Chapter 289: Jurassic Park: The Happy Mahua Version

Gong Ying returned to Beijing to shoot a drama, and Lu Xiaoyan naturally brought Xi Zi back to Yanjing as well.

Now that they were on their home turf, she didn't need to supervise him constantly, so she confidently left Xi Zi with his Xue Mama and temporarily returned to work at Children's Literature.

Unexpectedly, right after coming back to work, she received good news: the editor-in-chief told her that Meiying Factory had written, saying they planned to adapt Black Cat Inspector into a serialized animated TV series.

"Oh my, that's wonderful! If kids find out, they'll be overjoyed. Does Xiao Ming know about this?"

"Of course he does—he was in Shanghai at the time and met with the studio's leaders and directors."

"What? He was in Shanghai? When did he go?"

"He probably went a while ago."

Lu Xiaoyan immediately recalled a day when Gong Ying had told her: "Sister Xiao Yan, I'm going home to stay tonight."

The next day, she returned looking exhausted yet radiant.

Hmm hmm hmm.

Just as Lu Xiaoyan stepped out of the editor-in-chief's office, the newly promoted editor Zheng Yuanjie rushed over and handed her a manuscript.

"Whose work is this?"

Zheng Yuanjie: "I'm not worthy of being called a teacher—it's mine. Please, Sister Lu, review it for me."

"Oh? You wrote this?" Lu Xiaoyan was surprised. "I almost forgot you're also a fairy tale writer. Let me see… Pippi and the Rubik Tower."

Zheng Yuanjie grinned sheepishly; inspired by Wei Ming, he had created this work ahead of schedule.

Also inspired by Wei Ming, he simply reused Pippi—the protagonist from his previous story he was satisfied with—as the lead, turning Pippi into a series, since this mischievous kid fit perfectly with a place like the Rubik Tower.

This is the first book of the Rubik Tower series, Glass City, about Pippi playing with a Rubik's Cube, failing to solve it, and in a fit of anger throwing it away—only for the cube to suddenly grow huge, becoming a tower, and Pippi climbing onto it and accidentally falling inside into an unfamiliar place.

It was a city made entirely of glass, having just endured an earthquake: buildings collapsed, people were injured, and the residents themselves were made of glass—one little boy, Le Le, had lost his ear in the quake.

Pippi realized the so-called earthquake must have been caused by his own throw of the Rubik's Cube; filled with guilt, he temporarily stuck Le Le's ear back on with chewing gum…

Lu Xiaoyan quickly became immersed in the story; later, Pippi used laser-generated heat to help the Glass City residents reattach their broken limbs.

After Glass City was rebuilt, Pippi spotted a soda can, kicked it idly, and the can emitted thick smoke—then he vanished into it.

"Will Pippi next be carried by the smoke into another Rubik's world?"

"Yes, I plan to write twenty-six consecutive Rubik stories."

"Why twenty-six?"

Zheng Yuanjie beamed: "Because the center of a Rubik's Cube is an axle, so there are only twenty-six small cube spaces."

Lu Xiaoyan nodded: "The story's well-written. The only issue is most of our young readers probably don't know what a Rubik's Cube is."

Lu Xiaoyan knew it was because Wei Ming had bought Rubik's Cubes for the Rubik Club and accidentally gave one each to Xi Zi and Le Le.

"Uh…" Zheng Yuanjie thought about it—he himself hadn't known what a Rubik's Cube was before. "Is that a big problem?"

Lu Xiaoyan smiled and shook her head: "Not a big deal. As long as you write it, kids will grow curious about Rubik's Cubes, and soon enough, they'll appear on the market—what can't those southern factories produce? But you should add a few more sentences explaining how to play with the Rubik's Cube at the beginning."

"Got it, got it—I'll revise it right away." Zheng Yuanjie was delighted; now he'd have a steady, generous monthly income—at least enough to eat for two years!

"Sister Lu, one more thing—can I add a thank-you note at the end, thanking Wei something?"

