Exciting 1979!

Chapter 322 Don't rush, one poem for each person, all available.

Ah Long and Gong Ying have completed their formalities. Today, Wei Ming went to the airport to see them off. Teacher Yang and Gong Xue were also there. This counts as the parents meeting. The two women chatted happily, praising each other's children/sisters.

Teacher Yang is very satisfied with her future daughter-in-law. She is tall and beautiful, and also works in the same industry, so they have common topics to discuss.

Although he was a few years older, his son looked mature, so it was alright. In this day and age, there are still women who are eight or nine years older than men.

Gong Ying's family background also satisfied her. Her older sister is a well-known actress in China, and her parents both work in Shanghai. In addition, she has an older brother and an older sister in Shanghai, so she can go to Hong Kong with Ah Long with peace of mind.

Unlike me, I didn't go to Hong Kong with my husband because I was an only child and worried about my elderly father, which is why we've been separated for so long.

After her husband's imprisonment and her father's strong persuasion, she decided to settle down with Liu Bin in Hong Kong this time, and bring her father over when conditions permit.

Wei Ming chatted with Teacher Yang for a few minutes, then called Ah Long aside and took out two letters to give him some instructions.

"When you get to Hong Kong, go find Ah Min and give him these two letters. Give one to Tam Yung-lun and the other to Cheung Ming-man."

"it is good."

"Let me know as soon as you get any feedback from them. Also, check the Hong Kong media's attitude toward the Sichuan floods. You can send a fax, or make a long-distance call if necessary. Don't be afraid to spend the money."

"Okay." Ah Long didn't ask him what he was supposed to do; he just had to carry it out.

After seeing these people off, Wei Ming and Gong Xue exchanged a glance, then tacitly got on their motorcycles and drove away.

Sister Xue put her arm around Wei Ming's waist, her hand comfortably resting on his abs: "The house paperwork is all done, and Grandma Zhu said she'll move in within a week."

Wei Ming said, "Yes, I've also contacted the construction team I used before. We should be able to move in before the New Year."

"Huh? Does it take this long?"

"This time I plan to do a thorough renovation, including floor renovation, pavilions and landscaping, flowers and trees, and even indoor toilets."

Thanks to Jin Yong and Ming Pao, although he spoke highly of the authorities during his trip north, he also pointed out some shortcomings he noticed, such as the public health in Beijing, especially the public toilets in July, which were simply unbearable to look at.

If it rains a little more, hey, that'll be really something.

It's fine if overseas tourists are just staying in hotels, but once they immerse themselves in the daily life of Yanjing, they will probably find it hard to tolerate the filth and stench.

Even Wei Ming couldn't stand it, let alone foreigners.

As soon as Ming Pao published the article, the health department in Yanjing immediately took action to renovate and upgrade public toilets throughout the city.

Wei Ming could take this opportunity to renovate the sanitation systems of the two courtyard houses, taking the living experience to the next level.

He's not just thinking about his own enjoyment; he's now preparing to do something for the people affected by the disaster in Sichuan.

While waiting for Ah Long's feedback, he started writing songs, including several Cantonese songs that he had previously looked down upon.

~
Hong Kong is also reporting on the disaster situation in Sichuan. Neutral newspapers such as Ta Kung Pao, Wen Wei Po, and Ming Pao have a wide coverage, covering almost all people in Hong Kong whose economic level is relatively good.

Vivian Chow also saw them, and those photos and words deeply distressed her.

Perhaps it was because she loved what Ah Ming said, but after hearing many stories about Sichuan from him—the giant pandas, the dinosaur fossils, the rabbits—she started writing to Ah Ming again, wanting to donate her allowance.

As for donation channels, she couldn't find any, so she could only give the money directly to Amin.

After the new leadership took office, the mainland's attitude towards international aid changed, and it no longer resolutely rejected it.

They were initially willing to inform the outside world about their disaster situation and accept some level of assistance, but did not actively request international disaster relief aid.

Our attitude toward international aid remains conservative. We basically just notify the UN Disaster Management Agency, report our situation, and ask them to come and inspect. As for how much money and supplies they can get, we don't try to fight for it.

