Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 304: Collective Defense Break
At 2:39 p.m. Eastern Time, the California Zephyr entered Chicago Union Station on time.

Today's platform was different from previous ones. It was crowded with no less than twenty reporters and photographers, all anxiously waiting for the young writer from China to step out of the carriage.

Although Simon & Schuster Publishing had rented a conference room in the office area of ​​Union Station as the venue for the press conference, the reporters still wanted to interview Zhang Chao, the person who had just got off the train.

Usually this is when people's guard is weakest and they may accidentally let something slip.

The wheels of the blue and white painted "California Zephyr" slowly stopped, and a long whistle announced that the journey, which lasted 52 hours and 14 minutes, had officially reached its end.

Under the expectant gaze of the reporters, the door of the sleeper car opened smoothly with the unique "hiss..." sound of the pneumatic device, and passengers began to file out.

Everyone was startled when they suddenly saw so many reporters and cameras in front of them, but they soon realized what was going on and dispersed after grumbling a few words.

Only after all the ordinary passengers had left did David Miller lead Zhang Chao and his group out of the carriage.

It was the first time that Zhang Chao appeared in broad daylight in two days. He had carefully taken care of everything from his clothes to his makeup - his hair was meticulously done, and his beard was carefully trimmed into a refreshing but slightly mature style; he wore a tailor-made blue-gray tweed suit and a pair of shiny Oxford shoes on his feet.

This image was decided after discussion between David Miller, Xu Ruiya and others. The East Coast of the United States has always advocated the style of old-school elites, and it cannot be as casual as on the West Coast.

But what was surprising was that standing next to Zhang Chao was a strange young man whose face looked obviously of Indian descent, who did not seem to be in previous media reports.

The reporters first grasped the key points, and immediately swarmed forward, stuffing the microphone to Zhang Chao's mouth, and asked questions in various accents, which made it difficult for him to respond.

"Mr. Zhang Chao, would you like to further explain the sentence 'I write in my mother tongue'?"

This question was quite friendly. Zhang Chao looked carefully and saw a big "FOX" on the other party's microphone. He immediately understood.

"Are you saying this because of Kiran Desai's Indian origin?"

“Are you a racist?”

“Does Kiran Desai’s representation of female writers impact your sense of authority as a male writer?”

“Will you apologize for your remarks?”

"Does using your native language count as the only criterion for writing? What about Nabokov?"

……

Zhang Chao calmly stood in the crowd and said: "First of all, I want to make one thing clear. Calling me a 'racist' is the biggest slander against Ms. Kiran Desai and the Indian people."

Reporter: “…” Why does it sound weird? Isn’t “racist” the dirty hat on your head now? How did it become someone else’s?
Before the reporters could react, Zhang Chao added: "'Writing in my mother tongue' is purely a literary concept. I am just stating facts, not conveying opinions."

Immediately, a reporter asked: "But English is Indian..."

Zhang Chao immediately interrupted, "Being a writer is an identity, an ability, not a gender. -Okay, we'll talk about the rest at the press conference."

After saying that, he pushed the microphone away and strode forward. The reporters had no choice but to follow him while running and asking questions.

However, Zhang Chao had already made up his mind not to speak, and under the guidance of the staff, he came to the press conference site. There were also seven or eight reporters sitting here, so there were nearly 30 reporters and photographers attending the press conference, which was considered a big event even in the American literary world.

David Miller first issued an official statement on behalf of Simon & Schuster Publishing House, which was nothing more than that the publishing house was firmly opposed to it and there was no racial discrimination, and the signing of Kiran Desai was proof of that;
At the same time, he also expressed his belief that Zhang Chao was not a racist. "Using his mother tongue to create" was merely a difference in literary opinion and was by no means a judgment on the quality of the work.

The reporters were not interested in such clichés and soon started to urge him to finish. David Miller also knew what to do and came down after standing there for less than three minutes.

