Two-in-one
In July, the editorial department expanded its staff and soon had more than 30 people. The space suddenly became crowded. Fortunately, some people were busy on field trips, so the office could accommodate so many people.
There is a color TV in the office for everyone to watch news and TV dramas. TV stations from Hong Kong can be received in Guangzhou, and many families watch Hong Kong TV dramas.
There are rows of newspaper racks in the corner of the editorial office, hanging dozens of domestic and foreign newspapers, with the latest newspapers on the top.
Mao Lina picked up a newspaper and once again sighed that this job was so satisfying. She could read newspapers for free at work and pick out interesting news. If it were not for this job, Mao Lina would not have the opportunity to read so many foreign news newspapers and learn about foreign information.
In addition to these foreign newspapers, there are actually quite a few tabloids in Hong Kong Island. Since they are not suitable for publication in magazines, everyone just reads them for entertainment.
"These people abroad are so interesting. Is this a computer? Computers have become so small..."
A national computer lecture was recently held in the country, which ignited many people's curiosity about computers. However, in Mao Lina's understanding, computers are only for calculations and have nothing to do with ordinary people like them.
There are computers abroad, and also handheld game consoles like this? She didn't understand what the point of researching these things was.
"Give me a newspaper." Qin Yao reached out and took a newspaper. Every time she read domestic and foreign newspapers, she would feel incredible. The modern buildings abroad formed a sharp contrast with the current dusty appearance of China. When she thought about the development and changes in the next forty years, it was truly magnificent.
In this era, opportunities are everywhere, including the clothing and textile industry, home appliance industry, supermarket retail industry, real estate, the Internet... No matter which field you enter, it seems that there is a chance to become the richest man.
If you are not the richest man, it seems like you would be letting down your life in this era. However, many of the richest people in the country have a miserable ending, some go to jail, some go bankrupt... The richest man changes almost every one or two years. The business world is ever-changing, just like rowing against the current. No one can remain the richest man forever.
He was the richest man last year, but this year he might encounter a financial crisis and his valuation would be cut in half, dropping to the top ten. He might also be thrown into jail and accused of economic crimes, and then he is an economic criminal.
Qin Yao thought that even if she made money in the future, she would be a low-key rich man, open one or two private zoos, or buy an island for development...
Qin Yao has not given up her ambition to open a zoo. If she could become rich, she would of course raise some unusual animals, such as lions and tigers.
She had heard that frequently looking into the eyes of a tiger could increase a person's courage, but she didn't know if this was true.
"Ring, ring, ring..." The phone rang in the office.
"Manager Qin, I have your phone number. She's an actress! She seems to have acted in a novel you wrote. Ah, it's Li Jialan!"
"Li Jialan! You don't even know this. Her Snow Flower this year, yes, that one, ah ah ah, I still have her calendar at home!"
…
Li Jialan? People in the editorial office were whispering that although there were no female stars at that time, many male and female actors were well-loved by everyone. This place was closer to Hong Kong Island, and they knew how extravagant the stars and singers there lived. Rich people spent huge sums of money on female stars, giving them houses and cruise ships - although these gossip news were far away from them, many people still paid attention to them as rare things.
Compared with stars from Hong Kong and Macao, domestic male and female actors are much more low-key. After all, after filming a movie, an actor may only earn a few dozen or a few hundred yuan.
In the 1980s, actors were paid no more than 20 or 30 yuan for one episode of a TV series, and only a few hundred yuan for the entire TV series. The better ones could earn thousands or even tens of thousands, but they were a minority.
Although people at that time liked actors and actresses, they did not think they were superior. They were just ordinary jobs and the pay they received was similar to that of ordinary people. They had not yet been made into "big stars", let alone the sky-high pay they would receive in the future.
Everyone was just excited when they received a call from a famous actress.
"Hello, comrade. I'm Qin Yao." Qin Yao answered the phone. While she felt a little strange, many ideas emerged in her mind.
There is no actor-star economy now, but it can be developed! Popular movie actors are household names, top stars who can bring huge advertising effects.
