sovbooks Chapter 93 The Internet Cafe Opens
Chapter 93 The Internet Cafe Opens
Chapter 95 The Internet Cafe Opens (1/5)
On Sunday, Xu Shengjie met with Tim Herlich.
They also met David Henry Hwang, also known as "Mr. Butterfly".
Admittedly, the father of this Butterfly King is very handsome, and he doesn't have the stereotypical image of Chinese men portrayed by Western media.
In the Western narrative, Chinese people are often portrayed as short, squinty-eyed, round-faced, and somewhat resembling people with Down syndrome.
The most typical example is the Chinese-American boss in "2 Broke Girls".
In fact, Chinese Americans are very predominantly male.
For example, David Henry Hwang had a thick beard and hair, a tall and strong physique, and distinct facial features with clear lines and angles.
He's handsome!
Huang Zhelun was very excited to meet Xu Shengjie.
"Jeffrey, I've been wanting to meet you for ages! It's so great to finally meet you!"
"what?"
Realizing the abruptness of his words, David Henry Hwang quickly explained, "I know Robert, and he mentioned you to me."
In addition, I have taken the liberty of reading the original manuscript of "Canal Street Metro Station", and it is excellent!
I've always tried to create stage plays that reflect the lives of Chinese Americans, but I've focused too much on the past and neglected the present. Your book, *Canal Street Subway Station*, connects the past and present of Chinatown, making it more moving and vivid. We should let those white pigs know about our efforts.”
Huang Zhelun speaks Mandarin with a Huai'an accent.
Very standard!
Unlike most second-generation Chinese Americans that Xu Shengjie knows, many of them cannot even speak a complete sentence of Chinese.
Or perhaps, the accent is terribly strange.
"Henry, your Chinese is amazing! You even have an accent."
In China, saying someone has an accent might be considered a form of teasing or mockery.
But here, an accent is a compliment.
You haven't forgotten your roots; you know you're Chinese—which is completely different from those ABCs or bananas (Chinese people who are Westernized).
"Haha, that's normal. That's how my parents talk. I learned it from them."
This is the difference between long-term and new immigrants.
Immigrants who came after World War II, especially those who came from China in the 1970s and 80s, often didn't want to speak a word of Chinese after arriving in the United States. Even if they were ridiculed, they insisted on speaking English to show their love for the country.
As a result, 70% of the descendants of immigrants who came during this period, namely the second generation of immigrants born in the 1990s, do not have a good command of Chinese.
There have been changes for those born after 00.
Because during their formative years, China was experiencing a period of rapid growth.
Of course, it's different in some places.
In their own words: English is the most beautiful language in the world, French can communicate with Europe, Japanese represents the best of Asian culture, Korean is the trend of Asian fashion—while Chinese is not widely recognized by them.
Difficult to learn, useless!
It is not even as widely used as Hindi.
So when future Chinese people jokingly refer to "Singapore" in a friendly and amicable manner, they are all extremely angry.
The problem is, while Americans sarcastically refer to them as "little red dots," they are all smugly pleased with themselves.
A bunch of lunatics!
Instead of being a decent person, they learn to act like a dog.
That's the situation, but I've gone off on a tangent!
Xu Shengjie and Huang Zhelun exchanged pleasantries and got along very well with each other.
"Jeffrey, let me introduce you. This is my brother, Tim Herlich. You can call him Tim."
"
"Hey, I'm Jeffrey."
"Hello, Mr. Jeffrey."
Tim's appearance is somewhat reminiscent of the actor who played Allen Garner in "The Hangover," and he has the physique of Zach Galifianski. He has messy, slightly curly hair and a stubble beard, which, while full, is rather disheveled.
He seemed a little reserved and uneasy.
David Henry Hwang patted his arm and laughed, "Tim, Jeffrey is a very nice guy."
This person is socially anxious.
But based on his works, he is also an internal burner.
Xu Shengjie stopped arguing. He was 100% certain that this was the Tim he knew.
"Tim, let's get straight to the point."
I know you're not leaving NBC anytime soon, right?
"Yes, this is my livelihood."
NBC's salary level is average, and he's just a nobody at NBC, but at least he has job security.
Leaving rashly would greatly increase the likelihood of him falling below the cutoff line. In fact, he worked at NBC before he achieved fame and success.
"A weekly salary of three hundred to help me with some script-related matters."
At the same time, I will commission you to write the script for a TV series episode—have you had any previous work on this topic?
