The literary era since 1979

Chapter 39 Ba Lao's Comments on "The Secret Calculation"

The institute has a packed schedule, with classes in the morning and afternoon six days a week, including classical, Western, modern, contemporary, basic, theoretical, and practical classes.

Li Qingquan, Xu Gang and others reminded us time and again not to miss lectures and not to just think about writing, as there is still a long way to go!
Having said that, the anxiety and pressure brought by the dialect made other students join the internal competition one after another.

Once night falls, people working hard can be seen everywhere in the cafeteria, dormitories, library and conference rooms.

In order to avoid overly enthusiastic classmates, Fang Yan followed Tie Ning, Wang Anyi and others to hide in their secret base, a remote and small bungalow that could only accommodate seven or eight people.

In the middle was a long table with a circle of chairs around it. Fangyan sat next to Tiening and Jiang Zilong.

Everyone writes in different places without interfering with each other.

Unless he encountered a word he didn't know how to write, Wang Anyi looked at the dialect opposite him and asked, "How do you write the word '仔' in '兔仔子'?"

"Does An Yi have to use such rude words?"

Mo Shen, who was standing between two people, couldn't help but interrupt.

"I……"

Wang Anyi opened his mouth, blushing and not knowing how to start. Then he saw Fangyan writing "zai" for himself on paper and saying, "How can the words used by cultured people be called rude? This is called 'using the simplest words to express the most accurate emotions'."

"High! It's really high!"

Mo Shen, Jiang Zilong and others smiled at each other.

Tie Ning seemed to be thinking about something. He stared at Fang Yan with a squint. Suddenly he noticed a pile of manuscripts in front of him. He couldn't help but ask curiously:
"What are you writing again?"

“A companion piece to The Counterfeiter.”

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Mo Shen said helplessly, "No way, Yanzi, you are too diligent. You just finished a novella, and you are writing another one so soon?"

"I have no choice. I owe others manuscripts and now the creditors are coming to collect the debt." Fang Yan smiled bitterly and shook his hands.

In order to ensure that the novel did not violate taboos, he not only showed it to the leaders of the institute such as Li Qingquan and Xu Gang, but also made a special trip back to Yenching Literature and Art to have it reviewed by everyone in the editorial department. He was relieved only when he found no mistakes.

But he inevitably ran into Wang Jie, a big creditor.

I owe her a novel, so I plan to take out the "Listener" chapter from "The Secret Calculation" to pay off the debt, and the title will be "Listening to the Wind".

However, the content is rewritten from the movie version starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Zhou Xun, not the TV version starring Wang Baoqiang. Mainly the ending of the TV version is so outrageous.

Outrageous!

In comparison, the movie version is more reliable.

It tells the story of the 701st Unit, which was responsible for the intelligence agency after the founding of the People's Republic of China, accidentally discovering that all the hidden enemy stations had disappeared.

Faced with the enemy's radio silence operation, A Bing, a blind man with extraordinary hearing, was recruited into the 701st Unit. He displayed his magical powers and cracked all enemy radio stations. It is a rare and exciting story in the anti-espionage genre.

The only tricky thing about the dialect is that it requires the use of Morse code, so you have to find a textbook or a comparison table to refer to when writing.

"Write it and show it to us."

Mo Shen and others are very interested in spy novels.

"No problem." Fang Yan nodded.

Jiang Zilong asked, "Yanzi, have you sent your article "Secret Calculation" to the editorial department of "Harvest"? "

"It's on the way. It should arrive in a few days."

Fangyan turned his head and looked at the night sky outside the window.

…………

6 days later, Shanghai Stock Exchange.

A ray of afternoon sunlight shone through the window of the small western-style building. Li Yaotang sat at the table, thinking hard and writing "Random Thoughts".

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps broke the silence in the room.

"Dad, the manuscripts of those young writers you favor have been sent to the editorial department one after another."

Li Xiaolin came over with a bag.

"Have you and your uncle Xiao seen it?"

Li Yaotang was referring to Xiao Dai, the current editor-in-chief of Harvest.

"I've read them all. Uncle Xiao and his friends picked out a few that they liked and asked me to let you read them, especially this one."

Li Xiaolin took out a thick stack of manuscripts from her bag.

Li Yaotang glanced at the novel at the front and was immediately struck by its unique beginning, so he began to read it carefully.

Li Xiaolin didn't disturb them and waited quietly on the side.

Li Yaotang read it for a long time, then turned back to the first page. When he saw the signature of "Fangyan", his eyes narrowed into a line with a smile:

"What do you think of the article "The Secret Calculation"?"

"Good! Very good!"

Li Xiaolin said seriously: "Uncle Xiao and I all think that the quality of "Secret Calculation" can be said to be the best among all the works sent in, even higher by a level."

"How do you think so?" Li Yaotang asked.

