Video Editor

The explosive popularity of "Under the Zhengyang Gate" was like a bombshell dropped into Suning's peaceful life.

The direct consequence of this was that his old cell phone continued to overheat.

Besides congratulations from family and friends, I was bombarded with messages from unknown numbers.

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou...

Phone calls and emails poured in from well-known and unknown film and television companies and talent agencies all over the country.

Some offered generous signing terms, promising massive resources to support them; others painted a grand picture, envisioning a future superstar path; still others came directly to them with preliminary draft contracts, speaking earnestly as if missing out on Suning would be their company's biggest loss.

I have no idea how these incredibly powerful people found me, but this is actually their least capable ability.

Faced with these dazzling temptations, Suning displayed a calmness and clarity far beyond his years.

Because he is well aware of the power of these capitals and platforms, but at the same time he understands the cost of being "controlled by others".

Contractual constraints, profit sharing, script selection, and even the control over personal time...

All of this goes against his desire for freedom and a sense of control.

Of course, this industry attracts many people, such as those celebrities with bad records who keep trying to escape responsibility, and the children of big stars who frantically try to get in.

However, Suning always believed that people should remain calm when making choices, because if you make the wrong choice in a moment of impulse, it can affect your whole life.

More importantly, Suning has never forgotten its core goal: to return to school and complete their studies.

This is not only to make up for the regret of my amnesia, but also to lay a more solid foundation for my life and avoid becoming a fleeting shooting star.

Therefore, he gave a uniform, polite, and firm reply to almost all the invitations: "Thank you very much for your appreciation and kindness! I am currently focusing on preparing for the college entrance examination, and my studies are my priority at this stage. I have no plans to sign with any company at the moment. I have kept your contact information. Once my studies are stable, I will discuss the possibility of cooperation with you in detail if there is an opportunity."

This well-chosen, reasonable, and flexible response successfully deterred most of the companies that were eager for quick success.

They felt sorry for him, but could only express their understanding and look forward to what would happen next.

……

Even after the outside disturbances were dealt with, Su Ning's heart was not completely at peace.

The sudden popularity brought not only fame, but also a desire to explore the boundaries of one's own abilities.

Acting is about interpreting others, but can you create your own world?

Then an idea popped into his head: why not take advantage of this buffer period before the college entrance exam and try to make a low-budget film himself?

It doesn't need to be a grand or classic film; even just a practice run to accumulate practical experience as a director, screenwriter, or producer is extremely valuable.

However, while the idea was good, the question became where to begin.

He hasn't watched many films or TV shows since he lost his memory; recently, he's been obsessed with documentaries.

He tried to search his memory for materials that could inspire him.

Suddenly, the name of a French short film I had once seen by chance popped into my mind...

The Tuner.

The short film tells the story of a piano tuner who pretends to be blind and accidentally stumbles into a murder scene.

Its ingenious structure, tense atmosphere, and amazing reversal left a deep impression on Suning at the time.

“Blind person… perspective… murder case…” Su Ning murmured to himself, his eyes gradually brightening.

This is such a clever design!

What if we localized this concept and replaced the piano tuner with a blind masseur who is closer to everyday life and more accessible to ordinary people?

A massage therapist pretending to be blind accidentally uncovers a murder plot orchestrated by the female homeowner and her lover during a home visit; the victim is none other than the male homeowner.

The masseuse must use her acting skills and wit to escape in extremely dangerous situations, potentially triggering a series of unexpected twists and chain reactions...

Once this idea takes hold, it grows wildly like weeds.

Suspense, thriller, dark humor, and a probing exploration of human nature...

Various elements seem to blend in seamlessly, creating a script full of tension!
……

Just do it!

Suning immediately began creating the product.

He found professional scriptwriting software and began to build story outlines and character biographies.

Perhaps it was the added benefit of his "master-level acting" skills that gave him a deeper understanding of the character's psychology, motivations, and emotional layers; or perhaps it was his own extremely strong logical thinking ability that made the scriptwriting process exceptionally smooth.