Tim shook his head shyly and said, "I can write, but I've always been responsible for scripts for Saturday Night Live. I haven't tried writing formal TV series or movie scripts before. But I'm willing to learn if Mr. Jeffrey gives me the opportunity."
"That basically means he's a new screenwriter."
"You could say that."
"Are you a WGA member?"
"Yes."
Xu Shengjie couldn't help but laugh and said, "That's better than me."
He is not yet a member of the Writers Guild of America, but he has already applied.
This isn't difficult; he's already written a 24-part screenplay, which is enough to pass censorship. And filming is about to begin.
After WGA approves it, he will pay a membership fee of $2500 and become a full member.
Official members will sign a cooperation agreement with WGA.
The union here really gets things done.
As long as you can bring them benefits, the union will definitely step in when your interests are threatened.
They even dared to confront the seven most powerful figures.
Tim laughed, and David Henry Hwang, who was next to him, also laughed and said, "Speaking of this, George Kirgo (George Kirgo, the president of the Writers Guild of the Eastern United States, also known as WGAE in 1994) complained to me that he almost missed out on you."
If you don't submit it voluntarily, once your movie is finished, those bitches on the West Coast will definitely swarm over like flies and take you away.
If that's the case, then he's failed in his duty as chairman! I estimate you'll receive a call from them on Monday or Tuesday.
Like hip-hop, the East and West are clearly distinct in the United States.
The three major unions also have East and West divisions. The West Coast bitches that David Henry Hwang mentioned are the American Western Writers Guild.
Screenwriters in the Eastern United States are mainly independent filmmakers and Broadway writers; screenwriters in the Western United States are mainly writers for film and other media.
David Henry Hwang has representative works.
After "M. Butterfly" premiered on Broadway, it brought him an annual income of around 300,000.
As long as "M. Butterfly" continues to be performed, his commissions will continue to flow in, and with inflation, his earnings will be even higher in the future.
He holds a significant position in the Writers Guild of America East Coast and, to some extent, represents Chinese-American screenwriters.
Xu Shengjie doesn't mind joining WGAE, as it provides him with another channel to protect his rights.
That's right, the membership fee is not low, and it has to be paid every year.
Ultimately, Xu Shengjie and Tim signed a contract.
Tim will receive commissioned writing opportunities at $12000 per episode, which is the maximum WGA rate for newcomers, on par with Toni Ann. At the same time, Tim also has the freedom to create independently, and Xu Shengjie's studio has the right of first refusal.
The price is negotiable between the two parties.
Tim doesn't have an agent; he can make decisions on his own.
Xu Shengjie simply recommended JJ to him, but said he would have to wait until Harris returned and communicate with Tim in person.
Tim readily agreed.
He doesn't need to work fixed hours. Xu Shengjie will contact him when there's work available, and when there isn't, he works at NBC or does his own creative work—it's very flexible and free. Tim also likes this kind of contract, saying on the spot that he's currently very free.
Even if you have plenty of free time, you still have to sign a contract before you can start working.
Xu Shengjie discovered that this guy was a bit split-off.
At first, I was socially awkward, but after getting to know them, I started spouting off about bodily functions and all sorts of dirty jokes.
One second he's passionately discussing love with you, the next he's showing his true colors as a scumbag.
Lan Yun, no, Zhou Wenqiong, sat to the side, her eyes wide with amazement.
"Jeff, I'm home!"
When Xu Shengjie got home that evening, he received a phone call.
On the phone, a woman spoke in a soft, melodious Wu dialect that was so soothing it melted your heart.
Xu Shengjie found the name somewhat unfamiliar at first.
But then, the original owner's damned memories awakened from the depths of his soul, making his soul tremble slightly.
"Tong Shimei?"
"What did you call me?"
The sound changed, and it became the Guangdong-Guangxi Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Well, it's like the transition from Fish Ball Girl to Dong Chichi was extremely smooth.
Xu Shengjie answered instinctively, "Tenth Sister."
"Good boy, let me tell you, don't be like your eldest brother and the others. There's a difference between elders and juniors. I have no problem with them calling me Tenth Sister, but you and Eleventh Sister should respectfully call me Sister Jenna."
"Jenna, you're back in New York?"
"Yes, I heard that our little twelfth has grown up, can make money, and can make a lot of money!"
"If you get a good chance, don't forget to tell his sister Jenna—Little Twelve, I'm telling you, if this doesn't get resolved, I'll kill you!"
By this time, Xu Shengjie had a clear understanding of who was on the other end.
He rubbed his forehead and said with a wry smile, "Jenna, stop teasing me—is everything sorted out at the internet cafe?"
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