1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 549 Deng Leling, a Scholarly Family

After Tatiana and her group left Hong Kong, Zhai Yuan learned about the Soviet Union again only by calling the Far Eastern Bank every few days. This was done through news in the Sing Tao Daily on the 20th of the same month.

The news from the 20th can hardly be called new.

On October 13, Moscow time, just one day after the Vilnius incident, which resulted in the military sanctions against Lithuania, another member state, Latvia, declared independence, leading to the Riga incident.

First, the Latvian people protested against Soviet imperialism through various strikes, demonstrating against Gorbachev's armed sanctions against Lithuania.

Then, while the situation in Lithuania remained unresolved, Moscow once again dispatched special forces to Riga, the capital of Latvia, to launch another special operation against local protesters.

This time, however, the people of Riga did not tolerate the imperial envoy from Moscow.

On the 15th, the Central Committee established the National Salvation Committee, disbanded the local armed police in Latvia, and dispatched special forces from Moscow to Riga.

On the 16th, residents of Riga set up roadblocks in various parts of the city center to block the envoy and engaged in a firefight. A stray bullet killed the Minister of Transport's driver on the spot.

On the 17th, the Latvian Interior Minister issued an order in Moscow authorizing the imperial envoy to use firearms against his own citizens, escalating the conflict once again.
On the 19th, five Riga citizens kidnapped and raped the wife of an imperial envoy. As the perpetrators were arrested and being transported to the Ombudsman's office, more local citizens emerged from the buildings along the route and fired sniper shots at the transport vehicle...

"If morale is low, the team will be difficult to lead."

Zhai Yuan shook the newspaper in his hand and sighed.

Without considering the Lithuanian or Latvian influence, the Soviet Union, in its decline, saw any decree as akin to adding nails to rotten wood, only hastening its collapse.

If you insist on saying that Gorbachev made a series of blunders, then there's nothing you can do. One after another, they wanted to secede, and you can't just do nothing. Besides, more than 90% of the people in Moscow do not support the independence of Lithuania and Latvia. You have to preserve this core group no matter what.

"Two examples have already emerged from the Baltic states, and we're still missing an eager Estonia. Tsk, I'm worried for Gorbachev."

Zhai Yuan looked at the photos of bloodshed taken by frontline reporters on the newspaper in his hand, and waved to Li Zhi beside him.

“Take these newspapers to Baijiadao for me, and show Natasha what’s happening in her country.” Zhai Yuan smiled and said, “Personally, I think that if the Russian Federation doesn’t fight for autonomy under this high-pressure situation, it might escalate into a bigger civil war. In that case, the number of people who die will not be limited to just a few dozen from Lithuania and Latvia. Ask Natasha what she thinks.”

“Why don’t you just ask him in person?” Rie put down the documents in her hand, looked up and said with a smile.

"I wouldn't dare!" Zhai Yuan said helplessly, taking Li Zhi's small hand and letting her touch the red marks on his neck: "Look at the scratches she gave me!"

A week has passed since Natasha was placed under house arrest. Zhai Yuan visited her once, but was met with inhumane treatment.

"Poor thing~" Secretary Li chuckled like she was coaxing a child, leaned down and kissed the spot on Zhai Yuan's neck where he had been scratched, and muttered, "Miss Natasha is really something, hitting so hard. Not letting her go back to Moscow is clearly for her own good."

"Am I very kind?" Zhai Yuan pinched Li Zhi's cheek.

“Yes~” Lizhi smiled and pulled up his shirt collar for him.

It's just house arrest; otherwise, given what Tatiana and the others did, Natasha would most likely have disappeared by now.

"It's a pity that good people are always misunderstood." Zhai Yuan sighed with feigned profundity, patting Secretary Li's shapely buttocks: "Go, show her these bloody photos. Hopefully, after seeing them, she'll understand a principle: these days, working for the KGB is like taking the blame for them. Even if the Ye Group is brought down, there will be Zhang, Wang, Li, and Zhao next. The Soviet Union can't change anything. Her best fate is to be pushed out as a pawn in the future."

“Natasha has told me many times that she is not a KGB agent.” Lizhi glanced at Zhai Yuan’s face and said in a low voice, “She doesn’t seem to be lying to me.”

"It doesn't matter anymore~" Zhai Yuan yawned lazily and said, "If she insists on proving her innocence, then she should come up with a convincing reason for why she insisted on returning to Moscow at this time?"

Natasha felt that whether she had a KGB background or not was not directly related to her intention to hand over the Ye Group's dirty laundry to the KGB.

Zhai Yuan was also quite curious. At this point, wouldn't it be better to just admit one's identity directly? Why bother with all the secrecy?

But Natasha insisted that she was not a KGB agent.

Boss Zhai was too lazy to argue anymore. In short, her being such a small variable had no impact on the course of history.

Then nothing more needs to be done; just wait for the successive ministerial conferences and rounds of electoral elections within the Soviet Union to conclude, followed by the end of this year, when the empire will collapse under the world's watchful eyes...

