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

Chapter 462 Learn from the barbarians and learn skills to control the barbarians

"You little rascal, the Institute of Literature and Research has been growing stronger under your leadership!"

"Don't worry, I won't take over someone else's place."

"Do I mind? Why don't you hurry up and take over the Chinese Literature Department?" Yan Jiayan said with a smile.

Liu Yimin smiled without saying a word, finished his tea, said "thank you" to Yan Jiayan, and left his office.

After he finished rewriting the novel "Huo Yuanjia", he first showed it to his old leader, who then kept the manuscript at home for two days.

When Liu Yimin took it, he still praised it highly, feeling that Liu Yimin's story was vivid and the heroism in it was deeply moving.

"Is this what you call a chivalrous novel?" the old commander asked.

"It is very different from traditional literature."

"There are now many similar novels on the market. The popular magazine 'Legend of Today and Yesterday' in Hubei Province has a circulation that exceeds that of a large number of orthodox literary magazines, which shows that this kind of content is deeply loved by readers. I am looking forward to the finished product of 'Huo Yuanjia' more and more."

Liu Yimin also plans to find a good artist to adapt "Huo Yuanjia" into a comic book. This kind of comic book is the most popular among children, and it might even sell more than the standalone book.

Liu Yimin did not intend to submit this novel to People's Literature or Harvest, as these two publications adhere to orthodox literature. Although Liu Yimin would publish it if he submitted it there, there was no need to make things difficult for them.

Liu Yimin sent it to "Legend of Today and Yesterday", and "Legend of Today and Yesterday" was so happy that it jumped for joy.

Just as Liu Yimin was about to leave with his manuscript, Mr. Qian arrived. After glancing at Liu Yimin's manuscript, he decided to take it back and review it.

"Yimin, do you think this kind of skill counts as qigong?" Old Qian asked curiously.

Liu Yimin looked at the old leader: "Old Qian, the old leader is better able to answer your question."

“Old Qian, kung fu is about training your body’s strength and agility to the extreme, making you stronger and faster than your opponent. I don’t think it has anything to do with qigong,” the old leader said.

Mr. Qian nodded thoughtfully and didn't continue the discussion. The old leader glanced at Mr. Qian, then at Liu Yimin, and suddenly said to Liu Yimin:
"We're going to the hospital today, do you want to come with us?"

"Go to the hospital? Which hospital?"

Mr. Qian said heavily, "You've met Director Deng from the base; he's currently hospitalized."

Mr. Deng worked on the front lines of nuclear power for a long time, and his body was exposed to strong nuclear radiation. In July of this year, he was diagnosed with rectal cancer. After being admitted to the hospital, he never came out again.

“Alas, Comrade Jiaxian dedicated his entire life to helping the country stand tall. When I heard this news, I was so saddened that I couldn’t speak. Although I’m not often at the base, we are close comrades-in-arms. I knew about this news when we were in Beidaihe, but it was kept secret and I didn’t tell you.”

When the old leader recounted Deng Xiaoping's deeds, he said that during the hydrogen bomb test in 79, the parachute opened but the hydrogen bomb did not explode. Deng Xiaoping ran over to find out why.

"Comrade Jiaxian did this kind of work. How could he not know how powerful the radiation from that thing was? He knew, but he still went anyway."

Secretary Li quickly took out a towel soaked in warm water from the side and wiped the old leader's eyes.

"Commander, Elder Qian, I'll go with you," Liu Yimin said.

"Let's go!"

The car was parked at the entrance. Liu Yimin sat in the passenger seat, while Qian Lao and the old leader sat in the back, reminiscing about their past scientific research experiences.

Liu Yimin listened attentively in the front row, occasionally asking questions.

Upon arriving at the hospital, they entered a heavily guarded special care ward, where Mr. Deng's wife, Xu Luxi, was taking care of him.

"Comrade Lu Xi, thank you for your hard work!" The old commander's voice was filled with endless sorrow.

