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

Chapter 475 Let's applaud Comrade Liu Yimin a thousand times! (Seeking monthly votes)
In front of Yang Weiguang, Liu Yimin reiterated the impact of foreign animated films to him, and also explained in detail why the Japanese would give their animated films to CCTV for free.

After listening, Yang Weiguang said, "I see. If that's the case, then the small amount of money lost by CCTV is indeed nothing."

"How much would CCTV be willing to pay for a highly acclaimed animated film?" Liu Yimin asked.

"It costs around fifty yuan per minute, and for more popular sessions it can reach one hundred yuan," Yang Weiguang said frankly.

The acquisition of animated films was paid by the minute. Some Japanese films were sold for free, while others were charged a symbolic fee of one or two dollars. Later, when American animated films entered China, they were not only free, but the television stations were also paid.

Most people would like to do this kind of business.

Liu Yimin calculated that a 10-minute episode of animation could only sell for a maximum of 1000 yuan. It would take more than 20 TV stations to buy it at the same time to cover the production cost of 20,000 yuan per episode.

Seeing Liu Yimin's constantly changing expression, Yang Weiguang said again, "If it's exceptionally good, we can raise the purchase price a bit, but any more would be a burden on the TV station."

Actually, Comrade Yimin, I really understand your heart for Chinese animation. We broadcast a lot of foreign animations, and we make money, but we are also criticized by the people. They all say, why do we broadcast foreign cartoons?

Therefore, we also established a television animation department in the past two years, but we mainly cooperate with the Shanghai Animation Film Studio.

"Starting is difficult, and so will the future. There's no easy path if you're on your own. If you want comfort, you'll have to surrender to foreign animation," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After confirming everything with Liu Yimin, Yang Weiguang got up and left the Overseas Chinese Apartment. By bringing up this matter, Yang Weiguang had essentially resolved the rift between Liu Yimin and the CCTV management department.

CCTV has both production and business departments. The business department is responsible for the station's profits, and their goal is to make money.

When Liu Yimin returned to school, a notice had already been posted on the Yenching University campus announcing that CCTV would be collaborating with Yenching University to conduct an interview with Liu Yimin in the main dining hall.

The number of people who can attend the live event in the main dining hall is limited to two thousand, so you have to sign up quickly if you want to go.

The Yanda University canteen usually holds about 2,300 people for watching movies.

One thousand students were selected from Yanshan University, three hundred from Tsinghua University, and the remaining spots were selected from universities such as Beijing Normal University and Renmin University.

The students of Yenching University sprang into action, all rushing toward the registration area, fearing they would miss out on tickets if they were too slow.

Those who couldn't run fast shouted, "Don't rush, don't rush, you little brat, there are a thousand tickets, you can get one as long as you line up."

"A thousand tickets? You make it sound so easy, why don't you just walk? A thousand tickets? There are already over two thousand freshmen this year!" someone cursed, then sped up their run.

All the students from Yenching University were mobilized, and by the time they arrived at the ticket office, the surrounding open space was already packed with people.

"Queue up, queue up. You can only buy tickets with your student ID. Those without a student ID won't get one. Tickets are free, only student IDs are required." Security personnel maintained order in the surrounding area, and large CCTV banners were planted in the soil on both sides of the road.

Besides Yenching University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University, Beijing Normal University, and other universities also faced similar situations. These universities only received three hundred, two hundred, one hundred, or even just a few dozen votes, leaving the students who didn't get any extremely dissatisfied.

Students from Tsinghua University even crossed the road to Yenching University to protest, saying that Yenching University did not treat students equally and discriminated against students from Yenching University and Tsinghua University.

Yenching University shrugged and said that the quota was allocated by CCTV and had nothing to do with Yenching University.

CCTV said that those who didn't get tickets can listen to the radio and watch TV, but they can't get any more tickets.

With some time to go before the interview, CCTV staff had already set up the main dining hall, isolating part of the students' dining area. In the past, the students would have protested, but now they were happy to accept it and eagerly awaited the day of the interview.

January 25th was supposed to be a holiday for some majors, but the students who bought tickets simply refunded them.

On January 20th, the Beijing People's Art Theatre's productions of "Huo Yuanjia" and "Dust Settles Down" were preparing for their premieres. Huge posters were erected at the theatre's entrance, and special measures were taken to secure them and protect them from the northwest wind.

In addition, a wooden dummy of Huo Yuanjia was placed at the entrance. The dummy was in a fighting stance with its hands poised to strike, and the shoulders of the dummy were polished shiny by the passing audience.

Many young people watched "Huo Yuanjia," a group of spirited young men from the 1980s, a bit of a hooligan, but no one dared to cause trouble at the entrance of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

After the premiere of "Huo Yuanjia", major newspapers deduced the popularity of the movie "Huo Yuanjia" from the popularity of the stage play, believing that once "Huo Yuanjia" was released, it would set off a wave of "Huo Yuanjia" fever and kung fu fever in the whole society.

