Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 296: Journey on the Orient Express (First Update)
Seeing that everyone was looking at him curiously, Zhang Chao said, “Simon & Schuster arranged an event for me to promote the second part of The Great Doctor. I took a train from San Francisco to New York for three days.

During this time, they will send people to follow and film my trip and make it into a special program.”

Everyone was still confused. Isn't this a good thing? Why do you still look so reluctant?

Zhang Chao said helplessly: "They would invite an American writer to get on the bus every day to have a conversation with me. This was the main content of the filming and broadcast."

...This is also a good thing! It is great that writers from different countries and cultural backgrounds can have a dialogue and spark wonderful ideas!
Zhang Chao turned over the screen of his phone, waved it at everyone, and said, "One of the people they invited is Kiran Desai, an Indian female writer who won the Booker Prize."

Everyone: “…” Okay, now we know why Zhang Chao is helpless. The publishing house is going to cause trouble!

Zhang Chao went on to explain: "Simon & Schuster has just signed Kiran Desai and asked her to hand over her next book to them for publication. But David Miller is also asking for my opinion. If I disagree, he can also change people."

Xu Ruiya had just translated Kiran Desai's "Inheriting the Lost" into Chinese, so she knew Kiran Desai quite well, so she said: "Kiran Desai may not have the same emotions as her compatriots.

Judging from her novels and interviews, she is still a relatively pure writer.”

Zhang Chao waved his hands and said, "I'm not worried about what will happen if I talk to her. I'm afraid that after the conversation, there will be another disturbance. I promised before I went abroad... Oh, forget it, I won't say it anymore."

Ma Bo said lazily, "Why not just turn it down?"

Zhang Chao thought for a while before saying, "It's better to talk about it. I have no prejudice against Kiran Desai. I have read part of her novel that won the Booker Prize. It is indeed well written.

The fact that David Miller sent me an email asking for my opinion showed that he was confident that he could get Kiran Desai's consent. If I refused, it would seem that I was petty or afraid.

And I also have some ideas that might be more effective if I express them in a conversation with her."

Since Zhang Chao said so, naturally, no one else had any objections. However, in order for Zhang Chao to be able to deal with it more calmly, Xu Ruiya specially asked for the list of dialogue guests sent to him by David Miller, and immediately found the information of these people for Zhang Chao.

The first one to be mentioned is of course Kiran Desai, an Indian-American female writer who was born in 1971. Her mother Anita Desai is also a famous novelist. She has been nominated for the Booker Prize three times. She can be said to be from a literary family.

There is also a Chinese writer living in the United States, Li Yiyun, who is also a female and was born in Yenching University. After graduating from Yenching University in the 90s, she went to the University of Iowa in the United States to study for a master's degree in immunology. During this period, she participated in the creative writing workshop of the University of Iowa and transformed herself into a writer.

She attracted the attention of the American literary world after publishing a brutal and thriller novel in 2003. So far, all her works have been written and published in English.

The last one is the famous American horror novelist Stephen King. He had once endorsed Zhang Chao's novel "Gone Girl" last year. The two had known each other for a long time but had no chance to meet.

The first two were fine, but when Ma Boyong saw the last name, he really envied Zhang Chao. The reason was that Ma Boyong was a loyal fan of Stephen King and had always used Stephen King's principle of "using as few adjectives and adverbs as possible and more verbs" to guide his own creation.

Moreover, Stephen King cannot be simply viewed as a horror novelist. In 2003, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Book Award, the only popular fiction writer to have received this award.

Reasons for his award include: his superb narrative skills, his support for new talents, his generous donations to schools and libraries, and the large number of readers attracted by his works.

Ma Boyong concluded: "This list is interesting!"

Zhang Chao said: "It seems that the publishing house really wants me to talk about something. A cross-cultural writer with an Indian background, a cross-cultural writer with a Chinese background, and a pure American writer.

I’m looking forward to this journey!”

As he spoke, he emailed David Miller back, saying that he was willing to accept the guest list and agreed to reveal which of the three people was invited before each conversation.

David Miller was overjoyed when he received the email.

He was the chief planner of this publicity campaign. When he learned two weeks ago that Zhang Chao would go to Los Angeles to handle business before coming to New York to attend the new book launch, he had this idea and obtained Zhang Chao's preliminary consent.

The reason why David Miller chose the form of a dialogue between writers was that he was inspired by Zhang Chao.

A YouTuber with the ID "Ting Lan" has shared dozens of videos of Zhang Chao being interviewed and participating in TV shows on his account in the past six months, and has thoughtfully added English subtitles.

David Miller accidentally saw the live video of Zhang Chao's graduation defense and became obsessed with it, so he watched all the content overnight.

Only then did he realize that Zhang Chao was not only an excellent novelist, but also an excellent eloquent speaker. No matter what kind of questioning he faced, he could always find a clever way to fight back. His language was sharp and thorough, and his theoretical foundation was also very good.

