usenovelgroup Chapter 28 Sign-in and Agreement
Chapter 28 Sign-in and Agreement
Shaoxing, an ancient city steeped in Shaoxing wine and opera, exudes a damp elegance even in winter.
This is also the hometown of Mr. Lu Xun and the ancestral home of the playwright Cao Yu.
The award ceremony for the Drama Literature Award is scheduled to be held at the Shaoxing Grand Theatre. The first day is for registration, and you can wander around freely without any group activities.
Lin Ruiyang and Liu Yibing hitched a ride with Zhang Huijun in his Santana to the airport, which gave him the opportunity to experience it for the first time.
After getting off the plane, the two went straight to the hotel in the city center to check in.
Two staff members were busy distributing information packets to the guests in the lobby.
Lin Ruiyang wrote his name in the sign-in book. The staff looked up at him, then looked down to check the list information again, a hint of surprise in their expressions.
"Are you Professor Lin Ruiyang? You look so young."
He's not even nineteen yet; he's a sophomore in college.
Liu Yibing answered for him, his tone carrying a hint of understated pride.
The staff member was genuinely stunned, and even slowed down the process of handing over the documents.
After receiving the document bag, Lin Ruiyang thanked him without saying anything, then turned and followed Liu Yibing toward the elevator.
Before long, the elevator doors opened, and several elderly gentlemen with graying temples, wearing black woolen overcoats, walked out. They were discussing the realism and impressionism in dramatic literature.
Liu Yibing's eyes lit up, and he took the initiative to greet them: "Elder Chang, you and the others have arrived as well."
The elderly man, referred to as Teacher Chang, stopped his discussion, adjusted his reading glasses, and smiled after recognizing Liu Yibing.
"Oh, it's Yibing. What, you're joining in this fun this year too? I remember your film academy was busy with that... director exchange program, wasn't it?"
"The department will handle things at school." Liu Yibing pulled Lin Ruiyang half a step forward.
"Today, I mainly brought this child here to broaden his horizons. Ruiyang, this is Chang Baohua, the executive director of the China Drama Association. He was the iron-fisted judge in the final review of your novel, 'The Three Battles with the White Bone Demon.'"
Lin Ruiyang bowed slightly, keeping his posture very humble: "Hello, Professor Chang. I often read your treatises on drama at school and benefited greatly from them."
Chang Baohua scrutinized Lin Ruiyang for a while before sighing, "Before I came here, people in the association were saying that a young kid had been nominated this year. I thought it was just gossip."
"Wow, that composure is unusual for someone her age. Yibing, your literature department has found a promising talent."
"Tian Zhuangzhuang and his gang said the same thing," Liu Yibing added half-jokingly.
"Alright, Elder Chang, you go ahead with your work. We'll chat over dinner later."
After entering the room, Lin Ruiyang put down his luggage.
Liu Yibing sat by the window and lit a cigarette. Looking at the distinctive gray-white tiled walls of Shaoxing, he exhaled a puff of smoke and said:
"The awards ceremony is tomorrow. Director Fan from the Jiangnan Wuju Opera Troupe will be here later. Before that, let's go for a walk outside."
Shaoxing has great wine and even better opera, but the key is its spirit. Now that you're here, you need to absorb that bold, down-to-earth energy and integrate it into your own character.
"I understand, teacher. Words are dead on paper, but they come alive when sung."
After Lin Ruiyang finished packing his belongings, the two left the hotel.
Some old promotional posters are still posted on the streets and alleys of Shaoxing, but there are more GGs for various small commodities.
The two strolled along the bluestone pavement of Cangqiao Straight Street. As they passed a newsstand at a corner, Lin Ruiyang glanced at it subconsciously.
The wire rack was covered with the latest newspapers and magazines, but the most prominent spots were reserved for the entertainment section.
The Beijing News' entertainment headline boldly proclaimed: "A World Without Thieves Raises Tens of Millions in Three Days, Feng Xiaogang's Comedy Makes a Strong Comeback."
Lin Ruiyang's gaze lingered on it for a moment; he remembered this film. In his previous life, this film grossed 120 million yuan, making it Feng Xiaogang's first film to break the 100 million yuan mark and earning him a place in the "100 Million Yuan Director Club."