At this moment, the domestic advertising industry is still in a barren state, simply because industrial products are scarce at that time and there are too few commodities for people to choose from. They are all state-owned, so it doesn’t matter whether to advertise or not, because people have no choice.
Just like televisions, a supply and marketing cooperative may only have one brand of black-and-white TVs and one brand of bicycles. There are different factory brands in the north and south, and the brand of the factory that is closest to the cooperative is sold. Residents have no choice, and it is considered good to be able to buy the goods. Some supply and marketing cooperatives only supply a few televisions a month, and they are gone when they are sold out. Do you get to choose? This still needs advertising? There is no problem selling the goods.
It was not until after 1979 that various foreign products flooded into the country and a variety of private brands of refrigerators, color televisions, and washing machines, large and small, emerged in the country. Only then did the public have choices, and various brands needed to compete through advertising, and the advertising economy began to take off.
"Hello, Manager Qin. I'm actress Li Jialan. I wonder if you still remember me. I played the supporting role Shanshan in the movie Female Militia. I like the novels you wrote, Teacher Qin. I recently came to Yangcheng for a performance and saw the Southern Life magazine you founded. I was very interested. Can I come to visit the editorial office?" Li Jialan on the other end of the phone sounded a little nervous. Although she has become a household name now thanks to a movie, when she starred in the movie Female Militia, she was just an unknown little actor and looked up to Qin Yao.
Li Jialan really wanted to deal with Qin Yao. It was not just because she was interested in the magazine, but because she wanted to make friends with Qin Yao, that's why she expressed her wish to visit the editorial office.
"Of course, you are most welcome. In fact, Comrade Li, our editorial department would like to ask you for a favor. Come over and we can discuss it in detail. When do you think you are free?"
Li Jialan said in a daze: "It's better to go there now than to wait for the next opportunity. Should I go there now?"
"Okay."
Actress Li Jialan came to the editorial office and caused a sensation among everyone. Li Jialan has a pretty face, not the kind of gorgeous beauty, and her skin is not white. The most commendable thing about her face is her eyes. At that time, the actors' eyes were very beautiful, as if they were filled with water and glowing.
There is a scene in the movie where her eyes are photographed, and they look moist, making her whole person look pure and beautiful.
"Lee, Comrade Li, can I take a photo with you?"
"sure."
…
Standing in front of the bulletin board, the entire editorial department took a group photo with Li Jialan. Li Jialan was dressed simply, with a pigtail, and looked like a girl next door.
Qin Yao asked someone to buy a batch of brand new notebooks and asked Li Jialan to sign them. "It's a rare opportunity to have a big star come here. I want to do something good for our magazine's readers. Can you help sign the notebooks? I plan to draw a lottery among the readers' letters with the signed notebooks and photos as a reward for our readers and your fans."
"Of course I'm not asking you to sign for free. I'll give you 50 cents for each signature." Qin Yao blushed slightly after saying this. Among the big stars in later generations, only 50 cents for an autograph... How could she say that? It was like paying a beggar.
Li Jialan was flattered and said, "No, no, it's just an autograph, it's not worth anything, just sign as many as you have."
"No, no, don't be polite. I'm not going to be polite with you. I'm going to ask you to sign 500 or 600 copies."
Li Jialan's eyes were filled with shock: "!"
Five or six hundred books? Are you serious? 50 cents for signing one book, one dollar for two books. If you sign 600 books, that would be 300 yuan... Is 300 yuan so easy to make?
Seeing her surprised look, Qin Yao wondered whether she had paid too much or too little. She thought the price was appropriate, even a little high, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. It was only sixty yuan for a dime per book and to have someone sign six hundred books, which was so heartbreaking.
I signed so many signatures that my hands were shaking.
"Okay, okay, Manager Qin, is there anything else you want me to do?" Li Jialan now almost regarded Qin Yao as the big boss. It really is good to be a leader. You can make whatever decisions you want, unlike little actors like them who can only listen to the arrangements from above.