"Old Chief, I'm fine, it's just that I'm worried about Old Deng." Xu Luxi is a doctor, so she naturally understands how terrible rectal cancer is.

Xu Luxi was wearing a gray patterned shirt, her short hair was combed behind her ears, and she looked very tired.

"This is Comrade Yimin," the old leader introduced.

"Hello, Comrade Yimin. Thank you for visiting my old Deng. Your novel, 'The Birth of a Nation,' is very well written. I have read it several times."

“Professor Xu, I happened to be at the old leader’s place today. When I heard that Elder Qian was coming, I took the liberty of asking to come along. I hope I haven’t disturbed you and Elder Deng.”

The old leader called the doctor over, inquired about the latest condition, and asked Xu Luxi if she needed any help.

"Comrade Xu Luxi, Comrade Jiaxian has made great contributions to the country and the nation. You can raise any requests or difficulties you may have, and the organization will provide all the necessary assistance."

"I have no requirements, old chief. If there were any requirements, I wouldn't have gone," Xu Luxi said calmly.

"How is Old Deng now? Can we go in and take a look?" Old Qian asked.

"He just woke up and is probably reading now. I'll take you inside."

Led by Xu Luxi, the group walked through a corridor about 20 meters long before arriving at Deng Lao's ward.

Hearing footsteps, Deng looked towards the ward door. Upon seeing the group, he smiled and said, "Old Commander, you've come again!"

“Sigh, you used to live far away, so we couldn’t talk much. Now that we’re both in Yanjing, we should talk more when we have time. I also brought Comrade Xuesen and Yimin with me.”

"Please sit down, please sit down."

Old Deng lay on the hospital bed, his hair gray, and he had to strain to speak, but he had an optimistic smile on his face.

"Yimin, your song 'Emerging from the Sky' is quite good. All the comrades in our base like it. Your song 'The Motherland Will Not Forget' is also good. We all know how to sing it. You have enriched the spiritual culture of our comrades in the base. I have to thank you. Please have a seat."

After greeting the old leader and Qian Lao, Deng Lao looked at Liu Yimin beside him.

"Old Deng, you lifted up Jing Lei with your life, and your spirit is worthy of my learning." Liu Yimin walked to the side and gently held Old Deng's hand.

"You've overstated, you've overstated. Every generation has its own mission, and the responsibility of history just happens to fall on our shoulders. We have achieved some success, but we cannot be complacent. The Qing Dynasty was complacent, and we were defeated and knocked to the ground for more than a hundred years. It will take future generations hundreds of years to catch up."

Let's not be lazy anymore; the lesson of national subjugation and racial extinction is far too painful.

After the three sat down, Liu Yimin listened to their conversation for most of the time. Deng Lao calmly reminisced with the old leader and Qian Lao about their past research days, when conditions were tough and everyone was holding their breath.

After chatting for more than an hour, Deng looked a little tired and prepared to leave under the guidance of his old leader.

Suddenly, Deng Lao looked at Liu Yimin and asked, "Yimin, is there anything I can look at lately? I'm so bored lying here."

The old leader and Liu Yimin looked at Qian Lao beside them. Qian Lao smiled and took out a stack of manuscripts from his briefcase: "I originally wanted to see them, but since you want to see them, Lao Deng, I'll let you cut in line."

"This is my newly written novel, 'Huo Yuanjia,' which tells the story of Huo Yuanjia's martial arts competition with foreigners. I wonder if you would like to read it," Liu Yimin said.

After reading a page, Deng Xiaoping said happily, "Comrade Xuesen, it would be impolite of me to refuse. I'll cut in line first. This is what a true Chinese man should do!"

After speaking, Deng Lao couldn't help but think of his favorite song, "Chinese Men," and began to sing it softly.

"Chinese men, Chinese men, must hold up the sky with your own hands."

