Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 896 Where Did the Director Go?
The film crew from Jiangxi Film Studio arrived at the film city and immediately began working without needing to rest.

Props, makeup, costumes, and other personnel and materials are all in place. The actors have also begun to familiarize themselves with the equipment and conduct technical drills. Kuang Mingyi even took them to the scheduled filming location to rehearse their positions repeatedly, while he himself took the camera to find the best shooting angle.

These days, rehearsing dozens or even hundreds of times and then getting it right in one take during the actual filming is a basic skill for actors, whether they are lead actors or extras, and no one complains.

Conversely, if an actor's performance is poor and requires reshoots, wasting manpower, resources, and everyone's time, then they will feel ashamed. If an actor's attitude is also bad, they may even be "blacklisted," meaning no director will agree to have them act in the future—a truly tragic situation.

So even though everyone was very tired, no one complained.

The staff were dedicated, and the props were quite elaborate.

Specialized scholars accompanied the film crew to provide technical guidance, ensuring that the situation during the Long March would never occur where soldiers were carrying Type 56 rifles.

Old-fashioned rifles, Hanyang rifles, Type 38 rifles, Mauser pistols, homemade guns, homemade cannons, red-tasseled spears, long spears, broadswords, javelins... the weapons were as varied as one could imagine.

Take the old-style slide rifle as an example. It was originally a copy of the German M1888 Mauser rifle made by the Hanyang Arsenal, officially named the 7.92mm Type 88 Mauser Rifle. Production began in 1896. It was named for its slide, which prevented the barrel from bursting. In fact, it was an early version of the Hanyang-made rifle. It was not until 1904, after the slide was removed, that it was officially called the "Hanyang-made rifle".

So the old-styled rifle and the Hanyang rifle are the same type of gun, but the old-styled rifle is worse, which is why it was disliked by people who used the Hanyang rifle.

There were also hand grenades. Everyone knew about the wooden-handled hand grenade, which was the main "heavy firepower" of the Red Army soldiers at the time. In addition to the wooden-handled hand grenade, there was also a "horsetail hand grenade," which fewer people knew about.

This type of grenade is also called the "Mawei grenade," and the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army used it extensively during the Long March. However, due to its inconvenience in carrying, the fuse being easily exposed to moisture, and the risk of accidents, its production gradually decreased.

(Horsetail grenade)

However, it's not that they don't exist. A veteran from the Yunhu Armed Forces Department said that this type of grenade has also served its purpose and cannot be completely ignored. Moreover, based on the time, location, and other background settings of the battles in the drama, this type of grenade should have been used.

Kuang Mingyi was in a dilemma. Using this kind of grenade was no problem, but the problem was that Jiangying Factory didn't have one.

The senior colleague waved his hand and said, "It's okay if you don't have any. Yunhu has some; they can give you two cars."

Kuang Mingyi and Factory Director Wu, wiping away cold sweat, accepted the twenty boxes with profuse thanks, then instructed the prop master to quickly modify them. ...They couldn't just throw these things around like that, could they? Who would be responsible if someone got hurt?

Besides these various weapons, the main force was slightly better off, equipped with a small number of machine guns and light machine guns.

If they had Maxim machine guns and mortars, they would definitely be considered elite troops.

When the Central Red Army left Jiangxi to begin the Long March, it carried only 38 mortars and a little over 2000 shells. Due to the small number, they were only used in critical moments, but they achieved remarkable results.

These items must be procured under the guidance of professional scholars and veterans of the armed forces to ensure that nothing is misplaced.

Although the days of strong winds have passed for several years and the environment is much more relaxed, it's still better to be as rigorous as possible in these matters, otherwise some senior leaders might really scold you.

After several days of on-site rehearsals, the entire crew is ready.

Everything is ready now, except for the director.

Where did the director go?

The director went to take the exam.

……

On May 5th, the auditorium of Jiangnan University was packed with nearly a thousand people. At the front of the stage, two rows of tables and chairs were arranged in opposite directions.

This row on the east side has ten tables and ten chairs; this is the examiners' seat, meaning that ten professors will be assessing Chen Fan's graduation thesis defense.

Opposite them were ten tables... Don't get me wrong, today only Chen Fan is defending his thesis.

