The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 516: Tintin in Southeast Asia Comic Series (Please Give a Gift)

Zhang Chi nodded with satisfaction.

Looking at the energetic young man in front of him, he seemed to see the spark of future Nanyang cultural exports.

Using the most popular comic book medium in the West, written by one of the most popular cartoonists in the West, this film tells the story of the Chinese in Southeast Asia "since ancient times," exposing the original sin of the colonizers and shaping a new image of the nation...

Thinking of this, he decided to add fuel to the fire:

"It's not just for Western readers. Think about it, even you, Xiaoqi, enjoy reading comics. How can those Aboriginal children who have just started school, and those Aboriginal youths who are basically illiterate, not be attracted by these comics?"

The influence of the cultural front is always subtle. Thanks to the colonial policy of the Johns, the schools they established for the indigenous upper-class collaborators only used the Ansa language for instruction.

The natives do not value education like the Chinese do, and they have very few schools of their own. As a result, most of the lower-class natives can only speak Pegu and Malay, but cannot write.

In the future, as long as Chinese comics, picture books, novels, and even movies and storytelling broadcasts are released, they will naturally influence the next generation of natives.

Unconsciously, they will actively learn Chinese and simplified Chinese characters so that they can understand comic novels, listen to storytelling, and then assimilate.

This is more powerful than any dry diplomatic statement or history textbook.

Zhang Chi, who comes from the 21st century and has been deeply influenced by White Eagle TV series and Japanese cartoons, knows very well that compared to simple guns and cannons, cultural sugar-coated bullets are the most terrifying.

"Go ahead, Xiaoqi. Let our story, from Tintin's brush, go to the world."

Looking at Xiaoqi who left with full energy, Zhang Chi smiled with satisfaction.

Now, even the White Eagle and the Great Russia, which are about to become the world hegemons, have not yet realized the power of the cultural atomic bomb.

Even when the Cold War began, the two families were still arguing about who had beef stew with potatoes in the kitchen.

From this time on, Nanyang under Zhang Chi's leadership had taken the first step in its global cultural strategic layout.

-----

Soon after, Hergé received enthusiastic requests for manuscripts and PUA packages.

When he handed the first draft outline and some storyboard sketches of "Tintin and the Jade Pagoda" to Xiaoqi, and then Xiaoqi "passed it on" to Zhang Chi, he felt nervous.

He incorporated a lot of elements that required tension and relaxation: the footprints of Chinese ancestors, the background of Zheng He's fleet, the exposure of the colonists' conspiracy, and the emphasis on "since ancient times."

But he also added a lot of his favorite suspense and mystery elements and a relatively neutral perspective.

Looking at the young man with eyes full of curiosity, Hergé suddenly felt that perhaps Xiao Qi was the "Tintin" of Nanyang.

"The story begins when Tintin and his loyal companion Snowy are commissioned by the editor-in-chief of the Brussels-based newspaper Le 20th Century to conduct an interview and report on the newly independent "Federated Republic of Southeast Asia" to learn about the situation in this emerging country."

"At the Yangon dock, Tintin accidentally rescued a panicked old Chinese man from Pegu, Grandpa Chen, who was being chased by local hooligans. Grandpa Chen was the night watchman at a local Chinese school, and his ancestors were said to have been survivors of the Ming Dynasty."

"Afterwards, Grandpa Chen, expressing his gratitude, secretly gave Ding Ding an extremely old sandalwood box wrapped in oilcloth. In a trembling voice, he left a last-gasp message: '...Buddha's eyes...point to...Crown Prince...Dragon trapped in shallow water...Emerald...Under the tower...The truth...'"

Xiao Qi was filled with curiosity about the interesting story: "So this story also involves decryption?"

"That's right," Hergé sighed, rubbed his temple, and said to the translator, "I've read the historical materials you brought, translated into Japanese, and I've found that the mysterious whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen and Zheng He's voyages to the West can be combined very well."