A sleeping lion for a thousand years, a sleeping lion for a thousand years, one man raises his arm and ten thousand men become mighty. The Yangtze River flows eastward through Asia, the majestic Kunlun Mountains stand tall, and the mighty Great Wall stretches far and wide.

This is a song from the late Qing Dynasty, and it is said that it was once used as the military song of the Qing army. Back then, many ambitious young men sang this song as they embarked on their studies abroad in pursuit of self-reliance.

The old leader turned around and joined in the singing. Qian Lao and Liu Yimin immediately followed suit, and the three of them left the hospital amidst the song.

Five days later, the manuscript of "Huo Yuanjia" was transferred from Deng Lao to Qian Lao.

Not wanting to delay Liu Yimin's publication schedule, Qian Lao had someone make a copy of the manuscript and quickly returned it to Liu Yimin so that he could publish it first.

When Liu Yimin sent the manuscript to the editorial department of "Legend of Today and Yesterday", the editor of "Legend of Today and Yesterday" called Liu Yimin to confirm whether it was written by him.

"Comrade Yimin, it really is you! We checked the address and name, but we still couldn't be sure. We are so excited that we, 'Legends of Today and Yesterday,' would receive your manuscript."

"We've read this manuscript, and it's exceptionally well-written. We'll publish it in this issue." The editors of "Legends of Today and Yesterday" wanted to tell Liu Yimin how much they valued this manuscript and hoped for future opportunities to collaborate.

Liu Yimin's story "Huo Yuanjia" is an adaptation of the 2006 TV series "Huo Yuanjia" directed by Yu Rentai, not the television version.

This version of "Huo Yuanjia" was starring Li Renjie, and Sun Li won the Best Newcomer Award at the Baihua Awards for her performance in this version.

Before "Legends of the Past and Present" was published, "Script Monthly" published the script of "Huo Yuanjia".

The script attracted the attention of directors from major film studios as soon as it was published. Liu Peiran from the August First Film Studio was the first to rush to the courtyard. When he learned that the script was written at the invitation of Wang Yang and had already been given to the Beijing Film Studio, he was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet.

“Yimin, you’ve already given the Beijing Film Studio a script, you have to give me one too. I’m also from the Institute of Literature and Art, you can’t be biased.” Wang Yang plopped down on the stone stool, looking like he wouldn’t leave until Liu Yimin wrote it.

Liu Yimin said helplessly, "You are, after all, the factory director. Is this appropriate?"

“I think it’s quite suitable. We can’t just let Beijing Film Studio develop. They lack scripts, and so do we,” Liu Peiran said.

"You have to give me some time to come up with ideas. Also, Director Liu, if you want to make a good movie, I'll tell you which one you should make."

Liu Peiran quickly looked at Liu Yimin and asked him what he wanted to film.

"Filming 'Hachiko'!"

"This? Nobody's going to read it!" Liu Peiran was deflated. She had thought Liu Yimin had come up with some brilliant idea. So many of Liu Yimin's novels have been adapted into movies, yet nobody's touching "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale." Didn't she know why?

"why?"

Liu Peiran said, "We all think that there is no plot and it cannot support a movie. The audience will get bored after watching it for a while."

"Director Liu, you're wrong about that. Does that mean no one in China watches it, or no one in the world? A few amateurs putting on a play can move countless people to donations. Don't you think that's something to be proud of? Director Liu, you haven't opened your mind yet," Liu Yimin said quietly.

"You mean if one door closes, another opens?" Liu Peiran quickly moved to another stone bench and sat down next to Liu Yimin.

"Yes, but you have to film it the way I say, otherwise no one will watch it."

"Tell me!" Liu Peiran humbly asked Liu Yimin for advice.

"Don't make it into a melodramatic soap opera."

"Planting a tree by yourself is hard enough!"

Liu Yimin continued, "You have to make a movie full of hope, love, and sentiment. No one will watch if you make a film about suffering. The protagonist has to find joy in hardship, and the relationship with the dog has to be portrayed with tenderness and warmth."

