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

The old factory director was laughing maniacally!
He has experienced too many things in his life, from the era of war to the period of peaceful construction, from the difficult years of film shortage to the slow recovery of the film industry.

But I have never felt such exhilarating excitement before.

The figure of 20.9 million US dollars is like a key, which not only unlocked the predicament of Yanying Film Studio, but also pried open the door for Chinese films to go global.

"Xuemin...where is Xuemin?" The old factory director wiped away tears of laughter, his voice still trembling, and asked, "Why didn't he come to tell me the good news right away after achieving such a great feat?"

"This kid, really..."

The old factory director wanted to say "ignorant," but the words caught in his throat as he choked out, "They've really given our Factory Director Yan Ying a lot of face!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Jianzhong quickly explained, saying:

"Xuemin said he would go to Guangzhou on the way and take Gong Xue and the others to record a cassette tape. He said that Pacific Music Company there wanted to record some kind of album for them. It might take two days before they return to Yanjing."

"Record a tape?" Wang Yang's eyes widened, and he stamped his feet in frustration. "What kind of time is this to record a tape?! This kid!"

He turned and walked towards the door, saying urgently, "No, I have to have the broadcasting room announce this; the whole factory needs to know this good news!"

"Let those who say that we are 'not doing our proper job' by making martial arts films see how many US dollars our Yanying Film Studio has earned for the country!"

"Factory Director! You can't say that!" Huang Jianzhong was startled when he heard this. He quickly grabbed him, sweat beading on his forehead, and said, "When we were about to part ways, Xuemin specifically told me to tell you, the old factory director, that the contract and remittance voucher are still on their way and cannot be made public before they arrive in China, lest something unexpected happens."

"Moreover... China Film Group is still unaware of the situation; we've been keeping it from Director Hu Jian in Bolin!"

"So if we make it public now, what if China Film Group tries to sabotage us?"

Upon hearing this, the old factory director abruptly stopped in his tracks. The excitement on his face gradually faded, replaced by deep contemplation.

He knew Huang Jianzhong was right!
Cheng Xuemin's performance this time was too eye-catching. China Film Group had long regarded their Yan Film Studio as a thorn in their side. If the news were to leak out in advance, who knows what kind of trouble it would cause.

"You're right, I was too hasty." The old factory director took a deep breath, nodded, and said with an increasingly determined look in his eyes, "But this news must be brought to the old leader's attention immediately!"

"We've suffered for so long, it's time to hold our heads high! Jianzhong, come with me, let's go to the lake!"

As he spoke, he quickly took out his coat, beckoned Huang Jianzhong, and hurried outside.

"Uh? Kenjiro, when did you get back?"

"Jianzhong, you're back?"

It was right at the start of the workday, and as soon as he stepped out of the office, he ran into a number of colleagues scattered in the corridor. They were genuinely surprised to see Huang Jianzhong and greeted him warmly.

"Ah, you're back! You just arrived last night!"

Huang Jianzhong nodded in response to each of them, then followed closely behind the old factory director, afraid of delaying him and making the excited director impatient.

"Uh! Huang Jianzhong is back! Doesn't that mean they've all returned from Bolin?"

"Yes! Do you know how they did in Bolin this time?"

"How would I know? I've never seen them mention it!"

"No, where is the old factory manager rushing off to? I don't think I saw that one, right?"

"Hey, you know what? Where's that Cheng Xuemin?"

"Could something have happened? Is the old factory manager in such a hurry to leave?"

"Really, really? Look how anxious the old factory director was, he stopped Feng Jiazhao's car right away. Has something really serious happened?"

When the factory workers saw Huang Jianzhong return from Bolin and be hurriedly taken away by the old factory director, a large group of them immediately started discussing the matter.

Chen Huaikai watched with a complex expression in his eyes, not expecting that Huang Jianzhong and the others had already returned from Bolin.

I wonder how well they did at Bolin?

Looking back, when the old factory director and Cheng Xuemin were looking for a director in the factory, I was the first person they recommended.

Unfortunately, my own wretched child ruined everything.

So whether this was a blessing in disguise or a missed opportunity, everyone is speculating and it's hard to say, given how anxious the old factory director is.

"The old factory director!"

"Jianzhong, you're back from Bolin?"

At this moment, Feng Jiazhao, the brother-in-law's older brother, drove into the factory in the car that his brother-in-law had left him. Before he could even stop the car, the old factory director called out from the middle of the road, saying, "Jiazhao, you've come at the right time. Could you please give us a ride to the lake?"

"Huh?! Oh, oh, oh!"

"Old factory director, Jianzhong, get in the car, get in the car!" Brother-in-law Feng Jiazhao nodded repeatedly, quickly braked the car, and called out to them to get in.

"Old factory director, are we going to the lake?" After getting in the car, turning around, and getting onto the main road, Feng Jiazhao began to ask questions. Moreover, he didn't see his brother-in-law Cheng Xuemin, so he was even more unsure.

