Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 230 Jin Yong's Evaluation (Three Chapters in One)

Zhong Weiming said somewhat arrogantly: "You are from Fuhai. How could people from Fuhai not know the difference between Shoushan Stone and Tianhuang Stone?"

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "Tian Huang stone is more valuable than gold, and not all the people in Fuhai are rich. My family was very ordinary before, so how could we afford to play with these stones?"

The stone shop was not big, and the reporters outside could hear the voice clearly. Zhong Weiming felt annoyed again, but he was the one who threw the words to Zhang Chao, so he couldn't get angry.

He could only patiently say: "Tian Huang stone is actually a type of Shoushan stone, and it is the most precious one. Shoushan stone is crystal clear, has a warm feeling like oil, and has various colors, which are completely natural.

As the name suggests, Tianhuang Stone is mainly yellow in color. It is produced in the rice fields on both sides of Shoushou Mountain Creek. The stones from the mountains rolled into the creek and were washed by the creek for tens of millions of years, and buried by fine sand and soil for tens of millions of years, so it is particularly oily and transparent, like frozen fat.

Zhang Chao looked at the two stones carefully again, pointed at the larger one and said, "Although both stones are yellow, I think this one is yellower. Is it Tianhuang?"

Zhong Weiming picked up the piece Zhang Chao pointed at and said, "This piece is a little yellower, but it is not Tian Huang, it is called Huang Furong, which is also a precious variety of Shoushan Stone.

But the price is far from that of real Tian Huang."

Zhang Chao picked up another stone with a hint of exaggeration and said in surprise: "Could it be this one? This one is much smaller and not that yellow."

Zhong Weiming was startled, and hurriedly and carefully took the thumb-sized stone back from Zhang Chao's hand with his fingers, and said proudly: "Yes, this is Tianhuang stone, and it is the best of Tianhuang stone, Tianhuang jelly. If you look closely, this stone doesn't look like a stone, but rather like a piece of solidified, transparent grease.

So although it is not particularly yellow, it is warm and bright yellow. Even though it is only a small piece, its price is calculated by gram. You say it is "more valuable than gold"? Gold is not as valuable as it. In the Qing Dynasty, someone said "one ounce of Tianhuang is worth three ounces of gold". It seems that you really don't understand."

Zhang Chao did not comment. He picked up the larger yellow hibiscus stone, looked at it over and over again, and asked in confusion: "Although I am an outsider, in my opinion, this stone also looks smooth. Even if it does not have the effect of fat freezing, the yellow is brighter, purer, more majestic, and more elegant. It is at least not inferior to the Tianhuang stone."

Zhong Weiming was speechless again. In fact, many so-called "gems" often have no objective standards in terms of variety, grade, and appearance. They rely purely on word of mouth and "experience" accumulation among collectors and players, which is very subjective.

In particular, Shoushan Stone is named after its place of origin. As long as the stones with similar properties dug out in the specified production area are "Shoushan Stone". Different varieties of Shoushan Stone may belong to completely different types of stones in geology, and the colors are even more colorful.

As for "smoother", "oilier", "more transparent", "heavier to the touch"... those are just what people in the industry say.

Later, a state-owned enterprise bought a mine in Laos. The "Laos Tian Huang" dug out was not only a dickite like Shoushan Tian Huang, but also had purer quality and larger individual pieces. However, domestic collectors who had stockpiled Tian Huang said that this kind of Tian Huang was "dry in texture" and "not warm enough", so its price was once only one percent of that of domestic Tian Huang.

A similar situation also occurs with jadeite. Jadeite has a mineral called "water jade", which is crystal clear and has different types such as ice, glutinous, and glass. From an aesthetic point of view, it is no different from jadeite. However, jadeite is extremely expensive, while water jade is almost free.

The reason why jade is expensive is that Chinese foreign trade merchants in the Qianlong era chose green jade between the two gemstones as a balance in international trade and drove up the price, so that they would not come with a full load and return empty-handed (there was no other way. Southeast Asia was too backward at the time and there were no products that could match porcelain, tea, and silk. The Thirteen Hongs could only help them create them. Similar situations also include bird's nests and rosewood. Qianlong ate bird's nests like crazy because he was the boss of the Thirteen Hongs and had to help hype up the products. Ji Xiaolan recalled in his notes that when he was a child, the price of jade was extremely low and people at that time did not regard jade as jade; when he grew up, the price of jade was even higher than that of real jade).