The entire page of the Qianjiang Evening News next to it was dedicated to another film.
The entire front page was covered in color with a single poster and an equally eye-catching headline: "Director Feng's 'A World Without Thieves' Achieves a Success in Its First Week, Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Hustle' Enters the Lunar New Year Film Season."
The subtitle followed: "Nationwide release on December 23, star-studded premiere in Beijing."
Coming to his senses, Lin Ruiyang realized that Liu Yibing had already walked more than ten meters forward.
"Have you seen enough?" The old man turned around and glanced at him.
"Here we are." Lin Ruiyang hurried a few steps to catch up.
The two continued walking along the road. When they passed the entrance of Xianheng Hotel, Liu Yibing glanced inside and said that they would go in and sit down when they came back.
After turning two alleyways, a sweet, cloying aroma began to fill the air, and more and more shops appeared on both sides of the cobblestone street, selling yellow rice wine, fried stinky tofu, and pulled sugar candy...
When I returned to the hotel, the warm lights in the lobby were still on, and the staff at the check-in desk were packing up to leave.
Lin Ruiyang spotted the two people sitting on the sofa in the rest area at a glance.
Director Fan stood up first and quickly stepped forward: "Teacher Lin! Teacher Liu! We've been waiting for you!"
A young man followed behind him, carrying a stack of documents.
"Director Fan, I'm so sorry to trouble you to make such a special trip so late and wait so long." Lin Ruiyang shook hands with him.
"We arranged everything over the phone, and besides, we arrived in a hurry, so we just sat down and rested for a while."
The group sat down in the rest area.
Director Fan took the documents from the young man and handed over two neatly bound agreements. The cover was printed with "Performance Authorization Agreement for Wuju Opera 'Three Battles with the White Bone Demon'", and below it was the red header of the Jiangnan Wuju Opera Troupe.
"The terms will be as we discussed on the phone last time. Let me repeat them again, and you can check if there are any discrepancies." Director Fan turned to the first page.
"The authorization period is ten years, and the right of attribution belongs to you permanently. The author will receive 10% of the net box office revenue. If the film is included in a high-quality project or a provincial performance, the revenue sharing will be subject to a separate supplementary agreement."
In terms of price, this is the limit we can offer. I believe you are aware that most theater companies still operate on a one-time buyout basis.
The rehearsal schedule has been slightly adjusted. The troupe plans to officially form a group in March next year, rehearse from April to June, and premiere in July at the Jinhua Small Theater. They will first run five youth experimental performances, and then determine the next steps based on audience feedback.
Lin Ruiyang took the agreement and flipped through it page by page. The terms were clear and there was nothing unreasonable about them.
Liu Yibing quietly took the second half of the book, glanced at it, and then gently placed it on the table, seemingly without any problems.
Lin Ruiyang took out a pen from his inner pocket and signed his name at the end of both agreements.
Director Fan also signed the document, and then solemnly handed over one of the copies with both hands.
"Teacher Lin, it's been a pleasure working with you. On behalf of the Jiangnan Wuju Opera Troupe, I thank you for your trust."
"Director Fan, you're too kind. I'm relieved to have this notebook in your hands."
The atmosphere immediately relaxed.
Liu Yibing picked up the complimentary tea from the hotel and took a sip, then suddenly asked, "Old Fan, has your troupe decided on a director for this play?"
"It's settled, Zhu Weimin, from the Provincial Drama Theatre," Director Fan replied quickly.
"He ranks first in the province in experimental drama. I have already had preliminary discussions with him. He is particularly interested in the design of the White Bone Demon's triple incarnation."
"That's good. The child is still in school, and it's impossible to supervise rehearsals every day. You'll need to find a reliable person to help him."
"Don't worry, Teacher Liu." Director Fan patted his briefcase, stood up, and took his leave.
"The agreement is signed. We'll go back and refine the rehearsal plan, and send it to you for review after the New Year. See you next March."
After seeing Director Fan off, Lin Ruiyang and Liu Yibing went back to their room to rest, as tomorrow's awards ceremony would be another busy day.