British writer

The atmosphere inside Hwaseong Theater is a bit strange.

If I have to say it, it feels a bit "sad and happy".

Fortunately,

It turns out that such excellent dramas can also be written in Chinese.

What about "A Doll's House"?

"Bigg Boss" is not bad at all.

The sad thing is the storyline,

The experiences of the Chinese in Chinatown in the plot are like a stone weighing on the hearts of the audience, making them breathless.

Because it's so real.

on the stage,

The members of the troupe are still bowing and taking curtain calls in all directions.

Li Dai whispered: "I feel weird."

Her best friend Zhou Zhou couldn't help but be curious,

"How strange?"

Li Dai pondered, sorted out the words in her mind, and answered: "In the past, I felt very happy when I performed for those white people and heard their praise and applause. Now, I feel even happier when I hear the applause from my compatriots."

The rest of the cast feels the same way.

Li Jie muttered: "The local pronunciation has not changed. We can bring the language of our hometown to our compatriots in the form of drama. How can we not feel a sense of accomplishment?"

Sense of accomplishment…

All the members chewed this word in their hearts,

They admired Lu Shi even more.

off stage,

Situ Meitang said to Lu Shi: "Sir Lu, I have seen the true God today. You are amazing!"

Lu Shi asked, "Why did Mr. Situ suddenly say that?"

Situ Meitang replied: "Your innovation in drama is extraordinary. I believe that everyone in traditional drama is willing to communicate with you to improve and integrate our traditional drama."

Lu Shi smiled,

"People are already doing this kind of thing. For example, in Yu Province, some troupes perform Henan Opera, Qu Opera, and Yue Diao at the same time."

Many dramas of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China were not rigid and could be inclusive.

This may also be a gift of the times.

It is difficult for those who stick to the rules to make a living.

Situ Meitang glanced around at the Chinese people present, sighed silently, held Lu Shi's shoulders and walked out.

The two of them went out together.

The night is already dark,

It stands to reason that Chinatown should also fall into deep sleep at this time.

But the hard-working Chinese people know how to do business and know that the Chinese version of "Big Brother" is premiering and they should extend their business hours.

Therefore, the whole street is still decorated with lights and colorful decorations.

The previous rice roll shop had a circle of foreigners surrounding it.

"This stuff is delicious!"

"It's delicious, but there's too little meat."

"Hmm...hot! So hot!"

…

It was a great pleasure to eat.

Lu Shi smiled,

What he did finally worked.

Situ Meitang also squinted at the magical scene and couldn't help but sigh.

He asked Lu Shi:

"Sir Lu, do you know why I was imprisoned before?"

Lu Shi said: "I only heard that he was imprisoned for ten months because he killed a gangster who was 'eating the king's meal'."

Situ Meitang chuckled,

"Overlord meal? This word translates accurately."

The reason why it is called "translation" is because it is indeed a borrowed word.

Eat overlord's meal,

Eat a king's meal,

The word "overlord" means "lord", so "eat overlord's meal" can be regarded as a beautiful "legacy" to Europe in the Middle Ages.

Situ Meitang put on a serious expression,

"Then do you know that the person eating the Overlord meal is white?"

Lu Shi:? ? ?

"White people?"

He was somewhat confused.

In 1882, the United States signed the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Situ Meitang was imprisoned in 1886, the fifth year after the bill came into effect.

In that case, the Chinese beat the white man to death but were only imprisoned for 10 months.

Is American justice so advanced?

Situ Meitang also understood Lu Shi's doubts and explained: "It was originally a hanging."

Lu Shi was speechless,

"Then why..."

Situ Meitang looked at the rice roll shop and fell into memories,

The feeling of punching that white gangster to death seemed to come back.

After a long while, he shook his head to clear it from his mind and said, "Sir Lu, you are a media tycoon. You should be able to understand that that incident will definitely cause a sensation, right?"

Lu Shi nodded.

