Lu Chen: The Mad Genius Of Creativity

Chapter 6 Introduces the Concept of Clans! Lu Chen Takes the Lead!

Unexpectedly, the system even provided a bonus!

Although it wasn’t much, every little bit counts, and it showed the system had a sense of gratitude.

With the script successfully redeemed, the complete plot of The Thunder flooded into Lu Chen’s mind. Every detail of the storyline was crystal clear!

Now, all he had to do was write it out!

But!

Here came the problem!

Lu Chen knew very well that he couldn’t just write out the plot episode by episode.

After all, creating a script or story always starts from scratch, gradually expanding from one idea into a larger narrative. It’s a process where a small seedling grows into a towering tree.

If Lu Chen were to directly write the episodes now, he would be shooting himself in the foot. That would be downright foolish!

A story as intricate as this—no screenwriter could produce it in one go. Even someone like Liu Heping wouldn’t be able to. The audience would immediately suspect if the story was plagiarized or if there was some insider dealing.

Perhaps the production team had provided the script in advance…

Otherwise—

What kind of lunacy would it be to come up with such a tightly woven plot on the spot?

Impossible!

Likewise, the judges would certainly raise questions about the authenticity of the creation process.

Therefore, Lu Chen felt the proper approach was to start small with the rural theme and gradually expand. Using a methodical deduction, he could eventually develop it into a complete story. This way, both the audience and judges would find it plausible.

He could also replicate the natural process of crafting a story. Everything would appear reasonable and logical!

Although this approach would be a bit challenging. After all, The Thunder has a large cast of characters and a complex storyline.

To recreate it convincingly through deduction would not be easy. But so what?

If he couldn’t even manage reverse deduction, how could he call himself a screenwriter?

How could he expect to make a living at this?

Lu Chen had confidence in himself. He was sure he could pull it off!

Just as he made up his mind, a voice came from the monitor.

“Attention, contestants! Preparation time is over, and the competition officially begins now!

You have three hours to create your story outline. The production team will remind you of the time every hour. Please allocate your time wisely. Now, the competition begins! Good luck!”

Lu Chen clicked his tongue.

Three hours of writing time?

Not too long, not too short.

It should be enough!

Let’s do this!

Lu Chen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, stood up, and walked to the whiteboard.

He wrote down the words.

[Rural Village.].

The first task was to figure out how to transition smoothly to the key theme of Tazhai Village. For this, Lu Chen didn’t rush forward. Instead, he paced back and forth in the room, hands clasped behind his back.

And, of course, he lit another cigarette…

Luckily, the room was equipped with an air circulation system, so he didn’t have to worry about the smoke being overwhelming.

Besides—

Most screenwriters are heavy smokers. Cigarettes are almost indispensable when brainstorming.

Seeing Lu Chen write just two words and then light up another cigarette, his livestream viewers were astonished.

[Wow, two cigarettes already? At this rate, he’ll go through a whole pack in three hours!]. [He just put one out!]. [This reminds me of my uncle who works at a publishing house. He’s the same—can’t write a word without a cigarette in hand!]. [So young, he should smoke less.].

Thanks to Liu Heping’s endorsement, Lu Chen’s livestream had garnered massive popularity. At the moment, his livestream had an impressive over 300,000 viewers online!

Everyone was eager to see what made this Contestant #48, whom the screenwriting god admired, so extraordinary.

So far…

His smoking habit certainly stood out.

Two words, two cigarettes…

That was one cigarette per word…

Meanwhile, in the room, Lu Chen smoked as he pondered the transition.

As he thought…

He finally came up with a solution!

Right, I should start by defining the rural attributes! Once I establish the characteristics of the countryside, I can set the cultural and regional background for Tazhai Village!

It’s well-known that in our country, rural areas in different regions have entirely distinct attributes due to cultural differences. For instance, in the northern regions, especially the Loess Plateau.

What comes to mind when you think of the countryside there?

