The literary era since 1979

swish swish.

Gong Xing looked at the watch and saw that it was just after six o'clock. He yawned loudly, got dressed and got out of bed. After washing up, he fiddled with the stove in the corner of the room, picked out the dry coal and threw it into the yard. He added a new piece of coal and poked open the coal hole with a pair of tongs. Suddenly, crackling sounds came from the stove. When the fire was almost burnt out, he closed the fire and stuffed a few sweet potatoes around the wall of the stove to roast.

Behind me, the bed creaked a few times.

Fangyan, who was drunk last night, turned over and yawned, "It's not even daybreak yet, huh, what are you doing so early in the morning?"

"Didn't you keep clamoring to buy roasted sweet potatoes from the street last night? The food outside is not clean."

Gong Xing rolled his eyes and said, "Here, I roasted two for you. Eat them when you wake up later."

Fangyan supported his head with one hand, squinted at her, and said nothing.

Gong Xing stretched his back and said, "Don't look at it anymore. Sleep when you want to sleep and wake up when you want to wake up."

"Got it."

After Fangyan got dressed, brushed his teeth and washed his face, he saw Gong Xing coming out of the kitchen carrying a steaming soup basin.

"What is this? Is it a tonic?" Fang Yan raised his eyebrows. "With my current combat power, I don't need this stuff."

"What are you thinking about? This is a hangover soup."

Gong Xing was annoyed: "You drank so much yesterday, aren't you afraid of hurting your stomach?"

"I'm so happy! Tiesheng and Ximi are finally together."

Fangyan smacked his lips and said, "It's really not easy. It's even longer than our long-term relationship."

"Eat quickly, and I'll help you pack your luggage after you finish eating."

Gong Xing also sighed for a long time, then came to his senses, "Didn't you say you were going to Japan? When are you leaving?"

"No hurry. It won't be too late to go after I finish the formalities for taking over the position at Wenhua Press."

Fang Yan smiled and said, "Otherwise, I won't be able to go to the editorial office of People's Literature after the New Year."

Gong Xing asked: "How long will you stay in Japan?"

"I will probably stay here until the Berlin Film Festival. Of course, I won't just sit around in Tokyo."

Fangyan said that he would take the opportunity to check out the development of SoftBank and Dengeki Bunko, and also closely monitor changes in the Japanese financial market.

Gong Xing frowned slightly and sighed.

Fang Yan said, "Why, you can't bear to leave? Why don't you just go to Japan with me, and just treat it as a trip to relax."

"Forget it. I have a lot of things to do."

Gong Xing waved his hand and said that the company's investment and filming plan for next year needed to be discussed and formulated, such as "Ghost Blows Out the Light: Mojin: The Legend Begins". In addition, "The Intouchables" is about to be released and will participate in the Oscar Awards ceremony. It also needs to discuss with Fox Searchlight how to promote and conduct public relations.

What's more, the application for the Shanghai International A-Class Film Festival also requires the participation of a Shanghai filmmaker like me.

"Thank you for your hard work, wife."

Fangyan broke the roasted sweet potato into two halves and put one half into her bowl.

"Who made me have a boss like you who likes to be a hands-off boss?"

Gong Xing gazed at him affectionately, and they both took a bite of the sweet potato almost at the same time.

…………

In the next few days, I visited several units including Yenching Sanlian Bookstore Group, the Writers Association, and Renwen Press, and went through all the necessary procedures and processes. After that, I waited until the New Year was over so that I could return to Mr. Zhongcheng Fang's editorial department of People's Literature and take up the position of editor-in-chief.

In the following days, Fang Yan basically stayed in his study, either reading Ming history materials or writing the first draft of "Those Things about the Ming Dynasty" and "The Ming Dynasty 1566". Even on the flight to Tokyo, he still read "Ming Shilu". The plane cut through the sky and landed smoothly at the airport after several hours.

The people who came to pick them up at the airport were Keiko Matsuzaka and Komaki Kurihara. After receiving the order from Shochiku, they were waiting at the exit early.

As soon as she saw Fangyan's familiar face and figure, Matsuzaka Keiko was overjoyed and waved her hands in the air in white gloves.

Kurihara Komaki whispered a reminder, "Ahem, be mindful of the situation and be careful of the reporters."

However, Keiko Matsuzaka completely turned a deaf ear to him and gave Fangyan a tight hug. Once in the car, she was even more unrestrained, clinging to his arms with both hands and leaning on his shoulders like a little bird, as if she didn't treat Kurihara Komaki as an outsider, and as if she was air.

Kurihara Komaki was not surprised and could only roll her eyes.

"Mr. Fangyan, the president has already arranged accommodation for you. Do you want to go to the hotel or..."

"Just go to Keiko and I's house."

Fangyan gave an address and then asked about Kurihara Komaki's recent situation.

"It's also thanks to you and Keiko."

Kurihara Komaki said that when the filming of "Departures" started, she was fortunate to be chosen as the second female supporting role, and co-starred with Ken Takakura and others.

Fang Yan said: "If you count it, this is your third collaboration, right?"

Keiko Matsuzaka nodded, "The Mysterious Letters, The Ring, and this time, Departures."

"Departures is so well written. Which film festival will Fang Yanjun take this film to?"

Kurihara Komaki asked the questions that Okuyama Jun had asked before he left.

"Of course, the Berlin Film Festival which is the closest one."

According to Fangyan, Cannes is committed to the combination of business and art, Venice encourages the use of new artistic techniques, technical means and creative skills to shoot novel and unique films, and the Berlin Film Festival, in addition to promoting political views and multiculturalism, also focuses more on social, human, historical and other perspectives, and particularly likes films that reflect or criticize the plight of small people.

"So that's how it is. No wonder Fangyan chose the Berlin Film Festival."

Kurihara Komaki suddenly realized.

"Besides, it seems that the Japanese film industry has never won the Golden Bear Award, right?"

Dialect is spoken in a joking tone.

The two women felt a strong sense of confidence from his words, and couldn't help but feel surprised and happy.

Kurihara Komaki smiled and said, "Fangyan-kun, do you mind if I tell this to the president?"

Fang Yan shook his head. "I was planning to explain it to President Okuyama and Chairman Kadokawa face to face when I met them."

"Then you might have to wait a few more days."

Keiko Matsuzaka said that Shochiku and Kadokawa Pictures deliberately arranged the internal preview of "Departures" on Christmas Eve, the 24th. At the same time, they took this opportunity to arrange a welcome banquet for Fangyan at the Christmas Eve celebration, in order to add more festive atmosphere to the holiday.

"That's a good arrangement."

Fangyan thought that since he would be staying in Tokyo for a long time anyway, he was not in a hurry to meet Kadokawa Haruki and Okuyama Takeshi.

After being driven to the mansion, he did not immediately enjoy the tenderness of Keiko Matsuzaka, but instead called Bai Ruoxue who was far away in the United States.

"Teacher Fang, we have placed a lot of short orders on the Japanese yen exchange rate and the Nikkei index, but there is still no downward trend at the moment."

"Don't worry, maybe this Christmas, we can get the gifts we want." (End of this chapter)