1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 598 Completely pathetic
"Show your ST, or leave it empty?"

Hu Xunbi was moved by what the editor said and immediately asked the editor to bring him the manuscript.

Since this article has been recommended as a featured piece for the next issue, the editor-in-chief naturally has to take a look at it.

“Ma Jian?” Hu Xunbi glanced at the author’s name, thought for a while, but didn’t recognize it.

“He’s a writer from Shandong,” the editor next to me said. “He didn’t have any particularly outstanding works before.”

“I was wondering why I didn’t remember such a person,” Hu Xunbi said.

Muttering to himself, he opened the manuscript and was quickly drawn to its contents.

The articles most highly recommended by "Zhiyin" magazine are the most common "popular" articles on the market.

These "popular" articles often contain elements of sensationalism and gore.
This article, "Show Your ST, or Empty," perfectly embodies this characteristic.

But there are differences.

The articles published in "Zhiyin" magazine before were all vulgar and obscene stories concocted by a group of "artistic youths" who were just trying to make a living.

But this novel, "Show Your ST, or Empty," is different. It was written after the author conducted on-site research.

The novel consists of several mysterious stories.

In short, Hu Xunbi had only one feeling after watching it:
A bloody story!
He knew little about those cultures, or rather, was completely unfamiliar with them; he only knew that they were exceptionally mysterious.

However, through this novel, his understanding of that place was completely overturned.

Hu Xunbi then realized how different the culture was over there, and that there was such an unfamiliar world under the heavens and on the map of the kingdom.

Most importantly, Hu Xunbi was completely engrossed in reading it, like a starving person pouncing on bread.
curious!

Of course he was curious!

Although not intentionally sensational, the novel itself carries this characteristic, possessing an inherent sense of mystery that constantly unveils secrets and stimulates the reader's thirst for knowledge and curiosity.

Most people still can't resist such an attraction.

If you're scrolling through videos and you come across a video exposing the secrets of "dual cultivation," wouldn't you be curious and click to watch? Wouldn't you want to see what this so-called "dual cultivation" is all about?
After reading it once, Hu Xunbi was very satisfied with the novel.

It's rare for Zhiyin to receive submissions from writers. Even if they do, they usually return the manuscripts because it's a popular magazine, and even well-written articles like this aren't within their scope of submissions.

What kind of articles do they like?

For example, there's a book called "Why Fish Fart," which I should mention here is actually real, and the content and style of the book are:
"Sometimes, producers use unconventional methods to add flavor to cheese. In 1888, writer Burke received a letter from Dr. Gustav reporting a very unusual cheese being sold in Berlin."

The letter stated that the shop owner selling this cheese added a young girl's n to it, giving it a rich and spicy flavor. Later, the truth came out, and the shop owner was fined, but reportedly the cheese continued to sell well, with customers unable to resist its pungent aroma.

"."

William the Conqueror conquered England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, becoming King William I. In his youth, William was strong and robust, able to mount a horse fully armored. However, as he aged, he grew increasingly obese. On one occasion, King Philip of France made some unpleasant remarks about his physique, and William, enraged, burned the French town of Mount to the ground. Sparks flew everywhere, and his chariot slipped on hot coals, causing William to lurch forward and strike the tip of the saddle. This severe injury led to internal bleeding, and he died six weeks later.

William was enormous, and as he decomposed, he swelled even more, making burial impossible. It is said that two soldiers had to stand on his body, attempting to force him into the grave. They struggled desperately, jumping and leaping on the corpse, but their excessive force broke William's spine. The broken bone pierced his gas-filled stomach, causing an explosion, and William's rotting flesh gushed out, splattering the two poor soldiers with blood. The stench at the scene was unbearable, forcing everyone to rush out of the church; even the priests fled to get some fresh air.

Uh, the author of this book has also written two other books.

There's a book called "Why You Can't Eat Boogers," which talks about all sorts of disgusting things related to the human body, such as urine therapy, symptoms of various nematodes on the body, maggots in the ears, George III's mental illness, and European human skin books, etc.

