Chapter 1496: Meeting Again

"Wang Yan, how am I supposed to talk to you? You're in your twenties, nearing thirty; how can you still be so reckless? If you really wanted to deal with someone, I don't believe you had no other methods. I know a bit about what happened in Lin County, so why cause trouble now that you're back in Jingcheng? If this gets out, how terrible would the impact be?"

Facing criticism from his superior leader, Wang Yan smiled and offered the leader a cigarette.

"Leader, this has nothing to do with my age. If there's any relevance at all, it's that if I were sixty today, there probably wouldn't be any issue at all."

"I behaved quite honestly in Lin County because no one there pointed a finger and cursed at me; they only made things difficult for me within the rules, so I responded within the rules as well—a give and take."

"To be honest, Leader, in all these years, very few have dared to point a finger and curse at me. I only knocked out half his teeth without breaking his arms or legs; that is precisely the sign of my maturity."

Wang Yan said with a smile, "Leader, there is no reasoning with such people. They have no consciousness in their brains and no awareness in their thoughts; talking to them is like playing the lute to a cow—there is simply no way to converse. I mentioned this type of person before in 'Thought and Development': do not try to reason with them; the fist is the greatest reason. They must be crushed before they even raise their heads, saving us from them becoming a scourge later."

"Not only will I beat him, but I will also report his name to the organization. This person, along with whoever arranged for him to take this post, and his relatives, all lack ideological awareness and are unsuitable for important leadership positions."

"If we let these people ascend to leadership posts, I dare not imagine what kind of state they would toss the masses into."

The leader laughed in anger: "Now you're making suggestions? Just think about yourself first."

"What is there for me to think about? I am implementing my ideology and clearing out the trash within the organization; what have I done wrong? Leader, how to deal with me is a problem for you to consider. You are the one doing the clearing; as for me, I have never fought or competed, so I will accept whatever handling you decide. Heaven never seals off all exits; I don't necessarily have to work at the Film Academy."

"Are you threatening to quit now?"

"There was never any heavy burden to begin with; I just wanted to be closer to my wife, that's why I came back. Anyway, I don't care about having a formal establishment position or not; however you deal with me, you must deal with them equivalently. I want fairness, and I will fight them to the end."

"Later, I will write an article naming names. If it's hard to take action, I'll curse them to death, nail them to the pillar of shame, and see if they still have the confidence to act so arrogantly. I'll also dig up all the past incidents, write down every single name, and let the masses understand..."

"Enough!" the leader glared. "You dare to write it, but which newspaper would publish it for you?"

"It doesn't matter; rumors spread even wider."

"You really don't let people rest easy. Everyone thought you had matured, but who knew you haven't changed at all, still speaking with your fists at this stage; this is the first time I've ever seen such a thing."

"Leader, isn't your conversation with me right now also based on fists? I don't have the power to suppress them, but my fists do; it's that simple."

Wang Yan was still ushered out; he wouldn't listen, and no amount of persuasion could move him. He understood the situation better than anyone yet insisted on doing it his way. The leader hadn't intended to punish him, so the only option left was 'out of sight, out of mind.'

With so many matters at hand nowadays, it was already good enough to spare time to meet Wang Yan once; of course, only Wang Yan could stir up trouble to such a level—others couldn't reach this height even if they tried.

It was already noon; the leader did not invite him to stay for lunch, and naturally, Wang Yan felt too embarrassed to linger and mooch a meal. So he simply rode his bicycle to Building 301 to have lunch with Zhou Xiaobai.

"How did you come over here?" Zhou Xiaobai asked with great delight, pulling Wang Yan toward the cafeteria.

"I went to get scolded; since it's not far from here, I came to find you for a meal and taste what kind of craftsmanship your master chef has."

Zhou Xiaobai widened her eyes: "Didn't you just report for duty today? And you've already caused trouble again?"

"What kind of talk is that? As if I love causing trouble." Wang Yan roughly explained the cause and course of events.

"Then what did the leader say?"

"Just scolded me a couple of times and that was it; probably nothing serious will come of it." Wang Yan waved his hand. "Even if something does happen, it doesn't matter; worst case, I just quit. It's no big deal."

"If they really don't let you work anymore, you'll be unhappy again."

"I know so many things; I don't necessarily have to make movies."

The two arrived at the cafeteria; Wang Yan took a look and found the food quite decent. After all, it was already 1977, and compared to before, the situation had improved significantly. For a unit like Building 301, food and drink were naturally guaranteed: there were meat and vegetables, hot and cold dishes, and the staple food was a mix of fine and coarse grains.

Wang Yan scooped a large plate of food and followed Zhou Xiaobai to find a seat; since it was peak dining hour, there were still quite a few people.

