Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

[Is anyone still doubting that Lin Ji is Big Rooster?]

[I’m starting to think he is.]

[Me too…]

[Code 11 even suppressed Dajiang TV. My dramas cannot even dream of beating Dajiang TV. Being able to broadcast on their station is already a blessing from the heavens. Same profession, different fates.]

[It is said that Xie Lingnan from Living in My Hometown refused to accept being suppressed in the ratings, so he went to watch Code 11 himself. Then… he actually wrote three consecutive recommendation articles for Code 11. Dajiang TV must be speechless.]

[Xie Lingnan has that kind of personality. Dajiang TV cannot do anything to him anyway. They rely on him to write their scripts.]

[Code 11 is an absolute divine drama! I tried to analyze the film reel. There really isn’t a single wasted line. Every sentence of dialogue and every scene has meaning. Most importantly, the script logic is rigorous you cannot find a single loophole.]

[If you want to learn pacing, you should watch God of War Returns Home and The Heiress Conceals Her Identity but Gets Dumped. An average of one major “cool point” every two episodes, plus two or three minor “cool points.” If you master that, your pacing will take flight.]

[It is rumored that the Central Academy of Drama wants to invite Lin Ji to give a lecture. If Lin Ji agrees, there will be more fun to watch.]

Lately, on the screenwriting forums, topics related to Lin Ji frequently resulted in “tall buildings” of comments.

Before Code 11 aired, many screenwriters were not optimistic about his success in venturing into satellite TV. But now, the ratings of Code 11 were clearly laid bare out there. Even the most arrogant peers could not ignore them.

Results were everything. In the past, when someone mentioned Lin Ji’s name on the forum, they would inevitably add a few sour words about “that guy who films web dramas.” Now, while there were still sour voices, they did not dare to be so blatant.

To a certain extent, Lin Ji had officially joined the ranks of famous screenwriters.

* * *

Lin Ji did indeed receive a call from the Central Academy of Drama.

The Central Academy of Drama and the National Film Academy were well-known rivals. The two schools had been competing since their founding, comparing everything from star status to film and television awards. If the National Film Academy organized a large-scale event, the Central Academy of Drama would surely hold one shortly after.

Lin Ji had zero interest in being dragged into the dispute between the two schools. He was already tired of lectures and seminars, and he had no desire to do another one.

When he rejected the invitation, the person in charge at the Central Academy of Drama was actually somewhat surprised. The official immediately changed the subject, asking if Lin Ji was interested in pursuing a master’s degree at the Central Academy of Drama. Lin Ji was actually somewhat interested in this proposal. Learning more things was never a mistake.

The fact that the Central Academy of Drama invited Lin Ji to give a lecture was no secret. Within the screenwriting circle, Lin Ji’s popularity was startlingly high. That big shot from the National Film Academy school anniversary had publicly mentioned Code 11 several times, praising it as an industry benchmark and encouraging creators to adopt Lin Ji’s creative mindset.

Other screenwriters: “…”

We can manage researching data and respecting history, but making a hit drama like Code 11…

Is it that we don’t want to?

The National Film Academy remained calm about the Central Academy of Drama inviting Lin Ji for a lecture, but the moment they heard Lin Ji was considering a master’s degree at the Central Academy of Drama, the National Film Academy immediately lost its composure.

Lin Ji’s relationship with the National Film Academy was not great, but his identity as a National Film Academy graduate was undeniable. Whenever Code 11 broke a ratings record or received praise from relevant departments, the “Alumni News” section of the screenwriting department’s official website would always post a brag. Every news piece inevitably included the four words: “Alumnus Lin Ji.”

But if Lin Ji chose the Central Academy of Drama for his graduate studies, the National Film Academy could already imagine the future: whenever Lin Ji achieved something new, the Central Academy of Drama would crowd in to leech off the credit.

The National Film Academy was very unwilling to see this happen.

Lin Ji discovered that the frequency of the National Film Academy’s contact with him had suddenly increased. One moment it was the class monitor Zong Xin; the next, it was the head of the alumni association. The theme was always the same: warmly welcoming him back to the National Film Academy for graduate school, while quietly stepping on the Central Academy of Drama.

