Chapter 686: Defeat Jia Pingwa
After a few days of fermentation, the news of Lin Weimin's suspension has spread throughout the Yanjing cultural circle, and the reason for his suspension has also been widely circulated - he refused the Ministry of Personnel's dispatch to the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television to take over as director of the Film Bureau.
Many people’s first reaction when hearing this was that it was nonsense. How could anyone be unwilling to do such a good thing?
The editor-in-chief of Guowen Publishing House and the director of the Film Bureau seem to be of the same rank, but their powers and responsibilities are completely on different levels.
It seems like a horizontal transfer, but anyone with a little common sense can see that this is definitely a promotion.
Moreover, this kind of cross-field transfer is difficult without the appreciation of the leadership.
No matter how you look at it, this is a great opportunity!
But when everyone heard the news, they didn't feel too surprised.
After all, he was Lin Weimin!
At the age of 30, he was already the editor-in-chief of Guowen Publishing House. Every novel he created is a classic and sold well both at home and abroad. It is said that he can receive nearly 10 million US dollars in royalties every year, and he can donate 10 million US dollars at will.
For such a person, a mere director of the Film Bureau is really nothing.
Many people admire Lin Weimin's indifference to fame and fortune. Of course, there are also many people who dislike Lin Weimin and mutter behind his back, "He's just seeking fame and reputation."
The public opinion outside is discussing Lin Weimin, but it has nothing to do with him.
During the week after his suspension, Lin Weimin ate, drank, played, called friends, and played with cats and dogs. His life was peaceful and happy until he received a call from Lao Cheng.
"I said, did you forget something?"
Lin Weimin pretended to be dumb and tried to get away with it. "I'm on vacation, what could happen? I'm telling you, I'm at home now, reflecting on my mistakes and failing the organization. Please don't disturb me."
Cheng Zaochun was used to his nonsense and didn't get angry. He just read out Lin Weimin's schedule for the next half month on the phone.
"You can't use the production team's donkey like this!" Lin Weimin shouted.
"The production team's donkeys can't be used like this, but you are now a wild donkey and have no household registration." Old Cheng said sarcastically.
Those who are suspended have no human rights, right?
Lin Weimin has already thought about what to do when Old Cheng retires.
Two days later, Lin Weimin appeared at Yanjing Railway Station.
"Editor-in-Chief!"
Qin Yunxiang from the Distribution Department waited for Lin Weimin and reached out to take Lin Weimin's suitcase, but Lin Weimin didn't let him take it. "It's not heavy. You're not old."
"Where are the others? Have they arrived?" Lin Weimin asked.
"We still need Yuxiu."
This signing event is a nationwide signing event organized by Guowen Publishing House and Xinhua Bookstore.
The Ragdoll series of books has been launched for nearly five months and has been widely welcomed by readers.
Among the first three works, there were big hits such as "Wasteland" and "Flower Season and Rainy Season". The sales of "Wasteland" have exceeded 3.5 million copies, and the sales of "Flower Season and Rainy Season" have also exceeded 1.5 million copies.
The second batch of five works were not as exaggerated as "Wasted City" and "Flower Season and Rainy Season", but within two months after publication, works such as Liang Xiaosheng's "Extinction" and Zhao Mei's "Langyuan" also easily exceeded 400,000 copies in sales.
Everyone understands that works like "Wasted City" and "Flower Season and Rainy Season" are hard to come by, and it is already a rare achievement that the second batch of books in the Buhuhu series has reached the level of 400,000 copies in two months.
Up to now, the cumulative sales of the Bu Lao Hu series have exceeded 7.2 million copies, and it has gained millions of readers across the country, and has completely established its position as the best-selling series in the Chinese publishing industry.
This nationwide book signing event can be seen as a feedback to readers, a promotion for the author himself and the Bu Lao Hu series, and even more as an action to demonstrate momentum.
The team is led by the editor-in-chief Lin Weimin (suspended), with two people from the distribution department and four writers, namely Jia Pingwa, Yuxiu, Liang Xiaosheng and Zhao Mei.
