A Gathering of Talents

Everyone else had dispersed, leaving only the two of them in the conference room. Chen Huangmei smiled. "Your speech today was truly deafening and thought-provoking. While there are parts of it I don't fully understand, I think your spirit is commendable. Young people ought to possess that kind of upward fighting drive." "You flatter me, Vice Minister. I was reckless today, spouting boastful words in front of so many respected seniors. I'll go apologize to them right now!" Chen Qi made a show of getting up to leave, only to be yanked back. "All right, all right, drop the act!" Rendered speechless, Chen Huangmei shook his head—he had never seen a young comrade quite like this. "Still, you really have boundless nerve. What if someone actually holds your words against you?" "Then I suppose I'd have no choice but to resign." "And give up filmmaking?" "I'd just go make films in Hong Kong. There are still people there who want me." "So you had an escape route all along..." Chen Huangmei chuckled. No wonder Director Wang liked this kid so much—sharp-witted, never charging in blindly. He said, "Today's meeting will be kept strictly internal. After all, it does no one any good if word leaks out. But I do have a question for you." "Ask away, sir!" "If the disagreement here persists indefinitely, what do you plan to do?" "..." Chen Qi went silent for a moment before repeating what he had said to Fu Chi: "Then I can only let it venture overseas representing Hong Kong. It would be an immense regret." "Oh, so that's how you see it." "All right, you may head back. If there's any news, I'll let you know." "Then I shall take my leave!" After he left, Chen Huangmei sat alone in the conference room for a long while, turning things over in his mind. Suddenly, he smiled softly. "I'm already sixty-nine. I might as well get something done before I step down, so Director Wang won't laugh at me later." Meanwhile, having walked out of the Ministry of Culture, Chen Qi had no desire to sit around waiting for news. Whether approved or not, he would start preparations first. To make up for lost time, he headed straight to find Tian Zhuangzhuang. *** Beijing Film Studio, residential quarters. Tian Zhuangzhuang was at home pleading with his mother, Yu Lan, his appeal so tearful and impassioned it was practically a tragic performance. "Old Zhang comes from a tough background, his family class origin is problematic, and he was always looked down on at school. When he couldn't afford photography books, he painstakingly copied two hundred thousand words by hand! I've looked after him for four years; the two of us are like real brothers. "Kaige was assigned to your Children's Film Studio, Li Shaohong came to Beijing Film Studio, Gu Changwei went to Xi'an Film Studio—only Old Zhang is left hanging without a place. No one wants him. Only Guangxi Film Studio is willing to take him. "What kind of place is Guangxi? They make three films a year! What kind of opportunities could he possibly get there? "Why don't you take him in as an assistant director at Children's Film Studio? At least he'd get to stay in Beijing." Yu Lan was astonished. Her son had always been thoroughly rebellious, and this was the very first time he had ever begged her for a favor. She could only say, "The Children's Film Studio has one spot for every turnip too. Even though I'm the studio head, I can't just hire whoever I want. I can only do my best to try." "That's good enough! Old Zhang is counting on you!" Tian Zhuangzhuang was fiercely loyal and had treated Zhang Yimou beyond reproach. Later on, even after Zhang was assigned to Guangxi, Tian Zhuangzhuang often traveled all that great distance to visit him. *Knock, knock, knock!* "Old Tian, you home? It's Chen Qi!" As mother and son were speaking, a knock sounded at the door. Tian Zhuangzhuang blinked in surprise and went to open it. "Xiao Chen, what brings you here?" "I've got some business... Oh, greetings, Auntie Yu!" Chen Qi gave Yu Lan a respectful greeting. Yu Lan exchanged a few pleasant words with him and told them to go chat in the bedroom. Once inside the bedroom, Chen Qi got straight to the point: "I'll be direct! I'm preparing a movie and need a lot of hands. You guys are about to graduate and receive your job assignments, so I want to pick a few to join my company." *Whoa!* Tian Zhuangzhuang's eyes lit up. Right! How had he forgotten about the Eastern Depot? Joining the Eastern Depot meant staying in Beijing too! After a quick thought, he said, "Don't bother with those assigned to major studios. Do you remember Zhang Yimou? You met him once. Only Guangxi Film Studio wants him. What do you think of him?" "He's in the Cinematography Department?" Chen Qi recalled and asked. "Yes, incredibly talented with a camera." "Sounds good. Let's meet and talk. Anyone else?" "There's also Zhang Junzhao from the Directing Department and He Qun from the Art Department. They're likely heading to Guangxi too, but they don't want to go; they want to stay in Beijing." "No problem. Let's meet them all together. If they fit, I'll take them all!" "That's fantastic! I'll go fetch them right now." *** Chen Qi returned to Lechunfang. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he called out, "Xiao Dai? Xiao Dai?" "Coming, coming!" Dai Hanhan dashed out of the room like a puff of smoke. "Teacher Chen, what are your orders?" "Go fetch some food and wine. I'm hosting dinner tonight for five or six people!" "Oh, then I'll buy some ready-made cooked meats and pickles, along with some vegetables and meat so we can cook the rest ourselves. It'll easily make a full table." "Aren't you thoughtful?" "Sharing your burdens and solving problems is my duty! I'm off!" Dai Hanhan darted away like a whirlwind again. Chen Qi watched her go, as if looking at his future office secretary. He entered the back courtyard and spotted a note left by Sister Xue. After tidying up a bit, he waited for the evening guests to arrive. His mood was buoyant. In 1978, the Beijing Film Academy had resumed admissions, and now, four years later, that first batch of talent was finally graduating. If he couldn't poach established professionals who already had steady posts, couldn't he at least snap up fresh graduates? Job assignments also had to take personal preferences into account. Zhang Yimou went without saying. As a director, he might lean on hard work, but as a cinematographer, he was an absolute genius. His very first feature, *One and Eight*, would make a splash in cinema circles, followed by high-caliber work on *Yellow Earth* and *The Big Parade*. Zhang Junzhao was less famous, but he was the director of *One and Eight*, the foundational work of the Fifth Generation. Unfortunately, his momentum stalled later, and he switched to directing television dramas. He Qun came from the Art Department and had contributed to those same films before transitioning into a director and helming many productions. "Ha!" Just thinking about it made Chen Qi want to laugh out loud. Damn it! After acting as a bare-bones commander for a whole year, he was finally going to get formidable troops and generals. In reality, when the Fifth Generation first emerged, they were considered anomalies in the film industry, looked down on by most of the establishment. Without a discerning eye to appreciate them, whether they could have made names for themselves was an open question. But now... What did the Fifth Generation's avant-garde boldness amount to in front of the Eastern Depot? The most avant-garde, audacious guy in the entire country was sitting right here! *** "Six o'clock tonight, No. 6 Lechunfang. Don't be late!" "We won't, we won't!" Tian Zhuangzhuang was truly a man of his word. Having promptly tracked down Zhang Yimou, Zhang Junzhao, and He Qun, he pedaled away on his bicycle. He had originally planned to head back to Beijing Film Studio, but after mulling it over en route, he changed direction and sped toward Xicheng District. Before long, he arrived outside the gate of a studio marked by a plaque: Beijing Science and Educational Film Studio. Founded in 1960, as the name implied, it specialized in making science and education films. After speaking with the reception desk and waiting a long time, he finally saw a young man sauntering out. He looked twenty-five or twenty-six, extremely skinny, with small eyes behind glasses and a rather quirky face. "Ugh, that seafood stench!" Tian Zhuangzhuang fanned the air in disgust. "Did you go out to sea again?" "Yeah, just got back. Filming abalone aquaculture this time. Believe it or not, I know how to farm them myself now." This man was He Ping. His father had originally been a deputy studio head at Beijing Film Studio, so he grew up as an insider's son. But luck was not on his side back then, and he had failed the entrance exam for the Beijing Film Academy. As it happened, his father was transferred to this science and educational film studio as its head, so he followed along. Currently an assistant director, he was steadily honing his filming techniques through projects like "Abalone Aquaculture." His future representative works would include *The Swordsman in Double Flag Town* and *Warriors of Heaven and Earth*. When future generations discussed the Fifth Generation, He Ping was often excluded simply because he had not received formal academy training and did not count among that circle. Yet as the big brother of this crowd, Tian Zhuangzhuang kept every one of them in mind. He laid out the situation on the spot and urged, "Filming abalones here, when will you ever make a name for yourself? Chen Qi has no one over there, and there's no waiting in line by seniority. If you go, you can dive right into real work. "Your dad is the studio head—one word from him and you can transfer. It's a golden opportunity!"