Exciting 1979!

Chapter 424 Transformers: The Book of Wonders - Black Cat Sheriff
On the morning he was leaving for Shanghai, Wei Ming received an overseas telegram delivered by the postman at the entrance of his residential compound. It was a message from Melinda about the English version of "District 9".

Just a few words: "District 9 has been published and sent."

Wei Ming pondered, "Sent" must mean it was sent to him, right?

Alright, let's wait to receive the books.

When he arrived at the airport, Xue Jie hadn't arrived yet, so Wei Ming picked up the magazine he had brought and started reading it.

When he heard a commotion not far away, he looked up and saw that it was indeed Sister Xue who had arrived, surrounded by enthusiastic fans.

The movie queen has arrived, but unfortunately, she doesn't have a bodyguard. These days, the world is in chaos. Wei Mingzhen really wanted to get bodyguards for his two older sisters, but unfortunately, that's not allowed by the times; it would be an act of being out of touch with the masses.

Gong Xue didn't speak to Wei Ming after seeing him. He dealt with the fans for a while, signed autographs, and then sat down.

I feel like Zhang Yu didn't generate this much buzz when she won two awards last year. It's true that good looks attract more attention. I heard that Beijing Film Studio reprinted this year's Gong Xue calendar overnight, and even though it's been almost half a year, it's still selling like hotcakes.

Passengers and crew members on the plane were still trying to get close to Gong Xue, which made Wei Ming realize the importance of buying a private jet. He decided to wait a little longer; it should be possible in twenty years.

By then, they should all be retired and able to travel and have fun everywhere.

After the plane landed, the two took separate taxis. Wei Ming went back to his old house on Huating Road first to make arrangements, while Gong Xue had to go home, as she hadn't seen her parents for three months.

Now that her younger sister has married and moved to Hong Kong, it's even more difficult for her to come back. So she wants to fulfill her filial duty to Gong Ying as well.

This house still needs to be lived in. It's been three months since I last came here, and it looks much older. It would be a lot of work to clean it up, so Wei Ming only tidied up the living room and the master bedroom.

While tidying up, Wei Ming thought how wonderful it would be if someone could help him clean the house, and then he thought of his dear parents-in-law.

Gong Xue's father, elder brother, and nephew lived in that small house for three generations, which was too cramped. Now that the nephew is getting old, it is inconvenient for him to continue sleeping in the same room with his parents.

In the afternoon, Gong Xue quietly came to the door, but she told Wei Ming, "I can't stay with you tonight, I have to go back to my room."

Then Wei Ming told her about the house.

"What do you think about letting our parents move in?"

"Huh? Isn't this bad?"

Although the house is registered under Gong Xue's name, Gong Xue has always believed that the house belongs to Wei Ming. Now that her parents have moved in, what will happen when Wei Ming's parents come to Shanghai? They'll just become guests.
Wei Ming laughed and said, "It's better for someone to live in the house than for it to just sit there. Look at the weeds in the yard, and I've put a lot of effort into cleaning the living room. Besides, we also have an even bigger old house where my parents can live."

"How am I supposed to tell my parents? Even though our living conditions are limited, I'm afraid they wouldn't feel comfortable living with someone else," Gong Xue added.

This is really a difficult situation. Unless Wei Ming makes his relationship with Gong Xue public to them, but if he does, what will happen to Sister Lin? Once the balance is broken, there will be big problems.

The crucial point is the great calamity of 83. The matter of his two girlfriends must not be revealed. It seems that he can only wait until the storm has passed before slowly getting his parents to accept it.

Gong Xue held Wei Ming's hand and said, "I will remember your kindness to my parents."

"Can we stay tonight? I want to sleep with you in my arms." Wei Ming started to whine in Xue Jie's arms.

"Oh no, I've already told my parents I'm going home."

Wei Ming thought for a moment and said, "Then can you take me with you?"

"what?"

"Just say I was on a business trip and we bumped into each other on the train. You invited me to your home." Wei Ming thought it was time to personally visit his parents and give them a gift; he had always passed the gifts through Gong Xue before.

Gong Xue: "Do you think my parents are stupid? They've suspected our relationship for a long time."

Wei Ming: "Let them suspect us. We'll deny it to the death. What can they do to us?"

Gong Xue thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you visit Sister Lin's parents after you return to Beijing?"

Lin Jie's parents, Wei Ming, are relatively unfamiliar to her, but she will have to face them sooner or later.

