Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 614 Adaptation
Shanghai Writers Association, Ba Jin's office.

Chen Fan placed several sheets of manuscript paper in front of Ba Lao and said, "When my uncle came over last time, he knew that I wrote books. Since his family business has a publishing house, he wanted me to submit my manuscript to the publishing house."

This is the synopsis and outline of my novel. Could you please review it and see if it's suitable for submission?

Ba Jin frowned, silently took out a cigarette and lit it, then looked at Chen Fan and said, "Foreign publishers directly soliciting manuscripts from writers is unprecedented in China."

Chen Fan shrugged. "That's why I came to you for advice. If it doesn't work, I won't write it."

It's impossible not to write. I've already finished the first book, and it's just waiting to be published in the United States. How could I give up halfway?

Even if the superiors refuse on the grounds that there is no precedent, I can simply act as a ghostwriter and let Zhou Yali take it back and publish it under her name.

Since they're already partners, and she manages his overseas assets on his behalf, this extra step won't make a difference.

Old Ba took a puff of his cigarette, said nothing, picked up the manuscript paper on the table and looked at it, “The Legend of the Dragon Knight?”

(It's not the Dragon Knight Legend that some readers mentioned. If I hadn't read the comments, I would have forgotten that the name is exactly the same. That one is too complicated and I can't handle it.)

He glanced at Chen Fan and asked, "Could it be a popular novel like 'The Legend of the Swordsmen of Shu Mountain'?"

The novel "The Legend of the Swordsmen of Shushan" pioneered the genre of Xianxia and new-style Wuxia novels. In particular, it introduced the concept of "true qi" in the creation of the world, which concretized the mythological novels that have been passed down for thousands of years. It extended the concept to include internal strength, true essence, immortal qi, and divine power, and its influence has lasted for a long time.

Ba Jin had naturally read this work as well, so when he saw the title, he immediately thought of that classic masterpiece.

Chen Fan nodded slightly, "More or less, but it's a completely fictional novel set against a Western historical backdrop."

Upon hearing this, Old Ba didn't ask any further questions and continued reading the manuscript. "Hmm. The protagonist is a child from a serf family at the bottom of society. He has to bear heavy labor at a young age. He is persecuted for unintentionally offending the son of the plantation owner. He escapes with the help of his parents who sacrifice their lives... Black Dragon?"

He looked up at Chen Fan and hissed softly, "Are you trying to write a Western version of a fantasy novel?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly, "Pretty much, mainly highlighting the proletariat's resistance against feudal oppression, and also their opposition to the old system..."

Old Ba raised his hand and waved it, "Since you know the key points, then don't write it like that. The key points should be the oppression and resistance. Try not to mention things like black dragons and griffins. Anyway, this is just an outline, so it's okay to be a little rough around the edges."

Chen Fan nodded, feigning sudden realization. "I understand. I'll make the changes right away."

As he spoke, he grabbed a stack of manuscript papers from the corner of the table and began making revisions on the spot.

Ba Jin scratched his head, his face showing some hesitation. "The manuscript paper here has the Shanghai Writers Association's logo. You're not from our organization. I suggest you go back to the Jiangnan Provincial Department of Culture to apply. That would be more reasonable and in accordance with procedure."

Chen Fan didn't even look up, continuing to write furiously at his desk. "It's alright, I'll just write it like this for now and revise it when I get back."

Ba Jin felt a bit of a headache. "I'm saying, you're quite capable yourself. Old He sent your recommendation form to the headquarters a few days ago. The headquarters will give them that much face, right? So stop using me as an excuse, okay?"

Chen Fan looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and ignorance. "I didn't."

The veins on Ba Jin's forehead throbbed. "You brought over a manuscript from the Shanghai Writers Association? What else is that but trying to use me as a pretext?"

Chen Fan decisively tore off the unfinished page along with the few sheets of paper underneath, folded them neatly, stuffed them into his pocket, and said seriously, "Don't worry, I'll definitely copy it when I get back, and I won't involve you!"

Old Ba stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, rubbed his head, and said, "Never mind, let's not talk about this."

He looked up at Chen Fan and said seriously, "A few days ago, Lao Xia told me that the script for 'The Ferryman' has been handed over to Shanghai Film Studio, and they have begun preparations. If all goes well, it can be filmed by the end of this year."

Chen Fan nodded indifferently, "Okay, I understand."