While this maintains some semblance of dignity, it certainly cannot fully express the overseas Chinese people's sympathy and love for their homeland.

After sending out the letter, Amin went to the recording studio rented by Zhang Mingmin's company.

While Zhang Mingmin is recording "Mother in the Candlelight", she can record "First Love", but it will cost some money.

Zhang Mingmin can help her with the arrangement, but the accompaniment also costs money. For better music quality, Amin said that the money has to be spent, since Holiland will cover it anyway.

This is her second day of recording. She had some flaws on the first day due to lack of experience, but she quickly got it right today.

Vivian Chow was very excited, feeling that she finally had her own work to show for it!

She wanted to treat Zhang Mingmin to a meal to express her gratitude.

"Maybe next time, I'm going to perform at a nightclub in Haicheng tonight."

"Wow, Haicheng Nightclub, amazing!" Zhou Huimin exclaimed. Haicheng Nightclub is a high-end nightclub that can accommodate more than a thousand people. The singers who can perform here are all accomplished and their appearance fees are not low, such as Xu Xiaofeng and Jenny Tseng.

At that time, Hong Kong did not have large stadiums like Hung Hom. Performance venues were basically places with one or two thousand people. The only other option was the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, with 3500 seats, which was already the largest in Hong Kong.

After leaving the recording studio, Vivian Chow made a special detour to Central to check out the Holiland branch that was under renovation. When it opens, the song Ah Ming wrote for her will also be officially released.

She asked the construction workers why she didn't see one of the three bosses.

The construction worker told her, "Oh, Mr. Liu's wife is here, and the other two bosses are hosting a welcome dinner for them."

"Huh? Uncle Liu's wife?"

When she arrived at her doorstep, Zhou Huimin saw a familiar face, Uncle Liu's son.

"Brother Long?" Vivian Chow was overjoyed and looked around. If Brother Long was here, how far could Ah Ming be?

Ah Long laughed and said, "Don't look anymore, Ah Ming didn't come, but he brought you two letters."

Zhou Huimin felt slightly comforted after her initial disappointment. However, upon receiving the letters, she noticed that one envelope was addressed to Tan Yonglin and the other to Zhang Mingmin.

You stinky Ah Ming, you wrote letters to two men but not to me!

Ah Long couldn't fathom the girl's thoughts. He told Zhou Huimin, "Ah Ming said you should deliver the letter to these two people as soon as possible; it concerns the floods in Sichuan."

"Huh? It's related to the floods?" Amin said. "I just sent him a letter and even donated my allowance."

Ah Long: "Ah Ming will definitely be very happy."

Zhou Huimin said, "I know where Brother Zhang Mingmin is, I'll go there right now."

Ah Long glanced at the sky: "There's no need to rush, tomorrow is fine too."

Thinking about places like nightclubs, Vivian Chow didn't dare go alone: ​​"Okay then, I'll call Alan first."

To expedite the process, Zhou Huimin arranged to meet Tan Yonglin near Zhang Mingmin's company, intending to see both of them at once.

Tan Yonglin was overjoyed to hear that Wei Ming had replied to his letter; he was about to have another masterpiece!
~
After arriving in Hong Kong, Ah Long first settled the people he brought with him, and then had his mother take his girlfriend and father to a welcome dinner.

He went directly to Zhou Huimin's house, but he didn't know the specific address, so he waited for several hours before she returned.

After completing Wei Ming's task, A Long passed by a movie theater and saw information about a new film. His eyes lit up, and after returning to his rented room, he immediately called over Teacher Chen Qing, two classmates, and three animators from Shanghai Film Studio.

"Everyone, have you had a good rest? Let's go see a movie."

"What movie?"

"I've heard that many Hong Kong movies are poisonous."

"Could it be some exciting movie?"

"Let capitalism's sugar-coated bullets fire at me!"

Ah Long: "It's the animated series 'Old Master Q,' you've all seen the comics, right?"

"Old Master Q" is a comic series that has been popular for twenty years, but its influence has not spread to the mainland. Ah Long grew up in Guangdong, so he read a lot of it when he was a child. It is the Hong Kong comic that left the deepest impression on him.

