Chapter 00036: Gong Xue
# Gong Xue
Chapter 36
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 36: Gong Xue
"Director Wang!"
After another meeting, Chen Qi called out to Wang Haowei.
"Xiao Chen, what's up?"
"Well, yesterday I was flipping through a magazine and came across a movie called 'Sacrificial Red,' produced by Changchun Film Studio. The lead actress is both pure and beautiful, and I thought she might be a good fit for 'Romance on Lushan Mountain.'"
"Oh?"
Wang Haowei became serious.
"Tell me more."
"Her name is Gong Xue. I'm not sure which unit she's from, but she plays three roles in the movie."
"Three?"
"Yes, a mother, a daughter, and a fairy—all played by her. I think her image is quite suitable, so I wanted to recommend her to you."
"Gong Xue... Alright, I'll remember that. I'll ask around right away. You're such a thoughtful kid, putting so much effort into casting."
"I'm part of the crew too, so it's only natural."
After Chen Qi left, Wang Haowei immediately contacted Changchun Film Studio.
"You're asking about Gong Xue? Oh, it was quite a hassle to get her to act..."
The person on the other end started complaining.
"She's from the General Political Department's Drama Troupe. Two years ago, we wanted her for 'The Lantern,' but the General Political Department wouldn't let her go. Then when we were preparing 'Sacrificial Red,' we thought of her again, but they still wouldn't release her, saying she had to perform in Yunnan. As it turned out, she got injured and fractured a bone, so she couldn't go and had to recuperate in the hospital. We waited for her for four months before we could start filming. We had to send people repeatedly to negotiate and pull some strings before the General Political Department finally agreed."
"What kind of fairy is she that you'd go through so much trouble for her?" Wang Haowei laughed.
"Haha, you'll know when you see her!"
This conversation piqued Wang Haowei's interest even more, and she quickly contacted the General Political Department.
The General Political Department's Drama Troupe was quite prestigious, so she didn't act rashly.
Instead, she first reached out to a friend named Che Xiaotong.
Che Xiaotong was an actor in the drama troupe, known for playing the Golden Horned King in 'Journey to the West,' voicing characters in 'Hai'er Brothers,' and portraying Marshal Liu in 'Drawing Sword.' He had played Marshal Liu multiple times, making him a specialized actor for that role.
He had a daughter named Che Xiao—quite an interesting pair of names...
Che Xiaotong brought over a few photos of Gong Xue.
When Wang Haowei saw them, she understood why Changchun Film Studio was willing to wait four months for her.
…………
This was a unique era.
Chen Qi might seem carefree, but he actually had a good sense of what was going on.
For example, with English, he only dared to carry an English book around every day, creating the illusion that he was studying hard.
If he didn't hide it, he could suddenly start speaking English fluently.
Come on! Do you think counter-espionage is a joke?
Between 1979 and 1980, though only a year apart, many things were vastly different.
The 80s were wild, and the 90s were even wilder—that was the era of true recklessness.
Take 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' for example.
While it seemed bold in content, it was actually catering to the tastes of the higher-ups.
As for casting, if it weren't for the slow progress of the crew, he wouldn't have spoken up.
Wang Haowei was a woman of action.
She bypassed the General Political Department's Drama Troupe and privately invited Gong Xue to come over.
So, that morning, the creative team gathered again in the small meeting room, waiting for the candidate to arrive.
Chen Qi, as usual, sat in the corner, feeling quite excited.
There was a saying online: "Zhu Lin in the north, Gong Xue in the south"—the two beauties of the 80s! But back then, this saying didn't exist.
It was something netizens came up with later when reminiscing about the past.
Gong Xue was truly famous, while Zhu Lin was slightly less so.
Zhu Lin acted more in TV dramas, with the added charm of playing the Queen of the Daughter Kingdom.
Since he was here, he naturally wanted to meet the beauties of this era one by one.
He couldn't just keep seeing Cai Ming, could he?
After waiting for a short while, they heard voices outside, as if someone was asking questions.
Then footsteps approached, becoming softer as they reached the door.
A figure appeared in front of everyone, and Wang Haowei and the creative team all turned their eyes to the entrance.
She arrived in a military uniform, wearing a hat and a pair of white sandals.
She was of medium height, around 163 cm.
