Chapter 253: Stadium Suicide Squad

On a midsummer evening, the basketball court in Dongshan Hotel was filled with energetic cheers.

This afternoon, Lin Weimin proposed a friendly match on the basketball court after dinner, which was unanimously supported by many writers.

This writers' conference has participants from all three generations, so it is easy to gather two basketball teams.

After dinner, everyone came to the basketball court, divided into teams, and everyone was eager to try.

At the sidelines of the basketball court, not only were other colleagues standing there to cheer for everyone, but the staff of Dongshan Hotel were also watching the fun.

Everyone is curious about what great writers look like when they play basketball.

What could it be like?

To describe them all as ordinary is a compliment.

"Pass the ball! Pass the ball!"

Ma Yuan, who is tall and strong, plays as a power forward, but he doesn't do anything a power forward should do. When the ball is passed to him, it's like it's sticky and he refuses to pass the ball. He dribbles the ball in a very showy manner and always wants to shoot a fadeaway jump shot.

Another mid-range shot from outside the free throw line missed, and Lin Weimin couldn't help but complain: "Can't you just pass the ball?"

There is no father and son on the basketball court. Ma Yuan was not to be outdone. "What a great opportunity just now. There was no one in front of me. It would have been a shame if I didn't shoot!"

"Did you make the shot?"

"The touch was a little off, I will definitely score next time."

I don't believe you!

Want to have a next time?

Lin Weimin secretly colluded with Yu Hua and Mo Yan. We can’t let Ma Yuan, the lone wolf, get the ball anymore. He is a cancer on the court!

Yu Hua and Mo Yan deeply agreed with what Teacher Lin said.

Originally, Lin Weimin was thinking of just taking Shi Tiesheng for a stroll on the court. After all, his team was young and strong, and the average age alone was far superior to that of the other team.

But now it seems that these old... comrades have a strong fighting will!

Then don't force me to use my trump card!

"When you two get the ball, pass it to Tiesheng!" Lin Weimin held the handle of Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair and gave advice.

When the team was being formed just now, Lin Weimin kept saying that he wanted to let Shi Tiesheng experience the joy of running fast on the basketball court.

With such a legitimate reason, it would be hard for the other party to refuse!

Come on, agree to it.

This is where Shi Tiesheng comes in.

But the people on the opposite side never imagined that Lin Weimin would be so shameless.

Shi Tiesheng definitely cannot dribble the ball while sitting in a wheelchair. When the ball is passed to him, he can only hold it. Can you snatch the ball from a disabled person?

It's a complete loss of humanity and morals!

Everyone can drown you with just a spit from you!

Yu Hua and Mo Yan looked at each other, and then they understood why Teacher Lin insisted on bringing Shi Tiesheng to the stage.

Teacher Lin...

So high!

Mr. Chen, the guest referee, blew the whistle and served the ball again, and the players on the court started running.

Lin Weimin pushed Shi Tiesheng hard, and then he braked suddenly, and Shi Tiesheng caught the basketball flying towards him.

Lu Yao on the opposite side took a stance and wanted to defend, but Lin Weimin pushed Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair and bumped into him directly.

If he didn't give way, he would have collided head-on with Shi Tiesheng.

At this moment, the words hospital, critically ill, and emergency flashed quickly in Lu Yao's mind, and then his fat body flashed to the side, lightly avoiding Lin Weimin, Shi Tiesheng and the basketball court death squad composed of wheelchairs.

The wheelchair moved freely all the way to the basket, and Shi Tiesheng shot with both hands.

No.

It doesn't matter. Lin Weimin let go of his wheelchair and grabbed the rebound. Then he passed it to Shi Tiesheng, who shot it again.

In!

Two points obtained!

The youth team cheered and high-fived in celebration.

The middle-aged team gathered together and looked at this group of people, muttering to each other.

"How shameless!"

"Yeah, who would have thought that Weimin would be so mean!"

"This kid is using Tiesheng to control the stadium!"

The middle-aged team discussed for a long time and decided to make a temporary change.

Qin Chaoyang was dragged onto the stage by several people.

If I have to describe this game in one sentence, it can probably be described as - a basketball game that keeps breaking the bottom line.

The final result was that the youth team narrowly beat the middle-aged team by 2 points, but the price they paid was that Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair ran away by a lap.

The middle-aged team was in even worse shape. Qin Chaoyang got a stitch in the side and Liu Xinwu sprained his ankle.

A football game ended in a tragic ending.

Lin Weimin, the instigator, was called into the room by Wei Junyi that night.

Even through the walls, everyone could hear Mrs. Wei's roar.

"Old Tan is already so old, why are you still dragging him to the court to mess with him?"

"And Tiesheng, he's seriously ill and it's hard for him to go out. How dare you take him to play basketball? And let him hold the ball? What were you thinking?"

"Do you know what people said about you two just now? You, Tiesheng, and the wheelchair, the three of you, the court death squad!"

"I thought you would be more stable as the deputy editor-in-chief. Now I finally understand what it means that it is difficult to change one's character!"

"You have brought shame to our Chinese Literature Society!"

"Go back and write me a self-criticism!"

Comforted by Huang Anyi's eyes, Lin Weimin walked out of Wei Junyi's room with a downcast face, and met some writers who were going out for a "walk" in the corridor.