"Why?"

"Because he was the one who first came up with the idea."

"Of course you can."

At quitting time, Lu Xiaoyan went straight home; today she had sent Wei Anping to pick up Xi Zi after work with Le Le.

Now six years old, Xi Zi already carried the scent of work: every morning his mother dropped him off at Beiyingchang, he ate lunch with Xue Mama in the Beiyingchang cafeteria, and every afternoon his father and sister picked him up, repeating the cycle endlessly.

Fortunately, Xi Zi had talent—he switched between crying and laughing flawlessly, his scenes were almost always shot in one take, earning him the nickname "One-Take Xi." Director Wang Haowei had praised him often, saying if he kept this up, he might even win a Hundred Flowers Award next year.

On the way home, sitting in the backseat, Xi Zi showed off to Le Le through his father: "Le Le, when I win the Hundred Flowers Award, will I become the Hundred Flowers Fairy?"

Le Le: "The Hundred Flowers Fairy is always a girl like me."

"Then I'll be the Hundred Flowers Boy."

Wei Anping chuckled: "You're a boy—don't go chasing flowers and grass like your brother."

Laughing and chatting, they arrived at Weixiu Garden Community and saw Wei Ming and his motorcycle, still chasing flowers and grass.

"Uncle, I just got back from Shanghai—I brought you some Shanghai specialties." Wei Ming shook the bag; mostly southern fruits hard to find in Beijing, freshly delivered by air.

"Oh, you came, why bring gifts?" Wei Anping took it without hesitation and invited him to dinner.

"I just passed Tsinghua—everything's lit up with decorations."

Wei Anping: "Yes, in two days it's Tsinghua's 70th anniversary."

"Ah, that explains it."

Wei Anping suddenly remembered something and smiled: "Ming, how about tomorrow you go to Beiyingchang to pick up Xi Zi for me?"

Seeing his uncle's "men-understand" look, Wei Ming shook his head: "I can't—I've got other things to do."

Uncle Anping was trying to create a legitimate excuse for him to meet Gong Ying, but Xue Jie had said she didn't want to see him right now.

Wei Anping assumed his nephew was having a spat with Gong Ying, so he dropped the subject.

Inside the house, seeing Wei Ming arrive, Lu Xiaoyan first congratulated him on the animated adaptation of Black Cat Inspector.

Wei Ming also congratulated Aunt Xiao Yan: "I've already arranged with the Meiying Factory director—Le Le will sing the theme song for Black Cat Inspector."

Hearing this, Le Le immediately sang: "Eyes wide like copper bells…"

She knew this song inside out, as well as "Only Mother Is Best" from "Mom, Love Me Once More."

The director had also asked her to record a version of "Mother in the Candlelight," and now wanted an adult female singer to record another version, to compare which suited better.

Over dinner, Lu Xiaoyan mentioned Zheng Yuanjie's new work, Rubik Tower.

"He says you gave him the idea—why didn't you write it yourself?"

"I don't have time~" Wei Ming sighed.

Lu Xiaoyan thought he was busy dating, but said aloud: "Besides your monthly Black Cat Inspector, you haven't published any new works lately. Black Cat Inspector is only ten thousand words—your prime creative years are now, don't slack off."

Wei Ming smiled: "I just wrote a children's sci-fi story."

"Oh? What's it about?"

"About dinosaurs. Xi Zi, you know what dinosaurs are, right?"

Xi Zi excitedly replied: "Of course! We saw dinosaur fossils in Sichuan!"

They'd encountered a dinosaur excavation team while traveling to Zigong; because of Gong Ying's fame, they'd been allowed to visit the fossil site, where over a dozen dinosaur fossils had already been unearthed—giving Xi Zi a great deal of new insight.

Wei Ming smiled: "Exactly—I wrote a story about this. You'll see it soon enough."

Chengdu, Science Fiction World editorial office.

Wei Ming's old friend, editor Lao Wan, received a letter today—not addressed to the magazine, but personally addressed to him.

