Exciting 1979!

Chapter 469 Wei Ming and Bai Baoshan's Ten-Year Agreement

Siqin Gaowa, as expected of a soldier's daughter raised on the grasslands, was a formidable opponent to Wei Ming and Tang Guoqiang when it came to drinking; she had a bit of a fierce, tiger-like demeanor.

She was born in 50, and even Tang Guoqiang had to call her "sister." This "sister" was in a great mood looking at her two fair-skinned younger brothers, but she started to frown as soon as she took the script.

"I don't understand."

"It's okay if you don't understand, I can explain it to you."

Siqin Gaowa waved her hand: "Let's forget it. The director and crew are all from Hong Kong, right? And the other actors also speak Cantonese. I can't even communicate with them. How can I feel anything when filming?"

Unexpectedly, she refused, saying she thought it would be too much trouble.

Tang Guoqiang took a sip of Maotai and laughed, "You're worried that if you go to Guangdong to film for too long, Lao Ao will be unhappy, right?"

“I’m afraid he’ll be unhappy?” Siqin Gaowa suddenly raised her voice, then lowered it again. “I’m afraid my daughter misses me too much.”

Wei Ming felt that this was just an excuse. She used to have to be away from home for several months when filming, which was determined by the nature of her work.

"Sister Siqin, do you know about the last film produced by Ms. Xia Meng's company, 'Boat People'?"

Siqin Gaowa shook her head while cracking open a bean.

Wei Ming: "I went to Hong Kong a few days ago to present the Hong Kong Film Awards. That film won multiple awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It was undoubtedly the biggest winner. This is the characteristic of Bluebird Company's works: they have a deep humanistic concern. In Hong Kong, where commercial films are rampant, it is easy to win awards. The Hong Kong Film Awards are currently the most prestigious awards in Hong Kong. If you can win Best Actress..."

As soon as Wei Ming paused, Tang Guoqiang immediately slapped his thigh and chimed in, "That's really impressive! There's Gong Xue of the South, Zhu Lin of the North, and also Liu Xiaoqing and Li Xiuming..."

Wei Ming and Siqin Gaowa looked at Tang Guoqiang at the same time and said, "Go on, continue."

Tang Guoqiang realized he had misspoke. He could forgive himself for making up stories about Liu Xiaoqing and Li Xiuming, since they were all good friends. But he wasn't very familiar with Gong Xue and Zhu Lin. Moreover, there was a rumor that Wei Ming and Gong Xue were lovers, while another rumor said that he and Zhu Lin were.

Tang Guoqiang immediately downed his glass in one gulp, pretending he hadn't said anything.

After finishing his drink, he went to get the bottle, only to find it empty. Unexpectedly, Wei Ming pulled out another bottle of Remy Martin from his bag.

"Try this imported liquor. I brought it back from Hong Kong. There's an advertising slogan that says, 'When you open Rémy Martin, good things will naturally follow.'"

Tang Guoqiang added, "Hong Kong is a great place, Sister Siqin. If you film this movie, going to Hong Kong won't be difficult at all."

After drinking and chatting for an hour, Wei Ming helped Tang Guoqiang leave Siqin Gaowa's house, while her daughter returned from school.

I heard that the guest was Teacher Wei Ming, and I even got him to sign two autographs, one for Wei something from "The Lion King" and the other for Wei Ming from "Ferocious Animals".

After leaving the August First Film Studio's residential compound, Wei Ming immediately sent a telegram to Xia Meng in Hong Kong: "She is interested, but please send the Mandarin script as soon as possible."

Siqin Gaowa relented. She thought Wei Ming's story was good, but everyone knew that the great writer Wei had first-rate writing skills and his storytelling ability was better than many directors. Who knew what the actual script was like? So she needed to understand the script herself before making a decision.

Afterwards, Wei Ming rode his motorcycle to a courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang. He looked at the courtyard wall and found that most of the walls were actually just one side of a pointed-roof house. They were very high and not very stable. Unless you were a thief with superhuman agility, it would be difficult to enter the courtyard.

Only a small section is pure wall, but it is still four meters high, which Wei Ming had previously increased.

Therefore, it is very difficult to get in through the courtyard wall; it is more realistic to sneak in by picking the lock.