Liu Zhenyun told Liu Yimin that while he was reporting the news, he discovered that some qigong practitioners in the Yanjing area were already using the name "Huo Yuanjia" to promote themselves.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yimin quickly published a commentary in the newspaper: "Kung Fu is not Qigong, and Huo Yuanjia is not the founder of a Qigong school."

The only shortcoming of the stage play "Huo Yuanjia" is that it cannot perform intense fighting moves and can only learn the fighting moves from Peking Opera.

On January 21, after the premiere of "Huo Yuanjia", the premiere of "Dust Settles" was held, and Liu Yimin and Ouyang Shanzun entered the performance hall.

Compared to "Fearless," "Dust Settles Down" is definitely more popular.

Some people who came to see "Dust Settles" were scholars and literature enthusiasts, while others came to see the explicit parts of the book.

Unfortunately, the Beijing People's Art Theatre cut out many explicit scenes.

Ouyang Shanzun introduced Sun Bin to him. Sun Bin was the director of the Sichuan Provincial People's Art Theatre, and he was leading a team to study at the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Sun Bin grasped Liu Yimin's hand and said, "Comrade Yimin, it would be great if you were a playwright for our Sichuan Provincial People's Art Theatre. The Beijing People's Art Theatre has produced so many excellent works in recent years; we, the brother units, are both envious and jealous!"

“Old Sun, you can’t say that. After all, we are the capital, the most important city, the center of the country. For me, there are still too few good works. We have to represent the country. Foreign guests who want to see plays come to the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, not to your Sichuan People’s Art Theatre.” Ouyang Shanzun spoke modestly, but his meaning was anything but modest.

Liu Yimin chatted with Sun Bin, mainly discussing the script's structure. He quickly jotted down the key points, intending to discuss them with Ma Shitu later to better adapt the script.

When discussing regional characteristics, Sun Bin lamented the difficulty of creating dramas in Sichuan Province.

“Comrade Sun Bin, Sichuan Opera is your specialty, and there are many things worth writing about in Sichuan Province. For example, the Sichuan Army in ‘The Battle of Taierzhuang,’ the boatmen and boatmen on the Three Gorges, and Dujiangyan in the Land of Abundance.” Liu Yimin listed them one by one for Sun Bin.

To some extent, the Sichuan Provincial Drama Troupe's focus was not on Sichuan Province, but on the international stage. In the past, it frequently performed Soviet plays such as "The Gunshots in the Kremlin" and "Dawn Shines on Moscow".

Upon hearing this, Sun Bin agreed, saying, "Yes, Sichuan is a land of abundance, so there's a lot to write about. But often, plays from Sichuan are confined to the province and find it difficult to reach a wider audience, unlike the Beijing People's Art Theatre, where many of their works are staged in various places."

"Sichuan People's Art Theatre naturally prioritizes satisfying audiences in Sichuan Province, then the whole country, and then the world."

During their conversation, the bell rang, and the two turned around to watch the play.

Snowflakes are falling on the stage. Pu Cunxi, who plays a silly young master, is catching and roasting sparrows with the slaves. The slaves following him are all little slaves.

During a break in the chase, the simple-minded young master introduced his background to the audience. After he finished, a voice rang out. It was the chieftain's wife, the young master's mother, who angrily rebuked the servants for leading the young master astray.

In this play, Li Guangfu plays the old steward of the chieftain's family. The old steward's expression is perfect for his face, conveying a sense of deep sorrow and constant contemplation. He also perfectly portrays the obsequious smile when trying to please his master.

This play is a full two hundred minutes long, a length rarely seen in the history of the Beijing People's Art Theatre. For the actors to perform it, they not only need basic skills, but also physical stamina.

"Two hundred minutes, and it depicted the thousand-year history of slavery and the hundred-year history of change in Tibet!" Sun Bin said enviously.

He envied the Yenching People's Art Theatre for having such good directors and actors. He even thought how happy he would be if he were the director of the Yenching People's Art Theatre.

From time to time, applause and laughter erupted from the audience because of the silly young master's actions. When it ended, many audience members stood up and cheered without hesitation.

The lead actor didn't come out during the curtain call. When Liu Yimin went backstage, he found that Pu Cunxi had collapsed from exhaustion.

In the dead of winter, Liu Yimin was sweating profusely from exhaustion, so he asked someone to get him some salt water to drink.

"You acted well," Liu Yimin praised.

Pu Cunxi said weakly, "Thank you for the opportunity, director and you. I will do my best to play the lead role for three hours."

Liu Yimin shook hands with each of the actors, and Li Guangfu, like Pu Cunxi, expressed his gratitude.

