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

Chapter 483 An Invitation from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao

In the study, Liu Peiran carefully read the script of "Brotherhood of Blades" for two hours, paying attention to every single detail from beginning to end.

"Yimin, how much is left to write?" Liu Peiran asked anxiously.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "If you hadn't come, you probably could have submitted the manuscript the day after tomorrow."

"Then I'll come and pick it up the day after tomorrow?"

"Wait for my notification. After you take it back, please send me a copy of 'Script Monthly'."

Liu Peiran nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for your notification. I think the content it contains is even richer than that of 'Huo Yuanjia'."

"Both are good, Lao Liu, that's a bit sarcastic!" Liu Yimin said with a grin as he looked at Liu Peiran.

"Really? Maybe I'm just jealous. I think this is a great subject matter. Everyone knows about the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Ming Dynasty; they were a secret service organization. If we use elements of the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a background, everyone will definitely be interested. It's just that the costumes and such need to be well-made, which will cost money."

The fight scenes are going to be amazing, so we need to find a good martial arts consultant.” Liu Peiran has already started planning how to film them.

After Liu Peiran finished speaking, she brought up "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" again.

"I thought you weren't going to do it, and I was ready to give up trying to persuade you," Liu Yimin said, shrugging.

"It's not that I'm indecisive, it's just that with such a large film studio, I don't dare to make decisions casually. However, around 400,000 is not much. Based on the minimum purchase price, the studio can make a profit."

However, I think focusing on the difficulties and hardships of planting trees would be more moving for the audience.

Liu Peiran is sticking to his old approach, wanting to make a melodramatic film, and even citing examples such as "Xu Mao and His Daughters" to show that a life of hardship is more likely to move people.

After Liu Peiran finished speaking, Liu Yimin pulled him into the movie room and brought out several rolls of film for him to watch: "These are some American movies, Director Liu, take a look. Warmth is the most touching force, and it can touch everyone's heart."

The portrayal of suffering is based on an understanding of the real-world context, and it's difficult for ordinary foreign audiences to empathize with the hardships faced by Chinese people. Some film award committees may "understand," but their understanding doesn't translate to box office success.

"is it?"

"Yes, we must find common ground in emotions, the emotions between humans and animals, friendship, love, warmth, these are the common emotions of humankind."

As he spoke, Liu Yimin started playing movies. The first one was called "The Dog's Journey to Find Its Master," and the second one was called "The Wilderness of Love," both heartwarming American films from the 1980s.

After watching the film, Liu Yimin said to Liu Peiran, "Director Liu, to be honest, I'm not sure how much money I can make outside. But this film will definitely resonate with all of humanity. Sometimes a good film isn't necessarily reflected in box office numbers, but more importantly, in the hearts of the audience."

The American version of "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" grossed over $40 million worldwide, while the Chinese version grossed 270 million yuan domestically.

Beyond the box office success, countless viewers repeatedly watched the video on television, mobile phones, and the internet.

Liu Yimin's version connects animals and tree planting, and its cultural export is more important than box office success.

When Liu Yimin said that it might not be reflected in the box office, Liu Peiran thought to herself that she was in trouble. But when she heard Liu Yimin talk about cultural export and promoting China's tree-planting contributions to the world so that the world could understand China, Liu Peiran felt a sense of responsibility.

"I'm not going to say anything more, just shoot! You say how to shoot, and I'll shoot it. You say who to shoot, and I'll shoot it!" Liu Peiran said, slapping his thigh.

"Okay, I have a director in mind."

"Who?"

"Huang Zumo".

"From Shanghai Film Studio?"

"Yes, this movie can't be made by anyone else; it'll definitely turn out to be a tearjerker. Huang Zumo did a good job in 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' capturing both the beauty and the uplifting spirit."

Have you seen his film "The Button"?

"The Button" didn't do too well, but it wasn't bad either, selling over 140 copies.

“I watched it, and it does fit your idea quite well. It’s a very heartwarming film. In the end, Zhang Huamei and the staff work together towards a bright future.” Liu Peiran felt that instead of hiring directors from the Shanghai Film Studio, Liu Yimin should have hired Xie Jin.

“Xie Jin was a great director,” Liu Peiran suggested.

