Five-person team, first meeting

"Alright, I’ll take care of communicating with the class monitor."

"Once we’ve settled everything, I’ll message you right away, Monitor."

"Monitor, please try to schedule us as early as possible. The other groups haven’t confirmed their timings yet, right?"

Wu Chuntian spoke with a tone of solemn responsibility, addressing Shi Yanhai earnestly.

Though Lv Rou felt slightly uncomfortable inside, she still put on a show of "generosity," chiming in proactively:

"Our monitor is such a kind person—of course he’ll prioritize our group!"

"Please, please, arrange us first!"

This level of smooth-talking was entirely within Lv Rou’s comfort zone, executed effortlessly.

Yet, the more earnest the two became in urging him, the more it stung Shi Yanhai’s heart.

Weren’t we always in the same group before?

Have they already integrated so seamlessly with Lin Yu, saying "we" like that?

What kind of magic does Lin Yu possess to make them flock to him like this?

"Fine, I’ll try to schedule you earlier."

"We can discuss it over WeChat later. I… I need to collect the assignments now."

Shi Yanhai didn’t linger in his sorrow, quickly slinking away from the scene.

How could Wu Chuntian and Lv Rou’s minds possibly grasp Lin Yu’s ulterior motives?

[Ding!]

[Masterful move! The Holy Son’s special consideration for his Dao Companion has filled her with reassurance!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]

Listening to Lin Yu’s arrangements, Chi Qingshui was thoroughly satisfied.

First, it avoided any unnecessary interaction between her and Shi Yanhai.

Second, he hadn’t chosen Lv Rou for the task either.

This was undoubtedly the best way to handle things.

Soon after, the five of them began discussing the schedule for their film project.

The microfilm assignment was far more challenging than the photography one—it wasn’t something they could slap together last-minute.

First, they needed to finalize the script.

Then, someone had to draft the shot list.

After that, they’d have to organize indoor and outdoor shoots, day and night scenes, same-location sequences, and costume consistency.

Finally, they’d plan and execute the filming step by step.

If necessary, they might even need reshoots, dubbing, or ambient sound recording.

Sure, student films often ended up looking like a mess, but when it came to following the process, everyone took it seriously!

The professor wouldn’t let them skip steps either.

In the professional world, you didn’t need to excel at everything, but you couldn’t afford to be clueless about any part of the process.

Right now, with nothing prepared, pinning down a filming date wasn’t easy. At the very least, they needed a rough idea of the story and the shooting requirements.

As the group huddled together to discuss, Lv Rou was the first to offer a constructive suggestion:

"Everyone, I actually have a mostly complete script that I wrote before."

"If you don’t mind, we could use it for our project!"

Chi Qingshui listened attentively before asking:

"Really? Rou Rou, could you give us a summary first?"

"If it fits, we can all work on refining it together."

When it came to assignments, Chi Qingshui always maintained a rigorous attitude.

She wouldn’t let personal biases affect her judgment.

If Lv Rou’s ready-made script was suitable—without too many complicated or difficult scenes—they could absolutely give it a try. Any shortcomings could be polished through collective brainstorming.

It was still better than starting from scratch.

Lv Rou began narrating her script to the group:

"My story is about a mentally challenged man who faces constant rejection in society."

"But he never gives up, trying all sorts of jobs, and through a series of butterfly effects, he even influences a few historic moments."

"Beside him is an equally flawed girl from the streets, who’s hopelessly devoted to him."

"They even have a child together, though the girl’s fate isn’t a happy one."

"In the end, the man raises the child alone, facing life with optimism."

"If we manage the runtime well, we can probably wrap it up within thirty minutes—perfect for our assignment!"

Chi Qingshui: "..."

Lin Yu: "..."

Chi Qingchi: "..."

Wu Chuntian: "..."

The group’s reactions were unanimous.

Wu Chuntian, as Lv Rou’s close friend, was the first to point it out:

"Your story… wouldn’t happen to be called Forrest Gump, would it?"

Lv Rou replied awkwardly:

"The structure might be similar, but the setting and the protagonist’s personality are completely different!"

Lin Yu couldn’t even muster the energy to criticize.

Completely different? It’s practically identical!

Sure, student works often borrow from existing films—that’s not unusual.

But outright copying and calling it original?

That’s just shameless!

Even Wu Chuntian caught on immediately. How could someone as principled as Team Leader Chi miss it?

Chi Qingshui responded diplomatically, offering a face-saving excuse:

"Rou Rou, your idea sounds… interesting."

"But when I think about it carefully, I feel our group might still be a bit hard to manage."

"There should be a lot of grand scenes—it’d be tough to pull off."

Chi Qingshui’s reason for refusing sounded quite reasonable.

Lv Rou was more receptive to it.

She followed up on Chi Qingshui’s words and added:

"Now that you mention it… it does seem pretty hard to film."

Chi Qingshui turned to look at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu was waiting for him to "take charge."

When it came to storyboard scripts, Chi Qingshui’s professional skills were absolutely solid.

But as for scriptwriting abilities…

Wasn’t there a "bestselling online author" right beside them?

Naturally, he wanted to see if Lin Yu had any good scripts up his sleeve!

Lin Yu easily read Chi Qingshui’s gaze.

He really wanted to announce to everyone—why even bother with a script?

Just film "A Day in My Life," and it’d be more gripping than any movie, TV drama, or short film.

A full-day documentary, completely raw and real!

Of course.

He couldn’t say that out loud.

The reason Lv Rou’s "original story" was so terrible was that everyone knew her "inspiration" came from existing films and shows.

That’s why it had sparked such dissatisfaction.

So, if he just picked a film or show he knew but they didn’t, and used it as a ready-made script, wouldn’t that solve everything?

Lin Yu made up his mind.

Internally, he muttered to himself…

Reporting to the team leader, here’s how our short film should be made!

Lin Yu said to the group:

"I actually have a story in mind—let me tell you about it."

...

(Second update for today, with an extra chapter coming tonight. Keep those power votes coming, everyone!)