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T/L: Chen Ling, you’re so sly~
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Chen Ling contemplated his 9th Rule of "Chen Ling's Directing Principles":
The heart of crafting a compelling plot lies in building conflicts. If the inherent conflict lacks the strength to engage and captivate the audience, introduce 'misunderstandings' to propel the storyline.
In his mind, Chen Ling recalled several rules he had quietly compiled from his previous life as a director, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
【Audience Expectation +3】
【Current Expectation: 32%】
Seeing these two lines flash in the soy milk, Chen Ling knew he guessed right.
Uncle Zhao's expression visibly stiffened.
He stared at Chen Ling in disbelief, initially bewildered, then shocked, finally sinking into a deathly silence...
"Uncle Zhao, I promised Xiao Yi to keep this a secret... But, uncle, Xiao Yi is your only son, surely you're thinking about him carrying on the family line... And he's always hanging out with another boy, it will really affect his studies."
Chen Ling sighed, "Today, I also saw him sitting in that boy's car's backseat, looking extremely happy..."
Zhao Shu's body trembled slightly, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his breathing becoming heavier.
"Alright... Uncle understands." Uncle Zhao forced a smile on his face, looking somewhat eerie, "Thank you, Ah Ling."
"Oh, by the way, Uncle, I promised Xiao Yi to keep this between us, so you mustn't tell him that I told you..."
"Don't worry, Uncle knows."
After finishing the last sip of soy milk, Chen Ling bid farewell to Uncle Zhao and left the shop.
But Uncle Zhao seemed oblivious, burying his head in the shop, searching for something. A few minutes later, he retrieved a thick stick from the corner, slowly sitting on the bench outside the shop's entrance.
A gust of cold wind swept through the street, lifting Uncle Zhao's few remaining hairs and the towel on his sweaty forehead.
He sat there quietly, tapping the ground with the stick, his bloodshot eyes staring intensely at the end of the street, resembling a fierce general filled with murderous intent!
Chen Ling appeared to leave the street, but actually sneaked back through the alleyway.
He stood under the shade of a tree in the corner, having a perfect view of the entire shop.
A few minutes later, a tricycle swayed its way from the end of the road.
Zhao Yi sat with his legs crossed on the side of the cart, the two buckets of salt behind him already emptied. He played with a few copper coins he had just earned, his smile almost reaching his ears.
"Hey, making money isn't that hard."
"Brother Yi, of course, it's not hard for you. I'm the one riding the cart all day!" The young man in front stood up, pushing the tricycle with all his strength, panting heavily.
"We're brothers, why differentiate between you and me."
Zhao Yi took out two copper coins from his palm and stuffed them into the young man's pocket, "Here, for you."
Not far away, Uncle Zhao, who saw Zhao Yi touching the young man's waist voluntarily, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
"Brother Yi, I rode the cart for a whole day, and you're only giving me two coins??" The young man widened his eyes, "Didn't you receive twenty from the Road Administration?!"
"Riding the cart is physical labor, spreading salt is skilled work, of course, I should get more."
Zhao Yi lazily replied, then leaped off the tricycle and smirked, squinting as he waved to the young man, "I'll be waiting for you at the usual spot tomorrow... If you dare not to come, every time I see you, I'll beat you up. Got it?"
With that said, he clenched the remaining eighteen copper coins in his hand and proudly walked towards his own shop.
The cycling young man glared angrily at him, but as Zhao Yi returned the fierce gaze, he immediately backed down, hanging his head dejectedly and pedaling home alone.
Zhao Yi, the bully of Cold Frost Street, was hardly someone anyone in the younger generation dared to provoke. Even though the cycling youth was taken advantage of for a day, he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.
"Dad, I'm back!!" Zhao Yi strode confidently, holding eighteen copper coins in his hand, feeling more self-assured than ever before on his way home.
However, for some reason, as soon as he reached the doorstep of his shop, he felt a chill wash over him.
The figure holding a wooden stick slowly stood up, and the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point. Uncle Zhao's furious gaze locked onto Zhao Yi, like that of a general wielding a long spear, aggressively approaching him.
"F-Father?" Zhao Yi saw the stick and instinctively took a step back.
"It's him, isn't it?" Zhao Uncle pointed a trembling finger at the young man who was cycling away, his hand shaking with rage.
"You little bastard! Instead of studying properly, you sneak around doing this?!"
"If you were just dating a girl properly, I would've let it slide, but you're messing around with a guy?!"
"Can a guy bear you children?! Can he carry on the Zhao family name?!"
"You're trying to end the lineage of your old man?!!"
As Zhao Uncle cursed vehemently, he relentlessly chased after Zhao Yi with the stick, causing the latter to cry out in pain.
Hearing Uncle Zhao's furious curses, the neighbors on the street perked up their ears.
They curiously gathered around, pointing and gossiping about Zhao Yi being chased, their faces showing a mixture of shock.
【Viewer anticipation +1... +1... +1...】
As Zhao Yi cried out in pain, the numbers in Chen Ling's vision began to fluctuate rapidly.
If he could re-enter the theater in his mind, he would see the dense crowd of "audience members," eagerly watching this scene unfold, with subtle smiles on their lips.
"The conflict is there... but the cast isn't enough." Chen Ling's gaze fell on the tricycle in the distance.
"Xiao Liu."
Hearing Chen Ling's call, the cycling youth, who was confusedly eating melon seeds, turned his head.
"A-Ling ge, you're here too?"
"You guys went to Rongxue today, how much money did Xiao Yi give you?"
"...Two copper coins." Mentioning this, the young man's face filled with resentment. "He reneged on his promise. He originally said he'd let me ride the bike and split the earnings with me, but he only gave me this little, and even threatened me to continue working for him tomorrow..."
"Do you want to get back at him?" Chen Ling stared into his eyes. "Or, do you want him to never dare to bully you again, maybe even avoid you altogether in the future?"
"I do!!"
"Then let me teach you..."
Just as the two were whispering, Zhao Yi was already exhausted from being chased.
"Dad, please stop! I really didn't do anything!" Zhao Yi finally reacted, desperately explaining, "I swear, I, Zhao Yi, have always only liked women! Especially those who are plump and charming..."
The mouths of the onlookers slightly opened, contemplating.
Zhao Uncle paused, his footsteps slowing down.
"Then what's your relationship with the boy riding the bike?"
"We're just ordinary friends!"
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, it's true..."
"Brother Xiao Yi!" A teenager surged through the crowd, frantically racing to Zhao Yi's side. He opened his arms, intending to envelop Zhao Yi's body, using his back as a shield against the incoming wooden stick.
Zhao Yi was stunned.
Uncle Zhao was also stunned.
"You..." Zhao Yi's mind went blank.
Before Zhao Yi could speak, the teenager with reddened eyes shouted loudly at Uncle Zhao:
"If you want to hit someone, hit me! Don't you dare hit my Brother Xiao Yi!!"
The atmosphere suddenly fell into silence!
【Viewer anticipation +2... +2... +2... +2...】