《Lu Chen: The Mad Genius Of Creativity》 Chapter 1 - You Want Me to Write a Script? Are You Kidding Me? Chapter 1 You Want Me to Write a Script? Are You Kidding Me?At Parallel Universe, a bustling CBD center in a Magic City, the quadrennial ¡®Godlike Writing Youth Screenwriter Competition¡¯, known as the most prestigious event in the Dragon Nation¡¯s film industry, was in full swing. Inside a grand office building, a sea of people filled the large conference room. Men and women of all shapes and sizes milled about, while cameramen moved through the crowd, capturing every angle. At the center stage stood a charismatic host, Xiao Sa, delivering a rousing opening speech. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the national finals! You are the cream of the crop among our country¡¯s young screenwriters, the brightest stars destined to shape the future of our film industry¡­¡± As Xiao Sa eloquently continued, one figure in the crowd stood out¡ªnot for their brilliance, but for their utterly baffled expression. His eyes darted around in confusion, disbelief written all over his face. A flood of memories rushed into Lu Chen¡¯s mind, bringing a shocking revelation¡ªhe had transmigrated. He was now in a parallel world, inhabiting the body of a freshly graduated college student. This wasn¡¯t just any graduate, either. His predecessor was a standout student from a prestigious film academy, specializing in screenwriting. A prodigy who had eagerly signed up for the ¡®Godlike Writing Competition¡¯, the nation¡¯s pinnacle event for aspiring screenwriters. This wasn¡¯t just any contest, it was the Olympics of the film industry, a competition that took place every four years and had already produced countless renowned screenwriters and cinematic classics. From an initial pool of 50,000 participants, Lu Chen¡¯s predecessor had fought his way to the top 64 with a first-place ranking in the regional qualifiers. Now, it was time for the national finals, starting with a showdown to determine the top 32. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Chen¡¯s problem? He had no clue how to write a screenplay. ¡°I¡¯ve read a couple of web novels in my life,¡± he muttered to himself, ¡°and you want me to compete in a scriptwriting contest? This is like tying a string to a chicken¡¯s backside¡ªutter nonsense!¡± Worse yet, the predecessor¡¯s screenwriting skills hadn¡¯t transferred over! ¡°How am I supposed to play this game?¡± Just as Lu Chen¡¯s thoughts spiraled into despair, Xiao Sa concluded his opening remarks on stage. ¡°And now, let¡¯s give a warm welcome to our four judges for the national finals!¡± The host gestured dramatically towards a set of doors, which swung open to reveal four figures walking in. Three men and one woman entered with confident strides, their presence electrifying the room. Lu Chen¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized one of them¡ªChen Sicheng¡ªthe director and writer of ¡®Beijing Love Story¡¯ and the ¡®Detective Chinatown¡¯ series. In his previous life, Chen Sicheng had directed the blockbuster movie ¡®Lost in the Stars¡¯, which grossed over 3 billion yuan and sparked widespread discussion. Lu Chen thought, marveling at the familiar face. As the four judges stepped onto the stage, Xiao Sa introduced them with gusto. ¡°First, we have the renowned screenwriter behind masterpieces like Let the Bullets Fly, Devils on the Doorstep, and The Sun Also Rises¡ªMr. Shu Ping!¡± ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± Shu Ping greeted the audience with a polite nod, earning a round of enthusiastic applause. ¡°And next, the multi-talented screenwriter, director, and actor behind Beijing Love Story and the Detective Chinatown series¡ªMr. Chen Sicheng!¡± ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± Chen Sicheng waved, his trademark confident smile igniting excitement among the contestants. ¡­ And so, the stage was set. For Lu Chen, however, the real question loomed large. How in the world was he going to survive this? ¡°Wow, Teacher Chen!¡± Some female contestants in the audience reacted enthusiastically! Chen Sicheng, noticing their excitement, flashed a devilish grin, clearly enjoying his cool and charming persona. Lu Chen, however, could only roll his eyes. This guy was a ¡®king of show-offs¡¯ in his past life, and it seemed that in this parallel world, he hadn¡¯t changed a bit. ¡°Next, we have the famous screenwriter and author behind Jade Goddess, What Can Save You, and The Thirteen Women of Jinling¡ªTeacher Yan Geling!¡± ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± Yan Geling greeted with a warm smile, prompting another round of applause from the audience. ¡°And finally, we have the beloved screenwriter of classics such as The Ming Dynasty 1566, The Battle of Beiping, and The Yongzheng Dynasty¡ªTeacher Liu Heping!¡± ¡°Hello,¡± Liu Heping greeted calmly, to a much louder round of applause, clearly the most popular of the four judges. As Lu Chen learned that the other three judges were Shu Ping, Liu Heping, and Yan Geling, he was struck dumb. Although he had never met them personally, he knew their works well. Let the Bullets Fly, Devils on the Doorstep, The Sun Also Rises¡ªthese masterpieces were considered milestones in Dragon Nation¡¯s film history! Let the Bullets Fly, in particular, had a 9/10 rating on a popular review site, ranking among the top ten highest-rated films in the country. Classic lines from these films were still widely circulated online today, showing just how profound Shu Ping¡¯s screenwriting skills were. Liu Heping was even more impressive. The Ming Dynasty 1566 was the pinnacle of historical dramas in the country, earning a 9.8/10 rating and topping national drama rankings. Its deep character development, meticulous dialogue, and rich themes set it apart from all other historical dramas. Lu Chen¡¯s favorite historical drama was, without a doubt, 1566. And let¡¯s not forget Liu Heping also wrote The Battle of Beiping and The Yongzheng Dynasty, both of which scored over 9/10! ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe such top-tier screenwriting giants are the judges for this competition!¡± In an instant, Lu Chen had a clearer understanding of the competition¡¯s prestige and significance. As for Yan Geling, while Lu Chen wasn¡¯t as familiar with her, he knew her works. The Thirteen Women of Jinling, a major war film directed by the legendary Zhang Yimou, was a massive hit. What Can Save You My Love and Jade Goddess were also memorable dramas for many in their 80s and 90s. All three of these judges were giants in the field of screenwriting¡ªmasters who shaped the industry! Compared to them, Chen Sicheng¡¯s screenwriting ability might not stand out as much¡­ But with his self-written and self-directed films, including hits like Beijing Love Story and the Detective Chinatown series, his career had been wildly successful. After Beijing Love Story became a nationwide sensation, the Detective Chinatown franchise raked in over 9 billion yuan at the box office. While Chen Sicheng¡¯s ¡®show-off¡¯ nature was quite obvious, his achievements were undeniable. As a mentor, he commanded respect, especially when compared to lesser figures like Guo Jingming. Without a doubt, the lineup of judges confirmed the high status and prestige of the ¡®Godlike Writing Youth Screenwriter Competition¡¯¡ªit truly lived up to its title as the Olympics of Dragon Nation¡¯s film industry. Lu Chen felt an impending headache. With such a high-level competition, why had he been brought here? He couldn¡¯t write a script to save his life! Even if he had seen some classic TV shows, copying them wouldn¡¯t be enough. And what if the world already had a similar script in development? Wouldn¡¯t he be accused of plagiarism and face immediate public disgrace? The thought of it made him break into a cold sweat. The more Lu Chen thought about it, the worse it got. Just as he was frantically trying to figure out how to escape this mess, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind. Chapter 2 - Reality Genre Creation Competition! Chapter 2 Reality Genre Creation Competition!¡° Congratulations, host, you have activated the strongest creation system!¡± Hearing this sudden cold mechanical voice, Lu Chen was first stunned. Then, his spirits lifted! As a transmigrator, Lu Chen naturally knew what a system was. ¡°Looks like the novel wasn¡¯t lying to me! Hurry up and introduce yourself!¡± With the system¡¯s introduction, Lu Chen quickly understood how to use it. As the name suggested, the strongest creation system would help Lu Chen smoothly navigate his creative journey! As long as he triggered the emotions of the audience and judges while creating, he could earn emotional points. Emotional points were premium currency that could be used in the mall to exchange for any item, including various scripts, abilities, and even body-enhancing elixirs! ¡° Congratulations, host, you have received a newbie gift package. Do you wish to open it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and opened it directly. ¡° Congratulations, host, you have received the following rewards¡ªOne script exchange voucher, which can be used at the script center in the mall to exchange for any script. A friendly reminder¡ª-All scripts in the script center are ones that do not exist in parallel worlds! Feel free to choose!¡± ¡° Congratulations, host, you have received the ability¡ªAgile Thinking! This ability will help you create faster and better!¡± ¡° Congratulations, host, you have received one body enhancement! A good body is the foundation for script creation!¡± ¡°Congratulations, host, you have received master-level scriptwriting ability!¡± As the system voice fell, Lu Chen clearly felt something was different! Not only was his brain clearer, and his thinking more agile and smooth, but his body was also significantly stronger than before. He felt more energetic! Moreover, Lu Chen had instantly mastered scriptwriting techniques! He had become a master-level scriptwriter! Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but marvel! Having a cheat really made a difference. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As for the emotional points¡­ He glanced at the camera guy beside him and remembered! The ¡®Pen Like God¡¯ competition was always broadcasted live. It used to be on TV, but now, live streaming platforms were springing up like mushrooms. The program team had also followed the trend of the times and set up an official live stream! He guessed that many viewers must be watching the 32 finalists¡¯ qualifying match in the live stream right now. ¡°No wonder there¡¯s something called emotional points¡­¡± Lu Chen maintained his composure, not wanting to reveal any flaws. At this moment, the opening speeches by the four judges had ended. Lu Chen wasn¡¯t in a rush to study the system right away. He focused his attention back on the stage. Xiao Sa took over the conversation and continued hosting. ¡°The teachers have all introduced themselves briefly and sent their blessings to the competition. Let¡¯s give them a round of applause!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The applause echoed through the room. ¡°Now, the competition has entered the national finals stage! Today is the 32-final qualifying round. Next, we will have the 16-finals, 8-finals, 4-finals, 2-finals, and the grand finals! The intensity of the competition will gradually increase! So next, I will introduce the rules and content of the upcoming matches! Please pay close attention, contestants¡­¡± Saying this, Xiao Sa pulled out a rule card from his pocket! All the contestants, including Lu Chen, perked up their ears and listened attentively! The key points were coming! Xiao Sa continued, ¡°First: In the upcoming matches, we will have two sets of scoring reviews for each contestant¡¯s work. One set of scores will be from online viewers, and the other from the judges. The final score will be the average of the two. We will select the contestants for the next round based on their scores, with each round having a set threshold.¡± ¡°Second: Unlike previous fantasy-themed competitions, this year¡¯s ¡®Pen Like God¡¯ competition focuses on reality genre creations! As usual, we will provide a topic for each round. You can create freely based on this topic! We hope everyone stays true to the theme and leans towards realistic themes! At the same time, don¡¯t worry too much about the genre limitations. While this competition mainly focuses on realism, there may still be other types of topics provided in future rounds, depending on the program team¡¯s arrangement.¡± ¡°Third: We do not require everyone to create a complete script within the limited time. After all, scriptwriting takes a lot of time and effort! Given the extremely limited time for the competition, it would be unreasonable to expect a complete script. However! We still hope that everyone can create a story that is as complete and engaging as possible! This is very important! To make the story more exciting, you can create some episodes, develop key characters, or write some important lines! You can even sketch some eye-catching storyboards! In short, you can use any method that can show the excitement of your story!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The four judges nodded in agreement! ¡°Fourth: And the final point! The creation needs to be positive and lawful! Please avoid sensitive topics in your scripts! You don¡¯t have to write controversial plots just for attention! If we find any violations, we will issue a warning! If you persist, we might disqualify you from the competition! Please be sure to pay attention!¡± Xiao Sa¡¯s tone was much more serious. The contestants below exchanged glances! They had heard about previous years¡¯ contestants who wrote inappropriate content to grab attention, which led to their disqualification. It seemed that this year¡¯s competition had stricter rules! ¡­ Lu Chen slightly squinted his eyes. He wasn¡¯t worried about the program team¡¯s rules at all. After all, the scripts in his library had all passed official censorship and were qualified! He didn¡¯t need to write anything inappropriate. What Lu Chen needed to focus on now was¡­ what kind of topics the program team would present! That was crucial for him! ¡°Next, let¡¯s welcome Teacher Chen Sicheng to officially unveil the topic for this round of the 64-to-32 finalist competition! Welcome, Teacher Chen Sicheng!¡± Applause erupted. Chen Sicheng smiled and walked to the front of the stage. A staff member holding a tray of paper walked up to him. The tray contained a rolled-up document. It was probably the topic for this round of the competition! Chen Sicheng took the document. Instead of opening it immediately, he smiled at the audience and said, ¡°Teachers Liu, Yan, and Shuiping are all highly respected figures in the industry. I¡¯m thick-skinned, so I¡¯ll announce the topic for this round myself. Before I officially announce the topic, I want to add one more thing. Creating a story requires the writer to invest a lot of passion and energy. I hope everyone can cast aside distractions and fully commit to creating a quality story in the upcoming competition!¡± Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire! This big shot really knew how to put on a show before announcing the topic. ¡°Alright, I will now officially announce the topic for the 32-final qualifying round..,¡± Chen Sicheng said, as he opened the scroll¡­ Chapter 3 - Lu Chen, the scriptwriter favored by the gods! Chapter 3 Lu Chen, the scriptwriter favored by the gods! ¡°Countryside!¡± Chen Sicheng shouted loudly. He then turned the scroll over. On it were two large ancient-style brush characters¡ª¡±Countryside!¡± The audience below immediately burst into an uproar! ¡°Countryside? So it¡¯s a rural-themed script!¡± ¡°Of course, rural stories, rural love, you can¡¯t escape those themes.¡± ¡°Yeah, rural development could work too.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ve never been to the countryside! I¡¯m finished!¡± Listening to the murmurs of the other contestants, Lu Chen¡¯s mind started to wander, thinking about rural-themed films and TV shows. Uncle Benshan¡¯s ¡®Country Love¡¯ came to mind. ¡®Ordinary World¡¯ could be another one. In recent years, Zhao Liying¡¯s ¡®Happiness to the Fullest¡¯ also fits. There were quite a few dramas in this genre. It just depended on which one fitted best¡­ ¡°Alright! Mr. Chen has announced the theme for this round¨C¡¯Countryside!¡¯ Clearly, this is a rural-themed creation! As for the kind of story to write, it¡¯s up to each of you to think creatively! I believe you all can come up with some truly eye-catching stories! After all, you¡¯re all very talented and outstanding! Now, I officially declare that the 4th Annual [Divine Pen] Youth Scriptwriting Contest Top 32 Qualifying Round has officially begun!! Contestants, you have 10 minutes to prepare. Please hurry and head to your individual writing rooms. The competition will start soon!¡± With that, staff members began guiding the contestants out of the large room and towards their individual writing rooms. Lu Chen glanced at his number. ¡ª48. A very ¡®lucky¡¯ number¡­ After leaving the large room, He quickly found his writing room with the help of the staff. The room wasn¡¯t small, about 20 square meters. The setup was simple. There was a reclining chair, a computer desk with a laptop, and three of the four walls had large whiteboards for contestants to jot down their ideas and notes. On the remaining wall, there was a projector screen! The projector was connected to the laptop, making it easier for the contestant to view the contents. It also served the purpose of showing the judges and online viewers what was happening. In the corner, there was a high-definition camera, monitoring every move the contestant made in the room. Notably, beside the lounge chair, the coffee table had water, alcohol, cigarettes, and a variety of snacks! Lu Chen, surprised, couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the show¡¯s thoughtful setup! It was very considerate! After all, scriptwriters, especially men, tend to like smoking or drinking to stimulate their creativity. It was clear the production team had taken these habits into account. Even though it was being broadcast live, they didn¡¯t avoid these bad habits. Lu Chen himself smoked, and the production team¡¯s arrangement was just perfect for him. He opened the pack of cigarettes and sat down on the lounge chair, leisurely lighting one. He then casually opened the system panel, ready to choose a script¡­ Meanwhile, in the program¡¯s live broadcast, thanks to the tremendous influence of the [Divine Pen Contest], the number of viewers online had reached an astonishing 220 million+! In the comment section, various messages and bullet chats flooded in like snowflakes. ¡¾Cigarettes and alcohol all provided? Is this even allowed in a live broadcast?¡¿ ¡¾Most scriptwriters are heavy smokers, if they can¡¯t smoke, they won¡¯t even be able to write a word.¡¿ ¡¾It¡¯s a professional trait, I understand.¡¿ ¡¾I hope this round produces some great scripts, the recent real-life dramas and movies have really been lackluster!¡¿ ¡¾This contest feels like it¡¯s here to save the film and TV industry, whatever topics are lacking in the industry, they¡¯re asking for them here!¡¿ ¡¾Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high, the contestants this year are pretty average, it¡¯s going to be similar to last year.¡¿ ¡¾No way, last year was awful, the worst year ever.¡¿ ¡¾Yeah, they adapted over twenty dramas, but only one truly became a hit, the rest were mediocre. I heard the investors lost a ton of money!¡¿ ¡¾Apart from the first year, the rest have been disappointing, this year doesn¡¯t look any different!¡¿ ¡¾The first year was amazing, so many classic dramas like ¡®The Way of Heaven¡¯ and ¡®The Unlicensed Criminal.¡¯ They had four or five masterpieces, the quality was excellent.¡¿ ¡¾That year was like a battle of gods! Even in the preliminary rounds, the competition was fierce. By the time of the national competition, all 64 contestants were big names, and even now, they¡¯re still the pillars of the domestic screenwriting world. It¡¯s unforgettable!¡¿ ¡¾Teacher Shu Ping was from that batch!¡¿ ¡¾Yes, he stopped at the Top 4, and the winner was Hai Yan! He wrote ¡®Never Close Your Eyes¡¯ and ¡®Five-Star Hotel,¡¯ which made him a huge star!¡¿ ¡¾¡¯Never Close Your Eyes¡¯ was the gold medal winner that year! It swept all major domestic film and TV awards, turning Louis from an unknown actor into a top-tier star!¡¿ ¡¾Actually, the second year was pretty good too, they had three big hits! But the third year really didn¡¯t do well.¡¿ ¡¾Sometimes history is quite mysterious, the most brilliant people always come out in groups, never one by one.¡¿ ¡¾I hope this year at least produces two hit dramas, or the prestige of this contest will really drop sharply!¡¿ ¡¾It¡¯s hard, this year¡¯s contestants are pretty average, I haven¡¯t seen anyone stand out yet.¡¿ ¡¾Just being a little better than last year would be fine! After all, the judges this year are terrifying, with Liu Heping, Shu Ping, and Yan Geling on the panel! If it¡¯s too bad, the judges will be embarrassed.¡¿ ¡¾As far as judges go, this year¡¯s lineup is absolutely the best ever! No one can compare!¡¿ ¡¾Agreed!¡¿ ¡¾Agreed +1!¡¿ The live chat was buzzing with discussion. ¡­ On the other side, in the judges¡¯ room, as Liu Heping and the others took their seats, their live feed was also shared to the broadcast, immediately causing a stir among the viewers. Xiao Sa glanced at the time, there were still about three to four minutes before the competition began. He decided to interview the judges. ¡°Teachers, the competition is about to start. I¡¯d like to ask, are there any contestants you¡¯re particularly excited about? Can you share your thoughts? Mr. Chen, would you like to start?¡± Chen Sicheng adjusted his earpiece and smiled. ¡°Personally, I¡¯m most interested in No. 8, No. 11, and No. 27. Their preliminary works were bold and imaginative, especially No. 27, who is skilled in writing female-centric stories, and has already gained some recognition in the industry! She has collaborated on several big female-led projects, and her skills are exceptional! She also understands the market! So, I¡¯m most hopeful for her.¡± ¡°Mr. Chen¡¯s analysis is very thorough, even considering the commercial value,¡± Xiao Sa said and laughed. ¡°Of course, film and TV shows are products, so market value is crucial.¡± Xiao Sa nodded. ¡°What about Teacher Shu Ping?¡± ¡°I¡¯m particularly optimistic about No. 19, No. 22, No. 33, No. 36, No. 61, and No. 64. I¡¯ve looked at their resumes, and they¡¯re all top-tier students in the field of real-life topics, so they have a natural advantage in creating realistic stories.¡± ¡°It seems like Teacher Shu Ping has quite a few contestants in mind. Teacher Yan, what about you?¡± ¡°I actually believe in all of them, after all, these contestants have made it through the fierce selection process. They all have potential. Moreover, creating real-life topics is something every scriptwriter must master! Even someone as accomplished as Mr. Liu, his first script was a historical drama, ¡®Beiping Without War.¡¯ I won¡¯t even mention myself, most of my works are realistic dramas. So, I believe they all start from the same level! In this competition, I think it will be a sudden burst of inspiration that will determine who moves ahead. Whoever comes up with the best idea will have the highest chance of advancing!¡± Yan Geling said. Yan Geling¡¯s words caused the other judges to nod in agreement. Xiao Sa smiled and nodded. ¡°Teacher Yan¡¯s comments are very insightful. I¡¯m sure the contestants will be greatly encouraged hearing that.¡± ¡°Mr. Liu, what do you think? Which contestants are you most hopeful for?¡± The three judges all turned their attention to Liu Heping, eagerly awaiting the first scriptwriting titan¡¯s response. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Liu Heping pursed his lips, paused for a moment, and then slowly said, ¡°I agree with Teacher Yan¡¯s point. At this stage, it¡¯s really about who can have that brilliant idea. But if you insist on me picking someone¡­ I have my eye on one contestant.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°No. 48.¡± ¡°48? Just one contestant, Mr. Liu?¡± Liu Heping nodded. Chapter 4 - Raises Attention: The Transcendent Status of the Screenwriter Chapter 4 Raises Attention: The Transcendent Status of the Screenwriter Everyone was shocked! They did not expect the indisputable leader among the four main judges, regarded as a god-like figure in the screenwriting world, to have such a high opinion of contestant 48! For a moment, the judges exchanged looks. Xiao Sa quickly asked, ¡°What makes you say that, Liu Laoshi?¡± Liu Heping replied slowly, ¡°Like my fellow judges, I did some research on the 64 contestants before the competition, and I found that contestant 48 has a very innovative approach to creation. I¡¯ve also read a few of his previous scripts. He¡¯s quite a gifted contestant. But¡­¡± ¡°But what, Liu Laoshi?¡± Xiao Sa asked, more curious. ¡°Well, while the content shows cleverness and wit, it¡¯s a bit too mechanical,¡± Liu Heping said. ¡°That¡¯s understandable, of course. The time for each round is limited, and it¡¯s normal for contestants to use some established creative formats. I hope that in the upcoming rounds, he will bring more refreshing works. A truly excellent screenwriter will unleash greater potential under pressure. I¡¯m looking forward to his performance.¡± To receive such an evaluation from Master Liu Heping was quite rare! Xiao Sa immediately took note of contestant 48. He checked the list and found that the person was named Lu Chen! He had also come first in the regional competition. It seemed that his skills were indeed impressive. ¡°Liu Laoshi, sorry, I have to interrupt,¡± Chen Sicheng suddenly spoke up. ¡°The person you¡¯re talking about, I¡¯ve also looked at his information, and I agree with your point that he¡¯s somewhat mechanical but with a touch of cleverness. However, in my view, his scripts haven¡¯t been particularly outstanding, and I didn¡¯t see much market value in several of his stories.¡± The implication was, perhaps you were mistaken? Liu Heping simply smiled and said, ¡°People have many faces, and the Buddha has countless forms. Different perspectives lead to different opinions, which is perfectly normal.¡± ¡°True enough,¡± Chen Sicheng said and smiled awkwardly. No wonder he was a master of historical dramas! The art of speaking was truly refined. Although he didn¡¯t directly contradict Liu Heping, he had still managed to subtly refute him. Chen Sicheng didn¡¯t dare to challenge Liu Heping, after all. He was a giant in the screenwriting world, set to go down in history. Although Chen Sicheng was a hundred-million-yuan director, screenwriters held a far more sacred status in the domestic film and television system! Therefore, Chen Sicheng was determined to become a screenwriter. There was no other reason ¨C the status was just that high! The title of screenwriter was one of the most valuable in his many identities. At that moment, if Lu Chen were to learn about Chen Sicheng¡¯s thoughts, he would be astonished! In a parallel world, was the status of screenwriters this high? Because in his past life, screenwriters were not treated like this. Their status was quite ordinary! Screenwriters not only had to endure the wrath of directors, investors, and producers, but sometimes even big-name actors. Of course, this was all twisted! As the core of film and television dramas, the screenwriter¡¯s status should be high. Why did blockbuster films from America and Korea dominate the global stage? It was because they place an enormous emphasis on screenwriters! Especially in Korea, where the status of screenwriters was truly high. Even directors must show deep respect to screenwriters. The idea of modifying a script? Ridiculous! They wouldn¡¯t even dare. Top screenwriters were revered like royalty by the chaebols in Korea, and everyone flocked to them. In contrast, the marginalization of screenwriters in China was the root cause of the decline in television drama quality. Meanwhile, viewers in the livestream room were having an intense discussion. [¡°Contestant 48 is indeed impressive, the champion of the Guangdong province regional competition, very strong!¡±].[¡°I heard he¡¯s a recent college graduate, but his storytelling ability is remarkable!¡±].[¡°And he¡¯s super handsome, can write and fight!¡±].[¡°Being praised by Liu Heping Laoshi, seems like we should pay more attention to contestant 48!¡±].[¡°Is 48 that great? I felt like the small scripts he wrote before were terrible.¡±].[¡°Just because you think it¡¯s terrible doesn¡¯t mean we do!¡±].[¡°Just because you think it¡¯s good doesn¡¯t mean we do either! Haha, interesting!¡±].[¡°Alright, alright, stop arguing, some people like money, some don¡¯t, what about people?¡±]. Liu Heping¡¯s words brought Lu Chen a lot of attention! However, opinions quickly polarized. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see what contestant 48 is doing right now?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Intrigued by Liu Heping¡¯s praise, the judges all wanted to see what Lu Chen was like in person. Xiao Sa clicked a control button, and the screen in the judges¡¯ room showed Lu Chen¡¯s current location. They saw Lu Chen sitting on a sofa, casually leaning back with a relaxed expression. Xiao Sa was speechless. ¡°He¡¯s probably thinking about the plot!¡± Xiao Sa quickly made an excuse for Lu Chen. The judges laughed. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s in a good mood, doesn¡¯t seem nervous,¡± Shu Ping commented. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s confident,¡± Yan Gelin added. ¡°I feel like he¡¯s a bit too relaxed,¡± Chen Sicheng frowned when he saw Lu Chen¡¯s handsome face, instinctively disliking him. Liu Heping remained silent, just watching quietly. His presence was calm and imposing, like a mountain, making it impossible to gauge what he was thinking. Meanwhile, in the creative room, though Lu Chen appeared to be casually smoking, he had actually spent two to three minutes figuring out the system¡¯s operation methods. It was quite simple ¨C just let the mind flow. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After checking out the items in the store, Lu Chen was increasingly impressed with the importance of emotional value. There were so many things that could be bought with real money. Even his lifespan could be bought. The system was truly impressive! At that moment, Lu Chen stopped wasting time. He went to the script library. The panel before him was visible only to him. In order to maintain secrecy, Lu Chen deliberately looked absent-minded, making it appear as though he was deep in thought. What he wished for instantly appeared¨CA search box popped up. Lu Chen¡¯s pupils contracted. It really worked! He typed in the keyword [rural]! The interface refreshed in an instant! [1: ¡°Ordinary World¡± 2: ¡°The People in Spring¡± 3: ¡°Rural Love¡± 4: ¡°Liu Laogen¡± 5: ¡°Children of the Great Mountains¡± 6: ¡°Happiness to Thousands of Families¡±]. Lu Chen was slightly shocked. Chapter 5 - Rural Themes, How About Taizai! Chapter 5 Rural Themes, How About Taizai! Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen continued selecting scripts. Advancing to the next round was certainly important, but obtaining emotional points from the system was just as crucial! After all, without emotional points, one couldn¡¯t spend money to upgrade. Good things were always expensive. For example, extending one¡¯s lifespan by a year required a whopping three million emotional points! Therefore, selecting a script that could stir up the audience¡¯s emotions was the best standard for Lu Chen. Considering this, rural-themed dramas like Ordinary World were not very advantageous. Of course, it was a good drama, an exceptionally excellent work! There was no doubt about that! However, just like its title, Ordinary World was like a fine wine, requiring time to appreciate¡ªtasting better the more one savored it. But Lu Chen had limited time! Just a few hours to create. Who had the time to savor his story? Even if the judges were willing to take their time to enjoy it, would the impatient online viewers? Didn¡¯t get their hopes up. It wouldn¡¯t happen. Without an attention-grabbing hook, the viewers wouldn¡¯t care about what was written, and they wouldn¡¯t even watch. Moreover, earlier in the large room, other participants had said they wanted to write rural stories, such as rural love themes. If Lu Chen wrote the same, the content would be too homogeneous! This would definitely not help in achieving a good result! So, considering everything, Lu Chen thought that both Ordinary World and Rural Love weren¡¯t very suitable. One lacked a hook, and the other didn¡¯t evoke strong emotions. Rural Love had a rather ordinary plot. Its massive popularity was mainly due to the outstanding performances of the actors, which gave the show a huge boost. Without Zhao Si, Liu Neng, and Xie Guangkun¡¯s excellent performances, how remarkable could the script be? Probably not much! So, which drama could quickly stir up emotions? That became Lu Chen¡¯s key criteria! The early episodes were indeed fine. Ying Bao, playing He Xingfu, had numerous conflicts with the village chief Wan Shantang and his son, which could really stir emotions. The Wan family father and son, along with Ying Bao¡¯s weak husband, were increasingly frustrating to watch! But from the middle of the show, when He Xingfu moved to the city, the plot¡¯s appeal dropped sharply! Even later, when He Xingfu started her business and reconciled with the Wan family, the emotional engagement drastically plummeted! The story felt overly fragmented! While a happy ending was typical for domestic dramas, the collapse of the drama¡¯s popularity in the middle clearly indicated a problem. The emotional tension was built up so high in the beginning, only to be released so gently in the end! How could the audience handle that? It seemed that choosing a show that could both stir emotions and grab attention was not easy. At that moment, Lu Chen noticed a ¡®Smart Selection Mode¡¯ in the upper-left corner of the panel. ¡°Host, when the Smart Selection Mode is activated, the system will recommend works based on your preferences. It can help you find a script that suits your needs more quickly!¡± ¡± Lu Chen was speechless after hearing this. All this time, he¡¯d been thinking, and there was an intelligent recommendation system right there! He immediately checked the box! A new page popped up. [To Live Recommendation Reason: Contains rural elements, is a classic, timeless work. The level of suffering in the plot is heartbreaking, with rich emotions. Drawback: It¡¯s an extremely deep work, requiring the audience to appreciate it slowly. This might result in ¡®a gem being thrown in the dark¡¯. Recommendation Score: 3.5 stars. Breaking Ice Recommendation Reason: Based on the story of Taizai¡¯s drug village, the plot is tightly connected to the theme, with plenty of suspense and eye-catching elements. Drawback: The character storylines are quite complex, and predicting the plot in a live-streaming environment is challenging. Recommendation Score: 4.5 stars.]. ¡­ When this work appeared before Lu Chen¡¯s eyes, his mind immediately buzzed! S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, the program didn¡¯t specify that it couldn¡¯t be a rural drug bust story! Plus, this angle was fresh and unique¡ªsomething even Lu Chen hadn¡¯t thought of. Other participants certainly wouldn¡¯t think of it either. When the content unfolded, it would surely stir emotions! Moreover, Breaking Ice was undeniably a highly popular drama! It was the benchmark work for this genre. On certain platforms, it had over 300,000 ratings! When it first aired, the drama¡¯s rating even approached nine! Later, there were rumors that companies had maliciously downvoted it, causing the score to drop. However, the rating was just a reference point, the drama¡¯s quality spoke for itself! Despite some flaws, such as a somewhat hasty ending, it was still a great show. The entire plot was tightly structured, with constant suspense. The characters representing good and evil were intricately intertwined, making it very enjoyable to watch! The key was that this drama stood out from other drug-busting themes by successfully introducing the concept of ¡®clans¡¯! It cleverly combined the clan dynamics with anti-crime elements¡ªan innovative approach! No previous drama had ever dared to try such a unique angle. The story of Dong Shu and Taizai became the talk of the town, with some of the lines from the drama turning into internet memes that continue to be passed around! This demonstrated how beloved the show was by the audience! Additionally, the drama had a high standard, and its storylines were very rich. It was a big-budget production! Considering all of this, Breaking Ice was undoubtedly the best choice for Lu Chen! Explosive topic! Rural theme! Suspenseful! Emotionally engaging for sure! Attention-grabbing, can captivate from the start! High-discussion characters! These five points alone were enough for Lu Chen to pick it! As for the other two dramas, Happiness to All Families had already been passed over, and To Live¡­ While it was emotionally rich and a classic, it was just too depressing! Lu Chen was concerned that viewers might not be able to handle it. Even the system admitted that it might lead to a ¡®gem being thrown in the dark¡¯. Moreover, Lu Chen had to think about his current situation. This was only the 32-person qualification round, and there were still the 16-person, 8-person, 4-person, 2-person, and final rounds to go! If he used a heavy, emotionally intense story like To Live now¡­ What if it went viral and the audience absolutely loved it? It would undoubtedly raise the threshold for both the audience and judges, which would be very unfavorable for him in the upcoming rounds! So, after considering everything, Lu Chen decided against To Live¡­ If today had been the championship round, Lu Chen would have chosen To Live without hesitation, not Breaking Ice. But since this was the 32-person qualification round, Breaking Ice was more appropriate. It would ensure his progression and still leave ample room for improvement in the next rounds! With that thought, Lu Chen no longer hesitated. He made up his mind. Lu Chen believed that this drama would definitely make a stunning impact on the audience! ¡° Congratulations, Host! You¡¯ve selected the script¨CBreaking Ice!¡± ¡° Since this is your first time exchanging an item in the store, congratulations, Host, for receiving a 5000-point emotional value rebate!¡± Chapter 6 - Introduces the Concept of Clans! Lu Chen Takes the Lead! Chapter 6 Introduces the Concept of Clans! Lu Chen Takes the Lead! Unexpectedly, the system even provided a bonus! Although it wasn¡¯t much, every little bit counts, and it showed the system had a sense of gratitude. With the script successfully redeemed, the complete plot of The Thunder flooded into Lu Chen¡¯s mind. Every detail of the storyline was crystal clear! Now, all he had to do was write it out! But! Here came the problem! Lu Chen knew very well that he couldn¡¯t just write out the plot episode by episode. After all, creating a script or story always starts from scratch, gradually expanding from one idea into a larger narrative. It¡¯s a process where a small seedling grows into a towering tree. If Lu Chen were to directly write the episodes now, he would be shooting himself in the foot. That would be downright foolish! A story as intricate as this¡ªno screenwriter could produce it in one go. Even someone like Liu Heping wouldn¡¯t be able to. The audience would immediately suspect if the story was plagiarized or if there was some insider dealing. Perhaps the production team had provided the script in advance¡­ Otherwise¡ª What kind of lunacy would it be to come up with such a tightly woven plot on the spot? Impossible! Likewise, the judges would certainly raise questions about the authenticity of the creation process. Therefore, Lu Chen felt the proper approach was to start small with the rural theme and gradually expand. Using a methodical deduction, he could eventually develop it into a complete story. This way, both the audience and judges would find it plausible. He could also replicate the natural process of crafting a story. Everything would appear reasonable and logical! Although this approach would be a bit challenging. After all, The Thunder has a large cast of characters and a complex storyline. To recreate it convincingly through deduction would not be easy. But so what? If he couldn¡¯t even manage reverse deduction, how could he call himself a screenwriter? How could he expect to make a living at this? Lu Chen had confidence in himself. He was sure he could pull it off! Just as he made up his mind, a voice came from the monitor. ¡°Attention, contestants! Preparation time is over, and the competition officially begins now! You have three hours to create your story outline. The production team will remind you of the time every hour. Please allocate your time wisely. Now, the competition begins! Good luck!¡± Lu Chen clicked his tongue. Lu Chen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, stood up, and walked to the whiteboard. He wrote down the words. [Rural Village.]. The first task was to figure out how to transition smoothly to the key theme of Tazhai Village. For this, Lu Chen didn¡¯t rush forward. Instead, he paced back and forth in the room, hands clasped behind his back. And, of course, he lit another cigarette¡­ Luckily, the room was equipped with an air circulation system, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about the smoke being overwhelming. Besides¡ª Most screenwriters are heavy smokers. Cigarettes are almost indispensable when brainstorming. Seeing Lu Chen write just two words and then light up another cigarette, his livestream viewers were astonished. [Wow, two cigarettes already? At this rate, he¡¯ll go through a whole pack in three hours!].[He just put one out!].[This reminds me of my uncle who works at a publishing house. He¡¯s the same¡ªcan¡¯t write a word without a cigarette in hand!].[So young, he should smoke less.]. Thanks to Liu Heping¡¯s endorsement, Lu Chen¡¯s livestream had garnered massive popularity. At the moment, his livestream had an impressive over 300,000 viewers online! Everyone was eager to see what made this Contestant #48, whom the screenwriting god admired, so extraordinary. So far¡­ His smoking habit certainly stood out. Two words, two cigarettes¡­ That was one cigarette per word¡­ Meanwhile, in the room, Lu Chen smoked as he pondered the transition. As he thought¡­ He finally came up with a solution! With that realization, Lu Chen quickly walked to the whiteboard. Under the word ¡®Rural¡¯ , he wrote. [Create a rural setting based on Guangdong¡¯s culture!].[Theme: Clan culture, ancestral hall culture.]. ____ [Oh, he¡¯s started writing!].[Clan culture? Ancestral halls?].[Is #48 planning to write about the rural stories of Guangdong, like inviting gods or worshipping deities?].[That¡¯s possible! I¡¯ve been to Guangdong, and ancestral halls and temples are everywhere. Some of the deities I¡¯ve never even heard of¡ªlike Marshal North Tiger or the Five Ghosts. Honestly, it¡¯s a bit creepy!].[Dude, the Five Ghosts are evil gods!].[They¡¯re legit! My relatives in Guangdong worship them¡­].[Isn¡¯t this supposed to be about realism? Why are you bringing up superstitions?].[Don¡¯t underestimate it. Guangdong has the strongest superstitions in the country, bar none!].[To be fair, his handwriting is beautiful. It¡¯s rare to see a guy with such nice penmanship!]. ______ ¡°Ding! Emotion Points +1!¡± ¡°Ding! Emotion Points +1!¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ding! Emotion Points +1!¡± As soon as Lu Chen finished writing a few lines, the system¡¯s notifications echoed in his mind. In just a few seconds, he had gained over ten thousand Emotion Points. ¡°No way, just a few lines and such a big reaction?¡± Lu Chen chuckled to himself. It seemed earning Emotion Points wasn¡¯t all that difficult! After switching the system to silent mode, Lu Chen resumed his work. Now that the cultural background of Tazhai was established, the next step was to introduce Lin Yaodong, the protagonist¡­ Lu Chen paced the room, deep in thought. Meanwhile, in the judges¡¯ room, Liu Heping and the other three were reviewing the livestreams of the contestants. As expected, almost every contestant started with themes revolving around rural life or rural romance. ¡°This is not a good sign,¡± Yan Geling frowned. ¡°Yeah, the ideas are too similar!¡± Shu Ping expressed concern. ¡°They¡¯ve boxed themselves into the theme. They could be more creative and incorporate additional elements, like resistance during the war,¡± Chen Sicheng suggested. ¡°If I were writing, I might create a story about rural resistance during the Republic of China era. That would also fit the program¡¯s requirements,¡± Chen continued. ¡°But war-themed stories require a deep understanding of history. These contestants are still young and likely haven¡¯t practiced this genre much,¡± Shu Ping noted. Xiao Sa chimed in, ¡°What about a story focusing on rural development? Wouldn¡¯t that work too?¡± ¡°That could work. Stories about rural development are quite popular in the country right now,¡± Yan Geling agreed. ¡°But those kinds of stories rely heavily on pacing and a well-thought-out development trajectory. Without strong logic and a good grasp of commerce, such stories can end up feeling shallow,¡± Shu Ping added. ¡°Let¡¯s see how things progress. The competition has just started, and the contestants are only laying the groundwork. Perhaps someone will surprise us later,¡± Liu Heping commented. The other judges nodded in agreement. Indeed, it was too early to draw conclusions. Hearing Liu Heping speak, Xiao Sa instinctively thought of Lu Chen and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a look at Contestant #48¡¯s livestream?¡± Chapter 7 - Lin Yaodong’s Growth Path Chapter 7 Lin Yaodong¡¯s Growth Path ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at No. 48 and see how they started.¡± The judges nodded in agreement. Xiao Sa pressed the remote control. The next second, the TV screen displayed Lu Chen¡¯s room. Lu Chen could be seen pacing back and forth in the room, with some words already written on the whiteboard. [Create a rural village based on Cantonese culture.].[Theme: Clan culture, ancestral hall culture.]. Seeing these words, Xiao Sa read them aloud immediately. ¡°This is a rather novel perspective.¡± Yan Geling¡¯s eyes lit up! ¡°Teacher Liu, this guy really is a bit clever, just like you said. Starting by giving the village an identity and defining its style is quite interesting. And choosing Cantonese culture, which is relatively rare as a subject, makes it stand out.¡± Shuping also offered his evaluation. Taking the opportunity, Xiao Sa introduced, ¡°Teachers, according to the information, Contestant No. 48, Lu Chen, is from Guangdong Province and entered the national top 64 as the top scorer in the regional competition.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s from Guangdong? No wonder he set this tone,¡± Yan Geling said and understood. ¡°Guangdong culture has a strong sense of clans, and ancestral hall culture is its soul. Incorporating the concept of clans into the story is, in my opinion, a great creative direction,¡± Liu Heping nodded slightly, expressing his appreciation for Lu Chen¡¯s approach. For industry professionals, drawing from personal experiences as the foundation of creativity is always a clever and effective strategy! At this moment, Chen Sicheng stared at Lu Chen¡¯s handsome profile and felt an inexplicable pang of discomfort rising within him. ¡°It all depends on how he writes the rest. I feel this subject is quite difficult. At least, I don¡¯t have any ideas for it. With No. 48 being so young, I believe his experience might not be sufficient to support such a theme.¡± Hearing this, Shuping glanced sideways at Chen Sicheng. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this guy seemed to harbor some hostility towards Lu Chen¡­ Though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination¡­ Yan Geling also glanced at Chen Sicheng out of the corner of his eye, sharing a similar thought. Meanwhile, Liu Heping remained calm and composed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Even Xiao Sa noticed the sudden tension in the judges¡¯ room but said nothing. After all, it was normal for judges to have differing opinions. For the production team, differing opinions among judges only added to the show¡¯s buzz! He turned his attention back to the screen, only to find that Lu Chen had suddenly moved to the whiteboard. ¡°Huh, is he about to write something?¡± Xiao Sa quickly pointed out. The judges immediately focused their attention. ¡­¡­ Inside the room, Lu Chen picked up the black marker again. The concept of Tazhai Village had already been outlined. The next step was to introduce a key character¡ªLin Yaodong! In the original story, Lin Yaodong was described like this¡ªLin Yaodong lost his father at a young age, wore patched clothes, and grew up eating scraps. However, he was clever, resourceful, and daring. He made his first fortune by collecting scrap and, driven by ambition, turned to smuggling cars. After being forced to flee to Hong Kong due to exposure, he returned as a wealthy man and successfully ran for village chief of Tazhai. Afterward, he led the villagers into drug manufacturing, building a drug empire that exported overseas! Under his leadership, Tazhai became a well-known prosperous village, locally and nationally. Lin Yaodong not only managed the village but also his public persona. He became a member of the Dongshan City People¡¯s Representative Assembly and held multiple positive roles, such as philanthropist, investor, and major taxpayer. In short, Uncle Dong was undoubtedly a talent! Unfortunately, all his ingenuity was directed toward the wrong path. Lu Chen believed that if Lin Yaodong had channeled his personality into legitimate business, he could have achieved remarkable success. With his charisma, every business deal would have been a sure win. So next, Lu Chen¡¯s goal was to gradually flesh out Lin Yaodong¡¯s story. As long as Lin Yaodong¡¯s storyline was solid, the narrative of Tazhai Village would naturally follow. Then, by designing Li Fei and Li Weimin to establish the police angle, the overall framework of The Thunder would emerge. Therefore, crafting Lin Yaodong was the linchpin to success! After all, in The Thunder, Lin Yaodong is the true core protagonist! sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As for Li Fei? Many viewers found Li Fei¡¯s character unlikable and annoying. But understanding his role made it clear that his unpopularity was inevitable. The entire plot of The Thunder relied on him as a trailblazer to gradually uncover the truth. His recklessness was an inherent trait baked into the character from the beginning. As a tool to advance the plot, how could such a blunt character be beloved? Especially when he carried the ¡®protagonist¡¯ title! Being disliked made perfect sense. This lack of relatability is a common issue for main characters in this genre. Not just Li Fei¡ªHou Liangping in In the Name of the People had similar problems. Thus, the key to success lay in designing Lin Yaodong well! This warranted a significant investment of time and effort from Lu Chen. With this in mind, Lu Chen continued writing. The whiteboard quickly filled with lines of text. [Tazhai: Tentative village name. Keywords: poverty, backwardness.].[Story summary: The protagonist, Lin Yaodong, grew up in a poor family. He lost his father at a young age, wore patched clothes, and ate scraps. Frequently bullied by peers, he was determined and unyielding, refusing to bow to fate. He vowed to live a good life and provide for his family. Dropping out of school in junior high due to poverty, he self-studied and built a solid foundation of knowledge. Later, he began trying his hand at business, selling street food, and running a small stall. Although he earned little, those modest days brought him a sense of happiness he had never experienced before. This went on for two years. As his experience grew, and he better understood those around him, Lin Yaodong was no longer content with being a street vendor. He aspired to earn more money, constantly seeking opportunities to find a lucrative industry¡­]. At this point, Lu Chen deliberately paused, assuming a pensive posture. Story development required pushing forward step by step. Writing everything at once would make it no different from directly drafting a screenplay. Pausing and reflecting was an essential part of the creative process! Seeing Lu Chen stop suddenly, the judges¡¯ room grew curious. ¡°Huh, is Lu Chen writing about a rural young man¡¯s rise to prominence?¡± Xiao Sa asked. ¡°It does seem that way,¡± Shuping nodded. Meanwhile, Chen Sicheng smirked slightly, showing a hint¡ªbarely noticeable¡ªof disdain. ¡°I said the plot depends on what follows. Look, it¡¯s still the same old formula, focusing on rural themes. However, I must admit, the rise of a small character is a common and emotionally engaging theme in both rural and urban stories. The trajectory and emotional resonance are rich.¡± ¡°Yes, small character rise stories are inherently compelling because of their relatability. Watching the protagonist gain strength, change their circumstances, and shift the attitudes of those around them is always captivating,¡± Shuping remarked. ¡°Is Lu Chen using the clan framework simply to align with local customs and culture?¡± Yan Geling frowned, puzzled. At this point, Lu Chen¡¯s story development hadn¡¯t elevated the sense of anticipation. Instead, it seemed to fall into conventional tropes, causing expectations to drop. This¡­ To be honest, Yan Geling felt slightly disappointed with the story¡¯s opening¡­ Chapter 8 - Livestream Viewership Plummets, but the Climax Begins! Chapter 8 Livestream Viewership Plummets, but the Climax Begins! After all, the ¡®small character rising to prominence¡¯ theme has been adapted countless times. Not only was it formulaic, but audiences were also tired of it. It was tough to pique interest unless Lu Chen delivered an extraordinary follow-up to the story. Otherwise, it was just another clich¨¦d tale. So, at this stage, Yan Geling found the story progression falling short of her expectations. At this moment, Liu Heping, who had been mostly silent, finally spoke up, ¡°The regional background serves as the soil from which the story grows. Different regions give rise to different stories. For instance, the Yellow Earth Plateau could never produce the delicate and poetic ambiance of Jiangnan¡¯s water towns. Similarly, in Guangdong, where clan culture is prevalent, even a ¡®small character¡¯s rise¡¯ story would naturally differ from those in other areas.