With such abilities, it would be a shame to only let him serve as a background board at the press conference and speak some clichéd remarks to suit the occasion!

So there was this "Literary Dialogue on the Train" event. As for the candidates, Stephen King and Li Yiyun were already decided, and Kiran Desai was temporarily "added" after the signing.

Thinking of the recent debate, David Miller trembled all over - what a good publicity opportunity. If he had known earlier, he would have dragged Zhang Chao to the United States to receive the award at all costs. The first part of "The Great Doctor" might have sold tens or even hundreds of thousands more copies.

Therefore, we cannot "let go" of Zhang Chao this time, and we must squeeze out his publicity value!
Two days later, Zhang Chao and Xu Ruiya, who served as an interpreter, arrived at Emeryville Station in San Francisco. They were going to take the "California Zephyr" train, cross the United States and go directly to Chicago Union Station; then change to the "Lake Shore Express" and arrive at Pennsylvania Station in New York.

The entire journey lasts 75 hours and will pass through 11 continents, allowing you to see most of the topography of the United States, including mountains, basins, deserts, forests, plateaus, grasslands... everything.

Simon & Schuster Publishing House specially booked a carriage for them as the venue for the recording of this program.

As soon as Zhang Chao and his companion arrived at the waiting room, they were led to the station platform by staff, where publishing house staff were already waiting, including David Miller, a photographer, and a reporter, a total of three people.

The reporter was no stranger either. It was Susan, who had tried to seduce Zhang Chao before but later became a good friend. With the article "Going West" in The New Yorker, which recorded Zhang Chao's journey from New York to the University of Iowa, she had established herself and could support herself with her reporting.

In line with the principle that it is better to use the familiar than the new, Zhang Chao directly asked Susan to be responsible for the written coverage of this trip. Of course, the publishing house agreed to this. Susan excitedly turned down other trips and came to San Francisco two days in advance to prepare.

Unconsciously, Zhang Chao had a relatively stable "circle of friends" in the United States. He was no longer the unknown person who was turned down when he first came to "sell copyrights".

Zhang Chao noticed that the carriage behind them had been painted with the English words of the event - "Conversations on the Orient Express".

I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Are you planning to murder me on the train?" "Orient Express" means "Orient Express" and "Conversations" means "conversations" - the publisher named this promotional event "Conversations on the Orient Express"

Simon & Schuster is obviously playing a trick here - Agatha Christie's immortal work "Murder on the Orient Express" is actually called "Murder on the Orient Express" in English.

The train they took on this journey went all the way from the west end of the North American continent to the east end of the continent, so there was nothing wrong with calling it the "Orient Express."

David Miller also made a joke: "If any of us died on this train, your novel would be a bestseller for 100 years, just like Murder on the Orient Express."

Zhang Chao: "..." Americans really don't mind being cold or hot. He really couldn't continue with this, so he turned to Susan and said, "You can't use "All the Way East" for this report!" Susan said confidently, "I have thought of a title for this time, it's called "Stars Shining in the East". Whether in China or in the United States, you are a rising literary star. China is the 'East' of the world, and New York is the 'East' of the United States——

You came from the East and are heading to the East. This title is a pun, don't you think it fits..."

Zhang Chao quickly said, "It's not suitable! 'Dear Friend East' is pretty good, let's use this one!"

Susan looked at Zhang Chao in bewilderment, not knowing why he suddenly changed his mind. But Zhang Chao had the final say, so she could only accept it in frustration.

A few people took a group photo in front of the carriage and then got on the bus with their luggage.

“加州和风号”分为上下两层，一层有1个行李间、2个盥洗室和1个淋浴间，此外还有4个小包间、1个家庭套房。

The second floor consists of several small private rooms and five large private rooms with private bathrooms. Simon & Schuster Publishing House booked the five large private rooms on the second floor for them.

Zhang Chao had a private room, David Miller and the photographer from the same company had a private room, and Xu Ruiya and Susan had a private room. The remaining two private rooms, one for the guests to rest, and the other for interviews.

There is a natural partition between the large and small private rooms, formed by a public toilet and stairwell, which prevents Zhang Chao from being disturbed by curious tourists when he is talking with other writers.

Such an arrangement was undoubtedly carefully planned, especially the arrangement of the room, which respected Zhang Chao's status and value without being too deliberate.

In addition, the train also has ordinary carriages with tickets and special observation carriages. The seats in the observation carriage can be adjusted to face the window; the food in the dining car is also very rich.

It can be said to be a real sightseeing train.

Zhang Chao put away his luggage and arranged his toiletries in the small bathroom in his compartment. He felt the train pause for a moment, and then with a heavy "start", his journey across the North American continent officially began.

