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

Night, like a piece of velvet soaked in ink, slowly covered the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.

Cheng Xuemin stood in front of the hotel's floor-to-ceiling window, watching the neon lights of Causeway Bay gradually light up, like scattered diamonds.

The box office figures for the midnight screening of "The Haunted Cop Shop," which Fu Qi had just sent, were on the table.

With a single-day box office exceeding 80, firmly securing its position as the champion of the New Year's Day box office, the news of Shaw Brothers' third additional theaters has stirred up ripples in the film market like a pebble thrown into a lake.

"Xuemin, are you still awake?" Huang Jianzhong pushed open the door and came in, holding a neatly folded coat. "You have an early flight tomorrow morning, get some rest."

Looking at the box office figures on Cheng Xuemin's desk, he couldn't help but exclaim, "I never expected a ghost movie to be so popular."

Cheng Xuemin turned around, a smile in his eyes, and said, "It's not that ghost movies are popular, it's that good stories are popular."

Cheng Xuemin picked up his coat and said to Huang Jianzhong, "Old Huang, do me a favor."

When the two quietly slipped out of the hotel, the clothing stores on the street were still lit up.

Cheng Xuemin walked straight to the shop window where Zhu Lin and Gong Xue had stood during the day, pointed to the sequined dress and the light pink suit skirt, and said to the shop assistant in Cantonese: "I want the large and medium sizes of these two."

Huang Jianzhong was taken aback, and asked in confusion, "Xuemin, what's going on...?"

"I saw them staring at me for a long time during the day." Cheng Xuemin paid for the clothes, put them in a bag, and said, "We're going to walk the red carpet in Bolin, so we can't dress too shabbily. This is the first time a Chinese film has gone abroad, so our image is very important."

"Image is indeed very important, but I haven't seen any arrangements made for the male comrades in your group!" Huang Jianzhong muttered to himself, but he didn't say it directly.

In fact, the factory and China Film Group attached great importance to this trip to Bolin, and prepared new clothes for each member of the group.

The men all wore brand-new Zhongshan suits, and so did the women.

However, relatively speaking, the men wearing brand-new Zhongshan suits are already quite impressive and reflect the image of our great Eastern country.

On the contrary, the clothes of Zhu Lin, Gong Xue and the other female comrades, although they were also new, still looked too old-fashioned when compared to those in Hong Kong.

Back at the hotel, Cheng Xuemin knocked on Zhu Lin and Gong Xue's room door.

Zhu Lin and Gong Xue were still watching TV, not yet asleep. Gong Xue opened the door and, seeing the shopping bag in Cheng Xuemin's hand, covered her mouth in surprise and asked, "Xuemin, what's this...?"

"Here you go!" Cheng Xuemin handed over the bag and instructed, "Wear this when you walk the red carpet at Bolin tomorrow."

Zhu Lin leaned closer to take a look, and when she saw the sequined dress, her eyes lit up instantly, but quickly dimmed again. She politely declined, saying, "This is too expensive, we can't accept it!"

"Why can't we accept them?" Cheng Xuemin said with a smile, pushing them back. "You represent the image of Chinese women. Clothes make the man, so dress smartly and let foreigners see how beautiful our Chinese girls are."

He paused, his tone becoming serious, and emphasized, "Besides, this isn't just for you personally, it's for 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' and 'Tai Chi.' Audiences watch movies, but they also look at the actors' appearances!"

Zhu Lin and Gong Xue exchanged a glance, both seeing the attraction in each other's eyes.

Zhu Lin touched the texture of the sequins and asked softly, "But... this must cost a lot of money, right?"

"Don't worry about the money," Cheng Xuemin waved his hand and then advised, "Just consider it a clothing allowance from the factory. Once the movie makes money, we'll deduct it from your bonuses. Is that alright?"

The two were amused, and their tense mood relaxed.

Gong Xue picked up the light pink suit and held it up against herself, a blush rising on her face: "Then...we'll accept it, thank you, Xuemin."

"There's no need to thank me. Go try it on and see if it fits." Cheng Xuemin turned to leave, but then remembered something and added, "Don't be nervous walking the red carpet. Just think of it as filming a movie in Lushan. The camera is on you, so just smile."

Back in the room, Huang Jianzhong couldn't help but ask, "Xuemin, you're buying clothes and arranging the red carpet, aren't you afraid Director Hu will say you're being extravagant?"

"Buying clothes, Brother Cheng? You and Director Huang sneaked out just now to buy clothes?"

