Chapter 00166: Taken Away
# Taken Away
Chapter 166
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 166: Taken Away
(Note: Some character names have been modified for privacy reasons...)
The capital city remained as it always was, unchanged.
Chen Qi's problem hadn't been resolved, and he didn't want to go home, fearing it would worry his parents.
Instead, he returned to his loyal Room 302. After being away for 22 days, a thin layer of dust had settled on the floor and the table.
He swept the room, wiped it down with a cloth, and then began packing his belongings.
He hadn't brought much back with him.
Even the box of condoms had been left behind—what a pity they hadn't been used, especially since they were the extra-large kind.
After that, Chen Qi boiled a pot of hot water and opened the window to let in some fresh air.
The Lantern Festival had just passed, and the Beijing Film Studio still had its festive decorations up.
The early spring chill was biting, and people were bundled up in thick clothes, coming and going, chatting and laughing, exuding a kind of blissful ignorance.
"They don't know anything!"
"That's good, that's happiness!"
"In this world, there's no such thing as peaceful times. It's just that the time-travelers are carrying the weight on their shoulders..."
He sighed, leaning against the window for a while, when suddenly he spotted Liang Xiaosheng and called out, "Old Liang! Old Liang!"
"When did you get back?"
"Wait for me, I'm coming up!"
Not long after, Liang Xiaosheng ran up, grinning.
"Wow, you've been gone for over 20 days! Why didn't you say anything when you got back? How was Hong Kong? How was it celebrating the holiday abroad?"
"I just got back... Alright, alright, this isn't the time for chit-chat. Do me a favor, take these two chairs to your dorm."
"Huh?"
"Just keep them for me for now. I'll come get them later."
Chen Qi was already moving the chairs out—a redwood stool and a huanghuali round-backed chair, the two antique chairs he couldn't bear to let anyone sit on.
Then he picked out a few old books with risqué content and handed them over to Liang Xiaosheng.
Liang Xiaosheng wasn't stupid.
He grabbed Chen Qi and asked urgently, "What's going on? What did you do?"
"It's too complicated to explain right now. You'll probably find out in a couple of days anyway. Just take them and go. Don't stick around here!"
Chen Qi shooed him away.
After that, he checked the room again to see if there was anything sensitive or incriminating.
Fortunately, he had always been careful, especially with his plans for the future.
He would write them down and then burn them immediately.
It was only a little past ten in the morning.
They had landed in the capital early that day, and Fang Yurong had disappeared as soon as they got off the plane.
After finishing his tasks, Chen Qi sat on the bed, casually flipping through an old book from the Republic of China era, waiting for the inevitable reprimand, criticism, or even something worse.
Strangely enough, he felt unusually calm, his mind clear and composed...
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A while later, there was a knock at the door.
He took a few deep breaths and went to open it.
Outside stood two men, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, like the characters "Fat Monk" and "Thin Monk" from the stories.
They glanced at him and said, "Comrade Chen Qi? We're from the Ministry of Culture. Please come with us."
"Alright, let me grab a coat."
They were quick!
Chen Qi muttered to himself as he put on a jacket and obediently followed them out.
He knew this was a necessary procedure.
Downstairs, he saw Li Wenhua being "escorted" by two other men.
Li Wenhua glanced at him, a bitter smile on his face.
He knew he was involved and couldn't escape responsibility.
It was lunchtime, and many people were heading to the cafeteria.
Seeing this scene, they all looked puzzled.
Cai Ming, acting clueless, ran over and giggled, "Hey, Brother Chen! When did you get back..."
One of the "officials" glared at her, and she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, realizing these weren't ordinary people.
"Xiao Chen!"
Gong Xue also saw him and hurried over, but was stopped.
Chen Qi mouthed to her, "It's fine! It's fine!"
How could it be fine?
Gong Xue watched as Chen Qi and Li Wenhua were "escorted into a car."
