Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 423 Unfounded Worry
[When the trembling Belikov in Chekhov's works traveled through a century of time and space, took off the stiff black woolen coat of the Tsarist Russia era, and put on the information cocoon tailored for the Internet era, Zhang Chao completed the most powerful reshaping of the classic text with "The Man in the Case". 】

The protagonist of the novel, Luo Zhi, an algorithm engineer, is both a prisoner of the information cage and a jailer who weaves the cage. His survival dilemma is torn between the two identities: during the day, he writes the "all-seeing eye" algorithm to accurately capture user behavior; at night, he tries to break his self-portrait with random browsing.

This split is a reflection of the modern people’s mentality: we are wary of Internet platforms snooping into our privacy, while enjoying the conveniences they provide. Zhang Chao uses an almost cold brushstroke to visualize this contradiction as a “self-domesticated absurd drama.”

[If Chekhov's Belikov is a tragic specimen crushed by the Tsarist system, then Luo Zhi created by Zhang Chao is a perfect example of being domesticated by technological civilization.

The horror of this "new era 'trapped man'" lies not in whether he is forced to accept a certain kind of consciousness indoctrination, but in his willingness to cut his soul into quantifiable modules: from mate selection criteria to career planning, from aesthetic preferences to emotional expression, all are spliced ​​together by the "optimal solution" fed by the algorithm.】

The most shocking scene in the novel is when Luo Zhi discovers that his girlfriend Zhou Yingying's love choices are controlled by an algorithm he designed. When love, which was once regarded as the last bastion of free will in literature, is also coded into a precise matching game by Internet companies, Zhang Chao completely tears apart the romantic veil of humanism.

We can't help but ask: When a program can understand your heartbeat better than your lover, and when the pushed content knows your desires better than your close friends, how much truth is left in the emotional uniqueness that humans are proud of? 】

This novel is more of an enlightenment declaration than a doomsday prophecy. It forces every reader to examine the information on their computers and mobile phones. In 2008, a turning point in globalization, Zhang Chao used literature to remind us:

True freedom may begin with a moderate vigilance against “convenience”, a necessary detachment from “precision”, and a constant questioning of “self”. 】

"This criticism is well written, take a look!" Zhang Jianguo pushed a copy of the New Yanjing News in front of his son.

October in Beijing is the best time of the year, and the so-called "clear and refreshing autumn" is fully reflected. If Zhang Chao needs to use a word to describe it, he thinks "clear and pure" is the most appropriate.

Living in a courtyard, when I open the window in the morning, I can see the vast blue sky that makes me dazed, and it is clear and bright without a trace of color.

Occasionally, the sound of pigeon whistles would pass through the sky, and the long tail notes would echo among the glazed tiles, and along with the sound of the wind, startled the yellow leaves all over the ground.

The wind had just touched the surface of Kunming Lake, and with it the lingering fragrance of lotus, it seeped coolly into the shirt, bringing a bit of soothing warmth.

Zhang Chao and his family sat in the yard and enjoyed the rare reunion time.

Zhang Chao picked up the newspaper, glanced at it, then put it down again and said, "Superficial, scratching the itch through the shoe!"

Zhang Jianguo was stunned when he heard this, and then asked: "Superficial? Isn't this profound enough?
Isn't your novel meant to remind us to be aware of the abuse of computer technology? - I use those new words awkwardly, as long as you understand them. "

Zhang Chao shook his head, but did not directly answer his father's question. Instead, he said, "If we only analyze it from the perspective of literature and society, it is of course quite profound.

But I didn't write this series of novels to explore social issues from a purely literary perspective...

Oh, it’s almost time, let’s set off quickly! ”

Zhang Jianguo looked at his watch and saw it was already half past nine. He quickly stood up, patted his clothes and said, "Let's go!"

At this time, Zhang Chao's mother also came out of the house, carrying a small bag, dressed quite delicately, and said a little embarrassedly: "Is there anything wrong with me wearing this?"

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "Actually, just wear what you normally wear! There's no need to dress up specially. There are makeup artists over there who will style your look."

The mother was shocked: "I still need to put on makeup? I haven't put on makeup for many years... Can you tell them that you don't need to put on makeup?"

Zhang Chao said: "It's okay, they are professional, not as good as the wedding planners in our county. They mainly help you brighten your skin and adjust your skin tone."

The mother finally calmed down, but she was still a little nervous inside.

