Chapter 057: Lan Xiaodie

Biwan Pillow ruthlessly rejected Zhang Tan’s demand for a photograph. This left Zhang Tan somewhat disgruntled; he muttered inwardly that if the other party were a beauty, she would never refuse such a request. Since she turned him down, refusing a valued client like himself, she must not be much to look at.

“Dinosaur girl, haha, even if she sent me a picture, I wouldn’t want to see it.”

Zhang Tan had mastered the art of spiritual victory, just like Ah Q.

With no mood left for admiring beauties, all that remained was boasting. Zhang Tan carefully organized his words, embellishing his story to make it ever more impressive.

“I still remember, the original essay described a double-layered pencil case in a rectangular shape. My pencil case, however, was a double-layered one shaped like a cell phone. So, being clever from a young age, I ingeniously changed the rectangle to a cell phone shape, and the essay instantly became fresh and convincing.”

“Sure enough, ‘My Pencil Case’ was spotted by the teacher, who picked it out from dozens of rambling essays and read it aloud before the whole class as a model composition. As he finished reading, I felt all the flowers of the class turn their gaze toward me. It was like eating spicy beef hotpot on a freezing winter’s day—pure bliss.”

“I’ll never forget how the teacher held my pencil case as a prop, pointed to my essay, and said, ‘My fountain pen volunteered to take off its cap’—that the idiom ‘volunteered’ was brilliantly used.”

Zhang Tan typed with enthusiasm, while Biwan Pillow quietly interjected, “Your story is fascinating, but may I interrupt? What does ‘brilliantly’ mean here?”

“‘Brilliant’ is slang for impressive, as in ‘666’ meaning very skillful, and ‘you’re brilliant’ meaning you’re awesome.”

“Oh, I see, that’s a clever way to put it. Please continue.”

“Ahem, in short, that praise gave me a moment in the spotlight, and it felt wonderful. It made me realize my talent wasn’t in studying, but in writing! To chase that feeling, and driven by talent, I fell in love with writing.”

“So that’s how you fell for writing.”

“Yes.”

“How did you get involved with martial arts novels?”

“Well…” Zhang Tan had to spin another tale. “It was probably in fifth grade, when I found a set of ‘The Crane’s Divine Needles’ by Wolong Sheng at my older cousin’s house. I was hooked. Later, I saw the movie ‘New Crane’s Divine Needles,’ and was captivated by the actress Rosamund Kwan’s portrayal of Lan Xiaodie. I was obsessed. I kept thinking I wanted to write martial arts stories, create a world, and shape female characters like Lan Xiaodie.”

“So you’re a fan of Rosamund Kwan?”

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“Not really. I don’t idolize any celebrities; I just liked her portrayal of Lan Xiaodie. I feel she perfectly captured my concept of a woman in the martial world, and I wanted to imagine myself as Ma Junwu, the protagonist.”

In the film, Ma Junwu was neither outstanding nor ordinary, with little charm, but he did something Zhang Tan had dreamed of in his youth—he won Lan Xiaodie.

“Haha… Well, leaving the movie aside, just talking about the novel ‘The Crane’s Divine Needles,’ which female character do you like best?”

“That’s a tough one.” Zhang Tan broke into a sweat, having almost forgotten the plot of the novel, remembering only the TV drama from 1992 and the movie from 1993. “I think my favorite is Bai Yunfei—ice-hearted, noble, hiding love beneath a carefree exterior. I like the other female characters too: Lan Xiaodie is unconventional, Su Feifeng is deeply devoted to Ma Junwu. Only Li Qingluan, I’m not so fond of.”

“Why don’t you like Li Qingluan?”

Sister, are you interviewing me or discussing someone else’s novel? Why not talk about my ‘Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast’?

Zhang Tan grumbled inwardly but answered seriously, “I guess I prefer mature women. Li Qingluan seems too naïve. But Ma Junwu likes her, and that’s that. There’s no reason for love; if you like someone, you just do, right?”

“But I think Li Qingluan and Ma Junwu are a perfect match—their childhood bond, that indulgent affection, is something others don’t have.”

Biwan Pillow kept circling back to ‘The Crane’s Divine Needles,’ but Zhang Tan grew impatient. “Sister, do you really want to talk about romance with me? I’m only fifteen.”

“Ah, I almost forgot. Alright, let’s switch topics and discuss your ‘Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast.’”

Now that’s more like it.

Zhang Tan typed, “Anything you’d like to ask?”

“As far as I know, you mentioned in your book that there are four famous constables—Cold Blood, Ruthless, Life Chaser, and Iron Hand. In ‘Shake the Northeast,’ it seems only Cold Blood has appeared?”

“Yes, the title makes it clear I’ll write about all four. But ‘Shake the Northeast’ is just a prologue, introducing the story’s background. The first volume, ‘The Hunt,’ focuses on Cold Blood; the next, ‘On the Run,’ will feature Life Chaser.”

“Will there be a third volume?”

“No, just these two for now. Once ‘On the Run’ is finished, I’ll continue with ‘Four Famous Constables Meet in the Capital,’ where all four will appear and gather in the capital. To be precise, ‘Shake the Northeast’ is just practice—my first novel—‘Meet in the Capital’ will round out the story’s background.”

“That makes me even more excited! The thought of all four constables meeting is thrilling. However, I noticed ‘Shake the Northeast’ is action-packed but lacks romance. Will the Four Famous Constables experience love and hate?”

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“Of course they will. Each constable has a wealth of stories waiting for me to write.”

…

To be honest, Zhang Tan’s memories of the Four Famous Constables series were rather muddled. First, Wen Ruian, known for leaving plot holes, made the series inconsistent. Then came endless adaptations and remakes, to the point the story was worn thin, and even the characters’ genders were swapped.

Moreover, before Zhang Tan’s rebirth, Wen Ruian was still writing stories about the Four Famous Constables.

Many tales had even strayed from martial arts altogether; who knows what Wen Ruian would do next, or what foreshadowing he’d lay.

Therefore, Zhang Tan’s version of the Four Famous Constables was based on Wen Ruian’s foundation, reorganized and renewed. He planned to inject much of his own vision, drawing from novels and TV he’d seen, not copying the original but distilling the essence—if he was going to write, it would be a classic.

While chatting with Biwan Pillow, Zhang Tan outlined his ambition to create a series, sketching a grand and sweeping tapestry.

After all, boasting costs nothing, and he might as well continue.

All in all, the interview went smoothly.

Zhang Tan poured out his ideas, feeling elated. People love to share and show off, and he was no exception. Biwan Pillow received plenty of firsthand information and was equally pleased; she could now write a substantial interview.

The only disappointment was that Biwan Pillow refused to send a photograph.

And QQ had no video function.

There was no way to know if Biwan Pillow was beautiful or ugly.

“Perhaps it’s better not to know—at least there’s room for imagination.”