Although the butler is still a supporting character, his role is no less significant than Pu Cunxi's; it's just that his movements are not as exaggerated.

"Perform well, I have high hopes for you," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Li Guangfu said, "Just you wait and see, I will definitely not let you down!"

After bidding farewell to everyone, Liu Yimin left the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Although there was no "snow-white" scene, the content still won high praise from the audience, and discussions could be heard everywhere on the roadside. Major newspapers praised the play "Dust Settles" as an educational play that could help people understand the history of change in Tibet and inspire young people to set lofty ideals.

On January 25th, light snow began to fall in Yanjing City in the early morning, and by morning it had become moderate snow, with a layer of about five centimeters of snow covering the ground.

The snow around Yanda's dining hall was trampled and dirty, and in some places it had even melted.

After dinner in the evening, the staff of the dining hall began an emergency cleanup. By the time the interview was about to begin at seven o'clock, the surrounding snow and the dining hall had been cleaned up.

After CCTV powered on its equipment, the lights in the large canteen became more than ten times brighter than usual, and a specially designed stage appeared in the students' eyes.

Behind the stage stood a backdrop that read, “The questions of youth should be answered by youth themselves—An interview with Professor Liu Yimin, a mentor to Chinese youth.”

The interview was broadcast on television and radio. Students who couldn't attend in person all squatted in front of the radio, straining to listen.

The interview officially started at 8:30. Liu Yimin walked into the backstage area at 8:10. The director told Liu Yimin to wave to the camera when he went out later.

When the time was up, Zhao Zhongxiang took the stage first and gave a welcome speech to the students and audience.

"Next, please welcome Professor Liu Yimin."

Liu Yimin walked slowly out from backstage, waved to the excited students and the camera, and then sat down next to Zhao Zhongxiang.

"Hello, Professor Liu."

"Hello, host," Liu Yimin said with a smile to Zhao Zhongxiang.

Zhao Zhongxiang found Liu Yimin's smile a little strange, and this surprise almost disrupted the rhythm of his interview.

Zhao Zhongxiang started by asking Liu Yimin about his writing approach and attitude towards history, using the recently popular book "The Battle of Taierzhuang" as a starting point.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Yimin expressed his views on the correct approach to history and national reunification, and finally brought up the issue of veterans returning home to visit their families.

"Does Professor Liu mean that both sides can gradually expand their exchanges?" Zhao Zhongxiang asked.

"Yes, through step-by-step communication and expanding mutual trust, none of us can be sinners against history and the nation."

Liu Yimin spoke about the veterans' circumstances and their longing for their hometown, which moved the students in the audience to tears.

Seeing that things were not going well, Zhao Zhongxiang quickly changed the subject, praying in his heart that the students would not finish crying and start chanting slogans and causing a disturbance at the meeting.

After about thirty minutes of interviewing, Zhao Zhongxiang finally got to the point, asking Liu Yimin about some of the confusions faced by young Chinese people and their longing to go abroad.

"Confusion exists in any era, especially in an era of change. Our country is also constantly exploring new paths, which naturally leads to confusion among individuals."

The issue of studying abroad certainly exists, and many students at Yenching University do so. But I would like to ask today's university students: you are the most outstanding group of people selected by our nation through the college entrance examination. Are you going abroad for enjoyment or to serve your country?

I spoke with Qian Xuesen about why he returned. He said it was for the country and the nation. If even the most outstanding young people like us don't fight for our country and our nation, what hope is there? Of course, China's surging history proves that there will always be countless young people willing to sacrifice their lives for the country's development.

The CCTV staff were very satisfied with Liu Yimin's reaction, and Yang Weiguang in the audience nodded frequently.

Zhao Zhongxiang praised, "No wonder young people call you their mentor. I believe this reflects the sentiments of countless young people. Many people think that foreign countries are very developed, have a strong humanistic spirit, are more democratic and free, and have more equality. What do you think?"

"Then we come back to the question: Are Black people human beings? If Black people aren't human beings, then perhaps there is indeed more equality, but this is only relative. Furthermore, are big capitalists and ordinary people equal? ​​If so, then there is no exploitation. So, where is equality?"

"People who go abroad seem to tell us that life abroad is really great."

“When I go abroad, I will say that I am very happy. If I say that I am not happy, how can I save face? This is not a question of happiness or unhappiness, it is a question of face. If I am not happy at home, and I am not happy abroad, then what is the point of my trip abroad?”

The audience burst into laughter, instantly lightening the atmosphere of the interview and easing Zhao Zhongxiang's pressure.

Zhao Zhongxiang continued, "In recent years, some educated youth have been unable to find jobs, and some young workers have been laid off and are unemployed. What is your view on this phenomenon?"