After all, this was her first official appearance on TV, and it was on CCTV.

Zhang Jianguo was different. He said carelessly, "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything. It's just a TV appearance. I have experience!"

As a result, my wife rolled her eyes at me and said, "Experience? Are you talking about the three minutes you spent reading the New Year's greetings on the county TV station? Also, who was the one who tossed and turned until dawn last night?"

Zhang Jianguo's face turned red, but he didn't dare to refute, so he hurriedly urged: "Hurry up, you will be late soon, Yanjing is so congested..."

Zhang Chao looked at his parents with a smile - the old couple had been bickering for half their lives, and his father always suffered the loss; but Zhang Chao knew that whenever the family really encountered something "big", his mother would let his father make the decision.

The three of them packed up and turned to the garage. Zhang Chao got in the car and drove straight to the CCTV headquarters building in Yuyuantan, the "Central Color Television Center" - at that time the "Big Underpants" was still under construction and would take several years to be put into use.

Later, Zhang Chao sent his parents to the backstage of the studio and met the host and director of the show - Xiao Cui.

The show is naturally his "Xiao Cui Says Things", and the theme of today's episode is "It's Not Easy to Be a Celebrity Parent".

Seeing Zhang Chao coming with his parents, after exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Cui said to Zhang Chao with regret: "It's a pity that you are not on the show."

Zhang Chao smiled and waved his hands, saying, "I'm on this show, and the flavor of this show has changed."

In fact, Zhang Chao was the first person to be invited to participate in this episode, and the theme of the program was "It's Not Easy to Be a Celebrity." However, Zhang Chao resolutely refused, as he was enjoying his life without having to show his face in public.

But the program crew couldn't resist and asked a familiar director of CCTV10 to intercede for him. It just so happened that his parents came to Yanjing to spend the National Day. Zhang Chao rolled his eyes and asked his father, "I heard that you are almost finished writing your new book?"

Zhang Jianguo: “Hmm?”

Zhang Chao: "Are you interested in pre-heating the new book?"

Zhang Jianguo was tempted... You know, the previous book "I Teach My Son to Write Compositions" has sold more than 100 million copies, which made him proud at home.

After tasting the sweetness, Comrade Zhang Jianguo couldn't stop and started working on his new book. He was very secretive and didn't even tell Zhang Chao what he wrote.
……

As a result, the "It's not easy to be a celebrity" in "Xiao Cui Says Things" has become "It's not easy to be a celebrity's parent." In order to accommodate Zhang Chao's parents' schedule, the program crew broke the convention and recorded overtime during the National Day holiday.

Xiao Cui knew that Zhang Chao was not someone who could be forced. He had refused to be the "leading role" before, so he just mentioned it briefly on the spot. On the one hand, it was considered as another try, and on the other hand, it was also a subtle compliment to Zhang Chao.

At this time, Xiao Cui was generally normal, without so many weird problems, and the communication was easy and pleasant. He quickly went over the process and theme with Zhang Chao's parents in the background, and encouraged them not to be nervous. Zhang Chao had long learned "not to look at people from a historical perspective" - ​​otherwise he would not live a good life or make friends - and he used his own experience to help his parents a few times, finally letting them put their minds at ease.

This was the first time that the two close relatives were interviewed and discussed issues in public after Zhang Chao became famous.

After the two of them finished their makeup and styling and walked through the backstage passage into the studio, Zhang Chao quietly slipped away from the backstage.

Xiao Cui is a mature host, and there is nothing controversial in the program. Besides, it is a recorded broadcast. Zhang Chao has no interest in being there to record the show, so he might as well take the opportunity to take a stroll around Yuyuantan.

If you want to visit Yuyuantan, you must go to Yuyuantan Park! Zhang Chao has been in Yanjing for several years and has been to many distant scenic spots, but he has never visited Yuyuantan Park, which is right in front of him. Maybe he thinks he can come at any time, so he misses it every time.

For a 40-minute program, it takes at least one and a half to two hours to record to cut out enough material. For "amateurs" like Zhang Chao's parents, it may take even longer.

For example, if the guest's answer to an important question is not good enough, he stutters, or his mood is not right, he often needs to stop and say it again.

This is a good time to visit the park.

After coming out of the CCTV center building, just walk a few hundred meters and you will arrive at the entrance of Yuyuantan Park.

