Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 278 The Troubles of Romance to Death

You could still hear a pin drop in the classroom. Neither Wang Zhenxu nor other students answered "satisfied" or "unsatisfied".

Because these two questions do not need to be answered.

In order to fulfill the girl's wish, he wrote a best-seller in both China and Japan - this book "Your Name". After Zhang Chao gave this answer, it can no longer be measured by "literary value" or "literary level".

After "Your Name", Zhang Chao has not written any "light novels" or any works with similar themes and techniques, which once made many die-hard fans of "Your Name" feel regretful.

And when everyone thought that this was a talented writer who had a sudden burst of inspiration and casually displayed his talent in an unfamiliar field, he told everyone that this was not an impromptu work, but a crystallization of special emotions from his youth.

It is a unique gift for a girl.

"Is this the reason why you never write light novels again?" someone asked this question softly.

This question also did not need to be answered, because everyone thought the answer was self-evident. Zhang Chao certainly did not deny it.

This story is even more fascinating than the novel itself.

Lan Ting was no longer shy at this moment. She looked at Zhang Chao with clear and slightly sad eyes, then broke the silence in the classroom and said to Wang Zhenxu: "Do you have any more questions?"

Wang Zhenxu was completely distraught at this moment. He didn't react until Lan Ting asked him the second time. He said awkwardly, "No...no more." Then he left the classroom sadly.

At this moment, the students present actually felt a little sympathetic towards him - they had seen people lose, but never anyone lose so miserably - they all made way for him and watched his lonely back disappear into the darkness behind the door.

As soon as Wang Zhenxu left, everyone's emotions gradually became high again, but they didn't know what to say. Everyone looked at Zhang Chao, then at Lan Ting, their hearts eager to gossip, but no one dared to ask questions.

At this time, Professor Lin Danya, as a teacher, came to "set things right". She first looked at Zhang Chao and Lan Ting with a smile, and then said to everyone: "Today's salon is actually very successful. There are speeches by Japanese writers born in the 80s, as well as speeches by representative writers born in the 80s from China.

Can you see from these two people how different cultures and educational backgrounds affect a writer's temperament? Well, today is a rare opportunity, why not let Zhang Chao talk to you about something? "

At this time, the classmates also came back to their senses. They were too shameless to ask about gossip on the spot, so it would be better to let Zhang Chao talk about something else. So they all agreed, "Okay!"

Lin Danya still smiled and turned to Zhang Chao and said, "Student Zhang Chao, you might as well 'follow the will of the people'."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "This is supposed to be a literary salon, and it would be inappropriate for me to perform a solo show. - Let me talk about my own views based on today's theme of "Comparative Reading of Chinese and Japanese 'Post-80s' Writings".

I hope everyone can join the discussion.”

"Good!" There was another round of approval in the classroom.

Zhang Chao paced a few steps in front of the podium, bowed his head and thought for a while, then said: "In fact, I am not too familiar with the writing of the Japanese post-80s generation. I have only recently made up for it. But my overall feeling is that young writers from China and Japan have more similarities than differences in some aspects."

Zhang Chao's first point surprised many students. Everyone thought that after the debate just now, Zhang Chao would focus on emphasizing the advantages and characteristics of young Chinese writers. They didn't expect that he would say something like this.

However, I'm afraid no one at the scene dares to say that they are more "authoritative" than Zhang Chao on this point, so we can only wait for him to continue.

Zhang Chao continued: "The differences we see between young writers in the two countries are mostly caused by the literary markets of the two countries. For example, the writer Dong Shan Zhangliang was able to make his debut by writing mystery novels, which is almost impossible in China.

Because the market is too niche and there are certain restrictions on the description of crime content, it is too difficult for young writers in their early 20s to master this writing style that is like dancing with shackles.

Novels of other genres, including suspense and horror, are actually a good place for young writers to unleash their imagination, but in recent years we have only seen Cai Jun being relatively successful.