He nodded: "Sure, let's meet!"

Who could be so lucky as to have four mothers-in-law and two fathers-in-law?

Without further ado, Wei Ming and Sister Xue immediately lay down on the bed. More than an hour later, seeing that it was getting late, they quickly washed up, got dressed, and went to the Friendship Store to shop.

By the time we reached the alley entrance, it was already dark. Luckily, it was dark and the neighbors had all gone home.

However, Gong Xue was still worried, so she and Wei Ming went home separately, since Wei Ming knew where she lived anyway.

When I got home, dinner was already prepared. My mother, Zhuang Che, said, "You're back just in time. We've been waiting for you. Let's eat!"

Gong Xue said somewhat embarrassedly, "Mom, wait a moment, a friend wants to come to our house as a guest."

"What friend? Why didn't they come back with you?" Mom looked outside.

"It's a man. We were afraid people would misunderstand, so we asked him to come up later."

Upon hearing this, my sister-in-law perked up: "Is it a male friend or a boyfriend?"

My nephew, still a little devil, asked, "Am I going to have a second aunt's husband?"

“Go away,” Gong Xue said. “He’s just a regular friend. I met him on the train. He’s always been very kind to me in Beijing, so I invited him over for a meal.”

Father Gong Yuandong narrowed his eyes and guessed, "Could it be that famous writer Wei Ming?"

Gong Xue nodded, suppressing her embarrassment: "That's right, it's him."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and my nephew rushed to open it.

Hello, Uncle Wei!

"Oh, hello, hello." Wei Ming handed some of the gifts to the children, including his favorite foreign candies, as well as cigarettes and alcohol.

"Uncle Gong, Aunt Zhuang, would you mind if I had an extra pair of chopsticks?"

"Oh, Xiao Wei, please have a seat." Gong Xue's mother showed great enthusiasm. Her daughter will be 30 next year, and at this time she will not let go of any suspicious people, even if the child will not reach the legal marriage age until next year.

She used to think it would be difficult for her daughter to be a good match for Wei Ming, but now that her daughter has received such a high honor, it has given her more confidence.

Next, the whole family surrounded Wei Ming, asking him what he was doing in Shanghai and whether he was revising an article for Harvest magazine.

Wei Ming briefly explained his collaboration with Shanghai Animation Film Studio, explaining that he was there for two films: "Transformers" and "The Legend of Sealed Book".

They didn't know what Transformers were, but their nephew had watched "The Legend of the Heavenly Book" more than once, and he eagerly asked when it would be available to watch.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to see it this summer," Wei Ming said.

Brother Gong Xue then asked Wei Ming what novels he had written recently.

"You can wait to read the next issue of 'Flower City,' I've written a science fiction novel," Wei Ming said honestly.

Upon hearing that it was science fiction, the older brother laughed and said, "My son will definitely like it."

He thought it was a science fiction novel like "Jurassic Park," which was indeed very popular with children and had sparked a dinosaur craze among teenagers.

The meal was a great success, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Aunt Zhuang Che added an extra dish when Wei Ming arrived and they exchanged photography tips. Knowing of her hobby, Wei Ming gave her some Kodak color film as a gift. Both he and his wife had salaries, and all five family members, except for their school-aged children, could earn money, making their living conditions quite good for Shanghai. Moreover, they had two successful daughters to help out. The only problem was the housing situation, which made their home feel a bit cramped.

The situation will only be somewhat alleviated if Brother Gongxue is allocated an apartment by his workplace.

When Wei Ming left, Gong Xue and her elder brother and sister-in-law saw him off downstairs. Many neighbors saw it, and they couldn't help but gossip that night about who would end up with the beautiful second daughter of the Gong family.

In fact, Gong Xue's parents talked about this for a long time that night. They both liked Wei Ming very much. Who wouldn't like him? He was good-looking, capable, had overseas connections, and was young and strong. With so many advantages, not having a Shanghai hukou (household registration) was not an unacceptable disadvantage.

Why don't he and Xiaoxue admit to having that kind of relationship? Is it because they haven't really reached that stage yet?

Sigh, it's so worrying. My daughter is 29 years old, what's she still being so reserved about? Just go for it!

~
The next day, Wei Ming and Gong Xue went to the Shanghai Film Studio and the Shanghai Animation Film Studio respectively. Wei Ming had already looked at the script for Gong Xue and thought it was acceptable.