Under normal circumstances, an original screenplay earns 3000 yuan, an adapted screenplay earns 2000 yuan, and the original author receives 1000 yuan. At most, he can only earn 1000 yuan. In contrast, the newly completed and soon-to-be-published "Legend of the Dragon Knight" has a basic manuscript fee of 40 US dollars, plus a 20% royalty. What can he say about this difference?
Although Ba Lao didn't know the exact amount of the royalties Chen Fan's uncle had given him, he obviously knew it wouldn't be low, so he skipped that and simply tossed him an envelope and a receipt, saying, "This is from Lao Xia, sign it."

Without saying a word, Chen Fan quickly wrote down his name. Only after he finished writing the name did he see the amount clearly and couldn't help but look up, "Why is it 3000?"

Ba Jin took out another cigarette, tossed it to Chen Fan, lit it himself, exhaled a puff of smoke, and looked at Chen Fan with a smile, "This is the payment for three scripts, 'Cloud Lake Romance' and 'Shanghai Spy Shadow,' which he also took a liking to. I told you about them last time."

Chen Fan thought about it and realized that it was true. When he came to Shanghai with his uncle last time, Ba Jin had mentioned it briefly.

only……

He looked hesitant. “Shanghai Spy Shadow is fine, and I never thought about letting anyone else make it. But for Yunhu Love, both Jiangnan Film Studio and Yunhu District Committee have expressed their intention to make a film about it.”

After all, it's a story that "happened" locally, so how could it be allowed to benefit outsiders?
Upon hearing this, Ba Jin chuckled and said, "I'm not saying this to be mean, but what kind of proper films has your Jiangnan Film Studio ever made besides a few stage plays?"

Chen Fan shrugged helplessly. "Rank has a way of crushing you. Besides, the Jiangnan Cultural Bureau has always been very kind to me. They were the ones who took the lead on this matter. How could I refuse?"

Buffett thought about it and agreed.

He hesitated for two seconds, then looked up and said, "Okay, you don't need to worry about this matter. Whether it succeeds or not, you can keep the copyright fee. At most, it'll be 1500 per book. As for the movie adaptation of 'Yunhu Love,' I'll have Lao Xia arrange for someone to go directly to Jiang Film Studio and your Cultural Bureau to discuss it."

Chen Fan had no objection to being able to get away from the situation and immediately agreed.

I also have several novels, such as "Reed Marsh" and "The Sea," that are suitable for adaptation. Don't you have any that you'd like to adapt?

……

Back home, Jiang Tiantian and the other two had already packed their luggage and were ready to leave at any time.

It's summer now, so all we need to bring are a few changes of clothes, and everyone just carried a backpack.

Seeing Chen Fan return, Jiang Lili picked up his bag and said, "My luggage is all packed, I'm just waiting for you to come back."

Jiang Tiantian, however, was more concerned about work-related matters, asking, "Did Mr. Ba agree?"

Chen Fan took the backpack from Jiang Lili, slung it over his shoulder, and said to Jiang Tiantian, "It seems like there's no problem. When I get back to Jiangnan, I'll just go through the formalities with the Cultural Bureau."

Ba Jin was right; he was going to take the manuscript with the Shanghai Writers Association's logo to the Jiangnan Cultural Bureau for review.

After all, there was no precedent for this kind of thing, and even Chen Fan couldn't say for sure that the Department of Culture would approve it.

If you bring Mr. Ba, it's a different story. Although he doesn't hold a high-ranking position, his reputation and seniority speak for themselves. You don't even need him to make a statement; just hand over a manuscript with his organization's name on it, and the relevant leaders will understand the meaning.

One Chen Fan might not be enough, but with Ba Lao (a famous Chinese writer and writer), it will definitely work.

In principle, Chen Fan still hopes to make money in a legitimate way. Moreover, if this novel can become a bestseller in Western countries, it will definitely enhance his status in the industry. No matter how you look at it, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

As long as his works and fame spread abroad, who cares if he writes popular fiction?!
Hearing Chen Fan's words, Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili both breathed a sigh of relief. Zhou Yali was even more delighted, "Then I'll mail the floppy disk back on the way?"

Chen Fan waved his hand, "No, you can take it with you when you go back. A few more days won't make a difference."

If he sends it back, it will undoubtedly be intercepted and inspected, without a doubt, since his paperwork hasn't been completed yet.

However, the inspections at the border are not so strict now. The focus is mainly on the entry of foreign publications. Such items are investigated and dealt with without any leniency.

As for other things, they are not very strict, especially for foreign guests leaving the country. Some don't even open their luggage. Zhou Yali carried a floppy disk and was able to board the plane with ease.

Besides, the procedures were already completed by then, so there was nothing to fear if we were caught.

After a brief chat, the four of them prepared to set off.

At this moment, Jiang Lili picked up Banjin and Balang from the ground and walked over, saying, "What should we do with them?"

Chen Fan turned around and stared directly at the raccoon dog.

