Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Li Ran hastily dried his wet hair and sank into the sofa, still damp from his shower.

With a flick of his finger in the air, the pale blue system interface silently unfolded, and a faint light rippled in his eyes.

Main Quest: Participate in film and television shooting or variety show recording to officially debut in the entertainment industry. (Completed)

[Reward: Random Script x1 (To be claimed)]

Li Ran lightly tapped the "Claim" button, and the interface vanished in a streak of light.

Almost at the same time, his phone, which was on the coffee table, vibrated slightly, receiving a script file titled "The Young Dragon (Revised Edition)".

Upon seeing the title of the drama, Li Ran's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

In its previous life, this youth campus drama produced by Wajijiwa was a typical example of "starting strong but ending weak": it attracted a lot of attention in the early stages with its subject matter and leading actors, but the plot completely collapsed in the later stages.

The most outrageous thing is that the main characters were able to go from being the worst in their class to being admitted to Tsinghua and Peking Universities, which was ridiculed by the audience as a "comprehensive collection of unbelievable melodrama".

The criticism that the screenwriter didn't even finish high school is utterly absurd, with many of the settings completely contradicting the realities of life in China.

He opened the script, his fingertips swiping quickly across the screen as he browsed through the pages, gradually letting out a sigh of relief.

The system did indeed carefully optimize the script: although some minor flaws remained, the most outrageous logical inconsistencies, such as "getting into Tsinghua or Peking University in one year," had been significantly modified or removed, and the character settings had become much more reasonable.

The original 30-episode storyline has been cut and optimized to 16 episodes, retaining the wonderful parts of the original while cutting out most of the outrageous romantic scenes.

If the original script only deserves a 3 out of 10, then this polished version can at least reach a passing grade.

Putting down his phone, Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, a newcomer who had barely "debuted" through system tasks.

With its appealing subject matter, backing from Wajijiwa Entertainment, and avoidance of fatal flaws, "The Young Dragon" is indeed a good starting point. It can make a name for itself without excessively damaging its reputation with a bad drama.

This stepping stone is just the right size and weight.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Li Ran sat in Long Danni's office.

After carefully reviewing the script, Long Danni looked up and her sharp gaze fell on Li Ran's face: "The script is indeed excellent; both the subject matter and the adaptation have their highlights. Where did you get it?"

"I bought it online," Li Ran replied quickly, his eyes unconsciously turning slightly away to avoid Long Danni's probing gaze.

Long Danni was incredibly astute and naturally noticed his evasiveness, but she didn't press him further.

Instead, she changed the subject, took out another thick document from the drawer and pushed it over: "Perfect timing, the company just secured a new project for you, an e-sports themed project, the production team is an experienced group in the industry, and the female lead has been cast as Cheng Xiao, who is very popular."

"You are an e-sports champion yourself, so playing this role is basically a natural fit for you, so it should be easy for you."

Li Ran's gaze fell on the cover of the document. The words "You are beautiful when you smile" stung his eyes, and his outstretched finger suddenly stopped.

He had also criticized this drama in his previous life, particularly the outrageous and outrageous settings in the original novel.

A professional player was caught in the middle of a tense and exciting match, oblivious to his surroundings, and even changed a key tactic at the last minute to appease his angry girlfriend.

He imagined what would happen if he shouted "Three, two, one, let's start!"

Then all the hard work and glory of the past three years will be overshadowed by a barrage of criticism.

Li Ran withdrew his hand, his tone resolute, "I want to film 'The Young Dragon,' and I don't want to act in this drama."

"You rejected it without even glancing at the script?" Long Danni raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with surprise.

"No need to look."

Li Ran met her gaze, his eyes resolute. "What good stuff can you expect from a work with an e-sports theme, if you force so many inappropriate romance scenes into it?"

"I've also understood the original work; it's completely slandering esports players. I trained day and night back then to win world championships, not to disgust myself now."

He stretched out his finger and gently tapped the script he had brought. "This script, 'The Young Dragon,' tells the story of teachers and students working hard together for the college entrance examination. It's more realistic, closer to life, and more suitable for me as a newcomer."

Long Danni stared at him silently for a moment, and the air in the conference room seemed to freeze.

Suddenly, a subtle smile appeared on her lips as she picked up her phone from the table: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

The call was answered quickly, and she instructed in her usual efficient tone: "Pass the word down and withdraw the cooperation agreement for 'You're Beautiful When You Smile'."

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Li Ran again, her eyes filled with admiration.

The way this kid's eyes are shining right now is exactly the same as when he returned home with the world championship trophy, looking so triumphant.

Perhaps, some paths are only truly understood by the person themselves.

The tense atmosphere in the meeting room gradually eased.

Li Ran leaned back a little, relaxed a bit, and said, "Since it's already been decided to film 'The Young Dragon,' then I'll play the role of 'Li Ran.' It's easier to get into character since we share the same name."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious, "However, the role of Lei Ming, the teacher in the drama, must be played by a strong actor who can carry the show."

"Although I have some popularity now, I am still a newcomer in the film and television industry. My acting skills still need to be honed, and I'm afraid I can't handle such heavy roles."

Upon hearing this, Long Danni nodded in agreement, her eyes showing even greater approval.

This child not only has his own ideas, but also has such a clear understanding of his own position and shortcomings, which is very rare.

Li Ran added, "Also, regarding the role of Cheng Yushan in the drama, I think we could contact Zhou Ye from Hesong Media to give it a try. I promised her before that I would recommend her if a suitable opportunity arises."

"Zhou Ye?"

Long Danni pondered for a moment, searching her memory for the name. "This name sounds somewhat familiar."

"She played Wei Lai in 'Better Days,' the bully," Li Ran reminded her.

"Oh, so it's her!" Long Danni exclaimed in realization, her tone clearly showing approval.

"That girl acted so well, she perfectly captured Wei Lai's seemingly innocent exterior but vicious heart, leaving a very deep impression on the audience."

She looked at Li Ran, her voice tinged with inquiry, "How did you two meet? Your relationship seems unusual."

"A college classmate," Li Ran replied succinctly, unwilling to elaborate.

"Is it that simple?" Long Danni raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing it.

"Otherwise what?" Li Ran chuckled helplessly and shrugged.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Long Danni waved her hand, but a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

"But now that you're in this industry, if you do start dating, as long as it doesn't affect your work, I won't object. Young people should have normal romantic relationships."

"Auntie!"

Li Ran interrupted her, somewhat amused and exasperated, "We're really just classmates, so please stop making wild guesses."

Seeing his reaction, Long Danni didn't press him further. She simply mentioned casually, "Speaking of which, your mother called me yesterday and went on and on, telling me to keep a close eye on you, especially in matters of the heart. You've been playing video games for three years, and now you insist on entering the entertainment industry, this big cesspool."

"She's been longing to have a grandson!"

The words conveyed both the elder's genuine concern for the younger generation and a subtle, gentle teasing, which made the atmosphere in the meeting room more relaxed.

"I'm only twenty-two years old this year, and besides, Auntie, you're not even married yet, how dare you say that to me?"

"Alright, alright, get lost!"