On the plane back to China, Cheng Che put on his blindfold, leaned back in his seat, and opened the system panel.
Physical strength: 80.
He stared at the number for a few seconds.
As expected, the number stops after 80. Just like before, you need to complete all the trial tasks to unlock the new stage.
He lowered his gaze.
[ Intelligence Trial, Phase Four: Publish one article in an international academic journal during undergraduate studies.]
[ Stamina Trial - Stage 5: All Other Mountains Look Small. Ultimate Goal: Champion one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Current Progress: 0/1.]
Only these two remain.
The Stamina Trial will have to wait until the Australian Open in January next year.
He can now advance the Intelligence Trial.
He closed his eyes and went over the plan in his mind.
When your Intelligence reaches 80, unlock all Intelligence-related talents.
The Art of the Brain, Flash of Inspiration, Comprehension by Analogy to another, Total Concentration, plus Rigorous Thinking.
Then I used up the [ Scratch Paper ] that I had been saving for so long.
He hadn't used it since he got it, saving it for the most crucial moment.
Scratch Paper is disposable and can be used to solve a complex problem.
He needs to figure out where to use it.
He considered several directions.
Mathematical conjecture.
There are many speculations in this world.
Goldbach, Riemann, Poincaré, Hodge.
Any one of them is the Holy Grail of mathematics.
But he is self-aware enough that even now, he cannot solve Goldbach's Conjecture.
That level of difficulty cannot be solved by talent or tools.
What he needs is a conjecture that is both substantial and provable.
If it's completed, it might even allow us to resolve the five-stage [national-level academic award] process as well.
But he hasn't decided which one to choose yet.
As the plane began its descent, Cheng Che took off his blindfold and glanced out the window.
The sky in Capital City was overcast, completely different from the clear blue skies of Seoul.
After returning to China, he settled into a very regular routine.
I attend classes at Peking University three days a week and spend two days in my studio handling administrative matters.
Su Miaoyin's music lessons were reduced from twice a week to once because he was preparing his thesis topic.
Yan Ruanning occasionally comes to his place for meals, and the two chat about music and shows.
Sometimes on weekends I get together with Guo Xin, Su Qingyue, Lin Xiao, Zhou Mingxuan to have a meal and play games.
Life was peaceful, but not boring.
In mid-November, he flew to Japan to film the Japan episode of " Walking the Flower Road Together ".
The filming took place over three days, in Capital and Nara. Ning Qing and Su Jianqiu were both there. Han Zheng was noticeably better this time than in the South Korea episodes; he wasn't pretentious and was more down-to-earth.
The day after Cheng Che returned to China following the completion of filming in Japan, he received a message from Qin Lie.
"The cast of ' The Youth Here ' will start filming next Monday. I've sent you the script, take a look."
Cheng Che opened his email and downloaded the script.
In this youth campus ensemble drama, he plays Zhou Ye, a student with athletic talent, the male lead.
The story unfolds during the last semester of senior year, featuring academic pressure, friendship, budding romance, and themes of choices and farewells.
He flipped through the script and paused for a moment when he saw the female lead's name.
Shen Nian.
Please scroll down to see the cast list.
" Shen Nian -- Wen Zhiyi "
Cheng Che stared at that name for several seconds.
Wen Zhiyi.
This summer, the TV series " Chang'an Moon " became a hit.
This historical suspense drama boasts excellent production quality, a solid script, and a stellar cast.
Wen Zhiyi's portrayal of the female lead, Shen Qingluan, spans from a young girl to middle age, a vast range, and her performance is exceptionally well-done.
After the drama ended, she went from a second-tier actress to a first-tier actress, her Weibo followers increased from five million to twenty million, and she received numerous endorsement deals and scripts.
Although Cheng Che had not watched " Chang'an Moon " in its entirety, he had seen clips of it.
Wen Zhiyi's performance was indeed excellent; her eyes were expressive, her delivery of lines was solid, and her crying scenes were particularly powerful.
Industry insiders describe her as "talented and hardworking."
He didn't expect her to take on the role in Youth Here ".
This is a youth campus drama, not as big a production as " Chang'an Moon ", and he is the male lead.
A newcomer who has never acted before. Given Wen Zhiyi's current status, she could easily choose better scripts and work with more mature male actors.
Cheng Che flipped to the last page and saw Director Zhou's note. " Wen Zhiyi contacted the production team on her own initiative. She said she wanted to act in a Hyundai, and she really liked the character Shen Nian."
Cheng Che closed the script and leaned back in his chair.
He didn't care why Wen Zhiyi took the role. Whether it was for a career change, a challenge, or something else, it was none of his business. He just needed to perform his role well.
He put the script in his bag and sent Qin Lie a message: "I've read the script, no problem. Joining the crew next Monday."
Qin Lie replied instantly, "Okay. Chen Wei will go to Xiamen with you. The hotel and itinerary there are all arranged."
Xiamen.
Cheng Che had heard of this city in the weather forecast before, but had never been there.
Xiamen in December is much warmer than Capital City, with an average temperature of 15 or 16 degrees Celsius; a light jacket is enough.
The film crew chose this location probably because the climate is suitable, allowing them to capture the feeling of the transition from spring to summer.
On Monday morning, Cheng Che, Chen Wei, and two staff members from the studio boarded the plane together.
