Young Bao Qingtian

After Dai Ying returned to the office, Li Xun also sat back at his workstation. Wang Hai, next to him, eagerly asked Li Xun:

"Did you really say those things?"

Li Xun said helplessly:

"I'm not brain-dead. Didn't you see how everyone looked at me? If my emotional intelligence were really that low, would I be alive today?"

Wang Hai nodded:

"I also don't think you're that kind of person. So, is President Dai intentionally targeting you?"

Li Xun spread his hands:

"Who knows? A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea!"

Wang Hai nodded in agreement.

Li Xun sat in front of the computer and opened Word. The scenes he had seen in his previous life vividly appeared in his mind.

Everything he had seen, heard, or learned in his previous life was stored in his brain like computer files.

This was probably the cheat he got from transmigrating!

Costume Suspense drama?

He had watched quite a few of these dramas in his previous life in the parallel world called Earth. Detective Dee, The Song Official, Young Bao Qingtian, etc. Which one should he choose?

He decided to exclude Detective Dee first. One reason was that the small stories had too many episodes. He had at most half a month. Next month, the other two major video platforms would broadcast their own new suspense dramas, and he still needed to try to secure more time for the production and filming department. Another reason was that the scale of Detective Dee seemed a bit too grand, and the investment would surely be considerable. He shouldn't go for grand scenes with his first script.

The Song Judicial Department wasn't very suitable either; the atmosphere was a bit too oppressive. He didn't have much fame yet, so he should try to choose works that the common people enjoyed. Preferably works that blended suspense with comedy, and seriousness with a touch of playfulness. Looking at it this way, Young Bao Qingtian seemed quite suitable.

Speaking of Young Bao Qingtian, it was a TV series that blended suspense, martial arts, comedy, romance, and many other elements, with a well-structured plot.

He remembered that Young Bao Qingtian was the national viewership champion in 2000 and set an incredibly strong viewership rating after My Fair Princess.

In his previous life's timeline, in 2006, at the TV drama viewership awards reception hosted by Jiangsu Provincial Television Station, Young Bao Qingtian (Part 1 and Part 2) won the title of Jiangsu Satellite TV's Top Drama with an excellent record of being the weekly viewership champion across 36 satellite TV stations nationwide. The drama's veteran producer, Chen Yong, also received the title of Top Ten Producer.

Using this TV series as the opening work of his entertainment career was definitely significant enough.

Li Xun began typing on the keyboard while replaying scenes in his mind.

The words "Young Bao Qingtian: Famous Throughout the World" appeared on his document.

"I wonder if those film and television companies that rejected my scripts will regret it once my Young Bao Qingtian is officially broadcast," Li Xun couldn't help but think.

In fact, after realizing he had transmigrated, Li Xun had written several scripts. He just hadn't expected that his classic scripts, which had already been proven by the market in his previous life, were considered nothing by those high-and-mighty major film and television companies.

He then realized that the screenwriter circle was a highly closed and relationship-driven circle.

If you have no fame and no connections, why would anyone invest in your script?

Since this circle was so closed, he had no choice but to find a way to break into it first.

He happened to see Penguin Video's recruitment advertisement. After careful consideration, he finally signed up.

The entrance examination went smoothly, and now he could be considered a member of this circle, albeit barely.

But this didn't count as truly integrating into the circle yet.

When would he truly be considered integrated into this circle?

Perhaps after Young Bao Qingtian was released!

Li Xun shook his head, clearing these distracting thoughts from his mind, and began to dedicate himself entirely to the great task of transcribing the script.

1. Fade in.

EXT. LUZHOU CITY - DAY.

A bustling city street, lively and noisy, with street performers juggling and performing, an old man selling candied hawthorns along the street, and children laughing and playing.

2. EXT. SPRING BREEZE FULL MOON TOWER - SECOND FLOOR - DAY.

Gongsun Ce, the son of the Luzhou Prefect, is renowned for his talent, attracting many proud scholars from Luzhou City who also consider themselves talented to challenge him.

SCHOLAR 1: I've heard that Young Master Gongsun's Go skills are exquisite. Today, I'll use a difficult Go puzzle from Plum Blossom Divination to seek your guidance.

SCHOLAR 2: I've come to seek Young Master Gongsun's skill in couplets.

SCHOLAR 3: I'd like Young Master Gongsun to guess a few riddles.

Gongsun Ce: Since the three young masters have graced me with your presence, I, Gongsun Ce, respectfully accept. Let's do it together.

The crowd cheers.

Scholar 1 places a stone first: White moves first.

Gongsun Ce picks up a black stone.

SCHOLAR 2: Fake mountain, real deer walk.

Gongsun Ce places a stone: Dead water, live fish swim.

