Hundred Flowers

"An invitation to join Shanghai Film Studio?" Chen Qi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I'm doing just fine at Beijing Film Studio. Why would I want to go to Shanghai Film Studio?" "Let us speak openly and frankly; I will be blunt with you. You have been at Beijing Film Studio for so long without ever officially transferring your personnel file there. That in itself is very strange. Old Wang is a man who cherishes talent and has surely brought the matter up with you. That it never went through means there must be certain issues where the two of you could not reach an agreement. Am I right?" "..." Chen Qi smiled without answering. Growing more confident, Wang Lingu continued, "I won't indulge in wild guesses. I will only say this: whatever Beijing Film Studio has, Shanghai Film Studio has as well; whatever Beijing Film Studio lacks, Shanghai Film Studio still has! We are truly the country's most enterprising, daring, and fashionable studio, standing right at the forefront of the era. Beijing Film Studio is situated in the capital, so it is inevitably constrained to some degree. And we hold you in extraordinarily high regard. If you are willing to come, we cannot give you too high a title administratively, but in terms of real authority, we will back you to launch a film of your own. You will pick the topic, select the screenplay, choose the creative team, and oversee the shooting and distribution all the way through—the studio will not interfere in the slightest!" Wang Lingu was displaying the utmost sincerity, even offering housing as an incentive. "We are currently building 'Shangying New Village' as employee welfare housing. They are multi-story apartment buildings with indoor plumbing and sewage. As long as you come, there will definitely be an apartment for you!" "Ha!" Chen Qi laughed and nodded repeatedly. "Thank you. Really, thank you. I can feel your sincerity." To be honest, he was actually a little tempted! These terms were generous indeed; any ordinary person would surely have jumped at the offer. Seeing this, Wang Lingu added fuel to the fire: "We also know you have partners you enjoy working with. If you agree, we guarantee we will have her transferred over as well." Hearing the pronoun he used, Chen Qi knew he meant Gong Xue. Without mentioning her, things were fine, but bringing her up made him want to roll his eyes. I went through all that trouble to bring Gong Xue to Beijing Film Studio, and now I'd send her right back? What, did I have nothing better to do?! "How many chances would I get?" "What?" "Director Wang, you came looking for me purely because *Tai Chi* was a huge success. I understand that. The terms you've offered are truly generous, and I'm genuinely touched. But I'd like to ask..." Chen Qi turned serious. "If I fail at your studio, will there be a second chance? Or even a third?" "Well..." Wang Lingu hesitated. "Put another way, through all the twists and turns of what I've just been through, Director Wang supported me with everything he had in every aspect, which was the only reason I made it through safely. Do you have that kind of trust in me? Shanghai Film Studio is indeed ahead in certain areas, but I've grown quite accustomed to staying here and don't want to relocate. I can only offer my apologies." "Fair enough. It was presumptuous of me!" Wang Lingu found it utterly bizarre: this kid refused to officially join Beijing Film Studio, yet he refused to leave either. What on earth was he aiming for? *** Over the next few days, Chen Qi continually received visitors from all sides, experiencing the joy of Brother Jiayin. *Hmph! If your rank isn't high enough, I won't even bother seeing you!* The visitors fell roughly into three groups: administrative bodies represented by Auntie Wang, the film industry system, and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office alongside the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. Their goals were all similar—they all wanted to snatch him up! Surprisingly, Wu Tianming also came as a representative of Xi'an Film Studio. He was not studio director yet and would not take office until 1983. At that time, Fifth Generation filmmakers like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige were just starting out, out of step with contemporary Chinese cinema and widely snubbed. Wu Tianming had the eye of a connoisseur and championed the Fifth Generation, producing *Red Sorghum*, *The Black Cannon Incident*, *King of the Children*, *The Horse Thief*, *The Swordsman in Double Flag Town*, and more, propelling Xi'an Film Studio to its zenith in one fell swoop. Before that, Xi'an Film Studio was a total nobody. Chen Qi warmly hosted Wu Tianming. Wu had come seeking a screenplay, hoping Chen Qi could sell him a martial arts film script. It just so happened that Chen Qi gave him *Kyoto Ball Heroes*. This story combined martial arts, soccer, and