Exciting 1979!

Chapter 404 Shining at the Grammys, First Arrival in San Francisco (Part 1)
The Saint Valley's distinctive film and television industry began in the 70s and flourished in the 80s. Ninety percent of all American films and television shows were produced and filmed here, and the content was much more explicit than that of Japanese films.

The San Fernando Valley is also known as "Silicon Valley" because many of the actresses there have silicone implants in their breasts—a pun in both Chinese and English.

Silicon Valley.

Silicone Valley.

The University of California, Northridge is located here, and it is the second largest university in California, after UCLA.

~
Professor Zhou at the school has gathered a group of young people around him, most of whom are Chinese. They are the main force behind organizing the Northridge Campus Chinese Film Festival. Another one is Chen Chong, who won the Best Actress award at the Hundred Flowers Awards, the highest film award in mainland China, and was invited from New York. The festival will also screen her film "Little Flower".

Chen Chong, 21, came to study at the State University of New York at New Paltz last year. Six months have passed, and she is mainly learning the language and adapting to the American culture. The United States is indeed very different from China.

Just last month, she went to the school clinic because she had a rash on her arm. During the examination, she had to take off all her clothes.

When she heard that she had to take off all her clothes, her mind went blank for a moment. However, being new to the country, and considering the openness of other countries, she figured this was probably just a normal inspection procedure in the United States.

Moreover, the doctor there was very professional, and he even had a male doctor examine her together, so that it wouldn't be unclear if it was just the two of them alone. Although she felt a little uncomfortable, she had no choice but to go with the flow.

Judging that it was about time, Professor Zhou said, "I'm afraid Mr. Wei Ming won't be able to find the place. Xiao Tang, Xiao Song, why don't you go to the school gate to greet him?"

"Professor Zhou, I'm afraid they won't recognize me, so I'll go with them too," Chen Chong suddenly said, seemingly lost in thought.

Professor Zhou initially felt it was inappropriate, since Chen Chong was also a distinguished guest he had invited. However, considering that she and Wei Ming were both from the mainland, they might be old friends who had known each other for a long time.

"Alright then, thank you for your help, Ms. Chen."

Chen Chong knew that Wei Ming would also be coming, and all he could think about was the letter he had recently received from Zhang Yu.

In her letter, she recounted her experience attending Gong Xue's sister's wedding, saying that Gong Xue's sister married a Hong Kong man, and that the wedding banquet was held at the Peace Hotel, where they were even picked up in a car from the Peace Hotel.

Chen Chong found these ideas so naive. What was so special about riding in a car? He had ridden in one several times in China, and cars were everywhere in America. He could even buy a used one if he worked hard.

However, upon seeing the final scene, Chen Chong was indeed somewhat moved to hear that Wei Ming had written a check for ten thousand US dollars as a gift to a friend.

Zhang Yu even asked cheekily, "Xiao Chong, how long do you need to work in the US to earn ten thousand US dollars? Teacher Wei seems so casual about it."

He was free to do as he pleased. After Chen Chong came to the United States, the English songs he listened to most were the two that Wei Mingna wrote for Sarah Brightman, and he would occasionally hear "I Do".

She inquired with friends who knew some inside information about the music industry and learned that in addition to the huge sales of Wei Ming's three songs, they also had great commercial derivative value, with each song bringing him at least a million dollars!

Millions!

Several of them are worth over a million!

When she first came to the United States, her mother, who was working and studying there, gave her two hundred dollars and told her to spend it sparingly, as that was the most her mother could afford.

As she was thinking, Chen Chong stopped in her tracks. She hadn't even reached the school gate yet, but she had already recognized Wei Ming ahead of her.

The two classmates recognized Cheng Long, who was standing next to Wei Ming, not Wei Ming.

They even managed to invite Jackie Chan! Professor Zhou has such a wide network of connections!

Although Jackie Chan had not yet successfully entered the European and American markets at this time, his two classmates, one from Hong Kong and the other from Taiwan, were incredibly popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and almost everyone knew his face.