Everyone else shook their heads, saying they had never heard of it. Only Teacher Chen Qing knew about it and pointed out: "The main character of this 'Old Master Q' is a plagiarized character from the comics of mainland cartoonist Peng Di."

"what?"

"Is that so?" Ah Long was hearing this for the first time.

Teacher Chen said, "That was in the 1930s and 40s. In the southern comics scene, Zhang Leping's Sanmao was the most famous, while in Beijing and Tianjin, Pengdi's Old Master and Old Sweet Potato were well-known. When Chen Ze went to Hong Kong, he probably felt that nobody knew him, so he made some slight modifications and directly used Pengdi's comic image. But the story was still his own story, reflecting the secular culture of Hong Kong."

Although he found this behavior distasteful, Mr. Chen felt that he should still watch it, since the series must have something unique about it to have gone from comics to movies.

Ah Long said, "That's what I think too. I want to see how they make it. Comics are ultimately not profitable, but if they can be made into animation or movies, we can even lose some money during the comic book stage."

Actually, what Ah Long really wanted to do was animation; he did comics to hone his basic skills.

There have been many live-action movies of "Old Master Q" before, but this is the first time it has been made into an animated film called "Colorful Cartoon Old Master Q".

However, Hong Kong lacks animation talent, and the film's behind-the-scenes team is basically composed of Taiwanese animators.

One of the directors, Tsai Chih-chung, and the original illustrator, Ao Yu-hsiang, are both well-known animators in Taiwan, and their work on "Oolong Courtyard" is quite famous.

After watching it, Liu Rulong, Chen Qing, and others unanimously commented that it was quite smooth. Although it was not as detailed as "Havoc in Heaven" or "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King", it was more comedic and entertaining to watch.

Moreover, the cost shouldn't be too high. Ah Long thought back to the time when he drew "animation" in the lower right corner of his notebook. He wondered when he would be able to actually make an animation.

~
The next day, Amin arrived at the place early with the letter. There was a beverage shop downstairs, so they made their appointment there.

Zhang Mingmin was the first to arrive. He asked Amin, "What's the matter with the letter Amin wrote to me?" "I have no idea, I didn't open it. But wait a minute, I'll give it to you later."

Amin ordered drinks first, and Tan Yonglin arrived shortly after, wearing sunglasses and a mask. He's now considered a teen idol, and many female students like him.

"And this is Mr. Zhang Mingmin?" Tan Yonglin recognized Zhang Mingmin.

Zhang Mingmin also recognized him, after all, Ah Ming had only written songs for the two of them in Hong Kong, and the two had known each other for a long time.

Before the two could exchange pleasantries, Zhou Huimin handed them two letters.

When Tan Yonglin saw Zhang Mingmin, he knew that today might not be as simple as just writing songs.

Sure enough, there was no song in the envelope, only a handwritten letter from Amin.

The two letters were very similar; Wei Ming hoped to do something for the disaster area through music and raise some donations.

He definitely can't handle this alone, but he can do the most essential things: writing songs and recruiting people.

Since it's a charity concert, it definitely can't be held in mainland China. Everyone here is poor and can't make any money. So, of course, we'll ask whoever has money to raise funds. Therefore, Wei Ming thinks this concert should be held in Hong Kong.

Since it's going to be held in Hong Kong, we should invite singers who have a strong following in Hong Kong.

Among young singers in Hong Kong, Tam Yung-lun is considered one of the best.

In his letter to Tan Yonglin, Wei Ming stated that he was willing to offer a tailor-made song in exchange for Tan Yonglin and other singers he knew to participate in a charity performance.

Look carefully, it's one song for each person!
Wei Ming can do this song for free, purely voluntarily, but they also need to help out voluntarily. These songs will be made into an album, and the proceeds will go to charity. They can also put it into their own album.

Upon seeing the letter, Tan Yonglin's heart skipped a beat.

He is certainly willing to do charity work. His father was born in mainland China and was a member of the national football team, winning glory for the country many times. In addition to teaching him to play football, his father also taught him many principles of patriotism.

