Chapter 19: This Is Just the Beginning

“Here they come!” Mao Yi pointed toward the door… and as if to prove him right, a crowd carrying camera equipment rushed into the conference hall, finding spots, setting up their cameras, busy as could be. A few people who looked like reporters followed, and then footsteps echoed at the entrance. The company leaders sitting in the front row suddenly all stood up in unison, hurrying outside…

“What’s going on?” Guo Miao and the others were stunned.

A commotion broke out in the hall. Suddenly, someone in the front row exclaimed, “Director Chen Xuanzuo!”

Amid the exclamations, Minister Sima, with his silver hair, led a group as they escorted an elderly man into the hall. The man wore a Zhongshan suit, walked briskly, and his expression commanded respect without a word. Everyone was dumbfounded…

This was Chen Xuanzuo, China’s national director. Everyone there had seen his movies on TV! It was safe to say that everyone in the room had grown up watching his films…

“Chen Xuanzuo! What’s the joke? Didn’t we agree this was just a pitch meeting?”
“What’s happening?”
“Oh, I should’ve dressed better—maybe I could’ve been on TV!”

Instantly, the hall was abuzz. Chen Xuanzuo was the chairman of the China Film Association, one of the top figures in the Chinese film industry… Having such a big shot appear in the company’s meeting room got a few employees rushing over for autographs. Huang Liang quickly waved them off:

“Everyone, please stay seated, keep quiet, turn off your phones, and no photos… I know you all want to ask Director Chen questions; we’ll arrange time for that after the presentations. For now, please sit. Once the six contestants finish submitting their PPTs, we’ll start the pitch meeting immediately!”

“Haha, Director Huang is so mischievous!” Guo Miao covered his mouth and laughed. “He said five contestants at first, then changed it to six. Isn’t that a hint that the extra one, Shen Baizhou, is Liu Susu’s pushed candidate?”

“Exactly!” everyone nearby laughed along.

“By the way, where’s Liu Susu?” Fang Kuan asked.
“Isn’t the CEO’s assistant usually the first to arrive?”
“Guess she won’t come,” Mao Yi said with a wink. “After this mess, would she dare show up and embarrass herself?”
“True… She pushed her candidate right under the Film Association chairman’s nose. That’s awkward,” Guo Miao said.
“I really pity Shen Baizhou—he’s going to embarrass himself in front of Chen Beixuan…”
“Yeah, once this spreads, Shen Baizhou might not survive in the film industry…”
“I love watching these stories—nepotism being cut down by the sword of justice. Honestly, the media and film industry can’t avoid this, but every time such collusion fails, it makes me happy for half a day!”

These words resonated with everyone… The idea of someone with powerful backing getting slapped in the face gave people the same satisfaction as drinking ice-cold cola on a hot summer day.

Meanwhile, in the CEO’s office, the live broadcast of the pitch meeting played on the screen.

“Uncle Chen is here too?” Su Hongdou looked surprised. She wore a dark blue hoodie with a cream-colored skirt—her youthful aura was striking.
“Do you want to greet Director Chen?” Liu Susu quickly asked.
“No, no!” Su Hongdou waved her hand. “If I go, he’ll ask me to act in his film. He doesn’t make animated films, so I won’t go…”

Liu Susu’s lips twitched. He doesn’t make animation, so she wouldn’t need to act anyway… But with the CEO’s godlike looks, not acting felt like a waste, which explained why Chen Beixuan always tried to persuade her.

It was better that the CEO stayed put. But thinking about Shen Baizhou submitting his hastily written, amateurish script in front of Chen Beixuan made Liu Susu cringe.

“Boss, shall we just watch the live broadcast here—ah, Teacher Baizhou and the others just submitted their PPTs…” Liu Susu spoke into the microphone. “Camera One, please give a close-up of the six contestants…”

When Shen Baizhou’s face appeared on the screen, Su Hongdou immediately straightened up.
“What’s the name of Baizhou’s script?” she asked with wide, curious eyes.
“It’s called The Sound Engineer…”

Seeing Su Hongdou so excited, Liu Susu quietly sighed. Not surprisingly, a script rushed together by a rookie would even have a hasty title.

“Is he going first?” Su Hongdou felt nervous.
“No, he’s fourth,” Liu Susu said awkwardly. She thought, Boss, you actually have expectations for him? Better get ready to manage your expressions…

Shen Baizhou, a rookie who had pulled an all-nighter to throw something together, was about to compete against five seasoned veterans. It was like a soap bubble facing a spiked club… No matter how you swing the club, the bubble would pop on its own. But seeing the CEO’s eyelashes twitch with anticipation, she dared not comment further. She could only explain to the screen:

“The first contestant is Wu Di. His microfilm is called Deadly Encounter. Look, he’s on stage.”
“Crime drama?” Chen Xuanzuo frowned.

Minister Sima leaned in and asked quietly, “Director Chen, is the theme unsuitable?”
“An aging cop, about to retire, encounters a fugitive he has been pursuing during his vacation. The story is passable…” Chen Xuanzuo shook his head, “But telling this story in such a short microfilm format seems too cramped.”
“Director Chen is precise as always,” Sima nodded and glanced at Huang Liang. Indeed, Chen Xuanzuo was strict—old Wu’s script, though mature, didn’t impress him.

