Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 494 Returning Home with Honor
On the last night of their return journey, the members of the delegation gathered in their rooms at the Apollo Hotel, too excited to sleep.

There was both excitement at their significant contributions to cross-strait relations and astonishment at the sheer power of these overseas Chinese businessmen. Where else on the mainland had one seen such wealthy merchants? It was as if a corner of the heavens had been torn open.

Wang Anyi said, "I heard in the United States that those large conglomerates can influence government policy-making, and their money should be no less than that of Lin Shaoliang."

"The Americans are still rich!" Jiang Zilong exclaimed.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "The US election costs money, and the money comes from donations from big donors. Lin Shaoliang is also deeply involved in local politics in Malaysia; he campaigned for Malaysian President Suharto. To a certain extent, Western politics is a combination of politics and business."

So-called democracy is a combination of A and B, like the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, where one side rises while the other falls, and the interests they represent are constantly being reshuffled.

Liu Yimin's words made the group fall into deep thought. He himself was also wondering if he should write another thank-you note and submit it to Lianhe Zaobao for publication tomorrow.

After seeing them off, Liu Yimin sat in his room and wrote a public thank-you letter of about a thousand words.

Neither the jointly signed articles nor the establishment of the veterans' homecoming foundation are the key points; the key is to form a united public opinion.

After writing the thank-you letter, Liu Yimin called Lin Renjun. Lin Renjun was half asleep and about to go to sleep when he heard Liu Yimin's words. He immediately sprang to his feet and ran towards Liu Yimin's room.

"Yimin, are you saying that overseas Chinese businessmen set up a veterans' homecoming foundation and raised $43.05 million in one night? Did you donate $50,000?" Lin Renjun gripped Liu Yimin's shoulders tightly.

Liu Yimin nudged Lin Renjun's arm: "Old Lin, why are you so impatient?"

Lin Renjun excitedly punched his left palm with his right fist: "This is fucking big news! Huge news! Yimin, oh my, you're my lucky star. This news is absolutely firsthand, huge news, you don't know about it, do you?"

"I probably don't know, and I'm not sure either, since there are quite a few people raising funds," Liu Yimin said.

"It's okay, even if I'm a few hours ahead of them, it's still a success for me."

The value of big news is measured in seconds. Just thinking about how he had written another big news story made Lin Renjun's soul smug.

Liu Yimin handed the public letter of thanks to Lin Renjun, who grasped Liu Yimin's hand and said, "I can't thank you enough. I'll take you to the airport tomorrow."

After seeing Lin Renjun off, Liu Yimin had a good night's sleep.

When Liu Yimin woke up the next morning, he was refreshed, while the others all had dark circles under their eyes, clearly having been too excited to sleep all night.

The news of over forty million US dollars not only shocked the nation, but also Chinese people all over the world.

Judging from the global impact of the joint article, the foundation's impact was certainly even greater.

"Comrades, don't get excited. Have a good meal and recharge your energy so we can head back home this afternoon," Liu Yimin said.

Liu Yimin and the others walked into the restaurant together. The chefs and waiters noticed them and smiled at them.

The delegation members have been enjoying great popularity lately, and the staff at the Apollo Hotel have developed a very close relationship with them.

Just as he peeled the egg, Lin Renjun rushed in. Seeing that everyone was there, he smiled and said, "Yimin, it seems that this news is an exclusive story for our Lianhe Zaobao. No other media outlets have reported on the Veterans Returning Home Foundation."

"Have you eaten?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile, handing the eggs to Lin Renjun.

Lin Renjun didn't stand on ceremony. He took the newspaper and put it in his mouth. While eating, he spread out the newspaper for everyone to see: "This is today's Lianhe Zaobao. In addition to reporting on the Veterans Homecoming Foundation, it also published Yimin's thank-you letter last night."

"A thank-you letter?" Yao Xueyin asked.

Liu Yimin said, “After you left last night, I felt something was wrong. More than 40 million US dollars, we should express our gratitude publicly, which can also expand our influence. So I wrote a thank-you letter and gave reporter Lin a copy of Lianhe Zaobao.”