Moreover, Gong Xue had no aversion to the female lead's out-of-wedlock pregnancy. In her previous life, it took her a long time to accept this setting. In this life, because she also had premarital sex with Wei Ming and had an older sister named Zhu Lin, she was already mentally prepared for premarital pregnancy.

As long as she agrees to take the role, Xizi will fully cooperate. In addition, Wei Ming has also helped Gong Xue select the male lead.

After Gong Xue entered the factory, he was personally received by Deputy Factory Director Shi Fangyu and Director Bai Chen.

Director Shi deeply regretted not taking the initiative to keep Gong Xue at the Shanghai Film Studio. She was definitely trained by the Shanghai Film Studio, but in the end, she benefited the Beijing Film Studio.

Moreover, the style of Beijing Film Studio's productions never quite matched Gong Xue's taste. To date, Gong Xue has only filmed one movie at Beijing Film Studio, "Mom, Love Me Again," which was tailor-made for her by Wei Ming.

Upon hearing that Gong Xue was willing to take on the role, the over-sixty-year-old director Bai Chen was greatly relieved, and Director Shi was also very happy. He thought that if they collaborated a few more times, they might be able to get Gong Xue's job transferred back to him.

Gong Xue then asked, "Has the male lead for this film been confirmed?"

Director Shi was somewhat embarrassed. This film was specifically chosen from the script library for Gong Xue and Xi Zi, and no preparations had been made yet. The male lead was nowhere to be found.

However, since Gong Xue has already been cast as the female lead, finding a male lead shouldn't be too difficult. Who wouldn't want to work with an actress with such national appeal?

Hearing that they hadn't made a decision yet, Gong Xue smiled and said, "If they're casting actors from our Shanghai Film Studio, I won't say anything. But if Shanghai Film Studio doesn't have a suitable candidate, I do know someone who's younger than me and, just like in the script, a responsible and reliable young man."

"Oh?" The two of them made a gesture of being willing to hear more details.

Gong Xue said, "There's a student named Zhou Lijing at the Film Academy who's about to graduate. I think he's quite suitable in terms of appearance. I've seen him before when I visited the Film Academy."

Actually, she had never met him, but Wei Ming said that person was reliable. She trusted Wei Ming completely, and Zhu Lin was also familiar with Zhou Lijing and thought he was trustworthy.

Factory Director Shi immediately said "Oh": "Zhou Lijing, I know him, I know him. I heard that he was the only student in the 78 class of the Performing Arts Department to get a perfect score in appearance. He is indeed very handsome and not at all effeminate.

Bai Chen also remembered: "Didn't you act in a TV series with Fang Shu?"

Gong Xue: "Yes, yes, 'Young Friends,' and I also starred in a movie about the Great Wall called 'Night Demon City.'"

Bai Chen nodded: "Indeed, the image is impeccable."

Factory Director Shi laughed and said, "Actually, the male actors in our factory are all a bit older and their acting skills are too old-fashioned. Choosing the 78 class of the Performance Department of the Film Academy was really a good choice. Zhang Fengyi acted so well, so realistically."

Gong Xue laughed and said, "Yes, Xiao Zhang is actually quite good, but he's currently filming director Li Hanxiang's 'The Empress Dowager,' so he can't stay away from the capital for too long."

Gong Xue's recommendation worked; Director Shi even considered poaching him to the Shanghai Film Studio, as such talent was rare indeed.

However, Zhou Lijing has already decided to stay at the school, and he and Xie Yuan have both decided to stay at the Film Academy as teachers. Being able to stay in Beijing is a very good result. As for Zhang Fengyi, he has been accepted by Emei Film Studio.

Another classmate, Zhang Tielin, was assigned to the Tianjin Radio and Television Bureau, which infuriated him so much that he didn't even plan to go and report on it.

Gong Xue's situation was going smoothly, while Wei Ming was watching "Transformers" on the TV screen, a silent animal cartoon, currently on its second episode.

At first, Wei Ming was a little worried because, apart from working with everyone at the Shanghai Animation Film Studio at the beginning, he had been traveling all over the world for the next few months and hadn't come to the studio to guide the work much. At most, he would communicate by letter. So he was afraid that their production direction would go astray and that they would forget that this was a movie set on an alien planet in New York.