He opened it and laughed—it was from Wei Ming. He hadn't forgotten this obscure local editor—was he coming to Chengdu again to visit relatives?

He opened the thick envelope and froze, then burst into joy: a submission! Wei Ming had submitted to Science Fiction World!

Sci-fi fiction was currently in its darkest hour; most works in Science Fiction World were popular science essays. Writers were forced to prove the scientific validity of every concept in their stories—if they couldn't, they were accused of misleading readers. Meanwhile, promoting pseudoscientific supernatural abilities that had no basis in science was acceptable—how frustrating.

And now, Wei Ming was writing sci-fi. If this got out, it would shake the literary world—and be a tremendous boost to sci-fi literature.

Who was Wei Ming? A literary prodigy who burst onto the scene at eighteen—every story sparked nationwide discussion; one serialized novel broke the circulation ceiling of literary journals. Master Mao Dun's final article was written for him.

Lao Wan barely restrained himself from telling the editor-in-chief the good news—he first read the manuscript. Master Wei was brilliant, but he was only twenty—what if his sci-fi was terrible?

The story's title: Jurassic Park. Lao Wan immediately knew Wei Ming had been inspired by the Zigong dinosaur fossils.

And the story's setting was overseas—not unusual for sci-fi; authors loved placing stories abroad with foreign protagonists, making them feel more natural.

The story began with two longtime partners: paleontologist Alan and botanist Mary, whose research had always been funded by a mysterious billionaire—whom they'd never met. Watching the monthly dollar transfers arrive on time, they were happy and content.

Until one day, the billionaire Charlotte landed his private helicopter directly on their excavation site and demanded they stop working and come with him to a place.

"Where? Our excavation is at a critical stage."

Billionaire Charlotte replied: "Jurassic Park."

Charlotte was a billionaire and a scientist; his company had recruited many scientists who extracted dinosaur DNA from ancient mosquitoes trapped in amber and used that DNA to breed dinosaurs.

Reading this, Lao Wan nodded approvingly. Though the concept wasn't new, Master Wei had clearly done thorough research—this section was detailed, highly professional, full of convincing details, clearly drawing from foreign academic sources.

And the idea of enclosing dinosaurs in one place for tourism and profit—this was entirely original.

Clearly, the protagonist had to be a foreigner—capitalists wouldn't even spare dinosaurs from 60 million years ago, while we were a socialist country.

At first, Alan and Mary naturally didn't believe it—it was too absurd—but out of respect for their benefactor, they followed Charlotte to Longyuan Island off the coast of Costa Rica.

It was a long, narrow island, far from land, rich in vegetation.

At first, Lao Wan, like the two protagonists, expected to see only a giant lizard—biologists knew Latin America had many large lizards resembling dinosaurs.

But once inside the island, they saw no dinosaurs—only a mathematician and a lawyer, both among the first visitors to Jurassic Park, tasked with conducting a risk assessment before the park opened.

Additionally, Charlotte's granddaughter and grandson had arrived; the two children and four adults toured the laboratory under Charlotte's guidance.

Yet they still hadn't seen any dinosaurs. The story was already nearly ten thousand words long, and Lao Wan's curiosity was fully aroused.

Now, billionaire Charlotte finally led them into the actual tour zone.

They boarded a sightseeing vehicle and entered a massive iron gate controlled by electricity.

After stopping, Alan pointed at the empty surroundings: "Where are the dinosaurs?"

Then Mary gasped, covering her mouth and pointing behind Alan. Alan slowly turned his head…

The page ended. Lao Wan flipped quickly to the next—and a drawing fell out. He picked it up and read the following text.

Alan and the others saw two brachiosaurs in the distance.

And the drawing depicted exactly that scene.

Lao Wan laughed. Master Wei was considerate—he even provided his own illustrator! Oh, it was the famous illustrator Liu Rulong—Rulong draws dragons, perfect!

Lao Wan continued reading. More dinosaurs appeared—but so did signs of danger.