When talking about Emperor Jianwen, Hergé used the transliteration pronunciation directly, and Xiaoqi understood it immediately without waiting for the translation.

"So I simply added a section where Tintin goes on an adventure in Southeast Asia to find the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen and the remains of Zheng He's voyages to the West, and added a mystery element. There is a mysterious Chinese Buddhist organization in Southeast Asia. They have been hiding in the shadows, guarding the bloodline of Emperor Jianwen..."

Xiao Qi almost jumped up: "Great, this is a really good story!"

"Haha." Hergé chuckled and decided to include a character based on the sunny boy in front of him in the main story, as Tintin's assistant and friend. "Show it to General Zhang. If he likes it, I'll start drawing."

Hergé finally adjusted his mindset. He was just a cartoonist with "original sin", living under someone else's roof and being well-fed and pampered by others. The most important thing was to satisfy the client.

-----

At the door of Zhang Chi's office, Xiao Qi, holding the draft, met Bai Minghui who had just come out.

"Colonel Wu? I heard you've been working on a comic strip with that famous foreigner lately?"

"Lieutenant General Bai." Xiao Qi stopped and saluted. "It's Mr. Hergé, not a foreigner. He's a very famous cartoonist, and his IP is world-renowned."

Bai Minghui didn't know what IP was. He leaned over and said mysteriously, "Anyway, it's a storytelling project, right? Can you ask him to write a story with me as the protagonist? Maybe it's called 'The General and the Tomb' or 'Temple Adventure'..."

Knowing that the other party needed his help, Xiao Qi grinned and said, "Mr. Hergé is concentrating on completing the task assigned by the commander-in-chief."

Then he gave the disappointed Bai Minghui a sly smile: "But..."

Bai Minghui patted his chest and said, "I understand, I understand..."

Ten minutes later, Zhang Chi in the office quickly finished reading the manuscript brought by Xiao Qi.

"Did Emperor Jianwen retreat to Buddhism in Southeast Asia? His ashes scattered into the rivers? Are Jianwen's legacy his bloodline and the agricultural techniques he brought, not gold or silver?" Zhang Chi chuckled. "This Hergé is quite interesting. He knows what the real treasure is."

He looked at Xiao Qi, who was standing beside him and was also nervous:

"Tell Mr. Hergé that I agree with this idea in principle. Especially the last paragraph in the secret scroll left by Emperor Jianwen: 'Only Chinese clothing, rituals, music, and literature are the foundation of life. I hope those who come after us will not forget our roots... In this land of Southeast Asia, we will spread Chinese civilization and benefit the people.'

Well-written, this is more valuable than having Tintin find ten mountains of gold and silver; this is the 'treasure' we want to convey to the world."

"As for those clownish and mysterious forces in the story," Zhang Chi's eyes darkened, and he sneered, "They perfectly serve to highlight the colonizers' despicableness and their fear of history. Having Tintin fight them further demonstrates that justice is on our side. Very good."

Xiao Qi breathed a sigh of relief, then became excited again: "Commander-in-Chief, can Mr. Hergé continue painting now?"

"Let him paint freely." Zhang Chi waved his hand, "The details can be polished. For example, the support of the Chinese community that protects Jianwen's bloodline can be more organized and have a sense of historical heritage.

But the core purpose remains unchanged: Nanyang is a homeland that our Chinese ancestors, along with the local indigenous people, pioneered with great difficulty. The founding of our nation is an inevitable return to history. Anyone who attempts to conceal or distort this is an enemy. Go away."

Zhang Chi looked out the window again. It felt so good to be a plagiarist. Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" was such a classic as a suspense work.

Zhang Chi concluded that this comic would be a hit in the West due to its story structure and suspenseful puzzles. He seemed to see the future scene of White Eagle, John, and Gaul bookstores displaying the new "Tintin in Southeast Asia" series of comics.