The economy is the primary driving force, and the rest depends on how the story and the rhetoric are written.

In his previous life, Zhang Chao lived in Shenzhen, and his business was concentrated in the Shenzhen-Zhongshan area for a period of time. He also lived very close to Shuibei, the largest gold and jewelry trading center in the country, so he knew something about it and therefore had basically no illusions about these stones.

However, he had no intention of making things difficult for Zhong Weiming. He immediately passed the topic to him and asked, "Since Tianhuang is more expensive, there must be a reason. Can Mr. Zhong tell me about it?" He looked like he was eager to learn.

Zhong Weiming was relieved. The appearance of things depends on whether you recognize it or not. If you are not in the same context, it is useless to talk about it. Zhang Chao asked this question, and it seemed that he was going to fall into the trap, so he patiently explained: "Huang Furong stone is mined in the cave; Tianhuang stone is cracked from the mother ore of Shoushan stone due to geological activities, rolled into the stream, and then buried in the sand layer, and finally formed.

During this process, Shoushan Stone first rubbed and collided with the mountain continuously, the surrounding dregs were worn away, and the edges and corners were gradually smoothed. After the stone rolled into the stream, it was gradually buried by the mud and sand that washed down with it, and various metal elements in the river water and soil began to continuously infiltrate the stone.

With the continuous contamination and accumulation of metal elements, the stone turns yellow all over. After oxidation, a thin skin is formed on the surface of the stone. When the inside matures to a certain degree, the "old" "field flavor" gradually appears, and it becomes the real Tianhuang.

It is precisely because of this tempering process that Tianhuang stone has a round shape, a warm texture, and a mellow color. Only Tianhuang stone has such a refined, calm and restrained characteristic. There is a reason why the royal nobles of all dynasties regarded Tianhuang as the most precious gem.

Only when you calm down and appreciate and play with it carefully can you experience the unique charm of Tianhuang. No other stone can compare to Tianhuang. "

As Zhong Weiming was talking, he couldn't help but try to trick Zhang Chao into "joining the religion". This was both his nature as a stone fanatic and his instinct as a businessman.

Zhang Chao let out a long "Oh", picked up the piece of Tianhuang and observed it carefully, then said: "The same kind of stone, staying peacefully in the cave, in the end, its value is not as good as its 'compatriots' who have experienced rolling, collision, friction, infection, and run to another place...

Wow, Boss Zhong, your words are so profound and inspiring to me! "

Zhong Weiming finally reacted and said coldly: "I'm talking about Shi Tou, don't contact him randomly."

Zhang Chao said in surprise: "I was talking about stones, what did you think of?"

Zhong Weiming: "..." He swallowed his breath again. Zhang Chao had only been in the store for less than half an hour, and he had been irritated more than he had been in his entire life, but he couldn't even vent his anger.

Since Zhang Chao had already "tricked" Zhong Weiming into saying what he wanted him to say, he did not bother to ask too much and casually asked, "How much is this piece of Tianhuang stone?"

Zhong Weiming glanced at the reporter outside the store and asked, "Do you really want to buy it?"

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "I really want to buy it. Tianhuang is so precious and so instructive, I'll buy a piece as a souvenir. Why, Boss Zhong is afraid that I can't afford it?"

Zhong Weiming said: "It's not that reason... We buy and sell stones, and we are not used to this." As he spoke, he pointed at the reporters outside the store with his eyes.

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "We are all wearing T-shirts, so our arms are bare. It's not easy to 'swallow gold from the sleeves'."

Zhong Weiming reluctantly took out a calculator, pressed the mute button first, then typed in a price of "300" on it and showed it to Zhang Chao.

Although the quality of his stone is good, it is too small, which is the minimum size for engraving seals. Moreover, it is a plain stone with no craftsmanship added, and it is not a cultural relic with an orderly inheritance, so the price is still fair.