Lin Ji: “…”

They are still too naive. Their way of badmouthing rivals is too one-dimensional.

They should study more.

Lin Ji considered graduate school, but that did not mean he wanted to enroll right now. Moreover, seeing the posturing of both the Central Academy of Drama and the National Film Academy, he would rather spend his time pondering scripts.

There were simply too many themes worth creating. Every time Lin Ji picked up his pen, he felt the urge to tell the most brilliant stories to the audience.

Tian Yao said he was a natural-born screenwriter, but Lin Ji felt that, aside from screenwriting, he did not know what else he could do. He liked the feeling of the characters he created gradually becoming three-dimensional, and he liked writing the life experiences of different people. That was his greatest source of motivation.

* * *

In early June, the Leap Awards ceremony was held in C City.

The full name was the Chinese Television Leap Awards. Held once a year, it was one of the three most prestigious awards in the Chinese television industry. While it was not the most authoritative, it was known for its inclusivity and innovation, possessing a solid reputation in the industry.

The ceremony would not take place until the evening, but by the afternoon, the red carpet was already surrounded by fans and reporters. The temperature in C City was rising day by day. Surrounded by passionate fans, the reporters found themselves wiping sweat with increasing frequency.

“Wang Ruoqiang’s popularity is really high!”

“Wasn’t Secretly in Love with You a drama from last year? The buzz still hasn’t dissipated?”

The area where the reporter stood was packed with fans holding Wang Ruoqiang posters. This was a major difference from last year: at this same time during last year’s Leap Awards, Wang Ruoqiang was just an obscure “little transparent” nobody.

“She’s famous enough. You probably didn’t attend the awards at the end of last year. The fans on the red carpet then were even more numerous than now.”

“Truly impressive.”

The reporter couldn’t help but sigh. The impressive one wasn’t Wang Ruoqiang; it should be Lin Ji. This side of the red carpet was full of Wang Ruoqiang fans, while the opposite side was mostly fans of Cheng Yuan and Chen Cheng.

Lin Ji’s two dramas had produced two stars of tomorrow, and they had truly ascended based on acting skills and ratings, not forced promotion by a company.

Actors who become famous through their works tend to stay famous longer.

He was a reporter for Drama Fan magazine. His daily job was to pay attention to various movements in the television circle. From last year to this year, the probability of Lin Ji’s name being mentioned was exceptionally high.

Two short dramas had changed the landscape of video platforms. Now, not only Rice Grains Video but also Chaoxing TV and Qike Video were pouring efforts into short dramas. The short drama market was becoming increasingly explosive.

Secretly in Love with You had led to a flood of sweet romance themes. This was not necessarily a good thing for the television market, but unfortunately, Secretly in Love with You was just too popular. The heat extended from domestic markets to overseas, making Wang Ruoqiang one of the stars with the highest international recognition.

Not to mention Code 11. To see how popular that show was, one only had to look at Cheng Yuan’s popularity.

Unfortunately, Drama Fan magazine had never been able to interview Lin Ji. This person attracted a lot of hatred online, but in real life, he was very low-key. He did not like attending events and rarely showed his face.

As a screenwriter, he was far more low-key than his senior, Xiao Cheng.

Right now, several less famous actors were walking the red carpet. The reporter took the chance to check his camera lens. Halfway through, he heard a burst of screams from ahead. The Wang Ruoqiang fans beside him were shouting the loudest.

“Is Wang Ruoqiang here?”

“The Secretly in Love with You crew is coming!”

“Wang Ruoqiang! Wang Ruoqiang!!”

The reporter looked up. Sure enough, the leads of Secretly in Love with You, Cai Chen and Wang Ruoqiang, stepped onto the red carpet together. Behind them, three figures walked at a steady pace. Producer Tian Yao appeared in public often, and Director Wen Qing was his old partner, so they were not unfamiliar faces. But the young man sandwiched between them…

This was a face younger than the average person. At first glance, one might think he was an actor in the crew. The face flashed in the reporter’s mind for an instant, and a name was blurted out in the next second, “Lin Ji, look here!”

The young man walking in the middle indeed looked over.

“Is that Lin Ji?”