The two people in the distribution department are responsible for connecting with bookstores in various places and handling trivial matters, while the selection of writers is entirely determined by the sales of their works.
In fact, Jia Pingwa and four others had already done a signing in Yanjing a few days ago, and their next stop is Tianjin.
Once on the train, because it was a short trip, everyone sat in hard seats.
Not long after the train started, Liang Xiaosheng began to take things out of his bag, boiled eggs, steamed buns, soybean paste, green onions, cucumbers...
"Did you bring the rice cooker and rice?" Lin Weimin asked jokingly.
"If there was no electricity, do you think no one would dare to bring it?" Liang Xiaosheng replied.
He enthusiastically distributed food to everyone. Although the journey was only more than two hours, eating on the train was a ritual that could not be missed.
After getting off the train, everyone first stayed in a guesthouse.
The Heping Road area is the commercial center of Tianjin, with several bookstores scattered here. The Xinhua Bookstore on Heping Road, located opposite the department store, is the largest bookstore in Tianjin. It has a huge and transparent space, and portraits of great men are hung on the facade of the building.
The next day, when Lin Weimin and others arrived at the Xinhua Bookstore on Heping Road, there was already a long line at the door.
In the 1990s, literature declined, but literature lovers did not die. They just had to shift their energy from literature to other things due to various pressures.
Xinhua Bookstore started warming up for today's author signing event half a month in advance, and readers who had left the bookstore have emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
Lin Weimin looked at the lively scene in front of the bookstore and felt nostalgic. He thought that such scenes would probably become less and less common in the future.
The book signing event at the Xinhua Bookstore on Heping Road lasted for a whole day, and at least a thousand readers came. On the first day, the shoulders and wrists of Jia Pingwa and others were already in a semi-disabled state.
Although it is a signature, most people will write a blessing, so the actual workload is much greater than the usual writing volume.
The bookstore arranged for us to have dinner in the evening and rest for the night. Then the group set out again the next day.
This time the location is much farther away, it is Xi'an, Jia Pingwa's old nest.
The largest Xinhua Bookstore in Xi'an, which Xi'an people usually call the Bell Tower Bookstore, is located in the northeast of the Bell Tower, one of Xi'an's iconic buildings, and on the east side of the Post Office Building.
The book signing event was just as lively as yesterday, with readers forming a queue hundreds of meters long.
Several writers were signing autographs diligently when suddenly an egg flew out from the crowd and hit Jia Pingwa in the face.
In an instant, egg shells and egg liquid splashed everywhere. Yuxiu, the little girl sitting next to Jia Pingwa, was frightened and screamed, and the readers who were queuing also started to make a commotion.
Jia Pingwa was hit and stood there in a daze. Before the staff of the bookstore could react, a loud voice was heard from the crowd.
"Down with the rogue writer Jia Pingwa!"
Lin Weimin was the first to react. He pointed in the direction of the crowd and said, "Go and find that person."
Qin Yunxiang and another young man from the distribution department, Wang Hongjun, responded and rushed towards the troublemakers. The readers' line was in turmoil for a short while before Qin Yunxiang and Wang Hongjun grabbed a young man wearing glasses and brought him to Lin Weimin.
Lin Weimin was not idle when Qin Yunxiang and Wang Hongjun went to arrest people. He first asked someone to wipe Jia Pingwa's face and clean up the scene.
Seeing that Jia Pingwa was in a low mood, he comforted him and asked, "Do you need to rest?"
"It's okay. So many readers have come here, we can't let them down," said Jia Pingwa.
Lin Weimin said a few words to comfort the readers who were waiting in line. On the other side, the young man controlled by Qin Yunxiang and Wang Hongjun was still shouting, "Why did you arrest me? Do you think you are the ***?"
Lin Weimin came up to the young man with a cold face.
"Why did you arrest me? Don't you know what's going on?"
"Still a ***? I think you are the ***!"