Two hours later, the plane landed at Xiamen Gaoqi Airport.
As Cheng Che stepped out of the terminal, a damp wind carrying the smell of the sea hit him.
It's completely different from the dry cold of Capital City.
He unzipped his coat a little and took a deep breath.
The film crew sent a van to pick them up.
The car drove for about forty minutes before stopping in front of a hotel on the island.
The hotel wasn't particularly luxurious, but it was clean, quiet, and very close to the filming location.
After helping him check in, Chen Wei handed him the room key. "You'll stay on the eighth floor, I'll stay on the seventh. Go to the film set at 2 PM; Director Zhou said he'll show you around the filming area first."
Cheng Che nodded, went back to his room to put down his luggage, washed his face, and changed into a clean shirt.
The car arrived promptly at 2 PM.
The filming location was a middle school near Xiamen University.
The film crew rented the school's teaching building and playground. The corridors were covered with banners that read "Countdown to the College Entrance Examination," and the classrooms were furnished with old desks and chairs, with chalk marks still visible on the blackboards.
When Cheng Che walked in, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He himself went through the senior year of high school.
Although his senior year of high school was quite different from that of ordinary people.
He has a systematic approach and talent; learning has never been a problem for him.
But he remembered that atmosphere.
The books piled on the desks, the slogans posted on the walls, and the hurried footsteps in the corridor.
Director Zhou was already waiting on set. When he saw Cheng Che come in, he went up to him and patted him on the shoulder.
"You're here. Take a look around and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. Filming will officially begin tomorrow."
Cheng Che nodded.
Producer Fang walked over from the side, holding a cup of coffee. Seeing Cheng Che, he smiled and said, " Teacher Cheng, thank you for your hard work this time. Please let us know if you need anything."
Cheng Che returned a polite smile, " Producer Fang, you're too kind. Just call me Cheng Che."
Producer Fang nodded, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
Cheng Che could tell that he was very confident in his decision to cast the role.
Although Qin Lie did not come along, he made the arrangements very well.
He asked Chen Wei to prepare fruit and drinks in advance. After Cheng Che arrived at the set, Chen Wei and her staff carried the things in, placing them box by box on the table in the rest area.
"Thank you all for your hard work. This is a treat from Teacher Cheng," Chen Wei said.
The crew members on set were stunned for a moment, then they all gathered around.
Some people took a bottle of water, some took an orange, and some took a banana.
Several young staff members ate while whispering among themselves.
" Cheng Che Himself is so handsome!"
"He's even more handsome than in the photos. And look at how he was talking to Director Zhou just now, he wasn't nervous at all."
"They're top scorers in the college Zhuangyuan and tennis Champion; they've seen far more than we have."
"He treated us to something to eat; he's a really nice guy."
Cheng Che stood in a corner of the set, watching the staff distribute fruit, without joining them.
He wasn't very good at these kinds of situations, but Qin Lie was right; the money that needed to be spent should be spent, and the proper gestures should be made.
Several supporting actors stood at the other end of the set, watching this side from a distance.
A young actor named Zhao Yiming plays Zhou Ye's roommate. He looks quite handsome, but he pales in comparison when standing next to Cheng Che.
He munched on the Apple Cheng Che had offered, looked in Cheng Che's direction, and sighed.
"Tell me, how did she get to look like that?" he said to another actor next to him. "That face looks perfect on camera, no lighting needed."
The actor next to me is Li Siyuan, who plays Shen Nian's deskmate, a somewhat introverted boy.
He adjusted his glasses, looked in Cheng Che's direction, and nodded.
"I got a little closer to him when I went to get some fruit," Li Siyuan said. "He's even better looking in person than on screen. His skin is ridiculously good."
Zhao Yiming took another bite of his Apple: "If I were the director, I'd also choose him as the lead. Just look at that face, and the audience will want to watch."
Li Siyuan hummed in agreement, then added, "But how good is his acting? After all, he's never acted before."
Zhao Yiming thought for a moment, "The person Director Zhou chose should be pretty good. And look at how seriously he listened to Director Zhou when they were discussing the script; he didn't seem like he was just here for fun."
The two of them glanced in Cheng Che's direction again.
Cheng Che was standing by the window, holding a script in his hand, flipping through it with his head down.
The setting sun shone through the window, bathing half of his face in warm colors, while the other half remained in shadow, its outline clearly defined.
Zhao Yiming finished the last bite of the Apple and threw the core into the trash can.
"Alright, stop looking," he said. "The more you look, the more I feel like I've wasted my life."
Li Siyuan smiled and followed him.
Cheng Che flipped through the script and found a seat in the classroom.
He flipped to the first scene he was scheduled to shoot the next day.
The first conversation between Zhou Ye and Shen Nian in the classroom.
He had already memorized his lines, but he was pondering the character of Zhou Ye.
A student with athletic talent, whose academic performance is not good, but who is very confident on the sports field.
She has a straightforward personality, doesn't beat around the bush, and can't hide her feelings for someone.
Cheng Che thought about it and felt that he was somewhat similar to himself, yet not quite. He was much smarter than Zhou Ye.
But he can understand the part that is "direct and straightforward".
He closed the script and glanced out the window.
It was getting dark, and a thin layer of mist covered the distant sea. He took a deep breath and put the script into his bag.
Filming officially begins tomorrow.