Taken Away

All was well in the capital. With his predicament still unresolved, Chen Qi didn't want to go home and worry his parents, so he returned to trusty Room 302. After an absence of twenty-two days, a fine layer of dust had settled over the floor and tables. He swept the room, wiped everything down with a rag, and unpacked his luggage. He had brought back very little—he had even left behind that box of condoms. What a shame he never got to use them; they were extra-large, after all. Afterward, Chen Qi fetched a kettle of hot water and pushed the window open to air out the room. The Lantern Festival had just passed, and Beijing Film Studio was still decorated with lanterns and colored streamers. The early spring chill was biting, and people bustled back and forth wrapped in thick coats, chatting and laughing in blissful ignorance. "They don't know a thing!" "That's good. Ignorance is bliss!" "There is no such thing as peace and quiet in this world—it's just us transmigrators carrying the heavy load..." Sighing, he leaned against the windowsill and watched for a while, until he suddenly spotted Liang Xiaosheng. "Old Liang! Old Liang!" he called out. "When did you get back?" "Hold on, I'm coming up!" Before long, Liang Xiaosheng ran upstairs and grinned. "Man, you've been gone for over twenty days! Why didn't you say something when you got back? How was Hong Kong? What was it like spending the holidays overseas?" "I just walked in the door... Look, now's not the time to chat. I need a favor. Carry these two chairs over to your dorm." "Huh?" "Keep them safe for me for now. I'll pick them up later." Chen Qi was already moving them out: a red sandalwood round stool and a huanghuali round-back folding chair—the very antique seats he had never let anyone sit on. Then he picked out several risqué old books and shoved them into Liang Xiaosheng's arms as well. Liang Xiaosheng was no fool. Grabbing Chen Qi, he pressed, "What's going on? What did you do?" "I can't explain it all right now. You'll probably hear about it in a couple of days anyway. Just take them back quickly, and don't hang around here!" Chen Qi shooed him out the door. After that, he checked his room again to make sure there wasn't anything sensitive or incriminating left behind. Fortunately, he was usually very careful—especially regarding his plans for the future, which he burned as soon as he wrote them down. It was only a little past ten in the morning. They had landed in the capital early that morning, and Fang Yurong had disappeared the moment she stepped off the plane. Done with his chores, Chen Qi sat on the bed and casually flipped through an old book from the Republican era, waiting for the impending censure, criticism, or perhaps something even worse. Strange as it was, he felt remarkably calm at that moment, his mind cool and clear... *Knock, knock, knock!* A short while later, someone knocked at the door. Taking a few deep breaths, he went to open it. Standing outside were two men, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, looking like the Fat and Thin Ascetics from the novels. Sizing him up, one of them said, "Comrade Chen Qi? We're from the Ministry of Culture. Please cooperate and come with us." "All right. Let me put on a coat." *They sure got here fast!* Chen Qi thought to himself. Slipping on a jacket, he stepped out of the room without any resistance, knowing this was an unavoidable procedure. Downstairs, he saw that Li Wenhua was also being escorted by two men. Li Wenhua glanced at him and offered a wry smile; having been a part of it all, he naturally couldn't escape involvement. It was noon break, and many people were heading to the cafeteria for lunch. The scene struck everyone as odd. Cai Ming came trotting over naively, giggling. "Hey, Brother Chen! When did you get back—" One glare from one of the officials sent a sudden chill down her spine, and she realized these men were no ordinary visitors. "Chen Qi!" Gong Xue saw him too and hurried forward, only to be stopped. Chen Qi mouthed to her, "I'm fine! Don't worry!" How could he possibly be fine! Watching him and Li Wenhua being escorted into a car, Gong Xue turned pale, frantic with worry. In her frame of reference, this was a disaster that brought down the heavens, and Chen Qi would definitely face severe consequences. *What should I do? Who can I turn to for help? I...* Suddenly, she looked up. *Where is the old director? Why hasn't Director Wang stepped in?* Spinning on her heel, Gong Xue ran toward the main building. Her footsteps pounded up to the director's office, but it was empty. She hurriedly grabbed someone passing by and asked, "Where's the director? Where did he go?" "He went to a meeting at the Film Association. Do you need something?" "Why did he have to be in a meeting right now!" She clattered back downstairs. After a moment's hesitation, she gritted her teeth, hopped onto her newly purchased women's bicycle, and pedaled through the biting wind toward the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio. At this moment, Gong Xue had completely discarded her usual gentle, poised demeanor. She didn't know how to help Chen Qi, only that she could turn to Wang Yang, and so she sped off without a second thought. "Huh? Gong Xue!" When she reached the courtyard of the documentary studio, people naturally recognized her—she was red-hot from *Romance on Mount Lu*—and called out in greeting, "Here for an interview with *Popular Cinema*? It's on the fourth floor." "Hello, comrade. I... I'm looking for Director Wang. He's at a Film Association meeting." "Oh, that's on the fourth floor too!" Fourth floor. Wang Yang, along with heads of several other film studios and the preparatory group for the Golden Rooster Awards, was holding a briefing. "May 23rd, the 1st Golden Rooster Awards and the 4th Hundred Flowers Awards will be held in Hangzhou—that has already been finalized. You won't need to submit films; our judging panel will evaluate them independently according to the rules. This is our film industry's very first professional awards ceremony, and we hope all studio heads will lend their full support..." "Why Hangzhou?" "Elder Xia (Xia Yan) went to Hangzhou for a conference, and the local authorities and filmmakers pleaded for it, so Elder Xia agreed. Where it's held doesn't matter; making the event a success is what counts." While the meeting was underway, someone rushed in, headed straight for Wang Yang, and whispered a few words into his ear. Wang Yang's expression changed instantly. He rose at once. "Something has come up at my studio. Please excuse me, I must take my leave!" He hurried out before anyone could respond. The other studio heads looked at one another in bewilderment. "What's Old Wang up to?" "Who knows? I heard one of Beijing Film Studio's movies went abroad for an exhibition recently. They should be back by now, right?" "Did something go wrong?" "No idea, no idea." Downstairs, Gong Xue saw him come out and rushed over. "Director, Chen Qi and Director Li were taken away!" "When?" "Just moments ago! As soon as I saw it, I came to find you!" "Don't panic. Head back first. I'll handle this..." Wang Yang comforted her, but his face darkened. *Damn it! China Film can't do anything right, but when it comes to this kind of shit, their efficiency is through the roof! How did they get here so fast?!* *** While still in Shanghai, Fang Yurong had made a long-distance call to explain the situation to Song Linming, the general manager of China Film. That very day, Song Linming had marched straight to the Ministry of Culture to lodge a complaint! He hadn't even bothered going to the Film Bureau, heading straight to their higher-level governing body. That was why they had moved so quickly, picking Chen Qi up only hours after he landed. At this moment, Fang Yurong was trailing closely behind Song Linming as he strode forward, his leather shoes clicking sharply against the floor of the Ministry of Culture's hallway. His face was livid; he had just given Fang Yurong a blistering scolding. Truth be told, Fang Yurong was the one who had lost the most face in this whole ordeal. A living, breathing person who wasn't blind or deaf had let such a massive scheme unfold right under her nose, only finding out at the very end. And then there was that pathetic film she had selected... She had made a complete laughingstock of herself all the way in West Berlin! Of course, he hated Beijing Film Studio even more! For power to be usurped from those who held it, and a monopoly stolen from those who commanded it—that was utterly intolerable. *Bang!* He pushed open the door to a room. Inside sat leaders from the Ministry of Culture, officials from the Film Bureau, disciplinary investigators, and the two men at the center of the storm: Li Wenhua and Chen Qi!