Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 141 A ​​bustling crowd
Susan's "Dear West" appeared in The New Yorker in the last week of September, with the subtitle "A Chinese Writer's Journey Across the Great Lakes."

If The New York Review of Books is the reading vane of America's intellectual elite, then The New Yorker covers a wider readership, including many international readers.

Due West quickly attracted the attention of these people. Zhang Chao's multiple identities—Chinese, writer, and young millionaire—provided him with a special mirror for his observation and evaluation of the United States.

The fact that Zhang Chao's articles were published in two top American journals within half a month was also seen as a signal of some kind and began to be repeatedly interpreted by interested people on both sides of the ocean.

Random House, the third largest publisher in the United States, announced that it would publish Zhang Chao's novels this year. This will be the first official appearance of Zhang Chao's works in front of American readers. This pre-publicity has only added fuel to his popularity.

Many reporters and columnists began to go to the University of Iowa, hoping to interview Zhang Chao. Even if there is no opportunity to interview, Zhang Chao's lectures and sharing sessions are open to the public, and you can write a report by listening to them.

But the one who arrived earlier than all the reporters was David Miller, editor of Simon & Schuster. He showed up at Zhang Chao's dormitory door almost the afternoon of the next day after seeing The New Yorker.

I knocked on the door, and the person who opened it was a young man with an East Asian face. He looked tired and dazed. Before I could say anything, he pointed to a closed door in the inner room and said, "He's in there."

David Miller hesitated for a while, but still went into the house and knocked on the door. It was Zhang Chao who opened the door, but he also looked tired and dazed.

Zhang Chao was very surprised to see David, but he still asked, "Why are you here?"

David said in a somewhat complaining tone: "You neither answer my calls nor reply to my emails..."

Zhang Chao said, "Didn't I tell you that if you want to find someone, go find Jeffrey?"

David said, "I just want to ask you, why did you give The Great Doctor to Random House? Although we have a little disagreement, we at Simon & Schuster are still very sincere..."

Wang Chongkai was even more confused when he heard this - what kind of clichéd dialogue was this from a Qiong Yao novel about a love triangle between a man and a woman? Simon & Schuster is one of the top five publishing houses in the United States after all, so please have some moral integrity!
Zhang Chao saw that everyone was already here, so he couldn't chase them out, so he asked David to sit down in the living room. Wang Chongkai naturally took out the Dongding Oolong from Taiwan and brewed tea for the two of them.

Zhang Chao said: "Introduce yourself to David. David also knows Chinese."

Wang Chongkai said cautiously: "My name is Wang Chongkai, and I am also a writer from China. This is the book I wrote."

After saying that, he took out a collection of his own novels and handed it to David. David flipped through it politely, said something polite, and put it aside.

Zhang Chao continued, "I didn't give The Great Doctor to Random House. I gave them another book, a brand new novel based on American life, with American protagonists, and elements of love, suspense, betrayal, etc."

David became even more anxious after hearing this. The historical background and language barriers of The Great Doctor had always been the reason for his hesitation, and the new book Zhang Chao just mentioned had the potential to be a bestseller. But since Zhang Chao had already signed a contract with Random House, he could only continue to fight for The Great Doctor.

Maybe this is what the Chinese saying means "It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away."

David knew that he couldn't hesitate now. American publishers, like Chinese publishers, were insatiable in their desire for quality authors. It was crucial to repair their relationship with Zhang Chao, so he immediately said:

"We are willing to publish The Great Physician on the same terms as Jeffrey proposed before. We can sign the contract now."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "There is an old Chinese saying, 'Those times were different, and those times are different.' You should understand what it means. The conditions at that time are outdated and invalid. Now we have to negotiate again..."

Half an hour later, David Miller left Zhang Chao's dormitory tired and dazed. What he wanted to do most now was to get on the time machine and go back to the past, and then slap himself twice in the face two months ago.

Of course, Zhang Chao's visitors were not limited to David Miller. Soon, more than a dozen reporters came to the University of Iowa and asked to interview Zhang Chao. Carlson felt a little uneasy. The contract with Random House was part of his plan. Although Susan did not fully meet the KPI for publishing the article "Dear West", it was still within the promised compensation range.

But the New York Review of Books was completely beyond his control. As a long-time cultural worker under the National Academy of Literature, he was well aware of the influence of the New York Review of Books. Zhang Chao now had his own media resources in the United States, which were gradually out of his control.

Among the interview applications now placed before him, even the New York Times, nicknamed "Gray Lady", appeared.

"New York, New York, and New York!" Carlson was fed up.

Carlson knew that as long as Zhang Chao himself was willing, he could not stop these reporters from interviewing him. The so-called application was just a courtesy to respect IWP's identity as the organizer.

Because the University of Iowa is a typical "urban-integrated" American university, its teaching buildings, stadiums and other buildings and facilities are scattered throughout the city of Iowa. There are no so-called walls, and sometimes students have to take the bus to go to class.

Zhang Chao and the reporters just found a coffee shop to complete the interview.

After hesitating for a long time, Carlson decided to have a face-to-face meeting with Zhang Chao, so he went to the "Mayflower" apartment.

As soon as I reached the floor where the IWP writers lived, I saw everyone standing in the corridor, looking at one of the dormitories with its door open - it was Zhang Chao's.

Carlson secretly thought that something was wrong and hurried over to take a look. Sure enough, fill lights had been set up in the small living room of the dormitory. Zhang Chao was talking to several reporters, and there were a few more waiting outside the door.

The round-robin interviews lasted for almost an hour before they were over. Zhang Chao and the reporters walked out of the room and said to them, "It's not just me who has stories, they also have stories. These writer friends of mine come from all over the world, and each of them has a touching story. For example, this Yusman..."

Following Zhang Chao's enthusiastic introduction, the reporters who were quite impressed by him did not want to leave immediately. Since it was still early, they each found one or two writers they liked to interview. At the very least, they asked them about their opinions on Zhang Chao, which would enrich their material.

This was a pleasant surprise for writers from other regions participating in IWP, and also earned Zhang Chao a lot of goodwill.

Carlson was completely stumped. Only then did he remember the department's assessment of Zhang Chao: "...he is extremely good at using the media, and can magnify even the smallest points of public opinion to the extreme and profit from them."

The grand interview lasted until dark. At this time, Zhang Chao suggested: "It's dinner time. I know a restaurant with very good barbecue..."

The crowd cheered. Writers, journalists, and columnists are all writers, and they have similar interests. After the interview, they have a lot to talk about, so they all said, "Let's go together, let's go together."

A team of more than 30 people set out from the "Mayflower" Apartment in a mighty manner, leaving Carlson with only their backs gradually disappearing into the darkness.

Carlson had a hunch that the goal of "controlling Zhang Chao" seemed to be becoming out of reach.

After Zhang Chao came to the University of Iowa, it was the first time that he returned to the dormitory after midnight. Before going to bed, he turned on his computer to check the new emails and found that one of them not only invited him to an interview, but also to take makeup photos for the cover of a magazine.

Zhang Chao carefully looked at the sender - TIME Magazine.

"Hey, it looks like I won't have to appear on your cover as a 'netizen' this time!"

(End of this chapter)