"I'll go take a shower first~"
After returning to the villa, Anne gave Gu Ran a look that was both innocent and seductive, then happily ran off to the bathroom.
Her eyes seemed to say: Don't you dare follow me, and don't you dare force your way in to shower with me.
Watching Anne's swaying hips, Gu Ran was tempted to chase after her immediately—
But in the end, he held back.
There's important work to do!
Gu Ran took a deep breath, hurried back to his room on the second floor, and locked the door behind him.
The hand-drawn script for *The Dark Knight Rises* couldn't be revealed to Anne just yet.
Gu Ran found a stack of A4 paper and a fountain pen.
Generally, storyboard drafts should be drawn with a pencil to allow for easy revisions. Using a fountain pen makes the lines too rigid, and if you make a mistake, the entire draft is ruined.
No director or screenwriter in the world dares to hand-draw a final draft with a fountain pen. They all use pencils for revisions.
But for Gu Ran, who has memories of the film from his past life and the hand-drawing skill, there's no need for revisions. He can draw flawlessly with his eyes closed.
Using a fountain pen also adds a certain level of sophistication.
Of course, Gu Ran wasn't doing this to show off—he really couldn't find a pencil.
After preparing the paper and pen, Gu Ran sat down at the desk, holding the fountain pen, relaxed his body, and focused his mind, recalling the scenes from *The Dark Knight Rises* in his past life.
Unlike playing football, which consumes physical energy, using the hand-drawing skill consumes a lot of mental energy and focus.
In simpler terms—it's mentally exhausting.
The body, energy, and spirit are the three essential states of a person.
The body is physical energy, also known as "qi," the foundation of human activity. Physical labor, like carrying bricks or playing football, consumes a lot of physical energy.
Energy refers to mental energy, which is consumed by tasks like studying or work that requires a lot of skill, such as writing, driving, or… actual driving.
Spirit, or focus, is consumed by tasks that require intense concentration and precision.
If you're low on physical energy, you can replenish it with refined carbohydrates. If you're low on mental focus, you can drink tea, coffee, smoke, or even take fish oil supplements.
But what do you do if you're low on energy?
Eat sea cucumbers.
Two a day, and… 90 minutes without scoring!
Gu Ran closed his eyes and hand-drew for half an hour before his mental energy was nearly depleted. He felt extremely drowsy and found it hard to concentrate.
He had completed 10 pages with 20 shots.
Gu Ran flipped through them…
The hand-drawing skill at +1 was still quite basic, so the quality of the drawings… well, they were close to being abstract art.
Especially since they were drawn with a fountain pen, the lines were too rigid and messy.
Although the aesthetic quality wasn't high, the storyboard drafts perfectly captured the storytelling, cinematography, and pacing of Nolan's films.
Moreover, Gu Ran added many detailed improvements based on his experience watching films—the overall shots were even more advanced than Nolan's current style.
Gu Ran chuckled as he looked at his hand-drawn script.
He could already imagine the look of shock on director Christopher Nolan's face when he saw this script.
The hand-drawing skill is truly amazing.
Now, the only problem is…
Normally, a 90-minute Hollywood movie has about 1,000 shots, but Nolan's *The Dark Knight Rises* is a blockbuster with a runtime of 165 minutes, so it has around 2,000 shots.
This is the number of shots in the final cut. The actual number of shots filmed is much higher.
Gu Ran also needs to add scenes for Catwoman and Tom Hardy's villain, so he'll need to draw at least 3,000 shots.
It takes half an hour to hand-draw 20 shots, so at this rate, Gu Ran will need at least 75 hours to complete the entire script.
75 hours might not seem like much, but using the hand-drawing skill continuously consumes mental energy.
Gu Ran estimated that, in his current state, he could only hand-draw for 3 hours a day. Any more than that, and he'd be overwhelmed.
Moreover, on days when there are matches, he'll need to stop hand-drawing to ensure he has enough focus.
If he only hand-draws for 3 hours a day, it will take him a month to complete the entire film.
A month isn't too bad, but the worry is that Nolan might have already started writing the script by then.
So, he needs to hurry and compete with Nolan for progress.
The best solution is to add 1 talent point to the hand-drawing skill, upgrading it to +2.
This would not only improve the quality of the drawings but also increase the speed, saving time.
If +2 isn't enough, then +3.
This kind of talent point investment is definitely worth it.
