Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 422 The Bloody Battle of Taierzhuang

The Falfit Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Asia Foundation are all peripheral organizations of the CIA.

From this perspective, the Iowa International Writing Program is part of the CIA's efforts to build American cultural soft power and serves as an ideological propaganda tool.

After receiving the news, Liu Yimin rushed to the Ministry of Culture and explained the situation to Xia Yan.

After reading it, Xia Yan asked, "Is this person reliable?"

“He used to be an international student at Yenching University. This is the result he collected, which also confirms one of my conjectures. In addition, we can also verify and compare it through intelligence gathering from relevant departments,” Liu Yimin said.

Xia Yan returned the letter to Liu Yimin: "Okay, I understand. I will report it to my superiors and verify it. Sigh!"

Xia Yan had some idea of ​​what Liu Yimin had said before, but he was unwilling to believe it.

Xia Yan closed the folder on the table with a sense of annoyance: "This matter is very troublesome! Nowadays, the Iowa International Writing Program Training Camp has become a stage for writers from all over the world to exchange ideas."

Writers from both mainland China and Taiwan were also present, and the exchange went quite smoothly. I never imagined the CIA's reach could extend so far.

Seeing Xia Yan's troubled expression, Liu Yimin smiled and said, "The department will decide on the specifics."

Xia Yan frowned deeply, his expression a deep "difficulty." If it were to be finalized, whether or not to leak the news would be a major dilemma.

In addition, many writers have received training and are influential figures in the literary world. What will happen to these people once this is made public?

Xia Yan ultimately decided that this was not a decision she could make herself, so she reported the situation to higher authorities and waited for the information from various sources to be gathered and confirmed before taking any further action.

“National Day is coming soon, and the ministry and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles have some spots available to watch the military parade. I’m thinking of giving you one. What do you think?” Xia Yan put her worries aside and looked at Liu Yimin with a cheerful smile.

Seeing the surprised smile on Liu Yimin's face, Xia Yan finally took the ticket out from under the table with satisfaction.

"You represent the image of the new generation of young people in our arts and culture circles, so take a good look at how far our national defense equipment has developed," Xia Yan instructed.

Liu Yimin asked with a smile, "One copy?"

"One? One isn't enough?" Xia Yan said with a smile, "You're quite greedy. Unfortunately, there aren't many spots available, so I can only give you one. If you can get one through other channels, you can bring your family along."

"Okay, thank you for thinking of me."

"You little rascal, what good thing wouldn't I be thinking about you?" Xia Yan said with a laugh.

After stroking the ticket in his hand, Liu Yimin solemnly put it into his bag.

The 84 military parade was a classic. The soldiers marching were full of energy and spirit, and when they swung their rifles, they exuded a fierce aura, their faces clearly showing the words "King of Soldiers".

As soon as Liu Yimin left the Ministry of Culture, Xia Yan immediately picked up the red phone next to his desk and made a call, then reported the situation that Liu Yimin had brought.

At Yenching University, Liu Yimin had just arrived at his office when a dark figure in the corner caught his attention.

"Hello, Liu, it's been a long time!"

Liu Yimin glanced at the man in front of him and smiled, "Long time no see, Mulatu. If you hadn't said a word while sitting here, I might not have even seen you."

“War and chaos have made me quite good at hiding myself,” Murat said, flashing his bright white teeth.

"Perhaps," Liu Yimin said, looking at the "night combat camouflage" of the Mulatu.

It was already afternoon, and Mulatu sat in the shade of his office, soon to blend into the night.

Mula had just arrived at Yenching University from Ethiopia and completed all the procedures for international student enrollment. He speaks Chinese and had lived at Yenching University before, so everything went very smoothly.

In the office, Mulatu recounted the war and misfortunes that Ethiopia had suffered to Liu Yimin and the other professors. As he became more emotional, tears welled up in his eyes, which made the older professors feel very sad as well.

"This is the consequence of a backward country!" Wu Zuxiang exclaimed.

"The Humiliating History of Ethiopia in Africa!"

Seeing the professors sighing, Liu Yimin remained silent. Everyone assumed that foreign countries that suffered colonial aggression, like China, frequently lamented their humiliating history.

The reason why China's history of humiliation is constantly mentioned is that China has stood tall in the world for thousands of years and has never suffered such a great loss. In order to warn future generations and to be vigilant in times of peace, it is necessary to keep bringing it up.

Not only should it be mentioned, but it should be mentioned extensively and in increasingly detailed terms.

But some countries are different, such as those in Latin America and Africa. They have suffered humiliation from the beginning. In contrast, they are more willing to remember when they bullied others or when they gained independence, and they want to enhance their sense of national pride by tracing back their glory.