Looking around, Zhou Xiaobai walked straight toward a specific table: "Sister Ling, is anyone sitting here?"

The woman called Sister Ling was a short-haired woman in her thirties, slender in build and looking very kind-faced. Seeing Zhou Xiaobai, she smiled and greeted them: "Sit, sit. So this must be Wang Yan?"

Zhou Xiaobai made the introductions, and Wang Yan joined in with greetings: "Hello, Sister Ling. I must thank your father regarding my job. I didn't expect such a small matter of mine to receive a personal word from him."

This person was Ling Zi, Marshal Ye's daughter, currently engaged in research on the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine at Building 301.

"My father said you are a remarkable person, a genius with many ideas, great courage, and a willingness to stir things up." Ling Zi skipped the pleasantries and relayed the big shot's sharp critique.

She then turned the topic: "What made you think of making movies?"

"Well, I've always liked taking photos; I've taken quite a few over the years. Since it's all about light and shadow, all about recording and conveying, I thought I'd look into the matter of filmmaking."

"Do you have any ideas yet?"

"Oh my, Sister Ling, you think too highly of me. Today is only my first day reporting for duty; how could I have so many ideas already? The academy leaders asked me mainly to summarize the ideological theories of film practitioners. There's no rush on making movies; I plan to attend some classes after a while, systematically understand and learn, and only then consider making my own films."

Wang Yan asked with a smile, "Is Sister Ling interested in movies?"

"I am interested; sometimes I also want to try filming." Ling Zi nodded in admission.

She had indeed filmed, but the results were poor, garnering no reaction...

The two chatted about movies, finding much joy in their conversation; Zhou Xiaobai, on the other hand, felt little involvement, though listening to their chaotic discussion was quite appetizing.

After eating, they parted ways; having met and become familiar faces, it would be easier to handle matters in the future...

In the afternoon, Wang Yan returned to the Film Academy. Only Elder Zhong laughed helplessly and scolded him a few words; no one else mentioned the morning's incident again. Especially the young faces—they clearly knew of Wang Yan's past track record, and today they had witnessed his ferocity firsthand: he truly dared to strike, and after striking, he remained completely unscathed.

"Don't look at me with that kind of expression."

Seeing the incomprehension in the eyes of the older and middle-aged comrades in the teaching group, Wang Yan said amusingly, "That fellow this morning was an idiot; you cannot reason with an idiot. He invited me to hit him, so of course I couldn't indulge his bad habits."

"On this point, I provided a specific theoretical exposition in my book 'Thought and Development,' explaining clearly why one cannot be soft-hearted. The reason I am fine is not because my background is so powerful, but because I am in the right."

"My father-in-law and mother-in-law do indeed hold some status, but the people I have offended are even more numerous, and many are even more powerful than my father-in-law. The reason I can jump around so freely is precisely because I occupy the position of being 'in the right.' As long as I am justified and conduct myself uprightly, I fear nothing. Of course, the main reason is that no one can control me, and I seek nothing from anyone."

Wang Yan patted the middle-aged man on the shoulder: "I know you are unconvinced; perhaps it's because I took your position? But you haven't shown it, nor have you directly disgusted me; that is very good. Maintain that, and don't seek misery for yourself."

"No, I haven't said anything at all..."

"Alright, stop saying these useless things." Wang Yan waved his hand. "Our next task is to unify the teaching syllabus; what we teach must be consistent. As for the other matter of summarizing the ideological theories of film artists, Old He and I will handle it together. You just teach your classes well and don't cause trouble for yourself."

Thus, Wang Yan began his work at the Film Academy.

It was still quite leisurely; he taught a few classes each day, and the rest of the time he followed the students to attend specialized lectures and browsed various related books.

As for the task of summarizing ideological theories, that was not something that could be completed in a day or two. Although this was an abstract job, it had to be grounded in reality. He still needed to make more contact, gain understanding, and study; it would take a long time to form a complete set of theories.

Meanwhile, Wang Yan also began writing a book.

Of course, it was not 'Scar Literature'; although it was indeed set in that era, the content was the story of the people of Lin County working together to live good lives. This was proper documentary literature; the people were still alive, and Lin County was continuing to develop.

Yet there was much to write about: the different reactions of cadres at all levels, the shift of the masses from misunderstanding to firm support, the differences between north and south, the contrasts between domestic and foreign situations, and so on—all could be included.

It had storytelling, it had depth, and above all, it had satisfaction; after all, if it weren't satisfying, the people of the whole country wouldn't follow each installment like a story, even writing letters to urge for updates.

It was not until rumors of the restoration of the college entrance examination began circulating again that Wang Yan received an invitation from Li Kui, relayed by Zhong Yuemin, inviting him and Zhou Xiaobai to gather at Old Mo, saying they were all acquaintances.

