Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 41 Thoughts Inspired by Watching the Flag-Raising Ceremony

After hanging up President Wang's call, Zheng Hui opened the door, walked to the door of the standard room next door, and knocked twice.

The door opened instantly, and Lin Dashan was clearly not resting.

"Boss." Lin Dashan stepped aside to make way.

Inside the room, Li Zongming was hunched over his writing desk, a fountain pen in his hand. In front of him were contact information for major newspapers in Beijing and business cards of reporters. The ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

Zheng Hui leaned against the doorframe and said, "I'll go watch the flag-raising ceremony tomorrow morning."

Lin Dashan's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really going?"

"If you come to Beijing and don't go to Tiananmen Square, then you've wasted your trip!"

Zheng Hui turned to Li Zongming: "Brother Li, want to come along?"

Li Zongming didn't even look up: "I won't join in the fun. I used to work in Beijing and saw it several times. Tomorrow we need to strike while the iron is hot and release the news releases about your appearances on CCTV and filming GG these past few days."

I've already made appointments with the entertainment editors of these evening newspapers; I need to pay them a visit tomorrow.

"Okay, then you get busy." Zheng Hui patted Lin Dashan on the shoulder: "See you in the lobby at five o'clock tomorrow morning."

The next morning, at five o'clock.

The lobby of the VIP Building Hotel was quiet, with only the front desk staff dozing off.

As Zheng Hui stepped out of the elevator, he immediately spotted Lin Dashan sitting on the sofa in the lobby lounge area. Upon seeing Zheng Hui, Lin Dashan stood up.

"Boss," Lin Dashan called out.

Zheng Hui walked over and saw that Lin Dashan's eyes were bloodshot: "Didn't you sleep last night?"

Lin Dashan scratched his head: "I slept, but I didn't sleep well. Just thinking about going to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony makes my heart flutter. Back in the army, it was a place I dreamed of going to."

"Let's go, the hotel is close by, let's walk there."

Stepping out of the hotel, the early morning air in Beijing was chilly, and the VIP building was only a few hundred meters from Tiananmen Square.

At this time, the square has no layers of security gates, and no appointment is required.

A large number of people had already gathered in the square, mostly tourists from other places, carrying large and small bags.

Zheng Hui and Lin Dashan found a spot near the front and stood there.

Time passed second by second, and the eastern sky began to turn a pale white, gradually turning the originally deep blue sky grayish-white.

"They're here."

Someone in the crowd whispered something.

From the other side of the Jinshui Bridge, came the sound of synchronized footsteps.

Click, click, click.

The sound of leather boots striking the ground was particularly clear in this early morning. The soldiers of the National Flag Guard, carrying rifles, escorted the national flag across the Jinshui Bridge.

As the procession reached the flagpole, the flag bearer climbed onto the base, and all eyes were focused on the red flag.

A rousing military band played over the loudspeaker.

"The March of the Volunteers"

"Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves..."

The flag bearer swung his right arm sharply, and the bright red national flag unfurled in the air, drawing a fan shape. The first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the flag, making the golden five-pointed stars gleam brightly.

The crowd in the square began to sing along.

"Let our flesh and blood build our new Great Wall..."

Zheng Hui opened his mouth and joined in the chorus. He watched the flag slowly rise, and the images in his mind were switching wildly.

In the previous life, in 2025, China had aircraft carriers sailing in the deep blue sea, space stations exploring the vast sky, and skyscrapers standing side by side.

And at this moment, in 1998.

The floodwaters have just receded, but the financial storm is still raging.

This country is still trudging through the mud, still gritting its teeth and enduring hardship.

But having experienced that prosperous future, Zheng Hui understands the weight of this flag better than anyone else present.

Lin Dashan stood to the side and raised his right hand to salute the national flag.

As the song ended, the national flag was raised.

Zheng Hui stood there, motionless for a long time. His chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton, or like it was burning with fire.

The emotions were so full and overwhelming that they desperately needed an outlet.

"Boss?" Lin Dashan called out softly.

Zheng Hui snapped out of his daze: "Let's go back to the hotel."

Back in his room, Zheng Hui didn't rest; he wanted to find a melody to express the emotions he had just felt.

