Gong Xue's father was a photographer and her mother was an artist. Having studied calligraphy and painting from an early age, she possessed solid artistic fundamentals, and she could also dance.
She took the paper and looked at it, finding the description utterly bizarre. It read:
"Jar Person:
Some wicked sorcerers place abducted children inside jars and feed them medicine over a long period. Those who survive grow up trapped in the jar, with only their head and four limbs able to extend outside.
Features: Ashen-white skin all over, two bright red patches on the cheeks, baring fangs and brandishing claws, a childlike face, wearing a melon-rind skullcap, and a queue trailing behind the head. The jar is ink-black, bearing a large 'Fortune' character pasted on the front."
"..."
Gong Xue knitted her brows and asked, "Why do you want a drawing of this? It's feudal superstition."
"I have a use for it. Can you draw in this style?"
"If it's for serious work, I'm afraid I won't do it well and might hold you back."
"It's fine, it's fine. Just drawing it is enough. Before you leave for home, I'll drop by again to give you the written draft. Draw it at home—don't do it at the troupe. Feudal superstition is rather sensitive."
"All right!"
Gong Xue readily agreed.
Chen Qi took back the manuscript paper and showed her the regional specialties, smiling. "These are all good things. Here's White Rabbit creamy candy!"
"Old Town God Temple spiced beans!"
"Tiaotou gao—ah, it got all squished out of shape."
"This one's good. It's called Chongming cake..."
Turning into a repeating machine without missing a single word, he said, "It comes in loose cake and firm cake. You eat loose cake cold, and the firm cake needs to be steamed."
Gong Xue pursed her lips and laughed. "I'm from Shanghai, and you're lecturing me on this? Let me tell you, if you steam the firm cake and add some sweet fermented rice to make sweet fermented rice cake soup, it tastes best of all."
"See? Leaving it with me would've been a waste, so you take it."
After turning him down repeatedly to no avail, she had no choice but to accept. Chen Qi did not linger, hopping onto his bicycle and riding away.
When she returned to the rehearsal hall, a comrade spotted the extra bag right away and called out, "Xiao Xue, who brought you good things?"
"Is it something delicious?"
"Delicious? What delicious food?"
Several more gathered around.
"It's just a gift from a friend. Try some, everyone..."
In this situation, she had no other choice. Aside from the Chongming cake, she shared everything among her comrades, then pressed her hands together in silent apology: *Sorry, sorry!*
The White Rabbit candy was naturally the most popular. Her comrade popped a candy into her mouth and chuckled, "I bet it's definitely a male comrade!"
"It wouldn't be Tang Guoqiang, would it?"
"Don't talk nonsense! He's already married!"
"Oho, then it's some other male comrade! Does he fancy you? Let me remind you, dating requires reporting to the organization. You can only date once it's approved."
"It's nothing like that! Stop teasing..."
Clutching the bag, Gong Xue was squeezed in the middle of their teasing, her face blushing furiously. Fortunately, rehearsals resumed, sparing her from further grilling.
In the blink of an eye, night fell.
Inside the communal dormitory, the army's routine was strictly disciplined. Everyone washed up and lay in bed.
Gong Xue was on the upper bunk, lying on her back and gazing at the ceiling. She could take leave to go home for Spring Festival, so she had been in high spirits lately. She hadn't expected Chen Qi to actually come looking for her and even ask for her help with drawings.
What kind of ghost story was that jar person? Truly creepy.
Still, since she had promised, she had to draw it properly.
***
Studio Director's Office.
Wang Yang held the script, having maintained the same posture for a very long time. He felt no fatigue whatsoever; instead, his spirits were surging, his enthusiasm at an all-time high, letting out shouts of praise every now and then. Especially when he reached the grand climax at the end, he read:
"With Prince Rong acting as mediator, Yang Yugan resolves to brave the Tower of Seven Heroes.
Prince Duan is obsessed with martial arts to the point of madness. Having recruited six top masters from across the land, he erected a Tower of Seven Heroes with seven stories, each guarded by a master, while Prince Duan himself defends the seventh story. Over the years, countless heroes have attempted to storm the tower, yet not a single one has reached the fifth story.
