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

Chapter 479 Liu Yimin + Qian Lao = "Youth Night Talks" Becomes a Hit

After the Lantern Festival, the Institute of Literature and the Central Radio and Television Station each received a "Notice on Exploring Diversified Production of Radio Programs to Meet the Cultural Life of the People." This document was jointly issued by the Ministry of Culture and the Publicity Department and was only exploratory in nature, not a formal policy document.

After obtaining the approval, Liu Yimin and Yang Weiguang from CCTV got busy. CCTV set up a production coordination team to assist the Institute of Literature and Art in recording programs.

Furthermore, both parties announced through the China Youth Daily to young people across the country that the "Youth Night Talk" radio program had been officially established.

The first episode caused a sensation among young people. No one expected that the opening was such a bombshell, inviting Qian Xuesen, a scientist admired by countless young people.

Everyone eagerly awaited the news, ready to listen to the broadcast as soon as it aired.

On February 24th, Liu Yimin invited Mr. Qian to CCTV to produce a program together. Mr. Qian specially wore the clothes he wore when he returned from the United States, and he was in particularly good spirits.

"Mr. Qian, this is a dedicated recording studio. We've already checked it," Yang Weiguang said, leading the way.

Upon entering the recording studio, Mr. Qian looked around at the setup and said, "I don't come to places like this often, Yimin. I've learned a lot by coming here with you today!"

"Mr. Qian, please adjust the chair and see how you can sit comfortably?" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

The security secretary helped Mr. Qian adjust his chair. After the two were seated, Yang Weiguang had two cups of tea brought over: "Mr. Qian, Comrade Yimin, we'll go out first. You can start recording by making a hand gesture. Don't worry if there are any problems; we'll edit it later."

"Okay," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After everyone left, Mr. Qian cleared his throat and said, "To be honest, I'm a little nervous sitting here."

"Mr. Qian, we can't both be nervous," Liu Yimin said, trying to lighten the atmosphere in the recording studio.

When it was almost time, Liu Yimin gave an opening speech, explaining the program's mission: to resolve the doubts of young people and guide them forward.

"Hello, young friends. Today we have invited our first guest for an interview. He is Qian Xuesen, the Vice Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, the Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and hailed by the United States as someone who is worth five divisions."

As soon as Liu Yimin finished his introduction, Qian Lao immediately added humorously, "Today, there are not just the two of us in our recording studio, but five divisions."

"Haha, Mr. Qian, what year did you go to the United States?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile, starting with basic information and gradually guiding the conversation to other questions.

“You were placed under house arrest for five years. For a scientist, this is the prime of life for striving. During your detention, did you ever think that since it was so difficult to return to China, you should just not go back? It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go back; it was the Americans who were preventing me.”

Liu Yimin held the question card in his hand, glancing at the order of the questions every now and then. Sometimes, if the rhythm got off, everything would fall apart.

"I never planned to stay in the United States. Many people ask me why I don't buy myself insurance or save in US dollars. I say I'm not even here anymore, what's the use of keeping these? Actually, it's not just me, there are a large number of scientists, I'm just one representative among them." Qian Xuesen leaned back in his chair, answering with ease.

Hearing that the process was going so smoothly, Yang Weiguang and the others outside shook hands with each other happily. Zhao Zhongxiang whispered, "Comrade Liu Yimin, you've practiced before, haven't you?"

In the recording studio, Liu Yimin continued to ask, "Professor Qian, many people say that China's technology is not good, its economy is not good, and that Chinese people are not as smart as foreigners. Do you think Chinese people are stupid?"

"Of course, Chinese people are not stupid. Many of our scientists who have studied abroad have been deeply troubled by this. We are all holding our breath, determined to prove to them that we Chinese are no less stupid than them. Our backwardness is a product of the times. How many years have we developed? How many years has the West developed? We cannot compare superficially; we must compare from multiple perspectives. How many years has the new China been established from ruins?"
Our industrial base may not be the best, but it's certainly very comprehensive, and that's the driving force behind our future development.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Yimin said, "In fact, Chinese people have always liked to talk about self-reflection. Confucius said, 'I examine myself three times a day.' When we encounter others, we apologize first. We like to reflect on our own problems, but we never think that it might be someone else's problem."