In addition to the social context of the bill, there is also the issue of individual differences;

Physically speaking, white people are generally tall and brave, and ordinary Asians can rarely confront them head-on, not to mention the Chinese who have been oppressed for a long time.

It's hard to imagine this kind of thing not becoming a hot topic.

Lu Shi guessed: "The incident became the focus and united Chinese people across the United States?"

Situ Meitang nodded,

"Yes. All members of the Hongmen community, as well as Chinese people from all over the country, are redressing my grievances. The rich and powerful even use their connections to change the sentence or find lawyers to appeal."

He smiled sarcastically: "At that time, the Americans understood that when the Chinese united, they not only dared to fight back, but also dared to fight tooth and nail."

Lu Shi glanced at him and said nothing.

But I understand in my heart,

The fact that Situ Meitang established Anliangtang and made it bigger and stronger must be related to this matter.

Because, in the hearts of the Chinese people at that time, he was not only a strong martial artist and a righteous speaker, but also a spiritual totem representing the will to resist.

Lu Shi pondered,

"The change from hanging to 10 months is indeed a big change."

Situ Meitang joked:

"Prison sentences in the United States are not very long. Probably because prisoners also need to eat, and they cannot afford it financially."

"Pfft! Cough cough cough..."

Lu Shi burst out laughing,

Unexpectedly, the other party also has a humorous side.

Situ Meitang continued: "After that incident, the Americans' attitude towards the Chinese changed again."

As he spoke, he opened his arms as if to embrace the entire Chinatown in his arms.

Lu Shi understood instantly.

After the Americans discovered that they could not deal with the Chinese people who were clinging to each other, they could only turn a blind eye and think clearly.

As a result, they went from interfering and interfering to ignoring it.

Under such circumstances, various autonomous organizations will naturally emerge.

This was also the source of the rise of Chinatown churches in the early 20th century.

Situ Meitang continued: "Actually, my original intention at the time was to establish an organization to resist bullying by Americans and help overseas Chinese, but it backfired... Just like the protagonist in "Big Brother", many choices were made out of helplessness."

Lu Shi was a little curious,

"Mr. Situ, why are you telling me this?"

Situ Meitang looked at Lu Shi sincerely,

"I would like to ask sir to come out."

"Ah this..."

Lu Shi was confused,

"I don't understand the law, so I can't be a legal advisor. I still need to consult Saul on related issues~"

Situ Meitang waved his hand,

"No, not a legal advisor. Just now I said that I can't help myself because Anliangtang itself is shackled. It needs to be managed openly and secretly. I would like to ask you to come out and take the lead in establishing the Global Overseas Chinese Association."

Lu Shi was surprised,

"Do you need me?"

He believes that Anliang Hall and Zhigong Hall in Hongmen are the golden signs for establishing the Overseas Chinese Association.

Situ Meitang laughed,

"Sir Lu, you underestimate your own energy."

He nodded to the rice roll shop and joked: "Look at how delicious those Americans eat. They don't know how to use chopsticks, so they just grab it with their hands."

Lu Shi understood,

He does have advantages that the other party does not have:

In terms of uniting Chinese Americans, it may not be as good as On Liang Tang, which manages Chinatown;

However, there are more forces that I can unite with.

Britain, the United States, France...

Lu Shi was not good at anything else, but he was very good at fooling foreigners.

Situ Meitang smiled and said: "There are two gold bars now, one of which was donated by the Chinese, and the other was sponsored by you... ahem... from the ghost guy. Can you tell me, these two gold bars, Which one is dirty and which one is noble?”

Lu Shi always felt that these words were somewhat familiar, and they sounded like lines from some TV series.

He pondered,

"This may be feasible. But how to do it specifically involves compatriots around the world, so we can't rush it."

Situ Meitang nodded and thought so,

It would be best to first take a look at how "Bigg Boss" performs in various colleges and universities and Chinatowns across the United States.

