Chapter 30

The manga "The Lamp Lighter" has already had one season, and the second season is currently in serialization. Zhang Tan's previously submitted script was about the first season, and now he also needs to start preparing for the second season.

After confirming that he was the screenwriter, Director Li from the project team called him in again, and the two had a long conversation.

Looking at Zhang Tan's young face and his confident demeanor, Director Li's lingering doubts were finally dispelled, and he truly recognized him.

After Zhang Tan secured the screenwriting job for "The Lamp Lighter," he was still a bit uneasy. He privately discussed it with Luo Ming and also talked to the head of the script evaluation team, Old Liu, and received positive feedback. Today, after another conversation with Zhang Tan, he believed that he indeed had real talent. The young man was not intimidated, dared to express his ideas, and was confident without being arrogant.

In the afternoon, Director Li invited Zhang Tan and the manga's original author to discuss the script. Before they parted, the original author, a cute girl, gave Zhang Tan the outline for the second season. Since it hadn't been drawn yet, it only contained some simple text descriptions, and the specific presentation would require continuous communication between them.

They didn't finish talking until just before the end of the workday.

"Zhang Tan, could you see Xiao Song out?" Director Li said.

"No need, no need."

Xiao Song's full name is Song Wen.

"Miss Song, don't be so formal, it's no trouble at all." Zhang Tan escorted her out and into the elevator.

In the elevator, it was just the two of them. After a moment of silence, Song Wen looked up at Zhang Tan and said, "Don't call me Miss Song anymore, just call me Xiao Wen."

Zhang Tan nodded. "Sure."

Song Wen asked, "Zhang Tan, did you start working at Pujiang Film Studio right after graduation? How many years have you been working?"

Zhang Tan watched the floor numbers light up as the elevator descended. "I just graduated this year."

"Ah?" Song Wen was quite surprised, then laughed. "You look so mature and steady."

She looked like she was only 18 or 19, but she was actually 24. She just appeared small and cute, making her look younger.

Ding, the elevator door opened. Zhang Tan held the door for Song Wen, who said thank you and walked out with him to the underground parking lot. Before getting into her car, she said, "Let's add each other on WeChat. The manga will be bothering you a lot in the coming period."

"I'll scan your QR code." Zhang Tan took out his phone, scanned Song Wen's QR code, and they said goodbye.

Back in the office, Luo Ming had returned. Seeing him, he asked, "How did your talk with the director go today?"

"Pretty good. The manga author also came in the afternoon," Zhang Tan said.

"That's good. The beginning is always the hardest," Luo Ming said. "You don't need to move. You'll be working here from now on."

After Zhang Tan secured the screenwriting job for "The Lamp Lighter," he naturally was no longer Luo Ming's screenwriting assistant. According to the usual procedure, he would work in the project team, just like Luo Ming, who spent most of his time there and only occasionally returned to this office.

"Sure," Zhang Tan agreed without hesitation. He needed a permanent office location anyway.

On his way home, Zhang Tan stopped at a mall's parking lot on Xichang'an Street to buy some ingredients. A few days ago, he had eaten a bowl of cold noodles that Old Li had brought, and he couldn't get the taste out of his head. So this time, he planned to buy ingredients to make cold noodles.

The mall had pre-made cold noodles, packaged like instant noodles, which you could just soak at home and eat. But Zhang Tan knew that the taste was far from authentic.

He decided to make them himself. He bought a pack of cold noodle noodles, leeks, garlic, sugar, beef, shrimp, tomatoes, and more, filling a large bag. After paying, he was about to leave when he heard someone call his name. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a round, cheerful face—it was Huang Meimei.

"Zhang Tan, you're buying groceries too~~"

Huang Meimei was quite enthusiastic. Sometimes she was cold and distant, treating him like a thief, and other times she acted like an old friend.

Zhang Tan couldn't take it personally. He lifted his shopping bag and said, "I'm preparing dinner. Are you too?"

Huang Meimei said in surprise, "I didn't expect that. You actually cook for yourself. You've really changed."

Zhang Tan: "…"

Her words weren't particularly special, but in a public place with so many people in line to pay, they all looked at him, making him feel a bit embarrassed.

Zhang Tan laughed awkwardly and hurried away. But then he heard Huang Meimei say, "Wait, Zhang Tan."

This girl had bought a lot of things, and Zhang Tan guessed she wanted him to help carry them.

He was wrong.

Although she had bought a lot, Huang Meimei managed to carry everything herself, which looked quite strenuous. So Zhang Tan offered, "Do you need help carrying anything?"

Thud, a bag fell right by his feet. Without a word, Zhang Tan bent down to pick it up, his face stiffening as he tried to look natural and put it back in Huang Meimei's arms.

"Hehehe~~~" Huang Meimei laughed awkwardly. "Just help me carry it, I can't hold any more."

Zhang Tan took two watermelons. "These are heavy, I'll take them. The feminine products, you should carry yourself."

Huang Meimei laughed. "Oh, oh, oh."

What are you oh-ing?

After helping Huang Meimei put the items in her car, she said, "This weekend, we have a gathering of our junior high school classmates. Are you coming?"

Zhang Tan: "Junior high school classmates?"

He had completely forgotten about them.

"Yes, junior high school classmates. Not everyone is coming, just a few of us who are close. If you come, there will be eight of us, and there are a lot of pretty girls."

Zhang Tan wasn't interested and waved her off, declining to go.

He and Huang Meimei were elementary and junior high school classmates. Huang Meimei still kept in frequent contact with these classmates, but Zhang Tan didn't. He had a lot of friends, and he didn't get along with his old classmates. Besides, elementary and junior high school were different from high school and college; people's values and worldviews weren't fully formed back then, and now they were in different circles. What would they talk about? Who could pee the farthest? Who wore a bra?

They probably wouldn't have much to talk about! Huang Meimei could still chat with them, but he hadn't been in touch for seven or eight years. What would they talk about?

Back at the school, Zhang Tan scanned the courtyard. Hmm, no sign of Xiao Bai.

He looked at his watch; it was almost 6:30. The little kid usually arrived around this time and often played soccer to pass the time.

"Xiao Bai must be playing somewhere," Old Li said from behind him.

Zhang Tan turned and smiled, thinking, Old Li, you're like a worm in my stomach. I just stopped to look around, and you already know what I'm looking for.

He didn't see Xiao Bai on the first floor either. Zhang Tan didn't search for him specifically; he still had to cook and feed his stomach, which was a big priority.

However, when he reached the third floor, he saw a little kid sitting at the stairwell, holding the fish-belly glass bottle he had given her, peeling and eating peanuts with great enjoyment, like a little hamster. Her little mouth was so lively.

The floor was littered with peanut shells, indicating she had been eating for a while.

Zhang Tan had come, but she hadn't noticed him. Her eyes were fixed on the half-full bottle of peanuts.

No wonder she didn't go to play soccer; she was busy eating peanuts.

Zhang Tan smiled. "You're busy, huh?"

Xiao Bai was about to put a peanut in her mouth but stopped, as if hitting the pause button. Her big eyes darted around, and when she saw Zhang Tan, she grabbed a handful of peanuts and said with a grin, "Uncle, why did you come so late? I've been waiting for you~ Here, have some."