I am not a literary giant

Chapter 159 So many things, always in a hurry

This unexpected face-to-face encounter left Prince Xu momentarily dizzy, and he felt the blood rush to his face.

Surprisingly, Chen Qingluo at the door also had a flushed face. The two stared at each other for a full ten seconds before Wang Zixu snapped out of his daze.

"Ah, it's you."

"Mmm," Chen Qingluo said in a very soft voice through her nose, "Let me in, a good dog doesn't block the way."

Wang Zixu suddenly recalled ten years ago, standing in that bustling classroom, his legs spread apart like a flood dam, completely blocking the distance between the two desks.

"A good dog doesn't block the way, let me in!"

At that time, Chen Qingluo said the same thing.

He would then say, "You're amazing, you jumped over my head."

So Chen Qingluo said, "I'm not Liu Xiang, how am I supposed to jump over? Come on, lower your head and I'll step over."

The world is turned upside down, time reversed, and Wang Zixu returned to the dusty magazine office, standing in front of Chen Qingluo, unable to utter a sound.

If he were still young, he could say flirtatious things to her without any shame, but now that he is in his thirties, saying such things seems too childish.

He awkwardly moved aside, and Chen Qingluo walked past him haughtily.

Wang Zixu held out the manuscript in his hand: "Your new work?"

"Um."

Chen Qingluo took the manuscript, smoothed out her skirt, and sat down at the editor-in-chief's desk, her back ramrod straight.

"It's very well written." Wang Zixu scratched his face a little embarrassedly. "I didn't realize your writing style was so easy to recognize. Logically, I should have been able to tell at a glance."

Chen Qingluo looked at him: "How many of my books have you read to recognize my writing style?"

"I've seen them all."

"Um?"

"I've read all the ones you've published," Wang Zixu said. "There might be some short stories that were published somewhere I don't know about that I haven't read. I've read all the novels and short story collections that have been published."

Chen Qingluo pursed her lips, wanting to smile: "Then you've gone to so much trouble. Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had, I would have sent you a signed copy."

Wang Zixu said, "I didn't even know you still remembered me a long time ago."

He regretted it as soon as he said it. Chen Qingluo fell silent, and so did he.

This is a topic that cannot be touched upon for either of them.

Chen Qingluo cleared her throat with a flourish, seemingly trying to hide her embarrassment, before finally asking, "I think I've heard something like that, but I'm not entirely sure—you recently wrote a new piece, are you preparing to submit it to some kind of competition?"

Wang Zixu nodded: "Yes, I'm going to submit it to the Fei Shi Literary Award."

"Oh, this award didn't exist when I became famous, so I don't remember it."

Prince Xu: "..."

Chen Qingluo glanced at him sideways: "I'm slightly interested. Can you let me take a look at the manuscript?"

Wang Zixu said, "The original manuscripts are too numerous and heavy; I didn't bring any paper copies. Are you coming again tomorrow? If you are, I'll bring them to you."

"No need, you brought the electronic version, didn't you?"

"Oh, I brought it."

"Give it to me." Chen Qingluo held out her hand, showing him her cute palm print.

Wang Zixu sent the manuscript via email, and Chen Qingluo downloaded it and started reading it without hesitation. Wang Zixu was immediately sweating profusely.

He thought Chen Qingluo was just being polite by saying she wanted to see it, but he didn't expect her to be so decisive and immediately execute him, which made him feel a little pained, like he had been publicly executed.

Chen Qingluo scanned the room, reading very attentively. Only the chirping of birds could be heard; no human voices were heard.

Prince sat there blankly, suddenly feeling very happy. Then he suddenly realized that this was probably the first time in his life that he had been alone with Chen Qingluo in a space.

He hadn't savored this peaceful moment for long when there was a sound at the door. Ning Chunyan pushed the door open and came in. The first thing she saw was him, and she said, "Wow, you're here so early again." Then, seeing Chen Qingluo, she exclaimed even louder, "Wow! You actually came too!"

Ning Chunyan walked over and stood beside Chen Qingluo like a little bird, asking softly, "Whose manuscript are you looking at?"

Chen Qingluo remained silent, and Wang Zixu kindly answered for her: "Look at my manuscript."

"Is she reading your Chinese version of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'?"

"Um."

"By the way, have you submitted your manuscript to the editor of 'Ancient City' yet? Why haven't we heard back from them for so long?"

Ning Chunyan's unintentional remark stirred up Wang Zixu's worries: "I submitted it, and they keep telling me it's still under review, or that I should wait for news. Sigh."

