Literary Master 1983

Chapter 310 He fulfilled the wildest fantasies of young Chinese people.

“Yu, this is not what everyone wants. You need to stay rational.”

Marquez also arrived at the scene. He was initially startled by the traces left there, then realized that an even more terrifying person was standing there.

That's Yu Qie.

Yu Qie didn't say a word, just pursed his lips. A serious person doesn't have the leisure to joke. Márquez remembered that when he played cards with Yu Qie, Yu Qie was initially chatting and laughing, but after losing badly, he would become silent and play cards in silence.

Then Márquez began to win magically, because whatever he played was exactly what Yuche had predicted.

Yu Qie only began to speak after they had finally turned the tide of the battle.

Yu Qie was in this state right now; his mind was racing. Marquez felt that if the person who did the deed stood in front of Yu Qie, Yu Qie would shoot without hesitation, no matter what the consequences might be.

The Colombian government has cordoned off this slum, prohibiting anyone from entering. They've placed layers of security around it, on the suspicion that someone might try to sabotage the area.

President Betancur also came to the scene and said to Yuche, “It is worth the grief, but there is no need to feel ashamed. Carlos has gone to where he wanted to go. He was just an ordinary young man from the slums. Now he died because of a writer. The more you achieve in the future, the more people will remember this person.”

“God said that we are great because of others. Carlos met countless people in his life, and you are the ‘other’ that Carlos was waiting for.”

"Think of the bullet holes in your clothes; it's a warning to you. This time it was Carlos who died, but who will be next?"

Yu Qie remained silent, so Beitankuer came over and patted Yu Qie on the shoulder.

"Please accept my condolences," he said.

It is very difficult for writers to fight against politicians. You must recognize what real power is. Violence is indeed the most direct and deterrent. This is why, in Latin America, many great writers, without exception, chose to enter politics in their later years.

It's not that they've stopped loving literature, but rather that they've come to understand the order of this place.

Even though Márquez is considered the greatest figure in Colombian history, he still had to live in hiding while he was alive. Even though warlords are infamous for their infamy, they had no taboos and could get whatever they wanted when they were in power.

There is a different logic here than in the civilized world.

Marquez also tried his hand at officialdom, but he was too incompetent and had to step down to protect his reputation.

Subsequently, the local intelligence agency in Colombia took charge of investigating the murder. These people were wearing police uniforms and carrying carbines, and they looked a lot like the U.S. National Guard, because Yu Qie had seen Boston narcotics officers wearing similar uniforms when he was studying in the United States.

The United States experienced several nationwide movements in the 1960s, during which the government deployed the National Guard to suppress riots. The National Guard members were generally dressed in black tactical uniforms, carried riot shields, and used carbines suitable for urban combat.

“Your people look like Americans,” Yu said.

Betancourt wasn't surprised at all. Instead, he said, "You could say that. These people are equipped with American weapons and trained in the United States. We are tracking down drug lord Pablo, and they will be cooperating with the U.S. intelligence agency."

“Wasn’t Pablo a product of American support?” Yu Qie said something that would become common knowledge in later generations.

Isn't this just a case of the thief crying "stop thief!"?

Betancourt wasn't surprised that Yuche knew this. He smiled and said, "We small countries are like festering sores on America's body. We can't survive without American nutrition, but when we want to become a proper, upright body, we face a violent rejection reaction."

"There is a voice telling us that there can only be one master of the Americas. We cannot allow guests to become masters."

This made Yu Che realize that it was not enough to simply question the Chilean government about Neruda's death, because Chile did not care about the voices of the Chilean people.

What could make them bow their heads?
United States.

Drug lords, massacres, the death of Neruda... Although Yu Che now has many targets, they all converge on the word "America".

It seems that building up reputation in the US is more effective than building up reputation in Latin America.

Upon closer examination, Latin American literature has existed for many years, but why did it suddenly experience a "big bang"? It was precisely because it entered the Western world, or more precisely, the American world.

As a result, the achievements of this literature were recognized, and writers began to line up to receive awards.

