Literary Master 1983

Chapter 285 Colombia's calling card is literature.
“These two countries are so far apart that many people in my country have never even heard of Colombia…”

"This was a truly great contact! I need to thank the ambassador named Gomez, who came from a wealthy family but aspired to our cause and took the initiative to get involved in the sport."

“A few years ago, Gomez came to our capital with the Colombian Progressive Organization and met many of our predecessors. He was deeply moved.”

“Our predecessors encouraged him, hoping to have formal diplomatic relations in the future. They often did such things… but Gomez didn’t just listen like others. Gomez is a young man with drive.”

He stated, "Though the task is difficult, the effort will surely bear fruit. Some of today's victories, looking back now, seem as simple as historical inevitability, but someone had to take the first step. I used to call these key figures in university 'those who shake history.' In the long river of time measured by human standards, although some things are inevitable—like someone inventing writing, someone waging war, someone drawing geometric figures—there will always be someone who does things that benefit all of humanity..."

"But how short is our life, and how short is the nation and the people within it. Ten thousand years is too long, seize the day."

"It is precisely the kind of courageous individuals needed to give history this awe-inspiring impact. They cause a small leap in the long river of history, and they themselves become a part of history. I know that here, you all have many such people in your hearts, and you have already called out the names of those great figures in your hearts!"

At this point, many people in this largest theater in Colombia were already filled with excitement.

This writer from China led them back to the great figures in their own national memories—the colonizers who left their bloodline and bleached their skin, or the ancient shamanic elders of the Indians in the jungle; as well as the warlords who forged ahead in resistance and nation-building, only to quickly degenerate into evil dragons… They are the great figures who left the background for this bizarre phenomenon in Latin America.

Gabriel García Márquez was one of the most deeply moved by this.

In 1957, Gabriel García Márquez was a young, unemployed journalist who happened to be in Paris. At that time, he most admired two literary giants from North America: Faulkner and Hemingway.

In his eyes, the two had completely different styles, even diametrically opposed, but as a greedy young man, he couldn't bear to abandon either of them. He started by imitating them, trying his best to combine the strengths of both.

However, this "greedy" preference came to an abrupt end one spring afternoon when Márquez bumped into Hemingway on the street. At that moment, he was completely flustered, unsure of what to say. In his panic, like Tarzan, he cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted in broken English to Hemingway across the street, "M-M-Master!"

Hemingway, on the other hand, skillfully displayed the demeanor befitting a literary icon, calling out to Márquez, "Goodbye, my friend!"

This scene was deeply etched in Márquez's heart, completely replacing that of another writer, Faulkner.

Doesn't it resemble how Yu Hua gradually abandoned Kawabata Yasunari, Kafka, and others after reading Yu Qie's novels?

In short, four years later, Hemingway committed suicide with a shotgun.

From then on, Márquez abandoned Faulkner's "thought-provoking, passionate, and mad" sentimental writing style and began to favor Hemingway's rigorous, disciplined writing habits that highly valued technical training.

This academic writing style helped Márquez bring the "Latin American literary boom" into the mainstream Western view, because for several decades prior, although Latin American literature had already experienced a boom, it had not been able to spread to other parts of the world for various reasons.

The sudden emergence of Gabriel García Márquez brought his writing skills to a pinnacle, ultimately igniting the "Latin American literary boom," and even sparking a new literary renaissance in the East more than twenty years later.

Yu Qie allowed ample time before continuing:

"I also want to thank the members of the China-Colombia Association. We can't say they gave history a dramatic impact, but they are at least a drop of water in the river of history!"

The members of the China-Colombia Association immediately cheered and applauded loudly. This was because they were the ones spreading the news from China.

These people were exceptionally enthusiastic, and Yu Qie had to repeatedly signal them to be a little quieter.

Then he added, "Three years ago, I sent a letter to Márquez, and it took six months for that letter to travel across the ocean."

“It took at least two years for the two countries to establish relations, starting from 79.”

