Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 131 Sir Lin's Influence

England's connections in Washington also provided them with another crucial piece of information: Lin Ran and McNamara had a very close personal relationship.

This made Downing Street even more determined to hire Lin Ran as an intermediary to help persuade the White House not to cancel the Sky Arrow project.

"That's true. 'Sky Arrow' is the cornerstone of cooperation between Downing Street and the White House, but frankly, the project has not progressed as well as expected. The propulsion system has repeatedly failed during testing, and the costs have exceeded expectations."

But this remains the core of England's nuclear deterrent.

Lin Ran was speechless. What does your Sky Arrow have to do with me? I'm not going to help you develop the Sky Arrow.

Lin Ran frowned and said, "I'm sorry, I'm in charge of space affairs, which falls under the purview of Rusk and McNamara, right?"

Holm put his hands together and said:
"Sir, this is crucial for us. The V-Bombers rely on Sky Arrow to maintain their deterrent. If America gives up, a strategic vacuum will be created."

We hope you can convey our concerns to President Kennedy, Rusk, and McNamara.

Lin Ran was speechless. Did a worthless jazz lord expect him to do this kind of favor?
Margaret Jones opened the folder and interjected:

"Technically, our engineers believe the issue can be resolved, but it will require more time and funding. We hope you can help inquire with the White House about the possibility of further investment."

Or it could provide England with a completely new nuclear deterrent system, similar to Polaris.

Holm pleaded, “Sir, we hope to obtain a written commitment to ensure that England’s nuclear forces will not be weakened by technical problems.”

I know you don't handle these matters; this is a private request from Downing Street.

We hope you will use your connections in the White House to help us accomplish this task. Downing Street will always be your friend.

Lin Ran paused for a moment, took a sip of tea, and then took out two movie tickets and an article he had written the day before from his briefcase, handing them to the other person:

"Sir Holm, to express my anger, this is an article I wrote last night after watching the latest film released in England. Please take a look."

Holm's expression changed after reading it, because the article was a huge slap in the face to Great Britain.

Lin Ran saw Holm look up and knew that the other party had finished reading. He continued, "That's right, I am a knight of England, so I suppressed my anger and did not publish this article in order to avoid hurting the feelings of the English people."

However, this does not mean that England can arbitrarily portray Chinese people as villains.

You just said we are friends forever, and the result of being friends forever is that Chinese people can only be clowns in English films.

From Fu Manchu to Dr. Do, and especially the movie Dr. Do, which practically pointed its finger at me, implying I was the villain, is this how you treat a friend?

As Lin Ran spoke, he pounded the mahogany table hard, causing the teacups on the table to bounce.

Holm clasped his hands together, his face grave: "Sir, I am very sorry, but we are a free nation."

Lin Ran waved his hand and said, "Don't tell me that free countries can't interfere with creative work."

If it's really as you say, then what's the point of BBFC?
Why was the BBFC established?

BBFC stands for the English Film Censorship Board.

Why did England sponsor "Target Tonight" instead of other films during World War II?

"Target Tonight" is a promotional video filmed by the Royal Air Force itself.

Why were you asked to cut content when "Red Planet Mars" was released in England?
Don't treat me like one of those Chinese people you encounter who are unfamiliar with Western methods of manipulating public opinion. If you truly respected me, you should have strictly banned the screening of works like "Dr. No."

If this happens a few more times, English films won't dare to portray Chinese people as villains so brazenly!

After Lin Ran finished speaking, he stood up, loosened his tie, and continued, "If you hadn't asked me for help based on our personal relationship, I wouldn't have brought this up."

Since you've brought up personal relationships, you should also respect my personal feelings.

"If you want me to go to the White House to mediate for England, then you have to make some concessions."

Holm thought for a moment, "Sir, rest assured, there will absolutely be no similar plots in future English films."

We will absolutely not allow Chinese people to play villainous roles.

Lin Ran shook his head and said, "Not enough."

This movie needs to be remade, and the background involving Dr. Do needs to be changed.

This request is not unreasonable.

Holm thought about it and realized it wasn't excessive. As for the cost of repeated filming, it wasn't my money. But Lin Ran's achievement in helping Downing Street mediate was truly everyone's.

“Okay,” Holm said.

Lin Ran then extended his hand to shake hands with the other person, and then said...

“Mr. Holm, I will take your concerns back with me. I will finalize the details regarding aerospace, intelligence, and Sky Arrow as soon as possible. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Lin Ran put on his coat, opened his umbrella, and left 10 Downing Street. Rain pattered on the cobblestones as he got into the waiting black sedan and drove toward the embassy.

In the conference room, Margaret Jones looked at Holm: "Now I know why NASA people called Randolph a tyrant. He was truly terrifying when he was angry."

Holm shook his head with a wry smile and said, "If all Chinese were like Randolph, they would be really difficult to deal with. Fortunately, the Chinese in London are relatively obedient."

