The literary era since 1979

After a few days, the festive atmosphere of Christmas gradually disappeared.

Fang Yan said goodbye to Gong Xing, Zhu Lin and others, and boarded a flight to the United States with Lin Qingxia.

Before leaving, I made an international long-distance call to Mike in advance, so as soon as I got off the plane, I could easily find Mike at the exit of Los Angeles International Airport. He had a bright and enthusiastic smile on his face.

"Teacher Fang, welcome to Los Angeles!"

"I'm really sorry to bother you."

Fangyan said that they would not be staying in Los Angeles for long and would soon be rushing to Washington to attend Lin Qingxia's solo film exhibition.

"You told me this on the phone."

Mike said: "I have already arranged everything, including the flight to Washington and the hotel to stay in..."

Lin Qingxia and Fang Yan thanked them and then put the luggage in the trunk.

Mike got in the driver's seat and said, "But Mr. Fang, you will probably stay until the New Year before leaving Los Angeles, right?"

"Well..."

Fang Yan cast an inquiring look at Lin Qingxia.

"We have prepared a grand New Year's Eve party."

Mike said that he, like Bai Ruoxue, Luo Diane and others, hoped that the two could be present to witness this unforgettable New Year moment together.

"Okay!"

Lin Qingxia agreed readily.

Mike grinned, revealing his white teeth, then excitedly stepped on the accelerator, and the car shot out like an arrow.

We drove smoothly all the way to a single-family villa in Beverly Hills, where the neighbors were all Hollywood directors and stars.

While Lin Qingxia was moving her luggage to the bedroom, Fang Yan and Mike chatted while visiting the decoration of the house.

"I won't hand this manuscript to Jason personally. Please pass it to Random House for me."

"Wow!"

Mike took a closer look and saw the title "The Rise of Great Powers". "Could this be the one that caused a stir in France?"

"I didn't expect you to know this!" Fangyan was very surprised. "Does America also like to watch this?"

"We are not interested in the French chapter, but the American chapter, the Soviet Union chapter and the Chinese chapter are different."

Mike flipped through the catalog and couldn't help whistling. "I think Jason will be very, very happy to see this manuscript."

His tone became more serious, "I am even happier than when The Three-Body Problem won the Hugo and Nebula Awards, and Farewell My Concubine won an Oscar."

"Oh?"

Fangyan's curiosity immediately focused on the Oscar-winning film Farewell My Concubine.

Mike told all he knew. Alan Ryder had already started to make arrangements during this period. Not only did he plan to have "Farewell My Concubine" screened for a long time, but he also actively participated in various awards ceremonies in the United States that were known as the "Oscar weathervanes."

For example, the Critics' Choice Awards, major union awards such as directors and producers, and the Film Critics Association Awards.

Of course, there is also the more important Golden Globe Awards next January. "Who are the main opponents of Farewell My Concubine?"

Fangyan walked to the wine cabinet, took out the wine and poured it into the decanter.

"Originally, there were only films about environmental protection, race, and equality, such as Gorillas in the Mist, Mississippi Burning, and Scream in the Dark. I've watched them all, and none of them looked likely to win the championship. But now things have changed."

Mike's face turned serious.

“What is this variable?”

Fangyan narrowed his eyes into slits.

“Just last week, a movie called Rain Man came out.”

Mike said that the leading actors are Hollywood veteran Dustin Hoffman and popular young actor Tom Cruise.

Fangyan's eyes opened instantly. He had not only heard of this movie, but also seen it. The story was not complicated. It was about a younger brother played by Tom Cruise, who found out that his father left his inheritance to his older brother who suffered from autism. He wanted to defraud the wealth, so he tried every means to take his brother out of the nursing home. During the driving journey, the blood relationship broke the estrangement between the two brothers, and finally the younger brother gave up his own selfish desires.

In essence, "Rain Man" is a road movie just like "Lost in Thailand", "Homecoming" and "Lost on Journey".

They all incorporate comedy elements, family ethics, spiritual redemption between travelers, etc. into the experiences along the way.

"How should I put it? The family ethics in Rain Man really appeal to American audiences like me."

Mike said in a serious tone: "Teacher Fang, it will be the biggest competitor of Farewell My Concubine in its Oscar bid."

Fangyan frowned, especially when he heard that the North American box office of "Rain Man" far exceeded that of "Farewell My Concubine" and was likely to exceed 100 million US dollars.

You know, "Farewell My Concubine", which was released so much earlier than "Rain Man", has not yet broken 5000 million US dollars in the global box office!

Just as the atmosphere became solemn and depressing, waves of footsteps were heard from the stairs.

Lin Qingxia came over and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"We were talking about the Oscars." Fangyan recounted their conversation without any concealment.

"Since it's a strong rival to Farewell My Concubine, why don't we take some time out these two days to watch Rain Man?"

Lin Qingxia thought for a moment, "Only if you know yourself and the enemy, you can win every battle."

Mike nodded in agreement and suggested that Fang Yan and Lin Qingxia could go to any cinema to watch Rain Man during its release.

"Okay, let's do it tomorrow. After we adjust to the time difference in the morning, we'll go see Rain Man in the afternoon."

Fang Yan and Lin Qingxia looked at each other and smiled, then made a decision.

Afterwards, the three of them drank red wine while chatting and laughing about Lin Qingxia's personal film exhibition and the publication of "The Intouchables". Originally, based on the fact that Shi Tiesheng was completely unknown in the United States, Random House would at most give him a cooperation agreement for a super newcomer.

However, with the name "Fangyan" attached to the co-author, and it was clearly stated that the film would be adapted into a movie by Fox Searchlight, the publishing contract that Random House offered to Shi Tiesheng, especially in terms of manuscript fees and royalties, was completely in line with Fangyan's standards and was at the highest level.

"Teacher Fang, I have already consulted the family's private doctor about Shi Tiesheng's situation."

Mike said seriously, "He said that a kidney transplant can indeed restore the kidneys to normal function, but that doesn't mean they can be completely cured. Also, it takes time to find a kidney source and you have to wait in line, so I suggest that your friend should be hospitalized in the United States..."

"That's what I was thinking too. I plan to find a relevant reason to invite him over when the filming of The Intouchables starts."

Fang Yan said seriously, "But we can't rush this matter. We must first seek the consent of Tie Sheng, Xi Mi and their families." (End of this chapter)