"I flew from North America to Colombia, a journey that took 29 hours—still too long! But there's something even faster than that, incredibly fast, faster than lightning! In the world, every nation uses its own unique characteristics as its calling card! Some calling cards are beautiful—music, architecture, art; others aren't so beautiful, but they're still instantly recognizable, like the Amazon rainforest, oil, vodka…"

"Colombia is a remarkable place. Through Márquez, you have literature as your calling card. Human visual nerves transmit text to the brain via bioelectricity, which is theoretically very close to the speed of light. From this perspective, literature is equivalent to the speed of light, but I think literature exceeds the speed of light."

"Because no matter how close we get to the speed of light, we can only freeze time temporarily, but we can never make time flow backward. But literature can. I am right here, looking at those masterpieces. Before I was even born, I was already destined to be your friend, and I think the people I represent behind me must be the same."

Thank you everyone, thank you for this wonderful evening!

As soon as Yu Qie finished speaking, an incredible burst of applause erupted from the audience! They all stood up and cheered in unison, "China! China!"

Latin Americans have always been known for their intense emotions; their blood is thick with a gene for revelry, regardless of the consequences. When Gabriel García Márquez finished writing *One Hundred Years of Solitude* years ago, his family had already spent all their money and seemed to have no hope.

His car was pawned, and his wife pawned all her jewelry, the TV, radio, refrigerator, and other appliances. The only appliance left in the house was the electric heater used to heat Márquez's study. He was in debt for over 120,000 euros. Even so, the small town where Márquez lived continued to lend him money whenever they heard about this "crazy" writer.

The landlord agreed to defer the rent payment, and the butcher said he could buy meat on credit. When the last line of the novel was written, Márquez's son recalled that after leaving the study, he found his wife sleeping. He didn't wake her, but quietly lay down beside her, weeping softly.

After his wife woke up, the two went to visit a friend. When the friend's wife saw that he was pale, she exclaimed, "My God, Gabo, what's wrong with you?"
A haggard Márquez answered somberly, "Just now, I killed Colonel Buendía!" His friends and creditors didn't blame Márquez for his madness; instead, they all wept bitterly at this ending.

Amidst the applause at the Grand Theatre, Márquez couldn't help but stand up and whistle loudly. Then, the Colombian President, Bertancur, ran up to Yuche and, like a referee raising a boxer's arm, declared Yuche the victor:

"An extraordinary speech, an extraordinary Chinese!"

Yu Qie showed no embarrassment whatsoever and burst into laughter. This scene was captured by numerous media outlets, leaving a deep impression on them. The entire delegation was thoroughly impressed!
Those who had previously questioned Yu Qie now exclaimed, "He's perfect for giving speeches!" Qian Zhongshu stood there, stunned, and said, "This is the best speech given by a Chinese writer abroad in recent years!"

Even the reserved Liu Shahe, who dislikes public appearances, couldn't help but say, "Old Ma's disciple has turned this grand theater into a giant teahouse! He should be paid for his tea!"

Upon witnessing this scene, writer Zhang Xianliang couldn't help but say to Gu Hua, "You'd better not offend Yu Qie. I'm afraid he'll broadcast a nationwide challenge to a duel, something no one else would do, but he is! He's killed people!" Zhang Xianliang added.

Those who weren't there can hardly imagine the atmosphere: the entire audience cheered in unison, showering the person in front of them with the loudest applause. Most writers excel at quick thinking; they often shine with brilliance in gatherings of a few, but they disdain, and are often unable to, deliver a captivating speech in a large crowd.

That's not the case at all.

At six o'clock the next morning, the people of Colombia heard excerpts from Yuche's speech. The distant image of "China" was transformed into a man in a suit and shorts. Whether the "manuscript" in Yuche's hand was actually a prepared speech became a hot topic. He did not look at the manuscript at all, but it was hard to believe that he spoke entirely spontaneously.

CCTV broadcast an excerpt of this speech via satellite television.

It was mainly the audience's reaction that mattered! The effect was fantastic!
This is something that other people might do, like playing the guitar or wearing a cowboy hat... While it might be effective, it can sometimes cause controversy. But it's just right for a writer to do it.