"Comrade Yimin, do you think this is a good habit or a bad habit?" Qian asked rhetorically, turning the conversation into an exchange of views between the two.

Liu Yimin talked a lot, highlighting the duality of things, with both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it allows for rapid progress, while the disadvantage is that it can easily lead to indulgence of others.

"Many people like to compare us with the rest of the world: with the United States in terms of industry, with France in terms of romance, with Britain in terms of gentlemanly manners, and with Germany in terms of meticulousness, as if we are full of problems. So we began to reflect on why we are inferior to others in every aspect."

However, compared to individual countries, the French are romantic, but lack the German rigor, the British gentlemanly manners, and the Chinese in terms of tolerance, gentleness, diligence, and resilience.

At first, Mr. Qian seemed thoughtful as he listened to Liu Yimin's words, but in the end, he nodded repeatedly.

The two no longer limited themselves to a question-and-answer session, but instead exchanged views, to the point that their conversation lasted for more than an hour.

Yang Weiguang waved his hand and said, "Don't disturb us, this is perfect material for the second episode."

After they finished discussing the trend of going abroad, the water in their cups was empty. Only then did the two look outside, and Yang Weiguang gave them a thumbs up.

"Mr. Qian, Comrade Yimin, you two have been chatting for over two hours! If we edit it up, we can air two episodes," Yang Weiguang said happily as he walked in.

Mr. Qian walked outside the recording studio and looked at the crowded people, saying, "Please have some consideration for this old man and let me go to the restroom."

Yang Weiguang personally led Mr. Qian to the toilet, with Liu Yimin following closely behind. Only now did he realize that his bladder was about to burst.

After leaving the restroom, the two did not linger at CCTV and left the building. Zhao Zhongxiang tried to shake hands with Mr. Qian by squeezing through the crowd, but there were too many people and he had no chance.

"Goodbye, Yimin. If I have anything to say to someone, I'll come find you," Old Qian joked.

After the car left, Liu Yimin went back to the building and listened to the recording briefly. He then gave instructions on which parts to cut: "Don't leave these parts. Don't try to fool me. I understand the basic principles of recording."

Yang Weiguang put his arm around Liu Yimin's shoulder and said, "I'll listen to you completely. Remember, in this program, Comrade Yimin's words carry more weight than mine."

"clear."

The recording team collaborated with the Institute of Literature and Art to film the program, and the Institute provided them with an additional subsidy. Yang Weiguang wanted to use his team and equipment to help CCTV secure a higher percentage of revenue, but Liu Yimin cleverly thwarted his plan.

When the program was being recorded, the Institute of Literature and Art was their boss.

At 3 p.m. on March 2nd, countless young people turned on their radios, placing them beside them or on their desks, waiting for the "Youth Night Talk" program to begin. In the student dormitories, everyone sat around the radio, and when no sound came out, they thought they had tuned to the wrong channel.

"I've got it! Listen, listen! That's Professor Liu Yimin's voice!" The student quickly put down the radio so everyone could listen carefully.

Hello listeners and young people across the country, this is the "Youth Night Talk" program. This program originated from an interview at Yenching University, and its purpose is to answer the questions of young people and guide them forward.

"Professor Liu's voice is quite good as a host. It's strong and clear, just like a host."

"Don't talk, just listen!"

The combined influence of Liu Yimin, a mentor to young people, and Qian Xuesen, a mentor to several generations, is enormous.

The interviews on "Youth Night Talk" were broadcast across the country via radio waves. Not only students, but also government officials, military personnel, civilians, students, young people, and middle-aged and elderly people listened to them. The broadcasts were also heard through loudspeakers in some factories.

When I hear that Chinese people always like to reflect and compare their own strengths with those of other countries and races around the world, I feel a sense of enlightenment.

Liu Yimin had shared this content with the students he trained at the Institute of Literature, but its reach was limited. Through "Youth Night Talks," Liu Yimin conveyed this viewpoint to young people and audiences across the country.

The following day, many newspapers also reported on the content of "Youth Night Talk".