But now his career in Taiwan is going very well. Thanks to Wei Ming's songs, his Mandarin albums are selling very well in Taiwan. As for the movie, "If I Were Real" is about to be released, and this movie is a satire of the North.

If I participate in a charity performance in mainland China at this time, will the Freedom Society make things difficult for me? Will my company agree to it?

Just as Tan Yonglin was hesitating and struggling, Zhang Mingmin, after reading the letter, was filled with enthusiasm and said decisively, "Ah Ming's level of thinking is too high. What's there to say? As long as Ah Ming gives the word, any time and any place, I can cancel anything!"

Vivian Chow asked, "So what exactly happened?"

Zhang Mingmin explained: "It's a charity concert for the people affected by the disaster in Sichuan. They'll ask us to sing a few songs and say they'll write songs for us for free. What songs? We'll go on stage even if we don't have those songs."

Zhou Huimin's eyes lit up. This was a great idea! Ah Ming really knew how to come up with a solution. Then she looked at Tan Yonglin.

Hesitation at this point would be too contemptible. Tan Yonglin raised his voice a few decibels: "I have a duty to do it. I will tell my friends about this and try to make it a big deal."

"The law should be able to protect everyone, right?" Tan Yonglin thought of Zhang Guorong, Danny Chan, and Ah B.

Zhou Huimin said, "Then hurry up and ask how many people there are. Ah Ming is waiting for a reply."

Zhang Mingmin said, "Mr. Zhang Yaorong, a shareholder of Haicheng Nightclub, is very experienced in organizing concerts. I'll ask him if he'd be willing to help. This kind of thing definitely needs a planner."

“Yes, Uncle Yao is very experienced, we can’t go wrong with him.” Since they had decided to do it, Tan Yonglin also offered suggestions, “I think we should first determine the planner, and if Uncle Yao agrees, then determine the number of people and the venue.”

Later, it was Mr. Cheung Yiu-wing who pioneered the Hong Kong Coliseum concert. He had in-depth collaborations with Alan Tam, Anita Mui, and Sam Hui, including the farewell concert where Anita Mui wore a wedding dress.

Of course, this kind of thing requires official coordination, whether in mainland China or Hong Kong. Otherwise, who will supervise the use of the donations and how will the order at the venue be maintained? This is not something that a few people can handle.

Wei Ming waited and waited until he received the first fax from Ah Long, confirming that Tan Yonglin and Zhang Mingmin had both agreed. Then he began to take action.

"Biaozi, didn't you meet Liao Gong? Can you still contact him? I need to talk to him about something." Wei Ming approached Biaozi at Tuanjiehu.

Biaozi pointed to his large face: "We've only met once. Do I look like I have their contact information? I don't have that much face."

Huang Qiuyan, who was heavily pregnant, said, "You didn't, but how could Director Wang not have? He was there that day too, and he was chatting happily with Liao Gong."

Although Director Wang was much lower in rank than Director Liao, they were old acquaintances because of their shared love of movies, and Director Liao often borrowed film prints from the Beijing Film Studio to watch.

Wei Ming slapped his forehead: "That's right, I'll go find Old Wang!"

"Ming, what's up?" Biaozi asked from behind.

Wei Ming: "A great thing, a great act of kindness!"

Upon arriving at the Beijing Film Studio, Wei Ming went straight to the director's office and explained his purpose to Director Wang.

Factory Director Wang put down the documents in his hand: "Xiao Wei, are you saying you want to invite Hong Kong singers to hold a charity concert in Hong Kong to raise funds for the disaster area in Sichuan?"

"Correct."

"is it possible?"

"I promised that whoever participates will receive a song that I tailored specifically for them for free. I think that's quite attractive to many singers."

Factory Director Wang: "Uh, this..."

That sounds arrogant, but Xiao Wei seems to have the right to be arrogant. He doesn't write many songs, but every single one of them has a very high popularity, especially that English song, which has even become a hit internationally.

