The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 71 I want to accompany you and create that cyber world together!
……

Los Angeles in June.

Santa Monica Pier in the evening.

The last ray of sunlight pierced through the marine clouds, leaving the silhouette of the roller coaster on the orange-pink sky.

Liu Yifei stood between the interweaving of light and shadow.

On the cheeks with soft lines, there seemed to be flashes of light on Renoir's canvas, bright and brilliant, without any flaws.

The afterglow passed through her unique hump nose and fell on the corners of her full lips.

Today, she wore lipstick that looked like red mud, like the romantic color that Monet deliberately cast in his "Water Lilies".

Liu Yifei's appearance is so impressionistic!
Reba didn't know what kind of associations Lu Zhiyuan would have in his mind when he saw Liu Yifei like this.

Anyway, she was a little jealous!

This woman is so beautiful!

It appeared at such a bad time!

Why now?

"For you, I used up half a year's savings and traveled across the ocean to see you."

"For this reunion, I even practiced my breathing over and over again."

"Words have never been able to express even one ten-thousandth of my feelings."

Just at this moment, the soft and affectionate song, along with the rise and fall of the Pacific Ocean tide, penetrated into Reba's ears, making her unable to help but open her eyes wide.

Damn!

It's okay as long as you are good-looking.

When you appear on stage, do you need background music?
You are too arrogant. Can you give others a chance to live?
"I traveled across the ocean to see you", did you really travel across the ocean to Los Angeles to meet Brother Yuan by chance?
Liu Yifei, you are such a scheming person!

"This……"

Liu Yifei, who was not far away, was smiling happily and taking pictures of her good friend Lisa with a camera.

Because Lisa suddenly had a performer-type personality attack, ran to the street singer, asked for the guitar, and started playing and singing the song "I Crossed the Ocean to See You".

She sang pretty well.

After all, Lisa used to be in their school choir and had received professional training since childhood.

Unexpectedly, Lisa sang affectionately: "In a strange city, in a familiar corner..."

Just then, Lu Zhiyuan appeared at the corner of the street.

At this moment, Liu Yifei's face turned red with embarrassment, and she wanted to pull Lisa away quickly.

This is too embarrassing!

It was like the two of them were crazy about each other and came to Los Angeles to meet Lu Zhiyuan by chance, and sang "I Crossed the Ocean to See You" to him, indirectly confessing their love.

"Lisa, stop singing. Stop it!"

When encountering such an embarrassing situation, of course the background music should be paused first. Otherwise, no matter what she said to Lu Zhiyuan, it seemed to be filled with pink bubbles.

Liu Yifei went up and grabbed Lisa, telling her, your literary and artistic male god is here.

Then, Liu Yifei pulled Lisa, turned around, and waved towards Lu Zhiyuan.

Seeing Lu Zhiyuan standing there, looking at her with interest, Lisa blushed immediately and felt shy and at a loss.

It is one thing to liberate your nature in front of your best friend.

In front of the literary and artistic male god, it is naturally a different story.

"Sister Fei, Lisa, what a coincidence."

Lu Zhiyuan went up and greeted him calmly.

Seeing this, the two could only wave their hands calmly: "Ayuan, what a coincidence, bringing your girlfriend out shopping?"

Haha!

When Reba, who was standing next to him, heard this, she immediately put her arms around Lu Zhiyuan's sleeves and almost stuck to him.

That's what you said!

Thanks to both sisters for their help!
"Sister Lisa, Sister Niu, why are you here?"

Reba acted like a hostess and greeted the two of them generously.

Lisa was very calm.

When Liu Yifei heard the voice of "Sister Niu", her eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

Don't think I didn't hear it!
You deliberately called [Sister Liu] [Sister Niu], what was your intention?
This little girl is inexplicably annoying!

"Let's hang out here and then go to Long Beach for dinner. I've booked a hotel on the Queen Mary cruise ship."

Lisa stroked her long hair lightly, her wealthy temperament clearly revealed.

"Haha. That's good. In that case, you guys go first. We'll say goodbye now."

Reba's mouth twitched. She felt that these two people were the worms in her stomach.
How did it conflict with my schedule?
She wanted to wave goodbye to the two of them right then and there, then find a new plan and not go to the cruise hotel in Long Beach for dinner.

"We've also booked dinner at the cruise hotel. How about joining us?"

Lu Zhiyuan felt that it was indeed a coincidence. In that case, let’s have a meal together.

It is really a happy thing to meet an old friend in a foreign land.

Moreover, he has always wanted to treat Lisa to a meal to thank her gallery for helping him find inspiration.

"Forehead……"

Lisa thought about it and prepared to refuse.

