Exciting 1979!

The Fantastic Journey of the Original Manuscript of Chapter 281, "The Right Path in the World"
After Xia Yan obtained Wei Ming's permission through Wei Tao, the second part of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" was quickly borrowed by a big shot he knew.

He also instructed Mr. Xia to save the final third part for himself.
It's 81 now, and many of the former leaders are still alive.

Many of these people came from the Whampoa Military Academy; for example, three of the four surviving senior leaders are related to Whampoa.

Although Wei Ming did not focus on portraying them, he did mention them. His principle was that those with more screen time were basically deceased. Of course, he couldn't just write or make things up, since they also had descendants.

Later, after lending the third copy to this military bigwig, Xia asked him for the second copy, only to be told that he had already lent it to another comrade of his.

"Wow, it's so good, everyone wants to watch it." The big boss said that the second part mainly tells the story of the War of Resistance against Japan, which is also the most exciting period.

Wei Ming absorbed the essence of many excellent anti-Japanese war films and television works in later generations. Jiang Limin not only had a brilliant military performance, but also made outstanding contributions to the underground war. It was tense, exciting and thrilling.

Even if they don't have a role in the story, it's still a very interesting experience for the veterans to see their former comrades and opponents.

Xia Yan sighed helplessly, "Well, you'd better remember to get it back for me, it's not mine."

"I know what I'm doing, don't worry."

Then Wei Ming's subsequent manuscript of more than 400,000 words began a fantastical journey, sometimes in the lake, sometimes outside the lake.

But no one thought of making a copy; these important figures couldn't possibly be unable to handle a photocopier.

They felt that since the subsequent manuscripts hadn't been officially published yet, if they made copies and caused a leak, it would be disrespectful to the creators. Even though they were young, they couldn't be so careless.

However, as the influence of this issue of Harvest magazine grew, the first part of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" spread more and more widely, and more and more people wanted to read it. Originally, the second and third parts were to be circulated separately, but later it simply became a matter of passing it around chapter by chapter, somewhat like middle school students in later generations breaking down large pirated online novels and passing them around to each other.

Anyway, they are all retired or retired elderly people with plenty of free time. It is rare for them to come across a novel that is relevant to them, of high quality, but not pretentious, and also long enough.

I enjoyed reading it so much that I wanted to vote for it with a monthly pass and write a comment on the chapter.

~
Anyway, Wei Ming temporarily forgot about having the original manuscript. In addition to writing the script and playing with cats and dogs, he also returned to Peking University and started working. In any case, being at work didn't interfere with his script writing.

Moreover, the ancient book library is right next door, which makes it convenient for him to consult some materials from the late Qing Dynasty to improve his script.

However, during work hours, colleagues from the library, and even colleagues from other positions, would often come over to chat with him, discussing history and figures from the 1920s to the 1940s. They regarded Wei Ming as an expert in this field.

Wei Ming is indeed an expert; he had studied a lot in his previous life, accumulating knowledge over several decades.

Although they delayed Wei Ming's creative process to some extent, Wei Ming didn't care. The project was nearing completion, and director Li Hanxiang wouldn't be able to find time to film it in the short term, as he was still working for Shaw Brothers.

That day, after chatting with his colleagues, he had dinner with Brother Feng at a restaurant. Shortly after arriving home, he received a call from the Beijing Film Studio guesthouse.

"I've arrived in Yanjing." It was Gong Xue's voice.

"That's wonderful!" Wei Ming exclaimed excitedly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you and can't sleep."

How could he not be able to sleep while holding Zhu Lin? Gong Xue didn't believe his nonsense.

She had received Zhu Lin's letter and learned that Melinda had written to Wei Ming again, and even sent very revealing photos, almost naked. Then, Gong Xue joined her in criticizing Melinda in his reply, as if they were united in their hatred.

Gong Xue had no idea that Zhu Lin later bought sexy lingerie worn by foreigners, but it's easy to imagine that they went through a lot of trouble during those days.

Strangely enough, when she heard Wei Ming say this, she could tell he was sincere, and she didn't think Wei Ming was dirty.

She scoffed, "Come on, just letting you know that Aying is here too. I have a guesthouse at the Beijing Film Studio where I can stay, but I don't know how you plan to settle her in."

Wei Ming told her, "This is for Xiao Mei. I've already asked him to rent a place. But A Ying's workplace isn't Oriental Plaza; it's the clothing factory where Biao Ma works. She designs clothes for them. Does Along know that A Ying is here?"

"Ah Ying left her luggage with me for now and has gone to the Film Academy to find Ah Long," Gong Xue said with a smile.

