novelhk Chapter 92 The pen never stops, reality invades.
Chapter 92 The pen never stops, reality invades.
The pure white light gate slowly closed, completely isolating the entire Shuangshan Village.
The feeling of weightlessness lasted only a moment.
Lu Dan opened his eyes and saw a wallpapered ceiling. The stuffy, stale smell of the man's room filled his nostrils.
The sound of traffic slowly drifted in from outside the window; the neighbor next door was probably chopping dumpling filling, the clattering sound filling the air with the warmth of everyday life.
"I'm back."
Lu Dan lay on the not-so-soft bed, feeling as if his body had been taken apart and then reassembled.
Although no injury occurred in reality, the phantom pain of dying a hundred times still washed over my nerves like a tidal wave, especially in my chest, where the burning sensation of being pierced by the "eye" still lingered.
"It's so good to be alive!"
He muttered something and reached for the pillow.
The cold phone screen lit up, and the black and white film studio app lay quietly on the desktop, exuding an ominous aura no matter how you looked at it.
Clicking on it brought up a simple settlement interface.
Settlement complete.
[Script "Twin Village" Difficulty: A]
[Rating: S]
[Achievement: Reincarnator]
[Remuneration earned: 1000 points (including base remuneration, performance bonus, and special contribution award)]
Lu Dan's gaze lingered once again on the Special Contribution Award.
This is probably the official form of humanitarian compensation for him who almost killed himself.
1000 points is a huge sum of money, enough for him to redeem some dangerous items in the app's store that could cause riots in the real world.
Swipe down with your fingertip, and new entries will appear.
[Achievement: Reincarnator]
[Description: With 102 memories, do you feel something different? You remember those who died; they are still you.]
This sarcastic and unsettling copywriting is consistent with the usual behavior of this crappy software.
Lu Dan chuckled and rubbed his throbbing temples.
Although the more than 100 memories have been merged, the sense of vicissitude is indeed like a layer of ash on the soul.
The chat bubble in the bottom right corner of the interface is flashing wildly.
Lin Xiaoxiao: [I'm out! How was it?]
Lin Xiaoxiao: [If I see the reply, I hope they're not dead inside.]
Lu Dan's fingers flew across the screen:
It's difficult to explain in a short time.
[Meet me tomorrow at the usual place, at the Xie Shui Restaurant. We'll talk in detail then, and remember to invite Bao Ping along.]
The reply came almost instantly: 【Okay, as long as you're safe.】
After putting down his phone, Lu Dan was about to go to the refrigerator to find a bottle of soda to calm himself down when the phone rang again.
A string of unfamiliar local numbers was flashing on the screen.
Lu Dan raised an eyebrow, understanding the situation. In this era of rampant big data, personal privacy is practically a joke to certain special departments.
When the call connected, a familiar, robust voice, belonging to a veteran cadre, came through the receiver.
"Adan, it's me, Ye Jianguo."
"Team Leader Ye is really quick." Lu Dan leaned against the headboard, his tone relaxed.
"You wouldn't mind if I directly investigated your phone number, would you?"
"I don't mind, it saves me the trouble of adding them as friends and sending them messages one by one." Lu Dan smiled.
"I have a dinner appointment with a friend tomorrow to discuss this app. We'll be at the Xie Shui Restaurant in Anshi."
"Since Team Leader Ye is so resourceful, then please call everyone over. I still have three people here."
That saves trouble. The two groups can sit at one table and have a good chat about the damned designer and actor system.
Ye Jianguo on the other end of the phone readily agreed, "Okay, this time we got through thanks to you, kid. I have to treat you well tomorrow. Da Lu is treating, there's no limit to the budget. I'll bring two bottles of good wine."
"Then I'll keep my belly."
After hanging up the phone, the room fell silent again.
Lu Dan stared at the blacked-out phone screen, his fingers constantly rubbing the edge.
He hesitated for two seconds, then dialed another number.
Chen Zhongyi, his best friend with whom he always jokes around, is also one of the few friends he can have a few words with in real life.
After going through so much, Lu Dan felt he should inform this guy in advance about something.
"Beep beep—"
The call connected, and there was a lot of background noise, probably coming from an arcade or internet cafe.
"Hey, what's up?" Chen Zhongyi's voice carried a nonchalant air. "You've been calling so often lately, what brings you here, big designer? Stuck on writer's block again, calling your dad for inspiration?"
"Stop joking." Lu Dan didn't respond. "Come to the Xie Shui Restaurant tomorrow at noon. I have something to discuss with you."
"A dinner invitation?" Chen Zhongyi paused for a moment. "And you're being so secretive about it. Fine, since your son is so filial, your old man will definitely be there."
"Remember to be on time."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Dan let out a long sigh of relief, his thoughts a jumble of emotions. He feared that tomorrow's meal would be difficult to digest.
He picked up his phone again, swiped his finger across the screen, and at the bottom of the payment screen, a line of text gleaming in gold appeared:
Congratulations on your promotion!
Lu Dan's fingers froze in mid-air.
[Current Level: Formal Screenwriter (1/7 Scenes)]
[Review: A real-life gold medalist, a future legend on set. You have transcended the low-level cannon fodder and become a respected, coveted screenwriter.]
[Special Notice: You will gain the ability to write scripts on a small scale in real life—your pen will never stop.]
[Skill: Never Stop Writing.]
[Description: The designer's pen is a scepter; when you encounter a real-life script, you can forcefully intervene and make minor modifications to the current plot logic.]
