The Country's First Roadshow

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Xiaoqing pedaled toward Beijing Film Studio. Passing a movie theater along the way, she braked abruptly. An enormous poster had already been pasted onto the promotional display board by the entrance—an image of Gong Xue holding a child, emblazoned with giant characters: Mama, Love Me Once More! Director: Wang Haowei. Screenwriter: Chen Qi. Starring: Gong Xue, Fang Chao, and others... Liu Xiaoqing's gaze lingered on Chen Qi's name, filled with both irritation and indignation. Chronologically speaking, she had known Chen Qi before Gong Xue ever did; back when he first arrived at Beijing Film Studio, he was still revising the script for Romance on Mount Lu. She had made overtures toward him back then, only to be turned down. Later, when Romance on Mount Lu became a massive hit, she made advances again, and was rejected again... Time after time. Even with her thick skin, her pride took a beating. Was she really that beneath his notice? Teacher Chen: Can't help it. I'm just not into broad, platter-shaped faces—it's not like you're Zhong Chuhong. "Sooner or later, I'll show you that even without you, I can become more famous than any star you make!" She huffed, about to pedal away, when two workers emerged from the cinema. One carried posters while the other held a pot of paste and a brush, putting up another sheet right alongside the first. Liu Xiaoqing stopped to read it: "Mama, Love Me Once More will open on April 11. On the afternoon of the 15th, the director and lead cast members will meet and interact with the audience at this cinema. On the 14th, a limited number of tickets for this special screening will go on sale. Stay tuned!" People in this era did not lack business acumen; they merely lacked the right environment. Once someone set the stage, people jumped right up to perform. Look at this: the film company had figured things out completely on their own, even inventing the concept of a "special screening." "What does that mean?" "Sounds like the actors are coming in person to meet the audience!" "Oh my! Will Gong Xue be here?" "I'd think so! Doesn't it say the lead cast?" "Then I've got to get ready to grab a ticket!" Liu Xiaoqing lowered her head and rode away amidst the growing chatter of the crowd, feeling all the more disgruntled. "You can tell that boy had a hand in this at first glance. He's always cooking up these wild antics!" ... The roadshow Chen Qi had dreamed up stirred quite a bit of debate. You couldn't call it a violation, since no regulation explicitly forbade actors from participating in promotion; yet you couldn't call it standard practice either, as it was genuinely novel. Aside from that, several newspapers and periodicals reported on the release of Mama, Love Me Once More. This was routine publicity, and also the primary channel through which audiences got movie news. Evening, April 10. After eating in the cafeteria, Gong Xue walked back toward the tongzilou alone when someone called from behind: "Xiao Gong!" Turning around, she saw Liu Xiaoqing and Li Xiuming walking over side by side. Liu Xiaoqing smiled and asked, "Your movie is coming out soon. Aren't you going to invite us to watch it?" "Sure! I'm free tomorrow." "Oh, we're just teasing. If we want to see it, we'll buy our own tickets. Besides, you're so busy—we heard you're even going to theaters to greet the audience." "Exactly, don't wear yourself out!" "You still have to attend the Golden Rooster Awards next month!" The two walked off, chatting and laughing. Gong Xue wrinkled her nose. She had a temper of her own; she just wasn't good at arguing. Every confrontation ended with her crying, so she simply avoided quarreling altogether. Returning to the tongzilou, she sulked for a little while before soothing her own feelings. Then she opened her wardrobe and picked out an outfit to change into: a white V-neck sweater over a collared shirt on top, paired with khaki casual trousers and low-heeled leather shoes. She applied a touch of light lipstick and tied her hair up. Checking herself in the mirror, she looked tall, slender, and fashionable. In the past era, female comrades were not allowed to display external beauty, and with her poor family background, she hadn't dared to draw attention to herself. But nowadays, Chen Qi constantly praised her looks until her confidence blossomed. Moreover, success nurtured elegance—her entire aura had transformed, cultivating a rare star presence. A star presence wasn't just about good looks, makeup, or fashion; it was something far more subtle. Even if you didn't recognize a celebrity, putting them in a crowd of ordinary people would still make them stand out at first glance—and Fan Xiaopang was the absolute master of that. "Friends in the audience, hello everyone!" Gong Xue paced around the room for a few circuits, then stopped to practice her lines for tomorrow. Chen Qi was so good to her, both in life and in her career—utterly meticulous and caring. She didn't want to let him down; she had to work hard to become even better. ... The next morning. Chen Qi rode his bicycle to Jiaodaokou Cinema in Dongsi on his own. Built in the 1950s, the cinema had 1,200 seats and occupied a two-story building. Its gray exterior walls were engraved with ancient carriage-and-horse motifs, and in front of the entrance lay a small plaza paved with square bricks. Stepping inside led into a lobby furnished with benches for patrons to rest, as well as a snack counter. On either side of the lobby, a terrazzo staircase led upstairs. Out of more than 130 screening venues in Beijing, there were only twenty or so first-run cinemas. These were generally the venues with more seating and superior facilities, and Jiaodaokou Cinema was among them. Chen Qi thought it looked quite grand, but as he headed upstairs, he noticed a glaring crack running along the wall that looked downright dangerous. Since transmigrating here, he hadn't visited movie theaters very often, and he couldn't help a bewildered look: This counts as a first-run cinema? Reaching the second floor, he found the manager's office. The door stood ajar, voices of men and women drifting from inside. "Oh, Xiao Chen is here!" Wang Haowei, Gong Xue, and the others were already inside. Wang Haowei made the introductions: "This is our great screenwriter, and this is the cinema manager..." "Hello, hello! I've long heard your illustrious name!" The manager hurried forward to shake hands, saying, "You're unmatched when it comes to earning foreign exchange through film! We admire you to no end. If not for the fate brought by this movie, I wouldn't have had the privilege to meet you!" Nowadays, production, distribution, and theatrical screening were completely decoupled; film studios and cinemas operated in total isolation without participating in one another's business. That was why everyone found this whole arrangement so novel. Mama, Love Me Once More was premiering in Beijing starting today, and the main cast and crew were going to visit all twenty first-run cinemas. Jiaodaokou was the very first stop. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Chen Qi, the manager turned right back to fuss over Gong Xue, asking after her comfort and peppering her with questions. Gong Xue kept a polite smile and answered gracefully, though her eyes darted Chen Qi's way from time to time. Chen Qi was amused. It gave him the vivid sense of a simp bringing two servings of breakfast to his goddess. After chatting for a while, hearing the bustle outside, the manager hastily shut the door and smiled. "The audience is coming in. I have no experience with this kind of thing either. When should we head out?" "Two minutes before the house lights come back on, while the end credits are rolling on screen, we'll slip in under cover of the dark and take our places at the front. Once the lights turn on, the audience will spot us right away—they'll be thrilled." "Have the microphones been tested?" "Tested them already. They all work fine." "Do you have an emcee?" "Uh..." "Never mind, I'll do it. Station a few more people to maintain order, and make sure we leave first as soon as the event ends, or it could easily cause a safety hazard." They truly had no clue, so Chen Qi guided them step by step. The commotion outside grew louder and louder, before settling down into quiet once more, replaced by the sounds of the film playing. Gong Xue was experienced and not nervous in the least, while Wang Haowei, on the contrary, seemed a little stiff... Thus, the mainland's very first roadshow quietly came into being, at a time when most people had not yet grasped its significance.