A Bite of the Apple

Just a day after getting the four men settled in, Chen Qi was summoned to the Ministry of Culture once more. The moment he walked into the office and saw the look on Chen Huangmei's face, his spirits lifted. It seemed things were practically set. Sure enough, Chen Huangmei chuckled and said, "Xiao Chen, I called you over today because there's good news. After careful deliberation by the organization, your screenplay for *Life Is Beautiful* has been approved for production." "Phew!" Chen Qi let out a breath of relief. He had really dreaded having to send this film overseas under the banner of Hong Kong; that would have been far too much of a shame. He said, "When I was writing the screenplay, I knew there would be obstacles. Thank you for all your support and help!" "It wasn't just me. Liao Gong also spoke up on your behalf. Liao Gong took a keen interest in your ideas about overseas propaganda and thought they were highly feasible." "Does Liao Gong want to put them into practice?" "Not yet. A matter like this can be blown up or played down, taken seriously or handled lightly. Go make the film first, and we'll talk then. But let me warn you beforehand: even though it's been approved, during shooting and after the final cut is done, there might still be all kinds of dissenting voices and criticism." "Yes, I know!" Chen Qi rolled his eyes inward. It didn't matter in the least. In a few months, everyone would be cursing the Japanese together anyway—a major incident was set to unfold in a few months, and by then, no one would have the leisure to nitpick and complain about *Life Is Beautiful*. During the 1980s, plenty of people had bought into the so-called Sino-Japanese friendship, but repulsive antics kept cropping up from the Japanese side, which ironically helped more people see their true colors. The environment was quite peculiar. In cinema, for instance, studios were producing films about the War of Resistance on one hand while churning out Sino-Japanese co-productions on the other. The miraculous part was that nobody saw any contradiction between the two. Film was never just film; it could convey a great deal. Much like in 1986, when *The Battle of Taierzhuang* held its premiere in Hong Kong and caught the attention of Taiwan. The film was delivered to Chiang Ching-kuo, and shortly after watching it, he agreed to allow veteran soldiers to visit their relatives on the mainland. Chiang Kai-shek, after all, was a figure whose faults far outweighed even his faults. There was no need to deliberately smear him; even if one stuck strictly to historical facts, his record could never be scrubbed clean. Yet in *The Battle of Taierzhuang*, Chiang Kai-shek was portrayed in a relatively positive light for the first time, and the battle itself featured the Nationalist army fighting the Japanese invaders... Chiang Ching-kuo immediately recognized that the mainland was sending a signal—though in truth, the two sides had already established some tacit understanding prior to that. Such was the significance of cinema. *Life Is Beautiful* was no different. Handled properly, it could play a tremendous role. "Do you foresee any difficulties in production?" Chen Huangmei asked. "There's a scene near the end depicting the Japanese defeat and the liberation of the concentration camp. I'd like to arrange a shot with airplanes and tanks, which will require military assistance." "That can be arranged!" "Then I have no other requests!" "Xiao Chen, your film is the very first of its kind in our country. Nothing like it has ever been made before, and every quarter is watching closely. Don't let everyone down. Since you've already made such grand promises—courting international friends, raising our status—don't end up falling flat on your face..." "Elders always forgive the boasting of youth. If I hadn't pitched it that way, how could I have won you over? You know better than anyone that filmmaking carries risks. It's not the kind of thing where signing a military pledge guarantees success..." Chen Qi had no intention of making a formal pledge. Even if he could execute it brilliantly, he refused to give any ironclad guarantees. Once a guarantee was given, the entire nature of the project changed. "You slippery fellow! So young, yet sharp as a demon. All right, off you go!" "Thank you once again!" *** *Thump, thump, thump... thump, thump... thump!* At the tongzilou, Chen Qi knocked on the door. The moment he stepped inside, he swept Gong Xue up into his arms and spun her around, laughing, "Hahaha, *Life Is Beautiful* got approved!" "Put me down!" "The door isn't closed yet!" Gong Xue was startled and slapped his shoulder hard. Once her feet touched the floor, she hurried over to shut the door, turning back with a smile. "You mean the project has been officially greenlit?" "That's right! My flight back wasn't in vain after all." Noticing another Guoguang apple on the table, Chen Qi picked it up and took a bite. It was still so sour it set his teeth on edge. He remarked, "It's March now, so we have nine months left. I'll push to get everything wrapped up within those nine months. Oh, by the way, I've settled on Li Wenhua as the director, while I run things from behind the scenes." "What about *Tai Chi 3* then?" "I want to hand it over to Tsui Hark. Once he finishes *Ghost*, it'll line up perfectly. *Tai Chi 3* has plenty of foreigners too, and we'll need to shoot in Hong Kong. You have quite a few scenes yourself." "We'll get to work together in Hong Kong?" "Of course!" "At least you have a conscience. Every time you leave, I worry sick about you. I always feel like you might never come back..." Gong Xue was delighted and couldn't resist a bit of coquettish affection. Chen Qi pulled her close and said with a chuckle, "You don't know how things are from over here on the mainland. This time, I'll let you see just how influential I am in Hong Kong! "The moment my calling card is sent out, big companies and small studios alike weep with emotion! From the New Territories to Lantau Island, there isn't a soul who doesn't chant my name!" Gong Xue had only visited once, during the promotional tour for *Tai Chi*. Since she had few scenes in *Tai Chi 2*, she hadn't gone, so she was genuinely looking forward to this. She listened as Chen Qi chattered on: "When you get there, you'll stay in the dormitory. Uncle Fu Chi and the others have several buildings, and their facilities are modern as can be. "They have refrigerators, gas stoves, flush toilets, and water heaters. Say, do you want to share a room with me?" "Get out of here! Who's sharing a room with you? Of course I'll have my own place." "Then I'll just slip over in the middle of the night. Taking a shower there is so convenient—no need to haul two basins of water beforehand..." "Oh, stop it!" Gong Xue covered his mouth, reproaching him affectionately. "Whatever you talk about, it always leads back to that! Can't your head think about anything else?" "You're doing me an injustice! You haven't been feeling well these past couple of days, and I've looked after you with utmost care without bringing it up once. Which other male comrade would treat you like this? Most of them wouldn't even know how to brew brown sugar water." "That's true. Look at my parents—they have a great relationship, don't they? But whenever my mother felt under the weather, my father remained completely indifferent. He probably didn't understand it either, so my mother just had to tough it out on her own..." A wave of tenderness washed over Gong Xue. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled softly. "When I first met you, I could tell you were someone who knew how to care for others. But I never imagined you'd understand everything so well. A woman feels embarrassed talking about such things to anyone, yet here you are, seeming to understand it all better than I do." *Did you think I earned my reputation as the patron saint of women in Hengdian for nothing?* Chen Qi naturally coaxed her with gentle words. Moved, she joined him in soft kisses and embraces for a while, until Gong Xue's face suddenly flushed red as she sensed his stirring desire. Feeling a bit apologetic, she hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Is it very uncomfortable?" "It's fine." "..." Biting her lip, Gong Xue stood up, lifted the thermos flask, and found there was still a bit of warm water left. She poured it into the basin and murmured in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "Why don't you wash up?" At times, a woman might view intimacy as a reward or a means of comfort to make her partner happy. For instance, on birthdays, Valentine's Day, or whenever a boyfriend was in low spirits, he would often find their time together in bed extraordinarily comforting. It was a perfectly natural psychological state. *Hiss!* Before long, he sat back on the sofa, leaning his head slightly as his fingers gently stroked her silky hair. Another bite was missing from the apple on the table.