"Our magazine also wants to open a movie interactive column, do an actor interview, and learn about the stories behind the filming. Do you think it's appropriate? We want to interview you and ask you some questions. Of course, none of them will be too embarrassing for you."
"Just some simple questions, I want the fans to get to know you better."
Li Jialan nodded and said, "That's fine with me."
Seeing her like this, Qin Yao admired the working attitude of the people nowadays very much. They did whatever you were told to do and didn't raise the price. They looked "flattered" and were determined not to let you waste hundreds of dollars.
Li Jialan was very cooperative and even signed for one thousand copies, charging only six hundred. Her sincerity touched Qin Yao deeply.
Not only that, she also cooperated with the photo taking and put the taken photos in a notebook. These photos were a set of photos that Qin Yao asked a photographer to take for her, and they were randomly stuffed into different signature notebooks.
In order to take this set of photos, Qin Yao specially asked someone to buy a few fashionable dresses in Hong Kong Island. She has a good eye and picked beautiful dresses that are fashionable but not too revealing.
After the photos were taken, she gave the clothes to Li Jialan, who was very grateful to her.
Qin Yao felt like Zhou Pa Pi. In the future, any 18th-tier celebrity would not need hundreds of thousands or millions to do advertising. Now, it only costs a few hundred yuan to invite a household-name movie actor to do advertising. It's too cheap.
It was outrageously cheap. Manager Qin felt that he shouldn't treat people unfairly, so he helped Li Jialan contact the guesthouse and served her with delicious food and drinks.
On the other hand, Li Jialan also felt that Qin Yao was too honest. She didn't think she was a good actor. Even though the public had seen the movies she acted in, there were so many other actors in movies that everyone had seen, and she was nothing at all.
Qin Yao asked her for autographs, took photos and gave her clothes as gifts... She was really ashamed and worried. She was afraid that no one would want her autographed notebook and photos.
"Manager Qin, what if no one wants this notebook?"
Qin Yao suppressed her laughter and said, "Jia Lan, you think too little of yourself. You act well in movies and everyone likes you."
Li Jialan came to help promote her magazine, and their magazine was also helping Li Jialan expand its influence. It was a win-win outcome.
Actors at that time had little influence, because domestic films at that time did not need any box office appeal at all. The national movie-watching rate of this era was astonishing. At least 80% of people had seen a new movie. Did it still need actors to boost the box office? There is no need for box office revenue at all. Instead, the authorities want to enrich people's cultural life and find ways to encourage them to watch more movies. Movie theater tickets are very affordable, and commune teams often show open-air movies.
Therefore, movie actors at that time seemed to have no great value. Even if someone else played the role, the audience would still watch the movie without being picky. They would just watch whatever was given to them.
"I have a few friends who like you too. Do you want to come to my house?"
Qin Yao invited Li Jialan to her home, and Li Jialan agreed. Qin Yao treated her to lunch and also called Chen Xiaoyun from next door. Chen Xiaoyun was a big fan of Li Jialan and liked the movies she starred in this year very much.
In fact, even the two little ones at home recognized Li Jialan. As soon as Qin Yao brought her home, Mingming shouted, "The aunt on TV has crawled out!"
Qin Yao smiled: "You know Auntie too?"
What aunt on TV crawled out... Son, your description is really like a horror movie, a pretty girl is described as Sadako.
Ruirui hid behind her mother's thighs and looked at Li Jialan with an inquiring look: "Mom, how did she crawl out?"
Qin Yao touched the child's head and thought to herself, don't let your brother's wild imagination lead you astray. You can't get out of the aunt on TV.
"Auntie didn't crawl out of the TV..."
Mingming's little head was spinning: "Could it have come out from the cracks in the rocks?"
"Not really. Auntie is a person just like you." Qin Yao reached out and pinched the brat's face. "What's played on TV is a video, a recorded image, just like when you take a photo. After the photo is taken, the person is still the same person, but your appearance is left in the photo."
"When you see Auntie on TV, it's the same as when you see her photo. That's the same principle."
Mingming let out a long "Oh" and then said, "I don't understand."
