Chapter 10: What Did You Do to Lima?

In the upstairs bedroom, Luca wasn't watching adult films, nor was he using drugs.

Lately, he's been going to bed early, waking up early, maintaining a regular workout routine, and sticking to a balanced diet and lifestyle. After two weeks of hard work, he managed to kick those bad habits. Even when his cravings for alcohol and drugs flared up occasionally, he could grit his teeth and resist.

Throughout this process, he realized one thing: a man has to be tough on himself to be tough on others.

*Tap, tap, tap...*

At the computer desk, Luca began working. He was copying a script.

Luca is a professional screenwriter.

When he first entered the industry, the seasoned writers told him that to get the hang of it quickly, he needed to learn from others' successful experiences and analyze some successful movie scripts. Those scripts are like nutrients—the more you absorb, the greater your potential.

Luca found this advice reasonable.

As the saying goes, "Read a book a hundred times, and its meaning will naturally reveal itself." "Read the Tang poems three hundred times; you might not be able to write poetry, but you will recite it."

If a screenwriter doesn't analyze hundreds of successful movie scripts, how can they make a name for themselves? Unless they have money or connections.

Luca was an orphan with neither money nor connections, so he had to rely on himself for everything.

After starting the job, in his first two years, he would analyze and break down two major films every week on average. These were mainly Hollywood films, Eastern films, Korean films, and some from his own country.

He analyzed these films one by one, regardless of box office performance, as long as they had high ratings on Douban.

From the script itself to dialogue design, shooting techniques, camera language, storylines, character portrayals, to the music, lighting, props, and editing, he even analyzed some of the movie reviews.

He analyzed both the successes and failures of each film.

For each movie, he wrote tens of thousands of words in his script analysis notes. For "The Godfather" series, he once wrote over 100,000 words. It wasn't just copy-pasting; it was written word by word.

At the beginning, all the new screenwriters wrote these analyses. After finishing, everyone would exchange insights and hold meetings to discuss who wrote the best.

They would drink a little, share writing experiences; those were fulfilling and enjoyable days.

But after half a year, he was the only one still writing.

Because after being in the industry for a while, everyone gradually realized a fact: No matter how good a script is, it's useless unless it gets made into a movie. Being able to make money is what truly counts.

This was the truth.

Luca also tried writing a couple of scripts and submitted them, but there was no response.

Feeling his skills were lacking, he focused on learning.

After two years of learning, he planned to make a stunning debut, but unfortunately, the studio went bankrupt.

He became a freelance screenwriter, taking odd jobs here and there.

In the next seven years, he participated in the scriptwriting of nearly a hundred films and TV series.

Unfortunately, none of these films were ones he wrote independently. Even if a script won an award, it didn't feel satisfying.

In his previous life, his biggest dream was to complete a script independently and receive an award on stage alone, a dream that never came true.

In this life?

He thinks it's possible.

*"In this world, there are two kinds of people: those who live in garden villas and those like us, who mow the lawn and wash cars for them. Becoming a professional player could change all that."*

This is a line from the movie "Goal!".

Recently, Luca had been pondering which movie to copy.

Coincidentally, not long ago, a British soccer movie called "Bend It Like Beckham" was released in the United States. The production cost was less than $500,000, but it grossed $76 million worldwide, sparking a trend in sports-themed movies.

After thinking for a long time, Luca decided to adapt a soccer-related movie—"Goal!".

This movie didn't perform well at the box office, but it was highly rated. Plus, it was a soccer film, and his past self was a national team player. Writing a soccer-themed movie now wouldn't seem out of place.

So after careful consideration, he decided to make this movie his debut.

"Goal!" tells the story of a young soccer player's American dream.

In the movie, the protagonist leaves his hometown with his family and moves to Los Angeles.

While working at a Chinese restaurant, he often appears on a simple soccer field by the street. His agility and skill soon catch the eye of a scout.

Through his soccer talent and relentless effort, he eventually becomes a superstar in the English Premier League, playing for Newcastle United.

The narrative style of this movie is quite simple, and the story closely aligns with his previous identity. Using this script as a debut wouldn't seem abrupt.

While adapting the script, Luca made a few changes. The protagonist's nationality was changed to Brazilian, and his appearance was made to resemble himself more closely. He also changed the name to "Kaka."

His previous self knew Kaka and even played soccer together.

Unfortunately, his past self became a cripple after a car accident, while Kaka was making his mark in the soccer world, about to soar to great heights.

Using Kaka's fame to ride a wave of popularity.

*"Kaka, the ball always travels faster than you, so we need to pass."*

*Bang!*

As he was creating, the door suddenly opened, and someone shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?!"

Luca was startled and turned around, annoyed, to see Lima standing at the door, arms crossed, her full lips pressed together, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Lima, why are you shouting?"

"Haha, gotcha! Luca, were you up to no good? You were so focused!"

Lima walked over with her long legs, bent down, and glanced at the screen. There was only a document with lines and lines of words.

Somewhat disappointed, she asked, "What's this?"

"A movie review, a homework assignment."

The script wasn't finished yet, and Luca didn't plan to make it public.

"You were just doing homework in here?"

Lima furrowed her thick brown eyebrows, looking both surprised and suspicious.

"What else?"

Luca asked back, a bit irritated.

"I thought... haha, never mind, keep writing!"

Lima waved her hand, turned, and sat on the bed. She looked around his bedroom. The bed, wardrobe, and sofa were all neatly organized. The floor, walls, and desk were spotless, and there was even a pleasant fragrance.

Lima raised an eyebrow, noticing a big change.

Previously, the room had been plastered with hot posters of female stars and models, including herself and Kate's lingerie posters, but they were gone now.

There was also a new white art bookshelf in the corner.

The shelf was filled with hundreds of books and magazines related to film and acting, including "Hollywood Screenplay Structure Studies," "The Soul of Film," "Film Aesthetics," "Basic Theory of Film," "On Film Screenwriting, Directing, and Acting," "Film Asset Management," "The Power of Cinematography," "Classic Film Appreciation," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "A Song of Ice and Fire," and so on.

On the desk lay a thick, open book and a notebook, making it look like a studious person's room.

*Tap, tap, tap...*

The rhythmic tapping sound came from beside her, and Lima's gaze shifted back to him.

He was wearing a gray long shirt and casual pants, simple yet stylish. His dark brown, medium-length hair was clean and neat, with just a lock falling over his brow. His eyebrows were beautiful, dark brown, thick, and long.

At this moment, he was frowning slightly, his well-shaped lips pressed together, his dark eyes fixed on the screen without blinking, his hands flying over the keyboard. The white glow reflected on his face made his fair complexion appear even more handsome, adding a touch of mature charm and wisdom.

Lima quietly observed his profile, puzzled. Since when did this guy become so good-looking?

"What are you looking at?"

Suddenly, Luca turned his head and asked.

Lima casually turned her head and brushed the hair falling over her ear. "Nothing, your room is a mess."

"Where?"

Luca glanced around, not seeing anything out of place.

"Everywhere. You're still the same as always; nothing has changed!"

Lima flipped her hair, twisting her waist, tightly wrapped in a body-hugging skirt, and went downstairs in a huff. The air lingered with the seductive scent of J'adore perfume—elegant, yet wild and bold.

Luca glanced at the empty doorway, not knowing what had gotten into her.

Oh well.

He didn't bother thinking too much and quietly continued typing.

"Luca!"

After a while, Kate came upstairs again, grabbing both his ears and questioning him, "Fess up, what did you do to Lima?"

"What?"

Luca was baffled.

"Don't play dumb. Lima rushed out of here and left after barely saying anything. Did you do something to her?"

Kate raised her sharp eyebrows, looking a bit annoyed.

Luca almost cried, "Kate, I haven't left this chair since I came in. What do you think I could have done?"

Kate stared at him for a couple of seconds, puzzled. "Then why did Lima leave in such a hurry?"

"You could call her and ask. I'd like to know too," Luca shrugged.

Kate thought for a moment, still puzzled. She glanced at the computer screen, "What are you writing?"

"A screenplay," Luca explained. "My screenwriting instructor encouraged us to be bold and create stories we want to tell."

"Goal of a Lifetime?" 

Kate shoved him aside unceremoniously to share the seat on the sofa. "Brazilian youth team, soccer, coach, the pitch... Are you writing about soccer?"

"Yes, I am. I know a lot about soccer. I wanted to use it as a starting point and rewrite a story about a Brazilian soccer player trying to make it in America, drawing from my own experiences."

"Your story? Sounds really good."

Kate was flipping through a few pages with great interest. "The beginning is really exciting, even more interesting than articles in fashion magazines, but..."

"But what?" 

"But, Luca, why am I not in your story?" Kate raised her eyebrows, sounding a bit dissatisfied.

Luca sighed, "Kate, think about it. If the main character had a supermodel sister worth millions, even if he succeeded, could it still be considered an American dream?"

"Haha, you're right. But you have to include me in the next story."

"Emmm, alright!"