1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xuemin was also quite surprised.

As I followed Director Wang into the office, I saw two figures standing up from the sofa.

The man standing in front was wearing a dark gray suit, his tie was neatly tied, and his leather shoes were polished so that you could see your reflection in them, but the white hair at his temples showed signs of hardship.

The lady beside him wore a moon-white cheongsam with delicate orchids embroidered on the collar, and carried a wicker handbag. When she smiled, two gentle lines appeared at the corners of her eyes.

"Xuemin, this is Fu Qi, the general manager of Hong Kong Great Wall Film & Television, also known as Comrade Fu Qi! This is Mrs. Fu." Director Wang's voice was filled with barely suppressed enthusiasm. "They are Hong Kong representatives invited to this literary and art congress, and they specifically requested to see you."

Cheng Xuemin then realized that it was the people from the Hong Kong Great Wall who had come.

Moreover, at first glance, neither General Manager Fu Qi nor Cheng Xuemin seemed to recognize them.

However, the Madam Fu next to him is none other than Aunt Guo Huang Rong from the Louis Koo version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes"!

No wonder Cheng Xuemin felt a sense of familiarity at first glance; it turns out she is Aunt Guo, Huang Rong!

Cheng Xuemin was surprised. Seeing that the other party had already extended his hands, he quickly reached out as well, and instantly felt the other party firmly grasp his hands.

“Mr. Cheng is surprisingly young.” Fu Qi’s Mandarin had a slight Cantonese accent, but his laughter was hearty. “My wife always says that someone who can write stories like ‘Humans Scared by Humans’ and ‘Humans Scared by Ghosts’ must be a seasoned old gentleman.”

Mrs. Fu, who was standing next to her, covered her mouth and laughed, the tassels on her handbag swaying gently. She said, "Mr. Cheng, please don't take offense. When we received the script, we all guessed that the author was at least fifty years old."

Actually, they were just feigning surprise because they already knew that Cheng Xuemin was unusually young when Ah Yang brought the script back.

The reason I'm so amazed now is still because seeing is believing, and I'm truly astonished.

Madam Fu then took out a small brocade box from her handbag and pushed it in front of Cheng Xuemin, saying, "It's a small token of my appreciation. It's a piece of handmade silverware from Hong Kong, nothing special."

Inside the brocade box lay a pair of silver paperweights, engraved with the four characters "文以载道" (literature carries the way), with fine enamel fragments inlaid between the strokes, gleaming warmly in the light.

Cheng Xuemin touched the paperweight and felt that it was very smooth to the touch, clearly very interested.

However, she still pushed the brocade box back, politely declining, saying, "Mr. Fu, you are too kind! It is fate that the script was chosen, and you also provided a lot of help with Master Yuan and the others' guidance when they went north. The script is just a small gift of thanks from me, and I really can't say I'm thanking you!"

"You should thank me!" Fu Qi insisted that he accept the money, and said sincerely, "To be honest, Mr. Cheng, Great Wall almost went under last year. Too many new film companies have emerged, and our films are getting worse at the box office year after year."

When we received your two scripts, my wife and I read them overnight. We were both amazed; we never knew ghost movies could be made like this—frightening, funny, and even with a touch of humanity.

He opened the briefcase he had brought with him, which contained several videotapes, and said, "These are sample clips of 'The Ghostly Man,' Mr. Cheng, please take a look."

As you said, Mr. Cheng, the investment wasn't very large, and the actors were all newcomers to the company. We didn't expect the final product to be so good; during our internal screening, the theater was filled with laughter the whole time.”

"Great idea! Let's go to the screening room together!" Upon hearing this, the old factory director, Wang Yang, lit up and immediately invited everyone to the screening room next door.

Because it was a small screening room that couldn't accommodate many people, there were only the four of them, and they didn't disturb the other people in the factory.

Cheng Xuemin sat in front of the projector, also looking forward to seeing how the script for "The Ghostly Man" would be filmed on the other side of the Great Wall!

Soon, the images from the videotape appeared on the projector.

A martial arts actor from a theatrical troupe was practicing at night when he bumped into a prop master dressed as a ghost. The two were so frightened that they started tearing at each other, but eventually realized that they were on the same side.

He thought this scene was absurd when he wrote it, but the actors performed it so vividly. The background music used the gongs and drums of Cantonese opera, turning horror into farce, which was surprisingly interesting.

"We're preparing to release it at the end of the month," Mrs. Fu, whose real name is Shi Hui, added from the side. "In addition to our own cinema chain, we've also booked two Shaw Brothers cinema chains, so it will be released simultaneously on three cinema chains in total!"
They also contacted distributors in Southeast Asia, who said they had never seen this kind of 'Chinese-style humorous ghost film' before and that it had a great market potential.