You two are practically invisible, and you're just causing trouble at this crucial moment. Maybe we should just send you away?

But seeing the two sisters each holding one in their arms, he could only smile and say, "Find a canvas bag to pack them up and take them on the plane."

Since there's no boarding check, as long as you don't do it blatantly, you can bring whatever you want.

Besides, there are no regulations these days that prohibit bringing animals on airplanes.

The ban on bringing animals on airplanes won't be implemented until January 1, 2017, which is almost 40 years away.

Hearing Chen Fan say this, Jiang Lili quickly found a canvas bag, opened the lid, let both cats jump inside, and then closed the lid. As long as the two cats didn't peek out from the gaps on the side, they wouldn't be discovered.

Seeing how well-behaved the two cats were, Zhou Yali couldn't help but feel a little envious. She ran over and tugged at Chen Fan's sleeve, "Brother, these two kittens are so cute. Can you get me one too?"

She had just asked Jiang Lili and learned that both cats were trained by Chen Fan, and she was immediately tempted.

Chen Fan readily agreed, "No problem, I'll give you a pair next time you come."

One cat is a bit lonely, two cats are better.

Zhou Yali immediately beamed with joy, "Thank you, brother. Don't worry, I'll definitely take care of things in America for you."

She had called home twice in the past few days. Once, she told her father about Chen Fan's needs—buying the mouse patent and inquiring about Dr. Engelbart's work—and asked her father to run the errands. The other time, of course, was for her father to reply with the results.

After getting to know him, Zhou Zhengdong discovered that Engelbart was not happy with his work. Just like before, many researchers in the company did not agree with his ideas and felt that the path of personal computers was not viable.

In fact, this is the mainstream thinking among computer professionals today: that computers are only for scientific research, and that personal business computers may have a certain market, but not a very large one.

That particular document processing machine can meet the customer's needs, and that's where the personal computer's end point is.

It wasn't until the mid-80s, when personal computer sales increased year by year, and gaming functions were added in addition to work, even giving rise to giants like Apple, that computer researchers around the world began to change their thinking and acknowledge the importance of personal computers, which led many companies to focus on the development of personal computers and related peripheral applications.

However, Engelbart had already passed his prime in research by then, and even though he began to receive attention at this time, he was no longer able to lead the technological development of personal computers.

Most importantly, Cisco had already emerged and expanded rapidly by then, and Engelbart never had another chance to gain a foothold in the business world.

Since it was a phone call, Chen Fan directly told Zhou Zhengdong his thoughts.

First, buy the mouse patent, then talk to Engelbart to see if he's interested in researching multi-protocol router technology.

A few days later, feedback was received that Zhou Zhengdong had successfully recruited him to the Chinese character card company to serve as its chief scientist.

Although Hanka Company was a small company that had only recently been established, the Zhou family was wealthy and directly invested $50, which was enough to support Engelbart's early research.

Faced with a discriminatory work environment on one hand and a company waving a check and offering a clear research direction on the other, Engelbart switched jobs almost without hesitation.

Furthermore, Engelbart stated that with a clear direction, the technology will be available in a short time. Once the new equipment connects different local area networks and the world sees the results, the company will definitely not be the size it is now.

After resolving this matter, Chen Fan felt much more relaxed.

Compared to Chinese character cards, multi-protocol routers face a market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and the company's prospects are clearly visible.

All he had to do was make two phone calls.

From now on, just wait to count your money.

Chen Fan drove the van to the airport with the three women. He left the van at the airport, boarded the plane, and after arriving, he took a taxi to the home of his three masters in Dashilan before dinner.

It was still a small courtyard with the gate open. Chen Fan led them through the gate and turned right. There they saw several elderly people playing chess in the courtyard, including his three masters.

Upon seeing Chen Fan, Lin Yuanxiang immediately stood up, laughing as he walked over, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Then his gaze fell on Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili, scrutinized them for a moment, before turning to Chen Fan, the probing meaning in his eyes self-evident.

Chen Fan chuckled dryly, "Hello, Master Zhang."

At this moment, the other elderly people stood up, greeted them, and walked out, saying, "We have guests. That's all for today. Please take care of them and let us know if you need anything."

Chen Fan waved and greeted them one by one, watching them leave.

Zhang Xuansong also came over, and after everyone had gone out, he closed the courtyard gate.

Then he turned to look at Chen Fan, to see how he would explain.

Zhou Yali had met them before; the focus was on those two girls.

Chen Fan coughed lightly and smiled, "You've all met my cousin before."

He then pointed to the two sisters, "This is Jiang Lili, who has already met our parents and is my fiancée. This is her older sister, Jiang Tiantian."

(End of this chapter)