The first master, Jin Fengjin, a Korean wanderer skilled in kicking techniques who once kicked a black bear to death with a single strike, known as the Wind-Chasing Divine Leg!
The second, Hao'erdu, a Mongolian warrior built like a mountain and stout as an ox, skilled in wrestling and endowed with innate Herculean strength, known as the Indomitable Vajra!
The third, Meng Meng, Staff King of the Miao Borderlands, whose staff strikes are ferocious and lightning-quick, known as the Divine Pestle of the Southern Sky!
The fourth, Jiunamo, known as the Heaven-Cleaving Thunderbolt Hand, his hard qigong extraordinarily domineering!
The fifth, female ninja of the Japanese Koga clan, Feng Hualian, skilled with flying claws, concealed weapons, and arts of stealth.
The sixth, the Wine Monk, whose stance work is unmatched under heaven, a master of both fists and palms who grows stronger the more he drinks, possessing the aura of a grandmaster. As the verse goes: 'When drunken, soaring heroic spirit knows no bound / A breath exhaled turns to a rainbow piercing the Bull and Dipper!'"
"Magnificent!"
Damn it all, Wang Yang's blood boiled as he read, and he slammed his hand against the desk once more.
This was none other than the script for *Tai Chi*.
Chen Qi never dragged his feet when doing serious work. Before January had even reached its midpoint, he had already brought out the script. Wang Yang couldn't put it down, murmuring repeatedly, "The Tower of Seven Heroes! This plot is brilliant, simply brilliant!"
Clearing stages was a unique narrative device.
The protagonist fights through one stage after another, enemies progressing from weak to strong, showcasing combat styles of different martial arts schools before finally taking down the big boss... It was a standard trope commonly seen in novels, film, television, and games.
Yet in this era, it was exceedingly novel. Bruce Lee's posthumous film *Game of Death* had used just such a premise, which could have set a milestone, but unfortunately was never completed.
Wang Yang read on. Yang Yugan naturally defeated all seven masters, obtained the antidote to save his master, and became renowned throughout the world.
"..."
After finishing, he fell silent for a long while.
The story was truly phenomenal. Produced well, it would blow everyone away without question. But from the script, it was also obvious just how vital the martial arts choreography would be—that was the core issue.
He sent someone to summon Chen Qi, and before long, the young man arrived.
"Old Director!"
"Sit!"
Wang Yang waved a hand. He looked at him for a long moment and sighed. "If you hadn't brought up earning foreign currency, forget it. If you hadn't written *Tai Chi*, so be it. At most, I would have gone to make a ruckus at China Film to squeeze a slightly higher purchase price out of them, treating it as my final wish.
"Yet you had to bring it up, stirring up this old man's passion all over again.
"This film must be made, and it must be made well! But the difficulties are obvious too. Boy, you've handed me a massive headache!"
"Old Director, you're making too much of it!"
Seeing this, Chen Qi shed his usual laziness and said earnestly, "Since you agree to make it, I will certainly do everything in my power. If Yang Yugan could storm the Tower of Seven Heroes, can't we overcome our hurdles?
"Besides, you're an old revolutionary. What hardships and perils haven't you faced? Even the New China was founded!"
"Hahaha, well said!"
Wang Yang laughed heartily. Even the three great mountains had been overturned; making a movie now was nothing by comparison.
Next, he sent someone to fetch another person. Before long, a man in his fifties walked in.
Chen Qi had seen him in meetings before. This was Zhu Dexiong, formerly of Shanghai Film Studio, who had been sent by the state to study in Moscow and remained at Beijing Film Studio upon returning. He had worked as a director and art designer, and was now a deputy studio director.
Beijing Film Studio had two deputy directors. Zhu Dexiong oversaw production, while Sun Wenjin, who disliked Chen Qi, was in charge of personnel, administration, and discipline.
Chen Qi had always operated outside the Beijing Film Studio hierarchy without much contact with insiders. Wang Yang taking the initiative to call Zhu Dexiong in could mean only one thing: this was his trusted confidant!
"..."
Chen Qi understood immediately. He didn't care about picking sides. Those people treated their work unit as their entire world, only wanting a better life within the unit.
He, however, was not one of them.
Chapter 73