Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 495 Goodbye, Utopia
After a while, Shu Bin suddenly raised his head and looked at Fang Minghua and asked:

"Chairman Fang, you are here on behalf of President Zhao. Can you make the full decision?"

"Of course." Fang Minghua smiled and said, "Because this Shengshi Bookstore was jointly opened by Zhao Hongjun and I."

That's it!

Shu Bin suddenly realized.

"Okay, Chairman Fang." Shu Bin said, and suddenly picked up the briefcase beside him, took out a book from it and handed it to Fang Minghua.

"A Different Interpretation of the Analects? Written by Nan Huai-Chin?" Fang Minghua asked when he saw the cover of the traditional Chinese book, "It seems that this book has not been published in the mainland yet? Did you buy it in Hong Kong?"

"When I was a graduate student at Xiangtan University, I had a classmate named Stephen, who was an American studying abroad. Last year, through him, I met Mr. Nan Huai-Chin who lives in Hong Kong."

Shu Bin explained: "What I want to ask now is, Chairman Fang, do you think this book can be published in the mainland?"

Fang Minghua smiled and did not answer directly but asked: "What about you, what do you think?"

"I think it can. This is a record of lectures on the Analects, but it is not difficult to understand and is very interesting. It reflects the essence and value of Chinese culture. There is almost no book of this type in the domestic market. I think readers will like it and it will have a certain sales potential."

"Of course, from another perspective, there are no books of this kind in China right now, so how are they selling? I'm not entirely sure. Western books are more popular in China right now, like Bacon's On Reading and Plato's The Republic, but this kind of book market is already saturated."

Shu Bin finished speaking and looked at the other person with sharp eyes.

Fang Minghua took his time, picked up the wine glass and took a sip before saying, "If you take on the position of manager, you can publish it."

"real?!"

"Yes, I have the final say on this matter!"

"Okay! I'll do it!"

"Well, come on, let's have a drink and have a happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"

They both raised their glasses.

Shu Bin decided to join Shengshi Books and became more proactive. He said, "Chairman Fang, we are about to enter the 1990s. I predict that with the development of economy and technology, readers' tastes will change and will not be limited to literary novels. Similarly, the books we publish must cater to this change and expand our horizons."

"For example, the book by Nan Huaijin that you mentioned?" Fang Minghua said.

"Yes, traditional Chinese culture is one category, and the other should be economics and finance, and emerging technologies such as computers. Of course, these are not professional books, but popular science books, which readers will definitely be interested in."

"That makes sense. There is a girl named Dai Jiali in the Haikou company. She graduated from Yanjing Foreign Language College and is now the office director of the company. Her ideas are very similar to yours."

"Really? I'll talk to her later."

The two had a very pleasant conversation during the dinner.

Of course, this is only a preliminary agreement. As for Shu Bin’s treatment after he comes, and the adjustment of the relationship between the two Shengshi Bookstores in Haikou and Xijing, they will need to be discussed in detail later.

However, Fang Minghua did not want to get involved in all this. His goal of persuading Shu Bin to join had been achieved. What remained was what Zhao Hongjun, as the general manager, had to consider.

That night in the hotel, Fang Minghua called Zhao Hongjun and Song Tangtang respectively to briefly explain the situation.

"Hongjun, Shu Bin has already agreed. The rest is up to you. I will be back tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Come over and have a good talk with him. He is a very thoughtful person."

"Why don't you continue talking to him?"

"You are the general manager, I am not." Fang Minghua answered lazily.

Fang Minghua really wanted to rush back, as he had only written more than half of the first draft of "Skywalker" and had to speed up the progress.

However, before leaving Haikou, Fang Minghua still wanted to see someone.

Han Shaogong.

Hainan Documentary was shut down, and most of the editorial staff returned to their hometowns. Han Shaogong stayed to help prepare for the Hainan Writers Association.

