Chapter 2

In order to get more clicks, I have decided to update once at noon and once around 7 PM, making two updates per day. Readers of my old book "The Tree Clan" should know that I have never missed an update since I started (there might have been one or two times, though).

The new book needs a lot of collections, recommendations, and clicks. Thank you for the support of both new and old readers.

...

The old buildings stood close together.

The narrow road was damp and dirty.

Several children were playing small games on the ground, their hands and faces dirty.

After turning a few corners along the small road, Wang Shang finally returned home. The house was small, with two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom. It was a bit old, with some of the lime peeling off the walls. The furniture was old and worn, and various items were scattered around in a messy manner.

Many things were too precious to throw away, so they were piled up, making the already small room even smaller.

Poor! This family was really poor.

Wang Shang carefully examined the house, and the scenes slowly overlapped with his memories.

Wang Shang's father had not yet returned from work, while his mother was busy in the kitchen.

After looking around, he slowly returned to his room. The first thing he saw was a large poster of a black celebrity—Michael Jackson. He was the idol that Wang Shang's former self had crazily pursued.

Michael Jackson, with his unique voice, could be both soft and lively, and at other times, passionate and high-pitched, earning him the title of "King of Pop"! His magical dance moves were imitated by countless stars and revered as the "King of Dance"!

Aokawa realized that this person's experiences were strikingly similar to those of Michael Jackson on Earth.

Wang Shang stared at the King of Dance, surprised to find someone similar in this world.

Then, Wang Shang began to examine the entire bedroom. Messy and cramped were his first impressions. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a narrow passage for walking.

Facing the small round mirror in the bedroom, he looked at the face inside.

This was the first time Wang Shang had seen his own appearance.

He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a well-proportioned face, and a dignified appearance. Although not handsome, he exuded a sense of stability that made people feel at ease.

Wang Shang was very satisfied with his appearance, which was much better than his previous self's shabby and wretched look. To succeed in the entertainment industry, one must have a good appearance; otherwise, one can only play negative roles or struggle as a director.

"Xiao Shang, it's time to eat!" At this moment, Wang Shang's mother called from outside, and his father had also returned.

During the meal, Wang Shang noticed that his parents had many white hairs and wrinkles on their faces. According to his memory, his father was only 44 years old, and his mother was 43.

The heavy burden of life had made them look haggard.

After making his parents happy for a while, Wang Shang finally decided to tell them about today's events.

"Forcing you to make a self-criticism at the school assembly!!"

"This Wang Yuanze is a real scoundrel!!" Wang Shang's mother cursed angrily.

Wang Shang's mother's face was very grim, and his father was furious. Anyone would be enraged when their child was bullied.

"What? You were expelled?!"

"Clang!" Wang Shang's mother knocked over her bowl, which fell to the ground and shattered.

Wang Shang's father, who was holding his chopsticks in mid-air, suddenly stopped, his face turning abnormally red, his eyes filled with anger and frustration.

Finally, Wang Shang's father managed to say, "It's better this way. Even if you stayed in school, it wouldn't be good."

"Father, Mother, don't worry about me. I already have a plan." Wang Shang then detailed his plan, finally putting his parents at ease.

"Since that's the case, you should stay at home for a while and focus on writing. Try to finish it as soon as possible, so you can clear your name. Be good!" Wang Shang's mother kindly placed a large piece of meat in his bowl, as if comforting a child, making Wang Shang both moved and a bit amused.

His parents trusted him as they always had.

After dinner, Wang Shang returned to his bedroom and began to organize his thoughts.

Wang Shang's previous life was as a director. The fastest way to develop was to stick to his old profession. However, he was now poor and had no money to spend. If he sought investment, who would invest in a discredited person?

Therefore, Wang Shang thought that the best method was to write scripts and submit them for TV shows or movies, thereby obtaining startup funds.

"What script should I choose?"

Wang Shang lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, his mind filled with various famous Chinese movies and TV shows from Earth.

Suddenly, Wang Shang's head ached, and a familiar virtual interface appeared before his eyes.

"A Baidu search page?"

"A portable system?"

Wang Shang was greatly surprised but quickly calmed down. Besides being a director, he often read outstanding web novels to broaden his horizons, and system novels were one of the genres. Time travel, rebirth, and carrying a system were very common in web novels.

After calming down, Wang Shang's hands trembled as he operated the interface.

To his great delight, the system could indeed connect to another Earth's timeline, and the date was January 1, 2014. Most importantly, the system's time was still moving forward.

Wang Shang could browse various information from Earth across time and space, quickly and without any obstacles.

"Unbelievable!!"

"I can use it to bring excellent film and TV works from Earth to this world at any time!!"

"Moreover, as technology on Earth continues to advance, I can learn their advanced techniques and apply them to this world!!"