¡± ¡°Exactly, Teacher Liu is right! The question is whether Lu Chen can organically combine the concepts of personal success and clan dynamics. If he only introduces the regional setting and Guangdong¡¯s unique cultural environment without fully leveraging it¡ªfocusing primarily on the individual¡¯s journey while sidelining the background¡ªthen I believe Contestant 48¡¯s story will likely disappoint,¡± Shuping added. Yan Geling and Chen Sicheng both nodded in agreement, and even Liu Heping slightly inclined his head, acknowledging Shuping¡¯s viewpoint. Previously, the judges had been intrigued and pleasantly surprised when Lu Chen introduced the keywords ¡®clan culture¡¯ and ¡®ancestral hall culture¡¯. However, as the story unfolded, it became clear that he hadn¡¯t yet fully utilized these elements. Of course, it was worth noting that the story was still in its early stages. Drawing conclusions too early would be premature. Nevertheless, Lu Chen¡¯s beginning was, to be honest, overly conventional¡ªhence the judges¡¯ mild disappointment. _____ Meanwhile, Chen Sicheng was quietly amused. He had always claimed that Contestant 48 was average in ability, despite Liu Heping¡¯s high praise for him. But now, it seemed Lu Chen¡¯s performance was leaning towards his evaluation. The subject matter lacked novelty and even felt dated. Expecting to advance with such a story? It might not be impossible, but the odds were slim. Chen Sicheng didn¡¯t care what the other three judges thought. From his perspective, such a tired and clich¨¦d story deserved an automatic two-point deduction. If the narrative didn¡¯t shine later, even more points would be deducted. In Chen Sicheng¡¯s opinion, a good story must have absolute commercial value. Since he was a judge, he couldn¡¯t endorse something as stale as this! _____ In the livestream chat, viewers reacted to the judges¡¯ discussion with a mix of agreement and disappointment. [The judges are right. The story¡¯s development is underwhelming! I thought it¡¯d delve into clan conflicts, but it¡¯s just this?].[This is just a typical online fiction plot, and an outdated one from 10¨C20 years ago. Too old-fashioned!].[48 isn¡¯t as impressive as Teacher Liu made him out to be.].[Honestly, when 48 wrote ¡®clan and ancestral hall culture¡¯ at the beginning, I was intrigued. But it turned bland so quickly!].[Let¡¯s wait and see. Hopefully, Teacher Liu doesn¡¯t end up slapping his own face if 48 doesn¡¯t advance. That¡¯d be awkward!].[Awkward with a capital A!].[Wait, look! He¡¯s picking up the marker again!]. _____ On the screen, after pacing for a while, Lu Chen returned to the whiteboard, picked up the black marker, and began writing again. [Since Lin Yaodong spent years on the streets, he learned to be highly observant and resourceful. He noticed that collecting scrap was far more profitable than running a small food stall. In the 1990s, during a period of booming coastal trade, foreign goods and waste began flooding into China. Dongshan City (a fictional city in Guangdong Province) was one of the first port cities to ride this wave. Learning about this lucrative opportunity, Lin Yaodong immediately decided to get into the scrap business. For him, whatever made money was what he would do¡ªhe had been poor for too long. His hunger for wealth was etched into his bones. To earn money, Lin Yaodong believed there was nothing he wouldn¡¯t do!]. Lu Chen paused briefly after writing this, then quickly resumed. [Because Lin Yaodong was clever and socially adept, he quickly established himself in the scrap industry. Over the next few years, he earned his first pot of gold through this trade. At just over 20 years old, Lin Yaodong had already been immersed in society long enough to carry himself with the demeanor of someone nearly 30. His growing financial success brought significant changes to his life. First, his family¡¯s conditions improved¡ªthey could eat well and live in a house that didn¡¯t leak when it rained. Second, his family¡¯s reputation in the village began to rise. Villagers greeted him warmly whenever they saw him. These dramatic external changes allowed Lin Yaodong to tangibly feel the power of wealth. His craving for money grew exponentially during this period. He came to believe that money could bring him everything. Therefore, He became desperate to earn even more money! To change himself! To change his family! And even¡­ To change Tazhai Village! To change the fate of his lineage!]. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon seeing the final line on the whiteboard, Shuping¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°It ties into the clan theme!¡± ¡°As expected, it¡¯s progressing from personal development to leading the village.¡± Chen Sicheng, however, smirked and shrugged. This plot was not only logical but also entirely predictable. Yan Geling pursed her lips and took a deep breath. ¡°The character¡¯s personality is starting to take shape, but¡­ it¡¯s still not enough!¡± Yan Geling commented. Liu Heping continued to watch silently, offering no comment. ¡°Teacher Xiao Sa, I think¡­ we should switch rooms. We can¡¯t just stay in Room 48 forever,¡± Chen Sicheng suggested. Xiao Sa glanced at the time. Indeed, they had been in Room 48 for several minutes already, perhaps too long. ¡°Let¡¯s switch rooms, then. What do you all think?¡± Xiao Sa asked the other judges. Shuping and the others had no objections. As judges, there were many contestants to evaluate, and they couldn¡¯t focus on just one person. Moreover, Lu Chen¡¯s story, to be fair, wasn¡¯t particularly captivating¡ªat least not at this stage. With that, Xiao Sa switched to another room, and the judges resumed reviewing other contestants. ____ In the livestream chat, viewers echoed the judges¡¯ sentiments, with interest waning. [Sigh, this story¡¯s not very engaging. I¡¯m heading to another room.].[Same here.].[Check out Room 4! It¡¯s pretty interesting. Contestant 4 designed a stage play-style plot, and it¡¯s quite fun!].[A stage play? In a rural setting? Sounds intriguing. I¡¯ll check it out.].[I¡¯m heading there too!]. Like a tide, the livestream¡¯s audience surged in and out quickly. Within moments, the viewership in Room 48 dropped by more than half, plummeting from over 300,000 to under 100,000¡ªand the numbers were still declining rapidly. _____ Meanwhile, inside Room 48, Lu Chen, oblivious to the outside world, continued his story development. By this point, Lin Yaodong¡¯s mental framework had been largely established. His values, perception of money and his worldview. These elements had taken initial shape. A person only becomes obsessed with and driven by something when they desire it deeply. This desire breeds greed and ambition. With greed and ambition, a person becomes willing to stop at nothing to obtain more. This mentality and motivation ultimately paved the way for Lin Yaodong¡¯s transformation into a drug lord. The next part of the story was pivotal. It was the event that marked Lin Yaodong¡¯s first step into the world of crime. It served as a turning point and catalyst, profoundly impacting him and leading to his first metamorphosis. This moment laid the groundwork for his eventual rise as a drug lord. The key turning point was car smuggling. Though the original series didn¡¯t explicitly detail this, it¡¯s easy to infer. As Lin Yaodong gained experience, he grew dissatisfied with the ¡®petty profits¡¯ of the scrap business. Eventually, he discovered that smuggling was incredibly lucrative. Taking a leap of faith, he began smuggling cars. This decision set the stage for his later escape to Hong Kong and eventual involvement with drugs, planting a crucial narrative seed. Thus, the next section of the story marked the true beginning of the plot¡¯s climax! Chapter 9 - The Dark Transformation of Lin Yaodong Begins! The plot gets increasingly intense! Chapter 9 The Dark Transformation of Lin Yaodong Begins! The plot gets increasingly intense! Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen picked up his pen and continued writing. [After tasting the sweetness of money, Lin Yaodong gradually realized a profound truth¡ªa man can live without a woman, but he cannot live without money! A man without money is like a spineless creature, incapable of standing tall. No one respects you, you gain no reputation, and you can¡¯t even win the favor of a woman who satisfies you! Upon realizing this truth, Lin Yaodong¡¯s mindset underwent a dramatic transformation. His thirst for money grew by the day! His ambitions, too, inflated as he savored the fruits of his initial success!]. [Is Lin Yaodong on the verge of going dark?].[Surely he won¡¯t turn evil, right? Using words like ¡®desire¡¯ and ¡®ambition¡¯ to describe him?].[The spineless creature analogy is so sharp! Well-written!].[Wow, just when I was about to leave, you drop this? Guess I¡¯ll stick around to see what happens!]. As Lu Chen shifted gears in his writing, the viewer retention rate noticeably steadied! Clearly, Lin Yaodong¡¯s mental transformation and hints of a dark turn had piqued the audience¡¯s interest! Lu Chen paused after writing this, pacing around the room. He poured himself a glass of wine, pondering the story as he drank. His relaxed demeanor¡ªsmoking and drinking casually¡ªentertained the audience. [Dude, tone it down! This is a live stream! Show a little respect for the viewers, will you?]. One glass down, and inspiration struck Lu Chen. He muttered, ¡°Got it!¡± Then, brimming with excitement, he returned to the whiteboard and wrote. [Given Lin Yaodong¡¯s ambition, he would never settle for being a scrap collector his whole life. Sure, the trade was lucrative, but let¡¯s be honest, it wasn¡¯t respectable! Having endured countless sneers since childhood, Lin Yaodong always longed to become someone truly respected! Not just a little¡ªtruly! To become a respectable man was Lin Yaodong¡¯s ultimate pursuit! After all, earning money is a means to an end, and that end is dignity! Though collecting scrap provided him with some financial comfort, it did little to improve his reputation. People are two-faced, while they treated him politely to his face, behind his back, they still called him ¡®the scrap collector.¡¯ S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lin Yaodong dreamed of finding a business that could earn him substantial wealth while also appearing respectable. During his years of roaming the streets, he came into contact with more and more people, including some wealthy entrepreneurs. Over time, Lin Yaodong noticed that many of these wealthy, respectable figures were secretly involved in dubious dealings. These individuals lounged in air-conditioned offices, a brick-sized cell phone in hand, and with just one phone call, they earned tens of thousands! They made far more money than he ever could. Envy and jealousy brewed within Lin Yaodong. One day, while collecting scrap at a businessman¡¯s home, the man, in high spirits, offered Lin Yaodong some advice¡ª¡®Young man, to make real money, you need to use your brain. Physical labor will always limit you. You¡¯ll never rise above others that way. To make money¡ªbig money¡ªyou need brains, and you need guts! The bold thrive, the timid starve!¡¯ These words deeply impacted Lin Yaodong, planting a seed in his heart that quickly took root and sprouted! Determined to achieve financial success and the dignity that came with it, Lin Yaodong resolved to do whatever it took! Lin Yaodong began searching for bigger opportunities. And fortune favors the determined¡ªsoon, Lin Yaodong stumbled upon a lucrative new venture!]. Lu Chen paused again, deep in thought, driving the audience crazy with anticipation. [Keep writing! Why stop again?].[Hurry up, I want to see Lin Yaodong¡¯s dark turn!].[What business did he discover? Write already!].[He¡¯s really going dark now, isn¡¯t he?].[Honestly, if I were Lin Yaodong, I¡¯d probably turn dark too. Scrap collecting may earn money, but it¡¯s dirty, exhausting, and looked down upon!].[My family has a relative who collects scrap. Though they make over 100k a year, we still secretly look down on them. It¡¯s the nature of the job.].[From what¡¯s written so far, Lin Yaodong seems to be someone with extreme pride and inferiority. People like that are indeed prone to turning dark.].[Exactly. For such a person, the end justifies the means.].[Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a positive show? Can they even write dark content like this?]. Amidst lively debate, Lu Chen finally picked up his pen again and continued the story. [The new venture was smuggling!].[He¡¯s really gone dark!].[Exciting! This dark protagonist is amazing!].[Isn¡¯t he worried about being disqualified for writing such shocking content?].[Report him for spreading negativity!].[Shut up! How do you know the story will glorify crime? What if he redeems the character later?].[Guangdong, being a coastal province with abundant ports and frequent trade, offered natural advantages for smuggling. On top of that, lax import-export regulations at the time provided smugglers with great opportunities!][Lin Yaodong discovered that smuggling cars was insanely profitable! The cost of a single car was around tens of thousands. After smuggling, it could easily sell for over 200k, sometimes even yielding double the profit!]. [While Lin Yaodong earned a mere 100k a year collecting scrap, smuggling could net him tens or even hundreds of thousands per deal!].[Driven by greed, Lin Yaodong quickly sought out a mentor in the trade, earning the trust of an industry big shot. Once he gained confidence, Lin Yaodong risked everything on his first smuggling deal. Fortunately, his first venture went off without a hitch, earning him a windfall of over 100k. From then on, Lin Yaodong plunged headlong into the world of smuggling. Using his wits and courage, Lin Yaodong consistently pulled off successful deals, amassing wealth beyond his wildest dreams. He transformed into the CEO of a trading company and finally began living the ¡®dignified¡¯ life he had always dreamed of. The villagers, now aware that he owned a trading company, started calling him ¡®Boss Lin¡¯ instead of ¡®the scrap collector.¡¯ This newfound respect brought Lin Yaodong immense satisfaction and solidified his desire to accumulate even more wealth. By this point, Lin Yaodong had undeniably changed his fate and that of his family. But the rapid accumulation of wealth also bred greater desires. He began yearning for power, dreaming of becoming the leader of Tazhai, the savior of the Lin clan, and a hero in the village. This ambition, though naive on the surface, mirrored the fairytale dreams of a Cinderella longing to be a princess. Lin Yaodong was no different!] Chapter 10 - Goes Viral Across the Internet! The Judges Are Stunned! Chapter 10 Goes Viral Across the Internet! The Judges Are Stunned! [Wow, this¡­ is Lin Yaodong determined?].[This part feels like it¡¯s forcing the issue! Why does he have to change Tazhai? What does the village have to do with him? Can¡¯t he just make his own money?].[Didn¡¯t they already explain about clan ideology? Why even ask this question?].[Is this really such a big deal? Can it make someone so obsessed?].[Let me weigh in here. I¡¯m from Guangdong Province, and I can responsibly say that even today, clan ideology is incredibly strong here! This deep-seated emotion, rooted in one¡¯s bloodline, is unmatched by any other belief!].[Exactly, clan ideology can unite people like nothing else! It creates absolute trust and unconditional loyalty. Powerful, isn¡¯t it? Because of this, throughout history, governments have strictly controlled clans across regions. Can you guess why?].[But Lin Yaodong was bullied by the villagers as a child. Doesn¡¯t he hate them? Wouldn¡¯t he want to crush them underfoot rather than support them? Isn¡¯t this being a saint?].[Clearly, you¡¯re inexperienced. The highest level of control is turning your enemies into your pawns. This might sound crude, but it¡¯s true. If you¡¯re raising a dog, don¡¯t you have to throw it some bones to eat? That¡¯s the real way to put people beneath you!].[ That¡¯s twisted¡­ I like this protagonist!].[¡°To nurture a retinue is like raising falcons¡ªif they are full, they¡¯ll fly away, if they¡¯re hungry, they¡¯ll turn on their master!¡±].[Actually, I think Lin Yaodong¡¯s obsession with becoming the leader of Tazhai boils down to wanting to be a local king. Imagine commanding thousands of people, all following your orders. That¡¯s got to feel amazing!].[Buddy, you hit the nail on the head. Lin Yaodong just wants to be a king. Forget all the hero talk¡ªit¡¯s just a fa?ade!].[So does this mean Lin Yaodong is going to become a village official and lead the whole village into smuggling?].[Whoa, no way! That would be totally insane!].[If 48 dares to write a plot where Lin Yaodong leads the village into smuggling, I¡¯ll kneel and call him my master!].[Damn it, just write already! Why is he lying down again?!]. On screen, Lu Chen, having written up to this point, put down his pen again. He walked back to his armchair, flopped down, crossed his legs, and stared at the ceiling, clearly entering sage mode again. The viewers were exasperated! But, of course, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t hear the viewers¡¯ complaints. As for why Lu Chen lay down to rest. One, it was part of his routine. Taking a break¡­ To ensure the logic of his writing. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And two, Lu Chen was indeed contemplating the next part of the story. At this point, Lin Yaodong¡¯s storyline was halfway complete. Once it was fully developed, he needed to bring in the police anti-drug operation. The challenge, however was figuring out how to reasonably and swiftly intertwine Li Weimin and Li Fei¡¯s storylines with the current narrative. This was a tough nut to crack! There was also a key character that required Lu Chen¡¯s careful consideration. The Hong Kong businessman Zhao Jialiang, Li Fei¡¯s father. Introducing this character reasonably was the trickiest part for Lu Chen! Although he knew the plot, he now had to approach it as a creator. This meant considering not just the storyline but also the logic behind it! How to reveal Zhao Jialiang¡¯s identity and his relationships with Li Weimin and Li Fei¡­ Would require delicate planning! Simply establishing the relationships outright? That wouldn¡¯t work! It¡¯d feel too abrupt! Like everything was preordained. The proper approach would be to weave connections bit by bit and gradually develop the relationships between the three. This was the hallmark of good storytelling. However, this was precisely where the difficulty lay! No wonder the system explicitly listed the challenge level as high in its flaws. It truly was challenging! After all, blending these threads seamlessly into a cohesive narrative would require deep thought. At this realization, Lu Chen scratched his head, temporarily stumped! Almost instinctively, he pulled a cigarette from the pack beside him, lit it with a click, and started smoking¡­ [I can¡¯t believe it¡ªthis guy is smoking again! Can¡¯t he cut back a little?].[Why are you smoking now? Keep writing! You always stop at the crucial moments; I¡¯m so done with this!].[You all need to lower your expectations! The guy needs to think, okay? This is live storytelling! He probably doesn¡¯t even know what comes next yet.].[This is just how creative work is¡ªfull of stops and starts. Nobody can churn out words non-stop. Be patient, the writer has it tough. His brain must feel like it¡¯s overheating!].[It¡¯s only been half an hour. There are still two and a half hours left. Stay calm, good stories take time. Have faith in 48!]. Thanks to some reassuring comments, the restless viewers began to settle down. They chose to wait and trust. Meanwhile, Those who had left earlier, after wandering through other livestreams, found that most contestants¡¯ stories were predictable. Either small-town family dramas or romantic tales. These were utterly disappointing. After years of such stories dominating realistic TV shows, the audience had grown tired of them. Really tired. So many viewers ended up coming back! And when they saw the comments discussing Lin Yaodong¡¯s smuggling plot¡­ They were blown away! Smuggling! Holy crap, what happened? Looking at the whiteboard, they quickly caught up. [No way! The protagonist became a smuggler? This is beyond wild!].[48, where did you find the guts for this? Did Liang Jingru give it to you? This is insane!!!]. Long-time viewers, seeing the returning audience¡¯s shocked reactions in the comments, were laughing their heads off. After all, they had been following Lu Chen¡¯s creative process the entire time! Witnessing Lin Yaodong¡¯s growth firsthand! Watching the shocked and clueless reactions of the returning and new viewers made the loyal fans feel incredibly satisfied. They eagerly jumped in to explain Lin Yaodong¡¯s mindset and journey! Perhaps due to the shock or maybe out of guilt for leaving. The returning viewers, now impressed by such an explosive plot, felt compelled to promote Lu Chen. So, they left again in droves. Rushing to other livestreams to spread the word! [Go check out Room 48¡¯s livestream! The protagonist is absolutely wild and unstoppable!].[Room 48 is going crazy! Everyone, go witness it! It¡¯s explosive!]. Viewers in various livestream rooms were instantly drawn by these sudden promotional comments. They all started asking. [What¡¯s going on? What happened?].[Don¡¯t ask¡ªjust go see for yourself! It¡¯s absolutely mind-blowing! If it¡¯s not, I¡¯ll take your last name!].[Really? What kind of story is so explosive? I¡¯m going to check it out!].[Me too!].[Count me in!]. In no time, viewers from other rooms flooded into Lu Chen¡¯s livestream. The viewer count, initially under 100,000, skyrocketed. 150,000! 200,000! Back to 300,000! Breaking past 350,000! The popularity surged instantly. When these new viewers saw the content on the whiteboard. They all had the same reaction¡ªComplete shock. The protagonist is smuggling! [Bro, this plot is absolutely nuts!].[Hahaha, this is amazing! This is what a story should be!].[Keep writing, quick! I need to see this!].[If I had known this livestream was this insane, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted time watching Room 7¡¯s boring stuff!].[Write faster! I want to see Lin Yaodong leading the whole village into smuggling!]. The comment section exploded into chaos! Meanwhile, in the judges¡¯ room, the panel, who had been monitoring various other livestreams, noticed the barrage of ads promoting Room 48. Xiao Sa, slightly intrigued, said, ¡°Everyone, it seems something¡¯s happening in Lu Chen¡¯s livestream. People are saying his plot is explosive. Should we take a look?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s check it out!¡± The judges were already numb from the repetitive content they¡¯d been reviewing. The same tired stories about family dramas or romantic relationships. Worse, due to a lack of experience, most contestants¡¯ attempts at family drama were written terribly¡ªbarely readable! The judges felt mentally drained. This year¡¯s top 64 contestants were clearly of lower quality overall. So far, nothing had stood out as particularly impressive. But now, Room 48 was unexpectedly heating up! Could it be that Lu Chen had successfully tied Lin Yaodong¡¯s story to the clan dynamic? With this question in mind, the panel returned to Lu Chen¡¯s livestream. The moment they entered, they saw Lu Chen lounging on a sofa, smoking¡­ Meanwhile, the whiteboard behind him was covered in densely packed writing. ¡°Huh? He¡¯s already developed the plot this far? Xiao Sa, could you zoom the camera in a bit?¡± Asked Yan Gelin. ¡°Of course! No problem!¡± Xiao Sa adjusted the controls, and the camera zoomed in. The words on the whiteboard instantly came into sharp focus. The judges immediately leaned in, reading line by line. At first, they didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. It seemed like Lu Chen was following a standard formula¡ªdetailing Lin Yaodong¡¯s personal growth and achievements along the way. But as they reached the part where Lin Yaodong began collecting scraps¡­ Something started to feel off. When they reached the moment Lin Yaodong started smuggling¡­ ¡°Holy crap! The protagonist has started committing crimes!¡± Chen Sicheng blurted out, swearing in shock. Zhu Ping and Yan Gelin were equally stunned. A promising farming and development story¡­ How did it end up involving illegal activities? Host Xiao Sa was even more flustered. Chapter 11 - Shrine Culture Takes Center Stage! Even Chen Sicheng Cant Help but Admire! Chapter 11 Shrine Culture Takes Center Stage! Even Chen Sicheng Can¡¯t Help but Admire! ¡°Teachers, what do you think about Lu Chen¡¯s current situation?¡± Xiao Sa asked with a serious expression. Lu Chen¡¯s approach had clearly touched on sensitive ground. The program team would need to take a position on this. Yan Gelin turned to Shu Ping beside her. ¡°Teacher Shu Ping, do you think we should warn Lu Chen now?¡± Shu Ping frowned, his shiny bald head gleaming even more under the light. ¡°I think Lu Chen¡¯s current storyline, while bold, is reasonable given the historical context. After all, smuggling was rampant in Guangdong Province during the 1990s. ¡°If Lin Yaodong¡¯s smuggling is just a temporary way to make money, a means to his first gray fortune, then it could be glossed over in the script. Objectively speaking, it¡¯s not grounds to immediately dismiss this submission. ¡°The key is how he writes the next part. If Lin Yaodong really leads the entire village into smuggling for profit, that storyline would violate the program¡¯s rules. In that case, we should definitely remind and sternly warn him. So, it all depends on what comes next!¡± Yan Gelin nodded. ¡°Teacher Liu, what¡¯s your take?¡± She shifted the topic to Liu Heping. Liu Heping, after a moment of contemplation, replied, ¡°I agree with Teacher Shu Ping. It depends on whether Lu Chen focuses on smuggling or just touches on it briefly.¡± Yan Gelin said, ¡°I also agree with Teachers Liu and Shu Ping. Teacher Chen, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± ¡°My opinion differs slightly. I think we should warn Lu Chen immediately. He¡¯s already broken the program¡¯s rules. If we don¡¯t warn him now, it might seem unfair to other contestants.¡± Chen Sicheng didn¡¯t hold back and stated his perspective bluntly. Liu Heping and the others fell silent at his words. Chen Sicheng¡¯s argument had merit. If no warning was issued, it would indeed seem unfair to the other contestants. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see one more section, then decide,¡± Liu Heping concluded, breaking the silence. ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that!¡± Seeing that Liu Heping was advocating for patience, the other two judges sided with him. Chen Sicheng thought for a moment but refrained from opposing further. After all, these three were highly respected titans in the industry, with vast networks and immense influence. Even with his billion-yuan box office achievements, he dared not offend them. Reluctantly, he nodded. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do as Teacher Liu suggests.¡± With the judges aligned, Xiao Sa nodded as well and said, ¡°I¡¯ll relay your decision to the production team.¡± He stepped aside and informed the director of the panel¡¯s stance. Soon, he returned. ¡°The production team agrees with the teachers. However, if Lu Chen¡¯s next section continues to test the limits, we¡¯ll have to issue a warning. I hope you all understand.¡± The judges nodded in agreement. At that moment, the camera feed shifted. Lu Chen appeared again. He had finished his cigarette and was no longer in sage mode. [Finally, he¡¯s done smoking!].[Get back to writing! Hundreds of thousands of us are watching. Enough with the breaks!].[Do you even realize you just dodged a bullet, 48?].[Write, write, write! I want to see Lin Yaodong leading the village into smuggling!].[Are you trying to get Lu Chen disqualified? Stop tempting fate!].[If you dare to write it, then go all in!!]. Unaware of the chaos in the chat, Lu Chen focused entirely on his story. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He walked back to the whiteboard, picked up the black marker, and began writing again. His sage mode wasn¡¯t wasted¡ªit had given him a clear path forward! Now, he just needed to accelerate, advancing Lin Yaodong¡¯s storyline. Once this thread was clear, he could move on to the next. And for this part of the story, Lu Chen had a complete plan in mind! Without delay, he wrote. [Influenced by the clan ideology, Lin Yaodong had an inexplicable obsession with changing Tazhai. His family was the smallest branch of the Lin clan, ranking low even within the village¡ªso much so that they didn¡¯t even have a family shrine!].[In Guangdong Province, ancestral shrines carry profound cultural significance. Each surname typically has a central shrine, known as the ¡®great ancestral hall¡¯, along with smaller shrines built by different family branches. A shrine represents the honor of a clan or a specific branch. Having a shrine means standing tall, not having one invites disdain. Lin Yaodong¡¯s family¡¯s lack of a shrine was a major reason he had been bullied growing up. It wasn¡¯t just their poverty¡ªhis peers from shrine-owning families had always looked down on him. Rather than saying Lin Yaodong was influenced by clan ideology, It would be more accurate to say he was deeply shaped by the essence of clan culture¡ªshrine culture!]. [Wow!]. As Lu Chen wrote this, viewers were deeply moved. [This is brilliant! Lu Chen has dissected Lin Yaodong¡¯s psyche perfectly!].[I agree. Clan culture¡¯s essence is shrine culture. The shrine is the totem of a clan!].[Lin Yaodong¡¯s childhood was so tragic. In the north, poverty might invite bullying, but in Guangdong, not having a shrine adds another layer of oppression.].[If I were Lin Yaodong, I might have turned dark too.].[Do you think Lin Yaodong¡¯s goal is to build his branch a shrine? If so, that¡¯s some serious ambition!].[Incredible! This protagonist just keeps getting richer and more complex!]. The discussion was lively. Undoubtedly, Lu Chen¡¯s unique narrative perspective not only provided a fresh experience for viewers but also gave outsiders a profound insight into Guangdong¡¯s culture. The intense clan atmosphere seemed to leap off the board! Back in the judges¡¯ room, they were equally captivated. ¡°He¡¯s hit the mark! Shrine culture is now in play!¡± Shu Ping exclaimed. Yan Gelin smiled. ¡°Now it feels right. Lu Chen has finally brought back the story¡¯s sense of anticipation!¡± ¡°Not only that,¡± Shu Ping added, visibly excited, ¡°Lu Chen has successfully merged the concepts of personal growth and clan shrine culture. It¡¯s masterful!¡± Even Liu Heping, whose expression was usually stoic, allowed a faint smile to flicker across his face. Clearly, he was pleased with Lu Chen¡¯s focus. As for Chen Sicheng, he felt a chill run through him. To be fair, the story had reached a point where even he couldn¡¯t help but look forward to what came next. Would Lin Yaodong pour all his efforts into building a shrine for his family? If he succeeded, It would indeed bring glory to his ancestors. The thought startled Chen Sicheng. Chapter 12 - The History of Tazhai Unfolds! Lu Chens Legendary Scene! Chapter 12 The History of Tazhai Unfolds! Lu Chen¡¯s Legendary Scene! Chen Sicheng cleared his throat, feeling it necessary to say something. ¡°Mr. Shuping, I think Lu Chen¡¯s depiction of clan culture is overly superficial! Clan culture is something profound, rich, and weighty! But have you noticed, from beginning to end, Lu Chen only emphasizes the concept of clan culture and its impact on Lin Yaodong. Yet, he never mentions the background of the Lin clan or any family precepts. Don¡¯t you think such writing is too shallow?¡± As soon as Chen Sicheng finished speaking, the three judges turned their attention to him. They looked at him with slightly peculiar expressions. ¡°Mr. Chen, setting high standards is commendable, but isn¡¯t it unreasonable to expect perfection within just three hours of writing? Moreover, Lu Chen only needs to introduce the concept of clan culture at this stage. There¡¯s plenty of time later to add more content and make it richer.¡± Shu Ping rebutted. Shuping couldn¡¯t outright say it, but if Chen Sicheng had three hours, could he write something comparable to Lu Chen¡¯s intricate story? Chen Sicheng was initially stunned but then paused and awkwardly smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. Given the time constraints, introducing the concept is enough.¡± Seeing Chen Sicheng not insisting and maintaining a reasonable attitude, Shuping gave him a way out. ¡°But Mr. Chen, you also have a point. Regarding clan culture, if Lu Chen gets the chance to turn this into a script, he does need to enrich it with more details to make it fuller.¡± Chen Sicheng nodded. Liu Heping and Yan Gelin also nodded slightly, signaling their acknowledgment of the debate. The judges turned their attention back to the screen. In the room, Lu Chen paused his writing and stood in front of the whiteboard, quietly thinking. This segment about the ancestral hall, Lu Chen felt, needed more emphasis. After all, Lin Yaodong¡¯s ultimate goal wasn¡¯t just leading Tazhai. In his rooftop conversation with Zhao Jialiang, Lin Yaodong explicitly stated that his highest personal aspiration was to restore the most luxurious, largest, and most magnificent ancestral hall for the Lin family. It could be said that Lin Yaodong had prepared for this goal for at least ten years! Yet, just before his plan was implemented, Tazhai¡¯s drug village was destroyed! This was undoubtedly Lin Yaodong¡¯s lifelong regret. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the TV series, the Lin ancestral hall wasn¡¯t just an important filming location. The scene where Lin Yaodong quietly gazed at the ancestral hall appeared multiple times. So, Lu Chen felt it necessary to elaborate on this segment. Explaining and fully depicting the ancestral hall would help viewers better understand the Lin clan. Coincidentally, the original series contained a detailed description of the Lin ancestral hall. With this in mind, Lu Chen took a deep breath and continued writing. [If leading Tazhai¡¯s rise was Lin Yaodong¡¯s spiritual goal, then building the small family shrine and restoring the Lin ancestral hall were his material goals. Building the small family shrine was no challenge for Lin Yaodong. As a member of this branch of the family, he could do so anytime as long as he had the money. But restoring the Lin ancestral hall wasn¡¯t as easy! It required someone of high standing in the clan and substantial wealth to achieve. At the time, Lin Yaodong lacked both qualities. Thus, restoring the ancestral hall became a long-term goal he buried in his heart as he rose to prominence.]. (In this segment, I feel the need to create a historical background for the Lin family to highlight their depth and the cultural heritage of Tazhai village.) Lu Chen intentionally marked this with parentheses. First, to demonstrate his creative thought process and direction, ensuring the writing felt more authentic. Second, to reasonably pave the way for introducing the Lin family¡¯s genealogical history in the next section. Lu Chen paced back and forth in the room several times. In the judging panel, Seeing this, Yan Gelin immediately laughed. ¡°What a coincidence! We were just discussing the vague concept of clan culture, and Lu Chen is now adding content about the Lin family.¡± Shu Ping immediately turned to Chen Sicheng with a smile. ¡°Mr. Chen, it seems your criticism came a bit early. The issue you raised, Lu Chen had clearly already considered.¡± Chen Sicheng¡¯s smile became awkward. He couldn¡¯t speak nor stay silent. So, he forced out a couple of laughs to cover it up. He thought to himself, ¡­ In the room, Lu Chen paced ten more times before abruptly stopping. His brows lifted as if he¡¯d suddenly had an epiphany. Then, he quickly ran to the whiteboard and started writing. So soon? Judges and viewers all focused intently, eager to see what Lu Chen would write next. A line of text appeared. [According to the family genealogy, in the fourth year of Jiatai during the Southern Song dynasty, Master Lin Ying moved here from Anxi in Fujian. He purchased land, built a hut, and settled here. Later, when his descendants prospered, they transformed the original hut into the first Lin ancestral hall. During the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras, benefiting from the thriving sugar industry and the bustling Jiazi Port, the Lin family renovated the ancestral hall a second time. By the Republic of China period, amidst the chaos and rampant banditry, local clan forces grew to protect their communities. At its peak, the Lin family became a local power, and the renovated ancestral hall was majestic and grand.]. Upon reading this description, Liu Heping and Shuping both paused! Even Liu Heping, a master of historical dramas, couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. His eyes lit up with a spark of interest! Shu Ping and Yan Gelin nodded repeatedly, praising him. ¡°This passage is excellently written! The writing is powerful and full of depth!¡± ¡°Spanning three historical periods, the tone is fresh yet concise. Who would¡¯ve thought Lu Chen had the potential to write historical dramas? What¡¯s your take, Mr. Liu?¡± Liu Heping smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°This added background is excellent. It ties together the themes of clan and ancestral hall culture. It¡¯s deep, historical, and broad. For an impromptu performance, this is commendable!¡± As the judges showered high praise, Chen Sicheng¡¯s face turned even redder. He could only think one word. Stealing another glance at the passage, Chen Sicheng realized, even if it were him, he couldn¡¯t write something like this. ¡­ If the judges reacted this way, the livestream audience went absolutely wild! [Whoa! The Lin family¡¯s history traces back to the Southern Song dynasty! This is so compelling!].[So this is the skill level of the top contestant from the preliminary rounds? Amazing!].[This single passage secures his place in the next round¡ªlegendary!].[During the Republic era, the Lin family even served as a local power maintaining peace. No wonder Tazhai¡¯s clan culture runs so deep.].[With this historical background, I understand Lin Yaodong¡¯s ambitions even more. This isn¡¯t just about rising to power¡ªit¡¯s a revival!].[Doing illegal things just to rebuild an ancestral hall. I used to think this plotline was ridiculous, but now I realize I was too shallow!].[East Brother is so down-to-earth! All he wants is to restore the ancestral hall for his family. Could he really be a bad guy? (Sarcasm for safety!)].[This passage is phenomenal! It gives me chills!].[I can¡¯t wait to see where this story goes next!!!]. Chapter 13 - One Wave After Another! The Drug Lord Arrives! Chapter 13: One Wave After Another! The Drug Lord Arrives! [Given this clan background, Lin Yaodong was acutely aware that with his current strength, his dream of restoring the grand ancestral hall was still very far away. While smuggling cars had brought him considerable income, making him one of the first affluent individuals in the village, that money only improved the lives of himself and his family. It couldn¡¯t bring about any substantial changes to the village as a whole. Car smuggling required only a limited workforce, and the risks were enormous. The fewer people who knew about it, the better. Thus, Lin Yaodong decided to take things step by step, growing his business while exploring larger opportunities. During this time, Lin Yaodong worked hard to cultivate his personal connections. He established good relationships with local township leaders, ensuring proper arrangements were made where needed. When gifts were called for, gifts were given. In the matters of interpersonal dealings and understanding human nature, Lin Yaodong had a unique insight. He knew that without a network of protection for his smuggling operations, the blade of the law would inevitably fall on him. So every year, Lin Yaodong spent a significant amount of money maintaining these relationships. The more he spent, the more he earned¡ªand the safer he was!] ¡­ [Holy crap!!! Savage! Dude, you¡¯re seriously savage!].[He¡¯s already got a safety net! Say no more¡ªif this story doesn¡¯t get censored, I¡¯m giving it a perfect 10!].[So bold, bro! You¡¯re like a rusty faucet¡ªten years of old tricks but still flowing!].[Weren¡¯t you supposed to lead the whole village into prosperity through smuggling? Where did that go? Disappointing, bro!].[Keep going! Build the safety net, expand, and aim for greatness!]. As expected, the live chat exploded with even greater enthusiasm than before! This story was off the charts. Even web novels wouldn¡¯t dare go this far! Soon, the viewers stopped calling Lu Chen ¡®Contestant #48¡¯ and instead started referring to him as ¡®Lu God¡¯ or ¡®Lu Giant¡¯. ¡­ In the judges¡¯ room. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This¡ªthis¡ªthis!¡± Chen Sicheng couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He abruptly stood up, exclaiming, ¡°Mr. Liu, Mr. Shuping, Ms. Yan, isn¡¯t this plot worthy of a warning! Lin Yaodong is openly building a protection network! This is blatantly crossing the line!¡± He pointed furiously at the screen. Nearby, Xiao Sa broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Judges, I think we should issue a warning,¡± Xiao Sa said and finally agreed with Chen Sicheng. The three judges exchanged uncertain glances. They initially wanted to wait and see if Lu Chen would tone things down in the next section. But not only did he fail to do so, he doubled down¡ªwriting about bribing officials and building a network of connections! This was a clear red line. It seemed unlikely the story could survive. ¡°Mr. Liu, what¡¯s your take?¡± Shuping sought Liu Heping¡¯s opinion. Frowning deeply, Liu Heping knew he couldn¡¯t overtly defend Lu Chen any further. ¡°Let¡¯s issue a warning.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Shuping said and nodded. With all four in agreement, Xiao Sa stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll issue a yellow-card warning to Lu Chen. If he modifies the storyline in time, it¡¯s a win-win. If he persists, per competition rules, we¡¯ll have to disqualify him.¡± Just as Xiao Sa was about to deliver the warning via the monitoring system. ¡°Wait!¡± Yan Gelin suddenly raised her hand. ¡°Look¡ªLu Chen just introduced another twist in the plot!¡± Everyone turned their attention back to the screen. In the footage, Lu Chen¡¯s pen moved like the wind as he continued writing. [However, these good times didn¡¯t last long. The government soon launched a massive crackdown on smuggling. As a wave of arrests swept through the smuggling world, the rampant smuggling activities in Guangdong province were effectively curbed. Lin Yaodong¡¯s smuggling dreams were shattered by the hammer of justice. But the money he spent in previous years now proved its worth. Thanks to inside information from a certain official, Lin Yaodong learned of the crackdown in advance. Before the storm reached him, he quickly dissolved his company, destroyed all evidence, severed ties with his supply chain, and fled to Hong Kong with his brother, taking their wealth with them!]. ¡­ [No way¡ªhe actually escaped!].[Looks like all that money he spent didn¡¯t go to waste!].[This storyline is incredible! Every detail fits perfectly, twist after twist!].[Now that you mention it, the government really did crack down hard on smuggling in the ¡¯90s. Remember Lai [redacted]? The smuggling king!].[Didn¡¯t he escape too? But later got caught. His case involved billions¡ªback in the ¡¯90s!].[Lin Yaodong¡¯s operation must have been smaller. If it were bigger, he probably wouldn¡¯t have escaped¡ªor would¡¯ve been caught later.].[Lin Yaodong¡¯s connections are local; Lai¡¯s network was¡­ well, let¡¯s not go there.].[This is so well-written! The story might seem dramatic, but every detail holds up under scrutiny. Props to Lu Giant!]. ¡­ In the judging room, as Lin Yaodong¡¯s smuggling operation crumbled, the judges exchanged uncertain glances. ¡°Should we still issue a warning?¡± Shuping raised a profound question. ¡°Of course! Teacher Shuping, Lin Yaodong is smuggling and has fled! If this plot doesn¡¯t warrant a warning, then what does?¡± Chen Sicheng argued vehemently. ¡°But we can¡¯t determine the story¡¯s trajectory just yet. Remember earlier, we thought Lin Yaodong would lead the whole village into smuggling, but he didn¡¯t. Can you guarantee he¡¯ll continue down a criminal path?¡± Shuping countered. ¡°As a seasoned screenwriter, you should know that a great story thrives on twists and suspense. Until we know the outcome, as viewers, we need to wait patiently. ¡°Perhaps this experience will change Lin Yaodong, leading him to reform and become a successful entrepreneur. Or maybe his guilt over his smuggling past will drive him to spend his life making amends. These possibilities exist! I suggest we observe further and not interrupt Lu Chen¡¯s creative process prematurely.¡± ¡°While Lin Yaodong has a criminal streak, we must acknowledge that from the story structure Lu Chen has presented, he isn¡¯t writing these scenes merely to sensationalize. He seems to have a clear narrative in mind, even if we¡¯ve only seen the darker parts of it at this stage. If we disrupt him now and force a change in direction, we risk stifling what could be an exceptional story. Is that reasonable?¡± ¡°In singing competitions, even if a contestant sings poorly, the judges don¡¯t cut them off immediately. They listen for a few more lines before deciding. This is a storytelling competition spanning a lengthy timeline. Why can¡¯t we show a bit more patience?¡± Yan Gelin¡¯s sharp rebuttal caught Chen Sicheng off guard. She felt he had an unfair bias against Lu Chen, and this blatant targeting pushed her to speak out. ¡°I agree with Ms. Yan,¡± Shuping added. ¡°The story isn¡¯t fully developed yet, so we don¡¯t know where it¡¯s headed. Interfering with Lu Chen¡¯s creation now wouldn¡¯t just risk losing a potentially great narrative¡ªit would also be unfair to him. ¡°What if the later twists surprise us all? What then?¡± With Yan Gelin and Shuping aligned, the ever-steady Liu Heping¡¯s stance was clear. Chen Sicheng¡¯s face turned alternately pale and flushed. He hadn¡¯t expected Yan Gelin to refute him so publicly, and the embarrassment was hard to shake. But seeing the three judges united, he had no choice but to hold his tongue, despite his growing frustration. Xiao Sa, caught in a difficult position, weighed both sides. Chen Sicheng¡¯s argument made sense, but Yan Gelin¡¯s perspective was equally valid. With the judges rallying behind Lu Chen, Xiao Sa reluctantly stepped aside to consult the director. Ultimately, the production team decided to follow the judges¡¯ recommendation and refrain from issuing a yellow-card warning to Lu Chen. This decision brought a sigh of relief not only to Yan Gelin and Shuping but also to Lu Chen¡¯s livestream viewers, who felt like they had narrowly avoided disaster. Meanwhile¡­ In the writing room, Lu Chen, unaware of the external debate, set down his pen and took a deep breath. Lin Yaodong¡¯s early life had been fully fleshed out. Next up¡ªthe debut of Lin Yaodong as a major drug lord. But Lu Chen hesitated. The upcoming content was sensitive. If he pushed too far, the production team might cut him off, accusing him of promoting criminal behavior. That could spell big trouble. To ease concerns for viewers, the production team, and the judges, Lu Chen decided to preemptively reassure everyone¡ªthe story would ultimately convey a positive message. At the same time, viewers watching the livestream noticed Lu Chen pausing for an extended period. Many assumed he was slipping into another sage mode moment, perhaps taking a smoke break. But then, unexpectedly, Lu Chen turned towards the monitoring camera. His expression was chillingly serious and cold, taking everyone off guard. What was this? What was he doing? Confusion rippled through the audience, but it was clear¡ªsomething big was brewing. The calm before the storm had arrived. Chapter 14 - Wolf and Fox! The Notorious Drug Lord Liu Haoyu Appears! Chapter 14 Wolf and Fox! The Notorious Drug Lord Liu Haoyu Appears! ¡¾What¡¯s he up to now?¡¿ ¡¾Wow, that look is intense!¡¿ ¡¾This profile is so handsome! Why is someone this good-looking working as a screenwriter instead of a star?¡¿ ¡¾Sis, screenwriters rank much higher than stars, okay?¡¿ ¡¾I know, but it feels like such a waste¡ªhiding that face behind the scenes.¡¿ Lu Chen¡¯s sudden striking gaze! It made viewers and judges alike realize something big was about to happen! And sure enough¡ª Lu Chen¡¯s voice came through on screen. ¡°Hello, viewers of the live broadcast. I don¡¯t know how many people are watching right now. I don¡¯t know if the judges are in this stream. And I have no idea if the production team can hear what I¡¯m saying. If neither the judges nor the production team can, I¡¯d like to ask the viewers here to explain this to them later. The next part of the story might be quite explosive! Please don¡¯t be too surprised. Rest assured, this story is absolutely brimming with positive energy! Its theme will not cross the production team¡¯s red lines! That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say for now. I don¡¯t want to spoil anything and ruin the viewing experience. If anyone sees the production team or the judges questioning parts of the plot, please relay my words to them. Thank you very much!¡± After saying this, Lu Chen gave a slight bow to the live-streaming audience. Then he turned back to the whiteboard, continuing to piece together the next part of the escape to Hong Kong! At this moment¡ªLu Chen¡¯s words caused shockwaves!! Not just among the 400,000+ viewers in the live stream! The judges and the production team were stunned too. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¾Holy crap, isn¡¯t smuggling already dramatic enough? What¡¯s coming next that could top that?¡¿ ¡¾What kind of story does he have brewing in his head?!¡¿ ¡¾There¡¯s going to be something more explosive than smuggling? Is he going to sell weapons in Hong Kong? Dominate Hong Kong¡¯s financial world? Return home in glory to develop Tazhai?¡¿ ¡¾Man, you¡¯re definitely a writer. That hook¡ªyou really know what you¡¯re doing!¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯m so hyped I could cry! Hurry up and write already, no more stalling! Write, write, write!!!!¡¿ ¡¾Am I the only one who feels differently? I think this story might be heading toward a bad ending!¡¿ ¡¾Why do you say that?¡¿ ¡¾Think about it. We¡¯re watching Lin Yaodong for his descent into darkness! What¡¯s the point of ¡°positive energy¡±? If there¡¯s a forced redemption arc, won¡¯t that ruin the ending?¡¿ ¡¾You make a good point!¡¿ ¡¾Exactly! If he forces a redemption arc, this story will be completely ruined¡ªand it¡¯ll be awful!¡¿ ¡¾You¡¯re making me less excited about it now. I don¡¯t want some forced redemption¡ªit¡¯s disgusting!¡¿ ¡¾Same here! These forced redemption plots have been everywhere lately, and nearly every one flops!¡¿ ¡¾If he dares to force a redemption, I¡¯ll give it a 1-star review!¡¿ ¡¾Same!¡¿ As Lu Chen¡¯s fans continued their analysis and commentary, the judges¡¯ room fell silent. Shu Ping and the others exchanged glances once more. ¡°You know, the viewers make a lot of sense.¡± ¡°If Lu Chen really tries to force a redemption arc, even if it¡¯s positive energy, the main character¡¯s entire persona will collapse! The key appeal of this story lies in the protagonist¡ªif he collapses, the story¡¯s done for!¡± Yan Geling let out a sigh. ¡°The story¡¯s hit a dead end!¡± Chen Sicheng¡¯s tone carried a hint of schadenfreude. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ In the room, Lu Chen thought for a moment, then picked up his pen and continued writing! The upcoming storyline¡­ marked the official debut of Hong Kong¡¯s notorious drug lord, Liu Haoyu, in Breaking the Ice! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ [After escaping to Hong Kong, Lin Yaodong and his younger brother, Lin Yaohua, initially felt hopeless about their future. As outsiders in a completely unfamiliar place, survival was bound to be an uphill battle. But Lin Yaodong was not one to admit defeat. The more desperate the situation, the more determined he was to survive! With his bold and tenacious nature, along with the capital he had amassed over the years, Lin Yaodong set his sights on real estate! At the time, Hong Kong¡¯s real estate market was booming, with skyscrapers rising everywhere. Though Lin Yaodong didn¡¯t have the resources to take on large projects, his cleverness and knack for networking allowed him to develop a few small projects. Though he didn¡¯t make a fortune, he at least managed to establish himself in Hong Kong. During this time, Lin Yaodong met someone. That person¡¯s name¡­ was Liu Haoyu. After a few encounters, the two collaborated on a few projects and made some modest profits together. Through these interactions, Lin Yaodong gained a deeper understanding of Liu Haoyu¡¯s capabilities. It turned out that Liu Haoyu was not just involved in real estate. His primary business was in transportation¡ªspecifically, ocean freight. He was the CEO of a multinational logistics company! Additionally, he had investments in various other industries, including real estate. This left Lin Yaodong stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected someone around his own age to be so accomplished! What was more, Liu Haoyu wasn¡¯t a ¡®second-generation rich kid¡¯. He had built this empire from scratch! Lin Yaodong admired Liu Haoyu greatly. Likewise, Liu Haoyu thought highly of Lin Yaodong. Thanks to Lin Yaodong¡¯s reliability and meticulousness in their joint projects. Liu Haoyu began to see him in a new light, believing that Lin Yaodong had immense potential. As their relationship deepened, so did their conversations. One evening at dinner, after a few drinks, Lin Yaodong confessed the real reason he had come to Hong Kong. When Liu Haoyu learned that Lin Yaodong was a smuggler, he was shocked. At first, he had assumed Lin Yaodong was just an ordinary mainland entrepreneur trying his luck in Hong Kong. But it turned out, this guy was no ordinary businessman! Suddenly, Liu Haoyu found himself even more intrigued by Lin Yaodong¡­]. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¾Damn, that last line gave me goosebumps!¡¿ ¡¾Bro, don¡¯t make this a romance, okay?!¡¿ ¡¾Clearly, Liu Haoyu isn¡¯t some saint either!¡¿ ¡¾For someone to run such a massive business at around 30, Liu Haoyu must be extraordinary!¡¿ ¡¾No doubt Liu Haoyu is going to have a huge influence on Lin Yaodong!¡¿ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ [And so, another six months passed. During this time, Liu Haoyu secretly observed Lin Yaodong. He admired Lin Yaodong¡¯s capability and efficiency. Their joint projects went smoothly, requiring almost no oversight. Though the profits weren¡¯t huge, Liu Haoyu became increasingly impressed by Lin Yaodong¡¯s ambition, competence, and hunger for wealth. Moreover, Lin Yaodong was bold and unafraid to take risks. All of these traits convinced Liu Haoyu that Lin Yaodong was a talent worth cultivating. Through various connections, Liu Haoyu investigated Lin Yaodong¡¯s background thoroughly. He looked into everything¡ªhis identity, family, home address, relationships, and more. He found nothing suspicious¡ªjust an ordinary working-class family. Lin Yaodong¡¯s rags-to-riches story aligned perfectly with his own account¡ªstarting as a poor boy, collecting scrap, moving on to car smuggling, and finally fleeing to Hong Kong. His record was remarkably ¡®clean.¡¯ S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With his doubts cleared, Liu Haoyu decided to proceed with a long-cherished plan. He wanted to propose a new venture to Lin Yaodong. This venture was Liu Haoyu¡¯s true line of business. A business that couldn¡¯t see the light of day but promised unimaginable profits!]. When Lu Chen¡¯s writing reached this point¡ª Viewers, judges, and even the production team collectively felt their hearts leap! [A business that couldn¡¯t see the light of day?].[And promised unimaginable profits!]. What kind of dangerous game was this? In that moment, the audience¡¯s and judges¡¯ hearts were in their throats! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chapter 16 - Uncle Dong is online! Lu Chens brilliant move! Chapter 16: Uncle Dong is online! Lu Chen¡¯s brilliant move! [Lin Yaodong: The King of Tazhai has returned!].[Lin Yaodong really became a drug lord! I never imagined the story could take this turn!].[Who would have thought that a rural theme could spin into such a complex storyline? I¡¯m completely impressed!].[Exactly! To take a rural setting and develop it to this level! I¡¯m speechless, Lu Chen is the real deal!].[After watching Lu Chen¡¯s story, other live streams feel so boring! Write faster!].[No matter how this ends, I¡¯m putting it out there¡ªif Lu Chen dares to redeem Lin Yaodong after all this, I¡¯ll report him and blacklist him forever!].[He¡¯s already a drug lord, what¡¯s left to redeem? The story is definitely going to end badly!]. At this moment, as the main plot unfolded, the viewers in the live stream went into an uproar again! They watched as Lin Yaodong, once an inspirational ¡®phoenix man¡¯, ultimately became a notorious drug lord! While they were lamenting, their moral values were shattered! Frankly speaking, just the two words ¡°rural¡± alone¡­ Just those two words! Yet Lu Chen managed to turn it into such a rich and intricate story in front of their eyes! He had well-developed characters! There was depth to the narrative! S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They had to admit, Lu Chen was incredibly talented! No wonder from the beginning, Liu Heping had such high hopes for him! So now, the key question was¡ªWould this story really maintain Lin Yaodong¡¯s character without collapsing while still being full of positive energy? If! If Lu Chen really pulled it off! Then, without a doubt, tonight, Lu Chen would be a legend! Advancing to the next round was already a certainty! ¡­ At the same time, in the judging room, the atmosphere had become even more tense. The judges remained silent, quietly watching. Though they had been in Lu Chen¡¯s live stream for a while, They still hadn¡¯t left. After all, the story was reaching its climax! Though they were judges, they were also viewers. Naturally, they didn¡¯t want to miss a single detail! At the same time, The online viewer count in Lu Chen¡¯s live stream had already hit 900,000! And the growth rate per minute was astonishing! It could be said that nearly half of the audience for the entire competition was in Room 48 at that moment! Such an outrageous level of attention! Even the production team hoped the judging panel would stay longer! ¡°It seems like Lin Yaodong is really going back to Tazhai, planning to set up a village-wide ice-making operation.¡± Xuping sighed. He seemed helpless about the plot. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know how this story will end. The protagonist¡¯s character has been set, and there¡¯s no turning back now.¡± Yan Gelin also sighed. Though stories about morally gray protagonists were common in foreign TV shows. Such as American dramas, Korean dramas, or Japanese dramas, It was rare in the Dragon Kingdom. The unique film and TV approval system in Dragon Kingdom wouldn¡¯t allow such themes! Yan Gelin had also noticed that some viewers had mentioned Breaking Bad. Even if Lu Chen followed Breaking Bad¡¯s approach and gave the story a ¡®drug-fighting¡¯ veneer. It still wouldn¡¯t pass the review! As long as the protagonist is a morally ¡®corrupted¡¯ character. It was forbidden! Therefore, Yan Gelin found it hard to imagine How Lu Chen would resolve this! Could he really come up with a ¡®turning defeat into victory¡¯ ending? Yan Gelin clenched her fist in silence. She hoped Lu Chen could do it! ¡­ Back in the room, Lu Chen briefly pondered, organizing the next part of the plot. Then picked up his pen and continued writing. [As expected, Lin Yaodong¡¯s return to his hometown caused a stir in Tazhai! The villagers never expected that the Lin Yaodong who had fled years ago not only survived but had become a wealthy businessman! Lin Yaodong didn¡¯t come empty-handed. He had sent people in advance to purchase a large quantity of specialties from Hong Kong. Every household received a gift. Tazhai Village had over 4,000 households, with a population of more than 20,000. Just this welcome gift alone cost Lin Yaodong millions. Such a grand gesture stunned the villagers even more! After his return, Lin Yaodong didn¡¯t waste time. He began investing in real estate in Dongshan City, Establishing a major company called Dalong Real Estate. At the same time, he was preparing to run for the position of village chief in Tazhai. He planned to move his drug production operations to Tazhai. This village chief position was something Lin Yaodong had long coveted. Only by becoming village chief could he push forward his plan to repair the ancestral hall! After returning, Lin Yaodong had not only changed his status and position but also his style. From his previous high-cold, bossy image in a suit and tie, he had transformed into a man who always wore a black Zhongshan suit, cloth shoes, and a pair of rimless glasses, giving him a scholarly and elegant look. He now appeared gentle and refined, with a gentlemanly demeanor. It was quite deceptive!] ¡­¡­ [Holy shit, this description hits so hard!].[Suddenly, Brother Dong became Uncle Dong?!].[Uncle Dong? That title sounds pretty good!].[He looks so sharp, men in Zhongshan suits, cloth shoes, and rimless glasses are the coolest!].[Uncle Dong is about to bring a new era to Tazhai!].[Holy crap, he¡¯s not really going to lead the whole village in making drugs, is he? What kind of brain can come up with a story like this?!]. Lu Chen¡¯s depiction of Lin Yaodong¡¯s transformation immediately set the live stream ablaze again! In the judging room, Yan Gelin couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°The change in his appearance mirrors a change in his mentality! And this kind of attire really brings out the character¡¯s depth and menace!¡± Xuping also nodded in agreement. ¡°Softening the clothing can reflect character, and sometimes it also highlights the contrast in personality. What Lu Chen wrote here may seem simple, but it¡¯s subtle yet powerful. I can almost clearly picture a calm, calculating mind, someone with a deep and complex nature, yet with an exterior that¡¯s deceptively gentle and approachable. If this were adapted for TV, Lin Yaodong¡¯s character would make a huge impact!]. Clearly, Yan Gelin and Xuping had strongly immersed themselves in Lu Chen¡¯s plot. Liu Heping, the head judge, slightly squinted his eyes at this point. After a brief pause, he suddenly spoke, ¡°Did you all notice a detail?¡± ¡°What detail?¡± ¡°Lu Chen specifically emphasized that it was a pair of rimless glasses!¡± Xiao Sa, confused, asked, ¡°Teacher Liu, is there some deeper meaning behind this design?¡± Xuping and Yan Gelin also frowned, exchanging puzzled looks. But suddenly! Xuping seemed to have an epiphany, exclaiming, ¡°Could it be¡­ he¡¯s using the rimless glasses to show that Lin Yaodong¡¯s inner world has no boundaries?¡± Yan Gelin immediately understood. ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡± This left Chen Sicheng and Xiao Sa completely confused. They didn¡¯t get it¡­ However, Chen Sicheng didn¡¯t want to ask outright, so he just stayed silent and pretended to keep thinking. Xiao Sa, as the host, wasn¡¯t concerned with being reserved, so he quickly asked, ¡°Teacher Xuping, what did you mean by saying no boundaries?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have Teacher Liu explain it,¡± Xuping said, respectfully gesturing towards Liu Heping. Liu Heping spoke slowly, ¡°No frame means no constraints. When a screenwriter imagines a story, every little detail should serve a purpose. Glasses are an accessory, a tool, but they also reflect a person¡¯s personal taste. Lin Yaodong choosing a pair of rimless glasses shows that, deep down, he doesn¡¯t want to be restrained! And we can see from his actions that he¡¯s willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals, with no boundaries in his approach. So, we can¡¯t use a frame to limit him, because his vision is vast, his eyes are his heart! I believe Lu Chen specifically pointed out that these were rimless glasses to convey Lin Yaodong¡¯s mindset. He¡¯s completely immersed in this character!¡± Liu Heping paused. Everyone in the room, as well as the nearly 1 million viewers in the live stream, were glued to him, waiting for the next part. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a brilliant stroke of genius!¡± Once those words were said, Xiao Sa was deeply moved! ¡°This¡­ who would¡¯ve thought a small pair of glasses could have such significance!¡± ¡°Teacher Liu, do you think maybe you¡¯re overanalyzing it a bit?¡± Chen Sicheng timidly asked. Immediately, Xuping and Yan Gelin turned their heads to look at him. Their gazes seemed to imply a ¡®you-don¡¯t-get-it¡¯ expression¡­ ¡°Teacher Chen, you¡¯re a well-known screenwriter. You should know that every little detail in a script is carefully thought out. If Lu Chen didn¡¯t have a purpose, why would he bother to add a few extra words just to describe the glasses as rimless? And handwritten, not typed on a computer?¡± Yan Gelin said, half-smiling. ¡°This¡­¡± Chen Sicheng was left speechless. Chapter 17 - Running for Village Chief! Tazhai, the Drug Village! The Judges Are Shocked! Chapter 17: Running for Village Chief! Tazhai, the Drug Village! The Judges Are Shocked! Seeing Chen Sicheng at a loss for words, Yan Gelin¡¯s lips curled into a slight smirk. As a judge, it was normal to have opinions on a contestant¡¯s work. But Chen Sicheng¡¯s attitude towards Lu Chen clearly went beyond just the work itself. That was where he went wrong. So, seeing Chen Sicheng embarrassed, Yan Gelin felt a sense of satisfaction inside. At that moment, the usually silent Liu Heping spoke again, ¡°Regardless of whether this design was intentional or not, the design itself has a certain brilliance.¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Xuping and Yan Gelin both nodded in unison. Chen Sicheng, feeling the pressure, didn¡¯t dare to continue with the topic. His face turned awkwardly dark, perhaps frustrated by the hit to his pride. He quickly shifted the conversation. ¡°But now that the story has reached this point, Lin Yao Dong is definitely beyond redemption. Even if you try to redeem him, this story has already seriously violated the program¡¯s rules! Liu Heping, Xuping, Yan Gelin¡ªI suggest we issue a warning to Lu Chen! No matter how much he claims his story is positive, at this point, this is clearly a sensational story built on creative landmines. It¡¯s all just to attract attention! We have to give him a warning! Otherwise, the audience might think we¡¯re shielding or favoring Lu Chen!¡± Chen Sicheng spoke with certainty. After all, Lu Chen had already locked in the storyline of Lin Yaodong turning to drug production! Chen Sicheng wasn¡¯t worried about where the story went from here. The purpose of the warning, in his mind, was to suppress the other contestant while salvaging his own image. After all, Yan Gelin had already publicly criticized him twice. Chen Sicheng thought to himself. He wasn¡¯t a pushover. Liu Heping and the others felt that Chen Sicheng¡¯s moods were too volatile, and wondered if his success as a billion-dollar director had gone to his head. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s issue the warning,¡± Liu Heping nodded, agreeing to Chen Sicheng¡¯s suggestion. After all, Liu Heping had been the one who supported Lu Chen earlier, so it was up to him to make the first move. It was just a warning, after all. It wasn¡¯t at the point of disqualifying him just yet. Seeing Liu Heping give the go-ahead, Xuping and Yan Gelin naturally had no objections. Xiao Sa nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do as the judges suggested.¡± With that, he picked up the remote¡­ _____ In the room, Lu Chen was deeply immersed in his writing when trouble unexpectedly struck. ¡°Lu Chen, contestant, hello, this is Xiao Sa.¡± The voice of Xiao Sa came through the monitor. Lu Chen¡¯s heart sank. He turned to look at the camera behind him. Damn, the moment had finally come! ¡°Given that your creation clearly violates Rule 4 of this competition, we are issuing a warning! If your future work continues in this direction, we will disqualify you from the competition! Please remember to create within the bounds of reason and legality!¡± Xiao Sa¡¯s voice was firm. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, the sound of the call being disconnected echoed through the monitor. Lu Chen let out a silent sigh of relief. ¡°At least it¡¯s just a warning. If they disqualified me on the spot, that would¡¯ve been disastrous!¡± Now that the program had given him a warning, he decided to take extra precautions. He quickly typed out an explanation. [Teacher Xiao Sa, and dear judges, please be patient for just a little while longer. I promise this story is positive in nature and won¡¯t violate any rules. I just need a little more time to clear things up!]. ¡°Alright!¡± Xiao Sa¡¯s voice came back through the monitor. Lu Chen took a deep breath and turned back to his work. At that moment, Lu Chen¡¯s writing speed picked up dramatically. [With various small favors, Lin Yaodong quickly gained unmatched prestige in Tazhai! He successfully used his influence to be collectively elected as the new village secretary of Tazhai by the villagers. The leadership team of Tazhai Village was divided into three factions¨CThe first faction, led by Lin Yaodong, was the main faction. Lin Yaodong was the head of the main faction and the village head of Tazhai. The second faction was headed by Lin Yaohua, the deputy village head of Tazhai, who led the second faction. The third faction, led by Lin Zonghui (set as Lin Yaodong¡¯s cousin), was the head of the third faction. All the big and small matters in the village were decided by the three faction heads. However, Lin Yaohua had followed Lin Yaodong since childhood. From selling goods at markets to later running the ice-making business, he had always been Lin Yaodong¡¯s right-hand man. Therefore, Lin Yaodong¡¯s words were always taken as orders. Thus, the first and second factions were closely tied together. But the third faction¡­ well, let¡¯s say their relationship wasn¡¯t as close. After all, Lin Zonghui was Lin Yaodong¡¯s cousin. The bond between the two cousins could never be as deep as that between Lin Yaodong and Lin Yaohua. At the same time, Lin Zonghui was somewhat stubborn and, in certain ways, very much like Lin Yaodong. He was a man of character. He wasn¡¯t aware of the full extent of Lin Yaodong¡¯s background. Nor did he know that Lin Yaodong had returned to Tazhai with the intention of setting up a drug production base. But Lin Yaodong knew Lin Zonghui very well. He understood that Lin Zonghui had great influence among the younger generation in the village. So, Lin Yaodong was somewhat wary of him. After all, the third faction alone consisted of several thousand people. If he wanted to set up a drug production operation in the village¡ªand even lead the entire village into drug production¡ªhe first had to deal with Lin Zonghui! Otherwise, even if Lin Zonghui didn¡¯t interfere and tacitly accepted his ice-making business, it would eventually become a huge threat! Lin Yaodong absolutely could not allow such a hidden danger to exist close to him!]. ______ [Holy crap! He¡¯s really going to lead the whole village into drug production!].[I thought he was just secretly setting up a small base, but turns out Uncle Dong has much bigger ambitions! Thousands of families in Tazhai, tens of thousands of people producing drugs together! The scale must be insane! Truly terrifying!].[I thought leading the village into smuggling was the peak! But Uncle Dong¡¯s ambitions are far greater! Now it¡¯s drug production for the whole village!].[Explosive! This is beyond extreme!!!].[Whoever said Lu Chen would kneel and call him ¡°father¡± if Uncle Dong leads the village into smuggling, well, I guess you can now call him ¡°ancestor¡±! His vision is much bigger¡ªno smuggling, but drug production instead! The whole village producing drugs!].[Not just ¡°father¡± anymore¡ªcall him ¡°ancestor¡±!].[Could Uncle Dong end up having to kill Lin Zonghui?].[It looks possible! If Lin Zonghui doesn¡¯t cooperate, he¡¯ll probably end up dead!].[This is getting intense! If this were adapted into a drama, it would be absolutely gripping!]. _____ In the Judges¡¯ Room, the judges couldn¡¯t help but gasp in amazement. ¡°Lin Yaodong actually wants to lead Tazhai to produce drugs?¡± Xuping took a sharp breath. Honestly, if he were writing this story. He wouldn¡¯t dare to write it. He wouldn¡¯t even be able to think of such a plot. It was truly bold! How did this guy come up with this? In such a short time, he created such a bizarre, yet reasonable, plot! ¡°Lin Yaodong, Lin Yaodong!¡± Yan Gelin sighed. At this point in the story, Lu Chen had clearly made Lin Yaodong a character with no way out. ¡°Let¡¯s see how he¡¯s going to create a plot twist next.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high, Teacher Yan. The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment!¡± Chen Sicheng said with a smirk. To be honest, he was impressed that Lu Chen had taken the plot to this extreme. He couldn¡¯t believe that a contestant in this show would choose to ¡®commit narrative suicide¡¯! Chen Sicheng was ready to give Lu Chen a thumbs up for taking such risks! Among the four judges, only Liu Heping remained unfazed. But there was a certain special glint in his eyes, suggesting he was deep in thought. ______ In the Room, Lu Chen paused for a moment before continuing his writing. [So, in order to successfully push his plan forward, Lin Yaodong, after becoming the village head, decided it was time to have a serious conversation with Lin Zonghui! That evening, at the Lin family ancestral hall, the two brothers sat face to face. Lin Yaodong looked at Lin Zonghui in front of him. He chose to lay his cards on the table and revealed the truth about his involvement in drug trafficking¡­] Chapter 18 - The Clan is a Lock! It’s Also a Knife! The Judges and Viewers Are Both Blown Away! Chapter 18: The Clan is a Lock! It¡¯s Also a Knife! The Judges and Viewers Are Both Blown Away! [Lin Yaodong told Lin Zonghui everything about his experiences over the years. After hearing it, Lin Zonghui was utterly shocked! He never expected that his seemingly successful cousin was actually a major drug lord behind the scenes. What stunned him even more was that Lin Yaodong shamelessly declared he would move the drug production base from Xiangjiang to Tazhai! Lin Zonghui immediately slammed the table in protest, expressing that he absolutely disagreed. The others, including Lin Yaohua, looked on with murderous intent. But Lin Yaodong waved them off and calmly began explaining the situation in Tazhai. The elderly were unsupported, the young had no means of support, the men were all bachelors, and the women, once married off, never returned to Tazhai. Why? Because they were poor¡ªso poor that no one respected or even wanted them. Despite being a large village with a population of over ten thousand, with a glorious ancestral heritage, Tazhai had fallen into this state. Lin Yaodong questioned Lin Zonghui¡ªIs this the Tazhai you want? Lin Zonghui fell silent but still chose to oppose Lin Yaodong. He said that even so, it was wrong to rely on drug trafficking to make money. Lin Yaodong laughed loudly. He argued that if a person couldn¡¯t even sustain the basic necessities of life or maintain their dignity, what right did they have to talk about moral integrity? Can a clean conscience be eaten? Can it get you a wife, children, and a warm home? Can it allow you to take care of the elderly and care for the young? Can it help every household live in peace, enjoying a good life? No, it can¡¯t! He continued to question Lin Zonghui¡ªAs the head of Tazhai¡¯s third branch, managing thousands of villagers, you should be the one most obligated to help them live a better life. And now, I, Lin Yaodong, have the ability to do so! As long as you¡¯re willing to cooperate with me, I swear before our ancestors that I can lead Tazhai out of poverty, give it a complete transformation, and turn it around! I will ensure that Tazhai has the best schools in Dongshan City! The younger generation will enjoy the best education! I will create the most comprehensive social security system, ensuring that the elderly are well taken care of! I will ensure that every household has a job, and they can earn big money without leaving the village! S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I will make sure every family has a new house, that they eat meat every day, and that they always have money in their pockets. I will transform Tazhai into the richest and most admired village in Dongshan City! All of this is within my ability! So, what do you want to be? A person who goes with the flow, or a stumbling block? If you choose the first, you will see Tazhai rise. If you choose the second, you are destroying Tazhai! The people you betray are not me! It¡¯s our Lin clan! It¡¯s our ancestors! It¡¯s the entire Tazhai! It¡¯s you who will bury their chance at a better life and allow them to continue suffering in poverty!]. As Lu Chen¡¯s pen reached this point, in the live broadcast room, countless viewers suddenly felt a palpable sense of pressure and interrogation that was both overwhelming and crushing! [ This scene is explosive! If this were turned into a TV drama, it would definitely be amazing!].[These words are so powerful, who could stand them?].[If I were Lin Zonghui, I would have surrendered long ago!].[Uncle Dong is too awesome! The way he spoke, who wouldn¡¯t be confused?!].[This method is unbeatable! Strongly suggest they turn this story into a TV series, it would definitely be a huge hit!]. One couldn¡¯t help but admit, the plot segment Lu Chen wrote was incredibly stirring! Not only did it perfectly capture Uncle Dong¡¯s character, but it also made the audience truly feel the terrifying power of clan mentality and its consequences! And the reason Lu Chen focused on this scene, was not just to make the transition of Tazhai from a normal village to a drug village more logical, but the key point was¡­ he needed to introduce Lin Zonghui¡¯s character! In the original story, the destruction of Tazhai was directly linked to Lin Zonghui. It was him, through his remaining humanity, who compiled a list of drug manufacturers and handed it to the police. In the end, he successfully destroyed the entire Tazhai village! So, Lin Zonghui¡¯s character had to be further developed! But! Words on paper aren¡¯t as impactful as images on screen. They lack the same immediate shock factor and visual style. To avoid the narrative feeling jarring later on. Lu Chen decided to arrange this scene between Lin Yaodong and Lin Zonghui in advance! With this scene, when he later described Lin Zonghui betraying Tazhai, it would have a background, a solid foundation. Moreover, Lu Chen believed, the reason Lin Zonghui was brainwashed and coerced by Lin Yaodong at the time, must have been because Lin Yaodong used the entire village of Tazhai to pressure him! Forcing Lin Zonghui to agree to his plan! So, although this part was something Lu Chen improvised, it wasn¡¯t in the original story, he firmly believed that only by using the fate of the entire Tazhai and the Lin family¡¯s future as leverage, could he make a man like Lin Zonghui¡ªwho feared nothing, even death¡ªbow his head! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Now. In the judges¡¯ room, when the four judges saw this scene, they all couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath! ¡°This Lin Yaodong¡¯s understanding of human nature has reached the peak!¡± ¡°Yeah, he must have seen through Lin Zonghui¡¯s weaknesses long ago, which is why he was so fearless!¡± ¡°The clan is both a lock and a knife! A knife that kills invisibly!¡± Shuping, Yan Geling, and Liu Heping all couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Especially Liu Heping, who sharply and succinctly used a simple but vivid metaphor to explain the power of clan culture! It made everyone nod in agreement. Beside them, Chen Sicheng, who had been silent, felt the urge to speak but hesitated. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter inwardly. Chapter 19 - Tazhai, the Drug Village, Emerges! Viewers Sense the Anti-Drug Operation! Chapter 19: Tazhai, the Drug Village, Emerges! Viewers Sense the Anti-Drug Operation! Chen Sicheng muttered under his breath again! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ [Eventually, under Lin Yaodong¡¯s psychological attack, Lin Zonghui compromised! After agreeing to three conditions, he allowed Lin Yaodong to move the drug production base to Tazhai! From then on, the three branches of Tazhai reached a consensus on drug manufacturing! Lin Yaodong¡¯s plan was set into motion! Soon, the three family heads secretly began the production process. At first, Lin Yaodong didn¡¯t allow the entire village to be involved in drug production. He understood the principle of the ¡®herd effect.¡¯ After making a few close relatives wealthy, the other villagers began to inquire about what business they were involved in that was so profitable. Once the villagers¡¯ curiosity reached a certain level, Lin Yaodong gradually began to involve more villagers in the drug production. At the same time, Lin Yaodong strengthened his control over Tazhai! He improved the clan rules, using strict rules to tame the villagers of Tazhai. Especially when it came to drug production, he set some absolute hard requirements. The three most crucial rules were. No private production or selling of drugs! Everything had to be produced according to the orders received by the village! Strict quality control over the drugs! Ensure the purity meets standards and satisfies the customers! If the purity isn¡¯t up to par, don¡¯t take even a gram! No Tazhai drugs allowed in the domestic market! Drugs from Tazhai were for export only, not for domestic sale!]. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Seeing these rules, the live chat went wild. [Haha, Uncle Dong¡¯s principles are so strict!].[If you didn¡¯t pay close attention, you¡¯d think Uncle Dong was running a Fortune 500 company.].[Even drug dealers are so strict about quality control! Entrepreneurs in the chat, why aren¡¯t you learning from this?!].[Why does this seem so oddly humorous? He¡¯s clearly a major drug lord, but why does he sound so serious? Officer, please don¡¯t trace my IP, I swear I support anti-drug operations!].[That last line¡ª¡¯for export only, not for domestic sale¡¯¡ªis legendary! Uncle Dong, the ¡®conscientious¡¯ drug lord!].[The person above is dangerous! A drug lord is still a drug lord¡ªcatch them and they deserve to be shot!].[I¡¯m just curious at this point¡ªhow is this story supposed to have a positive message?].[This is getting more twisted by the minute! It¡¯s beyond redemption!]. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The judges were also getting headaches from reading this. [So, a drug village that shocked the world was born! A village of 20,000 people, each family with its own pot to cook, Tazhai officially became a drug production base with full control over manufacturing and trafficking! And the business kept growing, the shipment volume increased, and the drugs were sold overseas! Lin Yaodong also fulfilled his promise. He turned Tazhai from a pitiful village into a completely transformed place. The village not only had a new appearance, but every family built a new house. There were now schools with outstanding education, including elementary, middle, and high schools! Every month, the village gave pension money to all seniors over sixty! Tazhai became a true ¡®hotcake,¡¯ a rich and famous village in the region! Lin Yaodong did exactly what he promised Lin Zonghui! His prestige in the village reached unprecedented heights. Tazhai became synonymous with prosperity in Dongshan City! At the same time, Lin Yaodong didn¡¯t just manage Tazhai, he was also managing himself! After the smuggling incident, Lin Yaodong enjoyed the great benefits brought by his protective umbrella! That¡¯s why after returning, he¡¯s been secretly building new connections! His old setup was too small, now Lin Yaodong is aiming for something bigger! After all, smuggling might just land him in jail, but drug production could cost him his life¡­ Lu Chen wrote long paragraphs in one breath, then paused to stretch his arms and took a short break.]. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ [Playing big? Uncle Dong, calm down! You¡¯re a drug lord¡ªplease know your place!].[Looks like the last time he escaped, Uncle Dong¡¯s obsession with his protection umbrella became even stronger!].[Exactly! The more money you spend, the more you earn, and it¡¯s safer too!].[Is Uncle Dong targeting someone big in the city this time?!].[I really hope they make a domestic ¡°Breaking Bad¡± with Uncle Dong as the protagonist! Too bad our country doesn¡¯t have that kind of soil!].[Are you crazy? If such a drama actually aired, the entertainment industry would go wild!].[That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s a shame!].[A shame? You clearly don¡¯t know how horrible things are for anti-drug cops!].[Guys, I just had a thought! Could this show become an anti-drug drama later on?!].[Anti-drug?].[Wow, you just reminded me! That¡¯s right! If this turns into an anti-drug story, the whole theme would suddenly become positive!].[That makes sense!].[Definitely, absolutely, this analysis is right! The only reasonable direction for the story is an anti-drug theme!].[Oh no¡­ do we have enough time? There¡¯s just a bit over two hours left!].[It depends on Lu Chen¡¯s skill now!]. As the plot advanced, many sharp-eyed viewers clearly realized the upcoming development¡­ If the story were to show positive energy, there was no other way but to turn towards an anti-drug direction! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ In the judges¡¯ room, when Shu Ping and the others saw these comments, they weren¡¯t too surprised. In fact, by the time Lin Yaodong reached this point, they had already guessed¡­ Lin Yaodong had become the biggest villain in the story! Even Yan Geling had already figured out that Lu Chen was most likely going to take the anti-crime route! But! The same point still stood! S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If this story was based on Lin Yaodong as the main character and told from his perspective, it would still be a failure. Domestic regulations don¡¯t allow shows or films that glorify crime or black-market themes. The production team wouldn¡¯t agree to a story like this advancing. So, Yan Geling, Shu Ping, Liu Heping, they were all waiting for a plot twist, but not the anti-drug twist! They were waiting for a shift in the protagonist¡¯s setup and perspective! Would Lu Chen stick to Lin Yaodong as the main character, or would he introduce a new, more positive fake protagonist? If it was the latter, then there was no doubt¡­ the story would have to pivot towards a more positive narrative! But with so little time left, even if Lu Chen could come up with a new positive direction, could he merge both storylines and create a cohesive, complete narrative? After all, by that point, there would be three storylines! One with Tazhai, one with the police, and one with the struggle between Lin Yaodong and the police! If it was truly an anti-drug story, Then the final part, the conflict between Lin Yaodong and the police, would be the heart of the plot! Not just the viewers, but even the judges themselves felt their scalps tingle thinking about it! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chapter 20 - Uncle Dong Chapter 20: Uncle Dong ¡°Offline,¡± Anti-Drug Operations Begin! In the room, after a brief rest, Lu Chen took a sip of wine and lit another cigarette, then continued writing¡­ Now, it seemed that Uncle Dong¡¯s storyline was finally reaching its end! [Lin Yaodong¡¯s operation plan was divided into three parts. The first part¡ªcorrupt local officials, especially key figures in critical positions! The second part¡ªheavily invest in East City¡¯s real estate, launder drug money, and build his image as a businessman and philanthropist! The third part¡ªfocus on charity work, carefully crafting a friendly, healthy, and good-natured persona! With this plan in place, over the next few years, Lin Yaodong pushed forward smoothly. Not only did he become a local celebrity, An outstanding entrepreneur, and a famous philanthropist, But he was also elected as a representative for East City! He essentially held both fame and power!]. [What? He became a city representative?! Unbelievable!].[Ah, if Uncle Dong had gone on the straight path, what a genius he would have been!].[Lin Yaodong¡¯s brain, if only it was used for good, it¡¯s truly mind-blowing!].[Lin Yaodong¡¯s wisdom is truly admirable!].[However, in the early 2000s, the coastal areas of Yue Province were flooded with drugs, and many drug production dens appeared. East City, for example, had not only Tazhai, but several other villages secretly involved in drug production as well. After all, not all the clever drug dealers were Lin Yaodong and Liu Haoyu. This situation quickly caught the attention of the police, who started tracking and cracking down on these drug production dens! In order to protect the safety of Tazhai, and also to mislead the authorities, Lin Yaodong came up with a two-birds-with-one-stone plan! Through his network, he successfully applied for Tazhai to be recognized as an ¡®East City Anti-Drug Model Village¡¯! By doing so, he legally and cleverly avoided the police¡¯s attention!]. [What? A super drug village became an anti-drug model village!].[This is one hell of a crazy idea!].[It sounds so exaggerated and over-the-top, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense in reality!].[This part just made Uncle Dong even more legendary!].[A drug village turning into an anti-drug model village! This is one of the most shocking twists!]. In the judge¡¯s room, Shuping and the others were equally stunned by this part. Anyone could understand a drug dealer seeking protection, that was common practice. But turning a drug village into an ¡®Anti-Drug Model Village¡¯? That move was pure genius! It instantly showcased Lin Yaodong¡¯s cunning, Making the fictional character come alive as if he were a real person! His depth, methods, schemes, capabilities, and boldness¡ªEverything about him was astonishing! What was even more terrifying was! To create such a symbol-like character, Lu Chen managed to do it in less than an hour! ¡°Teacher Liu, I have to say, you really have an eye for talent!¡± Shuping couldn¡¯t help but give a thumbs up! ¡°Yeah, this whole ¡®Anti-Drug Model Village¡¯ concept, honestly, not just any screenwriter could come up with that.¡± Yan Geling sincerely praised. ¡ªThe complexity and difficulty of this plot development were no less than having Lin Yaodong lead the entire village in drug production! Liu Heping rarely showed a smile, but it quickly faded away. He didn¡¯t express an opinion. Meanwhile, Xiao Sa, seeing how much the judges were praising Lu Chen, Initially thought about mentioning that he was the first-place winner in the regional competition. But then reconsidered. After all, the guy was still walking on a tightrope¡ªWho knew if he would fall at any moment? Better not stick his neck out. However, Chen Sicheng didn¡¯t hesitate. Clearing his throat, he spoke up, ¡°Teacher Shu, Teacher Yan, Lu Chen hasn¡¯t written the plot twist yet. We can¡¯t make a final judgment about the story just yet. My opinion is still the same¡ªthis story is essentially built on creating massive plot shocks to grab attention. If he can¡¯t elevate the story, I believe this kind of story won¡¯t make it to the next round!¡± Chen Sicheng had just gotten up. He felt it was time to take a stand! So what if he was a big-name screenwriter? Even big-name screenwriters had to follow the program¡¯s rules! Shuping and Yan Geling exchanged looks but didn¡¯t rebut Chen Sicheng. After all, he had a point. They couldn¡¯t argue with his perspective. They let him entertain himself¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Let¡¯s continue watching. The story with Lin Yaodong and Tazhai should be wrapping up soon. If nothing unexpected happens, we should see new content coming up.¡± Liu Heping speculated. Yan Geling and Shu Ping nodded in agreement. ¡­ In the single room, Lu Chen added a few more details about the changes in Tazhai Village. He paused again. He let out a sigh. Looking at the dense content on the two whiteboards in front of him, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe. He had, without realizing it, developed so much of Lin Yaodong¡¯s storyline! It seemed to match up to the level of Uncle Dong! He guessed that many of the viewers in the livestream would be stunned after seeing Lin Yaodong¡¯s storyline. ¡°You¡¯re writing about rural themes, but this is basically a ¡®Big Drug Lord¡¯s Growth Story¡¯!¡± If Lu Chen were a viewer, he¡¯d definitely think that way! Alright! Now, onto the next part! Time to officially start with the positive energy! ¡ªTime to kick off Li Weimin¡¯s storyline! If he didn¡¯t start now, the production team might really turn on him! Lu Chen stopped hesitating and walked over to the final whiteboard. He picked up a pen. Before diving in, he decided to set the tone for the viewers! He wanted the audience to know what the theme of the upcoming story would be. So, in front of the camera, Lu Chen boldly wrote two characters on the whiteboard¡­ Chapter 21 - The Police Give Their Stamp of Approval! An Explosive Live Stream! Chapter 21: The Police Give Their Stamp of Approval! An Explosive Live Stream! ¡ª Anti-Drug Raid! ¡­ As Lu Chen wrote these two words on the whiteboard, countless viewers in the live stream were instantly stunned! [What the hell! Anti-drug raid! It¡¯s really about an anti-drug raid!!].[I knew it! Lu Shen¡¯s goal in shaping Uncle Dong was to personally destroy him, wasn¡¯t it?!].[The strong conflict between theme and character!].[I¡¯m crying! It turns out Lu Chen is all about positive energy. It really is about an anti-drug raid!].[The ¡°raise the chicken to kill it¡± theory!].[Uncle Dong just wanted to renovate the ancestral hall¡ªwhy raid him? (doge for safety)].[Sigh, I thought this might be the route, but actually writing about an anti-drug raid feels like such a pity.].[I¡¯d love to see a Chinese version of Breaking Bad!].[We have to understand different cultures and creative environments. If you glorify a character like Lin Yaodong, what does that mean for anti-drug police?].[We get the logic, but the issue is that there are already so many anti-drug dramas. The bar is high, and taking this on seems like asking for trouble!]. The online discussion was in full swing. In the judging room, as the panel reviewed the comments, Liu Heping and the others weren¡¯t surprised. As the netizens said, they had also predicted the story might shift to focus on an anti-drug theme. At the same time, the audience¡¯s concerns were valid. Anti-drug dramas have already produced numerous classics. Excelling in this genre is undoubtedly challenging. Especially given the limited time Lu Chen had, creating a compelling anti-drug drama seemed nearly impossible. Chances were, it could end up mediocre and riddled with plot holes. However, pivoting to an anti-drug theme was inevitable. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Otherwise, Lu Chen wouldn¡¯t just possibly fail¡ªhe¡¯d definitely be eliminated! So, their primary worry was the protagonist¡¯s perspective. If Lin Yaodong remained the protagonist, the story would still fail to pass the censors. This would mean Lu Chen would lose his chance to advance to the next round¡­ For now, they could only keep watching to see how Lu Chen tackled this challenge. Still, Liu Heping felt some online comments were unfair to Lu Chen. He adjusted his microphone and spoke up, ¡°I see that many netizens are concerned this story will fall short, but there¡¯s no need to worry excessively. First, no domestic anti-drug drama has linked anti-drug efforts with clan structures before. ¡°In this respect, Lu Chen is innovating. If he can handle this angle well in the details, the story will still have its highlights.¡± ¡°I agree with Professor Liu,¡± another judge chimed in. ¡°While anti-drug themes are plentiful, the character of Lin Yaodong stands out in this genre. ¡°At least I haven¡¯t seen a drug dealer portrayed with such depth. ¡°This, too, is an innovation on Lu Chen¡¯s part. Let¡¯s give him some patience.¡± Unknowingly, Xu Ping¡¯s expectations for Lu Chen rose to a new level. He genuinely hoped Lu Chen could maintain his standard of creativity. Next to him, Yan Gelin didn¡¯t speak but nodded in agreement. Among them, however, the one with the most emotional reaction was Xiao Sa. When he saw the theme pivot to anti-drug efforts, his previously tense state relaxed completely. Alright! No matter how this story turned out, just shifting the theme was already a win! Otherwise, the program team would have been under immense pressure. After all, The Pen of God competition was held once every four years. The number of people watching this event was astronomical! Besides regular viewers, the audience included celebrities from the entertainment industry, numerous production companies looking for gold, and even officials from government institutions closely monitoring this once-in-four-years mega-event. Thus, the fact that the program team allowed Lu Chen to write to this point was already a significant risk. It was easy to imagine how nerve-wracking the past hour had been for Xiao Sa as the host. But now, Xiao Sa could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The weight in his heart was lifted entirely! ¡­ Among the group, the one with the worst expression was Chen Sicheng. He hadn¡¯t expected Lu Chen to shift the narrative and write about anti-drug efforts! This meant that a previously dark and illegal storyline had genuinely been transformed into a positive, uplifting one! Damn it! At first, Chen Sicheng had been angry, feeling like a duck he almost had in hand had flown away. But after seeing the viewers¡¯ comments, his anger quickly dissipated. Exactly¡ªthere were already so many classic anti-drug dramas! Chen Sicheng¡¯s mood instantly improved. He set his thoughts aside, narrowed his eyes slightly, and waited to watch. Meanwhile, in the room, Lu Chen stood before the whiteboard, debating whether he should explain his pivot to the viewers. After all, he had been writing about the rise of a drug lord. Now, suddenly shifting to an anti-drug theme¡ªwould the audience accept it? He glanced at the sentiment counter¡­ ¡°Whoa! Over five million!¡± His heart skipped a beat. ¡°How many people are in this live stream? Must be at least 200,000 or 300,000, right?¡± With so many viewers, Lu Chen decided it was best to offer some clarity. Otherwise, if the audience misunderstood the change in direction and started leaving, he¡¯d suffer a huge loss. With his mind made up, Lu Chen turned to face the camera, cleared his throat, and smiled. ¡°Hello, everyone in the live stream. Since the theme is shifting a bit, please allow me to take a minute or two to explain my creative direction and thought process. First, let me be clear: I wholeheartedly support positive, uplifting narratives! The anti-drug concept has always been the core foundation of this story. The detailed portrayal of Lin Yaodong¡¯s character is intentional because his experiences and personality directly influence the entire story. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve spent so much time developing his arc. As for the anti-drug theme, I¡¯ve wanted to create a story like this since my student days. Lin Yaodong¡¯s character draws from years of inspiration while writing screenplays. But combining Lin Yaodong with clan culture? That idea was inspired by the theme of this competition! For those who don¡¯t know, I¡¯m from Guangdong Province, and I¡¯ve been immersed in clan culture since I was a child. That¡¯s why writing this aspect comes naturally to me. Next, I¡¯ll shift focus to the police¡¯s storyline. Lin Yaodong¡¯s arc is almost fully fleshed out, so the main plot will now show how the police take down Tazhai Village¡ªthe drug hub. Justice will prevail! Lastly, let me say this: No matter how Lin Yaodong tries to present himself, he is ultimately a hypocritical, greedy, and ruthless drug dealer. In the upcoming story, he will do things even more cruel than you might imagine. So, don¡¯t be misled by his charisma. Drug dealers are truly, deeply cruel! Taking this opportunity, I¡¯d like to salute our heroic anti-drug police officers. It¡¯s thanks to their silent sacrifices that we enjoy a healthy, drug-free world. Thank you to every anti-drug officer!¡± Lu Chen finished with a salute, then turned back to the whiteboard to focus on the next steps of his story. Back in the live stream, Lu Chen¡¯s heartfelt explanation sparked an uproar! Many viewers who had been charmed by Uncle Dong¡¯s charisma snapped back to reality. [That¡¯s right, Lin Yaodong is a drug dealer! No matter how vividly Lu Chen writes about him, his role as a major drug lord can¡¯t be justified.]. More importantly, Lu Chen revealed that Lin Yaodong¡¯s true cruelty would soon come to light in the plot. This revelation significantly boosted audience anticipation. The comment section exploded, with countless viewers eagerly sharing their thoughts. Amid the avalanche of comments, one particular message stood out. [Respect the artistic creativity of writers. Support the legal and ethical creativity of screenwriters. Kudos to Mr. Lu Chen!]. The content of the message wasn¡¯t remarkable in itself. What shocked viewers was the identity of the person who posted it. When they saw the title accompanying the comment, millions of netizens collectively froze. ¡ª Guangdong Provincial Public Security Bureau! Chapter 23 - Terrifying Deductive Ability! The Main Characters Take Shape! Chapter 23: Terrifying Deductive Ability! The Main Characters Take Shape! At the same time, the senior executives of major film and television companies such as Jiaxing, Huayi, Zhengwu Sunshine, Huanyu, iQIYI, Youku, and others, along with the panel of judges and millions of viewers in the live broadcast room, were all staring intently at the screen. The unveiling of the main storyline characters was about to begin! Meanwhile, in the room, Lu Chen, unaware of everything happening outside, officially began deducing the police storyline. When it came to the police, the deduction process was far less complicated than deducing Uncle Dong¡¯s arc. After all, Uncle Dong and Tazhai were the skeleton of the entire story. The police storyline only needed to add flesh to the framework and clarify the character relationships. Furthermore, the goal of the police was inherently clear¡ªcombat crime and arrest criminals. Their profession itself was the driving force. Therefore, After writing down the name Li Weimin, Lu Chen immediately outlined his identity. [Deputy Director of the Narcotics Bureau of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department, an experienced anti-narcotics officer with over 20 years of service.].[Action Background and Objective: The rise of Tazhai Village has led to a surge in drug-related crimes in Dongshan City. In response, the Ministry of Public Security is launching an operation, with Li Weimin appointed as the head of the investigation team.].[Story Direction: While uncovering drug production sites, Li Weimin inadvertently discovers Tazhai Village, whose activities appear suspicious. Later, he finds that Lin Yaodong, the village chief of Tazhai, is heavily implicated in drug manufacturing.].[Eventually, Tazhai is successfully dismantled, and Lin Yaodong is apprehended.].[Character Traits: Mature, steady, and even a bit ¡®cunning.¡¯ He is upright and incorruptible, enjoys a high reputation in the Guangdong police force, and is highly trusted by provincial leaders.]. At this point, Lu Chen wrote the names Li Weimin and Lin Yaodong on opposite sides of the whiteboard. Next, he started to construct the character relationship diagram. [Li Weimin¡ªSuperior: Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department. Subordinate: Dongshan City Public Security Bureau. Lin Yaodong¡ªVillage chief of Tazhai. Power: The three major factions of Tazhai. Resources: Numerous henchmen and informants in key departments in Dongshan City, serving as his protectors and enablers, making him highly formidable.]. [Therefore, while Li Weimin may seem to be the head of the investigation team, he has limited resources at his disposal. As a senior representative of law enforcement, it would also be inappropriate for him to directly confront Lin Yaodong¡¯s group.]. [That¡¯s why I need to design a vanguard character to represent Li Weimin in pursuing the Tazhai storyline. Let¡¯s tentatively call this character A.].[A¡¯s Design¡ªA grassroots police officer who suspects Tazhai Village of drug production and insists on investigating. Personality: Fearless and highly justice-driven.]. [Thus, Li Weimin uses A as a proxy to gradually advance the investigation into Tazhai¡¯s drug crimes.]. After finishing this setup, Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with his work. [Alright, let¡¯s go with this design!]. _____ At Live Broadcast Room, seeing Lu Chen¡¯s design, the comment section erupted with activity. [So is Li Weimin the protagonist, or is it A? A feels more like the lead to me.].[Yeah, I think so too. A is young and plays a key role in exposing Tazhai¡¯s drug operations. Definitely feels like a protagonist.].[But A seems like a reckless type. Wouldn¡¯t that be less appealing? There are already plenty of similar protagonists out there¡­].[Dude, watch it. The police are watching!].[My bad, haha!].[Honestly, the character design for A feels pretty average to me.]. In the judges¡¯ room, the panelists frowned slightly at the unfolding scene. ¡°Ten to one, A is the protagonist of this story,¡± Xu Ping commented. ¡°Li Weimin is too senior in rank, and Lu Chen himself said he wouldn¡¯t have him directly confront Lin Yaodong. That means Li Weimin¡¯s screen time will be limited, while A, as the story¡¯s driving force, will naturally have more scenes.¡± Yan Gelin nodded. ¡°That makes sense, Teacher Xu. A, being the key character who pushes the plot forward, is very likely the protagonist. Teacher Liu, what¡¯s your take?¡± Liu Heping, looking calm and composed, replied indifferently, ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. A is the protagonist!¡± Yan Gelin affirmed. As the discussion continued, Chen Sicheng appeared uninterested. While Chen Sicheng was silently ranting, an urgent ringtone suddenly broke the tension in the judges¡¯ room. Xiao Sa, reacting instinctively, stood up immediately. ¡°One hour has passed!¡± He quickly picked up the remote and announced it to all 64 live broadcast rooms. ¡°Attention, contestants! The first hour has ended. Please manage your remaining time wisely!¡± ______ In the Room, hearing that there were only two hours left, Lu Chen clicked his tongue. It seemed he needed to speed up. After all, before formally starting the story¡¯s narrative, he still needed to reserve about twenty minutes of thinking time to pretend he was carefully plotting things out. Calculating further, that left him about an hour and forty minutes for actual writing. And with a few more thinking breaks in between, his effective writing time would be even less. Clearly, finishing the entire story was out of the question¡­ After all, Breaking the Ice had over forty episodes. Even if he worked nonstop for the full two hours, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to copy it all down¡­ Lu Chen thought to himself. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He wasn¡¯t overly concerned about his current ranking. For him, advancing to the next stage was already a victory. After all, winning the championship was his ultimate goal! With that thought, Lu Chen continued his deduction. [So now I need to think about the relationship between Li Weimin and A. Do they know each other? If they don¡¯t, A will need to build enough trust in Li Weimin to maintain cooperation and exchange intelligence. The advantage of this setup is that it can extend the plot and add some filler content. But the downside is also clear. A, while young, brave, and occasionally reckless, is detail-oriented. Having worked in the grassroots police force of Dongshan City for years, he¡¯s well aware of the intricate clan relationships and deep-rooted power structures in the area. Many police officers are related to these clans by blood or marriage. As a result, A is distrustful of certain colleagues around him. Convincing him to trust a stranger like Li Weimin would be a challenging process. This setup could slow down the story¡¯s pace and even drag the narrative. However, if I design Li Weimin and A to already know each other and have a deep, established relationship, then all those shortcomings can be ignored! This would not only keep the plot tighter but also allow the story to dive straight into the anti-drug theme. Two birds with one stone! So, after weighing the pros and cons, the conclusion is¡ªLi Weimin and A should be designed as acquaintances with a strong bond. This setup will likely produce better results and be more conducive to the plot¡¯s development!]. _____ At the Live Broadcast Room, the viewers couldn¡¯t help but be impressed after seeing this. [That analysis and reasoning! Lu Chen, you should consider writing detective novels instead!].[Wait, is this how scripts are written? OMG, this is so mentally exhausting!]. _____ At Jiaxing Headquarters, Boss Yang¡¯s eyes lit up as she watched. She thought to herself, But Lu Chen himself¡­ Yang Mi was seriously considering signing him instead! Chapter 24 - Are You Crazy? Writing Such a Complex Plot Live! Chapter 24: Are You Crazy? Writing Such a Complex Plot Live! ¡°It¡¯s got that crime-drama vibe!