"Xie Jin? I heard he's busy filming 'Hibiscus Town'!" Xie Jin was not the person Liu Yimin wanted.

Liu Peiran then realized: "Gu Hua's 'Hibiscus Town' became very popular after it was written, and many film studios sought him out to adapt the script. Shanghai Film Studio, relying on Xie Jin's golden brand, snatched 'Hibiscus Town' from them."

"Don't just talk, how about it?" Liu Yimin looked at Liu Peiran.

“Huang Zumo it is, it’s a deal that won’t lose money!” Liu Peiran said decisively.

Liu Peiran gave Liu Yimin a great deal of power, allowing him to directly contact Huang Zumo and make Huang Zumo responsible for Liu Yimin during the filming of the movie.

In the evening, Liu Yimin took Liu Peiran to dinner at the Overseas Chinese Apartment. When Zhu Lin returned and saw Liu Peiran there, he quickly greeted him.

Liu Peiran praised, "Comrade Zhu Lin, the huge success of 'Huo Yuanjia' is inseparable from your brilliant performance."

"Director Liu has little to do with me. My role is really insignificant. What everyone is watching is Comrade Jet Li's action scenes. Comrade Jet Li is very dedicated to his acting. He's been through a lot of falls and fights and has gotten quite injured."

When Liu Yu and Liu Lin saw Zhu Lin return, they stretched out their arms, wanting Zhu Lin to hug them. Zhu Lin could only hold them and sit on the sofa.

When Jet Li was mentioned, Liu Peiran asked Liu Yimin about the casting for the lead role in "Brotherhood of Blades".

"Don't ask me, Director Liu. We need to carefully select the three main actors," Liu Yimin said.

Liu Peiran said, "Jet Li's face is too upright; he can't portray the cunning and roguishness of a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Anyway, there are plenty of martial arts actors in China. If we choose carefully, we're sure to find a suitable one. Also, Director Liu, do you know what the important difference is between our kung fu movies and those from Hong Kong?"

"Where?"

"Sometimes the casting isn't good. The costumes and props in Hong Kong aren't great, but the actors are very convincing. If this movie is well-received, I'll write a sequel."

"A sequel? A series?" Liu Peiran's eyes lit up.

Liu Yimin nodded and said, "Yes, so Director Liu, you must choose the right actors."

Liu Peiran said excitedly, "Don't worry, brother!"

"Factory Director Liu, we're from different generations," Liu Yimin said with a grin.

"Oh my, I'm so excited!"

Just then, Xi Mei finished cooking, and Liu Yimin invited Liu Peiran to eat. Liu Peiran took a bite and praised, "Comrade Xi Mei's cooking is getting better and better."

"Factory Manager Liu, please come more often if you like it," Xi Mei said generously.

Liu Peiran glanced at Liu Yimin: "Definitely, definitely, I wish I could come every day."

"Hahaha," Liu Yimin said, "Director Liu, I would certainly welcome you."

After finishing her meal, Liu Peiran left the Overseas Chinese Apartment humming a song, her steps very light and quick.

In mid-March, it got much warmer outside. Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin took the two little ones out for a walk. The two little ones were curious about everything at night, pointing at this and that and asking questions non-stop.

"She'll be two years old soon; time flies," Zhu Lin remarked.

Liu Yimin said softly, "What? You think the two are growing too fast, so you want to have another pair of twins?"

Zhu Lin retorted, "So what if I'm having a baby? It's not like I'm afraid."

"I'm scared, I'm scared!" Liu Yimin laughed.

After walking around for twenty minutes, the two returned to the Overseas Chinese Apartment. They watched several children playing games downstairs. Liu Yu and Liu Lin clapped their hands with joy as they watched the children running around.

Unfortunately, they were too young, and the other children didn't play with them at all.

Back at the apartment, Ximei was sitting on the sofa reading a book. Seeing the two children enter, she put the book away. Ximei was preparing for her self-study exams and read in her spare time. Once the two children started school, she would have even more time to read.

At 10:30, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin finished showering and lay down on the bed. They turned on the light bulb and had some close contact.

After sweating profusely, the two lay contentedly on the bed.

"Everyone says that a man's stamina declines after 25, but I'm getting stronger with each battle," Liu Yimin said proudly, swinging his toes.

