Exciting 1979!

Chapter 444 My Favorite is Vivian Chow
The film was screened at the Shanghai Film Studio the day before its official release.

Wei Ming was invited and was able to openly sit with Gong Xue and watch a movie together.

In Wei Ming's opinion, "Du Shiniang" and "The Love in the Brush" are exemplary period dramas in recent years, and they are both beautifully made.

Although the scenery, characters, and calligraphy in "The Love in the Brush" are all very well filmed, it is estimated that its popularity will not be able to surpass that of the more dramatic "Du Shiniang".

Moreover, Sister Lin also has the highly acclaimed drama "Middle Age," so Sister Xue might be overshadowed by Sister Lin this year.

However, filming period dramas has one advantage for Wei Ming: he can play cosplay with the older women.

Both she and Zhu Lin bought their costumes from the play, claiming it was a keepsake.

At this moment, she was dressed as a talented woman from the Wei and Jin dynasties, and the clothes she had finally managed to put on were taken off one by one by Wei Ming.

After that, she gritted her teeth to keep herself from making too much noise.

There was no other way; Gong Ying, Wei Hong, and Xizi were all in this old house. She had secretly sneaked into Wei Ming's room.

She couldn't bear to waste this long night, after all, they would be parting ways tomorrow.

In the past few days, Gong Ying has completed the task of purchasing an overseas Chinese apartment for her parents. It's a three-bedroom apartment of over 90 square meters, costing just over HK$10, and it's the best second-floor unit.

So tomorrow she plans to go back to Hong Kong to take care of her mother-in-law who is about to give birth.

Wei Ming has completed his communication with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and the primary school students from Gouzitun who are on a study tour have already spent several days here, broadening their horizons, and are about to return home.

With nothing else to do, Wei Ming was also preparing to return to Beijing to prepare for filming.

These past few days, the children visited the Bund, explored the Shanghai World Expo, ate local Shanghai cuisine, and toured the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, where they saw "The Legend of Sealed Book" and "Black Cat Detective".

They had never seen any of these before. New films usually wouldn't appear in rural film screening teams for six months or even a year, and they had never seen TV animations either, because there was no television in the village. They had only read the original novels.

Wei Ming simply bought a television set in Shanghai and had them take it back to the brigade headquarters so that everyone could watch the news and TV series. It's always good to learn more about the outside world.

The next morning, Gong Xue went to the airport to see her sister off, while Wei Ming, Wei Hong, and the students and teachers on the study tour went to the train station. After watching them board the train, Wei Ming and Wei Hong went to the airport to catch their flight.

~
Gong Ying returned to Hong Kong on the same day as the live broadcast of the New Talent Singer Competition finals, so after picking her up, Liu Rulong immediately took her out to eat, watch movies, and go shopping.

This was to prevent her from seeing Ah Min sing on stage. Although Wei Ming wasn't on the judging panel, there was a big-mouthed Huang Zhan. Who knew if he would bring up old matters and expose Ah Ming and Ah Min's affair?

So today, Ah Long decided to leave work early and not touch his paintbrush all night, and he also wouldn't let his wife come home before 10 o'clock.

Ah Ming, I've done my best for you, brother.

After a week, Vivian Chow had mastered the song "My Favorite" to perfection. When Su Xiaoliang and Li Xiaotian of Capital Artists listened to her audition, they were thrilled. It was indeed a masterpiece that was no less than "A Rare Lover" and was very suitable for Vivian Chow.

They have decided that this mini-album of three songs will be named "My Favorite - Vivian Chow".

After so much anticipation, the ratings for the finale were incredibly high, reaching the highest point of the year. Even "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" had to temporarily back down, and ATV next door simply gave up and waited to make a comeback next week.

Many viewers came specifically to see Zhou Huimin win the championship, but Zhou Huimin only slowly appeared on stage after all 15 contestants had finished performing.

Wait, there were only 15 in total, so how come there are 16 now?

First, Zhou Huimin explained to the audience that she would not participate in the competition or scoring, but would only perform a song as a guest performer.

This decision certainly disappointed many of her fans, but they felt it was still acceptable as long as they could hear her sing.

Anita Mui backstage was somewhat unable to accept it. She had just performed very well, and her rendition of "The Season of the Wind" had electrified the entire audience. But even if she had won the competition, she still couldn't beat Amin.

