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

Gu Qiuna picked up her coffee cup, her fingertips tracing the warm rim, her gaze falling on the film festival flags fluttering outside the window, and continued:
"Bauer personally picked us up at the airport, not because our movie was so great, but because the timing was just right."

She put down her cup, her tone knowing, and explained to Cheng Xuemin:
"Last year, the United States sent a film called 'The Deer Hunter' to the festival. It was heavily politically biased and offended Russia and Eastern European countries terribly. They called the film a 'Cold War propaganda' and boycotted it this year."

Cheng Xuemin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized and asked, "So, they're treating us as 'substitutes'?"

“That’s not quite right!” Gu Qiuna smiled and continued to explain to Cheng Xuemin, “The leading camp has to have a voice. We just happened to catch the wave of the establishment of diplomatic relations between East and the United States. Western Europe wants to improve relations with us, so the film festival naturally has to make a statement.”

"Look, this is the real 'East Wind'."

My aunt took a newspaper out of her bag; it was a copy of The New York Times, which featured a friendly report about the American Black House.

Looking at the headline in the newspaper, Cheng Xuemin suddenly understood what his aunt meant.

Political trends, like movie box office results, may seem accidental, but they are actually inevitable.

The Bolin Film Festival needs the support of the Southeast University Film Academy, and Cheng Xuemin and his team need this stage. This mutual need is perhaps more substantial than a simple "artistic exchange".

“Oh, right!” Gu Qiuna seemed to remember something, took out a cassette tape from her bag and said, “I brought the master tape of ‘Yesterday Once More’. Columbia Records said it will be officially released on New Year’s Day and they have arranged for 30 radio stations to play it on the charts at the same time.”

My aunt's eyes shone with confidence as she said expectantly, "I'll have them release both the Chinese and English versions together; I guarantee it'll be a hit."

Cheng Xuemin took the cassette tape. The cover design was simple and elegant, with only one line of gold-stamped English text: "Yesterday Once More".

He remembered his aunt's words during the National Day holiday: "We must let the songs of Dongda University spread all over the world." He didn't expect that things would come to fruition so quickly.

Cheng Xuemin expressed his heartfelt gratitude, saying, "Auntie, you're incredibly efficient."

“It has to be high.” Gu Qiuna raised an eyebrow and sighed, “The American record market is like the Hong Kong film market; if you don’t move forward, you fall behind.”

"Once this song becomes a hit, Xuemin, you'd better hurry up and release two more new songs. After we've captured a share of the market, I think you'd better start your own record company!"

"Anyway, you don't need to manage it. You just need to focus on releasing new songs. I'll help you find singers and manage the operations to make it bigger and stronger, and create new glories!"

Cheng Xuemin was amused.

He knew his aunt wasn't joking; this woman, who had worked her way up in America for twenty years, always kept her word.

Cheng Xuemin nodded in response, indicating that he would consider it.

But I think it's probably not going to work, since Cheng Xuemin is now considered a citizen of the state, and in this era, all individuals belong to the state.

If Cheng Xuemin wants to establish his own record company in the United States, he will definitely need to submit a report to his superiors.

Otherwise, if it had already been discovered, not only would Cheng Xuemin's future in China be ruined, but his father-in-law's career would also be completely cut off.

This is no joke!
I just talked to my aunt about the two major camps. Although things have become more open now, and the University of Tokyo and the United States have officially established diplomatic relations!
However, this does not mean that individuals in the socialist camp can open companies in the heart of the capitalist camp, the United States.

of course!

By registering my aunt's name as the legal representative, all problems will be solved.

Therefore, with such resources, it is indeed possible to make it work.

Otherwise, all those things that Cheng Xuemin has in his mind waiting to be paid tribute to will just rot in his head if he doesn't bring them out and monetize them in advance.

After seeing his aunt off, Cheng Xuemin looked through the list of candidates sent by the organizing committee.

The nineteen films came from more than a dozen countries, including new works by French New Wave directors and heartwarming films by Japanese masters, but after scanning them, he couldn't recognize a single name.

"You wore it a few years too early," Cheng Xuemin chuckled.

Those international superstars and actresses he remembered were either still child stars or just starting out in the industry. To see them at the Bolin Film Festival, he would have to wait at least five or six years.