India, which loves big wins, is a prime example.

Seeing the group of professors feeling sentimental, Liu Yimin led Mulatu to his private office.

Upon hearing that Mulatu was studying philosophy, Liu Yimin asked, "Why don't you study international politics?"

“I used to be a philosophy student, and I’ve never thought about politics before,” Murat explained after a moment of surprise.

Liu Yimin said, "I saw that you had some ambition just now. If you want to achieve your goals, you can't do it without studying politics."

“Liu, I’ll think about it,” Mulatu said earnestly.

Then Mulatu talked about the Foreign Languages ​​Research Institute that Liu Yimin had previously established, which had become defunct in name only after Liu graduated.

Mulatu wanted to organize again to discuss cultural exchange and cooperation, and also to explore how Third World countries should develop.

“You can reorganize it. I’ll pass the position of vice president to you,” Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press did not choose a second vice president because Liu Yimin did not know who to hand over the reins to. In case the wrong person was chosen, the original research group on Chinese culture would end up becoming a community for learning Western culture.

Hearing Liu Yimin's words, Mulatu became very interested and rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely do a good job," Mula Tu assured him.

After recounting this incident, Mulatu discussed Liu Yimin's "Beloved," believing that the novel portrayed the suffering of Black people in America better than "Green Book."

“I heard that ‘Beloved’ is going to be adapted into a stage play, and I definitely want to see it,” Mulatu said confidently.

"it is good!"

Liu Yimin once again recommended that Mulatu read more of the old man's books to help his political thinking mature.

“I already saw it in China last time.”

"Reading a book a hundred times will reveal its meaning, but I don't think you've read it very thoroughly!"

Mulatu nodded in the end and told Liu Yimin that he would go back to the library and borrow a few more of the old man's books to read.

At the start of the new semester, Zhengzhou University and Hebei University extended invitations to Liu Yimin, hoping that he could give an academic lecture at their respective universities.

In April of this year, Henan Normal University officially changed its name to Henan University. The university invited Liu Yimin to attend the renaming ceremony, but he couldn't make it due to scheduling conflicts. Looking at the time, Liu Yimin realized that as an adjunct associate professor and one of the facilitators of the collaboration, it wouldn't be appropriate not to show up.

Some professors and lecturers from Yenching University went to the two schools to carry out academic and teaching activities in the first half of the year.

However, since he needed to go to Chang'an Avenue in early October, Liu Yimin rescheduled the trip to late September, aiming to complete the academic reports at both universities and return to Yenching University by the end of September.

Once the date was set, Liu Yimin notified both universities. The Chinese departments of Zhengzhou University and Henan University were overjoyed to receive the exact date and immediately posted notices on campus to begin promotion.

Liu Yimin rode his motorcycle back to the courtyard house. Two men were standing at the gate, which was ajar. They were craning their necks to look inside, but neither of them went in.

"Who are you looking for?" Liu Yimin asked warily, his eyes searching for usable weapons, finally finding the motorcycle throttle in his hand to be the most reliable one.

"You must be Comrade Liu Yimin, hello, hello." The two were startled by Liu Yimin, but quickly realized what was happening and hurried down the stairs to shake hands with him.

"Who are you?" Liu Yimin asked again.

Seeing Liu Yimin's expression, he knew that Liu Yimin had misunderstood, so he said, "I am from the Guangxi Film Studio, and my name is Yang Guangyuan."

"I am Zhai Junjie from the August First Film Studio."

Zhai Junjie straightened up instantly, looking like someone who had served in the military.

Liu Yimin lowered his guard, extended his hand and said, "Hello, who are you looking for?"

The two men exchanged a glance and were about to speak when Liu Yimin stopped them, saying, "Come on, let's go inside and talk. What's the point of standing at the door?"

After parking the motorcycle, Liu Yimin picked up Xiao Liulin, whom Yang Xiuyun had placed at the kitchen door. While Yang Xiuyun was cooking, the calico cat played with them, and the two little ones didn't cry or fuss.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, you are truly blessed to have twins," Zhai Junjie praised.

Yang Guangyuan tried to pick up the other one, but was so frightened by Liu Yu's wailing that he immediately pulled his hands back.

When Yang Xiuyun saw that there were guests, she hurriedly came out to greet them.

Once the little one stopped fussing, Liu Yimin invited the two men into his study and asked them why they had come.

"Comrade Yimin, we've come to see if we can cooperate with you?" Yang Guangyuan asked.

"Are you interested in the script I have?"