Lin Weimin saw four words on their faces - gloating.

The half-month literary conference passed in a flash and came to an end without anyone noticing.

The night before leaving, the editorial department held an informal summary meeting.

As for the writers' club, editors invite authors they are familiar with or think have potential to go to scenic spots to travel, eat, drink and have fun. What is the purpose of this?

Of course it’s the manuscript.

So, things like literary clubs sound good, but they are actually highly utilitarian.

Publishing houses or magazines spend a lot of money to send writers on a tour, but in reality it is a gentle trap to solicit manuscripts and urge them to submit.

Everyone has eaten, drunk, and played, but when it comes to the manuscript, you can't just hem and haw, right?

Wouldn't that be freeloading?

The authors are all respectable people, and they must have prepared topics long ago. Some have even written a lot, like Liu Xinwu, so as not to let down the editorial department's kindness.

Overall, the results of this writing conference are remarkable.

During the writers' conference, two novels and three novellas were published. One of the novels was "Bell and Drum Tower" by Liu Xinwu, and the novellas included "Mr. Blue Robe" by Cheng Zhongshi and "Little Baozhuang" by Huang Anyi.

Half a month is neither long nor short. However, if we consider the length of a long or medium-length novel, this amount of time is very tight.

Basically, everyone already had ideas or started writing before attending the writing conference. After attending the conference, with mutual communication and inspiration with editors and colleagues, writing naturally became much smoother.

In addition to these completed works, the writers participating in the writing conference have nearly twenty medium-length and long works that are still being conceived or created. In the next few months, "Contemporary" will usher in another wave of high-quality manuscripts.

On the morning of early August, the rooms in Dongshan Hotel were a bit busy. Everyone was packing their luggage after breakfast, and some were exchanging contact information with each other.

The editorial staff and writers of Contemporary Magazine, who have been here for half a month, are about to leave.

When he arrived at the hotel lobby, Lin Weimin spent a long time counting people, but found one person was missing.

"Where's Lu Yao?"

Cheng Zhongshi said: "He went out this morning, probably to have breakfast."

"This bastard!" Lin Weimin cursed.

There was a good-natured laugh from everyone.

After being together for half a month, everyone knew that Lu Yao was in the habit of going out for breakfast.

After waiting for a long time, I saw Lu Yao walking back leisurely with square steps.

"Get in the car quickly!" Lin Weimin shouted.

When Lu Yao got into the car, Lin Weimin whispered, "If you put half the energy you put into going out for breakfast into creating something, you wouldn't have to envy Old Cheng!"

Lu Yao didn't say anything, but silently took out a few pieces of letter paper from his pocket.

"What is this?"

"Nothing much, just the outline of my new novel, which I wrote these past two days. Take a look at it!"

He said he would let me have a look, but the expression on Lu Yao's face probably meant: Take the manuscript, and shut up!

Lin Weimin read: "I just wrote an outline, and look how crazy you are..."

His eyes fell on the paper and he was instantly attracted by the name "Sun Shaoping" and swallowed the words before he could say them.

It was just a few pages of story synopsis. Lin Weimin had finished reading it while the bus was on the road and before it reached the train station.

It was confirmed that the text on the paper described the outline of the novel that later became popular in China.

Looking up again, Lin Weimin had a relieved smile on his face.

"Not bad, not bad. It seems that the past half month has not been wasted. I have done some useful work."

"I have the outline. When can the manuscript be submitted?" Lin Weimin asked with a smile.

Lu Yao pondered for a moment, "I have to look up information and collect some folk songs when I get back. It will take at least a year before I can start writing. I can't say when I can submit the manuscript, but it will take at least one or two years."

Lin Weimin didn't know how long it took Lu Yao to write this novel, but he thought it would not be short. He felt that Lu Yao was a little too optimistic. With Lu Yao's personality, it would take at least three to five years to write such a million-word epic.

Thinking this in his mind, Lin Weimin did not say anything, for fear of undermining his confidence and enthusiasm.

"Okay, call or write me if you need anything."

Lu Yao nodded, that's right.

As an editor, all you need to do is wait for the manuscripts to arrive. Why are you talking so much nonsense?

The bus arrived at the train station and everyone got off.

We are all scattered all over the world, so it is impossible for us to go together by car.

It is inevitable to say goodbye reluctantly. The writing meeting was short and the friendship formed was not deep, but this kind of friendship is like a seed planted in the soil, which will slowly take root and sprout in the next few years.

As trains came one after another, there were fewer and fewer people in the queue.

At noon, the train to Yenching arrived, and Lin Weimin and other editors of Contemporary Magazine and the remaining writers waved goodbye.

On the platform, Huang Anyi was at the end of the crowd, quietly staring at Lin Weimin who was saying goodbye to everyone.

On the return trip, as usual, Lin Weimin carried Shi Tiesheng on his back on the train.

A group of people got on the bus, entered the carriage, opened the windows, and waved goodbye to their friends standing on the platform.

Jin Ying was going back to Baoding, and took a train with Lin Weimin and others. She was next to Lin Weimin, looking at the woman standing alone on the platform, and then glanced at Lin Weimin who was jokingly saying goodbye to everyone heartlessly.

A sigh!

The second update will be later.

(End of this chapter)