At this time, the door of the box was knocked, and when it opened, the smiling faces of Susan and Xu Ruiya were revealed. Xu Ruiya asked, "Susan and I are going to the observation car to see the scenery. Do you want to come with us?"

Zhang Chao thought about it and agreed since he had nothing to do and the interview was not urgent. David Miller was still writing something and did not go with him. The photographer also needed to take some empty shots and went to the observation car.

The four of them walked all the way and arrived at the observation car.

At this time, there were already people sitting here in twos and threes, and many people were walking here. The three of them said "lucky" and quickly chose seats that were connected to each other and sat down. The photographer took a few shots of the group of people watching the scenery and chatting.

The train has started to speed up, and the scenery outside the window is passing by one frame after another. Looking into the distance, you can see the outline of San Francisco; passing through the foggy Bay Area, looking back is the Golden Gate Bridge that has been destroyed countless times in American blockbusters.

This section of the journey is heading north along the rugged coastline of the Bay Area, passing through Richmond and San Pablo, with towering cliffs on one side and rough seas on the other. The train cuts through the air between the mountains and the sea.

In less than two hours, the train entered the inland area of ​​California. The scenery here changed again. The vast Central Valley is the heartland of California agriculture. The fertile land is covered with endless fields. Crops and fruit trees of different colors, such as gold, red, and green, make this place extremely gorgeous.

Zhang Chao said with emotion: "What a great place!"

Xu Ruiya asked: "Doesn't China also have such plain farming belts?"

Zhang Chao said: "Yes, there are... but the unique agricultural conditions like those in North America are probably unique in the world."

Xu Ruiya covered her mouth and laughed, "Why was there almost no agriculture here before the Europeans came?"

Zhang Chao asked curiously: "That's true... do you know the reason?"

Xu Ruiya said: "Because the mountain chief of North America is wrong!"

Zhang Chao: "? How can a mountain be built in the wrong way?"

Xu Ruiya said: "The large mountain ranges in North America are all north-south oriented, and they cannot block or slow down the southward movement of cold air from the Arctic, which used to be fatal - both to people and crops.

California is considered warm, but in early colonial areas like New York and Boston, the temperature could drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius or even colder overnight. Not to mention the Native Americans, the death rate of the colonists who had industrial advantages could be as high as over 60%. Many colonial groups died out after just one winter.

It was not until Canada built the first telegraph line connecting to the United States on the edge of the Arctic that agriculture in North America really began to develop with the earliest "weather forecast."

Zhang Chao suddenly realized, and then thought of something, saying: "No wonder in "My Uncle Jules", the family sent the prodigal son Jules here, it turns out that they wanted to let him fend for himself."

Xu Ruiya looked out the car window at the endless, colorful fields and said, "Actually... as a Chinese, I feel both proud and complicated about this land."

Zhang Chao was willing to be a good listener on these issues, so he asked tactfully: "Why?"

Xu Ruiya pondered for a while and said, "The railway under our feet was originally built by Chinese workers. This section of the railway has to cross the entire Nevada Mountains. The project is extremely difficult and dangerous. It was originally planned to take 14 years to complete.

But after the Chinese workers joined, it took only seven years for the railway to be opened to traffic. In May 7, the section of railway built by Chinese workers and the section of railway built by Irish workers finally joined at Promontory Point, becoming the first east-west railway line in the United States.

However, it was not them who drove the last railroad spike at the ceremony. And just 13 years later, the US government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which not only cut off the opportunity for Chinese to come to the United States to build the railway, but also deprived the Chinese already in the United States of their citizenship.

After listening to this, Zhang Chao didn't know what to say and fell into silence.

Xu Ruiya added: "The reason why the fields in front of us are so fertile and productive today is also inseparable from the Chinese. Chinese immigrants improved California's water conservancy and irrigation technology, saving California's agriculture, which had already fallen into a drought crisis, and making this place full of vitality again.

From San Francisco to Sacramento (the capital of California), and then to Stockton, the Chinese have shed so much blood and sweat here. But…”

Xu Ruiya didn't say anything else, but everything was implied.

Susan, who was standing next to her, also understood Chinese. She comforted Xu Ruiya and said, "Those idiots in the government will pay the price!"

Xu Ruiya wiped her eyes gently and said quickly: "Sorry, I took the course "History of Chinese Immigration" in college, so I was a little too emotional. Let's just enjoy the beautiful scenery!"

Zhang Chao nodded and didn't say much, but Xu Ruya's words left a deep impression on him.

The train continued to run for more than an hour, and finally stopped slowly around 10: in the morning - this was the first stop of the "California Zephyr", Sacramento, the capital of California.

Zhang Chao wanted to stay in the observation car for a while longer, but David Miller came over and said, "Zhang, our first guest is here!"

(There will be another update in the evening)
(End of this chapter)