"Young people need to liberate their minds. This is an era of tremendous change, with all walks of life undergoing transformation, which means there are many opportunities. Selling tea eggs can earn more money than building missiles, which shows that ordinary people also have opportunities."

If we look back on the history of reform now, thirty or forty years from now, we will find that this was the best of times, an era where opportunities and dreams coexisted, an era of dream-making. Your ideas will become wealth, will become everything you desire.

But when industries become incredibly interconnected, you'll find that opportunities are not open to ordinary people. The cost of trial and error is infinitely increased, to the point where ordinary people cannot afford to make mistakes.

Liu Yimin analyzed the situation both domestically and internationally, concluding that a redistribution of wealth would only occur if there were a revolution in productivity. Currently, in China, not only is productivity changing, but all aspects are changing.

In the 1980s and 90s, the wages in most state-owned enterprises and government-affiliated units were much lower than those outside the system. Those with a bit of business acumen could become wealthy by setting up a street stall; those with even better business sense could buy houses and own several shops.
However, after retirement, the retirement pension is reversed.

In the following speeches, Zhao Zhongxiang basically became a supporting actor. Liu Yimin's extended analysis topics far exceeded the scope of his interviews. He was afraid of making mistakes by not understanding some of the topics, so he did not dare to easily accept them.

From social structure and race to social development, the students in the audience listened with increasing enthusiasm.

After the interviews, students asked questions, mostly from the front row, while those in the back row couldn't get their voices through the stage.

"Professor Liu, you just said that selling tea eggs is not as good as building missiles. If we can't find jobs in the future and have to set up a street stall, will Yenching University think we're ashamed?"

"Excuse me, what's your name?"

"I am Lu Buxuan from the Chinese Department, class of '85."

Liu Yimin nodded and said, "No, people who earn their living with their own hands are never shameful."

"That's true, but after all, there will be a big difference in status and treatment. I believe some people will say that we are wasting the country's resources."

"First, as long as you don't burden the country, it's equivalent to not wasting anything. Second, if the country's investment is considered as an investment, then investment is allowed to fail partially."

Third, if you can expand your street stall and provide employment for society, then you are making a contribution to society.

After Lu Buxuan sat down, another student stood up and asked Liu Yimin if he was viewing foreign countries with prejudice.

"If you can prove the example I gave is false, it means I'm biased. If you can't refute it, it means it's true. Also, classmate, do Westerners view us with prejudice?"

Liu Yimin talked about how the West views China, making everyone aware of the gap between the real world and the ideal world.

"Students, life is a series of problems, and all we can do is solve them. If you think your country is bad, then build it; if you think the people lack manners, then start by being a high-quality citizen yourself; if you think your compatriots are ignorant, then start by learning from and changing those around you, instead of just cursing, complaining, and running away."
When I was in college, I once said, "The place where you stand is China, and your heartbeat is the heartbeat of China. For the nation, we have entered a new era. Young comrades, let us stand tall and march towards the future!"

Amid applause, the interview officially ended, and countless students tried to rush onto the stage to shake hands with Liu Yimin. The security personnel, prepared in advance, blocked the students, allowing Liu Yimin to leave the dining hall smoothly.

At 11 p.m., Yenching University was incredibly lively. Students listening to the radio in their dormitories opened their windows and shouted out.

The loudspeakers at Yenching University blared, and the secretary of the university's Youth League Committee addressed the entire student body over the loudspeaker: "Let's applaud Comrade Liu Yimin a thousand times!"

As the students walked out of the dining hall, they continued to applaud, as if they were responding to the Youth League Committee's call to clap a thousand times.

Students from Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, and Renmin University walked hand in hand out of Yenching University's campus. In the dark, windy winter, they danced and repeated Liu Yimin's speech, oblivious to the cold as snow seeped into their shoes.

"Professor Liu is indeed Professor Liu; his research on Chinese and Western social and political systems is extremely thorough."

"Yes, it's easy to understand, and it even uses the idiom 'How can one allow others to snore beside one's bed' to make people understand the competition between countries without much thought."

"We need to wake up!"

When Liu Yimin returned to the Overseas Chinese Apartment, his family was waiting for him. Zhu Lin used a feather duster to brush the snow off Liu Yimin: "Professor Liu, you look so impressive! Let's give Professor Liu Yimin a thousand rounds of applause."

Led by Xi Mei, Liu Yu and Liu Lin clapped. Liu Yimin rubbed his red ears and said, "You guys shouldn't join in the commotion. I'm going to warm up by the radiator."

The next day, media outlets across the country reported on the event, encouraging young people to listen to Liu Yimin's speech. Many young people became enthusiastic after listening to Liu Yimin's speech.

"Lu Yao, what brings you here?" Liu Yimin asked, looking at Lu Yao standing at the door.

(End of this chapter)