Chapter 00032: The Leader (Part 2)
# The Leader (Part 2)
Chapter 32
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 32: The Leader (Part 2)
If Chen Qi wanted to engage in a business war, he had plenty of dirty tricks up his sleeve.
But he didn’t want to resort to such methods, especially since the environment was different now, and getting executed by firing squad was all too easy these days.
In the future, there would be a famous cultural landmark in the capital called the Lao She Teahouse.
Established in the 1980s, it served cheap tea for just two cents a bowl, along with high-end tea snacks and traditional opera performances.
Back then, young people were more into Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop culture and had little interest in opera, while the older generation found it too expensive and rarely visited.
The Lao She Teahouse struggled for a while but eventually found its niche by branding itself as a representative of Beijing’s folk culture, catering to foreign visitors and gaining government recognition.
Foreign leaders visiting the capital would often stop by, and as tourism flourished, even domestic tourists and ordinary foreign visitors would line up to take photos and sip the two-cent tea.
In the future, drinking the cheap tea would become a trendy social media activity, but its origins could be traced back to the hard work of educated youths who, despite facing discrimination and ridicule, set up tea stalls with determination.
Chen Qi’s idea was twofold: first, to model his tea stall after the Lao She Teahouse, and second, to expand the business by eventually opening a department store.
In any case, the tea stall became a massive hit, leaving the competition in shambles.
The impact of foreign visitors was undeniable, and finally, a high-ranking leader was coming to inspect the stall!
…………
When a leader comes to inspect, arrangements must be made.
The higher the rank, the longer the preparation time.
Sometimes, notice is given months in advance, causing a frenzy of activity as everyone scrambles to clean up and present the best image.
Chen Qi had assumed it would be a deputy mayor at most, but when the notice came, he was shocked to learn that the actual mayor was coming.
This was a big deal.
For example, Yuan Kuocheng, a famous storyteller known for his rendition of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was once personally received by top leaders.
After leaving Zhongnanhai, Yuan calmly went across the street to drink a bowl of soy milk.
General Wang even wrote him a letter, saying, “I’m your loyal listener, and so is my grandson. I tell my child that Uncle Yuan’s storytelling is the best way to learn Mandarin. Thank you…”
Leaders themselves were often casual, sometimes showing up unannounced.
There were many such examples, but we won’t go into them here.
Early in the morning, as the sky began to lighten, Huang Zhanying banged on Chen Qi’s door like a ghost: “Chen Qi! Chen Qi!”
“Coming, coming!”
Chen Qi hurriedly put on his shoes and the same polyester shirt he always wore, then dashed out after letting his parents know.
Chen Jianjun and Yu Xiuli felt a growing sense of defeat, realizing that a thick, invisible wall had formed between them and their son.
“Are you guys ready?”
“Yeah, take a look!”
Huang Zhanying carried a few wooden planks and a wooden frame.
Chen Qi tested it and found it sturdy.
“Let’s go!”
The two rode their bikes to the Qianmen Arrow Tower, where their friends were already busy sweeping, wiping tables, and cleaning bowls.
The teachers from the opera school had even volunteered to bring their students to help.
They were all eager to contribute, happy to lend a hand without expecting anything in return.
Chen Qi took charge as usual: “Put up the small blackboard!”
“Hang the Peking Opera masks in rows.”
“Spread out the handkerchiefs neatly, don’t wrinkle them!”
“Where’s the English book?”
“Here! Here!”
Someone quickly handed over a copy of English 900 Sentences.
Chen Qi gave it to a scholarly-looking friend with glasses and said, “Don’t act like you’re reading, but make sure people know you’re always studying.”
“Teacher Chen, I’m not very bright. Can you explain in simpler terms?”
“Ugh!”
Chen Qi pushed him down, tossed the book beside him, and said, “For example, you’re sitting here, busy wiping bowls, but you’ve got an English book next to you. Doesn’t that make you look studious?”
“But I don’t know English!”
“That’s why you’re learning! Alright, everyone, gather around!”
Chen Qi called everyone over and said, “I taught myself some English, so I’ll teach you a few simple phrases. I’ve made up some easy-to-remember lines. Listen up!”
“Come is ‘come,’ go is ‘go’!”
“Nod ‘yes,’ shake ‘no’!”
“To say hello, it’s ‘hello,’ hello, hello, haha hello…”
“Teacher Chen, why does it sound like you’ve got a Tangshan accent? Is America close to Tangshan or something?”