Wei Ming then went to the main gate.

Although the door is a wooden door, it is quite sturdy and was replaced during the renovation, so the only solution is to check the lock.

The lock on this door was a German brand lock made entirely of steel, which Wei Ming bought from the Friendship Store. He bought it himself and didn't ask anyone else to do it for him.

Wei Ming had Feng Ge test it out. He could easily open the locks normally, supposedly because he learned it from a senior soldier in the army who had a special skill. But he couldn't open this lock no matter how hard he tried.

Unfortunately, Wei Ming only replaced the locks on the Beichizi and this courtyard with this type of lock. He didn't replace the locks on the Houhai courtyard after buying it, thinking he would replace them when he renovated, and that there would definitely be more advanced new locks by then.

Of course, even the most secure lock can probably be opened by force.

However, if someone is home, locking the door from the inside can increase the level of security.

Wei Ming opened the door and went in. There was also a design behind the door, so as long as he locked the door after returning home, it would be almost impossible to get in unless he forced the door open.

Even so, Wei Ming was still uneasy. He looked around the outer courtyard and wished there was a female nurse. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case now. It wasn't something you could just get by having money; there were many things to consider.

When Wei Ming left Nanluoguxiang, the sun was directly overhead, and he only saw the lampposts when he reached the main street.

Looking at the sun and the streetlights, Wei Ming suddenly had an idea. He knew how to reduce the chances of this courtyard being targeted by burglars!
These kinds of burglaries usually happen at night, especially in the middle of the night, because thieves can't be seen in the light. During the day, there's a lot of population movement and people everywhere, making it inconvenient to commit a crime, and even if they do, it's hard to escape.

Since they can't be exposed to the light, what if the entrance were brightly lit, even at night? When they try to break in, seeing so many lights would probably make them feel guilty and unable to concentrate on breaking in.

With this in mind, Wei Ming had an idea and prepared to discuss it with Lao Wei. This matter required contacting the neighborhood committee, and Lao Wei would have to take the lead.

When he got home, his parents weren't home, so Wei Ming first took out his notebook and wrote the Hong Kong movie script for a while.

Around 5 p.m., my mother came back with a vegetable basket. She was cooking when, unexpectedly, Lao Wei also came back with a vegetable basket.

Xu Shufen was puzzled: "Why did you go grocery shopping too?"

“I didn’t buy it, someone gave it to me,” Old Wei said proudly. Wei Ming also came out and heard him say, “I ran into Brother Bu. He bought a courtyard house in Dashilan and comes to stay occasionally. He also sells greenhouse vegetables in the city. I told him about the theft of the courtyard house and reminded him to change to a better lock. He insisted on giving it to me as a thank you.”

In the past two winters, their family's vegetables have been either delivered from their hometown or purchased from the Sijiqing Commune, mainly from Bu Dachun; they are very familiar with each other.

“Uncle Bu finally listened to his son and bought a courtyard house in the city,” Wei Ming laughed, then asked, “Did he tell you to sell him the motorcycle?”

Old Wei is currently riding the same motorcycle that Wei Ming used to own, which he bought from Bu Dachun.

"He didn't say that, but he did say he plans to buy a car in the future, and that his son has made a lot of money in America. Pshaw, what are you talking about? His son is no match for mine." Old Wei's expression was beaming. He had never lost to his son.

Xu Shufen smiled and reminded him, "Don't be so smug. Have you forgotten what you wanted to say to your son?"

"Oh, right, right," Old Wei said, "I almost forgot the important thing. The bicycle has been found, I put it in Beichizi, and the thief has been caught."

"So fast?!" Wei Ming exclaimed in surprise. These days, without the Sky Eye system and identity verification network, the case-solving rate is far lower.

Old Wei laughed and said, "It was quite a coincidence. The person had actually been arrested a long time ago, but the owner of the car couldn't be found. As soon as I called the police, I got the car back."

It turned out to be the case.

Old Wei added, "I need to reinforce that courtyard in Beichizi again, and have Ginkgo go out and find a dog, bring back two puppies. There are too many valuable things there, so the security level needs to be upgraded. Not to mention my old things, there's also a big color TV in the house."

"These thieves even steal TVs?"