SCHOLAR 3: What fish cannot be eaten?

Gongsun Ce: A wooden fish.

Scholar 2: The sounds of wind, rain, and studying fill my ears.

Gongsun Ce's second son: I care about family matters, national affairs, and everything under heaven.

Scholar 3: What fish cannot die?

Gongsun Ce: A live fish. Even when dead, it's still called a live fish. My second son's answer is "to eat."

Crowd: Lost. This tricky Go puzzle was broken in just three moves.

3, Exterior, Luzhou Street, Daytime.

An old man selling fried dough sticks lost his money and accused an old man leading a pig of stealing it.

Fried Dough Stick Old Man: You stole my money.

Pig-Leading Old Man: You're talking nonsense! I just walked past here and never saw you, old man.

Fried Dough Stick Old Man: You're the one who stole it.

Pig-Leading Old Man: My pig also walked past here. Are you saying the pig stole it?

From behind the crowd: I also suspect it was this pig that stole it.

The crowd parts, and a dark-skinned man dressed as a scholar enters the frame.

Bao Zheng: You look like a respectable gentleman, sir. How could you be a thief?

Pig-Leading Old Man laughs heartily: Of course.

Bao Zheng: But the old man's money is indeed lost.

Fried Dough Stick Old Man slaps his hands: Exactly!

Pig-Leading Old Man: So what do we do?

Bao Zheng to the Pig-Leading Old Man: My Great Song has its laws, and theft will not be tolerated. I completely agree with your statement, sir. This pig is the prime suspect.

Pig-Leading Old Man: What do you mean?

Bao Zheng: I will interrogate this breeding sow!

4, Exterior, Spring Breeze Full Moon Tower Second Floor, Daytime.

Scholar 4 takes out a family heirloom scroll and asks Gongsun Ce for the hidden meaning in the poem.

Scholar 4: The Six Classics have long been stored in my heart, a sword sharpened for ten years in my hand. A branch hangs above the apricot blossom, lest heavenly secrets leak from my lips. A dot, large and round as a bean, covers half the bed, leaving nothing. My name is complete, waiting to hang up my hat and return. Do you know my former self from that year?

Scholar 4: It's not surprising if you can't guess, young master. In my family, for three generations, there have been one hundred and sixty-three people. Apart from those who have seen the family tree, no one else can guess it.

Gongsun Ce: I have it. Add a horizontal stroke below the character for "six," then add the character for "ten," and it becomes the character "辛" (xīn - hardship). Add a horizontal stroke to the top of the character "杏" (xìng - apricot) and then a mouth, forming the character "未" (wèi - not yet). Half of the character for "bed" plus the character for "big" plus a dot becomes the character "状" (zhuàng - prime scholar). The character "完" (wán - complete) with a hat hung up is the "元" (yuán) from "元宵" (Yuánxiāo - Lantern Festival). So, your ancestor was the top scholar in the year of 辛未 (xīn wèi)! I am impressed!

Scholar 4: Young master, your mind is indeed quick. I am truly impressed.

The crowd cheers.

Another person from the crowd runs up to the second floor: Quick, look! Someone downstairs is interrogating a pig, come and see!

The crowd rushes to the railing.

Bao Zheng downstairs: Everyone, please don't laugh. Watch me interrogate this pig.

Gongsun Ce: It really is this dark-skinned fellow.

Wang Hai watched Li Xun typing away furiously and shook his head inwardly.

Writing a script can't be done with sheer brute force. Just opening Word and going at it isn't the way. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe doesn't delay the woodcutting. If you don't do any of the preliminary preparations, just aiming for convenience, you'll realize the consequences after writing a thousand or two thousand characters.

Right now, you feel that the story flashing in your mind has highlights, tear-jerking moments, and touching points because your brain has automatically blurred and filled in the gaps where you haven't conceived the details. But when the story needs to be written down, those blurred and filled-in parts will inevitably have to be fleshed out. At that point, the author will suddenly realize that their so-called tear-jerking, funny, and brilliant story is actually complete nonsense.

After that, you'll have to discard everything you wrote with such passionate fervor!

Watching Li Xun's fingers fly across the keyboard, Wang Hai mused, "In two days at most, this kid will be taught a lesson by reality."

However, he and Li Xun had only met yesterday, so there was no need to remind Li Xun now.

Firstly, even if he reminded him, Li Xun might not listen, because no one wants to hear that they are incapable. Secondly, even though it was a good intention, if the other party misunderstood, they might end up resenting him, thinking the reminder was condescending. This would be rather counterproductive.

Wang Hai wasn't skilled in suspense genres, so he didn't participate in the Costume Suspense project. He was better at writing family dramas about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. So, he opened his own document and continued typing away at his modern urban drama script.