Zhu Lin looked at Liu Yimin with a beaming smile: "Yes, Teacher Liu is amazing, unbeatable."

Liu Yimin turned over and said, "We should still be more humble, after all, we can't underestimate the heroes of the world."

After rambling on for a while, the two laughed and drifted off to sleep.

On the Yenching University sports field, the entire faculty and students gathered. To the accompaniment of rousing music, Liu Yimin led the way, followed by President Ding Shisun, and then leaders from various universities, department heads, and others, as they presented scholarships to the recipients of the Yimin Academic Scholarship.

Ten outstanding students from each department, totaling over four hundred across the university, received their awards and scholarships for half an hour.

After all the award-winning students had finished receiving their awards, Liu Yimin slowly turned around and led the applause.

After the applause, they returned to the stage one by one. Principal Ding Shisun thanked Liu Yimin over the loudspeaker for securing this funding for the school and hoped that the students would learn from Liu Yimin, study science and culture, and dedicate themselves to the cause of reform and opening up.

After Ding Shisun finished speaking, he invited Liu Yimin to address the students.
Liu Yimin said with a smile: "Hello, teachers and students. Let's congratulate the students who have won the scholarships. Next, let's learn from them and strive to be the best."

Many students asked why seniors couldn't get the scholarship, and some blamed Principal Ding. First, let me clarify that this isn't Principal Ding's fault; it's because I didn't work hard enough, and I couldn't rely on the name 'Liu Yimin' to get more money for everyone. I apologize to the seniors.

Laughter and applause erupted throughout the school; no one had expected Liu Yimin's opening remarks to be an "apology." This unconventional opening drew cheers from the entire student body.

Liu Yimin explained to everyone why senior students were excluded. One reason was the financial issue, and the other was that most senior students had already reached agreements with employers after the end of the first semester, and some were even receiving internship wages in the following semester. Full-time students needed this money even more.

"And most importantly, senior students, you have already stepped into society with one foot in it. Your achievements can no longer be defined by grades. After you enter society, honors will no longer be based on scores, but on the achievements you make in your work and on the front lines of science, and on the recognition from the people."

Yenching University students stand at the pinnacle of universities across the country, but I hope that when they enter society, they will be rooted in the deepest places and most closely connected with the people and the development of science and technology in the country.

Your achievements in your work have made your alma mater proud, and the school will personally award you a medal for outstanding alumni.

As Liu Yimin finished speaking, the students were applauding enthusiastically when they suddenly felt a chill on their foreheads. Snowflakes had begun to fall in Yenching in mid-March.

"Peach blossom snow!" the students exclaimed in surprise.

There were supposed to be speeches from leaders, but unfortunately the snow was getting heavier and heavier, with rain mixed in with the snow, so the meeting had to be ended early.

Back in the Chinese Literature Department, everyone was wiping the snow off themselves when Yan Jiayan laughed and said, "Yimin, did you call for this snow to fall?"

Wu Zuxiang joked, "You spoke so brilliantly, even the heavens are applauding you!"

"It's more like drooling," Liu Yimin said humorously.

Everyone looked at the blooming peach blossoms outside the building, which, together with the snow, created a real "peach blossom snow".

After get off work, the snow hadn't stopped, but the rain and rising ground temperature meant that the ground was covered in water, except for snow on the buildings and tree branches.

Liu Yimin put on his raincoat and slowly rode his motorcycle away from Yanda University. There were many students eating on campus, and riding too fast on the motorcycle could easily splash them with water.

Many students, upon seeing Liu Yimin, joked that it was Liu Yimin who had called for the snow to fall.

"You bunch of brats, didn't you even remind the professor to be careful?" Liu Yimin said with a laugh.

"Professor Liu, please be careful."

"That's pretty much it."

When Liu Yimin returned to the Overseas Chinese Apartment, his clothes were soaked, but fortunately the heating was still on, and he warmed up in no time.

Liu Yu and Liu Lin stood on the balcony, watching the snowflakes frantically spinning around. Liu Yimin used a tool to catch some snowflakes for them, so they could play on the balcony.

When Zhu Lin returned and saw them having so much fun, he couldn't help but say, "Go ahead and play. When you grow up, you'll realize that snow isn't all that fun."

