11: N ways of dying of salted fish

“The Self-Cultivation of an Actor: On the N Ways a Salted Fish Can Die.”

Lin Da looked at the crooked but “unruly” large characters at the top of the paper and almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

This title…

It’s too much like Zhou Xingxing!

That book from his previous life, which Xing Zai revered as a guiding principle and even showed off in his movies, “The Self-Cultivation of an Actor,” had been directly modified by this kid into “N Ways a Salted Fish Can Die”?

Lin Da was caught between laughter and tears, but a strange sense of familiarity and… anticipation welled up in his heart.

He knew Zhou Xingxing too well; this kid’s mind was full of wild and imaginative ideas, especially in comedy. His talent was on a level where God chased him to feed him.

“Lin Da, how… how do you think?” Zhou Xingxing asked somewhat nervously, looking at the strange expression on Lin Da’s face, afraid that his “masterpiece” wouldn’t meet the “expert’s” approval.

“Ahem,” Lin Da cleared his throat, trying hard to suppress his smile, and put on a serious face, pretending to be reviewing it sternly, “The title… is very creative. I’ll read the content first.”

He lowered his head and carefully read the few pages Zhou Xingxing handed over.

The paper was rough, as if torn from some exercise book, and the handwriting was a bit messy, with many corrections and a few simple stick figures drawn by a “soul artist” to illustrate actions and scenes.

But the content made Lin Da’s eyes grow brighter and brighter.

How was this “N Ways a Salted Fish Can Die”? This was clearly a collection of nonsensical comedy sketches full of wild ideas!

For example, Zhou Xingxing designed a scene: an ancient soldier feigning death on the battlefield, but his poor acting skills led to him being exposed by the enemy general. The general didn't kill him but forced him to perform various “high-difficulty” ways of dying, such as “choking to death on his own snot,” “tripping over an ant and falling to his death,” “dying of melancholy from homesickness”… To survive, the soldier had to perform, and the more he performed, the more outrageous it became, eventually amusing the enemy general, who not only didn't kill him but also rewarded him with a few copper coins.

There was also a segment about a modern thief breaking into a mansion, only to be discovered by the owner. The owner was a performance artist who insisted on creating a performance art piece called “The Dialectical Relationship Between Stealing and Being Stolen” with the thief. Under duress and temptation, the thief had to cooperate by striking various bizarre poses, complaining internally while maintaining an artistic smile.

There were several other such segments. Each was full of absurd imagination and hilarious details, with a sense of deconstruction and mockery of traditional narratives, as well as the helplessness and optimism of ordinary people in absurd situations, evident between the lines.

Although the writing was still very immature and the logic in many places couldn't withstand scrutiny, that unique comedic rhythm and wild creativity shone like gold.

Lin Da sometimes frowned, sometimes chuckled, and sometimes fell into deep thought as he read.

This kid… is indeed a genius!

In these segments, he could already vaguely see the shadows of those classic Hong Kong nonsensical comedies from his previous life. That kind of serious nonsense, that realistic satire contained within extreme exaggeration, that bittersweetness and resilience of ordinary people…

“How is it, Lin Da?” Zhou Xingxing nervously rubbed his hands beside him, like a primary school student waiting for his teacher to grade his homework.

Lin Da put down the manuscript paper, looked up at Zhou Xingxing’s eyes, which were full of anticipation and nervousness, and a heartfelt smile appeared on his face.

“Xing Zai,” he said seriously, “You are a genius.”

These simple five words instantly lit up Zhou Xingxing’s eyes, as if endless energy had been injected into him.

“Re… Really? Lin Da?” His voice trembled with excitement.

This was the first time he had heard such clear affirmation of his “work” from anyone, and it was from Lin Da, whom he admired the most.

“Of course, it’s true.” Lin Da nodded, “These ideas are very interesting and very creative. Especially your observation of ordinary people and your ability to find humor in difficult situations are very rare.”

Upon receiving Lin Da’s praise, Zhou Xingxing grinned so wide his mouth almost reached his ears, but he still said somewhat shyly, “Hehe, it’s just… just random pondering. I always feel that acting shouldn’t always be so serious; even if you’re playing a dead person, it should still be interesting.”

“You’re right.” Lin Da agreed deeply, “The core of comedy is often tragedy, but the form of expression can be ever-changing. Your ideas, though they seem rough now, will surely become excellent comedy works if polished well in the future.”

He paused, then added, “However, there are a few places I think could be re-evaluated.”

“Lin Da, please tell me!” Zhou Xingxing immediately sat up straight, pulled out a small notebook, and prepared to record Lin Da’s “golden words of wisdom.”

Lin Da picked up one of the segments, pointed to it, and said, “For example, this soldier feigning death on the battlefield, while the ways you designed for him to die are interesting, some are too focused on the bizarre, which might make the audience uncomfortable. Comedy isn’t just about being quirky; it also needs emotional resonance. You can try to add something more human to the absurdity, such as the soldier’s longing for his hometown or his aversion to war. This will make the character fuller and the humor more layered.”

He picked up another segment: “Also, this story of the thief and the performance artist, the idea is good, but the pacing could be adjusted. The setup in the beginning is a bit slow, and the climax could be more concentrated, making the conflict more intense and the humor more explosive.”

Lin Da analyzed each point for Zhou Xingxing, combining his experiences from his previous life with his deep understanding of comedic performance. He didn't criticize condescendingly or praise vaguely; instead, like an experienced master, he patiently guided his apprentice, pointing out problems and offering concrete suggestions for improvement.

Zhou Xingxing nodded repeatedly as he listened, sometimes realizing something profound, sometimes falling into deep thought. Every word from Lin Da was like a bright lamp, illuminating many of his previously vague ideas.

The two of them talked back and forth, and before they knew it, they had discussed until late into the night.

The few pages of manuscript paper Zhou Xingxing brought were already covered with various annotations and new inspirations.

“Lin Da, listening to your words is better than ten years of study!” Zhou Xingxing exclaimed sincerely, “I used to always feel that my ideas were wild and imaginative, and no one understood them. I never thought that you… you not only understood them but could also help me think of so many things I hadn’t thought of!”

“That’s because we are the same kind of people.” Lin Da looked at Zhou Xingxing, his eyes deep.

We both love acting, we both have a persistent pursuit of comedy, and we both long to create works that can bring laughter and thought to the audience.

In their previous lives, they succeeded.

In this life, they will surely succeed too, and even do better!

“Xing Zai, organize your ideas well and form a complete script outline,” Lin Da encouraged, “Who knows, maybe we’ll have a chance to film them in the future.”

“Fil… film them?” Zhou Xingxing’s eyes widened again. He had never even dared to dream of such a notion before.

“Why not?” Lin Da countered, “As long as the script is good enough, there will always be people who recognize its value.”

Just then, Lin Da’s old phone on his bedside table suddenly rang “ding-a-ling.”

Who could it be so late?

Lin Da picked up the phone, saw the familiar name on the caller ID, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

It was Director Wang.

He pressed the answer button, and Director Wang’s characteristic loud voice immediately came from the other end of the line:

“Lin Da! Good news! Great news! “Jianghu Xiaoxiami” is officially launching online tomorrow… no! Tonight at midnight! The production team saw your ‘Bandit A’ segment and the later reshot Shop Assistant scenes, and they can’t stop praising you! They’ve decided… to change your name in the end credits from ‘Guest Appearance’ to ‘Special Appearance’! And, they also want… to invite you to a small online media conference tomorrow afternoon!”