Zhang Chao did not suffer any loss by buying it at this price. The price of Tianhuang has been rising steadily. Even when Laotian materials flooded into the market later, there was no sharp drop.

Besides, Zhang Chao didn't want to sell it, as he had other uses for this piece of Tianhuang.

However, it is impossible to do business without bargaining, so Zhang Chao said with a very surprised look: "Isn't it 'one tael of Tianhuang equals three taels of gold'? This is more than 1:3." Then he followed the bargaining method his mother taught him in the vegetable market, and pressed a price that made Zhong Weiming want to vomit blood.

After reading it, Zhong Weiming shook his head fiercely, picked up the calculator and punched in another price, and said, "One ounce of Tian Huang equals three ounces of gold. That was in the Qing Dynasty, hundreds of years ago, big boss!"

After several rounds of negotiation, the two finally reached a deal at a price slightly lower than the initial figure. Zhang Chao readily took out his credit card and paid.

Zhong Weiming looked at the record of successful transfer on the POS machine. He was still a little dazed. How could a business worth hundreds of thousands of yuan be done just like that? Didn't Zhang Chao come to challenge him? How did he do business?

But money is money, and now that it was in his pocket, he swiftly took out silk and an exquisite mahogany box, wrapped the Tianhuang stone and placed it in the box.

The reporters outside the door started taking photos again. Zhang Chao, the "richest writer in the mainland", really was not lying. Although they didn't know how much the deal was, they estimated that it would not be less than 20 yuan. Zhang Chao paid without blinking an eye, as if he was buying meat at the market.

Moreover, the verbal confrontation between the two just now was also quite mysterious. Zhong Weiming was talking about stones in every sentence, but Zhang Chao was talking about more than just stones in every sentence.

After paying the bill, Zhang Chao said goodbye to Zhong Weiming who was still in a daze, then walked out of the store with a relaxed look, and clearly showed the Tianhuang stone he had just bought to the reporter's camera again.

Immediately, a reporter asked, "Mr. Zhang, how much did you spend on this piece of Tianhuang stone?"

Zhang Chao said: "Since Boss Zhong said that buying stones depends on fate, fate is priceless. I cannot reveal the exact amount. But I believe that Boss Zhong gave a fair price."

The reporter asked again: "Excuse me, are you here to buy Tianhuang in the stone shop to seek reconciliation with Mr. Zhong Weiming?"

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "I'm here to buy stones. If buying stones means seeking peace, then Boss Zhong would have too many enemies." The reporter couldn't help but asked directly, "Just now you said in the store that you were very inspired. What exactly was the inspiration?"

Zhang Chao said: "Boss Zhong said that Shoushan Stone has to leave the original mine, go through rolling and tumbling all the way, and settle in the streams of the outside world before it can be called precious Tianhuang Stone. This reminds me of the growth process of a person."

The reporter hurriedly asked: "You said that you are a student from Hong Kong and should also leave Hong Kong..."

Zhang Chao quickly waved his hands and said, "No, I'm talking about myself."

reporter:"……"

Zhang Chao immediately went on to explain: "I was born in Fuhai, thousands of miles away from Yanjing. If I had chosen to stay in Fuhai instead of going to Yanjing to communicate and collide with so many teachers, classmates, friends, and even opponents, I would not be who I am today.

Besides, I can go to Yenching University thanks to Hong Kong.”

Reporter: “Why?”

Zhang Chao said: "Everyone may have forgotten that it was the universities in Hong Kong - especially the Chinese Department of Lingnan University - that wanted to recruit me first, which triggered a chain reaction among domestic universities. So in fact, if I hadn't gone to Yenching University, I would have come to Hong Kong.

If I come to study at a university in Hong Kong, I wonder how Mr. Zhong Weiming would evaluate me? Would he say that Zhang Chao betrayed the mainland or that Hong Kong nurtured Zhang Chao? "

After saying that, she turned around and looked at Zhong Weiming with a smile.

Zhong Weiming was originally leaning against the door of the store, wanting to hear what Zhang Chao had to say, but he didn't expect to be called out suddenly, and the question was so sharp. He immediately said with a dark face: "Our store is closed today, everyone please go back."

