Chapter 338: Lick the dog and he won’t die

But what impressed the Hong Kong literary world and readers the most was that Lin Weimin's works could actually be published overseas, in markets such as the United States and Japan, and it was said that the sales were quite good.

In addition, the news that Lin Weimin's "Farewell My Concubine" won the country's literary award - the Naoki Prize last year also spread to the Hong Kong literary world, which surprised them even more.

So when they read Lin Weimin, it is difficult to compare him with other mainland writers.

Everyone felt the difference in Pan Yaoming and Jun Lin's attitude towards Lin Weimin, and they couldn't help but feel envious.

But the reality is that Lin Weimin is indeed unique among the young and middle-aged emerging writers in mainland China today, and no one can deny this.

The bus was driving on the streets of Hong Kong, and everyone was looking at the city curiously through the window.

There are tall buildings and heavy traffic.

Except for two or three people, such as Cheng Jiangong and Huang Anyi, who had been abroad before, everyone else had a curious baby's expression and looked around.

Kai Tak Airport is located in the Kowloon City District, while the office of Joint Publishing Company is located in the North Point Industrial Building, which is across the sea. To get there, you have to take the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

The hotel was located near the North Point Industrial Building. It was a three-star hotel with two people in a room. There were thirteen people in the group. Huang Anyi was a lesbian and lived in a single room. There were seven rooms in total. Lin Weimin and Shi Tiesheng lived together.

After putting down the luggage and resting for a while, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant and rested for the night.

The entire visit period is scheduled for five days. Except for the last day which has free time, the rest of the time is basically scheduled for activities.

Early in the morning of the first day, everyone took a bus to visit Sanlian Bookstore and discuss the publication of their works.

The publication of the works of ten people in a collection is just an appetizer for Sanlian Bookstore. If that were the case, Sanlian Bookstore would not need to invite these people to Hong Kong. Their approach can be regarded as an investment in the future.

Among all mainland writers, Lin Weimin is undoubtedly the writer that Sanlian Bookstore values ​​most.

It's not only because his works are popular and famous, but also because he is the most prolific among these writers.

The amount of his works alone is almost equal to that of the other nine people. This is so terrible that Sanlian Bookstore cannot help but pay attention to it.

In the afternoon, a small press conference was held by Joint Publishing Company, and three media outlets that are relatively close to the mainland attended: Ta Kung Pao, Wen Wei Po, and Hong Kong Commercial Daily.

In the evening, Sanlian Bookstore hosted a dinner to entertain the mainland writers.

In order to take advantage of the reputation of Joint Publishing Company, many people from Hong Kong's cultural circles were invited.

The guests at today's dinner are mainly editors-in-chief and deputy editors-in-chief of several pro-China media in Hong Kong, as well as some ZY writers, such as Lu Lun, Shu Cheng, He Da, Xia Yi, Hai Xin, etc., and Dai Tian, ​​a modernist writer with a relatively neutral attitude. In addition, there is an acquaintance, Liu Yichang.

What surprised Lin Weimin the most was that there was an old man wearing gold-rimmed glasses among the group of people.

"Hello, Mr. Cha!"

Lin Weimin's greeting came from the bottom of his heart. He believed that there might be Chinese people who have not read Jin Yong's martial arts novels, but there is definitely no one who has not watched the TV series adapted from Jin Yong's martial arts novels.

Popular literature has reached its limit after this point!

"Hello, Mr. Lin!" Jin Yong greeted Lin Weimin kindly.

Lin Weimin really wants to say something to Jin Yong: I grew up reading your martial arts novels, but unfortunately the times did not allow it. Jin Yong's martial arts novels were officially introduced to the mainland in the mid-to-late 1980s. During this period, pirated copies have been circulated, but the scale is not large.

After chatting for a while, Jin Yong mentioned Lin Weimin's Farewell My Concubine, "Your novel is very well written, I like it."

Lin Weimin was very happy to receive the old man's praise.

The atmosphere of the dinner was not very warm, but fortunately, with the help of several seniors such as Pan Yaoming, Liu Yichang and Dai Tian, ​​the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Lin Weimin and Jin Yong chatted for only a while before they saw Comrade Liu leading an elegant female comrade into the banquet hall, who immediately caught Jin Yong's attention.