Huang Jianzhong, who went to Bolin with them, returned, but his brother-in-law Cheng Xuemin was nowhere to be seen.

Moreover, as soon as Huang Jianzhong returned, he urged the old factory director to go to the lake in such a hurry. What exactly happened?

Could it be that something happened to my brother-in-law?

"Let's go to the lake!" The old factory director nodded, suppressing his extreme excitement, and said, "Xuemin is in Guangzhou on business and will be back in a couple of days."

He then urged again, saying, "Jia Zhao, don't ask so many questions yet, hurry up and drive to the lake, it's urgent!"

My brother-in-law is still in Guangzhou and hasn't come back immediately.

Upon hearing this, Feng Jiazhao became even more puzzled. Why had he suddenly gone to Guangzhou again?

However, since the old factory director was urging him on, Feng Jiazhao pressed the accelerator a little harder, and the car quickly got on the road.

"Jianzhong, how are things in Bolin?" I couldn't help but ask.

Huang Jianzhong glanced at Wang Yang in the back row. Seeing that the old factory director did not object, he smiled and nodded, saying, "It's not just good news, it's fantastic good news. Anyway, you'll know when Xuemin comes back."

Amazing news?

Why do we have to wait until Xuemin comes back to find out? Huang Jianzhong, can't you tell us now?
Feng Jiazhao's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "I said it should be good news. No wonder my second uncle came to our house a couple of days ago and said that Commander Xu was invited by Liao Gong to watch 'Tai Chi,' and that Xuemin might have made a great contribution, but he couldn't say exactly what that contribution was, and Commander Xu didn't say either!"

Both the old factory director and Huang Jianzhong were stunned by these words.

"Commander Xu went to Liao Gong's place in Haizi to watch 'Tai Chi'?" The old factory director frowned. He hadn't heard anything about this. He then asked, "Does Haizi already know about it?"

Feng Jiazhao scratched his head and said, "I'm not quite sure either!"

"My second uncle said that when he came back from the lake that day, he said that Liao Gong invited several old leaders to watch a movie, and the movie shown was the original copy of 'Tai Chi'."

As for why he looked at it, he didn't know. He just said that after Commander Xu finished reading it, he praised Cheng Xuemin for a long time, and even said, "The front line doesn't need one more soldier!"

The old factory director and Huang Jianzhong exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

It seems that Hai Zili already knew about the victory at Bolin, but the old leaders didn't spread the word. They even kept it from those who were directly involved.

It is clear that Huang Jianzhong was right to convey Xuemin's message that it was not appropriate to announce this good news now!

Even the lake is kept under wraps; not even Wang Yang has revealed a word. It's clear that there's still a lot to be done when Xuemin returns.

However, the old factory director still smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, the old leaders probably already got the news in advance!"

"Old factory director, is this really a great thing or something else? Is Xuemin hiding outside, too afraid to come back?"

The old factory director said this, but the older brother-in-law, Feng Jiazhao, became even more apprehensive and asked a question.

"He's not hiding, Xuemin really has something to do in Guangzhou!" The old factory director waved his hand and said to Feng Jiazhao, "Jiazhao, Xuemin hasn't returned yet, so we can't tell anyone about this!"

"But Jia Zhao, you're not an outsider. Jian Zhong, briefly mention your achievements in Bolin to Jia Zhao!"

The old factory director was quite good at putting on airs; instead of speaking to Feng Jiazhao himself, he had Huang Jianzhong, who was standing next to him, tell him!

"Okay!" Huang Jianzhong, having gotten another chance to shine, said with his face not too flushed, "Ahem! Jia Zhao, hold the steering wheel steady first!"

"Go ahead and say it!" Brother-in-law Feng Jiazhao rolled his eyes. I've got a firm grip on the steering wheel!
"That's right! We sold Tai Chi in Bolin!"

Do you know how many US dollars in foreign exchange you sold?

Huang Jianzhong's face is really infuriating; I really don't know who he copied!
The brother-in-law, who was driving, was also stunned. He was told to guess boldly. Seeing Huang Jianzhong's face, he figured the result probably wouldn't be low, so he asked, "Has the pledge been fulfilled?"

In the end, it all comes down to that military order!
As long as the pledge to generate ten million US dollars in foreign exchange is fulfilled, everything will be fine.

"finished!"

"And we exceeded our target, achieving a foreign exchange earnings of a whopping 20.9 million US dollars!" Huang Jianzhong dropped the pretense and laid it all out in one breath.

"What? How much!?"

Then came a sudden stop, which slammed the old factory manager in the back seat against the back of the car.

"Jia Zhao, I told you to hold the steering wheel steady... Old factory director, are you alright?!"

"It's alright, it's alright, hurry up and drive to the lake!"

……

And at this time, in the lake.

Ding Daming and Hu Jian were already seated in the conference room. At the end of the long table, several senior leaders, including Elder Wu, were looking through the materials they had brought.

