A Veteran of Stage Plays

Two days later, at Yu City Airport.

Meng Shu carried his bag and arrived at the exit. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, he stretched and relaxed after sitting for almost two hours on the plane.

He then took a deep breath, took out his phone, and called a ride-hailing service.

The main reason I traveled all the way to Yu City was to meet and exchange ideas with Director Li.

Two days ago, after Supervisor Lian gave him his contact information, he contacted Director Li by phone.

Then, the two had a brief conversation to get to know each other.

Director Li's full name is Li Chengshuang, and he is a veteran artist.

According to his online autobiography, he was originally a handyman on a film crew. Later, by chance, he met his mentor at a stage play. This marked the beginning of his career in stage plays, and he gradually rose from a small-time stage actor to the successful artist and director he is today.

It is said that he also trained many successful apprentices.

At first, Meng Shu wondered if she could actually persuade such a person to cooperate. Or rather, if she did manage to persuade them, would they be allowed to act recklessly and without restraint?

But after talking to her, she found that the other party was not as stubborn as Meng Shu had thought; on the contrary, he seemed very kind.

The person that Supervisor Lian found is really quite capable.

Moreover, when asked to direct a stage play, the other party did not refuse outright, but their tone indicated some difficulty.

Upon further inquiry, it was learned that Director Li had retired and was enjoying his retirement.

If he were to direct a stage play, he would be somewhat out of his depth.

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu expressed her understanding and decided to give up the idea of inviting Director Li.

There's nothing we can do. Since they've retired, why bother them?

When Director Li learned during a later, polite inquiry that it was a horror-themed stage play, his tone immediately changed, and he began asking for details incessantly.

Although Meng Shu noticed that Director Li seemed to have suddenly changed, she still gave a brief explanation of the overall story flow.

After listening, Director Li remained silent for a long time before replying with a single sentence.

[Perhaps we should meet.]

Then, Meng Shu arrived in Yu City.

The reason Meng Shu came to see Director Li was not because the other party was acting like a big shot, but out of respect for the veteran artist, it was only right that she should make the trip.

So now, Meng Shu, who had arrived in Yu City, went to a company called ' Yuyang Media ' at the specific address sent by Director Li.

This is a street-side shop, and the storefront is decorated in a way that suits Meng Shu's aesthetic.

Looking at the bustling traffic on both sides, it seems that this area is quite prosperous.

Meng Shu picked up her bag and walked in, when she saw the receptionist stand up with a water glass in her hand.

Upon seeing someone enter, she put down her water glass and politely inquired in a low voice.

"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

Meng Shu glanced around before looking at the front desk.

"My surname is Meng, and I have arranged to meet with Mr. Li."

The receptionist immediately nodded in understanding.

"Hello Mr. Meng, please wait a moment."

He smiled as he spoke, then walked behind the background wall, presumably to make the notification.

It has to be said that this company was somewhat beyond Meng Shu's expectations.

He had assumed it was one of those roadside advertising shops, but it turned out to be a high-end, sophisticated business company.

In short, he was very satisfied with the first impression.

Soon, in less than a minute, the receptionist came out.

"Hello Mr. Meng, this way please."

The receptionist gestured, and Meng Shu nodded and followed.

After passing through the employee work area, I arrived at an office with frosted glass paper on the walls.

The receptionist Knock, and soon a slightly aged voice came from inside.

"Please come in."

The receptionist opened the door upon hearing the noise and smiled at Meng Shu.

The latter smiled in response and stepped inside.

At a glance, I saw an elderly gentleman, over fifty years old, sitting on the mahogany coffee table.

Despite his advanced age, he showed no signs of fatigue and appeared to be in excellent spirits.

Upon seeing Meng Shu enter, he was taken aback at first, then immediately stood up with a smile to greet her.

"Hello Mr. Meng, please have a seat."

Meng Shu smiled and nodded. Before she could speak after sitting down, she saw Director Li pour her a cup of tea and hand it to her.

"The teacups used for entertaining guests are clean and have just been filtered, meaning there are no tea stains inside. So the tea might be a little weak, please forgive us."

"It's alright, Director Li, I don't mind."

Meng Shu glanced at the teacup, and her satisfaction with Director Li increased even more.

In the past, when I visited other people's companies, although there were tea sets available, guests would basically just use a disposable cup and that would be enough. Who would bother to bring you a teacup?

They weren't even close friends, and it was the first time we'd met.

From this perspective, Director Li clearly values it highly.

Of course, it's also possible that it depends on the person; maybe when someone visits, Director Li serves them a disposable cup.

Thinking it over, Meng Shu handed over a business card.

Director Li took it, glanced at it, and smiled. Then he put it away and began to make himself some tea.