After finalizing his plan, Gu Ran hid the hand-drawn script and decided to continue tomorrow after exchanging and picking up more talent points.
After all… the day after tomorrow, he'll officially return to the school team's training. Tomorrow, he needs to discipline himself and control his youthful body, so tonight is the last chance for indulgence!
Anne! Don't finish showering too quickly! Wait for me! I'm coming!
After hiding the script, Gu Ran rushed to the bathroom on the first floor.
The bathroom was filled with steam and a mesmerizing fragrance.
But Anne was no longer there.
…Missed her.
But it's okay!
Gu Ran quickly showered, then used the cryotherapy chamber and sauna to recover his stamina.
After coming out of the sauna, Gu Ran felt like a new man! The energy he had consumed over the past two days was mostly restored!
Indeed, the higher the stamina attribute, the faster the recovery!
Gu Ran wrapped a towel around his waist and pushed open the door to Anne's master bedroom.
Anne was lying diagonally on the bed, wearing a black silk nightgown on top and a pair of black stockings with garters.
Combined with Anne's dreamy, innocent yet seductive gaze… it was absolutely stunning!
"Come on~" Anne hooked her finger.
Holy crap…
That's some real soul-snatching stuff!
Gu Ran shifted into gear!
…
The next day, close to noon.
Gu Ran woke up naturally, while Anne was still sound asleep.
Last night was stormy… Anne was completely exhausted.
Gu Ran was also quite tired.
At her age and with my experience, it's like a spark that ignites and can't be contained.
Gu Ran quietly slipped out of Anne's warm embrace, stretched, then got dressed and made himself a nutritious meal.
Gu Ran drank an entire carton of milk, ate four slices of bread, and a pound of beef tendon.
After eating his fill, Gu Ran slumped in his chair, not wanting to move for a long time.
Women are truly tigers.
Especially a goddess-level superstar like Anne—it's impossible to get enough of her every day.
As someone with 12 years of experience ahead of his time, Gu Ran knew that this couldn't go on, but he was still struggling to break free.
No…
I must be disciplined!
Especially now, at the beginning of my journey, when my attributes aren't yet high, I need to be even more disciplined!
How many talented players have fallen from grace because they lacked discipline?
Think about Ronaldinho!
He used to have five women in one night!
As a result, a once-in-a-generation talent quickly declined after reaching his peak!
And I'm not even a professional player yet!
Sorry, Anne. From now on, I'm going to be a disciplined person!
Gu Ran secretly made up his mind.
Before heading to the gym, Gu Ran thoughtfully prepared a nutritious meal for Anne and brought it to her room.
Anne was still asleep, the blush on her cheeks not yet faded.
Gu Ran's heart itched, and he couldn't help but gently pat Anne's waist and hips.
…
At noon.
Gu Ran walked out of Anne's room, pulling up his pants, filled with regret:
It's so hard, being disciplined is so hard.
I can't keep doing this, really.
Training starts tomorrow. Tonight, I must harden my heart…
After a quick lunch, Gu Ran drove to Glop Gym.
It was the last day of the holiday, and he couldn't waste his 10 pick-up progress points.
Like yesterday, Gu Ran spent an hour at the gym and picked up 9 white stamina and strength training bubbles.
The training hours from these 9 bubbles, combined with the remaining hours from before, added up to 100 hours, automatically converting into 1 new talent point.
Without hesitation, Gu Ran added this talent point to his hand-drawing skill.
—Investing in a side hustle is necessary.
With only one pick-up progress left for the day, Gu Ran left the gym and drove home.
When he got home, Anne was indeed awake. Although Gu Ran had left a note and a nutritious meal this time, Anne still dropped a red talent point bubble.
Of course, unlike yesterday, Anne wasn't crying this time.
Gu Ran cuddled with Anne for a while, soothing her negative emotions while also collecting the talent point bubble she had dropped.
This talent point, Gu Ran also added to his hand-drawing skill.
After some more affectionate moments, Anne happily got up to clean the room.
After all, after last night and this morning's battles, the floor was littered with torn stockings.
Gu Ran took the opportunity to return to his room, lock the door, and continue hand-drawing with the fountain pen and A4 paper.
The effects of the hand-drawing skill at +3 were very obvious.
Not only had the quality of the drawings improved threefold, but the efficiency had also increased significantly.
Gu Ran hand-drew for two hours straight and completed 150 storyboard shots!
At this rate, 3,000 storyboard shots could be completed in just 20 hours!
