Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 117 [Buy the Railway Station, Gongli Cultural Exhibition Hall]

Gong Li was gradually surrounded by the crowd, and was finally able to escape after the railway police arrived at the train station to maintain order at the scene.

Although she was surrounded, Gong Li did not panic. Instead, her face was filled with a bright smile.

Being liked by the people in one's hometown is what everyone desires.

As the saying goes, if wealth does not return to its hometown, it is like walking in brocade at night.

Everyone longs to return to his hometown after achieving success and be loved and liked by the people there.

After explaining to the railway police that they wanted to meet the train station leader, with their help, they entered a studio inside the train station.

Recalling the encirclement she had just witnessed, Li Yishu also sighed: "Sister Gong Li, I didn't realize you were so popular in your hometown!"

Compared with Gong Li, Li Yishu did not receive such treatment when she returned to her hometown.

The main reason is that the popularity of actors and directors is different. An actor can become famous nationwide instantly through a movie role.

But the director must rely on accumulating works one by one to demonstrate his talent and gain recognition from the public.

Speaking of which, both Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige became famous across the country in the 1980s thanks to major awards they won abroad and the publicity provided by the domestic Propaganda Department.

Of course, Brother Chen Kai may still be a little lacking. The quality of his works varies, and the number of his works is very small.

But Zhang Yimou is different. He produces an average of one work every year. In addition to the works that have won major awards, he also participates in acting work.

I believe that there are definitely more people who recognize Zhang Yimou’s face than Brother Chen Kai.

However, what made Zhang Yimou truly famous across the country was probably the series of publicity by Zhang Weiping, who later collaborated with him.

"That is!"

Gong Li said proudly: "I am very popular in my hometown!"

"I envy you so much, Sister Gong Li."

Huo Wenxi said eagerly: "After I filmed my first commercial, many neighbors came to say good things to my parents, but I didn't go down this path later. I haven't felt the feeling of being popular for a long time."

"You can definitely start over."

Gong Li looked at Huo Wenxi and smiled, "You are so beautiful and have a good figure. You should hone your acting skills and ask your boss to arrange a few roles for you. You will definitely be able to make a name for yourself in the future."

Gong Li has been to Hong Kong to film movies, so she has some understanding of the place. Being an actor is purely a job, unlike in the mainland, where most actors still have some artistic pursuits.

"Forget it."

Huo Wenxi shook his head and said, "I feel pretty good now. I don't have to stay up late or rush to make announcements. Being an artist in Hong Kong is very hard!"

Hong Kong artists are just like the stars after the millennium. They are almost all working hard to make money, and the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry there are much more serious than those in the mainland today.

Here, it's based on seniority, but over there, it's purely based on unspoken rules~~
"Click——"

Just as a few people were chatting, the door of the studio was pushed open.

Several people came in.

The leading man looked to be in his fifties, wearing a blue shirt and black pants. He looked gentle and refined, with a smile on his face. “Ms. Gong Li, I didn’t expect it was really you!”

The man came over with a smile on his face, stretched out his hand and said, "Hello, Miss Gong Li, I am Zhou Bingkun, the stationmaster of Jinan Railway Station, nice to meet you."

Gong Li extended her hand: "Hello, Station Master Zhou, I'm glad to meet you too."

Then, she looked at the other person's face carefully, and seemed to think of something. Her eyes lit up and she said, "Stationmaster Zhou, I've seen you before."

"Have you seen me?" Zhou Bingkun was slightly stunned.

Gong Li said excitedly: "Yes, I was probably still in primary school at that time. I came here with my parents to play at the market, and then I got lost. It was you who helped me shout at the loudspeaker at the train station."

Hearing this, Zhou Bingkun thought about it carefully, but still couldn't remember it. This was mainly because such cases of children getting lost were too common at train stations. But of course it was hard to say that he couldn't remember it, so he could only pretend to be surprised: "So that child was you!"

"Yeah, that's me!"

Gong Li never expected to meet the staff member who helped her find her parents back then, and she never expected that the other party would now become the website manager.

But think about it, more than ten years have passed, and the other party is doing a good job, so it is normal for him to be the webmaster.

Li Yishu couldn't help laughing and said, "Sister Gong Li, I didn't expect we would be so destined to meet."

"Yes!" Gong Li nodded, then remembered the purpose of their visit and quickly introduced: "Stationmaster Zhou, this is Director Li Yishu. He is the director who won the first Golden Lion Award in China at the Venice International Film Festival last year!"

Hearing that it was him, Zhou Bingkun was surprised and said, "So it's Director Li. I've seen the movie 'That Mountain, That Man, That Dog' that you shot, and I also read in the newspaper that after this movie was released in Taiwan, it caused a wave of watching movies among many veterans of the National Revolutionary Army there!"

"Yes, many veterans there are homesick." Li Yishu recalled that when she went to the cinema there, she found that there were many white-haired old people, basically all the veterans who came to Taiwan from the mainland.

