Chapter 00174: Inside the Sea
# Inside the Sea
Chapter 174
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 174: Inside the Sea
Fang Yurong was immediately sent away.
This woman no longer screamed hysterically; she understood that her future was ruined.
At the thought of not seeing Sister Fang anymore, Chen Qi shed a few crocodile tears.
In truth, it was still the same old saying—he had never considered anyone his enemy.
It was just that, under the circumstances of the times, there were natural obstacles and difficulties that arose... except for those who directly opposed him.
He couldn’t stand being provoked.
"Old Wang, you’ve really struck gold this time!"
"Xiao Chen, you’ve had a rough few days. Go back and rest well."
"Xiao Chen, would you be interested in coming to my department? We specialize in external affairs."
As the meeting ended, a crowd of people tried to cozy up to him.
Wang Yang secretly sighed.
After this incident, Chen Qi was bound to become famous in the industry. *The Love of Lushan* was for the audience, but earning foreign currency was for the insiders.
He could already imagine how many organizations would come scrambling to recruit him.
As for this kid’s thoughts, they were truly hard to pin down.
They managed to shake off the crowd and headed downstairs, walking out of the compound.
Before they could even leave the courtyard, hurried footsteps approached from behind.
The leader himself had caught up, panting, "No, no need to leave! Comrade Liao just called. He wants us to go... to..."
"To the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office?"
"No! To the Sea!"
The leader caught his breath and patted Chen Qi on the shoulder warmly.
"Xiao Chen, it’s almost noon. You and Old Wang should stay for lunch. Try our canteen, and we’ll go together in the afternoon."
"..."
Chen Qi and Wang Yang exchanged glances—one feigning surprise, the other genuinely shocked.
They had truly reached the ears of the highest authority!
...
Around three in the afternoon, the leader from the Ministry of Culture drove Wang Yang and Chen Qi to their destination.
Chen Qi sat in the back seat and noticed that the old man was unusually excited.
He whispered, "Haven’t you been there before? Why are you so excited? Were you lying?"
"Get lost! Just because I’ve been there doesn’t mean I can’t be excited. It’s not like I go every day... I wish I could, but I can’t!"
"Well, you’d better work hard and get promoted a few more times before you retire."
Wang Yang ignored him.
The Central Film Studio, which had been barking like a mad dog, had been kicked aside.
Both of them felt relieved.
It seemed like a long ordeal, but in reality, it had all happened within a few days of returning from Berlin.
February wasn’t even over yet.
Compared to those stories where hundreds of chapters pass and a year still hasn’t gone by, this was much better...
"Xiao Chen, it’s your first time going, but you seem quite calm. I see you’re not nervous at all. That’s good. The leaders are very approachable, especially to young people like you. Just be yourself when you get there."
The Ministry of Culture leader reminded him.
The main gate of the Sea was to the south, while the back gate was to the north.
As they spoke, the car arrived at the back gate.
Red walls flanked an open white gate, where soldiers stood guard with sharp eyes, checking IDs and vehicles.
They passed through one checkpoint, then another, before driving straight ahead.
The Sea covered an area of about 1,500 acres, with 700 acres of water.
It was enormous.
During certain years in the 1980s, parts of it were open to the public.
There were fixed visiting days each month, with tickets costing 20 cents.
Cameras weren’t allowed, and it became a routine destination for school trips in Beijing.
Later, it was closed again.
"..."
Chen Qi looked out the window, feeling a surge of excitement.
In his past life, he had been a mediocre boss with no chance of entering such a place.
But in this life, he had truly made it.
He thought to himself, "I’ll make sure to come here often from now on."
The Purple Light Pavilion, the Hall of Diligent Governance, the Hall of Ceremonial Phoenixes, the Yingtai, the West Flower Hall, and the Chrysanthemum Fragrance Study...
Even though he had never been here before, he knew these places well.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t stop to take a closer look, so he couldn’t tell which was which.
