Chapter 00022: Sublimation! Sublimation!
# Sublimation! Sublimation!
Chapter 22
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 22: Sublimation! Sublimation!
"This move is called 'The Wild Goose Soars, Bringing Good Fortune'!"
"Spread your arms, mimicking the flapping of a wild goose's wings, up and down, up and down..."
In the afternoon, Ge You, who had just joined the "Enhance Essence and Strengthen Kidneys" team, was learning the Longevity Exercise from Chen Qi.
He was practicing meticulously, his body completely tense.
Chen Qi said, "Stop, stop, stop! Don't use the standards of calisthenics for this. This is a Taoist body-strengthening technique. It emphasizes a peaceful mind and natural movements. Don't stick to rigid forms. Let your heart guide your movements, like a child playing a game. Just do what feels comfortable."
"You said you didn't know any martial arts, but now you're talking about Taoism!" Ge You whispered.
"Martial arts, my foot! Keep your mouth shut. Don't go around blabbing, or you'll cause trouble."
"I get it! I get it! Techniques shouldn't be shared lightly."
Ge You seemed to have misunderstood.
Ever since he watched Drunken Master and heard Chen Qi talk about martial arts, he thought Chen Qi really knew some hidden secrets.
Chen Qi just chuckled.
This was the real world, not some low-magic fantasy realm.
There was no such thing as "natural divine strength" like in the movies.
"Do the Golden Bell Exercise in the morning and the Longevity Exercise at night. Stick with it, and it'll be good for your health. Your body is too weak."
"I'll try my best!"
Ge You replied.
He seemed to have some congenital deficiency.
He had been weak since childhood, which was why he was assigned to feed pigs during the Cultural Revolution.
As he got older, he became even weaker, speaking slowly and deliberately.
When Chen Qi first arrived, Ge You was almost 70 years old and had no children his entire life.
Some said he and his wife didn't want kids, others said his wife couldn't conceive, and some said he himself was infertile...
In any case, it was clear that his health wasn't great.
"Xiao Chen!"
While they were practicing, Liang Xiaosheng pushed the door open and said, "Director Jiang is looking for you!"
"Is it about the script?"
"Yep!"
"Alright, I should get going too. I'll come back another day."
Seeing this, Ge You tactfully said his goodbyes.
Chen Qi followed Liang Xiaosheng downstairs and asked on the way, "Did the script get approved?"
"Well, in principle, yes!"
"What do you mean, 'in principle'?"
"It's a bit complicated. Director Jiang will explain it to you."
Chen Qi was puzzled.
When they arrived at the Literature Department office in the main building, all the editors were there.
Jiang Huaiyan, the director, had a small room inside.
Chen Qi knocked three times and entered.
"Xiao Chen, come in, sit down!"
Jiang Huaiyan gestured for him to sit and poured him a cup of tea, smiling.
"First of all, congratulations. Your script has been unanimously approved, and the deputy director has signed off on it. We've positioned it as a romantic scenic film, showcasing the beauty of Mount Lu while telling the love story of a young couple, with some political undertones and contemporary themes. In principle, the Beijing Film Studio has decided to go with your script..."
But!
Chen Qi silently cursed in his heart.
Sure enough, Jiang Huaiyan's next words were, "But, we want it to be even better."
"Could you be more specific?"
"This is our aspiration. You might think our demands are too high, but in filmmaking, perfection is never achieved. Of course, this isn't a hard requirement. We can finalize the project now, but if you also want to make it better, could you add more twists to the plot, elevate the theme further, and make the emotions more touching?"
Hmm!
Chen Qi cursed inwardly.
What's the difference between this and voluntary overtime?
The script he had finalized was already the story of Romance on Lushan Mountain from history.
He hadn't expected the Beijing Film Studio to be unsatisfied.
But then again, different people have different standards.
What the Shanghai Film Studio found acceptable, the Beijing Film Studio didn't.
"..."
Looking at the expectant gaze of the other party, Chen Qi rolled his eyes internally.
I just wanted to freeload, but now you're making me work!
"Since you put it that way, I'll give it a try."