Huang Jianzhong, who was standing next to him, came over to take a look and pointed to "Maria Braun's Marriage" on the list: "This German-Spanish film sounds quite serious, I guess it's aiming for the Golden Bear Award."

Cheng Xuemin nodded. He had seen Fassbinder's films in his previous life; they were full of reflections on postwar Germany, which certainly suited the tastes of the Bolin Film Festival.

In comparison, the romance of "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and the kung fu of "Tai Chi" seem more like "outliers," and whether they can be accepted remains to be seen.

Of course, that's a story about Lushan Love. Cheng Xuemin's Tai Chi was just something he was selling; he didn't even have the qualifications to run for office.

On the opening day of the film festival, Cheng Xuemin and his entourage arrived at the red carpet early.

Zhu Lin, wearing a pretty dress, stood shivering in the cold wind, clutching the hand warmer Cheng Xuemin had given her tightly: "Xuemin, my legs are weak."

Gong Xue wore a light pink suit with a coat over it, and her face was a little pale. She said in a sweet voice, "I was so nervous with so many cameras pointed at me!"

"What are you afraid of?!" Cheng Xuemin straightened their skirts and reassured them in a relaxed manner, "Just treat them like they're not there. Just keep smiling and waving at them!"

The more natural you are, the more foreigners will find the girls from Tokyo University beautiful.

The two were amused, and their tense shoulders relaxed. Zhu Lin took a deep breath and encouraged Gong Xue, saying, "Yes, we represent Dongda University, we can't back down."

Li Lianjie was adjusting her Zhongshan suit, muttering to herself, "I'm more nervous than when I met Nixon."

When US President Nixon visited China, Li Lianjie, as a representative of the Wushu team, was patted on the head and praised by Nixon.

He thought that scene would be the biggest event of his life, but he didn't expect that today's red carpet would make his palms sweat even more.

"Tch! Nixon even patted you on the head, what's there to be nervous about in this little situation!" Cheng Xuemin patted his shoulder and laughed, "After you walk the red carpet, go and spar with Cheng Long for a bit, I guarantee you'll forget you're nervous."

Li Lianjie's eyes lit up, and her tension indeed dissipated by more than half.

As the red carpet ceremony began, a flood of flashbulbs went off.

Hu Jian, head of the delegation from China Film Group, walked at the front. Chairman Bauer slowed down to wait for him, and the two walked side by side, a scene that was constantly captured by reporters.

Xie Jin and Deputy Factory Director Zhao followed closely behind, both wearing polite smiles.

When it was the actors' turn, Zhu Lin and Gong Xue each took one arm of Cheng Xuemin's. Although their steps were a little stiff, their smiles were very sincere.

When the reporters learned that they were actresses from the University of Tokyo, the sound of camera shutters clicked even faster. The University of Tokyo was truly mysterious to them!

Thus, the gentle grace of Eastern women, under the flashing lights, possessed a unique allure, and this was the first time it appeared at the Bolin International Film Festival.

Li Lianjie and Huang Jianzhong followed behind. Li Lianjie originally wanted to do a cool fist salute, but Huang Jianzhong quietly stopped him: "Keep it low-key, this is not a martial arts performance."

Li Lianjie stuck out her tongue and walked the entire course in a proper manner.

"Little Li, don't act crazy. Just hold your head high, stand tall, wave, and smile!"

"Old Huang, you too, don't look down, lift your head, look ahead, and smile!"

"Sister Lin, your skirt is long, be careful not to step on it!"

"Gong Xue, you... keep it up, I'll support you like this, remember to wave!"

And so, Cheng Xuemin, the seasoned veteran, managed to get Gong Xue and Zhu Lin onto the Bolin red carpet without any major incidents, and they walked the red carpet successfully.

"I was so scared! Seriously, if Xuemin hadn't been there to help me, I would have been paralyzed with fear!" Gong Xue said, patting her heart as she finally walked down the red carpet.

"Me too, I was so nervous just now!" Zhu Lin nodded repeatedly, her face still flushed and trembling as she spoke.

"This is just the beginning. We'll definitely come to these international stages often in the future. After walking the red carpet so many times, it's really not that special!"

Cheng Xuemin said to them with a smile.

