Literary Master 1983
Chapter 126 When Yu Xuanfeng Ends
Chapter 126 When Yu Xuanfeng Ends (Chapter , the writing session ends)
Of course it does matter.
The images in any classic literary work can find similarities in its society.
Yu Qie said: "We often see this kind of character in Japanese works - this person has great power and can sometimes destroy the world, but he dare not use his power, so it causes greater tragedy."
"This kind of thing is hard for us Chinese to understand, because we have to accept what God has given us. When you have such power, if you don't actively use it, you are guilty."
"However, in Japan it is understandable because such a person is shouldering a responsibility that he cannot bear, so he can escape and obey others."
What kind of example can you give to illustrate this?
Ultraman? Ultraman is extremely powerful, but he does not interfere with human life. This example is not worthy of being included in the literary world.
The Neon Genesis Evangelion that has influenced generations? Boys and girls control huge machines that have the power to destroy cities, and then are played around by politicians. This movie hasn't come out yet.
There is something that fits this description very well, which is "Akira" which was serialized in Japan in 82. It was originally a comic book published in JUMP magazine. The protagonist Tetsuo discovered that he had superpowers, which were almost like nuclear bombs and could destroy the world, but in the end it led Tetsuo to self-destruction.
That is, the Japanese always believe that even those individuals who possess great power do not have the corresponding wisdom, so they have to obey others.
Think about how abstract this setting is?
Even if I am really a brainless person, can't I use my fists and let those with brains serve as my military advisors?
——It has something to do with the Japanese national character, and the Japanese can accept this kind of serious work and do not find it abstract.
On the contrary, when such an image appears, it is often well received. The Japanese think, if I had such great power, this is exactly what I could do.
Akira is also not suitable for literary discussion.
Yu Qie chose to talk about a myth that every Japanese knows: Izanagi went to the underworld in person, missing his beloved wife Izanami who died in childbirth. But after seeing her rotten and ugly body, he felt disgusted and frightened, so he fled from the underworld.
Then his wife hunted him down, and many disasters occurred. Izanagi actually let the disasters happen until a greater power came to administer justice and create a new order.
Yu Qie said: "In your mythology system, all tragedies come from this. Even the gods are so irresponsible."
Kanehira Onoue himself actually began to reflect!
Indeed, "obedience" is indeed one of the Japanese national characteristics.
In fact, Japan is a nation that has not developed a civilian culture. The modernization after the Meiji Restoration had little to do with the vast majority of Japanese civilians. The civilians did not even have surnames. They were suddenly instilled with culture, morality, and aesthetics during the war.
Then, like performance art, the whole nation cosplays these instilled things until the last drop of blood is exhausted.
A doctor of medicine from the University of Tokyo named Yamazaki Kahiko stood up and said, "I am committed to investigating the impact of office automation on people's work status, and I found that more and more people are experiencing physical and mental overwork and other pathological symptoms."
"55.8% of people in Japan show obsessive-compulsive tendencies. But they still persist in doing so... I originally thought it was cultural inertia, but now I understand that it is obedience."
"The economy has grown, but people have become unhappy," the doctor lamented. "Why is that? Can you explain it to me?"
Kanehide Onoue thought that this was what Yu Qie saw during his trip to Japan, and he saw the national character of Japan.
But I didn't expect that he could also deduce the shortcomings of this national character.
Yu Qie told the doctor of medicine from the University of Tokyo: "We Chinese can best explain this situation. Because you do not control the means of production, the development of productivity has further expanded the ways of exploiting you."
"For example, before the automation software was introduced, people could still take some time off, but now it is totally impossible. They have to give all their labor to the boss - considering the blind obedience of the Japanese people, this naturally leads to various psychological diseases."
How to describe this explanation?
Reporter Matsunaga felt like his head was about to explode. It was a question that he saw everywhere but never found strange, but was asked so easily by someone.
This was definitely worth a report because Asahi Shimbun is a left-leaning newspaper.
The doctor was equally surprised: "If what you said is true, then the more developed our economy is, the more miserable people will be, and eventually it will exceed a certain balance and become irreversible."
"It's possible."
"So how can we avoid this situation?"
Yu Qie smiled and said, "Resign? Receive relief money?"
This was of course impossible, but it did add some cheer to the originally serious sharing. Everyone immediately started laughing.
"Okay," Yu Qie said, "This is the ultimate question of mankind. I can't answer you yet, but as a creator, I can give you an idea of what it would be like if it developed to the most extreme point."
