Magic Modified Huayu

The general personally made tea for the three of them.

It can be seen that leaders in high positions generally have a deep understanding of Chinese tea culture.

He is also good at making tea.

There is no need to say much about the quality of the tea.

Director Wei was not polite either.

After he drank the first cup of tea, the general got to the point: "Director Wei, did Tiantian tell you everything about Mr. Shao?"

Director Wei shook his head and said, "Tiantian only briefly told me a few things. She doesn't know a lot of the inside story. We are all laymen in this area. Please enlighten me, General."

The general nodded and sighed, "This is a very long story, dating back to the 90s."

Director Wei said calmly, "Tell me slowly. I'm all ears. The more details the better."

"I've had someone compile a copy of the detailed information. You can take it with you when you leave."

The general made preparations in advance.

Then I began to introduce Mr. Shao.

"Shao Chun, male, Han nationality, was born in Beijing on December 25, 1944. He graduated from Zhongyang University of Finance and Economics. He is a legendary figure in our country's financial industry and the former chairman of Hua Xia Securities.

In 1993, Hua Xia Securities was established, with Shao Chun as general manager. In 1996, he was promoted to chairman of the board. In 1997, he brought Hua Xia Securities' overall performance to the top of the industry, making it the undisputed leader in the domestic securities industry.

"Hua Xia Securities also reached its peak under the leadership of Mr. Shao."

Director Wei knows this information.

Da Tiantian had told him about it before coming, and Director Wei had also checked it himself.

However, if Mr. Shao was just the former chairman of Hua Xia Securities, there would be no dinner party today.

What Director Wei really cares about is the incident that caused Mr. Shao to lose the position of Chairman of Hua Xia Securities.

The general also hit the point.

"In 1998, something happened."

Director Wei leaned forward.

His expression began to become serious.

"Buy the Varyag?" Director Wei asked.

Varyag, the second unfinished Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier built by the former Soviet Navy.

1999年中国购买该舰，几经辗转。2005年4月26日该舰在大连造船厂进行更改安装及继续建造。2011年8月10日，该舰出海进行航行试验。2012年9月25日该舰正式更名为辽宁号航空母舰。

It is also China's first aircraft carrier.

The general nodded. "Yes, purchase the Varyag. Since 1998, Mr. Shao's life has been deeply connected to the Varyag. Many people have silently contributed greatly to the Varyag. Mr. Shao is almost universally recognized as the most meritorious person within our system. He deserves due recognition and respect."

Director Wei took out his phone and asked, "Do you mind if I record this?"

"Record, I hope Director Wei will film everything that happened in full so that everyone can know."

Since Director Wei has been called here, the general certainly doesn't mind Director Wei doing more preparatory work.

He continued: "The Varyag's construction began in Ukraine on December 4, 1985, and the hull was launched in November 1988. During the construction period, the Soviet Union collapsed and the project was forced to be interrupted. In 1995, the ship was withdrawn from the Russian Navy and handed over to Ukraine.

"As soon as the Soviet Union collapsed, our military, primarily the navy, took notice of the Varyag. We wanted to acquire it, starting research in 91 and sending personnel to Ukraine in late 92. By 96, we had finally secured the deal. Ukraine didn't need the ship, so they agreed to sell it to China. However, the sale required a comprehensive bidding process. Under these circumstances, the Military Aid and Trade Office of the Central Military Commission formally submitted a request to the state for approval of the project.

"But after the report was submitted, it wasn't approved. This was because there was no consensus among the top leaders regarding aircraft carriers. Looking back now, we certainly need aircraft carriers. But back then, there were two views. One was that we absolutely needed aircraft carriers, otherwise we would never be able to compete with the Lighthouse at sea. The other was that Khrushchev said aircraft carriers were useless, that they were a living coffin at sea. Furthermore, if we purchased aircraft carriers, it would inevitably alert other countries."

"In the 90s, the focus was on economic development. What we take for granted now was very controversial back then.

"The top leadership couldn't reach a consensus, and even within the military, there were divisions. In the 90s, it was our navy that wanted an aircraft carrier the most, but the interests of the navy, army, and air force...were not aligned."

Director Wei was moved when he heard this.

The general reminded: "If you want to film a movie in the future, you don't have to film it here."

"of course."

Director Wei agreed immediately.

"You continue."

"High-level officials were slow to approve the project, and the navy desperately wanted the Varyag. We couldn't afford to delay at the time, as six other countries were interested in buying the Varyag.

