Chapter 6: Chen's Directing Principles

Chen's Directing Principles: The Ninth Principle —

Creating and developing a plot fundamentally relies on establishing conflicts. If the inherent conflict of the story is weak or not engaging enough, then create 'misunderstandings' to drive the plot forward.

Chen Ling's mind flashed with a few principles he had secretly summarized during his previous life as a director, and a smile flickered in his eyes.

Audience Expectation: 3Current Expectation: 32

The moment these two lines flashed in the soymilk, Chen Ling knew he had guessed correctly.

Uncle Zhao's expression visibly stiffened. He looked at Chen Ling in astonishment, first bewildered, then shocked, and finally fell into a deathly silence...

"Uncle Zhao, I promised Little Yi I'd keep his secret... but Uncle, Little Yi is your only son, and you must want him to carry on the family name... and he's always hanging out with another boy, which will really affect his studies." Chen Ling sighed, "Today, I even saw him sitting on the back of that boy's bike, smiling so happily, I don't know how delighted he was..."

Uncle Zhao's body trembled slightly, his hands involuntarily clenched into fists, and his breathing grew heavier.

"Alright... I understand, A-Ling." Uncle Zhao forced a smile that looked somewhat eerie. "Thank you, A-Ling."

"Oh, right, Uncle, I promised Little Yi I'd keep this a secret, so you absolutely must not tell him I told you..."

"Don't worry, I know."

After finishing his last sip of soymilk, Chen Ling bid farewell to Uncle Zhao and left the shop.

Uncle Zhao, however, seemed not to have heard. He rummaged through the room with his head down, searching for something. A few minutes later, he pulled a fist-thick stick from a corner and slowly sat down on the bench outside his shop.

A cold wind swept down the street, ruffling Uncle Zhao's sparse hair and the sweat-soaked towel on his forehead.

He sat there quietly, one hand resting the stick on the ground, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the end of the street, looking every bit like a fierce general seething with menace.

Chen Ling appeared to leave the street, but in reality, he secretly circled back through an alley. He stood in the shade of a tree in the corner, with a perfect view of the entire shop.

A few minutes later, a tricycle swayed into view from the end of the road.

Zhao Yi sat on the side of the tricycle with his legs crossed. The two buckets of salt behind him were completely empty. He played with the few copper coins he had just earned, grinning so wide his mouth almost reached his ears.

"Hey, making money isn't that hard after all."

"Brother Yi, of course it's not hard for you; I'm the one who's been cycling all day!" The boy in front stood up, pedaling the tricycle with effort, gasping for breath.

"We're all brothers; there's no 'yours' and 'mine' between us."

Zhao Yi took out two copper coins from his palm and slipped them into the boy's pocket. "Here, for you."

Not far away, Uncle Zhao's eyelid twitched when he saw Zhao Yi casually touching the boy's waist.

"Brother Yi, I rode for you all day, and you only gave me two coins??" The boy's eyes widened. "Didn't you get twenty from the Road Administration Bureau?"

"Riding is physical labor; spreading salt is skilled work, so of course I get a bigger share."

Zhao Yi replied lazily, then jumped off the tricycle, squinted, and waved at the boy with a smile. "I'll wait for you in our usual spot tomorrow... If you dare not show up, I'll beat you every time I see you, understand?"

With that, he clutched the remaining eighteen copper coins in his hand and walked towards his family's shop with his head held high.

The boy on the tricycle glared at him angrily, but as Zhao Yi glared back fiercely, he instantly cowered, able only to dejectedly continue pedaling his way home alone.

Zhao Yi, the young bully of Frost Street, was virtually untouchable among his peers. The boy who had ridden for him all day for free could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

"Dad, I'm back!!"

Zhao Yi strode forward, eighteen copper coins clutched in his hand. He had never returned home with such confidence.

But for some reason, as soon as he reached the shop entrance, he felt a chilling aura wash over him.

The figure holding the wooden stick slowly stood up. The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point as Uncle Zhao's angry gaze locked onto Zhao Yi. He walked towards him menacingly, like a general wielding a spear.

"D-Dad?" Zhao Yi instinctively took a step back when he saw the stick.

"It's him, isn't it?" Uncle Zhao pointed a trembling finger at the panting boy cycling away in the distance. "You little bastard! Instead of focusing on your studies, you're secretly getting involved in this?!"

"If you were having a proper relationship with a girl, that would be one thing, but you're finding a *boy*?"

"Can a boy give you children?! Can he carry on our Old Zhao family line?!"

"Are you trying to end your father's lineage?!"

Uncle Zhao cursed him wildly while chasing Zhao Yi relentlessly with the stick, the latter yelping in pain from the blows.

Hearing Uncle Zhao's angry shouts, neighbors on half the street pricked up their ears.

They gathered nearby curiously, pointing fingers at the fleeing Zhao Yi. No one knew what they were saying to each other, but expressions of shock simultaneously appeared on their faces.

Audience Expectation: 1...1...1...

As Zhao Yi yelped from the beating, the numbers before Chen Ling's eyes began to jump erratically.

If he could re-enter the theater in his mind, he would see the countless shadowy 'audience' members watching the scene with keen interest, a subtle smile playing on their lips.

"The conflict is right... but there aren't enough characters involved yet." Chen Ling's gaze fell on the tricycle in the distance.

"Little Liu."

Hearing Chen Ling's call, the boy on the bike, who was bewilderedly watching the drama unfold, turned his head.

"Brother A-Ling, you're here too?"

"How much did Little Yi pay you for going to melt snow today?"

"...Two coins." At the mention of it, resentment appeared on the boy's face. "He went back on his word. He originally said I'd ride the bike and get the larger share of the money we earned, but he only gave me this much. He even threatened me to keep working for him tomorrow..."

"Do you want to get back at him?" Chen Ling looked into his eyes. "Or rather, do you want him to never dare bully you again, even to the point of avoiding you when he sees you?"

"Yes!!"

"Then I'll teach you..."

While the two whispered, Zhao Yi was already exhausted from being chased.

"Dad, Dad, stop hitting me! I'm really not gay!" Zhao Yi finally reacted, explaining desperately, "I swear, I, Zhao Yi, have always only liked women! Especially the plump, shapely kind..."

The mouths of the onlookers slightly parted, deep in thought.

Uncle Zhao froze, and his steps immediately slowed.

"Then what's your relationship with that boy who was riding the bike?"

"We're just normal friends!"

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course I am—"

"Brother Yi!" A boy's figure pushed through the crowd and rushed madly to Zhao Yi's side, wrapping his arms around Zhao Yi's body and using his back to shield him from the wooden stick.

Zhao Yi was stunned.Uncle Zhao was stunned too.

"You..."

Zhao Yi's mind went blank.

Before Zhao Yi could speak, the boy, with reddened eyes, loudly addressed Uncle Zhao:

"If you want to hit someone, hit me! Don't hit my Brother Yi!!!"

The atmosphere suddenly became deadly silent!

Audience Expectation: 2...2...2...2...