Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 333 The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense Meets with Qian Lao

Inside the airport, reporters kept taking photos. Zhou Yang and Xia Yan gave brief speeches, and staff from the history museum stepped forward to open the wooden crates to inspect and receive the goods, registering them on the spot.

All the returned cultural relics will be placed in a history museum for preservation.

"Comrade Sun Yiqing, this is Comrade Liu Yimin. Your achievements are inseparable from Comrade Liu Yimin's pioneering efforts!" Xia Yan said with a smile, pointing at Liu Yimin.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, thank you for your contributions to the nation's cultural relics. When we arrived in the United States, the newspapers and television were still full of news about Comrade Liu Yimin!" Sun Yiqing said with a smile, shaking Liu Yimin's hand.

"You're welcome, Director Sun!"

Chen Guang, deputy director of the history museum, also came over to express his gratitude to Liu Yimin and exclaimed, "When I saw the collection of the Asian Museum, I was completely stunned. I didn't know if I was in a foreign country or in China. It's hard to imagine that there are so many Chinese things in the United States."

Some of these items, which even history museums don't have, are crucial for studying ancient history. Immediately, I felt a sense of humiliation; each artifact felt like a slap in the face, a pain that pierced my heart!

Chen Guang's words were full of emotion, and they deeply resonated with everyone who heard them.

The Ministry of Culture held a meeting in the airport office, focusing on how to carry out the repatriation of cultural relics and joining the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Cultural Relics.

"Comrades, the central leadership attaches great importance to this. The return of cultural relics to the country is a matter of national and ethnic dignity, and it is part of the humiliating history of the Chinese nation. What we need to do is to gradually erase these humiliations."

I know this path is difficult, but we must all do it, so that peace-loving people around the world know that these are Chinese artifacts. What each of us does is part of the history of cultural relics returning to China.

Perhaps because we haven't achieved anything, our work won't be known to anyone. As Comrade Yimin aptly put it, "Success doesn't have to be achieved by me, but I will definitely be a part of it."

Everyone should take this as their belief and do their job well.

After Zhou Yang finished speaking, everyone spoke freely. The plane arrived in Yanjing at 10:00 AM, and the meeting did not end until 1:00 PM.

Liu Yimin and Cao Yu returned to the Beijing People's Art Theatre together. Cao Yu, with his hands behind his back, smiled and said, "Finally back! I feel relieved to be back. I really couldn't feel at ease while I was in America!"

"Teacher, more and more of them will come back in the future!"

"Yeah, I don't know if I'll be able to see it, or how much I'll be able to see!" Cao Yu pushed open the office door, excitedly singing a few lines.

"The screenwriter for 'Death of a Salesman' will arrive in March. I hope he won't cause chaos at the Beijing People's Art Theatre! I wonder what will come out of this clash between China and the US!" Cao Yu's expression gleamed with anticipation.

"Green Book is scheduled to premiere in early March, to show the Americans how well our Western-style plays are performed!"

Cao Yu's words carried a strong sense of competition.

Before the Lunar New Year, Liu Yimin told Wei Wei that the script for the play "Acacia Tree in the Minefield" would be written after the New Year's meeting.

When the time came, Wei Wei called Liu Yimin to ask if he had finished writing.

“Yimin, it’s not me urging you, it’s Regiment Commander Wei urging me! The movie ‘Triumph at Midnight’ is so popular, and the troops have responded very well. So, ‘Acacia Tree in the Minefield’ also needs to be accelerated to enrich the cultural life of the soldiers.”

Liu Yimin said to Wei Wei on the phone, "It's written, I'll send it to you right away!"

"No need to go to the Yanjing Military Region, just come directly to the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. I'm right here. It just so happens that the old commander wants to see you. Are you at the Overseas Chinese Apartment?"

"See me now?"

"Correct!"

"I'm at the Overseas Chinese Apartment!"

"Okay, I'll wait for you at the door!"

Liu Yimin immediately changed his clothes, took his manuscript, and rode his bicycle to the entrance of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, where Wei Wei was waiting.

The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense was newly established, and its buildings were not tall, with a low-key entrance. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't think that such an important institution was working here.

"Yimin, I came here today on some business and happened to run into an old leader who was here to give guidance. He asked to see you!"

Wei Wei took the script from Liu Yimin and read it as he walked.

Upon reaching the entrance, the sentry stopped the two, checked their identification, made another phone call inside, and after receiving instructions, searched them again before allowing them to enter.

"This is an important department, and the checks are very strict. You have to be checked again at the entrance before you come in!"

"understand!"

