Literary Master 1983

Chapter 315 "The East Wind Prevails Over the West Wind"

By 1986, China already had a number of well-established film crews.

The first live broadcast of the counterattack against Vietnam took place that year. Viewers could see soldiers charging into battle amidst a hail of bullets on television; bullets and smoke were flying right before their eyes. It was an era in which everyone was still figuring things out.

Because of exploration and experimentation, they are particularly "daring" and sometimes have a great deal of creative freedom.

This film crew was led by a retired cadre named Mu Qing, who was a communications officer for the Xinhua News Agency. He was often the one who wrote some of the most influential news articles.

Mu Qing has written about local officials, scientific researchers, and ordinary workers... He is a veteran media professional.

This is the second time Mu Qing has written a press release for an author, as the first time he wrote one for Yu Qie. When Yu Qie won the Akutagawa Prize, it was Mu Qing who wrote the press release.

They even got the award announcement time wrong, announcing the good news to the domestic audience a day early... Fortunately, Yu Qie managed to turn the tide.

This event also coined the term "reverse shear effect," which refers to events that the public believed occurred but which actually did not happen at the time.

This time they vowed they would never make a fool of themselves.

Before setting off, Mu Qing said to the crew, "I have a few things to say. First, this is our first time filming in the United States, which happened during our visit. The second time is now. You need to understand the importance of this."

"Secondly, we are determined to make a documentary. However, a documentary is only a few hours long, but we have dozens, even hundreds, of hours of footage. These videos are not 'waste films'; in fact, they are very valuable. Comrades, these will be precious historical materials in the future."

“If someone wants to understand this writer, Yu Qie, they will have to watch our video footage repeatedly, analyzing every single detail. Is it valuable? It is very valuable. We film every little thing.”

Someone asked, "Should we film Yu Qie when he goes to the toilet? When he's eating or sleeping?"

Mu Qing said, "I followed him to the toilet door, until before he ate, and until he put on his bedding."

This was supposed to be a somewhat humorous question, but the crew members all took it very seriously. Someone even took out a notebook to write down Mu Qing's request.

Mu Qing nodded in satisfaction, and finally said, "Now it's the third one..."

"Although Yu Qie is young, he is a very capable person. In terms of his literature, he is a true great writer."

"There aren't many people like this, but there have been some over the past five thousand years... and we just happened to meet one. Don't be too surprised; although he's from Sichuan, don't treat him like a panda from the mountains!"

At this point, someone finally couldn't help but laugh.

Mu Qing couldn't help but laugh, but then said seriously:

"I hope no one causes any unpleasantness or conflicts with him. I've heard that a man named Gu Hua is having a hard time... You can look into Gu Hua's situation. We're here to learn and improve."

"Yu Qie is our role model! Do you understand what I mean?"

Everyone answered in unison, "Understood!"

"it is good!"

Mu Qing waved his hand, full of heroic spirit.

These people then arrived in the United States, and through coordination between publisher Harper and the embassy, ​​were able to follow and film the entire process in the US.

Mu Qing decided on the documentary title as either "Literature Heads West" or "The East Wind Overpowers the West Wind," and the final title would be chosen based on the number of votes.

Why is it called "Literature Heading West"?
Because a local TV station commissioned a documentary project called "The Great Wall Extends Southward," the production team was required to follow my country's Antarctic research vessel throughout the entire process of building a new research station in Antarctica, with the filming period alone lasting nine months.

You should know that the more difficult the task, the more glorious it is for a media professional.

How can CCTV be overwhelmed by local TV stations?
The name "Literature Heading West" comes from this.

Then why is it called "The East Wind Prevails Over the West Wind"?
This comes from certain poems.

The film crew voted, but to their surprise, the votes were tied. They voted again, but the result was still tied.

Mu Qing had no choice but to ask Yu Qie how to name it. Without thinking, Yu Qie said, "Why compete with our brother TV station? Let's raise the bar and call it 'East Wind Overpowers West Wind,' that's great!"

Alright! Let the East Wind prevail over the West Wind!

The film crew first rested at a hotel near Boston University, where they discovered that the book "2666" was already on sale in bookstores and that there were news reports of "Yu Qie's Bloodshed in Columbia" in the newspapers... Americans learned from the British when it came to writing news and liked to make things up.

In some American tabloids, Yu Qie was described as a superhuman who single-handedly defeated the Chilean android agent, only to unfortunately fail to save his security friend... This amazed the crew.

At first, they were proud and looked up all the news, getting excited just looking at it.

I never imagined that American writers could create such exciting and exhilarating stories!

This person said, "I never imagined that Yu Qie was such a great hero in America. They rarely write about us like that."