There is a saying that goes well,

"Oranges grown in Huainan are called tangerines, and those grown in north Huaibei are called tangerines. The leaves are similar, but the actual taste is different."

I'm afraid that "Big Brother" will infect the Chinese people in Boston.

Not so good in other cities.

Lu Shi said: "Let's not forget about this. After watching "Big Brother", I am a little hungry, so why not eat a plate of rice rolls to satisfy my hunger."

Situ Meitang responded:

"That's what I was going to say."

He is from Kaiping, Guangdong.

Cantonese people cannot lose rice rolls, just like the West cannot lose Jerusalem.

Lu Shi said: "You and I...well..."

The rest of the words were not finished.

Because, he suddenly discovered that among the Americans who had just finished eating rice rolls with satisfaction, there was O. Henry.

There is also a bearded man,

He is of medium build, with slightly messy hair, and his eyes sparkle with wit, as if he can penetrate people's hearts.

Of course Lu Shi was impressed by him.

It’s not uncommon in textbooks——

Mark Twain.

At the same time, the two of them also noticed Lu Shi.

O. Henry suddenly became excited,

"Professor Lu!"

He quickly ran over and shook hands with Lu Shi tightly.

Compared with him, Mark Twain was much more reserved.

Gein and I had never met before.

At this time, O. Henry had not yet written such masterpieces as "The Gift of the Magi", "The Policeman and the Hymn", and "The Last Leaf", and his reputation was far behind Lu Shi.

And Mark Twain has already become famous, and is as good as Lu Shi.

When O. Henry let go of Lu Shi's hand, he stepped forward,

"It's such an honor to meet Professor Lu."

The two sides began to chat.

When Situ Meitang saw Lu Shi wanted to socialize, he mouthed silently: "I'll buy rice rolls first, and then I'll call a carriage with Mr. Goodman."

he left.

Lu Shi turned to Mark Twain,

"You two came together?"

O. Henry said: "It just happened. The ticket I bought was next to Samuel's."

Samuel Langham Clemen,

Mark Twain's original name.

Lu Shi nodded,

"It's an honor for both of you to come see my play."

Mark Twain waved his hand,

"No, no, no, you are the real master when it comes to drama. I'm here to learn."

It is said that in his later years, he wanted to adapt his two masterpieces "Millions of Pounds" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" into plays.

The latter succeeded,

But the former is a model of satire and humor, and is difficult to adapt because of its overly exaggerated artistic techniques.

Mark Twain came here to learn from the experience.

He asked curiously: "Professor Lu, what do you think is an excellent drama?"

Lu Shi said: "You are a playwright yourself, what do you think?"

Mark Twain was lost in thought,

Wonderful story,

The rhythm is tight,

logically self-consistent,

Follow the Tao and be reasonable,

…

To put it bluntly, a good drama requires excellent scripts, excellent actors, and excellent supporting staff.

Lu Shi said with a smile: "In terms of presentation methods, there is not much that playwrights can do. What we can do is to control the script well, either to reveal the truth without revealing any trace and let the audience understand the world; or to let the audience know the world." To create empathy and touch their senses.”

This summary is perfect!

Mark Twain's eyes lit up, and then he became more curious,

"You said, 'In terms of presentation methods, there is not much that playwrights can do.' By implication, will there be other presentation methods other than stage in the future?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"It has been born. You should have heard of "Factory Gate" shot by the Lumiere brothers in 1895, right? Just like the title, the content is about workers leaving the factory after get off work, which lasts only 47 seconds."

O. Henry said, "Isn't that called a 'movie'?"

Lu Shi smiled and nodded,

"In the past two hundred years, we have seen too many technological innovations. Maybe the stage will be replaced~"

Mark Twain smiled and said: "Professor Lu, you said in "Yes! Prime Minister" that drama and theater have become social media for the upper class to show their existence. At the time, I thought it was irony, but looking back now, it turns out that There are also considerations in this regard.”