After finishing his meal, Liu Yimin returned to his study and began writing. With the script for "Brotherhood of Blades" completed, Deng Lao's personal documentary novel was also nearing its end.

However, it cannot be published after it is written; it will be published when the state declassifies it.

The declassification of state documents sparked curiosity among the people nationwide, and Liu Yimin's novel perfectly catered to that curiosity.

After finishing his writing and stepping out of the study, Zhu Lin snapped the radio off, having just finished listening to the third episode of "Youth Night Talk".

Zhu Lin smiled and said, "Teacher Liu, I didn't expect you to have such a deep understanding of the country's economy and policies, as well as foreign development."

When Liu Yimin spoke, he also cited examples from other countries to explain why this is the best era, and that it cannot be just a matter of words.

"The economy follows certain laws. Although they may seem unpredictable, they are actually cyclical," Liu Yimin said.

Zhu Lin didn't understand economics very well, but he knew that there were indeed many opportunities now. Liang Sanhulu, who used to make a living selling candied hawthorns at the entrance of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, rented a shop and made money from it, and even got to ride a motorcycle.

"He's even planning to open a second store now!"

"Liang Sanhulu has a good business sense and is also willing to put aside his pride. When the educated youth returned to the city, many of them were too ashamed to set up stalls."

Xi Mei laughed and said, "Now we can't bring ourselves to do it. Salespeople in state-owned stores don't earn as much as individual business owners setting up stalls, but people still think state-owned stores are respectable."

Xi Mei is very satisfied with her current situation. Her monthly salary of 300 yuan is equivalent to that of three state-owned store waitresses.

At the end of March, Liu Yimin handed the manuscript of "Deng Jiaxian" to the old leader for review. The old leader happily put on his glasses and read it carefully for two hours.

"You lad, anything entrusted to you is sure to be a success. If you were in the army, you'd be described as quick, accurate, and ruthless. You write fast, you write correctly, and you write in depth!" the old commander laughed heartily.

"Please take a look and see if there's anything wrong, then I'll revise it."

The old leader asked a few people to play mahjong with Liu Yimin for a while, as he wanted to watch it again.

The four were playing enthusiastically. Just as Liu Yimin was struggling with his hand, the old commander came over and said, "You're not bad at chess, but how come you play mahjong so badly? It's like you're feeding the opponent pieces."

"I don't play often, so I'm out of practice," Liu Yimin said awkwardly. He had already lost several games and had no enjoyment of the game.

Liu Yimin stood up, and the old commander sat down and started playing. After a while, he got a self-draw.

"Hahaha, you can't say I was being lenient with myself," the old commander said happily.

After winning, the old leader stopped playing and instead chatted with Liu Yimin about the article, feeling that there was nothing that needed to be revised.

"The passage about Professor Yang Zhenning and Comrade Jiaxian is very well written. It depicts two different choices in life. Of course, we can't say that Professor Yang's choice was wrong, after all, he also brought honor to the Chinese people in the scientific community. However, some things ultimately need to be done by someone," the old leader said.

It contained two anecdotes: Deng Lao's return to China and Professor Yang's visit to China. Liu Yimin asked if Deng Lao should take a look.

"Let's not let him see it yet. Old Deng is too modest; he doesn't want to exaggerate his abilities. Let Comrade Xu Luxi take a look. I'll have my secretary take it over. After he's finished reading it, I'll keep it here. I'll decide when to publish it. Don't you have any objections?"

Liu Yimin thought to himself, "How could I possibly have any objections?"

After Secretary Li showed Professor Xu Luxi the book "Deng Jiaxian," Professor Xu Luxi said she had no objections and asked Secretary Li to convey her gratitude to the old leader and Liu Yimin.

As April arrived, Liu Yimin's second popular novel, "Embroidered Spring Blade," was officially published in "Legend of Today and Yesterday."

The cover of "Legend of the Past and Present" featured the movie "Brotherhood of Blades" and Liu Yimin's name, and also included a cover image of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Before Liu Yimin could even look at it carefully, the Writers Association called, saying that Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao had invited him to Singapore to attend the Chinese Writers Forum and receive a literary award.

"Comrade Yimin, come here quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yimin rode his motorcycle to the Writers' Association.

(End of this chapter)