Wang Shang jumped up in excitement but quickly covered his mouth, afraid of making noise and disturbing his parents. However, his body continued to tremble, showing his immense excitement.

After calming down, Wang Shang began to think about what script to write. As a complete novice with no credentials, he needed a script that was not only captivating but also novel to attract attention.

An hour later.

"This one!!"

After much thought, Wang Shang finally decided on the script, "The Legend of Zhen Huan."

"The Legend of Zhen Huan" is a TV series adapted from a novel, telling the story of the protagonist Zhen Huan, who grows from an innocent and naive girl into a skilled and cunning palace woman. It is a condensed representation of countless women throughout history and is a very engaging palace drama.

On Earth, "The Legend of Zhen Huan" dominated the national TV ratings from the first episode, ranking third.

From the tenth day, it consistently held the top spot, shocking the entire Chinese entertainment industry.

During its first rerun, it still maintained a strong rating, ranking from fourth to third, firmly holding its position.

Due to the show's popularity, the "Zhen Huan style" emerged and became widely popular. Countless people created their own "Zhen Huan style" phrases. Even the most popular CCTV Spring Festival Gala featured a skit using the "Zhen Huan style."

For example, in the skit, the husband used the "Zhen Huan style" to invite his wife to eat fried sauce noodles: "My lady, you have always been beautiful and graceful. Recently, due to various matters, you have been unwell and look a bit haggard. I, your humble servant, have been deeply saddened by this. Now, the Empress has just sent us some excellent spicy ingredients from a foreign land. I believe they would be perfect for you. What do you think?"

A simple invitation to eat fried sauce noodles turned into such a grand and dramatic "Zhen Huan style" phrase, which was both impressive and hilarious, showing just how popular the "Zhen Huan style" was.

Countless people were obsessed with the show, watching it over and over again without getting tired. Wang Shang also loved it, having watched it at least four times, reaching a level of minor obsession.

Besides these reasons, another factor that led Wang Shang to choose this show was that in this world's China, the film and entertainment industry was more developed than on Earth, but the quality of palace dramas was quite poor, with ratings far below those of urban and martial arts dramas.

If "The Legend of Zhen Huan" could recreate the glory of its Earth counterpart in this world, he would take a significant step towards becoming an excellent screenwriter.

Deciding to act, Wang Shang immediately got up, turned on his computer, and began writing the script. While writing, he frequently compared the plot and made adjustments to improve it.

On Earth, "The Legend of Zhen Huan" was a huge hit but had some flaws, such as the use of bright yellow silk by the Empress in the Qing Dynasty, which was historically only allowed for the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager.

Wang Shang intended to correct these flaws.

Working late into the night, he neglected sleep and meals.

Wang Shang always believed that hard work and effort were the foundation of success.

When he finished the first part of the script, it was already 11 PM. Fully engrossed, he didn't notice his mother coming to his room several times but didn't disturb him.

Wang Shang took a comfortable shower, did some stretching exercises, and went to bed.

The next morning, he got up early, put on his shoes, and went out for a morning run. There was a small recreational park next to the residential area, suitable for exercise.

After exercising for half an hour, he returned, had breakfast, and continued writing the script. Then came lunch, a nap, more writing, dinner, a short rest, and working late into the night, followed by going to bed at 11 PM.

For several days, Wang Shang lived this busy and fulfilling life.

Wang Shang, like a newborn baby, was striving for a new world and fighting for his dreams.

...

Wang Shang seemed to live a life isolated from the world, but news of his expulsion from the Shanghai Media College had spread widely.

The incident involved the reputation of a top national film school, so what was originally a minor issue attracted widespread media attention.

The Shanghai Media College could not cover up the incident and had to desperately smear Wang Shang.

The public's eyes are sharp, but they are also easily misled. Therefore, public opinion was overwhelmingly in favor of the Shanghai Media College.

Many media reporters were eager to find Wang Shang's whereabouts, but unfortunately, his family had moved due to financial issues, so no one knew where they were, making it impossible to find him.

Wang Shang bought newspapers every day to keep up with the situation. Seeing that things were within his expectations, he smiled and continued writing the script.

On the 26th day, the script for "The Legend of Zhen Huan" was completed and carefully checked for accuracy.

On the 29th day, the script for the short film "The Tree of Hope" was completed, telling a touching story of a teacher who goes to a remote mountainous area to teach, evoking tears.

On the 30th day, during dinner, Wang Shang, looking extremely haggard, softly said to his parents, "Father, Mother, I am ready. It's time to start my new life."

"I will make sure you live a good life! I swear!"

The next morning, Wang Shang, carrying the script for "The Legend of Zhen Huan," left home and embarked on a new journey.

That day, the sun rose, and the warm sunlight illuminated all living things.

...

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