Lin Weimin started chatting with his old acquaintance Liu Yichang.

"Mr. Liu, long time no see!"

"Hello, Mr. Lin!" Liu Yichang greeted Lin Weimin with a smile.

The dinner was held in the small banquet hall of the hotel. There were three tables in total, and there were about 20 to 30 people present. The scene was noisy and lively. Lin Weimin and Liu Yichang stood in the corner of the banquet hall and chatted casually.

"Hong Kong Literature" has been published for more than two months and has published two issues. It has attracted considerable attention in the Hong Kong literary world. Lin Weimin's "Talk It Out Nicely" was published in it and also caused some response, but not as big as when "Sing Tao Evening News" serialized "The Lover" and "Farewell My Concubine".

Lin Weimin and Liu Yichang chatted for a while, and then they saw Comrade Liu leading the female comrade over.

"Weimin, let me introduce you, this is Ms. Yang Meng."

Yang Meng is over fifty years old, but she looks like she is less than forty. She is beautiful but not coquettish, and is elegant and generous.

Naturally, everyone has heard of this person's name, Lin Weimin. She is one of the "three princesses" of Hong Kong ZY Film Company Great Wall Pictures. In later generations, she is better known as Mr. Jin Yong's dream lover and the prototype of the fairy sister Wang Yuyan in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

No wonder the old man was so distracted when he saw her just now and ran over happily.

The licker is not dead, he just gets old.

"Hello, Ms. Yang!"

After they shook hands, Yang Meng smiled and said, "I've heard of your name for a long time, but unfortunately I've never had the chance to meet you. Today I heard that you were in Hong Kong, so I came here specially."

Comrade Liu said: "Weimin, Ms. Yang Meng came here especially for you today!"

The old comrade's face was filled with joy, as if a miracle had finally begun.

As a movie star, Yang Meng was very popular all over the country in the 1950s and 1960s, so Comrade Liu's situation is understandable.

Seeing that Yang Meng had something to do with Lin Weimin, Liu Yichang tactfully left with Comrade Liu.

"I wonder what you want to talk to me about?" Lin Weimin asked.

"It's like this. A few years ago, I set up my own company to do independent production. Before that, I made a movie called "To the Wrath of the Sea" in 1982 and a movie called "Like Water Flowing Years" last year. There haven't been any good scripts recently. When I went to Yanjing, I saw the play you wrote for them at the People's Art Theatre. It was very well written.

So I want to ask you if I can get the film adaptation rights for your work."

After Yang Meng finished speaking, she looked at Lin Weimin quietly. Although the beauty was old, she was still charming. Lin Weimin couldn't help but look away.

After a moment's silence, he said, "Ms. Yang, my work has not yet been adapted into a movie."

Yang Meng nodded, "I know this."

"It's not that no one has approached me. It's just that I'm a bit stubborn about movies. If the production team and the script don't satisfy me, I can't give out the adaptation rights of the work."

Lin Weimin pretended not to notice that Comrade Liu kept winking at him.

He knew that Yang Meng's identity was very special and she was a business card of the pro-China faction in Hong Kong's cultural circle. Lin Weimin also knew that the Blue Bird Pictures she founded was originally supported by the elders.

Yang Meng smiled gently and said, "Then you write the script."

“But the director may not shoot according to what I write,” said Lin Weimin.

He knew very well what kind of people these grandsons were.

Yang Meng shook his head and said firmly: "With me here, this situation will not happen."

this……

Lin Weimin was suddenly choked.

The biggest difference between Yang Meng and the group of studio directors who came to him before and asked for adaptation was that she was truly her own boss, so she was naturally confident when speaking.

"I admire your courage, but people say that film is the art of the director after all. You want to make a movie according to the ideas of a screenwriter like me. Aren't you worried about the quality of the movie?" Lin Weimin couldn't help asking.

"I think what you want, Mr. Lin, is the director's absolute adherence to the content of your script, but not to completely abandon the director. As long as there is sufficient communication and a common pursuit of art, I believe this will not be a problem."