O. Henry asked: "Will the stage be replaced?"

Lu Shi shrugged,

"I don't think so. If it means less and less as a 'drama', it will certainly mean more and more as a 'performance'."

The implication is that the people serving on the stage have changed.

I was an audience before,

Audiences watch plays for entertainment;

Later he became an actor,

Actors perform dramas to express themselves or improve their acting abilities.

Mark Twain laughed and said: "I really can't imagine that kind of future. So, I'd better ask Professor Lu for advice on how to write a satirical drama."

He has experienced the process of American imperialization, and his thoughts and creations have also changed accordingly, from light and funny to pungent and ironic, to pessimistic and world-weary.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the language of his works was already extremely intense.

Lu Shi was unable to provide guidance in this regard.

He was in trouble,

At this time, a carriage stopped on the road.

The car curtain opens,

A Chinese face poked out from inside and said condescendingly: "Are you the writer of "Big Brother"?"

Lu Shi frowned slightly,

Vaguely, that face felt familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere recently.

The man didn't speak when he saw Lu Shi, and said, "Don't be afraid! I can't do anything to you. Just answer the question."

As a result, before Lu Shi could say anything, the stall owner of the rice roll shop rushed over and stood in front of Lu Shi.

The stall owner said: "What do you want to ask?"

The Chinese man was stunned and looked Lu Shi up and down.

"It seems like you are indeed the creator of "Big Brother"..."

Before the words fell,

"That's right!"

Situ Meitang walked slowly,

"He is the pride of our Chinese people, Lu Shi, Sir Lu. Brother Mai, I advise you to be respectful when talking to him."

Only then did Lu Shi remember who the Chinese was.

The boss of Xie Sheng——

Med.

That is, the enemy of Anliangtang in New York.

It is also what Goodman calls "crazy criticism."

Mai De nodded,

"There's something crazy about me. But I'm not stupid."

He nodded towards Situ Meitang,

"Talk about New York?"

Situ Meitang got on the carriage without any hesitation.

The atmosphere at the scene became extremely solemn,

It seems to freeze everything.

Mark Twain and O. Henry were stunned,

Although the two of them did not understand Chinese, they could guess what was going on just by looking at the atmosphere.

I muttered in my heart,

Art comes from life and is higher than life.

This is indeed true.

They looked at Lu Shi in unison.

Lu Shi said: "You two, it seems we can't discuss it anymore today. Why don't we find another time?"

They both nodded at the same time,

After all, I had just watched "Bigg Boss" and I was afraid of meeting a real boss in my life.

They said goodbye to Lu Shi.

However, unexpectedly, just a few minutes after the two Americans left, Situ Meitang got off the carriage.

Mai De even stuck his head out and said goodbye to Lu Shi respectfully.

Lu Shi asked, "Mr. Situ, has the matter been resolved?"

Situ Meitang hesitated and said: "It's... it's settled. We have reached an agreement. This time the conflict between Xiesheng and Anliangtang in New York will be decided by the US official. No matter what the verdict is, both parties will accept it."

Lu Shi was surprised.

He had heard NYPD officers and Goodman describe Mader before,

The original words are:

"That guy looks quite normal. He wears a suit and a top hat, but he actually has two guns stuck in his trousers and is walking around Chinatown in broad daylight."

It’s hard to imagine that such a person would be willing to take a step back to gain a brighter future.

Situ Meitang added: "I also told him about asking you to establish a global overseas Chinese association, and he agreed."

Lu Shi was even more puzzled.

"Why?"

Situ Meitang said: "It must be because I watched your "Big Brother" and had some feelings. Other than that, I can't think of any other possibility."

Lu Shi: "..."

Don't know what to say.

Situ Meitang laughed loudly and said: "So, Sir Lu, don't be humble. If "Big Brother" performs well in the United States, then you can become the president of the Overseas Chinese Association. Even Mai De will admire you. , is there any more suitable candidate for president than you?"