Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 85, Section 84: Gao Yuanyuan, the Artistic Girl
As September quietly slipped into the city, the sky above Beijing appeared even higher and bluer, and the sweltering heat of summer was gradually dispelled by the coolness of early autumn.

Yellow leaves began to fall sporadically from the poplar trees inside the Beijing Film Studio, carpeting the ground with tiny golden fragments.

September 7th, Saturday, a day that will later prove to be of great significance.

The "Hand in Hand, Shoulder to Shoulder Towards the 97th Anniversary of Hong Kong's Return to the Motherland" large-scale themed fellowship event, jointly organized by the All-China Youth Federation, the National Working Committee for Young Pioneers, China Youth Travel Service, and other organizations, was officially launched in Beijing.

The launching ceremony was held at the Youth Palace, where representatives of young people from all walks of life, Young Pioneers, and the news media gathered, creating a warm and solemn atmosphere.

The event aims to enhance understanding and friendship between young people from the mainland and Hong Kong through a series of cultural exchanges and interactive activities, and to create a strong atmosphere across the country that looks forward to the return of Hong Kong to China.

Wang Sheng, as a newly awarded recipient of the "China Youth Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Award" and a representative of young entrepreneurs, was also invited to attend the launch ceremony.

He sat in the audience, watching the leaders on the podium deliver their speeches and listening to the Young Pioneers representatives express their hopes for Hong Kong's return to China in their youthful yet firm voices. He was filled with emotion.

The wheels of history are rolling forward, and the trajectory of individual destiny is subtly intertwined with the tide of the times.

After the ceremony, Wang Sheng was about to leave when he was quickly caught up by Comrade Zeng from the Secretariat of the Youth Federation.

"Comrade Wang Sheng, please wait a moment." Xiao Zeng said with a friendly smile, "There's something the leader would like to discuss with you in person."

Wang Sheng's mind stirred slightly, sensing that there might be a new mission, so he nodded and said, "Okay, Comrade Zeng, please lead the way."

The two arrived at a small conference room in the Youth Palace, where a vice chairman of the Youth Federation and the head of the publicity department were sitting.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the vice chairman got down to business.

"Comrade Wang Sheng, your patriotism and artistic talent in creating the song 'Chinese People' have been highly recognized by all parties."

The vice chairman spoke gently but solemnly: "At this crucial moment of welcoming Hong Kong Island's return to China, we hope to further amplify the power of this song. After careful consideration, we would like to commission your Shengying Media to shoot and produce a themed video."

Wang Sheng sat up straight and listened attentively.

"The content is very simple: select one hundred outstanding student representatives from primary and secondary schools in Beijing to form a choir and sing the song 'Chinese People'."

"We will use this video for publicity during the National Day holiday, as well as for promoting the subsequent 'Hand in Hand' activities. This is both a publicity necessity and an affirmation and reward for your charitable act of singing." The vice chairman said, gesturing to the head of the publicity department next to him to hand over a simple letter of intent.

Wang Sheng took a look and saw that the commission fee clearly stated: RMB 500,000.

Half a million!
This was undoubtedly a huge sum of money in 1996.

Filming a student choir video might cost less than 50,000 yuan. This is practically a reward and support from the Youth Federation to Wang Sheng, and its significance far outweighs its commercial value.

"Thank you for the organization's trust!" Wang Sheng replied without hesitation, "Our Shengying Media will go all out, deploying our most capable personnel to complete this task to a high standard, and we will never let down the leadership's expectations!"

"Good! We knew Comrade Wang Sheng was reliable." The vice chairman nodded in satisfaction: "The comrades from the Publicity Department will discuss the specific requirements with you in detail. Time is tight, and we hope to see the finished product before September 20th."

“No problem! We’ll finalize the selection and filming plan as soon as possible,” Wang Sheng agreed confidently.

……

The following day, September 8th, Sunday.

The latest issue of China Youth Daily features a prominent article on its front page entitled "A Patriot's Voice, A Powerful Voice of the Times—A Review of Youth Representative Wang Sheng's Song 'Chinese People'".

The article highly praised the song "Chinese People," saying that its "melody is stirring and magnificent, and its lyrics are full of deep emotion, expressing the common expectations of Chinese people at home and abroad for national rejuvenation and their sincere blessings for the return of Hong Kong Island." It also considered it to be "a perfect combination of the patriotism and artistic talent of the younger generation."

The article also specifically mentioned that this song provides an excellent medium for cultural exchanges between the two places, and called on artists from the mainland and Hong Kong to take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation and jointly contribute to promoting the prosperity of national culture and enhancing the friendship between compatriots. This article is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.

Mainstream media outlets widely reprinted or published commentaries on "The Chinese" and its background. Even mainland media organizations based in Hong Kong, such as Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao, published summaries of the news, which began to attract attention in Hong Kong's arts and culture circles and among the general public.

A media campaign centered around a song and a theme has quietly begun.

……

This propaganda wave, led by the government and fueled by the media, has had an influence far beyond the arts and culture circles and the capital city, quietly permeating every corner of society.

September 9th, Monday.

Beijing, Haiding District.

In an ordinary vocational high school for arts, the afternoon sun shines through the classroom windows, casting dappled shadows.

The school bell had already rung, and most of the students had already left.

The classroom for the second-year secretarial class was somewhat empty and quiet.

There was a young girl sitting by the window.

Her name is Gao Yuanyuan.

Unlike most of her classmates who would likely end up as clerical staff in companies or public institutions, Gao Yuanyuan possessed an artistic temperament that seemed somewhat out of place with her secretarial major.

She was pure and lovely, with a pair of big, clear, and captivating eyes. Although she was wearing an ordinary school uniform, her gradually revealed beauty was still undeniable.

At this moment, Gao Yuanyuan was not in a hurry to go home. Instead, she was looking down at a newspaper spread out on her desk. It was yesterday's China Youth Daily, and the culture section featured a special report on the song "The Chinese".

The newspaper was wrinkled, clearly having been read many times.

Gao Yuanyuan has a small hobby, or rather a habit, which is to collect and read the culture sections and supplements of various newspapers, especially reports on music, movies and cultural events.

This is very common among girls her age.

"What kind of person is this young creator who won the 'China Youth Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Award' at the age of nineteen and can also write such a powerful and majestic song?"

Gao Yuanyuan rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the newspaper, her thoughts already drifting far away.

She imagined what the creator might be like—perhaps a bespectacled, calm and wise college student? Or a spirited and talented young artist?
The person who can write lyrics like these must have a vast world inside them.

The atmosphere at her vocational high school was relatively simple. Her classmates mostly talked about pop songs and celebrity gossip. Mainstream works like this, which carry a strong sense of national pride, seemed somewhat distant from her daily life.

But it is precisely this "distant" and "grand" feeling that creates a unique charm for teenage girls who are in their adolescence and yearn to explore a wider world.

"I wish I could hear this song in person..."

Gao Yuanyuan murmured to herself, her tone filled with strong anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible longing.

She carefully folded the newspaper and put it into her schoolbag, as if she were collecting a newly discovered secret about a distant place.

Outside the window, the September wind blows, carrying the coolness of early autumn.

(End of this chapter)