Chapter 35 - Breaking Five New Records and an Eight-Company Bidding War That Stuns the Audience!

Chapter 35: Breaking Five New Records and an Eight-Company Bidding War That Stuns the Audience!

Watching the dumbfounded expressions of the contestants below the stage, including Lu Chen himself, everyone was in disbelief.

What was this? Nearly two million!

On stage, Xiao Sa and the others smirked subtly.

“You must all be wondering, what does this number represent?

Now, let me reveal the answer!”

Xiao Sa turned to the massive number on the screen and pointed at it.

“This is the number of viewers who participated in the online scoring for Contestant “48’s live stream—a total of 1,987,654 people!”

“WHAT?!!!”

The audience below the stage erupted like a thunderclap. The sound of astonishment nearly lifted the roof!

“Nearly two million people voted!”

“You’ve got to be kidding! How is this even possible?”

“I don’t believe it! How many people watched his live stream to get that many votes? Two million? Three million?!”

The contestants were losing their minds!

Amidst the crowd, Lu Chen himself was utterly bewildered. Nearly two million votes for me! What in the…?

“Bro, turns out you’re the real deal!”

The chubby guy and the emo contestant were practically kneeling in awe of Lu Chen.

Two million online votes!

Holy crap!

The previous highest-voted contestant only had around 50,000 votes—already leagues ahead of others.

And now?

The second place didn’t even compare to a fraction of Lu Chen’s numbers!

What kind of story could attract millions of voters?

What could possibly break through to such a monumental level?

The disbelief was palpable among the standout contestants like Duan Mengkai, Su Luoli, and Chen Luze, who had previously been confident in their positions. Their faces turned pale with shock and disbelief.

______

Meanwhile, the live-stream audience, who had been waiting for over half an hour, finally had their patience rewarded as Xiao Sa revealed the truth.

[Drums beating and bells ringing! Clear the way for the mighty Lu Chen!].

[Breaking through the ice—who dares to challenge him?!].

[Lu Chen deserves this fanfare!].

[Charge! Let the world know the name of Tower Village!].

[There’s always someone better. It’s not that you’re not strong enough—it’s just bad luck to meet a genius like Lu Chen, a once-in-a-decade phenomenon!].

[A phenomenon? Let’s call him a legend!].

[Youngsters, the future is yours, but the present belongs to Lu Chen!].

[Honestly, I think the future is his too. (smirk emoji)].

Watching the once-proud contestants hang their heads, the online audience couldn’t contain their satisfaction.

_____

“Now, everyone understands why we saved Contestant #48 for last,” Xiao Sa said, keeping his tone as calm and composed as possible.

The contestants exchanged bewildered glances.

“Mr. Xiao Sa, who exactly is this #48? Could we have them stand up and show themselves?”

“Yeah, let’s see who they are!”

The curiosity among the contestants was at an all-time high.

Xiao Sa turned his gaze towards the corner where Lu Chen was sitting.

“Since everyone’s so eager, Lu Chen, how about greeting everyone?”

All eyes turned towards him in unison.

“Boss Lu, show yourself!”

The chubby guy and the emo contestant flanked him like loyal guards.

I can’t believe this…

Left with no choice, Lu Chen stood up and waved to the crowd.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Contestant #48, Lu Chen.”

“Wow, he’s so handsome!”

“It’s him! I noticed him earlier—he’s seriously good-looking!”

“What kind of story did he write to get two million votes?”

“I’m so jealous—this is truly the whole package—handsome and talented!”

As Lu Chen made his appearance, the commotion reached an unprecedented level.

On stage, watching Lu Chen steal the spotlight, Chen Sicheng narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly behind his back.

“Don’t get too cocky, Lu Chen. The competition isn’t over yet…”

______

After the brief introduction, Lu Chen sat back down. Honestly, he wasn’t a fan of being in the limelight like this. If he were, he wouldn’t have chosen to be a screenwriter despite his good looks.

______

“Alright, everyone, settle down. Now, we’ll officially announce the comprehensive online score for Contestant #48, Lu Chen!

Please look at the big screen!”

Another massive number dropped dramatically onto the screen.

8.4 points!

The contestants collectively gasped.

8.4 points!

While not the highest score among all contestants, it was undeniably in the top five!

But the real shock lay in…

The gap was staggering.

Most contestants only had a few thousand or tens of thousands of people rating their work, but Lu Chen had nearly two million!

Everyone present understood the significance of such a massive base.

As someone once said—Even the biggest problem becomes small when divided by 1.3 billion.

Even the smallest issue becomes huge when multiplied by 1.3 billion. The scale changed everything.

To achieve a score of 8.4 from nearly two million people?

What kind of story could this guy have possibly written?

______

While the contestants on-site were left stunned and overwhelmed,

the live-stream audience was in an uproar—angry, indignant, and loud.