The United States is like a giant god; with a single breath, it can overturn the power of small towns; when it is sick, the festering sores provide a feast for germs. Yet, it also needs to maintain its dignity; it does not allow open violations of the rules.

Just like the car bombs Chile carried out in Washington, they did it many times, but only the one in the United States caused the Chilean intelligence agency to be disbanded; going further back, why did the "ice-melting trip" happen in the United States and not elsewhere? Yu Guangzhong and others knew the situation on the island, and he believed that only in the United States could nothing happen.

Yu Qie began to stay home completely, writing his nuclear literature, "Metro," which he needed to maintain his fame in the United States; "2666" entered the "recommended reading list" in the United States in the second half of the year, and The New York Times called it "the best of the post-Big Bang era," and Time magazine introduced the novel to its readers.

And, just like they did at the Los Angeles Olympics, they will introduce readers to a series of events that have occurred in Central and South America.

At this point, a quarter and a half had passed since Yu Qie arrived in America. After demonstrating his strength, he began to enjoy the fine wines offered by the local gangs:
"Father, a strange connection has been formed between Chinese writers and the Chilean government. They are performing together on this dangerous stage, and the truth behind the death of the late writer Neruda has become a Rashomon-like plot. The real-life '2666' is being staged, and Márquez himself is a participant, as well as a character in the book."

"It was prophesied that Márquez would uncover the truth himself."

"If the parchment scrolls can truly predict the future, they have now entered the world within the parchment scrolls, becoming both writers and participants; there is one person outside the parchment scrolls, Yu Qie, the author of '2666,' who is not present in the story, but is now participating in his own story."

"The parchment scrolls couldn't record this person's actions, so how could they? He was the author himself; he would make exceptions for himself."

"If you want to see such bizarre phenomena, you can buy '2666' and read it. Only time will prove its value."

Time magazine is similar to Asahi Shimbun, which once documented Yu Qie's life. Their readers are mostly middle-class, willing to read long articles, and interested in things outside the United States, which is different from most Americans.

Time magazine is known for its long articles, and this time their long article helped Yu Qie gain some attention in the United States once again, following his "nuclear literature" work.

A man is searching for the real culprit. He has a comrade-in-arms, Gabriel García Márquez, who was once invincible but is now just an old man. His enemy is a warlord who is evil from every angle. His target is the truth about the death of another Nobel laureate... This fits the American heroism perfectly.

If Yu Qie were a white American citizen, based solely on these storytelling qualities, he would probably be one of the most sought-after new writers in America.

Americans are very receptive to this approach. Journalists travel to the most dangerous and desolate places in the world to win the Pulitzer Prize (America's highest journalism award), staking out day and night. Once they capture an explosive news story, they can become famous reporters overnight, saving them the trouble of gaining seniority.

A Columbia University graduate student named Taub repeatedly applied for internships but was rejected by large organizations during his studies. So he decided to take risks and went to war-torn places such as Syria and Iraq, where he took a large number of rare photos. He won the Pulitzer Prize just four years after graduating from university.

A local newspaper reporter named Sarah became a journalism award winner after years of staking out the University of Pennsylvania's football team and uncovering a case of child sexual abuse.

...The storytelling is so important.

"Chile is tearing itself apart! Left-wing voters and writers are uniting with traditional religious voters to protest!"

In Beijing, across the ocean, a Chinese photographer named Liu Xiangcheng bought a copy of Time magazine at a bookstall.

"Time magazine actually wrote about Chinese people, how ironic! No wonder this book sold so well in mainland China!"

Liu Xiangcheng remarked with emotion.

Due to exchange rate differences, Time magazine is ridiculously expensive in mainland China! This magazine is unpopular.

To improve this situation, Time magazine launched an Asian edition, and the price was adjusted to suit local tastes, which is when it truly became popular.

Yu Qie is a big figure in mainland China. He is a combination of the "Beatles," "Elvis," "Hemingway"... all the pop superstars you can think of in this generation.

In Liu Xiangcheng's view, Yu Qie is the perfect idol for Chinese people.