Prince Xu sighed, and Ning Chunyan also became anxious, frowning as she said, "Oh no, could this really be a trap set by Shi Tonghe?"

Wang Zixu shook his head: "I thought so at first too, but I later checked out the editor Hao who was in charge of me, and he really is a well-known editor. He guaranteed that it would be published. Shi Tonghe went to great lengths to use his connections at this level just to mess with me. Is he crazy? Won't people laugh at him if word gets out?"

Ning Chunyan said, "I know Editor Hao too, he is indeed very famous. However, while the logic is sound, but..."

Wang Zixu added, "Besides, what's the point of him holding onto my manuscript? The industry rule is that you can't submit the same manuscript to multiple publications within a month. If he doesn't reply, I can submit it to another publication. I have a valid reason to do so."

Ning Chunyan said, "But if a month really passes, your deadline for Fei Shi's manuscript will be approaching, and time will be very tight."

"Of course, this is just the worst-case scenario, and I can't really be foolish enough to wait for a whole month."

Ning Chunyan frowned and thought for a while, then counted on her fingers and said, "But this doesn't make sense either. Look, if Shi Tonghe is genuinely recommending it, why would 'The Ancient City' go through such a long process without giving a definite answer?"

Prince Xu looked up and thought about it; indeed, he had no idea what they were up to.

Ning Chunyan slapped her thigh: "Oh no, could they have gotten your original manuscript and want to plagiarize it?"

"They dare!" Chen Qingluo, who had been engrossed in her book, suddenly spoke up. "With copyright so strictly enforced these days, anyone who dares to plagiarize will be taken to court and their reputation ruined."

Wang Zixu said, "I mailed all three versions of my manuscript to myself with seals, and we also exchanged emails with timestamps. If they want to plagiarize, I have enough evidence."

Ning Chunyan felt a little relieved: "I didn't expect you to still have some self-protective instincts."

"One should always be wary of others."

Chen Qingluo finally broke free from the computer screen, frowned, and said to them:

"I've finished watching the first part. This quality is more than enough for 'The Ancient City,' so it's impossible that there hasn't been a response for so long. There must be some external factors holding them back."

Ning Chunyan looked at Chen Qingluo, and a feeling of admiration arose spontaneously.

In such situations, Chen Qingluo always gives her opinion decisively, and her opinion is always based on the quality of the literature itself, making it very persuasive.

Chen Qingluo said to Wang Zixu in a commanding tone, "Tell me in detail what happened when you met with Hao Bian, what you said, what his expression was, and tell me every detail."

Prince Xu thought for a moment, then began to speak.

He couldn't do anything else, but he had a good memory, so he recounted everything that happened that day.

He started by talking about how Editor Hao was late, then about how he ordered food (Chen Qingluo curled her lips in disdain, thinking that this glutton should just eat himself to death), and then about how he spoke after reading her manuscript.

At this point, Chen Qingluo frowned: "He said, 'You're still worried about the publication issue,' are you sure he used a rhetorical question?"

Wang Zixu said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

Chen Qingluo said, "Isn't there still no definite answer?"

Wang Zixu said, "When I asked him if it could be published, he said, 'Since Chairman Shi recommended it, why are you worried about publication?' From the context, it was a guarantee."

Chen Qingluo sighed, seemingly disgusted by his naiveté:

"If you encounter a similar situation in the future, and the other party responds to you with a rhetorical question, hint, or indirect approach, you must press them to ask for details. You must force them to make a statement to guarantee it, otherwise it doesn't count."

Prince Xu was taken aback: "Is it that serious?"

"Is it really that serious?" Chen Qingluo shook her head and sighed. "These are lessons I learned through my own mistakes and painful experiences. Never mind, I won't talk about it anymore."

Prince Xu wanted to ask her what had happened, but it wasn't the right time, so he kept quiet.

"In short, his statement doesn't guarantee your publication; at least that's questionable. Go on."

Wang Zixu then recounted their conversation, and Chen Qingluo frowned again, saying, "Judging from this, the situation of 'Ancient City' is also deteriorating."

The prince asked humbly, "How can you tell?"

"He said they generally don't accept submissions anymore, they only commission articles," Chen Qingluo said. "This is an unhealthy trend for the magazine!"

Why?

"Literary magazines need editors and readers to establish a close, emotional connection. Author submissions are also a form of exchange. The reason they don't read submissions, claiming it's because the quality is too poor, is partly because the articles they publish don't resonate with their readers; a two-way cycle hasn't been established. By severing their connection with readers and relying entirely on commissioned articles, how can they possibly function healthily?"