"Under those circumstances, and unable to wait for high-level approval due to time constraints, the Navy had to find another solution. We approached a Hong Kong businessman named Xu and asked him to personally purchase the Varyag. Initially, Mr. Xu hesitated, but eventually agreed after some persuasion. Then, using the pretext of building a gambling ship, Mr. Xu went to Ukraine to bid and won with a price of $2000 million.

"But then a problem arose - this Xu had no money. The financial crisis hit Hong Kong at the time, and Xu went bankrupt."

Director Wei narrowed his eyes.

"So Boss Xu didn't use his own money to buy the Varyag for the country?"

The general said coldly, "Not only did he not spend his own money, he also made hundreds of millions of dollars from the purchase of the Varyag. If the navy had not actually obtained the Varyag, he would have understood the navy's anger."

Director Wei didn't say anything.

"The man who actually financed the purchase of the Varyag was Mr. Shao. The international situation was sensitive at the time, and the leadership was divided. There was no consensus on whether to purchase the Varyag. The Navy had originally placed its hopes on someone named Xu, but he was a mere figurehead. Ultimately, they found Mr. Shao, then chairman of Hua Xia Securities.

"At first, Mr. Shao didn't believe it. After all, $2 million for an aircraft carrier seemed unrealistic, even for an unfinished one. The reasons behind this are complex. After the collapse of Big Brother, many of the nation's most valuable assets were sold at a low price. I'll include the details in the document, and Director Wei, you can take a closer look later."

"In short, Mr. Shao believes in this matter and is willing to provide assistance, but as a state official, he needs to see the official document before taking action."

At this point, the general smiled bitterly: "But we couldn't produce the official documents back then, and there was no consensus from the higher-ups. Finally, Mr. Shao relented and said he wanted to talk to the leadership. In the end, the then deputy commander of the navy had a meeting with Mr. Shao. Commander He made it clear that the Varyag was what the navy wanted, but the navy couldn't come forward directly. With Commander He's endorsement, Mr. Shao believed that this was a matter of national concern, and began to support it with all his strength.

"Mr. Shao had an industrial company under Hua Xia Securities transfer the money to a man named Xu through financing. This process went through many twists and turns, and many unexpected events occurred. The details are a long story, but suffice it to say that after Mr. Shao took the lead in the purchase of the Varyag, just as it was about to succeed, someone reported it to the higher-ups.

"Mr. Shao was in charge of a securities company, yet he ended up purchasing an aircraft carrier. This immediately caught the attention of senior management, and an investigation team was quickly established. Mr. Shao told the team that this was a national act, and that the military had approached him for assistance, which was why he acted. However, when the team inquired with the military, they replied that no military unit or individual had commissioned any company or individual to purchase an aircraft carrier."

Director Wei's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

He could imagine how Mr. Shao felt when he learned of this reply letter.

The general sighed.

"In this matter, the Navy is sorry for Mr. Shao. In those days, there were internal and external troubles. There were many factions and foreign enemies all around. In short, the military did not endorse Mr. Shao in this matter. After Mr. Shao learned of this reply letter, he also realized the seriousness of the problem.

"The investigation team asked Mr. Shao if it was Commander He who asked him to buy the Varyag.

"The prime minister at the time also personally issued a statement saying that if a securities company bought an aircraft carrier, it must have personal benefits. He also issued a 16-character instruction, saying that this was audacious and reckless behavior and that a serious investigation would be carried out to respect the national law and set an example for others.

"The national defense law is punishable by death, so the nature of this matter is of course extremely serious.

"But after realizing that the navy couldn't intervene personally, Mr. Shao took on the matter alone without implicating Commander He."

Director Wei was moved: "Mr. Shao is truly a righteous man."

The general nodded solemnly. "After Shao Lao was brought down, the Prime Minister commissioned six major ministries to investigate him. The final results of the investigation came out, and it was clear that Shao Lao had no personal fault and had not taken a single cent."

Director Wei was moved again.

To be honest, in this matter, even if the man surnamed Xu abused his power for personal gain, as long as the result was good, he would be willing to call him a hero.

And people like Mr. Shao who are incorruptible are certainly more worthy of respect.

"When the investigation results came out, the Prime Minister didn't understand and asked Mr. Shao why he was doing this. Mr. Shao said that Commander He told him that this was the only chance for the Chinese nation. Because no one would sell it to us before, and no one would sell it to us in the future. If I miss it, I will not forgive myself.