The timeline is clear, and Zhai Yuan has temporarily extricated himself from the situation in the Soviet Union, waiting for an opportunity to act.

…………

The end of April.

Chunqiu Performing Arts Academy.

The school started its holiday before Christmas, and these two days are the start of the new semester.

Hong Kong's winters lack the snow of the North, but they bring a sticky, damp chill.

Students entered and exited the school gate in twos and threes, amidst enthusiastic discussions.

"Hurry up! There's a performance at the school theater today, or you won't get a seat!"

"Tch~ It's not like Girls' Generation is performing on stage, it's just a Cantonese opera performance, how old-fashioned!"

"But this time we have Miss Tang as our mentor!"

"That Sister Deng Leling from the drama elective course?"

"Yes! Her classes are always packed, and she has countless fans at school..."

In the distance, a banner has already been hung at the entrance of the school theater:
'Opening Ceremony and Lunar New Year Performance of Cantonese Opera "The Purple Hairpin"'

The theaters outside are showing Lunar New Year films, and the academy itself is also hosting Lunar New Year performances. Chunqiu Academy has no shortage of teachers with star power. The opening ceremony and Lunar New Year performances last for three days, making it a star-studded event. As an art school, it fully demonstrates the school's extensive network of connections.

Even today's Cantonese opera performances feature veteran actors and renowned female performers like Luo Jiaying and Shen Zhihua.

However, for the students of Chunqiu, neither the big shot Luo Jiaying nor Shen Zhihua, who claimed to have returned to the entertainment industry after a 20-year hiatus, could compare to the leading lady on stage today, Sister Deng Lelingling.

Chunqiu Academy has never lacked celebrity lecturers. Leaving aside the men, the female stars range from Brigitte Lin to Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, and Joey Wong. As long as a movie or TV series generates buzz, the school can invite the actor to give a public lecture the next day. Even Li Jiaxin, who started out acting in short dramas for UFO, often shares her experience and acting skills with her peers. Although most of the time she talks about nothing of substance, it is more than enough to impress a group of freshmen who have never even been on a film set.

A group of beautiful female celebrities came and went, and the students ranked them as the so-called "Top Beauties of Spring and Autumn".

But there is always one position reserved for a guest professor of the school's drama elective course, Professor Deng, also known as Sister Deng Leling.

She is also the only woman who, without the halo of a celebrity, has consistently been on the list of most popular teachers.

Today's performance of "The Purple Hairpin" was so popular that the school theater was packed even before the show started, thanks to the addition of Professor Deng. The group of young people in their early twenties were not suddenly interested in Cantonese opera; most of them came for Sister Ling.

“I haven’t seen so many young people come to watch a traditional play in at least twenty years.” In the dressing room backstage of the theater, Luo Jiaying walked in from outside, exclaiming repeatedly: “Last month when we went to perform in Malaysia, the tickets sold well, but the audience was mostly people my age. I just passed by the front of the stage, and even the aisles were full of students. It’s really rare.”

Even through the heavy curtain, the noise from the audience outside could still be heard backstage.

The makeup artist handed a yellow shirt to Luo Jiaying, smiling and reminding him, "Whether the audience outside is supporting Ling Jie or Cantonese opera, Jiaying, you know perfectly well~"

“…That’s true.” Luo Jiaying shook her head helplessly, put on the yellow shirt and asked the other person to help her with her makeup. Sitting in front of the makeup mirror, she muttered, “Nowadays, all the movies outside are doing big-scale technological scenes, like Superman, Batman, Iron Man, ugh! When we have time, we should let the theater troupe do something innovative and put on a play called ‘Heroes Fight for Command’.”

"Then remember to pay Mr. Zhai the copyright fee!"

The door to the dressing room on one side opened, and 42-year-old Shen Zhihua came out, already dressed as a young man, and teased in a clear voice.

Shen Zhihua, a former child star, was once sworn sisters with Xue Jiayan, Xiao Fangfang, and others as the Seven Princesses of the Film Industry. She was also the first to retire from the entertainment industry. It wasn't until last year, when Ren Jianhui passed away, that Zhai Yuan and Bai Xuexian staged a major event to commemorate Sister Ren and speak out for women, and she reappeared in the public eye as one of the famous divas attending the event.

This time, Chunqiu Academy is staging "The Purple Hairpin" and has specially invited Shen Zhihua to return to the Cantonese opera stage after nearly 20 years away.

"Sister Hua is as charming as ever!"

Luo Jiaying glanced back at Shen Zhihua, who was dressed as a scholar in ancient costume and playing the male lead Li Yi in the play, and her eyes lit up: "I said long ago that the young actors in the troupe were not up to standard. Only your portrayal of Li Yi has some flavor in every gesture."

"The most important thing is to be worthy of Huo Xiaoyu~"

Shen Zhihua smiled and said, her heroic eyebrows curving upwards, as she reached out and took the hand of the female lead beside her.