The man laughed and said, "They say here that Betankul has a daughter who really likes Yuche... Vargas Llosa's cousin also wants to meet Yuche, and Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand is very unhappy about it—what is this! This is complete nonsense, just talking to herself!"

"These women range in age from twenty to fifty to thirty... It's simply impossible!"

However, there was so much of this kind of news that they eventually got tired of reading it.

Afterwards, Yu Qie went to the hotel to meet with the film crew. After a brief introduction, the documentary filming officially began.

He noticed that everyone was looking at him with the same eyes they would use to look at Xiang Yu and Cao Cao. Those eyes held not only literary respect, but also a sense of physical fear.

Yu Qie shrugged, inadvertently revealing his muscular arms, and said, "Everyone, relax a little. I'm just an ordinary person."

Now, everyone's expressions became even more serious.

Yu Qie had no choice but to get straight to the point.

He first read aloud the letter Zhang Li wrote to him in front of the camera:

"Yu Qie, are you alright? How badly are you hurt? Whether you live or die, you have to come back quickly. The people of our country are waiting for you, and I'm waiting for you here too..."

Zhang Li has already spoken to him.

Zhang Li wrote this letter knowing it was going to be shown on television. So it's a bit inhuman.

Then, Yu Qie, the protagonist in the letter, addressed the audience: "I am fine now and have not suffered any major injuries. The reason I am still in the United States is that the Book Critics Circle Award is about to be presented, and I will go back after receiving the award here."

"I have a gift for you."

Yu Qie said to the camera.

His words were obviously meant for Zhang Li, but because it was a documentary, the whole country would see this scene. Many book fans felt that it was meant for them, and then, after waking up from the dream, they realized that Yu Qie wasn't their partner, so they made a huge fuss and demanded that their partners act like Yu Qie.

Because Yu Qie pulled out the broken "gold-inlaid jade" medal in front of the camera and told the audience its story: to avoid being taxed by the United States, the editorial department of the Taiwanese literary magazine *United Literature* had this large medal made for him. They spent 46,000 US dollars on this thing.

And this medal unexpectedly shielded him from a bullet.

“We young people shouldn’t believe in metaphysics, but I’m willing to believe it here. The kind blessings from readers in Taiwan helped me escape a calamity. I share their sentiments, and I believe it’s a testament to good fortune, so I want to give this treasure to you,” Yu Qie said.

This is the content recorded on the first day. In the evening, the production team split into two groups: one group reviewed the footage, and the other group continued filming.

Even after Yu Qie went to sleep, they continued their small meeting to summarize the day's filming results.

What did they find?

When Yu Qie was telling his story, everyone filming was completely absorbed, almost forgetting their work. Even now, when it's replayed, it's the same; it's played once, twice, and everyone is still engrossed in listening.

A gold-inlaid jade medal, Taiwanese book lovers, the rumored feud between Yu Guangzhong and Li Ao, the Colombian massacre case... It's all so interesting.

One person couldn't help but exclaim, "Teacher Yu's experience is much more interesting than any movie. I think it's a shame to air our documentary on TV; it should be shown in theaters for 50 cents a ticket! It's guaranteed to be a huge hit!"

Mu Qing also felt that the first day of filming was a great success, and said with a smile, "Then we have to pay Teacher Yu the copyright fee. His copyright fee is very high, and our TV station can't afford it."

After that, the crew of "East Wind Prevails Over West Wind" followed Yu Qie closely, staying by his side wherever he went.

Yu Qie's meeting with the ambassador, his attendance at a charity dinner hosted by the wealthy Chinese businessman Wang An, and even his phone call with Gong Xue, and Nie Weiping's invitation to play cards, were all recorded. They were amazed and found it incredibly fascinating.

Some things simply can't be shown to the public in the documentary. For example, Yu Qie seems to have a close relationship with Gong Xue? Or, some of Yu Qie's mahjong partners—it's not appropriate to mention their names?
Mu Qing said, "These can only be judged by future generations; they can only serve as our filming materials."

"Perhaps researchers will find it useful when writing papers in the future."

No one felt that Yu Qie was doing anything too outrageous, because everything he did seemed to defy easy categorization. His appearance might redefine values.

Yu Qie's return to the United States has been met with great enthusiasm from readers.

He was initially popular primarily among Chinese readers because he represented the kind of person that everyone wanted to be, an image that is relatively rare among people of Asian descent; after returning from Colombia, he went even further.

Now even white people like this writer. As one commentator in The New York Times put it, "Many American writers claim to be Hemingway's successors. He (referring to Yu Qie) didn't say that, but he already is."

Indeed, he supports the red cause, has been on the battlefield, and killed enemies—which so-called successor can be so hardcore?
If Hemingway were alive today, he would say, "I am his successor."

Yu Qie is also very popular at Harper’s writers’ salon.

