Chapter 21: Sublimation! Sublimation!

"This pose is called 'The Wild Goose Soars to Bring Good Fortune'!"

"Spread your arms, mimic the flapping of a wild goose's wings, like this—up and down, up and down..."

In the afternoon, Ge You, the newest member of the 'Kidney-Strengthening and Essence-Boosting' team, was learning Longevity Qigong from Chen Qi.

He practiced with rigid precision, his body completely tense. Chen Qi said, "Stop, stop, stop! Don't treat this like a standard set of radio calisthenics. This is a Taoist exercise for physical health; it emphasizes a peaceful state of mind and natural movement. Don't get hung up on the form. Let your mind guide your movements, just like a child at play. As long as you feel comfortable, that’s all that matters."

"You still claim you don't know any cultivation techniques, yet here you are talking about Taoist methods!" Ge You whispered in shock.

"Cultivation my foot. Keep your mouth shut, don't go blabbering about this outside; it’ll only invite trouble."

"I understand! I understand! The secret arts must not be easily shared."

Ge You seemed to have misunderstood. Ever since Chen Qi gave a lecture on martial arts the day they watched *Drunken Master*, Ge You had been convinced that Chen Qi possessed some hidden, world-class secret manual. Chen Qi just chuckled. This was reality, not low-fantasy; even the legendary Chang Wei didn't have innate divine strength here!

"If you practice the Vajra Qigong in the morning and the Longevity Qigong at night, keeping at it will benefit your health. Your constitution is far too weak."

"I'll try my best!"

Ge You replied. He seemed to have suffered from a congenital deficiency; he had been weak since childhood—otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to feed the pigs during his time in the countryside. As he aged, he became even frailer, often speaking in a slow, drawn-out manner.

When Chen Qi transmigrated here, Ge You was already nearly seventy and had never had children. Some said the couple didn't want any, others said his wife was infertile, and some whispered that he himself was the one who couldn't have children... regardless, his poor health was an undeniable fact.

"Xiao Chen!"

Just as they were practicing, Liang Xiaosheng pushed the door open and said, "Director Jiang wants to see you!"

"About the script?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, I'd better get going. We'll continue another day."

Seeing this, Ge You took the hint and took his leave.

Chen Qi followed Liang Xiaosheng downstairs, asking on the way, "Has the script been approved?"

"How should I put it? In principle, yes!"

"What does 'in principle' mean?"

"It’s a bit complicated; Director Jiang will explain it to you."

Chen Qi was confused. Upon reaching the Literary Department office in the main building, all the editors were present. Jiang Huaiyan, the director, had a small office inside. Chen Qi knocked three times and stepped in.

"Xiao Chen is here, sit, sit!"

Jiang Huaiyan gestured for him to sit and poured him a cup of tea, smiling, "First of all, congratulations. Your script has been approved by everyone, and the deputy studio head has signed off on it too."

"We’ve positioned it as a romantic travelogue. Based on showcasing the beautiful scenery of Mount Lu, it tells the love story of a young man and woman, interwoven with some political themes and the spirit of the era. In principle, the Beijing Film Studio has already decided to accept your script..."

However!

Chen Qi thought to himself, *As expected.* Jiang Huaiyan’s next sentence was, "However, we would like it to be even better."

"Could you elaborate on that?"

"It’s just our aspiration. You might think our standards are too high, but in filmmaking, perfection is never truly achieved."

"Of course, this is not a mandatory requirement."

"We could finalize the project right now, but if you are also willing to make it better, could you perhaps make the plot more twists and turns, elevate the theme, and make the emotions more poignant?"

*Ugh!*

Chen Qi cursed internally. How is this any different from 'voluntary' overtime?

The script he had submitted was already the story of *Romance on Lushan Mountain* from history. He hadn't expected the Beijing Film Studio to be unsatisfied. Then again, different people have different standards; what the Shanghai Film Studio found acceptable, the Beijing Film Studio might not.

"..."

Looking at the expectant gaze of the other man, he rolled his eyes in his heart. *I just wanted to coast through this, and yet you're forcing me to put in the real work!*

"Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll give it a try."

