Chapter 144: You Guys Are Being So Melodramatic (Bonus Chapter for 1400 Initial Subscriptions)

"I have a deep respect for the original novel *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, but as a professional film and television screenwriter who has worked on the scripts of numerous TV series, I know how to present television content to satisfy the audience. As the author, your job is simply to write a good novel. You don't understand television screenplays, and you shouldn't meddle in them."

When Liu Changshan accepted an interview with reporters, his tone was utterly devoid of politeness, explicitly complaining that Zhang Tan was interfering with his creative process.

*The Legend of the Condor Heroes* had hired several screenwriters to collaborate on the script, with Liu Changshan acting as the lead writer. His voice effectively represented the stance of the remaining screenwriters.

Sure enough, before Zhang Tan even knew what was happening, the other screenwriters also spoke out.

Screenwriter Yang Hongjun told reporters: "Our scriptwriting process has been very smooth, and everyone is quite satisfied. After submitting it to the director's team, we also received a satisfactory response. The only hurdle we failed to clear was the original author, who launched a scathing attack on the script and dismissed it as utterly worthless, which is completely incomprehensible."

"Shouldn't young people be open-minded? Are writing a script and writing a novel the same thing? This is sheer nonsense!" said screenwriter Shi Rui.

The joint attack by the three screenwriters instantly thrust *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, a project that already enjoyed a high level of public attention, into another continuous uproar.

Before Zhang Dadao's studio could even react, this script-related farce made the entertainment headlines of major media outlets.

"Screenwriters Lash Out at *Condor* Original Author: Lacking True Understanding Yet Meddling Blindly in the Script!"

"Can Someone Who Writes Books Write Scripts Too? Is Zhang Tan a Genius or a Fool?"

"Discord Plagues *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* Production Crew: Screenwriters Accuse Author Zhang Tan of Interfering with Work."

"Mainland Wuxia Grandmaster Zhang Tan Dissatisfied with Screenwriters' Messy Writing; *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* Filming Postponed Indefinitely."

"Is This Young Man Too Confident or Too Arrogant? *Condor* Screenwriters Launch Simultaneous Attack."

"Screenwriters Expose Zhang Tan for Putting on Airs and Demanding to Write the Script Himself."

"Achieving Fame Too Young Leads to Lost Direction: Has Zhang Tan Forgotten He Is Merely an Author?"

"What Lies Behind the Screenwriters' Chorus of Abuse Against Zhang Tan?"

"Liu Changshan, Screenwriter of *Condor*, Angrily Denounces Original Author Zhang Tan."

"Yesterday, Screenwriters of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* Voice Accusations Against Zhang Tan for Recklessly Meddling in Script Creation." This was the title of a long, illustrated feature article in the entertainment news section of the *Jinghua Times*.

The piece included interview transcripts from the three screenwriters, including Liu Changshan.

"I greatly admire Zhang Tan's achievements in literature; *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* is quite well-written. At his age—seventeen, right?—writing such a mature work is no easy feat in itself. Although, from our perspective as screenwriters, the book still has many shortcomings, it is certainly worth encouraging."

Liu Changshan spoke fluently and at length: "However, writing a novel and writing a script are vastly different. The medium of a novel is two-dimensional, whereas a script is three-dimensional. You cannot simply claim that because you excel at writing novels, you know how to write scripts. Since Zhang Dadao's studio chose to let us write the script, shouldn't they respect our creative process?"

Yang Hongjun also stated during his interview: "If he, Zhang Tan, loves screenwriting so much that he wants to quit writing novels and become a screenwriter instead, we welcome him. We wouldn't even object to handing the script over for him to write. But he is not a screenwriter. Every profession has its specialization; if you are not a screenwriter, you shouldn't meddle in screenwriting work. Film and television productions have to face the audience. This isn't like writing a novel, where if it's poorly written, at worst it simply won't sell. If a TV show is poorly made, it loses real money."

Finally, there was Shi Rui's interview: "Actually, we initially revised a draft of the script according to his suggestions, but he still wasn't satisfied and insisted on doing things entirely his own way. That is unreasonable, and when things are unreasonable, we have to speak out. The script is the core of a production. I don't have a personal grievance against him; I am simply dissatisfied with his actions. I hope young people can show some respect for the creative efforts of their seniors."

Meanwhile, the *Jinghua Times* also offered its own perspective.

"As a wuxia author, Zhang Tan is undoubtedly successful. Every novel he has written has been a bestseller, winning high praise from readers. As a teenager, he has far surpassed his peers, and the wealth he has accumulated even exceeds that of most adults. The recent commencement of filming for *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* has pushed him further into the ranks of the most successful authors."

"Yet, while we shower endless praise upon this seventeen-year-old youth, we must also examine whether Zhang Tan can maintain his original creative integrity when faced with immense fame and fortune. Today, we specially interviewed the three screenwriters of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, and the results we found are indeed thought-provoking."

"When adapting works by established writers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, the authors rarely interfere with script creation. Why is it that Zhang Tan repeatedly interrupts the screenwriters' work and forcibly imposes his own opinions? Does he already believe his talent is sufficient to handle anything?"

