Chapter 8 Livestream Viewership Plummets, but the Climax Begins!
After all, the âsmall character rising to prominenceâ theme has been adapted countless times.
Not only was it formulaic, but audiences were also tired of it. It was tough to pique interest unless Lu Chen delivered an extraordinary follow-up to the story. Otherwise, it was just another clichéd tale. So, at this stage, Yan Geling found the story progression falling short of her expectations.
At this moment, Liu Heping, who had been mostly silent, finally spoke up, âThe regional background serves as the soil from which the story grows. Different regions give rise to different stories. For instance, the Yellow Earth Plateau could never produce the delicate and poetic ambiance of Jiangnanâs water towns. Similarly, in Guangdong, where clan culture is prevalent, even a âsmall characterâs riseâ story would naturally differ from those in other areas.â
âExactly, Teacher Liu is right! The question is whether Lu Chen can organically combine the concepts of personal success and clan dynamics. If he only introduces the regional setting and Guangdongâs unique cultural environment without fully leveraging itâfocusing primarily on the individualâs journey while sidelining the backgroundâthen I believe Contestant 48âs story will likely disappoint,â Shuping added.
Yan Geling and Chen Sicheng both nodded in agreement, and even Liu Heping slightly inclined his head, acknowledging Shupingâs viewpoint.
Previously, the judges had been intrigued and pleasantly surprised when Lu Chen introduced the keywords âclan cultureâ and âancestral hall cultureâ. However, as the story unfolded, it became clear that he hadnât yet fully utilized these elements.
Of course, it was worth noting that the story was still in its early stages. Drawing conclusions too early would be premature. Nevertheless, Lu Chenâs beginning was, to be honest, overly conventionalâhence the judgesâ mild disappointment.
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Meanwhile, Chen Sicheng was quietly amused. He had always claimed that Contestant 48 was average in ability, despite Liu Hepingâs high praise for him. But now, it seemed Lu Chenâs performance was leaning towards his evaluation.
The subject matter lacked novelty and even felt dated. Expecting to advance with such a story? It might not be impossible, but the odds were slim.
Chen Sicheng didnât care what the other three judges thought. From his perspective, such a tired and clichĂ©d story deserved an automatic two-point deduction. If the narrative didnât shine later, even more points would be deducted.
In Chen Sichengâs opinion, a good story must have absolute commercial value. Since he was a judge, he couldnât endorse something as stale as this!
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In the livestream chat, viewers reacted to the judgesâ discussion with a mix of agreement and disappointment.
[The judges are right. The storyâs development is underwhelming! I thought itâd delve into clan conflicts, but itâs just this?].
[This is just a typical online fiction plot, and an outdated one from 10â20 years ago. Too old-fashioned!].
[48 isnât as impressive as Teacher Liu made him out to be.].
[Honestly, when 48 wrote âclan and ancestral hall cultureâ at the beginning, I was intrigued. But it turned bland so quickly!].
[Letâs wait and see. Hopefully, Teacher Liu doesnât end up slapping his own face if 48 doesnât advance. Thatâd be awkward!].
[Awkward with a capital A!].
[Wait, look! Heâs picking up the marker again!].
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On the screen, after pacing for a while, Lu Chen returned to the whiteboard, picked up the black marker, and began writing again.
[Since Lin Yaodong spent years on the streets, he learned to be highly observant and resourceful. He noticed that collecting scrap was far more profitable than running a small food stall. In the 1990s, during a period of booming coastal trade, foreign goods and waste began flooding into China.
Dongshan City (a fictional city in Guangdong Province) was one of the first port cities to ride this wave.
Learning about this lucrative opportunity, Lin Yaodong immediately decided to get into the scrap business. For him, whatever made money was what he would doâhe had been poor for too long. His hunger for wealth was etched into his bones. To earn money, Lin Yaodong believed there was nothing he wouldnât do!].
Lu Chen paused briefly after writing this, then quickly resumed.
[Because Lin Yaodong was clever and socially adept, he quickly established himself in the scrap industry. Over the next few years, he earned his first pot of gold through this trade.
At just over 20 years old, Lin Yaodong had already been immersed in society long enough to carry himself with the demeanor of someone nearly 30. His growing financial success brought significant changes to his life.
First, his familyâs conditions improvedâthey could eat well and live in a house that didnât leak when it rained.
Second, his familyâs reputation in the village began to rise. Villagers greeted him warmly whenever they saw him.
These dramatic external changes allowed Lin Yaodong to tangibly feel the power of wealth. His craving for money grew exponentially during this period. He came to believe that money could bring him everything. Therefore, He became desperate to earn even more money!
To change himself!
To change his family!
And evenâŠ
To change Tazhai Village!
To change the fate of his lineage!].
Upon seeing the final line on the whiteboard, Shupingâs eyes widened slightly.
âIt ties into the clan theme!â
âAs expected, itâs progressing from personal development to leading the village.â
Chen Sicheng, however, smirked and shrugged. This plot was not only logical but also entirely predictable.
Yan Geling pursed her lips and took a deep breath.
âThe characterâs personality is starting to take shape, but⊠itâs still not enough!â Yan Geling commented.
Liu Heping continued to watch silently, offering no comment.
âTeacher Xiao Sa, I think⊠we should switch rooms. We canât just stay in Room 48 forever,â Chen Sicheng suggested.
Xiao Sa glanced at the time. Indeed, they had been in Room 48 for several minutes already, perhaps too long.
âLetâs switch rooms, then. What do you all think?â Xiao Sa asked the other judges.
Shuping and the others had no objections. As judges, there were many contestants to evaluate, and they couldnât focus on just one person. Moreover, Lu Chenâs story, to be fair, wasnât particularly captivatingâat least not at this stage.
With that, Xiao Sa switched to another room, and the judges resumed reviewing other contestants.
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In the livestream chat, viewers echoed the judgesâ sentiments, with interest waning.
[Sigh, this storyâs not very engaging. Iâm heading to another room.].
[Same here.].
[Check out Room 4! Itâs pretty interesting. Contestant 4 designed a stage play-style plot, and itâs quite fun!].
[A stage play? In a rural setting? Sounds intriguing. Iâll check it out.].
[Iâm heading there too!].
Like a tide, the livestreamâs audience surged in and out quickly. Within moments, the viewership in Room 48 dropped by more than half, plummeting from over 300,000 to under 100,000âand the numbers were still declining rapidly.
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Meanwhile, inside Room 48, Lu Chen, oblivious to the outside world, continued his story development. By this point, Lin Yaodongâs mental framework had been largely established. His values, perception of money and his worldview. These elements had taken initial shape.
A person only becomes obsessed with and driven by something when they desire it deeply. This desire breeds greed and ambition. With greed and ambition, a person becomes willing to stop at nothing to obtain more.
This mentality and motivation ultimately paved the way for Lin Yaodongâs transformation into a drug lord. The next part of the story was pivotal. It was the event that marked Lin Yaodongâs first step into the world of crime.
It served as a turning point and catalyst, profoundly impacting him and leading to his first metamorphosis. This moment laid the groundwork for his eventual rise as a drug lord. The key turning point was car smuggling.
Though the original series didnât explicitly detail this, itâs easy to infer. As Lin Yaodong gained experience, he grew dissatisfied with the âpetty profitsâ of the scrap business. Eventually, he discovered that smuggling was incredibly lucrative. Taking a leap of faith, he began smuggling cars.
This decision set the stage for his later escape to Hong Kong and eventual involvement with drugs, planting a crucial narrative seed. Thus, the next section of the story marked the true beginning of the plotâs climax!