"Who are you buying clothes for? Let me see!"

Li Lianjie, who had finished watching TV in the lobby, returned. Hearing Huang Jianzhong and Cheng Xuemin's conversation, her eyes lit up and she asked.

"None of your business, go to sleep!" Cheng Xuemin retorted to Li Lianjie, then leaned back in his chair, looked at the moonlight outside the window, and said to Huang Jianzhong, "It doesn't matter, it's not public money anyway, I paid for it myself, so who cares!"

The next morning, Fu Qi personally sent a car to take Cheng Xuemin and his party to the airport.

Outside the car window, a huge poster for "The Haunted Cop Shop" had covered half the street. Liu Xuehua's "silly ghost" image smiled at the rising sun. The headline of the newspaper in front of the newsstand read, "The Haunted Cop Shop's box office broke one million in two days, setting a ten-year record for Great Wall Film Company."

Fu Qi's eyes were still bloodshot, but he couldn't hide his excitement as he said to Cheng Xuemin, "Teacher Cheng, I wish you a great success on your trip to Berlin. When you come back from Berlin, I'll give you a proper celebration."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Cheng Xuemin repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Upon arriving at the airport and checking in, Cheng Xuemin unexpectedly saw Director Luo Wei.

The director, known as the "King of Bargains in Hong Kong," was checking plane tickets with a young man. The young man, wearing a jacket and with a shy smile, was none other than Cheng Long, who later became famous worldwide.

"Director Luo, hello!" Cheng Xuemin took the initiative to step forward and greet him.

In his previous life, he had seen many of Lo Wei's films and knew that although the director was controversial, he had an amazing eye for talent. He first discovered Li Xiaolong and then made Cheng Long famous.

Luo Wei paused for a moment, then asked with some unfamiliarity, "Who are you?"

The young man in front of him was indeed a stranger. Luo Wei searched through all his memories but had no recollection of this young man.

It is certain that I do not know the other person at all.

But since the other person took the initiative to greet him warmly, Luo Wei wasn't so arrogant as to ignore them, so he shook hands with them in return.

He definitely recognized Fu Qi standing next to him; could he be a rising star of the Great Wall Left Party?

Fu Qi, who followed along, was also surprised. He hadn't expected that Teacher Cheng, who was visiting Hong Kong for the first time, would know the famous director Lo Wei.

Lo Wei is considered an independent filmmaker. He left Shaw Brothers and started his own company called Lo Wei Films. He mentored Li Xiaolong, and with that, Lo Wei Films soared to new heights.

However, Bruce Lee was both his strength and his weakness.

Since the accident involving Bruce Lee, Lo's film company has been on a downward spiral. However, Lo Wei's eye for talent is truly sharp, as he has managed to discover Cheng Long, who has a poor image and little reputation.

They collaborated on three films, all of which were blockbusters, earning Rothschild Films a lot of money and showing signs of catching up.

I really didn't expect to run into them at the airport, and Teacher Cheng, who came from the mainland, was able to come over and greet me without any introduction.

The surprise not only caught Luo Wei off guard, but also Fu Qi, who was seeing him off at the airport. It even prompted Hu Jian from China Film Group, who was not far away, to let out a dissatisfied snort.

"Director Luo, this is Mr. Cheng Xuemin from the mainland. He is a screenwriter from Yanjing Film Studio and has been invited to the Bolin Film Festival to participate in the main competition!"

Seeing that Luo Wei didn't quite recognize Cheng Xuemin, Fu Qi quickly stepped forward to introduce him.

"A young man from the north?" Luo Wei was surprised to hear this. Are people from the north all so open and aboveboard these days?

They even came over to greet me, damn it! If those paparazzi take pictures of this, are they trying to kill me?
"Director Luo, the script for our newly released film 'The Ghostly Man' was written with the help of Teacher Cheng!" Seeing Luo Wei frowning and looking a little unhappy, Fu Qi added.

"Oh really? Mr. Fu, the movie 'The Ghostly Man' that Great Wall Entertainment is showing this time is really interesting. I watched it last night, and it's quite good!"

Hearing Fu Qi say this, Luo Wei's expression softened considerably, and his tone became warmer. He said, "Teacher Cheng, right? I was wondering why your name sounded so familiar. Turns out you're the screenwriter of 'The Haunted Cop Shop' and the new special consultant for Great Wall Film Studio. My apologies!" Yesterday, Great Wall Film Studio prominently featured Cheng Xuemin, the screenwriter, in the opening credits of "The Haunted Cop Shop," drawing the attention of Hong Kong filmmakers to this unfamiliar name.