Zhang Chao stood up from the chair next to him, straightened his clothes, and stood in front of the microphone.

Seeing Zhang Chao, the reporters became excited again and raised their hands high, hoping to be the first to ask a question.

Zhang Chao looked around the crowd and finally saw an Indian face in the corner. Although he was not the same person he had seen the day before and was not sure if he was a reporter from the American Indian Newspaper, he still pointed at him and said, "Please ask that reporter, yes, the one on the far right of the third row."

The Indian reporter was a little confused. He was here just to make up the numbers and was not prepared to be called. After all, Zhang Chao was not a fool and there was no need to bring bad luck. However, since he was called, he still stood up and asked a "routine" question:
"Hello, I'm Rajiv, a reporter from The American Indian. The American public opinion now generally believes that your 'writing in the native language theory' is racist. Do you admit that you have this 'bias'?"

Zhang Chao smiled and asked, "First of all, what you said about the American public opinion 'generally' believing that I am racist, is there any basis for that?"

Rajiv was stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted: "We all saw the CBS news. CBS is the largest television service provider in the United States..."

Zhang Chao said: "There are reporters from CBS, FOX, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Herald here right now... Do you think I'm a racist?"

For a moment, the media reporters who were called out remained silent. This question was not really for everyone to answer, but was meant to eliminate possible interference.

This is a signal that the interviewee wants to have a one-on-one meeting with a specific interviewer.

The American reporters obviously did not expect that a young Chinese man would be so familiar with the unspoken rules of interviews, and for a moment they all watched the show with great interest.

Rajiv was obviously getting nervous. Although he had worked as a reporter for The American Indian for many years, the newspaper was originally a tabloid, and the stories he had interviewed in the past were all trivial matters that happened to Indian compatriots in the United States.

Or it could be a "paid interview" - after many Indians have achieved a certain degree of success in the United States, they will specifically contact the editor-in-chief of this newspaper to conduct an exclusive interview with themselves, so that they can be "prominent" among their relatives and friends.

This kind of interview is naturally meant to be enjoyable for both the host and the guests, which is completely different from the aggressive tone of the Chinese young people in front of him.

But there are also opportunities in this - Rajiv adjusted his attitude and said: "Whether you are a 'racist', you should ask yourself, not the reporters here.

English as the official language of India has a long and complex history and is an established fact that cannot be changed. Your emphasis on "writing in your own national language" is full of provocation and disdain for Kiran Desai.

Language is the carrier of culture, and culture is the symbol of race. If you discriminate against an Indian writer for writing in English, you are discriminating against India and Indians. You are a racist.

Excuse me, am I right?"

Zhang Chao did not respond immediately, but asked: "Do you remember what your colleague asked me before I said 'I write in my own native language'?"

Rajiv was stunned. He had never noticed this before. His attention was all on Zhang Chao's answer, so he said uncertainly: "He should be asking, what is the biggest difference between you and Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai..."

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "He didn't ask about 'difference', but 'gap'. His original question was - 'What do you think is the biggest gap between you and Kiran Desai, the Booker Prize winner?'"

Rajiv hesitated for a moment and stammered, "Maybe... probably."

Zhang Chao said: "You can go and verify it, but I can be very sure that he was asking about 'gap'. Since he asked that, how could my answer be 'racial discrimination'?

Why did you all agree that what I meant by that sentence was 'I am better than Kiran Desai' and not 'Kiran Desai is better than me'?" He said, still looking at Rajiv with a meaningful look.

The footage on TV had been edited, which Zhang Chao confirmed when he recalled in the carriage. Not only did the questions he asked sound very vague in his Indian accent, but the rhetorical question "Gap?" before he said "I write in my own ethnic language" was also deleted.

Seeing Rajiv standing there in a daze, Zhang Chao continued, "According to your colleague's 'well-intentioned' question, shouldn't you think that I am saying that 'because I write in my mother tongue, there is a big difference between me and Kiran Desai who writes in English'? You should praise me for being 'modest'. How can you say that I discriminate against Ms. Desai?"

