Nicholas Quirke was meeting with an aspiring film director on 3 November 2020. He had met Lun, a Graduate of the Beijing film academy, some months previously when he has sent out a message to forge links with theatre directors and actors. He had spent an informative and intriguing few hours with the young man and they had got on famously. They had not met since but while Lun was away working on a film as art director he had messaged Nicholas to ask if he would have a look at the script he was writing. And thus he was making his way via subway to a cafe near Gaumo to see if he could help. He anticipated it would take some time and he had prepared a canteen of the beetroot soup he had made for lunch. In the comfortable, quiet surroundings they had a good discussion about the story Lun wanted to tell. Neither spoke the others language and so theyApple and Google translate but the the translations were slow and erratic and sometimes there were misunderstandings. He understood though when Lun asked if he would collaborate with him on the script and maybe eventually on directing the film. Nicholas was aware that at the present there was no investment and no money, no guarantee that he would be in Beijing to complete the project and he wasn’t even sure that his skills as a theatre director could translate to directing for the screen but it was flattering to be asked as he of course agreed . One never knew where it could lead . It was slow work and they were both grateful when Lun’s friend arrived to act as translator. It was exciting to be working on a project and Lun was delighted to be seriously working on a concept that he had been nurturing for two years . By the late afternoon as they hadn’t eaten they talked him into going to a restaurant with them and they found a place where they could get vegan options but in the end it seemed to be plate after plate of dessert apart from and eggplant and a noodle dish and he seemed to be eating most of it as neither ate carbohydrates. He was slightly annoyed as he didn’t want to eat at all. The Restaurant was intriguing and from the window next to the table he had a view of a swimming pool. He said goodbye and arranged to see them to work again on Thursday, though they said they would join him the next day for a walk in Jingshan which he had wanted to see in its autumnal glory. At home he had a smoothie for supper while Peng was engaged in another spending spree as the Chinese equivalent of Black Friday, 11/11 had launched. They played another game of monopoly which Peng won before watching a couple of episodes of ‘Ratched’ and expiring for the night.