Old Hu’s tears immediately vanished. "What genre is the next script? Is it another crime procedural?"

It wasn’t just Old Hu; everyone on the crew perked up their ears. After all, it was a crew dinner, and nearly all the actors were present. The moment they heard there was another script, who wouldn’t want to be in another one of Tang Li’s productions?

Tang Li eyed Old Hu suspiciously. "Were those real tears or fake ones? Your expression changed in a flash. I suspect you’re trying to play me."

"Hah, of course not," Old Hu said, waving his hand dismissively. He was genuinely happy, but he also genuinely wanted the script. If tears could get him a script, Old Hu felt he was no less capable than Lady Meng Jiang.

"It depends on what genre you want to shoot. I personally prefer suspense. But if you’ve been shooting serious dramas for a while and want to do a lighthearted rom-com to scratch an itch, I’m not against it. I have scripts for everything, anyway."

Tang Li spoke with the confidence of someone with endless resources. Tan You was always writing scripts in her spare time. Writing is addictive, and especially after Tang Li started writing scripts herself, she had dabbled in basically every genre.

Of course, Tan You herself was most partial to suspense and crime procedurals, so Tang Li had the most scripts of that type.

Old Hu’s eyes lit up like little lightbulbs. "Adults don’t make choices. I want them all."

Tang Li said, "Then come over to my place some other day to look at the scripts."

"Why wait? Let’s go now! Everyone’s about done eating, right? Let’s all head out." Old Hu was impatient, clamoring to leave despite the fact that not even half the dishes had been served.

The male lead, Yun Qi, smiled. "Sister Li Zi, we’d like to look at the scripts too."

Tang Li looked at the crowd and saw that practically everyone was staring at her with pleading eyes. Tang Li touched her forehead. "Fine, let’s all go then. But let me be clear, a production only needs a limited number of actors..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"We understand," the second male lead said with a smile. "Actually, after being in your last production, Sister Li Zi, we’ve all been getting plenty of offers. We just want to try our luck with you first. It’ll all come down to who’s the best fit for the part."

"Alright, let’s go then," Tang Li said, glancing at Ye Qian. "Ye Qian is preparing for her movie, so she won’t be available for a TV series."

Hearing this, the second female lead’s heart started pounding. ’If Ye Qian isn’t competing, does that mean my chances are much better?’

With scripts dangling in front of them, no one had the heart to continue eating. And so, in less than an hour, everyone had gathered at Tang Li’s house.

People sat in small groups, all with their heads buried in scripts. Of course, everyone had their own preferences.

Take Yun Qi, for example. He picked up a script for a crime procedural. After all, a righteous male lead role like that could be a real standout performance if played well.

Director Hu looked at the scripts in Tang Li’s drawer like a fat mouse that had fallen into a rice vat. He wanted every single one, but he was only one person and couldn’t possibly shoot them all.

Besides, Old Hu had his own selfish thoughts. ’If Tang Li starts working with more established TV directors, will I still be her one and only?’

Tang Li saw right through Old Hu’s thoughts. "Do I look like that generous of a person? One or two collaborating directors is enough. Any more than that, and it’s easy for favoritism to creep in."

Old Hu beamed instantly. "Hehe, Li Zi is the most loyal!"

He sifted through the stack of scripts in front of him. "I never thought I’d see the day I’d be spoiled for choice."

"Li Zi, got any suggestions?"

Tang Li thought for a moment, her gaze sweeping past Chen Ling, the previous series’ second female lead. She pulled a script from the middle of the stack. "I watched a horror movie a few days ago, and to be honest, I thought it was pretty lame. How would you feel about shooting a Chinese-style horror TV series?"

"We’re not going for bloody scenes, but for a specific atmosphere. I think Chen Ling’s look is quite suitable for it."

Chen Ling’s back stiffened. She never expected such a huge opportunity to literally fall into her lap. For a moment, she was too excited to even know what to say.

Old Hu narrowed his eyes. "Chinese-style horror? What do you mean by that?"

Tang Li pondered for a moment. "Entangled karma brings endless nightmares; the indifferent Heavenly Dao easily claims lives. The past often hides deep resentments, with good and evil, love and hate as the root cause. That’s my understanding of Chinese-style horror."

"As for the various types of horror on the market, they can be summarized into four categories. The first is where death is just a beheading, but the living are terrified by the gore. It’s about overwhelming power, immortal bodies, idiotic companions, and desolate wildernesses."

"To put it more elegantly: seas of blood, mountains of corpses, rotting flesh; flaying, tendon-pulling, and decapitation. Rusted, dilapidated places, brutal blades, and merciless beasts."

"The second type is where life and death are in constant flux, and the familiar suddenly becomes strange. Life is perpetually watched by evil spirits; reaching out a hand feels like crossing into the netherworld."

"There’s no escape, no matter where you fly or hide, and the mystery is inexplicably difficult to solve. The bizarre is hidden in the mundane details of daily life, and evil spirits are everywhere."

"The third type is where gods and demons are indistinguishable, love and hate are inextricably tangled. Life and death are full of illusions and dreams; there’s no escape, yet you remain ignorant and confused."

"As long as the obsession remains, the ghost will not rest; hints from gods and buddhas are difficult for mortals to comprehend. Just when a new path seems to appear, it turns out to be a steady march toward the underworld."

"The fourth type is a hell even without ghosts. Are you truly sane? Everything is a blur of confusion, and only death is the great equalizer for all beings."

"There will always be evil people in the world; the most terrifying thing is often the human heart. People harm each other, regardless of life or death, while the ghosts themselves are blurry and indistinct."

Seeing that everyone was gradually becoming engrossed, Tang Li really got on a roll, as she had genuinely done her homework on the topic.

"But in my opinion, none of these are truly scary. Our people might be frightened for a moment, but deep down, they know it’s all fake, all illusory."

"In my understanding, Chinese-style horror is a horror of *rules*. It isn’t a specific creature or entity, but an entire value system. It’s especially vast, integrated into the heart and mind of every person... It’s on a higher dimension, and it seems only people from our own country can fully *get* how terrifying it is."

Old Hu was completely captivated. After a long silence, he finally took the script. The actors present were all dumbfounded, never expecting Tang Li to have so many insights on the topic of horror alone.

Tang Li took a sip of tea. "But to be honest, this kind of horror is very difficult to film. The main challenges are expressing its core themes and building the right atmosphere. All of that requires careful deliberation."

"Take Chen Ling’s image, for example. Imagine her on a pitch-black night, with her long hair draped over her shoulders, her lips painted a vivid red, wearing embroidered slippers... and carrying a lantern in her hand..."

Old Hu subconsciously rubbed his arms. "I can picture it. But isn’t Chen Ling’s face a bit too young-looking for that?"

Sister Yun stared at Chen Ling’s baby face. "That’s exactly what makes it even more terrifying!"

She had clearly *gotten* what Tang Li was trying to express. "Seriously, you can’t think about it too much. The more you think, the scarier it gets."

Chen Lin pouted. "How am I scary?"

Tang Li said, "They’re scared by the scenes they’re imagining. Our culture is very old, and we grow up hearing many stories about ghosts and monsters, so it’s easy for people to make those connections."