Although Lin Ji had shown his face in interviews, his actual appearance seemed slightly different from how he looked on camera.

As soon as they heard the name Lin Ji, the gazes of both reporters and fans concentrated on him. The second row, which originally didn’t attract much attention, now drew many eyes.

The reporters had really wanted to photograph him at the end of last year, but unfortunately, Lin Ji hadn’t appeared in public. After Code 11 aired this year, Lin Ji’s heat was even higher. The reporters naturally did not want to miss his red carpet photos.

“He doesn’t look much like his online persona.”

“Yeah, he’s too young.”

It was no exaggeration to say that Lin Ji’s popularity was not inferior to the stars.

“He still hasn’t revealed what genre his next drama will be. I estimate that as long as he mentions a few words, there will be plenty of people in the circle wanting to collaborate with him.”

Stars were paying attention to Lin Ji’s next move, and fans were silently watching on behalf of their idols. The focus on Lin Ji naturally grew more and more. Ordinary screenwriters would certainly not receive this kind of treatment because they were not as good at making people famous as Lin Ji was.

“I wonder what Xiao Cheng would think if he saw today?”

“Even at his peak, Xiao Cheng could not compare to Lin Ji. He was good at marketing himself, but screenwriters do not rely on marketing to eat, after all.”

“If he had treated Lin Ji well instead of offending him like that, a few casual pointers from Lin Ji would have given him hope of a comeback.”

Audiences are forgetful, after all. If Xiao Cheng changed his name after a while, showed his face less in public, and wrote one or two decent scripts, even if they weren’t massive hits, he could ultimately survive in the screenwriting circle.

“Who can predict the future?”

The Drama Fan reporter sighed with emotion. Over a year ago, Xiao Cheng was one of the red-hot screenwriters in the circle, possessing a good relationship with Drama Fan magazine. Now, after only so long, he had completely vanished.

Gu Lenian was the same.

* * *

When the Secretly in Love with You crew entered the inner venue, not many people paid attention. Although Wang Ruoqiang was famous, her fame was too recent in the grand scheme of the entertainment industry, so her status had not yet fully ascended. Therefore, most stars sat quietly, and not many people greeted her.

Tian Yao and Wen Qing also sat down in their respective seats.

Lin Ji’s seat was beside them. He had fewer connections in the circle, even fewer than Tian Yao. Regardless, he was just here for the fun; he had little interest in being a social butterfly.

But shortly after Lin Ji sat down, someone suddenly sat beside him. “Screenwriter Lin, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Tian Yao signaled to Wen Qing with his eyes. “Li Renxun.”

One of the top male actors in the television circle.

After Li Renxun left, a second actor sat in his original spot, using an opening line similar to the one before.

In the half-hour before the awards ceremony began, Tian Yao and Wen Qing even had an illusion: half of the actors in the television circle had come to greet Lin Ji.

Secretly in Love with You was a web drama, after all, so the crew’s seats were not very far forward. Yet these industry big shots specifically walked several rows back just to say hello to Lin Ji.

Among them, young actors and male actors in the “Uncle Circle” were the most frequent visitors.

“Comparing people… There is no comparison.” Tian Yao sighed. What was he comparing with Lin Ji? If it weren’t for inviting Lin Ji to write the script, Secretly in Love with You would have had zero chance of becoming a hit.

The funniest part was that Cheng Yuan arrived at the scene a bit late. Despite this, he braved the stares of the entire audience to run over to Lin Ji’s side.

The entire awards ceremony was actually quite plain. Wang Ruoqiang won the Best Newcomer Award. Although Lin Ji was nominated for Best Screenwriter, the winner was a satellite TV drama that had been a hit last year. In terms of awards, serious themes possessed an advantage over sweet romances. Moreover, Secretly in Love with You was only a web-broadcast drama.

“Next year’s award will likely go to Lin Ji.”

“+1. Aside from Lin Ji, I temporarily cannot think of any other choice.”

Lin Ji remained seated quietly, yet the camera occasionally swept toward him.

“This year’s Leap Awards give me a feeling: actually, it’s a party for actors to get to know Lin Ji.”

“Not a star, but better than a star.”

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