I am a Big Player
Chapter 627 - 618, The Love of My Life_1

Chapter 627: 618, The Love of My Life_1

Yang Xi had originally planned to buy gifts in the Capital to take home for the New Year’s visit; this was her first time bringing presents for such an occasion. Even when Ren He had visited the Yang Family’s Courtyard House for the first time, he had brought a large bag of walnuts.

However, Ren He decided to buy the gifts in Luo City instead. Before setting out, he made a trip to a 4S store. Since he chose to wander in No Man’s Land, it was obvious he couldn’t drive the Raptor there—this beastly-looking vehicle was acquired just to satisfy his initial urge to indulge in a nouveau riche thrill, but it would probably kneel on the road after not quite a hundred kilometers in No Man’s Land.

This time, Ren He bought an off-road vehicle recommended by Liu Erbao. This brand didn’t exist in his previous life, and the cost without any add-ons was 3.19 million. The off-road performance was exceedingly robust. Then, he handed it over to Liu Erbao, who helped find someone to modify it, enhancing its off-road capabilities and transforming it into a vehicle with a large fuel tank.

The modification cost, conservatively estimated, was about 2 million. Even in the Capital, few would be willing to spend so much on customizing a car.

Customizations take time. Ren He placed the order before the Chinese New Year and expected that it would be ready about a month later after his return. The timing would be just right.

By this time, Zhang Ming had finished reading the script for "A Chinese Odyssey," and he had specifically visited Ren He’s Courtyard House to discuss it once. For Zhang Ming, the script was somewhat surprising.

Why? Because the script was clearly stylistically very different from the films "No Man’s Land" and "Crazy Stone." The difference was so great it almost seemed as if it wasn’t written by the same person.

Of course, the "Kunlun," "Harry Potter," and "The Kite Runner" that Ren He wrote also clearly did not share the same style; Zhang Ming had gotten used to that.

Now, the issue was that Zhang Ming still had trouble grasping the script. He always felt it was a bit rough; compared to the script for "No Man’s Land," it seemed incomplete, lacking refinement.

But after carefully reading it three times, Zhang Ming couldn’t figure out why the lines in the script seemed to poke at his heart, like memories of a lost love.

This feeling was so strange, almost inconceivable—a script that wasn’t particularly impressive yet felt so... heart-wrenchingly poignant!

Therefore, Zhang Ming wanted to ask what Ren He thought. Sitting in the Courtyard House, he asked, "How do you want to film this script? Honestly, I think it might be rejected if it were released."

Wasn’t Ren He aware of this? Of course, he was. Compared to Ning Hao’s meticulous work, Zhou Xingchi’s scripts were never as polished. But the point was, no matter how unpolished "A Chinese Odyssey" might be, it would be enough as long as it was memorable.

Couldn’t Ren He polish it? At the very least, he could enlist someone else to refine it, add some depth.

But who could ensure that "A Chinese Odyssey," after such changes, would still be "A Chinese Odyssey"? That’s why Ren He’s initial intention was to preserve the original flavor. He wouldn’t change a single line of the original script.

All Ren He wanted to improve were the external aspects— special effects, props, costumes, set design. The soul of it was absolutely not to be altered. Ren He knew his limits; if he could reach Zhou Xingchi’s level, he wouldn’t have only achieved success in this life—he would have become a great director in the last one.

It’s valuable to have self-awareness. Playing a game and thinking you can 1V5 because you’re a bit more skilled is delusional. Why not just aim for the sky?

"We’ll work out the details of the movie together," Ren He pondered for a moment and said, "I’ll join the production team. I have many of my own ideas, and it might be you who has to follow my lead by then. Please don’t mind, I’m not familiar with directing, and the things I suggest might be more abstract. I hope you can help bring them to life."

Zhang Ming was stunned for a moment. This was the first time Ren He had decided to be so deeply involved in a production. Suddenly, he realized how much Ren He truly loved this script; otherwise, he wouldn’t act like this.

He smiled, "Having the original author join the production is a dream come true. Let’s work closely when the time comes." He suddenly thought for a moment and said, "This script feels so strange to me. I’m curious to see what it looks like from your perspective. Anyway, Qinghe Film and Television isn’t afraid to lose money."

When reading the script yesterday, Zhang Ming suddenly remembered the girl he once deeply loved.

Zhang Ming wasn’t successful from the start either. He had studied at the Central Academy of Drama and, back then, aimlessly wanted to create something different. After filming three movies in a row, all of them were banned.

Like all young people, he was destitute and idle, with no one willing to invest in him anymore. The girl he liked was the most beautiful at the Central Academy of Drama, so stunning that Zhang Ming would still see her in his midnight dreams. In his memory, she was forever 22 years old, never aging, never losing her shine.

Back then, Zhang Ming never wanted to face reality. As a result, the girl left. Occasionally, he would still go to her theater company to watch her perform, but the love could never be salvaged.

Last night, while reading the script, there were several moments when certain lines sank into his heart like a knife, yet the more it hurt, the more he wanted to continue reading. It was an oddly compelling feeling.

So, he really wanted to see how Ren He planned to film this movie.

Ren He suddenly slapped his forehead, "Oh! This movie definitely needs a song titled ’The Love of My Life’! Yang Xi, hand me the guitar!"

Upon hearing this, both Yang Xi and Zhang Ming’s eyes lit up at the prospect of Ren He singing a new song.

Yang Xi’s favorite thing was to listen to Ren He’s creations—everlasting classics, always so delightful to hear.

As for Zhang Ming, he knew that Yang Xi’s status as an international diva was raised by Knight himself. All her songs were crafted by Knight! Having the chance to hear Ren He’s new song was indeed a delightful affair.

Ren He felt that the songs in "A Chinese Odyssey" were all classics, and the most classic one had to be "The Love of My Life." If this song was missing, "A Chinese Odyssey" would lose much of its charm.

The song was co-created by the married duo of Lu Guanting. While composing "The Love of My Life," Liu Zhenwei said that this romance spanned five hundred years without fruition, which gave Lu Guanting goosebumps. That very night, after returning home, the melody came to him. And when Tang Shuchen wrote the lyrics, he too was moved by the "five-hundred-year long bitter sea of love" and finished the composition in just two hours.

Ren He sighed; a love that remained unresolved after five hundred years was too fitting. In an instant, the plaintive notes began to flow from Ren He’s fingertips. As the prelude rang out, Zhang Ming almost felt the moon dim and his mood sink.

This was the first time Zhang Ming had listened to Ren He play the guitar in person—with such Master Level ability... it was astonishingly captivating.