"Is this the second half of what you didn't finish in the talk show?" Reporter Matsunaga noticed it keenly and raised his hand to ask a question.
"Are you also a student at the University of Tokyo?"
"I am an alumnus of Dongda University and have been to China several times."
"Then I will tell you the second half of the interview that I didn't reveal. It will be very interesting. If you have the guts, you can write it down."
What?
This is first-hand information.
Matsunaga's face turned red with excitement and he asked for a two-minute pause.
Two minutes later, he brought a Sanyo portable tape recorder and several recording cassettes, and turned on the tape recorder in front of Yu Qie.
Please speak! Matsunaga gestured.
Yu Qie said: "Let's talk about the specific setting of literature in the nuclear age. It is currently inferred based on Japanese society. The above is just my personal opinion. Different opinions are welcome."
Matsunaga wanted to agree, but he was afraid of affecting Yu Qie's thinking.
Not only that, whether it was Kunio Beeo, who studied Chinese etiquette, Ikeda Atsushi, who studied Dunhuang studies, or Onoue Kanehide, who studied left-wing literature, they all listened quietly.
This is a literary setting about future life and their vital interests.
As Yu Qie spoke, the recording head of the Sanyo portable recorder recorded the amplified electrical signal onto the tape:
"He talked about an office software automation. After the application of this high-efficiency software, it tortured humans. We Chinese say that this is exploitation of one's own labor. This is a euphemism. From the perspective of literary creators, it is actually selling a part of life to others."
"Is that right?"
The students from the University of Tokyo nodded.
Yu Qie said: "It's a bit sensational, but it's true. The reason why we sell our lives is to satisfy the quality of the remaining life that has not been sold. These are satisfied by two parts, one is survival needs, which is easy to understand, and the other is social needs - seasonal windbreakers, private cars, ski trips, red wine steak."
"…For the Chinese, these things can be done without for the time being, but for you Japanese, they must be available."
"So even though social needs are created needs, you can't lose them... and in order to meet such needs, you sometimes have to sell more of your life to others."
“This is what we mean by working overtime.”
"If these needs are not met, you will be socially dead and excluded from society, am I right?"
No one denied him.
The price of windbreakers dropped from tens of dollars to less than one dollar. This is just one of the reasons why Japanese office workers waved banknotes and asked for taxis, and the starting price of these taxis is 800 yen, which is almost equivalent to the annual income of a Chinese town worker ( yuan).
But office workers would rather stand and wait than take public transportation.
Matsunaga recalled his business trip to Shanghai: he took a taxi and paid an extremely low price for him. The driver said that only foreign guests could afford such a long distance from the airport to the hotel.
Matsunaga did not find it strange, because there was another Japanese colleague from another newspaper in the car. If he chose not to take a taxi to save money, it would be a "disqualification" for him.
Although this was a created demand, it was one he had to satisfy with all his might.
Yu Qie said: "In order to satisfy this material desire, you have to further sell your life to others in exchange for the quality of your remaining life - why do I always say these sensational words like life? Because the extreme future I am exploring is a future where everything can be traded."
"Under the huge nuclear disaster, a large area of the world became unsuitable for human survival. Only a very small number of areas were suitable for human survival. Although the population also decreased dramatically, it was not as much as the reduction in the living area. As a result, these things happened. Technology was still preserved as much as possible and was quite advanced, but the general living standards of humans dropped dramatically. At the same time, the lower-class people had to compete fiercely with each other in exchange for living resources."
Looking at the students from Donghua University, Yu Qie said, "Don't worry, you are not the lowest class. Even in that era, you don't have to worry about survival, but you still have many necessary social needs."
"Assuming that productivity develops further in the future and biotechnology is developed, artificial organs and limbs will begin to appear in the world. They are better than the original human body and can resist radiation. Based on my previous inference, you must also pursue these things, otherwise you will be excluded from the social circle."
"But, natural organs are random, and there won't be a huge difference between them, but man-made things are divided into different levels. Now, if you are not born rich, you have to choose some and give up some, because you can't buy them all. Is that right?"
Yu Qie did not wait for the Dongda students to agree, and began to call out their names: "Think about it, what do you choose to choose and what do you give up?"
The person who was called was Matsunaga, and he was sweating. "Yu Sang, this is crazy, do I really have to replace my organs or limbs?"
Yu Qie said: "When we Chinese see you Japanese buying seasonal luxury goods, we also think it's unreasonable and crazy, but you just do it."