This means that even if he only hand-draws for 2 hours a day, it won't be too mentally taxing, and he can finish in 10 days!
Of course, this also means that his days living with Anne might be numbered.
Once the hand-drawn script for *The Dark Knight Rises* is handed to director Nolan, it won't be long before Anne returns to Hollywood.
Thinking about this, Gu Ran couldn't help but feel a little reluctant.
If he could spend the rest of his life in this paradise with Anne Hathaway, having four rounds every night, wouldn't that be the ultimate bliss?
But…
I really just want to play football!
Gu Ran sighed deeply, hid the drafts, and left the room.
At that moment, Anne was mopping the floor.
Gu Ran looked down at Anne from the second floor, happily working away, and thought to himself: Anne, I must… buy you a maid outfit!
That afternoon, at Anne's insistence, Gu Ran made her another serving of Scottish-style noodles. Anne was so thrilled she practically flew.
While walking on the beach after dinner, Anne leaned tightly against Gu Ran and said softly, "Gu, you know what? These past few days living with you have been the happiest time of my life."
Gu Ran hugged Anne tightly and said affectionately, "This time has also been the happiest of my life."
To be precise, it's been the entire time since his rebirth—non-stop bliss.
After returning to the villa, Gu Ran prepared his training gear for the next day, then took a shower and used the cryotherapy chamber and sauna to recover his stamina.
After recovering, Gu Ran solemnly bid Anne goodnight, then returned to his room, turned off the lights, and went to bed.
Discipline is key to maintaining good form as a player.
Even though Gu Ran still wanted to clean the windows with Anne, he held back.
After all, football is the true love!
A man who can remain disciplined in the face of a goddess is a real man!
Gu Ran lay in bed, trying to clear his mind of distracting thoughts.
Just as Gu Ran was drifting off to sleep, the door quietly opened.
A familiar custom perfume scent wafted in, followed by Anne, wearing a low-cut black silk nightgown and stockings, tiptoeing into the room.
Anne closed the door, then crawled into Gu Ran's bed from the foot.
Gu Ran opened his eyes groggily, "Anne? I have training tomorrow…"
Anne lay in Gu Ran's arms, her back to him, "I know. I just want you to hold me while I sleep."
With that, Anne snuggled closer, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes contentedly.
Holy crap…
Gu Ran swallowed hard.
My young body might not be able to handle this!
No!
Gu Ran tried to clear his mind, imagining calculus problems…
Soon, Gu Ran fell asleep.
The next morning.
Before his alarm went off, Gu Ran woke up feeling… tense.
Anne was still sweetly asleep in his arms.
But her hair was disheveled, and the new stockings on her legs were torn.
…Did something happen last night?
Gu Ran took a sharp breath and pulled his hand out of Anne's nightgown.
The silk nightgown was already low-cut, and after a night, it had slipped even lower.
Seeing this, Gu Ran couldn't help but… imagine calculus problems again.
After finally calming down, Gu Ran quickly got up, got dressed, and left a note for Anne.
After breakfast, Gu Ran grabbed his sports bag, got into the Porsche Cayenne Anne Hathaway had bought him, and headed to school.
At that moment, the school's main gate was still crowded with fans from the GR fan club.
Everyone knew that the next quarterfinal match would be held at their home ground, so they all wanted to cheer on their idol and, if possible, get their hands on his jersey, shorts, or socks.
After parking nearby, Gu Ran walked to the school's side gate and climbed over the low wall.
While others skip school by climbing walls, I climb walls to go to school…
Gu Ran chuckled bitterly as he climbed over the wall and headed straight to the training field locker room.
After changing into his training gear, Gu Ran went to the training field.
It was still early, and most of the players hadn't arrived yet, so Gu Ran started warming up on his own.
After running about 5 kilometers, the Buckhorn Hornets' main players arrived at the training field, chatting and laughing.
As soon as they entered the training field, the main players were stunned:
"Holy crap!"
"Gu! What are you doing? Trying to outdo yourself?"
"Gu, don't do this! We've prepared ourselves for you to outdo us, but don't start so strong!"
Gu Ran, however, calmly replied, "Outdo? I'm just warming up. I haven't even started yet."
"This isn't even starting?"
"Then how much worse will it be when you do start?"
"Damn! Gu, stop scaring us! How much worse can it get?"
"Yeah, yeah! Today, we're going to take you down!"
"No! Don't include me, Rusty. You do it yourself!"