Yao Xueyin was impressed by Liu Yimin's meticulousness. After reading the newspaper, she was delighted to see their names listed at the end: "Yimin is truly meticulous in his work. We are just basking in his good fortune."

Qin Mu saw the name Yao Xueyin specifically pointed out: "Yimin, you've worked so hard. We all ran back to sleep soundly, but you're still thinking about everyone and about both sides of the strait."

“Yesterday, when Yimin called me, I was already asleep. Upon hearing the news, I rushed to my room without saying a word. The key point is that our Lianhe Zaobao was already ready to go to print late at night, and the newspaper layout was all done. Editor-in-Chief Du personally ordered that the original content be changed.”

From Lin Renjun's words, one can sense the urgency of the matter. Printing a newspaper involves many steps, and once the sample is completed, it is essentially finalized.

Singapore has more advanced printing equipment, while most newspapers in China still use lead typesetting, where workers need to select characters based on the content before printing, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

It often takes ten days to half a month for Liu Yimin's novels to be printed and typed at the printing plant just based on the content.

Lin Renjun reiterated, "News is a race against time. As long as we can get such big news, it's all worth the hard work."

Before the island had even agreed to allow veterans to visit their families, overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, at the urging of Liu Yimin's article, contributed US$43.05 million, a truly astonishing act.

Chinese people around the world were thrilled to hear this. Song Xilian publicly expressed his gratitude to the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia in the newspaper and called on Chinese Americans to donate generously.

Due to press censorship on the island, ordinary people were completely unaware of international events. Only high-ranking officials and well-informed individuals obtained the information, causing a stir among the higher-ups, who discussed it privately.

At that time, the island was in an uproar over the joint article published in Singapore by Li Ao, Yu Guangzhong, and Xi Murong. Only Sanmao was far away in Central America, beyond the reach of the island's attention.

Li Ao remained defiant, Yu Guangzhong lived a secluded life after returning to the island, and Xi Murong was almost completely ignored.

Some demanded severe punishment for the three, while others believed their crimes were not serious. The Legislative Yuan was in an uproar, but Chiang Ta remained silent.

Those who are good at observing the leader's intentions understand Jiang Da's attitude and begin to create public opinion in line with Jiang Da's intentions.

Before things had even calmed down, just two days later, news broke of $43 million.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense! What kind of nonsense is the mainland up to?"

"It's quite absurd, but I think the most urgent thing is to send someone to make contact. This is forty-three million US dollars!"

"To be precise, it's forty-three million and five dollars. That writer from mainland China donated the prize money from the literary award."

"This is no small sum of money; how to use it is a skill!"

The Legislative Yuan was in an uproar, but Chiang Da-yi still hadn't made a statement.

Upon hearing this news, Sun Liren, who was under house arrest, only said to the flowers and plants in the courtyard, "The trend is irreversible."

Sun Liren was placed under house arrest shortly after arriving on the island and remained under house arrest for 33 years until his release in 1988.

Although he was under house arrest at this time, he had more freedom than before. He planted many flowers, plants and fruit trees, and his family made a living by selling fruit in the market.

The once sharp-tongued General J has adapted to his life under house arrest, evolving from initial anger to calm acceptance.

At this time, the eyes of Chinese people all over the world were focused on the island, and overseas media were scrutinizing it with a magnifying glass, reporting any slight movement immediately.

On the plane, Chen Jiageng's eldest grandson, Chen Liren, sat next to Liu Yimin, holding a newspaper in his hand.

Chen Liren took the same flight to Hong Kong with them, and then went to Xiamen alone, which he called his homecoming trip.

"Yimin, do you know? I'm extremely excited right now, but also a little..."

"The closer I get to home, the more timid I become."

“Yes, yes, that’s it. I’ve only seen the mainland and Xiamen in family photos. I don’t know what Xiamen looks like now.” Chen Liren said to Liu Yimin.

"It's definitely better than before. Xiamen is now a special economic zone, and its development speed is decent. But I estimate it's not as good as Shenzhen. You can go to Shenzhen and see for yourself; Shenzhen is truly developing at a rapid pace. At this rate, surpassing Britain and catching up with the US is not a problem. Chairman Chen, please don't think I'm speaking from a leftist perspective."