However, Chen had come to see the venue in the morning and said that there were too few tables, he was not used to sitting there, and felt like he was being judged. He strongly demanded that the venue be on par with the other side.

He also said that only symmetrical beauty could allow him to calmly defend himself.

At worst, we can just put in one chair.

The defense panel didn't dwell on this minor matter. After politely consulting with the other professors, Professor Xi, the panel leader, suppressed a laugh and instructed the school janitor to add the table according to his suggestion.

As for Professor Xu, the candidate's supervisor, he could only sit aside and roll his eyes out of respect for the principle of avoidance.

Would an ordinary student dare to make such a request?

The table was placed directly under the stage, ready for the real "trial" by the dissertation committee!

After setting up the table, Chen Fan sat down to get a feel for it. Although there were ten people opposite him and only one person, the table was the same length, which satisfied his sense of security.

Looking at my watch again, it was already 8:30.

He turned to the school janitor and asked, "When does it start?"

The school janitor replied without hesitation, "It starts at nine o'clock. At eight-thirty, which is now, the observers will begin to enter. You and the professors on the defense panel just need to enter two minutes in advance."

Chen Fan immediately stood up. "Then I'll go to the back and rest for a while."

There was a dressing room on each side behind the stage. The examiners occupied one room, but the candidates... how could they possibly be entitled to use the dressing room?
Professor Chen is currently occupying the lounge.

Listen to the sounds of people outside, gradually increasing in volume, then becoming a cacophony, and then quickly quieting down.

Chen Fan checked the time and knew it was time for him to go on stage.

He put down his teacup, stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his white shirt, and walked to the door with his head held high. There was a knock on the door.

The school janitor pushed open the door and said politely, "Professor Chen, the defense is about to begin. You may go up to the stage now."

Chen Fan smiled at him and said, "You can call me Chen now."

After saying that, he strode onto the big stage with his long legs.

Without warning, enthusiastic applause erupted in the auditorium.

Even the examiners sitting in the opposite row smiled and applauded at him.

Chen Fan: Is this a defense or an award ceremony?
The applause only stopped after he repeatedly bowed in thanks, walked to the defense table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Turning to look down at the audience, I saw that the entire leadership of Jiangnan University was present, with Professor Xu sitting next to the president in the first row, center position. Professors and lecturers from the Chinese Department were also there, as were many professors from other departments, all in the first few rows.

Looking at Professor Huang sitting in the second row, Chen Fan couldn't help but twitch his eye. What are you, a computer science major, doing here for my Chinese literature defense?
As for the students sitting in the back watching the fun, ignore them...

Taking a deep breath, Chen Fan turned around, sat up straight, and looked straight ahead.

Professor Xi Tianping, the head of the defense committee, smiled at him, then coughed lightly, picked up the microphone on the table, and without uttering a word of nonsense, went straight to the point, "Chen Fan's graduation defense is officially beginning. Please keep quiet."

He paused, his gaze fixed ahead, "Today's dissertation defense committee consists of ten professors: three from our university, two from Jiangnan Normal University, one from Peking University, one from Renmin University, one from Nanjing University, one from Fudan University, and one from Wuhan University. They are..."

Each time someone was introduced, applause would erupt in the audience.

Chen Fan would also nod in greeting towards the front.

Of the ten professors in total, only three are from our own university, and five are from Jiangnan Normal University, which accounts for only half. The other half come from leading Chinese departments in China, and they are all top figures, so the level of the faculty is quite high.

However, no matter how many people you choose, they are all acquaintances.
Some I've met at the Writers' Association, some I've shaken hands with at the Writers' Congress, and some I've even had academic discussions with privately. This... the selection process wasn't rigorous enough.

After introducing the members of the dissertation defense committee, Professor Xi finally got to the point, "Now we will proceed with the first step. Please introduce yourselves."

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Chen Fan unconsciously coughed twice, adjusted the microphone on the table, and then began to speak, "Good morning, teachers, leaders, and students."

My name is Chen Fan, and I come from Jiangnan University. I am a graduate student in the Chinese Department, class of '78, studying and researching classical Chinese literature under Professor Xu Zurui…”

Although there has been no graduation defense for many years, there have been before. This time, the original defense process was basically followed. It started with the candidate's self-introduction, followed by the candidate's presentation, questions and answers, summary and comments, and acknowledgments, for a total of five steps.