“If a script like old Wu’s gets this critique, I wonder what expression he’ll have for Shen Baizhou…” Huang Liang thought. “Maybe he’ll curse in public.”

“I think old Wu overexplains the plot,” Shen Baizhou whispered to Zhao Yishan. “It feels less like a film, more like the first episode of a series.”

Zhao Yishan, a young director familiar with the writers in Group One, hadn’t spoken yet, but Han Ming, sitting to Shen Baizhou’s left, sneered:

“Shen Baizhou, you think you know a lot…”
“Ah, I’m just guessing…”
“I suggest you speak less,” Han Ming mocked. “Otherwise, when you go on stage, you won’t know what to say…”

Across the room, Zhang Xiaomei from Group One pointed at the contestant seats.
“Xiaopang, the rumor is true! Brother Zhou is a contestant too… How do you think his script compares to Wu Di’s Deadly Encounter?”
“Brother Zhou is a good guy, but his script level…” Wang Xiaopang smiled awkwardly. “Xiaomei, you know it already, why ask?”
“True… I heard he even had to cobble the script together last minute. Blind leading blind, deep waters at midnight…” Zhang Xiaomei scratched her head.

“Let’s hope he’s not scheduled after Gu Chen. That would be humiliating…”
“Yeah, the comparison would hurt too much,” Wang Xiaopang shook his head.

The second contestant, Lv Shu from Group Three, presented a time-travel story. A loser goes back in time, marries a rich beauty, and realizes true love was his old wife.
“Not bad,” Guo Miao nodded from the east side. “Men like this only realize their best partner was their original wife after messing around.”

“I don’t like this script,” Fang Kuan said. “Too preachy. Feels like something written by a freshly graduated kid like Shen Baizhou.”
“Yes,” Mao Yi rubbed his chin. “Even through the screen, you can feel the moralizing—but comparing him to Shen Baizhou already elevates him. At least Lv Shu’s structure is solid…”

“Director Chen, how about this one?” Minister Sima asked cautiously.
“If this were a comedy, maybe it’d be watchable. But…” Chen Xuanzuo lowered his eyes and said no more.

Third was Zhao Yishan’s Home With a Leisurely Wife, about a commoner marrying into a wealthy family and the absurdities that follow. It was written by Group One collectively, and the PPT was assembled overnight by Wang Xiaopang. The story dragged on endlessly, filled with low points and forgettable plots. Seeing Chen Xuanzuo’s impatient expression, Sima dared not comment.

“Ah, truly the elite of Group One…”

Han Ming glanced at Shen Baizhou, elongated his voice: “This script really makes one want to pee.”

Shen Baizhou sighed. Though annoyed, he had to admit Han Ming was right—his previous efforts were terrible.

“Yes, this script is weak,” Wang Xiaopang wiped sweat. “Especially compared to the first two, the gap is glaring.”
“That scene with the clever mother-in-law made me cringe,” Zhang Xiaomei frowned. “Who wrote this elementary-school-level text?”
“Who else?” Wang Xiaopang pointed at the lead seat. “Brother Zhou, of course!”
“I always felt Brother Zhou chose the wrong career,” Zhang Xiaomei sighed. “With his looks, he should be an actor. Being a writer, which requires talent and insight, seems too much for him…”

Meanwhile, in the CEO’s office:

“Ah~~” Su Hongdou yawned, leaning on the table. Home With a Leisurely Wife was more soporific than college calculus. She couldn’t keep up.

Liu Susu quickly brewed a latte. “Boss, hang in there. Next is Teacher Baizhou’s script…”

The carefully planned order of appearances, arranged by Liu Susu yesterday, had a purpose. Everyone knew the winner was likely Gu Chen’s Blind Sword. Among the company’s young directors, Gu Chen was the best—the visual storytelling in his work was top-notch.

This meant anyone after Gu Chen would have no chance. Gu Chen was scheduled fifth. The first three scripts were weak, and Shen Baizhou was placed fourth… avoiding direct comparison with Blind Sword and following the weakest, Home With a Leisurely Wife. At least this made him look slightly less terrible.

“Next is The Sound Engineer?” Su Hongdou perked up, sipping her coffee, eyes fixed on the screen.

On the live feed, Huang Liang briefly summarized Home With a Leisurely Wife, then announced: “Let’s welcome the next contestant, Han Ming from Group Two, presenting You and Me in July That Year!”

“Ah?” Su Hongdou was stunned. “Not Baizhou?”
“Why out of order?” Liu Susu was also taken aback. She had scheduled Shen Baizhou to appear next… Could it be?

Liu Susu’s face darkened. No wonder Huang Liang insisted on hosting this pitch himself… He had changed the order last minute to place Shen Baizhou right after the strongest, Gu Chen, setting him up for public embarrassment…

At the live site, Huang Liang looked at Shen Baizhou and sneered:

“Confused by the sudden change? This is just the beginning! Compared to the face-slapping coming up, this is nothing!”