Domestic directors like to make melodramas, thinking that this will be accepted abroad. But these works are often critically acclaimed but not commercially successful. Various award-giving organizations award you with various purposes, encouraging you to continue exposing and criticizing, but the audience doesn't buy it.

Hollywood can portray unemployment and begging in a heartwarming and inspiring way, making the audience forget the reality of the protagonist's situation and allowing the audience to have a spiritual exchange with the protagonist.

After watching it, the audience thought, "Wow, even beggars in America are so happy; begging is full of humanistic care."

Liu Peiran was a little confused: "Really? Is this how Americans film it?"

"At least this type is!"

"Was our filming effective?"

"Learn the superior techniques of the barbarians to control them!"

Liu Peiran fell silent. Liu Yimin said, "I'll have my friends in America send over a few films in a while, and we can watch them together."

“Okay!” Liu Peiran said.

Just as he was about to step out of the courtyard, he turned back and told Liu Yimin not to forget to write a script for them.

"We'll strive to be better than their 'Huo Yuanjia'," Liu Peiran said through gritted teeth.

What saddened Liu Peiran the most was not that she didn't have a script, but that she didn't have one, while the Beijing Film Studio did.

After seeing Liu Pei off, Liu Yimin smiled and picked up Liu Lin. Zhu Lin laughed and said, "Teacher Liu, Factory Director Liu is in a hurry!"

"Everyone starts on the same footing when making these kinds of movies, but Beijing Film Studio has already started while he hasn't even started yet. How can he not be anxious!"

Liu Yimin chuckled and turned back to help Zhu Lin pack her luggage. It was late September, and Zhu Lin needed to pack her things to go to the "Journey to the West" film crew.

“The film crew is currently in Zhejiang Province, so we can fly directly there. The train takes too long, and it's not very safe on the road,” Liu Yimin said.

Zhu Lin hugged Liu Yimin and said coquettishly, "Then I'll trouble Teacher Liu to help me get a letter of introduction. Teacher Liu is of a high rank, and I, as a director, am not qualified to take a plane."

"Okay, okay, Teacher Liu will take care of everything for you!" Liu Yimin patted Zhu Lin on the shoulder and laughed.

The two hugged for a while and almost got into a fight. Zhu Lin pushed Liu Yimin away, blushed, and went to fold the clothes she needed and put them in her suitcase.

Liu Yimin shook his pants, turned around and walked out of the courtyard, riding his motorcycle to the Chinese Department of Yenching University to get a certificate.

As the moonlight streamed into their room that night, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin finally fell into a deep sleep, completely exhausted.

The next day at noon, Liu Yimin personally took Zhu Lin to the airport and stuffed a lot of money into her bag: "Take good care of yourself while you're away from home. Eat what you want and spend what you want. Don't bring a single penny home."

“I know, just like my dad.” Zhu Lin stood by the motorcycle, reluctant to move.

"Really? I might as well say yes."

Zhu Lin reached out her right hand to Liu Yimin's waist, pinched the flesh and gently rotated it: "Teacher Liu, I'm going to use force now!"

With time running out, Zhu Lin reluctantly headed towards the boarding gate. She was flying to Zhejiang Province, where the film crew would send someone to pick her up.

After Zhu Lin left, the preparation work for the film "Huo Yuanjia" made great progress. Zhang Xinyan officially agreed to join the film crew as director. Jet Li was the first actor to join the crew, and the selection of other actors was also on track.

In order to train directors, Beijing Film Studio specially assigned five assistant directors to Zhang Xinyan as executive directors.

In early October, the novel version of "Huo Yuanjia" was officially published in "Legend of Today and Yesterday". As soon as the novel was released, it attracted a large number of buyers, but some people were very dissatisfied.

P.S.: Thank you to reader 202307111215339221 for the 1500 coins, to the Innate Domineering Ancient Critic Emperor for the 500 coins, and to Teddy Who Can Spin the Wheel for the 500 coins.
(End of this chapter)