Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
D*mn it, what’s going on? Wang Yang scratched his hair in confusion. First, he had an accident with a baby stroller, then his brain was full of movies from the future? Was this some kind of joke by God? “Did God give me previews into the future because he knows I like movies? Perhaps it was a gift? A consolation for getting expelled from college?”
Never mind. What’s done is done. After all, it was a wonderful gift–his kind of gift! Imagine seeing decades into the future of cinema and having all the great movies of the world at his disposal. Awesome. He felt excited and tingly just thinking about it. What luck! Wang Yang unleashed a punch combo into the air triumphantly. Suddenly, all the troubles, disappointment, and setbacks seemed so distant and minute.
Now, let’s see what hidden gems we can find… Wang Yang nestled cozily in his seat and let his mind drift away. Soon, he was in that room filled with heaps of film reels, picking and choosing. The room contained every conceivable genre, from side-splitting comedies to gut-wrenching horror films; from tear-jerking romance flicks to awe-inspiring works of science fiction… Wang Yang was like a hungry man who’d found himself at a banquet, spoiled by choice and taking bites here and there.
What’s more, any information related to the movies, such as box office gross, would come to his mind whenever he willed them to. The actors’ biodata, and everything there was to know, was all laid out for him to see.
At that point, a crazy thought struck Wang Yang. Perhaps he could also see other things in the future. Such as the next winning number in Lotto America; or the next person to take up the mantle after Bill Clinton was impeached for his sexcapades; or whether Michael Jordan would claim the elusive three-peat for a second time that year? As hard as he tried to visualize the outcomes, nothing came to his mind.
But as far as information on film and television shows went, his mind was brimming with them.
Nevertheless, it was more than enough to keep Wang Yang hooked, to the point where he didn’t even notice when the rest of the audience had left the theater. He’d clearly lost track of the time, for the next movie had already begun to play on the big screen. Since the cinema was quite empty during the daytime, no one bothered to chase him out.
Huh, Avatar? James Cameron again! You’ve got to be kidding me. A worldwide gross of 2.78 billion dollars?! What’s the world coming to?! Wang Yang gasped unconsciously. And everyone thought Titanic was unbeatable. Who knew James Cameron would reach a new height ten years later?
Damn him, what a madman! Despite his overheated jealousy, Wang Yang couldn’t help but admire the man. At that moment, he felt a burning desire to fulfill his potential. He wanted to become someone like him! He wanted to make films that will wow the world!
Yet there he was, a mess.
With him being expelled from USC and his records forever tainted with the term, “racial discrimination”, will any school ever accept him again? Fat chance. What about finding a job? His history of racism would still be frowned upon. If he were lucky, he could become a script supervisor. But if he were going to roll the dice and try to work his way up to a director from a script supervisor, he might as well become an extra in hopes of turning into an Oscar-winning actor.
Suddenly, Wang Yang felt a stir of hope. Perhaps, his new gift from God… was an opportunity? Suppose if he took a movie from the future and brought it to the silver screen today, wouldn’t it be equally successful? Compared to going back to San Francisco kicking and screaming, wallowing in failure for the rest of his life, wasn’t it at least worth a shot?
But there was a problem. Even if Wang Yang was confident he could produce a hit, he’d still need funding to turn his ideas into a reality, which could cost anything from a few million to a few hundred million dollars. Who in their right mind would trust a kid of 18 going on 19, and a reject from USC, no less? Who’d stake tens and hundreds of millions of dollars on some dumb kid’s idea? Wang Yang didn’t know who was crazier–him, or the person who would be willing to invest in him. Forget it!
Okay… If he couldn’t become a director, what if he wrote a winning script and tried his luck with the film companies? Wang Yang shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and dismissed the idea.
Because no matter how well-written the script was, he was the only one who knew that it’d become a winner. Besides, film companies received tons of script every year with hardly any time to read them. Then there were the submissions from famous directors, famous screenwriters, and talent agencies who already had arrangements with the film companies. As it was, they had more than enough scripts to keep their project pipelines filled for years.
Even if his script managed to catch someone’s eye, it would still be a slow climb up the waiting list. It wasn’t unusual for a script to take three to five years before it was made into a movie. Three to five years? Forget it. By then, his parents would’ve dragged him back to San Francisco!
Moreover, the film companies might not even give his script a cursory glance before throwing it into the bin because of his age, his background, and most importantly, his name–Young Wang.
What’s in a name? Many things. Specifically, the fact that he was Asian–that he was Chinese. In a country that advocated equality, racial discrimination had to rear its ugly head in more insidious ways. Asians, and even blacks, were often subject to name discrimination.
For example, if an Asian, a black person, and a Caucasian of similar qualifications were to apply for the same job using their respective names, the company would choose the Caucasian’s resume, and it would do so even if the Caucasian’s credentials were a little worse than the other applicants’. For this reason, many black families have opted to give their children more conventional white-American names instead of traditional African-American names. Sad, but true.
Wang Yang sighed resignedly and rubbed his eyebrows. He decided to tune out from his mind for a while. When he looked up at the big screen, he could see Titanic playing. Then, he looked at his watch and realized a few hours had already passed. The screening for City of Angels had ended a long time ago, which means he’d probably sat through another movie before Titanic was screened.
Movie hopping. As expected of a college reject. Wang Yang smiled to himself. On the big screen, the movie had reached the part where the ship was starting to sink. He couldn’t help himself but keep watching and wondering if he’d ever produce something as impressive. All he needed was a chance.
“Rose, listen to me. Listen. Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me… It brought me to you… And I’m thankful, Rose… I’m thankful.” Treading in the water, Jack looked at Rose lovingly, his voice trembling with cold. “You must do me this honor… promise me you’ll survive… that you’ll never give up… no matter what happens… no matter how hopeless… promise me now, and never let go of that promise…”
“I promise…” There was a catch in Rose’s voice. “I promise… I’ll never let go…” promised Rose as she burst into tears, as Jack’s voice faded into the darkness. “Jack… I’ll never let go…”
At that moment, Titanic hit its most poignant note, causing a dampened wave of sobs and snuffles to propagate through the theater. Though Wang Yang had seen the film a few times, his heart couldn’t help but quiver as a barrage of emotions struck him.
Even the girl sitting beside him was jerking with tears. From the outline of her face, Wang Yang could tell she was very beautiful, even in the darkness of the theater. So he did what any gentleman would do, and produced a packet of tissues from his pocket and handed it to the girl. “You might need one of these,” he said softly.
“Thanks.” She took the packet, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her eyes with it. Then, she smiled at Wang Yang.
“Don’t mention it,” said Wang Yang as he smiled back.
“Huh?” Suddenly, as they locked eyes, the girl furrowed her eyebrows as if realizing something. Then, she leaned in slightly, sized him up a few times, and said with a tinge of uncertainty, “Excuse me… you, um… are you Yang?”