Lin Weimin had to admit that Yang Meng was really good at talking, and he could hardly find a reason to refuse her request.

"Which work do you want the adaptation rights for?"

"Can I have them all?" Yang Meng looked into Lin Weimin's eyes and said.

Good job!

This is really a big mouth!

"Ms. Yang, not all of my works are suitable for adaptation into movies," said Lin Weimin.

Yang Meng said: "I think Mr. Lin's works have great potential for adaptation."

Lin Weimin shook his head and said, "You'd better not have this idea."

"Then I want the adaptation rights for Farewell My Concubine and The Lover."

It seems that Yang Meng's huge request was just a test. Seeing that Lin Weimin refused without hesitation, she told him her desired target.

Lin Weimin frowned, "Too many."

"Two more?"

"You have to let me see the effect of our cooperation, right? How about this, we can try out "Lover", what do you think?"

Yang Meng smiled and said, "Okay, then it's settled!"

After Yang Meng turned around and left, Comrade Liu appeared beside Lin Weimin.

"Writer Lin, Ms. Yang Meng is one of us. If you have the means, please support her work."

Lin Weimin said: "Of course."

This was also the reason why he agreed to Yang Meng so readily just now.

However, Yang Meng asked for the adaptation rights of both "Farewell My Concubine" and "The Lover" at once, which made him feel a little painful, and he was also worried about the effect of the adaptation.

After all, in his memory, the adaptations of these two works were quite successful. If they failed, it would be a disservice to the original works.

The banquet continued, and Liu Yichang pulled Dai Tian to chat with Lin Weimin.

After chatting for a while, Dai Tian and Lin Weimin talked about Bafang. "I heard from Brother Yichangwen that before, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Cheng of Sing Tao Evening News asked you for articles through Bafang, which caused some unpleasantness."

"Because of the issue of royalties, there is indeed some unhappiness!" Lin Weimin said bluntly.

Dai Tian is one of the founders of Bafang. He laughed and said, "If you want to blame someone, just blame Cheng Yiqiu. Don't be angry with us Bafang. Cangwu doesn't disrespect you. He just wants to save face for his friend."

Lin Weimin smiled and said, "It's all in the past."

Dai Tian was a kind person. He chatted with Lin Weimin for a long time. During the conversation, he mentioned the situation of "Banfang". It was not easy to establish this publication, and it was even more difficult to run it.

In the mid-1980s, Bafang published many works by mainland writers, and it made great contributions to popularizing mainland writers among Hong Kong readers.

The visit of the mainland writers group to Hong Kong was a good opportunity for Bafang. Dai Tian knew that Lin Weimin was the editor-in-chief of Contemporary Magazine and hoped that he could go back and act as a liaison for Bafang to publish works from the mainland.

"This is certainly a good thing, as long as the remuneration is appropriate." Lin Weimin said with a joking tone.

Dai Tian couldn't help but laugh and pointed at him, "You don't look like a scholar at all!"

"Scholars also have to eat, they are not gods." Lin Weimin responded to him and looked to the side, "Mo Yan, come here!"

Mo Yan heard Lin Weimin's shout and came over, "Teacher Lin!"

Dai Tian looked at Lin Weimin in surprise, "Why do you call him teacher?"

"Teacher Lin is my editor at Contemporary. Several of my influential works were published in Contemporary." Mo Yan explained, and he pointed at Shi Tiesheng who was chatting with someone on the side, "Not only me, but Tiesheng's influential works were also published by Teacher Lin."

Dai Tian smiled and said to Lin Weimin: "No wonder you are the editor-in-chief!"

Lin Weimin waved his hand at him and said to Mo Yan, "Please tell Mr. Dai briefly about the Red Sorghum Family that you are currently working on."

Mo Yan didn't know why Lin Weimin did this, but he did it anyway.

After listening to Mo Yan's story, Dai Tian exclaimed: "What a good story!"

Lin Weimin added, "He's almost finished writing this novel. Let me give you the manuscript later. If you think it's appropriate, you can publish it on Bafang."

Dai Tian nodded, "Okay!"

(End of this chapter)