"Mr. Jackie Chan, what made you decide to participate in our Chinese Film Festival?"

Cheng Long: "Oh, I came with a friend. This is my friend, the famous writer Mr. Why Wei Ming."

"Hello, Teacher Wei Ming, I am Chen Chong."

Before the two Hong Kong and Taiwan students could react, Chen Chong had already reached out his hand to Wei Ming.

"Oh, hello Comrade Chen Chong." Wei Ming's expression was indifferent, showing no excitement whatsoever for a fellow townsman meeting another.

This disappointed Chen Chong. She didn't understand what she lacked compared to Gong Xue. Whether it was age or the fullness of her figure, he shouldn't have been unmoved!
Wei Ming wasn't interested in her, but Cheng Long's small eyes fell on Chen Chong. He saw a resemblance to Li Zhi in Chen Chong, only she had a stronger rustic air and a less stunning figure.

The three men led the other three to the film festival venue. Lin Zhengyi said he needed to watch the car, probably because he was worried that Taiwanese students at the school might recognize him.

The Chinese students here are indeed mostly from Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as second or third-generation immigrants, while those from mainland China are relatively rare.

Hong Kong's university resources are notoriously scarce, so going abroad is very common. Wei Ming is familiar with Cheung Kwok-yung and Danny Chan, both of whom were students studying abroad.

When these Hong Kong and Taiwan students saw Jackie Chan, Wei Ming and Chen Chong were left out. Unfortunately, Professor Zhou had not prepared any of Jackie Chan's works beforehand. When Jackie Chan went on stage, he could only perform some martial arts moves and briefly talk about his new film collaboration plan with Wei Ming.

Upon hearing this, Chen Chong's heart stirred. Wei Ming had written a new script, and he was collaborating directly with Hong Kong stars!
The students were clearly very interested in the new film co-produced by Jackie Chan and Wei Ming, and asked many questions. However, in order to maintain the mystery, Jackie Chan only touched on the subject briefly before pulling Wei Ming onto the stage.

Later, Wei Ming also talked about his experience filming "The Herdsman" and introduced that the young actor who played his son in the movie was his cousin.

"He is now the second most popular male star in mainland China after Li Lianjie. He recently starred in a mainland Chinese drama called 'Mom, Love Me Again'."

When Li Lianjie was mentioned, Wei Ming winked at Cheng Long.

Because "Mom, Love Me Again" is a new film, there are no resources available here, so college students have no choice but to watch "The Herdsman" instead. Wei Ming and Li Aiguo had already seen it, but this was Cheng Long's first time watching it. His biggest impression was that the grasslands were vast and the scenery was captivating, giving him a feeling of having his heart and soul opened up.

This is something you can't see in Hong Kong or even Taiwan.

At that moment, he understood why Hong Kong audiences were so enthusiastic about "Shaolin Temple." The real scenes on the mainland were indeed breathtaking, and it even made him want to visit the mainland himself.

Looking at Cheng Long's expression, Wei Ming realized that he probably didn't know that Cheng Long had two older brothers in mainland China. He really wanted to spoil the plot for Cheng Long!

In fact, his father had been secretly contacting his two sons and sending them money, but Cheng Long didn't know any of this.

After the movie ended, the Chinese audience had mixed feelings. Most people could not agree with the male lead's decision to stay in China and contribute to the country's development, but that did not diminish their admiration for this man with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Next, Chen Chong went on stage to talk about her experience filming "Little Flower," followed by the screening of "Little Flower." Wei Ming had already seen the movie, and since it was already evening, he said goodbye to Professor Zhou before the movie ended, as there were people waiting for him at the hotel.

Chen Chong hesitated for a moment before chasing after them, wanting to ask Wei Ming and the others where they lived.

Before Wei Ming could speak, Cheng Long announced the name of the hotel. Upon hearing the name, Chen Chong immediately knew it must be expensive.