Margaret thought for a moment, "If all Chinese were like Randolph, then England's last colony in the Far East would probably have become autonomous long ago."

A dimly lit meeting room at Eon Films in London.

A tense atmosphere filled the air. Director Terence Young paced back and forth in the room, his face filled with frustration.

Producers Albert Brocley and Harry Salzman sat at the table.

Apart from the distant rumble of London traffic and the ticking of the clock on the wall, the room was almost completely silent.

The already dim sky cast a gloomy shadow over the meeting.

Terence Young stopped and abruptly turned to the others: "This is insane! We can't remake the whole movie just because someone's unhappy with Dr. No's backstory. This film is already very popular—the audience loves it!"
Now Downing Street wants us to start all over again?

Albert Brocley spoke calmly but firmly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "Tros, this isn't as simple as just having someone."

You have to see who it is. If it were just the Chinese community protesting, we could completely ignore it. But now it's Randolph, Randolph Lin, who is protesting.

He is not only a White House executive but also a knight of England; it is this kind of person who is putting pressure on us through Downing Street.

We must take this seriously!

Albert was frustrated upon hearing the news, as starting from scratch would mean enormous costs.

But it's clear they won't change their ways. This time they might get away with it, since it's already been released. However, any future films produced by EON that want to be released will likely face significant obstacles from the censorship committee.

Harry Salzman leaned forward, arms crossed, brow furrowed: "Listen, the movie is really good, but if we don't deal with this, the consequences could be severe."

Negative news, boycotts, and even the potential impact on future Bond films.

We need to think long-term, not just focus on the present.

More importantly, we've only just released the film in England, and Randolph is already under pressure because the film also needs to be released in America.

Randolph playing on their home turf will definitely put more pressure on us.

When the people at United Artists heard about it, they urged us to reshoot as soon as possible so as not to delay the release in America.

The film's funding primarily came from United Artists (UA) of America Productions.

After hearing about it, Lianmei had no intention of resisting at all.

Tross spread his hands, his face full of helplessness:

"Long-term? You mean rewriting the entire backstory, recasting, and reshooting all the villain's scenes! This isn't something that can be solved by changing a few lines of dialogue. Dr. No is a central character; changing his backstory is changing the entire story! Randolph is unhappy with our use of his lines, feeling that we're alluding to him. So, if we just delete that scene, is that enough?"

This refers to the line "Everyone here is trash".

Albert leaned back in his chair, stroked his chin, and fell into deep thought. He shook his head and said:
"No, you're overthinking it. Randolph is unhappy that we used a Chinese person as the villain."

We have to completely erase his Chinese background before the other party will be satisfied.

Harry Salzman added, "Troils, you're probably not saying enough. The focus of the protests is the Chinese villain, and Randolph wants a complete replacement. We might have to completely change the character, a new actor, a new background, and start all over again."

Tross sat down heavily, rubbing his temples. "Then what should we replace him with? A Russian spy? A random madman? That would drain the soul of the story! Dr. No's threat comes from his mystery and exoticism. If he becomes an ordinary villain, we lose the film's uniqueness."

Albert narrowed his eyes, deep in thought: "Perhaps we can turn him into a defector scientist from a fictional country, a place that doesn't exist, so that we can avoid the political minefields of the real world."

Harry Albert nodded slowly, pondering, "That would work. But all his scenes would have to be reshot. New sets, new costumes, everything would have to be redone. It would cost a fortune."

Tross exclaimed excitedly, "This won't do! Changing the setting will make it less immersive, and maybe Dr. No's box office success is because we made a good film? Maybe the box office success is entirely because Dr. No represents Randolph."

Everyone is well aware of Randolph's influence and fame.

Randolph is only truly charismatic as a villain.

The powerful aura of a scientist that we create ourselves can never match that of Randolph himself.

Before filming "Dr. No," Trois was an unknown nobody.

He made a series of movies, such as "Red Beret", "Storm on the Nile", and "Tiger and Tiger", but the highest box office never exceeded $200 million.

Upon its release, "Dr. No" grossed over $100 million.

Historically, this film, made on a budget of $100 million, grossed $5900 million at the box office.

For a director who has never been successful, Tross would definitely feel that this is his own achievement, but deep down he would also feel that it is due to riding on Lin Ran's popularity.

The powerful and evil Dr. No, coupled with his space element and his actions of preventing NASA from launching rockets, almost makes one want to call him Randolph Lin.

In newspaper advertising, the focus was on the villain Dr. No, rather than James Bond.

However, they were unaware that the film would gross 5900 million, so after Albert and Harry exchanged a glance, Albert stood up and said:

"Go ahead and change it. You only need to change the character of Dr. No, and only the background. Summon the writers immediately; I need to see the new settings by tomorrow morning. I'll talk to United Artists about the budget. They know how capable Randolph is; they'll give us an extra budget."

For producers Albert and Harry, they are not only producers but also shareholders of Eon Films, with United Artists being their investor and financial backer.

