The literary era since 1979

Inside Maxim's Western Restaurant, maple leaf-shaped chandeliers and wall lamps emit a dim light, reflecting the gilded vine patterns on the wall.

Song Huaigui, wearing a backless black evening gown, stood on the spiral staircase and scanned her territory.

At this moment, Fang Yan and Liu Sola suddenly appeared in her sight.

"Teacher Fang, you are such a rare guest. It seems like you haven't been to Maxim's for a while."

Song Huaigui walked down the stairs slowly like a queen.

"Yeah, long time no see, Manager Song."

Fang Yan smiled and said, "I went on a business trip to Japan a few days ago, so I am free now."

The two exchanged greetings for a while before Song Huaigui turned his attention to the unfamiliar face of Liu Sola.

"Who is this?"

"She is a new writer under my charge."

Introduced in dialect, Liu Sola briefly introduced herself.

In fact, this was not the first time I came to Maxim's Western Restaurant. After all, this place is known as the holy land of Chinese rock music.

At that time, many Yanjing rock bands that were not accepted by the mainstream could only perform on a small scale in venues including Maxim's Western Restaurant.

"Hello, Miss Liu."

Song Huaigui shook her hand and said, "Teacher Fang, let's follow the old rules. Shall we open Box 5?"

"We are mainly here to look for someone." Fang Yan looked at the empty stage, "Aren't Cui Jian and the others here?"

Song Huaigui smiled and said, "They are here. They just finished their performance and are now resting in the lounge. Do you need me to call them over?"

Fang Yan waved his hand and said, "We can just go over there. Manager Song, I think you don't mind us chatting with them for a while, right?"

"Of course I don't mind, please help yourself, Mr. Fang!"

Song Huaigui said politely, "Do you need me to deliver the wine you stored here later?"

"That couldn't be better."

Fangyan took Liu Sola and, under the guidance of the waiter, walked through the long and narrow corridor and came to a more remote and quiet lounge.

It was called a lounge, but in fact it was just a small, cramped room. A pungent smell of cigarette smoke wafted out from the open door.

"Brother Jian, how is your album now?"

"What else can I do? It's cold!"

"No way? I think your album is pretty awesome!"

"No publishing house is willing to publish it, so no matter how great the album is, there is no way to get it out there."

"Alas, Lao Cui's album can only be circulated in our own small circle. It's nothing like what Teacher Fang did!"

"That's right. The songs written by Teacher Fang are very popular, such as Madam Shexiang, Yellow Earth Plateau, and Love My China. When we walk around the streets every day, we can always hear these songs, not to mention our Yanjing Song and Dance Troupe."

"........."

Amid the discussion, Wang Yong suddenly said, "Why don't we try to change careers and play pop music?"

"What nonsense!" Cui Jian said in a slightly hoarse voice, "We play rock music, how can we make pop music!"

“What if you combine rock and pop?”

As the sound came from outside the door, the discussion came to an abrupt end.

When Fang Yan and Liu Sola appeared in the eyes of Cui Jian and others, they were all startled and stood up at the same time:
"Teacher Fang, why are you here?"

"I just want to listen to your rock music."

Fang Yan looked at Cui Jian and said, "I heard from Manager Song that you released a rock album last year, right?"

Cui Jiandao: "To be honest, my solo collection, called Contemporary European and American Popular Jazz Disco, didn't do very well..."

Liu Sola's eyes lit up instantly, "Album! Can you lend it to me to listen to?"

The members of the Qiheban band looked at each other, and then all turned their eyes to her.

Although I don’t know who this person is, anyone who can travel with Teacher Fang must be no ordinary person!
"Her name is Liu Sola, she is a music teacher at Minzu University..."

The two groups of people got to know each other through the introduction of dialect, but since it was their first meeting, they were both very unfamiliar with each other.

But when the topic turned to rock music, Liu Sola, Cui Jian and others talked more and more happily, and gradually they became closer to each other.

"I think we have heard of your name and your band."

Cui Jian was very surprised. "But there has been no news in the past two years. Some people said that your band disbanded, and some people said that you broke up..."

"What do you mean by breaking up? It's just that we've graduated and everyone's pursuing their own careers. There's no time for training, rehearsals, and performances, so we're disbanding."

Liu Sola shrugged, "Unlike you guys, who can get together, form a band, and play rock and roll, I envy you so much."

Cui Jian shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Don't worry, you don't have to envy us, our band is about to break up."

Liu Sola and Fang Yan looked at each other and asked in confusion, "Why?"

"Oh, it's hard to put it into words."

Cui Jian said quietly: "Once the passion for rock and roll is gone, life will be nothing but a mess."