Rajiv was completely in self-doubt at this moment. As a resident reporter for The American Indian in Chicago, he had no idea why his colleagues in Nevada asked such questions. He just made simple preparations according to the normal procedures and did not expect to deal with such a complicated situation.

If Zhang Chao admits that his colleague's question was "well-intentioned", then his answer would be self-deprecation; if he retorts that his colleague's question was "malicious", then Zhang Chao's answer would be a counterattack.

None of them has anything to do with "racial discrimination"!
Zhang Chao knew that Rajiv was no longer worth exploiting, so he turned to other reporters and said, "I said on the platform that the word 'racist' is not a slander against me, but a slander against Ms. Kiran Desai and the Indian people.

Why is it that when I say, 'The difference between me and Kiran Desai is that I write in my mother tongue,' some people assume that this is a derogatory comment rather than a compliment to her?"

This one sentence left the reporters present speechless.

However, as the media that initiated the report on "racial discrimination", CBS still had to maintain its dignity. A female reporter quickly asked: "I am Joanna, a reporter from CBS.

Although the way the reporter from The American Indian asked the question was problematic, your tone and demeanor in this sentence are expressing a sense of superiority, not humility as you said. You are being ironic.

I think American audiences can see this. So you are indeed suspected of being 'racially discriminatory'."

Zhang Chao immediately asked: "So what you mean is that the correct attitude I need to express is this - non-native English speakers are far superior to those who use their native language to create works in English - right?
So I am inferior to Ms. Kiran Desai who writes in English because I write in my mother tongue? English must be the best literary language in the world? — Right?

Without waiting for the reporter to answer, he exclaimed: "How dare you? No, I would rather think that this was a slip of the tongue, Joanna, rather than really thinking that English is more noble than Chinese or Hindi.

Countries, nationalities, and languages ​​are all equal. There is no such thing as who is more noble or who is inferior. Joanna, you must be careful with your words and actions!"

The female reporter Joanna was choked and speechless. Zhang Chao's "theory of writing in the mother tongue" is just suspected of "discrimination". He insisted on accusing others and was somewhat taking advantage of the topic.

But if, as he just assumed, someone forced him to admit that writing in English is far superior to writing in his native language, then the suspicion of "racial discrimination" would be impossible to wash away.

Zhang Chao spread his hands and said helplessly: "Why do you assume that there is a 'gap' between 'Chinese' and 'Indians'? It must be that 'Indians' are inferior to 'Chinese'?

This is ridiculous! I want to severely condemn your subconscious mind full of "racial discrimination" - you can't even think about it, and it's a sin to think about it! "

The reporters were so angry that they almost vomited blood - although most people today did not come to confirm the label of Zhang Chao as a "racist", but just wanted to see how this Chinese guy would defend himself with grunts and red faces.

Anyway, American celebrities are often in the news about "racial discrimination", and people will forget about it after a while. At most, Zhang Chao has been in a slump in the American market in the past two years.

But no one expected that Zhang Chao would not only refuse to confirm the accusation of being a "racist", but he even started waving the banner of "anti-racism" and was about to label everyone else in the room as racists.

This is "too ridiculous"! Now no one can pursue this issue any further. It is like having two poison pills in front of you. You will die if you take either one. The best choice is of course to turn a blind eye.

David Miller and Susan were watching in amazement. How could Zhang Chao get away with all the blame with just a few punches and kicks on the stage? Not only was he safe and sound, he even started a massive counterattack.

Xu Ruiya, who was standing one step behind Zhang Chao and ready to help him at any time, tried hard to hold back her laughter. She really wanted to say to everyone: "It's a routine operation, don't be surprised..."