Wang Yan naturally had no objections; in this world, he truly had never gone to eat at Old Mo's.

"Aiyo, Brother Yan, I've missed you to death," Zhong Yuemin greeted enthusiastically. "In a flash, it's been four or five years, hasn't it? You old sir are still as heroic and spirited as ever. I heard that on your very first day reporting to the Film Academy, you beat the hell out of those little bastards?"

"Truly, good news never travels far, while bad news spreads a thousand li," Wang Yan shook his head with feigned helplessness. "Even such a tiny matter has spread everywhere."

"Can't be helped; who asked you old sir to be so awesome? No one else would have the guts for such a thing."

Amidst the banter, Zhong Yuemin also exchanged greetings with Zhou Xiaobai; he had long known about the incident back then where he had flirted with Zhou Xiaobai, and he had long ago sighed with Wang Yan about the twists of fate and marveled at the many coincidences.

"Alright, Brother Yan, hurry inside; we're just waiting for you two as a couple," Zhong Yuemin said. "Remember when we first met? I said I wanted to treat you old sir to a meal at Old Mo's to enjoy yourself, but we never got to eat there. Instead, I mooched food and drink at your place for quite a few days; today, I'm finally making good on that promise."

"Hey, who's lacking for just this one meal? Let's go."

The three entered Old Mo's, and from afar, they saw everyone gathered around a large table, chatting and laughing, all stand up.

"Alright, we're all acquaintances, so no need for such formalities; everyone sit down," Wang Yan waved his hand, pulling Zhou Xiaobai to sit beside Li Kui and Tian Fang, the couple.

Only then did everyone take their seats, fully demonstrating their respect for Wang Yan.

"Brother Yan, you still remember me, right?"

Hearing the voice, Wang Yan looked over and smiled: "I said we're acquaintances, didn't I? Zhang Haiyang, insisting on a one-on-one duel with me, I kicked you once. Yuan Jun, eyes growing on top of your forehead, looking down on us poor brothers, I grabbed your neck and lifted you up. What's the matter, don't want to duel me one-on-one now? Have your eyes fallen back into their proper place now?"

Zhang Haiyang laughed awkwardly: "Wasn't that just me having eyes but not recognizing Taishan back then? I had no brain; someone stirred me up and I stopped thinking about anything. Don't mention just taking a kick; Brother Yan, even if you had broken one of my legs, it would have been deserved."

Yuan Jun also spoke up: "Brother Yan, I truly didn't look down on you two; it was mainly that Yuemin kept insisting you two could fight, and I also knew a few moves of Zhao Zhao Shuaijiao, so I just wouldn't accept it. I didn't expect you two to suppress me directly. I've always wanted to explain, but over so many years, I never had the chance."

"It doesn't matter; it's all trivial. Actually, I know a bit of your news too; weren't you and Xiaobai in the same unit back then? She mentioned you a few times in her letters to me. Yuan Jun even had a stint with that Luo Yun, right?"

"Hey, don't mention it; that Luo Yun was completely unreliable. The moment I got injured, that wretch probably would have dumped me," Yuan Jun said, speaking of Luo Yun with a belly full of anger.

Wang Yan then looked at Zheng Tong: "How about it, is work going smoothly?"

"Smoothly enough; you old sir are really something, back for several months without a sound. I couldn't find Dayong or my sister-in-law's home, so contact was cut off; I only found out this time. Otherwise, the three of us brothers would have been drinking comfortably long ago," Zheng Tong complained slightly.

Jiang Biyun also nodded repeatedly: "Exactly, Brother Yan, you weren't right about this; we couple wanted to find people but couldn't locate anyone."

He had recommended Zheng Tong, Jiang Biyun, and Tian Fang for university. Li Kui had not attended; the lad himself was unwilling to study, and in his own words, if he wasn't even willing to read books, what university was there to attend?

And during this return to Jingcheng, Wang Yan had also helped Zheng Tong and his wife transfer jobs; both couples were now working as teachers.

Wang Yan smiled cheerfully: "Later, I'll leave you a phone number; I'm working at the Film Academy now, very easy to find. I'll also leave you a copy of Xiaobai's home address and phone number."

"Not bad, Zheng Tong; after I left, you got along quite well with Brother Yan," Zhong Yuemin remarked.

"Otherwise, who else would I hang out with? Luckily Brother Yan was willing to take me along; otherwise, my wife and I would still be in Lin County."

Wang Yan clicked his tongue: "Hearing you talk like that, it seems as if Lin County is so terrible; haven't everyone there started living good lives?"

Zheng Tong chuckled: "Lin County is good, but Jingcheng is better; Brother Yan, our home is right here; I really miss home..."

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