Chapter 145: Congratulatory Telegrams

To facilitate the movie screenings, the engineering department had, in the preceding weeks, selected a vacant slope in Bairen City. They carved tiers of steps along the slope, paved them with bricks and stones, and installed wooden benches. It could seat about 400 people, or 500 if they squeezed together. The screen came with the 16mm projector. For easy setup and takedown, a permanent screen frame was built. Considering the long-term need for movie screenings, a dedicated projection room was constructed with electrical wiring. The sound system used the portable speakers that came with the projector, making it convenient to set up and store.

Mei Wan had specially built a VIP section directly opposite the screen, complete with a projecting rain eave. To allow the cinema to be used for other purposes, a semi-circular stage was built below the screen frame, which could be used for meetings and performances when no movie was being shown.

Two hours before the movie started, a crowd had already gathered in front of and behind the screen. Many people had come directly from the cafeteria, holding their meal boxes. The electric lights were not bright enough, so several gas lamps were temporarily hung, illuminating the area brightly. Families came in pairs, some with their children in tow. The cafeteria had set up a stall next to the cinema, offering free fruit juice and betel nuts—the only recreational foods available here. It was a bustling scene of a harmonious society.

When the music started in the newly built open-air cinema, the noisy chatter of the crowd instantly died down. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. The title appeared on the screen:

“The Matrix.”

The crowd was floored. Was this satire or entertainment? But even so, everyone watched with rapt attention. As Keanu Reeves performed his cool moves on the screen, many of the “employees” living in Bairen City were drawn by the shocking sound effects. They quietly gathered around. When they discovered that a giant “shadow play” was being performed, no one was willing to leave. Some quickly ran back to call their wives and children to watch together.

As news of the “chiefs” watching an unprecedented “shadow play” spread, the employees and their families living in the Bairen Commune all rushed over. They didn’t dare to walk inside and sit on the steps, but the cinema was open-air, and they could see clearly from the periphery.

Luo Duo quietly slipped into the VIP section. Inside, besides Xiao Zishan, sat Ma Qianzhu and some other committee members. Wen Desi and another group of committee members were not present. According to the standard procedure for protecting dignitaries, Xiao Zishan’s and Ma Qianzhu’s group would watch the first half, and then Wen Desi’s group would watch the second half. They would not all be present at the same time.

“Commissioner Ma, a large number of employees and their families have gathered around the cinema. Should we mobilize more militia for security?”

Luo Duo, not being very interested in the movie, had volunteered to be the Bairen City guard officer for the day.

Ma Qianzhu frowned. “I don’t think that’s necessary. They’re all here to watch the movie. No need to be so tense.”

“I’m just worried, in case—”

“It’s fine. Since they are employees, they should be trustworthy people.”

“Alright then.” As Luo Duo was about to leave, Xiao Zishan stopped him. “Don’t mobilize the militia, but prepare some extra Type 4 tear gas grenades for the on-duty militia.”

“Okay, I’ll see to it right away,” Luo Duo replied in the brisk, efficient tone that leaders appreciate. Seeing no objection from Ma Qianzhu, he left.

On the screen, Carrie-Anne Moss was flying through the air. Ma Qianzhu said, “You’re so wary of these natives who are practically our own people. How are we going to handle the localization process in the future?”

“At most, the people who have served us the longest have only been with us for three months. This isn’t like modern society where we have many sources of information to check their backgrounds. We have to be on guard.”

Ma Qianzhu chuckled. “You call this being on guard? Using pepper spray tear gas? How pathetic.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Xiao Zishan said with a chuckle.

The natives watching the “shadow play” didn’t think so much. The moving, realistic images and scenery on the white cloth both amazed and intrigued them: a Westerner in a long black coat spun gracefully in the air, many giant, strange octopuses flew through the sky, tall houses were as dense as a forest, and there were flying vehicles with blue flames shooting out from their bodies… Everything was something they had never seen before, but it all looked so real. Ma Peng was completely mesmerized.

Then came the terrifying demon world. The giant tower was dotted with red lanterns, and in each lantern was a drowned person. Monsters walked between the towers, their long tentacles waving in the dark night sky. Ma Peng trembled with fear. This must be the Asura hell.

Although the effect was extremely shocking, the ancient people’s understanding was not poor. They knew it was just an effect of light and shadow, not real. Although people occasionally tried to go behind the screen to see what kind of troupe was performing such a realistic “shadow play,” no one did anything crazy.

“The natives seem to be really into the movie,” Wu De said. He had come to patrol because he knew many commune members had gone to the cinema to watch the movie and was worried about potential problems. He was surprised to see them all with their mouths agape, completely engrossed.

“Do they even understand what’s being shown?” Luo Duo was a bit doubtful.

“Forget them, I don’t even understand The Matrix,” Wu De said. “But these native people are just here for the spectacle.”