Matsunaga asked again: "Then do I have to give up something?"
"Of course, a society where you can have everything is a paradise. A wasteland in the nuclear age is definitely not a paradise." "Then I..."
"Hurry up and tell me. You won't have much time to think about it. Time is also a cost."
"I chose vision because my eyesight is not good and the rest of me is healthy."
Yu Qie's expression suddenly became serious at this moment, and his expression was so serious that Matsunaga was frightened.
He asked an extremely simple question: "Matsunaga, do you think you are an upright person?"
Matsunaga breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "I am an upright person."
"Do you feel there is a conflict between your obedience and your integrity?"
"Do not conflict."
Yu Qie shook his head: "Matsuonaga, you will remember what you said, because you have fundamentally misunderstood this kind of literature. When order is lost, obedience is a kind of dishonesty."
Matsunaga asked: "What is integrity?"
“The violence that reestablished order.”
Matsunaga was confused: "To be honest, I don't understand."
"Well, you'll understand later." Yu Qie began to explain, "Now that you have a new pair of eyes, you can see many details that others can't see, which helps you become one of the best journalists. You are especially glad that you have a new pair of eyes. Although it looks a bit mechanical, it is very useful."
Matsunaga kept nodding.
"--Five years later, your eyesight begins to deteriorate. You wonder why. Then you realize that this thing has a shelf life. Also, new custom-made glasses have appeared in your field of business. They are more comprehensive than yours and can also record and take photos automatically... Do you want to change?"
Matsunaga said: "There is no doubt about it. I will pay any price I can."
"Are you sure?"
Matsunaga hesitated: "I should have made a lot of money, right?"
“You do make a lot of money.”
He then nodded heavily: "I can't stop. These eyes are like an addiction to me. I can't live without them."
"Well, although you have saved a lot of money, you still have a family - your child needs to have an arm transplant because all the pitchers in Koshien have mechanical arms, and your wife needs to have her entire body replaced with skin because she wants to get rid of the wrinkles on her face... I haven't even mentioned that your parents are seriously ill and there is an expensive drug that can prolong their lives. All of these cost money."
Matsunaga was sweating profusely, his mouth wide open, shocked by this horrific fact, but Yu Qie actually had something else to say:
"All your money is just enough to meet the above needs. Do you choose to trade? You have to know that your family needs other things just like you need this pair of eyes."
Matsunaga gritted his teeth and said, "I'll change."
"You get a new model of glasses, and your career takes off again. But after five or ten years, the new glasses will be outdated. And as you get older, you find that you start to run slower, can't lift things anymore, and you get wrinkles. The people you interview refuse to cooperate with you because of your old appearance. They want to cooperate with other younger and healthier people. What do you do?"
Matsunaga seemed to have reached that point. He said dejectedly: "I have to change. I need to survive."
"But you're hit by a recession and you don't have much saved. How do you get a new one?"
Matsunaga asked: "Is there nothing I can do?"
Yu Qie pretended to think for a moment and said, "You have a way. You can sell the organs that don't directly affect survival, or your family members' organs, or install them in your own body."
Matsunaga was not fooled: "Then I won't be a reporter anymore. I want to live a simple life."
Yu Qie patiently explained to him, "No, because you forgot what I told you. This is a world full of nuclear wastelands. Competition is fierce. Your 'simple survival' requires extremely high costs - just like the steaks you Japanese eat and the red wine you drink."
"The real simple life is to scavenge in the wasteland with your family. You may die at any time. Are you willing?"
This was an intense moral dilemma. Matsunaga almost collapsed. He gasped rapidly, and then said in a hoarse voice that he had not expected: "I can't possibly agree to this."
Yu Qie nodded. "Yes, so you must stay here at all costs. Then we are back to the previous problem. Do you want to sell your wife's skin, your child's arm... I haven't added many details yet. For example, you bought these things with loans, and you haven't paid them back in 20 years. You must make a decision immediately, otherwise all these things will be taken back!"
Matsunaga was going crazy. He shouted, "Do I have to do this? I don't have any other way?"
Yu Qie said, "I am merciful and will give you another way. You can find an underground black market where you can sell your own organs. For example, if you are a reporter, what do you need your ears for? Why don't you sell your ears so that you can raise some money? Your wife is old and ugly, and she doesn't need a uterus at all. Besides, in this kind of society, why do you still want to have children? You still need something to sell, so think about it again."
