Lu Chen: The Mad Genius Of Creativity

Chapter 13: One Wave After Another! The Drug Lord Arrives!

[Given this clan background, Lin Yaodong was acutely aware that with his current strength, his dream of restoring the grand ancestral hall was still very far away.

While smuggling cars had brought him considerable income, making him one of the first affluent individuals in the village, that money only improved the lives of himself and his family. It couldn’t bring about any substantial changes to the village as a whole.

Car smuggling required only a limited workforce, and the risks were enormous. The fewer people who knew about it, the better. Thus, Lin Yaodong decided to take things step by step, growing his business while exploring larger opportunities.

During this time, Lin Yaodong worked hard to cultivate his personal connections. He established good relationships with local township leaders, ensuring proper arrangements were made where needed.

When gifts were called for, gifts were given. In the matters of interpersonal dealings and understanding human nature,

Lin Yaodong had a unique insight. He knew that without a network of protection for his smuggling operations, the blade of the law would inevitably fall on him. So every year, Lin Yaodong spent a significant amount of money maintaining these relationships. The more he spent, the more he earned—and the safer he was!]

…

[Holy crap!!! Savage! Dude, you’re seriously savage!].

[He’s already got a safety net! Say no more—if this story doesn’t get censored, I’m giving it a perfect 10!].

[So bold, bro! You’re like a rusty faucet—ten years of old tricks but still flowing!].

[Weren’t you supposed to lead the whole village into prosperity through smuggling? Where did that go? Disappointing, bro!].

[Keep going! Build the safety net, expand, and aim for greatness!].

As expected, the live chat exploded with even greater enthusiasm than before!

This story was off the charts. Even web novels wouldn’t dare go this far!

Soon, the viewers stopped calling Lu Chen ‘Contestant #48’ and instead started referring to him as ‘Lu God’ or ‘Lu Giant’.

…

In the judges’ room.

“This—this—this!”

Chen Sicheng couldn’t hold back any longer.

He abruptly stood up, exclaiming, “Mr. Liu, Mr. Shuping, Ms. Yan, isn’t this plot worthy of a warning! Lin Yaodong is openly building a protection network! This is blatantly crossing the line!”

He pointed furiously at the screen.

Nearby, Xiao Sa broke into a cold sweat.

Bro! You’re really sprinting headfirst into trouble!

You’re either ignoring the rules or showing off your stupidity by writing something like this!

“Judges, I think we should issue a warning,” Xiao Sa said and finally agreed with Chen Sicheng.

If this continues, things are bound to spiral out of control!

The three judges exchanged uncertain glances.

They initially wanted to wait and see if Lu Chen would tone things down in the next section. But not only did he fail to do so, he doubled down—writing about bribing officials and building a network of connections!

This was a clear red line.

It seemed unlikely the story could survive.

“Mr. Liu, what’s your take?”

Shuping sought Liu Heping’s opinion.

Frowning deeply, Liu Heping knew he couldn’t overtly defend Lu Chen any further.

“Let’s issue a warning.”

“Agreed,” Shuping said and nodded.

With all four in agreement, Xiao Sa stood up.

“I’ll issue a yellow-card warning to Lu Chen. If he modifies the storyline in time, it’s a win-win. If he persists, per competition rules, we’ll have to disqualify him.”

Just as Xiao Sa was about to deliver the warning via the monitoring system.

“Wait!”

Yan Gelin suddenly raised her hand.

“Look—Lu Chen just introduced another twist in the plot!”

Everyone turned their attention back to the screen.

In the footage, Lu Chen’s pen moved like the wind as he continued writing.

[However, these good times didn’t last long. The government soon launched a massive crackdown on smuggling. As a wave of arrests swept through the smuggling world, the rampant smuggling activities in Guangdong province were effectively curbed.

Lin Yaodong’s smuggling dreams were shattered by the hammer of justice. But the money he spent in previous years now proved its worth.

Thanks to inside information from a certain official, Lin Yaodong learned of the crackdown in advance. Before the storm reached him, he quickly dissolved his company, destroyed all evidence, severed ties with his supply chain, and fled to Hong Kong with his brother, taking their wealth with them!].

…

[No way—he actually escaped!].

[Looks like all that money he spent didn’t go to waste!].

[This storyline is incredible! Every detail fits perfectly, twist after twist!].

