A week later,

Harvard University, Auditorium.

There was a commotion at the scene, and there were probably nearly 2,000 people gathered here.

In addition to Harvard students, there are also people from MIT who also mingled in the fun.

There are simply not enough auditorium seats,

In the aisles, many people sat on the floor;

In the open space behind, there were also many people standing.

Crowded, the whole space was wrapped in the sound of talking,

"It is said that Professor Lu's new play is called 'Original Gangster', which is a very written word that I have never heard anyone say in real life."

"That's inevitable! If you had the chance to listen, you might have sunk into the sea. ”

"I'm just a little curious, can Lu write this kind of gang drama well? This is a theme that has never been seen before......"

"Gang~ It's nothing more than personal heroism and buddy righteousness, I can think of it with my knees."

……

The crowd is curious or predicting,

The atmosphere was warm.

Then

"Borrow it! Excuse me! ”

Franklin D. Roosevelt squeezed through the crowd and squeezed forward.

The surroundings immediately cast a sharp gaze.

Roosevelt Jr. was embarrassed, and hurried to the third row with his head down, and sat down next to his friend Davin.

Devin counted: "Why are you so late?" ”

He looked left and right,

"Don't you know, I took a seat for you, and I almost asked someone to skin you alive."

Roosevelt Jr. was also helpless,

"Can that be called 'occupying a seat'? This is a seat for the editor of the Crimson Newspaper. ”

He lowered his voice and explained, "No way, I just went to the interview." ”

As he spoke, he quietly pointed to the front row.

There, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sat next to Lu Shi,

The two were talking to each other.

Devin was curious,

"What interviewed?"

Roosevelt Jr. said, "What else could it be?" My uncle, I know, the dangers of emphasizing trusts. In his place, 'Free America' is completely empty talk~"

Devin laughed.

Roosevelt Jr. said again: "To talk about him, it is better to look at Professor Lu's interview." ”

He handed over a copy of the Crimson Newspaper.

Lu Shi's interview only appeared in the newspaper today,

The article is called:

"The True Practitioner of the American Dream - Lu".

The title is very magical.

"Hiss......"

Devin gasped,

"What's this!?"

Roosevelt Jr. spreads his hands,

"What does the Declaration say, 'All men are created equal, and the Creator has endowed them with certain inalienable Rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,' do you see, do we believe it now? Professor Lu really believes it. ”

Devin was speechless,

“……”

In his heart, he felt that Lu Shi didn't believe in the American dream.

My friend was obviously fooled.

But looking back,

A gentleman does not care about his heart, and there is no perfect person in the world.

As long as Lu Shi has been fighting for the rights of Chinese Americans, it will be good.

The two discussed the interview for a while,

Unconsciously, the field workers have already arranged the scenes and props on the stage.

The curtain was closed.

Harvard's president, Eliot, got up and turned to the students,

"Ladies and gentlemen, after a year, we are fortunate to see Professor Lu's drama again. I'm sure you've already heard that the subject matter is very new, and it is a field that has not been touched before in theater or even in the entire history of literature. ”

The scene fell silent,

Staring –

The scorching gaze fell on Lu Shi.

Elliot looked around,

"It seems that everyone can't wait, so I won't talk nonsense. Let the show begin! ”

In an instant, the scene erupted in warm applause.

When the applause dies down,

A tired, pleading voice rang out:

"I believe in America."

"It was the United States that made me rich."

……

With these words, the curtain slowly opened.

The audience unconsciously cast their gaze towards the source of the sound.

The set for the first act is simple,

It looks like the story takes place in the office of a certain company.

Someone is reporting to a leader.

He cowered, as if trying to shrink himself into a small ball,

I don't know if it was fear, nervousness, or anger, his voice trembled.

Opposite him,

The big guy played by Li Jie sat indifferently, clasped his hands in front of his chest, and his thumbs circled each other.

Dai Wen was stunned,

"This ...... Is this a Chinese gang? ”

……

"Is this a Chinese gang?"

Old Roosevelt, who sat in the front row, was full of interest,

"Interesting."

Lu Shi glanced at him and didn't answer.

In fact, he wasn't very happy with this beginning.

At the beginning of "The Godfather", the large black in the camera contrasts strongly with the strong highlight above the funeral home owner's head.

As the camera recedes, use the zoom of the lens to make the figure slowly fade in.

This section is known as one of the ten greatest openings in film history.

Drama, unlike film, can only rely on the opening of the curtain to barely act as a lens language.

But even so, this form was advanced enough at the beginning of the 20th century.

The audience was amazed.

In the monologue of the bitter lord, the incident is narrated:

A murder case occurred in an apartment building in Chinatown, and a Chinese woman was murdered.

And it was the woman's husband who came to look for the big guy.

He has identified the murderer and is only waiting for revenge.

The big guy played by Li Jie said slowly: "This is Chinatown, and many things are not what you want to do." ”

Speak still very steady,

It's just that the coldness and rejection are overflowing.

……

Old Roosevelt was surprised,

"Since he is the brother of his own church, why should the big guy refuse? Wouldn't that lose people's hearts? ”

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was speechless,

"Congressional bills are not always passed and signed on the same day."

