Chapter 46

In the private room, the three people with a more "scholarly" demeanor were undoubtedly the main characters: the town mayor Zheng Xiangxiong, the principal of No. 1 High School Lu Buping, and a middle-aged man with glasses, Guo Yongkui.

There were others in the room as well. Lu Yifei, the school flower of No. 1 High School, sat beside Lu Buping, and there were a few government officials present. At the end of the table sat Cheng Yaotu, the leader of the underground forces in Shuizhen, who had a past conflict with Lin Mu.

However, at this moment, he wore a full smile, looking incredibly amiable, a far cry from the sinister and terrifying figure he had been that day, hiding daggers behind his smile.

Lu Yifei had once saved Lin Mu by kicking a table and openly embarrassing him, but now, he showed no sign of displeasure, acting like a waiter, speaking in a low and humble tone.

Guo Yongkui extended his hand and firmly grasped Lu Buping's hand: "Principal Lu! Haha, I'm afraid you don't remember me. Over a decade ago, I graduated from No. 1 High School. Back then, our school wasn't as big as it is now. I never imagined that after so many years of your hard work, you've turned No. 1 High School into a well-known key high school in the province. You could be called the Confucius of our hometown!"

Lu Buping, flattered by such praise, especially about his proudest achievement, felt greatly pleased. His expression became more amiable: "It's all thanks to the efforts of our hometown's teachers and students. It's not much. Hmm, I heard from Old Zheng that you want to make a movie about our hometown. Haha, that's quite interesting. Everyone here is influential in Shuizhen. Why don't you tell us more about it?"

Such a straightforward approach took Guo Yongkui by surprise, but with fewer formalities, he felt relieved.

"Haha, since the old principal has spoken, I'll give a brief overview."

On the table were lobsters, sea cucumbers, crocodile paws, and large crabs—each a delicacy that the townspeople had never tasted, and most didn't even know existed in such a small, semi-urbanized town like Shuizhen.

However, for those seated, having tasted hundreds of such delicacies, they put down their wine glasses and listened attentively to Guo Yongkui.

"Our Shuizhen is already well-known in the province for its education. I've been working hard outside for many years and have gained some fame, but I always wanted to return and make a movie to promote our hometown's historical buildings and cultural heritage. I've already discussed this idea with Mayor Zheng, and he supports it. However, to really make this movie, I need your support, Principal Lu."

Lu Buping remained expressionless: "Oh?"

Guo Yongkui inwardly cursed the old fox but maintained his enthusiasm: "The movie is called 'Youth Novel.' Wu Fei and Lin Lin are two young villagers who fail the college entrance exam. Wu Fei plans to retake the exam in the county, while Lin Lin goes to Guangzhou to work in a factory and find her fiancé. On an autumn evening, they set off together for the county. Along the way, they pass through fields, rivers, ancient bridges, small towns, and docks. The scenery of their hometown slides by, and their affection for each other quietly surfaces.

As the journey unfolds, Wu Fei's thoughts often drift to the story he is writing, where he and Lin Lin have different personalities and roam the world together.

The movie alternates between reality and fantasy until Wu Fei becomes dazed and delirious...

Their youth comes to an end in this evening of departure and fantasy. Here is the script, Principal Lu, please take a look..."

With that, Guo Yongkui handed a script from his briefcase to Lu Buping.

Lu Yifei, sitting beside him, also leaned in curiously to take a look.

The script was not particularly excellent, discarding the elements of commercial movies. The focus was on the confusion of a young couple in love and the historical buildings of Shuizhen.

As Guo Yongkui said, it was a thoroughly artistic film.

Lu Buping closed the script: "Hmm, Xiao Guo, you want to do something for your hometown, and I naturally can't refuse to support you. Alright, for the scenes related to No. 1 High School, I will give you the maximum support without affecting the students and teachers..."

Guo Yongkui's expression changed: "Without affecting the students and teachers... What do you mean, Principal Lu?"

Lu Buping affectionately looked at his granddaughter: "My little granddaughter has always liked movies and TV shows. She plans to apply to an art school for the college entrance exam. Since there's this opportunity, let her learn from you, the great director. What do you think?"

Guo Yongkui became even more uneasy: "It's good that Little Lu wants to learn about movies, but what position do you think would be suitable for her in the production? An actor, or something else..."

What he feared most was that Principal Lu would directly assign her a leading role.

Lu Yifei was a beauty from a scholarly family, and her demeanor was even better than some celebrities, but that didn't mean she could instantly become a star.

There were many beautiful women, but to become a star, one needed not only acting skills but also the ability to promote oneself, the courage to expose oneself, and sometimes, good luck to gain attention from fans. Lu Buping didn't know about Lu Yifei's acting skills and didn't want to risk his new movie.

Lu Buping coldly snorted: "My precious granddaughter will naturally be your assistant, learning about directing. Do you want her to be an actor?"

Being an actor and a star, in the eyes of ordinary people, was a prestigious profession. But for those from scholarly families, wealthy officials, and business tycoons, these actors and stars, who had only superficial fame and no real standing, were like pawns in their hands, and they looked down on them.

Guo Yongkui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Of course, there's no problem with that! I'll toast to you, Principal Lu!"

Lu Yifei, who had been reading the script, suddenly thought of someone.

"The script is already done and won't be easily changed. Should I invite that person to join 'Youth Novel'..."

...

That "person" was Lin Mu. After practicing boxing on the rooftop, he took a shower and lay on the bed, not to sleep, but to check his reputation gains.

After the first issue was published, Lin Mu's reputation had increased significantly, but most of this was due to his proposal of "internal strength." The first chapter of "Liancheng Jue" didn't bring him much reputation.

However, the second chapter, "Prison," with its tragic and angry plot, and the addition of a book review page in "Martial Arts Stories," caused a sharp increase in the magazine's sales and a significant jump in Lin Mu's reputation.

Now, just one day after the third chapter, "A Person as Calm as Chrysanthemum," was published, his reputation had reached over 373,000!

PS: Thank you, Mr. Wuyu, for the 588 reward. Sigh, I originally planned to start a new book after the New Year to avoid keeping everyone waiting, but it turned out to be the time when many big authors like to start new books. There are too many big authors in the urban genre.