The broadcast blared out an electronic voice: “Attention, examinees! You have three minutes to read the questions, copy them down, and save them. After three minutes, you will enter the examination room.”

Along with the exam questions, the examinees also drew their room numbers. From then on, the examinees would be in separate examination rooms for ten days of dream-building.

Coincidentally, Shang Jingyan’s number was 【A Group 0018】.

X71, a product of advanced technology, was tainted by the superstitious beliefs of “Building 18”, muttering: 【Not a good omen.】

【Maybe 18 is my lucky number.】 Shang Jingyan was amused.

The three minutes passed quickly, and the door to the drawing room opened. The crowd poured out like a tide. No one spoke loudly in the corridor, but there was a constant murmur of voices. The examinees were all looking different.

Shang Jingyan saw a few faces she had seen at the gathering, including Luo Zhiyu. She was deep in thought, and it was impossible to tell whether she was confident or nervous.

During this break, if the examinees wanted to, they could find out what questions others had drawn. But Shang Jingyan was determined not to do that.

If others had harder questions than hers, would she be complacent?

If others had easier questions than hers, would she be discouraged?

But apparently, some people didn’t think like her – she saw Guan Gaoyang.

His girlfriend didn’t ask around, looking like she was just there for a stroll. She was chewing gum at this moment.

But Guan Gaoyang kept asking the people in the same drawing room as Shang Jingyan to confirm their questions. He was originally just a little relieved, but after asking, he was overjoyed, unable to hide his delight, and glanced at Shang Jingyan from afar.

Just that expression was saying: Look at me, I think I’m a sure thing this time!

“Director Shang got a really difficult question!”

In the live stream, Ao Qingxue exclaimed.

Usually, there would be three different dream-building questions in an entry exam, called A, B, and C papers.

This year’s three questions were all very literary, showing that the examiner’s preferences were not very down-to-earth.

The theme of A group was the one that Shang Jingyan drew, and the other two groups had almost the same sentence structure.

B group theme: “A blessing from heaven, a gift from fate.”

Question description: 【Have you ever seen light falling from the sky in the dark? Have you ever received help from others when you were at a low point? Some people are gifts from fate to us, and we should cherish them.】

C group theme: “Delayed punishment, retribution from fate.”

Question description: 【Have you ever seen someone make a wrong decision and not be punished? In the world of creation, you can take up arms and compose a war song.】

“The other two groups seem to be stream of consciousness at first glance, but if you analyze them carefully, they are all very understandable.”

Ao Qingxue explained, “The B group question is the broadest. The ‘fated person sending charcoal in the snow’ love story has been told too many times. It’s easy to create, but the difficulty is to be innovative and still be on topic…”

“The C group question has the smallest scope, and it has already framed ‘revenge’… Well, the easiest thing to associate with is the realizing his mistake too late and trying to make amends? There are also things like rebirth revenge and slapping scumbags to get love. I think C group is the easiest to stand out, with enough story and conflict.”

Only this A group was the most confusing and the most difficult to arrange the rhythm.

What is the cycle of fate? Wouldn’t that require a lot of repetitive plots?

The total presentation time is only three hours, how can you convincingly show the protagonist “adventuring for it time and time again”?

Although “the outcome is irrelevant whether it is successful or not”, if the plot really turns into the protagonist falling in love and failing in each life… then this story would be too meaningless, right? It would feel like a waste of time.

【Just listening to Qingqing’s analysis makes my head hurt. I really can’t be a dreamweaver…】

【Laughing, the anchor can actually analyze it, but I’m different. I saw the B group question and my first reaction was: The unexpected rival swoops in and steals her away.】

【Hahahaha, is there really someone who understands it this way? A love triangle turns lifelong friends into fierce enemies. (doge head).】

【Why do we have to wait ten days, I’m so anxious, I want to see what Director Shang is thinking now, she’s clearly got a few more brain cells than the rest of us.】

【Puff, I found a bright spot, Guan Gaoyang is also here, and he drew the C group question.】

【Damn, I don’t like that expression at all, is he provoking Director Shang??】

Of course, Ao Qingxue’s live stream was full of Shang Jingyan’s fans, and their blood pressure was rising.

