Chapter 172: 171 Three Broadway Shows, Alcatraz Island Prison And Al Capone
A temporary show selection turned the backstage of the Broadway theater into a crowded space.
Many musical theater troupes rushed over, all hoping their shows could be seen by more people and for the generous reward.
Satisfying both points at the same time was like heaven to them.
But to be selected, they still had to compete, so while putting on makeup backstage, they were also nervously rehearsing the script.
And the ones selecting these shows weren’t just Fang Wen.
To Fang Wen, he was just watching the excitement.
The hobbies, values, and social perceptions of Americans in this era were not ones he possessed.
He couldn’t evaluate which of these shows were better looking using American thinking either.
For this reason, to select suitable shows, Fang Wen felt there should be more data evaluations for comprehensive consideration.
He redesigned the selection method.
More selection panel members.
He, John Harvey, one theater manager, Graham.
John Harvey could represent lawyers, the theater manager represented professionals, Graham represented Wall Street.
The sample wasn’t enough, needed to add more.
Western cowboys who came to New York to make it, gang members, housewives, ordinary company staff members, and so on.
A 22-person selection panel was formed. According to the rules, Fang Wen’s vote representing personal preference counted as 2 points, the theater manager’s professional vote counted as 4 points, others were 1 point each, total 26 points, reaching 20 points qualified.
This novel selection mode made the performers very nervous and very excited.
They felt this selection better reflected their program’s popularity among the general public.
So they performed even more vigorously.
Two days later, the selection ended.
This selection panel demonstrated what it means that you can’t please everyone.
So many shows, yet only 3 reached a total score of 20 points.
And they were three different types of shows.
Respectively: classical musical, situational musical combined with spoken drama, life musical full of comedic elements.
And they were shows that had never appeared in history.
Fang Wen pondered whether to use these three shows.
He recalled the scenes of the three shows.
The first show, 《Dream of the Golden Age》 – classical musical
Background and theme: 《Dream of the Golden Age》 draws inspiration from the ancient Greek myth of the “Golden Age” （ or Cretan era ）, a legendary ideal heroism myth where humans lived in harmony with nature, without sorrow or aging, with abundant and peaceful lives.
The show presents humanity’s longing and pursuit for a beautiful era through a series of classic stories and figures from ancient Greek mythology, such as Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Hercules, etc., and their loves, hates, and heroic deeds.
Performance form: dance
Combining classical ballet and modern dance, paired with aerial silks, to show flight, combat, and love scenes from the myths.
Music incorporates classical elements, with original compositions presented in symphony and chorus forms to enhance the drama’s solemnity and sanctity.
Stage effects use stage machinery and lighting technology to create dreamlike backgrounds, such as the misty Olympus mountain, sparkling Aegean Sea, etc.
《Dream of the Golden Age》 can be kept, because the show team’s funds were limited and couldn’t fully realize the grand mythical scenes, but the performance was indeed very appealing to European-descended Americans.
Fang Wen thought if they had enough funds for props and costumes, they could do even better.
《Dream of the Golden Age》 confirmed.
The second show. 《Melody at the Street Corner》 – situational musical combined with spoken drama
Background and theme: 《Melody at the Street Corner》 is a situational musical reflecting citizens’ lives during the Great Depression, perfectly combining spoken drama and song-and-dance to show people’s resilient spirit in seeking hope and dreams amid adversity.
The show is set on a bustling street, telling how people of different occupations and backgrounds support each other to face life’s challenges.
Performance form: spoken drama combined with musical
Spoken drama part: realistically shows dialogues and conflicts between characters, revealing social realities and the brilliance of humanity.
Song-and-dance part: interspersed in the spoken drama plot, using songs and dances to express characters’ inner emotions and dreams.
This show has a unique angle, focusing on the social tragedies of America’s middle and lower classes, very resonant with viewers from all walks.
Though it doesn’t leave a pleasant mood after watching, it can make the audience remember it.
A show that generates empathy cannot be given up no matter what.
《Melody at the Street Corner》 confirmed.
The third show. 《Everyday Miracles》 – life musical full of comedic elements
Background and theme: 《Everyday Miracles》 is a life musical based on ordinary family life, incorporating rich comedic elements. Through a series of seemingly mundane yet warm and humorous daily trivia, it shows the kindness, courage, and wisdom in humanity, and the truth of finding happiness in ordinary life.
