Literary Master 1983

Chapter 329 Going Home (Part 1)

In the documentary "East Wind Prevails Over West Wind," Yu Qie's behavior was extremely "domineering," bordering on self-centered. This caused a huge uproar in China, leading to a re-evaluation of the American social order. The documentary was purchased by Americans, and after its broadcast in the US, it became a must-watch for Chinese people.

On New Year's Day, all the Chinese people, no matter what they did, came to talk to Yu Qie.

People like Li Zhengdao and Yang Zhenning, who are both refined and cultured, also said they greatly admired Yu Qie when asked.

Ask them why they like it?
They rambled on about literature, bloodlines, and fate... but never said: "I admire Yu Qie precisely because he's domineering! He killed all the foreigners who disrespected him!"

This is something that cannot be said; it is something that cannot be tolerated by our values.

But that's what they really want.

Ambassador Shen recalled that when Chinese-American scientist Samuel C.C. Ting won the Nobel Prize in 76, he insisted on reading his acceptance speech in Chinese in a place where no one understood Chinese. To this end, Ting overcame obstruction from American officials and obstruction from some award ceremony staff.

Isn't that what Yuqie is all about?

No wonder he's so popular overseas!

I always thought Wang An's eldest son was a fan of Yu Qie's books, but I never imagined that his father was actually the real fan.

Ambassador Shen seized the opportunity to inquire about Wang An's investments in mainland China.

“Mr. Wang, you are now a symbol of overseas Chinese, the wealthiest Chinese in the world. If you invest in mainland China, everyone will feel that this place has great potential; if you withdraw your investment, it will also affect the confidence of others…”

Wang An smiled and said, "I definitely won't withdraw my investment. It's just that I need to make arrangements for my affairs after my death and take care of the matter of succession first. I also hope that you won't disclose my health condition here."

Ambassador Shen and Yu Qie both agreed.

Wang An's computer company is a publicly traded company with a market capitalization of approximately six billion US dollars. His family holds a significant portion of the shares, valued at 1.8 billion US dollars.

If news of his cancer diagnosis were to spread, it would have a huge impact on the company's market value.

However, the two of them originally wanted money!
Given Wang An's current situation, how can you persuade him to increase his investment further?

Ambassador Shen found an excuse to get some fresh air and called Yu Qie over as well.

Ambassador Shen was a little anxious: "Comrade Yu, do you smoke? Let me light one for you."

“I’m a non-smoking writer,” Yu Qie said. “Just say it.”

“You know why we’re here. Wang An is a great inventor and a key figure, but in terms of shareholding, this is a purely American company. If Mr. Wang passes away soon, it will be difficult to maintain what he originally promised.”

Ambassador Shen hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

There was a strong desire in China for Wang An to invest, not only because it could generate revenue, but also because Wang An's computer company represented the most advanced technology in the computer field at the time. When Wang An visited China, many leaders received him.

We're desperately seeking technology right now.

Ambassador Shen was at a loss. He said, "There is an electronic component factory in Shanghai that represents the highest level of our country's microelectronics industry. When Japanese reporters came to investigate, they found that only one out of ten of our employees was on the production line, while the other nine were eating sunflower seeds."

"The yield rate of the products we produce is outrageously low! This makes us uncompetitive not only in computers, but also in televisions and tape recorders."

"Science and technology are the primary productive forces. Improving our science and technology is a very urgent matter... and microelectronics is a particularly important project."

Ambassador Shen grasped Yu Qie's hand and emphasized:
"You may not know much about Silicon Valley. We've been watching it closely for a long time, and it's starting to become the engine of the American economy. This place used to be small, but now it's amazing! We believe that the microelectronics industry will have a huge future... from small things like tape recorders and televisions to large things like missiles and radar... it's really important!"

Silicon Valley!

How could I not understand?

Yu Qie thought to himself: I know best what happened to Silicon Valley afterward.

It's unexpected that the country would have such foresight. It seems that Wang An's unexpected death in history truly caught the country off guard.

Soon after, Wang An's son, Wang Lie, came out to see the two of them.

"Mr. Yu, Mr. Shen?"

This guy looks a lot like a chubby version of Bruce Lee, dressed in a suit and very tight pants. I wonder if he's intentionally imitating Bruce Lee's style.

Wang Lie's expression was difficult to maintain, as if he wanted to laugh but also cry: "Mr. Yu, Mr. Shen, I just inherited my father's shares and will soon become the operator of this company."

Both Yu Qie and Ambassador Shen were stunned.