¡± At the headquarters of Aiqiyi Entertainment, CEO Gong Yu had already gathered the top executives to watch this grand event that only happens once every four years. As one of the fastest-growing platforms in the entertainment industry, Aiqiyi has always prioritized high-quality storytelling. Moreover, during its development, the company had indeed reaped the benefits of this competition, producing several successful works inspired by the ¡®Scriptwriting Contest¡¯. The returns on those projects had been remarkable. The only exception was the previous contest, which had been underwhelming overall and had caused the company its first loss. But this didn¡¯t mean Gong Yu was giving up on the competition. It simply meant that they were being more cautious with their selections this year! Right now, Luo Chen¡¯s story was leading with a landslide in popularity among the 64 contestants. Naturally, Gong Yu was taking it seriously! The same thoughts ran through the minds of executives at Youku, Huanyu, Xinli, and other companies. _____ Inside a room, Luo Chen walked over to the coffee table, picked up a cigarette, and lit it. Now, he had already introduced Li Weimin and the protagonist, Li Fei. The next step was Zhao Jialiang¡¯s storyline. Once Zhao Jialiang¡¯s arc was developed, the overall framework of The Breaking the Ice would be complete. As for other important characters like Ma Yunbo and Cai Yongqiang, they didn¡¯t need separate arcs but could be woven into the narrative during specific plot points. Zhao Jialiang was crucial not just because of his unique relationship with Li Fei and Li Weimin, but also because he was another dagger pointed at Tazhai! As an informant for the police, Zhao Jialiang was indispensable to dismantling Tazhai. Without him, Li Weimin couldn¡¯t gradually uncover the truth, let alone reel in Lin Yaodong, the big fish. Therefore¡­ designing Zhao Jialiang¡¯s character was critical for Luo Chen! Looking at the entire plot of The Breaking the Ice, it actually revolved around four key characters¡ªLin Yaodong, Li Weimin, Li Fei, and Zhao Jialiang. So, Next, Luo Chen needed to focus on introducing Zhao Jialiang! As for how to introduce him¡­ Luo Chen already had a plan! ______ He scribbled the following on the whiteboard. [The current situation is that Tazhai is impenetrable like a steel fortress. On Li Weimin¡¯s side, even with the backing of the government, there are infiltrators and protectors working as shields, which puts him at a significant disadvantage overall. He operates in the light, while Lin Yaodong hides in the shadows. So, how can I strengthen Li Weimin¡¯s position and turn the tide? That¡¯s what I need to focus on! Since Lin Yaodong is in the shadows, could I also give Li Weimin a covert line of support to counter Lin Yaodong? For instance, let Li Weimin have an informant? Someone working in secret against Lin Yaodong! That¡¯s one direction to explore! However, planting an informant within Tazhai is unrealistic, because Lin Yaodong wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to let a spy stay close to him. Moreover, it wouldn¡¯t fit with the heavily clan-centric cultural setting of Tazhai. So, the idea of an internal informant is not feasible. What about from the outside? Lin Yaodong has drug-trafficking routes, selling drugs worldwide. This is an area where I can make a big move! I could create a storyline where this informant opposes Haoyu Group and ultimately impacts Tazhai! But how should I design this informant¡¯s identity? There are three common design options. The informant is a police officer who has been monitoring the Haoyu Group¡¯s activities for a long time. The informant is a turned drug dealer who provides intelligence to Li Weimin. The informant knows Li Weimin and has a certain purpose, determined to dismantle the drug network. Since this informant must later return to Dongshan City to investigate Tazhai and become one of the key breakthroughs, there¡¯s a major flaw in making the informant a drug dealer. Drug dealers are driven by profit and cannot fully cooperate or follow instructions. They might even betray Li Weimin in the end. Thus, this option is ruled out. I don¡¯t want any risks concerning loyalty on this line! That leaves the first and third designs as viable options. If the informant is a police officer, loyalty isn¡¯t an issue! However, considering that this informant is going up against the Haoyu Group, they must have significant power, which might even raise concerns of blackmail or corruption. Designing them as a police officer could harm the image of the police, so it¡¯s not ideal! On the other hand, if the informant is an ordinary person, these concerns are eliminated, as we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about tarnishing the image of the police. But another question arises¡ªWhat kind of motivation would drive an ordinary person to risk their life to dismantle Tazhai? A common approach is to give this character a strong belief or personal reason, such as their family being killed by drug dealers, driving them to seek revenge. This makes their pursuit of drug dealers reasonable and logical. However, there are two paths here. Option 1: The informant doesn¡¯t know who killed their family and continuously investigates until they discover it was Tazhai. Option 2: The informant knows it¡¯s Tazhai from the start. However, this design lacks suspense. Comparing the two, I believe Option 1 is more effective! It also better connects to Li Weimin¡¯s storyline.]. As Lu Chen wrote all this in one go, the live stream viewers were stunned. [Viewer Comments].[Oh my god, just reading this is frying my brain. How does Lu Chen even think of all this?].[Every step of this deduction is beyond my expectations but still makes perfect sense!].[Respect. This is what professional screenwriting looks like. No wonder he¡¯s ranked first in the division!].[This level of deduction is insane. Not just this season¡ªthis would stand out even in the first season!].[I¡¯m rooting for Lu Chen to win the championship!].[If he¡¯s creating this level of story in the Top 32, what will he bring to the Top 16, Top 8, and Top 4?].[Don¡¯t get too optimistic. He¡¯s set up such a big plot. If he can¡¯t deliver, it¡¯ll be embarrassing.].[Exactly. Honestly, I¡¯m not confident in this. The design is too complicated.]. ______ In the judges¡¯ room, seeing Lu Chen¡¯s design made Liu Heping and the others visibly concerned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this plot a bit too ambitious?¡± Yan Geling muttered. Shu Ping nodded. ¡°Most contestants are just writing simple stories, but this kid is designing a script like it¡¯s a full-fledged production. He¡¯s so dedicated!¡± Although Liu Heping didn¡¯t say anything, his furrowed brows showed his concern. As Shu Ping mentioned, Lu Chen¡¯s story was indeed too ambitious. If the main storyline about Lin Yaodong wasn¡¯t about drug trafficking, his growth arc alone could already be a complete story meeting the program¡¯s requirements. But unfortunately, it is a drug-trafficking story, and it won¡¯t pass censorship. Now, he has to redesign the drug-busting storyline, a challenge even Liu Heping found daunting. Lu Chen, aware of the risks, was still charging ahead¡ªstraight into the fire. But concerns aside, Liu Heping couldn¡¯t help but admire Lu Chen¡¯s courage. If all young screenwriters held themselves to Lu Chen¡¯s standards, the future of Longguo¡¯s film and television industry would be unstoppable! Meanwhile, Chen Sicheng, sitting nearby, seemed to have switched roles with the others. Earlier, he¡¯d been skeptical and resistant, but now he looked calm and smug, his smile growing wider. _____ Inside the room, having successfully introduced the characters Li Weimin, Li Fei, and Zhao Jialiang, Lu Chen¡¯s next task was to deduce the relationships between them. He wrote the three names (as codenames) on a whiteboard. Li Weimin A Certain Person (A) The Informant Then he added. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What kind of relationships can they have?¡± ¡°How can these relationships be crafted to better fit the anti-drug theme?¡± ______ At this point, countless viewers were convinced. Chapter 25 - Lu Chens Draft? This is Rock Solid! Chapter 25: Lu Chen¡¯s Draft? This is Rock Solid! Inside the room, Lu Chen flicked the ash off his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray. Then, he grabbed a biscuit, tore off a piece, and popped it into his mouth to recharge a little. He walked back to the whiteboard and continued deducing the relationships between Li Weimin, Li Fei, and Zhao Jialiang. First, he finalized the name for [The Informant]¡ªZhao Jialiang. As for Li Fei, he decided to leave it for later. ¡°Right now,¡± Lu Chen muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll first establish that Li Weimin and A Certain Person (A) share a deep bond, almost like father and son. Their age difference naturally supports this. With such a setup, A would have no doubts about Li Weimin. A¡¯s life-or-death sacrifices will further enhance the emotional depth of the story. As for Li Weimin and Zhao Jialiang, they are both informant and friend. How can I deepen the bond between the two to ensure this storyline doesn¡¯t get derailed by any external factors? That¡¯s what I need to figure out now. Why would Zhao Jialiang become Li Weimin¡¯s informant? First of all, it¡¯s definitely not for money. The reason must be to uncover the truth behind his family¡¯s murder, which naturally leads to his collaboration with Li Weimin, sharing information and helping each other. On the surface, it seems like Li Weimin is using Zhao Jialiang as an informant. But in reality, Zhao Jialiang is also relying on Li Weimin to gather intelligence. The two should be helping each other. So¡­ why would Zhao Jialiang agree to cooperate with Li Weimin? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Could there be a backstory that naturally establishes this relationship?¡± At this point, Lu Chen paused deliberately, pacing the room. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up, and he thought, He quickly strode back to the whiteboard. [What if I design Zhao Jialiang¡¯s wife as an anti-narcotics officer who used to be under Li Weimin¡¯s command? This way, it makes perfect sense that Zhao Jialiang and Li Weimin already know each other and have a decent relationship. After Zhao Jialiang¡¯s wife is killed by drug dealers, he becomes determined to find the culprit! The foundation for his cooperation with Li Weimin forms naturally! Li Weimin would be willing to help Zhao Jialiang. And Zhao Jialiang would willingly become Li Weimin¡¯s informant!]. _____ [Viewer Comments].[Damn, brilliant! That connection totally works!].[The logic here is amazing!].[This setup solidifies the informant storyline!]. _____ ¡°Okay, Li Weimin and Zhao Jialiang¡¯s relationship is settled. Next, I need to think about whether Zhao Jialiang and A can form a connection. First, let¡¯s clarify one point. The ultimate goal of this story is to bring down Tazhai and arrest Lin Yaodong. All the forces on the side of justice need to unite into one force to defeat the big boss. But right now, with Li Weimin as the central figure, A and Zhao Jialiang are two parallel forces. If they have a bond between them, these two forces can merge seamlessly. Zhao Jialiang is about the same age as Li Weimin. So¡­ could I set them up as father and son?¡± Lu Chen muttered to himself. He started reasoning. ¡°What if A is Zhao Jialiang¡¯s son? After Zhao Jialiang¡¯s wife is killed, Zhao Jialiang becomes consumed with avenging her and entrusts A to Li Weimin. Li Weimin raises A, and they develop a father-son bond. A naturally inherits his mother¡¯s hatred for injustice. This relationship adds another layer of depth between the three characters!¡± ¡°Whoa, he figured it out?!¡± ¡°This plot is unexpectedly logical!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go with this setup¡ªit¡¯s perfect!¡± Inside the Room, Lu Chen nodded slightly. ¡°This way, the two storylines have a premise for convergence. Not bad! Let¡¯s settle on this setup! It perfectly integrates with the earlier version of the anti-drug story I envisioned!¡± _____ [Viewer Comments].[Huh? So Lu Chen already had an anti-drug story draft?].[I think he mentioned before that he wanted to write about anti-drug themes.].[Makes sense. He¡¯s a professional screenwriter, writing scripts and stories is part of his daily work.].[Honestly, even I, as a novelist, have hundreds of openings and outlines saved on my computer. Imagine how much material a professional screenwriter like him must have!].[You write novels? Drop a title¡ªI¡¯ll check it out!].[No thanks, I¡¯m not revealing my pen name.]. _____ In The Judges¡¯ Room, the judging panel also overheard Lu Chen¡¯s murmur and exchanged glances. ¡°So, this kid already has a draft?¡± Yan Geling expressed mild surprise. Having drafts wasn¡¯t unusual in the screenwriting world. Screenwriters live off stories and often jot down ideas based on random inspiration. Even if these stories aren¡¯t published or adapted, they can become first drafts for future works, undergoing secondary refinement. This practice was commonplace in the industry. ¡°Not to brag, but when I was working on Let the Bullets Fly, I adapted it from one of my earlier drafts,¡± Shu Ping said with a smile. ¡°I did the same for the Jade Goddess of Mercy,¡± Yan Geling admitted with no hesitation. ¡°After all, it¡¯s our own work. What¡¯s wrong with reworking it?¡± ¡°Liu, your drafts must all be ready-to-go, right?¡± ¡°The Disguiser had parts that came from an early draft too,¡± Liu Heping said openly. ¡°Whoa, this is insider gossip!¡± Shu Ping laughed. ¡°Chen, did your Beijing Love Story and Detective Chinatown series have drafts?¡± Chen Sicheng shook his head. ¡°All mine are fresh manuscripts.¡± Yan Geling almost rolled her eyes. , Yan kept this thought to herself. ¡°If he has a draft, this story might genuinely be worth looking forward to!¡± Shu Ping remarked. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. The story is so complex. Do you really think his writing skills can handle tying all these threads together? Shu Ping, does he have your level of expertise?¡± Chen Sicheng countered, both criticizing and praising at the same time, leaving Shu Ping momentarily speechless. ¡°We¡¯ll see with the opening,¡± Shu Ping finally said. ¡°Exactly. A good opening can give us a glimpse of the whole.¡± Yan Geling nodded in agreement. Chen Sicheng smirked. _____ On Screen, after organizing the relationships between the characters, Lu Chen prepared to tackle one final issue¡ªLi Fei¡¯s name. ¡°Since A is Zhao Jialiang¡¯s son, he should have the Zhao surname.¡± ¡°No, wait! He shouldn¡¯t have Zhao¡¯s surname.¡± Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°If Zhao Jialiang is going all out to track down the real murderer, he must be living under an alias. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d use his real name for such a risky investigation. After all, he has a son to protect! He wouldn¡¯t want anyone to trace back to A through his real name. That means Zhao Jialiang is just an alias, not his real name. His real name could be¡­ Li Jianzhong. Let¡¯s give him the same surname as Li Weimin. That way, A also shares the surname Li. Outsiders who don¡¯t know their true relationship might assume they¡¯re father and son, which fits the ¡®father-son bond¡¯ dynamic. So, A will have the surname Li! Let¡¯s call him¡­ Li Fei.¡± ____ [Viewer Comments].[Bruh, that name feels so random!].[Big drug lord Lin Yaodong has a commanding name. Investigative team leader Li Weimin has a strong name. Even Zhao Jialiang and Lin Zonghui have decent names. But when it comes to the protagonist, it¡¯s just¡­ Li Fei?].[This sudden casualness has me shook!].[Li Fei isn¡¯t bad¡ªsimple, down-to-earth, and easy to remember.].[So down-to-earth it¡¯s practically six feet under!]. The chat was filled with reactions, both amused and bewildered. ______ At this moment, having fully worked out the relationships between the three main characters, Lu Chen turned back to the camera. ¡°Dear viewers, I¡¯ll need some time to think about the formal opening scene. This might take a while, so please bear with me!¡± With that, he plopped down into his chair, preparing to enter his ¡®Great Sage¡¯ mode. He planned to think for about twenty minutes. With this preparation, the unfolding of The Breaking Ice Operation would feel more logical and grounded¡­ Lu Chen lit a cigarette silently. Chapter 26 - Film Companies Stirring, The Grand Bidding Begins! Chapter 26: Film Companies Stirring, The Grand Bidding Begins! [Ah, entering sage mode again?!].[No way, brother, you need to pull yourself together! There¡¯s still one hour and fifty minutes left in this competition! Why are you resting?!].[Forget it. No matter how much we shout, Lu Chen won¡¯t hear us. Let¡¯s go check out the other rooms first.].[We¡¯ll come back later.].[For those staying, please remember to notify the other live streams later! Thanks in advance!]. As Lu Chen rested, many viewers left the live stream temporarily to check out other competitors. In the judges¡¯ room. ¡°Shall we also take a look at the other contestants?¡± Suggested Xiao Sa. The judges nodded. ¡°We should have done this earlier. Honestly, we¡¯ve been stuck in Lu Chen¡¯s stream for too long!¡± Complained Chen Sicheng. The other three judges glanced at him but kept silent, choosing not to comment. The group resumed their patrol of the other streams. ______ Meanwhile, off-screen¡ªMajor film companies seized this brief interlude to hold meetings instead of watching other competitors¡¯ streams. After all, the overwhelming popularity of Lu Chen¡¯s stream was already a testament to its potential. _____ At Jiaxing Media¡¯s headquarters, Yang Mi sat with a serious expression, addressing the senior executives. ¡°What do you all think of this story?¡± ¡°Boss, I still maintain my original opinion. I believe this series has the potential to become a hit. While the character relationships are a bit complex, we must recognize one thing: complex relationships can ruin a series, but they can also make it extraordinary. Based on Lu Chen¡¯s current ability to develop the plot, I believe he has the skills to create an outstanding story,¡± said Sister Qin from the production department. ¡°I agree. The storyline involving Lin Yaodong and clan culture is particularly well-crafted. If the overall quality is above average, even if the series doesn¡¯t explode in popularity, its buzz will still be significant. Audiences seem to really like Uncle Dong as a character,¡± added another executive. Yang Mi nodded. ¡°I share your views. Personally, I¡¯m optimistic about this series.¡± ¡°So, boss, are you suggesting we prepare to bid?¡± Sister Qin asked. ¡°We¡¯ll wait and see how the opening scenes are handled. If the introduction is well-executed and grabs attention, I¡¯ll decide to participate in the bidding immediately!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°I second that!¡± Yang Mi¡¯s opinion received unanimous support from the executives. For a film and media company, good ideas and strong scripts are the foundation of survival and success. For a small company, a single hit series could propel them into the ranks of second-tier film companies. Two or more hits could elevate them to first-tier status. With five or six hits, they¡¯d undoubtedly become an industry leader. Ten or more hits? They¡¯d dominate the industry as a giant! This is why screenwriters hold such a high status in the industry. If a listed company could sign a top-tier screenwriter, their stock price would likely soar! For a company of Jiaxing¡¯s current scale, they couldn¡¯t afford to miss any great stories. ______ At the same time, over at Huayi Brothers¡ªThe two brothers were still drinking. ¡°Brother, what do you think of this story so far?¡± Shaking his glass of premium imported wine, Wang Zhongjun joked, ¡°Sit and watch, lie down and watch¡ªhow else?¡± In the film industry, only his elder brother could joke with him like this. Wang Zhonglei handed him a cigar with a laugh. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m thinking we should bid for this story later.¡± Wang Zhongjun gave him a piercing look, clearly asking, Why? ¡°Here¡¯s my reasoning, brother. First, this story is trending right now, isn¡¯t it? I just checked¡ªbesides the popularity of the live stream, there are already several related trending topics on Douyin. So, if we bid for it later¡ªwhether or not we actually buy the script is another matter¡ªwe¡¯d at least be capitalizing on the buzz, right? On one hand, it shows our company¡¯s support for new screenwriters, reinforcing our status as an industry leader. On the other hand, even if we don¡¯t end up acquiring the story, we¡¯d only lose 10% of the bidding fee as a transaction cost. The entry bid is just 100,000 yuan, so a 10,000-yuan expense for exposure is, in my view, a worthwhile investment.¡± Wang Zhongjun frowned slightly, contemplating for a moment before responding. ¡°But have you considered what would happen if the story falls apart early on? If we jump the gun and bid prematurely, it could make us look ridiculous. People might mock Huayi for being reckless or accuse us of riding the wave of hype. If that happens, it wouldn¡¯t just be a minor embarrassment¡ªit could harm our stock prices, which would be far more costly.¡± Wang Zhongjun broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Brother, you really think things through. I hadn¡¯t considered that angle.¡± ¡°No rush. Let¡¯s wait and see. Some ¡®firsts¡¯ are worth chasing, but others aren¡¯t necessary. Even if someone bids before us, so what? All they¡¯re getting is an early opportunity to negotiate. Huayi Brothers isn¡¯t desperate for that.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Wang Zhonglei nodded repeatedly. ______ At the same time, at Zhengwu Sunshine Company. ¡°Brother Hou, Master, I think this story has potential! At least, the framework looks solid. Look, the police side has at least two storylines¡ªLi Weimin and Li Fei on one line, Zhao Jialiang on another. ¡°Over in Tazhai, you have Lin Yaodong¡¯s three branches, the major drug lord Liu Haoyu, and the ¡®protective umbrella¡¯ line tied to Tazhai. ¡°There are so many narrative threads! If handled properly, this series could absolutely become a hit!¡± Li Xue analyzed excitedly, clearly sensing the makings of a blockbuster. ¡°You said it yourself¡ªif handled properly! The key question is whether the writer has the ability to pull it off,¡± Master Kong Sheng responded, pouring cold water on the enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m not underestimating Lu Chen, but we have to admit that he¡¯s a recent graduate and a newcomer to the industry. Can you guarantee he¡¯ll successfully weave all these threads together?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Li Xue faltered, unable to refute her master¡¯s skepticism. Hou Hongliang, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. ¡°Brother Kong, Li Xue, I¡¯ve made up my mind. If Lu Chen¡¯s introduction remains above average, I¡¯ll bid immediately. If the story doesn¡¯t pan out, we can always back out midway. At worst, we lose a bit to the transaction fee.¡± Kong Sheng asked, ¡°What¡¯s the bidding threshold this year?¡± ¡°100,000 yuan.¡± ¡°And the increments?¡± ¡°Each bid must be a multiple of 50,000 yuan, capped at 500,000.¡± ¡°If the bid fails, does the production team fully refund the amount?¡± ¡°Yes, unless we withdraw midway, in which case there¡¯s a 10% handling fee¡ªat most 50,000 yuan.¡± ¡°Alright, then go ahead. I have no objections.¡± ¡°Me neither!¡± Li Xue chimed in. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll prepare now,¡± said Hou Hongliang, pulling out his phone and logging into the live stream platform¡¯s backend. Each film company had access to an exclusive bidding portal through the app. If a story caught their attention, they could place a bid instantly. Hou Hongliang first deposited 100,000 yuan as a starting fund, ready to bid at any moment. While winning a bid didn¡¯t mean the project was immediately secured, it did grant the bidder priority for a face-to-face negotiation with the contestant. For film companies, such opportunities were invaluable. If the negotiation succeeded early, it would be a win-win. Even if it didn¡¯t, the bid amount would be fully refunded. Unless they chose to withdraw midway¡ªIn which case, a small handling fee was a reasonable cost. ¡°It¡¯s all set. Now we just wait for Lu Chen to start writing.¡± Hou Hongliang glanced at the time. Three minutes had passed, but Lu Chen still showed no sign of getting up. It seemed this time, he was taking longer to deliberate. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Should we check out the other live streams for now?¡± Li Xue suggested. Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng nodded. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s take a look around.¡± Just as they were about to leave Room 48 to explore other streams, something astonishing happened! In Lu Chen¡¯s live stream, a golden token appeared, radiating auspicious cloud effects, dominating most of the screen! On the token, four gilded characters gleamed brightly¡ª¡±Huan Yu Films!¡± Chapter 27 - The Frenzy Begins! Film Companies Join the Fray! Chapter 27: The Frenzy Begins! Film Companies Join the Fray! This sudden development stunned countless viewers in Lu Chen¡¯s live stream, leaving them wide-eyed with disbelief! The previously declining viewer count suddenly stopped dropping and even began climbing again at this very moment. [Huan Yu Films has entered the bid!!!!].[Oh my god! A production company has placed a bid!!!].[This is insane! The Top 32 advancement round has already seen a production company bidding!!!]. The audience erupted in excitement. [Is bidding starting early this year? I remember that in previous years, it usually began during the Top 16 round!].[No, you¡¯re mistaken! There was one year when bidding started in the Top 32 round as well!].[That was the first competition! The legendary first year!].[Could it be that Lu Chen is single-handedly elevating the fourth competition to the legendary heights of the first?].[Haha, this is thrilling! Absolutely thrilling! Hey, haters in the chat, how do you feel now? Even film companies are getting involved¡ªit proves they¡¯re highly optimistic about this script! Let¡¯s see what you have to say now!].[What to say? Heh, now it gets interesting! So what if one company is bidding? Why are you all so excited?].[Exactly! It¡¯s just 100,000 yuan for a bid¡ªwhat¡¯s there to boast about?!].[Do you think Huan Yu Films is planning to acquire the script? Maybe they¡¯re just spending 100,000 yuan to grab some publicity and show their presence!].[True, since you can withdraw midway with just a 10% fee, the real cost might only be 10,000 yuan¡­].[Hahaha, the program team is genius for this setup. You can even withdraw midway? What a design!]. Despite the arguments between viewers, one thing was certain: Huan Yu Films becoming the first production company to place a bid was nothing short of a bombshell for Lu Chen¡¯s live stream¡ªand the entire competition. _____ At Jiaxing Media Headquarters. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Boss, Huan Yu Films has placed a bid!¡± Upon seeing the golden token with its auspicious cloud effects and the words ¡°Huan Yu Films¡± emblazoned in gilt, Yang Mi¡¯s pupils contracted. The senior executives in the room grew anxious. ¡°Boss, according to the competition rules, each contestant can only have five bidding slots! One has already been taken, leaving just four. What do you think we should do?¡± The production director, Sister Qin, asked with a slightly urgent tone, implicitly suggesting they should take action. Yang Mi clenched her fists, her mind racing. She was clearly torn. But while she was deliberating, another shocking development occurred on the screen! Once again, the token and auspicious cloud effects appeared, taking over most of the live stream screen! This time, the golden characters on the token read¡ª¡±Ai Qiyi Films!¡± Yang Mi felt her head buzz, and the senior executives below her grew even more agitated. ¡°Another company has placed a bid!¡± ¡°Ai Qiyi Films is in too!¡± ¡°Boss!¡± Sister Qin hesitated, wanting to urge her further but unsure if it was appropriate. Yang Mi took a deep breath, her expression turning icy. ¡°Sister Qin!¡± ¡°Here!¡± ¡°Bid!!!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The production director, overjoyed, immediately pulled out her phone and began the process. _____ In the live stream, while countless viewers were still reeling from the shock of Ai Qiyi Films¡¯ bid, the screen lit up once more. For the third time, a token with auspicious cloud effects emerged, blocking a large portion of the screen. This time, the golden characters read¡ª¡±Jiaxing Media!¡± _____ [It¡¯s Jiaxing!].[Whoa! Even Boss Yang has stepped in!].[Jiaxing couldn¡¯t hold back any longer!].[Hahaha, haters, are your faces red? Swollen yet? Who said it was just one company bidding? Look¡ªit¡¯s the third one now!].[At this rate, the fourth and fifth companies will be in soon too!]. _____ At Zhengwu Sunshine Company, seeing Ai Qiyi Films and Jiaxing Media both stepping in, Hou Hongliang felt restless. ¡°Brother Kong, Li Xue, it looks like we¡¯ll need to join as well. Only two slots are left now.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bidding system? Even if we enter now with the 100,000-yuan minimum, won¡¯t we get outbid later if someone raises their offer?¡± Kong Sheng asked, confused. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! But if we secure a spot first, then even if we¡¯re pushed out by other companies later, we can increase our bid. At the same price, the production team will follow the rule of prioritizing whoever bids first and occupies the seat first! They¡¯ll still return the spot to us! This way, at least we can firmly secure one of the five spots!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Then go ahead and handle it. After all, the company¡¯s operations depend on you. Li Xue and I are just here for the acting,¡± Kong Sheng said with a smile. ¡°Yeah, Brother Hou, go bid! If you don¡¯t do it now, it¡¯ll be too late!¡± Li Xue urged anxiously. To be honest, he was very fond of Lu Chen¡¯s story! Especially the character Lin Yaodong, who was incredibly captivating! To create such a charismatic character in such a short time, Li Xue had immense faith in Lu Chen¡¯s screenwriting abilities! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bid now!¡± As he spoke, the screen displayed the fourth appearance of the token with auspicious cloud effects. This time, the company displayed was none other than ¡°Youku¡±! Hou Hongliang¡¯s lips twitched. Without hesitation, he rushed to complete the bidding process! _____ [Hahaha, that¡¯s the fourth company! Only one spot left!].[Huan Yu, Ai Qi Yi, Jia Xing, and Youku¡ªyou all have good taste!].[Unfortunately, the overall quality of these companies isn¡¯t particularly strong. I¡¯m talking about their productions, not their financial backing.].[If only a classic production company joined, it would be perfect!].[If Noon Sun also gets involved, that would be absolutely amazing!].[I feel the same! Noon Sun is my favorite production company!]. Just as many viewers were hoping, the fifth token with auspicious cloud effects appeared on the screen, dominating the live broadcast room once again! And this time, the gilded characters on the token left the 600,000+ viewers in the livestream stunned at first, before erupting into overwhelming excitement the next second! ¡ª¡ª[Noon Sun Productions]! _____ [Aaaaaahhhhhh!!].[Noon Sun!!!].[Noon Sun is here!!!!!!].[I¡¯m literally crying!!! The golden trio has joined the fray!].[Lu Chen is absolutely legendary now!!! This seals his status in the industry!!!!].[Looks like we¡¯ll really get to see Uncle Dong!!!].[Oh my god, this is the first time I¡¯ve been this excited watching a competition!!!].[Seeing Noon Sun join in, I¡¯m literally in tears!].[My mom asked why I¡¯m kneeling while watching this!]. As Noon Sun secured the last remaining spot, the live broadcast room¡¯s popularity soared to unprecedented heights! The comment section was completely exploding with excitement! _____ Off-screen, when Noon Sun took the fifth spot, at the Jiaxing headquarters, Yang Mi¡¯s expression changed dramatically! The other executives were equally stunned. ¡°This is bad. Hou Hongliang joined in too!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve set their sights on this script as well!¡± The same scene played out at the headquarters of Huan Yu Film, Ai Qi Yi, and Youku. ¡°Noon Sun is here!¡± ¡°Damn it! Things just got complicated!¡± ¡°With their industry reputation and prestige, we¡¯re under a lot of pressure now!¡± ¡°So what? If the script is really that good, we can always throw money at it!!¡± Intense debates erupted in meetings at each company! ______ At the Huayi Brothers headquarters, when Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei saw the fifth token rise, they initially didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, Wang Zhongjun had already said there was no need for Huayi Brothers to stick their neck out and make the first move. Being a step behind was the mark of wisdom. However, when they saw the fifth company was ¡°Noon Sun¡±, Wang Zhongjun¡¯s previously relaxed posture became electrified. He shot up from the sofa in an instant! ¡°What! Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng actually stepped in too!!¡± ¡°Brother, what do we do now?¡± Wang Zhonglei¡¯s face also turned pale! Chapter 28 - Making History! Chen Sicheng Takes a Heavy Blow! Chapter 28: Making History! Chen Sicheng Takes a Heavy Blow! Wang Zhongjun¡¯s brows furrowed deeply into a ¡°´¨¡± shape. However, as a renowned mogul in the film industry, he remained composed despite the unfolding situation. ¡°First, transfer 500,000 to our program account,¡± he instructed. ¡°500,000?¡± ¡°The program¡¯s bidding cap is 500,000, isn¡¯t it? Get it ready. Later, we¡¯ll see how good this kid¡¯s script actually is. If it¡¯s really promising, we¡¯ll throw more money at it!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Wang Zhonglei took out his phone. ¡°By the way, what if all these companies bid the maximum 500,000? According to the rules, whoever grabs the spot first has the priority for negotiations,¡± Wang Zhonglei asked. ¡°Why are you so sure they¡¯ll all bid 500,000?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Wang Zhonglei chuckled awkwardly and nodded. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll prepare for it first. If this kid has really written a great script, we can leverage our connections later and have a proper talk with him. There¡¯s no rule against cutting in halfway. I believe, with the Huayi Brothers¡¯ name behind us, if this kid has any sense, he¡¯ll know that working with us is his best choice.¡± Wang Zhongjun waved his hand. ¡°Get to work.¡± Wang Zhonglei began the preparations. ______ Meanwhile, as the five bidding slots were claimed by five major film companies, the news spread like wildfire. In an instant, it swept through the entire program team like a tidal wave! _____ Backstage at the Program Headquarters, Chief Director Hong Tao was reviewing other contestants¡¯ live streams with the judging panel when someone suddenly called out, ¡°Director! There¡¯s been a bid in Room 48¡¯s live stream!¡± ¡°What? A bid! Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Huan Yu Films!¡± a staff member said excitedly. Hong Tao drew in a sharp breath. ¡°This kid¡¯s incredible! Except for the very first competition, the last two editions never had a bid during the Top 32 knockout round! And now, during the competition I¡¯m hosting, someone bid! Amazing!¡± He was about to rush over when someone else shouted, ¡°Director! Ai Qi Yi has also bid!¡± ¡°Again!¡± Hong Tao paused in his tracks. ¡°Director, Jiaxing has also bid!¡± ¡°Director, Youku just entered as well!¡± ¡°All for Room 48?¡± ¡°Yes!!!¡± Hong Tao stood frozen in place, utterly stunned. Four first-tier film companies in the industry had almost simultaneously bid on the same script! This had never happened in any previous Top 32 knockout rounds! Even in the legendary first competition, no work had ever received this kind of attention! ¡°Director!!! Another bid just came in! The fifth slot has been taken!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Noon Sun Productions!!¡± Hong Tao: ¡°!!!!!!!!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. _____ At the same time, in various contestants¡¯ live streams, a ¡°bidding tsunami¡± swept through like a storm! [Guys, hurry! Go check out Lu Chen¡¯s live stream! It¡¯s blowing up again!].[What happened? What¡¯s going on?!].[I just stepped away for a moment. How is there another big event?].[A bidding frenzy! Five major film companies are all bidding on Lu Chen¡¯s script!].[What!!!!!!]. In an instant, the chatrooms across all streams exploded into chaos! Viewers Flood into Lu Chen¡¯s Livestream Fans from various contestants¡¯ livestreams lost their minds! Millions of viewers abandoned their original livestreams and flocked to Lu Chen¡¯s channel en masse. Some contestants¡¯ livestreams even saw their viewer counts drop to single digits! Meanwhile, Lu Chen¡¯s livestream viewer count skyrocketed. It climbed from 600,000 to 1 million, then 1.5 million, and finally surpassed 2 million concurrent viewers for the first time! When viewers saw the five gleaming tokens at the top of the screen, they were covered in goosebumps. [If I remember correctly, no other Top 32 knockout round has ever had five companies bidding simultaneously!].[Right, I recall that even in the first season, when Teacher Hai Yan won the championship, only three companies bid at the same time!].[Teacher Shu Ping only got one!].[This is history in the making! No, we¡¯re witnessing history!].[Five companies bidding?! Didn¡¯t the major film companies lose a ton of money last season? How are they going so crazy this time?!].[It¡¯s only Lu Chen¡¯s story getting this treatment. Look at the other contestants¡ªnot five, not even one company has bid!].[Film companies have such sharp eyes! They¡¯ve all spotted the potential in this script!].[I didn¡¯t feel much about the other companies, but the fact that Noon Sun joined¡ªI¡¯m absolutely stunned!!].[Me too!]. The barrage of comments overwhelmed the chat, creating a snowball effect. The massive influx of viewers caused severe lag in Lu Chen¡¯s livestream, prompting the production team to immediately allocate more bandwidth to stabilize the stream. _____ At the same time, the judging panel was touring different livestreams and providing critiques on contestants¡¯ works. After seeing Lu Chen¡¯s creative process and script concept, it was hard not to feel underwhelmed by the other contestants. Most of the others¡¯ works were filled with mundane family dramas or romantic tropes that failed to captivate interest. Nevertheless, the judges remained professional, offering serious feedback and sharing their perspectives. Meanwhile, host Xiao Sa was absentmindedly reading through the audience comments. What he saw left him completely stunned! He jumped up from his seat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Teacher Xiao Sa?¡± The judges were startled by his sudden movement. Xiao Sa¡¯s expression shifted dramatically. ¡°Teachers, Lu Chen¡¯s livestream has companies bidding on it! And not just one¡ªfive companies are bidding simultaneously!¡± The announcement shocked the panel. ¡°Five companies!¡± Aside from Liu Heping, the other three judges immediately stood up. Even though Liu Heping stayed seated, his pupils contracted visibly. ¡°Check the comments in the livestream¡ªthey¡¯re saying it¡¯s Huan Yu, Ai Qi Yi, Jiaxing, Youku, and Noon Sun!¡± ¡°Noon Sun joined too!¡± Shu Ping and Yan Gelin were utterly flabbergasted. Everyone knew that Noon Sun Productions had an impeccable reputation and prestige within the industry. Though they produced few works, every one of their dramas was a certified masterpiece or blockbuster hit¡ªsuch as Ode to Joy, The Disguiser, Family on a Journey, and All Is Well. Even Liu Heping¡¯s renowned anti-war classic The Advisors Alliance, though not produced by Noon Sun, was directed by Kong Sheng and Li Xue. Any script chosen by Noon Sun had the inherent potential to become a blockbuster. ¡°This is unbelievable! Back in my season¡¯s Top 32 knockout, even Brother Hai Yan¡¯s work only had three companies bidding. Who would¡¯ve thought Lu Chen¡¯s story could attract five top-tier companies?¡± ¡°Teacher Xiao Sa, let¡¯s go to Room 48 right now!¡± Yan Gelin suggested. Xiao Sa nodded eagerly and switched over to Lu Chen¡¯s livestream. ______ When the judges entered Lu Chen¡¯s stream and saw the row of company logos at the top, they couldn¡¯t help swallowing nervously. ¡°There really are five companies!¡± Chen Sicheng¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Are these people crazy? That kid hasn¡¯t written a single word of the main story yet! Why are so many companies bidding?¡± The sudden blow left Chen Sicheng completely dazed. ¡°And why is he just lying there?¡± Shu Ping couldn¡¯t help but laugh in disbelief. On screen, Lu Chen was still lounging on his reclining chair with his legs crossed, eyes closed, looking utterly relaxed and unbothered. Chapter 29 - Are You Serious? Writing Episode Summaries Instead of a Full Story?! Chapter 29: Are You Serious? Writing Episode Summaries Instead of a Full Story?! [Why is this guy still lying down?! It¡¯s been five minutes already!].[He¡¯s thinking! Give him a break, creativity takes time!]. Another five minutes passed. [Still not up? How long has it been now?!].[Maybe he¡¯s really stuck and can¡¯t think of anything.].[I told you he¡¯s overreaching. Look at him now¡ªcompletely stuck!]. Another five minutes went by, and Lu Chen still showed no signs of getting up. Yang Mi frowned as she glanced at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s been almost twenty minutes. Why hasn¡¯t he started yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, half the competition time has already passed!¡± ¡°Do you think the viewers are right? Maybe he¡¯s run out of ideas?¡± Some of the executives started to worry, fearing that their high expectations might lead to an even harder fall. Yang Mi furrowed her brows but tried to calm everyone down. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions yet.¡± _____ In the Judges¡¯ Room, even Shu Ping and the other judges were starting to feel restless. ¡°He¡¯s been lying there for almost twenty minutes. Should I ask a staff member to remind him?¡± Xiao Sa suggested. While it was normal to take a break to think, this was a competition, and there were over two million viewers watching live. Taking a twenty-minute break all at once seemed excessive. ¡°No need,¡± Liu Heping finally spoke, his calm voice carrying weight. ¡°He said earlier that he needed a longer time to think. Let him be.¡± Hearing this, Xiao Sa nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go with your call, Teacher Liu.¡± ¡°How about we check out some other livestreams in the meantime?¡± Yan Gelin suggested, clearly bored. ¡°No need! Look, he¡¯s up now,¡± Shu Ping suddenly pointed at the screen with excitement. Everyone immediately turned their attention back to the livestream. On the screen, Lu Chen finally rose from the chair like a giant awakening. ¡°Sorry to keep everyone waiting,¡± Lu Chen said as he stretched and casually greeted the livestream audience. He figured his long break might have caused some viewers to leave, maybe dropping the count by tens of thousands. But what could he do? Without those twenty minutes of preparation, there would be no explosive content in the next hour! ______ [Finally, he¡¯s up! I thought I¡¯d grow old waiting!].[Dude, I seriously thought you were doing a sleep stream!].[You¡¯re up now, great! Start writing! There¡¯s only an hour and a half left!].[Bro, this script has five companies bidding on it! You¡¯ve got to deliver big! Go, go, go!].[Don¡¯t waste your breath, he can¡¯t hear you.]. ______ Oblivious to the uproar outside, Lu Chen stretched his body and fingers before approaching his laptop. He adjusted the desk and chair height, preparing to work while standing. After opening a Word document, he took a deep breath and confidently typed in the title of the series¡ª[Breaking Ice Operation.]. ______ In the Livestream Chat. [Breaking Ice Operation? That¡¯s the title of the story?].[Ice refers to methamphetamine, so Breaking Ice means cracking down on drugs. The title fits perfectly!].[It has a straightforward anti-drug drama vibe!]. _____ In the Judges¡¯ Room. ¡°This title doesn¡¯t seem to align with the rural theme of the competition, does it?¡± Chen Sicheng said skeptically. ¡°The story involves Tazhai Village. Breaking the ¡®ice¡¯ is about taking down Tazhai, which ties into the theme,¡± Shu Ping countered. ¡°Exactly. The competition requires a rural theme, but the title doesn¡¯t have to include the word ¡®rural,¡¯¡± Yan Gelin added, shutting down Chen Sicheng¡¯s doubts. Chen Sicheng¡¯s temple throbbed visibly in frustration. _____ [Episode 1!]. Lu Chen¡¯s fingers danced over the keyboard as he wrote. [Members of the Dongshan City Police Department¡¯s Anti-Drug Task Force, Li Fei and Song Yang (the protagonist¡¯s friend and colleague), stake out for days and gather evidence of drug trafficking by Lin Shengwen. That night, they raid Tazhai Village, capturing Lin Shengwen. However, they are surrounded by hundreds of Tazhai villagers, forcing them into the Lin Family Ancestral Hall, where they face overwhelming odds. At the critical moment, village chief Lin Yaodong braves the rain to stop the villagers and allows Li Fei to take Lin Shengwen away. Unexpectedly, while Li Fei and his team let down their guard, the villagers destroy crucial evidence, causing the operation to fail. During the subsequent interrogation, Lin Shengwen arrogantly reveals a critical clue¡ªthere¡¯s a mole among their leadership. This revelation leaves Li Fei in shock¡­]. ¡­¡­ Seeing Lu Chen¡¯s unexpected and daring move, the livestream audience was instantly blown away! [Damn! You were asked to write a story, and you handwrite an entire script?!].[Are you crazy? Writing episodic scripts by hand? Bro, you¡¯ve been a rusty faucet for ten years, haven¡¯t you?!].[I¡¯m utterly stunned again!].[No way! After almost a 20-minute break, you come back with this bombshell!].[This move, I didn¡¯t see coming, but I¡¯m absolutely floored!!]. _____ At the Noon Sunlight Headquarters Office, when Hou Hongliang and his team saw this move, they were equally dumbfounded. Handwriting episodic scripts¡­ no, episodic plotlines! This maneuver¡­ Was way too bold, brother! Four consecutive Writing Competitions, yet no one had ever pulled off something this flamboyant! Lu Chen was undoubtedly the first! Hou Hongliang couldn¡¯t help but laugh, crossing his arms in amusement. Meanwhile, Kong Sheng was fully focused, carefully reading the content of the first episode. He picked out a few key points. ¡°Night raid on Tazhai!¡± ¡°Hundreds of villagers blockading the police!¡± ¡°Lin Yaodong destroys evidence right in front of the police!¡± ¡°Even uncovers an insider as the protector!¡± ¡°This!!!¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kong Sheng abruptly stood up. As one of the top domestic TV directors with multiple acclaimed dramas under his belt, just these few phrases were enough to conjure a vivid mental picture! ______ A rainy night, a drug bust! Surrounded by hundreds of villagers! This scene not only carried intense visual imagery but also immense emotional and dramatic impact! Moreover, just from this brief outline, the portrayal of Tazhai Village and Lin Yaodong was already vivid and aligned perfectly with the characterizations Lu Chen had previously described! ¡°Master! The opening scene of this first episode is spot-on and intense! It sets up both the tension and suspense perfectly!¡± Li Xue, filled with excitement, stood up as well. Kong Sheng nodded, ¡°This story¡¯s opening is very intriguing!¡± ¡°Since you both are so impressed, should I keep bidding?¡± Hou Hongliang, responsible for the company¡¯s operations, relied heavily on Kong Sheng and his apprentice for creative decisions. Seeing the pair so animated, even a blind man could tell they were thrilled with the opening. ¡°No rush, Old Hou, let¡¯s wait! Let¡¯s see two more episodes first! Now that we¡¯ve secured a spot, we already have the upper hand! No need to panic¡ªwhatever the bid is, we¡¯ll match it!¡± Kong Sheng, who had been indifferent earlier, was now fully engaged, staring at the screen without blinking. Those familiar with him knew this was his work mode. _____ Meanwhile, in the livestream, Lu Chen had finished writing the first episode. [To seize a shipment of one ton of drugs, Li Weimin meticulously planned the operation¡­ Episode Two: After discovering that Song Yang had ventured into danger alone, Li Fei went to the Beishan Chicken Farm to find him. However, he found only an empty car, with no sign of Song Yang. The handcuffs on the back seat hadn¡¯t been used. Sensing that something was amiss, Li Fei infiltrated the farm, leading to a fierce battle with the kidnappers holding Song Yang. After being injured and passing out, Li Fei¡¯s gun was used by the traffickers to kill Song Yang, framing him for the crime! Meanwhile, the Guangdong Anti-Drug Bureau closely monitored a transaction between Hong Kong businessman Zhao Jialiang and the traffickers. Upon learning of the gunfight at the chicken farm, Zhao Jialiang decided to immediately cancel the deal¡­]. ______ [Oh my god, Song Yang dies in just one episode?!].[He¡¯s killed in the second episode, and Li Fei gets framed?!].[It¡¯s Dongshu (Uncle Dong), for sure! He¡¯s the one pulling the strings!].[This ¡°borrowing the knife¡± move is ruthless! No wonder Lu Chen said earlier that Dongshu was cruel¡ªhe already had the plot in mind!].[Dongshu is absolutely lawless!!].[This is insane! Asked to write a story, and he literally produces episodic plots!].[God! Take my knees!].[Take mine too!]. As viewers bowed down to Lu Chen¡¯s audacious and groundbreaking move, the livestream saw yet another twist! A Cloud Pattern Token appeared once again! ¡ªXinli Media! They skyrocketed to the top spot, bumping Huan Yu Media to second place and ruthlessly kicking Noon Sunlight out of the livestream room! Viewers were puzzled¡ªwasn¡¯t it five spots? How could another company join? On closer inspection, the answer became clear¡ª-Xinli Media¡¯s bid: [200,000]! Chapter 30 - Is This Kid Trying to Become a King with This Competition? Chapter 30: Is This Kid Trying to Become a King with This Competition? [They¡¯ve gone up to 200,000! Xinli Media is going all out!].[Quick question, what¡¯s the actual bidding rule? If someone bids 200,000 and no one counters, do they just buy the script for that amount?].[Don¡¯t be ridiculous. A high bid only grants the right to exclusive negotiations. The final price still depends on further discussions between the production company and the screenwriter.].[For example, if the final price for the script is set at 3 million, the 200,000 is just a deposit.].[Then what happens to the other bidding companies? Is their money wasted?].[No, if they don¡¯t win the bid, they get their money back¡ªunless they drop out midway, which incurs a small fee.].[Got it.].[So basically, whoever wins the initial bid gains the upper hand, right?].[Exactly. It¡¯s the first-mover advantage¡ªit aligns with standard business logic. Whoever dares to be the first to act has the best chance.].[Makes sense now!]. With Xinli Media joining in, the bidding war officially kicked off! _____ Two minutes earlier, in the judges¡¯ room, the panel¡ªstunned by Lu Chen¡¯s episodic storytelling approach¡ªwas just as shocked as the audience. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Wow! This brat is really treating this as full-fledged scriptwriting!¡± Exclaimed Shu Ping, his jaw dropping in disbelief. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he never would¡¯ve believed it. How confident must this guy be in his own work and abilities to pull off something like this? ¡°Looks like his initial draft must¡¯ve been pretty complete,¡± Yan Geling speculated. ¡°No matter how complete his draft was, just look at this, Teacher Yan. He¡¯s already woven in Zhao Jialiang¡¯s storyline from the second episode¡ªand explicitly identified him as a Hong Kong businessman. What does that mean? ¡°It means that in those 20 minutes of thinking time, he managed to integrate Zhao Jialiang¡¯s plotline into the script! That¡¯s the truly astonishing part!¡± Shu Ping exclaimed. As someone deeply familiar with the challenges of scriptwriting, Shu Ping knew the sheer number of hurdles involved. Yet, Lu Chen¡¯s writing speed and coherence left him utterly speechless. If he hadn¡¯t witnessed Lu Chen piece the story together bit by bit¡ªfrom the countryside, to Tazhai, to Lin Yaodong, to Li Weimin, crafting a seamless narrative¡ªhe might have suspected that Lu Chen had planned it all beforehand. Or worse, that the show¡¯s producers had leaked the prompt to him in advance. But on second thought, that was impossible. With the reputation and influence of The Writing Competition in the industry, there was no way they¡¯d stoop to such tactics. So, Lu Chen¡¯s decision to dive straight into episodic storytelling left Shu Ping completely floored. ¡°Xiao Sa, could you check which school Lu Chen graduated from?¡± ¡°Of course, Teacher Shu Ping!¡± The equally dumbfounded Xiao Sa quickly flipped through the contestant dossier. When he found Lu Chen¡¯s page, his pupils contracted. ¡°No wonder!¡± ¡°What no wonder?¡± ¡°Lu Chen graduated from the National Film Academy!¡± ¡°The National Film Academy?¡± Shu Ping and the others were shocked. That¡¯s the top-tier institution for film and television in Longguo¡ªthere¡¯s no higher level! ¡°Not only that, but he was the top student of his graduating class!¡± Yan Geling drew a sharp breath. ¡°That makes him one in ten thousand of one in ten thousand!¡± ¡°And according to the records, during his time at school, he achieved a grand slam of honors and was named ¡®Outstanding Screenwriting Student¡¯ for four consecutive years!¡± ¡°This kid! Not only does he look good, but he¡¯s also insanely talented!¡± Shu Ping finally understood. It wasn¡¯t that Lu Chen¡¯s methods were over-the-top. His skill and talent were simply undeniable. ¡°No wonder he won first place in the regional competition as a graduate! I didn¡¯t realize he had such a background!¡± ¡°But his previous works were pretty average. They didn¡¯t show anything particularly outstanding,¡± chimed in Chen Sicheng, whose rising frustration couldn¡¯t be hidden as the judges heaped praise on Lu Chen. ¡°Teacher Chen, there¡¯s something called hiding your strengths, keeping a low profile, and biding your time! ¡°Maybe he held back during the regional competition to conserve energy, only to showcase his full potential during the nationals!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Chen Sicheng was once again at a loss for words. Shu Ping, watching Lu Chen feverishly drafting his script in the livestream, couldn¡¯t help but squint slightly. ¡°This kid has quite the ambition, doesn¡¯t he? Could it be that he¡¯s aiming to use this year¡¯s Writing Competition to become a king?¡± ¡°A king?¡± Yan Geling was visibly moved. Chen Sicheng, incredulous, chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Teacher Shu Ping, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration?¡± ¡°Exaggeration?¡± Shu Ping chuckled and said, ¡°Back in the first season, Teacher Hai Yan was also an unknown name before the national competition. But as soon as the nationals started, in the round of 32, he wrote the now-legendary Plainclothes Policeman. That script shook the entire industry. From there, he gained unstoppable momentum, and in the finals, his Everlasting Regret established him as a top-tier screenwriter. So tell me, Teacher Chen, do you think Hai Yan¡¯s story was exaggerated?¡± Shu Ping smiled as he countered. ¡°But that was Teacher Hai Yan, not Lu Chen!¡± ¡°Back then, Plainclothes Policeman only had three companies bidding. Lu Chen¡¯s Operation Icebreaker already has five¡­¡± Before Shu Ping could finish, another bidding animation appeared in the livestream. ¡°Another company has entered the bid! It¡¯s Xinli Media!¡± Xiao Sa exclaimed, ¡°And they¡¯ve bid another 200,000! The price has increased!¡± Shu Ping turned to Chen Sicheng, smiling faintly. ¡°Teacher Chen, my apologies, it¡¯s not five anymore. It¡¯s six now. This level of interest is double what Teacher Hai Yan had back then!¡± Hearing this, Chen Sicheng forced an awkward smile, but his expression visibly darkened. At the same time, Shu Ping¡¯s remarks, uttered so boldly, sent shockwaves through the livestream audience. [Teacher Shu Ping¡¯s words just gave me chills!].[The path to becoming a king is a battlefield littered with obstacles and sacrifices. To survive to the end is to forge greatness!].[I don¡¯t recognize last year¡¯s champion, but the first and second season champions, Teachers Hai Yan and Wang Shuping, are undisputed giants of the screenwriting world!].[Exactly¡ªone dominates realistic dramas, the other rules female-led epics. Both are kings in their respective domains!]