Everyone is crowded in the field of "youth literature". Compared with the flourishing situation in Japan, it certainly feels a bit monotonous, repetitive, and lacks individual characteristics. In fact, this is one of the reasons why I ended "youth writing" relatively early.

When our literary market becomes more mature, more open, and more diversified, I believe that new authors will gradually emerge from different fields, rather than just writing 'youth literature.'"

At this time, Yang Chenpei, an active member of the literary club, questioned: "Even so, it cannot be said that the similarities between young Chinese and Japanese writers are more than their differences! After all, the cultures and languages ​​of the two countries are very different."

Zhang Chao immediately followed up with a reply: “But lifestyles are becoming more and more similar, especially in big cities where young writers are concentrated.”

When Yang Chenpei heard this, he was speechless.

Zhang Chao continued to explain: "Just like building a house, culture and language are the foundation, and content and style are the house on top of the foundation. Think about it, from food, clothing, housing and transportation to daily consumption, are the lifestyles of young people in big cities today more similar to those of their peers in Japanese cities, or are they more similar to their parents and grandparents when they were young?"

This sentence hit almost everyone's blind spot, causing the classroom to fall into silence again.

After China joined the WTO, the economy has been developing at a higher level and society has been changing year by year. The daily details of young people in Japan and even the United States that seemed out of reach when reading magazines, watching movies and DVDs in the 90s have increasingly appeared in the lives of young people today.

Cell phones, MP3 players, big headphones, KFC, Nike shoes, jeans... Whether you throw a young Japanese man onto the streets of Shanghai, or throw a young Shanghai man onto the streets of Japan, it wouldn't seem too out of place.

Zhang Chao saw that everyone seemed to be coming to their senses, so he continued, “When young authors start out, most of them use their own lives as a blueprint for their creations, so similar lifestyles will definitely lead to similar creative practices.

For example, many students in our Chinese department like to read "Splitting Tongue" by Hitomi Kanehara recently. Actually, after thinking about it carefully, I found that there is a young female writer in China who can be compared with her, and that is Haruki. "

When this name was mentioned, some people said "Oh" in sudden enlightenment, but more people looked confused.

Zhang Chao said: "Haruki should be the same age as Hitomi Kanehara. Her novel "BJ Doll" was based on her life between the ages of 15 and 18. It tells the story of a rebellious girl who escapes from school and family, and has complex emotional and physical relationships with different boyfriends.

Some people commented that this is "China's first truly cruel youth novel." Think about it, isn't this writing style and content very similar to Hitomi Kanehara and her "Slit Tongue"?

Of course, I won’t comment on the artistic level of the two works. After all, for cross-language ‘comparative reading’, the creative methods and themes are more valuable for reference than the writing skills.”

After Zhang Chao finished speaking, he quietly found a seat and sat down, waiting for other students to speak. He had no intention of treating this as his own personal show, and he also wanted to restore the atmosphere of the literary salon tonight.

However, the "brick" thrown by Zhang Chao was really heavy and big, beyond the ability of most students present. After all, not everyone here studies Chinese; even first- and second-year students in the Chinese department who do not have enough reading accumulation find it difficult to follow the conversation.

At this time, the situation in the classroom also changed - more and more students who were originally standing at the door of the classroom were pushed into the classroom, and the classroom was soon packed, and even the aisles were full of people.

It was even more lively outside the classroom. The corridor was already filled with curious students, surrounding Zhang Chao in three layers. Those who were not in the first row even asked others to carry them on their shoulders to see where Zhang Chao was.

Obviously, he came here because he heard the "tips".

Fortunately, everyone was a 985 university student with guaranteed quality. They knew that a literary salon was being held inside, so there was no pushing or shoving, and they tried not to disturb the atmosphere in the classroom.