【Isn’t he just lucky? What’s he so proud of!】

【I don’t understand, why is he so obsessed with Director Shang? It’s normal for dreamweavers to participate in the same theme activity, why does he have to hold a grudge against her?】

【I guess there are some hidden interests involved. Disgusting, just like Oren Network, he’s not a good thing.】

【It’s not fair to divide the questions. You have to compete on the same stage later.】

【This is already the fairest way. In the past when there was only one question, there were rumors of cheating. Dividing the questions at least increases the difficulty for those with ulterior motives.】

【Ahhhhh, I’m so mad to see Guan Gaoyang so smug! What should I do, I’m so worried about Director Shang.】

The examiners were just as busy as the examinees for ten days.

In the main control room.

“Oh my, so many examinees have started crying already, and it’s only the first day of drawing questions…”

“It’s no wonder. If I had drawn the A group question from this old professor back then, I would have had a mental breakdown too.”

The two duty examiners were also discussing the examination style of the chief examiner from the main star system.

This chief examiner was named Zu Lingwei, a professor at the Dream University of the Capital Star Alliance, who specialized in historical themes.

When everyone was guessing the questions, they were all guessing in the direction of history. Who knew that the questions that came out in the end were all unrelated to history.

The examiners didn’t blame her either. It was precisely because her style was so recognizable that people deliberately avoided it.

Examiner A: “The first day is always the most stressful. The examinees can’t relax and think.”

Examiner B: “Yeah, and there’s always one who stays up all night without realizing it. Last year, I even met one who had a psychotic breakdown from exhaustion and was sent to the hospital…”

The monitors showed that the examinees were all solemn, even the people from group C who thought they had drawn easy questions gradually calmed down after entering the room.

Examiner A: “Who do you think is the best? I’m optimistic about the newcomer who directed “Eldritch God”, but she seems to have been affected a little just now.”

Examiner B: “Shang Jingyan, right? I hope she can let go of her worries. According to my observations over the years, the ones who are relaxed on the first day are the ones who are most likely to succeed in the end…”

Just as they were talking, a monitor that was out of place caught their attention.

The examinee in the screen looked around after entering the room, adjusted the seat to the most comfortable position in front of the light screen and instruments, then yawned sleepily, stood up and took out the bedding from the cabinet.

Examiners A and B: “?”

What are you doing with the bedding?

Next, they saw the examinee make a bed, set an alarm clock, put on an eye mask, and quickly and peacefully fell asleep.

Examiners A and B: “…”

Are you too relaxed?!

They looked at the name tag: A group 18, Shang Jingyan.

Sure enough, this was the person they were talking about!

After a long time, Examiner B said, “Director Shang is truly a unique person.”

Examiner A: “…I’m crying. She even remembered to put on an eye mask!”

–

As soon as the dreamscaping questions came out, they immediately topped the galaxy’s hot search list, and the popularity was no less than the essay questions during the college entrance examination.

Shang Jingyan’s fans were worried and dissatisfied with the draw results, but the program teams were all laughing and having a great time.

That’s what they wanted, to get the audience riled up and create drama!

However, not many people actually came to watch the live stream, because the first ten days were just the dreamweavers in seclusion taking the exam. Once they entered the room, the cameras could only capture the examinees’ name tags, so it was difficult to attract anyone other than loyal fans.

For ten days, discussions from all sides never stopped. Live streamers and dreamweavers took turns to play with the questions and enthusiastically discussed what kind of works would appear in the exam.

So far, there were four dreamweavers that the audience was most concerned about:

Shang Jingyan from A group, Hua Feitian from B group, Nuoer from C group, and Guan Gaoyang from C group.

The first three were the top contenders for the entry exam. Coincidentally, they happened to draw A, B, and C groups.

The combination of various factors made the final outcome of the first place uncertain. The voting results on “Who are you most optimistic about” on various websites were different, and the three were neck and neck.

Guan Gaoyang’s name was not as loud as the first three. He gained attention partly due to the hype from Oren Network and partly due to gossip – his girlfriend was Hua Feitian.

Hua Feitian was the one who debuted the earliest among the few. She tested for an amazing 98 points in mental power when she was 12 years old. She started doing scene design when she was 15, and by the time she was 18, she had already created two long dramas.

