Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 301 Pure Retaliation

As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. The fact that Zhang Manling's works were published and received good responses, and were even noticed by Li Tuo and Zhang Nuanxin and planned to be adapted into a movie, was inseparable from Lin Chaoyang's recommendation.

Zhang Manling was naturally extremely grateful to Lin Chaoyang, but she had never found a suitable opportunity to repay him.

With the release of "A Game of Chess" in hand, and the media resource of "Beyond Eight Hours", she suddenly did this to Yanying Studio, which really made the studio at a loss.

As his mind turned, Lin Chaoyang remained calm and asked, "So why did you come to see me today..."

Hearing Lin Chaoyang's question, Chen Huaikai and Jiang Huaiyan immediately showed embarrassment on their faces.

Chen Huaikai sighed and said, "Alas, isn't this to make up for it? The article in "Beyond Eight Hours" has a bad influence, and the factory leaders have been very angry about this matter recently. We came here today on behalf of the factory to..."

At this point, Chen Huaikai's tone became hesitant and somewhat difficult to speak.

"What are you thinking about?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

Seeing that Chen Huaikai was having difficulty speaking, Jiang Huaiyan continued his words:
"Our studio wants you to be interviewed by Popular Movies to clarify that we just had different creative ideas at the beginning. The rumors that are circulating now, such as being pro-Japanese and being a traitor, are really too much and are completely false."

After Jiang Huaiyan said these words, he stared at Lin Chaoyang's face, as if trying to see what he was thinking from his expression.

Lin Chaoyang's expression did not change. He stared at Jiang Huaiyan for a few seconds before he said, "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about this."

After these words were spoken, Jiang Huaiyan and Chen Huaikai both showed expressions of disappointment on their faces.

Chen Huaikai advised, "Chaoyang, as the saying goes, it's better to resolve a feud than to create one. The matter between you and our factory is not a big deal if you think about it seriously. Now it has developed to this point, and the relationship has become increasingly strained. It's not good for anyone. Why do this?"

Lin Chaoyang said to the two calmly, "Old Chen, Old Jiang, you know my character. From the very beginning when I had an unpleasant experience with the crew, I didn't take it to heart.

But if you say that I can treat you Yanying Studio as a friend, I don’t have such a broad mind. It is best if we can all live in peace.

Regardless of whether I knew about this incident in advance or not, Comrade Manling was speaking up for me, and I absolutely cannot do anything to sabotage her behind her back."

Lin Chaoyang spoke in a firm tone, leaving no room for negotiation.

Jiang Huaiyan wanted to persuade him again, but Chen Huaikai stopped him.

Chen Huaikai did not back down because of Lin Chaoyang's serious tone, but because Lin Chaoyang just mentioned that "you can't ruin a friend's show."

Chen Huaikai understood that what Lin Chaoyang was talking about was a matter of principle.

So he realized that if they continued to persuade him, it would mean that they were trampling on Lin Chaoyang's principles.

The two of them came here today under pressure from the factory leaders. After all, they have a good relationship with Lin Chaoyang.

Now I have said what I need to say and have advised everyone I need to advise. It would not be worth it if my friendship with Lin Chaoyang were to be affected by work.

Chen Huaikai said in a soothing tone: "Chaoyang, everything has a cause and an effect. We are here today for official business."

Lin Chaoyang nodded slightly, "I understand."

Both of them are the backbone of the film studio and have a good relationship with me. When something like this happened, they felt embarrassed to find someone to come forward and talk to me.

But if this kind of thing happens too often, even good friends will start to feel a distance between them.

Chen Huaikai stopped talking just enough, probably because he was afraid that he would think too much.

Lin Chaoyang said, "Since the leader of your Yanying Studio has also said that we just have a disagreement in ideas, I think this matter should end here."

Chen Huaikai heard the implication of shaking hands and making peace in Lin Chaoyang's words, and he was naturally happy that he could make such a statement.

However, the influence of the article "Beyond Eight Hours" is still fermenting, which makes Yanying Studio feel more pressured and the impact on its reputation continues.

Chen Huaikai said: "The impact of this article is really too bad. Someone in the studio said that the film adapted from Zhang Manling's novel should be stopped."

He said this not to threaten Xie Chaoyang, but to tell him in advance the possible actions that the film studio might take.

