Chapter 9

The cool breeze brushed against Zhang Ran's face, making him feel refreshed and invigorated. The fatigue from staying up late dissipated in the cool air. Standing on the balcony, he breathed in the fresh air for a while, then returned to his room, picked up a bottle of cola, took a couple of sips, and then opened his IBM laptop. The lesson plan was already finished, and now he had nothing much to do, so he decided to revise the script for "Time Prisoner."

The script for "Time Prisoner" was already complete, and now the main focus was on refining the dialogue and the details of the story.

He hadn't revised it for long when a knock came at the door. Zhang Ran knew it must be Li Xinyue bringing the lesson plan. He walked to the door and opened it, and sure enough, it was Li Xinyue.

Zhang Ran smiled and said, "Come in! The room is a bit messy, so just make yourself comfortable!"

The room wasn't messy, but it was quite simple, with only a bed, a computer desk, two chairs, and two boxes of drinks in the corner.

Zhang Ran asked, "Do you want cola or Orange Drink?"

"Orange Drink!" Li Xinyue walked to Zhang Ran's computer desk, sat down, and glanced at his laptop, asking, "Is there anything I shouldn't see?"

"Of course not!" Zhang Ran took a bottle of Orange Drink and placed it in front of Li Xinyue.

Li Xinyue unscrewed the cap, took a couple of sips, and stared at the text on the screen, asking, "You're writing a script. Can I take a look?"

"Of course, the script is still being revised, and there are many imperfections. I welcome your feedback."

"Alright, I'll take a look!" Li Xinyue took a sip of water, picked up the mouse, and flipped to the first page of the script.

The title "Time Prisoner" was quite unusual!

Li Xinyue slowly started reading and was soon captivated by the bizarre story. A man, due to his crime, was imprisoned in time, reliving the same day over and over again, gradually growing old.

As the protagonist Cao Lin said, we feel that a certain day in our lives is happy and full of variety because it is unique and fleeting. Repeating the same day over and over again is a terrifying torment, turning what was once fresh into something stale, rotten, and even malicious!

After finishing the script, Li Xinyue was thoroughly impressed by the entire story. It was very engaging, but the kindness and compassion behind the cruelty were what truly moved her. She looked at Zhang Ran with a sense of awe, "I don't know what to say. I've never seen a story like this before. It's incredible!"

Zhang Ran smiled and said, "The inspiration for this story comes from 'Groundhog Day,' but the story is much more brutal."

Li Xinyue hadn't seen "Groundhog Day" and asked, "What do you plan to do with this script? Find a company to invest in it?"

Zhang Ran shook his head lightly, "The film industry is in decline, and making movies is a losing proposition. Who would be willing to invest? I plan to collaborate with a TV channel and produce it as a TV movie."

Li Xinyue thought this was a viable option but still shook her head, "Producing it as a TV movie seems a bit of a waste. TV movies are often crude, and this is a sci-fi story!"

"There's nothing to be regretful about. In the current environment, the most important thing is to get the work produced. Once you have a finished product, everything else falls into place. Without a finished product, no one will dare to invest, no matter how much you talk!" Zhang Ran was well-versed in the film industry, both in China and the United States. Getting investment wasn't just about having a good script. "Million Dollar Baby" had an excellent script, but the producer couldn't get any of the major studios to invest.

Li Xinyue placed the USB drive on the table and stood up, giving her seat to Zhang Ran, "Everything is on the USB drive. You can handle it from here!"

Zhang Ran integrated his own lesson plan with Li Xinyue's, creating a complete version. All that was left was to print it out and submit it.

At ten in the morning, Zhang Ran arrived at the office of Deputy Dean Huang Zhenyu, knocked on the door, and entered upon receiving permission.

Huang Zhenyu was in his forties, tall and slender, with a gentle and scholarly demeanor. Seeing Zhang Ran, he put down the document he was reading and asked with concern, "Zhang Ran, how are you settling in at the Beijing Film Academy?"

As he spoke, Huang Zhenyu carefully observed Zhang Ran. Chen Jianfeng had recruited him despite opposition. How much talent did he really have? Many students who studied abroad were just there to pass the time!

"It's going well. Everyone is very friendly, and the environment is great. I like it here!" Zhang Ran walked to the desk, took out the lesson plan, and handed it over, "Dean, here is my lesson plan!"

Huang Zhenyu glanced at the printed lesson plan, frowned slightly, and then looked up at Zhang Ran, asking, "Did you study directing in the United States?"

Zhang Ran didn't know why Huang Zhen was asking this and explained, "I studied directing for my master's degree, but I majored in acting for my bachelor's."

Huang Zhenyu asked in confusion, "Nowadays, people in China are eager to go abroad. Why did you decide to return? The domestic film industry is almost collapsing. Last year, the total box office was only 900 million yuan, and audiences are unwilling to go to the cinema. Many theaters have been converted into dance halls due to lack of income."

Zhang Ran smiled, "What could I do in the United States? Chen Chong starred in 'The Last Emperor,' which won multiple Oscars, and she acted in a few more films in the U.S. Living in the U.S. is understandable, but for an actor to try to make it in the American film industry is a bit unrealistic!"

Huang Zhenyu said noncommittally, "You have studied directing, so teaching acting might seem like a waste of your talent. Our school encourages teachers to have practical experience, so you can still engage in creative work if you have the opportunity."

