I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

In this context, mainstream media also began to follow the trend of Lu Ban.

After the Golden Week holiday ended and Lu Ban's "The Mouth of a Madman" grossed one billion yuan at the box office, he received a phone call.

The other party was the head of the program team of Hunan TV, who invited Lu Ban to participate in an interview program to talk about his creative experience.

Lu Ban readily accepted.

Chapter 254 Interview Program

"Weekend Rendezvous" is an interview program hosted by Jiang Xia. The program mainly consists of her interviews with celebrities, revealing their inner thoughts and experiences through dialogue. It was quite popular at first, as it was the best way for ordinary people to find out about celebrity gossip.

However, as the program aired more and more episodes and the industries of the interviewees broadened, the lack of knowledge of the host, Jiang Xia, became apparent. Coupled with some of her own issues, the program was frequently criticized.

However, since this was a TV program with a wide audience, Lu Ban felt it would be beneficial for his publicity and could also make more people interested in his movie, so he agreed to the interview.

It's important to understand that although China has over a billion people, the number of internet users is not that large. Many people still obtain information through television, and television remains the most influential media.

On the second Thursday of May, Lu Ban arrived at the Hunan TV station building.

Hunan is a southern province known for its spicy food. Hunan TV was also one of the first TV stations to reform in the early years, launching many variety shows and talent shows, and discovering a number of TV dramas that became popular throughout the country. At one point, its ratings were close to those of the national TV station.

In today's internet age, Hunan TV is still considered one of the better local TV stations, and its focus on the entertainment industry is higher than that of other local TV stations.

Upon arriving at the studio, Lu Ban was greeted by a young woman who introduced herself as Jiang Xia's assistant.

"Director Lu, these are some questions for our interview later. You can take a look first."

She handed Lu Ban a document.

Lu Ban glanced at them briefly; they were all routine questions that he could answer with his eyes closed.

But he had also looked into it before. The host of the show "Weekend Appointment" particularly liked to ask impromptu questions, some of which were quite sharp and often left the guests in an awkward position. Moreover, she didn't cut out these segments in post-production, which gave people the feeling that she was very sharp and that the guests were hiding something.

"Will your host ask any questions that aren't listed here?"

So Lu Ban went straight to the point.

"?"

The assistant looked puzzled.

Isn't this person a little too blunt?

“Our Sister Jiang is sometimes quite quick-witted, so she can ask questions on a whim.”

The assistant explained.

"She has high emotional intelligence."

Lu Ban nodded.

"Thank goodness, Sister Jiang is still very good at dealing with people."

The assistant added.

"No, I was talking about you."

Lu Ban explained this matter as a matter of course.

"what?"

The assistant is confused again.

After the waiting time ended, Lu Ban quickly began recording the program.

Just like the format of the show he had watched, the host, Jiang Xia, first asked some questions about his latest work, "The Mouth of a Madman".

Jiang Xia: "What kind of message do you think you wanted to convey in this work?"

Lu Ban: "Love and hope."

Jiang Xia: "Huh?"

Lu Ban: "Love and hope."

Jiang Xia: "But according to film reviews, this movie is actually a story of despair. Is it a bit inappropriate to say that its theme is love and hope?"

Lu Ban: "Without experiencing despair, one cannot understand the importance of love and hope."

Jiang Xia: "You mean that your works are meant to evoke warm emotions in people, which is why they portray such human evil?"

Lu Ban: "My works are all full of positive energy. If there is anyone in the film industry who insists on positive energy, my name will definitely be on the list."

Jiang Xia: "???"

Lu Ban: "Have you seen my movies?"

Jiang Xia: "I watched 'The Crying' and I felt it was a movie that made people feel cold and scared. I didn't dare to go to the hospital for a long time after watching it."

Lu Ban: "So, do you dare to go to the hospital now?"

Jiang Xia: "Of course."

Lu Ban: "Congratulations, you have overcome your fear."

Jiang Xia: "Huh?"

Lu Ban: "My movies can create fear. Those frightening things will stimulate your heart and leave a mark, but in the end, everyone can overcome the fear brought by the movie and return to real life. Isn't that a great thing? You have overcome your fear. How positive is that?"