When Yang Weiguang saw the data, he almost thought he had misread it. The passing score of four or five million was still too low. The number of listeners far exceeded one hundred million, which was higher than the number of listeners when Liu Yimin did the interview.

Yang Weiguang excitedly called Liu Yimin to share the good news: "Several radio stations have said they want to broadcast our content. Comrade Yimin, this is a great start for us!"

Some people also exclaimed that Liu Yimin's program resources were really too good. He invited Mr. Qian on the very first show. Even a dog could attract millions of listeners with such resources.

In response to Yang Weiguang's ecstatic joy, Liu Yimin said with a smile, "What we want is not a good start, but a good start every time."

The Institute of Literature and Art finally started to have relatively stable profitable projects. Later, Liu Yimin planned to have senior professors like Wu Zuxiang and Wang Yao give lectures.

Even when discussing ancient literature, it's about enhancing cultural confidence.

After that, we regularly invite guests for interviews, and the program answers questions based on listeners' letters, which enriches the overall content of the program.

As Liu Yimin entered the Institute of Literature and Art, everyone in the office, led by Yan Zhen, stood up and applauded him.

"Congratulations, Director."

"Sit down, everyone sit down. This is a victory for our Institute of Literature."

Dai Jianye laughed and said, "We live in the dormitory of Yenching University. At night, we can hear students from several dormitories listening to it. Some people even put radios in the hallway so that everyone can listen together."

"Director Liu, can we be on this program?" Yi Zhongtian joked.

"Sure, but you must think carefully before you speak, and avoid saying things that are illogical or historically inaccurate. With the development of media technology, everyone may be making programs in the future, and I hope you will remember this: never use strange viewpoints to attract attention."

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, Xia Yan also called to congratulate the program on its success: "Today, several veteran comrades from Zhonggu W called me and said that our program is well done and can help young people with education."

“We’re trying to be friends with young people,” Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"No matter what, success is success. At least you relieved me; you didn't cause any major trouble or make a fool of yourself," Xia Yan said happily.

After hanging up the phone, several professors from the Chinese Department came to congratulate him. Yan Jiayan said with a smile, "A few students from the May Fourth Literary Society saw how influential the radio broadcast was and now they want to start their own radio program. The Weiming Lake magazine has been running for so long, but it hasn't had as much impact as a single radio broadcast."

"I'd like to invite you as a guest sometime, please don't refuse," Liu Yimin said.

"Me?" Yan Jiayan laughed. "As long as you're not afraid of a drop in ratings."

The atmosphere inside and outside the Institute of Literature was filled with joy. After hanging up the phone, Xia Yan wondered if she should raise the institute's level; being a secondary institute under the Chinese Department seemed a bit of a waste.

However, this matter is not up to Xia Yan to decide; she also needs to communicate with the Ministry of Education.

At the Ji'an office, Liu Yimin saw Secretary Li, who was there to greet him, and asked in a low voice why he had been called over.

Secretary Li smiled and shook his head: "Comrade Yimin, there's no need for me to reveal these few steps to you."

After entering, the old leader first praised Liu Yimin's program, saying that it was good for young people and also good for the country.

"Old Chief, what else did you call me here for?"

Upon hearing this, the old commander put down the teacup he had picked up: "Comrade Jiaxian's health is not optimistic. We are preparing to reveal Comrade Jiaxian's identity to the people of the country. It would be unfair to Comrade Jiaxian if we didn't reveal it and let the masses know. I would like to ask if you could write a documentary novel about Comrade Jiaxian?"

“Sir, writing it down is not a problem,” Liu Yimin immediately assured him.

Upon hearing this, the old leader laughed a few times: "Well done, Liu Yimin, I knew this wouldn't be a problem for you."

“It’s not difficult to write personal documentary literature, but Mr. Deng has to cooperate with me. I need to know a lot about Mr. Deng. Of course, I already learned quite a bit from our last conversation, but it’s not enough.”

"After all, 'The Birth of a Nation' was an adaptation of a novel. If I were to write this one, I plan to name it directly 'Deng Jiaxian,'" Liu Yimin said.

PS: Thank you to the user "Teddy Club Spinner" for the 1500 coins and to the user "Speechless" for the 100 coins.
(End of this chapter)