Who

By noon, producer Tang Jiahe still hadn't emerged from President Dai's office. When the workday ended, screenwriters from the department, carrying their lunchboxes in small groups, headed for the 12th-floor staff cafeteria, chattering about various speculations.

Li Xun had brought his own lunchbox too. He went to the cafeteria and got braised pork, spicy chicken chunks, Kung Pao chicken, pickled cabbage with pork, and a side of small greens.

For veteran employees, their lunch companions were usually quite fixed. Today, Li Xun casually found a corner to eat by himself.

Wang Hai's table had four people, two men and two women, all people he usually got along well with.

Julie said while eating, "Guess which IP our company bought?"

She was in her mid-thirties. Because she married late, her child was still in kindergarten. Before joining Penguin Video, she already had well-known works. Now, she was a chief editor in the Screenwriting Department. If even she didn't know the news, others certainly wouldn't.

"What's up, Master? Even you don't know?"

The speaker was Ye Zhou. He hadn't been in the Screenwriting Department for two years, still considered somewhat of a newcomer. When he first joined, the company assigned Julie to mentor him. At that time, Julie wasn't a chief editor yet, and they had a very good relationship, almost like siblings. However, he still couldn't shake the habit of calling her "Master."

Julie shook her head. "I haven't heard a single whisper about this. A while ago, the IP President Dai had been eyeing for a long time was snatched by Gua Video with a huge investment. So, theoretically, our company shouldn't suddenly have a major IP now. But who can say for sure? Maybe President Dai learned from the last time she was outbid and is keeping this news so tight for that reason."

"Do you think maybe someone in our Screenwriting Department quietly wrote an original script that got accepted but didn't announce it?"

The speaker was Zhou Yao, a screenwriter Wang Hai had mentored last year.

"An original script? An original script would be lucky to get a B-Class Production. This time, even Tang Jiahe is involved. How could it be a B-Class Production? This is definitely a major A-Class Production," Ye Zhou said, shaking his head.

"So, someone's script got approved for an A-Class Production?!" Zhou Yao asked again.

"An original A-Class script? The risk is too high. The company usually wouldn't take such a big gamble," Julie shook her head.

Zhou Yao said in a low voice, "A few days ago, I saw Chen Yuning send a script to President Dai. Could it be him? Wasn't he always studying 'Ancient and Modern Strange Cases' recently? Do you think his script might have been accepted? The company is placing so much importance on this suspense trend right now, investing heavily is understandable, right?"

"Chen Yuning? That's even more impossible. He doesn't even have the qualifications to independently create a B-Class Production. No matter how fast someone improves, there's always a process," Julie still shook her head.

However, even though they all thought it was impossible, they all naturally looked in Chen Yuning's direction.

Chen Yuning looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. Everyone remembered he was usually quiet, but today he was chatting and laughing with his colleagues, looking in good spirits. He seemed indeed a bit different from usual.

Only Wang Hai kept glancing at Li Xun, who was eating alone in silence.

"Master, what are you looking at?"

Zhou Yao followed Wang Hai's gaze and then asked, "Master, how do you think this new apprentice you're mentoring this year compares to me?"

Wang Hai glanced back at Zhou Yao, smiled, and didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up his lunchbox and walked towards Li Xun.

This left Zhou Yao and the other two feeling bewildered.

Wang Hai sat down opposite Li Xun and glanced at his lunchbox. "How is it? Are you getting used to the cafeteria food?"

Li Xun looked up at Wang Hai and nodded. "It's very good. Too good, actually. I'm afraid I'll get fat if I work here for too long."

"Hahaha! You're so right. Look at me, I'm 170 pounds now. Actually, I was only 120 pounds when I first started! I've gained 50 pounds in a few years of working here."

At 2:15 PM, Tang Jiahe finally came out of President Dai's office. Julie, being familiar with Tang Jiahe, stopped him and asked.

"What's up, Old Tang? Starting a new project? Can you tell us which popular novel IP it's going to adapt? It even surprised you."

All the screenwriters in the department perked up their ears.