What good food can three women eat together?

What I want is a romantic trip for two, lying on the deck with the sea breeze and music on, not competing with others for my affection.

"Okay!"

However, Liu Yifei took the lead and agreed immediately.

……

Four people took a taxi.

Because the distance from the Santa Monica Pier to the cruise hotel in Long Beach is quite far, and it takes half an hour to drive there.

Sitting in the car, Lu Zhiyuan felt that the atmosphere seemed a little wrong.

But it’s just a meal, so it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
……

The Queen Mary cruise hotel does not go out to sea and is often docked at the Long Beach.

There are several theme restaurants in the hotel.

The three girls unanimously chose the open-air cafe seats on the deck.

Just want to feel the sea breeze and watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the wind to blow their long hair, waiting for the afterglow of the sunset to fall on their shoulders... Then, they turned around and looked at Lu Zhiyuan.

Wait until he takes out the drawing paper and brush and draws a portrait of himself!

“The scenery here is nice.”

The distance doesn’t matter, as long as I have food to eat.

Moreover, this exotic style is indeed quite unique.

For example, the outdoor cafe is made of corrugated steel, inlaid with real anchor rust.

You can tell at first glance that it seems so far away.

"Today is Saturday, and it's the Tango in the Mist themed dinner."

Seeing the waiter wearing an old crew uniform coming to serve the food, Lisa suddenly thought of something and introduced it to Lu Zhiyuan and Reba like a tour guide.

She and Liu Yifei lived in Los Angeles for many years and are very familiar with the place.

"Sister Niu, your lip gloss is so beautiful today."

At a large gathering like this, Lu Zhiyuan usually couldn't join in the conversation, so he just sat quietly by the side.

However, Reba felt that Lu Zhiyuan's eyes would glance at Liu Yifei's lipstick from time to time.

She was a little jealous.

It must have been the moment Liu Yifei appeared on the stage just now. Her lipstick was too dazzling, and the feeling of flowing light and shadow deeply attracted Lu Zhiyuan's attention.

Therefore, Reba should call Lu Zhiyuan "Sister Niu" more often to make him more sober.

Liu Yifei is a tauren, and I am the blood elf you like!

"Reba, don't call me Sister Liu. It's too formal. You can call me by my English name, Crystal, or call me Sister Fei like Ayuan does."

Liu Yifei knew Reba's little thoughts, but she didn't expose them at this moment and pretended to be very close to her.

"Okay, Sister Fei."

Reba readily accepts advice, mainly because she can't refuse.

While the two of them were fighting openly and secretly, Lisa had quietly come behind Lu Zhiyuan.

Because at this time, Lu Zhiyuan was impatient to join in their boring bickering and entered his own world again.

I took out a pen and paper and started sketching.

Lisa watched intently but made no sound.

Reba also felt that bickering with Liu Yifei was boring, so she turned around and took a look at what Lu Zhiyuan was drawing...

Haha!

It’s actually a cow?

Liu Yifei sat opposite Lu Zhiyuan, who was drawing a bull's head.

What the hell is this scene?

At this moment, Reba almost burst out laughing.

Seeing that Reba had a strange expression on her face, Liu Yifei felt something was wrong, so she stood up and walked behind Lu Zhiyuan.

I saw Lu Zhiyuan draw a bull's head with two bull horns.

The cow's eyes are on its forehead.

She almost exploded with anger.

It would be fine if you just called me a minotaur, but you actually drew such an abstract minotaur in front of me?
Do you really think I'm dead?

Liu Yifei gave Lu Zhiyuan several death glares, asking him to be more restrained and not to think that she really had no temper!
But Lu Zhiyuan didn't feel anything at all and just continued painting.

When the detailed image was drawn, Lisa was the first to react. She covered her mouth and exclaimed, "It's so well drawn. It's so similar, it's exactly the same."

Liu Yifei's eyes widened.

Good man, is this how you treat me as your little sister?

He was mocking me in front of me, and you were clapping and cheering beside me?

It seems that we can’t be best friends!
I'm going back tonight to kill my best friend as a sacrifice to the gods!

Lisa noticed Liu Yifei's strange expression, gently bumped her shoulder, and joked, "Are you mad? This is Picasso's famous work 'Guernica'!"

Lisa reminded me of this.

Liu Yifei was also stunned, then came to her senses.

It seems so.

This guy draws pretty well.

Even so, she was still a little unhappy.

I thought that Lu Zhiyuan calling me "Minotaur" was a sign of his special gentleness and delicacy, helping me to refute those black fans on the Internet.

But now it seems... I was just being wishful thinking.

"Reba, what do you think of this painting?" Lu Zhiyuan had no idea what Liu Yifei was thinking.

After he finished drawing the bull's head, he turned to Reba and asked for her opinion.

"This is a great painting! Brother Yuan, can you give this painting to me?"

Although Lu Zhiyuan did not paint a portrait for her today, this minotaur definitely exceeded all of Reba's expectations.

It was so explosive.

Lu Zhiyuan not only complained that Liu Yifei looked like a minotaur, but also drew a minotaur in front of her.

I also drew the minotaur with its eyes looking up at the sky.

If the full score for seeking death is 100 points, Reba is willing to give Lu Zhiyuan 120 points for his level of seeking death!
Anyway, Liu Yifei, a potential love rival, is gone.

She really likes Lu Zhiyuan's crazy and suicidal look!
"As long as you like it."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and said, "I drew this especially for you..."

puff!
Liu Yifei, who was standing next to her, was drinking ice water to suppress her anger. Otherwise, she really wanted to throw the knife in her hand and stab the bastard to death.

She never expected that this minotaur was not mocking her, but was specially drawn for Reba!
At this moment, she almost burst out laughing.

"what?"

Reba, who was hit by the boomerang, was stunned for a moment.

What is all this?
Yesterday, I was your favorite blood elf, but today, I have become a tauren?

"This is Picasso's Guernica. I've selected a section."

"Look at this bull's head...at first glance, isn't it very abstract? But if you break it down, think about it, and look at it in three dimensions, you will understand the painting in a new way."

Lu Zhiyuan spoke so seriously that it didn't seem like he was deliberately teasing him.

Reba knew that every time Lu Zhiyuan spoke so seriously, he was not joking, but was engaging in deep logical thinking.

She often couldn't keep up with his pace because of her lack of artistic thinking.

But even so, even if she was pretending, she had to pretend to be very convincing.

Otherwise, you will end up like Liu Yifei and be scolded for having an empty head and no artistic thinking.

"Yeah, Brother Yuan, I understand. Thank you."

Whether you understand it or not, it’s always a good idea to express your gratitude.

During the time she spent with Lu Zhiyuan, Reba also learned some useful skills.

"Sure enough, you are just as I thought, a clever little ghost."

Lu Zhiyuan was indeed very satisfied. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "Cubist painters don't depict objects directly, but instead use geometric shapes to suggest them. The viewer needs to reconstruct the object through their own understanding and observation."

"Abstraction is not the end of Cubism, but a means."

After thinking for a while, Lu Zhiyuan used Qi Baishi's famous saying to explain: "The magic of these paintings lies in the balance between similarity and dissimilarity. What they pursue is the balance between verve and artistic conception."

Reba was confused by what she heard.

Lisa and Liu Yifei, both of whom have studied painting seriously, only partially understood what was being said.

After explaining for a while, Lu Zhiyuan finally revealed his true purpose: "I had someone write three scripts for the movie 'Upgrade'."

"But I don't know why, I'm always dissatisfied."

"This afternoon, after meeting Keanu Reeves, he proposed changing the main plot. I thought about it carefully and agreed."

Speaking of this, Reba's eyes suddenly dimmed.

She actually didn't blame Lu Zhiyuan.

After all, a movie investment of 10 million US dollars is nearly 100 million RMB, and she, a little girl, really cannot bear this pressure.

She was also afraid that she would mess up.

Reba feels that it is the best of both worlds, letting Keanu Reeves carry the box office while she can still be a vase heroine.

She doesn't have to carry the box office revenue herself, and she is the leading actress.

If the movie becomes popular, it’s all thanks to me.

If the movie flopped, let Keanu Reeves take the blame and I'll just be responsible for my beauty.

In this way, you can get all the benefits and not get any of the disadvantages.

But, how should I put it...

From an important main heroine to a vase heroine, there is naturally a psychological gap.

"Besides the fact that Keanu Reeves can carry the box office, at that moment, I suddenly saw the Picasso painting, 'Guernica,' that James had hung on the wall."

"Why can't I use Cubism in this movie?"

Lu Zhiyuan spoke happily, as if he had found the best of both worlds.

But Reba was stunned.

Not to mention Liu Yifei and Lisa, they had no idea what Lu Zhiyuan was saying.

"A typical commercial blockbuster has only one main plot. The protagonist is abused in the early stages, then gets a cheat and goes on a killing spree, before finally defeating the big boss at the end."

"But for this movie, I can definitely take a light and dark approach."

"The Keanu Reeves plot is used for visual expression, to attract audiences who like to watch science fiction action movies... As for you, the heroine, I will re-set you and make you an important hidden plot foreshadowing."