Another book is called "Why Dogs Can't Stop Eating Poop," which talks about various things about animals, such as feeding newts with their skin.

In short, this is the kind of magazine that "Zhiyin" likes—one that makes you want to take a look, but doesn't take much time.

However, this piece, "Show Your ST, or Empty," while maintaining its literary quality, also incorporates some characteristics of popular fiction, making it very appealing.

Later, Hu Xunbi heard from the editor that writers "Liu Xinwu" and "Gao Xingjian" had each written a letter of recommendation.

Hu Xunbi was naturally familiar with the name Liu Xinwu. Back then, the novel "The Class Teacher" had a nationwide influence. As a young literary enthusiast, Hu Xunbi was deeply moved and moved to tears while reading "The Class Teacher".

As for Gao Xingjian, the name is a bit hard to pronounce, but Hu Xunbi quickly recalled that the very famous play "The Station" was banned shortly after its premiere, and the creator was Gao Xingjian.

These two are both well-known figures in the arts and literature world, so Hu Xunbi naturally had to take a look at their letters.

Especially Liu Xinwu.

As a young person interested in literature, it's natural to admire such famous writers.

Although Hu Xunbi edited a publication, due to the nature of the publication, she rarely received submissions from well-known writers, let alone Liu Xinwu.

Even though it wasn't a submission, but a letter of recommendation from Liu Xinwu, Hu Xunbi felt incredibly excited and couldn't wait to open it:

"I was deeply moved after reading Comrade Ma Jian's novel 'Show Your ST, or Empty Space'. I am writing this letter to recommend it and hope that your esteemed publication will publish it."

Its writing is sharp as a knife, and its narrative is cold yet intense, making it a highly impactful attempt in avant-garde literature in recent years.

With a level of detail akin to anthropological fieldwork, it depicts the intense clashes between flesh and spirit, faith and desire, tradition and modernity on the snowy plateau.

The untamed scenes of survival depicted in the novel are not merely spectacle, but rather spiritual anchors deeply embedded in the characters' destinies.
I believe this novel is in line with the spirit of "root-seeking literature" and "avant-garde fiction" since 1985, but it goes even further. I recommend it and ask for your consideration.

After reading the letter, Hu Xunbi was overjoyed. "Liu Xinwu's strong recommendation of this novel is a great thing! How could his judgment be bad? And if our *Zhiyin* magazine really publishes this novel, wouldn't Liu Xinwu owe us a huge favor?!"

After reading Liu Xinwu's letter, Hu Xunbi glanced at Gao Xingjian's letter of recommendation. Gao Xingjian mainly analyzed the narrative logic of the novel, saying that Ma Jian broke the traditional linear logic and adopted a fragmented and sensory language strategy, making reading itself a near-physiological experience, forcing readers to confront the intertwining of the roughness and the sacredness of life. "And this confrontation is precisely the courage that literature should have."

At the end, Gao Xingjian also mentioned that some scenes in the novel may cause controversy, but their essence is not about sensationalism, but about questioning the truth of existence in an extreme way, which is especially precious in the current literary context where literature tends to be lukewarm.

After reading the letter, Hu Xunbi felt even more compelled to publish the novel.

He's a literary youth at heart.

From the very beginning, he wanted to be an editor for a literary magazine. Although he is now the editor-in-chief of "Zhiyin," he has never been able to publish articles according to his own preferences. What is published is always what the readers like.

This time, the article "Show Your ST, or Empty" seems to have brought the beast in Hu Xunbi's heart back to life.

If they had published this novel in their magazine, *Zhiyin*, it would have caused a sensation in the literary world. A popular publication like theirs would have dared to challenge the current lukewarm literary discourse!
This is truly a remarkable feat!
Thinking about this, Hu Xunbi felt the blood surging in his chest.

"hair!"

"ASAP!"

"We'll feature this story prominently in our next issue!"

Lunch consisted of half a loaf of bread that I had found and that was a bit dry.
That happened eight or nine hours ago.

The air was filled with the smell of onions from hot dog stands, the pungent smell of car exhaust, and a distinctive stench of urine.

