Interview
The young man downstairs was Pei Yi. It was late spring in the blue river, and people had already changed into light clothes. His shoulder-length hair was half tied up, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He was shielding the sun with his arms and looking up, as if looking for Shang Jingyan's floor.
Shang Jingyan had just bought this place, and he had never been here before. Shang Jingyan's mood suddenly brightened up, and he opened the window and greeted, "Manager Pei! Here."
The moment his eyes met hers, the young man's light-colored eyes lit up, and even from such a distance one could see the smile in them.
Taking advantage of the gap, Shang Jingyan quickly washed up. When Pei Yi came in, she smelled the sweet fragrance of the cake and her stomach started to growl.
Shang Jingyan was too lazy to comb her hair. She squatted beside the coffee table with her messy silver hair on her head. She rustled open the bag and happily hugged the pastry: "I finally get to taste Manager Pei's craftsmanship again!"
It was not the first time that Pei Yi saw Shang Jingyan at home, but it was the first time that he saw her with such a childish side. He couldn't help but stop where he was, and a sentence popped up in his mind:... So cute.
This contrast is completely different from the decisive and powerful Director Shang in the eyes of the outside world, which makes him even more adorable.
People will gradually let down their guard in front of someone they trust, so, does this mean that Shang Jingyan is slowly accepting him?
Pei Yi prepared several flavors of small cakes and a bag of baked berry cookies. There were even semi-finished meals on the bottom layer of the food box, which covered Shang Jingyan's main meal and dessert for the day.
"You got up very early to prepare, right?" Shang Jingyan sighed, "It's too hard."
Pei Yi makes all the food by hand, and at most lets robots do the preparation and cleaning work.
"My home is close to here, so I don't have to go too early. I even slept until I woke up naturally." Pei Yi said seriously, but he felt a little guilty - thinking about seeing Shang Jingyan again, he woke up before dawn, tossed and turned, couldn't fall asleep, so he had to get up to cook, and unknowingly made a big box of food.
Shang Jingyan turned on the projection screen and lay back on the sofa holding a bag of biscuits, forming a sharp contrast with Pei Yi who was sitting upright.
"The league started yesterday, and I haven't had time to watch it yet. It's just right that I'm with you." She said lazily, "It's still in the audition stage for the first three days. Which group do you want to watch?"
Her arm touched him, and the warmth of her body was transmitted through his shirt. Pei Yi's earlobe was slightly stained with red. He said, "Ah... um? Let's look at the main galaxy group."
The auditions were divided into groups by region. Shang Jingyan was a little curious about the comparison between the current levels of horror in the Exile Galaxy and the Main Galaxy, so he adjusted an extra screen for projection.
As the "founder" of this league, it is not easy for her to make public comments on the entries. She even refused the league's invitation to be a judge - Shang Jingyan hopes that her collaborators in the end will be chosen purely by the audience.
But after all, it was related to her profession, so she unconsciously looked at it with a scrutinizing and evaluative eye.
The top few names in the main galaxy are several familiar names: Ji Lianxing, Yan Ke, and even Su Shudong.
They each have their own mature styles, and they blend them into a unique effect when creating horror works. Unfortunately, the audition stage is all short films, and the comments below all say that they can't get enough.
On the Exile Galaxy side, in the front row are Hua Feitian, Luo Zhiyu and others, and the quality of their works is comparable to that of the main galaxy.
The common feature of both sides is that the front row is mainly composed of young new generation dream builders, while differences begin to appear in the middle and back rows. The contestants of the Exile Galaxy cover a wide age range and the themes are richer, while the Main Star is slightly inferior.
[Why didn’t I know that the Dream Builder of the Exiled Galaxy was so powerful before? I can’t get out after diving in! ]
[This competition is really good news for us horror fans. I would like to call it the Unhappy Brainworm Competition (dog head).]
[Now that the horror genre has matured, the audience's threshold has also become higher, and it is more difficult to stand out than before. 】
The comments were in full swing. There were currently tens of thousands of horror works, with good and bad works mixed together. Shang Jingyan quickly screened through them without any change in expression. Pei Yi's gaze gradually changed from looking at the screen to secretly looking at her.