Her face turned pale, and she was frantic, not knowing what to do.
Her understanding of the situation made her feel like this was a catastrophe, and Chen Qi was surely in deep trouble.
What should I do? Who can I turn to for help? I...
She suddenly looked up.
Where was the old factory director? Why hadn't he come out?
Gong Xue turned and ran toward the main building, rushing up to the office.
It was empty.
She grabbed someone and asked, "Where's the director? Where did he go?"
"He's at a meeting with the Film Association. Do you need something?"
"Why is he in a meeting now of all times!"
She ran back downstairs, hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and hopped onto her newly bought women's bicycle.
Braving the cold wind, she pedaled toward the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio.
At this moment, Gong Xue had completely lost her usual gentle and composed demeanor.
She didn't know how to help Chen Qi, but she knew she could go to Wang Yang, so she went without hesitation.
"Hey! Gong Xue!"
When she arrived at the newsreel studio, people recognized her—after all, she was famous from "Romance on Lushan Mountain."
They greeted her, "Are you here for an interview with 'Popular Cinema'? It's on the fourth floor."
"Hello, comrades. I'm looking for Director Wang. He's at a meeting with the Film Association."
"Oh, he's on the fourth floor too!"
Fourth floor.
Wang Yang and several other studio directors, along with the Golden Rooster Award preparation team, were holding a briefing.
"On May 23rd, the first Golden Rooster Awards and the fourth Hundred Flowers Awards will be held in Hangzhou. This has already been decided. You don't need to submit films; our judging committee will review them according to the rules. This is the first professional award in our film industry, and we hope all the directors will support it..."
"Why Hangzhou?"
"Comrade Xia (Xia Yan) went to Hangzhou for a meeting, and the local government and film workers strongly invited him, so he agreed. It doesn't matter where it's held; what's important is that the event is successful."
As the meeting went on, someone hurried in and went straight to Wang Yang, whispering a few words in his ear.
Wang Yang's expression changed, and he immediately stood up.
"Something's come up at my studio. I need to leave!"
With that, he left.
The other directors exchanged puzzled glances, muttering, "What's going on with Old Wang?"
"Who knows? I heard a film from the Beijing Film Studio went abroad for an exhibition recently. Maybe it's back?"
"Did something happen?"
"Not sure, not sure."
Downstairs, Gong Xue saw him coming and rushed over.
"Director, Xiao Chen and Director Li have been taken away!"
"When?"
"Just now! I saw it and came straight to you!"
"Don't worry. Go back, and I'll handle it..."
Wang Yang tried to calm her, but his face darkened.
Damn it! The China Film Corporation isn't good at much, but they're sure efficient when it comes to this kind of thing.
They moved so fast!
...
Fang Yurong had made a long-distance call from Shanghai to Song Linming, the general manager of the China Film Corporation, to explain the situation.
Song Linming had gone straight to the Ministry of Culture to lodge a complaint that very day!
He didn't even bother with the Film Bureau; he went straight to the higher authorities.
That's why they acted so quickly.
Chen Qi had only been back for a few hours before he was taken in.
Now, Fang Yurong was trailing behind Song Linming as he strode down the corridor of the Ministry of Culture, his leather shoes clicking sharply against the floor.
His face was grim, having just berated Fang Yurong.
In the end, Fang Yurong was the one who looked the worst in this situation.
A fully functioning adult with eyes and ears, yet she had let such a huge thing happen right under her nose, only finding out at the last minute.
And that terrible film she had chosen...
Her face had been dragged through the mud all the way to West Berlin!
Of course, his hatred for the Beijing Film Studio was even greater.
When those in power have their authority stolen, when monopolists have their monopoly taken away—that is the most intolerable thing.
Bang!
He pushed open the door to a room.
Inside sat leaders from the Ministry of Culture, the Film Bureau, relevant disciplinary inspectors, and the two individuals in question—Li Wenhua and Chen Qi!!
(End of Chapter)