Volume 7 I've Been Here Chapter 0994: The One Who Plans for Eternity
From a business perspective, analyzing a group is much easier than analyzing a specific person.
If you want to open a clothing store in a city, you only need to analyze the target customer group you want to reach - where they buy clothes, their latest clothing style preferences and trends, and you don't need to pay attention to deeper things.
For example, whether a customer's money for buying clothes was stolen, robbed, or obtained from some other channel; how a certain shopping mall or clothing store became popular; for a clothing store owner, these things have little to do with each other and will not play a big role in the business.
Nan Yi is different. When doing business at his level, there are many things to consider, from the origin of the universe to the Big Bang, from the relationship between countries as a form of community to people, from the natural environment to ideology, everything needs to be taken into consideration.
If a large-scale food crisis occurs in the world, at first glance it is good news for Shennong Nanliang. However, if we look deeper, we need to know exactly when the crisis will occur and to what extent it will develop. If the crisis is not enough to break through the social order and people still care about face among each other, then this is good news. If the crisis develops to the point where not only face is lost but also the "superiority" of advanced animals is abandoned, then it will be a disaster for Shennong Nanliang.
By then, Nan Yi's coffin lid would surely not hold down, and Nan Ye would be chopped up and turned into Nan Sun. Nan Sun, who was tied tightly on the grill, would complain loudly: "Nan is boiled and Nan's coffin is burned, Nan is hung on the grill and weeps, I regret not being cremated, your ashes should be scattered."
The highest manifestation of business is the regional monopoly of commodity supply formed through violence-centered means. The Nan family was not born in an era when it had the opportunity to control violent organizations. It could only wander among the rules set by violent organizations and obtain a monopoly advantage in a certain area or a specific node through patience and long-term planning.
When there is only one person in the world who likes to eat beef tripe, this person will form a monopoly in the beef tripe eating industry and will have complete control over the industry. He or she can completely set all kinds of rules - how to eat, what time to eat, how much to eat, and so on.
Nan Yi had eaten cold noodles in Xita, digested the food on the street, and went into Wonderful. While shaking off his bag in the toilet, he tore off a few pieces of toilet paper from a large roll and rolled them into a circle in his hand, thinking to himself: "If I had known, I should have held it in for a while. There seems to be a KFC not far away. Water and paper cost several cents each."
After getting rid of the burden, Nan Yi, who felt that he had taken advantage of the franchisee, went to the counter and bought a hamburger for ten dollars. Before he even ate the food, he was calculating in his mind how much of the "ten dollars" would get back to him.
With the hamburger in his pocket, Nan Yi left Wonderfood and went to the next stop, Zhang Guilan Troupe, a troupe that performed Errenzhuan.
According to documented historical accounts, the predecessor of Errenzhuan can be traced back to Bengbeng Opera, which appeared in the Qing Dynasty. It is a fusion of Lianhualuo from Hebei Province and Yangge from Northeast China.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the Bengbeng opera artists who were scattered in rural shops began to enter the cities in Northeast China to perform. It was also at this time that the earliest record of the provincial state agency banning Bengbeng appeared - the ban issued by the Fengtian Administrative Office in 1913.
From then on, throughout almost the entire Republic of China period including the puppet Manchukuo period, the Bengbeng artists were always in a semi-underground state with no arrests, and the authorities' suppression was mainly carried out in the name of improving the city's appearance and morals.
Major Northeast media such as Shengjing Times and Taidong Daily also provided public opinion support for this suppression. In the context of the time, Bengbeng was more of an other in normal civil society than a folk art outside the system.
Bengbeng first gained the name of an art form during the Northeast Liberation War. In 1946, the veteran artist Xu Sheng brought his disciples to Ice City to perform. The following year, he was presented with a banner that read "The Forerunner of Art". The background of this was that the new regime in the Northeast Liberated Area implemented the spirit of Chairman Mao's speech at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art, and began large-scale research and construction of folk literature and art, thus creating a new identity for Bengbeng opera artists.
