Chapter 00183: The Judge Bao Crew
# The "Judge Bao" Crew
Chapter 183
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 183: The "Judge Bao" Crew
In the afternoon, Room 302.
Today, a sandstorm arrived, pitter-pattering against the windows like rain.
A layer of dust had already piled up on the windowsill outside, and some of it managed to seep through the not-so-tightly-sealed windows.
Chen Qi glanced at the grayish-yellow sky, feeling that this sandstorm was much fiercer than the ones he remembered from the future.
It felt like he had been transported to a scene straight out of *Wasteland Punk 1981*.
He swept away the dust inside the room, sat down, and spread out his draft paper, pondering his next filming project.
He had specifically asked his superiors about the extent of the censorship he would face.
The response was: as long as it didn’t violate patriotic principles or contain harmful content, anything was permissible.
It was as good as saying nothing.
Forty years later, the standards would still be the same, if not stricter than in the 1980s.
Of course, he knew that the censorship for him would be as lenient as possible.
He had two quotas per year, and co-productions weren’t restricted, which was more than enough for him.
Especially since he was just starting out, lacking in many areas, he didn’t feel comfortable handing over a project entirely to any director.
He had to be involved personally, which meant his energy was limited.
“The most important thing right now is to solidify my position. As a pilot for reform, if I don’t produce positive results, I could be cut off at any moment. So, the next project still needs to earn foreign currency.”
“Broadly speaking, there are two types of films. One is martial arts films, which are most popular in Hong Kong, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, and also have some market in Europe and America.”
“The other is a film tailored for North America, with elements that Americans like.”
“Sino-American relations are good right now. If done well, we could even have a Sino-American co-production, achieving success in both culture and business. But that’s something for later…”
“Oh, right, I also need to start another project for my dear sister. She hasn’t acted in half a year. Even Yang Mi wouldn’t dare take such a long break!”
After a bit of thought, Chen Qi settled on his direction.
Once *Tai Chi* became popular in various countries, he would strike while the iron was hot and produce another period martial arts film.
There were plenty of options for that.
As for the North American special, he needed to carefully consider what to make.
“I should probably go to America to scout things out, build up some reputation first. Scripts are easily plagiarized, so maybe I’ll try writing a novel. I’ll ask Liao Gong for help and find a reliable publishing channel…”
“And I need to start preparing for the magazine too!”
Thinking about all this, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
There was too much to do, and he couldn’t be in multiple places at once.
But at the same time, a strong sense of entrepreneurial passion surged within him.
This was the best aphrodisiac for a man, more invigorating than anything else.
Yet, when standing at the pinnacle of success, it could also feel hollow and meaningless.
Jack Ma once said that the happiest time in his life was when he was a teacher earning 91 yuan a month… It wasn’t entirely a boast; there was probably some genuine sentiment there.
Chen Qi circled five items on his list: “period martial arts film,” “submitting work to America,” “North American special,” “magazine,” and “Gong Xue.” These were his tasks for this year and the next.
The top two priorities were the martial arts film script and the novel’s… ahem, *creative inspiration*!
After finishing his planning, he poured himself a cup of tea and sat down on the round-backed Huanghuali chair, crossing his legs and watching the sandstorm rage outside.
“The company may be small, but it’s still a state-owned enterprise. When I go out, people will have to call me ‘Director Chen.’ The 1980s are truly a time of both radicalism and conservatism. If this were the future, I’d probably get roasted online…”
“Later, I’ll bring together the ‘Five Golden Flowers’ of Yue Opera and Huangmei Opera, form my own troupe, and experience the joy that Brother Jiayin felt!”
Chen Qi was leisurely mocking himself when he suddenly heard a commotion outside.
It sounded like the wind, but also like voices.
He peeked out the window and saw two medium-sized buses parked downstairs, with a group of people busy moving things inside.
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, it’s *Judge Bao*!”
He spotted Yang Jie, the petite but commanding old lady, shouting orders at the top of her lungs, and everyone obeyed without question.
After a moment’s thought, he put on his coat and decided to go downstairs to greet her.