"Ah......h

Old Roosevelt was slightly embarrassed,

Thought

The government and the gangs, can that be the same?

But the next performance completely subverted his thinking.

The bitter master of the incident knelt down in front of the big guy and continued to beg grandpa and grandmother, hoping that the church would help him get ahead.

The big guy is still calm,

"According to the rules, things can't be done like this."

The bitter lord was stunned for a moment,

"I see. According to the rules, a public trial should be held. ”

……

In the dialogue between the two, the whole story is fully introduced.

And the big guy is always emphasizing:

Do what you do.

In just a few minutes, he went from refusal to acceptance, and the image of being well-founded was roughly shaped.

Old Roosevelt lowered his voice and commented: "The big guy can easily grasp the other party. And...... Hum hum ......"

A chuckle.

Lu Shi asked, "Mr. President, what's the matter?" ”

Roosevelt Sr. replied, "He wore the cloak of rules, respect, and friendship in the red fruit trade." From this point of view alone, Washington and the gang really resemble each other, with the same hypocrisy and the same good words. ”

When he looked at Lu,

"In the first act, I didn't see the gangs, I just saw the business."

Lu Shi nodded,

"Yes, Mr. President, you have discovered the essence."

Roosevelt Sr. replied, "If you tell me this now, is it a spoiler?" ”

Lu Shi shrugged,

"Then I won't speak."

The two continued to turn their attention to the stage.

The plot of the first act proceeds normally, ending with the revelation that the bitter master and the murderer belong to different churches in Chinatown.

The curtain slowly closes.

The twists and turns of the plot obviously surprised everyone,

The scene was quiet at first,

A heated discussion ensued.

Old Roosevelt also had some curiosity and asked Lu Shi: "Sir Lu, the plot says that Chinatown is an independent kingdom, and most of the things are solved by the church's private torture hall. So, why did the sufferer call the police first? ”

This old brother obviously did not go deep into the masses and did not know the suffering of the world.

Lu Shi explained: "The contradictions of petty fights are digested by the Chinese themselves. But if someone dies, it will definitely not work without looking for the police. ”

Old Roosevelt groaned,

When he was governor of New York State, the policing in Chinatown was really strange,

It doesn't go out for a long time,

As soon as the situation occurs, it is the vicious incident of homicide and armed group beating.

Old Roosevelt said, "But the bitter lord still found the big guy." ”

Lu Shidao: "One is because he is a member of the church, and the other is because the murderer also has a backer. ”

Old Roosevelt nodded again and again,

Then, he was a little excited,

"Will there be a large-scale gang fight in Act II? I have heard that in the drama of your country, martial arts are very special, and the form of performance is very different from the drama of other countries. ”

There were obviously many people in the auditorium who had similar thoughts,

"Will there be gang fights?"

"I can't play it. I've heard that the Russians are very ruthless. ”

"I don't know what the church in Chinatown will look like."

……

The students were very curious about that kind of thing.

It's a pity that the plot didn't go their way.

The second act does have two factions of fire, but the acting is not radical, and there is no imaginary sword and sword shadow, street blood,

In the end, in the conversation, the data was brought out in a few words.

At the height of the scuffle, the big guy was assassinated,

But he still abides by the "rules" and only takes revenge within a limited scope, as if he deliberately shackles himself at the moment of dancing, and does not see any ambition.

Gradually, the atmosphere of the scene changed,

The excitement dissipates,

The students put themselves more into the plot and think about why the big guy is like this.

Old Roosevelt glanced at Lu Shi delicately,

Thought

This Chinese can always come up with something new.

In this way, the plot slowly advances.

Acts III and IV split into two lines,

One is the trial line;

One is the rush line between the two congregations.

Because of the restraint of the big guy, the final casualty did not exceed 100.

But even so, it alarmed a state legislator,

He took the lead in inviting the Chinese minister to make peace, which eventually led to a peace agreement.

This agreement fully respected the interests and authority of each congregation, agreed on the sphere of influence of each party, and maintained the peace of the underground world of Chinatown for a long time afterward, just like an underground law.

The curtain slowly closes.

At this point, "Big Guy" should be over,

Because its deconstruction and satire are deep enough.

The so-called "church" is, in the final analysis, actually a company, and it is meaningless to maintain the operation of the company by slogans.

Interests are at the core.

The students whispered and discussed the plot below.

Old Roosevelt looked at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, when you write this drama, aren't you afraid of being surrounded and suppressed by those gangs? This is to peel off their skins, red fruit field! ”

Lu Shi was absent-minded,

"What did you say?"

He was still staring intently at the stage.

Old Roosevelt was surprised,

"Not over yet?"

He also looked at the stage.

At some point, the curtain was opened again,

It's still a Chinatown setting, but it's just a colorful and golden red scene, as if it's celebrating the Spring Festival.

Old Roosevelt was stunned,

"Could it be that "The Big Guy" has five acts? Square peg! If it goes on, it will be procrastinating! ”

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"It's just a little tail."

In movies, it's usually called an easter egg.