In 1951, the State Council issued a directive: "Local operas, especially folk operas, are simple and lively in form, easily reflect modern life, and are easily accepted by the masses. They should be given special attention."
After the "Instructions on Opera Reform" were issued, Bengbeng opera artists began to claim to be singing local operas. In addition to joining newly established local drama troupes and folk art troupes at all levels, some famous artists even taught at universities.
In this context, the name Bengbeng was disliked by artists because of its discriminatory connotation formed in history. After discussion, it was finally changed to Errenzhuan and officially promoted in 1953.
Northeast China is a major heavy industrial center as well as a cultural center. Due to the better economy and living standards after the founding of the People's Republic of China, art has flourished here. The reason why there are so many artistic talents in Northeast China is not only because Northeasterners have artistic cells, but also because of the better artistic atmosphere and heritage in Northeast China.
Art feeds the economy, and only when the economy prospers can art prosper.
Sitting in the audience of the troupe, Nan Yi watched the Errenzhuan "Yang Bajie's Spring Outing" performed on the stage, but his mind was thinking about other things...
In the 1960s, there was a rural-themed movie called "Qingsongling". There was a negative character named Qian Guang, who was a typical representative of backward elements. He was selfish, backward in thinking, and smooth-talking. He wore a tattered hat with a drooping brim all day long, and had a wretched image that was annoying to everyone.
Especially some of his lines such as "We rely on the collective for food and ourselves for spending money", "If you want to talk about what crime we have committed? We can't find our buddies! If you want to talk about capitalism... then who doesn't have some?", etc., all enrich his image.
The reason why Nan Yi thought of this role is because Zhao Zhenbei's performance has the shadow of Qian Guang, and even the costumes are based on Qian Guang's style, especially the octagonal hat on his head, which originated here.
Zhao Zhenbei and Zhang Guilan are typical representatives of Errenzhuan actors. Based on their performance styles, Zhao Zhenbei can be classified as a clown and Zhang Guilan can be classified as a Huadan. One is down-to-earth and the other is slightly elegant.
In 1981, Zhang Guilan gave up her iron rice bowl and founded a self-financing private theatre troupe. Nan Yi is now listening to opera at Zhang Guilan's place. Even if the ownership of the chair she is sitting on does not belong to Zhang Guilan, the right to use it at this moment is definitely hers.
In the same year, Zhao Zhenbei was seconded to the county troupe because of his outstanding performance in the commune's art propaganda team. The following year, he won the first prize in a rural small drama performance and was officially transferred to the county troupe, completing his transformation from a farmer to a non-farmer.
After that, he was on the road to success, and in four years he went from the county to the city. It took him another four years to perform on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala. Then he became unstoppable and accumulated a rich intangible asset of "fame" through art. He used his fame to start a coal patchwork business, and directly stepped into the ranks of financial freedom.
Compared with Zhao Zhenbei, Zhang Guilan was neither actively trying to get closer to the organization nor willing to compromise with others despite her artistic elegance. As a result, the troupe could only stay where it was and even regress.
Nan Yi was not sure whether the troupe had many audiences in the past. Anyway, at this moment, it was a bit too much to say that he had booked the entire theater. However, there were indeed too many audiences, and there was no one else within five meters of him.
Obviously, Zhao Zhenbei, who was once the No. 1 blind man in Northeast China (playing a blind man is his unique skill and he became famous by playing a blind man), is now more popular in his performance style of an urban outsider with strong peasant habits. The audience likes to see the rustic flavor in him.
Looking at the whole country, theater and art troupes everywhere are in a downturn, and the actors are not having an easy time. The same goes for Errenzhuan actors. Nan Yi remembers that the first time he watched an Errenzhuan performance up close was in the "Guan Xie Group" two years later.
At this time, in the urban-rural fringe areas and in the countryside, there are often people selling power pills, magicians, and performing troupes. The first two are easy to say, as their general performance forms are similar. One requires breaking stones with the chest, chopping oneself with a kitchen knife, and selling power pills, while the other definitely involves turning paper strips into noodles.