As Zhou Huimin was explaining, a piano appeared in the background.

She originally planned to perform at the beginning of the show to clarify things, but TVB was worried that the ratings would drop after her segment, so they changed it to a performance segment after the competition ended and before the results were announced, which kept the audience waiting for more than an hour.

However, before Zhou Huimin's performance, an advertisement for Holiland fast food restaurant was inserted, and the actor in the advertisement was a young Li Jiaxin.

Li Jiaxin, watching on TV, was seeing this advertisement for the first time and thought to herself, "As expected of Wei Ming, it's really well done!"

After the commercial break, the song "My Favorite" did not disappoint the audience at the venue and in front of their televisions who had been waiting for so long.

Vivian Chow sat down at the piano and began to sing and play, as elegant as a white swan.

Playing the piano is a fascinating skill, and Vivian Chow has captivated audiences.

She was lost in her own world, her heart filled with longing for Amin.

In the audience, Lao Gui, Lin Ni, Lao Wei, Xu Shufen, Zhou Ma, Wei Lingling, and Li Zhi were all present.

Zhou's mother was not only listening to her daughter's singing, but also watching the reactions of other audience members, who seemed to be captivated by her daughter's voice as well.

The atmosphere was great and made her feel proud, but she would be even prouder if her daughter could become a college student.

When the song ended, the applause was even more enthusiastic than when Anita Mui performed "The Season of the Wind." It was clearly a soothing love song, but because of the performer's dedicated performance, the interplay between the singing and the piano made the entire audience excited.

Even Anita Mui had to admit that, from a technical standpoint, even if the judges were to score the song, her chances of winning were slim; the song was simply perfect for Amin.

Given that the audience liked Vivian Chow, the production team simply let her announce the competition results.

When she called out Anita Mui's name, she seemed even happier than the person in question and gave Anita a big hug.

Anita Mui, as the champion gold medalist, automatically received a contract and strong support from Capital Artists. She will also have a new song co-produced for her by James Wong and Joseph Koo.

Wei Qishan, a senior student under Professor Dai Sicong, won the silver award, and Huang Ruling won the bronze award.

As for Deric Wan, he took over the finals after Vivian Chow withdrew from the competition. He only managed to get fifteenth place, but because of his appearance and eloquence, he has been noticed by TVB executives. He has the opportunity to start as a host, which seems like a good option.

To celebrate the successful conclusion of the program, Lao Gui treated everyone to dinner tonight. The two families had dinner together, and I also asked him something.

"Next week, ATV's 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' will be doing auditions. Anyone want to participate?"

"What does 'millionaire' mean?" Wei Jiefang, the son, asked curiously.

"This is an idea your son came up with for ATV: a quiz show where if you can answer 15 questions correctly, you can take away HK$100 million."

"Ah, one million!" Old Wei exclaimed in shock. "I'll participate, I'll participate!"

Old Ghost: "Listen carefully, it's a test shoot, which is a simulated match."

"what?"

~
Back in Yanjing, Wei Ming didn't plan to stay long. He wanted to see Biaozi and Xiaomei, meet the actors again, and then head to Sichuan.

When I met Biaozi, he had just finished filming his scenes in "The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan," which meant he had completely wrapped up filming, and he was still bald.

Wei Ming called Biaozi, Xiaomei, and Brother Feng, and they ate at the Long March Canteen.

"I heard from your uncle about your movie project. You really know how to make things happen." Brother Feng raised his glass, and everyone clinked glasses.

"A person's life is only a few decades long, I want to try everything."

If you say this to someone from Shandong, they won't empathize. Isn't stability the best thing?

“I have a comrade-in-arms, or rather, a fellow soldier from the same unit. He joined the army a few years after me. We had a get-together recently. He’s now in a civilian position and doing quite well, but he wants to get into the film and television industry. He’s thinking about leaving the military right now.” This is something Feng Ge doesn’t understand. If it weren’t for his wife, he wouldn’t have even wanted to come to Peking University.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "Your comrade-in-arms probably prefers a bit of freedom. Nowadays, you can't make a lot of money in the film and television industry, but in a few years, when the economy improves, the film and television industry will make money faster. And even if you can't make money, you can still go on business trips at public expense and travel all over the country."

“Yes,” Biaozi said with regret, “It’s a pity that our crew has been stuck in Yanjing all this time. We’re about to go to Chengde Mountain Villa, but I’m already done filming.”