When he realized someone inside the park was sabotaging things, Lao Wan felt a chill—Jurassic Park housed carnivorous dinosaurs. If these creatures were left loose among humans, the consequences were unthinkable.

Wei Ming wanted exactly this life-or-death sense of crisis—he actually did it, and the velociraptors that burst from the enclosure began attacking the main group.

Wei Ming employed cinematic description, making readers see the scenes in their minds; at critical moments, Old Wan even held his breath along with the boy, afraid of being spotted by the dinosaurs.

In the end, they escaped through sincere cooperation, fleeing Jurassic Park via helicopter, and the entire Isla Nublar became a paradise for the out-of-control dinosaurs.

Thus, the novel ended. Probably.

Surely the whole world couldn't allow so many giant, ferocious dinosaurs to be freely roaming on an island? Old Wan urgently wanted to talk to Wei Ming.

Although the science fiction elements in this novel weren't numerous, they were all solid, and the reading pleasure utterly crushed those on the market—it was a highly successful popular science fiction work that stirred people's curiosity about dinosaurs.

But the novel ended, and yet there was still one more page.

It was a letter Wei Ming wrote to Old Wan, its core message being just one: he wished to publish this novel under his other pen name, "Wei Shenme."

Wait, Wei Shenme? He's Wei Shenme?!

Although Old Wan firmly believed Wei Ming wouldn't joke like this, how could he possibly be Wei Shenme?!

Over the past few months, the most popular writers nationwide were Wei Ming and Wei Shenme.

Wei Ming's fame came mainly from his debut novel's tremendous success, even earning approval from Mr. Mao Dun before his death.

Wei Shenme, meanwhile, gained foreign recognition—his two fairy tales successfully went overseas, achieving excellent sales and reviews, earning foreign exchange for the country and prestige for China, becoming the most successful cultural export since Reform and Opening.

From this perspective, the state's regard for Wei Shenme might even surpass that for Wei Ming.

Yet they were the same person!

Just now, Old Wan was saying Wei Ming's novel in Science Fiction World would shake the literary world—so what social reaction would Wei Shenme's shift from fairy tales to science fiction provoke?

Would it spark a surge in subscriptions to Science Fiction World among children? And ignite their passion for science?

Old Wan immediately told the chief editor this good news, suggesting they publish the novel in the May issue, and he planned to write Wei Ming a letter discussing the sequel to Jurassic Park—this unfinished state was unbearable.

At this moment, Wei Ming was attending Tsinghua University's 70th anniversary celebration, invited by Wu Zuxiang, Old Wu.

Wu Zuxiang and Ji Xianlin, among other renowned Peking University professors, were all Tsinghua alumni, so it was natural for them to return to their neighboring campus for the celebration.

But Old Wu insisted on inviting Wei Ming too, wanting him to experience the celebration atmosphere.

"At Tsinghua's anniversary, us humanities folks usually just write an article to congratulate. You're now also a Peking University student—when Peking University's anniversary comes, won't you have to write something to mark it?" Old Wu smiled at Wei Ming.

Wei Ming asked: "When is Peking University's next big anniversary?"

Old Wu: "The 90th anniversary in 1988."

Wei Ming smiled: "There's plenty of time—I'll write a book for Peking University then."

"Old Ji, you heard that? Be a witness. If I'm not around by then, you're responsible for demanding that book from him."

Ji Xianlin, a few years younger than Wu Zuxiang, chuckled: "Just remind him yourself then."

After leaving Tsinghua, Wei Ming bid farewell to the two professors, then went to Weixiu Garden to wait for Uncle Anping—he had something to say to Xi Zi.

"Big brother, what's up?"

When only Wei Ming and Xi Zi were alone, Wei Ming secretly pulled out a slip of paper: "After you finish filming tomorrow, give this to your Xue Mama."

"Mm, no problem." Xi Zi didn't move, staring fixedly at Wei Ming.

Wei Ming pulled out a chocolate from his pocket.