Logically, she should have already participated in the entry exam, but Hua Feitian had a very rebellious personality and declared that she would be a free dreamweaver for the rest of her life.

Hua Feitian’s fans knew her information by heart. This girl came from a wealthy family, but her parents were all about having fun and had a lot of private children, so they rarely cared about her, which led to her current personality.

This time, she was willing to participate only to accompany her newly found boyfriend, Guan Gaoyang.

Hua Feitian’s fans were worried about her. When she announced her relationship, they had many complaints about Guan Gaoyang: he had no fame or works, what was there to like about him?

Over the past few months, they had been looking down on Guan Gaoyang, but for the sake of this dreamweaver exam, they reluctantly held their noses and accepted their dreamweaver’s boyfriend. Their only hope was that Hua Feitian would not lose her mind and deliberately hide her skills so that her boyfriend could perform well.

Other than that, there were not many newcomers worth paying attention to. Of course, there would occasionally be dark horses in the entry exams in the past, and those would be a frenzy for the media.

–

The ten days passed quickly.

During these ten days, the doors of the examination rooms opened every day, and examinees came out pale and announced their withdrawal. But the doors of Shang Jingyan and the others remained closed, indicating that they were still working hard on their dreams.

Finally, on the eleventh day.

On a certain live platform in the Capital Star.

“Brothers and sisters! It’s almost time to release the works from the Exiled Star System entry exam. Let’s see what kind of potential talents we have this year!”

A female anchor named Jiang Xindong, a popular food blogger on the platform, was lying in a holographic cabin with great interest.

While she was talking, more than one live stream was doing the same thing, all viewers who had signed up to participate in the evaluation process in advance.

Usually, the Exiled Star System was synonymous with backwardness. People in the mainstream star system didn’t bother to look at what kind of works were there, let alone the newcomers’ exams.

But because the entry exam in the Exiled Star System was much earlier than other star systems, and it was during the off-season when there were no major events in the central star system, it would also attract some attention over the years.

Dream companies in the central star system liked to observe talents during this time and recruit them from the Exiled Star System in advance.

Many dreamweavers in the Exiled Star System also regarded the entry exam as a stepping stone to enter the mainstream, as long as they were eye-catching enough, even if they didn’t get a good ranking, they might still have a chance.

As soon as the time was up, the works on the Dreamweaver Association website in the Exiled Star System popped up like mushrooms after a spring rain, with a long list of A, B, and C categories.

Although it was said to be randomly assigned, viewers also had one chance to click into the group they were interested in. Jiang Xindong had her eyes on the C group revenge theme, and her spirit ball rushed forward.

“Oops! I didn’t get in.”

Jiang Xindong said in frustration, and when she looked closely, she was assigned to a screening room for A group.

Work name: 《Moebius Sea》

Type: Movie;

Length: 2 hours 50 minutes;

Age rating: 20+.

Synopsis: She is repeatedly drawn into this Moebius Sea.

The number of viewers dropped a lot, and Jiang Xindong sighed: “Such a cool introduction, it doesn’t say anything…”

It seemed to have no explosive points at all, and the 20+ age rating made Jiang Xindong worry that she would see some weird plots like incest and perversion. She wasn’t prejudiced, but it was a pity that a lot of viewers were filtered out.

【It seems to be related to the ocean. Is the protagonist a mermaid? A marine scientist?】

【Why do I feel a sense of a bad movie?】

【Haha, the name is cool. It’s either a big shot or a flop.】

There were sporadic comments in the barrage.

To ensure fairness, all works were anonymous, and even the category tags were not available, so viewers could not have any expectations.

The movie started with a deep blue color, very quiet, with no BGM, only the gurgling sound of bubbles. Jiang Xindong watched for a while and recognized that this should be the perspective of a fish.

It swam among the coral reefs, and what she saw was the seabed – but for some reason, the seabed looked full of scars.

The corals were covered with black scars, the seaweed was withered and burnt, and there were huge whales being eaten in the depths of the seabed… From the perspective of a fish without emotions, it added a touch of inorganic coldness.

Suddenly, a female voice came from outside: “…that’s you.”

A white hand stretched out, and Jiang Xindong noticed a Moebius-shaped tattoo on the back of her hand.