. At that moment, the program team seemingly coincidentally gave Liu Heping a close-up. On-screen, Liu Heping¡¯s expression remained indifferent, calm, and unshaken¡­ But his eyes sparkled brightly, sharper than ever. Chapter 31 - Titans Clash! Huayi Joins the Fray, and Lu Chen Plays His Trump Card! Chapter 31: Titans Clash! Huayi Joins the Fray, and Lu Chen Plays His Trump Card! In the camera¡¯s background, Shu Ping and Yan Geling¡¯s eyes lingered on the man often called the god of screenwriting. Their gaze was filled with respect that never faded. After all, in the world of Dragon Nation screenwriting, there could be many kings. But there was only one God. And that was Liu Heping. From Peace in Peking, to The Yongzheng Dynasty, to the internationally renowned The Ming Dynasty 1566! Any one of these works would have been enough to immortalize a screenwriter. But Liu Heping wrote all three. His name carried immeasurable weight in the world of Dragon Nation television and film, his status as the top screenwriter uncontested to this day. Xiao Sa thought of asking Liu Heping for an interview. But after a moment¡¯s consideration, he decided against it. Liu was known for disliking excessive chatter, especially on sensitive topics¡ªit was better not to ask at all. ____ At that moment, as Xinli Media made its move on-screen, the other heavyweights¡ªJiaxing, Noon Sunlight, Huayi, and others¡ªwere stirred but not surprised. ¡°Boss, should we match the bid?¡± Qin Jie asked Yang Mi. Yang Mi paused for a moment before decisively waving her hand. ¡°Go ahead. Bid 300,000 right away!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± In an instant, Jiaxing Media stole the spotlight, claiming the top spot! This bold move set off a frenzy among the other companies. The bids quickly rose from 200,000 to 250,000! _____ ¡°Brother, how much should we bid?¡± In Huayi Brothers¡¯ office, Wang Zhonglei sought guidance from his older brother, Wang Zhongjun. ¡°Wait. Let¡¯s see if it goes up to 400,000, then we¡¯ll act.¡± ¡°Brother, are you thinking of going all-in?¡± ¡°If the script is good, going all-in is worth it.¡± Wang Zhongjun sipped his wine, exuding confidence and calm. Wang Zhonglei nodded in agreement. ¡°Brother, do you think Shu Ping¡¯s praise for contestant #48 is exaggerated? Could it just be part of the show¡¯s theatrics? Can this kid really be compared to Hai Yan?¡± ¡°When judging a screenwriter, ignore their fame and focus on their work. At least from what I¡¯ve seen, Lu Chen¡¯s Operation Icebreaker has a more compelling storyline than Hai Yan¡¯s Plainclothes Policeman from back then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I guess Hai Yan left such a strong impression on me that I¡¯ve been biased¡­¡± Wang Zhonglei said no more, simply sipping his wine as he continued watching the screen. _____ As Lu Chen kept progressing through episodes. [Episode 4: ¡­].[Episode 5: ¡­].[Episode 6: ¡­].[Episode 7: ¡­]. The competition clock was ticking fast! During this time, the bidding war reached its climax. When Aiqiyi made the first bid of 400,000¡­ Huayi struck! A 500,000 bid, all-in! They rocketed to the top of the leaderboard, causing a massive uproar. _____ [Holy crap! Huayi¡¯s in the game now!].[Hahaha, 500,000! They went all-in at once!].[This is why they¡¯re the titans of the industry. If they make a move, it¡¯s a guaranteed bombshell!].[Lu Chen must be baffled right now. ¡°I¡¯m just writing a story, why are you all going insane?¡±].[I really want to see Lu Chen¡¯s reaction when he steps out of his booth and learns about all this. What¡¯s his expression going to be?].[His mind will definitely be buzzing, no doubt about it!].[Forget about all that drama. Aren¡¯t you paying attention to how awesome the story is?].[Of course! It¡¯s incredible. Is Cai Yongqiang really Dongshu¡¯s protector? He sure seems like it!].[I think so too! The way he opposes Li Fei and releases people so easily¡ªit screams protector!].[And this Chen Guangrong guy doesn¡¯t seem trustworthy either.]. _____ As the bidding frenzy escalated, the audience was as engrossed in the story as they were in the competition. Lu Chen¡¯s narrative brilliance and the ferocity of the bidding war turned this round of The Writing Competition into an unforgettable clash of titans. As Lu Chen progressed to the 15th episode, the tension in the competition room reached its peak. In the judges¡¯ room, Xiao Sa glanced at the clock. ¡°There are only 20 minutes left until the competition ends! But from the looks of it, Lu Chen¡¯s script is only halfway done! He definitely won¡¯t finish in time!¡± Hearing this, Shu Ping and the others exchanged glances. ¡°Being able to write a story like this and draft 15 episodes in such a short time is already impressive!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s extraordinary,¡± Yan Geling said and corrected with emphasis. Chen Sicheng, standing off to the side, seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, held back. Still, there was a flicker of something peculiar in his eyes, as if he were hatching a plan¡­ _____ ¡°Xiao Sa!¡± Suddenly, the voice of chief director Hong Tao came through the microphone. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Please remind the contestants that there are 20 minutes remaining and urge them to wrap up!¡± ¡°Got it, Director!¡± Xiao Sa picked up the remote and made the announcement. ¡°Attention, contestants! There are only 20 minutes left in the competition. Please finish your drafts and make any necessary edits!¡± _____ Inside Lu Chen¡¯s room, hearing that only 20 minutes were left, Lu Chen felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn¡¯t realized how quickly time had passed! It felt like Xiao Sa had just announced that there was one hour left, and now 40 minutes had flown by in the blink of an eye. Lu Chen paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He had anticipated that he wouldn¡¯t finish all the episodes in time, but now the story was barely halfway through. The plot¡¯s climax had only just begun. Even if he forced himself to write as fast as possible, he could probably only manage another two or three episodes in the remaining time. But that wouldn¡¯t be enough to deliver the true climactic peak of the story. What now? What if the audience and judges weren¡¯t impressed? What could he do? After some frantic thinking, Lu Chen came up with an idea. He remembered that before the competition began, Xiao Sa had emphasized that contestants could write key dialogue for their characters. It was a way to enhance the story¡¯s appeal and capture the audience¡¯s and judges¡¯ attention. And dialogue is the soul of a character! It encapsulates their essence, their defining traits, and their impact on the story. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s the plan! I¡¯ll write dialogue!¡± Focusing on pivotal characters like Li Fei, Zhao Jialiang, Lin Zonghui, and Cai Yongqiang, and especially the story¡¯s core protagonist and antagonist¡ªLin Yaodong¡ªLu Chen decided to use the remaining 20 minutes to craft standout lines for each of them. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This bold move might just turn the tide. Faced with the pressure of advancing to the next stage, Lu Chen had no choice but to pull out all the stops and take this risky yet potentially brilliant approach! Chapter 32 - Explosive Dialogue Sparks a Frenzy! Chapter 32: Explosive Dialogue Sparks a Frenzy! At that moment, as Lu Chen suddenly stopped typing, both the viewers in the livestream and the judges were stunned. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Why did Lu Chen stop?].[There¡¯s still 20 minutes left! Keep going, Lu Chen! Write a couple more episodes!].[What¡¯s the relationship between Ma Yunbo and Li Fei? Don¡¯t stop now¡ªwe¡¯re at a critical point!].[He can¡¯t be giving up, right?].[Giving up? No way!]. While the audience buzzed with confusion, Lu Chen created a new document with a swift motion. [Wait, what¡¯s he doing now?].[Why start a new document?].[Is he not continuing the plot? There¡¯s still time to write more episodes!]. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Lu Chen typed a new title¡ª[Character Dialogues]. _____ [What the¡ªwriting character dialogues now?].[Can he actually do that?].[Haha, running out of time, Lu Chen¡¯s pulling out his trump card!].[I remember Xiao Sa said before the competition began that anything effective to impress the audience and judges was allowed¡ªincluding designing character dialogues.].[This is bold! He¡¯s really doing it!].[Other contestants have written dialogues too, but they were so generic and hollow. They didn¡¯t reflect the characters at all.].[Yeah, I saw some of them¡ª27 and 33¡¯s dialogues were painful to read. It felt like any random dog in their stories could¡¯ve said those lines. No soul at all.].[Those people need to read Lu Chen¡¯s story. It would blow their minds!].[To each their own, I guess. Not everyone likes Lu Chen¡¯s style¡ªthere are plenty of critics in this livestream too.].[Look, he¡¯s starting to write!]. _____ On-screen, Lu Chen paused for a moment before typing out the first character¡¯s name¡ª[Li Fei]. [¡°As long as I can bring down Tazhai, nothing else matters!¡± ¡°My mission isn¡¯t over. It¡¯ll only end the day Lin Yaodong faces justice!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay inside until the moment you break in. I¡¯m just a pawn, and I¡¯m willing to be one!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been over 20 years. Why haven¡¯t you come to see me? You need to look me in the eye. Come and see my mother. Light incense for her yourself!]. _____ [Wow, these lines really suit Li Fei¡¯s hot-blooded, vanguard personality.].[Feels like a passionate young man with a strong sense of justice!].[He might be a bit reckless, but his righteousness shines through¡ªtotally in character for Li Fei!].[This feels just right!]. ____ In the judges¡¯ room, the panel nodded in agreement. ¡°These lines match Li Fei¡¯s character well,¡± one of the judges noted. ¡°It seems Song Yang¡¯s death really solidified Li Fei¡¯s resolve to find the killer and bring down Tazhai!¡± ¡°With a friend like that, Song Yang didn¡¯t die in vain,¡± Xiao Sa added. ______ In his booth, after finishing Li Fei¡¯s lines, Lu Chen paused briefly before moving on to [Li Weimin]. [¡°Frontline officers often share bonds forged through life-and-death situations.¡± ¡°I, Li Weimin, act for the public good and don¡¯t engage in cliques or partisanship!¡± ¡°People who¡¯ve grown up with a sense of inferiority rarely make friends¡ªbut once they do, it¡¯s life and death!¡± ¡°Wearing this uniform means you must take a stand¡ªa stand for justice. That¡¯s the duty and responsibility of a People¡¯s Police Officer!¡± ¡°If Tazhai is an ant colony, then Lin Yaodong is the queen. The drug dealers in Dongshan are too brazen, too arrogant, utterly disregarding the law. This cannot be tolerated!¡± ¡°No matter who they are, what profession they¡¯re in, or what work they do, if they¡¯re involved with drugs, I, Li Weimin, will investigate to the very end!¡± ______ [Holy crap, Li Weimin¡¯s lines are so powerful!].[This feels like a commander rallying his troops before battle. Goosebumps!].[The ¡®ant colony¡¯ metaphor is incredible. It perfectly encapsulates the dynamic between Tazhai and Lin Yaodong!].[This is the soul of the anti-drug squad leader¡ªrighteous, relentless, and unyielding!]. As Lu Chen continued crafting explosive lines for his key characters, the atmosphere in the livestream grew electric, with viewers and judges alike captivated by the intensity and precision of his writing. The last 20 minutes of the competition had turned into a whirlwind of brilliance, leaving everyone eager for more! Later, [Zhao Jialiang]! [¡°Drugs are really interesting, they can make you abandon all family ties.¡± ¡°My life wasn¡¯t given to me by anyone. I earned it myself.¡± ¡°The day your mother died, my fate for the rest of my life was sealed¡ªto follow the path of revenge. As long as I can find the killer, death? I¡¯m not afraid.¡± ¡°Bury me with your mother.¡± ¡°Scopolamine! Scopolamine!¡±]. _____ [Cai Yongqiang]![¡°Being in the anti-drug profession comes with two risks¡ªone is the danger to your life, and the other is the danger of temptation.¡± ¡°Rumors and the truth are like twins. Rumors are impatient and take the lead. When people realize they¡¯re impostors, they¡¯re smacked down. But by the time the truth slowly emerges, people see that rumors and the truth¡ªthey look exactly alike.¡± ¡°Not everyone can see the truth, but everyone can become the truth.¡± ¡°Dongshan is this small. Go back three generations, and everyone¡¯s family. You can¡¯t implicate an entire clan just because some relatives are involved in drug trafficking, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a police officer. I believe in evidence. If there¡¯s evidence, there¡¯s a problem. If there isn¡¯t, there¡¯s no problem.¡± ______ [Lin Zonghui].[¡°I really regret it. Bad people¡ªI didn¡¯t finish them off completely. Good people¡ªam I even one of them?¡± ¡°Afraid I¡¯ll report you? Afraid I¡¯ll complain to the ancestors? You won¡¯t see the ancestors! You don¡¯t deserve to!¡± ¡°An outsider? I¡¯m just an outsider to Lin Yaodong!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the sinner of the Lin family! Can I even step into the ancestral hall? Will the ancestors still accept me?¡± ¡°The drugs in Tazhai¡ªit¡¯s time to clean them up!¡±]. ______ [Ma Yunbo].[¡°If mutual trust is also a kind of special relationship, then yes, I trust Li Fei!¡± ¡°He manufactures drugs, I fight drugs. From the moment we were born, we were destined to be mortal enemies!¡± ¡°Once someone has made money from drugs, they¡¯ll never stop. It¡¯s just like being addicted. Once someone¡¯s done the drug business, they can¡¯t look at any other business¡ªit¡¯s too slow, too hard compared to how fast and easy drug money is!¡± ¡°I know. Sweeping away the surface dust is easy, but it doesn¡¯t solve the root problem. Tomorrow, it¡¯ll be covered in even thicker dust. But I have to sweep it every day. Every honor, every award¡ªI must fight for them. For the brothers under me¡ªthey want honor, they need to eat!¡±]. ______ Reading these vivid lines, they leapt off the page. At this moment, millions of netizens were completely blown away! [Lines! These are what you call lines!].[Even though the words are just on paper, I can truly feel like everyone is shouting in front of me!].[Lin Zonghui¡¯s lines really hit deep! That inner conflict, that pain! It¡¯s so intense!].[When Lin Zonghui¡¯s storyline with Uncle Dong was written before, I already felt he still had some basic sense of right and wrong, just trapped by Uncle Dong. And sure enough! These lines reveal it perfectly!].[Cai Yongqiang¡¯s lines are so philosophical. These are brilliantly written, so profound!].[Yes, this character¡¯s lines definitely have depth.].[Li Weimin¡¯s line about being impartial and not forming cliques¡ªit amazed me!].[I think the most impressive one is still, ¡°Most frontline officers share a life-or-death bond!¡± How did Lu Chen come up with this? A freshly graduated college student, yet he can write lines so detailed and nuanced! Incredible!].[Although I criticized Lu Chen before, I have to admit, this line is genuinely great. For someone so young to write such lines, it¡¯s impressive!].[Isn¡¯t scopolamine a neurotoxic anesthetic?].[Yeah, in high doses, it¡¯s fatal!].[Li Fei¡¯s mother died from scopolamine. Zhao Jialiang mentioned it in episode 13.].[The name of this poison sounds like it carries a seductive aura of death.].[Love it! Hurry up and film the show already! These lines are amazing!!].[Don¡¯t rush. Uncle Dong¡¯s lines haven¡¯t come yet!].[Right, right, next it should be Uncle Dong¡¯s turn, right?!].[Uncle Dong¡¯s lines will definitely be epic! I firmly believe Lu Chen will write lines worthy of Uncle Dong¡¯s status!]. _____ Sure enough. After finishing the lines for the above characters, Lu Chen finally typed out the name [Lin Yaodong] in his document! At that moment! Millions of viewers!! Whether netizens, judges, or representatives from major film and TV companies watching on their screens¡­ They instinctively held their breath! Their hearts were in their throats! It was here! The lines everyone had been eagerly awaiting! They were finally coming! Chapter 33 - You Call Uncle Dong, and Uncle Dong Is Pleased, but Your Tone... Chapter 33: You Call Uncle Dong, and Uncle Dong Is Pleased, but Your Tone¡­ [Lin Yaodong].[Tazhai Arc.]. Lu Chen lit a cigarette and began typing. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [¡°Our Tazhai has a kindergarten, a nursing home, and our own factory. People can work within the village without needing to leave. We¡¯ve truly achieved it¡ªcare for the young, support for the elderly. How many villages in the province, the country, or even the world can say the same? Do they exist?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to share wealth, but sharing hardships¡ªnow that¡¯s truly difficult!¡± ¡°Although everyone in Tazhai shares the surname Lin, wherever there are people, there¡¯s competition. I want every Lin to remember¡ªit was me who led them to prosperity!¡± ¡°I want to build the largest, most magnificent, and most beautiful ancestral hall!¡± [Drug Trade Arc.].[¡°In our line of business, you can afford not to succeed, but you absolutely cannot afford to fail!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean by crime. Before the ancestors, my heart, Lin Yaodong¡¯s heart, belongs to my family. What do I want? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Our business is all about meeting demand, and the demand we meet¡­ is for an insatiable platform!¡± ¡°Tell me, where¡¯s my money?¡±]. [Personal Arc.].[¡°When Li Fei keeps pressing: Lin Yaodong: ¡®Joking with me, Lin Yaodong¡ªI don¡¯t like it. Joking with Tazhai¡ªI don¡¯t like it either.¡¯¡± ¡°When Lin Zonghui shows disloyalty: ¡®In life, there are three occasions when you need friends¡ªweddings, funerals, and standing trial for criminal charges.¡¯¡± ¡°Instructing young subordinates: ¡®Uncle Dong is just an ordinary man, too. I¡¯ve been looked down on and bullied. Today, if you¡¯ve been beaten, don¡¯t hate the people who hit you. Instead, think¡ªwhy aren¡¯t you strong enough?¡¯¡± ¡°Responding to Lin Shengwu¡¯s threats: ¡®Shengwu, I¡¯m pleased you called Uncle Dong, but your tone earlier¡ªI didn¡¯t like it. In Tazhai, only Uncle Dong threatens others. No one threatens Uncle Dong.¡¯¡± ____ With every classic line for Lin Yaodong, Lu Chen¡¯s blood boiled with excitement. It was as if he was breathing life into Lin Yaodong¡¯s character, sculpting and activating his soul piece by piece. Especially after writing the final line, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Not only because the line had a certain dark humor to it. But also because this line had already become a widely recognized internet meme! It could be said that everyone knew it! Now, Lu Chen exhaled deeply. He estimated that there were just a minute or two left in the competition. This should be enough. What happens next would be up to fate. However, come to think of it¡­ There was no reason this wouldn¡¯t work, right? Even if it wasn¡¯t finished, the sheer brilliance of what he had written so far made advancing to the next round practically certain. After all, in the realm of realistic television dramas, there were fewer than fifty shows with the reach and impact of Breaking Ice! If this phenomenal work couldn¡¯t advance, it wouldn¡¯t just be an insult to himself! It would also be an insult to the competition. An insult to judges like Liu Heping! So, with this thought, Lu Chen felt completely at ease! After all, his goal was just to make it to the next round. He wasn¡¯t expecting to win first place or anything. That should be a reasonable ask, right? ______ As Lu Chen officially wrapped up the character¡¯s dialogue writing¡­ In the live broadcast room, even though the audience¡¯s expectations had already been set sky-high¡­ When Lu Chen presented Lin Yaodong¡¯s multi-dimensional and multifaceted lines¡­ Every line that cut straight to the heart still set millions of viewers ablaze like an explosion. [Ah, Uncle Dong! My Uncle Dong!!].[These lines perfectly match my vision of Uncle Dong!].[As expected of the finale¡ªthese lines are too piercing!].[A guy in his early twenties can write wisdom you¡¯d only understand at forty-five?! Amazing!].[Pity I¡¯m not eloquent¡ªso all I can say is WOW!].[Uncle Dong¡¯s ¡°I like it¡± and ¡°I don¡¯t like it¡± lines have this inexplicable humor¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?!].[That ¡°Uncle Dong is pleased you called¡± line¡ªis it just me, or is it oddly addictive?].[Haha, I feel the same. That line really is a bit addictive.].[I¡¯m curious what Uncle Dong¡¯s mindset was in that moment.].[Uncle Dong: ¡®You writing me, I¡¯m pleased. But writing me as a drug lord¡ªI don¡¯t like it!¡¯].[You writing Breaking Ice, I¡¯m pleased. But only writing fifteen episodes¡ªI don¡¯t like it!]. The live broadcast room became a hotbed of memes and comedic extensions. _____ In the judges¡¯ room. Shuping couldn¡¯t wipe the smile off his face. ¡°These lines are really well designed. The character of Lin Yaodong has been fully brought to life!¡± ¡°Indeed, in both character and dialogue, this work really stands out! Teacher Shu Ping, I believe that if this drama is truly adapted into a TV series, the character of Lin Yaodong could definitely become an iconic example of an antagonist in this genre!¡± Yan Geling, like Shu Ping, was full of smiles and very satisfied. ¡°Yes, to write such a deep and relatable antagonist is impressive. I¡¯m really looking forward to the release of this series. However, it will also depend on the casting. If the actor isn¡¯t right, it might waste such a brilliant character.¡± At this point, Shu Ping¡¯s initial concerns about the script had shifted to the production aspect. A complex and captivating antagonist like this would require a seasoned actor to handle it. Otherwise, a good script might go to waste! ¡°Teacher Liu, what are your thoughts on the lines designed by Lu Chen?¡± Shu Ping asked. Liu He looked calmly at the words displayed on the projector. After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, ¡°The pressure is now on the film companies.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Shu Ping and Yan Geling burst into laughter. They didn¡¯t expect the usually serious Teacher Liu He to crack such a playful joke, which also showed his approval of the dialogue. On the side, Chen Sicheng had thought Shu Ping and Yan Geling might seek his opinion as well. To his surprise, Shu Ping and Yan Geling chose to completely ignore him. This left Chen Sicheng¡¯s face turning dark with frustration. ¡­ Now, Just as Liu He said, the pressure was indeed on the film companies. The current bidding situation was as follows. 1st place: Aiqiyi, bidding 500,000! 2nd place: Jiaxing, bidding 500,000! 3rd place: Youku, bidding 500,000! 4th place: Noon Sun, bidding 500,000! 5th place: Huayi Brothers, bidding 500,000! As for the first bidder, Huanyu Film, although they only offered 400,000 initially, let¡¯s not forget. They hold the absolute right of first refusal! They only need to add another 100,000 to retain their spot at the top! Thus! At the critical moment, Wang Zhongjun was getting anxious! Chapter 34 - A Stunning Eight Million! The Scores Begin! Chapter 34: A Stunning Eight Million! The Scores Begin! At the headquarters of Huayi Brothers, Wang Zhongjun was monitoring the live broadcast while making a phone call. ¡°Hello, President Wang!¡± ¡°Hello, President Li!¡± On the other end of the line was Li Da, the CEO of Huanyu Film. Wang Zhongjun chuckled, ¡°President Li, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Regarding this bidding, I hope you could let me have the spot. What do you think?¡± Li Da replied politely, ¡°Of course, President Wang. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so invested in this script!¡± Wang Zhongjun laughed, ¡°It¡¯s decent, has potential. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could let it go. Let¡¯s work together more in the future.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, President Wang, I¡ª Ah!¡± Midway through his sentence, there was a sudden exclamation from Li Da on the other end of the line. ¡°My apologies, President Wang, but my team just raised the bid by another 100,000 without my approval!¡± Hearing this, Wang Zhongjun quickly glanced at the live broadcast. Sure enough, Huanyu Film had once again jumped to the top spot, pushing his company out of the competition. Li Da kept apologizing over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, President Wang. My team can be so unreliable sometimes. But don¡¯t worry! Once I secure the project, we¡¯ll consider a collaboration!¡± Before he could finish speaking, the line went dead. ¡°, does Wang Zhongjun think he can make others give up such a prime project with just a few words?¡± Li Da scoffed as he tossed his phone onto the desk. Meanwhile, in Huayi Brothers¡¯ office, Wang Zhongjun¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Zhonglei, find a way to get me the contact information for No. 48!¡± ¡°Understood, brother!¡± Wang Zhonglei nodded, his face just as grim. ¡°Do they really think they can compete with Huayi for a script? Do they even have the capability?¡± ¡­ At the same time, in the meeting rooms of Jiaxing, Aiqiyi, Youku, and Noon Sun, similar scenes unfolded. ¡°The priority now is to negotiate with Lu Chen. We must secure the Breaking Ice Action project!¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± The sounds of determined voices echoed across various company offices. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the competition venue, the shrill sound of a bell marked the end of the three-hour creation phase. ¡°Attention, contestants! The competition has officially ended. Please stop working immediately and return to the broadcasting hall to await the results. The results of this round will be announced in one hour. Until then, please remain in the area and feel free to take a break!¡± The announcement from the host echoed in the studio. ¡°, finally over!¡± Lu Chen stretched, stepped out of the workspace, and took a deep breath of fresh air before quickly heading to the restroom. Three hours without a single bathroom break had left him desperate. As he took care of business, Lu Chen checked his emotional points balance. ¡ªEight million! What the heck? The last time he checked, it was only four million! It had doubled! This unexpected windfall left Lu Chen overjoyed. With so many points, he could now unlock so many things! Lu Chen felt like a newly rich man reveling in his fortune. ¡°How many people must have watched my live stream?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Eight million emotional points couldn¡¯t have come from just 20,000 or 30,000 viewers. Could it have been 40,000 or 50,000? Or even 60,000? Unfortunately, contestants were required to turn in their phones during the competition. Otherwise, he could have checked the live stream stats right now. Oh well, he¡¯d review everything after the competition. Not only to analyze the situation but also to prepare for the next round. With some free time on his hands, Lu Chen began exploring the system shop to see what he could do or buy with his eight million points. ¡­ Half an hour later, Lu Chen returned to the broadcasting hall after finishing his business. The hall was already buzzing with chatter. ¡°Wow, your story was so beautifully tragic. I think you¡¯ll definitely advance!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s exchange WeChat, Miss Luo Li.¡± ¡°Yeah, add us!¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± ¡­ While the other contestants mingled and complimented each other, Lu Chen quietly found a seat and waited for the results. He hadn¡¯t been sitting long when a chubby guy next to him leaned over. ¡°Hey, buddy, how¡¯d yours go?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Lu Chen replied modestly. But before they could continue, a guy with a flamboyant haircut overheard them and interjected. ¡°My story is definitely making the top three!¡± He flicked his hair dramatically and added, ¡°You should take the chance to add me on WeChat now. After this competition, I¡¯m going to be famous. When people ask if you know the great screenwriter, you¡¯ll feel proud!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± Without paying attention to the other person, Lu Chen closed his eyes and began resting, calmly waiting for time to pass. Soon, the hour was up! The doors of the studio opened once again. Host Xiao Sa and the four judges walked in. Lu Chen immediately opened his eyes. Like everyone else, he stood up and applauded! _____ Meanwhile, online. The long-waiting audience also grew excited. [Here they come! The judges are here!].[The results should be announced now, right?].[Lu Chen¡¯s got to be first, right?].[Take out the ¡°got to be¡± and the question mark! Lu Chen is number one!].[I gave him a perfect 10!].[Me too!].[I only gave him a 9. I was worried that a 10 might make him too full of himself!].[You upstairs¡ªyou¡¯re truly a unique talent!]. _____ ¡°Apologies, everyone, for the wait!¡± On stage, Xiao Sa spent two minutes saying a few pleasantries. Then he got to the point. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to announce the scores! Both the online audience ratings and the judges¡¯ scores have been tallied. We will announce the scores live, along with the rankings! The top 32 contestants will automatically advance to the next round and participate in the knockout stage. For those who don¡¯t advance, don¡¯t be discouraged. Getting this far already makes you champions without a crown! Now, we¡¯ll start with contestant number one and go all the way to number 64. Please listen closely to your own score and others¡¯¡ª It¡¯s good to have a sense of comparison! First up, contestant #1: Duan Mengkai. Your online audience score is¡­ Please look at the big screen!]. On the large screen at the back of the stage, a set of numbers rolled out. A glaring 5.6, clearly visible! Below that, a line of text read¡ª[Number of online participants: 2,356!]. As soon as the result was announced, Duan Mengkai turned ashen. ¡°Only 5.6?¡± ¡°There¡¯s pretty much no hope for advancing, right?¡± ¡°Probably not!¡± The contestants whispered among themselves. Xiao Sa continued, ¡°Now, let¡¯s have the judges give their scores!¡± Shu Ping: 6 points. Yan Gelin: 6 points. Liu Heping: 6 points. Chen Sicheng: 6 points. ¡°Judges¡¯ composite score: 6 points! Therefore, contestant #1, Duan Mengkai¡¯s final score is: 5.8 points! _____ [A brutal start!].[5.8? No chance for advancement with that score.].[So tragic. The first contestant has already become cannon fodder.]. The online audience was full of enthusiasm¡ªit was time for the ever-popular score announcements. ______ ¡°Next up is contestant #2¡­¡± [Number of online participants: 4,422. Online score: 6.1. Judges¡¯ score: 6. Final score: 6.05!]. ¡°Next, contestant #3¡­¡± ¡°Contestant #4¡­¡± All the way to contestant #10, the scores were consistently low. Only one contestant managed a final score above 7. In fact, all of the top ten contestants scored below 7, except for that one. Moreover, only two contestants had online voting participation exceeding 10,000. The chubby guy who had earlier asked Lu Chen about his score was contestant #9. His final score was only 6.5. This left him despondent, his face pale. Lu Chen comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry, everyone¡¯s scores are low. There¡¯s still a good chance!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Lu Chen¡¯s words were like a ray of sunshine in winter, reigniting the chubby guy¡¯s hope. Unfortunately, Lu Chen¡¯s encouragement turned out to be a jinx¡­ For contestants #11 to #20, scores suddenly shot up. Most final scores were above 7, with the first high score of 7.5 appearing! This caused a stir! Then came contestants #21 to #30. The scores became sharply polarized. The lowest dropped below 5. The highest broke into the 8s, reaching 8.1! And that contestant was #27, Su Luoli¡ªthe one that judge Chen Sicheng had praised earlier. Lu Chen suddenly remembered her name¡ªshe was the one receiving compliments when they first entered the hall! Her work had received unanimous praise from the judges. Chen Sicheng, in particular, seemed eager to collaborate with her, drawing envy from the other contestants! Meanwhile, the contestant who scored below 5 was someone Lu Chen also recognized¡ªthe ¡®emo-looking guy¡¯ sitting next to him. It was truly tragic, the kind of score you couldn¡¯t bear to look at. Only 524 people had participated in his online voting¡ªthe lowest so far. Online score: 4.5 points. Judges¡¯ score: 5 points. Final score: 4.75 points. This was practically a ¡®death sentence¡¯. Looking at the contestant¡¯s face, as deflated as a frostbitten eggplant, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It seemed like bragging too much, especially before results were certain, was never a good idea. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy. Four years later, you¡¯ll still be a brave warrior!¡± Lu Chen, feeling a twinge of pity, offered some consolation. Thankfully, despite the flamboyant bravado, the ¡®emo-looking guy¡¯ turned out to have decent character. He forced back his tears and nodded to Lu Chen in gratitude. This made Lu Chen feel even more sympathetic. _______ Then came contestants #31 to #40! This group was a real explosion! Out of ten, only four fell below 7 points. The remaining six scored no lower than 7.6¡ªOne even achieved an 8.6, breaking the record again! This contestant also had over 50,000 participants in the online voting¡ªThe highest so far! Her name? Chen Luze. Another female contestant. Her story¡¯s tagline? ¡°My Dad is the Village Chief!¡± It was a female-led narrative that garnered high praise from the judges for its originality. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise she¡¯s a strong contender for first place this round!¡± The chubby guy and the emo contestant both placed high hopes on #40. Lu Chen also offered enthusiastic applause. Though he didn¡¯t know the exact details of her story, her unique concept was clearly superior to many others. Her high score was well-deserved. ______ Next came contestants #41 to #50! ¡°Your turn¡¯s coming up, buddy!¡± ¡°Yeah, I hope you get a high score!¡± Both the chubby guy and the emo contestant wished Lu Chen well. ¡°Thanks!¡± The tension in the air was palpable, and even Lu Chen felt a bit nervous. Just then, host Xiao Sa made an unexpected announcement. He raised the microphone and said, ¡°Apologies, everyone, but we have a special situation to address. The results for contestant #48, Lu Chen, will not be announced yet. They¡¯ll be revealed at the very end! We will first announce the scores for the other nine contestants in this group. Thank you for your understanding.¡± The crowd erupted into murmurs! All the contestants exchanged bewildered looks. ¡°Who¡¯s this #48? That¡¯s quite a big deal!¡± ¡°They¡¯re saving him for last, like some grand finale?¡± In the chaos, the chubby guy and the emo contestant noticed the bright #48 on Lu Chen¡¯s chest. They were dumbfounded. Especially the emo guy. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Bro, turns out you¡¯re the hidden big shot!¡± Lu Chen was speechless. ¡°Dude, what did you write that¡¯s so impressive the show decided to save you for a grand reveal?¡± ¡°Yeah, tell us! What makes your story so extraordinary?¡± ¡°Honestly, I just wrote¡­ a story about anti-drug operations in the countryside.¡± ¡°Anti-drug operations in the countryside? What the¡ª? You turned a rural theme into a story about drug busts!¡± ¡°Mind-blowing! I never imagined you could connect a village setting with anti-drug campaigns!¡± Both the chubby guy and the emo contestant were completely stunned. They never expected someone to turn a rural theme into something so unique. ______ Meanwhile, the audience online was buzzing with excitement over the show¡¯s decision. [Haha, this arrangement fits Lu Chen¡¯s style perfectly!].[The program knows how to keep people hooked. The best contestant deserves the finale spot!].[I¡¯ve been waiting for Lu Chen¡¯s score, and now you¡¯re delaying it? I¡¯m speechless!]. ______ Even the judges exchanged knowing smiles. If Lu Chen¡¯s score was announced now, the show¡¯s impact would diminish. Hence, the decision to save his score for the grand finale! ______ As the scores for contestants #41 to #50 were revealed, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch! The lowest score was still an impressive 7.7. The highest? Another 8.6, tying with #40! It was shaping up to be a fierce battle for the top spot. Yet amidst all this, contestant #48 remained hidden, sparking the most intrigue of all. Everyone, from the audience to the contestants, eagerly awaited the moment when the mysterious #48 would be unveiled. _____ After contestant #51 onward, the scores plummeted. The highest was only 7.4, while the lowest fell to 5.8. These contestants were effectively out of the running. Lu Chen exhaled deeply. It was clear now. Aside from a few standout scores above 8, most hovered in the 7-point range. His advancement seemed secure. _____ ¡°Now, we will officially announce the results for contestant #48!¡± With the scores of the first 63 contestants revealed, the long-anticipated moment finally arrived! All ears were pricked. Every contestant¡¯s face betrayed a mixture of curiosity, anticipation, indifference, or even disdain. Some believed the delay was nothing more than a gimmick by the production team. ¡°Before we announce the score, let¡¯s first take a look at some data¡­¡± Xiao Sa gestured dramatically towards the screen. A cascade of numbers, with an effect resembling a meteor crashing to earth, appeared on the display! The chubby guy began counting aloud. ¡°Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands¡­ wait, millions!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Every contestant¡¯s mind was filled with question marks. Chapter 35 - Breaking Five New Records and an Eight-Company Bidding War That Stuns the Audience! Chapter 35: Breaking Five New Records and an Eight-Company Bidding War That Stuns the Audience! Watching the dumbfounded expressions of the contestants below the stage, including Lu Chen himself, everyone was in disbelief. What was this? Nearly two million! On stage, Xiao Sa and the others smirked subtly. ¡°You must all be wondering, what does this number represent? Now, let me reveal the answer!¡± Xiao Sa turned to the massive number on the screen and pointed at it. ¡°This is the number of viewers who participated in the online scoring for Contestant ¡°48¡¯s live stream¡ªa total of 1,987,654 people!¡± ¡°WHAT?!!!¡± The audience below the stage erupted like a thunderclap. The sound of astonishment nearly lifted the roof! ¡°Nearly two million people voted!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding! How is this even possible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! How many people watched his live stream to get that many votes? Two million? Three million?!¡± The contestants were losing their minds! Amidst the crowd, Lu Chen himself was utterly bewildered. Nearly two million votes for me! What in the¡­? ¡°Bro, turns out you¡¯re the real deal!¡± The chubby guy and the emo contestant were practically kneeling in awe of Lu Chen. Two million online votes! Holy crap! The previous highest-voted contestant only had around 50,000 votes¡ªalready leagues ahead of others. And now? The second place didn¡¯t even compare to a fraction of Lu Chen¡¯s numbers! What kind of story could attract millions of voters? What could possibly break through to such a monumental level? The disbelief was palpable among the standout contestants like Duan Mengkai, Su Luoli, and Chen Luze, who had previously been confident in their positions. Their faces turned pale with shock and disbelief. ______ Meanwhile, the live-stream audience, who had been waiting for over half an hour, finally had their patience rewarded as Xiao Sa revealed the truth. [Drums beating and bells ringing! Clear the way for the mighty Lu Chen!].[Breaking through the ice¡ªwho dares to challenge him?!].[Lu Chen deserves this fanfare!].[Charge! Let the world know the name of Tower Village!].[There¡¯s always someone better. It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not strong enough¡ªit¡¯s just bad luck to meet a genius like Lu Chen, a once-in-a-decade phenomenon!].[A phenomenon? Let¡¯s call him a legend!].[Youngsters, the future is yours, but the present belongs to Lu Chen!].[Honestly, I think the future is his too. (smirk emoji)]. Watching the once-proud contestants hang their heads, the online audience couldn¡¯t contain their satisfaction. _____ ¡°Now, everyone understands why we saved Contestant #48 for last,¡± Xiao Sa said, keeping his tone as calm and composed as possible. The contestants exchanged bewildered glances. ¡°Mr. Xiao Sa, who exactly is this #48? Could we have them stand up and show themselves?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s see who they are!¡± The curiosity among the contestants was at an all-time high. Xiao Sa turned his gaze towards the corner where Lu Chen was sitting. ¡°Since everyone¡¯s so eager, Lu Chen, how about greeting everyone?¡± All eyes turned towards him in unison. ¡°Boss Lu, show yourself!¡± The chubby guy and the emo contestant flanked him like loyal guards. Left with no choice, Lu Chen stood up and waved to the crowd. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Contestant #48, Lu Chen.¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°It¡¯s him! I noticed him earlier¡ªhe¡¯s seriously good-looking!¡± ¡°What kind of story did he write to get two million votes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous¡ªthis is truly the whole package¡ªhandsome and talented!¡± As Lu Chen made his appearance, the commotion reached an unprecedented level. On stage, watching Lu Chen steal the spotlight, Chen Sicheng narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly behind his back. ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, Lu Chen. The competition isn¡¯t over yet¡­¡± ______ After the brief introduction, Lu Chen sat back down. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t a fan of being in the limelight like this. If he were, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to be a screenwriter despite his good looks. ______ ¡°Alright, everyone, settle down. Now, we¡¯ll officially announce the comprehensive online score for Contestant #48, Lu Chen! Please look at the big screen!¡± Another massive number dropped dramatically onto the screen. 8.4 points! The contestants collectively gasped. While not the highest score among all contestants, it was undeniably in the top five! But the real shock lay in¡­ The gap was staggering. Most contestants only had a few thousand or tens of thousands of people rating their work, but Lu Chen had nearly two million! Everyone present understood the significance of such a massive base. As someone once said¡ªEven the biggest problem becomes small when divided by 1.3 billion. Even the smallest issue becomes huge when multiplied by 1.3 billion. The scale changed everything. To achieve a score of 8.4 from nearly two million people? What kind of story could this guy have possibly written? ______ While the contestants on-site were left stunned and overwhelmed, the live-stream audience was in an uproar¡ªangry, indignant, and loud. [What the heck, only 8.4! Who gave it a low score?].[I gave it a perfect 10!].[Same here, 10 all the way!].[I gave it a 9, but even that¡¯s higher than 8.4!].[There must¡¯ve been trolls giving it low scores to sabotage the result!].[Eh, every contestant has their share of fans and haters. Low scores are just part of the game. Still, even with those, this score crushes everyone else¡¯s.]. [Fair point!].[What nonsense! If a script doesn¡¯t achieve total domination, it¡¯s a failure!].[Only 8.4? How is my Uncle Dong supposed to hold his head high? I¡¯m upset now!]. ______ S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On stage, Xiao Sa addressed the crowd with a smile. ¡°For a score like this, I personally think it¡¯s phenomenal! Considering the massive audience base involved, this is an extraordinary achievement. The quality of this work is self-evident! Now, with the online scores officially revealed at 8.4, we¡¯ll proceed to the judges¡¯ scoring soon. But first, I have an important announcement¡ªor rather, some great news!¡± The contestants below exchanged puzzled glances, unsure what to expect next. Xiao Sa continued. ¡°After two editions spanning eight years, our ¡®Godlike Writers¡¯ Tournament¡¯ has once again witnessed a collective bidding frenzy during the Top 32 phase! Currently, Lu Chen¡¯s work, ¡®Operation Icebreaker,¡¯ a story centered on rural anti-drug operations, has attracted bids from eight top-tier film and television companies in the industry! These companies are¡ªHuanyu Film & TV! The company logo dramatically dropped onto the screen. iQIYI Pictures! Jaywalk Studio! Youku Pictures! Noon Sunshine Pictures! Xinli Media! Huayi Brothers! Light Media! ______ With each dramatic sound effect, the contestants sank further into a stunned silence. The logos on screen weren¡¯t just images, they were like boulders crashing into their hearts! Especially when names like Noon Sunshine and Huayi Brothers appeared¡ªthe shock was unbearable. ¡°Noon Sunshine is bidding on his script!¡± ¡°Even Huayi Brothers got involved!¡± ¡°This is insane. Why is Contestant #48 so exceptional?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to cry. Why did I have to compete in the same year as this godlike talent?!¡± ¡°Eight top-tier companies fighting over his script?! I¡¯m so envious my liver hurts!¡± ¡°Rural anti-drug operations?! That counts as a rural theme?¡± ¡°I thought my ¡®My Dad is the Village Chief¡¯ was original enough, but this blows everything out of the water!¡± ¡°This is insane! Just insane!¡± The contestants couldn¡¯t stop staring at Lu Chen, their faces green with envy. Whether their own scores were high or low didn¡¯t matter¡ªthe harsh reality was that no company had shown interest in their work. Meanwhile, Lu Chen had eight top companies fighting tooth and nail for his story! The massive disparity left even the most self-assured contestants utterly shattered. _____ ¡°Bro, please, let me add you on WeChat! I promise not to bother you, I just want to have you as a friend!¡± ¡°Same here, Big Boss Lu Chen, please accept my kneeling and let me add you on WeChat!¡± The chubby guy and the emo contestant looked at Lu Chen like he was their sun, moon, and stars. They were one step away from actually kneeling before him. Feeling awkward, Lu Chen reluctantly nodded and agreed to exchange contacts later. At this moment, he finally understood where his explosive emotion points came from¡ªTwo million viewers combined with eight companies in a bidding war. No wonder the numbers were so overwhelming. Lu Chen thought to himself, taking a deep breath. _____ Xiao Sa continued with the announcement. ¡°After multiple rounds of intense bidding, the top five companies have emerged victorious. These companies will now have priority to negotiate with Lu Chen over the script rights! Let¡¯s give a round of applause to celebrate this achievement and congratulate Lu Chen!¡± Xiao Sa led the applause, but the clapping from the audience was far from enthusiastic. They were all too consumed with jealousy to clap properly. Lu Chen scanned the room and noticed the murderous glares directed at him. If looks could kill, he¡¯d be riddled with holes by now. Even Xiao Sa, sensing the tension, smiled awkwardly. Though he understood their feelings, he had to keep the show going. Clearing his throat, he continued. ¡°Lu Chen has also set five new records in the Godlike Writers¡¯ Tournament, including. Highest online viewership Fastest rise in popularity index Highest comment index Most bidding companies for a single round Highest viewer retention rate These five groundbreaking records! Now, the long-awaited moment has arrived! What will the judges score for ¡®Operation Icebreaker¡¯? Let¡¯s welcome Judge Liu Heping for the first review!¡± The audience erupted into applause as Liu Heping stepped onto the stage. Meanwhile, onstage, Chen Sicheng clapped along, glancing at Lu Chen with narrowed eyes. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s time for the judges to score¡­¡± His lips curled into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile. Chapter 36 - A Perfect Score! One Step Away from First Place in the First Round! Chapter 36: A Perfect Score! One Step Away from First Place in the First Round! Liu Heping stepped forward and accepted the microphone handed to him by Xiao Sa. The contestants below all perked up their ears, eager to hear what this legendary screenwriter thought of Lu Chen¡¯s story. ¡°First, I want to congratulate Lu Chen on garnering attention from so many film companies and potentially having his first script adapted into a TV drama,¡± Liu Heping began, his voice calm yet commanding, creating an air of reverence among the contestants. ¡°Regarding this story, I have shared my thoughts several times during the live stream. In terms of concept and character development, Operation Icebreaker has many praiseworthy aspects. Although it follows the traditional format of an anti-drug police story, it breathes new life into the genre. The design of Tower Village, in particular, is a standout element that feels fresh and innovative. So, my final score for this story is¡­ 9 points!¡± As soon as the score was announced, the crowd erupted. Liu Heping had given a score of 9! This was unprecedented. Among the 63 contestants before Lu Chen, Liu Heping¡¯s highest score had been 8.5. Yet now, he¡¯d gone straight to 9. ¡°Holy crap!¡± The contestants¡¯ eyes burned hotter as they stared at Lu Chen. Lu Chen, feeling the intensity of their envious glares, could only laugh awkwardly. That said, even Lu Chen hadn¡¯t expected such a high score. He¡¯d assumed that Liu Heping, a legend in the screenwriting world, might give him 8 or 8.5 at most. Surprised yet grateful, Lu Chen stood up and bowed respectfully towards Liu Heping. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Liu!¡± Liu Heping nodded slightly without saying more, handed the microphone back to Xiao Sa, and returned to his spot. Xiao Sa commented, ¡°It seems Teacher Liu has a special fondness for this script. Nine points¡ªhis highest single score so far!¡± After a few transitional remarks, Xiao Sa continued, ¡°Next, let¡¯s welcome Teacher Yan Gelin!¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. _____ Yan Gelin strode to the front, her bold and forthright demeanor evident as she took the microphone. ¡°I have to admit, I didn¡¯t have high expectations for Lu Chen¡¯s story at first. I thought it would be yet another typical tale of a rural youth working hard to succeed. But as the plot unfolded, the character of Lin Yaodong became increasingly brilliant¡ªa villain so compelling he set a new benchmark for antagonists. It was then that I truly began to see this story in a new light. As Teacher Liu mentioned, the structure of this story is straightforward¡ªjust an anti-drug narrative. But the way you¡¯ve reimagined the rural setting into something so innovative and thrilling is remarkable! Lu Chen¡­¡± Yan Gelin¡¯s gaze fell on Lu Chen, who quickly stood up. Yan Gelin gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°The way you seamlessly integrated clan culture and ancestral hall traditions into the story, especially into Lin Yaodong¡¯s character, is extraordinary. In my opinion, among stories of this genre, your approach is unmatched!¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher Yan. Your praise is too generous!¡± Lu Chen bowed deeply. The other contestants were floored. What kind of god-tier story did this guy write? For Yan Gelin to say something like unmatched was practically a historic level of praise. The keywords swirling in their minds didn¡¯t even sound like they belonged to the same story, let alone a rural-themed one. ¡°So, my score is¡­ 9 points!¡± Gasps echoed through the room. Yan Gelin added with a smile, ¡°I honestly wanted to give it a 10. But after thinking it over, I decided to hold back one point. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how you¡¯ll outdo yourself in the next round! And congratulations, Lu Chen, on attracting bids from film companies. You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher Yan!¡± Lu Chen bowed again, expressing his gratitude. As Yan Gelin returned to her spot, Xiao Sa quipped, ¡°Lu Chen, are you feeling a little overwhelmed by Teacher Yan¡¯s glowing review?¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°It¡¯s more than a little¡ªI¡¯m completely overwhelmed! Thank you, Teacher Yan, for your kindness.¡± Deciding to remain standing, Lu Chen awaited the evaluations from the final two judges. ¡°Next, let¡¯s hear from Teacher Shu Ping!¡± _____ Shu Ping stepped forward, her expression calm yet contemplative as she prepared to share her thoughts. The audience fell silent, their anticipation reaching a fever pitch. Amid the applause, Shu Ping walked forward with a calm smile and took the microphone. Her gaze locked directly onto Lu Chen, who bowed respectfully. ¡°Regarding Lu Chen¡¯s story, Teachers Liu and Yan have essentially said everything I wanted to say. I believe the audience in the live stream is already well aware that during the writing session, I spoke the most about Lu Chen¡¯s work. So, rather than repeating compliments, I will express my opinion with a simple action¡ªMy score is¡­ 10 points!¡± The room instantly plunged into an atmosphere of extreme shock and awe. It was the first perfect score of this round! ______ In the audience, contestants were dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief. Some clutched their heads as if they couldn¡¯t process what had just happened. Even Xiao Sa appeared stunned by Shu Ping¡¯s score. But thinking back, it made sense¡ªduring the live stream, Shu Ping had been noticeably more animated than the other judges. Her praise and enthusiasm for the story had been unparalleled, especially in the latter stages. So, while shocking, the perfect score seemed justified. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Shu Ping!¡± Lu Chen bowed at a full 90 degrees to express his gratitude. With this, Lu Chen not only secured his spot in the next round but was now within reach of claiming the top spot for this round. If Chen Sicheng gave him a score of 8 or higher, first place would be locked in! _____ On stage, Xiao Sa couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°A perfect 10! The first 10 of the competition! Teacher Shu Ping, you¡¯ve truly delivered a critical hit!¡± Shu Ping waved her hand modestly and addressed the audience. ¡°I encourage all of you to rewatch the live stream after today¡¯s competition. I believe that once you see Lu Chen¡¯s creative process, you¡¯ll understand why I gave this score. I also believe that his work will inspire all of you. Thank you!¡± After speaking, Shu Ping handed the microphone back and returned to her spot. _____ Xiao Sa, still trying to steady his excitement, turned to the last judge. ¡°Teacher Chen Sicheng!¡± He gestured for Chen Sicheng to step forward. Amid the applause, Chen Sicheng walked onto the stage, smiling and waving to the audience before addressing Lu Chen. ¡°Lu Chen, hello.¡± ¡°Hello, Teacher Chen!¡± Lu Chen bowed again. ¡°First, congratulations on attracting bids from eight top-tier film companies. That¡¯s an incredible achievement!¡± Chen Sicheng gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Thank you!