“Yeah, they probably don’t even understand Mandarin. At least this is the Mandarin dub by Li Yapeng.”

Luo Duo’s casual remark sparked an idea in Wu De’s mind. It seemed that movies were extremely attractive to the locals. If they used movies as a medium to teach Mandarin, wouldn’t that kill two birds with one stone? Currently, Zhang Xingjiao was leading night school classes in the commune to teach Mandarin, but the results were not great. Most local laborers realized that to get ahead with the “chiefs,” they had to learn the “chiefs’” language. However, the difference between the Lingao, Fujian, and Guangdong dialects of the Ming dynasty and the 21st-century Mandarin was too great. Short words and phrases were manageable, but fluent communication was very difficult.

That’s a good idea, Wu De thought. What kind of films would be good to show them?

As he was thinking, Neo was delivering his classic lines on the screen:

…

I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… you’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change.

I don’t know the future.

I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end.

I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.

…

When the lines were finished, the movie ended. Knowing there was more to come, most people stretched and waited for the next film. Just then, Ding Ding strode onto the stage below the screen, dressed in a suit and tie, his hair slicked back, his face beaming as if he were about to attend someone’s wedding.

“On this joyous New Year’s Eve, the Executive Committee’s Propaganda Department and the staff of the Lingao Times wish you and your families happiness, all the best, and a happy Spring Festival,” he said loudly into the microphone.

“Now, we will read a few congratulatory telegrams and letters—”

“A congratulatory letter from the Baitu Village Committee and the reconstruction support unit: The villagers of Baitu are self-reliant and determined to rebuild our homes with our own hands. We are doing well, we have fish and rice, and our relatives, the Transmigration Army, have even built new houses for us.”

Hearing the emotional reading of the telegram, Xiao Zishan couldn’t help but laugh. This era is truly magical.

“The officers and men of the Bopu Marine Company guarding Bopu—Please rest assured, people of the motherland. We will watch over the seas with a hundredfold vigilance and protect the Transmigration regime at all times.”

“A congratulatory telegram from our overseas dispatch station—Wishing all transmigrators a happy holiday.” Then, the faces of four men, blurred out, appeared on the screen, holding a banner with a few large characters written in crooked calligraphy: “Happy Spring Festival.”

“The soldiers on duty on the Navy’s Fengcheng wish all transmigrators a Happy New Year via telephone. Wishing everyone a happy holiday and all the best!”

“A congratulatory letter from the Yanchang Village Committee—In the new year, we wish everyone good health and all the best. The villagers of Yanchang will not forget those who dug the well and will unswervingly follow the general line of the Transmigration, from victory to victory!”

With each message, the transmigrators would applaud enthusiastically, stomp their feet, and roar. The surrounding native onlookers were greatly perplexed, not knowing what the man on stage was reading that could make the chiefs act so crazed.

The final congratulatory letter was from the Hainan Women’s Cooperative. Besides wishing everyone a happy holiday, it also announced the arrival of a large new batch of betel nuts for purchase—this was Li Mei’s first attempt to independently source goods.

Ma Qianzhu sighed, “To be honest, it feels a bit like they’re just making up the numbers.”

“Hmm?” Xiao Zishan didn’t understand at first.

“I hope that on a New Year’s Eve in the future, we will hear true overseas congratulatory telegrams, from the Americas, from Malacca, from Africa, from Japan… from our colonies, overseas bases, trading posts, and fleets,” Ma Qianzhu said, suddenly moved, his voice choked with emotion.

“That day will come!” Xiao Zishan, inspired by his ambition, said with full confidence.

As they were speaking, a strange “hissing” sound suddenly came from outside. Looking up, they saw a green flame shooting straight into the night sky, followed by a red one. In an instant, the starry night was streaked with the trails of rockets. The crowd inside and outside the cinema, captivated by this unexpected show, let out cries of “Ah, ah.”

The rockets flew higher and higher, exploding in the night.

Like a giant thunderclap shaking the sky, bright red and snow-white flames shot out in all directions, illuminating each other. It was a fireworks display the people of this era had never seen before. The people on the ground couldn’t help but cheer and applaud.

Not just the entire Bairen City, but the residents of the county town and Bopu also witnessed this unprecedented spectacle in Lingao. Many who had already gone to bed ran out of their houses to see this rare Western novelty.

Lin Shenhe and his colleagues in the artillery team behind him did not cheer or applaud, but they were equally excited. The rockets had finally been proven to be usable.

“What’s the effective altitude?” Lin Shenhe asked.

“The highest was 550 meters.”

“Is it practical?”

“Yes, but according to the manual, the altitude should be 2500 meters.”

The true purpose of the spectacular fireworks display was a test of the rockets just trial-produced by the artillery team. Of course, to match the New Year’s Eve atmosphere, they had added some burning agents mixed with metal powder to the warheads.