As the president of the literature club and the host of the salon, Lan Ting felt obliged to step forward and give everyone a more appropriate topic to facilitate the students to boldly participate in the discussion: "What Zhang Chao said makes sense. A critic once said that the difference between Chinese writers born in the 80s and the previous generation of writers exceeds the sum of the differences between all previous generations of writers. The reason is that we, the post-80s generation, encountered the most drastic period of lifestyle change in Chinese history, especially the general elimination of hunger and no longer writing on an "empty stomach", which had a great impact on the creation of writers born in the 80s.

The expression of the dilemma of "writing cannot sustain life" has actually become more symbolic than practical today. The mental anxiety of writers comes more from life than from survival.

So as material conditions become closer to those of young Japanese people, their creative practices are also becoming closer. But I think that when young Chinese writers express their views on society, even if the protagonists are rebellious boys and girls, the details are actually different..."

As Lan Ting spoke, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Chao was a man of status, and no matter how approachable he acted, the language habits he had formed in interviews and in front of the camera were still there, which was indeed very oppressive for ordinary students.

Lan Ting was different. She looked like a fresh and lovely girl next door, with a sweet and crisp voice, which immediately relieved the slightly depressed and restless mood in the classroom.

Moreover, what she said connected well with Zhang Chao's speech, which was equivalent to handing everyone a ladder so that they could smoothly enter the topic.

After Lan Ting finished speaking, the atmosphere became relaxed and lively. Many students began to speak enthusiastically. Both boys and girls wanted to show off in front of Zhang Chao. It would be even better if they could leave a positive impression on him.

Everyone knows that Zhang Chao is not only a writer, but also manages two magazines! Any young people with some literary ideas, no matter how noble they usually appear, will unconsciously raise their tone at this time.

If Wang Zhenxu had stayed until this point, he would have definitely shouted, "Baga! Hypocrisy!"

However, Zhang Chao did not speak afterwards, but just listened, nodding, smiling, and paying attention from time to time, trying to make every speaker feel like a spring breeze. After all, almost all of the people present were his readers, so no matter what their level was, it was always necessary to give them some encouragement.

……

Happy times are always short. At 9 o'clock in the evening, this impromptu literary salon had to end with everyone still wanting more.

However, the students had no intention of leaving at this moment. On the contrary, as Lan Ting announced the end of the salon, the students in the corridor began to squeeze into the classroom eagerly to see Zhang Chao's "true face".

Many students took out a book by Zhang Chao and rushed to him, hoping that he would sign it. Most of these books were brought in by roommates and classmates outside the classroom.

Even Lin Danya panicked in this situation and shouted twice, but no one's attention was on her at this time and she was soon drowned in the crowd.

Zhang Chao had seen a lot of things, so he calmly declined the first batch of students who asked him to sign - because without any organization, once he signed the first book, he would have to wait until dawn to sign - then he took the classroom multimedia loudspeaker and said loudly:
"Students, the salon is over. You can go back to your dormitories first. I will be staying in Xiamen University starting next week. I will have many opportunities to meet you all. Don't rush.

There are too many people here, please be careful! Students from the Literature Club and the Chinese Department, can you help maintain order? Thank you! "

Otherwise, we have to say that Zhang Chao has experience. Most of the students on the scene, especially in the classroom, are from the Chinese Department and the Literature Society. When Zhang Chao called out this, everyone immediately understood that Zhang Chao must have come to Xiamen University mainly to give classes and communicate with people like them. There are plenty of opportunities for close contact, so why rush?
Isn't it more important to help maintain order and leave a good impression now than to ask for an autograph that you are sure to get next week?
As the "main crowd" at the scene "turned against" the group, order was immediately restored. The students outside stopped trying to squeeze in, and the students at the outermost circle gradually dispersed after hearing the news.

This left a passage for Zhang Chao.

Zhang Chao bowed and bent to everyone repeatedly, thanked and apologized, then slowly backed out of the classroom, bowing and apologizing all the way, and finally arrived at the bottom of the teaching building.