As for the Golden Horse Awards, they weren't even mentioned, because Great Wall's films have never been able to enter the Golden Horse market—they're from opposing camps!
Shi Hui looked into Cheng Xuemin's eyes, her tone filled with anticipation, "Mr. Cheng, if you don't mind, we would like to invite you to Hong Kong for the premiere of the film."

Director Wang watched the movie and found it quite comical. Upon hearing Madam Fu's invitation, he clapped his hands and said, "This is a good thing! Xuemin can go and see Hong Kong's film industry and learn from their experience."

He had long heard that Hong Kong's film industry was impressive, with a film often going from shooting to release in just three months and grossing millions at the box office, and he had been itching to get involved for a long time.

"It's an honor to receive such a kind invitation!" Cheng Xuemin nodded; the visit of Fu Qi and his wife was indeed unexpected.

Moreover, I didn't expect them to act so quickly. The script was only brought back to Hong Kong at the beginning of last month. I really didn't expect that in just over a month, they would have already brought over the sample.

As expected, Hong Kong's speed is truly terrifying.

It's exactly the same as those short dramas made in later generations; they can produce a short story almost every week or so.

Hong Kong's film industry is currently hampered by limitations in filming equipment, but producing a low-budget film in a month is as easy as eating and drinking.

This is also the current state of the Hong Kong film industry; they don't care about quality at all.

Focusing solely on following trends and releasing quick films to make a quick buck, they indiscriminately killed off veteran filmmakers, causing Great Wall Films, one of the three giants of Hong Kong's film industry, to plummet into a disastrous decline.

Now, Great Wall has already produced its own film, "Tai Chi," which will be released at the end of the month.

That's right!
Cheng Xuemin estimated the time and realized that when he went to Bolin, he would definitely have to transfer in Hong Kong and fly to Bolin from Hong Kong.

Therefore, a trip to Hong Kong is definitely on the way, and I must go there.

Originally, if we wanted to go to Bolin quietly without alerting China Film Group, we would need an excuse to leave.

it's good now!

With the invitation from the Fu couple of Great Wall, they had a perfectly reasonable excuse to go out.

Of course, Cheng Xuemin knew that too!

If you calculate the time, the new movie on the Great Wall might not have been released yet when they passed through Hong Kong, but that won't stop them from going to support it when they pass through Hong Kong on their way back from Bolin!
It doesn't have to be a premiere.

"Of course, of course! I'll send an invitation to the ministry right away. We really look forward to your visit to Hong Kong!" Mr. and Mrs. Fu were overjoyed to hear that former factory director Cheng Xuemin had readily agreed.

By the time Fu Qi and his wife left, it was already getting dark.

Cheng Xuemin stood at the entrance of Yanying Factory, watching their car disappear at the intersection, still clutching the pair of silver paperweights in his hand.

Almost another week has passed!

The grand Fourth National Congress of Literary and Art Workers concluded successfully amidst enthusiastic applause from tens of thousands of representatives from all walks of life across the country!

However, after attending the opening ceremony for one day, Cheng Xuemin went into seclusion and never showed his face at the literary and art congress again, focusing all his attention on the post-production editing and dubbing of "Tai Chi".

Finally, two days after the closing of the literary and art congress, the sample film was completed.

"Good good!"

"Xuemin, I'm starting to look forward to our Tai Chi performance at the Bolin Film Festival!"

Inside the screening room, there were only three people: the former factory director Cheng Xuemin and the director Huang Jianzhong!

The other members of the production team announced their disbandment just days after the start of the literary and art congress, after filming the final scenes.

Those who are supposed to attend the literary and art congress should attend it on their own; those who are supposed to return to their original units should return to their original units.

Because Cheng Xuemin, the person in charge of the production, was himself caught in a media storm and could hardly protect himself during those days, there was no grand wrap-up dinner.

We had a simple meal together at the Yanying Film Studio's canteen before going our separate ways.

Little Li is alright. He was originally a member of the Yanjing Shanahai Martial Arts Team, which is not too far from the Yanjing Film Studio, so he can come and play anytime he wants.

Moreover, Cheng Xuemin had also instructed him that when Tai Chi was released, he would have to be called back to participate in some promotional activities.

The one who was most reluctant to leave was probably Ji Chunhua from the villain group!
Due to an accident, he burned off all the hair and eyebrows on his head, which would never grow back. His appearance instantly became grotesque and terrifying, and he could never go back to his former self.