In addition to the common point that the costumes used for performances are small, the performance groups have their own characteristics according to different regions. Some have strange styles, such as vase girls, snake girls, and two-headed people; some have strange looks, and minorities of different races...
There is also a diversity of performance forms, not to mention folk customs. Nan Yi's understanding of rock was enlightened by the performance group. His first impression of rock was that "girls are very casual" and it is a good thing.
Once, Nan Yi watched a performance by a Northeastern performing troupe. The program was mainly Errenzhuan. As for a performing troupe, no matter what the program was, if they wanted to attract people to watch it, it had to be a little vulgar. Don't expect farmers to spend money to watch high art. People spend three or five yuan just to satisfy their curiosity.
The second time I watched the Errenzhuan up close was in a not very high-end bathhouse. The bathing fee was not expensive, and the cost of watching the performance was included in the bathing fee. It is conceivable that the actors' income level was not very high.
After all, the proportion of guests going to the second and third floors is still not high. Most of the guests come here mainly to wash away body dirt. Guests like Nan Yi will automatically walk into the filthy place with the idea of cleansing their souls, tempering their ability to remain calm, which is a higher level than reading a book on the floor in a busy city.
After leaving the bathhouse, he started bragging to people he knew - he went up to the third floor and called three people at a time.
As for men, when it comes to the most basic male characteristic, self-esteem , they basically never tell the truth and they are all better at bragging than each other.
Shaking his head slightly, Nan Yi brought his divergent thoughts back on track and continued to move forward along the duo act.
Just as Zhao Zhenbei cannot represent the image of all Northeastern people, Errenzhuan is not qualified to be the representative of Northeastern art and culture. In the era of Bengbeng Opera, the reason why Errenzhuan could not gain a foothold in Fengtian, in addition to official ban, was that it could not withstand the competitive pressure from Peking Opera, Pingxi Opera, and Bangzi Opera, so that Bengbeng artists returned to the countryside one after another, and some switched to singing Bangzi Opera.
The same situation is happening in other parts of the Northeast.
Even in the era of Errenzhuan, Errenzhuan was still on the margins in Northeast China. There may not be many people in Northeast China who don't know about this performance form, but there must be many people who have never seen Errenzhuan.
It can be said that it was Zhao Zhenbei's fame that raised the status of Errenzhuan, and the star effect made more people know about Errenzhuan.
The reason why Nan Yi was thinking about Errenzhuan was, firstly, that he would soon be involved in the cultural industry, and secondly, the fate of Errenzhuan and the Northeast's heavy industry were interconnected. He had consciously or unconsciously fallen into the trap of the Northeast's heavy industry, and he had to carefully consider the gains and losses of the country, the Nan family, and himself, and he had to figure out what to do.
He couldn't save the crumbling Northeast heavy industry, but he could save some factories. Money can often create miracles. He had a solid foundation, so he could get through the darkness before dawn without much difficulty. As long as there was foreseeable light ahead, it didn't matter if he lost ten or twenty years.
The reason why Nan Yi likes to use "Nan Guo" to name his company is related to his surname Nan, that he is from the south, Fan Hongdou, and the fact that China's economic center of gravity has shifted from north to south. The wind is rising in the south, and Nan Yi's opportunity for rise lies in the south. For a long time in the future, the focus of China will also be in the south.
The world is absurd and changeable, and it will go from one extreme to another. Nan Yi, who has lived for many years, has witnessed the changing wind direction. If he follows the wind direction today, he can turn a bamboo stick into a dragon, but if he continues to walk tomorrow, perhaps the abyss and purgatory are ahead.
The time that Nan Yi can understand is running out. He has some guesses in his mind about what China will be like in another twenty years. He thinks the Nan family can spend this period of time in China peacefully, but it will be hard to predict in the future.
The Nan family has controlled the east side of the Yellow River in the first thirty years, and they will also control the west side of the Yellow River in the next thirty years. Whenever possible, Nan Yi wants to plan for his great-grandson and try his best to leave a better foundation for him.