After that, regardless of the reporter's objection, he immediately pulled down the shutter door, closed the security door, and sat back in the mahogany chair angrily without saying a word. Although he had made hundreds of thousands of dollars in business today, he was already fed up with it.

At this time, the wretched young man in the corner dared to sit next to him again and said timidly: "Uncle Zhong, no one expected Zhang Chao to be like this. Don't be angry with yourself. We will find another way!"

Zhong Weiming took a sip of the teacup, only to find that the tea had already gone cold. But the cold tea also made his mind clearer. Suddenly he looked at the young man who had been complimenting him and said coldly: "We, which we? You and me, or me and some of you in Taiwan?"

The young man did not expect that Zhong Weiming would suddenly point the finger at him, so he could only say awkwardly: "It's just me, it's just me. I have been in Hong Kong for many years and I am already a Hong Konger. I think about problems from the perspective of a Hong Konger..."

Zhong Weiming sneered, and after a long while he said, "Now that I think about it, what Zhang Chao said may not be without reason." He then said to the young man, "Why do you have so much free time today to come and drink tea? Don't you have to go back to work?"

The young man knew that Zhong Weiming was asking him to leave, and knew that he should not say more, so he stood up and said goodbye, "Yes, I have to go to Sham Shui Po in the afternoon. I'll come to visit Uncle Zhong next time I'm free." After that, he simply left.

Zhong Weiming opened the back door of the shop and let the young man leave. Then he sat in the shop in silence, then walked to the counter, picked up another piece of yellow hibiscus and played with it in his hands. After a long time, he sighed - it seemed that he had been fooled this time...

The young man went out the back door, watched Zhong Weiming close the door, and then he spat softly and whispered angrily: "Damn it, what are you talking about? Do you think I'm afraid?"

Then he took out his cell phone and dialed a number: "...Hello, the situation has changed. Zhong Weiming seems unreliable..."

More than an hour later, the news that Zhang Chao bought Tianhuang in Zhong Weiming's stone shop was reported in the Hong Kong noon news. Everyone was surprised to see that there was no verbal battle as expected, but a happy discussion about stones. Their impression of Zhang Chao also changed.

How could this be the arrogant "literary prince" as some people say? On the contrary, Zhang Chao's statement that he was born in an ordinary family resonated with many people. Zhang Chao's background is not a secret. It was reported before when he came to Hong Kong. Now it is just to refresh people's memory.

At that time, Hong Kong people still held a very positive view on "starting from scratch", so most of the previous smears against him were quietly dispelled by his one sentence.

Later, Zhang Chao linked the formation process of Tianhuang Stone with his own growth, which was quite appropriate. Although it may sound a bit self-conceited and boastful, normal people would not be offended when Zhang Chao now says that he is a "gem".

Finally, Zhang Chao very naturally brought up his relationship with Hong Kong and his gratitude to Hong Kong. His question to Zhong Weiming was the only slightly "offensive" language in the whole process, but it also caused most people to reflect -

Why is it that when people from other places come to Hong Kong, they are "nourishen by the multicultural and free atmosphere"; but when Hong Kong people go to other places, they are suspected of "betrayal"?

Zhang Chao solved the first "trap" for Hong Kong students who went to the mainland to participate in the rematch.

"It's wonderful!" After watching the news, Huang Yaoming turned off the TV. He turned to the old man in front of him and said, "Mr. Cha, Zhang Chao's performance is good. Not only did he save himself and his students, but he also eased the confrontation between the North and the South."

The person Pan Ming called "Mr. Cha" was naturally Jin Yong, the founder of Ming Pao and a master of martial arts novels. At this time, Jin Yong was over 80 years old and in a semi-retired state. Apart from occasionally going to various universities to receive honorary doctorates and honorary professorships and give speeches, he rarely appeared in public.

Jin Yong said in his unique Zhejiang Haining accent: "No wonder you always wanted me to meet him. However, he still has a difficult problem to solve. In fact, the starting point of people's doubts is the issue of 'fairness'. You must be clear that you were not careful enough in organizing the competition this time."