"Wow, Ah Ying is so proactive! Why don't you come find me too?" Wei Ming said playfully.

"Okay, where to go?"

"An overseas Chinese apartment or a courtyard house is fine, I'm all alone now."

Gong Xue: "Let's go to the courtyard house tomorrow. The cats and dogs are probably there."

"Yes, but why not today?"

Gong Xue said helplessly, "Aying is staying with me at the guesthouse today, and I can't leave her alone."

Wei Ming sighed, "Ah Long, can you please try harder and stop dragging me down?"

After hanging up the phone with Gong Xue, Wei Ming realized that he hadn't congratulated her yet.

Gong Xue then met with director Wang Haowei and others, and director Wang added a "Congratulations".

Congratulations to her for topping the list of "Top Ten Favorite Young Screen Images" by China Youth Daily.

The China Youth Daily published the selection results on the day Gong Xue arrived in Beijing, as if to welcome her to the capital.

The selection process took place during the peak of the theatrical run of "The Herdsman," when audience enthusiasm for the film hadn't yet subsided.

Although the film has not yet reached rural audiences, the gentle, virtuous, and morally upright Wei Fenfang, with her limited screen time, has earned the reputation of "marrying a wife like Wei Fenfang," making Gong Xue a household name in cities of all sizes across the country.

Although Gong Xue had fewer screenings and fewer viewers than "Romance on Lushan Mountain," she had a slight advantage over Zhang Yu in terms of looks and temperament, thus narrowly surpassing Zhang Yu and placing Zhang Yu in second place.

In addition, actresses such as Chen Chong, Li Xiuming, and Liu Xiaoqing are also on the list.

The selection by a prestigious newspaper, with the nominees being the most popular actresses of the moment, has undoubtedly declared Gong Xue's entry into the ranks of top-tier actresses, despite some controversy surrounding her first-place finish. Now, it's time to consolidate her victory.

Gong Xue quickly offered a few modest words, praising Director Xie for his excellent filming and Wei Ming for his excellent writing.

Wang Haowei nodded. This is the right way for a girl from the South to behave. If Liu Xiaoqing had won first place, she would definitely have said: Isn't it only natural for me to win first place?

Director Wang Hao then explained the filming plan: "The filming date is tentatively set for late March, and there is still a lot of time in between for memorizing the script and experiencing life."

At this point, Gong Xue raised a question: "I would like to go and see the real-life figures who inspired the story."

Wang Hao asked, "Do you know where she lives?"

Gong Xue smiled and said, "Just ask Teacher Wei, he'll definitely know."

Just how crazy is this madwoman, and in what form is she insane?

After the New Year, Gong Xue also visited a mental hospital in Shanghai, but the mental illnesses there were so varied that she was unsure of how to handle them.

Although Wei Ming's script described it in detail, she still wanted to see the original story in person.

Wang Haowei thought it made sense: "How about this, I'll go with you personally. It would be best if the child actor also went. I'll call Wei Ming now and discuss it with him."

However, she couldn't get through on the phone; Wei Ming was no longer home.

Zhu Lin felt the courtyard was cold last time, and there hadn't been a stove lit recently, so Wei Ming went over early to light one. They'll stay there tonight, and it should be quite warm tomorrow.

~
After opening the courtyard door, Wei Ming introduced the ginkgo tree to Gong Xue. As for the police chief, she had already met him before.

The cat and dog tilted their heads as they watched Wei Ming and Gong Xue enter, wondering: Was this the same one last time?

Wei Ming first took Gong Xue to visit Old Wei's collection, where she was amazed by the exquisite paintings on the porcelain.

Wei Mingkang, using other people's money, said, "I'll give you whatever you like."

Gong Xue shook his head: "If you like it, you can come and see it anytime. There's no need to own it."

“Of course you can come anytime,” Wei Ming said. “This place was originally bought for you to live in, but now my parents are in the catering business, so it’s basically been requisitioned by them. But I really don’t want you to live in a guesthouse.”

Gong Xue: "It's okay, we won't be staying for more than a few days anyway."

"what?"

Gong Xue: "I want to go see the lotus flowers."

"Huh? You're going to Zigong?!"

Gong Xue nodded seriously: "Yes, the director will go with me, and I'd also like to invite Xizi along."

Wei Ming gently squeezed Xue Jie's shoulder; the mountains were high and the road was long, and he was definitely reluctant to part with her.

But Sister Xue's tone wasn't one of discussion; it was clear that she had already made up her mind.

