89-90

*Chapter 89: Limits*

"...The opposition within the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is significant. The Los Angeles city government has expressed great concern over the strike, given that this unprecedented action has already resulted in over two billion dollars in losses for the city—far exceeding the scale of the 1988 strike..."

With the development of the times, especially the rise of Hollywood and television network media, the entertainment industry has grown increasingly important. This ten-week-long strike has undeniably shaken the very foundation of America’s entertainment sector.

The scale of the disruption has exceeded the expectations of both negotiating parties, particularly the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The Writers Guild of America’s firm stance and the steep $100,000 fines imposed for noncompliance have unified the striking members like never before.

As the strike stretches past ten weeks with no end in sight, voices of dissent have begun to emerge within the producers' alliance.

Some argue that conceding to the Writers Guild's demands might lead to some financial losses, but allowing the strike to drag on could result in far greater damage—much more than the amount being contested by the guild.

From a purely financial perspective, the strike has inflicted significantly greater losses on the producers’ alliance than on the Writers Guild.

However, despite the internal disagreements, reaching a consensus within the alliance still requires more time.

---

“So, it seems your unemployment will continue for a while, Allen,” Ron Meyer, Vice President of Film Distribution at Universal Pictures, remarked with a hint of humor over the phone.

This strike has caused significant inconvenience for production companies like Universal. Since the strike began, they haven’t received any new film scripts.

“Mr. Meyer, do you know the two things writers love doing the most?”

San Marino, at home.

Allen Walker responded with a cryptic tone to the call Ron Meyer had intentionally made.

“I’m all ears.”

“Creating and stirring up trouble. Nothing else.”

Allen’s words were a reflection of his current situation, but they also inadvertently captured the essence of Hollywood screenwriters.

Among all professions in Hollywood, screenwriters are arguably the most frequent strikers. Since the 1960s, including the current one, Hollywood screenwriters have staged six large-scale strikes. These frequent actions have earned them the reputation of being the most uncompromising and rights-conscious group in Hollywood.

“An apt description,” Ron Meyer responded with a somewhat helpless tone on the other end of the line.

---

“I feel like the workouts are becoming less effective...”

In San Marino, after finishing the call with Ron Meyer, Allen wiped the sweat from his face and muttered to himself.

As his physical fitness improved, the impact of the [Witcher Enhancement Method] on his physique had gradually diminished. Now, the results of a single training session were almost negligible.

This is understandable.

The training techniques in the [Witcher Enhancement Method] are essentially specialized exercise routines. In the past, when Allen’s physical condition was weak, the effects of exercise were obvious. But as time passed and his fitness level increased, the benefits of these workouts naturally diminished.

After all, no matter how hard humans train, there are limits.

Fortunately, Allen had something that set him apart from ordinary people—a system.

Even though it was only a fragmented system, it still provided him with strength beyond human limits.

---

*"The Trial of Grasses"*

In his mind, Allen reviewed the ingredients required for the herbal potion described in the [Witcher Enhancement Method]. Whether it was fork-tailed dragon spinal fluid or the tongue of an albino vampire banshee, none of these ingredients existed in the real world.

This meant that if Allen wanted to acquire the materials for crafting the potion, he would need to create a story explicitly designed to include them.

“So, where should I start?”

As the ingredients for the potion flashed through his mind, Allen pondered whether to write a modern vampire-themed script, another witcher-inspired story, or a single script that incorporated all the potion ingredients in one go.

“Wait a second—why do I have to craft the potion myself?”

After deliberating for a while, he suddenly realized something.

Since the system could materialize items and characters from scripts, why should he bother creating a story to collect ingredients? He could simply design a script that provided the potion directly.

With this epiphany, Allen adjusted his creative approach and began drafting a new script.

“It’s decided—you’re the one.”

After some time, he settled on the basic framework for his new script.

Although the main purpose of this script was to obtain the potion, a compelling storyline was still essential. Once a script was brought to life, the system would consume [Plot Points] based on its quality. There was no discount for writing a bad script purely to acquire the potion.

[Plot Points] were precious, after all.

Because this story involved himself, Allen decided to make the overall tone lighter. Compared to his previous script, Sleepless Town, the new story was less terrifying and had a slightly lighter atmosphere. After all, he would be the one using the potion. Creating eerie props for himself would only bring unnecessary discomfort.

---

*Script 6: "The Magical Potion"*

*Plot Overview:*

In Los Angeles, countless stories of love and loss unfold daily.

But you can never be sure if unseen forces are quietly orchestrating these events behind the scenes.

One day...

On a bustling street in Los Angeles, a "romantic" love story begins to unfold. A young man, holding a bouquet of flowers, confesses his feelings to the girl he secretly admires.

---

(End of Chapter)  

*Chapter 90: Love Potion*

On the system interface, the script's new ending was finally completed.

