Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 112: Yanda is going to build a drama research institute?

Zhang Chao has been making big promises for people recently. It has been a long time since anyone has made big promises for him, and he is a little uncomfortable with it.

However, after some consideration, he still agreed to Chen Tong. However, the specific time of opening an account on Xinlang Blog would have to wait until he had dealt with the relationship with "Blog China".

Chen Tong also expressed his understanding. After all, the account "Midnight Tide" has been tied to "Blog China" for a long time. If it is not handled properly, Zhang Chao will indeed be easily put in a passive position in public opinion.

Finally, Chen Tong concluded: "Once Xinlang Blog is launched, it will usher in the 'first year of blogging' in China!"

Zhang Chao complained in his heart, Dongfang Xing is known as the "Father of Blogs", so should he be given a temple name?
Two days after returning from Xinlang headquarters, Zhang Chao saw emails from Wangyi and Penguin in his mailbox, all inviting him to open a blog. Comparing the attitude of Xinlang, it was clear that Zhang Chao was not a high priority within them.

It’s no wonder. No matter how famous a writer is, can he be more famous than a celebrity?
And since Zhang Chao already knew that the answer to the version was Xinlang Blog, he would not consider these two.

As for Dongfang Xing, he decided to find time to have a good talk. He became famous because of Dongfang Xing's support for his three articles, and he still remembered this favor.

But later, Zhang Chao also repaid Dongfang Xing with huge traffic. From the perspective of interests, it can be said that the two parties owe each other nothing.

After the four portal giants, Xinlang, Wangyi, Penguin and Sohu, went out of business, "Blog China" was not even worth being acquired - the reason was that its traffic was too small, not even a fraction of others, and there were no industry barriers at all.

Zhang Chao quickly made an appointment with Dongfang Xing for a meeting, still in the office of "Blog China".

Compared to a few months ago, Dongfang Xing looked much worse, obviously he did not get enough rest, but his spirit was very excited.

Zhang Chao also saw a young woman with long dyed yellow hair and a rather arrogant look in the office. Dongfang Xing introduced her, "This is Mu Zimei. I have invited her to our marketing department now!"

Zhang Chao shook hands with this first-generation internet celebrity and asked about Dongfang Xing's next plan.

Dongfang Xing excitedly picked up a business plan from the table, handed it to Zhang Chao, and then began to talk about his grand plan -

First, "Blog China" will be renamed "Blog Network", and then the website will be made into a portal for all blogs. Next, it will imitate the corporate Qzone and establish a "Dream City Project"...

At the end, Dongfang Xing said to Zhang Chao: "We now have 12 vice presidents. You can also be a vice president!" After that, he stared at Zhang Chao closely.

Zhang Chao shook his head and sighed, "Your steps are too big, I can't keep up. I will not be the vice president anymore. It seems that 'Blog China' doesn't particularly need the 'Midnight Tide' account."

Dongfang Xing smiled and said, "I think 'Midnight Tide' doesn't need 'China Blog' anymore? How long has it been since you updated it?"

Although Zhang Chao and Dongfang Xing did not end up parting ways on bad terms, they both tacitly acknowledged that their partnership was basically over.

Zhang Chao originally planned to keep the "Midnight Tide" account on "Blog China" and open another real-name account on Xinlang. But now it seems that Dongfang Xing, who has received a lot of money, does not care about this.

Looking at Zhang Chao's receding back, Mu Zimei asked Dongfang Xing: "It's a pity that he left. After all, the traffic is there..."

Dongfang Xing interrupted her and said, "'Blog China' will never rely on the traffic of any one person, whether it was you in the past or Zhang Chao now. Don't ask what 'Blog China' can do for him, but ask what he can do for 'Blog China'.

By the way, how is your contact with Sister Furong going?"

In mid-March, He Jiping informed him whether he wanted to come to the internal preview of "Youth Like You". Zhang Chao then realized that the post-production of the film had been basically completed and it would be released on May 3st according to the original schedule.

The internal preview was held in a small screening room of Huayi's long-term cooperation cinema in Yanjing. All the main creative staff of the film and Wang Zhongjun of Huayi were present, which shows how much importance they attach to it. The first scene at the beginning of the movie was not written in Zhang Chao's script. It starts with Hu Xiaodie jumping off the building and Cheng Nian covering her with a school uniform. Director Zhang Aijia used flashbacks and cut the last scene, Xiaobei coming out of prison and facing the empty world in front of him, at a loss as to where to go, to the beginning.

It turns out that every director has his own ideas and every era has its own way of shooting.

The film "Better Days" directed by Sylvia Chang is not as cruel and intense as the one Zhang Chao had seen in his previous life. Instead, the film incorporates her unique understanding and kindness of the character into the language of the camera.

It doesn't look as heart-wrenching, but it feels more healing.

The performances of several actors in the movie were brilliant. Zhou Xun, Zhang Zhen, and Song Jia all burst out tremendous energy on the screen.

The screening lasted for a full 120 minutes. When the curtain went dark and the lights came on, everyone applauded. Wang Zhongjun was very excited and shook hands with Zhang Chao, Zhang Aijia and others, praising them, "You made a good movie for Huayi!"

Then he assured the main creators present that the publicity and promotion of "Better Days" would be no less than last year's "A World Without Thieves".

This was also a helpless move by Huayi. The movies they invested in were not released in 2005 due to various reasons. Several major movies were either released last year or will be released next year.

"Better Days" became their only investment above medium cost in 2005.

After returning from the cinema, Zhang Chao received another invitation. The Yanda Drama Club was going to conduct the first complete rehearsal of "Wotou Guild Hall". Not only did they invite him, they also invited many teachers and students from Yanda to watch.

The rehearsal was held on Saturday morning. When Zhang Chao arrived at the small theater of Yanda University, it had been roughly decorated to look like the slum in the script, but it was rather simple. It should be much more refined during the formal performance.

At 9:, the performance officially started.

[The drama slowly opened with the sound of harmonica and sawing, followed by a dull cough.

Tian Cuilan, who was washing pig intestines, said: "Xiao Miaozi! Don't blow if you are coughing. You are already suffering from tuberculosis. Aren't you afraid of vomiting blood? Auntie, I can't breathe... I am about to vomit blood!"...】

Just one sentence made everyone in the audience laugh.

Then, Tian Cuilan shook off the plaster hanging on the clothesline, and Jin Murong, who was making the plaster, and Tian Cuilan began to bicker with each other openly and secretly -

[“Sister Mu Rong, I’ll pick it up for you.”

"It's not a big deal if your intestines fall to the ground, but what about our plaster?"

"Look at what you said, it's okay for pig intestines to fall on the ground, but I have to let my intestines fall into my stomach, right?"

It was a big show that lasted for 2 hours.

Although because it was the first complete rehearsal, many of the lines were still a bit halting and the transitions between the dialogues were rather stiff, the spirit of the entire play could already be roughly seen.

When the play ended with Yuan Jiang's plaintive harmonica playing, the small theater was silent for a long time, and then every teacher and student stood up and applauded involuntarily.

A teacher came to Zhang Chao after being introduced by someone else, shook his hand tightly and said, "Are you Zhang Chao, the screenwriter of this play? I am Lin Zhaohua from the People's Art Theatre, and I am going to come to Yanda to set up the 'Drama Research Institute'. Are you interested?"

(End of this chapter)