"So, the main reason why 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' and 'Tai Chi' failed to gain market share in Bolin was because Cheng Xuemin obstructed the collaboration?"

An elderly leader with graying hair put down the materials and asked with a questioning tone, "Xiao Ding, your China Film Group is responsible for overseas distribution. How could you let a screenwriter ruin the cooperation?"

Now, the three-way meeting has successfully diverted the old leader's attention from the fruitless trip to Bolin to the overseas distribution and promotion work.

This was the goal that Ding Daming and Hu Jian had planned from the very beginning, and they achieved it.

Upon hearing this, Ding Daming was secretly delighted and quickly stood up, saying, "Old leader, this is exactly the situation we wanted to report!"

"Although Comrade Cheng Xuemin is enthusiastic about reform and is a pioneer, he is too self-righteous. He not only bypassed China Film Group to supply scripts to Hong Kong, but also ruined the cooperation with Japan's Daiwa Film Company. This is not just a lack of organization and discipline, but a disregard for the overall diplomatic situation!"

Hu Jian chimed in, saying, "Yes, old leader. Dahe Pictures had already drafted the contract, saying they would help us with publicity for free, but Cheng Xuemin insisted that they had ulterior motives and ruined the deal."

"Free publicity?" Another leader sneered and said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. If the Japanese were really that kind, why would they only agree to a 'perpetual distribution right'?"

"Xiao Hu, you're a veteran in overseas cultural export work, don't you understand this simple principle?"

Hu Jian's face turned pale, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.

Seeing that Hu Jian was speechless, Ding Daming quickly took over the conversation, his face showing a pained expression, and said:

"Old leader, you can't say that. When we conduct cultural exchanges with foreign countries, haven't we always been feeling our way across the river?"

"In the early years, in order to get 'Tunnel Warfare' screened in Southeast Asia, we not only didn't even charge copyright fees, but also spent a huge amount of foreign exchange to help with the promotion. Wasn't that all to expand our influence and benefit our political propaganda?"

"Political propaganda has always been the most important policy and strategy for China Film Group's overseas distribution. How come it's wrong in Cheng Xuemin's case? Does fighting for such a small amount of money mean it's politically correct?"

The phrase "political propaganda is above all else" instantly silenced the leader.

Seeing this, Ding Daming became even more enthusiastic. He immediately took out a copy of the contract from Yamato Pictures, slapped it on the table, and said, "Yamato Pictures is willing to bear all the publicity costs. This is already a huge concession."

"They want 'perpetual distribution rights,' which is obviously their own selfish motive, but we can discuss a supplementary agreement later!"

"Comrade Cheng Xuemin drove people away with just one sentence. Isn't that pushing away an opportunity that's been delivered to our door?"

"Let's talk about 'The Ghostly Man' again." Ding Daming's tone shifted, his eyes suddenly sharpening, and he continued, "Submitting the script to Hong Kong without China Film Group's approval, especially one that promotes feudal superstition, violates the Provisional Regulations on Film Script Review!"

"If everyone were like him, our cultural front would be in trouble sooner or later!"

Old Wu, sitting in the main seat, remained silent, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze sweeping over Ding Daming and Hu Jian's faces.

The senior leaders next to him couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Some people thought Ding Daming's words made sense, as there are no small matters in diplomacy; others frowned, clearly aware of the shady dealings involved in the "permanent issuance rights."

"Xiao Ding, do you mean that Comrade Cheng Xuemin is both undermining diplomacy and violating discipline?" an elderly leader wearing glasses asked in a deep voice.

“Exactly!” Ding Daming emphasized, “His actions in Bolin are no longer just personal, but have impacted the entire overseas expansion of Chinese cinema!”

"The failure of 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' to open up the European market, and the lack of any cooperation intentions for 'Tai Chi' to this day, are all the result of his stubbornness!"

"Moreover, the Bolin Film Festival is about to close. If Japan were to issue a condemnation to us through diplomatic means, it would be a big problem!"

Hu Jian nodded repeatedly beside him and added:

"Yes, leaders, I tried my best to persuade him, saying that this was a major event to promote Sino-Japanese friendship, but Comrade Cheng Xuemin simply wouldn't listen. He even said that the Japanese wanted to steal our copyrights for free, which is utter nonsense!"

He completely shirked responsibility, and the atmosphere in the meeting room gradually became heavy.

Several senior leaders who opposed the move showed expressions of approval, while those who supported the opening up frowned.

They knew that Cheng Xuemin was a pioneer of reform and opening up, but the label of "sabotaging diplomacy" was too heavy for anyone to easily utter.

Moreover, judging from Ding Daming's words, the Japanese side might at any time issue a strong condemnation to the country through diplomatic means.

Therefore, we have to prepare in advance!
Old Wu finally put down his teacup, his voice low but weighty, and asked, "According to you, Cheng Xuemin has become the eternal sinner of the film industry?"

……

It's the first day of September, so I'm asking for some monthly votes to keep things going. Thank you so much! (End of Chapter)