1978: A Literary Giant Who Began His Military Service

Chapter 97, "Principles," is here!!!
Bai Hua looked at him and asked, "Aren't you really going to write something?"

Zhou Xu smiled and said, "I won't write it. After all, it's normal for the literary and artistic circles to offer criticism. Let them comment."

Whoever promotes this ideology will spark widespread discussion, so it's much better to accept it readily than to engage in a war of words in the newspapers.

Besides, Zhou Xu had no intention of starting a verbal fight.

"...Alright then, you can do whatever you want with this for now." Bai Hua glanced at Zhou Xu, coughed, and said, "Um..."

"It's about the play again, Director?" Zhou Xu asked helplessly.

"Ahem, almost, almost."

Bai Hua is thirty years older than Zhou Xu, but she's only fifty, not some old fogey in her sixties or seventies. She and Zhou Xu get along fairly well.

Bai Hua was used to getting freebies from Zhou Xu, after all, in terms of literary talent, Zhou Xu was indeed better than the others in the studio.

Because most of the members of the performing arts troupe were composers specializing in music, Zhou Xu was the only one among the few writers who frequently published articles in national newspapers.

Most of the others wrote articles for the regimental newspaper or military news magazines, so their ranks were naturally different.

There's nothing we can do; he's the director, after all.

In the afternoon, Zhou Xu went to see a performance with Bai Hua.

"What do you think of my revised lyrics?" Bai Hua showed him the script.

"Actually, it's much better than before, and this part is too." Zhou Xu nodded.

"You must have read quite a few scripts, right?"

Zhou Xu shook his head: "I just picked up the collections of plays by Cao Yu and Lao She and read them many times..."

"Oh! It seems you're quite talented. Do you have any ideas for writing a script? I'd still recommend you write one if you have the chance," Bai Hua encouraged.

"Script? I'm still brainstorming ideas, no rush!" Zhou Xu shook his head, not ready to accept it immediately.

The most annoying thing for a cow or horse is having work assigned to them by their boss.

"Hey! How about we turn your story 'Lurking' into a screenplay?" Bai Hua suddenly had another mischievous idea.

Zhou Xu shook his head: "It's not easy to change, is it? It's not easy to adapt a long novel into a watchable TV series."

“But writing a spy-themed stage play is actually not bad…” Bai Hua pondered.

Adapting TV series, movies, and novels into stage plays is a common practice.

For example, the stage play "Dream of the Red Chamber" is so popular in China right now, right?

Stage plays have become increasingly elaborate and flashy as times have changed. Of course, this is just a way for them to survive again. Sichuan opera face-changing has even been incorporated into hot pot restaurants.

The two discussed the script as they went out.

After going out.

I heard someone shouting outside. When I went outside, I saw a familiar figure with a camera hanging around his neck and wearing glasses.

"Director Zhang!!" Zhou Xu immediately ran over and saluted.

Zhang Lingxiao replied, then extended his hand: "Comrade Zhou Xu, it's been a long time."

"It really has been a long time?"

Zhang Lingxiao, holding a camera, said, "I came here specifically to see you."

"Haha, Director, have you been closely following the war on the front lines for the past six months?"

Zhang Lingxiao shook his head: "No, I left with the army, and then I went to the grassroots level several times. After returning to Wuhan, I traveled around a lot. There were too many things to do, so I only came to find you now!"

Bai Hua glanced at the two men, who seemed like old acquaintances, and said with a smile, "Then I won't disturb your reminiscing any longer. I'll be going now."

"Oh! Comrade Baihua!"

Zhang Lingxiao greeted Bai Hua and then let him leave.

Zhang Lingxiao looked at Zhou Xu and said, "By the way, Zhou, I recently saw that you published a new novel called 'Lurking,' right?"

Yes! It was published in October.

It's already mid-November, and the novel has been running for a month and a half, entering its most discussed phase.

Zhang Lingxiao led Zhou Xu towards the office: "I also read the previous one, 'Wreath Under the Mountain.' I didn't expect that both of Xiao Zhou's novels would be so popular."

Zhou Xu said, "It's alright, it's alright."

"Well, I'm here on behalf of the Information Office to interview you again! I've seen in the newspapers that there are not only praises for you, but also quite a few dissenting voices."

Zhou Xu thought that made sense. Writing comments or responses by himself would seem a bit deliberate, but it would be fine if someone else represented him.

Of course, this is just the Information Office trying to gain attention, and it's a win-win situation for both sides.

"An interview? I can accept it if the political commissar agrees to let me do it."

"Oh! Old Huang is definitely fine. I just went to ask him, that's why I came to ask for your opinion."

The two sat down in the cultural troupe's reception room.

Zhang Lingxiao closed the door.

"Director Zhang, please ask whatever you want to ask?"

Zhang Lingxiao had been waiting for this question, so he immediately took out his notebook and pen and asked the first question: "Why did you design such a romance plot in 'Lurking'?"

