Shao Guangji.
This name is unfamiliar to young people of Generation Z.
When Shao Guangji was in his early twenties, he followed his teacher to make documentaries. He traveled all over the country, witnessing countless moments of prosperity, desire, and pleasure, as well as poverty, corruption, and darkness.
Between the ages of twenty and thirty, Shao Guangji and his teacher produced many powerful and socially damaging documentaries, such as *Black and White Kilns*, *People Earning Three Yuan a Day*, and *The Waterborne Generation*. These films generated a huge social impact and shocked the world, winning numerous documentary awards overseas. However, soon after, Shao Guangji's teacher was blacklisted and went abroad. Before leaving, he entrusted all his connections and resources to his apprentice.
Perhaps it was the teacher's experience that resonated with Shao Guangji, who, in his thirties, stopped making documentaries and returned to his family, enjoying a few years of family bliss with his wife and children.
In recent years, to make a living, Shao Guangji took up screenwriting. He wrote some lighthearted essays and short scripts, which sold quite well. But new talents emerge in every generation, and this documentary filmmaker was quickly forgotten.
When Shao Guangji was forty years old, he was invited by CTS (China Television System) to return to acting and produce a large number of anti-corruption documentaries. Originally intended to respond to the call of the times and cooperate with official propaganda, the finished products unexpectedly caused a sensation, once again sparking a huge wave of public discussion. The topic of anti-corruption in society gained significant traction, and public enthusiasm for anti-corruption surged.
Shao Guangji had no choice but to retire from the limelight once again. This time, he realized that making documentaries was not an easy path. This director and screenwriter, in his forties, finally decided to change careers and venture into "fictional documentaries," namely television dramas and films.
Shao Guangji has a solid foundation, and the historical dramas and biographical films he has directed have been well received. Of course, he can't compare to commercial directors like Xu Hanwen who can captivate audiences, but his level is consistent, and he is prolific and of high quality. Soon, within a few years, he became CTS's go-to director for mainstream films.
When Shao Guangji was forty-four, he read a novel. The novel astounded him, keeping him awake at night. He resolutely abandoned his promising career path of making a biographical film and instead devoted himself to advocating for the novel's film adaptation. Fortunately, the novel's tone perfectly aligned with official propaganda needs, and Shao Guangji not only encountered no resistance but also received considerable assistance.
The novel is called...
Shang Yechu flipped through the paper book in her hands. She had read this book countless times, reading at a speed of almost ten lines at a glance, and soon turned to the last sentence on the last page.
"He disappeared on his own, and may reappear in vain 129,600 years later."
Close the back cover, turn the book to the side, and the title and author information on the spine come into view.
"A Collection of Short Science Fiction Stories by Ai Xiaodong" - by Ai Xiaodong.
Ai Xiaodong's name is widely known in China. To be precise, he is one of the most influential science fiction writers in the country and a leading figure in Chinese science fiction literature. Before him, Chinese science fiction remained a niche genre, virtually unknown on the world stage. It was only after him that Chinese science fiction gained international recognition.
Among Ai Xiaodong's works, the most well-known are undoubtedly *The Time Sphere* and *129,600*. A professor once commented, "These two works have brought Chinese science fiction to a world-class level." His other science fiction works have also won numerous awards. Calling him a science fiction giant is no exaggeration.
Like many writers, Ai Xiaodong also wrote many exquisite short stories. After becoming famous, he compiled them into collections, published them, and earned some spare change.
The story Shang Yechu was reading was one of Ai Xiaodong's short stories. Its title was very short, only two characters.
The Heavenly Emperor.
Since her rebirth, Shang Yechu has read this novel almost every week, and now she can recite it almost word for word.
Shang Yechu wasn't a die-hard fan of Ai Xiaodong, nor was she a believer in this article. She read it so many times simply because this novel was the one Shao Guangji was planning to adapt!
"The Heavenly Emperor" is not the most famous of Ai Xiaodong's novels. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it was largely ignored.
Although the last sentence of "The Heavenly Emperor" is "Perhaps it will reappear in vain 129,600 years later," this novel actually has no plot connection to Ai Xiaodong's famous work "129,600," it just happens to share that number. Their popularity is worlds apart, one on earth and the other in the heavens.
Firstly, it's a short story, so it's unlikely to have the fame and influence of a full-length novel; secondly, the science fiction elements in this story are actually very few, and it's actually mixed with some mythological elements, making it vague and difficult to read.
Ji Juntao once mocked Shang Yechu's taste: "Why do you always read the same article? It's about an old man wandering around and then finally dying. Is it really that interesting?"
Sheng Wenzhi also disliked this novel. In his words, "A novel should be a pure story. This novel tries to express too much, making it a hodgepodge. The ideas are good, but the story is nonexistent. The author should go write essays instead."
When Shang Ye asked Sheng Wenzhi what the novel was trying to express, Sheng Wenzhi curled his hair and couldn't say: "I can't really say, but the author has a lot of ideas."
No matter how much others doubted her, Shang Yechu persisted in reading the book. Because only she knew what a colossal work Shao Guangji would transform this mere 20,000-word novel into!
The Heavenly Emperor... The Heavenly Emperor...
Shang Yechu silently repeated these two words in her heart, unable to resist putting down her book and standing up. The ambition in her heart burned so hot that her whole body felt hot. Shang Yechu impatiently kicked off her slippers and paced back and forth barefoot on the cold floor.
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