His characters quickly came to life: Amin, the masseur who pretended to be blind to get more tips and to pry into other people's privacy; Wang Li, his seemingly weak but vicious wife; his cunning and insidious lover; and the "deceased" who never appeared on screen but was always there...

The plot unfolds in a series of interconnected twists and turns, with one reversal after another.

How did the masseur manage to gather evidence right under the killer's nose by using his "blind" identity?

How did the killer go from suspicion to probing and then to relentlessly pressing the killer?
Will it be a desperate counterattack or will the truth come out?

Suning is immersed in the joy of creation, constantly refining every detail.

Even more surprisingly, that feeling of ease returned when he started drawing storyboards.

The camera angles, shot sizes, lighting, actor positioning, and even the editing points were all clearly presented in his mind, as if he had already directed countless films.

He could precisely imagine how each scene should be presented to maximize the audience's emotions and create a tense, eerie, or satirical atmosphere. In a short period of time, a standard film script with a complete structure, rich details, and suspenseful plot, along with a detailed storyboard, was born from his pen.

Looking at the densely packed yet clearly organized document on the computer screen, Suning felt a great sense of accomplishment.

This is no longer just a vague idea, but a feasible blueprint for a film.

The next step is to consider how to turn it from paper to reality...

Funding, team, equipment, actors, filming locations, post-production...

A series of real-world challenges await him.

But at this moment, Suning is full of confidence.

For the first time, he felt so clearly that what that strange "copy" experience had given him was far more than just money and fame; it was a deep-seated core ability that could create value.

……

After several revisions and confirmations, Su Ning sent the final version of the "The Massage Therapist" movie script and a detailed storyboard to Director Kong's private email address.

Then he dialed Director Kong's number.

After a few pleasantries, Su Ning cut straight to the point, her tone revealing a youthful urgency—a mix of trying to sound relaxed yet barely concealing excitement: "Director Kong, I sent you some stuff to your email. It's a movie script and storyboard that I've been working on myself. If you have some free time, could you take a look and give me some pointers?"

Director Kong chuckled on the other end of the phone: "Oh? You've been quietly working on the script again? Good for you! I'll take a look later. But why did you suddenly decide to write a script?"

Su Ning paused, then said in a tone that was as casual as possible but enough to leave people speechless, "Well, it's nothing. I just recently used my acting fees to invest in stocks, and I was lucky enough to make a little money. Since I still have some time before the college entrance exam, I thought I'd invest some money myself to make a movie for fun, just to have some fun."

"Just having a little fun?" Director Kong almost choked on his own saliva, then said with a wry smile, "You kid! Made a little money? Having a little fun making movies? The price you paid for this is quite high! I thought you were a steady person, but I didn't expect you to either not cause trouble at all, or to give me such a big 'surprise' when you do!"

Director Kong is currently extremely busy on the set of "Battle of Changsha". He had indeed considered giving Su Ning a suitable role, but after careful consideration, he was afraid of affecting his child's college entrance examination, so he gave up the idea.

He never expected that while he was trying to help him, Su Ning would actually set up his own stall and become the director!
If I had known this would happen, I would have rather dragged him into the "Battle of Changsha" crew. At least he would have been under my watchful eye, and wouldn't have been so "idle" as to come up with such a "crazy" idea.

Although he thought Suning's idea of ​​making a movie was a bit "nonsense", out of concern and care for the younger generation, Director Kong still took a break during filming to open the emails on his laptop.

He originally only planned to take a cursory look and find a tactful way to persuade Suning not to waste money.

However, as he began reading the script titled "The Massage Therapist," his gaze was gradually drawn in, his brows furrowed slightly before relaxing, and he found himself involuntarily immersed in the story.

With its ingenious structure, suspenseful atmosphere, progressively unfolding psychological battles, and plot twists and turns, this doesn't feel like a novice's amateur work at all!
Its maturity and commercial potential far exceeded his expectations!

