novelnext Chapter 1290 Keep Yourself in Charge
Chapter 1290 Keep Yourself in Charge
Chapter 1290 Keep Yourself in Charge
The call was from Park Jae-hyun. He got straight to the point, explaining that the script for the first few episodes of the new drama "MOUSE," which he had previously asked Choi Ran to write, a collaboration between Ji Kyung-won and Netflix, was already finished.
"You've finished writing it? So fast?"
Chi Jingyuan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "I heard that Writer Cui's new drama has already started filming?"
They had been in contact with Cui Lan and handed over the work to her for less than half a month. This woman already had a new drama script to write. Although she patted her chest and said that there would be no problem, Chi Jingyuan was not in such a hurry. He thought that he could produce it in about a month.
After all, writing a script is not an easy task, especially for a suspense drama. Logic and plot cannot be taken lightly, and he and Netflix also attach great importance to this series, so it goes without saying that their requirements are very high.
I didn't expect it to be finished so quickly!
"This time we're collaborating with Jingyuan, the newly crowned TV King. Netflix is offering very generous compensation. If this project is successful, it could very well be a major leap forward for writer Cui's career."
Park Jae-hyun chuckled and said, "With motivation and money, efficiency will naturally be high."
"Haha, why are you being so mercenary, bro? Couldn't it be that our collaboration has inspired Writer Cui's creative passion?"
"Haha~"
The two chuckled twice, and Park Jae-hyun continued, "Writer Choi has already sent over the script and specifically instructed that you can communicate with her anytime if you have any questions."
The script wasn't actually going to be handed over to Cui Lan this time. It had been said before that she would have to read the completed script first, and only after the content was approved would she officially sign a contract to become the writer of this drama... Cui Lan was obviously a little nervous when she said this, and it was clear that she really valued this collaboration.
"Okay, bro, send me the script, I'll take a look first."
Chi Jingyuan responded, then added after a moment's thought, "Let's not communicate anymore. Let me meet with her after I've finished reading this, and we can talk face-to-face."
"Okay, I'll send it to you now."
After hanging up the phone, Chi Jingyuan looked up at the ceiling and thought for a while before picking up his phone again. Zhou Ziyu's call hadn't ended yet.
As soon as the little black girl heard him come in for work, she immediately stopped acting spoiled and being very quiet and obedient, not disturbing him... but her steady breathing clearly indicated that she was secretly eavesdropping.
"Hey, are you asleep?"
Picking up the phone, but hearing no response, Chi Jingyuan casually called out.
"No..."
Chou Tzu-yu was suddenly asked a question by Chi Kyung-won. She responded blankly, but quickly realized what was happening and retorted in a soft, dissatisfied tone, "...Ugh, who's sleeping?"
After speaking, she paused, then, remembering the phone conversation she had just overheard, she lowered her voice and whispered as if she were a spy making a rendezvous, "I heard you mention the script... You're going to make a TV series?"
Although her tone was mysterious, her voice was so soft, and the habitual upward inflection at the end of her sentences made her sound rather silly rather than serious.
"Are you crazy? Why are you speaking so softly? Are you trying to steal something?"
Chi Jingyuan retorted without any politeness, completely ignoring the dissatisfied nasal tone coming from the receiver, and then explained: "Well, there's a new TV series project in the works, a collaboration with Netflix, and we're looking for writers to create the script."
When can we see it?
"We are still making preliminary preparations, and we estimate that filming will begin at the end of the year."
Ji Jingyuan gave a brief explanation, and Zhou Ziyu, after hearing it, didn't ask any further questions, simply responding with an obedient "Oh~".
"okay."
Chi Jingyuan skipped over that topic and continued with what he had been saying: "What I told you before is settled. I'll arrange it for you in the next couple of days..."
"I understand." Chou Tzu-yu nodded obediently.
"But there is a condition."
Before Chou Tzu-yu could even feel happy, Chi Ching-yuan immediately followed up, his tone becoming more forceful, clearly filled with helplessness and disdain: "That means you shouldn't send me any more selfies of you and that idiot bag!!"
Speaking of this, Chi Jingyuan was speechless. It seemed that the collaboration items he gave to Zhou Ziyu were very popular with the girl, especially the Eevee paw pad bag, which became Zhou Ziyu's favorite.
Moreover, she not only likes it herself, but she also seems to want to share her love for it. Ever since she got the bag, she takes all sorts of selfies with it whenever she has free time.
Then I sent it to Chi Jingyuan.
She took photos from every angle, in every pose, and even in every outfit—stage costumes, casual clothes, and even pajamas. She would even hold her bag in her arms while lying in bed and send them over.
At first, Chi Jingyuan was quite intrigued and felt that he had given a good gift, and was even a little proud of it.
But he soon became extremely annoyed. Every time he opened his phone, it was filled with all sorts of selfies. The little black girl seemed to have become addicted to it. She wouldn't listen to him and would keep posting her own pictures regardless of whether he replied or not, which gave him a huge headache.