Pan Yaoming blushed and said, "I also want to see if I can use this competition to get everyone's attention again for Hong Kong literature."

Jin Yong shook his head and said, "The decline of Hong Kong literature is not the fault of the writers, nor is it the fault of the citizens. Why don't you admit it? In the past, Hong Kong writers still had many jobs to keep even if they couldn't publish in newspapers and magazines.

When I first came to Hong Kong, I didn’t write novels, but movie scripts. At that time, we could write advertisements, lyrics, program plots for TV stations, midnight ghost stories for radio stations, and scripts for cartoonists... At that time, Hong Kong’s economy was developing rapidly, and university education was not popular. There were people everywhere who needed to know how to write.

In fact, the decline of Hong Kong literature is largely due to changes in supply and demand. More and more writing work is being divided up among different professionals. Literary writers are increasingly squeezed into a small space. …

If you can only write novels, essays, and poems, won't you just be able to struggle in an increasingly smaller market? ..."

Jin Yong was very interested in the news and spoke for a long time, which was unusual for him. However, the only person listening was his old friend Pan Yaoming, so he felt a little unsatisfied. So he asked Pan Yaoming, "How many days will Zhang Chao stay in Hong Kong?"

Pan Yaoming said: "He didn't say how many days exactly. But before the semi-finals of the 'New Concept Essay Contest' begin, he will definitely go to Shanghai to preside over the overall situation. So it will be about four or five days at most."

Then he understood and said, "I'll find time to bring Zhang Chao over to meet you?"

Jin Yong nodded and said, "It's getting late, why don't you stay and have dinner with us."

Pan Yaoming quickly stood up and said, "No, my wife made soup at home, I must go back and drink it." He and Jin Yong have been together for a long time and know his boss's character well. He is really generous, as he will sell the copyright for 1 yuan; but he is also really stingy. It is rumored that in the 90s, when chess master Nie came to visit his home, he ate a few extra hairy crabs, and the nanny who served the crabs to the table was fired afterwards.

Their daily diet consists of a bowl of rice, a plate of vegetables and a fish. Staying here will not only cause trouble but also be annoying. It is better to leave.

Jin Yong naturally did not want to keep him as guest, so he stood up and saw Pan Yaoming out.

Zhang Chao was exhausted after a busy morning. He returned to the hotel and started writing. Although he came to Hong Kong mainly to solve problems through news media and field visits, he also wanted to leave an article for Hong Kong. (After thinking for a long time, he decided to present this article in the form of a side story later, so as to occupy as little space as possible in the main text.)
At the same time, he also has to prepare for TVB's live interview with him tonight. Originally, the "锵锵三人行" program crew heard that he was coming to Hong Kong and hurriedly sent him an invitation for the program. However, Zhang Chao considered that "三人行" was a recorded program and its influence needed time to ferment, and what he lacked most now was time, so he declined and accepted two live broadcast programs instead.

In addition, after these few days of experience, he has also formed a preliminary outline for the topic of the semi-final of the "New Concept Essay Contest". It is still a "performance art", but it will not be as abstract as a bitten apple or a ball of paper sinking to the bottom of a cup, and it is best to try to trigger different thoughts among contestants from different regions.

After a simple dinner at the hotel, Zhang Chao went back to his room to wash up, get dressed, and then took a taxi to the TVB studio building. Downstairs, two staff members were waiting for Zhang Chao's arrival.

As soon as he sat in the dressing room, Zhang Chao's cell phone vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was Ma Jiahui, so he picked up the phone.

Ma Jiahui said anxiously on the phone: "Be careful when you broadcast live tonight. I heard that someone informed the senior management of TVB and they want to embarrass you on the show. You must be careful."

After listening to this, Zhang Chao looked up and caught a glimpse of the staff in the corner in the mirror, staring at him with an unfriendly face, so he said in a deep voice: "Thank you, I see. The live broadcast will start soon, so it's not convenient to talk now." After that, he hung up the phone.

Then she smiled and said to the staff: "What are you waiting for? Put on your makeup now."

(Three chapters in one. I will start to make up for the leave before the update starts today.)
(End of this chapter)