[What the heck, only 8.4! Who gave it a low score?].

[I gave it a perfect 10!].

[Same here, 10 all the way!].

[I gave it a 9, but even that’s higher than 8.4!].

[There must’ve been trolls giving it low scores to sabotage the result!].

[Eh, every contestant has their share of fans and haters. Low scores are just part of the game.

Still, even with those, this score crushes everyone else’s.].

[Fair point!].

[What nonsense! If a script doesn’t achieve total domination, it’s a failure!].

[Only 8.4? How is my Uncle Dong supposed to hold his head high? I’m upset now!].

______

On stage, Xiao Sa addressed the crowd with a smile.

“For a score like this, I personally think it’s phenomenal!

Considering the massive audience base involved, this is an extraordinary achievement.

The quality of this work is self-evident!

Now, with the online scores officially revealed at 8.4,

we’ll proceed to the judges’ scoring soon.

But first, I have an important announcement—or rather, some great news!”

Great news?

The contestants below exchanged puzzled glances, unsure what to expect next.

Xiao Sa continued.

“After two editions spanning eight years, our ‘Godlike Writers’ Tournament’ has once again witnessed a collective bidding frenzy during the Top 32 phase!

Currently, Lu Chen’s work, ‘Operation Icebreaker,’ a story centered on rural anti-drug operations, has attracted bids from eight top-tier film and television companies in the industry!

These companies are—Huanyu Film & TV!

(Boom!)

The company logo dramatically dropped onto the screen.

iQIYI Pictures!

(Boom!)

Jaywalk Studio!

(Boom!)

Youku Pictures!

(Boom!)

Noon Sunshine Pictures!

(Boom!)

Xinli Media!

(Boom!)

Huayi Brothers!

(Boom!)

Light Media!

(Boom!)

______

With each dramatic sound effect, the contestants sank further into a stunned silence.

The logos on screen weren’t just images, they were like boulders crashing into their hearts!

Especially when names like Noon Sunshine and Huayi Brothers appeared—the shock was unbearable.

“Noon Sunshine is bidding on his script!”

“Even Huayi Brothers got involved!”

“This is insane. Why is Contestant #48 so exceptional?”

“I’m going to cry. Why did I have to compete in the same year as this godlike talent?!”

“Eight top-tier companies fighting over his script?! I’m so envious my liver hurts!”

“Rural anti-drug operations?! That counts as a rural theme?”

“I thought my ‘My Dad is the Village Chief’ was original enough, but this blows everything out of the water!”

“This is insane! Just insane!”

The contestants couldn’t stop staring at Lu Chen, their faces green with envy.

Whether their own scores were high or low didn’t matter—the harsh reality was that no company had shown interest in their work.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen had eight top companies fighting tooth and nail for his story!

The massive disparity left even the most self-assured contestants utterly shattered.

_____

“Bro, please, let me add you on WeChat! I promise not to bother you, I just want to have you as a friend!”

“Same here, Big Boss Lu Chen, please accept my kneeling and let me add you on WeChat!”

The chubby guy and the emo contestant looked at Lu Chen like he was their sun, moon, and stars. They were one step away from actually kneeling before him.

Feeling awkward, Lu Chen reluctantly nodded and agreed to exchange contacts later. At this moment, he finally understood where his explosive emotion points came from—Two million viewers combined with eight companies in a bidding war.

No wonder the numbers were so overwhelming.

It seems there are still some sharp-eyed production companies out there,

Lu Chen thought to himself, taking a deep breath.

_____

Xiao Sa continued with the announcement.

“After multiple rounds of intense bidding, the top five companies have emerged victorious.

These companies will now have priority to negotiate with Lu Chen over the script rights!

Let’s give a round of applause to celebrate this achievement and congratulate Lu Chen!”

Xiao Sa led the applause, but the clapping from the audience was far from enthusiastic.

Enthusiastic? Ha.

They were all too consumed with jealousy to clap properly. Lu Chen scanned the room and noticed the murderous glares directed at him. If looks could kill, he’d be riddled with holes by now.

Even Xiao Sa, sensing the tension, smiled awkwardly. Though he understood their feelings, he had to keep the show going.

Clearing his throat, he continued.

“Lu Chen has also set five new records in the Godlike Writers’ Tournament, including.

Highest online viewership

Fastest rise in popularity index

Highest comment index

Most bidding companies for a single round

Highest viewer retention rate

These five groundbreaking records!

Now, the long-awaited moment has arrived!

What will the judges score for ‘Operation Icebreaker’?

Let’s welcome Judge Liu Heping for the first review!”

The audience erupted into applause as Liu Heping stepped onto the stage.

Meanwhile, onstage, Chen Sicheng clapped along, glancing at Lu Chen with narrowed eyes.

“Finally, it’s time for the judges to score…”

His lips curled into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.