He is said to have had some scandals and be somewhat stubborn, but otherwise he is almost without flaws. People in this country value justice and integrity, and Yu Qie is impeccable in this regard, enough to satisfy even the most arrogant imagination.

In the words of biographer Xu Chi: People all want to be Yu Qie.

"Give me a copy of Time magazine!"

Several young college students pulled out their money. Although they were reluctant to do so, their eyes lit up when they saw the message: "Yu Che has stirred up trouble again! His guide was killed, but he didn't leave Colombia!"

"Well done! You small country dare to bully Chinese writers? We are not afraid! We should join the New Reality Society today to show our support for President Yu!"

"Shh! He told us not to say it, he's the president..."

"But he will always be our president!"

The college students discussed it.

They left together, their voices fading into the distance.

Liu Xiangcheng couldn't help but chuckle: Do these people really understand literature? Or are they just idol worshippers?
Liu Xiangcheng is a Chinese American, 35 years old this year, in the prime of his life. He was born in Fujian Province, studied in mainland China until high school, then went to an American university, and became an Associated Press reporter after graduation.

Now, he is the chief photographer in China for Time magazine.

He photographed many eras of this country: Coca-Cola, sunglasses, fashion shows, breakdancing... Now, some new trends are emerging.

If the cultural symbols of the past were merely clumsy imitations of Western (American) popular culture, now young people in China are eager to make their own voices heard.

Yes, is it not allowed?

In their first Olympic appearance, they finished fourth, and even swept some events. Meanwhile, another populous nation won zero gold medals, a wasted decades of participation.

Chinese people are proud; it's in their bones.

Yu Qie stepped forward at the opportune moment, speaking out to the world on behalf of those people, and fulfilling the wildest imaginations of young Chinese people.

This is why he is admired by Chinese Americans as well.

Liu Xiangcheng noticed this and had a feeling that this was a golden opportunity for him to win the Pulitzer Prize. Everyone knows that Chinese people are humble and polite, but very few people can see through the surface and recognize their unruly side.

Liu Xiangcheng's early upbringing in mainland China made him one of the few who could understand this cultural difference. At this moment, he submitted a report to Time magazine requesting to return to the United States for a period of time.

"You want to photograph Chinese students studying abroad? That's certainly a topic worth exploring," Time magazine's editorial team replied to him.

"No, I want to go back to America, specifically Colombia, to film the Chinese writer Yu Qie."

The newspaper approved his application, and Liu Xiangcheng immediately embarked on his journey.

In late August, Yu Qie's "2666" was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

This award is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the United States, and its scope includes all books translated into English and published in the United States.

The English version of "2666" had previously won this award, and now, with Yu Qie's rewriting, it has once again gained recognition. Meanwhile, her agent, Carmen, in her prime, has gone to great lengths to promote the book, instructing all her Spanish-language writers to recommend "2666" to their readers and introduce Yu Qie's current activities.

People are greater than books! I am such a person!

In her words, "Since you've already embarked on a path of no return, you might as well go all the way. Because you have a high chance of winning this award, I believe it will also ensure your safety."

At this moment, she told a story that Yu Qie didn't know. This made Yu Qie realize just how well-informed those super agents, or publishers, were.

It should be said that the current Chilean government is a bastard government, but they are indeed a treasure trove of experience for Spanish-language writers to make a name for themselves.

Following the Chilean coup, in order to announce his support for his old friend Neruda and protest against the warlord government, Márquez announced that he would retire from writing, "not publishing a single word in public for at least five years."

Then, Márquez just went through a period of inactivity, having mistresses and living off his past achievements. In fact, he didn't write for more than five years.

In 1981, a friend told Márquez through various channels, "They won't award the prize to someone who has already stopped writing. If you want to win the Nobel Prize, you have to write a new novel."

So Márquez immediately began writing the novel, completing "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" within three months, and then won the Nobel Prize the following year.

"You've already embarked on this path, Yu. Endure all of this, and you will reap the most beautiful flowers and the most abundant fruits."

“My information is reliable,” Carmen said.

Regardless of whether Carmen says it or not, Yu Qie has to keep going.

(End of this chapter)