This director only directs blockbusters.

Yang Ning didn't concede a single word on the core issue.

He closed the script; it was a thick stack of 120 pages.

The cover reads: "The Purple Cloud Era: The War of Dawn".

The following line of small print reads: Screenwriter Yang Ning.

He touched the two characters; they were a bit rough, with the raised marks characteristic of laser printing.

Then I picked up my phone and dialed.

It rang five times, then I answered.

"Feed?" Old Xu's voice was groggy. "Damn, what time is it?"

"The final draft of the script is finished," Yang Ning said.

"Tomorrow... no, this morning at nine o'clock, print ten copies."

One copy for Chairman Han, one copy for Li Xue, and the rest for each department head.

Old Xu was rustling around, probably looking for his glasses: "Finished writing? Really finished writing?"

"Um."

"Awesome!" Old Xu was fully awake. "I'll get up right now and go to the printing factory to keep an eye on things. I guarantee it will be delivered before nine o'clock."

"One more thing," Yang Ning paused, "notify the core team to have a meeting at 2 PM this afternoon. Script reading."

"clear!"

After hanging up the phone, Yang Ning sat for a while longer.

Then he pulled a small notebook from the drawer; it had a leather cover and the edges were worn white. He opened it and found short biographies of people inside.

Main character: Lu Ran. Twenty-two years old, a university student. He studied electrical engineering before the apocalypse, so he awakened the power of lightning. He has a quiet personality, but is stubborn and inflexible. His first thought after awakening wasn't to save the world, but "I have to find her first."

"She" refers to the female lead: Lin Xue.

Childhood sweetheart, one year younger than Lu Ran, a medical student.

The awakened ability is healing, but it is very weak in the early stages and can only stop bleeding and relieve pain.

She has a cold exterior but a warm heart, and she is persistent. She may appear cold, but she is willing to fight monsters for medicine, risk her life for Lu Ran, and even fight for time with the King of Hell. She has a ruthlessness that ordinary people cannot imagine.

Yang Ning wrote the romantic storyline between the two characters with restraint.

No cheesy dialogue, no cloying scenes. Just a few clips—

When Lu Ran returned injured for the first time, Lin Xue bandaged him up, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

Lu Ran said, "Don't be sad, you won't die."

Lin Xue said, "Why am I sad? It's not like I'm injured. My eyes just got a little dust in them." She was stubbornly cute.

On another occasion, when Lin Xue was injured, Lu Ran risked his life to snatch a box of antibiotics from outside and gave it to Lin Xue.

Lin Xue refused, saying she should keep it for herself. Lu Ran insisted, saying, "If you live, I have a chance to fight."

Just these few sentences.

enough.

Any more than that would be vulgar. The most important thing is to play the role of the decorative vase well.

This is an essential part of commercial films.

Then there are the other four members of the team.

Second male lead: Chen Meng. A veteran, five years older than Lu Ran, who awakened a power enhancement ability.

A rough and tough guy, but loyal and righteous. He has a crush on the second female lead, but doesn't dare to confess.

Second female lead: Su Man. A television reporter whose awakening is spiritual perception.

Intelligent, sharp-witted, insightful but discreet.

She knew Chen Meng's thoughts, but didn't point them out, because she also had someone in her heart—Lu Ran.

But knowing that Lu Ran only had eyes for Lin Yu, she suppressed her feelings and treated him only as a comrade-in-arms.

Yang Ning paused several times while writing about Su Man.

This role is complex. It requires portraying that "I like you, but I know you don't belong to me, so I'll just watch you from afar" attitude. That's difficult.

But if you perform well, you'll shine.

The third male team member: Xiao Fei. A high school student, eighteen years old, who awakened the speed-based superpower. Talkative, mischievous, and the life of the party. He idolizes Lu Ran and calls him "Brother Lu".

The fourth female team member: Jingjing. A 28-year-old middle school teacher who has awakened plant communication abilities. A gentle older sister, responsible for logistics and mediation.

Five people, plus Lu Ran, make a six-person team.

There is also an important female supporting character whose entire family was killed by a monster.

She is a person who crawled out of hell, and her only pursuit in life is to kill more monsters.

To minimize the harm to humanity, one is a lone wolf, a team of one.

He risked his life when the main character's team was in danger.