Lin Chaoyang also understood Chen Huaikai's good intentions. He smiled softly, "In such a big country, there is more than one film studio called Yanying Studio. There is no shortage of good works to adapt."

Lin Chaoyang's words were full of confidence, and Chen Huaikai didn't think he was talking nonsense.

Given Lin Chaoyang's current fame in the domestic literary world and the success of his works' previous adaptations, it would not be difficult for him to help Zhang Manling find a film studio to cooperate with.

Thinking of this, Chen Huaikai couldn't help but sigh deeply in his heart. This sigh was not because of the grudges between the two sides, but because he was lamenting the status of the domestic film industry in the literary and art circles.

Even though a domestic movie has been watched by hundreds of millions of people in recent years, and movie stars are cheered and applauded by countless audiences wherever they go.

But when it comes to status and influence in the literary and artistic circles and the government, their film industry is far from being comparable to the literary world.

On this issue, there are countless examples to support Chen Huaikai's ideas.

Take the Federation of Literary and Art Circles as an example. It is the abbreviation of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles. It has many group members, including the Literary Association and the Film Association.

It sounds like the Writers Association and the Film Association are both group members of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, so both sides should be equal, right?
But in fact, the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Association of Literary and Art Circles are both B-level units, while the Film Association is a subordinate unit of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, only a bureau-level unit. There is a difference in level between the Film Association and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

For example, in the fields of culture, propaganda, education, etc., there are many important figures in the literary world holding important positions, such as Mao Dun, Ye Shengtao, Chen Huangmei, Zhou Yang, etc., too many to count on one hand, but there are only a handful of people in the film industry who can hold important positions in government departments.

It is true that Yanying Studio is a full-time film studio, but it has a grudge against Lin Chaoyang and cannot do anything to him.

Not to mention a well-known writer like Lin Chaoyang whose reputation is growing, even for a fledgling new writer like Zhang Manling, Yan Film Studio is equally helpless.

On the contrary, if these writers get unhappy and use their pens like swords and guns to attack them, Yanying Studio will be like lambs to be slaughtered.

This is the role of influence. Yanying Studio may seem to be a big company, but it is just a propaganda machine under the public power, while writers are truly propaganda machines. Like Mr. Lu Xun, who has offended half of the cultural circle, who can do anything to him except physically destroying him?
Lin Chaoyang certainly did not reach the same height as Mr. Lu Xun. He was invited by Yanying Studio to be a consultant and was then driven away. During this long period of time, Lin Chaoyang did not show any hostility towards Yanying Studio.

Chen Huaikai put himself in Lin Chaoyang's shoes and thought that if it were him, he would probably not have the same self-control as Lin Chaoyang.

This time, Zhang Manling proved with ironclad facts that in China, the influence of intellectuals far exceeds that of their non-administrative state-owned units.

If they have conflicts with these men of letters, they will be the ones who suffer in the end.

Chen Huaikai was thinking wildly in his mind, and heard Jiang Huaiyan say: "I will persuade the factory leaders again after I go back. As the saying goes, it is better to resolve the feud than to create it. Anyway, it has come to this. As for whether persuasion can be effective...

He didn't say anything else here. Lin Chaoyang smiled and waved his hand indifferently.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t persuade them, Yanying Studio is not an organization that you can’t afford to offend.

The next day, Lin Chaoyang called the Tianjin Literary Association. When Zhang Manling answered the phone, he smiled bitterly and said, "Comrade Manling is really a chivalrous man. Why didn't you tell me about such a big commotion?"

Zhang Manling on the other end of the phone laughed and said, "What's there to say? It's just an article, but I really didn't expect it to become such a big deal."

"What? You, Zhang Manling, are scared too?" Lin Chaoyang teased.

"I'm not afraid, I just didn't expect it. Facts have proved that Yanying Studio's perverse actions are indeed unpopular among the people."

Lin Chaoyang said: "Alright, alright. Thank you for your help. Let the past be the past. Don't let this matter affect you."

Lin Chaoyang took a tough stance when communicating with Chen Huaikai because he was confident, but that didn't mean he wanted to hide behind the scenes and let Zhang Manling help him fight. If something really happened, he would feel bad.