The two men exchanged a glance and shook their heads. Yang Guangyuan said, "I saw a script at the August First Film Studio called 'The Battle of Taierzhuang.' Unfortunately, the August First Film Studio didn't film it at the time because it was written around General Zhang Zizhong, which made the mistake of historical nihilism, so it was suppressed."

When Li Zongren returned to China, the leadership told director Cheng Meng to film the Battle of Taierzhuang. Unfortunately, filming was delayed for ten years, and then the previous director, Cheng Meng, passed away, putting everything on hold. We would like to ask you to rewrite the script to fulfill the leadership's request.

Zhai Junjie said, "Comrade Yimin, your novels 'Triumph at Midnight,' 'Acacia Tree in the Minefield,' and 'Emerging from the Sky' are all excellent, especially the first two, which were adapted into films with extremely high artistic quality and realism. When we were looking for screenwriters, we thought of you."

“You two speak first, I’d like to hear your thoughts,” Liu Yimin asked.

"In this war, Li Zongren of the Guangxi Clique commanded the battle and thwarted the Japanese attempt to achieve a quick victory. During the battle, both sides committed huge numbers of troops, and our Chinese soldiers suffered heavy losses to win this hard-won victory, especially the Sichuan Army, which suffered heavy losses since leaving Sichuan. General Wang Mingzhang sacrificed his life on the battlefield in Tengxian."

Yang Guangyuan kept explaining the great significance of this war to Liu Yimin, and Liu Yimin understood that what the other party wanted to film was the famous movie "The Battle of Taierzhuang".

The Battle of Taierzhuang involved the Northwest Army, Sichuan Army, Guangxi Army, the Whampoa Military Academy direct clique led by Tang Enbo, and local troops, totaling more than 100,000 men.

Li Zongren could only command the Guangxi Army, but the Northwest Army and the Sichuan Army obeyed his orders and were prepared to die. The only army he could not control was the Whampoa Military Academy clique.

Thus, the famous scene from the movie was born: "Another electric shock to Tang Enbo's unit!"

General Wang Mingzhang led his troops in a desperate defense of Teng County; Tang Enbo was the last reinforcement to arrive.
"You know how difficult the script is; it's something most screenwriters struggle to grasp. I came to Yanjing after much deliberation."

"What do you think?"

"It must conform to history, it absolutely must conform to history!" Yang Guangyuan said.

Zhai Junjie didn't say anything, but it seemed he meant the same thing.

"Is that the same idea from your factory?"

"The factory leaders are also here."

Liu Yimin said, "You should know that this script is very difficult to write. It requires a lot of historical research, finding materials, interviewing veterans, and even the people involved."

"Comrade Yimin, you can rest assured about the script fee. The state has recently introduced a new script regulation, which allows for a fee of around five thousand for long scripts," Yang Guangyuan said immediately.

"You've misunderstood. I meant I need time."

Yang Guangyuan said awkwardly, "There's no rush. We're looking for quality, not speed. Whatever you need, or who you need to contact, our film studio can handle the coordination."

"I can figure something out, but if there's really no other way, I'll bother you again," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, we're entrusting this script to you!" the two said excitedly.

"No need to thank me, it's what I should do."

Laughter came from inside the study, and Yang Xiuyun called out, "Yimin, call the two comrades to dinner."

"Okay, let's go eat!" Liu Yimin said, getting up.

"Comrade Yimin, shall we not disturb you any longer?" Zhai Junjie said politely.

Liu Yimin grabbed his arm and said, "There are still many things to discuss. Besides, the food is ready. If I don't let you eat outside, you'll scold me."

The three of them walked to the ginkgo tree with smiles, ready to have a meal. Zhai Junjie asked, "Where's Comrade Zhu Lin?"

"I'm busy at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, I can't come back until the performance is over."

"Comrade Yimin, Comrade Zhu Lin's professional skills are getting stronger and stronger!" The two had obviously heard about the Good Luck Building from the newspaper.

Liu Yimin asked a few more questions, and Yang Guangyuan thought that Liu Yimin was afraid that there would be problems if it was written down, so he immediately said: "No matter what problems arise, our Guangxi Film Studio will take responsibility."

"Director Yang, you've misunderstood again. I just wanted to understand the situation better." Seeing Liu Yimin's expression, Yang Guangyuan himself was quite uneasy.

After finishing the meal, Liu Yimin said, "If something comes up, I'll send you a telegram."

"Comrade Liu Yimin, I await your good news in Guangxi Province." Yang Guangyuan and Zhai Junjie left the courtyard happily.

PS: Thank you to the big boss Teddy Club Spinner for the 1500 points donation.

Thank you so much for the generous donation of 100 points from "No Damage, Only Punches"!

(End of this chapter)