The next day, Liu Rulan came looking for Xiao He with a beaming face.
"You've got pretty good luck, kid! The script we were looking for actually came to us on its own!"
Seeing Xiao He, Liu Rulan got straight to the point without any preamble.
Xiao He, who was on the treadmill, looked quite surprised: "Huh? Is it that director you mentioned, Sister Liu?"
Speaking of this, Liu Rulan couldn't contain the smile on her face: "Yes! And it's for the second male lead position."
"Male lead?"
This time Xiao He was genuinely shocked—could he actually get male lead roles now?
"Who exactly is this director?"
"Ren Changwen, Director Ren."
"Ren Changwen..."
Xiao He was somewhat unfamiliar with this name. After carefully thinking back, he recalled the director's work: "Is he the director of that film 'Maze of Shadows'?"
"Yes, that's him."
Seeing that Xiao He wasn't too familiar with the name, Liu Rulan took the initiative to explain: "He's considered one of the rare directors domestically who has both wildly creative ideas and consistent box office performance. People in the industry used to say that compared to developing in mainland China, he might be more suited for Hollywood."
Many film directors these days seem to have fallen into a strange pattern—obsessed with big IP adaptations, patriotic themes, or simply importing foreign hits, buying whatever's popular overseas and remaking it domestically. They pursue guaranteed box office returns and aim for risk-free profits.
But Ren Changwen is different. His script content has always been very innovative, and he insists on maintaining originality. Domestically, there are rarely other works of the same type that can serve as alternatives.
For example, time-loop genres that exploded overseas but are rarely made in China, virtual dream/reality crossover themes, and that film "Maze of Shadows" that Xiao He was previously quite interested in—which follows a battle royale theme.
This director has his own unique style of filmmaking. Although the themes he shoots are relatively "niche," while other domestic works of similar genres that were hits overseas but failed miserably in China almost all ended in failure, his box office numbers are astonishing every time. Not only does he have many dedicated domestic fans, but he also has a large following overseas. He's that kind of magical director whom others want to imitate but simply can't.
"To be honest, given this director's style, I actually thought he would be the first major domestic director to shoot a zombie film," Liu Rulan said with emotion. "But I didn't expect Director Feng to step in and boldly attempt a zombie film, while Director Ren's new script isn't a zombie film but a battle royale."
"It's actually another battle royale?"
This time Xiao He was genuinely interested. With "Maze of Shadows" as precedent, he trusted this director's ability in the battle royale genre. He spread his hands and asked: "Is there a script?"
Liu Rulan nodded and pulled out her tablet: "I'll forward it to you now."
Filled with curiosity and anticipation, Xiao He opened this script titled "Law of the Jungle."
Like many battle royale setups overseas, the male lead Lin Yu'an grew up in an orphanage, with the matron being his only family. But one day, sudden changes occurred—the orphanage faced funding problems, and the matron fell seriously ill, urgently needing money.
But the scholarship money the male lead had saved wasn't enough to cover these expenses.
It was at this moment that the other male lead, Xu Ning, made his appearance.
He brought an invitation to a death game created by wealthy people, called the "Jungle Game." Rumor had it that anyone who participated in this game and survived could receive a substantial cash prize.
Knowing that Lin Yu'an needed money, Xu Ning invited Lin Yu'an to join him on the island to participate in this death game.
To treat the matron, Lin Yu'an ultimately embarked on this dangerous adventure with Xu Ning.
This film follows two male lead storylines—one overt, one covert. As golden partners in the game, Lin Yu'an and Xu Ning have almost equal screen time throughout the series, each with their own responsibilities.
Lin Yu'an, a top mathematics student from a prestigious university who had already begun making a name for himself in mathematical circles, ultimately had his published paper plagiarized by his advisor, damaging his reputation and putting him at risk of expulsion at any moment. In the Jungle Game, he possesses a sharp and clear mind, serving as the intelligence pillar of the entire series, responsible for analyzing game rules and devising escape strategies.
Xu Ning, whose identity remains mysterious, possesses extremely high combat abilities and serves as the physical prowess pillar of the entire series. Although he actively invited Lin Yu'an to join the game, his attitude toward the game always seems casual. He would save Lin Yu'an's life when in mortal danger, but in many other situations, he would choose to stand aside and watch. He's a rather peculiar character.
This "Jungle Game" is based on the food chain, deriving a set of one-way food chain rules. Initial players are dealt twelve cards: 4 "Wolf" cards, 4 "Fox" cards, and 4 "Rabbit" cards. According to food chain logic, "Wolf" can eat both "Fox" and "Rabbit," while "Fox" can only eat "Rabbit," and "Rabbit" naturally sits at the bottom of the food chain.
Of course, there's competition at the top of the food chain too. If Wolf meets Wolf or Fox meets Fox, they not only consume cards but also lose 1 point. Conversely, if Rabbit meets Rabbit, they only consume cards without losing points.
All participating players will be released together on a small island covered with surveillance everywhere. Everyone starts with 3 points. The survival condition is to use up all cards in hand without depleting all points. Players can then exchange any remaining points for money when leaving the island and depart smoothly.
This means participating players must not only use up all their cards within the time limit but can also maximize their efforts to seize other players' cards for confrontations, thus earning more money and achieving their purpose for joining the "Jungle Game."
Conversely, if they fail to use up their cards within the time limit or if their points reach zero, they will never have another chance to leave the island and will disappear from this world forever.
Simultaneously, above these game rules lies another hidden rule—the true law of the jungle: survival of the fittest!
After arriving on the island, the organizers don't prohibit players from forming groups for other activities, including card theft and robbery, forced inspection of others' cards, compulsory card battles, and even allowing players to cooperate with each other, using point exchange methods to cancel out all cards in hand. They can eventually leave the island with just their initial 3 points. As long as players don't damage or hide cards, the organizers won't stop any player behavior.
Since points cannot be stolen but can be continuously obtained through card battles, what players face immediately upon arriving on the island isn't really the card game rules, but the dangers and criminals brought by a group of people desperate for money in an environment devoid of legal society!
In other words, the rules are just rules. Those wealthy people with twisted tastes at the top aren't watching players play house—they're actually witnessing a real-life jungle game between people, survival of the fittest!
Against this backdrop, players must not only consider card battle strategies but also think about how to survive until they can leave the island.
And Lin Yu'an and Xu Ning need to fight their way out in such an environment.
Unlike the currently popular "saintly characters," these two aren't purely positive characters. For points and survival, one schemes against human hearts while the other slaughters human lives. Although both have relatively calm personalities, closer examination reveals many differences. Lin Yu'an leans toward the quiet type—when he's silent, he's thinking and observing, a very calm commander. Xu Ning, on the other hand, belongs to the ruthless and taciturn category—when he acts, he shows no mercy. His attitude toward death and the game is more about enjoyment than fear.
Aside from the excellent character designs, the plot goes without saying—confrontations between players, players testing game rules, exploration of human nature and morality, progressively layered storytelling, and the satisfying feeling of ultimate plot twists... Xiao He became completely immersed in it, reading through all the plot without a single break.