"Hey! This kid..." Director Kong couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his body unconsciously sitting up straight.

He read the entire script and storyboard in one go, and was deeply moved.

This story is absolutely fantastic!

He immediately realized that this was no joke.

So he forwarded the script without hesitation to Director Zhang, who had worked closely with him and was also known for his attention to narrative and detail, and to other partners.

Soon, his phone began to be "bombarded".

Director Zhang: "Old Kong, who wrote this script? It's interesting! The suspense is gripping! The plot is intricately linked."

Old Wang: "Director Kong, Su Ning is amazing! This script is incredible! If it's filmed well, it'll be a fantastic show!"

Screenwriter Lao Liu: "Wow! This script is hilarious! The characters are believable, and the plot twists are amazing! Who came up with this?"

Screenwriter Li Zhou: "Dark humor! Plenty of satire! It has potential!"

The unanimous praise from top industry creators completely changed Director Kong's initial "laughable" and "nonsense" attitude.

He realized that Suning wasn't playing house; they had genuinely presented a high-potential, high-quality project!

……

Then Director Kong solemnly dialed Su Ning's number again, his tone completely different: "Xiao Su, we've all read the script. To be honest, it's amazing! You're not just doing this for fun, you're planning something big! Tell me honestly, what are you thinking? Are you really planning to produce it yourself?"

Hearing the affirmation from Director Kong and several teachers, Su Ning felt more confident.

He quickly dropped his joking tone and explained seriously, "Director Kong, it's not all just for fun. On one hand, I really want to try out the whole production process and gain experience. On the other hand..."

He paused, then offered an idea that caught Kong Sheng's eye: "Isn't 'Our Parents' Love' about to air on satellite TV? I think if we could make a short film or even a movie with a completely different style and a lot of buzz using some of the core actors from the original cast before then... wouldn't that create a huge publicity stunt? Wouldn't the audience be driven crazy with curiosity to see 'Jiang Defu,' 'An Jie,' and 'Ouyang Yi' combined in such an unexpected way in a suspense story? This would definitely be a huge boost to the pre-release hype and ratings of 'Our Parents' Love'!"

As Director Kong held the phone, he felt a surge of electricity run from his spine to the top of his head, and his pores instantly stood on end!

He finally understood Suning's "true intentions"!
The premise of the story is not complicated: a massage therapist disguised as a blind person (who can be played by a young actor or by Suning himself) goes to a home and catches the homeowner and her lover conspiring to murder her husband.

There was no need to ask; Kong Sheng's mind had already automatically completed the casting process.

Husband: Teacher Guo – a character who seems to hold power in the family but is suddenly murdered, a stark contrast.

Wife: Teacher Mei—from the gentle and intellectual "An Jie" to a ruthless and vicious woman who conspired with her lover to murder her husband? This is subversive!
Lover: Teacher Liu Yijun – From a down-on-his-luck rightist intellectual to an elegant yet insidious adulterer? Full of dramatic tension!
The family that audiences know and love from "Our Parents' Love" appears in another story in such an extremely antagonistic and dark way...

This is no longer just an "Easter egg" level collaboration; it's a revolutionary, "childhood-ruining" dream (nightmare) collaboration!
Its topicality and dissemination effect are self-evident!

"You rascal..." Director Kong took a deep breath, his voice filled with disbelief and barely suppressed excitement, "How did you even get this idea? It's brilliant! Okay! I think it'll work! If Teacher Guo, Teacher Mei, and Teacher Liu can coordinate their schedules, and they approve of the script... I think this really has potential!"

I originally thought Suning was just dabbling in this, but I never expected that while dabbling, they had also laid such a profound marketing foundation!

Director Kong's evaluation of Suning has rapidly risen from "a talented actor" to "a potential producer with great strategic vision and operational capabilities."

This seemingly "playful" project suddenly became incredibly meaningful.

...(End of chapter)