Therefore, his appearance was no longer suitable for staying in his original unit, the Zhejiang Wushu Team, and he was retired early and assigned to local work. It is evident that no local unit would dare to accept him given his appearance.

So far, like those educated youth who returned to the city, he is unemployed at home waiting to be assigned a job.

Originally, Ji Chunhua came to the Tai Chi film crew with the intention of taking the opportunity to try her luck in Yanjing.

But now that filming has wrapped up and the crew has had their farewell dinner, everyone has to go back to where they belong, and it's not good to linger, so Ji Chunhua has no choice but to return to his hometown in Zhejiang.

But after returning home, there was no place to settle down, so he ended up just like before, a homeless person on the streets.
Therefore, Ji Chunhua was the most reluctant to part with him!
In fact, Cheng Xuemin originally intended to keep Ji Chunhua by his side in Yanjing, but since he himself was not even considered a member of the Yanjing Film Studio, he could not make the decision on his own to keep Ji Chunhua in the studio.

The only thing we can do is let Ji Chunhua go back and wait for news. If things go smoothly, he can return from the Bolin Film Festival by the end of the year; if not, it will be after the new year. However, Cheng Xuemin will definitely have a way to bring Ji Chunhua back and settle him in Yanjing to stay by his side.

I don't ask for anything else, just having someone like Ji Chunhua as my bodyguard would be a good job!
Moreover, martial arts films are about to become a hot trend, and Ji Chunhua and Hu Jianqiang, this villainous duo, are born to be the main antagonists. When Tai Chi is released and they make their appearance, it will inevitably cause a bidding war among film studios across the country.

How could Cheng Xuemin allow his pre-selected core team to be poached by other film studios?

Therefore, all the ruthless people in the Tai Chi crew will be Cheng Xuemin's personal team, including Li Lianjie, who is eager to go solo and make a fortune in Hong Kong. They will all be tied to Cheng Xuemin's command, and no one can escape.

Ji Chunhua left with reluctance, while Liu Xiaoli, the "Fairy Mother," left with a heart full of guilt.

When she returned to Jiangcheng, she made a special effort to sincerely apologize to Cheng Xuemin, saying that it was because of her that Cheng Xuemin was affected and harmed.

Isn't Cheng Xuemin a petty person who can't distinguish right from wrong in this matter?
It took Cheng Xuemin a lot of effort to calm Tianxian's mother down after her crying, which showed that he really didn't blame her. Of course, Cheng Xuemin was also a man who could distinguish right from wrong!

Although An Shaokang apologized to Cheng Xuemin in person and also published an apology in the newspaper.

But I'm sorry, but I, Teacher Cheng, am a very vengeful and petty person.

Although he couldn't exact a severe revenge, it didn't stop Cheng Xuemin from using the old factory director's back door to get Tianxianma Liu Xiaoli transferred back to Yanjing ahead of schedule and into the Yanjing Film Studio!
As a result, Tianxian's mother was transferred back to Yanjing, which meant that she was thousands of miles away from An Shaokang, who was studying at Jiangcheng University.

Cheng Xuemin refused to believe that they could create another Liu Tianxian.

Pity!
If Cheng Xuemin retaliates like this, his little squirrel's fairy-like wife is truly gone, not even a stillbirth, she's completely gone.

But there's nothing to regret!
As long as Liu Xiaoli's mother, the original Liu Tianxian, is still around, the genuine Liu Tianxian cannot be produced. However, given Liu Xiaoli's natural beauty, it shouldn't be a big problem for many Pinduoduo-branded versions to be created.

……

When the lights in the screening room snapped on, Huang Jianzhong was still immersed in the last shot:

The Tai Chi master stood atop the mountain amidst swirling clouds, slowly concluding his posture. The hem of his long robe fluttered in the wind, and the accompaniment of the background music, "Night Has Fallen," fell to its final note at that very moment.

The old factory director was always moved by the melody of "Night Has Fallen" and always felt it was a pity to remove it as the theme song.

So, at the insistence of the old factory director, the theme song and other background music were "Jasmine Flower", but the ending song had to be "Night Has Fallen", which he liked and found exciting.

Therefore, the theme song originally composed by Cheng Xuemin became the ending theme song.

The Tai Chi sample screening has just finished, and the old factory director in the screening room applauded enthusiastically, but it did not affect director Huang Jianzhong's immersion in the story.

Huang Jianzhong only dared to believe that his first independently directed film was actually quite good after seeing the finished film of Tai Chi today!

Anyway, it's hard to say about others, but Huang Jianzhong himself, as the director, really took it to heart.

My emotions were also affected by the thrilling and exciting plot, so even after the preview screening ended, I still hadn't quite gotten over it.