"Have you sent me more than a hundred photos in the past few days? You can't even take a selfie properly, the ones you take are awful, you can't even find the most basic lighting!"
Speaking of this, Chi Jingyuan's resentment surged up, and he complained with a strong tone of disgust: "Besides, it's not like I haven't seen that bag before. I gave it to you, didn't you know? You kept taking pictures of it, what the hell were you taking pictures of!"
"Hahaha……"
Chou Tzu-yu clearly knew what she had done. Upon hearing Chi Kyung-won's tone, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Moreover, Chi Kyung-won's outburst seemed to confirm that her prank had succeeded, and she was quite pleased with herself as she giggled.
She didn't suppress her laughter at all, and shamelessly turned the tables on him: "How annoying! I was just showing you."
"Is this a demonstration? This is harassment!"
Chi Jingyuan grumbled indignantly, "I helped you with this this time, so you're not allowed to post this anymore, understand?"
After saying that, Chi Jingyuan muttered a complaint under his breath: "The photos are so ugly, how dare you post them? They take up so much memory, I can't even be bothered to save them, and deleting them is such a hassle..."
Zhou Ziyu was initially happy with Ji Jingyuan's care and was thinking of agreeing to his request, but before she could even speak, she heard his next sentence and immediately got angry. She gritted her teeth and stubbornly said, "Not ugly at all!!"
"Take the picture! Post it!"
Chou Tzu-yu retorted defiantly, her tone as forceful as a bristling little animal.
But the next second, she immediately softened, sticking to me in a slurred, cloying voice, like a melted marshmallow: "Besides, if I don't bother you, who else will bother you?"
"You still have the nerve to talk back, Chou Tzu-yu?"
Chi Jingyuan was amused by her twisted logic. He chuckled and teased her, deliberately drawing out his words: "If it's really about harassment, then someone prettier and with a better figure than you should come and harass you, right?"
"--No!"
On the other end of the phone, Chou Tzu-yu visibly choked for half a second, then pinched her throat and produced a sickeningly sweet childish voice, boasting without batting an eye: "There is no girl in the world more beautiful and with a better figure than Chou Tzu-yu!"
"Hey……"
The voice was sticky and cloying, and incredibly shameless. Chi Jingyuan was so disgusted that he laughed and cursed, "There are plenty more like that, you frog in a well!"
“I’m the female frog, so you’re the male frog!” Chou Tzu-yu was having a blast, still pinching her nose and pretending to be a child, her voice sweet and sticky.
"You're the frog, I'm not, you are."
"If you are me, then I am; if you are not me, then I am not me... I just want to be like you."
"Pah, who wants to be like you?"
"Zhou Ziyu! Zhou Ziyu! Zhou Ziyu!"
"..."
After the childish tug-of-war, Chi Jingyuan sighed and rubbed his forehead. He felt that every time he chatted with this dark-skinned girl for a long time, his IQ seemed to drop, and he would unknowingly become just as silly as her.
Just then, a new email notification popped up on her computer. Park Jae-hyun had sent over the script. Now that the important matter was at hand, Ji Kyung-won stopped chatting with her and said, "Alright, I have something to do here, so I can't talk to you anymore... Wait for my call about what I told you before."
"Okay, I know."
Upon hearing that Chi Kyung-won had something to do, Chou Tzu-yu stopped making a fuss and obediently responded.
Just as Chi Kyung-won was about to hang up, a nasal voice suddenly came through the receiver. Chou Tzu-yu asked casually, "So, for this drama... are you still working with Suzy sunbaenim?"
"..."
Chi Jingyuan was stunned for a moment when he heard her words, but he reacted the next second and retorted angrily, "Hey, you're starting to tell me what to do now!"
"Mind your own business, Chou Tzu-yu... no!"
After saying that, he hung up the phone without waiting for a response from the other end.
He put down his phone, looked at the screen, and shook his head with a pout.
This dark-skinned girl is really starting to have her own little schemes.
On the other side, although Chi Jingyuan retorted with some dissatisfaction and hung up the phone, Zhou Ziyu was not angry at all. Instead, she smiled and put down her hot phone, looking at the call time displayed on the screen and Mr. Chi's contact name.
She doesn't actually care at all whether Ji Kyung-won is filming with Bae Suzy or which female celebrity or actress he's working with.
Thinking of what Chi Jingyuan said at the end, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she felt a unique sense of pride.
hum~
Bae Suzy?
so what?
…………
After hanging up the phone with Chou Tzu-yu, Ji Kyung-won immediately focused his attention and opened the script sent by Park Jae-hyun.
This collaboration with Netflix is very important. If successful, it could open up another avenue in the film and television industry. If Netflix develops smoothly, it will also significantly expand Ji Kyung-won's power in this field. Therefore, he takes it very seriously. This TV series is a major project in his work plan this year, so he will naturally treat it very seriously.
