Lu Chen: The Mad Genius Of Creativity

Chapter 46

As the applause subsided, Shu Ping stepped forward. Once again, the program had arranged for a female staff member in a cheongsam to elegantly walk up to Shu Ping, holding a tray.

Shu Ping took the scroll and immediately opened it. Unlike Chen Sicheng, who liked to put on a show, Shu Ping revealed the topic without any delay!

“I now announce the topic for this round!”

He turned the scroll towards the contestants.

“【Fishmonger】!”

The moment the topic was revealed, the crowd erupted in shock.

“Fishmonger? What kind of topic is this?”

“Exactly! This is way too difficult!”

“Damn! I saw the teaser image and thought it was about marine life. I even had a theme prepared! But ‘fishmonger’!”

Many contestants were stunned, completely caught off guard!

But to say that the topic had nothing to do with the teaser image wasn’t exactly correct either.  At the very least, both had ‘fish’ as the common element. So in a way, it did make sense.

Still, it was unexpected. Very unexpected.

Even Lu Chen was surprised!

“Fishmonger… isn’t that just a fish seller?”

The moment ‘fish seller’ popped into his mind, a phenomenon-level TV series from 2023 instantly surfaced in Lu Chen’s head—‘The Knockout’!

The protagonist, Gao Qiqiang, started as a humble fish seller and, through ambition and ruthless tactics, rose to power as the most feared crime lord in Jinghai!

Good god! This is a no-brainer!

The perfect answer was right in front of him. Without hesitation, Lu Chen opened his system panel and searched for ‘The Knockout’.

When he saw the exchange price, he felt immense relief for saving up 5 million emotional points. Because the price was a whopping 4.6 million!

Had he spent even a little more before this round, he wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Without delay, Lu Chen hit redeem! To be honest, he had watched ‘The Knockout’ before—but so much time had passed that he couldn’t recall the full details.

Once the exchange was complete, the entire plot of ‘The Knockout’  instantly flooded his mind. Every storyline, every scene—all crystal clear. All he had to do now was write it down!

Lu Chen let out a deep breath.

“From now on, I really need to manage my emotional points more carefully. Always keep a safety buffer!”

______

Meanwhile, in the live broadcast room, the netizens were just as shocked.

【Fishmonger? How do you even write about that?】

【Damn! This round is way harder than the last rural theme!】

【Exactly! The last round at least had a formula—you could write about rural love, village life, etc. But a fish seller? What kind of story can you even make from that?】

【No wonder it’s the Round of 16! The difficulty just jumped up a level!】

【I bet a lot of people are going to write about a fish seller’s rise to success!】

【Didn’t one of the judges say in the last round that personal growth stories are always marketable? But they’re hard to write because of the logical consistency?】

【That was Shu Ping.】

【Right! Shu Ping said it!】

【I wonder if Lu Shen will create another iconic character like Lin Yaodong this time.】

【He won’t write about smuggling or drug trafficking again, right? No way the same character type works twice!】

【Yeah, I doubt it.】

On stage, the chatter among the contestants grew louder. Sa Beining pressed both hands down, signaling everyone to quiet down. The venue fell silent.

He raised the microphone and spoke, “Contestants, please settle down. I’ll be honest—I, too, was surprised by this topic. I’m sure many of you feel the same way.

But!

I am me, and you are you. Each of you fought through tens of thousands of competitors to make it here. I have full confidence that you can create a compelling story from this theme. Now, let’s hear from our judges!

Shu Ping, would you like to start?”

Standing closest to Sa Beining, Shu Ping took the microphone and paused to think before speaking.

“This topic is small in scope but precise. Expanding it into a full story won’t be easy. However, I believe you can take inspiration from the first-round story written by Lu Chen.

When the core element is simple, you can introduce multiple contrasting elements to create a brand-new narrative.”

He then handed the microphone to Liu Heping. Liu Heping’s advice was brief but powerful.

“Imagination is the foundation of a screenwriter’s talent. You’ve all proven yourselves by making it this far. So trust your imagination.”

Then it was Yan Gelin’s turn.

“Children, the essence of a good story is that it makes the audience think. If you can achieve that, then any theme can become a great story.

Because in the world we live in, everyone has a story—no matter their identity. So keep going!

I hope this round will see even more scripts get picked up by production companies!

I’m rooting for you!”

After speaking, without even looking, Yan Gelin passed the microphone to Chen Sicheng. Chen Sicheng’s expression subtly shifted.

Facing the camera, he forced a polite smile and said, “The other three judges have given great advice. I’ll just add one thing—If you can tell a good story while also ensuring commercial viability, then I believe your script will soon be picked up for production!”

After finishing, he deliberately glanced at Lu Chen, his eyes holding a trace of challenge. Lu Chen noticed it immediately. A smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. If he wasn’t mistaken, Chen Sicheng was probably feeling quite smug right now.

He was probably thinking.

Let’s see you write your way out of this one!

Too bad!

Chen Sicheng… You had your chance, but you blew it!

Of all the random topics, you just had to pick ‘fishmonger’?

This was like a thief running into a highway robber—The perfect coincidence!

“Alright! I believe the judges’ comments must have given everyone some inspiration. Next up, our competition is about to begin!

But before we start, I need to borrow your hands for a moment!”

Xiao Sa suddenly pointed towards Lu Chen in the audience and said loudly, “I believe everyone knows by now. In the previous round, Lu Chen’s work Operation Icebreaking was adapted into a TV series by Noon Sun Productions. It premiered yesterday and has achieved remarkable success. Let’s give Lu Chen a round of applause. Wishing his new drama great success!”

Since the show had produced a hit drama, it naturally had to be celebrated and promoted properly. Led by Xiao Sa, the hall erupted in enthusiastic applause. However, while clapping, many people intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Chen Sicheng.

Previously, Chen Sicheng had been adamant that this drama wouldn’t succeed and wouldn’t gain market recognition. Yet, in just a few days, reality had slapped him in the face hard!