The situation in Northeast China will not improve in the next twenty years or so, but who knows what the more distant future will be like? He has also heard the slogan of revitalizing Northeast China. Since he is here, he might as well sow a few seeds and let them grow along the way. Perhaps they will grow into towering trees.
Nan Yi tilted his head and leaned close to Tianxian's ear and said, "After watching the show, call Wenqin and ask her to get three copies of the county annals of Fengtian and Bincheng. I'll take one copy and give two to Zhenhe. Have him send them to the Information and Policy Committee and Hongdou respectively. Also, have Zhenhe investigate the steel companies in Liao Province, both state-owned and private ones."
"OK."
"I won't be going out tomorrow morning. You go to the car dealership and buy a Bluebird. I'll pay for it myself and dispatch two commercial vehicles. When the vehicles arrive, return the Bullet to the Reclamation Group."
"clear."
Shrinking his body back, Nan Yi continued watching the show while his mind kept working. His thoughts switched from the Errenzhuan to the cultural craze of educated youth.
Scar literature emerged in the early 1980s and declined by the end of the 1980s, but TV dramas and movies about educated youth were very popular. In 1982, the first educated youth drama, "Wasted Years", evoked the memories of the vast number of educated youth; in 1984, "There's a Snowstorm Tonight" was broadcast, and its realistic expression method resonated with the audience and triggered a viewing frenzy; in 1988, the broadcast of "Snow City" pushed the theme of educated youth to the peak.
Looking at the dramas about educated youth in the 1980s, tragedy and suffering are their general tones, because the educated youth era was not far away at that time, and the creators of the TV dramas were mostly eyewitnesses. They knew that going to the countryside meant saying goodbye to city life, meant the severance of family ties, heavy labor, unfinished studies and an unknown future.
Therefore, they urgently need to look back on this experience full of confusion and pain. At the same time, they have a sense of mission and pride in being chosen by the times, as well as resentment about the unsatisfactory life after returning to the city.
Therefore, these seemingly contradictory emotions, such as tragic exaggeration, expression of suffering and heroic writing, were blended and integrated in the educated youth dramas of the 1980s, and they did not conflict with each other.
For example, Ke Bizhou, the protagonist in the film Wasted Years, who was repeatedly hit because of his background but stood up again and again, is a representative of the suffering school.
However, although suffering is the underlying tone of the educated youth dramas of this era, when the plot unfolds, the educated youth's strong optimism and their courage to fight against fate often make the story escape from suffering, sublimate the values, and let the audience see the hope hidden behind the suffering.
Since the 1990s, with the deepening of reform and opening up and the policy of building a new countryside, the educated youth who were once again caught up in the tide of reform and opening up have ushered in new opportunities. They can look back on the past more calmly and peacefully. Under the influence of the beautifying function of memory, they compare youth to poetry, regard going to the countryside as a part of youth, and link their current achievements with the sufferings they have experienced, establishing an invisible cause and effect relationship.
They began to agree that the countryside could temper one's will, and they even began to miss those passionate years.
Therefore, the dramas about educated youth during this period also catered to the trend of the times, infinitely magnifying the hope behind the sufferings of going to the countryside. The rich sense of romance can be seen from the title "Annual Rings". The plot also adopts a romantic narrative style, attributing all tenacious qualities to the protagonist, and through the protagonist's struggle with fate, strives to let the audience see the beauty of human nature and the hope of life.
To put it bluntly, by the 1990s, the lives of most of the educated youth who returned to the city had become better. Take Li Kuiyong, the most miserable character in the TV series "Blood Romance". He drove a taxi in Beijing in the 1980s. If he hadn't had a sickly mother, how bad could his life have been?
With full granaries, people's spiritual realm has risen, resentment has dissipated, and they have become more open-minded. They no longer cling to the identity of "victims". Previously, going back to the places where they fought was mostly an individual act, but now it has become a collective act. Youths from the same youth camp make appointments to go back together to take a look.