Is it the image of toiling farmers facing the loess with their backs to the sky?

Cave dwellings, rugged and robust men—

Much like the Shuangshui Village and Sun Shao’an from Ordinary World.

Now consider the southern regions.

What comes to mind?

Is it the misty rain, lush green mountains, and serene, picturesque charm of Jiangnan’s water towns?

The prototype for Tazhai Village is a rural area in a city in Guangdong Province. In Guangdong, the most prominent feature of rural areas is clan culture! Ancestral halls!

In the original series, the three main family branches of Tazhai are a quintessential reflection of Guangdong’s cultural terminology.

The deep-rooted clan consciousness is practically etched into the hearts of every Tazhai villager!

Coincidentally, my original self is also from Guangdong!

Using the culture of my hometown as the foundation for a story makes complete sense!

So, This transition is seamless!

With that realization, Lu Chen quickly walked to the whiteboard.

Under the word ‘Rural’ , he wrote.

[Create a rural setting based on Guangdong’s culture!]. [Theme: Clan culture, ancestral hall culture.].

____

[Oh, he’s started writing!]. [Clan culture? Ancestral halls?]. [Is #48 planning to write about the rural stories of Guangdong, like inviting gods or worshipping deities?]. [That’s possible! I’ve been to Guangdong, and ancestral halls and temples are everywhere. Some of the deities I’ve never even heard of—like Marshal North Tiger or the Five Ghosts. Honestly, it’s a bit creepy!]. [Dude, the Five Ghosts are evil gods!]. [They’re legit! My relatives in Guangdong worship them…]. [Isn’t this supposed to be about realism? Why are you bringing up superstitions?]. [Don’t underestimate it. Guangdong has the strongest superstitions in the country, bar none!]. [To be fair, his handwriting is beautiful. It’s rare to see a guy with such nice penmanship!].

______

“Ding! Emotion Points +1!”

“Ding! Emotion Points +1!”

“Ding! Emotion Points +1!”

As soon as Lu Chen finished writing a few lines, the system’s notifications echoed in his mind. In just a few seconds, he had gained over ten thousand Emotion Points.

“No way, just a few lines and such a big reaction?” Lu Chen chuckled to himself.

It seemed earning Emotion Points wasn’t all that difficult!@@novelbin@@

After switching the system to silent mode, Lu Chen resumed his work. Now that the cultural background of Tazhai was established, the next step was to introduce Lin Yaodong, the protagonist…

Lu Chen paced the room, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, in the judges’ room, Liu Heping and the other three were reviewing the livestreams of the contestants. As expected, almost every contestant started with themes revolving around rural life or rural romance.

“This is not a good sign,” Yan Geling frowned.

“Yeah, the ideas are too similar!” Shu Ping expressed concern.

“They’ve boxed themselves into the theme. They could be more creative and incorporate additional elements, like resistance during the war,” Chen Sicheng suggested.

“If I were writing, I might create a story about rural resistance during the Republic of China era. That would also fit the program’s requirements,” Chen continued.

“But war-themed stories require a deep understanding of history. These contestants are still young and likely haven’t practiced this genre much,” Shu Ping noted.

Xiao Sa chimed in, “What about a story focusing on rural development? Wouldn’t that work too?”

“That could work. Stories about rural development are quite popular in the country right now,” Yan Geling agreed.

“But those kinds of stories rely heavily on pacing and a well-thought-out development trajectory. Without strong logic and a good grasp of commerce, such stories can end up feeling shallow,” Shu Ping added.

“Let’s see how things progress. The competition has just started, and the contestants are only laying the groundwork. Perhaps someone will surprise us later,” Liu Heping commented.

The other judges nodded in agreement.

Indeed, it was too early to draw conclusions.

Hearing Liu Heping speak, Xiao Sa instinctively thought of Lu Chen and suggested, “Why don’t we take a look at Contestant #48’s livestream?”