The perspective switched to a third-person view, and the little fish was caught by the tail by that hand, struggling with its fins in vain.

The perspective moved upwards, revealing the whole person –

As the barrage had guessed, it was a mermaid.

She had long, wavy black hair, blue crystal-like eyes, pale skin, and a huge peacock blue fishtail, which was beautiful in every way.

In the entry exam, everyone used the actor models set by the examination room, so how the characters were dressed depended entirely on the aesthetic of the dreamweaver.

Jiang Xindong was amazed by this, and the first few minutes made her feel that the creator had excellent skills. The appearance of the protagonist made her even more excited about the story.

【So beautiful! Is the mermaid the protagonist?】

【It turns out to be a fantasy fairy tale. I’m looking forward to it.】

【I declare that I, a straight man, am in love. Marry me, mermaid!】

The mermaid was in front of the ruins of a palace building, which also looked damaged. Against the backdrop of such a decaying scene, she looked even more radiant.

Through a few shots, the audience learned about the background of the story:

The mermaid race had lived in this sea for generations, but recently, due to some unknown pollution, their ancient homeland became no longer habitable.

The tribe had already moved away from this sea due to the pollution, and only the female protagonist, a fish, remained in the huge pearl palace. She was the princess of the mermaid race and the next queen.

Not long ago, she saved a drowning human male from a storm and gave him a pearl that allowed him to breathe underwater. The two fell in love.

Then she learned from the man that he was a researcher at a marine research institute. He went out to sea on a scientific expedition, but encountered a storm and his ship was wrecked. All the crew members died, and he was the only one who survived by clinging to a wooden board. He thought he was going to die, but then he met the mermaid.

The pollution of the sea was most likely caused by the research institute, so the female protagonist decided to investigate the truth with the male lead.

Although this part of the narration was clear and the male lead was handsome, Jiang Xindong still had a feeling of falling into a trap, and the barrage felt the same way.

【Huh? The meeting and falling in love process is over already? What are they going to shoot next…】

【Never mind, it might be the process of falling in love again and again. Let’s see.】

【But the meeting process was very romantic. Imagine a researcher meeting a mermaid princess when he’s on the brink of death, a beautiful, fantastical encounter.】

The mermaid was observing a small, injured fish close to the glass when, suddenly, the BGM became sharply piercing. The glass reflected a figure wearing a gas mask, standing behind the mermaid like a ghost.

The audience was startled, and Jiang Xindong was so startled that she couldn’t scream. She saw the figure raise the fire axe and smash it down on the woman’s head!

Her blue crystal-like eyes widened in disbelief and horror as the sharp blade of the axe came crashing down. The screen flashed white, and then it went black.

The live stream was silent for a moment, then the barrage exploded.

【What the hell?!】

【I knew it! I knew this wasn’t a normal fairy tale!】

【I’m so scared!】

【The mermaid is dead?!】

【This is too bloody! I’m going to turn off the sound!】

Jiang Xindong was also dumbfounded. She didn’t expect such a bloody scene to appear in the opening minutes. She quickly muted the sound and adjusted the brightness.

The screen lit up again, but the scene was completely different. It was still the same research institute, but the time seemed to have rewound. The mermaid was still standing by the glass, looking at the strange fish.

The figure with the fire axe appeared again, but this time, it was holding a syringe instead of an axe. The mermaid, still immersed in her own world, didn’t notice the danger approaching.

The figure injected the mermaid with something, and the mermaid’s body trembled violently. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground.

The figure dragged the unconscious mermaid into a hidden room. The room was full of strange equipment, and there were many other mermaids lying on the operating table, all unconscious.

Jiang Xindong’s scalp tingled. She finally understood why the IP user had that strange premonition.

This wasn’t a simple fairy tale. This was a horror movie!

【I knew it! This isn’t a love story!】

【This is a horror movie, right? The mermaid is going to be dissected!】

【I’m so scared, I want to quit watching!】

The barrage was filled with exclamations and screams. Jiang Xindong’s heart was pounding. She had never seen such a terrifying opening in a dreamscaping work before.

The figure in the white coat took off the mermaid’s fishtail. The mermaid’s body twitched, but she couldn’t wake up. The figure skillfully removed the mermaid’s tail, revealing a pair of human legs.