“Stop talking nonsense and just learn it! When foreigners come, you’ll be able to handle it. Don’t embarrass us!”
Once everything was set up, Chen Qi wiped his brow, even though there was no sweat, and sighed, “Do you know how hard this is? Mental labor is exhausting.”
…………
By mid-morning, the students began singing, and the tea stall opened for business.
The place was packed as usual, with no special arrangements made just because of the leader’s visit.
However, there were definitely security personnel around, and some of the tea drinkers might even be undercover officers.
Around ten o’clock, the crowd suddenly stirred.
People parted to the sides as a group of men walked forward, greeting the crowd as they came.
They were dressed simply, in long-sleeved cotton shirts, gray pants, and cloth shoes.
The leader, a man in his sixties with an ordinary appearance, clearly had the air of a seasoned revolutionary.
His surname was Lin.
A man of action, Lin had governed Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing within two years, often stepping in as a problem-solver.
For example, in Tianjin, when the college entrance exams were reinstated, many students who passed the score threshold couldn’t get admitted.
These idle youths became the “unemployed youth” of the time.
Lin expanded university enrollment and established several branch schools, absorbing over 8,000 students.
You might think university expansion was a 1990s thing, but it was already happening now.
In Beijing, Lin acted decisively, enabling nearly 20,000 youths to enter universities and strongly supporting cooperatives, making significant contributions to solving the unemployment problem.
“Welcome! Welcome!”
“A warm welcome!”
The opera school students temporarily served as the welcoming committee.
Leader Lin smiled warmly, speaking in a Shandong accent, and waved his hand, saying, “Alright, alright, no need for such a grand reception! I’ve been wanting to visit for a while, but things kept getting in the way. Lately, you’ve even been dealing with foreigners. Impressive! I had to come see for myself.”
District and neighborhood officials were also present, chiming in with a few words.
Leader Lin wasn’t interested in their speeches and instead walked around the tea stall, inspecting the teapots, bowls, and the Peking Opera masks hanging on the racks.
He pointed at the masks and asked, “What are these for?”
“We’ve been collaborating with the opera school. They perform here every day, so we hung up the masks to create a festive atmosphere,” Huang Zhanying stammered.
“Ah, very clever.”
Leader Lin didn’t comment further but continued asking questions.
Suddenly, he said, “Which one of you is Comrade Chen Qi?”
“Hello, Leader!”
Chen Qi stepped forward.
“You’ve got quite a reputation. I’ve read your letter and heard you wrote a script?”
“Uh, just something I threw together.”
“Was it accepted?”
“Yes, by the Beijing Film Studio.”
“Not bad, not bad. The Beijing Film Studio is very strict. If they accepted it, it must be good. We need more people like you, who are always eager to learn and strive for improvement.”
Leader Lin nodded, glancing at the English 900 Sentences book.
He could tell the scene had been staged but didn’t point it out.
Instead, he said, “This place is near the Qianmen Hotel, which deals with foreign guests. You might get more international visitors in the future. When receiving foreigners, be neither arrogant nor timid. Don’t embarrass the country!”
The older generation spoke bluntly, using plain language.
Chen Qi smiled and said, “A few of us are learning English, but we’re not very good at it yet.”
“Oh? Can you say a few words?”
“Just a few, like ‘hello’ and ‘good.’”
“Haha! That’s the spirit… By the way, do you have any difficulties? Feel free to speak up!”
Huang Zhanying perked up, remembering someone’s advice, and quickly said, “No, we can overcome any difficulties. Our business is doing well, but we’re short on hands. I’d like to hire more people and help more unemployed youths.”
“Good!”
“Very good!”
Leader Lin finally gave a genuine smile.
The government was deeply concerned about the unemployed youth, and he said, “See! This is the spirit of the new generation! We must encourage and spread this attitude!”
He stayed for about half an hour, even chatting with the young opera performers.
It was rare for someone of his generation not to enjoy opera.
“Oh my, I was so nervous!”
Everyone had been on edge, and Huang Zhanying’s legs were practically cramping.
Only after the leader left did she finally relax, saying, “I don’t even know what I said. Did I mess up?”
“No, no, you did great!”
Chen Qi encouraged her with a smile. “There’s just one last step. When the newspaper comes out tomorrow, take the photo of the leader talking to us and stick it on the blackboard!”
He slapped the blackboard and said, “Mission accomplished!”
(End of chapter…
A full month has passed.
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(Chapter complete)