Shang Jingyan's serious and focused expression would appear a little cold, as if a leader was looking down from above, making people involuntarily convinced.
Pei Yi had read some gossip in the industry. Those collaborators said that Director Shang was not a "tyrant" on the set, but he was also an absolute king. At this moment, he suddenly understood this evaluation.
Even though she was wearing baggy home clothes and holding a cookie in her hand, it did not hinder her captivating radiance.
It was because of this careful observation that he noticed that Shang Jingyan's eyes were a little red, as if she had cried not long ago. Her face, which had been slightly hot just now, suddenly cooled down, and he asked without hesitation: "...What's wrong?"
Shang Jingyan was slightly startled, sensed where the other person was looking, and touched the corner of his eyes.
According to her habit, she should have laughed it off, but after a moment of silence, she said, "I dreamed of my mother. I... probably missed her a little."
Pei Yi knew as much about Shang Jingyan's family as her fans. He only knew that her mother passed away when she was a child and she had no other relatives.
Pei Yi hesitated for a moment and asked, "Would you like to tell me about her?"
Shang Jingyan stopped looking at the screen. He threw a small cookie into his mouth, looked at the ceiling and said, "When she left, I was too young. She left too little behind. I actually didn't know her very well."
"Perhaps it can be said that... I understand her aspirations and her beliefs much better than I understand her personally."
This is the most regrettable thing. She and Shang Song have been walking on the same road and towards the same goal for so long by chance, but she still doesn't know what kind of person Shang Song is.
What does she like to eat? Does she prefer salty or light? What kind of movies does she like? Which characters does she resonate with? What colors does she like? What kind of clothes does she wear besides her white coat? …
The image that Shang Song presented to the outside world was both true and false: an alcoholic mother, a decadent and frustrated person, a self-exiled scientist. As a later comer, Shang Jingyan was able to explore and speculate, but would never be able to see it with her own eyes again.
"If... this is a game, I hope the ultimate reward for completing it is that I can have a meal with her."
Shang Jingyan laughed when he said this, "What a simple wish."
Pei Yi also chuckled and made a joke to lighten the atmosphere: "Then I hope I can cook this meal."
Shang Jingyan curved her lips and said, "Then it's settled. The chef's seat will definitely be reserved for you. I'll introduce you to her and tell her that the person who cooks is mine—"
She drew out her words, blinked her eyes, and didn't say the last word. Pei Yi asked, "What is it?"
Shang Jingyan rolled up her hair and said leisurely, "How can I know now?"
April of the year 2224 was the most unforgettable season that the Star People had ever experienced.
The league was in full swing, the auditions were over, and a total of 10,000 dream builders from all the major galaxies entered the next stage. The results were both unexpected and reasonable:
Among the 10,000 people, 61% are exiled galaxy dream builders, gaining an absolute advantage.
Even the most timid people have watched some horror short films this month and voted for them.
As the numbers accumulated, Terror Wind entered a stage of explosive growth.
This was the second interview of Director Shang since his debut, which was broadcast live. Countless people were watching the screen and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she looked so energetic.
[Director Shang!! I finally see you again. I’m relieved that you’re okay! ]
[I don't know why, but Director Shang is in such a good state. I suddenly feel confident in defeating the brain worm.]
In the picture, Shang Jingyan is wearing a black vest and overalls, with her long hair braided into two braids, revealing the black sheep tattoo on her arm. Such casual outfit makes the audience once again realize how young she is.
The interview revolved around "Infinite Heartbeat: Village Girl", and the questions were reviewed and selected by Shang Jingyan himself.
As the audience listened, they realized that this was actually another "Lianmeng Speech" - Shang Jingyan was not so much answering fans' questions as breaking down and analyzing the horror methods he used, which was like feeding food into their mouths.
[Wow, Director Shang is really a very good person. How many dream builders can be so generous and teach others so much? I didn't even stop taking notes. ]
[This is probably also a preparation for dealing with the brain worms. She is clearly a new generation, but she has always been standing in the front...]
At the end, Shang Jingyan talked about the work itself: "I am actually very happy that in this era, 'Lanjia Village' is just a horror story in literary works, not reality."