Rarity: "Auntie came out of the photo."
Qin Yao: “…”
"Stop messing around here, you two little rascals."
It’s not that children really don’t understand, they just like to ask these strange and tricky questions. Even if they understand the questions, they will pretend not to understand. Most of the time they just make a fuss and try to find ways to refute adults.
"Qin Yao, Xiao Qin, ah!! It's really Li Jialan! A real great actress, she came out of the TV! Xiao Shitou, come and see auntie, do you still remember auntie's movies?"
"Ah! Mom! It's a living person!"
“Is this a movie?”
Compared with the Ruirui brothers, Chen Xiaoyun and her son were not much better. They joined forces and made a big noise.
Qin Yao couldn't help laughing: "Come in and sit down. Do you want to take a photo with the auntie on TV?"
After inviting Chen Xiaoyun and her son in, there was a knock on the door not long after. Jiang Meiye stood outside with a red face, "I want to talk to actor Li."
Jiang Meiye is also a fan of Li Jialan. Qin Yao saw that she was shy and was busy taking care of the children on weekdays, so she asked Li Jialan to get her an autograph and took a photo of the two of them with a camera. Jiang Meiye left happily.
When Qiao Jie saw Jiang Meiye's appearance, she couldn't help but curl her lips and whispered, "He's just an actor."
The September 1 issue of Southern Life Monthly includes an interview with Li Jialan about her movies. The interview is mostly entertaining in nature, and includes interesting stories that happened during the filming process, Li Jialan's views on marriage and friendship, as well as her spare time as an actor and recommended books.
In addition, there is a dotted box behind the interview with an event logo in it. Just cut it out, write a letter saying what you want to say to Li Jialan and send it to the editorial department, and you will have a chance to receive a reply from Li Jialan or a signed notebook from Li Jialan.
"Is there an interview with Li Jialan?"
"It's from that movie..."
"There's even her photo on it, and you can win a prize!"
…
Whether buying a magazine or sending a letter to the editorial office, the cost is only a few cents. For many people, it is just a drop in the bucket. Although everyone is not rich, ordinary people have money to participate in such an activity of one or two dollars. Young students in school can even squeeze out a dollar or two to participate in the lottery.
"I want one!"
"I want one too."
"I'll buy ten. I don't believe I won't be selected."
It costs less than ten yuan to buy ten magazines. If a family is well-off, they can afford to buy fifty copies, let alone ten.
Soon, this issue of the monthly magazine sold out, and Qin Yao estimated that the sales would exceed one million. If the response was good, Qin Yao planned to continue this column and invite more movie actors and stars, and in the future, she could also invite celebrities from Hong Kong and Macau.
Besides the editorial staff, the happiest person about the good sales of the magazine was the newsstand employee. This employee was also a unit employee, and he did not receive any performance reward for selling one more magazine. However, this time, he secretly sold letters and stamps at a slightly higher price of a few cents or a penny, and made a small profit.
The editorial department received a mountain of letters, and every day they drew a "lucky reader" and sent out one hundred signed notebooks a day.
Li Jialan is a person with a strong conscience. Perhaps she was too excited by everyone's enthusiasm and did not want to disappoint her fans. She opened dozens of letters every day and wrote back to readers carefully.
September is the start of the school year, and young students are heading to school. This magazine is extremely popular among students, and soon sold 600,000 copies. It is a confirmed fact that it has exceeded one million copies.
Qin Yao didn't have time to be happy because she was too busy and the editorial office was too messy. The mountains of letters and the sudden increase in staff made the space in their editorial office too small, and changing the office location became an imminent task.
Qin Yao contacted a new office building and requested to vacate an entire floor for the editorial department. Her application was quickly approved, but even if it was fast, the "move" would not take place until next month.
Just after Qin Yao finished this matter, she received active invitations from several universities' Chinese departments, journalism and media departments, and printing and publishing schools, wanting her to give lectures and hold exchange meetings at their schools.
She received invitations of various kinds. Some wanted her to be a lecturer and teach literature classes to college students, while others wanted her to give success lectures to college students and tell them about the stories before and after she founded the journal.