As the old factory manager next to him slapped his thigh in amazement, he vaguely heard the old manager mention the 'Berlin Film Festival', so he asked in confusion, "Old manager, what's this Berlin Film Festival?"

"Haven't you told him yet?" The old factory director was also taken aback when he heard this. Cheng Xuemin and Huang Jianzhong had been working together for almost three months.

But judging from Huang Jianzhong's reaction, it seems that Cheng Xuemin hasn't revealed a single word to anyone yet?
After all, he was the sole director of the movie "Tai Chi"!

"I was just thinking of waiting until I've seen the sample footage before saying anything!" Cheng Xuemin couldn't help but feel that the old factory director was too cunning; his earlier exclamation was clearly intentional, an act for Huang Jianzhong's benefit.

Since the Tai Chi movie is finished, the original pledge should be revealed to director Huang Jianzhong, so Cheng Xuemin will play the villain!

"You're something else! It must have been more than three months, right? I always thought you'd already told Jianzhong everything!" The old factory director's eyes darted around, and he smiled as he pointed at Cheng Xuemin. Then he explained to Huang Jianzhong, "Jianzhong, I should have told you earlier. Actually, the Tai Chi film that you and Xuemin were directing was going to be submitted to the Bolin Film Festival for screening and competition!"

Before the old factory director had finished speaking, the screening room suddenly fell silent.

The teacup in Huang Jianzhong's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," splashing tea onto his trouser legs, but he was completely oblivious. He just stared blankly at Wang Yang, his lips trembling: "Old Factory... Factory Director, what did you say? Send it to the Berlin Film Festival?"

Cheng Xuemin shook his head. This old fox was too good at pretending!
"No!" Seeing the old factory director nod secretly, Huang Jianzhong suddenly grabbed Cheng Xuemin's arm, his knuckles turning white from the force, and asked urgently, "Xuemin, is what the old factory director said true? Is the film we made, 'Tai Chi,' going to be submitted to the Berlin Film Festival?"

His voice trembled with disbelief, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

Throughout the entire filming process, Cheng Xuemin only said, "I want to make a martial arts film that foreigners can understand," and never mentioned the film festival at all.

Huang Jianzhong always thought that this was just an ordinary martial arts film that aimed to sell more copies domestically and hopefully surpass the previous film, "The Herdsman".

But I never thought of sending it to an international film festival, since there has never been a precedent for that.

But now, according to the old factory director, from the very beginning of their preparations for filming this martial arts movie, they were aiming for the Bolin Film Festival.

Good heavens, this executive director didn't know a single word about it.

Looking at his red eyes, Cheng Xuemin knew he couldn't hide it anymore, so he could only nod: "It's true! From the very beginning, I was planning to send Tai Chi out to participate in the exhibition."

“Exhibition…” Huang Jianzhong murmured, repeating the two words, then suddenly laughed, but his laughter was tinged with tears. “I thought you were watching the editing every day because you were afraid it wouldn’t pass censorship… Turns out you were aiming for an international film festival…”

He recalled Cheng Xuemin's demand to reshoot the push-hands scene seventeen times, and his search for a suitable erhu player that took him all over Beijing. Those details that he had thought were "nitpicking" at the time suddenly had an answer now.

Wang Yang sighed and handed him a clean towel: "Jianzhong, don't get too excited. I didn't tell you about this beforehand because I was afraid it would put pressure on you."

He paused, as if making a decision, "Actually, there's something else, Xuemin hasn't told you yet."

Huang Jianzhong raised his head, his eyes still misty with tears.

"You saw that at the opening ceremony of the National Congress of Literary and Art Workers, Mr. Liao invited Xuemin into the lake, right?"

"Ah! I saw it!" Huang Jianzhong nodded. He had also been invited to the literary and art congress, so of course he saw and knew about what happened at the opening ceremony!
"Do you know why?" the old factory manager asked again in a low voice.

"Not to mention Xuemin's 'Wreath Under the High Mountain'..." Huang Jianzhong didn't continue, because he saw a strange light in the eyes of the old factory director.

“That’s because Xuemin made a pledge to Liao Lao.” Wang Yang’s voice was low, but it exploded like thunder in the screening room. “Tai Chi is not only going to Berlin, but also going to earn ten million US dollars in foreign exchange.”

"Ten...ten million US dollars?" Huang Jianzhong dropped the towel he had just picked up on the ground with a "thud." He staggered back two steps and bumped into the projector behind him with a dull "bang."

Ten million US dollars?!
This number felt like a mountain, instantly crushing him and making it hard for him to breathe.