This kind of collective behavior is most evident in the Northeast, because there is a Great Northern Wilderness in the Northeast, which is originally a bitter and cold place. The educated youth assigned to the Great Northern Wilderness were considered to be guarding the border, but there are two situations when going to the Great Northern Wilderness: one is to join the production team, and the other is to join the Construction Corps.
No matter what the situation is, as long as people are able to withstand the cold, the Great Northern Wilderness is a paradise for the educated youth, with large tracts of black soil waiting for them to cultivate. As long as they are willing to work hard, the year-end work points and dividends will be very generous.
Not to mention those who joined the Construction Corps. They were considered half soldiers, and everything was more organized. The food was good and they could eat to their heart's content. There was no shortage of fat and meat. The monthly salary was more than 20 yuan in the first year, and it increased to more than 30 yuan in the second year. Their nutrition was not affected, and it did not prevent them from serving as the breadwinners of the family.
Moreover, the Construction Corps will organize various types of learning, so students will not be forced to return everything they have learned in school to their teachers. They will also have the opportunity to take up various positions and stay in the "organizational" environment, and will not be out of touch with the city.
When the college entrance examination was resumed and people began to return to the city, the comprehensive conditions of the educated youth from the Great Northern Wilderness crushed those from other regions. When the educated youth from the Great Northern Wilderness, who knew how to make a living and how to calculate, returned to the city, not only did they not fall into starvation, they might also have hundreds or thousands of dollars in savings. With money in their pockets, wouldn't it be a better foundation for them to do something than to fall into starvation, and give them a higher starting point?
Therefore, after returning to the city, the educated youth from the Great Northern Wilderness are still the best among the educated youth. They rise faster, have a higher probability of standing out, and make more voices.
Since the early 1990s, there have been many cultural activities linking the Great Northern Wilderness, the black soil, and the educated youth. In particular, the "Souls Tied to the Black Soil: A Retrospective Exhibition of Educated Youth in the Great Northern Wilderness" jointly organized by several ministerial units in 1990 suddenly ignited the educated youth cultural craze, which revolved around the "black soil."
It was also with this "fever" that the Northeast entered the vision of some people who had no idea about it before. As a result, the Northeast cuisine (style) that did not exist before came into being. The coarse grains and wild vegetables eaten by the educated youth who went to the countryside in the Northeast at that time were served on the tables in the cities and were directly named "Northeast cuisine" without any restrictions.
The King of Chu liked thin waists, and many people in the palace starved to death.
Director Zhang likes Northeastern cuisine, Section Chief Li likes Northeastern cuisine, Director Wang likes Northeastern cuisine, Boss Qian likes Northeastern cuisine, Principal Zhao likes Northeastern cuisine, and "I" also like Northeastern cuisine.
"Northeastern cuisine, Errenzhuan, heavy industry, Northeastern people love to wear mink..."
Investing in heavy industry in Fengtian is very risky and the payback period will be very long. Nan Yi still hopes that the funds invested in the Northeast can be earned from the Northeast, and the funds are earmarked for their intended purpose. Nan Guo Retail, which will open supermarkets in the Northeast, does not count.
Towards evening, Xu Lu called and said that she had found out that an old villa was for sale. Following the address, Nan Yi rushed to the area near Bajing Street, commonly known as Bagua City.
The roads in this area are narrow, the terrain is complex, and there may be a special magnetic field. The taxi driver said it was easy to get lost, and it is easy to get lost even on foot. If he didn't live here, he might not have been able to get this job with La Nan Yi.
After meeting Xu Lu, Nan Yi was brought to a three-story European-style building. Xu Lu told him, "I heard from the Housing Management Office that this place is called Xiangsheng Building, also known as Xiangsheng Mansion. The main building was designed by a German engineer and built by Fengji Construction Company.
Its internal structure, decoration and magnificent exterior were first-class in Fengtian at that time.
There is a special space in front of the building to park the horses. In the middle of the door is an arched hall, which reaches the roof. The north wall is semicircular and protrudes from the walls on both sides. The upper part is all glass windows. The hall is spacious and bright. The hall can be used as a conference hall, banquet hall, dance hall, and theater. The owner can have a panoramic view from the second floor..."