It bought the protagonist time to recover, but ultimately led to his sacrifice.

They have different personalities and complementary abilities.

Yang Ning highlighted everyone's highlight moments in red.

To protect Su Man, Chen Meng withstood the charge of the mutated wild boar, breaking three of his ribs, but still grinned and said, "It's nothing, I had a much worse time in the army."

During a reconnaissance mission, Su Man used her mental perception to discover an ambush in advance, saving the entire team.

Afterwards, someone squatted in a corner and vomited because the scene they witnessed was too bloody.

To lure away the monsters, Xiao Fei ran for ten miles through the city ruins, eventually collapsing from exhaustion in a pile of garbage, where Lu Ran carried him back.

Quietly, they wove a makeshift shelter out of plant vines, providing the team with a dry corner during the torrential rain.

Everyone needs to establish a consistent public persona.

They cannot be mere tools.

But it can't steal the spotlight; it has to be the main selling point and stand out.

Individual heroism must take precedence over teamwork; teamwork can only be a supplement.

Yang Ning closed the notebook and glanced out the window.

The sky was turning a bit white, a grayish-blue, like an ink painting that hadn't been washed clean.

He leaned back on the table, wanting to take a nap.

As a result, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

---

When I opened my eyes again, I was awakened by a knock on the door.

"Director Yang? Is Director Yang here?"

Yang Ning raised his head, his neck throbbing with pain. He glanced at his watch; it was 8:30.

He wiped his face and went to open the door.

Wang Lei stood outside the door, holding a stack of freshly printed scripts, still steaming.

"Director Yang, the script is printed," Wang Lei said. "Ten copies, as you instructed. This one is for Chairman Han; I've already had it delivered."

Yang Ning took a copy and flipped through a few pages.

The smell of ink was strong.

"Okay." His voice was a little hoarse. "Have you notified them about the meeting this afternoon?"

"We've been notified. But Producer Lee said she has a meeting at the publicity department this morning and might not be able to make it back this afternoon."

"If she can't come back, she can't come back," Yang Ning said. "It's a script reading, a matter for the director and actors. It doesn't matter whether she comes or not."

Wang Lei adjusted his glasses: "Well... that photographer Chen from Taiwan arrived this morning. Sister Xu Qin said she wants you to pick him up personally."

Yang Ning frowned: "What time?"

"10 o'clock. Airport."

"understood."

After seeing Wang Lei off, Yang Ning went to the bathroom to wash her face.

The reflection in the mirror showed me with bloodshot eyes and a scruffy beard, looking like a fugitive.

He twitched the corner of his mouth.

It's good, it has that flavor.

At nine o'clock sharp, Lao Xu and Liu Yong rushed into the office.

"Where's the notebook? Where's the notebook?" Liu Yong shouted.

Yang Ning tossed over two portions.

The two of them hugged and started kissing, then squatted in the corner watching. Liu Yong gestured as he watched: "Here, the battle at the city wall, I need to make a physical model and add digital extensions. Damn, this scale..."

Old Xu was more concerned about the coordination: "Lu Ran's dash from the east city wall to the west city wall needs to be planned well. Otherwise, the extras will be in chaos."

Just then, Chen Lei arrived, sporting dark circles under his eyes.

"Director Yang, I spent all night thinking about the lighting for the scene on the city wall. Could we use real fireworks and post-production? That would create a better texture than pure post-production."

"As long as the budget is sufficient," Yang Ning said. "You can argue with Wang Lei about it."

"Alright!"

At 15:00, Yang Ning left for the airport.

I received a call from Xu Qin on the way.

"Chen Qiming, 35 years old, has shot three music videos for Jay Chou, and was a photography assistant for Hou Hsiao-hsien's 'Millennium Mambo'. His style... is very unconventional. You decide for yourself whether it suits you."

"Did Jiang Zhiqiang force it on you?"

"No, not at all. It's just a recommendation. Whether you use it or not is up to you."

"Okay, we'll talk about it when we meet."

At the airport arrival gate, Yang Ning held up a tattered cardboard sign that read "Chen Qiming".

While waiting for someone, he was still going over the script in his mind.

The battle at the city wall is the highlight. Lu Ran's Purple Heaven Divine Thunder will be at full power, requiring at least three hundred special effects shots. Money...

Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder.