Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

Bai Li shook his head.

The bizarre storyline about erasing summer homework on the screen was too embarrassing to watch any longer.

He reached out and pressed the delete key directly.

The girls around her gave her strange looks, and even the not-so-bright Li Mengmeng couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Ahem." Bai Li cleared his throat and pushed the computer screen away. "There were too many deer last night, and I was a little distracted while writing just now. It really wasn't my intention."

The atmosphere in the office was rather awkward.

Wang Wei, being an extremely competent wingman, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"That's normal! Everyone in film and television production has some rejected drafts."

Wang Wei rubbed his hands together, forcing a smile on his chubby face, and offered his professional advice:

"But Brother Li, for our first drama, we need to have plenty of hype, but it would be best if we could come up with something new."

"The audience is already sick of that overused CEO bodyguard trope."

"If it's meaningful and includes some types of content that we don't usually come across, the platform will give it plenty of recommendation slots."

Upon hearing this, Bai Li's eyes lit up.

Normal people rarely come into contact with these things, and they also have exciting elements and unconventional material. Isn't this living, breathing material right in front of you?

The memories of meeting Chen Tingting and the others flashed through my mind like a fleeting glimpse.

They met on a bus, and were grateful for a small favor—a packet of instant noodles. They also met Zhang Qian, a homeless woman, and together they dealt with Xia Qing, that gold digger, and pulled Zhang Qian out of the mire of bullying. Now they've given them a decent job.

Isn't this the best notebook?

Bai Li spun around in his chair, his gaze sweeping over Chen Tingting, Li Jiaxin, Lin Xiaoshuang, and Zhang Qian one by one.

"I have a direction now." Bai Li tapped his fingers on the table, making a crisp sound.

"We won't film others, we'll film yourselves."

The four young women looked completely bewildered.

Chen Tingting tugged at her red hair and looked at her tattooed sleeve:

"Dude, are you kidding me? What's so interesting about filming the lives of hooligans like us?"

Li Jiaxin chimed in, "Yeah, our lives used to consist of nothing but cursing and fighting."

"That's exactly what we want—for you to play yourselves," Bai Li interrupted their self-deprecation. "But we're filming a story that happens between us."

"What is the biggest pain point for most people these days?" Bai Li glanced at Wang Wei:

"Dating requires giving everything; hundreds of thousands of yuan in dowry are thrown in and you don't even see a ripple. You're constantly being manipulated by the woman; this has become the norm in this society."

Upon hearing this, Wang Wei's eyes reddened as he recalled his ex-girlfriend who had absconded with his studio.

"But you are different." Bai Li's tone rose:

"In a society where you'd be called a simp even if you spent tens of thousands of dollars, you'd give a bowl of fried noodles, or even just a cup of bitter soothing soup, and you'd give it your emotional value."

"What's this called?" Bai Li asked, enunciating each word clearly: "A treasure girl, extremely cost-effective, a high-return investment!"

Lin Xiaoshuang blushed and whispered back, "That's because Big Brother is a good person and helped us."

"That's exactly what makes it so satisfying!" Bai Li clapped his hands.

"A tiny sacrifice yields unwavering companionship and extraordinary emotional value! Viewers experience an incredible sense of immersion and satisfaction from witnessing this stark contrast!"

Jiang Ruyue, with her hands in her hoodie pockets, listened attentively until the lecture was over, then raised her hand to speak:

"So, what my brother means is that we should make a documentary to promote the low-cost trapping of wild underage girls."

"Jiang Ruyue, shut up." Bai Li didn't even turn his head, precisely sealing her spell.

Bai Li suppressed her smile and continued her analysis:

"In addition, it also provides an opportunity to capture something with depth."

"People look at these 'spiritual girls' with prejudice, thinking they're loud, brash, and shameless."

"But were you really born to rot in the mud?"

The girls fell silent, even Chen Tingting, who was usually the most outgoing, lowered her head.

"Many times, it's simply because parents give birth but don't raise their children, neglecting their upbringing." Bai Li's voice softened, carrying a soothing tone:

"You are not lazy, nor do you want to degenerate."

"It's just that no one teaches you how to walk the right path, and there are no channels to improve yourself. You can only rely on exaggerated hairstyles and outfits to cover up your inferiority complex and stick together for warmth."

"We need to film these real events to get viewers to pay attention to this group again, to reduce discrimination, and to increase understanding."

After these words were spoken, the office fell into complete silence.

Wang Wei gave a thumbs up, his fat jiggling.

"Amazing, Brother Li! This is a game-changer! If this script can be produced, it will be a breath of fresh air in the online drama world!"

Bai Li stopped talking and put his fingers back on the keyboard.

The director's top-notch web series directing skills were fully unleashed at this moment.

Without any hesitation.

Pat pat—

This time it's not a parody; a perfectly crafted storyboard is pouring out of my mind.

A line of bold black text appeared in the center of the screen.

Title: Going Home for Chinese New Year, Squeezing onto a Bus with Three Young Women.

Wang Wei stood behind Bai Li, his small eyes fixed on the characters flashing on the screen.

Episode 1: Going home for Chinese New Year. The migrant worker protagonist, who missed his flight, encounters three young women on the bus. The 50 yuan he gives her buys their lifelong loyalty.

Episode 2: The back of the bus. Because of a kind meal, the energetic young woman chased away the passersby who were trying to upset the male protagonist.

As Wang Wei watched, his mouth grew wider and wider.

The storyboard descriptions! The pre-set transitions! The dialogue that strikes right to the soul!

Wang Wei was completely dumbfounded.

He works in this industry himself and has come into contact with many so-called great screenwriters on a regular basis.

But the thing Bai Li struck was so exquisite in structure and so tight in rhythm that it was practically textbook-worthy!

Let alone making it into a short drama, even if you just copy and paste it and upload it to Tomato Novel Network,

Even if I only update 4,000 words a day, I'd still make a few hundred bucks a month!

Wang Wei swallowed hard, looking at Bai Li as if she were a monster.

Brother, you're handsome, rich, and have lots of women, not to mention you have a good eye for investment.

Now you can even write web series scripts without a teacher?

Their abilities completely crushed me?

Are you even leaving any way for ordinary people under God to survive?

The keyboard sounds stopped.

In just twenty minutes, 100,000 words were written!

The story outlines and storyboards for the first five episodes were all finalized.

Bai Li flexed her wrists and turned her head.

"I'll stop here for now and work on the rest of the story when I get back."

"Wang Wei, I'm leaving the venue and camera setup to you."

There was no response.

Bai Li was stunned for a moment before realizing that the girls around her already had tears in their eyes.

Chen Tingting bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, her heavily made-up face appearing incredibly vulnerable.

She saw the male protagonist's monologue on the screen: "In hotels costing 25 yuan a day, they dye their hair the most flamboyantly, yet live the most insecure lives."

Only someone who truly understands them could write such words.

Li Jiaxin turned her back and secretly wiped away her tears.

Lin Xiaoshuang threw herself onto the back of Bai Li's chair, hugged his neck, and began to sob.

The soft, sweet voice was sobbing uncontrollably:

"Waaaaah... Big brother, how do you know what we're thinking..."

"I used to be really insecure, but that was the only way I could make myself look tough."

Zhang Qian stood to the side, her long blue hair covering half her face, her shoulders trembling.

They had never understood why their older brother treated them so well.

But after reading the script today, they finally understood.

This man not only provided them with a home to shelter them from the wind and rain, but was even willing to dissect their wounded souls and understand their untold pain and grievances.

He understands them so thoroughly.

Standing in the corner, Li Mengmeng looked at the young woman crying her eyes out and felt a pang of sympathy.

She had always looked down on these girls from the bottom of society, thinking they were just vulgar trash.

But after reading the script's descriptions of dysfunctional families and homelessness, she realized for the first time that these girls were actually quite pitiful.

Jiang Ruyue tugged at Li Mengmeng's sleeve and lowered her voice, "Sister Mengmeng, I've finished reading."

"What are your thoughts after watching it?" Li Mengmeng sniffed.

Jiang Ruyue, with a serious expression, gave it a high evaluation:

"My eldest brother is not only a womanizer, but also a top-notch writer. It's a great loss to the education sector in Ping County that he didn't take the Chinese language teacher qualification exam."

"What a spoilsport!" Li Mengmeng rolled her eyes, too lazy to deal with this topic-ruiner.

Bai Li patted Lin Xiaoshuang on the back and handed a few tissues to Chen Tingting and Zhang Qian.

"Alright, alright, we brought you here to make money, not to cry." Bai Li stood up, took off her coat, and threw it on the sofa.

"Quickly touch up your makeup and memorize your lines. Once the equipment is set up, start filming the first scene immediately."

Wang Wei was brimming with energy at that moment.

"Attention all units! Props in position! Lighting crew, turn on fill lights!"

Wang Wei gave a bunch of random directions to the empty studio, and finally gave Bai Li a thumbs up:

"Brother Li, the script is yours, I'll take care of the hard work! This is going to be a massive hit!"

Three hours later.

Inside the set on the second floor.

As Bai Li requested, Wang Wei rented a section of a decommissioned long-distance bus at a high price and placed it in front of the green screen.

The seats in the carriage were worn out, and even the smell unique to long-distance buses was almost completely preserved.

Chen Tingting, Li Jiaxin, and Lin Xiaoshuang changed into trendy outfits for a youthful and energetic look.

The red, yellow, and purple hair stood out starkly under the dim carriage lights.

Bai Li, wearing a slightly worn jacket, sat in the last row of the carriage by the window.

"Action!" Wang Wei, acting as both temporary director and cameraman, carried the equipment and pushed it closer.

In the lens.

Lin Xiaoshuang casually approached Bai Li and took the bottled water that Bai Li had drunk from.

"I drank it..."

"I know, let me have a sip..."

"Big brother, why don't you stay at our place tonight...?"

......

In their performances, the unique qualities of the "spirited young woman" were vividly portrayed.

There's absolutely no need for acting skills.

Because this is exactly how she truly looked when she faced Bai Li.

"Cut!" Wang Wei shouted excitedly.

He watched the playback on the monitor and slapped his thigh.

"Amazing! It's fucking amazing!" Wang Wei ran over:

"Brother Li, you're really putting on a show! Especially Zhang Qian's eyes, they could break the hearts of all the single people watching this!"

The first scene went extremely smoothly.

There were no hiccups or laughter.

Once the girls entered the script and returned to their most helpless time, their attachment to Bai Li was a completely instinctive reaction.

Their first short drama, which belonged to them, officially got on track.