On the way back, Wei Ming asked Cheng Long when he planned to return to Hong Kong.

"I have to see you receive your Grammy award in person before I leave."

Wei Ming: "Alright, I'll ask for one more spot so you can get in too."

Jackie Chan: "Okay, so where shall we go now? How about we find a bar on Sunset Boulevard?"

I didn't expect this guy to have no intention of resting at all; he really has a lot of energy.

Li Aiguo laughed and said, "Brother Long, if you want to go, I can go with you. He has someone to accompany him."

"Oh, so you're accompanying your aunt?"

Wei Ming: "It's not an aunt, it's a girl."

When Wei Ming knocked on his door, someone quickly came to open it and pulled him inside. The main light was off, with only a few ambient lights on.

Wei Ming and Melinda leaned against the wall and kissed. Then she jumped onto Wei Ming's waist, and Wei Ming lifted her buttocks and carried her to the bed.

Melinda seemed to have rested well, as the two finally stopped their passion late into the night.

"How's your English novel coming along? It's been half a year already," Melinda asked, bringing up work.

"English is not my native language after all. There's still one piece left to finish. I'll submit the manuscript next month."

Melinda said, "Okay, then let's make this the last novel for Macmillan."

Wei Ming gave her 5% of DreamWorks' shares, and DreamWorks also held 50% of Langning Toy Factory's shares. Melinda was eager to develop their own business.

"This saves us the trouble of translation, and I estimate it will be available in English-speaking countries in the first half of the year."

Melinda: "It shouldn't be a problem, but could you write a few new novels for our publishing company in the second half of the year?"

"How many more? Melinda, you're so greedy."

"The new company needs to perform well. You can also write Chinese novels, and I'll find a few more translators."

Wei Ming thought for a moment and said, "No need, let's write it in English instead. I happen to have an idea for a novella."

"There's one more thing. My aunt is in Los Angeles. Try to get in touch with her and bring her along when you're negotiating the copyright with MGM."

If she doesn't come, Wei Ming will have no choice but to contact Li Aiguo's father.

"Do you know where she lives?" "The Universal Studios Hilton."

“That’s great! I was planning to go to Universal Studios or Disneyland with you tomorrow.”

At that time, Universal Studios' attractions were far less diverse than they would be in later years. After all, there were no giant dinosaurs, Harry Potter, Transformers, or Minions yet. Now, Universal Studios' most classic IP is Jaws.

The next day at breakfast, Wei Ming introduced Melinda and Sarah to Cheng Long. Cheng Long couldn't take his eyes off Sarah again; this foreign girl was quite pretty!
In his opinion, Sarah Brightman is not bad looking either. The key is that she is a world-famous female singer with great fame in Europe and America, which is no less than that of Teresa Teng.

However, by this time Sarah and Webber had become somewhat ambiguous. Although Webber was a married man, the two had a lot in common. As for Jackie Chan, although he had a big nose and was good-looking, communication was a problem for him.

Cheng Long also realized that their communication was not smooth enough, and at that moment he made up his mind: I must learn English well!

Wei Ming and Melinda went to Universal Studios without Jackie Chan and Sarah; Li Aiguo simply took them to the Hilton Hotel.

Even Lin Zhengyi was too embarrassed to interfere with their date.

Wei Lingling spoke with her aunt on the phone yesterday, and they agreed to take Wei Ming to San Francisco after the Grammys.

Tonight she plans to go to the Grammys to confront Wei Ming; getting a ticket shouldn't be difficult for her.

In the morning, she planned to go shopping to buy an outfit for the evening. Then, she saw Wei Ming and Melinda in the hotel lobby, along with their follower Li Aiguo.

"Melinda, you're here too! How did you know I was here?"

Wei Ming: "Cheng Long."

"Oh, okay, are you going shopping with me, or should I let you use my room?"

Wei Ming waved his hand: "Melinda wants to tell you that MGM has its eye on the film adaptation rights to 'Jurassic Park'."

