Chapter 00118: Overnight Fame
# Overnight Fame
Chapter 118
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 118: Overnight Fame
Shanghai.
Gong Xue was the third child in her family, with an older brother and sister.
Her parents were no longer young.
Her mother used to manage a photo news agency and was a cadre.
After retiring, she took on a consulting role at the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House.
"Are you off work now?"
"Yes, is there something else?"
"Hehe, I heard your daughter starred in a movie that's really popular. I haven't been able to get tickets. Could you help me get a few?"
At the end of the workday, a young colleague stopped Gong's mother.
She was taken aback and replied, "I'm sorry, I don't have any tickets either. I even wrote to Xiao Xue asking her to get some movie tickets."
"Oh, that's too bad. I won't bother you then!"
Suppressing a subtle yet proud feeling, Gong's mother rode her bike out of the office.
Instead of heading home, she went straight to a cinema.
When she arrived, she found her husband, Gong Ying, her eldest brother and his wife, her sister and brother-in-law—all seven family members were there, ready to watch Romance on Lushan Mountain.
They had managed to get tickets with great difficulty and couldn't spare any for her colleague.
"Everyone's here, let's go in!"
Gong's father led the way, and they all entered the theater.
Last time, when Gong Xue starred in Sacrificial Red, the whole family had come to watch, but that film hadn't made much of an impact, and Gong Xue's performance had been criticized.
This time, however, Romance on Lushan Mountain was everywhere.
Even a fool could tell that their daughter was about to become famous.
The movie had a strong petit-bourgeois flavor, which suited the tastes of Shanghainese.
Chen Qi, out of a mischievous streak, had even added a few scenes of people drinking coffee, emphasizing "elegance."
When the movie ended, the audience clapped as usual.
Clapping after a movie might seem awkward, but it genuinely expressed the audience's respect for the film.
"Xiao Xue has made a great work!"
"Yes, she won't have to cry when she comes home for the New Year... By the way, how did her acting improve so much? Did she find a teacher?"
I know! I know!
Gong Ying, listening to her family's discussion, was bursting to reveal the secret, but she couldn't betray her sister.
Her sister had told her that she had received help from an outstanding young man named Chen Qi.
His name was right there in the credits!
Gong Ying couldn't help but wonder what this person was like.
After the movie, her siblings went back to their own homes, while Gong Ying returned to the alley with her parents.
As soon as they entered the lane, a neighbor called out, "You're finally back! A guest has been waiting for a long time!"
"A guest?"
Gong's father was surprised to see that it was a friend from the Shanghai Film Studio.
"Old Sun, what brings you here so suddenly?"
"Let's talk inside!"
The man followed them into the house and got straight to the point: "Weren't you trying to get your daughter into the Shanghai Film Studio? We didn't know much about her before, so we couldn't make any promises. But now the studio leaders have personally recommended her. They sent me to ask for your opinion."
"Uh..."
Gong's father was embarrassed.
"I'm really sorry, but you're a step too late. Xiao Xue has already transferred to the Beijing Film Studio."
"What? Has all the paperwork been done?"
"Yes, even her household registration has been moved."
Damn it!
The man slapped his thigh, feeling as if some kind of luck had slipped away.
This feeling grew even stronger on his way back when he saw a girl holding a copy of Popular Cinema, pointing at a photo of Gong Xue, and stubbornly asking a tailor to make a dress just like the one in the picture.
"It's too blurry, I can't make it!"
"Then I'll treat you to a movie! We'll go to the cinema, and once you see the dress, you'll know how to make it!"
The girl was fierce, her eyes shining with the desire for beautiful clothes.
"Somehow, we lost a great talent, and the Beijing Film Studio got her!"
The man grew more frustrated the more he thought about it.
He blamed the old-timers at the studio.
If they had just agreed when she wanted to join, none of this would have happened!
Historically, Gong Xue had joined the Shanghai Film Studio.
At first, she wasn't among the top-tier actresses, but she was still one of the studio's "golden flowers."
At that time, every major studio had their own "three golden flowers" or "five golden flowers," even the August First Film Studio.
Later, she won both the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers awards for her role in Under the Bridge, becoming one of the most popular actresses of her time—especially since Zhang Yu had already gone abroad, making Gong Xue the face of the Shanghai Film Studio.