The subsequent graduation thesis defenses also followed this process.

The self-introduction and presentation didn't take too long. Chen Fan managed the time very well, completing the first two procedures around 10 o'clock.

From this point on, the real show begins.

The evaluation committee members, led by Professor Xi, took turns attacking him.

In the foreseeable future, after ancient literature has been interpreted in various ways and from different angles, the genre of "wandering immortals" has unexpectedly yet logically become popular among literature PhDs from prestigious universities, resulting in a flood of analytical papers, many of which are of high quality.

However, in this era, fantasy literature is still a relatively niche subject. For this defense review, these ten professors studied Chen Fan's graduation thesis for a month.

Not only that, they also mobilized their friends to "nitpick" the paper.

In the end, they didn't find the thorn in their side, but instead accumulated a lot of questions.

At this moment, they were all thrown out at once, becoming "ammunition" aimed at Chen Fan.

However, Chen Fan was no pushover either. Every word on the paper was typed by his own hand, so he was confident and not at all intimidated.

He remained relaxed throughout, answering the questions posed by the evaluation team with confidence.

In the stands, the literature professors listened intently, nodding occasionally, and later some even took out their notebooks to take notes.

After listening for a while, President Jiang turned to Professor Xu and whispered, "The outcome of today's defense is beyond doubt. What I'm worried about is whether those professors from other universities will suggest that the university offer courses in this area after they go back."

Professor Chen will definitely pursue a doctoral degree. After he obtains his doctorate, should he start a research project on "fantasy literature" in the Chinese department and supervise a few graduate students?

Professor Xu shook his head without hesitation. "He's not a docile person. You'd better not have any expectations of him."

He paused for a moment, then added, "There's another matter we can consider. In a few years, after he passes his doctoral dissertation defense and receives his degree, with his doctorate and several years of teaching experience, he'll be fully qualified to be nominated for a full professorship..."

Before he could finish speaking, the principal nodded gently. "I understand what you mean. I will keep this in mind."

He then turned to look at Chen Fan, who was speaking eloquently on the stage, and said with a soft smile, "After all, a visiting professor is just an honorary title. With Professor Chen's ability and knowledge, the only difference between him and a regular professor is a few papers and experience. I will have to rely on your guidance in this regard."

Professor Xu smiled and nodded. "His biggest advantage is his youth. When others become professors, they are at least in their thirties, but he is only twenty. He has a long golden period ahead of him."

Even if he is unwilling to settle down and do academic research, with his knowledge, he would still have no problem becoming a senior scholar.

As long as we can keep him at Jiangnan University, he can become a pillar of the Chinese Department. Even if a few of us old guys suddenly pass away one day, and there aren't any particularly outstanding successors, as long as he's there, the Chinese Department of Jiangnan University will still hold a place in the domestic academic community.

The elderly have witnessed too many rises and falls, and are long accustomed to planning ahead.

Despite the presence of these three elders in the Department of Literature at Jiangnan University, they are all getting old and it's uncertain how many more years they can hold on. Furthermore, no one has emerged to replace them in the academic world.

In fact, this is not just a problem at Jiangnan University; many professional fields in universities across the country face similar challenges.

There was nothing they could do; the power of the strong winds was too great. It was lucky they survived. They had no chance or time to train the next generation of talent.

They were relatively lucky; the worst off was the Chinese Department of Wuhan University. Several students from the "Five Olds and Eighth Middle School" (a group of students from Wuhan University) perished in the strong winds, and it's uncertain whether they can recover. In any case, their former position as the top Chinese department in the country is gone; they can only remain in the first tier.

If there is no successor, it is highly questionable whether they can maintain their position in the top tier in the future.

It was with this in mind that, after hearing the recommendations of several teachers and learning in detail about Chen Fan's published works and his character, Professor Xu resolutely used his special admission authority to accept him as his last disciple.

On the one hand, they didn't want to waste talent, and on the other hand, they wanted to find a successor for their work. They were also considering the school's interests.

Without capable leaders, I fear that once I, Lao Xi, and Lao Liu, these three old guys, pass away, Jiangda will follow in Wuhanda's footsteps, and the Chinese Department will decline.

