Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 780: Money-burning website

"Can't write anything? I heard that you started writing essays for Reading magazine at the invitation of Wang Hui, the editor-in-chief of Reading magazine?" Fang Minghua asked back.

"That's right." Yu Hua smiled bitterly and said:
"Even if I didn't win the Mao Dun Prize, I'm still a bit famous, so I got invitations. But essays are just about writing personal thoughts, how can they be compared to novels? I felt like my mind was empty after I finished writing "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood", and there was nothing to write about."

Fang Minghua understood that Yu Hua was speaking from his heart.

Historically, after Yu Hua wrote "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood", he did not make much noise in the literary world. He just wrote essays and the like. It was not until 2005 that he wrote "Brothers".

Fang Minghua hesitated for a moment before saying, "Don't force yourself if you can't write. Read more books, go out for a walk, gain more experience and knowledge, and maybe one day you'll have something to write about."

"Well, it's good to go out for a walk." Yu Hua nodded:

"Don't tell me, I recently received an invitation from the Italian Grinzane Cavour Literature Award jury, saying that my novel To Live was shortlisted for this year's literature award, and they hope that I can go to Italy to attend the award ceremony. I'm currently hesitating whether to go or not, it's too far."

"Go, why not? Go to Italy, enjoy the scenery of the Apennine Peninsula, and bring back a prize. Come, let me congratulate you in advance." Fang Minghua raised his glass with a smile.

"Thanks for your good wishes." Yu Hua smiled and raised his glass.

"Cheers!" They both drank it in one gulp.

In the evening, after leaving Yu Hua's house, Yu Hua went outside the community to call a taxi for him. She watched him get in the car, gave the driver a few words, and watched the car drive away before going home.

Fang Minghua sat in the taxi, looking at the night scene of the city outside.

Most of the bottle of Moutai went into his stomach and he was a little drunk, but when the night breeze blew, he sobered up.

Yu Hua said that he felt like he had run out of ideas. In fact, the entire pure literature was beginning to decline, whether it was novels, essays, or poetry.

Those active in the literary world today are still those from the 1980s.

Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, Mo Yan, Su Tong, and Wang Anyi were all born in the 1950s and 1960s. Where are the people born in the 1970s?
It seems that those born in the 1980s are about to emerge in the literary world.

However, the literary works of those born after the 1980s, such as Han Han and Guo Jingming, can no longer be considered pure literature and can only be classified as bestsellers.

Why.
It is estimated that even if great writers like Lu Xun and Mao Dun were resurrected, they would not be able to change this trend.

The times have changed.

Fang Minghua decided not to think about these things that had no correct answers anymore. After staying in Yanjing for another two days, he prepared to return to Xijing.

On the phone, Song Tangtang also said that he was about to return to China from San Francisco.

But shortly after getting up in the morning, I received a call from Dai Jiali, vice president of Shencheng Shengshi Books.

"Teacher Minghua, congratulations on winning the Lu Xun Literature Award!"

"Thank you, Jiali. Why did you call me so early just to talk about this? This is not your style. Is there anything else?" Fang Minghua asked.

"Yes, a little bit. Regarding the Under the Banyan Tree website, can you spare some time to come to Shencheng and talk to Mr. Shu?" Dai Jiali asked.

"What happened?"

"It's mainly a matter of website expenses. Mr. Su complained that the website was just burning money but had no income, and he was very dissatisfied with it."

"Have you told Mr. Zhao about this?" Fang Minghua asked. "Mr. Zhao has not been back from Xijing for a while. He called me to talk about this. Mr. Zhao has some opinions on this. After all, no boss likes a project that has only expenses and no income for more than a year."

"So, you're looking for me?" Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"Yes, Mr. Minghua, I know you are very supportive of the establishment of Rongshuxia. Please have a good talk with Mr. Zhao and Mr. Shu. Otherwise, my situation will be very difficult. I originally wanted to purchase a batch of servers to improve the performance of the website, but Mr. Shu rejected it. Alas."

"Mr. Zhao and Mr. Shu have their own considerations. I will come to Shencheng." Fang Minghao said after thinking for a while.

"Great! I'll tell Xiao Chen and the others the good news!"

Fang Minghua hung up the phone, thought for a while, then pulled out the address book and called Zhao Hongjun.

"Hongjun, are you still in Xijing? Not going to Shanghai?" Fang Minghua asked.

"Look, I've been staying in Shanghai for a long time. You said I didn't go back to Xijing to see Minmin. I will stay in Xijing for a few more days during the New Year. And you said I don't go back to Shanghai quickly?!" Zhao Hongjun replied angrily.

"Haha. Fine, stay here if you want. Let me ask you, did Dai Jiali tell you about the cost of the Under the Banyan Tree website over the phone?"

"Yes, Shu Bin called me first, and then Dai Jiali. Why, Dai Jiali called me too?"

"Yes, I just called." Fang Minghua briefly repeated what Dai Jiali said on the phone.

"Lao Shu complained to me on the phone that he had invested nearly 500 million yuan in Rongshuxia over the past two years, but the income was almost zero. It was really too expensive."

On the other side of the microphone, Zhao Hongjun sighed and continued, "I can understand Lao Shu. Now that Shengshi Books' development has begun to slow down, and there is a website that only makes money but does not produce anything, it will inevitably affect the performance of the entire company. As a CEO, he will naturally lose face, and I am also worried."

"What are you afraid of?"

"What I'm worried about is that if Rongshuxia keeps burning money and the cost of investment keeps increasing, I'm worried that it will drag down Shengshi Books. Minghua. Tell me, how long will it take for Rongshuxia to make a profit?"

“It’s hard to say, but at least it won’t be profitable in the next three to five years.”

"Don't tell Shu Bin this. It will make him very angry." Zhao Hongjun said with a smile on the phone.

"Haha, what is Lao Shu afraid of? Just don't scare your boss." Fang Minghua laughed.

"I'm not afraid. I have you. I was going to tell you about this when you returned to Xijing. Now that you know, Dai Jiali asked you to go to Shencheng again. Then you should go there and listen to what the two of them have to say. Think of a solution. They are both big men of Shengshi Group. I don't want to quarrel over this matter."

"Okay, I'll go there."

Fang Minghua planned to go to Shanghai, but after thinking about it, he made a long-distance call to Song Tangtang in San Francisco to explain his situation.

"You're going to Shanghai? Then I might as well book a flight back to Shanghai. I haven't visited the group headquarters for a long time, so I might as well stop by to take a look." Song Tangtang said on the phone.

"That's good, our husband and I will be reunited in Shanghai." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

That afternoon, Fang Minghua bought a soft sleeper ticket to Shanghai.

Mainly because there is no urgent matter, he likes to take the train and enjoy the leisurely journey.

After the first major train speed increase in 97, the train travel time from Yanjing to Shanghai was shortened. Fang Minghua boarded the train at pm and arrived at Hongqiao Railway Station at : am the next day.

(End of this chapter)