"This is the beginning, the real thing."

"Yes, the first sentence of this opening chapter cuts into three time points, recalling the past from the perspective of the future. This is an unprecedented narrative method, which makes people seem to see the unforgettable past, the uncertain present, and a distant future."

"Your opinion is the same as Uncle Xiao's. After reading it, Uncle Xiao said 'very original' three times." Li Xiaolin was also impressed by the originality of this opening.

The opening chapter describes the passing of Qian Zhijiang and his son. Readers can stand in a God's perspective and understand Qian Zhijiang with the author. His son An Zaitian has been working on the secret front for so many years. What kind of identity does he have as a father?
What happened that made him so anxious that he didn't even recognize his child?

Why did An Zai Tian say this was the last time the father and son would see each other?
Just one sentence contains countless suspense. If it didn't start with this sentence, it would become "A long time ago, Qian Zhijiang passed by Simalu and brushed past his son An Zaitian..."

What a clichéd beginning to a story.

"The fact that you can think of these things shows that you have made progress again."

Li Yaotang said with a smile: "His opening is similar to the novels of magical realism."

"Magical Realism?"

Li Xiaolin was stunned. It was the first time she heard this word.

After all, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" has not yet become popular in China, and magical realism is not the mainstream in the literary world now.

"There's a copy of Pedro Páramo on the bookshelf, published in 1955. You can take it and have a look."

Li Yaotang pointed to the bookshelf behind him. This book uses techniques such as reversal of time sequence, multi-angle narration, and the interweaving of illusion and real space. It is the pioneering work of magical realism.

"I'll read it later."

Li Xiaolin asked, "What do you think of "The Secret Calculation"? "

"It's the same four words, 'originality'!"

Li Yaotang praised the novel repeatedly, saying that not only the beginning was original, but also the subject matter. The struggle between good and evil with underground workers as the protagonists was unique in today's literary world.

"This subject matter is also mentioned in the attachment to the letter by Fang Yan. It's called 'Spy War'." Li Xiaolin handed him the attachment to look at.

"No wonder Brother Qingquan, Wang Meng and the others think so highly of this little Fang. He is indeed worthy of cultivation, and he is the focus of cultivation."

After seeing it, Li Yaotang smiled with satisfaction.

"Dad, Uncle Xiao also meant this. He plans to put "The Secret Calculation" on the front page of the next issue of "Harvest", and ask the "Wenhui Daily" and other newspapers to cooperate in promoting it."

Li Xiaolin told the truth.

"That's it, but you'd better change the name."

"name?"

"Since it is not about teaching people to plot secretly, nor is it about conspiracy and intrigue, it would be confusing to name it "Plotting Secretly". An article written for underground workers should have a proper title."

"What do you think should be changed to?"

"Why not call it "Dark War"?"

Li Yaotang said: "In the desperate struggle against reactionary forces between light and darkness, humanity and anti-humanity, those who fight on the battlefield are heroes, and those who fight in the darkness under an assumed name are also heroes."

"I'll convey your message when I get back to the editorial office this afternoon."

Li Xiaolin nodded.

“This novel would be a great movie if it were made into a film.”

Li Yaotang turned around and asked, "Linlin, what do you think?"

"It's not just a movie, it's also very suitable for being adapted into a play!"

Li Xiaolin suddenly became emotional.

Li Yaotang patted the manuscript and said, "I almost forgot that you graduated from the Department of Drama and Literature of Shanghai Theatre Academy, and you almost became Brother Wan's disciple back then."

"You are the one who stopped me."

"Let's not talk about this, let's not talk about this, let's talk about this novel."

"Dad, if 'Dark War' is adapted into a play, it will definitely be a hit."

Li Xiaolin planned to recommend it to the Shanghai Drama Theater to be adapted into a play. It just so happened that drama theaters across the country were hungry for good scripts.

"Linlin, can you lend me this?"

Li Yaotang said in a kind tone.

"Dad, what are you going to do with it?"

Li Xiaolin asked in confusion.

"I'm going to give this to your uncle Wan to take a look."

"To Uncle Wan?"

"Yes. Since Thunderstorm and Sunrise, he has only produced Wang Zhaojun since 78. He was misled by his position and his heart was not in the play. He needs something to stimulate him."

Li Yaotang's words were unusually harsh.

Li Xiaolin shuddered.

Given Wan Jiabao's current status, few people in the literary world dare to say this, but his father has the qualifications. When he was the editor of "Literary Quarterly", he accidentally saw the unpopular "Thunderstorm" and gave it a boost.

"I'll write him a letter."

Li Yaotang said, "Linlin, when you go to Yanjing to find Xiao Fang to revise the manuscript, please visit Brother Wan for me and give him the letter."

"I understand, Dad."

Li Xiaolin nodded: "I will leave for Yanjing in a few days."

(End of this chapter)