"What? If you don't like a work, you have to overthrow it! If you don't like a writer, you have to criticize him! Tell me, what do you call this behavior?"
The young man shouted to himself: "What he wrote is a big poison, why can't he be defeated? Literature is an art, it is noble, we must not allow such people to tarnish literature, let alone let him grandstand in the halls of fame."
“You also said that literature is an art, and you can have different opinions, criticize and debate, but it must be within a reasonable range.
Your current behavior is a blatant insult to others, using the name of nobility to do despicable things.
Also, literature does not need anyone to maintain it, and no one can tarnish it. Literature was brought to the throne by the people. If one day the palace of literature is toppled in the wilderness, it will not be because of people like you, but because literature has cut itself off from the people! "
Lin Weimin's words were sonorous and powerful. As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the queue immediately shouted "good".
Then the people around him immediately responded, "Great! Well said!"
If a writer is to be overthrown within the normal creative framework just because he wrote a novel that some people don't like, then what is the difference between this and literary inquisition.
Most of the people present today have experienced that era and are extremely sensitive. The young man's behavior obviously touched everyone's nerves, and Lin Weimin's words were like a shot of adrenaline, arousing the common hatred of the enemy among everyone present.
The young man looked at the reactions of the people present, confusion and bewilderment on his face.
Shouldn't rogue writers like Jia Pingwa who write rogue novels be overthrown?
"Are you confused as to why everyone is so disgusted by your behavior?"
The young man looked at Lin Weimin and did not answer, but his eyes gave affirmation.
"Do you know me?" Lin Weimin asked.
"Lin Weimin."
There was a gleam in the young man's eyes as he spoke. He came here today to cause trouble for Jia Pingwa, but that did not stop him from liking literature, especially since the person standing in front of him was Lin Weimin.
“Then let me ask you, if you come to me with a novel and say, ‘Teacher Lin, I have written a novel, can you help me take a look at it?
I flipped through your novel and threw it on the ground, saying: What a piece of crap.
You retort: What I write is not shit.
I said: It's dog shit. If I, Lin Weimin, say it's dog shit, it's dog shit.
Is my behavior different from what you just did? How do you feel? "
After Lin Weimin finished speaking, he stared at the young man. A thoughtful look appeared on his face, and he understood what Lin Weimin meant in a moment.
Lin Weimin signaled Qin Yunxiang and Wang Hongjun to let go of the young man. He could see that the young man was not a bad person. He seemed to love literature very much, but his thoughts were a little extreme.
Lin Weimin knew that a stubborn person could not be persuaded so easily. He did not give the young man time to think and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. You can go back and think about it slowly. I only have one request of you. Sincerely apologize to Comrade Jia Pingwa. Can you do it?"
The young man looked disdainful and was about to say "impossible" when Lin Weimin said, "You have to think it over. If you don't apologize, I will call the police. Your case is a public security case and you will not be sentenced. At most you will be detained for two days. However, you will have a criminal record, which will affect your future studies, military service, work and promotion."
When the young man heard this, the disdain on his face disappeared, and his lips trembled, hesitant.
You little bastard! Can't I cure you?
After being threatened by Lin Weimin, the young man backed off and whispered, "I'll apologize to him."
Lin Weimin nodded, "Okay, let's wait."
The book signing lasted the whole day. Because of the crime committed in the morning, the young man was held in the bookstore by Lin Weimin for most of the day. He only had the chance to apologize in the evening when Jia Pingwa and other writers finished their work.
Half a day was enough time for a young man's enthusiasm but short-lived passion to cool down, and his apology was quite sincere.
Jia Pingwa accepted his apology and said, "Although your criticism is radical, I will accept it. In the future, I will be more cautious and restrained in my descriptions of X."
The young man was delighted to hear this and apologized sincerely again.
The young man left happily. Jia Pingwa gave Lin Weimin a wry smile and said, "I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself!"
"Today's joke may become an anecdote in twenty years!" Lin Weimin said with a smile.
One sentence can make people suddenly enlightened!
(End of this chapter)
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