Lu Chen: The Mad Genius Of Creativity

Chapter 7 Lin Yaodong’s Growth Path

“Alright.”

“Let’s take a look at No. 48 and see how they started.”

The judges nodded in agreement.

Xiao Sa pressed the remote control.

The next second, the TV screen displayed Lu Chen’s room.

Lu Chen could be seen pacing back and forth in the room, with some words already written on the whiteboard.

[Create a rural village based on Cantonese culture.].

[Theme: Clan culture, ancestral hall culture.].

Seeing these words, Xiao Sa read them aloud immediately.

“This is a rather novel perspective.”

Yan Geling’s eyes lit up!

“Teacher Liu, this guy really is a bit clever, just like you said. Starting by giving the village an identity and defining its style is quite interesting. And choosing Cantonese culture, which is relatively rare as a subject, makes it stand out.”

Shuping also offered his evaluation.

Taking the opportunity, Xiao Sa introduced, “Teachers, according to the information, Contestant No. 48, Lu Chen, is from Guangdong Province and entered the national top 64 as the top scorer in the regional competition.”

“So he’s from Guangdong? No wonder he set this tone,” Yan Geling said and understood.

“Guangdong culture has a strong sense of clans, and ancestral hall culture is its soul. Incorporating the concept of clans into the story is, in my opinion, a great creative direction,” Liu Heping nodded slightly, expressing his appreciation for Lu Chen’s approach.

For industry professionals, drawing from personal experiences as the foundation of creativity is always a clever and effective strategy!

At this moment, Chen Sicheng stared at Lu Chen’s handsome profile and felt an inexplicable pang of discomfort rising within him.

“It all depends on how he writes the rest. I feel this subject is quite difficult. At least, I don’t have any ideas for it. With No. 48 being so young, I believe his experience might not be sufficient to support such a theme.”

Hearing this, Shuping glanced sideways at Chen Sicheng. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy seemed to harbor some hostility towards Lu Chen… Though he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination…

Yan Geling also glanced at Chen Sicheng out of the corner of his eye, sharing a similar thought.

Meanwhile, Liu Heping remained calm and composed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Even Xiao Sa noticed the sudden tension in the judges’ room but said nothing. After all, it was normal for judges to have differing opinions. For the production team, differing opinions among judges only added to the show’s buzz!

He turned his attention back to the screen, only to find that Lu Chen had suddenly moved to the whiteboard.

“Huh, is he about to write something?”

Xiao Sa quickly pointed out.

The judges immediately focused their attention.

……

Inside the room, Lu Chen picked up the black marker again. The concept of Tazhai Village had already been outlined. The next step was to introduce a key character—Lin Yaodong!

In the original story, Lin Yaodong was described like this—Lin Yaodong lost his father at a young age, wore patched clothes, and grew up eating scraps. However, he was clever, resourceful, and daring.

He made his first fortune by collecting scrap and, driven by ambition, turned to smuggling cars. After being forced to flee to Hong Kong due to exposure, he returned as a wealthy man and successfully ran for village chief of Tazhai.

Afterward, he led the villagers into drug manufacturing, building a drug empire that exported overseas! Under his leadership, Tazhai became a well-known prosperous village, locally and nationally.

Lin Yaodong not only managed the village but also his public persona. He became a member of the Dongshan City People’s Representative Assembly and held multiple positive roles, such as philanthropist, investor, and major taxpayer. In short, Uncle Dong was undoubtedly a talent!

Unfortunately, all his ingenuity was directed toward the wrong path. Lu Chen believed that if Lin Yaodong had channeled his personality into legitimate business, he could have achieved remarkable success. With his charisma, every business deal would have been a sure win. So next, Lu Chen’s goal was to gradually flesh out Lin Yaodong’s story.

As long as Lin Yaodong’s storyline was solid, the narrative of Tazhai Village would naturally follow. Then, by designing Li Fei and Li Weimin to establish the police angle, the overall framework of The Thunder would emerge. Therefore, crafting Lin Yaodong was the linchpin to success!

After all, in The Thunder, Lin Yaodong is the true core protagonist!

As for Li Fei?

Many viewers found Li Fei’s character unlikable and annoying. But understanding his role made it clear that his unpopularity was inevitable. The entire plot of The Thunder relied on him as a trailblazer to gradually uncover the truth. His recklessness was an inherent trait baked into the character from the beginning.

As a tool to advance the plot, how could such a blunt character be beloved?

Especially when he carried the ‘protagonist’ title! Being disliked made perfect sense. This lack of relatability is a common issue for main characters in this genre.

Not just Li Fei—Hou Liangping in In the Name of the People had similar problems. Thus, the key to success lay in designing Lin Yaodong well!

This warranted a significant investment of time and effort from Lu Chen.

With this in mind, Lu Chen continued writing. The whiteboard quickly filled with lines of text.

[Tazhai: Tentative village name. Keywords: poverty, backwardness.].

[Story summary: The protagonist, Lin Yaodong, grew up in a poor family. He lost his father at a young age, wore patched clothes, and ate scraps. Frequently bullied by peers, he was determined and unyielding, refusing to bow to fate. He vowed to live a good life and provide for his family. Dropping out of school in junior high due to poverty, he self-studied and built a solid foundation of knowledge. Later, he began trying his hand at business, selling street food, and running a small stall. Although he earned little, those modest days brought him a sense of happiness he had never experienced before. This went on for two years. As his experience grew, and he better understood those around him, Lin Yaodong was no longer content with being a street vendor. He aspired to earn more money, constantly seeking opportunities to find a lucrative industry…].

At this point, Lu Chen deliberately paused, assuming a pensive posture. Story development required pushing forward step by step. Writing everything at once would make it no different from directly drafting a screenplay. Pausing and reflecting was an essential part of the creative process!

Seeing Lu Chen stop suddenly, the judges’ room grew curious.

“Huh, is Lu Chen writing about a rural young man’s rise to prominence?” Xiao Sa asked.

“It does seem that way,” Shuping nodded.

Meanwhile, Chen Sicheng smirked slightly, showing a hint—barely noticeable—of disdain.

“I said the plot depends on what follows. Look, it’s still the same old formula, focusing on rural themes. However, I must admit, the rise of a small character is a common and emotionally engaging theme in both rural and urban stories. The trajectory and emotional resonance are rich.”

“Yes, small character rise stories are inherently compelling because of their relatability. Watching the protagonist gain strength, change their circumstances, and shift the attitudes of those around them is always captivating,” Shuping remarked.

“Is Lu Chen using the clan framework simply to align with local customs and culture?”

Yan Geling frowned, puzzled.

At this point, Lu Chen’s story development hadn’t elevated the sense of anticipation. Instead, it seemed to fall into conventional tropes, causing expectations to drop.

This…

To be honest, Yan Geling felt slightly disappointed with the story’s opening…