"Xuemin, this is your first time walking the red carpet. Facing so many different and strange foreigners, how come you're not nervous at all?" Zhu Lin asked.

"Yes, Xuemin, you seem very relaxed. How come you don't seem nervous at all?" Gong Xue nodded repeatedly and asked curiously.

"What's the big deal? Just treat it like walking normally!" Cheng Xuemin smiled, but he didn't tell them that this wasn't the first time!
You must have walked many paths in your past life.

As a screenwriter of short dramas, Cheng Xuemin has also taken many actresses who are not even 18th-tier celebrities to walk the red carpet!
Actually, there are no barriers to entry. As long as domestic minor celebrities want to walk the red carpet, they can basically just buy an admission ticket. The Cannes red carpet, in particular, has been overrun by these obscure domestic celebrities.

They completely destroyed the empire that Fan Bingbing had built up on his own at international film festivals.

As they walked to the end of the red carpet, Luo Wei and Cheng Long were being interviewed.

When Cheng Long saw Cheng Xuemin, he smiled and waved, greeting him, "Teacher Cheng, how about we have a chat later?"

“Great!” Cheng Xuemin nodded and said readily, “I happen to have a young comrade here who is very much looking forward to exchanging ideas with you.”

Once inside the cinema, Gong Xue, as the female lead of "Romance on Lushan Mountain," had a special seat and met up with Hu Jianxie and the others.

As the screenwriter, Cheng Xuemin actually had a role in the Lushan Love story!
But he had to take care of Lao Huang, Zhu Lin, and Li Lianjie from "Tai Chi," so he didn't go over to join in the fun.

Besides, since we were going to part ways with Fujian and his group anyway and act independently, we definitely couldn't sit together.

The opening ceremony officially began with a speech by Chairman Bauer, followed by speeches from several members of the judging panel.

Jili rambled on and on, but Cheng Xuemin was too lazy to listen, while Huang Jianzhong and the others couldn't understand a word he said. Next came the opening film, a French movie, supposedly a very romantic one. Zhu Lin, who couldn't understand French at all, was completely absorbed in it, her eyes sparkling.

Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't sit still any longer and squatted down next to his idol, Cheng Long, to chat.

After finally getting to the end of the movie, Cheng Xuemin and Huang Jianzhong rushed off to the outer trading and screening market without saying a word.

Zhu Lin is a tagalong; she'll follow Cheng Xuemin wherever he goes.

Although he wondered why he didn't go to meet up with Gong Xue's group, and why he didn't greet Leonardo DiCaprio, who was talking to that Hong Kong male star.

Even now, Zhu Lin still knows nothing and has no idea what Cheng Xuemin is trying to do by bringing Tai Chi to Bolin.
This is the first time that Tokyo University has come to the international film festival stage, so they have no experience.

China Film Group only sent Hu Jian, who was only concerned with the competition film "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and didn't pay much attention to Cheng Xuemin's "Tai Chi".

However, after the opening ceremony ended, it was discovered that all members of Cheng Xuemin's "Tai Chi" crew had disappeared, which gave Fujian a huge shock!

What if that kid leads the group to desert and defect? ​​That would be terrible!

Hu Jian quickly informed the consulate staff and sent people to search for them. After much effort, they finally found Cheng Xuemin and his group in the outer screening market. Hu Jian was so frightened that he asked in a high-pitched voice, "Cheng Xuemin, what's wrong with you? Why did you leave the group without saying a word?"

"Uh?! Director Hu, we don't need to participate in the competition. After the opening ceremony, Director Huang and I were thinking that you guys are still busy with the follow-up screenings of 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' so we thought we wouldn't bother you. We'd take advantage of the bustling market around here to visit and learn from you!"

Cheng Xuemin greeted them and explained to Hu Jian that he hadn't gone far and was just strolling around the outer market.
Besides, he came to Bolin specifically to learn from the outside world, that's what he said in his report to China Film Group. Now he's doing his job here, so there's nothing wrong with that, right?
Hu Jian's face was as cold as a Berlin winter day. He pointed at Cheng Xuemin's nose, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority: "Cheng Xuemin, I'm warning you, this is Bolin, not China! Every word and action represents the image of the country. You are not allowed to leave the team without permission!"

