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

Chapter 547 The Story of He Fengshan (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
Hearing Liu Yimin's words, He Fengshan was stunned for a moment. In traditional Chinese culture, the attitude towards doing good deeds is to remain silent and not seek fame.

Under videos promoting good deeds, you can always hear keyboard warriors complaining that doing good deeds should mean leaving without a trace and keeping your merits hidden.

Liu Yimin further explained, "Mr. He, you are living abroad, yet you returned to China at over eighty years old, which shows that you are also a patriot."

"Of course! Yimin, I work in diplomacy. Diplomats need to know who they are working for. Secondly, what is the decisive factor in diplomacy? Diplomacy is about working for one's own country, and the decisive factor in diplomacy is strength."

We understand best that weak nations have no diplomacy; our diplomacy is merely a matter of forcing a smile. Therefore, I deeply understand the importance of the nation and its strength.

He Fengshan said emphatically, describing the past diplomatic predicament with the phrase, "Although I had the will, I was powerless to reverse the situation!"

"When I was in university in Germany, I was humiliated by foreigners. Later, I went to the Austrian embassy, ​​and then to Vienna, Egypt, Mexico, and Bolivia. You know what? As a diplomat, the first thing you need to do when you go to a place is to understand its politics, economy, military, and culture. When you go from Europe to South America, you will see two worlds."

As a diplomat, your mindset changes when you go to different countries. Of course, when I went to South America, where we've become a major power, I felt more confident.

As He Fengshan finished speaking, Liu Yimin, Huang Zumo, and the others revealed knowing smiles.

Then He Fengshan added, "Having a strong backbone is useless. No matter how strong you are, your own warships and planes can't get through. Others won't give in, and you'll end up in a difficult situation, making yourself a laughingstock."

He Fengshan's words seemed to show the group the helplessness of a diplomat, who could only sit by the window and sigh in despair when faced with injustice, or curse loudly before helplessly plopping down on a stool.

Liu Yimin supported He Fengshan's arm and explained, following his words, "Yes, that's why it needs to be publicized. Now, national strength is not only economic and military strength, but also cultural strength."

Our country is not particularly strong economically or militarily, but it is not weak either. We have nuclear weapons and are one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. We have a culture with five thousand years of history, but currently, the most important issue is that we lack appeal abroad.

Having lived in the US for a long time, you must understand the deep-seated prejudice Westerners hold against China, even resorting to slander. What we can do is bridge this information gap with the West, letting them know that Chinese people are doing many things they simply don't know, such as planting trees. While Westerners are busy spouting cheap slogans, they also criticize us.

The Chinese characters in movies are all portrayed as having strange appearances. I want to write about your deeds so they know that Chinese people are also their heroes. A Chinese man, whom they called the "Sick Man of East Asia," did what ambassadors of powerful European nations dared not do.

What were Nazis? They were a product of Western appeasement policies! When have they ever valued their own values? They were driven entirely by self-interest. If they valued the order of World War II, Japan wouldn't be undergoing a right-wing resurgence today!

We must strive to make the world understand who the Chinese are, what they are doing, and what they want to achieve!

When Liu Yimin got to the point of getting worked up, he angrily slammed his hand on the table, a sound that stunned He Fengshan and the others standing nearby.

After a while, He Fengshan clapped his hands and said, "Good! Good! Good! That's impressive! We Chinese should have that kind of spirit. I've returned to China several times, and every time I see the achievements of reform and opening up, I feel that our country is not far from rejuvenation."

The time has come to fulfill the last wishes of Premier Sun Yat-sen!

He Fengshan was even more enthusiastic than before, and asked Liu Yimin to read "Forty Years of Diplomatic Career," saying that he could ask him any questions about the parts he didn't understand.

"Yi Min, Director Huang, Xiao Jiao, please have a seat. I'll have someone bring some fruit and make something to eat. This isn't something we can finish reading in a short time." He Fengshan turned and left, letting Huang Zumo, Jiao Huang, and the others find books and sit down to pass the time.

Huang Zumo gave Liu Yimin a thumbs up: "Yimin, what you just said was really good, it was truly enlightening, truly enlightening! Especially who is this Chinese person behind him! What is this Chinese person doing! What does this Chinese person want to do!"

"Director Huang, let's not bother Yimin anymore, let him watch it properly," Jiao Huang said with a smile.

