[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-501":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2261209,4412,"Chapter 501","rising-in-1979-chapter-501",501,"\u003Cp>\"Hey, Mr. Miller!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Congratulations, I saw the news.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Times Square, Wei Ming met Arthur Miller, the legendary playwright he had met during his previous visit to the United States.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hugo Award results were among the most famous cultural events recently, and since New York was the center of American literature and publishing, Arthur Miller couldn’t possibly have missed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming introduced Gong Ying to him, and Miller had actually heard of her: \"I know China’s two most famous actresses—one I met at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, and now I’ve met the other. A pleasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Miller mention Zhu Lin, Gong Ying smiled: \"I’m also good friends with Zhu Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miller: \"But your English is better than hers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Zhu Lin’s English was already quite good at the People’s Art Theatre; when Yin Ruocheng wasn’t around, she could still serve as a temporary interpreter for Arthur Miller, though her talent in this area truly didn’t match Gong Ying’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Wei Ming had arranged to meet Miller to have this New York local show them the cultural scene of Broadway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broadway Avenue is a north-south main thoroughfare in Manhattan, stretching 25 kilometers; the Broadway theatre district centers on Times Square and covers the area from West 41st Street to 53rd Street, having been the center of American theatre since the early 19th century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miller pointed to the ground beneath them: \"Most Broadway theatres aren’t actually on Broadway Avenue—they’re spread out around here. Are you looking to see a play or a musical?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked: \"What’s the hottest show right now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Definitely Cats, from London’s West End.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the familiar name, Wei Ming asked: \"Is it the original cast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course not. The London production is still packing houses, and Sarah Brightman is now a globally famous singer and rarely performs onstage anymore. Webber simply licensed the rights to a Broadway company for a new adaptation, one more suited to American tastes,\" Miller said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, the original cast of Cats came to Broadway and drew unprecedented crowds; the production stayed on, and a year later, it remains the top box-office draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered how far along Webber’s Lion King was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then let’s see Cats. I want to see what the American version is like.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broadway is divided into Inner Broadway and Outer Broadway: the former, in the core area, features proven commercial hits; the latter focuses on experimental works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur Miller took Wei Ming and Gong Ying to the Winter Garden Theatre at 1634 Broadway, a venue with over a century of history, both exterior and interior beautifully preserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given Miller’s stature in theatre, they received VIP seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Cats was still sold out, its popularity undiminished—it had just won seven Tony Awards this year, including Best Musical, Best Director, Best Book, and Best Original Score, and had also taken home major prizes from the Grammys and Oliviers; its audience appeal was no surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had even become a New York tourist attraction, with many American out-of-towners and foreign musical lovers flying here specifically for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After they sat down, before the show began, people came over to greet Miller—some were from the same circle—and Miller casually introduced them by name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One caught Wei Ming’s attention: he was of Chinese appearance, and Wei Ming had met him in his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was David Henry Hwang, 26 years old, very young, yet already known in the Broadway scene; his “Chinese-American Trilogy”—M. Butterfly, Dance and the Railroad, and Family Devotion—were excellent artistic vehicles for understanding this community.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his most famous work, and the one that brought him the most honors, was M. Butterfly, the one starring B.D. Wong—first a play, later adapted into a film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This play earned David Henry Hwang the highest honor in American theatre—the Tony Award.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Wei Ming knew the story was based on real events, he still found it absurd—until he saw Kai Xin Yuan Yuan on TikTok.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had met David Henry Hwang in his past life at his aunt Wei Lingling’s sixtieth birthday party; they were Stanford alumni, same age and class, and since Wei Lingling and Hwang’s father were friends and business partners, both families had once considered matchmaking them. Though it never happened, they remained good friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Miller introduced David Henry Hwang to Wei Ming, he added a few extra words—clearly impressed by the young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming then switched to Chinese: \"Can we speak in Chinese?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course,\" said David Henry Hwang. Though born and raised in America, he had received excellent family education, and Chinese was mandatory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard you graduated from Stanford?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, then I went on to Yale’s drama school.\" Both his bachelor’s and master’s were from top American universities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: \"Small world—I’m also a Stanford alumna. My aunt has dual degrees in law and management.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, David Henry Hwang immediately thought of a name: \"Wei Lingling?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming feigned surprise: \"You know my aunt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course—we’re good friends!\" David Henry Hwang, who had already shaken hands with Wei Ming, shook his hand again, his smile now noticeably warmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Henry Hwang’s father was a banker who founded the first Chinese-American bank in the U.S.—Far East National Bank. In fact, Wei Lingling’s family bank had learned from his father’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering finance himself, Hwang’s father strongly hoped his son would study law—American lawyers were just too damn powerful. When his son insisted on pursuing creative work, he learned that the Shi family had a niece at Stanford studying law—beautiful and brilliant—and immediately conceived of a match. He and Wei Lindi hit it off immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Henry Hwang wanted to ask Wei Ming about Wei Lingling’s current situation, but his girlfriend reminded him: \"The show’s about to start.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwang had to hold off, planning to chat after the performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The American version of Cats had clear differences from the British one: first, it lacked the authentic London accent—it felt somehow incomplete—but its presentation was more fashionable, the actors more attractive; several of the female cats perfectly matched Wei Ming’s taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broadway was the most commercially successful theatre hub in the world; every theatre professional globally saw it as the place to realize their dreams. Actors who starred in hit shows here were both talented and good-looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying had long heard the song \"Memory\" from Cats on cassette tapes, but today was her first time hearing it live—the impact was profoundly intoxicating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The theatre’s acoustic design must have been masterful; the sound felt three-dimensional—the actors were up front, yet the voices came from all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the performance, all the actors took their bows, and the audience erupted in applause. The lead actress even singled out Arthur Miller in the front row, thanking him for coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miller stood up and bowed to the audience behind him, earning another round of enthusiastic applause—this old man’s influence on Broadway was indeed strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magic of live performance lies in its uniqueness; this was different from what Wei Ming had seen in Britain, and he suspected that even if he came back to New York and saw it again, it would still be different and surprising—so classic theatre, not reliant on convoluted plots, could be enjoyed again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Wei Ming and Miller had dinner planned; before leaving, Wei Ming specifically invited David Henry Hwang to join them for a meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Henry Hwang immediately said: \"How about tomorrow? There’s a playwright salon tonight—want to come?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are they all playwrights like you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, also screenwriters, maybe even some actors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I’m interested.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Henry Hwang gave Wei Ming a note; Wei Ming wrote down his hotel’s phone number for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over dinner, Arthur Miller discussed writing with Wei Ming: \"I’ve read some of your horror teen novels, but that can’t be your true strength—I know you’ve won China’s highest literary prize.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming shrugged: \"But this is America, and English isn’t my native language—I’m still learning. Plus, I’ll be studying in the U.S. with my sister, focusing on English literature.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wei Ming planned to study abroad, Miller was delighted: \"Have you ever thought of writing a script for Broadway—directly in English?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miller himself had a related company; his willingness to personally act as a guide, beyond literary kinship and affection for China, was surely also motivated by profit—he was past his creative peak, unable to write hit works anymore, so discovering new talent was a viable way to sustain his influence on Broadway.\u003C\u002Fp>",1415,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","61de46b4b78bdd7599ad0a2dc189a4708991fa305b8a0e2c37cc3f8b059483cc","rising-in-1979-chapter-502","rising-in-1979-chapter-500",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]