Only then did Xi Zi smile and take the paper, glancing into Wei Ming's pocket: "No Big White Rabbit?"

"You look like a Big White Rabbit. Shoo, shoo."

In the end, Xi Zi still got the Big White Rabbit from his brother, because Gong Ying had also given him a slip of paper to pass on to Wei Ming—it wouldn't be fair to let a child deliver messages for free; one slip was worth two Big White Rabbits.

Wei Ming's note asked if they could go see a movie—"The Bull and Bull Two" had just been released.

"I guarantee I'll take you back right after the movie, but minimal contact—try not to affect your performance state."

Gong Ying replied: Tomorrow at six p. ., I'll wait for you at Daguan Building.

Old Wei and Xu Shufen had already taken Grandma to see it; they both said it was excellent, especially praising Li Baotian and the cow's performances.

Director Wu Tianming deeply respected Wei Ming as both original author and screenwriter, almost entirely adopting his script without changes—any film shot according to this script wouldn't go wrong.

That afternoon at six, Wei Ming and Gong Ying met at Daguan Building. Considering Gong Ying's rising fame, they entered the cinema separately, then sat together.

The film didn't disappoint Wei Ming. Though Director Wu Tianming's technique still felt dated, lacking flashy effects, it was solid and carried a heavier weight.

Li Baotian and Old Wei's trained cows, Da Niu and Er Niu, added immense value to the film—henceforth, domestic audiences would surely recognize this unassuming actor, Li Baotian.

Even more surprising was the cow's performance—utterly convincing, especially the close-up eye scenes, all executed superbly. This was the first time Chinese audiences had seen such outstanding animal acting.

And at the end credits, the cow's performer was named—a small touch that made the audience laugh nonstop.

Wei Ming and Gong Ying slipped out quickly while everyone was laughing, and in the chaos, he kissed her cheek.

Back then, cinema halls had no cameras—during the movie, Wei Ming had even touched someone's thigh. Xue Jie, already slim, had grown even thinner for the role; after filming, he must treat her to something nutritious.

Gong Ying also wanted to touch Wei Ming's thigh, but she had a crucial scene tomorrow; she feared that if she indulged too much tonight, she'd lose her sense tomorrow and fail to get into character, so she suppressed her longing and let Wei Ming take her back.

Besides, Zhu Lin's shoot was nearly over—he should be returning soon.

At this moment, Gong Ying couldn't help feeling grateful that when she couldn't be with Xiao Wei, someone else was there to fill his emptiness.

After dropping Gong Ying off at Beijing Film Studio, Wei Ming chose to return to the Sihe Academy—but as he passed Xidan, he saw many police officers in big caps.

It was dark and windy; Wei Ming had no intention of getting involved, but someone recognized him.

"Teacher Wei! Teacher Wei!"

It was Sun Suozhang, son of Old Sun, responsible for this area: "I heard the motorcycle and figured it was you—turns out it is."

"Brother Sun, what's going on?"

Sun Suozhang sighed: "There's been a murder. You know Mei Jingli, right?"

"What?!" Wei Ming dropped his motorcycle and ran over. "What happened to Mei Wenhua?!"

Did he kill someone? Or was he killed?!

Will my Yunyun cousin become a widow?!

Sun Suozhang: "Mei Jingli was taken to the hospital—he bravely apprehended the killer but got injured himself. You're friends, right? Could you help notify his family?"

The stone in Wei Ming's chest finally dropped.

"I'm his relative—his elder brother-in-law. Telling me is enough. Which hospital is he in? How serious is his injury?"

"Taken to Xiehe. Details unclear."

Xiehe—Xiehe was still decent back then; all the doctors were properly trained.

Wei Ming quickly lifted his motorcycle: "I'll go check on him. What a mess—if Biaozi had been around, it'd be better."

Oh, Biaozi!

Wei Ming rushed back to Tuanjiehu, woke Biaozi from bed, and the two went to Xiehe together.

…

(Today's minimum)

(End of chapter)