¡± Lu Chen nodded in gratitude. The contestants and audience immediately picked up on the familiar tone and gestures. Their despair was almost palpable as they watched Chen Sicheng prepare to deliver his verdict. ¡­¡­ Meanwhile, in the livestream chat, the viewers¡¯ comments painted a different picture. Viewer comments. [Hmm, why does it feel like scumbag Chen is suddenly being overly polite?][Yeah, I feel the same. He clearly didn¡¯t like Lu Chen before. Why the sudden change in attitude?][Something¡¯s fishy when things are out of the ordinary!][Could Chen Sicheng be planning to deliberately give Lu Chen a low score?][No way! He wouldn¡¯t dare give Breaking the Ice a low score, not even with a hundred times the courage!][Exactly! Three judges have already given it glowing reviews, plus the 2 million viewers gave it an 8.4! Not to mention the eight top-tier film companies vying for the script¡ªwhat reason could he have to score it low?][Just wait and see what he¡¯s up to. We¡¯ll know soon enough!] For a moment, countless viewers stared intently at their screens, afraid to miss a single word or detail! And now¡­ on-screen. After offering his congratulations, Chen Sicheng spoke again¡­ But this time, his opening words left Lu Chen momentarily stunned. Chen Sicheng began. ¡°Although contestant Lu Chen¡¯s performance is remarkable, with impressive achievements across various metrics, I want to emphasize that my evaluation of a work is not swayed by external factors. I personally place greater value on a story¡¯s coherence, structure, and commercial viability. And in the context of this competition, I also consider adherence to its rules. So while contestant Lu Chen¡¯s story is undoubtedly compelling, as a judge, I still have my own criteria and opinions. Before formally elaborating on my thoughts, let me first give this work a score to express my stance.¡± At this point, Chen Sicheng deliberately paused. His words immediately sent shockwaves through the livestream chat! ¡­¡­ Viewer comments. [What the hell does he mean by that?][I knew scumbag Chen was up to no good! And sure enough!][The moment I heard ¡®although,¡¯ I knew Chen Sicheng was about to pull something!] ¡­¡­ The three judges seated behind him simultaneously frowned, fixing their gaze on Chen Sicheng¡¯s back. Meanwhile, on the stage below, the contestants, who had been ready to wrap things up casually, were now wide-eyed and laser-focused on Chen Sicheng after hearing his sudden 180-degree shift in tone. They had assumed Chen Sicheng would follow the other judges¡¯ lead and ¡°go with the flow¡± or ¡°stick to the script.¡± But no one expected this! His words clearly implied a stance completely different from the other judges! In an instant, all the contestants held their breath, widened their eyes, and perked up their ears, eagerly awaiting what would come next. After a brief moment of contemplation, Chen Sicheng finally spoke again. ¡°So, the score I¡¯m giving is¡­¡± Chapter 37 - Chen Sicheng’s Shocking Score Sparks Nationwide Outrage! Chapter 37: Chen Sicheng¡¯s Shocking Score Sparks Nationwide Outrage! ¡°6 points!!¡± The moment Chen Sicheng announced his score, the atmosphere froze. Shock! At this moment, not only were the contestants on-site dumbfounded, but even the viewers in the livestream, executives at film companies watching on their screens, the three judges sitting behind Chen Sicheng, the host Xiao Sa, and every member of the directing team¡ªall of them were utterly stunned by this unexpected score. ¡°Mr. Chen, is this score¡­¡± Xiao Sa, thinking he had misheard, started to question him. But Chen Sicheng raised a hand, cutting him off. ¡°Please, Xiao Sa, let me finish first. I understand that my score will come as a huge surprise and might be difficult for everyone to comprehend. So, allow me to explain my reasoning¡ªplease hear me out. First and foremost, as I¡¯ve stated before, I evaluate a work solely based on my own understanding and standards. I am not swayed by external factors, no matter how outstanding they might be. I know many of you are curious as to why I gave such a low score¡ªjust six points¡ªto a work that has been highly sought after by film companies. My reasons are as follows. Reason 1: Lack of Completeness To put it bluntly, I find this story lacking in completeness. Compared to other works, Lu Chen¡¯s story feels like a half-finished product. While it does include a villain arc and a protagonist arc, with a detailed outline for fifteen episodes, the overall progression and development of intense conflicts are sparse. Within the fifteen episodes, I didn¡¯t see much in terms of further escalation or resolution. In terms of story completeness, I believe Lu Chen¡¯s work falls short. Of course, part of this can be attributed to the constraints of the competition¡¯s time limit. But that said, a competition is a competition, and rules are rules. If everyone competes under the same rules, then it¡¯s only fair to judge by the same standards. That¡¯s the first reason. Reason 2: Thematic Deviation I believe Lu Chen¡¯s story deviates significantly from the given theme. Summarized briefly, his story revolves around anti-drug operations in the countryside. Anti-drug and countryside¡ªtwo entirely different concepts¡ªare forcibly combined into a single narrative. What¡¯s more, the emphasis on anti-drug operations far outweighs the rural aspects, making the story feel unbalanced and top-heavy. In contrast, other contestants did a great job aligning their stories with the rural theme. For example, they explored rural life, rural romance, or rural history¡ªnatural extensions of the given theme. But Lu Chen¡¯s story, by comparison, stands out as bizarre and unconventional. The more you watch, the stranger it feels. The more you analyze, the more it strays from the theme. That¡¯s the second reason. Reason 3: Risky Creative Choices Those watching the livestream might already know this. Throughout the competition, I repeatedly highlighted how Lu Chen¡¯s story touched on many creative pitfalls. According to the competition¡¯s guidelines, Lu Chen¡¯s approach carries significant risks. Although we judges deliberated carefully, allowing him to continue was already an exception. Frankly, this is unfair to other contestants. This explains why Livestream #48 consistently maintained high popularity. Think about it¡ªwhat other contestant would write about a rural youth gradually becoming a smuggler and eventually a drug lord? This premise alone would draw attention. And because of this premise, Lu Chen¡¯s stream attracted a massive audience. It even created a false impression for film companies, making them believe that this story, once adapted into a drama, would undoubtedly be a hit. But as a director with some experience, I personally think Breaking the Ice doesn¡¯t have as much commercial value as it seems. Key Commercial Concerns. Niche Appeal¡ªThe story is rooted in the Guangdong province, focusing heavily on clan culture and ancestral halls¡ªtraditional concepts that might not resonate with the younger audience who dominate the viewership market. Character Demographics¡ªThe main characters are all older individuals. To be blunt, if this were adapted into a drama, it would become a midlife ensemble series. Do you think such a drama would appeal to younger audiences? Because of these reasons, the popularity of the livestream is somewhat misleading. When judged by market standards, I believe this story might not perform as well as everyone expects. There are too many similar cases to list, so I won¡¯t elaborate further. Final Verdict. In conclusion, based on these points, I gave it a score of six.¡± _______ With these words, Chen Sicheng turned his gaze towards Lu Chen onstage, smiling. ¡°Lu Chen, my critique is purely directed at your work and not at you as a person. On the contrary, I think you¡¯re incredibly talented. However, under the framework of this competition and its theme, your work simply failed to meet my expectations in several aspects. But don¡¯t be discouraged. I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll create even better stories in the next round!¡± _____ At this point, the camera panned to Lu Chen in the audience. What shocked everyone was that, despite Chen Sicheng¡¯s harsh criticism, Lu Chen¡¯s reaction¡­ Lu Chen¡¯s expression remained calm and unruffled, showing no trace of displeasure. Not only was there no hint of irritation on his face, but the corners of his mouth also carried a gentle, spring-like smile. This made Chen Sicheng¡¯s smile freeze. He hadn¡¯t expected Lu Chen to be so composed. ¡°Thank you for your feedback, Mr. Chen. I will work harder,¡± Lu Chen responded simply. As for Chen Sicheng¡¯s comments, Lu Chen didn¡¯t take them to heart at all. Would he not know whether Breaking Ice would be a success? S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even if Chen Sicheng criticized it to the heavens and raised all sorts of doubts, an excellent script couldn¡¯t truly be denied. That said, Chen Sicheng¡¯s ramblings and twisted reasoning clearly carried personal bias¡ªLu Chen was absolutely convinced of that. He just didn¡¯t know how he had offended him. But after all, Chen Sicheng was a judge. What he wanted to say was his business, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t control it. Getting into a confrontation? That was even less necessary. A move that would harm both parties wasn¡¯t worth it for Lu Chen. In the end, the outcome was already decided. Let him say what he wanted. A score of six? Fine. Winning first place had never been part of Lu Chen¡¯s plan. If he got it, great¡ªit would be the icing on the cake. If not, it didn¡¯t matter. What really mattered was advancing to the next stage. Therefore, Lu Chen remained so composed¡ªeverything was within his expectations. However, at this moment, seeing Lu Chen targeted so obviously yet still maintaining his calm, humility, and composure, the audience in the live stream exploded in anger! For a time, the comment section was filled with scathing attacks on Chen Sicheng! [Damn, I knew Chen, the scumbag, would make a fuss about the scores! He¡¯s so predictable!][I¡¯m absolutely fuming! His reasoning is complete nonsense! What does he mean by ¡®lack of completeness¡¯? Does a story have to spell out every detail for him to consider it high-quality?][The bias is so obvious it¡¯s laughable! Who was the one saying they¡¯d write a rural wartime story if it were them? And now, when contestants combine genres, he calls it off-topic? Double standards at their finest!][Agreed! How does he even have the nerve to say such things in front of us? And the part about deliberating with the other judges¡ªwhat a joke! When has he ever done anything but jump out to drag others down?][Lu Chen is too kind! He gets criticized and even has the rug pulled out from under him, yet he stays calm. If it were me, I¡¯d have started cursing ages ago!][Whoever picked this guy as a judge must have been blind!][I¡¯m so mad my blood pressure¡¯s through the roof! Just because he¡¯s had some box office success, he thinks he¡¯s the entire industry. Publicly undermining a contestant¡¯s work on a national stage¡ªis this guy even qualified to be a judge? Starting today, I¡¯m boycotting him for life!][The most disgusting thing is his backhanded compliments. If you¡¯re going to criticize, do it outright instead of playing these dirty games!] The audience was furious! ¡­ At the show¡¯s venue, Chen Sicheng felt quite pleased with himself after voicing his opinion. Though he could guess that the audience would be livid, he didn¡¯t care at all. Let them rant¡ªit wasn¡¯t like their words could harm him! On the contrary, the angrier they got, the happier he felt. After all, he was the judge. The scores were his to decide. He enjoyed seeing their frustration and powerlessness. As he reveled in his own satisfaction and prepared to hand over the microphone and return to his seat, a sudden, angry voice rang out from behind him. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± Startled, Chen Sicheng turned to see Yan Gelin step forward and snatch the microphone. Before Chen Sicheng could react, Yan Gelin pointed at him and said, ¡°Mr. Chen, scoring is your prerogative, but let me make this clear¡ªI completely disagree with your points!¡± The sudden turn of events stunned everyone present. Even Chen Sicheng hadn¡¯t expected Yan Gelin to step forward and openly challenge him at this moment. ¡°Mr. Yan, you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me! Let me finish!¡± Yan Gelin cut him off mid-sentence. Chapter 38 - Two Star Mentors Clash Publicly: Chapter 38: Two Star Mentors Clash Publicly: ¡°Lu Chen, Crush Them in the Next Round!¡± ¡°Mr. Chen, you claimed you gave six points because the story lacked completeness. So, I ask you¡ªwhat exactly defines a high level of completeness? Director team, bring up Lu Chen¡¯s live stream footage on the big screen!¡± Yan Gelin radiated authority. In no time, Lu Chen¡¯s live stream was projected onto the large screen, drawing the contestants¡¯ attention. The first thing they noticed was three massive whiteboards filled with dense writing. ¡°Whoa, he wrote this much?¡± ¡°I only filled one whiteboard!¡± The contestants were stunned! Pointing to the screen, Yan Gelin said, ¡°Mr. Chen, take a good look yourself¡ªwhere exactly does this story lack completeness? Antagonist Lin Yaodong, the Taizhai triad under him, Hao Yu Group, and the hidden protector umbrella in the background. On the other side, Li Weimin, Li Fei, and Zhao Jialiang. These three characters drive two intertwining plotlines, converging to take down Lin Yaodong! Look at the 15-episode breakdown¡ªlogical, focused, and layered with complex characters. This story has everything¡ªcompelling characters, a solid plot, meaningful themes, and depth. And yet, you call this incomplete?¡± ¡°Mr. Yan, I¡­¡± ¡°Let me finish!¡± Yan Gelin cut him off again. ¡°Let¡¯s move to your second point. You claimed the script was off-topic? If I recall, at the start of this show, you said that if it were you, you might write a rural wartime story. Think about it¡ªdidn¡¯t you combine the elements of rural life and war? So why is it off-topic when Lu Chen combines rural settings with anti-drug operations? Besides, his story design is crystal clear¡ªit¡¯s about dismantling the drug-ridden Taizhai village. Isn¡¯t a drug village still a village? How is that off-topic? Now, let¡¯s talk about ¡®homogeneity.¡¯ Throughout this competition, we¡¯ve repeatedly emphasized this issue. This round showed too many contestants choosing similar themes, resulting in repetitive plots, designs, and ideas. Do you think that¡¯s a good thing? And you keep bringing up program rules. Let me ask you¡ªwhat¡¯s the ultimate purpose of this competition? Is it to churn out formulaic writing? Or is it to discover compelling stories and showcase talented screenwriters to a broader audience? Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I firmly believe that¡¯s the true intention of this program¡ªnot the rigid rules you keep harping on!¡± Yan Gelin¡¯s words echoed powerfully through the hall, his bulging veins emphasizing his passion. Everyone present was captivated, unable to look away. ¡°Now, about your final critique¡ªcalling his script a ploy to grab attention by pushing creative boundaries. You¡¯ve made this accusation multiple times during live streams. I refuted you before, and I¡¯ll do it again now! Yes, I admit that Lu Chen¡¯s story initially attracted attention because it was unconventional. But that¡¯s because we didn¡¯t fully understand it yet. Misunderstandings are part of the creative process! Look at those whiteboards. Every step of his story¡¯s core development is laid out clearly. I, Ms. Shu Ping, Mr. Liu Heping, and countless viewers witnessed it firsthand. As a judge, are you really unable to grasp the creative techniques behind his story development? Rules, rules, rules¡ªthat¡¯s all you talk about! But there aren¡¯t that many rules in creativity! Let me make this clear¡ªI joined this panel to find great stories and discover outstanding screenwriting talent. As long as a story is created within reasonable and legal boundaries, and meets the program¡¯s objectives, that¡¯s what matters!¡± Yan Gelin¡¯s passionate rebuke left no room for doubt about where he stood. ¡°I think everything that happened in between is secondary! As for the so-called commercial value you mentioned, I have no comment on that. After all, I¡¯m just a screenwriter¡ªnot like you, a billionaire director! But regarding the first three points you mentioned, I personally disagree with all of them! In fact, I think those three points are completely nonsense!¡± ¡°Well said!¡± From behind¡­ When Yan Gelin said this, Shu Ping immediately applauded enthusiastically! Even Liu Heping clapped slightly, expressing his stance! Seeing the two major mentors clapping, the contestants, though initially stunned and bewildered, gradually began to clap in twos and threes as well! Eventually, the applause turned into a surging wave of applause! In the live broadcast, countless netizens were going wild at that moment, many moved to tears! [Teacher Yan gained so many fans with this one!].[Crying now! Teacher Yan is so bold, absolutely amazing!].[That felt so good¡ªslapping Chen Sicheng¡¯s face right on the spot! Love you, Teacher Yan!].[Cheering for Teacher Yan!].[Thank you, Teacher Yan, for speaking up and clearing Lu Chen¡¯s name!]. ¡­ On stage, even Xiao Sa was dumbfounded! He never imagined that the two major mentors would publicly clash on stage over Lu Chen! This¡­ Xiao Sa felt a whirlwind of emotions. While Chen Sicheng¡¯s critique was unexpected, Yan Gelin¡¯s bold rebuttal was even more shocking! ¡­ At this moment, without a doubt, the person with the darkest expression was Chen Sicheng! He never imagined that Yan Gelin would so openly contradict him during his review segment! And with such audacity! In an instant, feeling gravely offended, Chen Sicheng¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Teacher Yan, have you said enough? Can I say something now?¡± Yan Gelin didn¡¯t speak, indicating agreement. Chen Sicheng snorted coldly, ¡°You¡¯re entitled to disagree with my opinion, but I think you have no right to interfere with my scoring!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Teacher Chen. I didn¡¯t interfere with your scoring, nor did I intend to. Whether you give a six, a five, or even a zero today, I would never interfere with you. But I¡¯d like to remind you of something! Although you have the right to score, as fellow judges, we also have the right to supervise each other. If what you said today made sense, I would absolutely not refute a single word of yours! But your critique was so absurd, I feel obligated to comment on your statements!¡± ¡°My six-point score is my comment!¡± ¡°Fine, then stick to your opinion. I never intended to make you change your score. But you also cannot deprive me of my right to comment on your words!¡± ¡°You!¡± Chen Sicheng¡¯s chest heaved violently! ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t argue with you! But rest assured, I won¡¯t be influenced by you either! My evaluation of contestant Lu Chen is entirely genuine and sincere. Whether he chooses to listen or not is entirely up to him¡ªI won¡¯t force it!¡± ¡°Please, spare him the trouble of listening!¡± Yan Gelin was too fierce! She said whatever was on her mind! She suddenly shifted her focus, looking down at Lu Chen in the audience. ¡°Lu Chen!¡± ¡°Here, Teacher Yan!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let certain people¡¯s critiques affect your confidence and judgment! At least I, Teacher Shu Ping, and Teacher Liu Heping all greatly appreciate your creative style! For the upcoming Top 16 advancement round, I hope you give it your all and write even better stories!¡± ¡°Remember, the best weapon a screenwriter has is their story! You must use your stories to silence those who doubt you! Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher Yan!¡± Below the stage, Lu Chen nodded firmly, bowing in gratitude. Faced with Yan Gelin¡¯s willingness to disregard decorum and even her image to speak up for him, Lu Chen was naturally filled with gratitude. For the next advancement round, he planned to give his all and aim for first place. Otherwise, he would feel unworthy of the public support given to him today by Teachers Yan Gelin, Shu Ping, and Liu Heping. ¡°Good, keep it up! I have high hopes for you!¡± After finishing, Yan Gelin didn¡¯t pay Chen Sicheng any more attention. She handed the microphone forcefully back to Xiao Sa and returned to the lineup. Chen Sicheng¡¯s face was as dark as a storm cloud, nearly on the verge of losing control. But considering the live broadcast, he managed to suppress his anger, said nothing, and returned to his place. Witnessing the incredibly awkward atmosphere, Xiao Sa felt immense pressure! With no choice, he went all out to mediate the situation. Smiling, he said, ¡°Everyone! Although the discussion between the two judges was quite intense, I believe they were both expressing their personal opinions with the intent of being responsible to the contestants and the competition. As contestants, I think everyone should feel fortunate that the judges are this dedicated! So now¡­ Let¡¯s give a round of applause for both judges!¡± Xiao Sa led the applause! From the audience, applause broke out again. Seeing the atmosphere finally improve a bit, Xiao Sa didn¡¯t dare delay further and got straight to the point. ¡°Now, I will officially announce contestant Lu Chen¡¯s final score for this round. Online score: 8.4. Judges¡¯ scores: 9, 9, 10, and 6, for an average score of 8.5. So, contestant Lu Chen¡¯s final score is: 8.45!¡± Another round of applause followed¡­ ¡°With this, the Top 32 contestants for this round have been determined! Next, please look at the big screen!¡± On the screen, the rankings of the Top 32 were displayed in order of their scores. Unexpectedly, Lu Chen ranked fourth! [This is ridiculous! The work with the most explosive popularity this round, breaking multiple records, only ranked fourth! Who would believe this, people?].[Yeah, it¡¯s absurd¡ªdidn¡¯t even make it into the top three!].[That scumbag Chen single-handedly destroyed what could¡¯ve been a perfect result!!].[Don¡¯t worry, the trending topics tonight will definitely be filled with criticism of Chen Sicheng!].[What¡¯s the use of criticizing him? He¡¯s a judge!].[Public pressure will get to him!].[I just want to punch that jerk Chen! He¡¯s just jealous of Lu Chen, jealous!!].[Jealous? Don¡¯t flatter yourself. He¡¯s a billionaire director! What does Lu Chen even have?].[Haha, stop being sarcastic! It¡¯s only the Top 32 for now, there¡¯s a long way to go in the competition!].[Come on, if he¡¯s so great, let him write a Detective Chinatown or Beijing Love Story!].[Relax, Breaking Ice will definitely be better than that scumbag Chen¡¯s Beijing Love Story! Mark my words!].[Haha, so pretentious! Who wouldn¡¯t brag like that~].[Exactly, let¡¯s see if he even makes it past the Top 16 round before bragging!]. In the livestream chat, Lu Chen¡¯s fans and Chen Sicheng¡¯s fans unexpectedly started a heated argument! Both sides fired verbal shots at each other. But ultimately, thanks to Lu Chen¡¯s overwhelming number of fans, Chen Sicheng¡¯s side was utterly defeated. ¡­ With the announcement of the Top 32, this round of the competition officially came to an end. Xiao Sa stood center stage, holding the microphone, and said loudly, ¡°Dear audience, this concludes this round of the competition! In ten days, we will begin the next round¡ªthe Top 16 advancement! Please take some time to follow the Godlike Writing Contest accounts on Douyin and Weibo To stay updated on the latest program developments! Lastly, thank you all for accompanying us for nearly five hours! Let¡¯s meet again in ten days for Godlike Writing!¡± After Xiao Sa announced the schedule for the next round, the competition officially ended! Contestants and judges began leaving the venue, and the livestream ended. ¡­ Ten minutes later! In the director¡¯s office. ¡°Come in!¡± ¡°Director, you wanted to see me?¡± Lu Chen pushed open the door, looking puzzled. After the competition ended, Lu Chen, like the other contestants, was preparing to pack up and go home. Unexpectedly, a staff member informed him That Director Hong Tao wanted to see him. So, Lu Chen came. ¡°Come, come, take a seat.¡± Hong Tao gestured to a chair in front of him. Lu Chen sat down. Hong Tao, smiling wryly, immediately started venting, ¡°Lu Chen, I asked for a rural story, and your Tazhai¡ªwhat even is that?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Director, rural anti-drug stories are still rural stories, right? Just tell me¡ªdid I stick to the theme or not?¡± ¡°Fine, fine, I was just joking.¡± Hong Tao waved it off with a laugh. ¡°Actually, I called you in to discuss tomorrow¡¯s group bidding meeting at 2 p.m.¡± ¡°Group bidding? Tomorrow afternoon?¡± ¡°Why? Do you have other plans?¡± Hong Tao asked. Chapter 39 - The Sealed Super IP – In the Name of the People Chapter 39: The Sealed Super IP ¨C In the Name of the People ¡°No problem.¡± Lu Chen shook his head. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll briefly explain the rules. Tomorrow, after you meet with these companies, you can choose the one you¡¯re satisfied with. If the negotiations fall through, according to the show¡¯s rules, you can assign the script to any company you want. However, the maximum price they can offer will be 500,000. That said, I believe with competition among these companies, someone will offer a good price. The details will depend on your discussions tomorrow. The show won¡¯t take a single penny from the transaction¡ªour only requirement is that the drama includes the Godlike Writing Contest logo during its broadcast.¡± Lu Chen nodded. It seemed this competition was genuinely striving to support the screenwriting industry in Longguo. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s one more thing I need to tell you.¡± Hong Tao suddenly appeared a bit embarrassed. ¡°Go ahead, Director.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. Initially, eight companies were bidding, and five were selected for priority negotiations. However, three companies have since withdrawn from the bidding. Specifically, Guangxian, Xinli, and Youku. It¡¯s likely because of what Chen Sicheng said on stage earlier, which made them reconsider. So, in the end, only five companies will be negotiating with you for the script.¡± After finishing, Hong Tao glanced at Lu Chen, only to find that the latter showed no change in expression. Lu Chen calmly nodded. ¡°Got it, Director.¡± Hong Tao was slightly stunned and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Lu Chen, don¡¯t take Chen Sicheng¡¯s words too seriously. Every judge has their own perspective, after all.¡± ¡°I understand, Director.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad you see it that way. Let¡¯s exchange contact information so I can notify you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± After exchanging numbers, Lu Chen took his leave. He hailed a random cab downstairs and headed back to his rented apartment. During the competition, Lu Chen rented a place in the heart of the city. The environment was nice, though it was a bit far from the venue. In the car, sitting in the backseat with nothing else to do, Lu Chen checked his emotional value. It was still at 8 million, without any change. ¡°Looks like emotional value can only be gained during the competition.¡± ¡°This is a bit troublesome¡ªit reduces my ¡®income¡¯ streams.¡± Lu Chen smacked his lips. He had already decided how to spend the 8 million. First, he¡¯d spend 1 million to further enhance his physique. Next, he¡¯d use 2 million to upgrade his negotiation aura! The system described it in a very mystical way¡ªIt claimed the aura would increase his negotiation authority by 50%! Just in time for tomorrow¡¯s negotiations, so it was worth exchanging for it. As for the remaining 5 million, Lu Chen decided to save it for now. After all, the next round of the competition would require this money to exchange for scripts. From his exploration of the system, Lu Chen discovered that the most expensive items weren¡¯t lifespan or physique upgrades. But scripts! For example, Breaking the Ice, a show about drug raids in a rural village, cost 3 million emotional value to exchange. Meanwhile, Nirvana in Fire cost a whopping 6.3 million! It was entirely out of Lu Chen¡¯s budget. But what shocked him the most was the script for the universally acclaimed political drama¡ªIn the Name of the People! Its exchange price was a staggering 7 million emotional value! The kicker? Even with the emotional value, Lu Chen couldn¡¯t buy it. The script was currently locked. The reason for the lock was even more ridiculous¡ªThe host¡¯s current reputation is insufficient for this exchange. ¡°Do I need my personal reputation to match the script¡¯s level?¡± Lu Chen was speechless. It must be another one of the system¡¯s quirky rules¡­ But on second thought, it made sense. The level of this drama was simply too high! It could be said to be unparalleled in its genre¡ªan absolute classic! If the next prompt for this competition ended up being something related to realistic themes, and Lu Chen brought out this drama¡­ The level of shock it would create would be far beyond the likes of Breaking the Ice, a story centered on a single drug-dealing village. It would probably cause a nationwide uproar from top to bottom. Thinking this through, it seemed reasonable for the script to remain locked for now. In summary, the hotter the drama, the higher the emotional value required! Which was fair enough. Therefore, Lu Chen decided to reserve 5 million as a safety net. After all, he had no idea what kind of prompt the competition would set next¡­ If the prompt turned out to be expensive, and he couldn¡¯t exchange for a script, he¡¯d be screwed! With 5 million, he figured he¡¯d be adequately prepared. With that thought, Lu Chen closed the system panel. He took out his phone to check his WeChat messages. As expected, there was a long list of unread messages. Feeling overwhelmed, Lu Chen chose to ignore them for now. He opened Douyin instead, intending to relax by watching some videos. And the first thing he saw? The viral clip of Yan Gelin and Chen Sicheng arguing on stage. Lu Chen was speechless. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll be trending today, at the very least!¡± Curious, Lu Chen opened the trending list. He glanced at the hot search section! Lu Chen was dumbfounded on the spot! Out of the top ten trending topics, six were related to him! [Hot Search #1: #Yan Gelin and Chen Sicheng Clash Over Breaking Ice Contestant!].[Hot Search #2: #The Creation Process of Breaking Ice].[Hot Search #3: #Lu Chen¡¯s Identity Revealed]. The rest were a string of related topics all about him! Lu Chen took a sharp breath! He had anticipated that Breaking Ice would get some buzz, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this explosive! ¡°Guangxian, Xinli, Youku¡ªthey really lack vision!¡± Lu Chen chuckled sarcastically. As for the remaining five companies. He wasn¡¯t very familiar with Huanyu, so he reserved judgment. Aiqiyi, a powerful online entertainment platform, was well-funded. Jiaxing? Wasn¡¯t that Yang Mi¡¯s company? A company that primarily produces period dramas and romance¡ªwhat business did they have with Breaking Ice? Jiaxing was off the table! If they took it on, it wouldn¡¯t be a good start, but a complete disaster! Then there was Huayi Brothers¡­ Honestly, Lu Chen wasn¡¯t fond of them. Despite being a big company, they didn¡¯t have the best reputation. He instinctively felt resistant. The one he had the most confidence in was Daylight Entertainment. Their reputation was excellent, and their productions were of consistently high quality! Among the five, they seemed the most suitable. ¡°Let¡¯s see what price they offer tomorrow.¡± Lu Chen wasn¡¯t in a rush to make a decision, he¡¯d wait to see how the negotiations played out. After returning to his apartment, feeling utterly exhausted, Lu Chen collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. _____ Meanwhile, online, the buzz continued to intensify! Especially Chen Sicheng¡¯s infamous six-point critique, which had sparked a massive uproar. The backlash wasn¡¯t just about his nitpicking of the story itself, but more critically, his outright dismissal of the story¡¯s audience appeal and popularity. It was like saying to people who loved eating rice. ¡°Rice isn¡¯t that great, not many people eat it!¡± This kind of arrogance, dismissing others¡¯ preferences, naturally provoked strong resistance from many netizens. One such netizen was Song Xiaoling. She loved the story of Breaking Ice, especially the character Lin Yaodong, who had completely captivated her! As a small, relatively unknown Douyin cosplay streamer, Song Xiaoling often uploaded personal cosplay videos. Unfortunately, her videos didn¡¯t gain much traction, and her follower count grew very slowly. Now, she wanted to cosplay characters from Breaking Ice To support Lu Chen. The problem? Most of the key characters in the story were middle-aged men! The only notable female character was essentially a minor role with little impact. Cosplaying her would be pointless. Just as she was feeling stuck, Her father came home. Looking at her father¡¯s somewhat lean figure and his rimless glasses, she realized his appearance and demeanor bore a striking resemblance to Lin Yaodong! Without hesitation, Song Xiaoling decided to have her father cosplay! Unable to resist his daughter¡¯s enthusiasm, her father reluctantly agreed to the shoot. With Song Xiaoling¡¯s makeup skills, her father donned a traditional Zhongshan suit and cleaned his glasses. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He fully transformed into Lin Yaodong. After four long hours of repeated filming, the video was finally complete! It featured the iconic scene of Lin Yaodong making a phone call, delivering the classic line¡ª¡±Uncle Dong is happy you called¡­¡± Once the video was done, Song Xiaoling eagerly edited it. The final product left her thoroughly satisfied! She felt her father genuinely captured Lin Yaodong¡¯s essence. Confident, Song Xiaoling uploaded the video to her account. She was sure the video would go viral! But over an hour passed, and the views barely surpassed 200. Although the comments were positive, The numbers simply weren¡¯t going up! Disheartened, Song Xiaoling couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. She had hoped the video would blow up¡­ But then she reminded herself¡ªher primary goal was to support Lu Chen. Even if just one person appreciated it, it was worth it! Late at night, Song Xiaoling gave up on waiting and went to bed. The next morning, she woke up eager to check if the video had reached 1,000 views. What she saw in the analytics left her jumping up in excitement! The video hadn¡¯t just gone viral. It had absolutely exploded!!! Chapter 40 - Uncle Dong’s Cosplay Goes Viral! Breaking Ice Finds a Buyer! Chapter 40: Uncle Dong¡¯s Cosplay Goes Viral! Breaking Ice Finds a Buyer! In just one night, the video amassed 80 million views, over 2 million likes, and more than 150,000 comments. Gaining her 300,000 new followers! Seeing these stats, Song Xiaoling was utterly stunned! ¡°Ahhh!!¡± The next moment, she was dancing excitedly on her bed! _____ Meanwhile, in his apartment, Lu Chen woke up feeling extraordinarily refreshed, both physically and mentally! It seemed his body strengthening had required extensive rest, which explained why he slept so soundly the previous night. As he casually made some breakfast, Lu Chen ate while reviewing footage of yesterday¡¯s competition. After watching the video, he finally realized Chen Sicheng¡¯s prejudice against him had been evident from the start. ¡°No wonder he targeted me yesterday.¡± Lu Chen smirked. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Jealous of my good looks? Or maybe he sensed my extraordinary talent and felt envious?¡± Everyone knew that Chen Sicheng, nicknamed Pretentious King, was not only highly narcissistic but also immensely proud of his abilities. He had frequently boasted in public about his excellence. As an actor, he made it to the top tier. As a director, he was the first to direct a film grossing over 10 billion. As a screenwriter, he was also among the best! He was a rare, all-rounder double threat in the entertainment industry¡ªa mix of good looks and talent! However, precisely because of his constant self-praise, he had earned the nickname Pretentious King. ¡°Great¡­ Looks like Pretentious King Chen will probably try to trip me up in the upcoming rounds.¡± ¡°And what? Just because of Beijing Love Story and the Detective Chinatown series?¡± Lu Chen chuckled, ¡°Ridiculous.¡± _____ At 1 PM, Lu Chen received a call from Hong Tao. He was instructed to head to the program headquarters. The representatives from the five competing production companies had already started arriving. In the taxi, Lu Chen sat in the backseat with his eyes closed, resting. From the front row, a girl¡¯s fingers were tapping away on her phone. ¡°Who is this Lin Yaodong? Why are there so many cosplay videos of him?¡± ¡°Lin Yaodong? Uncle Dong! You don¡¯t know him?¡± The driver asked. ¡°Nope. Is he a character from a TV show or a movie?¡± ¡°Miss, haven¡¯t you heard of the Godlike Writing Contest?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ve heard of it. Why?¡± ¡°This Lin Yaodong is the main villain in the most buzzworthy story from yesterday¡ªa big drug lord. He¡¯s super charismatic!¡± The driver eagerly explained. Hearing their conversation, Lu Chen, sitting in the back, was thankful he had worn large sunglasses. Otherwise, he¡¯d likely have been recognized. He pulled out his phone and checked Douyin, finding countless Lin Yaodong cosplay videos. Some of them were quite well done. But since Lu Chen had the original image of Wang Jinsong in his mind, These ¡®Uncle Dong¡¯ cosplays still fell far short. After the driver finished explaining, the girl finally understood. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what it is! No wonder so many influencers are doing cosplay. I¡¯ve seen over 20 of these videos this morning. But they¡¯re pretty cool¡ªsome of them really capture the vibe!¡± ¡°Right? That Chen Sicheng guy even said yesterday this story wouldn¡¯t be popular. Look at it now¡ªjust the cosplay trend alone is exploding. Imagine how huge it¡¯ll be when it becomes a TV series!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll definitely check out this drama when it¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Me too. Hopefully, the quality will hold up!¡± Listening to their conversation, Lu Chen nodded to himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such high anticipation from netizens. Looks like I need to focus even more on maintaining quality!¡± ______ One hour later, inside the program¡¯s meeting room, Lu Chen was seated, ready to face interviews from the five competing production companies. The glass door was gently knocked. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lu Chen. I¡¯m Qin Shuang, head of drama production at Huanyu Entertainment.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Qin!¡± The first to be called in was Huanyu Entertainment. After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Shuang opened a PowerPoint presentation, enthusiastically showcasing Huanyu¡¯s past works¡ªLegend of Lu Zhen, Story of Yanxi Palace and Arsenal Military Academy. Lu Chen was stunned. ¡°Story of Yanxi Palace? Your boss is Yu Zheng?¡± ¡°Director Yu is our company¡¯s co-founder and lead director. Our boss¡¯s name is Li Da, Mr. Lu,¡± Qin Shuang explained with a smile. Lu Chen nodded. So, Huanyu Entertainment was another company in the same vein as Jiaxing¡­ In his mind, Lu Chen pressed the pass button! Ultimately, Huanyu Entertainment offered a price of 3 million plus 15% screenwriter royalties. It was only at this point that Lu Chen¡¯s understanding of the screenwriting industry in this parallel world suddenly awakened. He was stunned. He hadn¡¯t realized screenwriting was such a lucrative field here! Soon after, it was time for the next group¡ªAiqiyi. Like Huanyu Entertainment, they started with a polished PPT showcasing their company¡¯s background and portfolio. The presentation was flashy, but Lu Chen wasn¡¯t impressed. Their offer was also 3 million, but they upped the royalties to 17%. Lu Chen thought. Next up was Jiaxing. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, hello.¡± To Lu Chen¡¯s surprise, the team from Jiaxing was led by none other than Yang Mi herself. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yang. It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± The two shook hands warmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to receive Mr. Lu Chen¡¯s favor. It seems we¡¯re destined to work together,¡± Yang Mi said with a saccharine smile. Lu Chen recognized her strategy immediately¡ªit was a classic attempt to play on emotions and build rapport. He didn¡¯t fall for it. ¡°Ms. Yang, shall we get started?¡± ¡°Of course, let¡¯s begin¡­¡± Yang Mi was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Lu Chen to be so serious and straightforward. She quickly pivoted to presenting her company¡¯s strengths. Like Huanyu and Aiqiyi, she talked about Jiaxing¡¯s background and portfolio. But her twist was that she proposed specific celebrity casting choices for the roles. However, Lu Chen was speechless when he realized her plan. She intended to turn Breaking Ice, a middle-aged ensemble drama, into an idol drama! This was utterly unacceptable. ¡°Uncle could bear it, but Auntie definitely could not!¡± His earlier decision to preemptively pass on Jiaxing was now validated. Jiaxing¡¯s final offer was 2 million in cash plus 15% basic royalties. Any sense of sincerity completely crumbled at this point. Once the Jiaxing team left the meeting room, Lu Chen let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Finally got rid of them!¡± ¡°Next up¡ªDaylight Entertainment!¡± The glass door opened, and three tall men walked in. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lu Chen. I¡¯m Hou Hongliang from Daylight Entertainment. This is Director Kong Sheng, and this is Director Li Xue.¡± Lu Chen¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected the Iron Triangle to show up in person! Their level of sincerity far surpassed Yang Mi¡¯s. ¡°Hello, esteemed teachers.¡± After some polite small talk, they all sat down. Hou Hongliang pulled out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, this is the proposal we worked overnight to prepare for Breaking Ice. Please take a look.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± Lu Chen took the documents and began flipping through them. From the very first page, he was impressed. Daylight Entertainment planned for both Kong Sheng and Li Xue to co-direct Breaking Ice! This level of sincerity was outstanding! The proposal covered every detail meticulously¡ªfilming locations, crew size, production scale, costumes, props, and more! It was all thoroughly planned out. Lu Chen was incredulous. ¡°Mr. Hou, Director Kong, Director Li¡ªdid your team really prepare this entire proposal overnight?¡± Hou Hongliang nodded with a smile. ¡°Directors Kong and Li worked through the night to finalize this proposal. We hope it meets your expectations, Mr. Lu Chen.¡± Lu Chen glanced at Kong Sheng and Li Xue, both sporting panda-like dark circles under their eyes, along with Hou¡¯s own tired expression. Their sincerity deeply moved him. Daylight Entertainment truly lived up to his expectations¡ªthey were reliable in every way. Their final offer was 4 million plus 25% screenwriter royalties, the most generous and sincere offer of all! At this point, Lu Chen was nearly certain Breaking Ice would go to Daylight Entertainment. However, there was still one more group¡ªHuayi Brothers. So, he had to keep Daylight Entertainment on hold for now. _____ For the final interview, the team from Huayi Brothers entered the meeting room. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lu Chen. I¡¯m Li Kai, the Deputy General Manager of Huayi Brothers Entertainment.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Li.¡± Skipping formalities, they sat down, and Li Kai pulled out a box from his briefcase. From the box, he took out a long rectangular piece of paper and placed it on the table. Lu Chen looked closely. It was a blank check! Li Kai smiled. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, I¡¯ll skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. We at Huayi Brothers are very interested in your story. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware of our resources and capabilities. Our Chairman has authorized me to give you this blank check. You can write down any amount you want. We at Huayi would be delighted to work with you!¡± Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: ¡°Breaking the Ice¡± to Premiere in Seven Days! Lu Chen¡¯s expression shifted from surprise to amusement. Was this¡­ throwing money at him? ¡°So I can fill in any amount I want, Manager Li?¡± Li Kai¡¯s smile stiffened slightly. ¡°Of course¡­ within a reasonable limit.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Five million.¡± Lu Chen immediately lost interest. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, I believe this offer is quite sincere, isn¡¯t it?¡± Li Kai rested his chin on his hands, pretending to be a master negotiator. ¡°What about the scriptwriter¡¯s royalties?¡± Lu Chen countered. ¡°This amount is the buyout price for all royalties.¡± ¡°So besides five million, there¡¯s nothing else?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Sure enough, Hua Yi¡¯s bad reputation had its reasons. ¡°Mr. Lu, if you have any concerns, we can discuss them and resolve them right now.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be blunt. Others offer a few million plus royalties. While your five million looks impressive at first glance, the total value of their offer is definitely higher. So tell me, what concerns could I possibly have?¡± ¡°Mr. Lu, as an emerging scriptwriter, I believe you should focus more on the strength of the production company rather than just a single contract. You must be aware of Hua Yi¡¯s standing in the film and television industry. Choosing us would be a huge boost to your career development! This is a rare opportunity to build your reputation¡ªisn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I appreciate your kindness, and I do recognize Hua Yi¡¯s strength, but I have my own plans.¡± Li Kai was still trying to persuade him. ¡°Mr. Lu, Hua Yi holds nearly half of the major stars in the industry. If you work with us, we could provide an incredibly star-studded cast.¡± ¡°Big-name actors are certainly a selling point, but that doesn¡¯t mean only they can make a good show. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Mr. Li Kai?¡± Hearing this, the smile on Li Kai¡¯s face faded significantly. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, even if you don¡¯t care about big-name actors, what about distribution? What about the platforms? I¡¯m not exaggerating¡ªmany scriptwriters have risen to fame overnight by working with Hua Yi! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And let me say something that might sound offensive. Can you guarantee that your next story will be better than this one? So, an opportunity missed is an opportunity lost forever!¡± Hearing this, Lu Chen felt a little irritated. ¡°Mr. Li Kai, maybe we can work together another time.¡± Lu Chen didn¡¯t waste any more words and extended his hand. Li Kai hesitated for a moment, clearly feeling the overwhelming presence radiating from Lu Chen. ¡°Alright, since Mr. Lu Chen has made up his mind, I hope we¡¯ll have a chance to collaborate in the future!¡± They shook hands briefly. Li Kai picked up the blank check and left the meeting room with his team. Not long after, Noon Sunshine, who had been given a second chance at negotiations, returned to the meeting room. The two sides hit it off immediately and signed the contract! Hou Hongliang and his team finally felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, when do you expect to submit the script?¡± Hou Hongliang asked. Lu Chen thought for a moment. ¡°Three days. I¡¯ll have it ready in three days.¡± ¡°Three days?¡± Hou Hongliang asked and the others were visibly shaken. ¡°Will that be enough time?¡± ¡°You guys managed to put together an entire project proposal overnight. Finishing the script in three days doesn¡¯t seem that fast in comparison,¡± Lu Chen replied with a smile. Hou Hongliang and his team exchanged glances. ¡°If you can deliver the script in three days, I might be able to complete the first three episodes before your next competition round! Maybe we could even release it before the competition starts!¡± Kong Sheng said. That left Lu Chen dumbfounded. ¡°Premiering Breaking the Ice in about a week?¡± ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t that normal?¡± Kong Sheng looked at him in confusion. Hou Hongliang chuckled. ¡°Mr. Lu Chen, you¡¯re a scriptwriter and a newcomer, so you might not be too familiar with our industry. The production and airing of TV dramas usually happen simultaneously. The typical cycle is about one to two months.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°!!!¡± It suddenly dawned on him. The filming model in Longguo was quite similar to South Korea¡¯s. Instead of completing the entire production, waiting for approval, and then airing it, most shows followed the process that Hou Hongliang described¡ªwriting, filming, and broadcasting simultaneously. The advantage? It drastically improved efficiency and reduced financial risks! And shorter filming times didn¡¯t necessarily mean lower quality! Look at the golden era of Hong Kong cinema. That was the birthplace of this fast-shooting model. Many legendary classics were made in short cycles! Take the famous Young and Dangerous series, for example. Most of them were shot in just a few days or a couple of weeks. Even Infernal Affairs, a cinematic masterpiece in the Chinese film industry, only took one month to film. Then there¡¯s The Eagle Shooting Heroes, a comedy classic¡ªwrapped up in just two weeks! And the most extreme case¡ªThe Kung Fu Cult Master, the legendary wuxia film with the famous meme-worthy line, ¡°My combat power is 6,000, while his is at least 10,000!¡± From set construction to filming, the entire process took only seven days! So, a short production cycle didn¡¯t necessarily mean poor quality. What really mattered was the director¡¯s skills, the production team¡¯s execution, and the professionalism of the actors! With that in mind¡­ Lu Chen finally understood Kong Sheng¡¯s bold claim¡ªfilming three episodes in seven days and immediately airing them. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising. It really seemed possible that Breaking the Ice could premiere before his second-round competition began. ¡°Alright, President Hou, Director Kong, Director Li¡ªI¡¯ll do my best to get the script done as soon as possible!¡± If he weren¡¯t deliberately keeping a low profile, he could¡¯ve finished it in an hour, let alone three days. ¡°Great! We¡¯ll start preparing in the meantime¡ªscouting suitable actors and finalizing the casting after we receive the script. Oh, and Mr. Lu, if you have any recommendations for casting, feel free to let us know.¡± Lu Chen thought for a moment. ¡°Actually, I do have someone in mind for Uncle Dong. I¡¯ll hand you the script when it¡¯s done, and you can reach out to him to see if he¡¯s available.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sounds good!¡± Hou Hongliang nodded. ¡°Oh, by the way, Lu, was your conversation with Hua Yi unpleasant? They looked pretty upset when they left,¡± Li Xue suddenly chimed in. ¡°It wasn¡¯t unpleasant¡ªjust a standard negotiation.¡± Lu Chen smiled. Though, to be fair, he had indeed used his commanding aura towards the end to shut down Li Kai. Otherwise, that guy would¡¯ve kept rambling for another half an hour. Hou Hongliang scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s just how Hua Yi operates¡ªoverbearing and arrogant, like they own the entire film industry.¡± ¡°They used to be impressive, but their recent works have been a disaster,¡± Kong Sheng snorted. With business settled, Lu Chen returned to his apartment. Over the next few days, he worked nonstop on the script.bTwo days later, he sent it to Hou Hongliang. Which shocked the latter once again. At this pace, Breaking the Ice could definitely premiere before the Top 16 tournament! ¡°Oh, by the way, Lu, I have some good news for you!¡± Hou Hongliang¡¯s voice carried clear excitement. ¡°It¡¯s about the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department!¡± Chapter 42 - Joint Production! Lu Chen’s Determination!! Chapter 42: Joint Production! Lu Chen¡¯s Determination!! ¡°Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department?¡± Lu Chen was momentarily stunned. ¡°Yes. Over the past couple of days, while our drama project was under approval, the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department must have caught wind of it. A senior official called me personally¡ªthey want to co-produce the series. Of course, they¡¯re not asking for a share in the profits. It¡¯s mainly for naming rights. But in terms of production, they¡¯re willing to provide personnel and filming locations.¡± Hearing this, Lu Chen suddenly recalled that in his previous life, Breaking the Ice had also been sponsored and named by the Guangdong police. He hadn¡¯t expected his version of Breaking the Ice to receive the same treatment. ¡°This is fantastic news!¡± Lu Chen exclaimed in delight. ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s why I wanted to share it with you.¡± ¡°Great! Let¡¯s all celebrate together. Wishing Breaking the Ice a smooth production, President Hou!¡± ¡°Of course! By the way, I¡¯ll transfer your payment shortly¡ªremember to check your account.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Shortly after hanging up, Lu Chen received a bank notification¡ª4 million had been deposited into his account! That was some serious efficiency! No wonder Noon Sunshine had such a stellar reputation! Beyond their high standards for quality productions, what made the company beloved in the industry was their deep respect for screenwriters. Not only did they never shortchange writers, but they also settled payments immediately after every collaboration. There were even rumors that, to ensure writers had the best possible creative environment, production crews would stay in cheap motels while putting their writers up in five-star hotels. This writer-friendly philosophy was precisely why Noon Sunshine kept attracting top-tier scripts, allowing them to produce one masterpiece after another. ¡°Hmm¡­ If I get the chance, I should write Nirvana in Fire for them. It would be a win-win situation.¡± Lu Chen glanced at his script repository¡ªNirvana in Fire was right there. That meant this parallel world had never seen the show before. Since Noon Sunshine had proven to be a solid partner, why not collaborate multiple times? He could establish a long-term working relationship with them. After all, Breaking the Ice was just the beginning! The very first step¡­ To be honest, Lu Chen hadn¡¯t even exerted himself in the Top 32 competition. He had merely done enough to advance. But for the upcoming Top 16 competition¡ªHis mindset was completely different! Not to mention the immense trust and support he had received from industry veterans like Yan Geling, Shu Ping, and Liu Heping. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t let them down! On a personal level¡ªLu Chen believed that the Top 16 competition was the true national-level showdown! This time, he would go all out! He would make sure that every round featured a timeless, blockbuster-level script. He wanted to give his audience more amazing stories to enjoy and wanted to shut up all the haters! Take Chen Sicheng, for example. Didn¡¯t he dismiss Breaking the Ice as mediocre? Fine¡ªLu Chen would write an even more mind-blowing script to blow him away! For a screenwriter, the greatest weapon is their story! That was one of Teacher Yan¡¯s most famous quotes¡ªLu Chen had taken it to heart! So, for the Top 16 competition¡ªHe would stop at nothing to win! The championship title? That was his to claim! Nobody was taking it away from him! Meanwhile, at Noon Sunshine¡¯s headquarters, after receiving the script, Hou Hongliang and his two colleagues immediately read through it. Once they finished¡ªAll three of them were left stunned and in complete awe! ¡°This kid is unbelievable! He¡¯s going to be a big deal in the future!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kong Sheng¡¯s eyes widened to the size of saucers. ¡°Yeah. To produce a script of this caliber in just two days¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a screenwriter this talented before! He¡¯s a natural-born genius!¡± Li Xue was utterly amazed. ¡°Looks like we made the right bet!¡± Hou Hongliang smiled as he admired the intricately detailed, suspenseful script in his hands. His grin was practically overflowing with excitement. ¡°This guy¡­ is an absolute genius!¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t turn this into a blockbuster, I¡¯d be letting you down!¡± Kong Sheng declared with conviction. Holding the script, he couldn¡¯t put it down¡ªhe was eager to dive right into production. Hou Hongliang chuckled. ¡°If we don¡¯t make this a hit, it¡¯s not just me you¡¯d be letting down¡ªit¡¯d be an injustice to Screenwriter Lu.¡± ¡°Right, right. Good point.¡± The three men exchanged knowing smiles. ¡°So we¡¯re going with our planned cast. Huang Jingyu for Li Fei, Wu Gang for Li Weimin, and Zhao Jialiang¡­ I already reached out to Ren Dahua. He¡¯s really interested in the story and has agreed to take part. But the most crucial role¡ªLin Yaodong¡ªhas Lu picked someone for that?¡± Li Xue asked. ¡°He has. Wang Jinsong.¡± Hou Hongliang flipped to the title page. There, in a small note easily overlooked, it read. [Wang Jinsong as Lin Yaodong.] ¡°Wang Jinsong? Hmm, why would Lu Chen choose him? He¡¯s notorious in the industry for being difficult. Not very famous, but extremely picky about scripts¡ªif the script isn¡¯t solid, no amount of money can persuade him to take the role.¡± Li Xue was surprised. ¡°Well, considering he starred in The Ming Dynasty 1566 and Peace in Beijing, it¡¯s no surprise that he holds high standards for scripts,¡± Kong Sheng remarked. ¡°True. Wang Jinsong¡¯s talent is undeniable. Now that I think about it, his appearance and demeanor really suit Lin Yaodong¡¯s character. Lao Kong, I think you should handle this¡ªgo talk to him.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll find a middleman to reach out first and see how he reacts.¡± ¡°Sounds good. You handle Wang Jinsong. Li Xue and I will take care of the rest.¡± ¡°Got it. No problem!¡± Meanwhile, in Beijing, inside an apartment in the capital, Wang Jinsong sat at his desk, practicing calligraphy. Suddenly, his phone rang, glancing at the screen, he saw it was Xiao Li, a film industry agent who occasionally sent him project offers. Wang Jinsong wasn¡¯t particularly interested in picking up. But since Xiao Li had helped him negotiate a few projects before, he answered out of courtesy. ¡°Hello, Xiao Li.¡± ¡°Mr. Wang, do you have any availability in your schedule?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Perfect! Then you¡¯ll want to check out this script I have.¡± Wang Jinsong continued his calligraphy, unfazed. ¡°Xiao Li, you know my rules. If it¡¯s another idol drama, forget it. Pass on my behalf.¡± ¡°Mr. Wang, I promise this isn¡¯t an idol drama¡ªit¡¯s a great script. I¡¯ll have them send it to you. Read it and get back to me ASAP. The production team is in a hurry!¡± With that, Xiao Li hung up. A moment later, a new email arrived in Wang Jinsong¡¯s inbox. But he wasn¡¯t in a rush to open it. He calmly finished writing his ¡®Letter of Retirement¡¯ calligraphy piece before moving over to his computer. Adjusting his glasses, he clicked on the email and opened the script. ¡ªBreaking the Ice? The title didn¡¯t sound like an idol drama. He kept reading. As he flipped through episode after episode, his previously relaxed expression grew increasingly serious. When he reached the part detailing Lin Yaodong¡¯s character, Wang Jinsong abruptly stood up from his chair! Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and dialed. ¡°Xiao Li! I¡¯m taking this role! I have only one condition¡ªI must play Lin Yaodong! Even if it¡¯s for zero pay, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Laughter came from the other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Wang, we wouldn¡¯t dare ask you to work for free. But hearing you say that puts me at ease. Hang tight¡ªthe production team will be in touch soon.¡± ¡°Great! Thanks, Xiao Li!¡± ¡°No problem, Mr. Wang.¡± After hanging up, Wang Jinsong¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. He had been waiting for this. Ever since The Ming Dynasty 1566, he had been waiting for a script that could ignite his passion again! A few moments later, his phone rang again. ¡°Hello, Mr. Wang. This is Kong Sheng¡­¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 One day later, at noon, the production crew of Daylight Entertainment set off for Guangdong Province to begin filming. Two days later, the character styling posters were designed and photographed! That same evening at 8 PM, Daylight Entertainment officially announced. A collaboration with Lu Chen had been finalized, and The Breaking Ice was officially in production! They even tagged the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department, which promptly confirmed the co-production on their official social media. As soon as the news broke, it instantly went viral. It quickly shot up to the top of trending topics, attracting millions of netizens¡¯ attention! Shortly after, Daylight Entertainment announced that they would release one actor¡¯s character styling poster every 30 minutes! Li Fei! Li Weimin! Zhao Jialiang! Cai Yongqiang! Ma Yunbo! Lin Yaohua! Lin Zonghui! One by one, the posters were revealed! When midnight struck, thousands of netizens glued to their phones in eager anticipation finally saw the Lin Yaodong character poster go live! Upon seeing Wang Jinsong in the poster¡ªdressed in a Zhongshan suit, wearing rimless glasses, exuding both kindness and a hint of sharpness¡ªWeibo¡¯s comment section exploded! ¡°Oh my god! Uncle Dong! This is exactly how I imagined him!¡± ¡°Amazing! It¡¯s actually Wang Jinsong!¡± ¡°Perfect casting! This is going to be incredible!¡± ¡°Aside from the lead, the entire cast is made up of veteran actors! I can¡¯t wait for this drama!¡± Within half an hour, Weibo likes surpassed 3 million, comments exceeded 500,000, and shares surpassed 700,000! Even before airing, The Breaking Ice had already taken the internet by storm, igniting a new wave of public discussion. At the same time, some mischievous netizens flocked to Chen Sicheng¡¯s Weibo to leave sarcastic comments. [Director Chen only makes commercial films. We, who don¡¯t understand commerce, will just watch The Breaking Ice instead!][If The Breaking Ice isn¡¯t popular, then breaking Weibo¡¯s engagement records in half an hour must be normal!][Can¡¯t wait to see The Breaking Ice flop. Director Chen, please stay tuned!] These mocking remarks once again pushed Chen Sicheng into the spotlight of public opinion! ______ ¡°Damn it!¡± At a five-star hotel in Shanghai, Chen Sicheng slammed his fist onto the glass coffee table in front of him as he stared at his exploding private messages. The loud thud made his agent, Brother Wang, frown slightly. ¡°Forget it, Sicheng. Netizens leaving comments is a good thing. Looks like you¡¯ll be trending again tomorrow.¡± Chen Sicheng shot Brother Wang a glare. ¡°You think this kind of trending is a good thing?¡± ¡°Good or bad, as long as there¡¯s hype, it doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡± Brother Wang remained calm. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re a director and screenwriter, not just an actor. Your real supporters will always back you. And those who dislike you¡ªwhy bother with them? Negative publicity is still publicity. Having traffic is the unchanging rule in this industry.¡± Chen Sicheng found his words somewhat reasonable, and his mood gradually settled. Brother Wang crossed his legs and casually tossed Chen Sicheng a cigarette. ¡°Just focus on being a good judge on the show. Say what you want¡ªit¡¯s your freedom and right. Don¡¯t overthink it. In fact, the more the other three judges praise Lu Chen, the more you criticize him, the more distinct your presence becomes. After all, some people just don¡¯t like Lu Chen. Sure, you¡¯ll lose some fans when you criticize him, but at the same time, you¡¯ll gain another group of supporters. Why not take advantage of that?¡± ¡°Got it, Brother.¡± Chen Sicheng nodded, lighting Brother Wang¡¯s cigarette for him. Brother Wang took a deep drag, leaned lazily against the sofa, and suddenly dropped a bombshell. ¡°I just got word that Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei don¡¯t seem to like Lu Chen either. They might pull some dirty tricks in the next round of the competition.¡± ¡°Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei? Why?¡± ¡°Failed negotiations. You know how ruthless those two brothers can be. They never let grudges slide. They¡¯ll definitely teach Lu Chen a lesson¡ªmaybe a little warning, maybe something harsher.¡± ¡°What kind of warning?¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not sure yet, but it won¡¯t be anything clean.¡± Brother Wang smirked. Chen Sicheng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Could they make sure Lu Chen doesn¡¯t make it to the Top 16?¡± ¡°Maybe. Quite possibly.¡± Chen Sicheng burst into laughter. ¡°I knew it! That kid got arrogant after writing some half-baked script. He must¡¯ve demanded sky-high prices and pissed off the wrong people!¡± ¡°Exactly. No matter how fearless he is, the industry will teach him a lesson.¡± ¡°Haha, I won¡¯t be mad anymore.¡± Chen Sicheng leaned back on the sofa, completely relaxed. Brother Wang took a few more puffs and stubbed out his cigarette. Then, as if offhandedly, he asked, ¡°Sicheng, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you something for a while.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing much, I¡¯m just curious¡ªwhy are you so against Lu Chen? I mean, some netizens say it¡¯s because he¡¯s too handsome, and you can¡¯t stand it?¡± Chen Sicheng snorted. ¡°Brother Wang, come on. Me? Jealous of his looks? Impossible!¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Brother Wang, some people just naturally rub you the wrong way. No reason needed.¡± ¡°Alright, I get it now. Anyway, it¡¯s late. Get some rest. I¡¯ll be heading out.¡± ¡°Take care, Brother Wang!¡± After seeing his agent off, Chen Sicheng reclined on the sofa, eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°Jealous of Lu Chen¡¯s looks? Which idiot came up with that?¡± In reality, there was a reason why Chen Sicheng disliked Lu Chen.vBut it was a reason he refused to admit. Because no matter how much he tried to deny it, he couldn¡¯t shake off the truth¡ªLu Chen¡¯s creative talent was terrifyingly brilliant. Ever since Detective Chinatown, Chen Sicheng had been regarded as the most talented young screenwriter in China. But with Lu Chen¡¯s meteoric rise in the show, a sense of crisis crept into his heart. A very real, very scary crisis! If Lu Chen continued to shine, his success would directly impact Chen Sicheng¡¯s standing. That was why Chen Sicheng instinctively tried to suppress him¡ªto stop him from stealing the spotlight! But this selfish reason was something he would never admit. Not even to his own agent. ¡°Now things are getting interesting. If Huayi really takes action, I¡¯ll just sit back and watch the show. If Lu Chen gets eliminated in the Top 16, I¡¯ll have benefited without lifting a finger!¡± A smirk crept onto Chen Sicheng¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t wait for the Top 16 competition to begin! Because once Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei set their sights on someone, that person never escaped unscathed. Lu Chen would be no exception. ______ That night, at the Pen to Paper headquarters, the chief director Hong Tao sat in a meeting room with two highly esteemed professors. Both were legends in their respective fields¡ªone, a professor at Tsinghua-Beijing University¡¯s Chinese Department. The other, the Vice President of China¡¯s Film Association and a professor of screenwriting at Shanghai Film Academy. They were the ultimate authority in screenwriting competitions. ¡°So, Professors Tian and Chen, is this our final topic?¡± The two professors nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s simple yet thought-provoking.¡± On the whiteboard, the topic was written in bold Chinese characters¡ª ¡®Fishmonger¡¯. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Time flies, only two days remain until the Round of 16 of the Divine Pen Competition. For the past few days, Lu Chen had been staying at home, eating and sleeping, resting up for the next round. Thanks to Breaking the Ice dominating the charts recently, there had been a strong online demand¡ªnetizens were hoping Lu Chen wouldl open a personal account to interact with fans. Honestly, Lu Chen hadn¡¯t really considered it. For a screenwriter, the most important thing is to focus and write with a clear mind. Social media is a distraction best avoided. Besides, very few top screenwriters have active social media accounts¡ªlegends like Liu Heping and Shu Ping haven¡¯t opened any either. Lu Chen wasn¡¯t comparing himself to these industry titans, but he simply felt that having an account wasn¡¯t necessary and couldn¡¯t be bothered with it. Better to stay low-key and observe from the sidelines¡ªthere was no point in engaging in flashy, superficial interactions. Another issue had been bothering him these past few days¡ªhis personal contract. Even though Breaking the Ice ended up collaborating with Noon Sun Productions, other film and TV companies hadn¡¯t given up. They were doing everything they could to sign Lu Chen as a contracted screenwriter and bring him under their banner. Among them, Jiaxing Media was the most persistent. Every other day, Lu Chen would receive calls from them, using every tactic in the book to persuade him. Lu Chen politely declined, stating that his main focus right now was the competition and he would consider other matters afterward. This was a perfectly reasonable excuse, and it successfully held off the production companies¡ªat least for now¡ªgiving Lu Chen a moment of peace. To avoid further harassment, he even set his phone to block unknown callers. Not that it mattered much¡ªhis social circle was small, and he only stayed in touch with familiar people. With that, the countdown continued¡­ At noon, Breaking the Ice¡¯s official Weibo account and Divine Pen Competition released synchronized announcements. Breaking the Ice unveiled its latest trailer! The scenes were intense, the characters deeply layered. Especially Li Weimin, Zhao Jialiang, and Lin Yaodong¡ªtheir expressions alone stirred anticipation among fans! Within just an hour, the trailer had surpassed one million views. Comments and shares skyrocketed past 100,000, propelling it to the top spot in the film and television category! At the end of the trailer, the official premiere date was revealed¡ªthat night at 8 PM, the first episode would air! Excitement spread like wildfire, and netizens eagerly awaited the 8 PM debut. Meanwhile, Divine Pen Competition announced that the topic for the next round had been decided. Curiously, they attached a photo of a school of fish in the ocean and revealed that the 32-to-16 match would be livestreamed the next evening at 6 PM, inviting the nation to witness the rise of the Top 16! Lu Chen stared at the image from the competition¡¯s post, frowning. ¡°Does this mean the topic is related to the ocean? Or maybe fish?¡± After pondering for a while, he still couldn¡¯t figure it out. Forget it¡ªhe¡¯d find out when the competition started. Whatever came his way, he was ready for it! But moving the competition from 2 PM to 6 PM was a clear signal¡ªthe organizers were placing more importance on this stage of the competition. Their level of commitment was not the same as before. At 8 PM sharp, Noon Sun Productions¡¯ streaming platform was flooded with viewers. ¡°Mr. Hou, our backend shows that site traffic has exceeded three million!¡± Hou Hongliang nodded. ¡°Good! Start the first episode at exactly 8!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± As soon as the clock struck 8 PM, Episode 1 of Breaking the Ice went live. Within seconds, the number of clicks surged past 500,000. In just one minute, it broke two million views! Hou Hongliang was so overwhelmed that he trembled with excitement. This momentum¡ªthis was going to be a massive hit! Millions of viewers tuned in¡ªincluding Song Xiaoling. Thanks to her viral ¡®Uncle Dong impression¡¯ video, her follower count skyrocketed to 600,000 in just a week. Grateful for the support, she made sure to watch the much-anticipated drama. As the episode began. A rainy night. Several figures dashed through the rain, chased by an angry mob of villagers. ¡°Stop! Stop right there!¡± In the video¡¯s comment section, netizens erupted in excitement. [Damn! This is a perfect recreation of the original story!][This opening is the most intense and unique anti-drug drama setup I¡¯ve ever seen!][Clan-based communities are terrifying! They really dared to encircle the cops!] Soon, a mysterious umbrella appeared in the frame. Two men approached Li Fei and his group calmly. Then, As soon as Wang Jinsong¡¯s Lin Yaodong appeared on screen¡­ The comment section exploded! [Uncle Dong! It¡¯s him!][Holy sh*t, I got chills all over my body!][This is perfect casting! Exactly how I imagined Uncle Dong!] The number of live comments reached an all-time high! Backstage at Noon Sun Productions. ¡°Mr. Hou, the live audience count has exceeded five million! A new record!!¡± Hou Hongliang clenched his fists, shouting ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡± On-screen, Lin Yaodong approached Li Fei. He took off his rain-soaked glasses and casually wiped them on his sleeve. Just this one action¡ªNetizens went wild! [Damn, this is insane! The sheer dominance in that one move!][I knew this show wouldn¡¯t disappoint!][I was worried about Wang Jinsong playing Uncle Dong, but now I¡¯m convinced¡ªhe is Uncle Dong!][Guys, online viewers just hit 5 million! Let¡¯s gooo!] With every passing second, viewership kept climbing¡ªThe show was breaking records, creating a new legend in Chinese television! Production companies across the industry were watching. Seeing the explosive premiere, Jiaxing Media, Huanyu Entertainment, and iQIYI¡ªall of whom failed to secure the script¡ªwere stunned. Huanyu Entertainment HQ. CEO Li Da paced furiously in his office, frustrated beyond belief. ¡°If I had known it would blow up like this, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated! Not even three million¡ªhell, I¡¯d have paid ten million for that script! We lost big time! If we had just added two more million, we¡¯d be the ones laughing now!¡± Producer Yu Zheng, sitting on the couch, watched as the drama¡¯s popularity index skyrocketed to 30 million¡ªwhich meant the estimated live audience had exceeded six million. His expression was complicated. ¡°If this pace continues, the total view count might exceed 5 billion.¡± ¡°At the very least, Noon Sun Productions will make 4¨C5 billion yuan just from traffic monetization alone!¡± ¡°They just struck gold!¡± Li Da groaned, lighting a cigar and taking a deep drag. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He pointed at Yu Zheng, declaring. ¡°Next round! We must win the next round of the Divine Pen Competition! Even if we have to offer the industry¡¯s highest 45% screenwriter royalties¡ªI don¡¯t care! We have to get the next script!¡±** Yu Zheng chuckled. ¡°Mr. Li, I¡¯m afraid¡­ a lot of other companies feel the same way.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll outbid them! Our company has 200 million yuan in reserve funds¡ªif we can¡¯t buy a script with that, then what the hell are we doing in this business?¡± Yu Zheng¡¯s smile stiffened. It was clear¡ªthe success of Breaking the Ice had completely driven Li Da mad. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 At Jiaxing Media Headquarters, Yang Mi had completely lost it. Cushions from the sofa were strewn all over the floor. The head of the drama department, Sister Qin, stood nearby, not daring to breathe too loudly. After venting her frustration, Yang Mi pointed at Sister Qin, her eyes red with fury. ¡°Prepare 10 million for me! Once the next round of the competition starts, no matter the price cap, we bid! I want to secure a spot in the Top Five at all costs!¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Sister Qin nodded frantically. Yang Mi collapsed onto the sofa, clenching her silver teeth in frustration. Jiaxing Media had signed a profit-sharing agreement with several major investors¡ªthree years to generate 300 million yuan. If they had secured Breaking the Ice, just one drama could have fulfilled that entire goal! ¡°Damn you, Lu Chen! Why didn¡¯t you sell me the script? What terms couldn¡¯t we negotiate?¡± Yang Mi clenched her fists, seething with frustration. _____ At iQIYI, a similar scene played out¡ªshock, regret, and deep frustration. But among all the companies, the ones who regretted it the most were Light Media, Xinli Media, and Youku¡ªthe three companies that withdrew their bids at the last minute. Why? Because they had been influenced by Chen Sicheng! They dropped out just before finalizing the deal. Now, watching Breaking the Ice dominate the industry, the executives of all three companies were going insane with regret. Late into the night, emergency board meetings were called. At Light Media, two executives were fired on the spot. At Xinli Media, it was even worse¡ªsix executives were let go! But the most ruthless of them all? Youku. CEO Gu Yongqiang purged the entire drama production department. Ten senior executives were fired immediately. And mid-level management? The company began a total overhaul. Internal emails announcing employee terminations flooded inboxes every ten minutes. The entire Youku staff was panicking. And it made sense¡ªthey had already secured a Top Five bid, but withdrew at the last moment. Now? They had become the biggest joke in the industry! ______ Huayi Brothers Film & Television. The Wang brothers, Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei, sat in silence. Wang Zhongjun took a sip of red wine¡ªbut unexpectedly, the usually composed wine connoisseur choked and started coughing violently! ¡°Brother, are you okay?¡± Wang Zhonglei quickly handed him a tissue. Wang Zhongjun wiped the wine from his lips, still coughing a few more times before finally recovering. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just one hit drama. And this is just the beginning¡ªwhat if the quality drops later? What if the reviews collapse?¡± Wang Zhonglei tried to reassure him. But Wang Zhongjun let out a long sigh, a half-smile forming on his lips. ¡°Five million wasn¡¯t enough for him? These young people¡­ they get a little success and suddenly think they¡¯re untouchable.¡± ¡°Brother, rest assured! Everything is in place! Lu Chen won¡¯t make it past this round!¡± Wang Zhongjun nodded. ¡°Just keep it clean¡ªno loose ends.¡± ¡°Brother, do you not trust me?¡± Wang Zhonglei patted his chest confidently. ¡°Oh, by the way¡ªshould we bid in the next round?¡± ¡°Why bother? We already know the result.¡± ¡°Haha, true! Losing Breaking the Ice made our stock drop 20%, if we step in again, the capital markets will riot.¡± ¡°Stock prices fluctuate¡ªwho cares? The important thing is to send a message: Don¡¯t mess with us.¡± ¡°Understood, Brother!¡± Wang Zhonglei poured another glass of wine and smirked. ¡°But let¡¯s be real¡ªone lucky hit doesn¡¯t mean he can do it again. Maybe last round, he just stepped in dog sh*t and got lucky with an idea. Tomorrow¡¯s match? He might be completely exposed.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Wang Zhongjun swirled his wine glass, but for some reason, a sense of unease lingered. ______ Inside a hotel suite, a loud crash echoed. Chen Sicheng had just punched the coffee table again. The poor table, already battered, finally cracked. ¡°One hit show doesn¡¯t mean a second!¡± ¡°Lu Chen, your first drama started this strong¡ªhave you even thought about what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°I refuse to believe you can write another Breaking the Ice! ¡°Flying high feels good, doesn¡¯t it? But watch out¡ªthe fall is going to be brutal!¡± In a fit of rage, Chen Sicheng smashed two more glasses. _____ The next morning, the official ratings for Breaking the Ice were released¡ª9.2/10. It dominated both viewership numbers and trending charts! Lu Chen called Hou Hongliang to congratulate him. After a round of mutual compliments, Lu Chen focused back on the competition. He got a haircut, freshened up, and changed into clean clothes, preparing for the big night. At 5:30 PM, he arrived at the competition venue¡ªthe same building as last time. As soon as he walked in, a group of female fans who had been waiting screamed in excitement. Lu Chen felt embarrassed. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After taking a few pictures, he finally managed to escape and head to the competition hall. Inside, the crowd was noticeably smaller¡ªafter all, half of the contestants had been eliminated. As soon as Lu Chen entered, people swarmed him with praise. More awkwardness. Meanwhile, the Top Three contestants stood to the side, their faces dark. Lu Chen might still be ranked fourth, but his work had already been made into a TV show¡ªand it was dominating the entire country. The real awkward ones weren¡¯t him. It was them. _____ 6:00 PM ¨C The Live Broadcast Begins! Instantly, millions of viewers flooded in. ¡¾OMG, Lu Chen! We missed you!¡¿ ¡¾Lu Shen! Go crush this round!¡¿ ¡¾Write something even better than Breaking the Ice!¡¿ ¡¾That¡¯s hard¡­ Uncle Dong is literally the best villain ever.¡¿ ¡¾Yeah! I both love and hate him!¡¿ ¡¾How can you not love a villain who just wants to build an ancestral shrine?!¡¿ ¡¾Lu Shen, just match Breaking the Ice and we¡¯ll be happy!¡¿ The entire comment section was buzzing with anticipation and fear. Because Lu Chen¡¯s first work had set the bar impossibly high! _____ Moments later, the side door opened. The host, Sa Beining(Xiao Sa), entered with the judging panel. A wave of applause erupted. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! Welcome to Season 4 of Divine Pen Competition! The previous round has ended, and we now have our Top 32 contestants! Tonight¡­ It¡¯s time for the Round of 16! The competition will be fiercer than ever! Let¡¯s first welcome our four judges!¡± ¡°Judge Shu Ping!¡± ¡°Judge Liu Heping!¡± ¡°Judge Yan Gelin!¡± ¡°And our guest judge¡ªChen Sicheng!¡± ¡°Hello, everyone!!¡± The four judges waved as the crowd cheered. Sa Beining made some small talk for about three to four minutes, then finally got to the main event. ¡°For the Round of 16, let¡¯s invite Judge Shu Ping to announce¡­ Tonight¡¯s official theme!¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 As the applause subsided, Shu Ping stepped forward. Once again, the program had arranged for a female staff member in a cheongsam to elegantly walk up to Shu Ping, holding a tray. Shu Ping took the scroll and immediately opened it. Unlike Chen Sicheng, who liked to put on a show, Shu Ping revealed the topic without any delay! ¡°I now announce the topic for this round!¡± He turned the scroll towards the contestants. ¡°¡¾Fishmonger¡¿!¡± The moment the topic was revealed, the crowd erupted in shock. ¡°Fishmonger? What kind of topic is this?¡± ¡°Exactly! This is way too difficult!¡± ¡°Damn! I saw the teaser image and thought it was about marine life. I even had a theme prepared! But ¡®fishmonger¡¯!¡± Many contestants were stunned, completely caught off guard! But to say that the topic had nothing to do with the teaser image wasn¡¯t exactly correct either. At the very least, both had ¡®fish¡¯ as the common element. So in a way, it did make sense. Still, it was unexpected. Very unexpected. Even Lu Chen was surprised! ¡°Fishmonger¡­ isn¡¯t that just a fish seller?¡± The moment ¡®fish seller¡¯ popped into his mind, a phenomenon-level TV series from 2023 instantly surfaced in Lu Chen¡¯s head¡ª¡®The Knockout¡¯! The protagonist, Gao Qiqiang, started as a humble fish seller and, through ambition and ruthless tactics, rose to power as the most feared crime lord in Jinghai! The perfect answer was right in front of him. Without hesitation, Lu Chen opened his system panel and searched for ¡®The Knockout¡¯. When he saw the exchange price, he felt immense relief for saving up 5 million emotional points. Because the price was a whopping 4.6 million! Had he spent even a little more before this round, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford it. Without delay, Lu Chen hit redeem! To be honest, he had watched ¡®The Knockout¡¯ before¡ªbut so much time had passed that he couldn¡¯t recall the full details. Once the exchange was complete, the entire plot of ¡®The Knockout¡¯ instantly flooded his mind. Every storyline, every scene¡ªall crystal clear. All he had to do now was write it down! Lu Chen let out a deep breath. ¡°From now on, I really need to manage my emotional points more carefully. Always keep a safety buffer!¡± ______ Meanwhile, in the live broadcast room, the netizens were just as shocked. ¡¾Fishmonger? How do you even write about that?¡¿ ¡¾Damn! This round is way harder than the last rural theme!¡¿ S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Exactly! The last round at least had a formula¡ªyou could write about rural love, village life, etc. But a fish seller? What kind of story can you even make from that?¡¿ ¡¾No wonder it¡¯s the Round of 16! The difficulty just jumped up a level!¡¿ ¡¾I bet a lot of people are going to write about a fish seller¡¯s rise to success!¡¿ ¡¾Didn¡¯t one of the judges say in the last round that personal growth stories are always marketable? But they¡¯re hard to write because of the logical consistency?¡¿ ¡¾That was Shu Ping.¡¿ ¡¾Right! Shu Ping said it!¡¿ ¡¾I wonder if Lu Shen will create another iconic character like Lin Yaodong this time.¡¿ ¡¾He won¡¯t write about smuggling or drug trafficking again, right? No way the same character type works twice!¡¿ ¡¾Yeah, I doubt it.¡¿ On stage, the chatter among the contestants grew louder. Sa Beining pressed both hands down, signaling everyone to quiet down. The venue fell silent. He raised the microphone and spoke, ¡°Contestants, please settle down. I¡¯ll be honest¡ªI, too, was surprised by this topic. I¡¯m sure many of you feel the same way. But! I am me, and you are you. Each of you fought through tens of thousands of competitors to make it here. I have full confidence that you can create a compelling story from this theme. Now, let¡¯s hear from our judges! Shu Ping, would you like to start?¡± Standing closest to Sa Beining, Shu Ping took the microphone and paused to think before speaking. ¡°This topic is small in scope but precise. Expanding it into a full story won¡¯t be easy. However, I believe you can take inspiration from the first-round story written by Lu Chen. When the core element is simple, you can introduce multiple contrasting elements to create a brand-new narrative.¡± He then handed the microphone to Liu Heping. Liu Heping¡¯s advice was brief but powerful. ¡°Imagination is the foundation of a screenwriter¡¯s talent. You¡¯ve all proven yourselves by making it this far. So trust your imagination.¡± Then it was Yan Gelin¡¯s turn. ¡°Children, the essence of a good story is that it makes the audience think. If you can achieve that, then any theme can become a great story. Because in the world we live in, everyone has a story¡ªno matter their identity. So keep going! I hope this round will see even more scripts get picked up by production companies! I¡¯m rooting for you!¡± After speaking, without even looking, Yan Gelin passed the microphone to Chen Sicheng. Chen Sicheng¡¯s expression subtly shifted. Facing the camera, he forced a polite smile and said, ¡°The other three judges have given great advice. I¡¯ll just add one thing¡ªIf you can tell a good story while also ensuring commercial viability, then I believe your script will soon be picked up for production!¡± After finishing, he deliberately glanced at Lu Chen, his eyes holding a trace of challenge. Lu Chen noticed it immediately. A smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Chen Sicheng was probably feeling quite smug right now. He was probably thinking. This was like a thief running into a highway robber¡ªThe perfect coincidence! ¡°Alright! I believe the judges¡¯ comments must have given everyone some inspiration. Next up, our competition is about to begin! But before we start, I need to borrow your hands for a moment!¡± Xiao Sa suddenly pointed towards Lu Chen in the audience and said loudly, ¡°I believe everyone knows by now. In the previous round, Lu Chen¡¯s work Operation Icebreaking was adapted into a TV series by Noon Sun Productions. It premiered yesterday and has achieved remarkable success. Let¡¯s give Lu Chen a round of applause. Wishing his new drama great success!¡± Since the show had produced a hit drama, it naturally had to be celebrated and promoted properly. Led by Xiao Sa, the hall erupted in enthusiastic applause. However, while clapping, many people intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Chen Sicheng. Previously, Chen Sicheng had been adamant that this drama wouldn¡¯t succeed and wouldn¡¯t gain market recognition. Yet, in just a few days, reality had slapped him in the face hard! Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Even though Chen Sicheng was usually good at maintaining his composure in front of the cameras, his expression had visibly darkened. Wasn¡¯t this just rubbing salt into the wound? Feeling displeased, his applause appeared perfunctory. This amused the viewers in the live stream, who flooded the chat with bullet comments, exclaiming how satisfying it was to watch! ¡°Alright, as usual, everyone has ten minutes to find their assigned creation rooms. In ten minutes, the competition will officially begin! Contestants, get moving!¡± One by one, the contestants left the hall. Lu Chen glanced at his number¡ª4. It seemed the numbers had been reassigned based on the previous round¡¯s results. he really had some fate with the number ¡®4¡¯¡­ This time, the creation rooms were closer. Lu Chen found his in under a minute. The room was noticeably larger than in the last round. The facilities were the same¡ªcigarettes, red wine, snacks¡ªeverything was well-prepared. Wait, there were two additional items¡ªinstant noodles and a kettle. Were they worried the contestants might get hungry while writing? Lu Chen chuckled, feeling that the show¡¯s service was becoming increasingly considerate. He flopped onto the sofa, just like last time. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Casually, he tore open a pack of Huazi cigarettes, took one out, and placed it between his lips. At that moment, As the audience was redirected, Lu Chen¡¯s live stream was instantly flooded with three million viewers! That was more than 90% of the total audience. Seeing Lu Chen skillfully light his cigarette, veteran viewers burst into laughter. ¡¾Hahaha, just as expected¡ªstarting off with a Huazi again!¡¿ ¡¾Classic corner-smoking scene, back in action!¡¿ ¡¾Same vibe, same taste!¡¿ ¡¾Is he really just smoking a cigarette, or is he about to create another hit?¡¿ ¡¾Lighting up a cig in solidarity!¡¿ ¡¾Me too! Witnessing the birth of another blockbuster together!¡¿ ¡¾You guys need to chill. Always saying ¡®blockbuster, blockbuster¡¯. Do you really think Lu Chen is some screenwriting god?¡¿ ¡¾Exactly! Even Liu Heping, the real scriptwriting master, doesn¡¯t get as much hype as Lu Chen!¡¿ ¡¾Breaking the Ice was good, but I refuse to believe he can write something on the same level again this round!¡¿ ¡¾If he runs out of ideas this time, it¡¯ll be hilarious¡¿ ¡¾Operation Icebreaking was trash! I don¡¯t get why so many people liked it!¡¿ ¡¾Yeah, I couldn¡¯t even sit through a minute of it!¡¿ ¡¾Super garbage, only idiots would watch it!¡¿ ¡¾Whoa, why are there suddenly so many haters? Get out! Don¡¯t provoke a fight!¡¿ ¡¾Did Lu Chen just step on a landmine of keyboard warriors?¡¿ Inside the live stream, longtime fans were surprised to find a sudden influx of haters, who seemed to be taking over. ¡­ In the room, Lu Chen puffed on his cigarette while brainstorming his story. The drama ¡®The Knockout¡¯ had been an absolute phenomenon. It could be summed up in one sentence¡ªthe undisputed number-one show of 2023! It was the textbook example of breaking into the mainstream. The only big-name actor in the cast was Zhang Yi. The rest were third-tier, fourth-tier, or even completely unknown actors. Yet, despite this, the entire cast skyrocketed to fame. Zhang Songwen, who played Gao Qiqiang, led the pack. This one drama turned him from an obscure actor of twenty years into a household name overnight. He firmly secured his spot among China¡¯s top-tier celebrities! The female lead, Gao Ye, also shot to stardom through her role as Chen Shuting. She became a darling of the media and spotlight. And then there were others¡ªGao Qisheng, the ¡®frozen fish warrior¡¯, Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu, the fish vendor Old Mo, the ¡®ice queen¡¯ Gao Qilan, the reckless villager Li Hongwei, even Xu Jiang and the father of AD calcium milk¡­ All of them became breakout stars! Saying the entire cast went viral would not be an exaggeration. That was just the actors. As for the plot, while at its core, The Knockout was still a traditional anti-crime drama, Its brilliance lay in how it perfectly depicted the rise of a small-time nobody! Just like its title¡ªThe Knockout! Gao Qiqiang¡¯s meteoric rise captured the essence of the term. His journey resonated deeply with countless viewers. However, this aspect also sparked immense controversy. Many believed the director was deliberately glorifying criminal figures. Lu Chen, on the other hand, believed that crime should indeed be condemned! But did that mean such characters had to be oversimplified and one-dimensional? Not necessarily, Lin Yaodong wasn¡¯t one-dimensional. Neither was Gao Qiqiang! His protectiveness over his family made him likable. Yet his cunning and ruthlessness towards his enemies made him terrifying. A character like this truly embodied what it meant to be ¡®human¡¯. In the first half of the series, Gao Qiqiang was practically the protagonist of a power fantasy novel. Starting off as a bullied fish vendor who just wanted to protect his family. Then using his connection with officer An Xin to overcome obstacles and gradually earn respect. And then, facing Chen Tai, he made that shocking move¡ªkneeling before him! Uttering the now-iconic line, ¡°Uncle Tai, I want to take care of you in your old age.¡± That scene shook viewers to their core. When Lu Chen watched it, he immediately recalled a novel he read in high school¡ªThe Monstrous Life of Chen Ergou. It had a similar scene where the protagonist, Chen Ergou, was cornered and had no choice but to approach the novel¡¯s big boss. He then delivered the legendary line¡ª¡±I want to be your pallbearer!¡± From that moment, his rise was unstoppable! Just like Gao Qiqiang, who also knelt at a crucial moment. The narration in the novel had been particularly striking. ¡°He didn¡¯t know if other men had gold beneath their knees, but in the Chen family, there was no gold beneath their knees!¡± Gao Qiqiang likely felt the exact same way at that moment! Therefore, when watching The Knockout, Lu Chen kept mentally aligning Gao Qiqiang with Chen Ergou! A story about an underdog rising from the bottom of society to become a kingpin, soaring to new heights¡ªHow could that not move audiences? Back to the drama itself¡­ In many ways, Gao Qiqiang and Lin Yaodong were similar. Both would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. But at their core, they still had deeply human qualities! The difference was that Lin Yaodong was more reserved. Whereas young Gao Qiqiang was outwardly expressive¡ªOnly mellowing out as he aged. Which made sense, given that Gao¡¯s storyline spanned several decades! Whereas Lin Yaodong had been formidable from the start. Comparing these two standout villains, the ¡®official¡¯ protagonist, An Xin was far more fleshed out than Breaking the Ice¡¯s Li Fei. Even though An Xin still had that typical ¡®righteous hero¡¯ trope, his depth was leagues ahead of Li Fei, whose recklessness was frustrating. This was another reason why The Knockout outperformed Breaking the Ice! More grounded and relatable characters! And the push-and-pull between An Xin and Gao Qiqiang? That was a major highlight of the show! Some fans even jokingly shipped them as a couple online, which was absolutely wild. In conclusion, the character writing was a huge reason The Knockout became a smash hit! The second reason? Its tight, suspenseful, and unpredictable plot! Plus, the stellar acting across the board! All these elements combined to make The Knockout the biggest TV phenomenon of 2023! Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Lu Chen furrowed his brows slightly. If he continued to follow Breaking the Ice¡¯s creative model for this round, the process itself wouldn¡¯t be an issue. However, the buildup of emotional value would likely take a significant hit! After all, eating the same dish twice wouldn¡¯t evoke the same excitement as the first time. Moreover, The Knockout and Breaking the Ice share a similar genre. One focused on anti-crime, the other on anti-drugs¡ªthe same category. Because the themes were so alike, innovation was key! If he simply mapped Gao Qiqiang¡¯s story using Lin Yaodong¡¯s blueprint, it would dull the audience¡¯s sense of novelty. This would weaken emotional fluctuations. And that, in turn, meant a direct loss in emotional value. This was a major headache for Lu Chen. After all, emotional value could only be obtained during the writing process! This made it all the more precious. As the competition grew tougher, Lu Chen was certain that the cost of script exchanges would rise significantly. Given this situation, securing emotional value became even more urgent! So, Writing The Knockout was crucial, no doubt. but maximizing emotional value was just as important. Besides, if the emotional value gained in the Top 16 round didn¡¯t surpass that of the Top 32, it would feel like a failure to Lu Chen! Now the question was¡ªHow could he take an alternative approach, using an entirely new technique to tell this story? That was the key issue he needed to tackle right now! Just then. The surveillance system suddenly made a noise, interrupting Lu Chen¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Attention, contestants! Preparation time is over! The competition officially begins now!¡± ¡°For this Top 16 advancement round, you will have five hours to complete your work! Please manage your time wisely!¡± Xiao Sa¡¯s voice came through the surveillance system. ¡°Five-five-seven¡­¡± Lu Chen blinked. Five hours? That was two hours more than before. Looks like his guess was right! Starting from this round, the show¡¯s difficulty level had increased. It was safe to assume that the judges¡¯ expectations would be higher as well! No wonder the program team provided hot water and instant noodles. By the time this competition ended, it would be around 1 or 2 a.m. The instant noodles would make a perfect midnight snack. Lu Chen chuckled at the thought¡ªthe show¡¯s arrangement was considerate but not overly so. Meanwhile, in the live stream, hearing that the writing time had been extended to five hours, the audience was abuzz. ¡¾Five hours? That¡¯s a long time!¡¿ ¡¾I have work tomorrow¡­¡¿ [You people pull all-nighters for the World Cup every four years, but you can¡¯t stay up for this once-in-four-years writing showdown?¡¿ ¡¾You¡¯re missing the point! The key takeaway is that the show¡¯s standards have clearly gone up this round!¡¿ ¡¾Exactly! The judges¡¯ evaluation criteria will probably be stricter!¡¿ ¡¾Hopefully, Chen Sicheng won¡¯t embarrass himself again this round.¡¿ ¡¾Hahaha, highly unlikely. Looks like he¡¯s made it his mission to go against Lu Chen.¡¿ ¡¾Shut up! Lu Chen is nothing compared to Director Chen!¡¿ ¡¾Yeah! He¡¯s a hundred-billion box office director! Lu Chen? All he has is Breaking the Ice! Y¡¯all are way too excited over nothing.¡¿ ¡¾Comparing Lu Chen to Director Chen is an insult to the latter¡¯s status!¡¿ ¡¾Agreed!¡¿ ¡¾WTF! Why are there so many haters today?¡¿ ¡¾Did Lu Chen accidentally poke a hornet¡¯s nest of keyboard warriors?¡¿ Lu Chen¡¯s longtime fans noticed something strange. Why were there suddenly so many haters in the chat? And why were they all mindlessly attacking him? Little did they know¡ªbehind the scenes, Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei were also watching the live stream. Wang Zhongjun¡¯s expression remained unreadable. Beside him, Wang Zhonglei laughed loudly. ¡°Brother, how¡¯s that for an arrangement?¡± Wang Zhongjun said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too obvious. We don¡¯t want the production team to catch on.¡± ¡°Relax, brother. We hired professional water army companies¡ªthey know their limits.¡± Wang Zhongjun nodded. At the same time, inside a small office in Shanghai, a young man covered in dragon and tiger tattoos sat with his legs crossed, chewing betel nut. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He spoke into a walkie-talkie with annoyance. ¡°Tell those dogs to be more professional! Are they brainless? The audience says one thing, and they reply with ten insults. Can¡¯t they at least act subtle? Be PROFESSIONAL, got it?¡± ¡°Understood, Tiger Bro.¡± The voice from the walkie-talkie quickly responded. Tiger tossed the device onto the table and muttered, ¡°What kind of show makes you watch at least 60% before letting you rate it? Damn it, we only got paid 100K for this gig¡ªit¡¯s a loss!!¡± Five hours of content meant at least three hours of work. ¡­ Back at the production team¡¯s headquarters. Inside the judges¡¯ room, Liu Heping and the other judges had taken their seats. As the competition officially started, the first thing they did was check the live streams. Without a doubt, they clicked on Lu Chen¡¯s Room #4 first. Seeing Lu Chen lighting a cigarette leisurely, just like last time¡ªboth Yan Geling and Shu Ping chuckled knowingly. Liu Heping remained expressionless, but his eyes stayed locked on Lu Chen. As for Chen Sicheng, he sat silently in the corner, showing no expression either. ¡°Judges, how do you think Lu Chen will expand on this story?¡± Xiao Sa seized the moment to start an interview session. ¡°Shu Ping, you first,¡± Yan Geling said and smiled. Shu Ping smacked his lips. ¡°Honestly? I have no clue. Compared to the previous round, this one is definitely harder. Because ¡®village¡¯ as a theme is very broad in screenwriting. You can write about village romance, village life, rural crime, or even war stories¡­¡± Chen Sicheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was Shu Ping taking a jab at him? ¡°But ¡®fish vendor¡¯ as a theme is different¡ªit¡¯s specific. It can be a male or female fish vendor, an old fish vendor, or even a child fish vendor. But no matter how you change it, the story must be character-driven. The key lies in the depth of the character itself. In short, whether this round¡¯s stories are good or bad depends entirely on how well the fish vendor is written. This will truly test the authors¡¯ skills!¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 A weak plot can still be engaging if the characters are compelling enough. Audiences invest a lot of attention in characters. For example, in the previous round, if Breaking the Ice had lacked Lin Yaodong¡¯s character, the story would¡¯ve lost at least half its brilliance. Without Lin Yaodong, it might¡¯ve even been mediocre. But because of how well his character was designed, the entire story was elevated!¡± Shu Ping¡¯s words made Yan Geling and Liu Heping nod in agreement. It was a precise, insightful analysis. This round was all about character-building! Yan Geling smiled. ¡°If I were writing, I¡¯d probably do a fish vendor version of The Flowers of War.¡± The judges laughed. ¡°What about you, Liu Heping?¡± Liu Heping pondered briefly before replying, ¡°A profession shapes a person¡¯s character. A person¡¯s character shapes their destiny. And destiny is what forms the story.¡± The room fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, the judges all nodded in agreement. ¡°Damn, Liu Heping is truly on another level,¡± Yan Geling gave a thumbs-up. Even Chen Sicheng had to admit¡ªthis man, the unrivaled legend of the Chinese screenwriting industry had an understanding of storytelling that was simply unparalleled! As the four judges finished their commentary, despite all the chatter and jokes in the live stream, one thing was clear¡ªthis round¡¯s prompt was incredibly difficult! Far more challenging than the last! With such a steep difficulty curve, would the contestants crumble under pressure? For a moment, everyone¡¯s attention returned to the live streams. A few minutes had passed since the competition started. Yet, Lu Chen remained in his lounge chair, motionless. And his cigarette? Already lit again¡­ S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In other contestants¡¯ streams, most had started drafting outlines, structuring plots, and developing characters. But Lu Chen¡¯s longtime fans weren¡¯t surprised. After all, he did the exact same thing in the last round. While others were writing, he was sitting in his room, smoking in the corner. ¡°Looks like this round¡¯s prompt has stumped Lu Chen too.¡± Xiao Sa chuckled. ¡°Judges, why don¡¯t we check on the other contestants?¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± The panel switched to ¡®inspection mode¡¯. ¡­ Meanwhile, inside his room, Lu Chen remained seated, deep in thought. Finding sitting too tiring, he simply lay down. ¡¾Damn, bro, why are you lying down?¡¿ ¡¾Relax, standard procedure.¡¿ ¡¾Could he be brewing up an insane story?¡¿ ¡¾Yeah right, he¡¯s probably stuck.¡¿ ¡­ Lu Chen pondered for a long time. He realized he was still trapped by his previous method¡ªhow he structured Lin Yaodong¡¯s story. If he used the same approach for Gao Qiqiang, the repetition would be too strong. Even if the audience bought into the story. It wouldn¡¯t bring him maximum benefit! So, how could he break through this dilemma? How could he tell the same kind of story in a completely new way? It was tough. His brain kicked into overdrive. He needed to analyze the differences between Breaking the Ice and The Knockout. Maybe, he could find a new approach within those differences. Let¡¯s start with Breaking the Ice. At its core, it was a boss battle story. Bringing Lin Yaodong to justice was the central theme. When Lu Chen structured it, he mapped out Lin Yaodong¡¯s entire growth path. That method was actually better suited for Gao Qiqiang. Why? Because in Breaking the Ice, Lin Yaodong¡¯s rise to power was revealed through fragmented dialogue¡ªnever explicitly shown. But Gao Qiqiang¡¯s was different. The original drama fully displayed his transformation. Audiences had already seen it. In fact, more than half of the show focused on Gao Qiqiang¡¯s rise. It wasn¡¯t until the last ten or so episodes that the anti-crime action really kicked in. The best parts of the story¡ªthe parts that gripped the audience¡ªwere in the first half. Which meant¡­ He had already used the best method for Gao Qiqiang on Lin Yaodong instead. But Lu Chen didn¡¯t panic. He knew he would find a way. He just needed to keep thinking¡­ Compared to Breaking the Ice, The Knockout had far richer characters. It was a multi-protagonist ensemble drama. In Breaking the Ice, only a few characters stood out¡ªLin Yaodong, Lin Zonghui¡­ maybe Li Weimin. Zhao Jialiang? Meh. Li Fei? Not even worth mentioning. Cai Yongqiang and Ma Yunbo had their moments. That was about it. But The Knockout? It was overflowing with standout characters! Forget just the Gao siblings¡ª Chen Shuting? Memorable. Tang Xiaohu and Tang Xiaolong? Not bad. Even the fish vendor Old Mo became a viral sensation! Then there was the king of arrogance¡ªLi Hongwei, who almost died over a frozen fish. His father, the reckless driver Li Youtian. Xu Jiang. And Xu Jiang¡¯s hilarious underlings¡ªMad Donkey and Scarface. Everywhere they looked, there were iconic characters. So in short, The Knockout¡¯s strength was in its characters! Which meant Breaking the Ice used plot to drive characters. The Knockout was the opposite! It used characters to drive the plot! Characters driving the plot? Lu Chen repeated this phrase a few times. Since The Knockout relied on its characters to tell the story¡­ Then the characters were the key breakthrough point! That thought hit him like lightning. Something clicked in Lu Chen¡¯s mind. As if a single flash of light pierced through the darkness of his thoughts. In the next instant, he shot up from the lounge chair! The sudden movement startled the live stream viewers. What the hell just happened? ¡­ But what they saw next was the look of pure enlightenment on Lu Chen¡¯s face. Lu Chen couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He started pacing around the room, thoughts racing. At that moment, Lu Chen¡¯s mind completely cleared. A new creative model¡ªFinally, he had found it! Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Lu Chen let out a silent breath. Now that he had found the method, it was time to switch into actor mode! This time was completely different from the last round. His approach would be more like a group chat. Through conversations, he would let Gao Qiqiang slowly reveal his own story. The same would go for An Xin, Gao Qisheng, and the others. So once he started, he needed to fully commit to the act¡ªTo push the story forward as if it were already set in stone! Simply put, Lu Chen didn¡¯t plan to start writing yet. In fact, he wanted to take a nap first. Why? To kill time and make it look like he was deeply immersed in thought. So when he finally started writing, it would feel justified and well-prepared. The audience would think, Then, when Lu Chen began writing in chat format, pulling out the story bit by bit¡ªIt would appear logical and convincing! So¡­ First, sleep. Once he was well-rested, he¡¯d start writing The Knockout. As always, ¡°acting¡± was key. Half pushing, half performing. For now, Lu Chen adjusted the lighting in his room to a dim, sleep-friendly level. Then he lay back down on the sofa, hands folded behind his head, eyes closed. Preparing for sleep¡­ After all, this round lasted five hours. And the show gave hourly reminders. Even if he slept for an hour, four hours would be more than enough to write The Knockout. Thanks to the room¡¯s soundproofing, Lu Chen soon drifted into light drowsiness. Meanwhile, in the livestream, the viewers were completely dumbfounded. ¡¾Wait¡­ bro¡­ aren¡¯t you in a competition? What the hell does dimming the lights and lying down mean?¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯m not blind, right? This is the Top 16 advancement round, and he¡¯s sleeping!¡¿ ¡¾WTF is this strategy! Others have already written over a thousand words, and you¡¯re calling it a night!¡¿ ¡¾Can someone explain what the hell is going on?