Huang Zumo smiled and walked out of the study to help He Fengshan bring out some fruit.

Liu Yimin carefully reviewed He Fengshan's resume, which included a period after 1940 when he returned to China to participate in the war. He began working in diplomacy at the age of 34, and his work experience in Vienna from 1938 to 40 was during this time when he saved many Thais.

However, the book contains a sentence that explains his reason for doing this:

Being compassionate and willing to help others is natural; from a human perspective, it's only right.

After reading the above, Liu Yimin remarked, "Chinese people are indeed very empathetic. We always like to put ourselves in others' shoes and put ourselves in their shoes in order to act accordingly."

He Fengshan, sitting next to him, said, "Back then, Rabe protected so many Chinese people, and I just wanted to do what I could. Who would have thought that demons and angels would come from the same country?"

"The conflict between Germans and Thais is too great. No country can allow foreigners to control its economy and act recklessly. I hope Thais will remember this painful lesson and be as empathetic as we Chinese are."

After Liu Yimin finished reading the manuscript, it was time for lunch. After lunch, Liu Yimin went into his study and read through all the contents.

Liu Yimin interviewed He Fengshan, including about things he didn't know, as well as his state of mind and details at the time.

"Germany put enormous pressure on us at the time. As you know, our relationship with Germany was quite good before 38. We purchased a large amount of German weapons, and a number of German-equipped divisions were established in China. After 38, relations deteriorated, and diplomatic ties were severed in 41. Germany tried various methods to obstruct our progress, and domestically, due to pressure, even funding and documents were cut off."
The Germans first seized the consulate's premises, leaving us to rent. The ambassador to Germany repeatedly forbade me from issuing visas, and later even accused me of visa trading. Investigators found no evidence, and the matter was eventually dropped.

Liu Yimin wrote down He Fengshan's answers in his notebook: "Did you ever think about giving up at that time?"

"Of course I thought about it. But when you see a group of people queuing outside, their eyes filled with a longing for life, you can't make up your mind. The one who impressed me the most was a young man from Taiwan. He went to more than fifty consulates, but they all closed their doors to him. Finally, he came to us and got a visa and a ferry ticket to Shanghai."

After Liu Yimin finished the interview, it was already 9 p.m., and He Fengshan's daughter took them out for a late-night snack.

He Manli smiled and said, "Professor Liu Yimin, do I look familiar to you?"

Liu Yimin scrutinized her carefully for a few seconds before asking, "Ms. Manli, are you a reporter?"

“Yes, I’m a reporter. I interviewed you before, but it wasn’t really an interview, I didn’t get the chance,” He Manli said with a smile.

"Haha, I'm really sorry." Liu Yimin looked He Manli closely. Having lived in the United States for a long time, she looked more like an American in terms of makeup and demeanor.

After finishing their late-night snack, they left He Fengshan's house in high spirits. Jiao Huang, Huang Zumo, and the others even had the driver drive close to the sea, wanting to see the American coastline at night.

"How did everyone feel about this trip to the United States?" Liu Yimin stretched his hand out of the window, then quickly pulled it back. The cold wind and ocean moisture combined to create a damp chill similar to that of the South.

“America is indeed a prosperous country, but it’s not the ideal country that people in China call it. To be honest, when I came here, some people advised me to try to stay. Stay? First of all, I can’t even get used to the food.” Jiao Huang said, rubbing his stomach. Liu Yimin was startled. Luckily, Grandpa Jiao Huang was reliable. If he hadn’t been, he would have really lost face.

"Old Jiao, I have to thank you!" Liu Yimin said with emotion.

Jiao Huang waved his hand: "Don't worry, I'm the kind of person who dislikes causing trouble for others. If I want to come, I can come openly and honestly. I don't want to stay in this way, otherwise I, Jiao Huang, would really be too ashamed to face anyone."

Back at the hotel, Liu Yimin told everyone to go to sleep, then sat on the edge of his bed and reviewed the interview transcript. Finding nothing wrong, he lay down on the bed with peace of mind.

The next morning, Liu Yimin was woken up by a phone call from Song Xilian. As soon as he answered the call, Song Xilian couldn't wait to ask him about the outcome of their meeting.

"I conducted a comprehensive interview with Mr. He. Thank you so much! Without you, I don't know how long I would have had to wait to find him!"