Performance form: drama + song-and-dance
Using a multi-act drama form, each act revolves around a family event, such as a child’s growing pains, misunderstandings and reconciliations between spouses, etc.
Song-and-dance interludes: inserting carefully choreographed songs and dances at each dramatic climax, such as family members celebrating holidays together, joyful dances resolving conflicts, etc., making the plot more vivid and fun.
Stage design: using simple yet creative stage sets to simulate various family life scenes, such as living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc., creating a warm and realistic viewing atmosphere.
This is the only comedy selected.
Comedy is the best entertainment program, and standing out in the picky selection panel’s votes is enough to prove the show’s quality.
A show that entertains the masses might have even better effects than the first two.
Fang Wen even had an idea to have the show team add interactive elements during the performance: set up some interactive plots with the audience, like impromptu invitations for audience members to come on stage and dance together, enhancing participation and immersion.
This might be even better.
《Everyday Miracles》 also confirmed.
Facts prove that the masses’ insight also has unique insights; Fang Wen took all three shows.
He had private talks with the three show teams, then signed performance employment contracts, and prepaid a deposit for them to purchase costumes and props.
Three days later, Indiana’s matters were also finished.
Upon return, Indiana was full of glory, clearly the matters had succeeded.
He talked privately with Fang Wen.
“I took that money and found more powerful people; now all problems are solved.”
“When will you be transferred back home?” Fang Wen asked.
“Three months later, after completing the handover in Tehran, I can return; replacing me is Roberto Kerr.”
Roberto Kerr was Indiana’s telegraph operator, whom Fang Wen also knew; unexpectedly, he even got promoted because of this.
This was good news; at least there was still an acquaintance in Tehran.
Fang Wen curiously asked, “What position after you’re transferred back?”
Indiana explained, “FBI positions include: agent, analyst, supervisory administrator, senior director. Also divided into many departments. I was originally arranged to transfer to the logistics department, now changed to headquarters agent.”
According to Indiana’s explanation, after such great effort, he still had to be an agent.
The difference was, he became a headquarters agent, only handling investigations of major cases.
According to the new career path.
As this headquarters agent, he could choose to become an analyst, doing brain work, or accumulate merit to become a department head.
The best outcome would be assignment to a field office, becoming the field director of a local branch.
Hearing Indiana’s plans for his future, Fang Wen extended his hand.
“Congratulations, I think you’ll achieve your wishes.”
This implied the meaning of continuing to help Indiana in the future, also their tacit understanding.
Indiana smiled and nodded, extending his hand to grip Fang Wen’s tightly.
New York matters settled, d.332 airplane return to base.
Conveniently carrying some of the show teams’ luggage back.
Since these three show teams purchased various costumes, makeup, and props, one d.332 couldn’t carry it all back, let alone so many show team members.
Flying them to Las Vegas would be too luxurious; could only arrange for them to take the train.
Due to increased load, the airplane stopped at St. Indiana Airport for refueling, flying back to Las Vegas in two trips.
Las Vegas Airport now had a proper appearance.
Mainly, the runway had been leveled by workers.
That was the runway made of concrete by Mexican construction workers working overtime under high reward stimulation.
Looking at the dry runway surface below, Fang Wen landed the airplane.
The first airplane steadily landed on the Las Vegas Airport runway, meaning this airport could now officially takeoff and land.
But Fang Wen had no intention of getting off here; he had Zhao Jiu take people to unload the show luggage from the airplane, John Harvey also got off to handle some legal matters in Las Vegas.
He and Indiana continued takeoff, heading to San Francisco.
San Francisco was the future San Francisco.
San Francisco is the Chinese name, because its original English name was San Francisco, meaning Saint Francis in Spanish, but after transliteration, it sounded like San Francisco, so it stuck.
This also showed that at this time, there were many Chinese people here.
After the airplane landed at San Francisco Airport, Lin Shuiwang brought a group to pick them up.
“General Manager Fang, they are Huaqing Gang people; San Francisco side business will be handled by them from now on,” Lin Shuiwang explained.
San Francisco was Zhigongtang territory, Zhigongtang was Hongmen, which Fang Wen knew; it was a large and complex Chinese organization.
The Chinese gangs here should all have some relation to Zhigongtang.
He smiled and talked with that group.