“Oh,” Wei Lingling said, intrigued. “Sit down and tell me in detail.”

Melinda described the progress of her contact with the other party, saying, "I'm thinking of meeting with them tomorrow after the awards ceremony to see their sincerity."

Wei Lingling: "Xiaoming and I are going to San Francisco tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow."

Wei Ming was taken aback: "Going to San Francisco tomorrow? It's settled?"

"It's settled." Wei Lingling made the final decision.

“Okay, then we’ll have to postpone our trip to New York to see Elton John,” Li Aiguo said.

Wei Lingling: "If you're going to New York, I'll go with you. I happen to be going to Marvel Studios."

Melinda: "Okay, how about we go to Universal Studios now!"

Wei Lingling: "What's so great about Universal Studios? Why not go to Disney World in Orlando? It's much more fun there. Since we've been to New York, we can go there for a vacation."

Melinda: "Okay, okay. I've been working so hard lately that I haven't had a chance to relax."

Hearing that the two of them had already started making plans, Wei Ming sighed. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to return to China for at least a week. How could he not accompany them if they wanted to have fun?

Today, Wei Ming mainly accompanied the two women shopping. Since his great-aunt has businesses in Los Angeles, Wei Lingling borrowed a car from the company yesterday, so Li Aiguo didn't need to accompany them. Wei Ming told him to pick up Cheng Long from the hotel and take him to the awards ceremony.

The 24th Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the Temple Auditorium, which is located near the main campus of the University of Southern California and frequently hosts large award ceremonies such as the Grammys, Oscars, and Emmys.

Chen Chong is still in Los Angeles, so she definitely won't have the chance to attend the Grammy Awards ceremony, but she can watch the live broadcast on TV with her Chinese classmates at Northridge.

Since the 70s, the Grammy Awards ceremony has been broadcast live by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), one of the three major broadcast television networks in the United States.

She thought she was watching TV in a girl's dormitory, but unexpectedly, a girl led her and her classmates to a mansion.

She thought the mansion belonged to this girl, but it turned out she was looking after the house for someone else. The owners of the house had gone on vacation to the Southern Hemisphere, and a group of young people were singing and dancing here, planning to sleep here that night.

However, once the awards ceremony began, Chen Chong stopped holding her wine glass and sat on the sofa to watch TV. An ordinary-looking male classmate sat next to her, acting as the commentator. Because there were no subtitles, she had some difficulty watching TV.

There was a red carpet segment ahead, and Wei Ming walked the red carpet with a foreign woman. She knew this woman, Sarah Brightman, a strong contender for Best Newcomer this year.

Wei Ming's two songs brought this girl to global fame.

Next up was Phil Collins, the singer of "I Do". Before entering, Wei Ming chatted with the lead singer of Genesis for a few minutes. This was the first time the two had met. Wei Ming didn't know him very well, but he liked his unborn daughter very much.

The main nominees in the front row were all seated at a round table. Wei Ming sat at one table with Sarah, Phil, and their music producers. Sarah introduced them to each other, and soon they got to know everyone at the surrounding tables.

Wei Ming's understanding of the European and American music scene is not as familiar as that of the film industry. He is not very familiar with many names and faces, but when he hears the melody of their works, he will suddenly realize, "Oh, I've heard of them before."

These people are also very curious about Wei Ming, the Chinese musician who caused a stir around the world last year, not only because of the wide dissemination of his works, but also because he comes from a country that was once demonized but has recently begun to be guided in a positive direction by the authorities.

It seems to be a country that doesn't yet have popular music, yet it has produced such a bilingual music creator, and he has also written the children's book bestsellers of the last two years, such as "Jumanji," "The Lion King," and "Jurassic Park."

Shortly after we sat down, the host, John Denver, came on stage. He is a famous country music singer whom Wei Ming likes very much, especially his song "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which was one of the first English songs Wei Ming was exposed to.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, but his voice was clear and penetrating. The host opened the show with a performance of songs and dances by the Michael Jackson band.