Upon opening the script, the title "MOUSE" was prominently displayed at the top. After glancing at it for a few seconds, Ji Kyung-won began to read it seriously.
Core Setting: Starting with the concept of "whether psychopathic genes can be detected," the story explores the boundary between humanity and evil, including the influence of upbringing on a person, "whether evil is innate or acquired," and "when a person is labeled as the 'child of the devil,' is he destined to go down the dark path?"
Background settings:
"In the 1990s on the Korean Peninsula, society appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging. In 1997, a deranged maniac codenamed 'Headhunter' went on a killing spree. He was skilled and calm, specializing in decapitating his victims. After committing 21 crimes, his identity was finally revealed—he was none other than Han Xujun, a nationally renowned doctor. On the surface, he was respectful to the elderly and kind to the young, and was deeply trusted by the public. However, he was cold-blooded and ruthless, devoid of normal human emotions, a result of an innate lack of emotional intelligence..."
During Han Seo-jun's crimes, his friend Dr. Daniel, a psychiatric research expert, proposed the "psychopathy gene" theory. He claimed that fetal genetic testing could identify 99% of potential murderers (but there was also a 1% chance of genius), and suggested forced abortions for fetuses found to carry such genes. This theory instantly caused a huge uproar in society and sparked fierce ethical debates...
Main character settings:
Zheng Balin: A newly recruited patrol officer in the community, he appears to be an upright, kind, warm-hearted, and helpful police officer, deeply loved by the residents of his neighborhood. He always actively participates in the investigation of various cases, is full of sympathy for the victims, and gives people a warm and reliable feeling.
However, he is actually Han Xujun's biological son, a born psychopath who lacks emotional genes and is a serial killer without normal human emotions. He has been disguising himself for a long time, creating a series of murder cases. Deep down, he is cold-blooded and ruthless, mocking and ignoring everyone around him. All the emotions he expresses are fake.
Later, due to an unexpected surgery, he recovered the genes he was born with and regained normal human emotions. This caused him to suffer greatly from the affection and care of his friends and from the previous serial murders, and he struggled between good and evil in his heart.
Gao Wuzhi: ...
Cui Hongzhu: ...
Episode 1:
Event: Winter, 1997.
Location: City streets, secluded cabins
Act One: Snowflakes fall gently, covering the city streets in white, making them exceptionally quiet...
Chi Jingyuan read very carefully, basically reading every word. When he came to some important content, such as the background setting and the male protagonist's character, he would look at it over and over again.
The script wasn't very long; due to time constraints, writer Cui Lan only wrote the first two episodes. However, she had already planned out the general plot and development, as well as some foreshadowing and plot points, and even the final ending. She even wrote three endings in one go.
It's clear that she has a strong creative drive and is very inspired.
After spending more than an hour watching it, Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly.
While the overall story is still based on traditional suspenseful crime, the core concepts and developments are quite novel. Ideas such as "born psychopath" and "emotional deficiency" are adapted from the shocking national event this year.
The reason why Chi Kyung-won was interested in this idea was because he valued its theme and appeal, and Choi Ran also fully grasped the core of it.
The idea of the psychopath regaining normal human emotions and falling into a complete emotional struggle is particularly brilliant. It is the finishing touch in terms of the theme, the discussion of human nature, and the challenge to acting skills. It even made him a little excited. He really wants to try this very layered role that requires a lot of acting skills right away.
Overall, writer Choi Ran clearly grasped the essence of the script, and Ji Kyung-won was quite satisfied, having already decided to collaborate with her.
However, he also noticed many problems, including some obvious deficiencies in logic and plot development.
Chi Jingyuan started reading again, writing down his thoughts and making suggestions in some places.
The more he looked at it, the more excited he became, feeling a surge of inspiration. Before long, the original script was filled with his various ideas and thoughts, including the male lead's character, the roles of other characters, the development of the plot, and the foreshadowing of plot twists, etc.
More than an hour later, Chi Jingyuan looked at the script, which was completely unrecognizable, and stretched contentedly.
He felt the script was very good, and if his suggestions were incorporated and revised, it would be a fantastic drama with a catchy theme and an exciting plot.
More importantly, the characters are outstanding. The supporting characters are not the kind of monotonous characters with conventional development. They are all characters with great depth and twists. The male lead, in particular, is a showcase of acting skills with his back-and-forth reversals.
If he performs well, he might even be a contender for Best Actor next year...
Chi Jingyuan clicked to save and print the script. Now all that's left is to communicate with writer Cui Lan. Once that's settled, the production team can begin to be assembled.
Then came the casting process. As Chi Jingyuan tidied up, he couldn't help but start thinking about who to invite and who would be suitable...
When he first read the script and saw the character descriptions, some images of those characters already flashed through his mind. He already had some ideas.
Just as he was thinking about the various actors, his phone suddenly rang again.
He snapped out of his daze, picked up his phone, and saw it was a text message from Yu Dingyan:
"Oppa, can you come to Nayeon unnie's birthday on the 22nd of this month?"