He glanced at the curious gazes around him, lowered his voice, and said, "Deputy Factory Director Zhao will stay behind later. All your actions must be approved by him, understand?"

Cheng Xuemin understood that Hu Jian was afraid they would "make trouble," so he kept the veteran deputy factory director Zhao behind to supervise them.

Immediately, Cheng Xuemin smiled and nodded, assuring everyone, "Director Hu, don't worry, we're here to learn, and we promise not to cause any trouble for the organization!"

Huang Jianzhong quickly chimed in, saying, "Yes, yes, Director Hu, we will absolutely follow your orders."

Zhu Lin nodded repeatedly, belatedly realizing that Cheng Xuemin's trip to the outlying markets was probably more than just a "study tour."

Hu Jian was still worried, so he specifically instructed Deputy Factory Director Zhao, saying, "Old Zhao, please keep a close eye on things. Report to me immediately if anything happens!"

Deputy Factory Director Zhao was an elderly man with gray hair, wearing reading glasses. He looked honest and kind, and his presence was actually quite low-key throughout the trip.

But when it came to the national image, he adjusted his glasses and repeatedly replied, "Don't worry, Director Hu, I will definitely keep an eye on them."

Cheng Xuemin breathed a sigh of relief when Hu Jian rushed to the screening venue for "Romance on Lushan Mountain".

Then he looked at Deputy Factory Director Zhao, pondering how to get rid of this "supervisor".

Unexpectedly, Deputy Factory Director Zhao suddenly smiled and said to Cheng Xuemin, "Xiao Cheng, just do what you're supposed to do, and pretend I don't exist!"

Well! ?

What does Deputy Factory Director Zhao mean? Judging from his tone, it seems he already knew what Cheng Xuemin was going to do at the Bolin Film Festival.
"Before I left, our factory director Xu privately instructed me to cooperate with all of your actions, Xiao Cheng, if I had the chance, and not to alert the people from China Film Group!"

"So I'm also very puzzled. Why did Director Xu specifically instruct me like this, Xiao Cheng? What exactly are you guys trying to do?"

Uh oh!

Cheng Xuemin thought that Hu Jian had left behind a pair of eyes to keep an eye on his every move, but he never expected that before he set off, Director Xu of the Shanghai Film Studio had thought of everything and arranged for Deputy Director Zhao to be his inside man!
Well, well, well, old ginger is indeed spicier.

Cheng Xuemin finally understood that Xu Sangchu of the Shanghai Film Studio had specially arranged for Deputy Director Zhao to come along, not as a "supervisor," but as an "insider."

He recalled the plans that the former factory director, Wang Yang, had made in China, and suddenly realized that this trip to Bolin was no longer a battle he was fighting alone.

That's good, now Cheng Xuemin can focus wholeheartedly on his foreign exchange earning business.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Director Zhao. I haven't been very friendly with you before; I was being too rude!" Upon learning what had happened, Cheng Xuemin quickly apologized and greeted him.

"I deliberately distanced myself from him so that Hu Jian would feel comfortable letting me come!" Deputy Factory Director Zhao nodded repeatedly, so neither of them were pushovers.

During this trip to Bolin, the veteran comrades included Deputy Factory Director Zhao, Xie Jin, and Hu Jian from China Film Group.

As the director of "Romance on Lushan Mountain," Xie Jin would definitely have to work with Hu Jian to oversee the screening and competition of "Romance on Lushan Mountain," so he certainly wouldn't be able to spare the time to watch over Cheng Xuemin and the others.

So besides Xie Jin, there's only Lao Zhao!
He had to keep his distance from Cheng Xuemin beforehand and get closer to Hu Jian. How could he gain Hu Jian's trust and entrust him with the important task of watching over Cheng Xuemin and his friends?
So from the very beginning, Deputy Factory Director Zhao was certain that Hu Jian would arrange for him to keep an eye on Cheng Xuemin and the others.

Sure enough, everything is going so smoothly now.

"Thank you so much, Director Zhao! Thank you so much, Director Zhao!" Cheng Xuemin thanked him repeatedly. With Deputy Director Zhao's cooperation, things were much easier!

"No need to thank me! Actually, I'm genuinely curious, Xiao Cheng, why did you insist on bringing Tai Chi to Bolin?"