Looking back now, it still has a very American feel to it. And rightly so, this is the most elite talent at the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. Moreover, the staff of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio have probably seen more American animations than Wei Ming. They had seen many foreign animations before they were even broadcast in China.

Despite the excellent filming, Wei Ming's pen never stopped; he kept glancing down to jot something down, which made Wang Bairong extremely nervous. Was he going to make them redo the filming?
It took Wei Ming a full hour to finally finish watching the three episodes of "Transformers". Just as Wang Bairong was about to ask Wei Ming how it went, Wei Ming was the first to applaud.

"Excellent, it exceeded my expectations. The craftsmanship of our Shanghai Animation Film Studio is truly remarkable!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Bairong and the other two senior executives of the Transformers project breathed a sigh of relief, indicating that they could expect to earn that foreign exchange.

“However…” Wei Ming suddenly changed the subject, and Wang Bairong straightened his back again, “There are still some problems, which I have written down here. I hope that the later episodes can pay attention to them.”

"How about we make some changes to the front too?" Wang Bairong said. "We still have time, don't we?"

Wei Ming handed over his viewing notes: "No need, this is fine. We can ship it to Hong Kong now. I bet President Wei is waiting for your work to be cooked."

Wang Bairong took the notes and looked at the questions raised by Wei Ming. The first one was that some scenes were too detailed, and there was no need to use the standards of theatrical animated films to create this animation.

Wei Ming added, "Director Wang, I hope you can deliver the goods on schedule by the end of the year. I will come to see you from time to time during the next six months."

"Don't worry, Teacher Wei, the rest of the script..."

Wei Ming laughed heartily: "I brought it. Besides, it's already June, shouldn't 'The Legend of the Heavenly Book' also be available...?"

“I’m done, I’m done. But it’s already this late. How about we grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria and continue watching this afternoon?” Wang Bairong said.

Wei Ming felt that he should also experience some hardship, so he nodded and didn't eat out for this meal.

In the afternoon, they spent another hour and a half watching the fully completed version of "The Legend of Sealed Book," with both directors present.

The production was completed a year earlier than in the previous life. Of course, this was mainly because the time spent negotiating with the British company in the early stages was shortened, and the main character images of Wei Ming and A Long had already been completed.

The voice acting for the main character, Egg-Born, is also quite good. It's true that a female voice is more fitting for a little boy. Ding Jianhua is such an authoritative voice actor.

Wei Ming had originally intended to recommend Xizi for the job, but thankfully he didn't say it out loud.

The film was almost identical to the version Wei Ming remembered, but it seemed to be even better. Perhaps it was because of foreign investment that it could be more refined. Every frame showcased the Shanghai Animation Film Studio's superb traditional aesthetic skills, and many of the large-scale scenes were breathtaking.

Next, the animation will enter the copy production stage, and it will be released around July. We're also waiting for news from the BBC to see if it can participate in this year's Venice Film Festival.

Because the overseas copyright belongs to the BBC in the UK, they are also responsible for these overseas promotional activities. If they need to invite the Chinese main creators, they will send an invitation letter and reimburse the airfare and accommodation. Wei Ming, Director Wang, and Director Qian do not mind going to Water City.

After watching the movie, Wei Ming still had some time left, so as usual, he wanted to visit the Black Cat Detective crew and chat with director Dai Tielang about the future plot development. Every time he talked to him, Wei Ming would come up with one or two ideas to fill another episode.

Wang Bairong sighed, "Director Dai is probably not in a good mood right now."

"What's wrong? Isn't 'Black Cat Detective' doing very well right now? No matter how many times it's replayed, it keeps kids glued to the TV." Wei Ming thought to himself, "Could it be that some parents have written a complaint letter?"

Wang Bairong said, "It's good, but the factory has decided that this drama can only be filmed up to 10 episodes."

"Huh? Ten episodes?" Wei Ming asked. "Why? Is it to make way for Transformers?"

If that's the case, Wei Ming wouldn't agree. Why should Chinese children have to make way for American children's childhood?

"It's not so much about that. The main problem is that if you keep writing this story, the people in the factory will start to complain. If you keep writing, do you expect them to keep filming it? They can tolerate it for a year or two, but if it goes on for seven or eight years, some people will feel it's unfair and that it's squeezing out the factory's funds and preventing their projects from starting."

Wei Ming sighed, acknowledging the predicament of relying on national funds for sustenance; individuals must submit to the collective. He said, "I'll go talk to Director Dai."

(End of this chapter)