"I added a romance plot to 'Lurking' primarily to make the spy story more 'human,' using emotional bonds to enhance the character arcs and dramatic tension, rather than simply as a romantic embellishment."

Simply put, it's about dramatic conflict!!! Typical spy novels rarely pay attention to the male protagonist's romantic relationships!!!

Zhou Xu replied. "There's another question I often see asked in the newspapers: at the end of your novel, the two characters are separated by two sides of the strait. Do you ever feel the urge to write a sequel to 'Lurking'?" Zhang Lingxiao had copied these questions from magazines and newspapers.

Zhou Xu slowly shook his head: "Do you really want to go up there as is?"

"Let's see what you say then?"

Zhou Xu said, "Then I'll just say that I don't have that plan right now."

Well, unless they're out of money, many directors leave a cliffhanger like this, but to avoid cutting off their own escape route, they just say: I haven't thought about this yet.

Then the audience and readers will start to wonder if there will be any sequels?

For example, "iPartment". Although the first four seasons were said to be plagiarized, they were actually quite good. In fact, the fourth season was the end, but they still added a sequel to make money.

There are countless examples of this.

"So, let me put it this way?" Zhang Lingxiao asked.

"Pretty much, just keeping the readers in suspense, right?"

"Huh? You're so mean!" Zhang Lingxiao frowned.

"Ahem, the section chief is still conducting the interview!"

Zhang Lingxiao nodded: "Then tell me about someone? Is there any follow-up?"

"...No! But Director, you promised me you wouldn't write that in the newspaper!?" Zhou Xu looked at Zhang Lingxiao.

"No, no."

Zhang Lingxiao glanced at Zhou Xu and continued with the third question: "There's one more question..."

"...Well, it's still about this novel, 'Lurking.' How does the male protagonist feel about the three female protagonists, or rather, his three wives, Wanqiu, Cuiping, and Zuolan?"

“Well, he had different relationships in all three of his lives, but he definitely loved Zuo Lan and Cui Ping, so there’s no difference, right?” Zhou Xu stroked his chin.

After discussing this issue, someone asked, "Hey? I have a question. Why didn't Yu Zecheng actually defect to the station chief?"

"Isn't this your own problem?"

"Pah! I was just curious, I had no other intentions, Xiao Zhou, don't doubt me!"

"..."

Zhang Lingxiao used his position for personal gain; he also enjoyed reading Zhou Xu's novel, so he asked many more questions about it.

Zhou Xu discussed it with him for a while.

"Thank you for the interview." Zhang Lingxiao turned around and asked, "By the way, Xiao Zhou, in your novel..."

Faced with Director Zhang's endless barrage of questions, Zhou Xu rubbed his temples and said with an embarrassed smile, "By the way, boss, I have to go to training tonight... That's all for today?"

With a sigh, Director Zhang finally said, "Alright? But I didn't have a chance to take a full-body picture of you in the newspaper last time, so let me take one now!"

Zhou Xu saluted, and Director Zhang snapped a picture of him. This figure in the setting sun was sure to captivate countless young women.

……

So, three days later...

Any news today?

"Do you want news about Muhammad Ali, or the leader's confirmation of a moderately prosperous society... or some other news?"

"It's not tacky at all, it's all big news, I want the news from 'Lurking'."

At the newsstand, the young man took the People's Liberation Army Daily from the vendor and said, "This one, please? It should be the latest one. There's also an interview with it."

"Good, good, good! Not bad!"

"That's what the news says, so it seems there's a sequel to this novel?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's just another scam."

"I never expected the author of this novel to be interviewed by the authorities himself!!"

The stall owner nodded: "I never imagined that Comrade Zhou Xu was a combat hero!"

……

An article published in the PLA Daily, written by Zhang Lingxiao, discussed the responses from writers of the General Political Department to readers of the novel "Lurking".

The document details Zhou Xu's answers to the three questions and reiterates his achievements—a first-class combat hero…first-class merit, third-class merit…

Pooh.

From an academic perspective, when a group of people were discussing whether the 'love' scenes in Zhou Xu's novel "Lurking" were offensive to public morals...

The PLA Daily responded to this question directly in its newspaper.

Literature, by its very nature, cannot be separated from politics, and writers and critics are extremely sensitive to changing political winds.

The military newspaper actually publicly supported Zhou Xu, even though it was just written by Zhang Lingxiao. Shouldn't it have been reviewed by the military and examined by the leadership?

This also reflects the attitude of the authorities to some extent; they are open-minded and allow writing about love and sex.

These are the principles! For decades, these things couldn't be written because the higher-ups didn't allow it, but now that they've tacitly approved it... what's there to discuss?

So the wind direction changed very quickly this time.

The discussion has shifted from whether it's right or wrong to how far it can actually go this time.
"..."

(End of this chapter)