Wang Zixu nodded: "But they also have a lot of commissions, so the space might really be tight."

Chen Qingluo still shook her head: "Limited space is not a reason to not read submissions. Besides, all of them are commissioned articles. In the short term, the quality of the articles may be higher, but in the long run, the readership will shrink more and more, and eventually the articles will be shelved by readers and become self-isolated."

After saying that, Chen Qingluo stared at Wang Zixu and said, "Literature that no one appreciates is pathetic. Only when people like to read it does literature have vitality."

Wang Zixu sat further back in his chair: "So now, should I call Editor Hao again and ask? Or should we confront him?"

Chen Qingluo took out her phone: "Let me ask."

Ning Chunyan asked with some concern, "Is it really okay for you to get involved?"

"It's alright. I'll ask. I have experience dealing with them."

Chen Qingluo already had Hao Bian's phone number, and after dialing it, the other end answered quickly.

"Hello, yes, it's me, hello hello... I heard it was your son's birthday, so I called to say hello. What? Your son's birthday was six months ago? What? You had a daughter, not a son? Oh, then it seems I made a mistake... Ah, it's okay, it's okay. Article requests? I don't have any articles on hand right now..."

Wang Zixu and Ning Chunyan listened silently from the side. When they heard this, they both covered their faces at the same time.

Just when they thought Chen Qingluo was about to fail, she suddenly changed the subject:

"By the way, I wanted to ask about someone I know. I heard he recently submitted an article to your publication. Um, I'd like to know how his article turned out?"

At this point, Chen Qingluo quietly put down her phone and turned on speakerphone. Hao Bian's voice came from the other end:

"Who is your friend?"

Chen Qingluo said, "Hey, we're not friends, just acquaintances. I heard his articles are highly regarded in our small circle, but I can't seem to find them, so I thought I'd ask you about them."

Editor Hao's voice sounded somewhat wary: "We've got a lot of articles coming up lately, what are they called?"

"Prince Xu".

"Oh, him?" Hao, the editor, exclaimed in surprise on the other end of the phone. "So you know him? Isn't he a newly emerging author? Is he worth your concern?"

Chen Qingluo said, "It has nothing to do with seniority. Many people I know have praised his article. So I became a little curious."

Editor Hao said, "We're still reviewing that manuscript."

Chen Qingluo asked, "Is it still under review? I heard that Professor Shi Tonghe recommended it, so why is it taking so long?"

Editor Hao asked, "Who told you that your teacher, Shi Tonghe, recommended it?"

Chen Qingluo and the two exchanged a glance: "He said it himself."

Editor Hao sighed, "The matter is rather complicated. This manuscript was indeed recommended by Professor Shi Tonghe, but after I received it, he said that it needs to be strictly reviewed, without any consideration for his feelings. The more detailed the review, the better. So it's still difficult to publish the manuscript now."

Chen Qingluo frowned deeply: "Still needing to review it? That manuscript needs to be published before Fei Shi finishes. You should give them a definite answer on whether it will be approved or not, otherwise it'll just cause a lot of delays!"

Hao Bian's voice became suspicious: "Teacher Chen, could it be that Prince Xu asked you to come and investigate?"

Chen Qingluo sat up straight: "Editor Hao, I think you should communicate more with the author and point out where changes are needed so that he can make them as soon as possible. Dragging it out for too long will really affect his schedule."

Hao Bian's voice turned cold and hard: "Teacher Chen, I don't know if it was Wang Zixu who asked you to inquire, but whether it was him or you, I have to say that we have our own work process."

Chen Qingluo said, "But your workflow is also designed to better help authors write better works!"

Editor Hao bluntly said, "Professor Chen, if that's the case, then we'll have to reject the manuscript."

Wang Zixu and Ning Chunyan stared at her nervously.

After a moment's thought, Chen Qingluo said, "Editor Hao, if you're going to reject a manuscript, you need to give the reader a reasonable explanation, right?"

Editor Hao said, "Many people in our editorial department have read and are reading Wang Zixu's manuscript. It's quite long, and many people haven't finished reading it yet. Let me tell you our feedback."

"Our feedback is that this article did not win over all of us and caused a lot of controversy. Some people praised it, while others disagreed."

The prince was humble and his hair was tight.

Chen Qingluo looked extremely unconvinced: "Then what about your own judgment?"

"My assessment is that it hasn't met the standards for publication in a full-length article," Editor Hao said. "It would be a very difficult task to get it published."

Chen Qingluo exclaimed anxiously, "Can't you even read a book?"

(End of this chapter)