[Now that you mention it, the government really did crack down hard on smuggling in the ’90s. Remember Lai [redacted]? The smuggling king!].

[Didn’t he escape too? But later got caught. His case involved billions—back in the ’90s!].

[Lin Yaodong’s operation must have been smaller. If it were bigger, he probably wouldn’t have escaped—or would’ve been caught later.].

[Lin Yaodong’s connections are local; Lai’s network was… well, let’s not go there.].

[This is so well-written! The story might seem dramatic, but every detail holds up under scrutiny. Props to Lu Giant!].

…

In the judging room, as Lin Yaodong’s smuggling operation crumbled, the judges exchanged uncertain glances.

“Should we still issue a warning?” Shuping raised a profound question.

“Of course! Teacher Shuping, Lin Yaodong is smuggling and has fled! If this plot doesn’t warrant a warning, then what does?” Chen Sicheng argued vehemently.

“But we can’t determine the story’s trajectory just yet. Remember earlier, we thought Lin Yaodong would lead the whole village into smuggling, but he didn’t. Can you guarantee he’ll continue down a criminal path?” Shuping countered. “As a seasoned screenwriter, you should know that a great story thrives on twists and suspense. Until we know the outcome, as viewers, we need to wait patiently.

“Perhaps this experience will change Lin Yaodong, leading him to reform and become a successful entrepreneur. Or maybe his guilt over his smuggling past will drive him to spend his life making amends.

These possibilities exist! I suggest we observe further and not interrupt Lu Chen’s creative process prematurely.”

“While Lin Yaodong has a criminal streak, we must acknowledge that from the story structure Lu Chen has presented, he isn’t writing these scenes merely to sensationalize. He seems to have a clear narrative in mind, even if we’ve only seen the darker parts of it at this stage.

If we disrupt him now and force a change in direction, we risk stifling what could be an exceptional story. Is that reasonable?”

“In singing competitions, even if a contestant sings poorly, the judges don’t cut them off immediately. They listen for a few more lines before deciding.

This is a storytelling competition spanning a lengthy timeline. Why can’t we show a bit more patience?”

Yan Gelin’s sharp rebuttal caught Chen Sicheng off guard.

She felt he had an unfair bias against Lu Chen, and this blatant targeting pushed her to speak out.

“I agree with Ms. Yan,” Shuping added. “The story isn’t fully developed yet, so we don’t know where it’s headed. Interfering with Lu Chen’s creation now wouldn’t just risk losing a potentially great narrative—it would also be unfair to him.

“What if the later twists surprise us all? What then?”

With Yan Gelin and Shuping aligned, the ever-steady Liu Heping’s stance was clear.

Chen Sicheng’s face turned alternately pale and flushed. He hadn’t expected Yan Gelin to refute him so publicly, and the embarrassment was hard to shake. But seeing the three judges united, he had no choice but to hold his tongue, despite his growing frustration.

Xiao Sa, caught in a difficult position, weighed both sides. Chen Sicheng’s argument made sense, but Yan Gelin’s perspective was equally valid. With the judges rallying behind Lu Chen, Xiao Sa reluctantly stepped aside to consult the director.

Ultimately, the production team decided to follow the judges’ recommendation and refrain from issuing a yellow-card warning to Lu Chen.

This decision brought a sigh of relief not only to Yan Gelin and Shuping but also to Lu Chen’s livestream viewers, who felt like they had narrowly avoided disaster.

Meanwhile…

In the writing room, Lu Chen, unaware of the external debate, set down his pen and took a deep breath.

Lin Yaodong’s early life had been fully fleshed out.

Next up—the debut of Lin Yaodong as a major drug lord.

But Lu Chen hesitated. The upcoming content was sensitive. If he pushed too far, the production team might cut him off, accusing him of promoting criminal behavior. That could spell big trouble.

To ease concerns for viewers, the production team, and the judges, Lu Chen decided to preemptively reassure everyone—the story would ultimately convey a positive message.

At the same time, viewers watching the livestream noticed Lu Chen pausing for an extended period. Many assumed he was slipping into another sage mode moment, perhaps taking a smoke break.

But then, unexpectedly, Lu Chen turned towards the monitoring camera. His expression was chillingly serious and cold, taking everyone off guard.

What was this?

What was he doing?

Confusion rippled through the audience, but it was clear—something big was brewing. The calm before the storm had arrived.