Xiao Mei smiled and said, "Then you can go to Sichuan with your older brother."

“My wife is still here, I can’t leave. If anyone should go, it should be you. Have you ever taken your wife back to her parents’ home?” Biaozi retorted. Mei Wenhua said, “We’ll go back when my son is a little older.”

Feng Ge stroked his chin: "It seems I was too narrow-minded. I'll talk to that kid later. Teacher Wei Ming said he has potential, so tell him to go for it without worry."

"Oh, don't mention me. When it comes to making films and television, sometimes it's not just about ability, but also about luck and connections. Whether you succeed or not, who can say for sure? Don't mislead people."

Qiao Feng thought about it and agreed. However, that comrade-in-arms was really good at talking, so Brother Feng thought he should remind him of the pros and cons of the film and television industry.

So when he got home, he made a phone call: "Let Feng Xiaogang answer the phone."

~
Wei Ming and Xiao Mei returned to Tuanjiehu together. On the way, Biaozi said to Wei Ming, "Director Li Hanxiang is going to burn down the Old Summer Palace in a couple of days. Do you want to come and see?"

"Wow, this is a rare sight, I have to take a look."

A fire destroyed over 600,000 yuan worth of set design, almost wiping out the entire budget of a mid-budget film, which still caused considerable controversy in mainland China at that time.

Upon arriving at Tuanjiehu, Wei Ming first went upstairs with Mei Wenhua to see his aunt, cousin, and Mei Changsu.

Upon learning that Wei Ming was going to Sichuan, the mother and daughter immediately began preparing to write letters and send things home.

Putting everything else aside, there was a huge bag of secondhand clothes alone. Nobody would complain about them these days; they weren't even torn.

Long Xiaoyang could become the most handsome guy in the whole village if he wore the second-hand clothes that Xiaomei had worn.

“No rush to pack, I’m leaving in a couple of days,” Wei Ming said, standing up. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.”

It's time for our date.

In his final days, Wei Ming planned to die together with Sister Lin, until the very end.

The next day, early in the morning, Wei Ming got up and bought breakfast for Sister Lin. Ah, women.

You were so arrogant last night, but you're still the one who sleeps in the next day.

The two dawdled at home, finally finishing breakfast and lunch together at noon.

In the afternoon, he made a phone call to Biaozi, and the two of them drove to Changping together.

The filming location for the Yuanmingyuan Garden was an open space in Changping, and many of the love scenes between Emperor Xianfeng and Empress Dowager Cixi in the first movie took place here.

Dozens of craftsmen, including Master Lei, have devoted a great deal of effort to restoring part of the former splendor of the Yuanmingyuan, which is now about to be reduced to ashes.

This scene was filmed at night, and it probably couldn't be finished in one day; it would take two days to film.

The first day was used to film localized looting and vandalism, and the second day was used to film the overall burning.

Wei Ming said regretfully, "If I had known it would be tomorrow, I would have come specifically for that fire."

Liang Jiahui, who has no scenes to film today, also came. He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with melancholy: "I just want to take one last look at the Yuanmingyuan."

Wei Mingbiao and his friends all looked over, and wow, they were really into it!

We definitely couldn't smash or burn them all. There were still many real treasures among them, some of which were borrowed from museums in Beijing. So we had to double-check the props before filming each scene.

While Wei Ming and his crew were watching the looting and vandalism on set, most of the villagers in Gouzi Village were seeing television for the first time.

Wei Ming had tried his best to buy a larger TV, but it still looked too small when surrounded by the whole village.

Qi Kexiu, having read the television's instruction manual but accidentally lost it, became the only person in the village skilled in adjusting the antenna. Therefore, he proudly sat in the front row, center position, with his wife and children, while the village secretary and brigade leader had to step aside.

Even though the TV screen was so small, the villagers were still very enthusiastic. The news broadcast kept them informed about major domestic and international events, and the weather forecast helped them better plan their travel and farm work for the next day.

However, the best thing to watch is still the TV series, and coincidentally, today is the first day that CCTV is broadcasting "Wasted Years," adapted from Ye Xin's novel.

This TV series, which only had four episodes, immediately captivated the villagers. Unfortunately, there were too few episodes; only one episode was shown each day.