At this time, Michael Jackson was already very successful as an independent singer, but he still often appeared with his brothers. The album that would truly elevate him was still in the works. Previously, he had only won the Best R&B Male Vocalist award at the 22nd Academy Awards.

Next came the official awards ceremony, which was interspersed with performances. The Grammys' high viewership and attention are also related to the fact that audiences can watch the best music performances for free every year, and these are all-star performances.

The Grammy Awards have many categories because there are many music genres. Except for the four general categories of Best New Artist, Best Album of the Year, Best Music of the Year, and Best Record of the Year, which are not divided by music genre, the other awards are given in each category.

Pop, rock, jazz, R&B, country, classical.

Each category should have a Best Male/Female Singer, Best Album, Best Production, Best Recording, etc.

In the end, there were more than sixty awards. Occasionally, Wei Ming's familiar melodies would play in front of the audience. He mainly listened to country and pop music, and occasionally listened to rock music, but he didn't really listen to many of them.

Wei Ming's friends and family, including Melinda, Wei Lingling, Li Aiguo, and Cheng Long, were all in the back audience seats, while Lin Zhengyi refused to even come to the audience seats.

The four of them whispered among themselves, especially Cheng Long, who was getting a little anxious about why it wasn't Ah Ming's turn yet.

Melinda: "Don't worry, all of his songs have been nominated for major awards."

The awards ceremony lasted for over an hour, and after the categories of rock, classical, country, jazz, and R&B were presented, it was finally pop's turn.

Wei Ming's three songs were all categorized as pop music. The Grammy Awards have always changed with the times. There used to be a disco category, but it was abolished a few years ago as disco music became less popular in the United States. A rock category was added instead. If there is a particularly influential disco song, it is placed in the pop category.

In addition, there are other music genres that haven't been subdivided yet, such as electronic and Latin music. If they have a significant influence, they can all be categorized as pop.

The current popular music categories include Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Band/Group, Best Pop Male Artist, and Best Pop Female Artist.

Sarah Brightman and Phil Collins were nominated for Best Pop Male and Female Vocal Performance, respectively.

However, they both lost out. Blues maestro Al Jarreau won Best Pop Male Vocalist, and he had just won Best Jazz Male Vocalist for another blues song.

The winner of Best Pop Female Vocal Performance is the famous African-American actress and singer Lena Horne, a black woman in her sixties who had faded from the public eye for her anti-racism stance, but made a strong comeback last year with her album "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music".

A male classmate sitting next to Chen Chong in front of the television said regretfully, "This is the award that Wei Ming's work had the best chance of winning. Now it seems that his trip was in vain."

Hearing this, Chen Chong felt a mix of emotions. He felt a pang of regret that Wei Ming couldn't bring glory to the country, but also a sense of relief. If Wei Ming had actually achieved a high honor, he would have been incredibly arrogant.

By the time the awards for popular music were announced, an hour and a half had passed since the ceremony began.

There are still the four most important general categories of awards remaining.

Aside from the album of the year, the other three are all related to Wei Ming.

First up is the Best Newcomer Award.

Wei Ming looked at Sarah, who had just been somewhat discouraged, and straightened her back again.

This British musical theatre actress stood out from the competition with Sheena Easton, Luther Vandross, Go-Gos, and others, which was not surprising. Last year, let alone newcomers, even veteran singers could hardly say they could beat her, despite having only two representative works.

She won this award, so Wei Ming's trip wasn't in vain.

At this moment, in a manor in San Francisco, an elderly Chinese woman holding a calico cat is also watching television.

When she saw Sarah Brightman hug Wei Ming and then go on stage to accept her award, the old lady happily drank a cup of Hengzhou Laobaigan (a type of Chinese liquor).

When the home nurse saw this, the old lady coughed awkwardly twice and continued watching TV as if nothing had happened...

~
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(End of this chapter)