"Hey, why wouldn't he steal? He stole your bicycle, that bastard! He stole bicycles, TVs, tires, wheels, and even the factory warehouse. He stole several thousand yuan worth of goods. That policeman, Xiao Yang, said he'll get at least a few years in prison."

Wei Ming felt that it might be more than a few years. The crackdown was coming soon, and he had just been caught. He would have been sentenced in a while, and it might just happen to be a case of making an example of someone. Maybe he would be sentenced to more than ten years and then exiled to Shihezi.

“Xiao Yang also said that there’s a high probability he’ll be sent to Shihezi Prison,” Old Wei shook his head. “It’s just a pity about his mother, wife, and children at home. I heard they had twins, a boy and a girl. Twins, how wonderful! It’s a pity they had such a father.”

Twins?
Wei Ming's heart suddenly skipped a beat, thinking that it couldn't be such a coincidence.

"Dad, how old is this thief?"

"He's only in his early twenties. He got married the year before last and had a child last year. By the time he comes out again, the child probably won't recognize him." Old Wei had really found out the details.

Wei Ming: Holy crap, the age matches up too!

"Where is he from? Is he a native of Yanjing?"

"Yes, he's from the Shijingshan area. He and his wife were both employees of the Shijingshan No. 1 Electric Carbon Plant."

Wei Ming's mouth opened slightly; the workplace had finally matched!
Since Lao Wei had found out so much, even knowing the person's workplace, Wei Ming couldn't help but ask, "Do you also know that person's name?"

"Oh dear, I can't say that. Xiao Yang already made a mistake by saying so much, and he told me not to blurt it out."

“You’ve already covered so much, what’s a little more?” Wei Ming said again. “I know a reader from the carbon plant who is in a similar situation. Let me see if it’s him.”

"Oh no, that person's name is Bai Baoshan, is he really one of your readers?"

"Oh, Bai Baoshan? No, that's not him. My reader's name is Zhang Wei. You scared me!" Wei Ming patted his chest; he really was startled.

Bai Baoshan never expected that the super-ruthless killer who would later be listed as "China's No. 1 Criminal Investigation Case in 1997" and "World's No. 3 Criminal Investigation Case," and who was apprehended by the Chinese Public Security Bureau with tens of thousands of police officers on duty, who robbed millions of yuan in cash and murdered 15 police officers and civilians, would turn out to be the thief who stole his bicycle!

He made the right judgment and was eventually sentenced to 14 years in prison, sent to Shihezi Prison, and later released after a one-year reduction in his sentence.

Wei Ming was very familiar with this person, so when the topic of twins came up, he realized something was wrong.

This was not only because he had read "China's No. 1 Criminal Investigation Case," but also because he later wanted to make a film about the Bai Baoshan case from the perspective of the police. He consulted a lot of materials and interviewed many people involved, but then new regulations for TV dramas were introduced, and this type of film was not allowed to be shown during prime time.

Therefore, Wei Ming knew that Bai Baoshan had antisocial thoughts when he was first sentenced.

Although he did not immediately turn to the dark side after his release, he said, "If I can live a normal life, I will stop committing crimes; if I can't, I will rob."

Later, he faced difficulties in registering his household registration, making it hard to reintegrate into society. His wife divorced him, and his children disowned him. As a result, he returned to a path of no return: murder, robbery, and murder.

But Wei Ming felt that even if he wasn't harassed, even if he was accepted by society, as long as he didn't earn enough money to live a life of great wealth, he would still go down that path.

After all, he had already cunningly killed and buried two fellow inmates while incarcerated, and not only did he not get caught, but he also got his sentence reduced by a year.

How could someone like that possibly live a normal life in Anshun after being released from prison?

"Dad, did that person not know that he stole Zhu Lin's bicycle?" Wei Ming suddenly asked.

"Of course they didn't know, but most of the police officers did. Many of them are her fans, so they were very proactive. They let me push the car back today, otherwise we would have had to wait."

Wei Ming frowned slightly, thinking about how the police officer had told his father everything, and there was no guarantee that Bai Baoshan wouldn't find out about their relationship. Although Bai Baoshan had no precedent for revenge killings, and there was no real grudge involved, Wei Ming didn't dare put Sister Lin in any danger.