Then the FOX reporter asked: "Mr. Zhang Chao, if you are not a 'racist' as you said, and your answer does not mean 'provocative' or 'discriminatory', then why did you choose the answer of 'using the mother tongue'?"

Zhang Chao answered candidly: “Because Ms. Kiran Desai’s novel has not yet been translated into Chinese, I have only read a few chapters translated by my colleagues and lack a comprehensive understanding. Since the Booker Prize is awarded to English writers, this is the most honest answer I can think of.

Wittgenstein said that "language is the boundary of thought". A writer's choice of language for writing may be natural or after careful consideration.

I was curious about why Ms. Kiran Desai chose English - it was an instinct for a fellow writer.

For me, choosing Chinese for my creation is not only natural, but I am also very proud of it, because it is a language that has been tempered by thousands of years and still has strong vitality.

As a Chinese writer, writing in Chinese characters is both an honor and a responsibility. One of my writing principles is not to bring shame to this language. "

Although it is difficult for American journalists to understand Zhang Chao's sense of honor, this answer is indeed flawless. "Being proud of writing in my mother tongue" cannot be equated with "discriminating against writing in a non-native language."

Just like that, in this wave of "racial discrimination", the two sharpest knives that stabbed Zhang Chao were knocked to the ground.

Now, the only issue left to be resolved is "female writers challenging the traditional authority of male writers."

Sure enough, another reporter asked: "I am Reed, a reporter from CNN. Your winning of the 'National Book Critics Circle Best Novel' award this time is considered a demonstration of male power in the American book review industry.

You know, the Booker Prize is the most prestigious literary award in the English-speaking world, and the United States is an English-speaking country. Data shows that among the more than 700 members of the National Book Critics Circle, more than 70% are male... How do you explain this connection?"

Zhang Chao looked at the reporter Reed who asked the question with a smile - this was a typical white male face, with a narrow skull, a high nose bridge, deep eye sockets, and pale skin, all of which showed his ancestry.

Reid was a little creeped out by the look and urged, "I hope you can answer this question."

Zhang Chao uttered a soft "huh" and then said, "Let's look at this award from a different angle..."

Reed: “Hmm?”

Zhang Chao laughed, but a little coldly: "As far as I know, Ms. Kiran Desai comes from the Kshatriya class in India. From a racial point of view, she is of Aryan descent - well, that is what we call white..."

Reed felt something was wrong, but he had no choice but to listen to Zhang Chao continue.

Zhang Chao continued: "Oh, maybe you don't know, Ms. Kiran Desai's grandfather was a Bangladeshi businessman, and her grandmother was German..."

Reed's face changed, his pale complexion turned red, and he quickly said: "No, you are changing the subject..."

Zhang Chao ignored him and continued, "So you, or some people, think that it is fair to let a writer of 'white descent' who 'uses English' win the award, right?"

Reed's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Of course not, we are talking about women's rights and the issue of male book reviewers abusing their power!"

Zhang Chao said: "There is also a work called Half Yellow Sun in this year's shortlist. Well, it is a masterpiece! The author, Adichie, is from Nigeria, a woman, and black. Why don't you complain about her not winning the award, but complain about Kiran Desai not winning the award?

So the focus of this question is not 'feminism', right? You actually think that 'Chinese' don't deserve the award, only 'white' people can win, right?"

Reed panicked and denied it three times: "No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"

Zhang Chao immediately asked: "Why did you completely ignore Adichie? She is only 30 years old! Is it possible that such an outstanding, young black female writer is nothing in your eyes?
How serious is the 'racial discrimination' in your hearts? I am very disappointed! "

All the reporters at the scene felt their heads swell, their brains boiling from what Zhang Chao said. If this continued, Zhang Chao might become "Martin Luther Zhang"!

Zhang Chao's next words really broke the defenses of these people: "You American journalists must dig deep into the 'root cause' of racial discrimination in your mind and don't let your brains become shoddy projects!
White supremacism is not acceptable!"

(End of this chapter)