The academic standing of a particular department at a university is earned by the professors through numerous papers and the outstanding students they cultivate. This standing, in turn, is related to the university's voice in the academic world, which in turn represents prestige, funding, and other tangible benefits.

This is similar to the Hundred Schools of Thought in the pre-Qin period. No matter how brilliant a scholar is, in essence, he is just speaking out for his own knowledge and has the ambition to become famous and have many students.

Otherwise, why bother writing papers? Why not just stay home and read books?
The three professors of Jiangnan University have upheld the status of the Chinese Department of Jiangnan University in the domestic academic community with their papers, knowledge, and the outstanding students they have taught, placing it in the first tier alongside Peking University, Nanjing University, Fudan University, Wuhan University, and Renmin University.

Without these three, their position in the top tier would most likely be lost.

But with Chen Fan, things are different. As long as we can keep him at Jiangda University and have him listed as an author on our papers, even if it's not a formal working relationship, just being a visiting professor or having his name attached to the university, we can ensure that Jiangda University's Chinese Department maintains its position in the academic world.

If he can also produce a few more prestigious students, he might be able to contend for the top spot in the university literature field.

In the 1980s, Peking University's Chinese Department secured its position as the top Chinese department among all universities in China by producing one outstanding graduate after another. This position became increasingly solidified, and ultimately no other school was able to challenge its status.

The principal only gave Chen Fan the green light after listening to Professor Xu's ideas. Otherwise, even becoming a "visiting professor" is not easy, let alone being given the treatment of a third-level professor.

Even his own son didn't earn as much as him.

Chen Fan on stage was unaware that he had been plotted against by his teacher from the very beginning. ...Actually, it couldn't be called plotting, since Professor Xu and the school had never wronged him; on the contrary, they had given him many conveniences and benefits.

At most, it's like she took the initiative to make an effort, hoping to catch him, this big fish.

However, that's all for the future. Right now, he's still talking eloquently to the evaluation team, saying, "The literature of wandering immortals originated in the pre-Qin period, flourished in the Wei and Jin dynasties, but reached its peak in the pre-Tang dynasty."

In particular, the theme of wandering immortals in the pre-Tang period had a profound influence on later literature.

Judging from the existing texts, although later generations surpassed the pre-Tang dynasty in the number of works, they found it difficult to make significant breakthroughs in terms of thematic content and composition.

Judging from the forms of wandering immortals, the most basic types of wandering immortals, spiritual wandering and physical wandering, continue to exist. Unlike the wandering of the dead, which lies hidden deep in people's beliefs, the wandering of the living soul frequently appears in the literature of wandering immortals, especially works describing the wandering of the soul in dreams.

The Tang Dynasty's Wang Bo's "Suddenly Dreaming of Immortals," Li Bai's "Dreaming of Visiting Tianmu Mountain," Li He's "Dreaming of Heaven," and even the Song Dynasty's Lu You's "Record of a Dream" and Mei Yaochen's "Dreaming of Climbing the Altar of Heaven," all follow this tradition.

The passage from "The Song of Everlasting Regret" that describes a Taoist priest from Linqiong, a guest of the capital, who could summon spirits with his sincerity, and who, moved by the emperor's restless longing, instructed a sorcerer to diligently search for him. The priest, riding the air like lightning, ascended to heaven and descended to earth to seek him out. This is a good example…

Unbeknownst to them, the question-and-answer session transformed into an academic exchange among industry leaders. Typically, a professor from the evaluation panel would ask a question, and Chen Fan would answer. Before long, the two would begin discussing the characteristics of literature from a particular period, and the topic would even expand, moving from the realm of wandering immortals literature to the social realities of the time, exploring the influence of social conditions on wandering immortals literature…

Fortunately, Professor Xi, the head of the evaluation team, still remembered why they were there today.

He repeatedly steered the conversation back to the next person, handing over the questioning opportunity to them.

Finally, he realized that time was running out, so he quickly summarized the results. Ignoring the resentful looks from the other nine professors, he decisively announced the final result: "Now, I declare that Chen Fan's thesis defense has passed and his grade is excellent."

Today's thesis defense is now officially over.

(End of this chapter)