Maybe they'll show "Journey to the West" in their prison, and he'll see the beautiful Queen of the Women's Kingdom. Will he remember that night when he stole the Queen's bicycle, and wonder if he would have been bolder that night?

And think about those dozen or so innocent police officers and civilians who died tragically, and the dozen or so families behind them.

No, Bai Baoshan must die!

However, his current theft is probably not enough. Although theft can be punished with death, the amount Bai Baoshan has stolen is far from sufficient.

There was a movie called "Dialysis" in later generations, starring Ni Dahong. In it, a prisoner was sentenced to death for stealing two cars.

Two cars, worth tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars—that's what's considered a serious theft.

Even in times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary, but it's impossible to apply them to the people of the capital from the very beginning of a crackdown.

Therefore, even if Wei Ming wanted to frame Bai Baoshan for not only stealing the bicycle but also a top-grade gemstone in the courtyard, it would probably be unrealistic.

So all we could do was wait. Wei Ming returned to his bedroom and jotted down several important milestones in his notebook.

After Bai Baoshan kills his fellow inmate in Shihezi, Wei Ming will find a reason to go there and help the prison guards expose him, making it impossible for him to leave Xijiang!

See you in ten years, Lao Bai!
During dinner that evening, Wei Ming talked to Lao Wei about the streetlights.

What streetlights?

"Oh, it means installing streetlights outside Gong Xue's courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang. They'll be on at night and off during the day, and the government won't have to pay for it. The electricity can be directly connected from the courtyard house. You'll need to negotiate this with the local street office."

Xu Shufen's first reaction was: "How much electricity would that use?"

Wei Ming said seriously, "That little bit of money is nothing to me. Safety is the most important thing. The place will be well-lit at night, so what thief would want to steal from there?"

Old Wei nodded: "That makes sense. Okay, I'll ask Xiao Gong to handle this together later, after all, it's her house."

Wei Ming: "We need to hurry, she's going to Hong Kong."

"What are you going to Hong Kong for?" Xu Shufen asked.

“Aying is Xuejie’s younger sister. Along’s wife is pregnant, and Xuejie and her mother want to visit her,” Wei Ming said.

"Hey, Ah Long is going to be a dad!" Old Wei remarked sarcastically.

Xu Shufen also felt uneasy: "Biaozi became a father, Xiaomei became a father, and now Along has become a father too."

Old Wei: "Even a thief has become a father, and it's twins, a boy and a girl."

Wei Ming put down his chopsticks. Oh, so they're after me!
But it's no use. I have the protection of marriage law. Having a child without marriage would be a problem. I'll just wait and see.

“I’ve finished eating. I’m going to Uncle Ping’an’s house,” Wei Ming said. “I’ll take those toys to Xizi and Lele.”

"Wait for me," Old Wei said. "I'll go with you. Your uncle said he needs something from me."

"Oh?"

~
“Here’s the thing,” Wei Ping’an said, “It’s probably around May. The ‘Journey to the West’ crew is going to film Red Boy. School hasn’t been out for break yet, and Xiao Yan is busy, so someone needs to accompany him to the set. That’s why I can only ask you for help, brother.”

As for Wei Ming, he will probably be in Cannes in May, and then attend the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

Wei Jiefang enjoys this job, he enjoys the publicly funded trips, and he enjoys playing with children.

"Where are they all going?" Old Wei asked excitedly.

Wei Mingdao: "I know that. Part of the filming will take place in Beijing, but the main focus will be on the Northeast, including Changchun and Changbai Mountain."

"Oh my, I heard that orchids in Changchun are quite valuable now," Old Wei said, his thoughts wandering. "I'll have to buy one and see why it's so valuable."

Wei Ping'an scratched his head. Is this person reliable? What if he abandons the child?

Right now, Xizi and Lele are dividing up the toys, one for you and one for me.

Looking at the brother and sister, Wei Ming said, "Filming for Red Boy will start in May, and the scenes are relatively concentrated. It should be finished by June. Uncle, Aunt, I have something I want to discuss with you."

"What's the matter?"

Wei Ming: "I'm currently writing a script, which is a story in collaboration with my aunt's toy company. It will be filmed in Hong Kong, and the male lead is a handsome little boy of seven or eight years old. Filming will start in July."