If they stubbornly resist to the end, the company will be affected in the future, and Lianmei will also be dissatisfied with them.

So what if the box office is high? Tros Young may gain fame and be able to go to other film companies to make movies, but their future businesses will be affected.

Compared to having a full meal once, they still chose to have a full meal every time.

“There’s still time. If it’s just a remake of this part, it’ll take at most half a month. The studio certainly won’t be happy. But if this is the only way to keep the film in theaters and avoid more trouble, I don’t think we have a choice,” Harry added.

Tross knew the producers had made their decision and he couldn't go against it. He sighed deeply and looked out at the rain: "If we mess this up, we're finished. But if it can save the series, it's worth the risk."

Albert stood up, grabbed his coat, and comforted him, "This is a one-time solution. The next Bond, if it happens, won't have this political baggage. I have to go tell the crew the bad news."

Albert walked out of the room, and the door closed softly with a low thud.

Tross and Harry exchanged a weary glance, the weight of the decision looming over them like the London fog outside the window.

After the 007 series became an indispensable classic spy thriller series in film history, the identity of Dr. No, the villain in the first 007 film, sparked widespread discussion.

Only a small number of London viewers saw the Chinese version, the version that directly alluded to Randolph Lin as Dr. No. Later, whether it was English viewers, or viewers in Western Europe and America, the version they saw was Dr. No. 8, the evil doctor from Germany.

The Chinese-American version of Dr. No became the last of its kind in film history; even Eno Corporation itself couldn't find the videotape of this version.

In later generations on the internet, we can only sense the charm that Dr. Lin actually brought through fragmentary words.

"What a pity, I was quite curious about Mr. Lin's version of the evil doctor."

"Yeah, cold and powerful, just thinking about it makes me feel cool. Why did you ask them to change it, President Lin?"

On Weibo, a simplified Chinese internet platform, people in the future wouldn't feel offended by this kind of character; they would just think it's white people barking like defeated dogs. Instead, they would hope to see a charming villainous character like Lin Ran.

Film industry professionals in London directly experienced Lin Ran's power.

After seeing in the newspaper that Lin Ran was coming to Downing Street to discuss cooperation, I was immediately notified by the review committee that Chinese people were not allowed to be used as villains.

On the plane to Stockholm, Lin Ran briefly told Jenny about the matter he had asked Downing Street to help him resolve.

Upon hearing this, Jenny clapped her hands and said, "That's right, Professor. Getting Downing Street to help you solve this problem is a million times more useful than publishing an article in the newspaper."

Lin Ran asked, "Is this why you advised me not to publish the article?"

Jenny explained, "That's right."

If you published that article mocking all English people, you may have vented your anger at that time, but it did nothing to solve the problem.

Downing Street was even willing to help you solve this problem by pressuring all film production companies through the film censorship board to prevent them from portraying Chinese people as villains.

But because you published that article, public opinion will put pressure on you, and even if Downing Street wants to help you, the pressure from public opinion will prevent them from doing so.

The real solution is to use the resources you have to exchange resources with Downing Street.

I believe that for a long time to come, you won't see movies that portray Chinese people as villains; all you'll need to do is pass on their message.

Lin Ran countered, "What if I didn't think of that myself?"

Jenny laughed and said, "Professor, I don't believe you couldn't think of this method."

Furthermore, even if you don't realize it, the investor in *Dr. No* is Lianmei, and I have ways to put pressure on them through Lianmei to resolve this issue.

Lin Ran seemed to be deep in thought. "So you invited me to see 'Dr. No' on purpose to make me see the phenomenon of Chinese people being targeted in public opinion?"

Jenny shook her head. "How could that be? We're on a date, you know what a date is?"

I've finally come all this way to London for a date and to see a movie, why would I possibly make myself uncomfortable?

I just thought the Chinese guy on the movie poster was pretty handsome, and I also heard that a Chinese guy in the movie said your lines. I thought it would be really interesting if we went to see it together.

"After all, you were sitting in the audience; how was I supposed to know that a Chinese character would be the villain in the movie?"

Jenny, afraid that Lin Ran would misunderstand, said, "This is the first time I've seen it too. If I had known that the movie was about this, I definitely wouldn't have invited you to see it."

The International Congress of Mathematicians was held in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 15 to 22, 1962.

By this time, Stockholm had attracted top mathematicians from all over the world.

Even among many mathematicians, Lin Ran stands out as the most outstanding in terms of both age and status.

Jenny was in the media area, not with Lin Ran.

Lin Ran sat with his "mentor" Siegel.

“Randolph, congratulations on winning the award,” Siegel said.

Siegel was very pleased, truly pleased. He was hailed by André Weil as the greatest mathematician of the first half of the 20th century, though not necessarily the greatest, but certainly one of the greatest.

His students are expected to become the greatest mathematicians of the second half of the 20th century, if not the greatest.

With such a tradition, it would be strange not to be happy.

(End of this chapter)