Chapter 00027: The Director
# The Director
Chapter 27
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 27: The Director
In the late 1970s, Teresa Teng's music began to make its way into mainland China.
A small portion of it was brought back by people returning from business trips, but the majority was smuggled in from the south.
At that time, these were original tapes, as duplicating them on single-deck cassette players was quite a hassle.
By the early 1980s, people started using blank tapes to make copies.
These copies had no covers or lyrics, so listeners would jot down the lyrics line by line, passing them around and copying them repeatedly.
For a considerable period, Teresa Teng's songs were considered underground music, listened to in secret.
Some children of high-ranking officials would lock their doors, draw the curtains, and play "Sweet Honey," dancing what they called "erotic dances."
In reality, these were just slightly more intimate ballroom dances.
Of course, there were those who took it further, engaging in truly erotic activities.
Teresa Teng's "decadent" music was earth-shattering for the people of mainland China.
Alongside Yang Yuying, she became the dream lover of countless middle-aged and elderly men.
This refers to the fathers and grandfathers of the '80s and '90s generation, who would later reminisce about Jay Chou, Stefanie Sun, and the QQ Music trio...
In any case, Chen Qi bought three tapes and successfully turned his father into a die-hard fan.
His father quickly succumbed to the allure of Teresa's music, locking himself in his room every night to listen and hum along, much to the displeasure of Yu Xiuli.
Chen Qi had been back for a few days and had treated his friends to a meal.
They pooled their money together, and with thirteen people plus Auntie Wang, they spent a little over ten yuan, averaging about one yuan per person.
Despite the meager amount, they ate well.
In those days, although customer service was rough, the portions were generous.
One noon, in a storage room at the neighborhood committee, Chen Qi rummaged through a few old boxes filled with colorful plastic sandals.
The sandals were simple in design and uncomfortable to wear barefoot, but they were bright, durable, and easy to clean, making them perfect for rainy days.
"One hundred pairs of men's sandals, one hundred pairs of women's sandals, and three hundred pairs of children's sandals. They say the children's sandals sell the best."
"What's the selling price?"
"Men's sandals for 3.6 yuan, women's for 3.2 yuan, and children's for 2.1 yuan. That's the market price. We got them cheap from Plastic Factory No. 2, almost as a giveaway, spending only 200 yuan in total."
"Did you pay them?"
"Of course!"
"Remember, next time, delay the payment for a few months. If you can get it for free, do it."
Chen Qi was corrupting the noble heart of a socialist warrior.
He added, "When we sell them, we'll add twenty cents to each pair."
"What? Why raise the price?"
"We're not asking for coupons, so of course, it's a bit more expensive. Raising it by just twenty cents is already very fair."
Huang Zhanying quickly pulled out a small abacus from her bag, clattered away for a moment, and exclaimed, "If we sell them all, we'll make a profit of over 1,000 yuan!"
"Comrade Zhanying, how many times have I told you? Think bigger, broaden your horizons. These sandals can sell millions of pairs in Beijing in one summer. We need to stock up as much as we can."
Just as they were talking, someone called from outside, "Xiao Chen? Xiao Chen?"
"Old Liang?"
Chen Qi looked up and saw it was Liang Xiaosheng.
"I asked around and finally found you. Come back to the factory with me."
"What's the matter?"
"The director for 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' has been decided!"
Hearing this, Chen Qi immediately stood up, shouted to Huang Zhanying, "I'm off!" and followed Liang Xiaosheng out.
Huang Zhanying shook her head, thinking how quickly the cultural front had corrupted him.
...
The Beijing Film Studio, modeled after the Soviet system, had established four major creative collectives.
Each collective had a core director, several other directors, and a full production team including cinematographers, art directors, and prop masters.
The first collective was led by Shui Hua, known for "The White-Haired Girl," "The Lin Family Shop," and "Eternal Flame."
The second was led by Cui Wei, with works like "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" and "Song of Youth."
Chen Huaikai was also part of this team, categorized as one of the "other directors."
The third collective was led by Ling Zifeng, famous for "Red Flag" and later "Camel Xiangzi."
The fourth was led by Cheng Yin, known for "The Battle of the South" and "The Red Lantern."
These four were the so-called "Four Great Directors," also known as the "Four Marshals."
Later, two more directors, Xie Tieli and Xie Tian, joined their ranks.
These were the top creative forces at the Beijing Film Studio, with a group of highly capable mid-generation directors also part of the "other directors."
Other film studios envied this setup, as the Beijing Film Studio could mass-produce talent, showcasing its strength.
In essence, this model was similar to Hollywood's producer-led teams, but the key difference was that the Beijing Film Studio operated under a director-centric system, whereas Hollywood was producer-centric.
For "Romance on Lushan Mountain," the studio had chosen a mid-generation director: Wang Haowei, a female director known for "Hai Xia" and "Look at This Family."
At 39, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy's directing department, she had recently accepted the task and immediately immersed herself in the script.
Feeling confident, she requested to meet Chen Qi.
Wang Haowei, short with a bob haircut, was already waiting in the small conference room.
In those days, the proportion of female directors was surprisingly high, and their success rate was remarkable.
Yang Jie, the director of "Journey to the West," was well-known, and Cai Xiaoqing, who directed "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," was also a formidable figure.
For instance, the grand scene of the Battle of Red Cliffs, involving 2,500 people, was directed by Cai Xiaoqing.
In later years, one would need to lose 300 pounds of weight to even attempt such a feat!
After a short wait, she heard footsteps outside.
Liang Xiaosheng entered first, followed by an unusually young man.
"This is Director Wang Haowei, and this is Chen Qi!"
"Hello, hello. Sorry, I just got back home and rushed over."
"No, no, it's my fault for being abrupt. I should apologize..."
Wang Haowei smiled and shook his hand.
The height difference between them made the scene somewhat comical.
Chen Qi, always humble and polite in front of his elders, waited for her to sit before taking his seat.
"The studio has assigned this task to me. I've been reading the script these past few days and have written some thoughts."
She handed him a notebook, saying, "These are my notes. Let's discuss first, and then you can take them back to read."
"No need, no need. I'm here mainly to listen to your guidance!"
"Don't say that. The script comes before the film. We must reach a consensus and unify our thoughts, or else we can't proceed. I'll be frank, and you should feel free to share your ideas too."
Huh?
Chen Qi was taken aback.
His soul, long tainted by the filth of the world, suddenly encountered purity and felt a bit uncomfortable.
Immediately, they began their discussion.
First, they defined the film's genre: a scenic, lyrical piece centered around the theme of "love"—love between people, love for the mountains and rivers, and love for the motherland.
It was to convey a positive, uplifting emotion, building a new era.
This was different from the popular "scar literature," which focused on criticism and reflection, with a melancholic tone.
To be honest, Chen Qi had never been fond of scar literature.
"It seems we're quite in sync! We've thought of many things alike."
Wang Haowei smiled warmly, her expression growing more benevolent.
"Good, then the theme and ideology are aligned. Next, let's talk about casting!"
(End of Chapter)