I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 358 Discussion about Liu Jin

Fifth Avenue, New York.

Between 93rd Street and 96th Street.

A brick-red apartment building stands out starkly among the towering skyscrapers.

It is adjacent to Fifth Avenue and overlooks Central Park's iconic landmark: The Lake.

"This is an apartment owned by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and the view is nice. Although it's near Fifth Avenue, it's very quiet."

The area is surrounded by wealthy people, so the security is excellent.

Turn left after exiting the building, and you'll find the Stavros Niarchus Foundation Library, the largest branch of the Manhattan Library with a vast collection of books; continue walking forward, and at the intersection of 42nd Street is the New York Public Library. Well, I'm sure I don't need to tell you more; you can find all the information, materials, newspapers, and books you're looking for.

There is a Jefferson Market branch between the two libraries, but it has fewer seats.

If these three libraries still don't meet your needs, and you're looking for more academic materials or books, New York University Library is located nearby in Washington Square. In addition, there's Chambers Square Library…

It's a bit far, though, near Broadway.

If you're interested, you can also catch a Broadway show along the way.

David Lynch chuckled as he looked at Liu Jin, who was standing by the window gazing at the scenery, and asked, "What do you think of this place?"

"Not bad!"

"These kinds of old apartment buildings are hard to find."

This property belongs to an old friend of mine, but he spends most of his time in Seattle, so it's been vacant.

He was initially reluctant to lend it out, but upon hearing that it was for you, he readily agreed.

Liu Jin nodded.

He turned and looked at the living room, which was filled with the old-fashioned charm of the 18th century.

Despite being located among high-rise buildings, this apartment has excellent natural light and doesn't feel dark or cramped at all.

In the center of the living room is a handmade Persian rug.

There are no sofas; the architecture is entirely modeled after the style of 18th-century aristocratic buildings.

There is an old-fashioned fireplace on one side.

However, it's not necessary this season.

Liu Jin sat down on a soft chair, while David Lynch sat on the other side.

“The hotel has a butler who will clean the house every day. If you don’t want to go out, you can also enjoy everything you need through the hotel butler. When you’re feeling restless, lacking inspiration, or in a bad mood, you can take a walk in Central Park. Strolling around The Lake and breathing in the fresh air will be very pleasant.”

Liu Jin suddenly laughed.

"David, tell me honestly, whose house is it?"

"what?"

"This person is definitely not your friend. It's not that I look down on you, but you can't buy this kind of old-fashioned apartment even if you have money."

who?"

"This one……"

"Do I know him? Uh, no."

"what are you doing?"

"Haha, my brother, don't be scared, I've just recently become a bit obsessed with micro-expression analysis..."

"What the hell are you doing, a writer, thinking about all this nonsense all day?"

"Writers, after all, know everything, they're all experts."

If you don't have anything substantial to offer, what kind of novel can you write?
Dude, who is it?
Otherwise, I won't feel at ease... There's an old Chinese saying: "Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or are thieves."

“Mr. Werner”.

"Who?"

"The little boy who delivers bread."

"Forehead!"

Liu Jin stood up abruptly.

"Mr. Blumenthal?"

"Yes... Don't be nervous. Actually, not long after 'Life Is Beautiful' was published, Mr. Werner sent someone to find me and asked me some questions about you. He originally wanted to meet you in person since you were coming to New York, but he couldn't get away because of some things. You know, I wouldn't dare ask too many questions about the kind of person he is."

"Then……"

"Yes!"

Liu Jin slowly sat down.

Mr. Werner said that you can stay here without worry.

Also, this is a pass to several major libraries in New York City, allowing you to borrow any books and materials you want, if you wish.

Mr. Werner instructed me, "If you guess what it is, please let me pass on this to you: This is a small token of gratitude from the boy who delivered bread on the streets of Shanghai back then. He is very grateful to you for allowing him to relive those memories."

"David, please convey my deepest gratitude to Mr. Blumenthal, a native of Shanghai."

Blumenthal has given many speeches and mentioned on numerous occasions that Shanghai is his fondest memory.

When he nervously boarded the ship from Austria to Shanghai, it was the warmth and kindness of the people of Shanghai that gave him comfort.

Liu Jin is not from Shanghai.

But my mother's hometown is too close to Shanghai, only 74 kilometers away.

That is, it is twice the distance from Xujiahui to Songjiang, and even closer than the distance from the Bund to Chongming Island.