"As long as it's useful, that's fine. When did you become so polite? Yimin, I can handle your personal matters slowly, but this is official business! Besides, this is something that brings honor to all Chinese people. If word gets out, I, as a Chinese person, will feel proud. We Chinese are truly admirable."

Then Song Xilian asked some specific questions, which he listened to with great interest. After listening, he exclaimed, "Incredible, not easy, very difficult!"

After hanging up, Liu Yimin called Frank and told him that he no longer needed Frank's help in finding the Chinese ambassador, as he had already found him.

Frank exclaimed excitedly, "Liu, really? Where is he?"

"Right in San Francisco!"

"So close? I thought it was more in New York."

"I searched high and low without finding it, but then it came to me effortlessly. I searched for it a thousand times in the crowd, but then I found it where the lights were dim."

Frank laughed upon hearing this, "What a poetic line, Liu. When are you planning to start writing it?"

"I'll start once I finish my current work. I'll be quite busy for a while, and I'll let you know the details later. Frank, I hope you do a good job making 'Green Book'."

"Liu, when are you going back to China? I'll come see you off!" Frank asked.

"No need, aren't you in Los Angeles now? Just focus on preparing for the filming of 'Green Book.' Frank, good luck!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Yimin walked out of the room, while Huang Zumo and Jiao Huang were packing their things to return to China.

"Are you in such a hurry?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

Jiao Huang packed his clothes into a box: "I don't want to stay here for even a day longer."

"Me too, I miss my wife, the New Year is coming soon." Huang Zumo chuckled.

Liu Yimin discussed the script for "The Pilgrimage of One Man" with the two of them. The script for the film has been written and is just waiting to start filming next year.

"Old Huang, do you know how to choose a background?"

“I know that when choosing a place, you should choose a high-rise building in the city and an exquisite house in the countryside. It can be old, but it can’t be dilapidated,” Huang Zumo said with great familiarity.

"Yes, make sure you film well at the beginning of next year. Beijing Film Studio will provide you with ample funding and support. They will only provide the funding; we will handle the specific details. I will be going abroad again soon after the new year. Lao Huang, Lao Jiao, I'm entrusting the film to you."

Chen Sheng approached and called everyone to go eat. Huang Zumo and Jiao Huang immediately put down what they were doing.

During the day, Liu Yimin went to see Nikki, mainly to discuss the overall promotion of his books in the United States. Nikki planned to promote some of Liu Yimin's books as a collection, based on American reading habits.

Liu Yimin had no objections. The other issue was the sales agreement for the book "House of Cards," which the two parties quickly reached an agreement on.

On January 22, Liu Yimin and his entourage boarded a plane and left the United States. Huang Zumo and Jiao Huang disembarked directly in Shanghai, while Liu Yimin and Chen Sheng, the translator from China Film Group, returned to Beijing.

After getting off the plane, the Ministry of Culture, as usual, picked them up and took them to the ministry. Ding Daming shook Liu Yimin's hand and said excitedly, "Comrade Yimin, thank you, you've worked hard!"

"Mr. Ding, you're too kind. This trip to the United States just happened to coincide with this opportunity, so we decided to do it all at once."

Xia Yan said with a smile, "The American agent even sent a special message to express their gratitude. You did a great job in this roadshow and the answers to the questions were excellent."

The meeting lasted all morning, with only one theme: to commend their trip to the United States. As soon as the meeting ended at noon, Liu Yimin rushed home.

Just as he got home, the Ministry of Forestry called. Liu Yimin replied with a few words and then hung up.

Liu Yimin carried Liu Yu and Liu Lin around the study, taking out gifts he had bought for them in the United States from a box.

"Come on, daughter, tell me, what have you been doing at home lately?" Liu Yimin asked affectionately.

Liu Yu raised her little hand and said, "One, two." Then she scratched her head as if thinking, and when she couldn't figure it out, she giggled and snuggled into Liu Yimin's arms.

"Alright, you silly boy!" Liu Yimin then looked at Liu Lin, who was a little better than Liu Yu and could count to three.

After the Writers Association learned that Liu Yimin had returned, they called him and asked him to come to the Writers Association to see the proposed list of candidates for the delegation to Latin America.

"Secretary Tang, let me rest for a while. It's still early, don't rush me," Liu Yimin said helplessly.

P.S.: Last day of double monthly passes! Please give me your monthly passes!

(End of this chapter)