Having said that, Lu Zhiyuan stopped explaining with words and took out the drawing paper and started drawing a concept map for Reba without paying attention to the people around him.

After a while.

Several beautiful and exquisite concept drawings appeared.

In the first painting, Reba is wearing a white coat and glasses, looking like a scientist with an intellectual temperament.

"Me, became a mad scientist? Replaced the hero's line?"

When Reba saw this painting, she understood everything in an instant.

She continued to read.

In the second painting, Reba transforms into an AI mechanic, holding dual blades and easily killing the invading cyborgs. There's a key point in this painting: as Reba's hair flutters, traces of a chip stitching are revealed on the back of her neck.

"I'm still an AI mechanic? That's great!"

"I think about it. I'm a mad scientist. So, I used myself as experimental material and implanted an AI chip in myself?"

"This is too crazy! Too cyber!"

Reba really likes the AI ​​mechanical girl setting that Lu Zhiyuan made for her. She would really feel sorry if she couldn't play the role.

Now, she can not only continue to play the role of AI mechanical girl.

Moreover, Lu Zhiyuan added more flesh and blood to her character.

Reba suddenly felt that her character was so cool!
It will be popular!

She read on eagerly.

The third painting was taken on a lonely seashore, next to a lonely lighthouse. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the waves were cast in orange-red. In the midst of a violent storm, Reba died from the cyborg's gunfire. She was then tied with an iron cross and thrown into the sea.

"I am dead?"

Seeing this scene, Reba's face was full of confusion.

"How is that possible? I'm an AI mechanic. Even if I fight 100 of these villains, they wouldn't be enough for me. How could I die so easily here?"

"Wait, a cross!"

"Shot in the ribs!"

As a great director of art films, all of Lu Zhiyuan's images have implicit meanings.

This cross, shot in the ribs, Reba instantly understood everything.

"I understand! This is a picture of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!"

"For me, an AI mechanic, death is the true beginning of life."

"I am the key to a new world!"

Reba believed that such an important and charming role would never be killed by Lu Zhiyuan.

really!

In the fourth painting, Reba’s face was overlaid on Jingtian’s face like a digital model, but it was very blurry.

"I knew I couldn't die!"

"I was just reborn in another way!"

"Flesh is weak, machinery ascends!"

"I borrowed an AI chip and possessed someone else's soul, thus being reborn... I am Jesus Christ of the New World, the Saint who will lead humanity into that new world!"

The first four paintings had already made Reba extremely excited.

The fifth painting...

Lu Zhiyuan stopped painting halfway through.

"Brother Yuan, why don't you draw anymore?"

Reba feels that this fifth painting will definitely reveal all the secrets of the whole story.

She couldn't wait to know the ending.

"I want to think about it again."

Nothing can be truly perfect; it needs to be improved step by step.

Inspiration doesn't come overnight.

For example, someone had previously written three versions of the script for Lu Zhiyuan.

He felt that all three versions were pretty good, but after thinking about it for so long, he had changed the script beyond recognition and added a lot of his own personal ideas.

Looking back, he suddenly felt that those three versions were too cliché.

It's a simple business template.

Those characters have no personality charm.

They are all simple tool templates!
At least now, after his many deletions and revisions, Reba has become a tool heroine on the surface, without many roles.

However, he added an extremely important hidden line for Reba.

The emergence of this hidden plot does not require Reba to contribute any acting skills, but it can indirectly highlight Reba's character and turn it into an unparalleled wise man.

She is the real AI creator god!
Although she is dead, her wisdom and spirit will live on forever, existing in that AI chip.

Flesh and blood are weak, but machinery ascends!

Only such a spiritual core is cyber enough!
It is unforgettable enough to be regarded as a classic!
……

The sea breeze blew, ruffling Reba's hair.

She turned and looked at Liu Yifei.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Liu Yifei is very beautiful, graceful and charming. If you say she looks like a fairy, Reba would not deny it.

But Reba is very sure that once the movie "Upgrade" is released, she will be the only AI mechanic.

No one can replace it.

It may even leave a significant mark in the history of world cinema!
She will become a fine work of art created by Lu Zhiyuan himself!
"I can no longer tell whether this is love or admiration."

Reba turned to look at Lu Zhiyuan, who had put away the painting and was enjoying the seafood risotto.

Watching him eat, he picks and chooses like a child. Occasionally, when he finds a flavor he likes, he will nod slightly, with a happy arc appearing at the corners of his mouth.

The light in the eyes is pure and natural.

Looks exactly like another minotaur.

"never mind!"

"I don't care whether you like minotaurs or not. At least, I'm here with you to create that cyber world together. I'm Reba!"

(End of this chapter)