There was no extravagant display, just the choice of a very stylish private dining restaurant. It seemed that Yan Shixiu was very considerate of the other’s feelings and had no intention of showing off in front of his high school classmates.
When Shi Lan arrived at the restaurant, Yan Shixiu and the guest were already there.
There were no messy friends around, just the two of them.
The guest was dressed simply in a shirt and trousers, looking neat and clean, his black hair well-groomed and slick, accentuating his sharp features. It was hard to imagine that such a masculine man could be a writer, and even more surprising that he could do such meticulous work.
Moreover, although the man’s current situation wasn’t great, he didn’t show any weakness in front of Yan Shixiu.
Upon seeing Shi Lan, the guest immediately stood up and extended his hand, "Hello, I’m Jian Yichen."
Shi Lan shook his hand lightly and said, "An Lan."
Then Yan Shixiu pulled out the chair beside him, letting Shi Lan take a seat, and said, "Relax a bit."
"I heard from Shi Xiu that Miss An..."
"Just call me by my name."
"Shi Xiu is younger than me, so if you don’t mind, please allow me to call you ’little sister.’"Jian Yichen said generously, "I heard from Shi Xiu that you’ve already met Zhou Yi."
Shi Lan nodded and then took a sip of tea, replying, "Then you must have also heard from him that I conned that bastard out of a million or so."
"What I mean is, when it comes to screenwriting, he is one of the top in the country..."
At that moment, Shi Lan shook her head and replied, "We all know that’s not true, and he doesn’t deserve it. Mr. Jian, let’s not beat around the bush. I came here today to discuss the script in my heart with you. Yan Shixiu trusts you, so I am also willing to show that I trust you. If you can polish this script well, I will ensure you receive the compensation and treatment you deserve."
The other party was stunned, not expecting Shi Lan to be so direct.
Originally, he thought Yan Shixiu felt pity for him because of his plight.
But now, meeting Shi Lan, he began to change his mind.
He felt more at ease because he truly didn’t need charity or rescue.
"I would like to know more," Jian Yichen said sincerely.
"You must have heard about my stance against cyberbullying recently. I have conceived a film about anti-cyberbullying. It’s about a man who has achieved nothing and lives off a salary, who likes to hide at home and vent his violence online as a keyboard warrior. This is because his parents favor his younger brother and look down on him, his ex-wife despises him for being poor, and has divorced him and taken their son. So he recklessly vented his dissatisfaction with the world online until one day, he suddenly became the victim of cyberbullying." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
"This is your assignment from me, I have figured out the first half, the second half is for you to fill in."
"But... such realistic themes are not box-office hits..." Jian Yichen honestly said, "I’ve followed Zhou Yi for many years and understand the market."
"Catering to the audience is not the only market, filling and enriching the types of works is also part of the market. What kind of work will be box-office success? Movies that tell a solid story will be. No matter how cool the special effects, no matter how mysterious the gimmick, in the end, it all comes down to the most important core of the movie."
After hearing Shi Lan’s words, Jian Yichen was at a loss for words, finding himself unable to refute.
Because he knew what Shi Lan said was correct.
"You only need to do the most important thing well, with Shuangshi backing in terms of actors and publicity, what is there to fear? Mr. Jian, making a movie is not easy, but if you start with a complex mindset, then it’s doomed to be complicated from the beginning. If you focus on simplifying the complexity, some things are not as difficult as you think."
Upon hearing Shi Lan’s words, Jian Yichen was somewhat astonished. These were words spoken by a girl in her early twenties.
They were clear, stable, and powerful.
"Anyway, I have offended Zhou Yi. According to the progress of our movie preparation, we are likely to clash with him next year. At that time, it’s up to you whether you become successful and famous or a laughingstock."
"If that’s the case, I can only... give it my all!" Jian Yichen promised earnestly.
"Next, I would like to hear about your story with Zhou Yi..." Shi Lan suddenly said.