Just when everyone was turning into depressed and frustrated men, Song Huaigui personally brought the foreign liquor over.

After a few drinks, everyone started talking, either complaining about their wives and parents who disliked their playing rock music and not doing their job properly, or the pressure they had to bear from all sides, including their workplace, the music industry, and society.

The entire underground rock music scene in Yanjing fell into a trough, feeling depressed and confused, with no bright future in sight.

"A few days ago, our song and dance troupe gave me and Brother Jian an ultimatum, forbidding us to use the unit's rehearsal space to rehearse rock music anymore."

Wang Yong said dejectedly, "Now we can only take turns rehearsing at our brothers' homes."

Liu Sola asked: "Why do we take turns?"

"Because I can't stay for too long. If I stay for a few more days, an old lady wearing a red headband will come to my door to warn me, saying that someone has reported me for disturbing the public and playing pornographic songs."

Wang Yong curled his lips and said, "There are quite a few elderly people in our neighborhood who now call us 'rock bastards'."

Fangyan raised his eyebrows. He vaguely remembered that there was a movie starring Cui Jian. It seemed to be called "Yanjing Bastards". It turned out there was a source for it.

Everyone sighed, not knowing what to do. The Qiheban band was actually just one snowflake away from collapse and disbandment.

Cui Jian asked: "Let's not talk about these depressing things. Teacher Fang, you must have something to talk to us about today, right?"

Fang Yan nodded: "It's like this, she wants to write a youth literature about rock and roll, which may require an original rock song. However, we will publish this manuscript in the next issue, so it is definitely too late to start writing now..."

Cui Jian understood what he meant. "So you want to work with us and let her write our band's work into her novel?"

"Yes, this is not only good for her, but also for you."

Fang Yan said: "Your rock song will be published in People's Literature along with her novel. What do you think?"

"Really?!"

The members of the Qiheban band were surprised and delighted. They never dreamed that their songs would one day be featured in mainstream media.

Fang Yan joked: "This is the first time that rock music has appeared in a mainstream magazine."

Cui Jian hesitated and said, "Teacher Fang, will this cause any problems? I mean, it may cause huge controversy..."

"It's better to have debates. I also hope that her manuscript and your work can stir up some splashes like stones."

Fangyan patted his shoulder and said, "It would be best if it could arouse widespread attention and discussion among young readers."

Everyone was excited and couldn't wait to ask Liu Sola about the story of "You Have No Choice". Liu Sola answered all the questions calmly, then took a sip of wine and said:

"Just like what's written in the book, I was destined to make music. There was no other choice. I just wanted to tell readers what the music and sounds of the 1980s could be like. There's not only folk music, but also classical music, pop music, and rock music!"

“I hope that when people mention You Have No Choice, they can talk about both literature and music, preferably rock music!”

"Snapped!"

Wang Yong was extremely excited and slapped his thigh: "I'll help you!" Then he looked around and said, "Brothers, don't just stand there, express your opinions!"

Seeing that all his friends agreed, Cui Jian naturally raised his hands to support, "Teacher Fang, which song of ours do you plan to choose?"

"That's up to you." Fangyan added, "Of course, don't use any swear words or violate any taboos."

Cui Jian suggested: "I see. What do you think of my song 'It's Not That I Don't Understand'?"

"Can you play it simply for me to listen to?" Liu Sola asked expectantly.

Cui Jian crossed his legs, held his guitar, and sang with ease:

"In the past, I didn't know what a broad mind was. In the past, I didn't know there were many strange things in the world..."

“The future I imagined in the past was not the present, but now it seems clear what the future is.

Oh, oh, it’s not that I don’t understand, the world is changing so fast! "

"it is good!"

Liu Sola clapped her hands in approval, but saw Fang Yan frowning, "Teacher Fang, do you think this song is bad?"

"I can't say it's bad, it's just that it doesn't quite fit your novel, the style is a little conflicting." Fang Yan said, "Are there any other songs?"

Cui Jian then played two songs that the Qiheban Band had newly rehearsed, but the quality and level were not as good as "It's Not That I Don't Understand".

Suddenly, Wang Yong slapped his forehead and reminded: "Brother Jian, weren't you at home writing a song a few days ago?"

Cui Jian said: "This... I didn't spend much time on this song. The lyrics and music are not finished yet."

Fangyan asked: "It's okay, let's play it. What's the name of the song?"

"Nothing!"

Cui Jian put the melody and beat together in his mind and sang it out while strumming the strings:

"I used to ask you over and over again, when will you come with me, but you always laughed at me, saying I had nothing!
I want to give you my pursuit and my freedom, but you always laugh and I have nothing.

