"How infuriating! You gave such a brilliant presentation! And then you just said you couldn't write it. What were you even here for?" Xing Baohua thought to himself, a hint of anger flashing across his face.
He turned his head to look at Director Wang, as if to say: This is the person you invited for me.
Screenwriter Li continued, "Those details you mentioned, like close-ups and stuff. Just use storyboards, no need for a script! It'll save you trouble!"
Xing Baohua understood. Although she had never worked in this industry, she had heard of the difference between a script and a storyboard.
Director Wang smoothed things over by saying, "There's no need to be so serious. Just write down the general outline first, and fill in the details later."
Seeing that screenwriter Li had started rewriting, Xing Baohua said, "Naval battles need artillery fire."
As soon as Xing Baohua finished speaking, screenwriter Li put down his pen, looked at him and said, "Old Wang told me before that he was going to write about Zheng He's voyages to Southeast Asia. So, were there naval cannons during the Yongle era?"
"There should be. We already have three-eyed muskets, so how could we not have cannons? We have to have them, even if we don't," Xing Baohua firmly stated.
Anyway, as long as there's a scene of continuous artillery fire, even if it's just a single clip, why be so picky about what kind of artillery it is? Can't land-based artillery be used like naval artillery?
I remember a movie about a naval battle between South and North Korea, where the North Koreans welded tanks to their ships as main guns. Couldn't the defensive cannons of the Ming Dynasty's city walls be used as offensive guns on ships?
Editor Li asked about the naval adversaries, but Xing Baohua was too lazy to think about it; he really didn't know anything about that period of history. So he just made it up, as long as the story was entertaining.
After thinking it over, I can only think of Portuguese or Spanish people.
Didn't the Spanish say they could conquer the Ming Dynasty with just 20,000 men? It's unclear when they said this, but it was probably in the later period of the Ming Dynasty. Anyway, it was added for plot purposes.
A clash between East and West ensues, with Europe's most powerful and invincible Armada meeting Asia's most formidable treasure-hunting fleet. A battle of the century is inevitable!
Three Spanish invincible warships encountered Zheng He's main fleet of one hundred ships.
After a fierce exchange of fire, a boarding action ensued, resulting in the capture of three Spanish warships. Perhaps sinking one would have been more visually appealing?
After Xing Baohua finished speaking, screenwriter Li said, "Director Xing, I feel we don't need the Zheng He scene anymore. Let's just go with Zheng Zhilong. You're just transferring the Zheng Zhilong scene onto Zheng He!"
"Whatever you say, you're the screenwriter. I just want that feeling of sails billowing in the sky, vast and mighty, sailing on the boundless sea yet appearing as a lone sail in the distance. Like someone carrying a mission to explore the unknown?"
"You're getting a bit Columbus-esque here. I get it now, Director Xing, you're trying to create a hodgepodge! Using Zheng He's stories, Zheng Zhilong's naval battles, and Columbus's explorations. Is that what you mean?"
Xing Baohua nodded and said, "More or less."
Screenwriter Li said to Director Wang, "Are you sure you want to film this kind of hodgepodge? This stuff that distorts history?"
Director Wang touched his nose and said, "This is an animation. Animation? It won't be released in theaters."
Then Director Wang turned to Xing Baohua and said, "I promise to give him fifty yuan as a writing fee."
Xing Baohua clicked his tongue, saying nothing; he didn't understand the price. Regardless, the screenwriter is part of the film, an original creation. A story is essential for compelling visuals, so fifty isn't expensive; a good screenwriter would cost more than that.
But Xing Baohua sensed that this screenwriter, Li, was somewhat resistant, just because the history was wrong? You have to understand, in his era, anti-Japanese war dramas and fantasy dramas were all the rage! Historical time differences are a minor issue, okay?
In short, there's no way to explain this kind of thing.
At Director Wang's insistence, screenwriter Li finally continued writing.
Xing Baohua smoked a cigarette, not bothering him, and picked up the academic report on reversing radar to read.
Director Wang also stayed with them, and the three of them worked until 3 a.m. to finish the main body of the script.
The rest is just a matter of gradually filling in and refining, which is quite simple.
Director Wang rode his bicycle away from home. Screenwriter Li lived a little further away, in the shoe factory dormitory behind Yingshi Street.
There's no bus going back now, so I can only rest on another bed in Xing Baohua's room.
Director Wang arrived again around 8 a.m., bringing some fried dough sticks and fried pork buns.
After finishing his meal, screenwriter Li continued to refine his script. Xing Baohua rode Director Wang's bicycle and took him to the housing management bureau to pay the fees.
Things went very smoothly. After paying the money, the housing authority gave us the keys and provided some additional instructions.
The two returned to the Academy of Arts and Crafts, where Director Wang went to find someone to clean the office space and buy second-hand desks and chairs.
Xing Baohua then went to the Academy of Arts and Crafts to continue discussing cooperation matters.
The headmistress, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, asked Xing Baohua, "I thought you weren't coming this morning."
"Sorry, Ms. Li, I'm going to the housing management bureau to pay the rent for the office space. It will take a little longer."
"Oh, you're renting it? Where's the location? Is it far from here?"
Xing Baohua felt like she hadn't heard such a three-question barrage in a long time, and suddenly missed Xu Shuai a little.
"It's a two-story building next to the Normal University, very close to here, just over on Shifan Road," Xing Baohua said with a smile.
“I know where it is; it’s really close, and it’s convenient for students to go there for work. Here’s the thing: I’ve reported this to several school leaders, and they’ve agreed in principle.”
For students nearing graduation and undertaking their internships, full-time work is permitted. Students working part-time in the evenings must return to campus by 10 PM.
Xing Baohua nodded and replied, "That's entirely up to the school."
"If you agree, we will send an instructor over to strengthen the guidance of the students," said Aunt Li.
Xing Baohua was stunned by this. Who hires interns or part-time workers and also provides them with an instructor? What kind of operation is this? Who pays the instructor's salary?
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