After the first episode ended, they waited a long time but never got the second episode, so they had to part ways with regret and promise to continue the next day.

Some farming families are already considering whether to buy one for themselves. Even if they're not allowed to have children, they still need to find some entertainment at night.

Although the village is still poor overall, some families have some wealth, either because they have rich relatives outside the village or because they can find work in the city.

While the villagers of Gouzitun were captivated by "Wasted Years," Hong Kong audiences were astonished by a variety show called "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

The game's rules are simple, direct, and highly impactful: answer 15 multiple-choice questions correctly to win a million dollars!
However, this episode was just a pilot episode. To put it bluntly, it was just a demonstration of the game rules to the audience. Except for not actually giving out money, everything else was done as if it were real. It was also to attract sponsors and contestants to sign up.

"Moreover, because the official rules require that ATV employees and family members of sponsors are not allowed to participate, the contestants this time were basically selected from these people," host Cai Lan introduced. "Of course, I have never encountered these questions before, so everyone can rest assured about that."

Chiu Te-ken invited Chua Lam to be the host. Chua Lam used to work at Shaw Brothers Studio before joining Golden Harvest. This hosting job was a part-time job, mainly because the show was really interesting to listen to.

The first contestant to take the stage immediately caught the eye of the television audience; she was a beautiful and lovely auntie.

At Lao Gui's house, Zhou Huimin cheered as soon as she saw Sister Ni appear. Zhou's mother asked her, "How many questions did you answer correctly?"

Wei Lingling said, "At least one question was answered correctly because they called me for help. I don't know why they would call me for a question like 1+1 equals what."

"One plus one?" The Zhou mother and daughter were both shocked. They actually needed to make a phone call for such a question?

To Wei Lingling's surprise, this was actually the first question, and her mother had already used her secret weapon for the very first question.

However, they later understood a little better. Cai Lan was too wicked. It felt like he was deliberately implying that there was a conspiracy behind the question. So Lin Ni made the call, and in the end, she chose option 2, which was the correct answer!
Wei Lingling said, "These questions are arranged from easy to difficult. The first few are basically free points. After all, they are only worth one or two thousand yuan, so they won't be too difficult for people."

Zhou Ma said, "However, this question is somewhat insulting."

To their even greater surprise, Lin Ni failed the second question.

It was also an easy question, asking who the current Governor of Hong Kong is.

Lin Ni didn't ask for help this time. She spoke with certainty about MacLehose. She had even taken a walk with Old Ghost on MacLehose Road. This knowledge point was no challenge for her.

In the end, she still didn't pay enough attention to Hong Kong politics. The Governor of Hong Kong had already changed to Edward Youde at the beginning of the year, and Lin Ni was directly eliminated, receiving nothing.

This result made viewers in front of the TV think: Even if I'm stupid, I'm not worse than her!

So people picked up the phone and called ATV to register, but the lines were all busy!

Within just ten minutes of the broadcast starting, the phone lines were flooded with calls to register.

As Lin Ni left the stage, Wu Weiguo, the second contestant, took the stage, and the show's ratings began to climb steadily. Even the television set in Run Run Shaw's house was tuned to the show.

Wu Weiguo was a leading man at ATV and later had a relationship with Liu Xiaoqing. After he reached the fifth level, Cai Lan took the opportunity to explain the concept of "insurance line," which meant that no matter whether Wu Weiguo answered correctly or not, he was guaranteed to get the 8000 yuan.

There are only 5 questions. Although the fourth and fifth questions are a bit difficult, many people believe that they could answer them correctly. Even if they are not confident, they still have three tips.

As a result, even more people signed up. Some people didn't even call; instead, they planned to go directly to ATV to sign up the next day. Wouldn't it be like getting the 8000 yuan for free?

Wu Weiguo finally failed at the tenth level, which was already quite difficult. Even after asking the audience for help and having them vote before making a choice, he still got it wrong.

Next, the third contestant took the stage. He was Ma Wing-shing, a popular cartoonist and the lead artist of the TV series "Storm Riders".

Later, Gong Ying, Liu Bin, Li Zhi, and Leung Siu-lung from ATV also made their appearances, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

After watching the entire program, Run Run Shaw's expression became extremely serious.

Chiu Te-ken and those guys at ATV definitely couldn't have come up with such a brilliant idea. Who was it?
Is it him?!

……

(Today's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)