It should be noted that the country is currently calling on all units and factories across the country to actively generate foreign exchange.

But as far as Huang Jianzhong knew, their cultural sector's total foreign exchange earnings for the entire year were only a mere million US dollars.

They even estimated that all the film prints produced by Yanying Studio throughout the year, and all the copies sold, probably wouldn't even amount to ten million RMB!
But now the old factory director actually says that Cheng Xuemin is going to take the movie "Tai Chi" to Bolin and earn ten million US dollars in foreign exchange!?
This...this...this is simply unbelievable!

"Xuemin, you...you're insane?" Huang Jianzhong looked at Cheng Xuemin, his eyes filled with terror. "Nobody watches our movies abroad!"

"Last year, the films that China Film Group sent out for exchange were said to be so bad that the theaters weren't even full. In the end, the embassy had to pay for and organize Chinese people to attend to support the films!"

The order to raise ten million US dollars in foreign exchange was, in Huang Jianzhong’s eyes, a pipe dream, an impossible task!

As everyone knows, our movies have no market value; foreigners simply don't like watching them and can't understand them.

That's it!

Let alone earning ten million US dollars in foreign exchange, even earning one million or one hundred thousand is impossible!
Because it's not like China Film Group hasn't sent them out before, and every time they've paid out of their own pockets, losing money to gain publicity.
Cheng Xuemin stood up, walked over to him, picked up a towel from the ground and handed it to him, saying, "Old Huang, calm down first. Do you think 'Tai Chi' is the same as those other films?"

He pointed to the still image on the screen and said, "We're not making a didactic film; we're making a story that everyone can understand!"
Justice triumphs over evil, and gentleness overcomes strength; these principles transcend national boundaries.

"But that's ten million US dollars!" Huang Jianzhong almost shouted, his voice filled with despair. "Even if every foreigner paid one dollar to watch, it would still take ten million people to watch! Is that even possible?"

"And how do we get out? I heard that those international film festivals all require invitations! We don't have invitations, so we can't even get out!" Huang Jianzhong pointed out a fatal problem: their film couldn't be shown at the Bolin Film Festival.

"Xuemin, Jianzhong has indeed hit the nail on the head. If we don't want to alarm China Film Group, it's really not a good idea to send Taiji out!" The old factory director nodded in agreement. Everything was ready, and all that was left was this final push!
Cheng Xuemin didn't speak, but took out a document from his canvas bag. It was a market analysis sent by his aunt Gu Qiuna from Bolin. The analysis indicated that the demand for Eastern martial arts films in European and American cinemas was rising, especially works with philosophical elements, which were very popular in art-house cinemas.

“We don’t compete with Hollywood at the box office.” Cheng Xuemin tapped his finger on the words “arthouse cinemas”. “The Bolin Film Festival has more than 70 partner cinemas. If we can secure ten of them, plus the video rights, ten million US dollars is not impossible.”

He paused, his gaze falling on Huang Jianzhong. "Old Huang, the fight scenes you filmed have a kind of Chinese tenacity that others can't capture. Just because of that, we have confidence."

Huang Jianzhong looked at the dense foreign text on the document, and then at Cheng Xuemin's determined eyes. Suddenly, his legs went weak, and he slid down the projector and sat on the ground.

He recalled that when filming "Tai Chi," Cheng Xuemin always said, "We want foreigners to know that our kung fu is not just about fighting and killing." At the time, he thought it was just a slogan, but now he understands how much ambition was hidden behind that slogan.

"What if... what if we can't finish this?" Huang Jianzhong murmured, his voice trembling.

He knew the weight of the pledge; the consequences of failing to fulfill it could be something the entire Yan Film Studio couldn't afford.

“Nothing is impossible.” Cheng Xuemin’s voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable power.

Wang Yang walked over, helped Huang Jianzhong up, patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Jianzhong, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Once the film becomes a hit in Bolin, you'll be our first director to go international!"

As Huang Jianzhong gazed at the churning sea of ​​clouds on the screen, he suddenly felt his eyes begin to sting again.

He recalled what his mentor had told him when he first joined the film studio: "Making movies is like growing crops; you have to believe it will bear fruit."

I didn't understand it then, but now, looking at Cheng Xuemin's young yet composed face, I suddenly understand.

Some seeds may seem impossible to germinate, but if you water and fertilize them, they may grow into towering trees.

“The music… the music will be from the Central Philharmonic Orchestra.” Huang Jianzhong suddenly spoke, his voice trembling slightly, but with a sense of desperation. “I know their conductor. I’ll beg him. Even if it doesn’t make money, we have to make ‘Jasmine Flower’ resound in Bolin.”

……

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