mijobooks Chapter 6 Arrival in Shanghai
Chapter 6 Arrival in Shanghai
The 40-hour journey was quite grueling.
In particular, Yu Zhen would diligently study a copy of "Story Collection" whenever he had free time, which prompted two young cadres from the Shaanxi Provincial Writers Association to offer him guidance.
Yu Zhen has no way to influence other people's literary views.
He studied Story Magazine not for any other reason than to make his thoughts and creative instincts fit the style and tone of Story Magazine more perfectly, so that when he arrived in Shanghai and met the magazine's editors, he could more calmly and confidently demonstrate his ability to create stories.
The urgent telegram from the magazine only stated that they earnestly invited him to Shanghai to discuss specific matters regarding the use of the manuscript; no other details were mentioned.
Considering those 25 stories submitted in quick succession, there is almost no connection or coherence between them.
To put it nicely, it has a diverse style and a wildly imaginative mind.
However, judging by the conventional understanding of people in this era, his stories inevitably have too much of a sensationalist flavor, which might lead editors to believe that his creative ability is not stable enough.
To put it bluntly, they're afraid that adapting their film and television works into written form might not be well-received.
To put it more bluntly, he's just experiencing beginner anxiety.
In my past life, I worked as an online writer in my spare time, and during the serialization of my online novels, I had roughly the same mindset: a minor failure, lacking confidence.
There's no way around it; he's only just mysteriously transmigrated, not suddenly given a more gifted and intelligent brain. It's impossible for him to suddenly have perfect creativity and be able to easily come up with an idea that can instantly conquer the entire literary world.
……
We've finally arrived at Shanghai Railway Station.
As Yu Zhen carried his load on a shoulder pole and was about to reach the station exit, he spotted someone holding up a sign that read "Comrade Yu Zhen, Writer of Shaanxi Province," just thirty or fifty meters away, ready to greet him.
Meanwhile, about ten steps behind him, the two literary association cadres also spotted the welcome sign at the station and immediately began to excitedly discuss it:
"Hey, Lao Feng, look at that sign! Someone's picking up our provincial writer, Comrade Yu Zhen, at the station!"
"Comrade Yu Zhen? Which writer, Comrade Yu Zhen?"
"Oh, Lao Feng, you're confused. In our province's writers' circle, who else could be named Yu Zhen? It must be the poet and writer Yu Zhen who just rose to fame in the poetry circle before the new year!"
"That's right! I've only ever heard of him, never had the chance to meet him in person. I never imagined that Writer Yu would actually be on the same train to Shanghai as us. Now we should take this opportunity to get to know him properly!"
"Excellent, excellent. I just wonder, what official business did Writer Yu have in Shanghai?"
"Let's go, let's hurry up and ask around. We'll arrange a time later with Writer Yu so we can explore Shanghai together and really experience the charm of the Bund and the old Shanghai Bund..."
The two figures quickened their pace, quickly overtaking Yu Zhen, and rushed towards the figure holding up the sign to pick up passengers at the station exit.
Yu Zhen watched the two of them rushing away excitedly and couldn't help but find it hilarious.
He hadn't expected that the Story Club magazine would actually arrange for someone to pick him up at the station.
They were also very curious about how the two of them would react if they found out that the company picking them up was the magazine "Story Club," which they looked down upon.
"Comrade Xiao Yu, you must be tired from the journey. Actually, there's nothing shameful about enjoying reading 'Story Collection'. Comrades Feng and Chen, your thinking is still not open-minded enough. Don't let them influence you."
To be honest, during my free time at work, I also enjoy reading magazines like "Story Collection," which are great for relaxing my mind...
"Ha, Engineer Wang, you're right. To each their own, I certainly won't be influenced by them."
The old engineer from Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group, who was in the same carriage, quickly stepped forward and walked alongside Yu Zhen while gently comforting him.
Perhaps he had already figured it out: on the way to Shanghai, the two comrades from the Writers' Association had tried to join forces with him to put Yu Zhen down, looking down on Yu Zhen's attitude of treating a copy of "Story Club" as gospel.
When we're out and about, we all come from the same place. It's better to help each other out than to sabotage each other.
"By the way, Comrade Yu, I'm going to XH district. Which district in Shanghai are you going to? We might end up traveling together again. You have so much luggage, we can go together, and I can help you out..."
Yu Zhen smiled and said, "Engineer Wang, thank you for your kindness. Someone will pick me up at the station. Look, it's the one holding the sign. Haha, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet. I am Yu Zhen. The Shaanxi poet and writer Yu Zhen that you, Comrade Feng, and Comrade Chen have been talking about all the way is actually me."
"ah??!"
Engineer Wang was stunned. "Comrade Yu, you can't joke like that..."
"No jokes. Anyway, thank you so much for liking my few clumsy poems. I'll go say hello to the magazine staff first so as not to keep them waiting too long. See you later, Mr. Wang."
"Uh, see you later..."
Yu Zhen waved his hand, adjusted the balance of the carrying pole, and quickened his pace to meet the young woman holding the sign at the exit.
"Hello!" Yu Zhen waved and greeted the young woman loudly from ten steps away.
However, before the young woman could even react...
The two literary association cadres, Feng and Chen, who were in the same carriage, were already quite impatient and started yelling at him.
"Hey, Xiao Yu, don't block our view. We and Editor Wu are waiting for Comrade Yu Zhen, the great poet and writer from Shaanxi Province. We don't have time to waste with you right now."
"That's right, that's right. We've given you so many opportunities to interact along the way, but you didn't cherish them. Now that you know we're going to pick up writer Yu Zhenyu, you know you've come to join in the fun. This kind of opportunism shows that you're not sincere about literature, and you shouldn't force yourself to get involved in our cultural circle in the future."
Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.
The most important thing in life is never to force yourself, understand?
Yu Zhen was speechless. How could the Shaanxi Provincial Association of Literature and Art send such two idiots to Shanghai for study and exchange? They were just too much.
He carefully observed the editor, Xiao Wu. Unlike Feng and Chen, he didn't show any disdain because Xiao Wu was carrying a shoulder pole and didn't look like a cultured person at all.
Of course, it's very likely that editor Xiao Wu's attention wasn't even on him at all.
By this time, the person had moved a few steps to the side and continued to hold up the welcome sign, looking around at the crowd exiting the station.
Yu Zhen put down the carrying pole, ignoring the cold stares from Feng and Chen, and reached into his pocket to pull out a telegram form. "Editor Wu, if I'm not mistaken, I should be the Yu Zhen you were holding up the sign to meet at the station, the Yu Zhen with the 25 articles."
Wu Ke initially didn't take Yu Zhen seriously, regarding him as a fleeting passerby.
In her mind, the Shaanxi writer Yu Zhen, whom she had been waiting to pick up at the train station since yesterday, should at least be a middle-aged man with a weathered face.
However, the moment Yu Zhen pulled out the telegram form and uttered the key phrase "25 articles,"...
She immediately let out an excited scream, leaped forward, and grabbed Yu Zhen's hands tightly.
"Comrade Yu Zhen?! You really are Comrade Yu Zhen, the great writer from Shaanxi Province?! That's wonderful! I've finally met you, Comrade Yu Zhen! I'm Wu Ke, a trainee editor at the 'Story Club' magazine. My workplace arranged for me to pick you up at the train station..."