The highlight of Yuyuantan Park is of course Yuyuantan, a large pond 1.5 kilometers long and 300 meters wide. There are willow arch bridges, cherry blossom pavilions, and duck boats can be rowed in the lake in this season.

The entrance fee is two yuan!

This is also one of the northern characteristics that Zhang Chao adapted to after coming to Yanjing - a paid park!
Not only Yuyuantan Park charges admission, but parks like Beihai Park, Shichahai Park, Taoranting Park... also charge admission. The 2 yuan for Yuyuantan Park is considered low.

But Zhang Chao only stopped at the door for a moment, looked at the huge crowd, and gave up the idea of ​​entering the park.

If you don't go into the park, you can still take a walk around the area.

There are also many famous attractions in Yanjing surrounding Yuyuantan Park, including the China Millennium Monument, the Military Museum, and a large fenced-off construction site where it is said that the most luxurious villa complex in Yanjing will be built.

Zhang Chao is really curious about how expensive this property will be by then.
Then he thought of the messy houses he had bought in Yanjing, Shenzhen, and Fuhai;

The royalties from the United States are settled regularly;
the controversy generated by several recent novels;

It seems that the advance royalties from Huacheng Publishing House have arrived?
……

Before he knew it, more than two hours had passed. He walked and stopped, occasionally sitting on a bench by the roadside and drinking a sip of water, and then he stood at the entrance of Yuyuantan Park.

At this time, my cell phone rang. I took it out and saw that it was my father calling. When I picked up the phone, I heard his full-throated voice: "We've finished recording. Where are you? Let's go home!"

Zhang Chao responded and hung up the phone. From his father's voice, I knew the process was smooth, and he must have given a lot of praise on the show.

He quickly walked back to the CCTV center building and found that his parents were already waiting for him downstairs. A staff member was accompanying them. He said hello and left when he saw Zhang Chao coming.

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "Let's go and have mutton hotpot for lunch! Let's gain some weight for the autumn!"

……

Time always passes quickly. The National Day holiday is over, and so is Zhang Chao’s leisure time—not because he needs to go somewhere to work, but because the influence of the novel “The Man in the Shell” finally broke out after being delayed for more than a week due to the holiday!
Just as Zhang Chao himself envisioned, this novel has attracted more widespread social attention than the previous three - after all, "rolling for education", "buying a mobile phone" and "watching live broadcasts" are still far from the lives of ordinary people, and not everyone who has read it can empathize with them.

But the situation of "going online" is different - in 2008, the number of Internet users in China has reached the terrifying figure of "3 million", which is more than the population of most countries in the world.

This means that the "Internet" has truly broken the previous user portrait dominated by elite groups and has entered thousands of households. More and more ordinary people are exposed to the Internet, use the Internet, and incorporate surfing the Internet into their daily lives.

The "algorithm recommendation" described by Zhang Chao in "The Man in the Case" has already begun to appear in the online world, and many people have intuitively experienced its convenience.

Now Zhang Chao tells them that this "convenience" will one day become a cage that imprisons their own spirits?

This has caused widespread anxiety among the public.

So everyone turned their attention to the largest Internet companies and began to discuss online whether these companies had secretly developed algorithm programs similar to the "All-Seeing Eye".

Even some news media published articles from time to time questioning these giants, which made them a little anxious for a while.

So at the beginning of mid-October, an article was posted simultaneously on Penguin’s internal forum and in the People’s Daily.

A letter to users and partners

Dear users, partners and friends from all walks of life:

Recently, I read a work that explored the relationship between technology and human nature, and was deeply moved. As Internet practitioners, we enjoy the dividends brought by technological innovation, but we must be more vigilant about the erosion that technology may cause to human nature and society. Today, I would like to share some thoughts with you.

As a manager who started out as a programmer, I am well aware of the delicate balance between belief in technology and human scale; the essence of the Internet is connection, but connection should not be reduced to one-way manipulation of user behavior. I always believe that real technology should serve the all-round development of people.

……

2008 was a critical turning point in the development of the global Internet. When the financial tsunami on Wall Street warned of the fragility of the real economy, we need to be more vigilant against crises in the digital world.

We are willing to work together with all sectors to ensure that technology always flows with the blood of humanistic care and that connections truly become a bond that nourishes the soul.

Pony Ma

As soon as this open letter came out, many people became restless. The influence of Zhang Chao's novel completely went beyond the scope of literature!

(End of this chapter)