This is New York.

Feng Xiaogang sat next to a trash can, his stomach aching with emptiness, emitting a dull and persistent cramping pain.

Every now and then, homeless people would come by, rummage through the trash cans for food that others didn't want, and casually brush away the rats or genuine American cockroaches clinging to them, competing with them for that last bit of energy.

As for Feng Xiaogang, he maintained his last shred of dignity and refused to rummage through the trash can no matter how hungry he was.

Upon seeing the cockroaches that the homeless men had thrown to the ground, Feng Xiaogang quickly moved even further away.

He still has lingering fears about the American cockroach.

When he first arrived in the United States, he used his meager savings to rent a small, old apartment.

As a result, in the early hours of that night, Feng Xiaogang was awakened by a "splashing" sound coming from the bathroom.

The instant he turned on the light, he saw the entire ceiling panel crash into the bathtub.

Then, countless palm-sized American cockroaches crawled out of the plasterboard, mixed with the dirty water from the upstairs neighbors, pouring down the hole like rain.

That scene was unforgettable for Feng Xiaogang.

The ground was covered with wriggling worms and sewage that reached above ankle level. This single scene completely dispelled Feng Xiaogang's illusions about America.

However, even more tragic events were yet to come.

He went to the landlord to complain and demanded a refund, but the landlord accused him of damaging the apartment.

Feng Xiaogang was so angry he laughed.

Unable to communicate due to the language barrier and unable to reach an agreement with the other party, he chose to call the police and file a lawsuit, only to be accused of "arrears in rent" in return.

Because of his entanglement with the landlord and his inability to get a refund, Feng Xiaogang had no choice but to continue living in the apartment that had caused him great mental trauma, otherwise he would have to spend more money to find a new place to live.

Is he rich?

of course not.

He only had a little money on him, enough to support him in the United States until Jiang Xian took pity on him.

He asked the landlord to handle it, but the landlord refused to take responsibility. Helpless, Feng Xiaogang had to find a pest control company himself. The pest control company told him that the ventilation ducts of the entire building were covered with oil stains from cockroach migration, and the insect nests were running from the basement to the roof through the gaps in the walls.

Subsequently, the pest control company removed two more nests of cockroaches from his bedroom.
Meanwhile, the landlord, in a moment of kindness, hired a repairman who simply taped up the hole in the roof.

Feng Xiaogang was furious.

But what's even more infuriating is yet to come!

After weeks of wrangling with the landlord, a Chinese neighbor finally couldn't stand it anymore and told Feng Xiaogang a little-known fact:

In New York, tenants must collect evidence of building violations themselves to prove that their landlord "deliberately ignored potential hazards."

The investigation period often exceeds six months.

Feng Xiaogang understood immediately.

have to.

I've suffered this humiliation for nothing!
He already has a language barrier, so it's already a blessing if he can be guaranteed the most basic living conditions. Where else can he collect evidence?
Besides, they're all Americans. How could Americans possibly help an outsider like him?

After calming down, Feng Xiaogang quickly realized that no matter how angry he was, the matter would eventually come to nothing.

Rather than getting bogged down in this, it's better to stop early and save some money on lawsuits.

After that, Feng Xiaogang heard some data from a pest control company: more than 23% of neighborhoods in New York were infested with insects, and even more terrifying was the rat infestation, with rumors saying that the number of rats in New York was five times the population of New York!
The pest control company even comforted him, saying that the apartment he was staying in was already quite nice.

Last winter, he met a single mother in Harlem who used duct tape to seal the cracks in her window to keep out the cold wind. She then smiled bitterly and said to him, "The landlord said this is 'retro style'."

"Ugh, this America is a real pain." Feng Xiaogang clutched his stomach and continued walking towards the next restaurant.

He had very little money left.

He needs to find a job that will allow him to support himself before he actually starves to death.

For him, washing dishes at a restaurant was undoubtedly the best option.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, he heard a string of curses.

"Shit, Lu, what have you done, you filthy bitch!"

(End of this chapter)