“That’s perfect. Could you also send some money over for me? I earned some royalties from the story about lotus flowers, so I should do my part. Also, once you’ve confirmed the time, I’ll write a letter to my cousin and ask him to take you there. He knows the way.”

"Yes, thank you for supporting my career." Gong Xue threw herself into Wei Ming's arms, the feel of those eighty-one pectoral muscles was really nice.

Wei Ming gently stroked her hair: "That's too formal. Do you need to talk to me about this? Besides, this is my script, and I also hope the movie will be a success."

Gong Xue said solemnly, "I will definitely not let you down!" "We can talk about that later. Let me see how your yoga practice is going first."

Gong Xue blushed immediately: "How can I practice at home?"

She was too embarrassed to practice in front of Gong Ying.

"So we still need our own space~" At this moment, Wei Ming wished he could arrange for Gong Xue to move into Zhu Lin's house.

But thinking about it, it was really too inhumane, so I gave up and decided to look for another house when I had some free time.

After admiring Old Wei's collection, they finally entered the bedroom. By then, the red bed and red quilt had been tidied up by Wei Ming, and there was no trace of the previous battle.

But another battle is about to take place here!
Because he wanted to see where Gong Ying lived, Gong Xue couldn't spend the night with Wei Ming, so the two could only indulge in their lust during the day, accompanied by the meowing of cats and barking of dogs.

Afterwards, Wei Ming and Gong Xue went to visit Gong Ying. She rented a large courtyard house, which was just a wall away from Biao Ma's house, making it convenient for Biao Ma to take care of her. Moreover, the neighbors were all acquaintances, and while their character might not be particularly noble, at least they weren't the kind of hooligans.

Clothing innovation is also of paramount importance for the clothing store, and Gong Ying is indeed quite skilled. Even when it comes to copying Hong Kong fashion magazines, Gong Ying is better at it than they are. She is regarded by them as the secret weapon to ensure the vitality of Oriental Plaza.

That night, Gong Xue wanted to stay with her sister, so Wei Ming let A Long stay with him in the courtyard for the night, and the two could chat about the progress of "Qin's Moon".

Once school officially starts and his team is back in place, they can begin drawing formally. At that time, the team will have a division of labor and will begin piloting a comic production line.

Wei Ming had only one request: "When we go to Hong Kong, there must be at least ten chapters of content."

"When can we go to Hong Kong?"

Wei Ming: "Uncertain."

The next day, Wei Ming and A Long were awakened by Yin Xing's cries; there was someone at the door.

Ah Long went to open the door and exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle, what brings you here?"

Wei Ming also came out of the room and saw his father. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Almost! He and Sister Xue were almost caught in bed by Lao Wei.

Old Wei laughed and said, "Ah Long, we went back to Beijing yesterday, but no one was at the Overseas Chinese Apartment. I guessed Xiao Ming should be here. I didn't expect you to be here too. Come to my house for dinner later."

"Uncle, I'd like to go too, but I made plans with my girlfriend today, so let's do it another day."

"What? You have a girlfriend now! Where are you from? What does your family do?" Old Wei asked with great interest.

Look at my son's friends, they're all young and have found a partner, but this worrying son of mine insists on finding two.

Now it's as if there are none left.

Ah Long said sweetly, "She's a girl from Shanghai, and she also studies painting. She..."

At this point, he glanced at Wei Ming and then said, "Her sister is the actress Gong Xue."

"Ah, Gong Xue!" Old Wei exclaimed in surprise, almost blurting out, "Then aren't you two connected?"

Fortunately, he held back. Ah Long took the opportunity to say goodbye, while Wei Ming went back to school to continue working, promising to go home for dinner that evening.

The semester starts on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, and today is the thirteenth. Peking University has already begun sending students back to campus to avoid peak hours, including international students.

"Leonardo!" Li Aiguo shouted as he rushed towards Wei Ming after seeing him as he came out of Shaoyuan.

Wei Ming was also very happy to see him. Although the two hadn't spoken during the process, his expression told him that things had gone well.

"Li Aiguo, you look to be in good spirits."

"Of course, if that song sells well, I can earn at least tens of thousands of dollars!" This is a pretty good income for a student like him.

If he can earn tens of thousands, then Wei Ming knows roughly how much he can earn—one hundred thousand dollars?
However, there's a prerequisite: the song must sell well enough.

"Can you tell me more about it?"

Li Aiguo didn't mention the initial $5000 buyout contract, and went straight to the second contract.

This is the treatment enjoyed by musicians who are legitimate and have a certain level of fame.