"Logically speaking, Xiao Cheng, as the screenwriter of 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' you are qualified to come to Bolin. Why go through the trouble of bringing Taiji along?"

Cheng Xuemin didn't say much, only telling Factory Director Zhao, "Factory Director Zhao, you'll find out soon enough!"

Without further hesitation, he called on Huang Jianzhong and Zhu Lin to "set up the poster," and the three of them hurriedly unfolded the poster for "Tai Chi":

Li Lianjie's flowing white robes and Tai Chi pose occupied most of the page, with a golden rapeseed field in the background and the words "The Art of Peace" written in English next to her.

The poster attracted a lot of attention as soon as it was hung up.

A blond, blue-eyed young man pointed at Li Lianjie on the poster and asked in broken Chinese, "Li Xiaolong?"

Cheng Xuemin smiled and shook his head, saying in fluent English, "It's Tai Chi, even more powerful than Li Xiaolong's."

Then he waved to Li Lianjie, who was not far away, and shouted, "Little Li, show us your skills!"

Li Lianjie couldn't wait any longer. She took off her coat, revealing a white training uniform underneath, and started practicing Tai Chi in the open space.

His movements were fluid and graceful, sometimes as powerful as thunder, sometimes as gentle as flowing water. His "cloud hands" and "wild horse parting its mane" moves, in particular, drew gasps of amazement from the foreign onlookers.

"Chinese Kung Fu!" A middle-aged man wearing glasses exclaimed, snapping photos with his camera, his tone filled with surprise and excitement.

Cheng Xuemin took the opportunity to hand over a brochure and introduced it, saying, "This is our new movie, 'Tai Chi,' which tells the story of the combination of Chinese philosophy and kung fu. It will be screened tomorrow at 2 pm. Welcome to come and see it."

Zhu Lin also mustered up her courage and repeated in the few English phrases she had just learned: "Tomorrow, main cinema, two o'clock."

A man in a suit squeezed in, handed over his business card: "I'm a purchasing representative from Columbia Pictures. I'm very interested in your film. Could you arrange an internal screening?"

Cheng Xuemin's eyes lit up. He took the business card and invited, "Of course, we'll have a screening tomorrow at 2 PM."

As soon as the man left, several distributors surrounded him. Some were from France, some from Italy, and even a Russian underground distributor secretly handed him a note, saying they were willing to help bring "Tai Chi" to the Eastern European market.

Huang Jianzhong was so excited that his hands were shaking as he quickly jotted down contact information in his notebook.

Zhu Lin was surrounded by several female audience members who curiously asked her if she was the female lead in the movie. When they learned that she was the female lead in this Chinese kung fu film, they even pulled her to take a photo together.

Deputy Factory Director Zhao stood to the side, watching quietly. He had guessed it, but he still couldn't quite believe it.

Because this is to bypass China Film Group and have Cheng Xuemin and his team promote "Tai Chi" overseas themselves!

This is about using movies to generate foreign exchange and earn US dollars!

Director Xu and his associates have really big ambitions!

"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly." Huang Jianzhong wiped his sweat, gave a thumbs up and praised, "Xuemin, your trick was brilliant!"

As Cheng Xuemin watched the growing crowd, he remained calm and said, "It's not that I'm particularly skilled; it's just that Chinese Kung Fu itself is very captivating."

As evening fell, Li Lianjie's performance attracted even more people, and even television reporters came over with cameras to interview her.

Taking the opportunity, Cheng Xuemin announced: "The world premiere of 'Tai Chi' will be held tomorrow at 2 PM in the main theater. Everyone is welcome to come and watch!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

On the way back, Zhu Lin suddenly asked, "Xuemin, you planned this all along, didn't you? Taking us to the periphery and having Little Li perform was all to promote 'Tai Chi'."

Cheng Xuemin nodded, but still did not mention the order that Tai Chi needed to generate ten million US dollars in foreign exchange.

With victory in sight, Cheng Xuemin didn't want anything to go wrong. He decided to tell them everything after everything had settled down.

After all, Zhu Lin and the others were essentially coerced onto this path by Cheng Xuemin without their knowledge.

On the way back, we definitely need to let them know what happened so they can be mentally prepared.

However, now is not a good time to talk about it; we can only deal with it for now.

……

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