Therefore, he doesn't mind pretending to be a fellow villager, which can also help to shorten the distance between them.

However, he also knew the truth in his heart.

Blumenthal's enthusiasm must have ulterior motives.

Not all victims are bad people, but you can't ignore their scheming and cunning...

"By the way, there are two cars in the garage. Here are the car keys."

Mr. Werner meant that since we were in New York, we should make the most of it and experience its unique charm.

Liu Jin took the car keys. One was a Ford, the other a Chevrolet.

He became increasingly certain that Blumenthal had conducted a very detailed investigation into him.

Chevrolet and Ford are also his two favorite American car brands.

When he came to New York in 01, he rented a Chevrolet, and his fondness for Fords was no secret in his social circle.

Even his friends in France knew about it.

In other words, foreign cars are not popular in France. Apart from Peugeot and Citroën, they are either Italian or German cars.

British cars are very rare.

……

How's your thesis preparation going?

"It's not bad, but we still need some data to support it. But with access to these libraries, I'm not worried anymore."

How's your script going?

"The outline is ready, let me take a look."

David Lynch immediately became interested when the script was mentioned.

He took a folder out of his bag and handed it to Liu Jin.

Liu Jin glanced at it briefly and realized that it was completely different from Michael Bay's version.

David Lynch clearly focuses more on suspense and thriller.

But this also makes the story even more bizarre...

Liu Jin wasn't sure if this version could surpass Michael Bay's version, but he personally felt that if the story continued as it was told, he would be willing to go to the cinema, buy a movie ticket and a bucket of popcorn, and enjoy it at his leisure.

Of course, the story's pace is a bit slow.

There are too many useless and lengthy side plots.

Reading books is no problem.

But when watching a movie, I feel annoyed.

"Too many plot points deviate from the main storyline, which diminishes the sense of horror and suspense."

David, I think the main storyline is great, but you're thinking too much, or trying to show too much, which makes it a bit confusing.

Some characters are simply unnecessary.

As Liu Jin spoke, he found a piece of paper and wrote down some plot details and characters.

"None of these are needed."

"But wouldn't that be too stuffy?"

Are you bored?

"Aren't you bored?"

"You can think of Seven. The overall tone of the book is so gloomy and somber, it's so dull, but it's also very captivating."

"You mean, make it even more somber?"

"Clones, they're clones... They have no future, no identity, they're just organ donors. That ethical rift, even if they're clones..."

The two sat in the living room and began a frantic discussion.

It wasn't until dark that the matter finally came to an end.

After going out for a meal, Liu Jin returned to his apartment alone and went straight to bed.

But I'm feeling a little lonely!

He simply sat up and dialed Eva's number.

……

Kennebunkport, Maine.

At the manor at No. 59 Zhoushan Road, Blumenthal was talking with several people in his study.

He sat in a soft chair by the fireplace, wearing reading glasses, holding a report in his hand, and slowly finished reading it.

"So, there's nothing wrong with that child, right?"

"Based on the information currently available from the investigation, there is no such result."

The old man sitting on the other side of the fireplace looked much younger than Blumenthal.

He handed the report to his secretary and asked, "Michael, do you think he's a good fit?"

"Isn't it appropriate?"

Blumenthal laughed.

“We investigated for over a year, and his resume was very clean.”

His father was a soldier, so his background was impeccable. In the eyes of the Chinese people, no one could be more politically reliable than him.

Before he turned 25, this young man was full of youthful vigor and was filled with confusion about life.

After 25, things suddenly changed... Morgan, have you noticed how he changed after arriving in France? Before, in his daily life, he was still a jerk, but in France, he became so outstanding.

What does it mean?
He is more receptive to Western ideas and culture.

"That's not wrong."

Morgan suddenly said, "But he hates ordinary life."

“True Chinese people all hate the ordinary life. Only those who have the blood of traitors and lackeys flowing in their veins would fawn over the ordinary life. You have never experienced that period of time, so you will never know the trauma and suffering that the ordinary life inflicted on the Chinese people.”

I went to Shanghai in 35 and experienced the Battle of Shanghai.

I was just a child then, and I witnessed firsthand the atrocities committed by those little people.

They didn't even spare the corpses; they burned 20,000 bodies... You know, the ashes from one corpse are very little, but they filled seven coffins with the remains of 20,000 bodies and then buried them on the banks of the Huangpu River...

Morgan, even today, I still feel a chill run down my spine whenever I recall those scenes.

……

(End of this chapter)