The US is running ahead, and China is chasing behind. As long as we keep up the pace, we will definitely catch up.

Chen Liren did not quite agree with Liu Yimin's words, but he did not refute them. Instead, he said, "Of course I hope that the mainland will get better and better."

Qin Mu turned around from the front and said, "Chairman Chen, do you know what 'Pengcheng speed' means? Three days to build one floor. The fastest speed in the United States is four days. Now, in Shekou, right next to Pengcheng, they're shouting 'Time is money, efficiency is life,' which is even faster than Pengcheng speed."

The entire city of Pengcheng is a bustling construction site. I've been there; it's a place where dreams are being realized. Yimin is right, they dare to change the world." Qin Mu told Liu Yimin to visit Pengcheng when he had time, as the construction atmosphere there was even more vibrant than in Beijing.

Qin Mu's words piqued Chen Liren's interest, and he immediately decided that after visiting Xiamen, he would go to Pengcheng.

"Chairman Chen, see you in Yanjing then," Liu Yimin said.

See you in Yanjing.

When the plane arrived in Hong Kong, the news of their return had already been known to the Hong Kong media, and the entire airport exit was surrounded by reporters.

They were eager to get some inside information from Liu Yimin, whether it was the co-signed article or the veterans' homecoming foundation.

Chen Liren said with a smile, "Yimin, you're on par with those TVB stars in Hong Kong."

"Chairman Chen, don't joke with me. I don't want to answer any of these media questions; their thought processes are distorted," Liu Yimin said bluntly.

"Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu, was the figure of forty-three million US dollars deliberately released? Was it simply to put pressure on the island?"

Liu Yimin whispered to Chen Liren, "Am I right?"

"Something is a bit abnormal."

Liu Yimin told the reporter, "If you think it's fake, you can go and prove it. Also, the foundation's specific donation amounts and finances will be made public after a period of time."

"Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu, is the publicly disclosed amount less than forty-three million US dollars?!"

"Lower than? There's only higher than, never lower than!"

What was your purpose in writing that article?

"What's the purpose? There's no purpose; it's just a Chinese person's most basic emotional expression. Countless Chinese associations in Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and other regions have spoken out. Why do you think that's the case?" Liu Yimin countered.

Upon seeing the Xinhua News Agency reporter, Liu Yimin stopped in his tracks.

"Professor Liu, what is your assessment of this trip to Singapore?"

"I felt the power of unity among Chinese people all over the world. I believe that as long as we remain united, we will definitely be able to successfully navigate the path of reform and opening up," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Liu Yimin briefly answered three questions from Xinhua News Agency, and then was escorted away from the airport by airport security.

When the head of Xinhua's Hong Kong branch saw them, he told them to get in the car and leave quickly.

"Comrades, you've worked hard. Chairman Chen, welcome back to your hometown. We will send someone to take you to the border, and local comrades will come to pick you up then."

Chen Liren felt a warmth in his heart: "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Chairman Chen, you're too kind. This is what we should do." The branch manager glanced at Chen Liren a few times, comparing him in his mind to Mr. Chen Jiageng, and thought to himself that Chen Liren and Chen Jiageng really did look somewhat alike, both with square faces.

Chen Liren did not stay overnight in Hong Kong and was taken away by car directly. Chen Liren was eager to return to the mainland to see Xiamen University, which his grandfather had built with his life's blood.

After Liu Yimin and his team checked into the hotel, the branch office leader said, "Comrade Yimin, congratulations on your successful completion—no, it's not just a successful completion, it's a great success. Yanjing was very pleased to hear the news and instructed the delegation members not to go home, but to come to Beijing together."

The delegation members came from all over the world, and they originally planned to go home after landing in Hong Kong.

Qin Mu asked, "What is the higher-ups' evaluation?"

"Evaluation? How could I possibly know that! I'm sure you'll all be recognized. Forty-three million and fifty thousand US dollars—this morning the Hong Kong media went wild, and the TV channels had to switch to broadcasting your trip to Singapore. Although Hong Kong is far from Singapore these past few days, it feels just like being in Singapore."

From Li Ao's speech, the Golden Lion Award for Literature, the co-authored article, the National University honorary doctorate, to this $43.05 million. The branch office manager ordered someone to bring them the Hong Kong newspapers from the past few days for them to review.