Among them, Shanzhong University, where Bai Qiuling studied, also invited her to communicate with students. Qin Yao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Half a year had passed, and Qin Yao had been busy like a top and had not had time to visit Bai Qiuling at school. This time, she had the opportunity to meet Bai Qiuling, so she accepted the school's invitation and the time was set in October.
At this time, Qin Yao, in addition to being Manager Qin and Editor-in-Chief Qin, also became Deputy Director Qin, which can be said to be a halo of all kinds.
I also did not forget to call home to tell them the good news.
"My daughter has become a manager?" When Chen Guixiang heard this, she first found it unbelievable and said blankly: "Didn't you not go to college?"
Many people go to college just to work in factories. After graduation, they have to start as ordinary workers. Some people have to work for twenty or thirty years before they can get the position of factory director or deputy director. Most people will be ordinary workers all their lives.
Of course, people of Chen Guixiang's generation are already very lucky to be able to become a great worker.
Chen Guixiang was just an ordinary worker. She worked all her life and gave her job to her daughter-in-law after retirement. She thought that this job could be passed down from generation to generation. But now that the college entrance examination has been resumed, it is no longer the case...
The couple was happy when the fourth child was admitted to university, but the daughter-in-law was miserable. After the resumption of the college entrance examination, workers also had to pay attention to academic qualifications. It could no longer be passed down from father to son, or from this to that. All must have academic qualifications. Those without academic qualifications would all become the lowest-level workshop workers.
I heard that there might be layoffs in the future and that it would no longer be a stable job. My daughter-in-law complained a lot about this and even cursed the resumption of the college entrance examination in private. She felt that the reason for laying off the workers was to make room for a new batch of college students.
How can we assign jobs to college students if we don’t lay off some people?
Although these rumors were still groundless, news was always more widespread in the capital. Many people believed them and had a sense of crisis. They began to study on their own, fearing that misfortune would befall them one day.
It is also because of this that Chen Guixiang and his wife are reluctant to brag at home about their son’s admission to university, for fear that their two daughters-in-law would feel uncomfortable hearing it.
At this time, the benefits of being a cook are highlighted. Other positions require academic qualifications, but being a cook does not. As long as you have good skills, companies will scramble to hire you.
Food is the most important thing for people. A good cook will never starve to death.
"Not going to college doesn't matter. A lot of people go to college just for a diploma and a job. I am not only Manager Qin, but also the deputy director of the cultural center."
Qin Yao also sighed about the position of deputy director, thinking that whoever gives her milk is the mother. Now the unit has to rely on her for support, so they all support her.
This kind of thing will be common in the future. In Chen Guixiang's era, to become a factory director, one had to be at least 40 or 50 years old. But in the 1980s, many factory directors were young people in their twenties and thirties.
This is because many units encountered financial crises in the 1980s and could no longer operate. Some went bankrupt. As long as one could turn the tide and achieve results, whoever could successfully reform would be a good factory manager, and no one cared whether you were a college student or not.
It is also because the factory’s welfare was too good in the past, and because positions were passed down from generation to generation, employees had no sense of crisis and thought they had a stable job. Discipline was lax and efficiency was low. In addition, more and more people of Chen Guixiang’s generation were retiring. The factory not only had to support the existing workers, but also so many retirees. Change was only a matter of time.
Chen Guixiang seemed to be walking on clouds: "And he became a deputy director..."
"Your father and I never wanted you to be a leader, but the first leader in our family turned out to be my little girl."
Whether they are the manager or the deputy director, they are both senior leaders and can manage people!
Not to mention Chen Guixiang, even Qin Chuanrong was stunned by the news and was completely unable to recover.
Before this, Qin Chuanrong was still planning for his fourth son to get into college, assign a job in the future, and seek an official position or something, even if it was the captain or director of a veterinary hospital, or the director or secretary of a zoo, he would not be picky, as long as he was a leader.
It turns out that the youngest child is the first to become the leader in this family!
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