Zhang Ran couldn't quite understand Huang Zhenyu's intentions and pondered, "I will definitely try if I get the chance, but for now, my focus is entirely on the students. I can't let them down!"

Huang Zhenyu said calmly, "The head of our school's Qingying Studio, Qiu Yuanxu, is a close friend of mine. If you want to make a film, I can introduce you to him. He might be able to help you."

Zhang Ran was taken aback. To get the budget for "Time Prisoner" from the TV channel, he would need to collaborate with Qingying Studio. Qiu Yuanxu's close relationship with Huang Zhenyu made things complicated.

Now Zhang Ran understood why Huang Zhenyu was saying these things. He was trying to win him over and also warning him. Zhang Ran remained composed and said, "That would be great. I will definitely try to make a film in the future. Thank you, Dean!"

Huang Zhenyu said noncommittally, "You will be the class advisor for the undergraduate program. Do you have any ideas?"

Zhang Ran shook his head, "I don't have any specific ideas yet, but as a teacher, I will lead by example and work diligently to teach the students well."

Huang Zhenyu nodded slightly. Zhang Ran's words were simple and sincere. Everyone knew they should work diligently, but how many truly did? He looked at Zhang Ran and said calmly, "Do you have any ideas about teaching?"

Zhang Ran didn't understand why Huang Zhenyu insisted on hearing his thoughts and frowned, "I do have some ideas, but they are still theoretical. Teaching involves people, and it's important to tailor the approach to each student. I haven't met the students yet, so I need to understand their situations before I can determine a specific teaching strategy."

Huang Zhenyu nodded slightly, "You must have some ideas. Share your thoughts!"

Zhang Ran couldn't refuse any longer and shared some of his thoughts. In his previous life, he had attended the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and his girlfriend was in the acting department. He had some insights into the issues in domestic film and television education and compared them to foreign education.

Huang Zhenyu listened patiently to Zhang Ran and then asked a few questions for him to answer.

After about half an hour, Huang Zhenyu stopped asking questions and sat in his chair, deep in thought.

Seeing that Huang Zhenyu hadn't spoken for a while, Zhang Ran asked, "Dean, did I say something wrong?"

"You did very well!" Huang Zhenyu responded, picked up his teacup, and took a slow sip, "No wonder Dean Chen values you so much. You are indeed talented! Zhang Ran, your ideas align with mine. We have a lot in common. Feel free to come and chat with me whenever you have the time."

These words were quite meaningful. By mentioning Dean Chen, Huang Zhenyu was implying that Zhang Ran was one of Chen's people. By inviting Zhang Ran to his office, he was essentially telling Zhang Ran to distance himself from Chen and come to him.

Zhang Ran had heard from Zhou Zheng about the conflict between Chen Jianfeng and Huang Zhenyu. The previous dean of the acting department at the Beijing Film Academy was due to retire, and Huang Zhenyu was the likely successor. However, for some reason, the higher-ups appointed Chen Jianfeng, the head of the acting department at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, as the new dean.

Huang Zhenyu had worked at the Beijing Film Academy for twenty years and had deep roots. Being bypassed by Chen Jianfeng was a bitter pill to swallow. In his anger, he used his network at the academy to suppress Chen Jianfeng, opposing him at every turn, making it difficult for Chen to implement his ideas.

Chen Jianfeng broke the tradition at the Beijing Film Academy by recruiting Zhang Ran, partly because Zhang Ran had studied a technique not available in China and partly because Zhang Ran had no ties to the Beijing Film Academy or Huang Zhenyu. Chen needed to build his own loyal team.

If Zhang Ran were not a reincarnated person and didn't know the future, he might have considered Huang Zhenyu's offer. However, he knew that Chen Jianfeng would become the vice president of the Beijing Film Academy, while Huang Zhenyu would fall from power. Joining Huang Zhenyu would be like jumping into a fire.

Moreover, everyone knew that Zhang Ran was recruited by Chen Jianfeng. If he sided with Huang Zhenyu, he would be seen as an ungrateful person. In a university, especially one like the Beijing Film Academy, which values integrity, being seen as ungrateful would make life difficult.

Zhang Ran smiled and said, "Dean Chen asked me to explore new paths in our school's acting education. I feel a great deal of pressure, but I will do my best. Dean, you have extensive experience in education. If you could offer some guidance, it would be very helpful!"

Zhang Ran made his stance clear: he would fulfill the task given by Dean Chen, and if Dean Huang wanted to guide him, he would be willing to listen. This was a clear rejection of Huang Zhenyu's offer.

Huang Zhenyu held his teacup, turned it a couple of times, and then gently placed it down. He picked up a pen, unscrewed the cap, and seemed ready to write something.

Zhang Ran knew it was time to leave, stood up, and said, "Dean Huang, if there's nothing else, I won't disturb you further."

Huang Zhenyu nodded, "Alright, you can go."

Zhang Ran said goodbye and left.

After Zhang Ran left, Huang Zhenyu screwed the cap back on the pen and tapped it heavily on Zhang Ran's lesson plan. Zhang Ran was a talented person, but it was a pity he couldn't be used for Huang Zhenyu's purposes.

(Thank you to "Reader Who Loves Novels" for the support. Please follow and recommend! There are one or two more chapters before the students enroll, and the story will then enter the main plot!)

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