Walking into the office building of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, one sees staff members dressed in military uniforms or ordinary Zhongshan suits.

"Report!" Wei Wei called out as he walked to the door of an office.

"come in!"

"Commander, Yimin has arrived!" Wei Wei said. The old commander stood up from the sofa and invited Liu Yimin to sit down with a smile.

"Commander, you wanted to see me!" Liu Yimin said.

"Don't be nervous, we're just chatting. It's close by, so I called you over! I heard from Comrade Wei Wei that you're writing a script? Can I take a look?"

After the old leader finished speaking, Wei Wei quickly handed the script in his hand to the old leader.

"Commander, this is the script for 'The Acacia Tree in the Minefield'!"

After reading for about ten minutes, the old commander closed the notebook and returned it to Wei Wei: "It's well written. I also went to see 'Triumph at Midnight' yesterday. One of the scenes was very good, which was the scene of the nurse kissing our soldiers."

To paraphrase a line from "The Acacia Tree in the Minefield," our soldiers were all young, not yet having lived life to the fullest, not yet having exhausted their love! But in war, someone always has to step forward!

After finishing his speech, the old leader pointed to the map behind him and said, "Look, this is our country. The country is very big and needs people to protect it. Have you ever heard a nursery rhyme?"

"Sir, which one are you referring to?"

The old leader smiled slightly, patting the armrest of the sofa and tapping out a rhythm: "Little ball, kick it with your foot, Malan flowers bloom at twenty-one, two eight two five six, two eight two five seven."

Liu Yimin knew, of course, that this nursery rhyme was actually a way for the atomic bomb developers to convey good news to the outside world.

They could not tell the people their joy directly, so they could only express it in this way.

The small ball is like an atomic bomb, and kicking it means that the first atomic bomb was detonated on an iron tower.

Malan is the base, 21 is the research institute's code name, 28 is mailbox number 28, and 256 and 257 are two sub-boxes, which are also the base's only means of communication with the outside world.

Wei Wei asked what this meant, and the old commander kept him in suspense, saying, "You'll find out later!"

Clearly, it's not the right time to make the Malan base public yet.

"Comrade Wei Wei, you should go back now. I want to have a few words with Comrade Yi Min!" the old commander suddenly said.

Wei Wei was puzzled, but he immediately got up and went outside. He thought to himself, "I'm one of the army's own people!"

The old commander said, "Would you like to meet Comrade Xuesen?"

Is Professor Qian here?

"Comrade Xuesen happens to be here today, let's go to his office to find him!" The old leader got up and led Liu Yimin to Qian Lao's office.

There were guards outside Qian Lao's office, who immediately saluted upon seeing the leader.

Out of consideration for Qian's safety, he was provided with a guard secretary and staff members who were specifically responsible for inspecting the food.

"Comrade Xuesen, look who I've brought with me!"

Mr. Qian was working when he saw Liu Yimin and paused for a moment. Liu Yimin quickly said, "Mr. Qian, I am Liu Yimin!"

Old Qian, dressed in military uniform, adjusted his glasses and looked at him carefully: "Oh, Comrade Liu Yimin, old commander, what's going on?"

"Coincidentally, I'd like to have a chat with Comrade Yimin. You two are still corresponding, aren't you? Just communicating isn't enough; you need to meet in person!"

Liu Yimin quickly stepped forward and extended his hand. Old Qian extended his hand and said, "What a handsome young man!"

The three men sat together, and the old leader said, "I'm sure you're familiar with Comrade Xuesen's deeds. Our country is so fortunate to have someone like Comrade Xuesen!"

Mr. Qian humbly replied, "Old Chief, you flatter me. We are only able to do something for the country because of the favorable conditions in the country. Without the new China, even if we wanted to do something, we wouldn't know how."

Liu Yimin said, "Professor Qian, your courageous decision to return to China is something we young people should always learn from!"

Mr. Qian asked Liu Yimin what the United States was like now, and Liu Yimin told him everything he had seen.

"The Americans are far ahead of us in information technology; computers are already being used by civilians," Qian Xuesen exclaimed.

"I believe we can catch up!"

The old leader said, "Yes, to catch up, we need countless researchers and countless young people to dedicate themselves to the country. Today's young people are confused, and they need role models! Yimin, I invited you here today so that you could use your pen to publicize the unsung heroes and set an example for our country!"

"You want me to write a novel?"

"That's exactly what we mean. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the atomic bomb explosion, and we want to do some moderate publicity!"

Appropriate publicity means appropriate truthfulness, concealing some of the truth, achieving partial truthfulness without revealing secrets.

(End of this chapter)