Good grief, is this the kind of thing I should be listening to?

Then, Wang Lie delivered some good news: "Some people in the company doubt my abilities, and to prove my authority, I will continue with our investment plans in China, and my father has agreed. We are a large company with annual revenue of three billion US dollars; we absolutely cannot collapse! We are too big to fail!"

The surprise came unexpectedly!

Before Ambassador Shen could react, Yu Qie had already thanked the Wang family on behalf of the compatriots in China.

Wang Lie was later considered "the first true second-generation rich kid in the Chinese world," with a net worth of over a billion US dollars at its peak—and this was in the 1980s! Of course he was a second-generation rich kid.

But he also has all the bad habits of a rich kid: he's ambitious and doesn't know his place.

Historically, Wang Lie insisted on expanding production despite being technologically inferior, which led to financial difficulties and ultimately bankrupt his company. Now, if he were to bring this approach to China, his absurdly low costs might actually revive his business.

Therefore, when Yu Qie entered Wang An's ward later, he did not have that "grateful" expression.

It wasn't you who saved China's microelectronics industry; rather, we complemented each other.

"Mr. Yu, Mr. Shen, are you satisfied with this result?" Wang An asked with a smile.

Ambassador Shen said, "Your company will surely reach new heights. We welcome you to visit the mainland again."

Return to the mainland?
Upon hearing this, Wang Lie couldn't help but grin, grinning foolishly. The thought of being the one welcomed back home—who wouldn't be happy?

Yu Qie clapped lightly. He felt it was a win-win situation, so he wasn't particularly excited.

Wang An noticed this and sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of regret, as if saying, "One should have a son like Yu Qie."

How can the differences between people be so great?

Wang An himself is a genuine inventor and a PhD in science and engineering. He was admitted to Jiaotong University at the age of sixteen, researched radio communication in his hometown at the age of twenty, and when he was sent to Harvard to study, he got A+ in every subject. He even built a magnetic core memory in his garage. In every business battle, Wang An took the lead and led his research and development team to achieve technological breakthroughs.

His reputation is well-known in Silicon Valley.

When Bill Gates was invited to meet him, he was flattered and never forgot the memory for many years.

However, my son is useless; he's neither smart nor thoughtful. After I leave, I'm afraid everything will be over.

Let's think about this remaining cut again...

“Yu Qie!” Wang An suddenly said, “Actually, we’re quite similar.”

“What part looks like it?” Yu asked.

Ambassador Shen and Wang Lie both looked over.

"I heard that when you're writing novels, you don't listen to other people's opinions, and I'm the same way in business. Yet, I've succeeded every time." "But think about it carefully, how can others learn from us? Of course, they'll fail if they do it that way!"

Wang An's words were quite meaningful.

Yu Qie understood. Ambassador Shen also understood.

Wang An was pointing at his son, but unfortunately, Wang An's son was like Liu Shahe—only his son couldn't understand.

Wang Lie later tried his hand at research and development and marketing, but all his efforts failed, and he completely lost his prestige.

The whole company seems to have betrayed us.

Chinese people already face immense difficulties in the United States. Unless you have exceptional abilities, even if you have an inheritance, others will not recognize you.

The investment is coming!
A false alarm.

Wang Lie accompanied Yu Qie and the ambassador on a two-day trip to Houston, which was captured by the media and ironically caused a slight increase in his company's stock price. Wang An joked, "It seems that investing in mainland China was the right choice, and American stock market investors also approve!"

“That’s right! We have to go to the mainland; this is our turning point!” His son agreed.

Wang An had esophageal cancer, a disease that appears almost normal when it hasn't progressed to a very serious stage.

However, the condition progresses rapidly in the later stages, and the person will lose a lot of weight due to the inability to eat.

Taking advantage of the limited time he could still enjoy delicious food, Wang An tried his best to get some to eat. He could only eat a few bites, but others got to enjoy the food.

Brazilian steak is indeed delicious. Who says Brazilian steak is cheap? There are expensive ones too!

MD surprised Yu Qie greatly: it didn't look like a hospital, but more like a high-end club, a resort hotel area.

No wonder CCTV host Li Yong also came here for treatment!
Wang Laboratories enters China! Sino-US Wang Laboratories Development Co., Ltd. is established!

The New York Times reported on this event. This is considered a major move by Wang Laboratories over the next five years; they plan to move a number of assembly lines to China.

……

In 87, a group of Chinese students studying in the United States prepared to return home for the Chinese New Year.