"Great! I knew we made the right choice!"
Jiang Huaiyan was delighted and patted Chen Qi on the shoulder, smiling.
"Our editors were just saying that they believed you'd take on the challenge. Don't think we're deliberately making things difficult for you. Just do your best. We definitely want this script."
Hearing this, Chen Qi felt a bit better.
They value me!
But then he sighed.
Damn, even in 1979, I'm getting pressured like this?
…………
Back at the guesthouse.
On the third floor, Chen Qi ran into Chen Huaikai again.
The old man was preparing to shoot a traditional opera film called Zhuge Liang Mourns at a Funeral.
He was holding meetings in his room every day, with opera actors coming and going.
Chen Qi didn't recognize any of them.
Seeing the script in Chen Qi's hand, Chen Huaikai asked, "Did it pass the review?"
"Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"In principle, it passed, but they want me to make some changes, so it's sort of passed."
"Hahaha!"
Chen Huaikai laughed heartily.
With his deep appreciation for classical aesthetics, he naturally understood the joke.
"Kid, you're really something. According to our tradition, when a script passes the review, we have to shout it out. Keep it up!"
"Shout it out?"
"You'll find out when the time comes!"
Chen Qi shrugged and went into his room.
He slammed the script, which was thicker than a Xianghe meat pie, onto the table, venting his frustration as a worker.
But after washing his face, he calmed down.
He sat at the table, filled his pen with ink, and for the first time, began to write seriously—like a butterfly flapping its wings, causing a ripple effect that made him take things seriously.
Romance on Lushan Mountain was originally quite plain.
Aside from the extras, the entire film only had seven actors.
The female lead was named Zhou Yun, and the male lead was named Geng Hua.
After reviewing the plot, Chen Qi thought for a while and decided to add a new character: Geng Hua's older sister, Geng Ying.
Geng Ying was in her late twenties, appearing delicate but strong-willed.
Her mother was bedridden, and she had a younger brother to care for.
She single-handedly supported the entire family.
Zhou Yun was an American citizen, and her father was a Nationalist officer.
When she and Geng Hua started seeing each other, Geng Hua was investigated by the authorities and temporarily detained.
He asked his sister to relay a message to Zhou Yun, expressing his feelings.
But Geng Ying, for her brother's sake, persuaded Zhou Yun to leave.
Heartbroken, Zhou Yun returned to the United States, leading to the five-year separation between the two leads.
Five years later, during the era of reform and opening up, the two leads reunited on Mount Lu and officially confirmed their relationship.
Zhou Yun then sought out Geng Ying for a conversation...
This added much more depth to the plot, and the so-called "sublimation" would come from this conversation.
"Sublimation, sublimation! You want sublimation? I'll give you sublimation!"
"I'll give you the 'Lushan Rising Dragon Strike'!"
Chen Qi muttered to himself as he wrote, feeling like he was back in his previous life, staying up late to write scripts.
He indeed worked through the night, not daring to slack off, fearing further complications.
Technically, it wasn't too difficult.
He was in the industry, after all, and had been exposed to countless influences from the information age.
His mind was practically a treasure trove.
He knew what the audience in 1979 wanted to see.
A love story wrapped in politics, with the political direction being absolutely correct!
…………
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Teacher Shi!"
Early the next morning, Chen Qi knocked on the door of the Literature Department.
Shi Wenxin was startled when she saw him.
"Xiao Chen, are you sick? You look so haggard!"
"No, no, I was up all night revising the script."
"You silly kid, it's not like it had to be done in a day or two. Why the rush?"
"It's fine. I'm young. Staying up late is no big deal."
At worst, I'll just drop dead!
He handed the script to her, deliberately swaying a bit as if suffering from a lack of blood flow to the brain, and then left.
Shi Wenxin felt a bit guilty.
"We shouldn't push a promising young talent like this. It's like pulling up seedlings to help them grow."
"Who knew he'd be so enthusiastic? He was always so laid-back before," Liang Xiaosheng said, equally surprised.
"Let me take a look first..."
(End of Chapter)