The creator has a phrase called "sounding out when not satisfied". In his previous life, Shang Jingyan had also filmed similar themes, but they were more obscure.
Perhaps no one in this era can truly understand the feelings behind her words, and the fear felt by people in the two time and space is not the same.
But Shang Jingyan was just relieved about this, thinking that "they" didn't have to experience the same fear and anger that "they" felt.
For Shang Jingyan, perhaps this story can express her farewell to her previous life better than all the previous ones.
She was in a different era.
Here, she is less constrained and can take on heavier and greater social responsibilities.
Shang Jingyan spoke in a light tone, and the editor Mu Xiu opposite him nodded approvingly and pushed up his glasses.
Up to this point, the atmosphere of the interview had been very good, which exceeded Mu Xiu's expectations. To be honest, she was worried that Shang Jingyan would suddenly make a "three-sentence bomb" like at the award ceremony.
"However, it can still be used to compare with reality. We are 'Lan Qing', and the 'village' that trapped Lan Qing is a brain worm. This is the realistic significance of the dream-building story."
Shang Jingyan spoke slowly, looked towards the camera, and ended the interview with a smile, "Dream builders, as guardians of the spiritual realm, can also guard our bodies in the real world. We cannot give up the spiritual confrontation, only in this way can we defeat the brain worm."
This was the first time that Shang Jingyan mentioned brain worms publicly and clearly after three sentences, and he also used the word "defeat", which caused a stir in the barrage of comments.
Mu Xiu had a hunch that these words would also become a classic in the history of dream building.
However, why did Shang Jingyan suddenly talk about "spirit" and "reality"? I always felt that her expression when looking at the camera was meaningful, as if she was not just encouraging her colleagues...
The interview ended successfully. Mu Xiu couldn't help but ask a question out of curiosity. Shang Jingyan propped up his chin and said mysteriously: "Your feeling is right. I wonder if the person I want to talk to can feel it too."
Her last words were actually addressed to the Zhenwu Group.
The philosophy that group of people uphold - reality, material, and nature - is obviously born in opposition to the brain worm. The original intention of the establishment of the Zhenwu Group was to fight against the spiritual erosion of the brain worm.
However, based on the existing clues, it can be inferred that the Zhenwu Group became more and more extreme in its development, to the point where an internal split broke out, which directly led to Shang Song's departure.
It denies the role of mental confrontation and the "Returning Goose Plan" until it becomes what it is today: a group of stubborn conservatives who reject dream builders. The leader is also suspected to have a problematic stance, which poses a hidden danger to the confrontation between humans and brain worms.
Shang Jingyan proposed to quit the organization last time, but the Zhenwu Group has not responded yet. I wonder how the other party will respond if she interviews them today?
Her approach has proven to some extent that mental confrontation is the most effective way. I wonder if there is anyone in the Zhenwu Group who can be "awakened" by her?
Shang Jingyan’s interview day was on Friday, and “Village Girl” was broadcast on time at midnight that evening.
After the plot twist in the previous episode, each episode has a new twist. When Lan Qing woke up from her coma, the surrounding environment had completely changed.
The surroundings were extremely dark, as if they were in some underground tunnel. Looking closely, there were dragon scale patterns and water ripples engraved on it.
There was moss growing in the corners, with water droplets sticking to them, and you could almost smell the fishy smell even through the screen.
She tried to get up, but her face changed.
There were heavy iron chains wrapped around her feet, which made a rattling sound when she moved, and there was an iron fence in front of her. She was being locked in a dungeon!
A rude male voice came from outside: "What are you arguing about? Be quiet!"
Mother and sister were nowhere to be found. Lan Qing had a splitting headache and instinctively stumbled towards the railing, but was tripped by something and fell forward.
In the corner, there was a corpse chained with iron chains. It had completely turned to bones, with its long black hair tangled up in a ball. The iron ring and bones had rusted together.
One could only vaguely see that she was wearing a red dress, which was exactly the same as the clothes of the female ghost who stopped their car at the beginning!
I'm back! I'll work hard to finish it every day 555...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