A dark blue ancient costume was draped over her shoulders. It was not made of shiny silk, but of old-fashioned Suzhou embroidery soft satin. The hem hung low, and a light pink ribbon was tied around her waist.

At first glance, Huo Xiaoyu, played by Deng Leling, is not dazzling but rather appears ordinary.

A few stray hairs fell down her temples and were gently held down with a gilded phoenix hairpin. Her makeup consisted of only lightly drawn eyebrows.

As Shen Zhihua led her out, Deng Leling lowered her eyes, feigning a restrained and gentle demeanor, like a talented woman who dared not utter a word, showing no trace of her usual bright and charming nature.

"Hey!" Shen Zhihua grabbed Deng Leling's waist and said in a deliberately flirtatious tone, "Even I, Li Yi, can't help but be genuinely moved by Huo Xiaoyu's appearance like this~"

Deng Leling chuckled and reached back to scratch Shen Zhihua's waist, instantly shattering her carefully constructed image of a refined and cultured woman.

"Sister Hua, should we add more pearl luster to the hairpin's tail?"

"No need. 'The Purple Hairpin' is not a palace drama. Huo Xiaoyu comes from a scholarly family. If her makeup is too flamboyant, it will only steal the show."

"It feels weird for someone my age to dress up as a little girl."

"I'm over forty and I'm still being dragged into playing a male role in drag. What's the big deal? It's not like we're selling tickets. It's a pity nobody watches plays these days, otherwise, with your talent, you would definitely be a leading female role..."

Deng Leling and Shen Zhihua exchanged a few words.

Luo Jiaying, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "That's right, I'm also going to dress up as the Yellow-Clad Swordsman. When have you ever seen a swordsman who looks so ugly?"

A murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd.

Deng Leling then asked casually, "Brother Jiaying just came in from the front desk, did he see Principal Zhai?"

"Mr. Zhai? It seems not."

Luo Jiaying tucked his white beard behind his ear, adjusted its position in front of the mirror, and said to himself with a smile, "Sister Ling, if you see Mr. Zhai, please tell him for me that if I want to stage 'The Heroes Compete for Command,' he won't be able to sue me for copyright infringement."

Upon hearing this, Deng Leling narrowed her eyes and tightened the soft blue satin on her shoulders, instantly transforming from a talented woman into a chivalrous heroine.

She scoffed and muttered to herself, "Ha, are you that familiar with him?"

The actors backstage were unaware of Ling Jie's emotional change.

The heavy curtain was lifted again.

Amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd, two young students huffed and puffed as they dragged in a flower basket.

The flower basket was ridiculously large, almost taking up a corner of the backstage area.

The lower layer is white magnolias, the middle layer is pink camellias, and the upper layer is a cluster of red roses. It is a magnificent flower arrangement that has been carefully selected.

"Hello, teachers. Principal Zhai specially instructed us to bring this flower basket in. We wish you a successful performance."

The students who were chosen to do manual labor didn't feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, they were proud to be able to do things for Principal Zhai, and proudly straightened their backs, as if the school badge on their chests shone even brighter.

"No way?" Shen Zhihua stared at the extravagantly designed flower basket, her expression one of astonishment. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Even Ren Bai has never received such treatment. Mr. Zhai is always so generous."

Deng Leling glanced at the flower basket and asked the two laborers, "Principal Zhai is here to watch the performance too?"

“Yes!” The student nodded repeatedly: “He just greeted School Board Member Du Yexi’en at the school gate and asked us to send the flower basket over first.”

Deng Leling gave a soft "hmm" and smiled, "Okay, you guys have worked hard."

Just moments after being entrusted with an important task by Principal Zhai, the two students struck up a conversation with Miss Deng. As they walked out of the backstage area, they both held their heads high and puffed out their chests.

"It's not easy to gather this many flowers in a month like this, but if you ask me, it would be better to give them appearance fees instead."

Shen Zhihua, who was standing nearby, joked as she walked to the flower basket, which was a head taller than her, and reached out to fiddle with a few petals.

Then she raised an eyebrow and pulled out a sheet of Xuan paper with a blessing from the bouquet.

Shen Zhihua glanced down at the contents of the blessing, then turned to look at Deng Leling beside her, and immediately revealed a meaningful smile.

Seeing her strange smile, Deng Leling curiously leaned closer.

Shen Zhihua waved the Xuan paper in front of her eyes. There were no congratulatory words like "successful performance" on the paper.

Only Deng Leling's familiar handwriting was used to write the names 'Huo Xiaoyu' and 'Li Shilang', with a tacky red heart drawn in the middle.

Shen Zhihua gave a mocking look and said in a drawn-out "Oh," "So I'm the fake Li Yi, and the real Shilang is someone else."

*Smack!* Deng Leling snatched the paper away, looked at the corny red heart, and twitched her lips: "Tch! Sour meat!"

(End of this chapter)