Jiang Xia: "...Let's talk about the creative process. Many people say that your films are very creative and the plot development is interesting. Can you talk about the ideas and methods behind this?"

Lu Ban: "There are no specific ideas or methods; it's all based on my personal experience."

Jiang Xia: "Do you mean ideas that come from your own experiences? Have you ever encountered times when you lack inspiration or don't have a good story for this kind of creative work?"

Lu Ban: "No."

Jiang Xia: "Really? I don't believe it."

Lu Ban: "Indeed, there isn't."

Jiang Xia: "If you encounter some good inspiration in your daily life, do you collect and record it to use later?"

Lu Ban: "No."

Jiang Xia: "Really? I don't believe it."

Lu Ban: "Good inspirations are never forgotten. If you forget them, they must be bad inspirations. It's that simple."

Jiang Xia: "..."

Jiang Xia: "In your works, apart from yourself as the protagonist who survives, many other characters die tragically, including some popular characters. Why do you set it up this way?"

Lu Ban: "I really wanted to save them, but they did die."

Jiang Xia: "...You mean their fate in the story has already been determined, so it can't be changed?"

Lu Ban: "Next time, I want to show everyone a story where no one dies."

Jiang Xia: "That's really something to look forward to. So, do you already have plans for your next work? You release your works quite quickly, and some people think you have a lot of works in reserve. Is that true?"

Lu Ban: "No, I don't have any in stock. I only start working on the next one after finishing the previous one."

Jiang Xia: "Your production speed is really fast. Can you tell us why you chose to create horror movies?"

Lu Ban: "My reason for creating horror films is very simple. Those eerie things are actually all around us, but many people either turn a blind eye or are unable to see them. Humans generally either fear or despise the unknown. Right now, most people have a contemptuous attitude towards those things, which is not good. I think only when everyone realizes that these horrors are real will the world become a better place."

Jiang Xia: "Are you referring to the setting in the movie?"

Lu Ban: "No, I'm very serious. For example... I've been wanting to say this since just now, Ms. Jiang, it looks like there's a dead baby lying on your shoulder."

Lu Ban's words made Jiang Xia suddenly feel a weight on her shoulders.

Chapter 255 Lu Ban, My Mental Patient!

Jiang Xia had a miscarriage once when she was still a host at her first TV station. Because she was overworked and didn't take care of her health, she didn't even realize she was pregnant. Finally, after working for 20 hours straight, Jiang Xia collapsed and lost the baby.

Over the years, she has not had children and has focused on her work.

Jiang Xia was taken aback when she heard Lu Ban's words.

"What did you say?"

"There's nothing wrong. He didn't mean to harm you. He's probably just reluctant to leave."

Lu Ban's words made Jiang Xia even more confused. She even subconsciously touched her shoulder, but felt nothing.

No, Jiang Xia suddenly felt something cool brush against the back of her hand.

She was startled and quickly looked over.

Empty.

"However, staying here for so many years is not a good thing for him. Over time, he may unconsciously turn into something not so good."

Lu Ban spoke again.

An overly strong will may attract equally intense desires, ultimately turning into something bizarre that transcends the rules, which is not good for anyone.

"Something not so good?"

Jiang Xia initially thought Lu Ban was teasing her. After all, there had been some negative comments about her online. As an interview host, she often had to touch on issues that celebrities were reluctant to discuss directly, so it was normal for her to be resented.

But the chill I felt just now wasn't fake.

Even though she preferred to believe it was true, Jiang Xia still felt a bit skeptical.

"no problem."

Lu Ban reached out to Jiang Xia and gently touched her shoulder.

It's like stroking a baby's head.

The audience stared blankly at Lu Ban's every move, as if they were looking at a mental patient.

Has Lu Ban really gone mad from making ghost movies?

Jiang Xia felt a lump in her throat, and she hesitated to speak. But as Lu Ban withdrew his hand, she did feel that her shoulders were much lighter, the burden that had been swirling in her heart disappeared, and she felt refreshed.

The audience was still confused, and Jiang Xia looked at Lu Ban with bewilderment.

"It's all fine now. Remember to delete this part during post-production."

Lu Ban withdrew his hand.