Went Abroad to Be a Director, Shook Hollywood’s Box Office - Chapter 10

Though Qin Feng wasn’t an artist,
he threw himself wholeheartedly into the work of the art department.

He discussed ideas with them, corrected layouts, and eventually even moved his workstation into their office.

No one doubted him anymore.
On the contrary, they treated him with genuine respect.

That afternoon, a call came in—Dr. Jack Horner, the renowned paleontologist, had arrived.

Qin Feng went out to greet the doctor personally.

Dr. Horner was visibly excited, rubbing his hands together as he spoke animatedly.
“Mr. Qin, I’ve already read your script!”

“As someone who studies dinosaurs every single day, I absolutely love this story!”

“Some of the ideas in it—bringing dinosaurs back to life—it’s just brilliant!”

“And that island, Isla Nublar… if only it really existed!”

He leaned closer, half-joking, half-serious.
“I’m beginning to suspect you’re one of us, a fellow researcher who’s been studying dinosaurs for years.”

Qin Feng chuckled and shook his head.
“You flatter me, Doctor. I’m certainly not a scientist—just a filmmaker.”

He then introduced Dr. Horner to Kennedy and Spielberg.

After a few handshakes and polite greetings, Spielberg said warmly,
“Dr. Horner, why don’t you start by joining my team? We’ve got the animatronics and VFX departments here. They could really use a dinosaur expert.”

“No problem at all, Mr. Spielberg.”

Then Spielberg turned to Qin Feng.
“Qin, how’s everything coming along on your side?”

“No issues so far,” Qin Feng replied. “We reviewed everything yesterday. If nothing unexpected happens, the storyboard and pre-visualization will be finished ahead of schedule.”

“Oh, really?” Spielberg’s eyes lit up.
“That’s fantastic, Qin! You really were the right person to put in charge of pre-production!”

After leaving the office, Qin Feng returned to the art department.

The artists were busy labeling and organizing each completed storyboard panel in order.

They didn’t need to be overly detailed—just clear enough to show composition and structure.

Qin Feng checked each frame on the computer, making annotations as needed.

And so, day after day passed…

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had gone by.

Finally, the last storyboard frame was done—the task was complete.

At the same time, the animated pre-visualization was nearly finished as well.

That day, Qin Feng and Oz went together to see the director.

When Spielberg opened the computer and watched the storyboard and pre-visualization unfold, he was visibly stunned.

The seamless sequence of images perfectly presented every shot they would need to film.

This level of preparation would save tremendous time in later production.

“Qin! Oz! You two are incredible!” Spielberg exclaimed.
“Haha! I’m feeling more confident than ever about this film!”

“Look at these shots—some of them are exactly how I imagined them when I first read the script!”

“This is amazing!”

Oz smiled.
“It’s all thanks to Mr. Qin. He described every shot to us in advance, so we were able to complete the sequence so quickly.”

“Oh? He described them all to you?”

Spielberg turned to Qin Feng, eyes wide in surprise.
“I never would’ve guessed. You really have a director’s instincts! The more I see, the more impressed I am, Qin!”

Qin Feng smiled modestly.
“Thank you, Director. But this wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s hard work. The art team has really given it their all these past weeks.”

“Hmm… I can imagine.”

Spielberg stared at the screen, deep in thought.
“There are just a few minor details that need adjusting.”

“Once they’re fixed, send it to me. I’ll forward it along.”

“Especially the pre-visualization—it’s crucial for our collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic.”

“Understood, Director.”

……

The revisions were simple, and Oz’s team quickly completed them.
That marked the end of the storyboard and pre-visualization phase.

Qin Feng let out a long breath of relief.
Their hard work had paid off.

He moved his workstation back to its original spot, next to screenwriter David Koepp, who was already busy with another project.

On a short break, Qin Feng checked his phone and browsed domestic news.

The buzz around his previous film had completely faded away.

No one talked about it anymore.

Maybe… forgetting was the best kind of memory.

He called his parents, told them about his work in the U.S., and assured them there was nothing to worry about.

“Yes, Mom, I know… everything’s going well here.”

“I’ll come home for the New Year—or you and Dad could come to America for a visit.”

“What? A blind date during New Year’s? Oh, no, that’s not necessary…”

“Alright, alright, I got it. I’ve got something to do now—talk later!”

“Bye-bye.”

A blind date… seriously?

He hadn’t even gotten his career off the ground yet.

As he lowered the phone, his thoughts drifted to Scarlett.

Ever since they met, she’d occasionally crossed his mind—but work had kept him too busy to think about much else.

What was she doing now?

Was she still in Los Angeles?

Would it be too forward for him to reach out to a Hollywood star like her?

After some hesitation, Qin Feng decided to send her a message anyway.

He found her number and typed:

Hi, this is Qin Feng. How have you been lately?

At that same moment—

Scarlett had just left the set and stepped into the makeup room.

Her shooting schedule was light today, so she was in a good mood.

Her phone chimed.

When she glanced at the screen, her eyes widened.

Qin Feng.

Wow. He finally remembered me?

She smiled, gazing into the mirror at her own reflection—youthful, radiant, flawless.

Her lips curved playfully as she picked up her phone again and typed back:

Not much, just been on set lately, Mr. Director.

“Ding!”

Qin Feng, who had been staring absentmindedly at the ceiling, immediately perked up when he saw the reply.

So—she was still on set. Still in L.A.

Perfect.

He slipped away to a quiet corner and dialed her number.

“Ah… hello?”

Scarlett’s voice came through, soft and slightly muffled by background noise.

“Hi, Director Qin,” she teased lightly. “How have you been?”

“Please, Miss Scarlett, don’t call me that. I’m not an official director yet.”

“Hehe… still so modest. So, what made you think of me today?”

“Well… I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner tonight. Chinese food, perhaps? If you’d be willing.”

“Chinese food? Oh, I love Chinese food! Of course!”

Her voice was bright and cheerful.

Qin Feng exhaled quietly, leaning back against the wall.
“Great. I’ll send you the address. Come by around seven—I’ll be waiting.”

“Mm-hmm. See you soon!”

“See you soon.”

He hung up.

The call left him in a buoyant mood.
Even the people bustling around the office suddenly looked a little more endearing.

He texted her the restaurant’s address and returned to his desk with a smile.

Meanwhile—

“Ding!” Scarlett received his message.

She glanced at the restaurant location, her finger tracing the screen lightly.

The image of that long-haired, handsome Asian man surfaced in her mind.

Her heart lifted.

She looked into the mirror again and pouted her lips playfully.

“Oh my, I’d better touch up my makeup!”

Just then, the door to the dressing room opened.

A man stepped in—broad-shouldered, short dark brown hair, a trace of stubble across his jaw, and sharp eyes that hinted at calculation.

“Miss Scarlett,” he said smoothly, “I was wondering… if I might have the honor of joining you for dinner tonight?”

(End of Chapter)