Looking at a barely noticeable news item in the newspaper, Liu Yimin asked, "How has the movie 'Fearless' been received since it premiered in Hong Kong and Heung Shan O?"

"It's already grossed over two million Hong Kong dollars at the box office, which is a great result. After Ta Kung Pao reprinted 'Fearless,' the newspaper's circulation increased significantly, but the most popular film is 'Brotherhood of Blades.' Some people even compare you to Jin Yong, a martial arts novelist from Hong Kong."

Before Liu Yimin could speak, Yao Xueyin snorted and said, "Can he compare to Yimin? The Hong Kong media are just talking nonsense."

"Our Xinhua News Agency needs to strengthen its presence in Hong Kong. Comrade Mu Qing specifically asked us to do research. What are the Hong Kong media saying? We need to convey the correct information."

Liu Yimin glanced at the contents a few times, but really didn't want to read any more.

The branch office manager said helplessly, "Hong Kong may be a small place, but it is an arena for various forces to compete. Since the handover, pro-Taiwan media have almost lost their pro-Taiwan stance, but they have become more unscrupulous in their reporting."

"We still need to practice. We need to be good at domestic battles as well as international battles," Liu Yimin said.

The branch manager nodded in agreement. After dinner, Jiang Zilong and the others wanted to watch TV, but when they turned it on, they were immediately bombarded with pornographic films, which made Jiang Zilong frantically turn the TV off.

Jiang Zilong cursed a few times before calming himself down.

"Alright, everyone, go to sleep peacefully. We'll arrive in Yanjing tomorrow morning," Liu Yimin said, easing the awkwardness among them.

Jiang Zilong grunted in agreement and silently left the room with the others.

At five o'clock in the morning, the plane took off and soared into the clouds. It arrived in Yanjing just after nine o'clock.

In late April, Yanjing had just experienced a rain shower, and the sky was still overcast with dark clouds, making everyone feel a little chilly.

As the group disembarked, people from the Ministry of Culture were already waiting for them.

"Comrade Yimin, everyone go to the conference room of the Ministry of Culture. Comrade Yimin will go to see the leaders. Originally, Comrade Xia Yan and the leaders of the other departments wanted to come and pick you up. However, after discussion, we decided that we cannot make a big fuss, otherwise it will really become what the foreign media say about it being premeditated."

Liu Yimin nodded and said, "Okay!"

Yao Xueyin and the others didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After shaking hands with Liu Yimin, they got into the Ministry of Culture's car.

After they started the car, the driver opened the back door, and Liu Yimin thanked him and got into the car.

On the way to the city center, Liu Yimin closed his eyes to rest, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he thought of Zhu Lin and the two little ones, and couldn't wait to go home.

Upon entering Zhonghai, Liu Yimin opened his eyes. The green plants on both sides were lush and verdant, and the willows by the lake swayed in the wind, with fallen dead leaves swirling in the water.

After driving for a while, the car stopped. Before the driver could open the door for Liu Yimin, he had already gotten out.

Secretary Li said with a smile, "Comrade Liu Yimin, please come in."

Liu Yimin walked into the office, where many people were sitting. Besides the old leader and Gang Gong, Xia Yan and Cao Yu were also there.

"Comrade Cao Yu, your good apprentice is here." Gang Gong said with a cigarette between his fingers, smiling as he looked at Liu Yimin.

Cao Yu hid his slightly excited hands in his sleeves and said with a smile, "It's all thanks to the Party and the country for their support; I really didn't do anything."

"Greetings, esteemed leaders!" Liu Yimin greeted with a smile.

The old commander pointed to the chair and said, "Okay, sit down quickly. You've been working hard these past few days, constantly setting off firecrackers. My ears are a bit numb from all the noise."

"Tell me, how did you come up with that idea?" Xia Yan asked curiously.

"Actually, this wasn't something I thought of. It was just that things had developed to that point, and I was just going with the flow and adding fuel to the fire."

"What a brilliant idea to follow the trend! All strategists are masters of following the trend, because they can accurately seize fleeting opportunities. Now we also hope that the other side will follow the trend."

(End of this chapter)