When he first read the first chapter of the introduction to "A Step into the Past", he was amazed. He kept reading it over and over again until yesterday, and the long-lost excitement of conceiving his most proud work back then once again hit his heart.
Genius! A genius who can break the stereotype of martial arts novels!
Such talents...
When Louis Cha picked up his pen to write this article last night, he no longer had the reserve of a martial arts master in his heart. He only had admiration for the pioneering achievement of "A Step into the Past" and an irrepressible regret - regret that it did not end up in "Ming Pao".
In the last paragraph of the column, Jin Yong changed his reserved style and spoke bluntly and pointedly, hitting the nail on the head:
"…I've always said that newspapers are the home of writers, and they are the platform for discerning talent. What a pity!
Such a magnificent chapter, such a brilliant talent, was actually written by the Asia Times, founded by the Japanese Chinese businessman Kobayashi Tenmo.
Isn't it a pity to see a bright pearl covered in dust, its brilliance obscured?
"I am not very talented, but I am in charge of a small corner of Ming Pao and I am eager to recruit new talents.
Mr. Huang Yi is a man of great talent. If you would not mind, I would like to invite you to write an article for me in Ming Pao.
The Ming Pao platform may help you unleash your talents and rise to the top.
The work "A Journey to the West" should be presented to the world in a larger format and a better position.
No matter how much Asia Daily gives you as a reward for writing, Ming Pao is willing to double it!
This is not empty talk. Only by making good works find their place can we live up to this great masterpiece and Mr. Yi Ma's talent in writing thousands of words.
I hereby announce this, and I look forward to it with all my heart!"
——Respectfully from Louis Cha, Ming Pao
These words, printed in black and white on the front page of the Ming Pao supplement, were as shocking as a bolt from the blue.
There was no usual reserve and gentleness, only the shock of expressing one's true feelings directly, a desire to recruit people that is hard to come by even with thousands of troops, and an unmistakable contempt for the Asia Daily platform - "a pearl covered in dust."
For a moment, the entire Hong Kong Island seemed like a pond with stones thrown into it, with ripples layered over layer, and finally exploding!
In the tea restaurant, several newspapers were spread out on the oil-stained table.
The Oriental Daily and Sing Tao Daily were still chewing over Mr. Fok's "social status", while the front page of the Asia Daily was filled with shocking accusations made by "Fatty Kun" against Fok Chun-ting.
But when this column by Jin Yong in Ming Pao reached the hands of diners, all the noise suddenly stopped.
A bespectacled middle school teacher took a bite of a barbecued pork bun when his eyes suddenly widened. His throat churned a few times, and after swallowing it down with great difficulty, he muttered, "Cha... Mr. Cha personally invited me? Double the manuscript fee?!"
The workers at the same table had stopped playing rock-paper-scissors long ago and stretched their necks to look at the tofu-sized lead characters, as if there were amazing treasures hidden inside.
The illiterate old woman noticed everyone's strange expressions and asked anxiously, "Who's in trouble now?"
A coworker pointed at the newspaper and said, "Nothing's wrong. Master Jin Yong is trying to poach the author of 'A Step into the Past'! And he's willing to pay any price!"
The old lady seemed to understand, but she knew about "Jin Yong" and "how much money". She smacked her lips and said, "It's such a big head..."
In the office building's tea room, the usual stock quotes and office gossip suddenly lost their color.
Young white-collar workers clutched the newly delivered Ming Pao newspaper, exclaiming in amazement. "Wow! Cha Sheng is so exciting!"
Directly poaching someone?!"
“The royalties have doubled!
No matter how much Asia Daily gives, Ming Pao gives double! How inhumane!
"Tsk tsk, Jin Yong's words have been tarnished, indirectly undermining President Kobayashi's reputation..."
"But to be honest, 'A Step into the Past' is really worth the price!
Xiang Shaolong returned to the Qin Dynasty drunk and became a death row prisoner. It was so strange at the beginning, and it was even more bizarre in the second part!
I saw him bump into Zou Yan and call him an 'alien', and everyone went cold! "
"Yeah! I clicked on the right spot. I thought there was more to come and it was over. I'm so worried!"
A clerk waved his arms excitedly, "I was fighting with this guy over the newspaper the other night, and we almost got into a fight! If Jin Yong shows up, it'll be hard for Huang Yi to not fly off the handle!"
In a crowded corner of a rental bookstore in North Point, a few middle school students who were truant from school gathered around the newly arrived Ming Pao supplement, their eyes almost glued to the page.
A tall, thin man said in a dry voice, "Huang Yi... Is Huang Yi really so powerful that even Jin Yong came to snatch him away?"
The fat guy next to him pushed him and said, "You idiot! Jin Yong!
The leader of the martial arts world!
Are his words really true?
Double the royalties, sir!
You've written so many novels, and you're still not successful?"
Several pairs of eyes burned with a mixture of admiration, envy and longing for the great recognition between the lines.
For the first time, the literary legend that was once out of reach is so intuitively connected to a work that is being read.
Some veteran journalists or cultural figures who are well versed in the ins and outs of the cultural circle see a deeper meaning.
What Louis Cha did was tantamount to using Jin Yong's huge reputation to crown the still mysterious pen name "Huang Yi"!
There is no need to explain the status of Ming Pao's supplement, and the "bigger page space, better position" promised by Jin Yong himself is an invaluable treasure.
The phrase "a pearl covered in dust" is not only directed at the platform structure of Kobayashi Tenmo's "Asia Daily", but more deeply, it may express dissatisfaction with Kobayashi Tenmo's Japanese background - how can such a "national treasure-level" historical martial arts masterpiece fall under the purview of an "outsider"?
This is his blatant conspiracy!
It's obvious that they want to poach people!
"Crazy! Jin Yong is really doomed!"
This thought lingered in the minds of countless people.
Overnight, the popularity of the name "Huang Yi" exploded, even overshadowing the controversy over the identities of Peter Ho and Kobayashi Tianwang, and became the focus of public opinion in Hong Kong Island.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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