[Cooldown: Can only be used once per real-life scenario.]
[Note: Use this carefully, don't overwrite yourself.]
Lu Dan stared at the words "realistic script" and felt a chill run down his spine.
The previous speculations were all true; the film set really is invading real space.
Previous scripts all involved pulling people into a specific alternate dimension, such as the fictional Chengde Middle School or Shuangshan Village.
His description of this skill clearly implies that the film set is already preparing to turn the real world into the next film studio.
"The pen never stops..."
Lu Dan murmured softly and turned to look out the window.
......
I didn't sleep well that night; it was less like sleep and more like my brain was forced to shut down after being overloaded.
The dream was fragmented, sometimes showing Shuangshan Village, sometimes an abandoned school building.
The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, the glaring sunlight forced Lu Dan's eyelids open. He sprang out of bed and instinctively reached for his slingshot. Instead, he touched a cold phone screen and a soft pillowcase.
Lu Dan paused for two seconds, then chuckled self-deprecatingly. Muscle memory is something that is very difficult to change once it is formed.
After a quick wash, Lu Dan pushed open the door and went out.
Anshi was at the tail end of the morning rush hour, with the streets bustling with traffic and the constant honking of horns.
Standing at the entrance of the residential area, he watched as the uncle selling jianbing (Chinese crepes) skillfully cracked eggs, spread sauce, and sprinkled scallions.
Before yesterday, this would have been just an ordinary scene.
But now, the skill "Never Stop Writing" is like a filter lurking in the depths of the retina, changing how Lu Dan sees the world.
This uncle's technique was so precise, like a pre-programmed piece of code.
Revise the script.
Lu Dan's gaze fell on the stray cat beside him, and an absurd thought suddenly popped into his mind.
If we use our skills now, can we make this cat suddenly talk? Or can we make the pancake vendor crack an egg into a dinosaur?
A strange urge for control stirred within him; it was as if he held a red pen in his hand, and as he looked at the pages of text, he always wanted to sketch something out.
"Neuropathy."
Lu Dan cursed himself and forcibly extinguished the dangerous thought.
He hailed a taxi and headed straight for the restaurant.
"Master, go to a water restaurant."
"Young man, it's quite early to be eating at this time."
The driver was very outgoing; while shifting gears, he turned up the volume of the car radio.
The radio was broadcasting a morning news report:
"According to the city's meteorological observatory, rare thunderstorms occurred in the mountainous areas surrounding Anshi last night, with some areas experiencing flashes of red light. Experts speculate that this may be related to geomagnetic anomalies..."
The car stopped at the entrance of the old alley.
Lu Dan paid the money and walked along the bluestone path.
"Welcome, sir. How many are in your party?"
The waiter came to greet us.
"We've booked a private room, Tingyuxuan."
Lu Dan gave his name and walked straight inside.
Pushing open the carved wooden door of the private room, a faint fragrance of incense wafted out; the room was quite large.
A huge round table was placed in the center, large enough to accommodate more than a dozen people.
He chose a seat by the window, where a clump of green bamboo rustled in the wind.
"Squeak—"
The door was pushed open, and the first person to arrive was surprisingly Chen Zhongyi.
This guy was wearing a flashy Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, looking like a nouveau riche who had just returned from a vacation in Sanya.
"These are just some water restaurants? That's pretty luxurious."
Chen Zhongyi plopped down opposite Lu Dan, took off his sunglasses, and said, "So, Lu, you're in such a hurry to see me because you need to borrow money? And you said you've finally decided to confess to me that you're a rich second-generation?"
Lu Dan poured him a cup of tea: "Nothing like that. Today I just want you to meet a few people and hear a few stories."
"Stories?" Chen Zongyi picked up his teacup, looking suspicious. "Those horror scripts you write? Forget it, they're creepy in broad daylight."
"More exciting than the script."
Before the words were even finished, the door to the private room was pushed open again.
Ye Jianguo was walking at the very front.
The old team leader changed out of his leather jacket and put on a faded polo shirt. He was carrying two bottles of liquor wrapped in newspaper and looked like any retired old man you could see in a park.
Behind him followed Chen Hua, who had a stern face, and Da Lu, who was all smiles and carrying large bags.
"Comrade Lu Dan." Ye Jianguo smiled broadly when he saw Lu Dan and strode over.
"You're here early, Team Leader Ye." Lu Dan stood up.
Chen Zhongyi stared at the three strangely charismatic strangers, his teacup frozen at his lips, his eyes darting back and forth: "Who are these people? Your colleagues who worked with you on the script?"
"I guess so," Lu Dan smiled. "The kind of friendship that transcends life and death."
Ye Jianguo put down the wine bottle, his gaze falling on Chen Zhongyi. His eyes narrowed slightly before returning to normal: "Hello, Ye Jianguo, Lu Dan's friend."
"Chen Zhongyi." Chen Zhongyi shook hands with the old man and felt that the old man's hand was very strong.
Then came the sound of high heels outside the door.
"Da da da—"
The rhythm is brisk, and every step is graceful.
The door opened, and Lin Xiaoxiao stood in the doorway. She was dressed in a smart business suit, holding a tablet computer in her hand, with Bao Ping following behind her.
"Looks like we're the last to arrive."
Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze passed over Lu Dan and met Ye Jianguo's directly.
Lu Dan picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and glanced at everyone present: "Since you're all here, please sit down."
"Waiter, prepare the food."
"Let's eat and chat about the film set."