The first thing that popped into my mind was "Ten Thousand Frontiers".

"The red sun rises in the east, its great road bathed in rosy light..."

He hummed a couple of times, then immediately shook his head.

No.

"Wanjiang" is too new.

That sense of peace and prosperity, that confidence in a flourishing era, belongs to 2021.

Back in 1998, this song seemed too frivolous, too ambitious, and even somewhat out of place. Today's Chinese people strive to catch up and become prosperous, not to simply enjoy the fruits of others' labor.

Moreover, the style of the music, with its distinct operatic vocals and electronic elements, is too jarring to be accepted by the general public in this era.

As You Wish?

This song is good; it's heartfelt and grand.

But that's not right either.

This song is dedicated to our parents' generation; it's a dialogue that transcends time and space, carrying a heavy sense of destiny.

It doesn't fit his current intense emotions.

Zheng Hui walked to the window and looked at the corner tower of the Forbidden City outside. Suddenly, a melody popped into his mind.

"My country and I are inseparable..."

This is an old song, it was released back in the 80s, and it was sung by Li Guyi.

That's a folk singing style with a bel canto foundation. It emphasizes clear pronunciation, a penetrating voice, bright high notes, and strong presence.

That was my solemn promise to share the fate of my motherland, a grand narrative sung in front of millions of people in the Great Hall of the People.

Zheng Hui tried singing a couple of lines in this style.

"Wherever I go, a hymn flows forth..."

He stopped; something didn't feel right.

He is not Li Guyi; he lacks the vicissitudes and profoundness of people from that era.

He is a young man, a native of Macau with the identity of a Macao compatriot.

His emotions were not a solemn declaration, but rather the longing of a wanderer returning home, the murmur of a child to his mother.

He recalled the version sung by Faye Wong in later generations, the theme song of the 2019 film "My People, My Country".

When that version came out, it was very controversial. Some people said it was too floaty, and others said the pronunciation was unclear.

But Zheng Hui was struck by it the moment he heard it.

That popular breathy singing style weakens the explosiveness of high notes and emphasizes the sense of breath and inner flow.

It's like a little girl, barefoot, running through alleys, then burying her head in her mother's arms and softly humming in her ear.

"My motherland and I are like the sea and a single wave..."

Zheng Hui closed his eyes and softly hummed this version.

Speak softly, lower your breath, and focus on the feel of the language, not on resonance.

"The waves are the children of the sea, and the sea is the waves' refuge..."

That feeling of gentle whispers came out instantly.

This is the feeling he wanted!

This is the song that Zheng Hui sang for his motherland in the autumn of Beijing in 1998!

Zheng Hui opened his eyes, and there it was!

But this song is an old song with an original author. To cover it, especially with a significant change in style, requires the original author's permission. This is a rule, and also a matter of respect.

How do I find someone?

Zheng Hui thought for a while, then slapped his forehead.

Didn't I just get Mr. Liu Huan's phone number when I recorded a program for CCTV the day before yesterday?

Liu Huan is a big name in the mainland music scene, with extensive connections, and as a university teacher, he would definitely be able to get in touch with him.

Zheng Hui found the number, picked up his phone, and pressed the dial button.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Hey? Who is it?" Liu Huan's voice sounded like he had just woken up.

"Teacher Liu, this is Zheng Hui. I'm sorry to disturb your rest."

Liu Huan's voice became more clear-headed: "Oh, Zheng Hui, calling so early, is it urgent?"

Zheng Hui got straight to the point: "Teacher Liu, I have something I'd like to ask for your help with. I just watched the flag-raising ceremony and it moved me. I'd like to cover a song, but I can't find the original composer. I was wondering if you could help me make a connection."

"A cover song? What song could excite you so much?" Liu Huan became interested.

"My People, My Country"

Liu Huan hesitated for a moment: "This song...this is a classic folk song, one of Li Guyi's representative works. You, who sings rock and pop, want to sing this?"

"I want to try a different singing style," Zheng Hui said.

Liu Huan hesitated for a moment: "Where are you? It's hard to say over the phone. Come find me at the University of International Business and Economics. I work there and I don't have any classes today."

"Okay, I'll be right there."