"Mr. Meng is truly a promising young man. Miss Lian introduced you to me before. When I spoke to you on the phone before, I could tell from your voice that you were very composed. Now that we've met, it's true. There are so many talented people out there. You've achieved so much at such a young age."

"If my son had half of your abilities, I'd probably be laughing as I went into my coffin."

Meng Shu immediately waved his hand, becoming modest.

"No, Mr. Li, you flatter me. I came here mainly to discuss the matter we discussed on the phone earlier."

As she spoke, Meng Shu took out a stack of stapled A4 papers from her bag and handed them over.

This is the stage script for "Dead Space," which also includes concept art for the monsters.

Upon seeing this, Director Li quickly put down the tea utensils, took out a piece of paper to wipe the wetness from his hands, and then accepted the tea with both hands.

It's clear that his attitude also carried a hint of respect.

Then, he put on his glasses and began to look at them carefully.

Before long, his expression grew increasingly alarmed, and his breathing became more and more rapid.

In the large office, apart from the sound of papers turning over, there was only Director Li's soft breathing.

He flipped through the pages one by one. The script in front of him had a smooth storyline and a clear style and theme. Several terrifying parts even caught his eye.

The monsters were depicted in terrifying and horrifying ways, their appearances completely beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Especially for him, they were entirely new and exciting things!

After the combination of text and images, Mr. Li couldn't help but visualize the scene, and his expression slowly changed at that moment.

Meng Shu wasn't in a hurry; she picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

Hmm, I can't drink it.

About ten minutes later, Director Li finished reading the script, took off his glasses, and looked amazed.

After taking a sip of tea, he asked a question.

"Mr. Meng, you clearly stated on the phone before that this stage play does not require a set, stage effects, or actors on stage, right?"

"Yes."

Meng Shu nodded and continued.

"It's called a stage play, but it's actually just an exhibition stage. It can't have the kind of effects devices like fire-breathing, water-spraying, and ribbon-spraying that you'd use on a performance stage. That's why it uses a holographic virtual 3D format."

Director Li said he understood and continued flipping through the script.

Then he frowned and spoke.

"I know a bit about virtual stage plays. If it's as you described on the phone—the scenes, backgrounds, characters, special effects, etc., are all handled by other teams—then there's no problem. However..."

Director Li paused, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Are horror-themed stage plays really feasible? For decades, whether in film or other fields, the horror genre has been perceived as a sham."

"This might sound a bit harsh, but a long time ago, my teacher also tried a horror-themed stage play. The script was already written, but it was abruptly stopped by the investors. The completed script was also adapted into a movie called ' The Dark Road.' As a result, it was a box office flop and he was also criticized."

"I'm not saying that this horror genre is bad, but the directors in the entire stage play industry have no experience, they don't know how to do it, and they don't know how to arrange it."

"Mr. Meng, I've read your script, and it's truly amazing. Take this scene, for example. 'The captain leads the survivors to the restaurant, only to find it littered with corpses and in complete disarray. A mountain of human corpses, covered in blood, is piled up. Several Necromorph are crawling nimbly on the mountain of corpses, devouring the flesh.' My God, I can't even imagine what that scene would be like."

After Director Li finished speaking, he flipped through the script again.

"And this scene was even more shocking. ' Landa risked everything to save Hansen when the Necromorph attacked him. But just as he was catching his breath and wiping away sweat, Hansen suddenly went berserk and cleaved him in two from behind with a chainsaw.' The humanity under such crisis, and the unpredictable nature of being attacked by a teammate while fighting side by side, is truly more awe-inspiring than anything in a war movie. Moreover, the effect of achieving this on stage is absolutely unimaginable!"

"Mr. Meng, your script is more like a movie script than a stage play."

Meng Shu smiled and put down her teacup.

"That's why we need an artist like you to bring the script to life."

Director Li opened his mouth, then fell silent for a moment. He seemed hesitant, yet also filled with longing.

Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"Mr. Meng, I need to clarify something. Regarding what I just mentioned, there are no precedents or production experiences for horror-themed stage plays in the entire industry. If you ask me to do it, I'm worried I won't be able to do it well. But..."

Director Li paused for a moment, then spoke again.

"I want to give it a try. I want to accomplish what my teacher couldn't, and I also want to create a horror-style work myself. I never had the opportunity before I retired, plus there were no good scripts, and no one wrote this kind of script. Now that I'm retired, no one can stop me, and I can try my best. So I didn't directly refuse you on the phone because I wanted to explain the situation to you in person."

"That's why we met, or you could say it's a request from this old codger."

"Mr. Meng, I've explained the situation clearly. If you're still willing to let me try, I'll have my student lend some people over. If not, you can come to me again if there's an opportunity to cooperate in the future."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu smiled.