He glanced at Zhou Bingkun and couldn't help saying, "I remember meeting an old soldier who spoke Shandong dialect in a movie theater. I asked him if he had any plans to return to his hometown in Shandong, and he told me that he dreamed of it!
Every blade of grass and every tree in his hometown is right before his eyes. He also said that when he joined the Taishan Army, he left by sitting at Jinan Railway Station. Later, Shandong was completely occupied by the Japanese invaders, and he never returned to his hometown since then. "

Hearing this, Zhou Bingkun paused and said with emotion: "Yes, this railway station sent away many anti-Japanese heroes in those days."

Afterwards, the two groups exchanged pleasantries and introduced themselves to each other. Zhou Bingkun then asked, "By the way, Director Li, Ms. Gong Li, you said you came to see our train station management for something important, but I don't know what it is?"

"Stationmaster Zhou, Miss Gong Li and I were planning to shoot a movie about a train station. Later, Miss Gong Li told me that there was a very beautiful old-fashioned train station in her hometown of Jinan..."

Li Yishu blabbered out the purpose of her visit.

"Filming~~"

Zhou Bingkun frowned and said, "Ms. Gong Li, I think you should know that our train station is going to be demolished soon."

"Yes, Miss Gong Li told me."

Li Yishu took the initiative to say, "So we came here this time, in addition to hoping to apply to film at Jinan Railway Station, but also because of Miss Huo Wenxi from Hong Kong. She likes old buildings very much, especially buildings with historical significance. After learning that Jinan Railway Station was going to be demolished, she came all the way from Hong Kong to ask if she could buy this railway station!"

“Buy the train station?”

Zhou Bingkun was shocked, and the train station managers behind him were also surprised.

They knew that Hong Kong businessmen were now buying everywhere, but they had never seen anyone buying a train station.

Huo Wenxi smiled and said in standard Cantonese: "Leihou porridge Zhanzhan..."

"This..." Zhou Bingkun's scalp tingled and he couldn't understand it at all.

Li Yishu beside him said quickly, "Stationmaster Zhou, Miss Huo means that she really hopes to buy this train station and transform it into a historical and cultural exhibition hall. This will not only help young people remember the shame of the past, but also preserve the building and inspire young people."

"I didn't expect that Miss Huo, who is from Hong Kong, would understand such national justice."

Zhou Bingkun was filled with emotion. He really didn't expect that Huo Wenxi, who grew up in Hong Kong's capitalist society, would have such an understanding of national justice.

"Yes, Miss Huo has received patriotic education from her parents since she was a child."

Li Yishu asked back, "Then I wonder if Station Master Zhou can help report this matter?"

"Yes, but I can't guarantee it."

"It's okay. Even if we can't buy it, I hope you can give us a month to shoot."

"No problem, Director Li. I will talk to the Railway Bureau about this matter."

"..."

Chatted for a while.

After the three of them came out, Gong Li was also surprised and said, "Yishu, how come you thought of buying a train station?"

In fact, Li Yishu did not buy this train station on impulse. Regardless of whether this old building will be valuable in the future, just based on its geographical location, it will definitely be profitable after the city is developed. In addition, there is a large open space outside, which makes it even more valuable.

Moreover, this old building is worthless now and is about to be demolished. If we can sell it in US dollars, it may be possible to succeed.

As for finalizing the railway plan? In 92, when all regions were actively seeking foreign exchange, it was not a problem to obtain US dollars and re-plan the railway design.

Many people in Jinan do not support the demolition, but there are other places that are more suitable for building a new railway station.

"I thought about it when I was in Yanjing."

Li Yishu grinned and said, "Sister Gong Li, didn't you say you didn't want the train station to be demolished? I'm thinking of buying it and turning it into a market in the future, so that you can come here to stroll around when you return to your hometown and experience the fun of your childhood again!"

After hearing this, Gong Li was stunned at first, and then she felt warm in her heart. She didn't expect that just because of her words, Li Yishu would spend an unknown amount of money to buy this useless train station.

Gong Li blushed a little and said, "No, there's no need to waste money like that. I'm already very happy that you have this kind heart."

Seeing her like this, Li Yishu couldn't help but sigh, it turned out that the overbearing president's shopping spree could really move women.

"Haha, what's the point of wasting money? Buy it and turn it into a library or a cultural exhibition hall. It will have great historical significance, right?!"

Li Yishu smiled and said, "From now on, this train station will be called Gong Li Cultural Exhibition Hall."

"Pfft-"

Gong Li couldn't help laughing out loud. She was so moved that she uttered, "What a vulgar name!"

Li Yishu said happily: "It's good to be vulgar, because it makes people know who preserved this train station. It was because of Gong Li's words that this train station with a history of nearly a hundred years was preserved."

(In this day and age, buying a train station is actually possible)
(End of this chapter)