¡¿ ¡¾Relax, he must be preparing an incredible story.¡¿ ¡¾Preparing my ass! He¡¯s obviously stuck!¡¿ ¡¾LMAO, while everyone else is grinding away, this guy is sleeping on the job! What a madman!¡¿ ¡¾I have never seen anything this ridiculous in my life.¡¿ ¡¾Dude thinks he¡¯s too good after writing Breaking the Ice¡ªnow he¡¯s showing off.¡¿ ¡¾Cut the BS, bro. Just write already.¡¿ Even Lu Chen¡¯s longtime fans were shocked. Could it be that the haters were right? Had Lu Chen let success get to his head? No way! This had to be a strategy! Dimming the lights? Lying down? It had to be for better story immersion! Yeah! Definitely! He¡¯d get up any second now! ¡­ Ten minutes passed, Lu Chen was still lying motionless on the sofa chair. Now even his biggest fans were breaking down. With over three million viewers, some couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They left the stream to watch other contestants. After all, they came to watch a writing competition, Not a man sleeping. As a result, Lu Chen¡¯s viewer count plummeted. Meanwhile, back at the judges¡¯ panel. The judges had just finished their round of inspections. Upon returning to Lu Chen¡¯s stream¡­ They saw a completely darkened room. And when they looked closer¡­ All four judges, plus Xiao Sa, were stunned. ¡°Wait¡­ why isn¡¯t he writing? Why is he asleep?¡± Chen Sicheng had a giant question mark floating above his head. Shu Ping and Yan Geling were equally baffled. Xiao Sa was speechless. ¡°I mean¡­ I know this round¡¯s prompt is tough. I saw many contestants scratching their heads in frustration. But Lu Chen¡­ dude, isn¡¯t sleeping a bit too much?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s not actually sleeping¡ªmaybe he¡¯s thinking?¡± Yan Geling tried to defend him. Shu Ping sighed. ¡°This prompt is really hard. Compared to last round, the restrictions are even tighter. A lot of contestants have fallen into similar ideas¡ªmost are writing about a fish vendor¡¯s daily life or love story.¡± ¡°One contestant had a cool twist¡ªwhere the fish vendor was an undercover spy.¡± Yan Geling chuckled. ¡°Yeah, at least it had an innovative angle. But the writing felt too much like a cheap webnovel¡ªtoo shallow. The plot was weak, and the suspense didn¡¯t hold up.¡± Shu Ping critiqued. ¡°I think Contestant #9 did well. A female fish vendor, strong female lead¡ªpretty interesting.¡± Chen Sicheng added. Yan Geling rolled his eyes. ¡°Come on, did you not notice? Her story is just another clich¨¦ romance¡ªRich CEO, childhood sweetheart, every male character is either handsome or charming. It¡¯s just an ugly duckling-to-swan fantasy.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s nothing wrong with romance! This genre is popular, it sells¡ªwhat¡¯s the problem?¡± Chen Sicheng argued. Yan Geling sighed. Chen Sicheng¡¯s mindset was too commercial. They were clearly on different wavelengths. Screenwriting should be commercial¡ªbut not only commercial. It needed artistic integrity too. Sometimes, art should take priority over profit. That was what made stories memorable. Just like in Let the Bullets Fly¡ªwhen they said, ¡°We must earn money standing tall, not kneeling!¡± Chen Sicheng¡­ Well, whether he was kneeling or not, who knew? But he definitely wasn¡¯t standing tall. Back to Lu Chen¡¯s stream, twenty more minutes passed. The judges checked back. Lu Chen was still lying down. Xiao Sa¡¯s eye twitched. Even Shu Ping and the others were losing patience. They said nothing, just exchanged glances and left again. Meanwhile, in the live chat, Viewers were losing their minds. ¡¾I can¡¯t take this anymore¡ªI¡¯m switching streams. If I wait any longer, I¡¯ll fall asleep too!¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯ve scrolled through a hundred Douyin videos, and this guy is STILL sleeping.¡¿ ¡¾Should we call the production team? Maybe something¡¯s wrong¡ªhe¡¯s been motionless for too long!¡¿ ¡¾Yeah, he¡¯s probably just¡­ asleep. What else could it be?¡¿ ¡¾This is your so-called writing genius? What a joke.¡¿ ¡¾Some people can¡¯t handle a little success. Once they get famous, they get cocky.¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯m out! I came here for writing, not a sleep stream!¡¿ Viewership dropped below 600,000. Elsewhere¡ªEven film industry executives were bored to death. Jiaxing Media HQ¡ªYang Mi yawned. Sitting beside her were Director Qin and Reba. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this guy? It¡¯s supposed to be a writing livestream, not a sleep livestream.¡± Yang Mi sounded exasperated. Director Qin checked the time. ¡°Boss, in ten minutes, we can start bidding on scripts. Should we¡ª?¡± ¡°Bid on what? He hasn¡¯t written a single word!¡± Reba was confused. Yang Mi hesitated. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer. Maybe he¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± Other film studios were having the same problem. They had rushed in to bid for scripts¡ªOnly to see a man sleeping for an hour. How the hell were they supposed to bid on that? Tiger had already played two rounds of Honor of Kings. When he glanced at his phone, Lu Chen was still lying there! Tiger couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Every year brings its fair share of weirdos, but this year is something else!¡± ¡­ Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Another ten minutes passed, the judges returned. ¡°Still asleep!¡± Yan Geling was completely dumbfounded. ¡°Is he wrestling with himself?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ After setting such a high bar with Operation Icebreaking, he probably wants to surpass himself and write an even better story.¡± Shu Ping also sensed that something was off with Lu Chen¡¯s state. Yan Geling¡¯s eyes filled with concern. ¡°If that¡¯s his mindset, then he¡¯s in trouble!¡± His words made even Liu Heping take a deep breath. For the first time, a trace of worry flickered in his eyes. Director Hong Tao was dripping with sweat. Just as Hong Tao was considering sending someone in to wake Lu Chen up¡ªA loud chime echoed. The first hour was over! Lu Chen had actually slept for an entire hour! Xiao Sa picked up the remote to make the hourly announcement. ¡°Attention, contestants! One hour has passed! Please stay on track with your progress!¡± ¡°Boss, bidding has started. Should we go for it?¡± Director Qin asked. Yang Mi was on the verge of tears. Buying clothes online at least came with photos. How were they supposed to make a multi-million-dollar bid when not a single word had been written? Just as Yang Mi hesitated¡ªsuddenly, in the livestream, a bidding token appeared¡ªdominating the entire screen! ¡°Someone placed a bid! It¡¯s Noon Sun Productions! And it¡¯s a top-tier bid!¡± Director Qin was stunned. ¡°Boss! What do we do?¡± Yang Mi didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She slammed her hand on the conference table. ¡°Top-tier bid! Do it!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The Jiaxing Media bidding token flashed across the screen! And almost simultaneously¡ª iQIYI! Huanyu Entertainment! Youku! All dropped into the livestream! Within seconds, all five priority slots were completely taken! The Livestream Exploded! ¡¾Holy shit! What the hell?! He hasn¡¯t even written a word, and film companies are fighting over him!¡¿ ¡¾Is this the power of Lu Chen? Absolutely terrifying!¡¿ ¡¾This is insane!¡¿ Just as the judges were about to leave again¡ª They saw the bidding war unfold. All of them froze in shock. Even Chen Sicheng¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°They¡¯ve gone insane! Bidding for this!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shu Ping and Yan Geling were at a loss. ¡°Looks like Lu Chen really has a golden name now!¡± ¡°After the success of Breaking the Ice, it¡¯s no wonder film companies don¡¯t want to miss out. I¡¯m actually a little envious of him.¡± Xiao Sa¡¯s jaw almost hit the floor. ¡°No way¡­ He broke another record! A single word hasn¡¯t been written, and five companies are already bidding top-tier?¡± ¡°Xiao Sa, I think we should send someone to wake him up. This can¡¯t go on!¡± Shu Ping was starting to panic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Xiao Sa reached for his walkie-talkie. Just as he was about to speak. ¡°Wait. No need. He¡¯s waking up!¡± Liu Heping¡¯s voice interrupted. Everyone looked up. Sure enough. On the screen, Lu Chen moved! He sat up, scratched his head, stretched, and walked over to the light switch, turning the brightness up. The Livestream Erupted! ¡¾HE¡¯S AWAKE! FINALLY!¡¿ ¡¾Wait¡­ was he actually thinking about the plot, or was he just sleeping?! If he was just sleeping, this is gonna be a disaster!¡¿ Inside the room, Lu Chen stretched his limbs. Damn¡­ That nap was amazing. ¡°Sorry for the wait, everyone!¡± He waved at the camera. ¡°The story is already in my head. And it¡¯s¡­ quite interesting.¡± ¡°But¡­ my writing method might feel strange to some of you. You might even feel uncomfortable. So, I¡¯m giving a heads-up¡ª Brace yourselves.¡± With that warning, Lu Chen got straight to work. Ignoring whether the audience could understand, he walked over to a whiteboard and wrote. [Gao Qiqiang, I want to talk to you!] Everyone in the livestream froze. Then, Lu Chen sat at his computer. Created a new document. And typed. [Me: Hello, Gao Qiqiang. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. Gao Qiqiang: Hello, Lu Chen.] The Livestream Fell Silent. WTF? Was this¡­ A self-interview? Did he not wake up properly? Why was he talking to himself? Seeing this bizarre scene¡ªShu Ping, Yan Geling, and even Liu Heping had a sudden realization. Their pupils shrunk. ¡°Wait¡­ this is¡ª?¡± Yan Geling hesitated. ¡°Yan, what is he doing?¡± Xiao Sa was stunned. Yan Geling snapped his fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t rush! Just watch! You¡¯ll understand soon!¡± Xiao Sa: ¡°¡­¡± Even Chen Sicheng frowned. Inside the room, Lu Chen had completely tuned out everything else. His entire focus was on the document. Or rather¡ª In his mind, there was no computer. No screen. No walls. No livestream. Only a table. And across from him¡ªGao Qiqiang sat there, smiling at him. His eyes carried a trace of amusement¡ªbut also a hint of something unsettling. [Gao Qiqiang: How do you know me?][Lu Chen: I¡¯ve heard your story. And I find it fascinating.][Gao Qiqiang: Oh? Then tell me, what¡¯s my story?][Lu Chen: Gao Qiqiang, CEO of Qiangsheng Group. A household name in Jinghai.][They say you rose from a lowly fish vendor to a towering figure in just a few years.][Gao Qiqiang: Hm. Seems like you know a bit about me][Alright then, what do you want to know?][Lu Chen: Everything.][Gao Qiqiang: And what¡¯s your goal?][Lu Chen: To write it down. To turn it into a screenplay.][Gao Qiqiang: A biography? Now that, I like.][Lu Chen: No.][You will never get a biography.][Gao Qiqiang: Why?][Lu Chen: Because you¡¯ve killed people. And not just one.] Xiao Sa jumped to his feet. ¡°HOLY SHIT¡ªWHAT IS THIS?¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Yan Geling silenced him immediately. ¡°Shut up and watch! This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment!¡± ¡°A once-in-a-lifetime moment!¡± ¡°Yes! You¡¯re about to witness the most mysterious creative technique in screenwriting!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Yan Geling¡¯s words left not only Xiao Sa, but also the entire audience speechless. Even the top executives of major film companies sat frozen in disbelief. The most mysterious creative technique! Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Shu Ping thought for a moment and decided it was best to say a few words. As industry professionals, they naturally understood Lu Chen¡¯s approach. But not all viewers might. Even though Lu Chen had given a heads-up in advance, his current state was indeed a bit unsettling. In an instant, countless eyes in the live broadcast room focused on Shu Ping. Shu Ping paused briefly and said, ¡°Lu Chen¡¯s current state can be simply explained as him imagining a character standing right in front of him and trying to have a conversation with that character to extract more details about the story!¡± Xiao Sa looked horrified. ¡°Ah¡­ imagining a character standing in front of oneself¡­¡± Shu Ping smiled. ¡°Does that sound scary? Actually, there¡¯s nothing frightening about it. Anyone who has ever written a story should have experienced this¡ªinteracting with their characters, even putting themselves in their shoes. For a screenwriter, this is extremely important! Only when you truly step into a character¡¯s skin can you understand them. In our industry, we call this process ¡®possession!¡¯¡± Xiao Sa nodded. ¡°I see, that sounds really interesting. No wonder writers can create such bizarre and diverse characters! But, Teacher Shu Ping, you said Lu Chen is imagining a character in front of him¡ªdoesn¡¯t that mean this isn¡¯t possession?¡± ¡°Right, this is a second method. It can be called character simulation or character extraction¡ªremoving the character from the mind and the plot, forming an independent enclosed space, and then having a conversation with that character.¡± ¡°This is incredible! It sounds even more advanced than possession. At least possession seems doable, but this seems really difficult.¡± ¡°Indeed, achieving this state requires either talent or extensive practice. Only by reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles can one attain it. Don¡¯t be fooled by Lu Chen sitting alone in this creative space. In reality, his mind has entered a special dimension. During this time, I want to remind everyone: whatever actions Lu Chen takes next, don¡¯t find them strange! He has most likely fully immersed himself in his story. And that¡¯s not a bad thing! On the contrary, for a screenwriter, this is a great thing!¡± With Shu Ping¡¯s explanation, the audience finally understood. Yan Geling chuckled. ¡°This brat, I actually thought he had dozed off. Turns out he was brainstorming a story, and he¡¯s thought of quite a lot!¡± ¡°Teacher Yan, what do you mean by that last sentence? I don¡¯t quite get it.¡± ¡°If you want to enter this state, you must have a rough story and character plot in mind. Only then can you have meaningful conversations with the character. Otherwise, do you really think you can just casually think about it and enter this state? Even if you do, after just a few lines, you¡¯d probably snap out of it. Because you wouldn¡¯t know what this character has been through, so there would be nothing to discuss. Only the author, who knows what has happened, can guide the conversation. Because sometimes, characters won¡¯t willingly reveal things¡ªthey don¡¯t want to talk about certain matters. It¡¯s up to the author to prompt them!¡± Xiao Sa found it increasingly surreal. ¡°Wow, I never imagined writing had so much depth! I¡¯m starting to lose track of what you¡¯re saying!¡± Yan Geling laughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand. This state is rare even for screenwriters, let alone ordinary people. I remember the last time I entered this state was when I was writing The Flowers of War. I called out Yumo and Shujuan to have a chat, one by one.¡± ¡°For me, it was during Let the Bullets Fly¡ªI had a conversation with Zhang Muzhi, Master, Huang Silang, as well as Lao San and Lao Si.¡± Shu Ping laughed as well. ¡°How about you, Teacher Liu?¡± Xiao Sa followed up. ¡°When I write scripts and novels, I must enter this state. Otherwise, I can¡¯t even start writing.¡± Xiao Sa: ¡°¡­¡± Yan Geling and Shu Ping: ¡°¡­¡± Others struggle to enter this state, but for Liu Heping, he can enter and exit at will. No wonder he wrote 1566. ¡°Teacher Chen, what about you?¡± Chen Sicheng: ¡°I¡­ I guess I¡¯m somewhat the same.¡± Xiao Sa: ¡°¡­¡± Why does that sound so unconvincing? At that moment, Yan Geling furrowed his brow slightly. ¡°Teacher Liu, Teacher Shu Ping, this state is usually used for writing ensemble stories. Could it be that Lu Chen is working on an ensemble cast story this time?¡± Liu Heping: ¡°Most likely.¡± Shu Ping: ¡°Let¡¯s keep watching! We should pay close attention to his conversations¡ªthey¡¯re full of information!¡± Chen Sicheng: ¡°There¡¯s already information¡ªthis Gao Qiqiang is the protagonist. Seems like he¡¯s also the antagonist! He¡¯s killed someone!¡± This time, Chen Sicheng didn¡¯t jump up like last time to accuse Lu Chen of breaking the rules. After all, he had already embarrassed himself once before. He wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to fall for it again. ¡°Could it be another Breaking the Ice type of storyline?¡± Chen Sicheng added. ¡°Let¡¯s watch and find out. Regardless of whether it follows a pattern, as long as the story is engaging, that¡¯s all that matters!¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chen Sicheng nodded. ¡­ Meanwhile, inside the room, Lu Chen¡¯s conversation with Gao Qiqiang, transcending reality, continued. [Lu Chen: ¡°You seem dissatisfied with what I said, Mr. Gao.¡± Gao Qiqiang smiled. ¡°Kid, if I were younger, you wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to me like this.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I know you have many subordinates. There¡¯s a pair named Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu, right?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°You really do know quite a bit. What else? Tell me everything you know. Maybe if I¡¯m in a good mood, I¡¯ll keep chatting with you.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I know you have two younger siblings. You¡¯re the eldest, with a younger brother and a younger sister. Your parents passed away early, so you took on the roles of both father and mother, working tirelessly at the fish stall to support your siblings through school.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°You know all this¡ªwho told you?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°No one. These backstories and relationships are all my creations.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Then go on, tell me everything you know.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So, you¡¯re willing to talk to me?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Let¡¯s see how much you really know. So far, you¡¯ve piqued my interest.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Alright. I know that you started as a fish vendor. As times changed, you transitioned into the mobile phone business. Then, somehow, you entered a famous construction company in Jinghai City. From there, you rose to power, eventually taking over the company and renaming it Qiangsheng Group, becoming a figure known by everyone in Jinghai, from the elderly to young children. Am I right?¡± Gao Qiqiang nodded. ¡°Not bad. You got it all right. But since you already know so much, what more do you want to know?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°The middle part of the story! What happened in between?¡±] ¡­ Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The live stream audience was stunned, completely blown away. [I never expected stories to be written like this, nor scripts to be created this way!].[If Shu Ping hadn¡¯t explained it, I¡¯d genuinely think Lu Chen had lost his mind!].[Amazing! I owe you an apology, Lu Chen. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you were just sleeping!].[Lu Chen¡¯s genius move may be late, but it never fails to arrive!!].[I bet Lu Chen will shine in this competition!].[He already is. Among all 31 contestants, who else can match him? He¡¯s playing at an entirely different level!]. ¡­ Inside the room. [Gao Qiqiang: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Chen: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Such a big secret?¡± Gao Qiqiang chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since anyone called me ¡®Brother Qiang.¡¯ You say my achievements are brilliant? But in life, gains always come with losses. Whatever you gain, you must lose something in return, right?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Right. So what did you lose?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°A lot¡ªfamily, love, friends¡­ and the chance to be a good person.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Just as I guessed.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°You guessed it?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Fame and fortune often come at the cost of family and kindness. Throughout history, few have escaped this fate.¡± Gao Qiqiang laughed heartily. ¡°Interesting, it seems you understand me quite well. Alright, since we¡¯ve gotten this far, and I¡¯m feeling bored anyway, let¡¯s talk. I¡¯ll tell you my story.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Actually, my parents passed away in a car accident when I was 14. I raised my younger brother and sister by myself. To send them to school, I dropped out early and worked various jobs to earn money. Later, I rented a stall in the Old Factory Street market to sell fish. Among all the fish vendors in the market, my business was the best. Do you know why?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Why?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Because I never shortchanged my customers. The weight was always exact¡ªnever more, never less. Honesty and integrity! In business, just this one principle is enough for a lifetime of learning.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Agreed!¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Actually, most people don¡¯t know this¡ªI sold fish, but I hated the smell of fish the most. When I was young, my mother was the one who always cooked fish at home. Later, it became my job. After I became successful, I went a long time without wanting to touch fish. Whenever I ate fish, it almost always meant something big was about to happen.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Like what?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°No rush, we¡¯ll talk about it when the time comes.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Alright.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°People think I don¡¯t eat fish because I killed too many of them in the past. That¡¯s not entirely true. Seeing fish always reminds me of my days selling them at the Old Factory Street market. When I first became successful, who would want to reminisce about hardship? Even sweet memories weren¡¯t enough to enjoy. It¡¯s different now¡ªI¡¯m old, and I often think about my younger days. And strangely, I miss the times when I had nothing the most, those days of hardship and struggle. I don¡¯t even know why.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Because back then, you hadn¡¯t lost your original self.¡± Gao Qiqiang was stunned for a moment, then laughed after a long pause. ¡°Maybe. But this so-called ¡®original self¡¯ isn¡¯t always right. Sometimes, it¡¯s just an unnecessary insistence.¡± ¡°Back to the point. Even if I hated the smell of fish, I had to endure it¡ªI had to. My entire family depended on that fish stall to survive. My siblings¡¯ futures were riding on that stall. Failure was not an option! But the things you care about the most are always the ones others want to take from you. You mentioned Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu earlier¡­ Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did you know that, at first, they were my enemies?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I know a little about it.¡± Gao Qiqiang nodded. ¡°Back then, those two brothers were market ¡®managers.¡¯ But ¡®manager¡¯ was just a fancy name¡ªthey were just gangsters. They had a few guys with them, divided up territories, and collected ¡®protection fees¡¯ from vendors. They called it a ¡®sanitation fee.¡¯ Looking back, it¡¯s ridiculous¡ªthe vendors cleaned up their own stalls, and yet they dared to charge for ¡®sanitation.¡¯ Even if they had called it a ¡®passage fee,¡¯ it would¡¯ve made more sense. But at the time, they were my bosses. They bullied and exploited me constantly. I had no choice. I had to put on a smile. I needed to do business there, after all! A man under someone else¡¯s roof has to bow his head. I endured this life for six or seven years. During that time, I paid them plenty. They kicked me around plenty too. I thought that by paying all the fees, joking around with them every day, and occasionally giving them a couple of fish, there would at least be some camaraderie, right? Turns out, I was naive. Just before the 2000 New Year, Tang Xiaolong suddenly announced they were reorganizing the stalls. I didn¡¯t want that! I had spent so much effort on my stall¡ªmy setup, my equipment, everything. The location was good, even the feng shui was good. I had worked so hard just to make next year better, to earn more. Because my brother, Gao Qisheng, was about to graduate. And my sister, Gao Qilan, was going to college. I needed money. A lot of money. So I went to beg the Tang brothers multiple times, pleading with them to let me keep my stall. But they ignored me. They insisted on reorganizing. To put it bluntly, they saw me as weak and easy to bully. You think I wasn¡¯t angry? Of course, I was. That was one of the few times in my life I told myself¡ª¡®One day, I will surpass them. I will make them come begging to me. I will make them watch my face!¡¯ And later, I did.¡± Gao Qiqiang chuckled. ¡°To be honest, that New Year was one of the most unforgettable of my life. I never expected that the stall reorganization would change my life so much. And I never expected that because of it, I would soon meet someone who would have a huge impact on my life.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Your lover?¡± Gao Qiqiang gave him an exasperated look. ¡°Come on, stop pretending¡ªyou already know.¡± Lu Chen grinned. ¡°Go ahead. I just want to be a listener.¡± Gao Qiqiang sighed. ¡°It was An Xin. A police officer from the Public Security Bureau. Just like his name suggests¡ªhe made people feel safe, secure. But when he was being stubborn, he was an absolute headache. Sometimes, he could frustrate you to death.¡±]. ¡­ At this point. In the judges¡¯ room, Yan Geling¡¯s eyes lit up, and suddenly, he let out a chuckle. ¡°This way of talking¡­ why does it sound so weird?¡± Shu Ping: ¡°¡­¡± Chen Sicheng: ¡°¡­¡± Teacher Yan, seriously? Chapter 54 Chapter 54 [Lu Chen: ¡°What exactly happened in between? Something must have linked you, Tang Xiaolong, Tang Xiaohu, and Officer An Xin together¡­ If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must have fought with the Tang brothers, right?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Yeah, we fought¡ªon New Year¡¯s Eve, no less.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Chen casually pulled out a Huazi cigarette from the coffee table. ¡°Want one?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°I don¡¯t smoke, and you should cut down too. You¡¯re young, what¡¯s the point of smoking?¡± ¡°Alright, then I won¡¯t.¡±]. Lu Chen put the cigarette back. ¡­ Outside the screen. Viewers: ¡°¡­¡± ¡¾If I weren¡¯t seeing this with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t believe it at all!¡¿ ¡¾Are we sure there¡¯s no actual person in front of Lu Chen? I swear, my hairs are standing on end!¡¿ ¡¾Writing like a god! I finally understand why this competition is called ¡®Divine Penmanship¡¯! This is unreal!¡¿ ¡¾Screenwriting is so cool! I never imagined it worked like this¡ªthis is insanely cool!¡¿ ¡¾An experience beyond words!¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯ve watched all four seasons of this competition, even the legendary first season, but I¡¯ve never seen a contestant enter such a state! This young man is terrifyingly talented!¡¿ ¡¾Crown him king already, Lu Chen! This work will make him a legend!¡¿ ¡¾King of what, you delusional idiots?!¡¿ , a bunch of cringy fools¡ªwhat king? Pirate King or Clown King?¡¿ ¡¾This dude is just a lunatic. I¡¯m dying of secondhand embarrassment!¡¿ Backstage at the production team. Seeing the flood of comments, Hong Tao frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there suddenly so many haters?¡± ¡°Director, these guys are hired trolls. A lot of them are from the same IP address! Could someone be deliberately targeting Lu Chen?¡± The admin team checked the logs and found the pattern. ¡°Mute them. Anyone using insults¡ªmute them all!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°And those with duplicate IPs?¡± ¡°Only keep one per IP!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡­ At a troll farm, a voice came through the walkie-talkie in urgency. ¡°Tiger, a bunch of our accounts just got banned!¡± Tiger remained relaxed, leaning back with his legs crossed, chewing betel nut, completely unfazed. ¡°So what? No need to panic¡ªthis was expected. Activate Plan B.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Tiger tossed the walkie-talkie aside, sneering. ¡°Banning accounts? What a joke. We¡¯re professionals! Professionals, got it?¡± He kept playing Honor of Kings, occasionally glancing at Lu Chen¡¯s livestream. ¡­ Meanwhile, after Hong Tao¡¯s order to block accounts, the viewer count in the livestream suddenly dropped by 200,000! Many genuine viewers were stunned. What the hell? Were all those people just now trolls? ¡­ Back inside the room, Lu Chen and Gao Qiqiang¡¯s conversation continued. [Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Because of the stall dispute, I begged the Tang brothers multiple times to spare me. I knew they didn¡¯t have to reorganize the market stalls. They just wanted to squeeze me for more benefits. I understood that. I dealt with people every day in business¡ªhow could I not see through this? Sure enough, Tang Xiaolong finally spoke. He told me his family needed something.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°What was it?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°A television. Specifically, a plasma TV. You¡¯re probably too young to even know about those. Back in the year 2000, plasma TVs were precious. Do you know how much one cost?¡± Lu Chen shook his head. Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Over 20,000 yuan!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Back then, 20,000 was a fortune! A fish sold for just a few yuan.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Exactly. I did the math¡ªI¡¯d have to sell at least 6,000 fish to afford it. At the time, I was selling 200 fish a day. That meant an entire month¡¯s earnings¡ªjust for a TV!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°You didn¡¯t give it to them?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Of course, I did. How could I not? If I didn¡¯t, how could I possibly keep my stall? But I couldn¡¯t afford a plasma TV. So I bought a regular one, which still cost thousands.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°The Tang brothers must have been displeased.¡± Gao Qiqiang nodded. ¡°Of course! You think they really cared about the TV? What they wanted was a statement! Back then, plasma TVs were a status symbol for the rich. Ordinary folks couldn¡¯t afford them. But you know how it is¡ªpeople who lack something always crave it the most. That¡¯s just human nature.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Hearing you talk, you don¡¯t sound like someone who only finished middle school.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Don¡¯t let my lack of formal education fool you¡ªI love learning. I know that knowledge is essential. Without it, you can¡¯t run a business. And you definitely can¡¯t run a big business.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I agree. What happened next?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°So, I took the TV to their house. Tang Xiaohu took one look and immediately got angry. He tried to kick me out. The unspoken message was clear¡ªmy fish stall was gone. I tried to reason with him. He wouldn¡¯t listen. At that point, I figured¡ªWell, if this is how it is, then I¡¯ll just leave it to fate. I picked up the TV and was ready to take it home. If I couldn¡¯t give it as a gift, at least my siblings could enjoy it. They had never seen such a nice TV before. New Year, new beginnings¡ªI thought I¡¯d bring home something nice for them.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°You really are a good brother.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°They¡¯re my only family. If I don¡¯t take care of them, who will?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°And how do they treat you?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Very well. They¡¯re obedient, hardworking, top students¡ªI never had to worry about them. That¡¯s the only reason I endured selling fish all those years. Because I had hope. I dreamed that one day, my siblings would make it. And maybe, just maybe, I¡¯d get to enjoy a little bit of their success.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°That¡¯s great. I envy you for having such good siblings. So¡­ how did things escalate into a fight?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Just as I was about to leave, Tang Xiaohu sneak-attacked me from behind. He shoved my brand new TV down the stairs. It shattered into pieces. I lost it. The TV wasn¡¯t even unboxed yet! Thousands of yuan¡ªgone! How could I not be furious? Without thinking, I attacked him! S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But they had numbers on their side. I got beaten up pretty badly¡ªbloody nose, bruised face, everything.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°And that¡¯s when An Xin got involved?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°No, we were all taken to the police station. That year, I spent New Year¡¯s Eve at the station.¡±]. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 [Lu Chen: ¡°Nothing happened in between? An Xin interrogated you?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°What was your first impression of him?¡± Gao Qiqiang smacked his lips. ¡°At first glance, just a regular cop. But he was young and had a kind face¡ªvery approachable. Not like how he turned out later, all old and grumpy.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°But from what I know, your first meeting with An Xin wasn¡¯t that simple, was it?¡± Gao Qiqiang smirked. ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you? Then why ask?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I only know the gist. Besides, the audience doesn¡¯t.¡± Gao Qiqiang shook his head, chuckling, and tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°You really like digging for details, huh?¡±] At this moment, inside the live broadcast room, Shu Ping took a deep breath and sighed sincerely, ¡°Lu Chen¡­ this kid has completely entered it. Fully immersed!¡± Yan Geling chuckled. ¡°I knew it! He was holding back in the last round. And sure enough! His state right now¡ªI¡¯m envious. Even when I was writing The Flowers of War, I wasn¡¯t this deep in!¡± Chen Sicheng, sitting nearby, was in complete shock. Xiao Sa, as an outsider, found it increasingly incomprehensible. He even started stuttering. ¡°Teacher Shu Ping, Teacher Yan, this¡­ this kind of creative state is just too astonishing! Can someone really have a conversation with an entirely fictional character? Why does this feel like¡­?¡± ¡°Like schizophrenia, right?¡± Shu Ping laughed. ¡°That¡¯s just how screenwriters are¡ªno madness, no genius.¡± ¡°Alright, today¡¯s been a real eye-opener.¡± Xiao Sa kept sighing in amazement. ¡°Teacher Shu Ping, what do you think about this character, Gao Qiqiang?¡± Yan Geling suddenly asked. ¡°So far, I¡¯m almost certain¡ªGao Qiqiang is designed like Lin Yaodong, the villain of this story.¡± Yan Geling nodded. ¡°But unlike the last round¡ªLast time, Lu Chen used a deductive approach to develop Lin Yaodong¡¯s character. This time, Lu Chen is using dialogue to help us understand Gao Qiqiang more deeply. His character is fuller and richer. Now, the question is whether Lu Chen can firmly establish the core conflict and key character arcs. If he can succeed in both areas, then this character will truly come alive. Personally, I feel that Gao Qiqiang¡¯s character might end up being just as compelling as Lin Yaodong. But as of right now, Gao Qiqiang¡¯s dramatic intensity is still much weaker than Lin Yaodong.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Yan Geling agreed. ¡°Lin Yaodong had the added theme of clan culture, which gave him extra narrative weight. Gao Qiqiang doesn¡¯t have that! This means that, from the very start, he lacks the same immediate appeal as Lin Yaodong. Even though we already know that Gao Qiqiang will eventually become a major, powerful figure in the local underworld, As an audience, we¡¯ve already developed expectations for his character. And with Lin Yaodong as the previous benchmark, if Lu Chen tries to create another villain of the same type¡­ The difficulty level naturally increases! I think this is also one of the aftereffects of Lu Chen¡¯s overly stunning performance in the last round. So let¡¯s keep watching¡ªLet¡¯s see how Lu Chen writes this. How he makes the middle part of the story compelling. How he brings this character to life! That¡¯s the key. Let¡¯s see if he can overtake from behind!¡± Shu Ping nodded in agreement. Xiao Sa, seeing that the two judges had just delivered a long and complex discussion, took the opportunity to simplify things for the audience. ¡°So, if I understand correctly¡ªLu Chen¡¯s creative approach this round is visually stunning. But so far, the character Gao Qiqiang is less impressive than you both expected? Because Lu Chen has already written a similar story before, Breaking the Ice, where he created a classic villain in Lin Yaodong. So compared to Lin Yaodong, Gao Qiqiang seems a bit ordinary? Is that what you mean?¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°More or less.¡± Both judges nodded. ¡°Then does that mean this story is inherently less exciting than the last one?¡± ¡°Not necessarily, Xiao Sa!¡± Shu Ping shook his head. ¡°Our comparison so far has focused only on the protagonists, Gao Qiqiang and Lin Yaodong. But don¡¯t forget¡ªLu Chen¡¯s current creative approach is typically used for ensemble casts! Which means, It¡¯s not just Gao Qiqiang who will stand out. Other characters in this story should also shine! If he truly achieves that¡ªThen I can¡¯t say for sure whether this story will surpass Breaking the Ice. But one thing is certain, the potential of this story is higher than Breaking the Ice! There¡¯s no doubt about it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Breaking the Ice is not an ensemble story. It¡¯s a plot-driven story. That means its potential ceiling is limited! Like I said before¡ªIf Lin Yaodong didn¡¯t exist, would Breaking the Ice have been as brilliant as it was? Probably not! That¡¯s the power of a great character! A truly well-written character can elevate an entire work. Think about it¡ªFor any great work, what do we always remember? The characters! For example, in The Flowers of War, we remember Yumo and the doctor. In The Ming Dynasty 1566, we remember Hai Rui, Emperor Jiajing, and Yan Song. That¡¯s the power of characters!¡± Yan Geling laughed. ¡°And in Let the Bullets Fly, we remember Zhang Muzhi, the Master, Huang Silang, And even Old Six¡ªthe man who cut open his own stomach for a bowl of noodles.¡± Shu Ping chuckled too. Meanwhile, Chen Sicheng sat on the side with a dark expression. Seriously, Are these guys just setting up soapboxes for themselves at this point? ¡°You see when a story features multiple deeply memorable characters, Its potential becomes almost limitless! That¡¯s why, for this round, we need to focus on how Lu Chen designs his characters! Especially in terms of the ensemble cast! From my perspective¡ªsince he¡¯s chosen this approach, I won¡¯t judge his story based on the standards of a plot-driven narrative. I will evaluate it as an ensemble story. If the ensemble design succeeds¡ªLu Chen wins! If it fails¡ªhe fails! There is no third outcome!¡± As Shu Ping dropped this heavyweight commentary, the atmosphere in the judges¡¯ room was instantly ignited! Xiao Sa was the first to clap. Yan Geling and Liu Heping followed, applauding in agreement. Even in the corner, Chen Sicheng was clapping¡­ But his head was spinning. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 At this moment, in the live broadcast room, hearing Shu Ping¡¯s powerful and definitive statement, the viewers were stunned. ¡¾Holy sh*t, Shu Ping actually revealed his judging criteria for this round?! Damn, this is insane!¡¿ ¡¾Yeah, I never expected this either! This is way too crazy!¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯m speechless. Isn¡¯t it a rule that judges can¡¯t reveal their scoring standards during the competition?! What the hell is happening?¡¿ ¡¾Curious question¡ªwhy can¡¯t judges reveal their scoring criteria in advance? Didn¡¯t Chen Sicheng also do it earlier?¡¿ ¡¾It¡¯s different. Chen Sicheng¡¯s standard sounded detailed, but in reality, it was vague¡ªthings like ¡°logic¡± and ¡°structure¡±¡ªthose are broad guidelines, mostly just filler. But Shu Ping¡¯s criteria? He straight-up laid out the core scoring system!¡¿ ¡¾Exactly! The reason judges don¡¯t reveal their criteria in advance is because the production team needs to maintain balance! This is a nationally-backed competition, after all. Just look at the official affiliations! Do you think CCTV would have hyped this show up in advance otherwise?¡¿ ¡¾Shu Ping revealing his criteria doesn¡¯t just affect the production team¡ªit could also force the other judges into a difficult position! The show never explicitly forbade it, but it¡¯s an unspoken rule in the industry.¡¿ ¡¾Hahaha, Shu Ping got too emotional again! His expectations for Lu Chen are just too high¡ªhe couldn¡¯t help but apply the absolute highest standard!¡¿ ¡¾Yeah, that¡¯s exactly why he did it!¡¿ ¡¾But isn¡¯t this bad for Lu Chen? It¡¯s basically digging a giant hole for him! If he can¡¯t deliver, won¡¯t this round be extremely dangerous for him?¡¿ ¡¾Trust in Lu Chen! Only true champions embrace the highest challenges!¡¿ ¡¾The gates have been set¡ªthe question is, will Lu Chen soar like a dragon, or fall like a worm?¡¿¡¾Damn, now I¡¯m nervous!¡¿ ¡¾Me too!¡¿ As Shu Ping preemptively revealed his judging criteria, the once-relaxed live chat suddenly tensed up! There was no doubt¡ªWhile Shu Ping¡¯s speech was inspiring and filled with passion. It had inadvertently raised Lu Chen¡¯s challenge to its absolute maximum difficulty! As one viewer commented. ¡°99.9% of ensemble stories are garbage. The remaining 0.1%? Those are masterpieces.¡± And was Shu Ping going to accept a 99.9% standard? Of course not. That meant Shu Ping¡¯s expectations¡ªand the difficulty of Lu Chen¡¯s challenge¡ªwere insanely high! Was this really the difficulty level of a Top 16 elimination round? Was Lu Chen competing against the other 31 contestants¡­ Or was he in a league of his own, fighting against himself?!For a moment, the entire audience was in a daze. It was like the same competition had been split into two separate dimensions. One for Lu Chen. One for everyone else. This dual-standard approach made Lu Chen¡¯s long-time fans feel a strange sense of satisfaction¡ªBut once they calmed down¡­ They couldn¡¯t help but worry about his chances of advancing. ¡°Isn¡¯t this unfair to Lu Chen?¡± In front of their screens, two sisters anxiously clutched their hands together. And they weren¡¯t the only ones. All over the country, similar concerns were arising. ______ At Jiaxing Media Headquarters, Yang Mi furrowed her brows. ¡°Aren¡¯t these expectations a bit too high? If he succeeds, great. But if he fails¡ªdoes that mean instant elimination?¡± Beside her, Head of Drama Productions Qin Jie adjusted her glasses and analyzed them calmly. ¡°Not necessarily. Success or failure here is Shu Ping¡¯s personal evaluation of the work. With Lu Chen¡¯s skill, his advancement should be guaranteed.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t the judges say that the beginning of this story isn¡¯t as impressive as Breaking the Ice? And that Gao Qiqiang isn¡¯t as compelling as Lin Yaodong?¡± Dilraba Dilmurat rested her chin in her hands, blinking her large eyes. Qin Jie smiled. ¡°Dilraba, let me ask you¡ªthis story has only been going for five minutes so far. And in these five minutes, Lu Chen has already established the protagonist¡¯s identity and motivations. Mapped out the character¡¯s growth trajectory. Defined the timeline and setting. Introduced the first conflict¡ªcentered around a technological product of the era. Laid the foundation for the future clash between the protagonist and the opposing force. All within five minutes, a story this tightly paced, with clearly defined characters and natural tension, isn¡¯t that worth getting excited about?¡± Dilraba was momentarily stunned. She hadn¡¯t even realized how much had been accomplished in just a few minutes! ¡°Wow¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought of it that way!¡± ¡°Exactly. I may not be able to write a screenplay, but I know how to analyze one. Trust me¡ªLu Chen¡¯s skills won¡¯t disappoint us. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even if Shu Ping¡¯s standards are absurdly high, We don¡¯t need to worry too much. Because this game isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Well said, Qin Jie!¡± Yang Mi clapped her hands in approval. She had always trusted Qin Jie¡¯s instincts when it came to scripts. If Qin Jie said no problem, then there was no problem. ______ At Guangdong Province Film Studio, Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng were watching the competition during their break from filming. ¡°Old Kong, what do you think of Shu Ping¡¯s statement?¡± Kong Sheng grinned. ¡°You can tell from my smile, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Come on, be serious.¡± ¡°Relax, no need to worry. Haven¡¯t we seen enough of Lu Chen¡¯s scripts?¡± Hou Hongliang thought for a moment¡ªthen chuckled. ¡°True. Let¡¯s just hope he sells this one to us too.¡± ¡°Fingers crossed! Honestly, I feel like this story might even be better than Breaking the Ice!¡± ¡°Oh? Why?¡± ¡°Just a gut feeling. Hard to explain.¡± ¡°Hah, alright then¡­¡± ______ At Huayi Brothers Entertainment, Wang Zhonglei lit a cigar. ¡°Bro, if we judge this round by Shu Ping¡¯s standard, then this competition just got way more interesting. Maybe we don¡¯t even have to take action¡ªThe judging panel might take Lu Chen out for us.¡± Wang Zhongjun, having just finished some paperwork, glanced over and chuckled. ¡°Young people are impulsive. They tend to set themselves up for failure.¡± ¡°Exactly! You nailed it! Lu Chen brought this on himself¡ªtrying to show off with all this mystical summoning-spirit nonsense. Now he¡¯s screwed. He¡¯s raised the judges¡¯ expectations way too high!¡± Wang Zhonglei laughed gleefully. ______ At the Production Team¡¯s Headquarters, hearing Shu Ping¡¯s speech, Hong Tao was stunned. Then he saw the other judges applauding. He was even more stunned. Shu Ping, normally so composed, had just accidentally caused a massive situation. This was a big trouble. Completely unaware of the chaos outside, Lu Chen continued his conversation with Gao Qiqiang. [Lu Chen: ¡°I heard that after you were released, An Xin was the one who took you home?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Yeah. He happened to be handling a case nearby, so I hitched a ride in his squad car. And funnily enough, he ended up helping me with a big problem.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu caused more trouble?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°You¡¯re smart¡ªsmarter than I expected.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Thanks!¡±]. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡¾LOL, did Lu Chen just compliment himself?!¡¿ ¡¾This guy really split himself into two!¡¿ ¡¾Never seen someone flex like this¡ªrespect!¡¿The chat exploded with laughter. At this moment, in the live broadcast room, the atmosphere was intense. The audience was deeply immersed in the conversation between Lu Chen and Gao Qiqiang. Every sentence. Every response. Every psychological shift. They were witnessing, in real-time, how an ordinary fish vendor walked step by step into the world of crime. [Gao Qiqiang: ¡°As soon as I got back to my fish stall, the Tang brothers came looking for trouble. An Xin saw it and rushed over to stop them. But the Tang brothers? They looked down on him¡ªhe was just a district officer in their eyes. You know how these street punks are¡ªThey think they run the world, never afraid until they see the coffin.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So An Xin couldn¡¯t control them, and they just played the ¡®we¡¯re untouchable¡¯ game?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Then how was it resolved?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°An Xin¡¯s colleague¡­ what was his name again¡­ S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Right! Li Xiang! This guy was different. Not a ruthless person but definitely fit the image of a real cop. He had authority, a presence. An Xin? Still too green. Li Xiang came over and warned the Tang brothers, right in front of the whole market. He even told them out loud that An Xin had a relative in the municipal police headquarters¡­ a deputy chief. That scared the sh*t out of the Tang brothers. They instantly started groveling.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So An Xin actually had that kind of connection.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Tell me about it! Even I didn¡¯t expect it.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Let me guess¡ªat that moment, you felt like you¡¯d found a powerful backer, right?¡± Gao Qiqiang burst into laughter. ¡°You brat!¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Come on, the Tang brothers had been bullying you for years, and no one ever helped you. Then suddenly, a cop steps in, and BAM¡ªjust like that, he crushes them. That must have felt so damn satisfying. And in your eyes, An Xin became someone who could help you, right?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Not exactly! It wasn¡¯t An Xin who was powerful¡ªit was his deputy chief relative. Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu were afraid of that guy, not An Xin himself. Of course, having a powerful relative did mean An Xin held some weight, but the real fear wasn¡¯t directed at him.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Fair point. What happened next? Did the Tang brothers keep bothering you?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Would they dare? From that day forward, their attitude toward me completely changed. I won¡¯t say they started sucking up to me, but at the very least, they were polite. They stopped trying to kick me out of my stall. Hell, they even waived my ¡®sanitation fees¡¯.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Looks like An Xin unknowingly helped you out a lot.¡± Gao Qiqiang nodded. ¡°To be honest, I actually started name-dropping An Xin¡¯s relatives after that.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°You leveraged the connection?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Yeah. Since Li Xiang had announced it in front of the entire market, everyone thought I¡¯d somehow gotten lucky¡ªlike I had powerful connections now. So before long, whenever people in the market had troubles, they started coming to me for help. Not really for me¡ªbut because they thought I could get An Xin to help them.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°But you weren¡¯t actually that close to An Xin.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Of course not! An Xin helped me once because he pitied me, not because we were best buddies. If I had gone to him every time someone had a problem, I¡¯d be digging my own grave. He¡¯d see right through me, and that relationship would be over.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So you refused to help?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°At first, yes. But the more I refused, the more people started doubting me. They thought my connection to An Xin wasn¡¯t as strong as rumored. And when people no longer see value in you¡­ They stop respecting you. Why should they?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°That makes sense. So you eventually agreed to help?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d been selling fish in the Old Factory Street market for over a decade. But those few months? Those were the best months of my life. Everywhere I went, vendors treated me with respect. One day, a butcher would give me free meat. The next day, a vegetable seller would hand me extra produce. Even if they didn¡¯t give me anything, they¡¯d pause their business just to greet me with a smile. That feeling¡­ can you understand?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°The feeling of being respected. Of being valued. Of even being admired.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Exactly! That feeling was intoxicating! Better than smoking, drinking, or gambling! You can call it craving respect, or even greedy for status. But either way¡ªI didn¡¯t want to lose that feeling.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°So when a butcher asked for your help again, you couldn¡¯t refuse.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Exactly. And I could feel it¡ªThe entire market was watching to see how I¡¯d respond. If I refused again, I wouldn¡¯t just lose face. I¡¯d crash and burn. First, the Tang brothers would see their chance to take revenge on me. Second, everyone else would stop respecting me. So I had no choice.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°What was the issue?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°The butcher¡¯s cousin owned a CD shop. You know, the kind that sold CDs and DVDs?¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Yeah. In 2000, those were huge. And pirated CDs were everywhere.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Exactly. Big money in bootleg DVDs.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°That¡¯s illegal.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°A lot of things are illegal. People do them anyway. If it makes money, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Fair point¡­¡±] _____ ¡¾HAHAHAHA! That line is PEAK Gao Qiqiang!¡¿ ¡¾Lu Chen is dancing on the edge of that censorship line again!¡¿ ¡¾These dialogues are TOO real!¡¿ _____ [Gao Qiqiang: ¡°His cousin¡¯s shop was doing well. So, naturally, some thugs took over the place. Forced him out. The butcher came to me, hoping I could ask An Xin to step in.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°And you knew this was your last chance to prove your value.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Exactly. So I agreed. I tried to meet An Xin¡ªfour or five times. But he was always busy with cases. Eventually, I realized I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I had to solve it myself.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°You went to face them alone? You weren¡¯t afraid of getting beaten?¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°Afraid? Of course! But if I didn¡¯t go, I would definitely lose. If I went, at least I had a chance.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°I see it now. You¡¯ve got a gambler¡¯s mindset. And more than that¡ªYou¡¯re willing to risk everything for status, for respect.¡± Gao Qiqiang: ¡°I¡¯ve always said¡ªto gain, you must lose. But here¡¯s an even bigger truth¡ªIf you want to gain, you must be willing to lose everything.¡± Lu Chen nodded. ¡°It sounds reasonable. It also sounds incredibly dangerous. But either way, I think I¡¯m finally starting to understand you.¡± Gao Qiqiang smirked. ¡°Understand me? Kid, we¡¯re just getting started.¡± Lu Chen: ¡°Then please¡ªcontinue.¡±