"...Zhang Tan is not an isolated case. Today, the post-80s generation has begun stepping into society and embarking on their respective careers. However, has our past education truly taught them the ability to correctly understand and adapt to society? First, Han Jingming shouted the fallacy that studying is useless, and now Zhang Tan shows off by recklessly rewriting the script. Are young people truly ready for important responsibilities?"

"This is well worth our contemplation."

...

Zhang Tan tossed the newspaper onto the desk, burning with anger.

He had merely offered a few suggestions for script revision, yet it had provoked the dissatisfaction of several screenwriters. Dissatisfaction was one thing; they could have discussed it face-to-face and made revisions together. Zhang Tan was not an unreasonable person; on the contrary, he deeply respected the work of screenwriters. If the screenwriters felt his ideas were flawed, they could have come directly to talk to him.

Instead, they turned around and started hurling abuse in the newspapers, berating Zhang Tan for recklessly meddling in the script and pretending to know things he didn't.

"Damn it! I've watched several different versions of the TV adaptation of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* alone, and the '94 version of *Condor* was something I was forced to watch every single summer vacation. Am I pretending to understand scriptwriting when I don't? Which of the parts I suggested modifying wasn't hitting the nail on the head? Which one was just blind nonsense?"

"And this damn *Jinghua Times*, turning a simple script revision into a commentary on education and calling it 'thought-provoking.' They painted those three as paragons of virtue while portraying me as blindly arrogant. Since your pen as a reporter is so sharp, why don't you go write novels instead?"

Zhang Tan was furious.

With a dark expression, he asked Li Yan, "Sister Li, what does Zhang Dadao's studio have to say?"

"I spoke with Zhang Weishen over the phone. Zhang Weishen is currently in contact with the three screenwriters. This matter happened too suddenly, and he didn't expect it either. He's currently trying to find a remedy and hopes we can maintain restraint on our end."

"Maintain restraint? Tell Zhang Dadao that I am extremely unhappy about this. The contract explicitly stated that I have the right to review the script, and now look at this! Those trash screenwriters actually went to the newspapers to curse me for pretending to know what I'm talking about. I must hear an apology from them. If there's no apology, this is far from over!"

Sensing that Zhang Tan was genuinely furious, Li Yan couldn't help asking, "Several media outlets have contacted me wanting to interview you. Do you think we should accept and give an explanation?"

Although Zhang Tan was furious and wore his anger plainly on his face, he hadn't lost his rationality. He immediately replied, "Of course we'll accept! They had their fun cursing me, now it's my turn to curse back! Love playing the war of words, do they? I'll gladly keep them company. Having a public dispute will only increase the buzz around *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*. Why not?"

That being said, Zhang Tan still didn't feel any better inside; he was someone who cared deeply about his reputation.

Whether you win or lose a war of words, you lose popularity in the process. It might take many brilliant performances to make someone a fan, but it only takes the tiniest flaw to make someone a hater.

At the same time, Zhang Tan was well aware that as a public figure, it was impossible not to draw criticism. Celebrities and stars were inherently bound to a constant state of both positive and negative news.

Yet this time, the smear campaign against him made no sense at all.

These three screenwriters had swarmed in together, cursing him for blindly meddling without knowing anything, creating a storm of condemnation in the media that made Zhang Tan seem like a rat scurrying across the street.

If he had actually done such a thing, he would have owned up to it, but the whole thing was pure absurdity.

This was beyond toleration!

Restraint was simply not his style.

Zhang Tan first accepted phone interviews with two influential media outlets.

"Regarding the professional competence of those three screenwriters, I don't want to say too much. I didn't know them before, and I'm not familiar with them now. I did discuss script creation with them and actively provided my suggestions. Both from the perspective of the original author and the contract, I possess the right to review and supervise the script."

"When I transferred the television adaptation rights to Zhang Dadao's studio, it was explicitly stipulated in the contract that the script must receive my approval before execution. In other words, the work of these three screenwriters requires them to be accountable to me. That is also the reason why I am able to participate in the scriptwriting process."

"Now they are accusing me of recklessly meddling in screenwriting work. That is as ridiculous as an employee suing their boss for interfering with their work. Besides, I believe that as professional screenwriters hired and paid by the production crew to write the script, doing so according to the crew's requirements is a matter of course. They should accommodate the crew's requirements, rather than expecting the crew to accommodate them."

"To put it bluntly, if they truly believe they are overflowing with talent and that the scripts they write are out of this world, they should write new scripts and submit them somewhere else instead of taking the salary paid by the production crew while ruining other people's reputations here. That is not the backbone of a literati; that is sheer affectation."

Zhang Tan's words were razor-sharp and backed by logic and reason.

Soon, the two major media outlets reported his statements, which were swiftly reprinted by various other media outlets large and small.

For a time, the internet was flooded with reports about this controversy.

Many media outlets simultaneously reported on Liu Changshan and his group's verbal attacks on Zhang Tan while also covering Zhang Tan's counterattack. While the reaction of the general public to such news was unknown, internet users erupted into fierce debate: a small minority believed Zhang Tan was too self-righteous, finding his interference in the screenwriters' creative process offensive; a vast majority felt the screenwriters were far too domineering, setting up their own little fiefdoms and refusing to tolerate anyone else's opinions.

Soon after, Zhang Dadao's studio also issued a formal statement... (To be continued.)