They were surprised to find that Cheng Xuemin had written such an unconventional script for The Great Wall, and everyone was asking who this up-and-coming screenwriter was.

I never expected to run into you at the airport this morning!
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Director Luo. I've long admired you!" Cheng Xuemin said politely, then pretended not to recognize Cheng Long and asked, "And this gentleman is?"

“Cheng Long!” Luo Wei patted Cheng Long on the shoulder, knowing that the other party was from the north and might not know Cheng Long well. If it were any other Hong Konger, who wouldn’t know Cheng Long under his management? He then added with a smile, “I’m taking him to broaden his horizons. Our film ‘Laughing Fist’ has been selected for the Asian Film Exchange.”

Cheng Long is not a big star yet because he is still under Luo Wei's company.

It all started with the film "The Fist of Fury," which was set to be released during the Spring Festival.

"The Fearless Fist" was another blockbuster hit during this year's Lunar New Year season, grossing 15 million Hong Kong dollars and breaking the box office record once again since Hong Kong opened to the public.

However, the company made a huge profit, and Cheng Long, who played the male lead, only received a salary of 60,000 yuan, which made Cheng Long very dissatisfied.

With Golden Harvest stirring things up and poaching his talent, Cheng Long officially parted ways with Lo Wei and left Golden Harvest!

Next year, he collaborated with Golden Harvest to film Cheng Long's true breakthrough work, "The Young Master," which grossed a whopping 20 million at the box office, officially ushering in the 20 million era for Hong Kong films.

Upon hearing his boss introduce him, Cheng Long bowed slightly and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Cheng. I really enjoyed your novel 'The Man Who Scares the Ghost,' it's hilarious! I hope you can write a script tailored for me sometime, the price is negotiable!"

Uh oh, Cheng Long is overstepping his bounds and speaking directly to his boss Luo Wei!
This made Cheng Xuemin realize that a rift had already appeared between them, and it was just a matter of Jiahe taking advantage of the situation and secretly poaching their talent!
Should we make the first move and poach Cheng Long?
Cheng Xuemin had this idea in mind, but it was probably not very realistic. Nowadays, Hong Kong filmmakers are almost terrified of the word "left," so who the hell would dare to develop a career in the left?
So just think about it!
Besides, Cheng Xuemin already has Li Lianjie as a card to play, so there's no need for him to provoke these wavering elements in Hong Kong.

Speaking of Jet Li!
The kid standing to the side was already blushing with excitement.

He had admired Li Xiaolong since he was a child, and later became obsessed with Cheng Long's urban martial arts films. Now that he had met his idol, he was so nervous that he couldn't speak and just kept rubbing his hands.

"Ah Jie is here too." Cheng Long recognized Jet Li and greeted him with a smile.

Li Lianjie suddenly looked up, her eyes wide, and asked excitedly, "Brother Long... do you know me?"

"Of course, Director Li and I have praised you a lot for being a promising talent. I've watched many of your martial arts performance videos." Cheng Long's smile was sincere as he invited, "How about we have a spar sometime?"

"Good, good, good!" Jet Li nodded repeatedly, so excited he almost jumped up.

As for the director Li mentioned by Cheng Long, Li Lianjie probably didn't know which director Li he was referring to, but Cheng Xuemin knew to some extent that he was Li Hanxiang, who liked to reward himself with 'Category III films'.

This big shot almost always rewards himself with a Category III film after making a blockbuster. He has worked with Cheng Long several times, so Cheng Long is quite familiar with him.

As the boarding announcement came on, Luo Wei patted Cheng Xuemin on the shoulder: "See you in Bolin, Teacher Cheng. I hope we both achieve something in Bolin!"

"Definitely!" Cheng Xuemin nodded.

The group boarded the plane smoothly and entered the first class. Even Li Lianjie, who had flown many times, was extremely excited. This was the first time he had ever been so extravagant to sit in first class!

Zhu Lin and Gong Xue were the same; even the veteran comrades like Hu Jian, Xie Jin, and Zhao, the deputy factory director, were somewhat astonished and bewildered.

They were all thinking to themselves, "So there are different levels of flying too?"
First class is definitely different from economy class!
After more than ten hours of flight, the plane finally landed at Xibolin Tagore Airport.

Outside the porthole, the winter sun shone on the snow, reflecting a blinding light.