Oh...when will you come with me, oh...when will you come with me..."

The more he sang, the louder his voice became, and a lot of things that had been pent up in Cui Jian's heart burst out like a flood.

Liu Sola's eyes widened, her heart beat faster, and she was so excited that goose bumps appeared all over her body.

Fang Yan smiled and asked, "How is it?"

"Teacher Fang, this is it! It has to be this one!" Liu Sola shouted in a decisive tone.

Cui Jian paused, hesitating, "But the song 'Nothing' is not complete..."

Fang Yan said: "Don't worry, as long as it is completed before the end of March."

"If it's March, then it should be in time!"

Cui Jian felt relieved, but what he didn't expect was that Fang Yan was going to recommend the song to the Recording and Video Publishing House.

"Is this okay?"

Wang Yong and others were overjoyed at first, but then fell into worry and doubt. Could the mainstream music industry accept such "treasonous" rock music?
"If you don't try, how do you know if it works?"

Fangyan encouraged: "You should regard this step as a test of the waters for rock music."

Including Liu Sola, everyone present was a rock music fanatic, and they were deeply moved by Teacher Fang's behavior.

What moved them even more was that Fang Yan waved his hand and offered to treat everyone to a drink to celebrate, and all the expenses for the night would be paid for by Commander Fang!
…………

After successfully helping Liu Sola and Cui Jian to connect, the subsequent manuscript follow-up work of "You Have No Choice" was handed over to Zhu Wei.

Fangyan has to focus his energy and time on the latest issue of "The World of Reasoning".

The night gradually darkened, and the daylight shone on a thick stack of graph paper, which was filled with densely written words.

The door was gently pushed open, and Gong Xing tiptoed in. "Sorry, I just finished filming and came back late. Have you eaten?"

"I ate it." Fang Yan stood up and rubbed his wrist.

"I was worried that you hadn't eaten, so I bought some on the way."

Gong Xing took out aluminum lunch boxes from the net bag and saw that one box contained hot rice, and the rest contained braised cabbage with gluten and pot-roasted duck.

Fang Yan raised his hand and said, "It's okay. I'm a little hungry again."

"Don't force yourself if you can't eat."

Gong Xing handed over the chopsticks, then went to the desk to clean up, "Are you still writing that mystery crime novel of yours?"

Fangyan chewed his rice and nodded.

"Serious Case Unit 1?" Gong Xing was puzzled. "I don't think I've ever heard of this unit."

"This is a temporary team set up to deal with serious criminal cases. The members are elite police officers, forensic doctors and other elites drawn from various departments. Their purpose is to solve the case within a time limit." Fang Yan explained, "If it were in Hong Kong, it would be a formal police force."

"That's right..."

Gong Xing flipped through the character information. "The tiger of the serious crime team, Cao Dahua... Criminal police Zeng Keqiang, nicknamed 'Da Zeng'..."

While eating, Fangyan asked, "The Oscars will be held at the end of March. Can the filming of "The Stewardess" be completed by then?"

Gong Xing frowned slightly, looking regretful, and sighed softly.

"A conflict?"

Fang Yan rolled his eyes, "How about I go talk to Zheng Xiaolong and the others and try to shoot your scenes first, and then wait for you to come back from the Oscars ceremony, and then continue shooting. In the few days in between, we can shoot other people's scenes. Do you think this arrangement is okay?"

"Pfft!"

Gong Xing couldn't hold back any longer and laughed out loud.

Fang Yan came to his senses and said, "Okay, you dare to lie to me!"

Gong Xing stuck out his tongue and said, "Who made you so easily deceived?"

Fangyan turned his back and ate quietly, looking as if he was being deceived and sulking.

"Okay, I was wrong, so don't be angry."

Gong Xing walked up to him, squatted down, and explained that the Shanghai Film Studio had just organized the core members of the "Under the Bridge" crew to participate in the "China Film Week" held in the United States in early April, not long before the Oscars ceremony.

"This is a good thing!"

Fangyan put down his lunch box and chopsticks.

"Yes, and Mr. Wu, Zhang Yu and others will also participate, uh, uh..."

Gong Xing reached out and picked the rice grains from the corner of his mouth.

"This is not like you normally, you just say whatever you want to say."

Fang Yan asked, "Do they want you to ask me for help?"

Gong Xingchi told the truth: "Mr. Wu and Director Bai also want to see an award ceremony abroad, and asked if you have any ideas..."

Fangyan wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said, "How about this, when we get to the United States, I will call Spielberg and ask about the situation." (End of this chapter)