One of them is Lin Yifu, who earned his master's degree from Yenching University and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, where he has been conducting economic research for some time.

Lin Yifu has a special identity; he is from Taiwan. Several years ago, Lin Yifu swam across the strait to the mainland to study, carrying a basketball.

"Brother Lin Yifu! You're reading The New York Times again. Are you a fan of Michiko Kakutani's book reviews?"

One international student said.

Michiko Kakuko is a senior contributor to The New York Times and has considerable influence in the United States. She previously praised Yukichi's novel *Metro*, describing him as a strong, independent woman.

The female writer's father is probably more famous; his name is Shizuo Kakutani, a mathematician who proposed the "fixed point theorem"... These things are often cited in economics as well.

Economics is essentially mathematics.

Lin Yifu pointed to the cover photo of The New York Times: it was a photo of Wang An's son, Wang Lie, and Yu Qie.

“I’m not looking at Wang Lie, but Yu Qie. He’s also a student from our Peking University, and you probably don’t know, but he’s a genius in the economics department,” Lin Yifu said.

"Who doesn't know that? Yu Qie is an economist, and he's even written papers about Japan's interest-free loans for infrastructure projects in China... borrowing yen and repaying yen, with the US dollar as the intermediary, but the yen has appreciated by 100%!"

"Luckily, he noticed something was wrong beforehand, otherwise we don't know how much money we would have lost!"

Hearing this, Lin Yifu nodded with some anticipation. "That's certainly impressive. It shows that although Yu Qie is a writer, he hasn't neglected his primary job."

"If I can make some efforts in this area in the future, then my studies will not have been in vain."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yifu's classmate was surprised: "You mean, you really want to go back in the future? You're not staying in the United States?"

They were all government-sponsored students, but most of them did not choose to return home.

Yu Qie's novel "Da Sa Ba" depicts a group of pathetic people: but friends, this really doesn't include the PhD students at the University of Chicago.

Lin Yifu said, "Let's go back. This time, let's go back. After I submitted my report, it has been approved, and I have obtained the plane tickets and visas. I should be going back with Yu Qie."

"You'll still be able to see Yu Qie? Can you get me his autograph?"

“Go ask for it yourself. I’m not coming back,” Lin Yifu said. “At least not in the short term.”

Lin Yifu gazed at the University of Chicago campus, feeling little attachment to it.

……

By late January, Yu Qie had already traveled to many places in the United States.

He promoted his novels everywhere and shared the concept of "nuclear literature": the concept of "apocalypse" is not about complete biological extinction, but a social state in which humanity continues to live with extremely low productivity and in constant conflict.

Human beings' natural animalistic nature and later rationality are prone to conflict, because rationality comes at a price, while animalistic nature can at least satisfy personal needs.

What is this if not the end of the world?
This allows novels to include a lot of "personal touches".

How will the economy function then?

Does religion exist?

Is the company more powerful, or the government?
By now, "nuclear literature" has become a catch-all for political commentary, with Americans themselves starting to write such novels. They fantasize about America embarking on a path never before trodden, for example, in a fictional world where Great America could internally split into Free America, Red America, Puritan America, and so on…

Within two months of its release, like the "Latin American Big Bang" of yesteryear, Metro sparked a nuclear literature craze.

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster is far from over, and the Western world is still living in an atmosphere of "nuclear fear".

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago features a "Doomsday Clock" that indicates the degree to which the world is threatened by nuclear weapons. If the hands point to 12 o'clock, it means that nuclear war has broken out and the end of the world has arrived.

If you push the dial back, it means things have gotten better; if you push it forward, it means things have gotten worse.

Last October, the world's two superpowers began negotiations on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which continued until February. The treaty was too harsh on the Soviet Union, and therefore no agreement was reached.

The entire United States then exaggerated the doomsday crisis, mentioning Yu Che's novel and blaming the Soviets for dragging the world to the brink of extinction.

As a result, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the "Doomsday Clock" forward by two minutes: this represents another step forward for humanity toward "nuclear wasteland".

Yes, they no longer talk about nuclear war, but instead use the trendy term "nuclear wasteland".

In some tabloids, cartoonists depicted Gosh with a comical eagle-feathered crest—meaning he was a crazy nuclear maniac like "Lee," a hybrid of Western civilization, who wanted to perish together with the white people.

"To die together would be good... if one really had that kind of guts..." Yu Qie put down the newspaper and sneered.

"Yu, the University of Chicago would like to invite you to speak; they have a Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists..."

(End of this chapter)