Matsunaga took a deep breath and began to think seriously.
Of course he couldn't sell himself, as he was the breadwinner of the family. No, no, he could also sell one kidney, as he heard that people have two, and losing one wouldn't have much of an impact.
Where are the children?
The child is innocent and cannot be asked to sell anything, but I do need his arm, so should I sell it temporarily?
Matsunaga said: "I chose to take away the child's arm, and I also have to sell one of my own kidneys. I also took away my wife's artificial skin. Is this enough?"
Yu Qie said, "Not enough, because the new one is much more expensive than the old one. You actually only sold one kidney, how can you buy a new pair of eyes? Think about it, what else can you do?"
Matsunaga was thinking intensely when his Sanyo portable recorder suddenly jammed. "Click!" Then he realized that the tape was out of use and needed to be replaced.
Matsunaga was so focused on the question-and-answer game with Yu Qie that when he was changing the tape, he did not even notice the reactions of other Dongda students and teachers in the lecture hall of the Chinese Philosophical Association to him, a newspaper elite who graduated from Dongda - everyone was holding their breath, but showing extremely shocked expressions.
What kind of cruel world is the one depicted by Yu Qie? How could a newspaper elite become like this?
"Matsunaga," Yu Qie pretended not to notice the other people's reactions and asked Matsunaga, "Have you decided what to sell?"
Matsunaga thought it over and said firmly, "If I sell my two kidneys, I will die, but I can persuade my wife and parents. They each have one."
"You mean, you want to sell their kidneys?"
Matsunaga's eyes were red as he said, "Why can't I sell it? I have sacrificed so much for this family. It's time for them to help me."
He looked up and found that Yu Qie didn't reply to him.
Is it because the price was not agreed upon?
Matsunaga thought this was not enough and asked anxiously, "Not enough? What about selling your uterus? This will not affect your health."
Yu Qie gestured to Matsunaga to see the reactions of the people around him: every face was looking at him in shock.
Matsunaga, are you still a human being after doing something like this?
Matsunaga suddenly realized what he had done and how horrible it was. He immediately retched. From the corner of his eye, Matsunaga saw all the students and teachers of Dongda University staring at Yu Qie blankly, as if they had lost their souls.
It's just like the religious pictures drawn by Westerners: the Pope preaching the gospel.
Yes, this was certainly the choice made by Matsunaga, but if these social elites were in his place, wouldn’t they make the same choice?
Yu Qie concluded: "So this is what I understand as literature in the nuclear age. It is more terrifying than you can imagine, because it directly destroys traditional moral concepts and distorts the human nature of a husband, a father, and a son in all aspects... For you Japanese, it once again reflects the shortcomings of your national character."
"Obey!" Yu Qie said, "Why should you obey? When you were about to die, you never thought that you could buy a gun, shoot your torturers, and establish a new order with others."
"Because of your cowardice, you have ruined your life, and your children will suffer the same fate as well."
Matsunaga burst into tears: "This is all my fault..."
Afterwards, in the lecture hall of the Chinese Philosophy Association, some people who were quick to react began to applaud, and this applause was filled with a sense of relief for having survived a catastrophe. From this broken world, everyone saw different truths.
Left-wing literature researcher Onoue Kenei has gone from being a "haters" to a "fans": because this means that the revolution can continue into the nuclear age.
Who said Yu Qie is bad? Yu Qie is always good.
Yu Qie has created a new literature, and it is especially in line with his Chinese identity. The Japanese would never be able to write such a thing, as he said: their obedient national character makes them not dare to break the shackles of order here.
A purely pessimistic literature is useless. We pursue literature because we feel power in it.
In such a world, only a large and glorious country can possibly write about this kind of power.
What is nuclear age literature like?
Yu Qie finally told a few contradictory but logically consistent stories:
First, extremely high technological levels and extremely low living standards coexist.
Second, there is an extremely rotten order, but it also seems indestructible.
Third, under this kind of order, people will spontaneously rush towards the abyss.
Ultimately, this desperate freak scene was created.
Amid the applause, Matsunaga suddenly came to his senses and checked the tape recorder. This was probably the greatest interview he had done in recent years.
Just based on such a grand worldview, this writer from China could never be a media writer. Yu Xuanfeng, Yu Xuanfeng... Matsunaga thought, let this whirlwind blow even harder in Japan.
He can't wait to see such works in a country like Japan that has suffered so much from nuclear trauma.
(End of this chapter)
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