Buried Alive*—8 million reais, about 2.2 million U.S. dollars. It was a small-budget film, costing very little.

Luca didn't mind the money. He offered to fund it fully and pay Babank to direct.

But Babank didn't agree.

He was a tough director.

In all his films, he worked as the director, producer, and investor. This gave him full control over the crew, allowing him to make the movie however he liked, so he wouldn't budge on the investment.

Luca didn't want to lose the film rights either.

After several rounds of talks, both took a step back. They agreed to split the investment and film rights 50-50.

"Looking forward to working together!"

In the café, Luca stretched out his hand and smiled.

The bald Babank shook it but didn't seem too happy, saying, "Just so you know, if you don't do well, I'll replace you. Being an investor doesn't give you special treatment."

"Don't worry, Mr. Babank. If I'm not satisfied with my own performance, I'll step down myself."

"Good!"

Babank gave the couch a pat and stood up.

"We start filming next month. I hope you'll be ready."

"I will be."

After seeing Babank off, Luca left the café too, strolling down the street, thinking about the film.

*Buried Alive* was a one-person show with a lot of inner drama. In the 90-minute film, there were no co-actors, not many props, and very few lines. Most scenes would rely on facial expressions and language to express emotions.

This kind of acting was tough and hard to pull off.

How should he do it?

Ring~ Ring~

His phone rang.

"Luca, are you there yet?"

It was Lima on the other end.

There yet? Luca paused.

Suddenly, he remembered. A few days ago, he had promised to visit Lima at her house. But because of the film, he kept putting it off.

This morning, he had said he'd head to Salvador, but Babank's visit messed up his plan. He hadn't even left yet.

Oh no.

"Sweetheart, I'm leaving right now! I'll be there this afternoon!"

He quickly hung up, rushed home, changed into a sharp suit, and hurried to the airport.

Salvador is on the east coast of Brazil's northeast, about 1,500 kilometers from Rio. The most convenient way to get there was by a small plane called the "airbus," flying at around 600 kilometers per hour.

By his estimate, he'd reach Salvador in about three hours.

But he forgot one thing.

The airbus, like a regular bus on the ground, stops at several cities along the way to pick up passengers. Each stop takes about half an hour.

By the time he reached Salvador, it was almost dark.

"Sigh, what a miscalculation," Luca thought to himself as he carefully dialed Lima's number.

"Hey, um, sweetie, I'm here. Where are you? Should I meet you at the airport?"

Feeling guilty, Luca walked to the airport entrance.

The view outside caught him by surprise.

Both sides of the road were lined with green bamboo.

In the sunset, the bamboo swayed in the breeze, the green leaves fluttering like waves—a picture-perfect scene.

He blinked in surprise. This was the airport? It looked like a beautiful landscape straight out of Jiangnan. The poetic beauty charmed him instantly.

"Luca, over here!"

Near the bamboo grove, a Harley Davidson bike was parked by the roadside. A girl in a tank top and shorts, with dreadlocks, took off her sunglasses and waved coolly.

"Lima?"

That cool girl was actually Lima.

Luca blinked in shock. He didn't recognize her at first glance. Lima had always been cool, but not *this* cool.

"What's wrong? Don't know me anymore?"

Lima walked over, hands in her pockets. After nearly a month apart, her honey-colored skin had deepened a bit, making her look even sweeter, and she seemed even more... well, stunning.

"Sweetheart, you look amazing!" Luca hugged her lightly.

"Haha, you don't look so great yourself."

Lima tugged at his tie and laughed. "Why'd you show up in a suit? Let me guess, Kate wasn't home when you left, was she?"

"Uh, how'd you know? Is something wrong with the suit?"

"Aren't you hot?"

"No worries, I can handle it."

Luca brushed it off.

Lima chuckled. "Hop on the bike. If I knew you'd show up in a suit, I'd have brought a car."

"No problem. Want me to drive?"

"Next time. The roads in Salvador are tricky. You'll see."

"Alright then."

Luca hopped on the back and wrapped his arms around Lima's waist—slender but strong, with a fresh, clean scent.

"Hold on tight. I drive fast."

Lima revved the engine, and the motorcycle roared off.

Salvador's airport was in the suburbs.

After they passed the airport road, the coastline stretched out along the way.

In the evening light, the Santos Bay was glowing in the sunset. People were still on the beach, strolling, playing soccer, and watching the sun go down.

The colorful sky, rows of coconut trees, the vibrant beach umbrellas and lounge chairs, and flocks of seabirds flying over the waves—it was all peaceful and picturesque.

Salvador wasn't as lively as Rio or as modern as São Paulo, but its seaside views were just as beautiful, and the city was quite pleasant to live in.

As the motorcycle entered the city, this feeling grew stronger.

Salvador is the capital of Bahia state, Brazil's third-largest city, and the country's first capital from 1549 to 1763 before the capital moved to Rio. It was Brazil's first developed city.

The city's builders were Portuguese colonists, and its architecture is steeped in Bahia culture, with traces of African influence from the early days of slavery.

The city is filled with old buildings—thousands of them.

There are sleek, tall Gothic-style churches, luxurious Baroque churches with flowing lines, and many palatial buildings, most of which are well-preserved.

Walking through the city feels like stepping back in time, into a medieval town.

The narrow streets are paved with stone, like the small lanes of old towns in southern China.

"How do you like it? Pretty, huh?"

Lima shouted over the wind.

"Yes, it's beautiful. This city is like a huge art museum, with art everywhere."

"Haha, want to live here?"

"..."

Luca thought for a moment. "It's a little quiet. Maybe it'd be a great place to retire."

Lima laughed loudly. "This is the Old Town for tourists. The new part of the city is different."

She sped up, the bike zipping down a slope, and soon they were in the New City.

It was indeed different—wide roads, tall buildings, and busy streets. The level of modernization jumped up a notch.

With Christmas coming, the streets were full of bright colors—red Santa Claus figures and Christmas trees decked out with ornaments.

On the sidewalks, many young men and women wore bright, lace-trimmed Bahia outfits in vibrant colors—yellow, blue, green, red—just like the traditional clothes of China's ethnic minorities, but with bolder, more striking colors.

As they walked, the young people laughed and chatted. Some even danced. And they weren't the only ones—there were more colorful figures on other streets too.

"What are they doing?" Luca asked curiously.

"It's a street dance party. Every year, a few days before Christmas, people gather in the squares to dance. It gets pretty lively. Want to check it out later?"

"Sure!"

Luca loved being part of the action.

"We're here!"

After about half an hour of riding, they stopped in front of a modern apartment building.

This was Lima's city home.

Her real house was 70 kilometers away in a small port town called Praia. The two planned to stay in the city for a day, first visiting her grandmother in the hospital, then heading to the port town to meet Lima's family.

"Go take a shower."

Back at the apartment, Lima helped him out of his jacket. "Your shirt's all soaked with sweat."

"But I didn't bring any clothes."

He had packed in such a hurry that he hadn't brought anything.

"No problem, you can wear mine."

"Are you serious?"

"Haha, just kidding. I bought a few matching outfits recently. Want to try?"

"Of course!"

Luca happily headed for the shower.

Lima smiled, heading to the bedroom to find the clothes.

"Sweetheart, where's the body wash?"

A little while later, Luca stuck his head out of the bathroom and called out.

"It's on the shelf—the red bottle."

"There's no red bottle!"

"Really?"

Puzzled, Lima walked over, but as she reached the door, Luca pulled her into his arms.

"You jerk, what are you doing?"

"Let's shower together."

The door slammed shut. 

(End of chapter)