At this moment, the lights on the Xiamen University campus were swaying, the shadows of the trees were dancing, and the streets were full of college students. A gust of wind blew by, bringing a hint of coolness. Zhang Chao touched his forehead and found that he was sweating.

However, there were still a dozen classmates following Zhang Chao and talking excitedly around him, but Zhang Chao couldn't hear anything at all at the moment.

I only vaguely saw a middle-aged man leading a team of security guards and hurriedly entering the teaching building...

These students surrounded Zhang Chao and came to the school gate. One of the boys even asked excitedly: "Which hotel are you staying in? Why don't we buy some beer tonight and go to your place to have a drink and chat!"

After the boy finished speaking, everyone else looked at Zhang Chao with some anticipation - one should always have dreams, what if they come true?

However, Zhang Chao's answer ruthlessly shattered their fantasy: "Uh... I live in Guomao Golden Coast. I just bought it two days ago. The previous owner's things haven't been packed away yet. It's a bit messy, and it's not very convenient to entertain guests."

Getting along with classmates at school is not contradictory to maintaining a sense of boundaries and protecting privacy. Zhang Chao still won't lose track of occasions and priorities.

Everyone: "..." Guomao Golden Coast is the hottest luxury residential building in Ludao in the past two years. It stands on Binhai Road, only seven or eight minutes' drive from Xiamen University. Living on the high floors there, you can see the lake, mountains, sea and city of Ludao at a glance, so the average price has reached 7000 yuan per square meter, and the largest unit costs over one million yuan.

Zhang Chao's behavior of buying a house without any agreement also shocked these people.

Watching Zhang Chao driving away in a taxi, the dozen or so classmates who had surrounded him before stayed where they were, feeling a little lost.

A boy murmured, "...Is being a writer really that rich?"

A girl sneered and said, "Don't you look at the Forbes rankings? Zhang Chao has been number one on the list of writers every year in recent years."

Another boy suddenly pointed at the distance with great pride. There were vaguely a few hundred-meter-high residential buildings there. He didn't know if it was the Guomao Golden Coast that Zhang Chao bought. He shouted, "He can replace it!"

Everyone started laughing at his funny prank and asked him when he would rise up in rebellion and when he would fight a desperate battle.

Zhang Chao certainly didn't know how his classmates would view his seemingly "showing off his wealth" behavior after he got on the bus. Anyway, he never shied away from the superior living conditions he had after becoming rich through writing.

He believes that this is a positive stimulation for most young people who love writing.

He did not want to be like the previous generation of writers who were keen on recalling and exaggerating in their works how hard their lives were and how difficult it was to create; nor did he want to be like the famous writers of his age who rotated sports cars, or bought an old villa in Shanghai where the fourth concubine of a traitor had lived, and then showed off how many luxury goods he had collected.

That's not enjoying life, that's being enjoyed by life.

Perhaps it is because he has lived two lives as a human being, but the wealth that Zhang Chao possesses now has given him enough sense of security and confidence, and he does not need to fill his heart with too many external things.

On the contrary, he now longs to communicate with different people so that he can stay grounded. This is why he agreed to Lan Ting's exchange visit to Xiamen University.

However, Zhang Chao, who had become a giant, could stir up enough waves with just a few words or a single action to make the people around him lose their balance.

That's what Lan Ting is like.

After Zhang Chao said at a literary salon that "Your Name" was written to fulfill her wish, this story spread throughout the entire Xiamen University campus overnight. Many girls unanimously believed that it was the most "deadly romantic" story they had ever heard in their lives, especially since it happened to their classmates, which made it even more enviable.

Although it was not certain whether it was friendship or love, it was enough to make Lan Ting a celebrity on campus overnight, and almost all of her friends wanted to know something about her.

This made Lan Ting very upset!

Of course, what is more troubling is her former suitor, Wang Zhenxu...

(End of this chapter)