"Because of this incident, Mr. Shao was dismissed and investigated. The Varyag project was shelved for a time and was even nearly sold to Taiwan... At a critical moment, after receiving the news, Mr. Shao wrote four reports in succession and submitted them to the top leaders. After a series of negotiations, the country finally intervened and personally took over the Varyag.

"From then on, we had our own aircraft carrier. However, due to procedural injustice, Mr. Shao was constantly under investigation and never returned to the position of Chairman of Hua Xia Securities. It was not until this year that the top management finally reached a unanimous resolution to compensate Mr. Shao with all the benefits he deserved over the years at the level of Chairman of Hua Xia Securities.

“Nevertheless, this is not enough.

"In the Varyag incident, countless people have silently made great contributions behind the scenes. It is too difficult to accomplish anything, especially when so many people only want to drag their feet. Countless people are carrying heavy burdens forward, and for some people, I can't even tell you their names. But Mr. Shao's name should be known to more people. Mr. Shao was born in 1944 and is 74 years old this year. The Navy owes Mr. Shao a debt of gratitude, and Mr. Shao deserves to be worthy of the Navy and the country.

"Besides Mr. Shao, there were many other heroes who campaigned for the Varyag, and their stories have now been deciphered. Currently, Mr. Xu is touting himself as a hero of the Varyag, reaping both fame and fortune. The true heroes who carried the Varyag's weight are hidden in history, unknown to anyone. This kind of behavior must not be allowed to continue."

"Director Wei, the Navy hopes you can film these heroes and righteous men. Heroes need to be commended, and the truth needs to be revealed."

The general picked up the teacup and looked at Director Wei.

"Director Wei, are you willing to do this?"

Director Wei said solemnly: "It's an honor!"

Chapter 280: Change of plan, new play launched, favored by newcomers

Director Wei's original plan for his next film was to film Xu Daibei.

But the plan didn't change quickly.

Director Wei believes that Xu Dai's life is indeed "wonderful" and can be made into a drama with ups and downs that is exciting enough for the audience and has both critical and educational significance.

But the same is true of the story of Mr. Shao that the general just mentioned.

It’s just that one of them is a thief who stole the country.

One is a patriot.

If Director Wei was a hater of the country, he would definitely first film the story of Xu Dai, the thief who stole the country.

But Director Wei is not a hater of the country.

He was just dissatisfied with some phenomena in this country.

There are always people confusing concepts.

Those who express discontent do not hate this country, and those who cater to their superiors in everything do not, in the final analysis, love this country.

Director Wei can tell the difference between them, and also knows what he should do as a normal person.

"Mr. Shao's contributions should indeed be known to more people. If you give me this task, I will do my best."

Director Wei agreed without any hesitation.

Just filming.

Filming the story of Xu Daizi and Shao Lao, there is no conflict between the two.

It's never an either/or question.

Adults want it all.

At most, it's just a matter of rank.

Director Wei is still young.

Some have enough energy to shoot two movies in a row.

The general and Boss Zhou were both very satisfied with Director Wei's statement.

Boss Zhou smiled and said, "I thought Director Wei was a man of good sense."

The general nodded with satisfaction.

"Director Wei, you are our first choice and the only one in my mind. I can only feel at ease if I leave this matter to you."

Director Wei said modestly, "You're overpraising me. There are many other excellent directors in China."

"Maybe. They may have the ability, but they don't have faith and a stance. I don't think they can capture Mr. Shao's spirit."

Director Wei actually agreed with what the general said.

From a technical point of view, those famous directors are only better than Director Wei.

There is actually no problem with their professional ability.

But there is something wrong with their mentality.

One of the problems is feeling superior to the audience.

Another problem is that many directors don't believe in what they shoot.

If even the director himself doesn’t believe in what he is filming, how can they film the idea well?

For example, when the older generation of great directors filmed historical dramas, from Zhang Yimou to Feng Xiaogang to Kaizi Ge and Wu Baige, the main themes were all assassins, killers, incest, love affairs, conspiracies, stand-ins... and jokes.

It just lacks the grandeur and magnificence of history.

In the five thousand years of Chinese history, almost everything happening in the world today can be found in history.

But in their minds, Chinese history is not worthy of praise.

The heroes in Chinese history all cared about things that were not presentable.

Therefore, the historical blockbusters they make are always petty.

Then the category of historical movies was completely ruined by them.