"Okay, forget about your endorsement-style introduction. It's also 'designed' by German engineers. Is that how you usually talk?"
"Brother, that's enough. I've been running around to help you find a house, and my legs are sore." Xu Lu complained.
"Okay, okay, you've worked hard." Nan Yi patted Xu Lu's arm and said, "Tell me, what's the story behind the Xiangsheng Tower's Xiangsheng?"
Xu Lu smiled slyly, "Guess."
"Guess what? If I could guess it, I wouldn't ask." Nan Yi retorted.
"Hehe, there are things you don't know, brother. Didn't you say that you are more familiar with the history of Fengtian than me, a local?" Xu Lu said happily.
"Okay, stop showing off and tell me now."
Xu Lu laughed again, and then said calmly: "Xiang Sheng is a person's name, a nickname. This is the house she lived in when she was the mistress of a big shot."
Hearing the word "mistress", Nan Yi immediately thought of "Miss Zhao Si" and asked, "Did Zhao Yidi live here?"
"Brother, do you know?" Xu Lu was surprised.
"Nonsense, when you mentioned mistress, she was the first person I thought of. If it wasn't her, I wouldn't know anyone else. I don't know much about the old stories of the Feng Clique."
"Oh, brother, do you like this house?"
"Is the property right in the Housing Management Office?" Nan Yi asked back.
"Yes."
"What's the price?"
"have no idea."
"have no idea?"
"The people at the Housing Authority said that this house is prepared for attracting investment and will only be sold to overseas investors."
"Oh, never mind."
After Nan Yi knew that this was the Golden House, he didn't like it very much. If the price was acceptable, he might have bought it and hoarded it for appreciation. Since it was so troublesome, he gave up the idea.
"Not buying it?"
"No, have you asked if there are other old houses for sale?"
"No, the other old houses are occupied by units, only this one is empty."
"That means I have no chance to own an old Western-style house in Fengtian. It would be strange if I didn't have one. Fengtian used to be a major commercial town. Have all the houses where the wealthy merchants lived been demolished?"
"How is that possible? I know of several of them."
Nan Yi glared at Xu Lu and said, "Do you know what an old house is? Did you only ask about the houses where celebrities lived at the Housing Authority?"
"yes."
"You, if you don't understand, just ask me. It's a waste of time. Go to the housing management office tomorrow to ask. The location doesn't matter. It's better to have a lot of space around for easy parking." Nan Yi glanced at Xiangsheng Building again, "Let's go and have dinner."
On the other hand, Liu Xin made an appointment with Liu Xiangdong. For some reason, Liu Xiangdong chose Daxing as the meeting place, an urban-rural junction where the Han and Xian ethnic groups are the main populations, with a small number of ethnic minorities such as Xibe, Manchu, Mongolian, and Hui living in the area.
Apart from the fact that there are quite a few dog meat restaurants, it’s not really a very special place.
Confined to day and night, there is a barbecue food stall with a very literary name but a rough style. It is hidden between a row of food stalls and a dog meat restaurant. A wooden sign is hung on the door curtain. Several tables are placed in an irregular manner in front of the door. There are gourmets sitting at each table. The popular sorghum wine cups and the Xianzu's ten-jin rice wine pots have also been opened. The atmosphere is lively and bustling.
Amid the noise, there were two tables that seemed particularly quiet. At one table sat four men, who were not ferocious but did not look like good people either. At another table sat one man and two women, with a man standing behind one of the women. They were Liu Xin and her mistress Liu Xiangdong and Liu Jinjin. Behind Liu Xin was Luo Yang, the security guard who had been responsible for protecting Long Huiqing.
Liu Xin was a little annoyed. With the very shrewd Liu Jinjin present, today's meeting might not be able to achieve its purpose smoothly. But since he was here, he could only proceed according to the plan.
"Boss Liu, let me toast you a glass." Xu Lu picked up the glass and said to Liu Xiangdong with a smile.