As Cheng Xuemin and his entourage stepped out of the cabin, Hu Jian was stunned when he saw an elderly man with blond hair and blue eyes standing among the crowd holding signs that read "Welcome Chinese Delegation."

"That's... Alfred Bauer, the chairman of the jury at the Polin Film Festival!"

Hu Jian's voice trembled with excitement. He had seen this titan of the film industry in his notes, but he never expected that the other party would come to pick him up in person.

Consul Wang from the Chinese Consulate in West Germany stepped forward first, greeted Hu Jian, and they introduced themselves to each other.

Then, Hu Jian was led to the jury chairman, Mr. Bauer, and introduced, "Director Hu, this is Mr. Bauer, the jury chairman of the Bolin International Film Festival!"

"Chairman Bauer, this is Director Hu Jian, the head of our delegation!"

"Chairman Bauer, hello!" Hu Jian was so excited he couldn't speak. He never expected that even the head of the organizer would come to greet him personally. What an honor this was!

Bauer stepped forward and said in broken Chinese, "Welcome to Bolin. I look forward to seeing your cinematic art shine at our film festival!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Hu Jian quickly shook hands, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.
"Chairman Bao, this is Director Xie Jin, the director of our entry, 'Romance on Lushan Mountain'!"

"This is Director Zhao of our Shanghai Film Studio!"

"This is Huang Jianzhong, the director of our Tai Chi work exhibiting at Bolin, and this is screenwriter Cheng Xuemin..."

When Cheng Xuemin was introduced, the interpreter accompanying Consul Wang was about to speak when Cheng Xuemin responded fluently in German, saying, "Thank you for the welcome, Chairman Bauer. We are honored to be here in Bolin."

Everyone was immediately stunned; no one expected Cheng Xuemin to speak German so well.

Bauer was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Mr. Cheng's German is excellent, it seems we have no communication barriers."

Cheng Xuemin smiled, without mentioning that he also spoke French, Italian, and Spanish, and was fluent in five Western European languages!
"Consul Wang, why is the airport reception this time so high-level?"

On the way to the hotel arranged by the organizers, Hu Jian, who was in the same car as Consul Wang, couldn't help but ask.

"Director Hu, all I can say is that the winds have shifted towards us in Western Europe!" Consul Wang didn't say much, only revealing a little bit of the truth!

Hu Jian nodded upon hearing this, but did not press the matter further.

Anyway, they're just here to compete; all the other political and diplomatic matters are their consulate's business and have nothing to do with him.

Upon arriving at the hotel arranged by the organizing committee, Cheng Xuemin had just put down his luggage when he heard a knock on the door.

Upon opening the door, I saw Gu Qiuna standing there, wearing a camel coat and with her hair styled in fashionable waves, looking even more radiant than she had on National Day.

"Auntie!" Cheng Xuemin was both surprised and delighted. Although he had thought that he would definitely run into his aunt again in Bolin, he really did not expect that his aunt would come to his door as soon as he settled down.

"What, not welcome?" Gu Qiuna walked into the room and looked around. "It's better than I expected."

She took a document out of her bag. "This is the screening schedule for 'Tai Chi,' just as you agreed beforehand. It's specially scheduled to run at the same time as 'Romance on Lushan Mountain'!"

"Okay, okay, thank you, Auntie!" Cheng Xuemin took the documents, feeling a weight lifted from his heart.

The reason why it was best to schedule the filming of my aunt's film at the same time as "Romance on Lushan Mountain" was to avoid the presence of China Film Group in Fujian.

After all, since you're here to exhibit at Bolin this time, "Romance on Lushan Mountain" is definitely the star of the show, and you're aiming for an award!

Therefore, scheduling "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and "Tai Chi" for screening at the same time and in the same venue was intended to make Hu Jian unable to focus on either one, forcing him to concentrate entirely on "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and leaving him no time to pay attention to Cheng Xuemin's "Tai Chi".

This arrangement would allow Cheng Xuemin more freedom of movement, and Hu Jian's side would be unable to interfere.

Once everything is settled smoothly on Cheng Xuemin's side, even if Hu Jian of China Film Group realizes what's happening, it will be too late, and Cheng Xuemin will be able to return in triumph!
Otherwise, if the film is released at the same time as "Romance on Lushan Mountain", Hu Jian will have the energy to interfere with the publicity and distribution of "Tai Chi", which is definitely not what Cheng Xuemin wants to see!

……

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