Fang Minghua found Han Shaogong on the third floor of a three-story building behind the provincial government compound. "Chairman Fang, why are you in Haikou?" Han Shaogong was surprised to see Fang Minghua.

"It's just a personal matter. I finished it so I came to see you."

"Come, sit down, sit down." Han Shaogong hurriedly greeted him: "It's a bit messy and the conditions are difficult. Don't laugh at me."

The conditions were indeed very difficult. In the office of only a dozen square meters, all kinds of documents were piled on the tables, chairs, and even on the floor.

Han Shaogong still brought a chair from next door and poured him a cup of tea.

"How is the preparation of your Writers Association going?" Fang Minghua asked with concern.

"We are rushing to prepare for it. It is estimated that it will be officially listed next year. We will invite you to attend our listing ceremony then."

"Okay." Fang Minghua agreed readily.

The two chatted for a while, and Fang Minghua asked tentatively: "Chairman Han, I saw that the Hainan Documentary magazine you published has been discontinued at a newsstand on the street?"

"Yes, we have to listen to what is said above."

There was a hint of regret in Han Shaogong's tone.

"It's good to take a break. Running a magazine is very tiring, especially for someone like you," Fang Minghua consoled. "I also quit my position as editor-in-chief of Yanhe magazine."

Han Shaogong was a little surprised to hear the news.

"You're not going to be the editor-in-chief anymore? Isn't Yanhe quite popular?"

"I am tired, physically and mentally. I am trembling with fear, treading on thin ice, just worried about what might happen."

"Yes." Han Shaogong also felt this: "When there is a slight disturbance in the domestic environment, the first to suffer is the literary world. To be honest, I am also tired and I am ready to pick up my pen and write something again."

"However, Chairman Han, I read an issue of 'Hainan Documentary' and it was quite distinctive," Fang Minghua said again.

When talking about "Hainan Documentary", Han Shaogong's emotions were obviously high.

"To be honest, the first issue of Hainan Documentary was officially published in October last year. Do you know how many copies it has been circulated? 10!"

60?
This number also surprised Fang Minghua.

When I was the editor-in-chief, the highest circulation of Yanhe was only 60 copies, but others reached that number with the first issue.

"We didn't take a penny from the country, but we earned millions in profits, taxes and fixed assets for the country in one year." Han Shaogong was quite proud when he said this.

"It is indeed profitable." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"Yes, but making too much money is not necessarily a good thing." Han Shaogong suddenly changed the subject: "Too much money leads people to two directions: some people will take money more seriously, while others have more reason to see money as a loss."

“Chairman Han, you belong to the latter.”

"I guess so. Compared to literature, literature is much simpler. Choosing literature is actually choosing a spiritual direction, a way of life and an attitude. It has nothing to do with whether a person can become a writer or a famous writer. Chairman Fang, am I right?"

Fang Minghua nodded and said, "However, we are about to enter the 1990s. The writing environment in the 1990s will probably be very different from that in the 1980s."

"Yes, times are about to change." Han Shaogong said with emotion.

Driving back to Wanghailou from the Writers Association, Fang Minghua thought about the conversation he had just had with Han Shaogong, and he also thought of his recent contact with Zhang Xianliang in Yinchuan.

Neither of them was a literati in the traditional sense, and both had a commercial color. However, Zhang Xianliang was more thorough and market-oriented, and had the keen insight of a businessman, so he founded the Western Film and Television City and became a generation of literati and local tycoon.

Han Shaogong has more of a utopian color. Referring to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, the "Red May Compact" signed by Europeans on the "Mayflower" bound for America, Sweden's socialist welfare system, etc., he drafted the "Hainan Documentary Magazine Covenant", which is a hodgepodge of communist ideals, capitalist management rules, and gang habits, and founded the "Hainan Documentary Magazine".

But the coming 1990s will not require any of this; what is coming is the tide of market economy that will sweep away everything.

"got windy."

Fang Minghua looked at the coconut trees on the street beginning to sway and sighed.

(End of this chapter)