Her feet were also quite petite.
Her hair peeked out from under the hat, slightly wavy, and below that was a small, delicate face.
Her eyebrows were arched, her eyes beautiful, and her lips were finely shaped.
When she smiled, her teeth were white and even, which was quite rare.
Everyone knew the phrase "bright eyes and white teeth," but they weren't entirely sure what it looked like.
Now, seeing her, the phrase suddenly came to mind.
"Hello, Director Wang!"
"Hello, everyone!"
She seemed a bit nervous, bowing as she entered.
"Hello, hello, please have a seat!"
Wang Haowei gestured for her to sit down and smiled.
"Today, I've invited you here privately. Did Teacher Che explain everything to you?"
"Teacher Che told me. Thank you for your consideration."
She had just sat down but seemed about to stand up again.
Wang Haowei quickly waved her hand.
"Alright, alright, no need to be so formal. It's making me uncomfortable. Let's just chat casually. Could you take off your hat?"
"Of course!"
She reached up and removed her hat.
Wang Haowei's eyes lit up even more.
"I heard you're from Shanghai?"
"Yes, I was born in Shanghai."
"What do your parents do?"
"My father is a photographer, and my mother is an artist. After graduating from high school, I went to Jiangxi for the 'Down to the Countryside' movement."
"Jiangxi?"
Wang Haowei blinked, then asked, "How did you end up in the General Political Department?"
"I first applied to be a cultural soldier in the military. At that time, the General Political Department's Drama Troupe was casting for a play called 'Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,' and they selected me. After that, I stayed... Last year, I acted in Changchun Film Studio's 'Sacrificial Red'..."
The room became very quiet, with only the sound of questions and answers.
Her voice was so gentle, completely different from Fang Shu's Beijing girl vibe, that everyone unconsciously spoke softly as well.
She sat there with her legs together, hands on her thighs, back straight, like a student taking an exam.
"Do you know much about 'Romance on Lushan Mountain'?"
"Not really. Teacher Che said it's a love story."
"Pretty much. There's love, but also patriotic sentiments... By the way, I heard you're 26. Are you married?"
"Not yet."
"Have you had any romantic experiences?"
"I've been in the military..."
She blushed slightly.
"I don't have much experience."
Wang Haowei laughed again and had her read a few lines of dialogue.
After listening, she asked, "Would you be interested in acting in 'Romance on Lushan Mountain'?"
"I would love to, if I could have the opportunity."
"Alright, take a script back with you and study it. I'll handle the communication with the drama troupe. But I should warn you, I can't guarantee you'll get the role. This is just a trial and some preliminary preparation."
"Okay, thank you, Director! Thank you, everyone!"
She stood up and bowed again.
"Let me introduce you. This is our screenwriter, the talented young man, Chen Qi!"
"Hello, nice to meet you!"
"Hello, hello!"
Gong Xue was surprised by his youth but still addressed him respectfully.
They shook hands lightly, and then she met the cinematographer, assistant director, and others before leaving.
The team immediately held a meeting.
"First, she's pure. Second, she has a modern vibe."
"Her purity is undeniable, but the modern vibe is a bit lacking."
"I think she's great. What do you mean by 'modern vibe'? If you're talking about someone who naturally looks modern, that's hard to find. But with some styling, fashionable clothes, and a trendy hairstyle, she can definitely pull it off."
"The audience hasn't seen what overseas Chinese look like. If we really tried to find someone who fits that standard, we might end up with nothing. It's better to stick to what appeals to Chinese aesthetics."
"Let's bring her in first. Fang Shu and Zhou Lijing in one group, Gong Xue and Tang Guoqiang in another. We'll get some clothes from Hong Kong and see how it looks."
"Alright, that sounds good!"
"..."
Chen Qi was a bit speechless.
In those days, making a movie meant shooting one scene a day, and a single film could take a year to complete.
It was common.
You could say they were meticulous about art, or you could say they were inefficient.
Everything had to be discussed and researched over and over again.
Chen Qi had fully experienced this during his time here.
Chen Qi, holding his notebook, left the meeting room with his head down.
The screenwriter's voice still carried little weight.
But I will climb step by step to the very top!
(Thanks to Ice Slime for upgrading to Silver Supporter...
That's it!)
(End of Chapter)