All three adults in the room turned to look at Xizi; she was perfectly tailor-made for them.

Wei Ping'an agreed first: "Of course, no problem. When school is on holiday, I can apply to go and keep him company."

Lü Xiaoyan said, "Xiaoming will definitely go with him, so there's no need for you."

"Then I can find an excuse to go and see him. Can't I just say I miss my uncle a little?" Wei Ping'an argued.

Seeing that they had no objections, Wei Ming said, "Then that's settled. This time we'll follow Hong Kong's rules, and Xizi will be paid a fee, probably tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars."

Wei Ming gave Teacher Xi a newcomer's price in order to cut costs.

"What? The paycheck?"

"Tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars!"

Currently in China, there is no concept of "film remuneration." Regardless of their employer, actors receive their regular salary, with an additional one yuan per day as a subsidy during filming.

With Xi Zi's film salary of tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars, Li Lianjie would be green with envy.

He's now filming "Shaolin Kids" directed by Zhang Xinyan again. Although it costs the Central Plains Film Company a lot of foreign exchange to hire him, this money has nothing to do with him; it all goes directly into the accounts of the Beijing Martial Arts Team and its superiors.

Xi Ziqiang's advantage lies in the fact that he is a free man and has no employer.

That evening, Lü Xiaoyan and Wei Pingan did some calculations and found that their son's earnings from one film were equivalent to several years of their hard-earned money!

Lü Xiaoyan exclaimed, "No wonder everyone wants to go to Hong Kong; Hong Kong is truly tempting!"

It's true that many mainlanders want to go to Hong Kong. Although they may not earn as much as in the US, it's still part of China, and it should be easier to integrate.

However, it is becoming more difficult to go to Hong Kong now because the influx of too many foreigners in recent years has exacerbated the chaos in Hong Kong's public security.

Therefore, Gong Xue and Aunt Zhuang's application to visit relatives in Hong Kong was not without its challenges.

After Wei Ming returned, he continued working on the film's post-production. It was already April, and the film had to be finished this month. Gong Xue knew he was busy, either in the editing room or writing, so she didn't mention it.

She didn't want Wei Ming to go through all that trouble, not even having time for sex.

She usually lives with Zhu Lin in Tuanjiehu, and Wei Ming has also replaced the locks there with robust imported ones.

Gong Xue made a brief appearance on the matter of installing streetlights on the two streets outside the courtyard houses in Nanluoguxiang, and then entrusted the entire task to her Uncle Jiefang.

Half a month later, all ten streetlights were installed, all paid for by Wei Ming. The switch to control the lights was actually located in the outer courtyard of the courtyard house.

Although the lamppost is outside, it is actually considered a private lamp.

Gong Xue and Zhu Lin went home during the day, and Wei Ming came here in the dark after finishing his work.

After knocking and giving the password, they let Wei Ming in.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "I'll install a peephole on the door later."

Zhu Lin: "Huh? A cat's eye? Does installing one ward off evil spirits?"

Gong Xue laughed and said, "He must be talking about a kind of mirror on the door, where you can see out from inside but not in from outside. I've heard Aying mention it."

"Yes, that's the thing. You'll know who's outside the door as soon as you see it. Don't open the door to strangers."

They then entered a small hut with a gate inside. If they closed the gate, the streetlights outside would turn on.

Wei Ming was inside closing the gate, while Gong Xue and Zhu Lin had already gone out to check the lights.

After closing the switch, Wei Ming immediately noticed that the lights in the room dimmed slightly, but there was no tripping of the circuit breaker, which was as expected of the modified system.

A short while later, Gong Xue and Zhu Lin jogged into the courtyard and locked the door from the inside.

Gong Xue: "They're all lit up!"

Zhu Lin: "I'm not afraid at all when I walk on the street."

Their faces showed excitement, but also frustration.

"Why aren't you happy yet? Are you worried about wasting electricity?" Wei Ming asked with a smile.

Gong Xue said, "The streetlights are on, and the neighbors are all coming out. I'm afraid we'll be sitting in the alleys chatting and sewing shoe soles from now on."

Zhu Lin teased, "With so many people watching, let's see how you sneak in to steal a kiss."

Wei Ming: "Damn, I forgot about that!"

……

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