The car drove for a long time before stopping in front of a retro-style, newly renovated building.
The three of them got out and entered a small waiting room.
After about ten minutes, they were led to an ordinary meeting room, simply furnished with a few tables and green-and-white checkered sofa covers.
They didn’t dare sit down and waited a while longer.
Then, a few people walked in—figures one could only see in history books.
Comrade Liao was among them.
Chen Qi wasn’t surprised by the first few, but he was taken aback by the presence of a woman.
"Huh? She’s here too?"
"Oh, right. She’s in charge of Taiwan affairs, which also falls under external matters."
The three of them greeted the leaders.
The leader smiled and shook hands with each of them.
When he reached Chen Qi, he gave him a once-over and said, "So you’re Xiao Chen, huh? You really do look the part!"
"Hello, Chief. My name is Chen Qi!"
"Good, good. Let’s sit and talk."
Everyone took their seats.
As soon as the senior leader sat down, he lit a cigarette and handed one to Comrade Liao, laughing, "I gave you one, so don’t go stealing my cigarettes later."
"I only have two hobbies—eating fatty meat and smoking. Now both have been taken away from me. If I don’t steal yours, where else am I supposed to get my cigarettes?"
Comrade Liao’s health wasn’t great, and his wife had forbidden him from indulging in his two favorite pastimes.
He had a good relationship with the senior leader, and the two of them puffed away, clearly enjoying their habit.
"He invited us to watch a movie. It was very well-made, and everyone was excited..."
The senior leader took a couple of puffs and said, "Most of us here have been on the battlefield and practiced martial arts. The Tai Chi in the movie is a bit different from what we’ve learned, but that’s the nature of film—there’s room for artistic interpretation. I’ve met that Li Lianjie before. He was just a kid back then, and now he’s all grown up."
"..."
Wang Yang remained silent, signaling for Chen Qi to speak.
Chen Qi had no choice but to say, "There are many national martial arts champions, but making movies is different from competitions. Martial arts films emphasize grace and beauty. We chose him as the lead because his moves looked impressive."
"Exactly, that’s the right approach. I heard *Tai Chi* was your idea?"
"Mainly, it was because the Great Wall Company was making *Shaolin Temple*. When we discussed it, I thought, if they’re doing Shaolin, why don’t we do Tai Chi? It was a team effort."
"Teamwork is commendable, but some things can’t be achieved through teamwork alone. Xiao Chen, tell us, how did you manage to sell the film for millions of dollars?" the senior leader asked with a smile.
Chen Qi then recounted the story, sticking to a simplified version.
He emphasized that he had seen an opportunity to earn foreign currency in Berlin but couldn’t find anyone to approve it.
So, he took the initiative and risked it all to secure the deal.
He couldn’t tell the truth—if he admitted that it had been a premeditated move, the nature of the situation would change entirely.
Good heavens, I’d be executed in five minutes!
This kind of mystical reasoning wasn’t something anyone would think of unless he brought it up.
After all, there was a prerequisite: you had to be certain that *Tai Chi* would earn a fortune in foreign currency before you could dare to do such a thing.
Who in the country could guarantee that?
After listening, the senior leader nodded.
"Sometimes, work is like that. You may have broken the rules, but you earned foreign currency for the country. Your actions are understandable. However, this also highlights the incompetence of certain departments. They’ve been making movies for decades, yet they can’t match what you’ve achieved..."
"I’m just a tea seller!"
"Haha, that’s exactly the point!"
The senior leader laughed and then asked, "Since you have such a good understanding of filmmaking, why don’t you share your thoughts on how our movies can gain a foothold internationally and earn foreign currency?"
"I wouldn’t dare! Such a big topic isn’t for me to discuss."
"The student surpasses the master. Everyone says you’re the main contributor to *Tai Chi*. Go ahead and share your thoughts."
"Yes, just chat casually," Comrade Liao encouraged.
"Well, then, I’ll speak boldly. Please don’t laugh at me..."
(End of Chapter)