After the lecture at the theater, Qian Zhongshu, as the deputy head of the delegation, was asked whether the "speech manuscript" was written on the spot. He then received a transoceanic phone call from China.

"Was Yu Qie completely off-the-cuff?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked.

Qian Zhongshu said, "Yes, he didn't have a speech prepared at all."

"What is that manuscript in Yu Qie's hand? It's covered with dense text."

"That was a handwritten draft, full of root word explanations from a Spanish dictionary."

"Teacher Qian, are you telling the truth?"

"Really, because I wrote it. I lost to Yu Qie when I was playing cards."

After verifying with multiple sources, CCTV adopted the explanation that Yu Qie had spoken off-script at the last minute. This should not be criticized, but rather encouraged.

Lu Jing, the female host of 7 o'clock news, said: "Recently, our writer Yu Qie led a delegation to visit the Republic of Colombia. He was invited to give a speech at the National Theater, and his speech was met with rounds of applause, showing a new side of our writers!"

"The President of Colombia made a special call to praise Yuche's speech and upgraded his status from honorary citizen of 'Barstow' to honorary citizen of Colombia!"

Colombian honorary citizen?

A speech delivered entirely without notes?

Some time later, a domestic magazine called *Speech and Eloquence* (this magazine actually exists, and its sales far surpass those of pure literature magazines) published Yu Qie's full speech, along with an analysis:

Yu Qie's speeches always begin in a calm setting, starting with a topic familiar to the general public. He then observes the audience's emotional reactions, gradually moving closer to topics that elicit positive responses, intensifying the emotional impact, and ultimately drawing the audience into the emotions he wants to convey.

This is the art of public speaking!
If Yu Qie hadn't said anything, who would have noticed that he hadn't read a single word?
Ni Ping, an actress from Shandong Province, saw this magazine back then. At the time, she was a member of the Shandong Provincial Drama Troupe and had participated in the stage productions of many of Yu Qie's novels. She was also a big fan of Yu Qie's books. Ni Ping finished reading the book "Lurking," and because she loved the story so much, she even looked up and read about the events behind the creation of the story.

Years later, she was invited to be a host at Qingcheng TV, and then she was chosen to be a female host for CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. During a live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala, the production team added a segment at the last minute, arranging for the host to read congratulatory messages from compatriots all over the world. When Ni Ping went on stage, she found that the handwritten congratulatory messages were completely blank.

She didn't panic at all. Instead, she remembered Yu Qie's speech in Colombia and his reply to the soldiers in the Xisha Islands. So, without changing her expression, Ni Ping recited four non-existent "congratulatory telegrams from Chinese people" in succession, flipping through four blank sheets of paper, talking about everything from Chinese Americans to the soldiers in the Xisha Islands... and more than a billion people across the country didn't notice anything.

She benefited from Yu Qie's speech.

Yu Qie's first attempt at using his face in Colombia was quite successful.

Colombia is not some backwater, and Márquez is a big shot. This speech brought him some fame in the Americas, and many Latin American literary figures took notice of this man from the East.

They particularly praised Yu Che's assertion that Colombia's calling card is literature.

This is certainly much better than massacres and drug trafficking... and it's something Colombia has been promoting to the United Nations ever since. Back then, many countries would bring along several literary figures when visiting Colombia, precisely because of the image Colombia had cultivated.

Yu Qie essentially brought this conclusion forward! He certainly deserves the gratitude of the Colombians.

Following his speech, the economic scholars and diplomats in the delegation began contacting the Colombian government, and Yuchelian attended numerous literary salons centered around him. Márquez warmly welcomed him.

Yu Qie behaved quite appropriately in this literary salon, with almost no awkwardness, which pleased Márquez.

In April, on April Fool's Day, Márquez brought along his collaborator, a middle-aged woman named Carmen, who was his agent in the international publishing industry. To some extent, Carmen was the driving force behind the Márquez craze.

(End of this chapter)