The mermaid’s body was then placed in a nutrient solution tank. The solution was bubbling, and the mermaid’s body was slowly being transformed.

Jiang Xindong’s eyes widened. She finally understood the meaning of the Moebius ring.

It was a symbol of infinity, a symbol of endless cycles.

The mermaid was not just being saved. She was being transformed, turned into a human, and then turned back into a mermaid, trapped in an endless cycle of transformation and pain.

The figure in the white coat was not a kind researcher. He was a monster, a mad scientist who was conducting inhuman experiments on the mermaid race.

The mermaid’s eyes fluttered open, but they were no longer the clear blue eyes of the past. They were cloudy and empty, like the eyes of a doll.

The screen showed the mermaid’s face close up. Her eyes were filled with despair and fear, but she couldn’t make a sound.

The movie then cut to the male lead. He was still busy at work, unaware of the danger his girlfriend was in.

He received a text message from the mermaid. The message was only one word: “Help.”

The male lead looked at the message in confusion. He didn’t know what to make of it.

He tried to call the mermaid, but the call went unanswered.

He started to worry, but he had to finish his work first. He promised himself that he would go home and find out what was wrong with the mermaid.

The movie then returned to the mermaid. She was now in a large room, surrounded by other transformed mermaids. They were all sitting in wheelchairs, their eyes empty and lifeless.

The figure in the white coat was standing in front of them, giving a speech. He talked about the greatness of science, about the possibility of transcending the limitations of the human body.

He said that the mermaids were the key to unlocking the secrets of immortality.

The mermaids looked at him with empty eyes, their faces expressionless.

The movie then cut back to the male lead. He was finally able to leave work and rush home.

He found the mermaid’s apartment empty. He called her phone again, but it was still unanswered.

He started to panic. He searched the apartment, but he couldn’t find any trace of the mermaid.

He went to the police station to report the mermaid missing, but the police didn’t take him seriously. They thought he was just a crazy man who had fallen in love with a mermaid.

The male lead was desperate. He didn’t know where to turn.

He remembered the Moebius ring, the symbol of the research institute. He decided to go there and find out what was going on.

He infiltrated the research institute and found the hidden room where the mermaids were being held captive.

He saw the mermaid lying in the nutrient solution tank, her eyes still empty.

He was heartbroken. He wanted to save her, but he didn’t know how.

He looked around the room and saw a small, rusty tool. He picked it up and used it to break the glass of the nutrient solution tank.

The nutrient solution sloshed out, and the mermaid’s body fell to the ground.

The male lead rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms. He called her name, but she didn’t respond.

He felt her pulse, but it was weak and thready.

He knew he had to do something, and fast.

He remembered the pearl that the mermaid had given him. It was supposed to allow humans to breathe underwater.

He took the pearl and placed it in the mermaid’s mouth.

He held his breath and dove into the nutrient solution tank.

He grabbed the mermaid and swam towards the surface.

He broke through the surface of the water, gasping for air.

He laid the mermaid on the ground and performed CPR.

After a few minutes, the mermaid coughed and sputtered, then opened her eyes.

She looked at the male lead with a look of surprise and relief.

The male lead smiled. He had saved her.

The mermaid looked around the room, her eyes filled with horror.

She saw the other mermaids, all lying in their tanks, their eyes empty.

She realized what had happened to them.

She turned to the male lead, her eyes filled with tears.

“We have to stop him,” she said.

The male lead nodded. He knew she was right.

They had to stop the mad scientist and save the other mermaids.

The movie ended with the male lead and the mermaid planning their escape.

The credits rolled, and Jiang Xindong was still in shock.

She had never seen such a dark and disturbing dreamsweaving work before.

She looked at the barrage, which was still filled with discussions and screams.

【This is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen!】

【I can’t believe this is just the opening!】

【I’m so scared, I don’t want to watch anymore!】

Jiang Xindong closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down.

She opened her eyes and saw that the barrage was now filled with questions.

【What’s going to happen next?】

【Will they be able to escape?】

【Will they be able to stop the mad scientist?】

Jiang Xindong smiled. She knew that this movie was going to be a hit.

She was excited to see what would happen next.