The auditorium was quiet again,

The students' eyes were locked on the stage.

The last tail, about two or three minutes,

It is about the two congregations after peace, although they can't fight and kill, they still have to fight in all aspects, even the firecrackers of the Spring Festival.

The whiplash event also has a nickname:

Wrap around the whip.

In the competition between the two sides, whoever has the longer and louder firecrackers will win.

And the gunpowder of firecrackers costs money.

As a result, the little minions under the church suffered and had to make a "happy donation", and finally forced an honest person to take it unbearably and go to the tobacco house to overdose, just seeking relief.

The thirtieth day of the first month,

On one side, firecrackers are being set off, which is very lively;

On the other side, he died alone.

The auditorium was so quiet that you could hear a pin dropping,

Until the curtain was closed, no one said a word.

……

Background.

The field workers were busy removing the firecracker paper that was used as props.

Li Jie leaned against the curtain and listened carefully,

"Strange, why is there no sound in front?"

In the past, every time "Upside Down" was performed, at the end, the audience must have applauded and applauded.

But in the current situation, it is a little frighteningly quiet outside.

Someone asked: "Commander, you say, will those Americans not understand?" They don't know how to drive away New Year beasts with firecrackers. ”

Li Jie actually muttered in his heart,

Don't talk about those Yankees, it's himself, he was confused when he heard what kind of "whip around the court",

Professor Lu said that it is from "The Left Biography of the Spring and Autumn Period", how can ordinary people understand this?

"Alas......"

Li Jie sighed,

"As I said before, the last paragraph is not necessary. The worst thing is that the set is still troublesome, costing financial resources and manpower, but in the end it is not pleased. ”

As soon as his words fell, Li Dai next to him said: "How can it be 'painting snakes and adding feet'?" It's clearly the finishing touch! ”

Li Jie glanced at his daughter,

"Then you say, why didn't anyone applaud outside?"

"Ah......h

Li Dai'er is gone,

After a long time, she argued: "That's because the Americans didn't understand!" ”

Li Jie said: "The audience can't understand it, what are we going to do?" ”

Li Dai was speechless again,

“……”

She looked at her father,

"Commander, do you really think so?"

This is called this way, indicating that the little girl is asking a serious question.

Li Jie couldn't help but ponder,

Frankly speaking, as an actor and co-screenwriter of the Cantonese version of "Big Guy", he thinks the word "finishing touch" is the correct solution.

The first four acts are indeed complete enough and shocking enough.

And the epilogue is even more stamina,

Unfortunately, this stamina is an indescribable and unclear feeling, which is difficult to describe in words.

Li Jie said: "In the process of playing the boss, I gradually went deep into the heart of the character, and became more and more aware of the subtlety of the organization of the church, as if it was ...... It's like ......"

It seems that he can't find the right wording, and it seems a little stumbling.

At this time, the voice of the field worker sounded:

"Commander, pack up. Do you want a curtain call? ”

Li Jie stuck to the curtain again, pricked up his ears to listen to the movement outside,

"!"

Still no applause,

Not even a word of talking.

He muttered, "Those Americans aren't going to quit, are they?" ”

The field worker pulled a seam in the cloth,

"No, they're all sitting down there. Most of them are in a daze, and a small number are talking to each other. ”

Li Jie gritted his teeth,

"Come on, the audience is here, then the curtain must be closed."

Field workers are ordered,

Once again, the curtain was pulled back.

Li Jie looked at the black pressure below and the crowd of people, without laughing or applauding, he couldn't help but be covered with cold sweat,

Thinking in my heart,

A knife to stretch out the head and shrink the head is also a knife,

simply gritted his teeth, took a step forward with the members of the group, and said loudly: "Thank you!" Thank you for joining us today! I hope you enjoy this new play! ”

With that, he took the lead and bowed.

The rest of the people bowed in unison.

However, still no one applauded,

“……”

“……”

“……”

There was a long silence.

Cold sweat slid down Li Jie's forehead, along the arc of his cheeks, and finally to his chin, dripping onto the ground.

The reunion next to him whispered, "Leader, what should I do?" ”

Li Jie's face is dark,

"You ask me, I ask who is going?"

He hadn't experienced anything like that before.

Even in the past, when circuses and acrobatics were performed, even if there were only a few guests on the scene, people were willing to applaud.

Li Jie scolded his mother in his heart, and there was no good way, so he could only say, "Keep bowing." ”

The members of the group were prepared to do as ordered.

At this moment,

Bang Bang Bang –

There was a lonely applause from the first row of the auditorium.

Li Jie couldn't help but think,

It should be Professor Lu.

He subconsciously raised his eyes to look, but was stunned by the picture he saw,

In the quiet crowd, US President Theodore Roosevelt stood out and applauded with a serious expression.

After this,

Bang Bang Bang –

More people stood up, and applause poured in.

Then, I don't know who whistled in the crowd,

The scene erupted in laughter.

Someone else shouted: "Great work! Great show! Thank you! ”

With this taking the lead, more people joined in,

"Great work!"

The cheers seemed to tear off the roof.

(End of chapter)