“Long admired your reputation, hope for pleasant cooperation in the future.”
“General Manager Fang coming to the United States, we failed to host, our rudeness, please forgive,” the leader replied.
“No problem, main reason this time is to go to Alcatraz Island to see someone; do you have connections?”
Mentioning Alcatraz Island, the Huaqing Gang people’s faces changed greatly.
That prison, to gang people, was no different from hell.
For this, the Huaqing Gang leader hurriedly shook his head: “Other favors, we can help, but not there.”
Looks like this path wouldn’t work.
Fang Wen decided to have Indiana step in.
Through Chicago Federal Prison connections, after several twists and turns, contacted the Alcatraz Island prison warden.
This led to the opportunity to meet Al Capone.
Alcatraz Island, located at the center of San Francisco Bay.
A very small island.
Once it was a gathering place for seabirds and pelicans, the island full of guano; merchants discovered the value of guano, bought the small island, built ferries to transport the guano back to land for sale.
Later the guano was gone, the value was gone; just right the federal prison needed a high-security prison site, so chose there.
The built prison surrounded by sea on all sides, inmates couldn’t escape at all, plus the island was so small, no place to hide even for rescuers from prison guards’ sight.
Over time, it became the devil island in lawbreakers’ eyes.
There, only at fixed times each month, ferries open for prisoners’ families and lawyers to visit.
Fang Wen and Indiana boarded the ship from Dock 39 with this group.
The ship sailed to Alcatraz Island prison, arriving without much time.
Passengers disembarked onto the dock, undergoing checks by armed guards.
Per regulations, only books and banknotes allowed, nothing else.
Even books would be opened one by one, checked for specially dug hidden grooves.
When it was Fang Wen and Indiana’s turn, they brought nothing, slight check and passed.
Taking this opportunity, Indiana negotiated with the guard, then was taken to the warden’s office.
Fang Wen followed the families to the visiting room.
He didn’t submit a visit application, no one minded him, sat alone waiting.
While waiting, families entered one by one for visits, occasionally sounds came through.
This was another display of the varieties of life.
Outside, the ruthless criminals, facing family, always showed a soft side.
However, the ways they showed it were all different.
Some cried loudly.
Some hung their heads like errant children, listening to family scoldings.
Some gazed tenderly and whispered, palms pressed together through the glass.
Some lost control and pounded the glass window furiously, dragged away by guards.
Perhaps, only in this brief time, would they no longer hide the emotions suppressed in their hearts, releasing them fully.
This was probably the real reason for visits, to vent prisoners’ emotions, give them something to miss, preventing riots from overly long imprisonment.
Just thinking, Indiana returned.
He sat beside Fang Wen and whispered, “The warden agreed to your meeting with Al Capone, but requires a guard present.”
Fang Wen nodded: “When?”
“They’re fetching him, should be soon,” Indiana replied.
At this time, the door on the other side of the visiting room opened, a guard said: “Fang Wen, follow me.”
Fang Wen stood, followed the guard through the small door, narrow corridor, into a room.
The room had a table, two chairs.
The tall guard waiting inside pointed to the right seat: “You sit here.”
Fang Wen sat waiting; after a bit, Al Capone in handcuffs arrived.
Taking this chance, Fang Wen sized up this celebrity who unified the Chicago Gang.
Said to like using Thompson submachine guns and grenades in battles with other gangs, hence his Scarface nickname, and perhaps the Thompson submachine gun being called the Chicago typewriter owed to him.
He controlled all Chicago Mafia gangs from 1925 to 1931, a full five years, through eliminating small gangs and cooperating with others; a real character.
Even became a comic book character in the future.
But seeing him up close in reality, Fang Wen had another feeling.
He wasn’t tall, with a kindly smile, plus chubby face, more like a businessman.
After he sat, the guard chained the handcuffs to the chair to prevent sudden attacks, then said: “You can talk now, time not to exceed half an hour. If any incident, I’ll terminate the talk.”
Fang Wen nodded, opened a pack of cigarettes in front of the guard, took one out, and offered it to Al Capone.
With the cigarette in mouth, Al Capone looked at the guard; finally the guard compromised and lit it for him.
Cigarettes were a great tool to ease the atmosphere; after he smoked half, Fang Wen spoke:
“I came to find you to talk business, this one deal.”