"Good, I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

Jiang Huaiyan was immediately delighted, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed, "Our editors were saying earlier that they believed you would accept. Don't feel like we're intentionally making things difficult for you. Just contribute as much as you can; we definitely want this script."

Hearing this, Chen Qi felt slightly better. At least they valued him!

He sighed again. *Damn, am I being gaslit in 1979?*

...

Back at the guesthouse.

On the third floor, he ran into Chen Huaikai again. The old man was in the middle of preparing a traditional opera film, *Zhuge Liang Mourns the Dead*. He held meetings in his room every day, and a constant stream of opera actors came and went—Chen Qi didn't recognize a single one.

Seeing the script in Chen Qi's hand, he asked, "Did it pass?"

"Sort of?"

"Sort of?"

"It passed in principle, but they asked me to revise it, so it's a 'sort of' pass."

"Hahaha!"

Chen Huaikai burst into laughter. With his deep appreciation for classical aesthetics, he naturally understood the nuance. "Kid, you're quite funny. According to our customs, when a script is approved, one should shout it from the rooftops. Good luck!"

"Shout?"

"You'll see when the time comes!"

Chen Qi shrugged and entered his room. He slammed the script—which was thicker than a Xianghe meat pie—onto the table, venting his frustration as a worker.

But after splashing cold water on his face, he calmed down. He sat at the table, filled his fountain pen with ink, and for the first time, began to write in earnest—the butterfly had flapped its wings, things had deviated, and he, too, had become serious.

*Romance on Lushan Mountain* was originally quite plain. Excluding the extras, the entire film only had seven actors.

The heroine was named Zhou Yun, and the hero was Geng Hua.

He combed through the plot and, after some thought, decided to add a new character: the hero's older sister, Geng Ying.

Geng Ying was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, delicate in appearance but strong in spirit. Her father and husband had been persecuted, her mother was bedridden, and she had a younger brother to care for—she held the entire family together on her own.

Zhou Yun held American citizenship, and her father was a Nationalist officer. As she and Geng Hua grew closer, Geng Hua was investigated by the organization and briefly detained. He entrusted his sister to pass a message to Zhou Yun, expressing his feelings.

However, for her brother's sake, Geng Ying persuaded Zhou Yun to leave instead.

Heartbroken, Zhou Yun returned to America, which caused the five-year separation between the leads.

Five years later, with the Reform and Opening-up underway, the two met again on Mount Lu and officially confirmed their relationship. Then, Zhou Yun sought out Geng Ying for a conversation... In this way, the plot became much richer than the original, and the 'sublimation' would hinge on this very conversation.

"Sublimation, you want sublimation? Fine, I'll give you sublimation!"

"I can sublimate you right up to the heavens!"

Chen Qi hummed as he wrote, as if he were back in his previous life, pulling an all-nighter to finish a manuscript. He did indeed write all night, afraid to slack off again, fearing further complications.

Operationally, it wasn't difficult. He was a professional in this field, and having been bombarded by the countless torrents of the information age, his mind was nearly a treasure trove.

He knew what the audience in 1979 wanted to see, and he knew even better what the leaders in 1979 were thinking.

Wrap politics in romance, and ensure the political stance is impeccably correct!

...

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Teacher Shi!"

The next morning, Chen Qi knocked on the door of the Literary Department. Shi Wenxin was startled by his appearance: "Xiao Chen, are you ill? Why do you look so haggard?"

"No, no, just stayed up all night revising the manuscript."

"You child, it’s not a matter of a day or two; why are you in such a rush?"

"It's alright, I'm young. What's a little sleep deprivation?"

*Nothing more than sudden death!*

He handed the manuscript to her, intentionally swaying a bit as if lightheaded, before backing out. Shi Wenxin felt a twinge of guilt. "Even if you find a talented sapling, you shouldn't pressure them like this. Isn't that just 'pulling the shoots to help them grow'?"

"Who would have thought he’d be this proactive? He was so lazy before," Liang Xiaosheng was also surprised.

"Let me take a look first..."