comedy, of solid quality, having sold over two hundred prints back in the day. Chen Qi had far too many good things in store to feel stingy about it, treating it simply as making a friend. The folks from China Film came twice more, but the old doorman turned them away both times, and Chen Qi didn't bother entertaining them either. He gained a stretch of leisurely downtime, a perfect chance to relax. *** In the blink of an eye, March arrived. Beijing finally began to warm up. The willows sprouted new buds, spring flowers blossomed, and the grounds of Beijing Film Studio grew lively and vibrant. Early this morning, their little circle—Chen Qi, Liang Xiaosheng, Ge You, and Zhang Jinling—were all present, bustling about helping Gong Xue move her belongings. They loaded an assortment of items onto a tricycle cart, flanking it on both sides to steady it as they pushed it along. They walked from the guesthouse to the residential area out back, carrying the items piece by piece up into the tongzilou. Thanks to *Tai Chi*, Gong Xue had gained the most practical benefit: Beijing Film Studio had allocated her a single dormitory room. While the conditions might not be quite as good as the guesthouse, at least it was her own private space; staying in a guesthouse always made one feel like a guest. Chen Qi recalled Wang Lingu's words. The contrast was striking: Shanghai Film Studio was building apartment blocks equipped with flush toilets, while Beijing Film Studio still had tongzilou. "Where should this box go?" "Put it over there. Let me do it, let me do it!" "What about this one?" "Just leave it by the door!" After another flurry of activity, Gong Xue generously smiled and said, "Thank you all for your hard work! Let me treat everyone to a restaurant meal!" "Oho, is it your treat or Xiao Chen's treat?" Zhang Jinling teased. "Mine, of course! I'm paying!" "Then the standard probably won't be that high. If Xiao Chen treats, it's a different story—might even be a feast!" "Don't eat if you don't want to, then!" Laughing and bantering, the group left the studio and headed to a restaurant they frequented often. Gathering with friends was always a joy, and amid the eating and drinking, Ge You suddenly pulled an issue of *Popular Cinema* from his army-green canvas bag. "I just bought this. There's major news inside: the Hundred Flowers Awards will be held in Hangzhou on May 23. This year, they've also started a Golden Rooster Awards, held right alongside it." "What are the Golden Rooster Awards for?" Zhang Jinling asked. "A professional panel award, judged by experts. We don't need to worry about that—anyway, voting for the Hundred Flowers Awards has begun! Look!" Ge You spread open the magazine, and the group glanced at the ballot section. Unlike last year's fourteen awards, this year they had eliminated directing, screenwriting, supporting actor, cinematography, art direction, and all the rest, keeping only three categories: Best Feature Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress. "Huh? Looking at it like this, the Golden Rooster Awards carry serious weight!" Chen Qi remarked with mild surprise. "How so?" "The categories dropped from the Hundred Flowers this year were definitely moved over to the Golden Rooster side. From now on, whenever someone talks about Best Director or Best Screenplay, that'll belong to the Golden Rooster Awards. How could that not carry serious weight?" "Makes sense! Truly worthy of someone who earns foreign exchange!" Ge You now envied, resented, and admired him to the extreme; compared to Chen Qi, his own life felt like trash. He pulled out a pen and said, "Why don't we just fill it out right now and cast our sacred votes?" "Sure, sure! Xiao Chen, you hold the pen!" Chen Qi wasn't shy about it. Taking the fountain pen, he grinned. "Best Feature Film has three slots. Which ones do you like?" "*Romance on Mount Lu*, obviously!" "Definitely *Romance on Mount Lu*. As for the other two, just put whatever." After some chatter back and forth, they settled on *Romance on Mount Lu*, *Murder at 405*, and *Seventh-Rank Sesame Official*. For Best Actor, they chose Tang Guoqiang. When it came to Best Actress, the group immediately began teasing: "Oho, Xiao Chen, who do you want to write down?" "Yeah, yeah, I think Zhang Yu in *Evening Rain* was great. Why not pick her?" "Zhu Biyun in *Rouge* was wonderful too!" "But the pen is in your hand—what we say doesn't count. It's up to you!" "..." In a setting like this, Gong Xue felt awkward speaking up. Her face had long since flushed crimson; she both wanted him to write her name and worried about him doing so. Chen Qi couldn't care less about any of that. He laughed and said, "One shouldn't avoid recommending someone close if they're worthy! Good is good. Out of all the leading ladies last year, who shone brightest? The eyes of the masses are sharp and clear!" With a flourish of his pen, he swiftly wrote: Gong Xue!