…………
Li Jianqun was 24 years old.
She was about to graduate from the stage design department of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
During her time at school, she had been in a relationship.
Originally, they had planned to go to the Lanzhou Military Region together after graduation, but because of *Judge Bao*, she had come to Beijing instead.
They had argued several times, but she really wanted to act.
Historically, she had gone to the Lanzhou Military Region, gotten married soon after, and lived a difficult life filled with frequent arguments.
A few years later, she divorced and ventured to Beijing alone, where she met director Chen Jialin.
Disillusioned by her previous marriage, Li Jianqun didn’t want to get married or have children.
The two maintained a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.
Chen Jialin directed films like *Emperor Tang Minghuang*, *Empress Wu Zetian*, and *Kangxi Dynasty*, all of which bore Li Jianqun’s contributions.
At this moment, she had just completed the intensive training for *Judge Bao* and, with a mix of confusion and anticipation, was preparing to move into the Beijing Film Studio’s guesthouse.
Many members of the crew were from out of town and had to stay in the guesthouse.
Thanks to Chen Qi’s connections, Yang Jie had managed to rent a small studio at a low cost.
They would be filming for about a month.
The main cast of *Judge Bao* included: Bao Zheng—Li Po, Gongsun Ce—Chen Daoming, Zhan Zhao—Wang Qun, Qin Xianglian—Li Jianqun, Princess—Zhou Jie, Chen Shimei—Wang Bozhao, Princess’s Maid—Gong Ying, and Ma Han—Zhang Guangbei!
Just look at how much Chen Qi had pulled strings for Zhang Guangbei.
Even though he was just playing a background character, he was listed among the main cast.
Well, Chen Qi just wanted to have some fun.
“Director Yang!”
“Oh, Xiao Chen!”
When Yang Jie saw Chen Qi coming downstairs, she lifted the scarf covering her face a bit and smiled. “We’re starting filming tomorrow. You should come by when you have time. You’re quite the big shot now. Everyone admires you. Why don’t you say a few words to them?”
“I won’t say anything. I just came down to greet you. You’re busy, so I won’t disturb you.”
As the two chatted, the others had already slowed down their movements, sneakily observing this legendary figure.
Li Jianqun also lifted a corner of her red scarf.
She had met Chen Qi during the audition, but now, it seemed like he had risen to the heavens.
Meanwhile, Chen Qi called out, “Gong Ying? Where’s Gong Ying?”
“Here, here!”
Gong Ying ran over, carrying a large bag, and exclaimed, “Wow, Chen Qi!”
“Call me Director Chen!”
“Director Chen Qi, it’s been three days, and I hardly recognize you! The newspapers can’t even contain your fame. How did you earn so much USD?”
“I… pah pah… I earned it by eating sand! Go get settled. Come down at 5:30, and I’ll take you to see your sister.”
Chen Qi glanced around and also spotted Li Jianqun.
She was dressed in white, tall and graceful.
She lifted her red scarf, revealing her eyes and beauty mark, and smiled at him.
“Her eyes are so beautiful!”
He silently praised her and nodded politely before hurrying back upstairs, leaving a trail of dust behind.
…………
Staying at the guesthouse for *Judge Bao* cost money.
Since they were paying, no one could complain.
The studio was quite curious about this group of TV drama makers, though there was a clear sense of superiority.
After all, film was the big brother, and TV dramas were just the little brother.
But in reality, starting from the mid-1980s, various studios had begun establishing their own TV drama departments.
The Beijing Film Studio had one too, though it hadn’t produced any masterpieces.
Later, it merged with China Film, and the department disappeared.
“Sister!”
“Xiao Ying!”
In the evening, the cafeteria witnessed a heartwarming reunion of sisters.
Gong Xue, alone in a foreign place, was overwhelmed with emotion when she suddenly saw her relative.
Her eyes turned slightly red, and she quickly introduced her to everyone.
The two sisters looked quite alike, and Gong Xue was a rising star, so their reunion drew everyone’s attention and sparked a flurry of discussions.
(End of Chapter)