Recently, the Italian film crew of "Marco Polo" came to Beijing to film, and the Beijing Film Studio was responsible for cooperating. Surprisingly, they all knew about "Moonlight Shadow," a song that had topped the Italian music charts.

When I told them that the song's author was Chinese, they were all stunned and asked, "So The Lion King was also written by a Chinese person?!"

Old Wang is quite considerate; he took the initiative to call the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office for Wei Ming's sake, which is a rare occurrence.

Liao Gong has a special status, so he holds multiple positions, including the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the Hong Kong Affairs Office, and the future Taiwan Affairs Office. Therefore, we must contact him for this matter.

Wei Ming's charity concert needs the assistance of our forces in Hong Kong, such as purchasing disaster relief supplies after receiving donations, and publicity.

He may be a nobody, but Liao Gong could resolve things with just a word.

Liao Gong's secretary still remembered Wei Ming. He was quite disappointed that he couldn't meet the crew of "Heroes Have Always Been Young" when he first met them.

After learning of Wei Ming's thoughts through Wang Yang, Liao Gong said, "Let him come over and talk to him in person."

Fearing that Wei Ming might not be able to find the right government office, Wang Yang said directly, "I'll take you there. I'll find the driver."

Wei Ming quickly replied, "I don't need a driver, I have a driver's license."

"Oh? Can you drive?"

"I studied it myself."

Old Wang got into Wei Ming's car in a daze: "You know what, you really have to admit, he drives even more steadily than the drivers at the factory."

That's a veteran driver with over 30 years of experience, and he's driven all kinds of cars and on all kinds of road conditions. What do they have to compare with me?

Upon arriving at the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the two quickly met Liao Gong, an old man who seemed unassuming, under the guidance of the secretary.

"Xiao Wei, it's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

To show his respect, Wei Ming clasped his hands together and said, "I have long admired your reputation."

"I know that's the truth. I've read your book, 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes.'" He even wrote an inscription for it.

The novel also mentions his parents, Zhongkai Gong and Xiang Ning, and even draws some inspiration from them.

Liao Gong then asked, "Tell me, why did you come up with such an idea?"

Wei Ming: "At first, it was out of selfishness, because Sichuan is like my hometown. My mother is from Sichuan. When the flood broke out, my grandmother was living with us in Yanjing. Seeing the situation in her hometown, she was worried about her family and cried all day long. Putting myself in their shoes, I knew that countless families in Sichuan were starving and had even cried their eyes out. At that time, I wanted to do something."

"Why did you come up with the idea of ​​a concert? And why hold it in Hong Kong?"

"Because this is the best way for me to use my abilities, which is songwriting. I can only donate so much money by myself, but this method can mobilize tens of thousands of Hong Kong compatriots, and together we can make a big difference. Another benefit is that it allows the people of Hong Kong to be heart to heart with the people of the mainland, to breathe the same air, and to share the same fate."

"Heart to heart, breathing the same air, sharing the same fate." Liao Gong repeated these words.

Wei Ming nodded and said, "I believe that doing good deeds can bring people from two places that were originally strangers closer together. Whether it is receiving kindness or releasing kindness, everyone will become more united because of the same thing."

Wei Ming's words impressed Liao Gong. He was impressed that someone so young could think of this. He was truly a great talent.

It seems that this concert is not just a simple charity event; it also has a united front function!
Take those Hong Kong celebrities, for example. They don't dare to get involved with the mainland at all, for fear that Taiwan will find fault with them.

Because of charity, they may very well break the ice and get closer to the mainland for the first time ever, which is of great significance!

"Xiao Wei, how many Hong Kong singers have agreed to participate so far?"

Wei Ming: "There are two now, both of whom I have worked with before. I am still waiting for their news to see how many people they can bring in."

Liao Gongdao: "Why wait for news here? You should go directly to Hong Kong and take full charge of this matter."

"Ah, me?"

“Of course it’s you. You’re the most suitable person for this, after all, it was you who initiated it,” Liao Gong said, shaking Wei Ming’s hand tightly once again. “I thank you on behalf of the people of Sichuan.”

(Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival! What kind of filling did you eat for your zongzi?)

(End of this chapter)