bdsm-fiction Chapter 12 "A First Separation"
Chapter 12 "A First Separation"
There was a brief moment of silence in the audience, followed by applause from the entire hall.
The fat man reacted first, slapping Lin Ruiyang on the shoulder: "Damn it, Lin! I knew it was you!"
Lin Ruiyang stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked along the aisle towards the stage.
Cao Baoping's award citation was brief: "This is a script adapted from a classic myth. The author has given the story a completely new perspective and theme. The script has a mature structure and well-developed characters, making it the undisputed best work in this year's short film category."
The stage lights were a little dazzling, but he didn't show much emotion at that moment; instead, he remained unusually calm.
Lin Ruiyang accepted the trophy, which wasn't very large, shaped like a golden triangle, with the words "Best Short Film Screenplay Award at the First Golden Award" engraved on the base.
Students from the journalism department were taking photos in the audience.
The microphone was handed to him, and he took a deep breath before speaking, "Thank you, Professor Cao, and thank you to the judges of the Golden Word Award. I started conceiving this script during the winter break, and on my first day back at school, I was so engrossed in writing that I even skipped Professor Liu's class."
The audience burst into laughter, and Liu Yibing, who was sitting in the first row, couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Professor Liu told me that he had seen so many scripts written by first-year students that they could fill the corridor, and 95% of them couldn't even write a three-act structure clearly."
The laughter grew even louder.
"I wouldn't dare say I'm in that 5%, but I'm certain of one thing: without the guidance of the literature professors, this script would have remained just a fleeting idea; without Professor Liu's critical comments, this script would still be a stack of manuscripts lying in my dorm drawer to this day."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, to receive this award, I want to thank my teachers who have guided me!"
After finishing his speech, Lin Ruiyang bowed and then turned and walked off the stage.
They were met with even more enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The awards ceremony proceeded swiftly and was completed quickly.
The inaugural Golden Award was given to eleven people. Apart from Lin Ruiyang, the others were either upperclassmen, graduate students, or students who had transferred from junior college to university. It is extremely difficult for freshmen to stand out.
Although the ceremony did not immediately bring about any earth-shattering changes, some subtle things began to happen.
The next day, at the Literature Department's Academic Affairs Office.
Lin Ruiyang was called over to complete some supplementary materials and also received a bonus of 5000 yuan.
The amount may be small, but the significance is different.
"Several production companies will be coming to the school to look at the project. Since your script is a bit different, we have recommended it to the drama association through the school's channels. We will contact you if we have any updates," the teacher in charge said casually.
"Okay, thank you, teacher."
After folding the bonus envelope and putting it in his pocket, Lin Ruiyang walked back down the corridor.
In the following days, the topic of the Gold Medal was brought up several times within the department. The news of the freshman breaking through and winning the award circulated throughout the university, but it was quickly overshadowed by final exams and assignments.
Lin Ruiyang didn't take it to heart and continued to complete the arrangements step by step.
It was incredibly hot in Beijing at the end of June. The old ceiling fan in the dorm was running from morning till night, but it wasn't very efficient at all.
The campus was mostly empty during the summer vacation, and only two windows in the cafeteria were open, although the air conditioning in the library was still on.
Lin Ruiyang would go to the library whenever he had free time, and only wander around outside the school when the sun was out or when it was cooler in the evening.
Before the holiday, he called home and briefly told them that he had won an award, that he would stay at school to write a script during the summer vacation, and that he would go home during the winter vacation.
My mother was silent for a while on the other end of the phone, then simply told me to take care of myself and not to worry about things at home.
July arrived in the blink of an eye, and the entire film industry was discussing one movie—House of Flying Daggers.
On July 10, New Pictures held a global premiere celebration at the Workers' Stadium, and the premiere alone grossed six million yuan.
In an interview, Zhang Weiping, CEO of New Pictures, said that "Hero" followed the same approach of premiering at the Great Hall of the People, but "House of Flying Daggers" would not repeat that. "Audiences are already tired of it, so we have to find a new way to promote it."
"House of Flying Daggers" was officially released on July 16.
According to statistics from the following day, the box office reached 16 million yuan on the first day, surpassing the record of 13.5 million yuan set by "Hero".
The media was flooded with stills of Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Zhang Ziyi, and television stations were showing clips of the bamboo forest fight scene.
However, media reviews were extremely polarized. Some said it far surpassed "Hero," while others criticized the plot as hollow, saying they didn't know whether it was about martial arts or romance after watching for a while.
Similarly, rumors began circulating in the industry about a "domestic film protection month," which would postpone the release of all imported blockbusters scheduled for July and August to make room for domestic films. Although there has never been an official document, the release dates of those films have proven its authenticity.
The fat guy called from his hometown, and as soon as he answered, he started yelling, "Old Lin! Have you seen 'House of Flying Daggers'? Zhang Ziyi's water sleeve dance was amazing!"
"I've seen it."
"But it was something I saw in my past life," Lin Ruiyang silently added in his mind.
What do you think?
"Zhang Weiping's publicity stunts are more impressive than the movie itself."
The fat man paused for a second on the other end of the phone, then burst into laughter: "With that mouth of yours, you could offend half the industry if it made it into the newspapers."
Lin Ruiyang did not respond; he was currently working on the script.
Previously, Lin Ruiyang had tried drawing a relationship diagram for the first time.
He deconstructed and reconstructed each character's situation, motivation, and trajectory being pushed along by reality.
Why do couples end up separating? It's not simply a breakdown in their relationship; it's being pushed aside little by little by the realities of life.
Why do nannies and employers clash? It's not about who's good or bad; it's about both sides being on different sides and each having their own reasons.
The drawings grew denser and denser, but the core of the story always seemed to fall short.
Until one day he arrived at Liuliqiao in Fengtai, or more precisely, a temporary labor station on the outer edge of Liuliqiao.
It's not a formal market; there are no stalls or unified management. The people who stay here are scattered in the shade by the roadside, leaning against trees or walls, some even squatting on the ground.
Each person has a piece of paper in front of them:
"Painting walls", "Moving", "Bricklayer", "Domestic worker".
The characters on it are written crookedly, and some of them were written by someone else.
He chatted briefly with a middle-aged woman squatting in a corner.
Her surname is Liu, she is 43 years old, from Henan, and has been in Beijing for six years. She has worked as a maternity nurse, hospital caregiver, and elderly caregiver.
"The hardest part isn't the fatigue," she said, holding a mineral water bottle in her hand, repeatedly unscrewing and tightening the cap.
"It's because they don't trust you. When you work for them, they treat you like a thief. If something is missing, they come to you first; if the child cries, they ask you first."
Recalling these details, Lin Ruiyang incorporated them all into the script "A Separation".