Chapter 31 - Titans Clash! Huayi Joins the Fray, and Lu Chen Plays His Trump Card!

Chapter 31: Titans Clash! Huayi Joins the Fray, and Lu Chen Plays His Trump Card!

In the camera’s background, Shu Ping and Yan Geling’s eyes lingered on the man often called the god of screenwriting. Their gaze was filled with respect that never faded.

After all, in the world of Dragon Nation screenwriting, there could be many kings. But there was only one God. And that was Liu Heping.

From Peace in Peking, to The Yongzheng Dynasty, to the internationally renowned The Ming Dynasty 1566!

Any one of these works would have been enough to immortalize a screenwriter. But Liu Heping wrote all three.

His name carried immeasurable weight in the world of Dragon Nation television and film, his status as the top screenwriter uncontested to this day.

Xiao Sa thought of asking Liu Heping for an interview. But after a moment’s consideration, he decided against it.

Liu was known for disliking excessive chatter, especially on sensitive topics—it was better not to ask at all.

____

At that moment, as Xinli Media made its move on-screen, the other heavyweights—Jiaxing, Noon Sunlight, Huayi, and others—were stirred but not surprised.

“Boss, should we match the bid?” Qin Jie asked Yang Mi.

Yang Mi paused for a moment before decisively waving her hand.

“Go ahead. Bid 300,000 right away!”

“Understood!”

In an instant, Jiaxing Media stole the spotlight, claiming the top spot!

This bold move set off a frenzy among the other companies. The bids quickly rose from 200,000 to 250,000!

_____

“Brother, how much should we bid?”

In Huayi Brothers’ office, Wang Zhonglei sought guidance from his older brother, Wang Zhongjun.

“Wait. Let’s see if it goes up to 400,000, then we’ll act.”

“Brother, are you thinking of going all-in?”

“If the script is good, going all-in is worth it.”

Wang Zhongjun sipped his wine, exuding confidence and calm.

Wang Zhonglei nodded in agreement.

“Brother, do you think Shu Ping’s praise for contestant #48 is exaggerated? Could it just be part of the show’s theatrics? Can this kid really be compared to Hai Yan?”

“When judging a screenwriter, ignore their fame and focus on their work. At least from what I’ve seen, Lu Chen’s Operation Icebreaker has a more compelling storyline than Hai Yan’s Plainclothes Policeman from back then.”

“That’s true. I guess Hai Yan left such a strong impression on me that I’ve been biased…”

Wang Zhonglei said no more, simply sipping his wine as he continued watching the screen.

_____

As Lu Chen kept progressing through episodes.

[Episode 4: …].

[Episode 5: …].

[Episode 6: …].

[Episode 7: …].

The competition clock was ticking fast!

During this time, the bidding war reached its climax. When Aiqiyi made the first bid of 400,000…

Huayi struck!

A 500,000 bid, all-in!

They rocketed to the top of the leaderboard, causing a massive uproar.

_____

[Holy crap! Huayi’s in the game now!].

[Hahaha, 500,000! They went all-in at once!].

[This is why they’re the titans of the industry. If they make a move, it’s a guaranteed bombshell!].

[Lu Chen must be baffled right now. “I’m just writing a story, why are you all going insane?”].

[I really want to see Lu Chen’s reaction when he steps out of his booth and learns about all this. What’s his expression going to be?].

[His mind will definitely be buzzing, no doubt about it!].

[Forget about all that drama. Aren’t you paying attention to how awesome the story is?].

[Of course! It’s incredible. Is Cai Yongqiang really Dongshu’s protector? He sure seems like it!].

[I think so too! The way he opposes Li Fei and releases people so easily—it screams protector!].

[And this Chen Guangrong guy doesn’t seem trustworthy either.].

_____

As the bidding frenzy escalated, the audience was as engrossed in the story as they were in the competition. Lu Chen’s narrative brilliance and the ferocity of the bidding war turned this round of The Writing Competition into an unforgettable clash of titans.

As Lu Chen progressed to the 15th episode, the tension in the competition room reached its peak.

In the judges’ room, Xiao Sa glanced at the clock.

“There are only 20 minutes left until the competition ends! But from the looks of it, Lu Chen’s script is only halfway done! He definitely won’t finish in time!”

Hearing this, Shu Ping and the others exchanged glances.

“Being able to write a story like this and draft 15 episodes in such a short time is already impressive!”

“No, it’s extraordinary,” Yan Geling said and corrected with emphasis.

Chen Sicheng, standing off to the side, seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, held back.

Still, there was a flicker of something peculiar in his eyes, as if he were hatching a plan…

_____

“Xiao Sa!”

Suddenly, the voice of chief director Hong Tao came through the microphone.

“Yes!”

“Please remind the contestants that there are 20 minutes remaining and urge them to wrap up!”

“Got it, Director!”

Xiao Sa picked up the remote and made the announcement.

“Attention, contestants! There are only 20 minutes left in the competition. Please finish your drafts and make any necessary edits!”

_____

Inside Lu Chen’s room, hearing that only 20 minutes were left, Lu Chen felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed!

It felt like Xiao Sa had just announced that there was one hour left, and now 40 minutes had flown by in the blink of an eye.

Lu Chen paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He had anticipated that he wouldn’t finish all the episodes in time, but now the story was barely halfway through. The plot’s climax had only just begun.

Even if he forced himself to write as fast as possible, he could probably only manage another two or three episodes in the remaining time. But that wouldn’t be enough to deliver the true climactic peak of the story.

What now?

What if the audience and judges weren’t impressed? What could he do?

After some frantic thinking, Lu Chen came up with an idea.

What if… I focused on writing the key characters’ dialogue?

He remembered that before the competition began, Xiao Sa had emphasized that contestants could write key dialogue for their characters. It was a way to enhance the story’s appeal and capture the audience’s and judges’ attention.

And dialogue is the soul of a character!

It encapsulates their essence, their defining traits, and their impact on the story.

“Alright, that’s the plan! I’ll write dialogue!”

Focusing on pivotal characters like Li Fei, Zhao Jialiang, Lin Zonghui, and Cai Yongqiang, and especially the story’s core protagonist and antagonist—Lin Yaodong—Lu Chen decided to use the remaining 20 minutes to craft standout lines for each of them.

This bold move might just turn the tide.

Faced with the pressure of advancing to the next stage, Lu Chen had no choice but to pull out all the stops and take this risky yet potentially brilliant approach!