…………
"Ding ling ding ling!"
The postman rang his bicycle bell and stopped gracefully at the gate of the Beijing Film Studio.
He tossed in a large bag: "Mail!"
"So much?"
"Who knows what you guys are up to. Take your time sorting it out!"
The gatekeeper grunted as he opened the bag.
One of his duties was to sort the mail and then write on the blackboard: "So-and-so has mail, so-and-so has a package!"
"Gong Xue's!"
"Another one for Gong Xue!"
"Hey, still more for Gong Xue?"
The gatekeeper picked out over a hundred letters, all addressed to her.
The senders were from the city, the suburbs, and even Tangshan...
The gatekeeper, having seen it all, took the blackboard and wrote in bold strokes:
"Gong Xue has a bag of letters!"
Then he posted it outside the gatehouse.
The studio gate was always bustling with people, and everyone saw the notice, reacting in different ways.
Zhang Jinling: "Great!"
Liu Xiaoqing: "Hmph!"
Li Xiuming rolled her eyes.
Cai Ming: "Wow, the world's gone crazy!"
Wang Yang also saw it but didn't react.
He strolled into his office and called someone in, instructing, "Gong Xue isn't at the studio. Take care of those letters, pick a few, and send them to the film crew. Have her write a public response to be published in Popular Cinema. It's a way to acknowledge the fans."
"Got it!"
Wang Yang was pleased, feeling like a talent scout who had discovered a gem.
Since the Beijing Film Studio resumed production in 1977, its most popular work had been Little Flower, which launched the careers of Chen Chong, Liu Xiaoqing, and Tang Guoqiang.
But even Little Flower couldn't compare to the current popularity of Romance on Lushan Mountain.
He knew that the China Film Group was frantically making additional copies, with the total number reaching 380!
Wang Yang was the first studio head to promote the concept of "golden flowers," though he might not have realized it.
His actions were essentially about creating stars.
The importance of stars to a film's success was undeniable.
But as the saying goes, he had his limitations.
He knew how to promote the "golden flowers," but what to do next was unclear.
…………
In July of the previous year, Deng Xiaoping had delivered his famous speech at Mount Huangshan: "Mount Huangshan is a place for you to make money. The province should have a plan. When foreigners come to China for tourism, sometimes they're not satisfied if they don't spend enough. You need to create good conditions, improve transportation, accommodation, and facilities."
This speech became known as the "Declaration of China's Tourism Reform and Opening-Up!"
From then on, the tourism industry began to flourish.
Initially, the focus was on earning foreign currency by catering to foreigners and overseas Chinese.
The policy toward domestic tourists was the "three no's": no promotion, no publicity, no opposition!
In principle, it wasn't encouraged, but if people came, they were allowed to visit.
Mount Lushan.
At the newly built ticket office, a staff member yawned boredly.
The window displayed: Ticket price—50 cents!
Later, it would rise to 160 yuan.
"Beep beep!"
Suddenly, the sound of a car horn broke the silence.
A small bus pulled up, and a group of people poured out.
The ticket seller looked over, and the group looked back, both sides tense.
The group seemed to be discussing something, then sent two people forward to ask uncertainly, "Hello, comrade. Do you accept tourists here?"
"What are you here for?"
"Here are our credentials... We're from Nanchang, here for a technical exchange event. We thought we'd take the chance to visit Mount Lushan. Do you accept tourists?"
"Yes, just buy tickets."
"Is there food and lodging on the mountain?"
"Uh, yes!"
"Great, we'll take 20 tickets!"
The ticket seller grinned.
Twenty tickets—a big sale!
The group took their tickets, chattering excitedly about "visiting the Pillow Stone" and "where's the grove where they practiced English?" and "can we stay at the Lushan Hotel?"
Mount Lushan had always been a retreat for high-ranking officials, not open to the public.
Even within Jiangxi Province, few of its millions of residents had ever been there.
The group entered, full of excitement and anticipation.
Indeed, domestic tourism wasn't promoted, but Romance on Lushan Mountain had done more than any advertising campaign could—what people in the future would call "a stroke of incredible luck."
(End of Chapter)