Chapter 535 Script Reading (Two Chapters Combined) Shang Yechu had participated in many script readings, but this one for "The Heavenly Lord" was a relatively serious one.
The script reading is the first relatively complete meeting of the main staff of the production team, including the screenwriter, director, assistant director, and lead actors.
Shang Yechu arrived early, but was still surprised when she reached the conference room. Shao Guangji and a group of directors were already there, talking in hushed tones. Shao Guangji sat at the head of the long table, and the person to his left was someone Shang Yechu recognized from the files—the assistant director of "The Heavenly Emperor." The person to his right was looking down, scribbling on a piece of paper in front of him.
A faint scent of medicinal ointment wafted to Shang Yechu's nose, a scent that seemed very familiar. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the man to Shao Guangji's right as Ai Xiaodong, the original author of "The Heavenly Emperor."
It was no easy feat to dig up this giant Buddha statue.
Apart from these few people, the rest of the seats were empty. Shao Guangji heard the door open, looked up at Shang Yechu, and said expressionlessly, "You're here." He waved his hand concisely and forcefully as he spoke.
On the long table stood employee badges for each position. Shang Yechu glanced at them and noticed her badge was right next to Ai Xiaodong's. The seat next to Ai Xiaodong was actually Shang Yechu's.
Sitting close to the original author makes discussions much easier. That's a good thing. Shang Yechu smiled and quickly stepped forward, nodding to everyone: "Teacher Shao, Teacher Ai, Teacher Chen..."
Each person's name is on their name tag, which saves the trouble of greeting them.
Several assistant directors stood up and shook hands with Shang Yechu. Their attitude was quite polite: "Teacher Yechu is much more beautiful in person than on screen."
Shao Guangji stood up, but did not shake hands with Shang Yechu. He simply nodded slightly and said briefly, "The script reading session will last for ten days. Be prepared."
Before the collaboration was finalized, Shao Guangji treated Shang Yechu with the utmost kindness and gentle persuasion, befitting a respected senior to a newcomer. However, after Shang Yechu used various legal means to steal the script, that almost contrived goodwill and tolerance vanished instantly. Now, at the reading session, he's even too lazy to put on an act anymore.
Ai Xiaodong was the only person in the room who didn't stand up. He seemed oblivious to Shang Yechu's greeting, still engrossed in drawing something. Several assistant directors glanced at him, their expressions somewhat awkward.
When the assistant directors came in, Ai Xiaodong was in the same manner. However, due to their positions, no one dared to say anything.
As Shang Yechu stared intently, his eyelids twitched: Ai Xiaodong had drawn a towering iron tower with a pointed tip in the blank space of the script for "The Heavenly Emperor," with a short stick figure wielding a long sword, leading a group of even smaller stick figures in an attack on the tower. The sword, however, was nothing more than a stick.
Ai Xiaodong was completely absorbed in drawing such a boring line drawing, oblivious to everyone around him. Writers really are the second most disliked group in the world.
This stalemate couldn't go on, so Shang Yechu hesitated for a second before asking directly, "Teacher Ai, what are you drawing?"
Ai Xiaodong paused in his writing, looked up and saw Shang Yechu, raised an eyebrow: "You're here? Please sit down." He then pulled out a chair for Shang Yechu.
The awkwardness melted away, and Shang Yechu gestured to the directors, indicating that they should sit down first. The assistant directors exchanged knowing glances: it seems Yechu and Teacher Ai are quite familiar with each other.
If Shang Yechu knew what these assistant directors were thinking, she would definitely cry foul. She wasn't nearly as familiar with Ai Xiaodong as she was with Shao Guangji. Shang Yechu even suspected that Ai Xiaodong was only acting like an acquaintance because he was too lazy to stand up and exchange pleasantries.
The importance the directing team placed on the script reading was evident simply from their attendance. Shang Yechu arrived a full half hour early; they had even been there before her.
Since not everyone had arrived yet, the script reading couldn't begin immediately. In such situations, the director or producer should usually say something to liven things up. After all, these two were the only people present who knew everyone.
The producer hadn't arrived yet, but Shao Guangji didn't seem to be taking on this important responsibility. Instead, he picked up the script and started reading it as if no one else was around.
An awkward silence fell over the meeting room. The director remained silent, and the assistant director followed suit. The contrast with the lively, whispering conversation that had ensued when Shang Yechu first entered was jarringly awkward.
Even if Shao Guangji resented Shang Yechu for her underhanded tactics, this behavior was still incredibly petty. Shang Yechu frowned, intending to say something to break the ice. But asking Shao Guangji to speak would inevitably seem like offering a cold shoulder to someone who was eager to please. If Shao Guangji were to give a perfunctory "hmm," that would be truly embarrassing.
Actors are people who need thick skin. Shang Yechu pondered for a moment, then turned to Ai Xiaodong and launched an attack: "Teacher Ai, are you working on the script's plot?"
Although Ai Xiaodong wasn't exactly a chatterbox or a saint, Shang Yechu had, well, had paid him a considerable sum of money. A cold, transactional relationship was more reliable than anything else, and Ai Xiaodong probably wouldn't embarrass her.
Ai Xiaodong indeed stopped writing and turned to look at Shang Yechu: "You figured it out? Looks like my drawing skills are pretty good."
Shang Yechu pointed to the iron tower on the paper: "This is the main building of the God," then pointed to the group of little people, "These are the rebels."
Although the art style is abstract, it's not difficult to discern the details. Shang Yechu simply wanted to find a topic to break the tension in the room.
Perhaps sensing Shang Yechu's thoughts, Ai Xiaodong actually picked up on this pointless topic: "Actually, you're in this picture too."
"Me?" Shang Yechu became interested and leaned closer to examine Ai Xiaodong's masterpiece. Apart from stick figures and an iron tower, there were no other creatures in the painting.
Shang Yechu looked at it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He could only shake his head with a smile and say, "Are you saying that the person holding the sword is me? I didn't lead an uprising in the script."
If a Heavenly Ruler leads a rebel army, then he is no longer a Heavenly Ruler.
Ai Xiaodong shook his head, his expression surprisingly serious: "That's not you, this is."
As he spoke, Ai Xiaodong pointed to the iron tower.
Shang Ye was startled. Something seemed to flash through his mind, fleeting and too fast to grasp.
To make the claim of being a die-hard fan of Ai Xiaodong more credible, Shang Yechu read through all of Ai Xiaodong's past interviews. The more she read, the more she understood the writer's style of doing things.
When writing novels, Ai Xiaodong tries to be as concise as possible, rarely offering explanations. However, when communicating with others, he strives to speak in plain and easy-to-understand language, taking into account the intelligence of the speaker and everyone around him. This makes it difficult for his words to be taken out of context, because the meaning is so obvious.
This time, however, after saying that, Ai Xiaodong fell silent. He simply tapped the paper tower, flicking its tip with two fingers.
No word a writer says is superfluous. Shang Yechu quickly brainstormed, going over the entire script in his mind.
In the future society, technology will be extremely advanced, AI will replace all labor, and resource allocation will be completely automated. Everything human will be decided by AI and executed by algorithms. AI will calculate, control, and schedule everything.
Humanity was kept in a fully automated paradise, free from any worries about survival. After living like this for years or decades, a rebel army emerged.
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