"Rusty, if you want to die, don't drag us into it!"
The teammates loudly bantered with each other.
At that moment, Coach Carter arrived at the training field early.
The main players immediately quieted down.
Usually, Coach Carter would arrive half an hour after the team started warming up, but today he was half an hour early.
After two days off, Coach Carter looked refreshed, as if he had made some major breakthrough.
After arriving, Coach Carter first called Gu Ran over, "Gu, how was your holiday?"
Gu Ran smiled, "Coach, it was great."
…The kind of great you couldn't even imagine!
Coach Carter nodded with satisfaction, "Good. You look to be in good shape. Keep it up in the coming days. Be disciplined, no fooling around, because the next match is very important."
Gu Ran said, "I know. It's the quarterfinals."
Coach Carter smiled, "Not just that. There will be some very important people coming to watch you play. Of course, I'm not saying this to pressure you. I just want you to know that this match is crucial for your future. You must give it your all!"
Holy crap?
Crucial for my future?
Wait…
Coach Carter, are you trying to manipulate me again?
Forget it, no point overthinking. Giving it my all is definitely the right move.
Gu Ran immediately said with determination, "Got it, Coach. I won't let you down."
Coach Carter's eyes were filled with unconcealed admiration and joy:
Where else can you find a player like Gu Ran—talented, phenomenal, and so obedient to the coach's instructions?
I really hit the jackpot!
Coach Carter was fired up, "Team, gather up! Start warming up! Today, I'm running with you!"
"What?"
"No! Coach! Think twice!"
"Don't think just because you're the coach that Gu won't outdo you."
The main players tried to dissuade him.
Coach Carter laughed heartily, "You think I'm old? I was the fastest and most physically fit player in Buckhorn Hornets history! It's just 20 minutes of running. Today, I'll show you what real skill is! Anyone who can't keep up with me will have to sing 'There's a young, handsome Eastern man named Gu Ran' three times in front of the entire school during lunch. The last-place finisher will have to sing it 10 times solo!"
"Whoa!!!"
Hearing this, the entire Buckhorn Hornets team was pumped.
"Coach! You said it!"
"Coach, no backing out!"
"Coach, no need to think about it! Let's start!"
"Alright—start!"
At Coach Carter's command, the Buckhorn Hornets players started running.
Some of the players sprinted ahead at the start.
Coach Carter maintained a steady pace and sneered, "Why are you rushing so fast at the start? Don't you know your own physical condition? How many times have I told you? Smart running means pacing yourself! Training requires brains! Playing football requires brains!"
Coach Carter dared to run with the players not just because he was fired up, but also because he thought the players, having just played a big match and partied for two days, would be out of shape.
Coach Carter thought that even if he couldn't come in first, he should at least make the top three.
This was the perfect opportunity to teach these brats a lesson!
Let them know who's the… huh?
Coach Carter was shocked to see Gu Ran, who was leading the pack, not slowing down but actually speeding up.
Gu Ran's leg movements were incredibly fast, and his physical condition looked excellent.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Ran had lapped Coach Carter, who was in the second group.
Coach Carter shouted, "Gu, you can't keep this up!"
…Whether I can keep it up, you'll have to ask Anne Hathaway. She has more experience than any of you!
Gu Ran smirked and continued to steadily accelerate.
This was the real start of the competition.
The Buckhorn Hornets players chased after Gu Ran with all their might!
Coach Carter fell from the second group to the last group!
Coach Carter was stunned!
God! Why are these brats so fierce?
Did they not party during the holiday?
How… how is that possible?
Little did Coach Carter know, the Buckhorn Hornets players had already prepared themselves for Gu Ran's competitiveness. They all understood that the next quarterfinal match could make school history, so during the holiday, they had focused on recovery and hadn't wasted any energy!
They were all saving their strength!
Waiting to compete with Gu Ran!
Poor Coach Carter thought he could teach these brats a lesson, but instead, he got schooled!
"Coach, keep it up! We're leaving you behind!"
"Coach, watch out for that young, handsome Eastern man lapping you. He won't go easy on you!"
The players in the last group also sped up.
Holy crap…
Coach Carter turned around and saw Gu Ran catching up, about to lap him.
What's going on…
No respect at all!
It's only been 5 minutes!
At this point, who cares about pacing?
I can't get lapped right at the start!
Coach Carter kicked his old legs into high gear and sprinted!
…
(End of chapter)
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