“We don’t get paid right now, but we enjoy all the benefits that well-known songwriters can enjoy, such as machine copy royalties, public broadcast royalties, and simultaneous licensing fees.”

Li Aiguo then explained these terms in detail.

Mechanical reproduction royalties are the fixed royalties that songwriters receive for each song produced as a physical record. Currently, these are mainly vinyl records and cassette tapes, and in the future, CDs will also be produced.

This income is usually 9 cents per song. If a million copies of the record are produced, that would be $90,000.

Of course, selling 100 million copies is a very high achievement and not so easy to obtain.

However, Li Aiguo's father secured a price of 12 cents for Wei Ming, which was considered the level of a songwriter with a certain degree of fame.

Public broadcast royalties are the royalties that need to be paid when a song is played on radio, television, or in public places. Although each time it is not much, it adds up and can sometimes be quite considerable.

In the future, Mariah Carey will rely on "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to support her in retirement, because every Christmas, this song is played in every store, and she gets paid for it. Over time, she has accumulated $6000 million.

Synchronization licensing fees are fees paid when a song is used in a movie, TV series, or advertisement. There is no uniform standard for this; it depends on how the music company and the film company negotiate. It can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, or even more.

Although Li Aiguo did not bring back any real money, he did bring back two contracts, which the first party, MCA, had already signed. They would become effective as long as he signed them.

It even includes Li Aiguo's share, which will be deducted from Li Aiguo's share and given to Wei Ming.

However, the contract was in English, and Wei Ming said he would take it back to study it. Li Aiguo didn't mind at all; he felt that was how it should be.

So Wei Ming took the contract and went to the law department of the class of '77.

The class of '77 in the Department of Law at Peking University produced many outstanding individuals, including legal luminaries such as Tao Jingzhou and He Qinhua, as well as Qiang Ge.

Wei Ming wasn't familiar with them, but they all knew him and even admired him. When Wei Ming mentioned signing a contract with a major American company, not only the students but even their teachers came over to help with the consultation.

Later, he found that there were too many technical terms, so he also asked his classmates from the foreign language department in the same year to help him.

Then, as everyone watched, they marveled at how incredibly meticulous the contracts of large American companies were, with so many details!

But surprisingly, no hole was dug.

Wei Ming told them not to think too highly of foreigners: "I also spent a lot of money to hire an American lawyer."

Wei Ming's 10% profit was considered protection money for Li Aiguo's father.

If the MCA capitalizes on John Lennon's death with a successful marketing campaign, the song's revenue will far exceed $10. Moreover, although John Lennon only died once, his achievements as a great musician will likely trigger a wave of mourning every year around this time, thus ensuring the song's continued value.

After confirming that there were no problems with the contract, Wei Ming, along with two classmates from the 77 law and Spanish departments, went to Shaoyuan to find Li Aiguo. With them and Li Kui as witnesses, they signed the contract.

After signing, Wei Ming realized another important issue.

"Patriotism, do you know who MCA is planning to sing this song?"

Li Aiguo was a little embarrassed: "She seems to be a young British female singer, only 21 years old, but don't underestimate her. Her group's debut album sold 50 copies in the UK."

Finally, Li Aiguo revealed her name.

"Her name is Sarah Brightman."

Wei Ming gasped in surprise. It was this heavenly voice! Imagining her singing "Moonlight Shadow," Wei Ming felt that something extraordinary was about to happen!

Wei Ming first learned about Sarah Brightman when he heard her version of "Scarborough Fair," which was like an ear massage, a great auditory treatment.

Later, I heard her song "Time To Say Goodbye" and the Barcelona Olympics theme song "Amigos Para Siempre".

Of course, most Chinese people probably didn't know her until 2008, when she sang "Me and You" with Liu Huan.

Putting aside the quality of the song for now, the fact that he was able to sing the theme song with Liu Huan at the opening ceremony of the Chinese Olympics, and that he is the only person in the world to have sung two Olympic theme songs, speaks volumes about his singing ability.

One word, absolutely!

Wei Ming originally just wanted to ride the wave of popularity, make a little money, and test the waters of the European and American music scene. He didn't expect to discover Sarah Brightman so quickly, which made him even more confident in the song's financial prospects.

That evening, Wei Ming returned home and had dinner with his parents, grandmother, and Xiao Hong. Mei Wenhua also came with Yunyun, so there were quite a few people.

Xiaomei sighed, "It's only because your living room is so big that it would be too cramped in my place."

He sat on the sofa, watching "Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp" with Lao Wei. Lao Wei was finally watching TV; this was the life he wanted!
(End of this chapter)