Allen exhaled deeply, gazing at the densely packed content on [Script Evolution].

He nodded slightly, ensuring there were no omissions.

Once satisfied, he turned to search for suitable [materials] to match the script's evolution.

This time, the story framework was relatively simple, so the [materials] required were not as elaborate as in his previous script, Sleepless Town.  

It didn’t take Allen much effort to find the appropriate [materials].

- *[Material 1]:* Potion Bottle—10,000 [Plot Points]

- *[Material 2]:* Book—15,000 [Plot Points]

“Select evolution location: Los Angeles!”

“Ding! Evolution location confirmed. The total cost of evolving this script is 30,000 [Plot Points]. Proceed with evolution?”

Without hesitation, Allen confirmed the command the moment he saw the 30,000-point requirement displayed on the system panel.

*[Evolution Starting]*

---

In San Marino, as Allen’s thoughts flickered, an invisible wave rippled out from the fragmented system panel.

On the streets of Los Angeles, a boy gathered his courage.

Taking a deep breath, Roger looked at the young, beautiful girl beside him and nervously began to speak.

“I don’t know how to say this, but Layla, I like you. From the moment I first saw you, I’ve been deeply in love with you…”

As he finally expressed the feelings he’d hidden for so long, Roger felt a mix of relief and growing anxiety.

“So, will you be my girlfriend, Layla?”

Roger looked at the girl with a face full of hopeful anticipation.

“Roger, you know…”

However, instead of the joy he had hoped for, Layla’s face revealed an awkward expression. She glanced at the crowd watching nearby, then at Roger’s plain, unremarkable face. Avoiding his gaze, she gently declined, “I only see you as a friend, so I’m sorry.”

Rejecting Roger’s confession without a second thought, Layla turned and walked away without hesitation.

She didn’t want to remain in that awkward situation any longer.

On the other hand, Roger stood there, devastated, staring blankly at her retreating figure.

Around him, the bystanders who had witnessed his failed confession dispersed and went about their lives.

“You seem heartbroken, kid.”

While Roger was lost in his dejection, a man’s voice called out from behind him.

Turning around, Roger saw a stranger standing there.

“Maybe this place can solve your troubles.”

The man handed Roger a slip of paper and disappeared into the crowd before Roger could respond.

Looking at the man’s fading figure, Roger lowered his gaze to the address written on the paper, his expression bewildered.

---

“I must be out of my mind.”

Following the address on the slip, Roger hesitantly arrived at the specified location.

Staring at the sign on the door, which matched the paper exactly, he couldn’t believe what he was doing.

He had come to a place he knew nothing about, simply because of a stranger’s note.

“Get a grip, Roger.”

Shaking his head, he gave himself a self-mocking smile.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, the door suddenly opened as if inviting him in.

Stopping in his tracks, Roger hesitated, recalling the stranger’s words. Finally, gritting his teeth, he stepped inside.

Upon entering, the first thing Roger noticed was the towering bookshelves lining the walls, filled with tens of thousands of books. At the center of it all sat an elderly man with glasses, resembling a professor, perched atop a stack of thick books. He was engrossed in reading.

“Are you here to buy a cleansing potion?”

Without even looking up, the old man casually asked as Roger stepped closer.

“A cleansing potion?”

Roger’s face showed confusion at the unfamiliar term.

“A new customer, I see.”

Noticing Roger’s puzzled expression, the professor closed his book, adjusted his glasses, and smiled warmly. “Tell me, child, what’s troubling you?”

“I… I fell in love…”

Meeting the professor’s gaze, Roger felt an unusual sense of calm. Without any hesitation, he poured out his worries.

“Another love problem?”

Hearing Roger’s story, the professor appeared unfazed.

“Wait a moment, child.”

Setting down his book, the professor scanned the towering bookshelves before locking onto a specific spot.

“Hold on,” he reassured Roger, climbing the shelf to retrieve a book. From within its pages, he pulled out a small vial and tossed it to Roger.

“Catch, child.”

Instinctively catching the thumb-sized vial, Roger stared at it in confusion.

“What is this?”

“This,” the professor replied lightly as he climbed down from the bookshelf, “is a potion that will bring you love. Just pour it into water and have your desired person drink it—they’ll fall madly in love with you.”

Though it sounded unbelievable, the professor’s confident demeanor filled Roger with hope. He began to believe this potion might actually bring him the love he longed for.

“How much does it cost?”

Roger braced himself, expecting the potion to be expensive—perhaps even beyond what he could afford.

“One dollar.”

To his astonishment, the professor held up a single finger.

Noticing Roger’s shocked expression, the professor smiled and shrugged nonchalantly. “After all, love is the cheapest thing in the world.”

(Chapter Ends)