Zhang Manling heard what he said and immediately said, "You can't go over there. I have fabricated another piece of news about Yanying Studio and it will be published in the next issue."

Lin Chaoyang was surprised and curious when he heard this, "Where did you get so many materials?"

"You gave it to me!"

Zhang Manling began to tell him that the material for her article came from the incident some time ago when Lin Chaoyang fought for the welfare of the mainland staff in the plot of "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace".

Hearing Zhang Manling's excited tone, Lin Chaoyang asked her: "Haven't you heard? Yanying Studio is going to stop cooperating with you."

"Just stop if you want. I'm a novelist, not a screenwriter. What can they do to me?" Zhang Manling said in a nonchalant tone.

Lin Chaoyang said a few words of thanks to Zhang Manling, and then said to her: "There is no need to make enemies with them because of my affairs."

After listening to his words, Zhang Manling asked, "Should I publish this article now?"

Although the Tianjin Federation of Literary and Art Circles defended Zhang Manling, it also forced her to write a self-criticism because of this incident. Now she has fabricated another article that is unfavorable to Yan Film Studio, which will definitely not be published in "Beyond Eight Hours", so she has to find another place. This time she plans to submit the article to "Yenching Youth Daily".

Lin Chaoyang smiled and said, "You can't publish this article even if you want to."

"Why?" Zhang Manling asked puzzledly.

"Li Hanxiang's coming to the mainland to shoot "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" and "The Empress Dowager" needed to be kept secret from Hong Kong and Taiwan, so there was no news about the film in the domestic media before the filming was completed."

Lin Chaoyang was relieved when he said this, "Fortunately, you haven't published this article yet. The two movies "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" and "The Empress Dowager" are not the same as "A Game of Chess That Has Not Been Finished."

"What do you mean?"

"'An Unfinished Game of Chess' was approved by Zhao and Xia, and there is no deep background to speak of. The Japanese partner was just a normal commercial company.

Unlike "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" and "The Imperial Court", Li Hanxiang is a guest of honor of the TZ department.

If you submit this article, it will definitely not be published, and it won’t be as easy to pass as it is this time.”

Listening to Lin Chaoyang's words, Zhang Manling shouted in her heart, "Forget it then."

Lin Chaoyang said a few more words of thanks to Zhang Manling before they hung up the phone.

While Lin Chaoyang was communicating with Zhang Manling on the phone, Jiang Huaiyan was reporting to the two leaders of Yanying Studio about his communication with Lin Chaoyang last night.

Originally, he should have come with Chen Huaikai, but the old fox lied about having diarrhea in the morning and refused to come out of his house. Jiang Huaiyan knew what he was thinking, so he had no choice but to come alone to report the situation to his leader.

After listening to Jiang Huaiyan's words, Factory Director Wang Yang frowned. After the "An Unfinished Game of Chess" incident last year, he did not take it too seriously.

The film was a task assigned by the higher-ups, and it was impossible to change its direction because of Lin Chaoyang's attitude.

Lin Chaoyang was neglected because of this matter, but there was nothing he could do about it. Half a year ago, Yan Film Studio and Shanghai Film Studio were competing for the adaptation rights of "The Garland under the Mountain". Lin Chaoyang was resentful and gave the adaptation rights to Shanghai Film Studio. He could also understand that.

But this time, it was really too much.

"Are you sure Lin Chaoyang is unaware of this?" Wang Yang asked Jiang Huaiyan.

Jiang Huaiyan said, "He probably didn't know about it. Chaoyang is a trustworthy person. If he says he didn't know about it, he probably really didn't know. This was done by Zhang Manling on her own initiative."

Wang Yang snorted coldly, "The little girl doesn't know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is!"

Seeing that Wang Yang was still furious, Jiang Huaiyan advised: "Director, it is better to resolve a feud than to create one. Now that things have come to this point, we don't have any better solutions. We might as well let it go. After all, these are just some letters from extreme fans. They have no impact on our factory."

Wang Yang was so angry that he said, "What do you mean there is no impact? Isn't the impact now bad enough? Zhang Manling is using public resources for personal gain. This is pure retaliation!"

Jiang Huaiyan looked at Wang Yang's angry face, and only four words flashed through his mind - furious and frustrated.

(End of this chapter)