This was the question all the screenwriters were currently concerned about.

Just then, Tang Jiahe's phone rang. Before answering, he casually replied, "Huh? Popular novel IP? What popular novel IP? Isn't it an original script from your department? What, even you, a chief editor, don't know?"

After saying only this, Tang Jiahe answered the phone. He nodded to Julie and then left the Screenwriting Department, talking on the phone.

The Screenwriting Department immediately became noisy.

It was really an original script from within the company!

Whose was it?

This was hidden too well!

How come there wasn't a single whisper beforehand?

An original script? And an A-Class Production?

Who had that much capability?

If the script had forty to fifty episodes, the cost would be heading towards a hundred million. As long as the results were satisfactory, holding such a work would allow one to coast on their merits for the rest of their life!

Most screenwriters started guessing wildly like headless flies.

"Old Zhang, aren't you the one playing dumb and hiding your talent?"

"Old Li, what are you saying? If I had that kind of skill, I would have already been shouting it from the rooftops."

"Little Liu, aren't you writing that suspense script recently? What's up, still hiding it?"

"Sigh, I gave up long ago! I revised it over ten times, and President Dai was still not satisfied."

Han Qiaoling and Zhou Hongsu, also newcomers, felt their hearts stir.

They hadn't expected to witness the birth of an original A-Class Production on their second day at work.

They didn't know many people in the Screenwriting Department, so they scanned the entire department simultaneously, silently wondering to themselves.

Who could it be?

An A-Class Production, with a screenwriter's commission of 200,000 per episode. That's at least millions in commission! If the script has 50 episodes, and it's an original work, the screenwriter could earn 10 million in commission from just this one project!

When will I be able to write a script like that?

Three years, or five?

Even ten years would be worth it!

Unlike most screenwriters who were guessing wildly, Zhou Yao, Julie, and Ye Zhou all looked towards Chen Yuning.

Besides him, I haven't heard of anyone else submitting a script recently!

Only Wang Hai kept glancing at Li Xun, who was sitting next to him.

After a while, President Dai's assistant, Qiu Ting, came out of the office and walked to the editorial department's work area. She said, "Li Xun, please go to President Dai's office. President Dai is looking for you."

Li Xun stood up and followed Qiu Ting into the office. After a short while, Qiu Ting came back out, closing the office door behind her. She then returned to her own office next door.

At this moment, Zhou Yao quietly approached Wang Hai and asked curiously, "Master, do you think my junior apprentice has a grudge against President Dai? I always feel like President Dai looks at him differently than she does others."

Wang Hai replied distractedly, "Maybe, I'm not too sure. But, speaking of which, the company just asked me to help him get familiar with the company environment. We haven't taught him anything, so I'm not qualified to be his master. Don't call him junior apprentice anymore."

Zhou Yao retorted, "What's wrong with calling you Master and him junior apprentice? Isn't that a tradition in our company? Everyone calls each other that, so why can't he?"

Wang Hai shook his head with a wry smile and didn't say anything more.

Zhou Yao asked again, "Master, what do you think President Dai called him for?"

Wang Hai glanced at the newcomer he had mentored last year, his expression complex as he said, "Perhaps it's about the script he submitted this morning?"

Zhou Yao was a little surprised. "He submitted a script after only two days? The first two episodes? That's too fast! But whether a screenwriter is any good depends on the quality. No matter how fast they are, it's useless if the quality isn't there. Hmm, Master, how many revisions do you think your new apprentice's first script will need before it's approved? When I first came here, my first script needed 28 revisions, which took a full three months, before President Dai finally approved it. But that first script was for a B-Class Production, so President Dai was quite generous. I heard that was considered fast?"

Wang Hai nodded and said, "Yeah, when I first started, my first script needed 40 revisions before it was approved. I couldn't sleep properly for nights because of the pressure."

Zhou Yao asked again, "Master, you still haven't answered. How many revisions do you think my new junior apprentice's first script will need?"

Wang Hai took a deep breath, thinking about the script he had just read, and said sternly, "I really don't dare to guess!"