"2666" is a work that showcases technical skill. The story itself is not strong, but what is impressive is that it uses almost every writing technique. Yu Qie's real-life experiences make up for the shortcomings of the story, making it a rare literary novel that can break out of its niche.

Among the local writers who came from all over the United States, there was an Indian writer named "Momady" who was particularly enthusiastic about Yu Che.

The film crew captured Mr. Momadi giving Yu Che a big hug after they met at Boston University.

Momadi and Ma Shitu are about the same age and even look somewhat like each other. If he didn't speak English, he would look like an old Chinese man.

Therefore, Yu Qie was particularly enthusiastic towards this person.

Momadi was an unlucky man. He was severely persecuted as an Indian when he was young, and when he got old, his tribe was almost wiped out. He was then kept in captivity "like a rare animal" as a measure of cultural diversity.

The old man said, “Mr. Yu, I wish you were an American, so that we Native Americans wouldn’t lose our way after I’m gone. Your writing can unite us; you are a natural opinion leader.”

Yu Qie comforted him, saying, "The Native Americans will produce their own writers."

The old man shook his head and said, "Difficult, difficult..."

Yu said, "I believe you will see many Native American writers in the future. As long as Native Americans read my books, I will stand with them."

Momadi smiled with satisfaction.

Yu Qie was not omniscient or omnipotent. Momadi was a complete stranger to him, so he privately asked someone, "Who exactly is this Momadi?"

Someone told him, "Momadi is the current spiritual leader of the Native Americans. He is the Li Bai of the Native Americans, a great literary figure."

To Native Americans, Momadi was a superstar, a figure who sparked the Native American cultural renaissance; without him, there would be no Native American literature.

In terms of the number of awards, he is far more impressive than Yu Qie, with the American Academy of Poets Award, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and many others all in his possession.

“Every Native American has read his novels. Without him, Native Americans would be literary extinct. Native Americans don’t speak their own language, nor do they write their own script,” a university professor told Yu Qie.

Yu Qie suddenly realized.

Another local superstar. That's how it is in a Western-centric world. Whether you're from Thailand, Malaysia, or Native Americans... as long as you're not in the Western spotlight, no matter how well you write, you'll remain "unknown".

He was outraged by this, so he quietly said in front of the camera: "I hope that this will not happen again forty years from now. Momadi is a great man, but his demands cannot be heard."

Mu Qing couldn't help but ask him, "Then how can writers in other parts of the world avoid this situation? At the very least, what about us Chinese writers?"

“The answer lies in the title of our documentary,” Yu said.

Some individuals may indeed have their luck improved by talent; however, for a group of people, it requires the collective effort of everyone involved.

Momadi is the only child of Native American descent, and Native American literature is now facing a lack of successors—otherwise, why would a German woman claim to be of Native American descent?

"Why don't Native Americans want to write novels?" Yu Qie wondered. "My hometown, Wanxian, is a small place, but it was in this small Wanxian that Ma Shitu, myself, and the poet He Qifang were born..."

Carmen knew about this. She said, "In your homeland, in that small place under Portuguese rule, were any great writers born?"

"You mean the Portuguese are still colonizing the Indians?" Yu Che was shocked.

"No, I mean, the Native Americans now have the right to run casinos. They make money too easily, they've become complacent, and they won't pursue literature."

Yu said, "That's not surprising. If I had been a millionaire from the start, I probably wouldn't have chosen the path of writing."

Carmen laughed: "It's a good thing you were poor before."

So, Yu Qie talked in front of the camera about how he used to ride a bicycle and sent over that stack of manuscripts. "At first, I didn't have any grand ideas; I mainly wanted to make some money."

"Of course, my thinking has changed now, and I have indeed done some things. Do you think that people like Márquez and Lu Xun were originally who they were? People need time to grow."

"So it's not shameful to want to improve your life when you're young; of course, you should do good deeds once you have money."

Mu Qing felt that Yu Qie was very suitable to be a teacher. It was said that after graduating with his master's and doctoral degrees from Yenching University, Yu Qie would stay at the university to teach.

He's also a writer; perhaps he'll be a mentor to young people in the new century.

During this period, in order to build momentum for the National Book Critics Circle Award, some writers who came to Boston expressed their support for Yu Qie's work: "He is a versatile player. He is a basketball player who can play from point guard to center. He is like Larry Bird, but even more well-rounded."

From 1981 to 1986, the Boston basketball team dominated American basketball, with white player Larry Bird as the team's core figure.

Therefore, the writers' description of Yu Qie as "more comprehensive than Larry Bird" in Boston, the host city, can be seen as another way of adapting to local customs.

The filming crew organized by CCTV finally encountered the awkward situation of cultural barriers here.

(End of this chapter)