Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

Chapter 151 The Novels We Followed Together Over the Years

"What did you say? 'A Step into the Past' is going to air?"

Wang Dajun paused, his beer can in his hand, and his eyes widened suddenly, as if he had been hit by something. A familiar ripple stirred in his heart.

This name was like a key, instantly unlocking the door to the depths of his memory.

Hidden within are the youthful days of more than a decade ago, a classroom bathed in sunlight, a boy sitting next to me, and those days of skipping classes and staying up all night to read novels.

He was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and looked at Andy Lau with a touch of emotion in his voice!

"Are you referring to Lin Zhou's novel, *A Step into the Past*?"

"That's right!" Andy Lau nodded vigorously, his smile widening.

"Besides his 'A Step into the Past,' what other book could have captivated us like this?"

As he spoke, he got up and walked to the large cardboard box in the corner, squatted down, and pulled out a thick stack of newspapers serializing "A Step into the Past".

The newspapers were all neatly arranged, with the four characters "Zhonghua Daily" printed on the cover. The paper was slightly yellowed and the edges were worn, showing that they had been carefully collected for a long time.

Andy Lau walked over with the stack of newspapers, placed them on the coffee table, patted them as if he were caressing some precious treasure, and spoke with a touch of nostalgia.

"Back then, we sat at the same desk. It was you who brought the first issue of the Zhonghua Daily to the classroom, allowing me to see the first two chapters of A Step into the Past."

From then on, the first thing I did after school every day was rush to the newsstand to buy a copy of the Zhonghua Daily, just to read the serialized version of "A Step into the Past".

Do you remember? Once, the newsstand was sold out of newspapers, and I practically dragged you through three blocks to buy the last one.

Looking at the stack of yellowed newspapers and listening to Hua Zai's words, Wang Dajun's memories were completely unleashed.

Those images flashed through his mind one by one…

In the summer classroom, the fan was whirring. He and Andy Lau squeezed together at a desk, heads close, secretly reading the serialized articles in the newspaper.

When they came across something interesting, the two couldn't help but whisper about it, which resulted in them being called out and criticized by the teacher.

On a winter night, he hid under the covers, engrossed in watching something with a flashlight, so much so that he didn't even notice when his mother came in to check on him. She grabbed his ear and scolded him, but he still couldn't stop smiling.

Those days were simple and pure; a novel and a newspaper were enough to sustain their joy throughout their youth.

"How could I not remember?"

Wang Dajun smiled, his eyes crinkling with warmth.

"Back then, we argued for a whole week about whether Xiang Shaolong would stay in ancient times or not, and we almost came to blows."

"you do not say!"

Andy Lau laughed along, his laughter filled with nostalgia.

"I said back then that Xiang Shaolong would definitely go back, but you insisted that he would stay in ancient times, marry a beautiful wife, and become a great general."

Looking back now, we were so naive back then.

As he spoke, he picked up a newspaper, turned to the first chapter of the serialized novel "A Step into the Past," and looked at Lin Zhou's name on it, his tone tinged with regret.

"From the time when 'A Step into the Past' began serialization in 1966 to 1981, it has been fifteen years."

For the past fifteen years, I have bought the Zhonghua Daily every day without fail; it has become a habit.

Even after Lin Zhou stopped writing novels much, I still kept buying them, thinking that maybe one day he would write another novel.

Wang Dajun felt a pang of melancholy as he listened to his words.

He took a sip of beer and sighed:

"Yes, in the blink of an eye, more than a decade has passed."

Back in the day, Lin Zhou's "A Step into the Past" was a huge hit in Hong Kong. Everyone knew the name Xiang Shaolong.

Back then, Lin Zhou was like a god to us. Every word of his novels seemed to possess magic, making them impossible to put down.

He paused, a hint of regret in his voice.

"It's just a pity that this guy hasn't been writing novels much in recent years."

"Look at the serials in the Zhonghua Daily; they're all written by other people from the Zhonghua Daily. They're alright, but they always feel like something's missing. They don't have the same feel as Lin Zhou's writing."

Andy Lau nodded, a look of agreement on his face.

"Who can disagree? I also think that those people's novels are far inferior to Lin Zhou's."

It lacks that captivating allure that makes it impossible to stop watching.

As he spoke, as if suddenly remembering something, he slapped his thigh, and excitement surged up on his face again.

He looked at Wang Dajun and said urgently:

"Oh, right! You didn't hear me finish! 'A Step into the Past' has been made into a TV series! It's airing tonight! On RTV, at 8 PM!"

"What?!"

Wang Dajun suddenly sat up straight on the sofa, almost dropping the beer can in his hand.

He stared wide-eyed at Andy Lau, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Is 'A Step into the Past' being made into a TV series so quickly? Really?"

Why isn't there even a whisper of it?

This is so unexpected.

The novel "A Step into the Past" has been a hit in Hong Kong for many years, with countless readers, and everyone has been hoping that it could be adapted into a TV series.

After waiting for so long without any news, Wang Dajun thought that the novel would never be adapted into a film.

"Hey, it's all because of that guy Lin Zhou! He's always refused to let anyone adapt his novels."

Andy Lau pursed his lips, but his tone carried a hint of admiration.

"As you know, Lin Zhou is very protective of his work."

I heard that when TVB approached him about adapting the show, he immediately refused.

However, after being contacted by the TV station so many times, he finally gave up and made a whole bunch of demands.

The most stringent requirement was that the grand scenes from the novel had to be filmed; there could be no cutting corners or drastically altering the plot.

He paused, took a sip of beer, and continued:

"The war scenes, the ancient palaces, and the desert scenery in the novel simply cannot be filmed in Hong Kong."

So, in the end, it just fizzled out.

"However, there are recent rumors that Lin Zhou invested his own money to film A Step into the Past and even had the crew film on location in mainland China."

Think about it, the mainland is so big, the filming locations are all readily available, it doesn't take much effort at all.

Moreover, the extras, props, and costumes needed for those large-scale scenes are all provided by the government; as long as we cooperate with the government, the preparations are naturally very quick.

Upon hearing this, Wang Dajun suddenly understood, and his admiration for Lin Zhou grew even stronger.

In today's Hong Kong film and television industry, many production teams produce shoddy TV series in order to save money and time, with plots that are completely distorted.

People like Lin Zhou, who are willing to spend a lot of time and money to film in mainland China in order to ensure the quality of their work, are really rare.