Shang Yechu told Sheng Wenzhi to wait for the specific reason, and Sheng Wenzhi actually didn't ask a single question, just stood there in the rocking chair waiting. In the end, he actually fell asleep on his desk.

Making a movie is a series of interconnected events. In Shang Yechu's plan, the most difficult part of this series of events would naturally be completed first, and then the rest would be moved forward.

Sheng Wenzhi was arrogant, eccentric, and had a stubborn pursuit of art. Shang Yechu thought that persuading him to agree to the film adaptation would be the most difficult part, but to her surprise, he agreed nonchalantly.

The fact that the first problem was solved so smoothly left Shang Yechu feeling somewhat unreal. Next came the second problem: how to persuade Ji Juntao to agree to start the project.

"The Rules Grocery Store" is different from "The Mute Woman." "The Mute Woman" is an art film, so it's not surprising that it didn't make money at the box office. But horror films have absolutely nothing to do with art films, so a low box office is absolutely irredeemable. And, judging from the historical box office performance of domestic horror films, this movie was almost a certainty of flopping.

Furthermore, "The Mute Woman" is a realistic story set in a small village, so it doesn't need fancy special effects. Filming "The Mute Woman" was relatively inexpensive. But even the most budgeted horror films need post-production and special effects. All of that requires money.

Finally, this kind of popcorn movie doesn't require Shang Yechu to put in any particularly sophisticated acting skills. "Half a Sky" has already finished filming, so there's no immediate need to make up for any shortcomings in her acting.

How can we persuade Ji Juntao to agree to shoot a movie that is expensive, unlikely to win awards, does little to improve Shang Yechu's acting skills, and most importantly, makes him look like a complete idiot?

You can't just tell her directly, "The Legend of Rules is going to be a hit all over the country, let's seize the opportunity!"

Ji Juntao didn't keep Shang Yechu waiting for long. Shortly after Shang Yechu sent her message, Ji Juntao called her back via video.

In the video, Ji Juntao looked gloomy, but his tone was still relatively calm: "What is it, Ye Zi?"

Both out of courtesy and reason, Shang Yechu should have first shown concern for the younger generation: "How is Zhuang Sheng? Why did he get into a fight?"

"In the school's computer class, when we were learning Photoshop, a boy used an unflattering photo of you as the negative and said some... inappropriate things about you," Ji Juntao summarized briefly. "Zhuang Sheng then got into a fight with him."

Even without Ji Juntao's words, Shang Yechu could roughly guess what the boy had said. This kind of thing certainly wouldn't make anyone happy, but at this moment, surprise briefly overshadowed her displeasure: "For me? Are you sure?"

Shang Yechu and Zhuang Sheng weren't close; they'd barely even met a few times. She didn't think she was close enough for Zhuang Sheng to fight for her.

"Of course it's for his own sake." Ji Juntao sneered, making no attempt to hide his disdain. "A petty trick. He was careful enough not to hurt the boy. Don't worry, it's all over."

"Then why did it take you so long to finish?"

Ji Juntao said wearily, "The fight was easy to handle, but I fired Zhuang Sheng's agent, which took a little longer."

"He instigated it?"

"Who knows if that's true or not." Ji Juntao snorted. "Zhuang Sheng needs to be taught a lesson, right? That kid is too impatient."

After finishing his story about Zhuang Sheng, Ji Juntao couldn't wait to get to the point: "What did you want to see me about? Have you chosen the script?"

Shang Yechu hesitated for a moment. Telling Ji Juntao directly, "I want to make a horror movie," might make Ji Juntao faint. She decided to take a more roundabout approach.

Do you still remember Sheng Wenzhi?

Ji Juntao immediately recognized the person: "You mean Cao Dian?"

Who is Cao Dian...? Shang Yechu paused for a moment, realizing that this might be Sheng Wenzhi's pen name: "Is this his pen name?"

“Yes. One of his many pen names,” Ji Juntao said. “This kid has too many pen names; I’ve only managed to get two or three. Why are you mentioning him?”

"I've got my eye on one of his novels," Shang Yechu said vaguely. "I think it's perfect for a film or television adaptation. I just talked to him, and he agreed to sell the rights to us."

Ji Juntao on the other end of the phone immediately stood up, his voice trembling with excitement: "He actually agreed?!"

This line of poetry made Shang Yechu realize that Ji Juntao might have also considered buying the copyright to Shengwen before: "You bought it before?"

"Hmm," Ji Juntao said curtly, "I offered the maximum price back then. Unfortunately, this kid absolutely refused. You actually got it? Which book was it? 'Celestial Phenomena' or 'The Spying Machine's Diary'? It wouldn't be 'The Fire Bearer of the Long Night', would it?"

These words stirred up a storm in Shang Yechu's heart.

"Celestial Phenomena" is a suspense novel set in a fictional dynasty. Amidst chaotic celestial phenomena and the fall of the Purple Star, stargazers in the imperial city die mysteriously one after another. After the protagonist discovers clues in a star chart, the emperor issues a "Decree forbidding astronomical observation," banning all astronomical observations nationwide overnight and ordering the burning of all astronomical books and star charts… The book is written in a grand and majestic style, with a bold, bizarre, and tragic plot. When Shang Yechu worked at the Guyue Bookstore, this book was always placed in the most prominent position on the shelf for easy customer purchase.

*The Voyeur's Diary* is a collection of short stories. Written from the perspective of a psychopathic voyeur, it recounts the stories of his seven neighbors—perhaps there's an unusual attraction between psychopaths, as all seven neighbors are, without exception, criminals or psychopaths. The book's writing is exceptionally cold and objective, naturally conveying a contempt for life and a trampling and exploitation of rules. It is precisely this coldness that draws the reader in, as if they have truly entered the mind of a psychopath…

As for "The Fire Bearer of the Long Night," Shang Yechu hadn't read it. But as far as she knew, many male celebrities in the entertainment industry were eager to get roles in the book (expressing their willingness, or even desire, to star in it through various means). Searching through her hazy memories, Shang Yechu realized it was probably a suspenseful mystery novel as well.

These three books were all written by Sheng Wenzhi!

"Uh—" Shang Yechu let out a half-sound from her throat, while glancing back at the study door. Sheng Wenzhi was fast asleep on the table in her study, having only eaten the crumb of a cream bread all day.