Chapter 422: Little Explosion
The story of "White Bear" reveals a fantasy color from the very beginning. A white woman wakes up and finds herself being chased by a man wearing a mask. The masked man holds "Truth (Laifu)" gun)".
The very strange thing is the attitude of the people around you. Even if it is a free America, if it encounters a shooting incident, it will definitely scatter like birds and beasts.
But the people around seemed sure that the masked man would not hurt them. They stopped to take pictures and saw the strange thing of a man biting a dog.
“Could we be playing a game? This heroine is the one chosen by the game.”
"Like "The Panic" directed by Vincenzo, this area should be a cleared game scene."
"The group of onlookers who were filming with mobile phones as if they were going to post on their friends circle, and What position does it occupy? "
When many people buy a newspaper, they turn to the literature column at the end of the Los Angeles Times first, even if today's front page headline is a big event like "Lifting the National State of Emergency."
When they saw the suspenseful beginning, they had this idea in their hearts. The heroine Amy was thrown into the game, just like "The Hunger Games", but there is no book series of "The Hunger Games" in the parallel world, so Readers are reacting to movies from the late nineties.
The next development of the plot is paradoxical.
The "yes" part is that there is more than one masked person chasing her. Even if she gets rid of one, there will be other masked people chasing her. On the way to escape, they also met people who seemed to be being hunted as well. Several people were walking together, and the strange thing was that all the companions seemed to know the heroine Amy.
But they are all Riddlers, they just tell Amy that there is a mobile phone virus that will control anyone who looks at the phone. The only way is to go to a place called White Bear Park and destroy the signal tower.
The more sensitive readers feel that the words of the companion may be false, and the companion may also be the opponent.
The "unusual" thing is that many scenes flashed through Amy's mind, including a family of three, and she seemed to have a daughter.
After all the hard work, we came to White Bear Park, but the ending was a reversal, it was...
I can’t say how powerful the twist is, because due to the length limit of the novel, it’s very enjoyable to read.
"It's good. There is good and evil in the ending. I like this ending."
"It's not as exciting as "The Shawshank Redemption", or the two works are not the same. A type of work, Shawshank will make people think about the meaning of freedom after reading it, and this work will provide a little pleasure after reading it. ”
“ I was a little disappointed and went to buy the newspaper early in the morning, but it’s understandable after reading it. Gu’s short stories are definitely a first-line best-selling author.”
“White Bear” scored 7.9, and “Shawshank Redemption” scored 8.7. Points. Forgot to mention, I am a Chicago train conductor. According to our train excellence evaluation system, it is a nine-point system.”
Reading the comments, you can tell that the American readers’ views are interesting. Even if White Bear’s quality is slightly inferior, most readers’ attitudes are okay.
Think again that some awards in Europe and the United States are called "Meteor Awards", which are taken from the flash of a meteor. Meteor is often used in China to lament the inability of a celebrity to succeed. Cultural differences emerge. For Europe and the United States, it is very difficult for a person to be awesome once, because most people will never be so brilliant in their lifetime.
"The Shawshank Redemption" is regarded as Gu Lu's shining moment, the kind that can be printed on the waist of the book every time it is published, and it will be praised for a lifetime.
Having said that, "White Bear" is not without causing controversy. After all, Shawshank's traffic is high enough and it attracts a wide range of viewers, including Bai Zuo.
“This is how we should treat criminals, and the outcome will be good. I hope it can be introduced in reality. Is it technically possible?”
"Disappointed, so disappointed! Criminals also have human rights. I thought that the person who wrote "The Shawshank Redemption" must be a human rights fighter, but I didn't expect that he was also such a person! The ending of White Bear simply tramples on human rights. No one can control a person except God. Life!”
“My grandpa baked a cake that was burnt and couldn’t save it, so he threw it into his mind and said some irrational words on the Internet. Criminals, don’t let me see you on the street.”
“Rednecks don’t know much about human rights. They only think about beer and farms, and I still have cakes. The constitution belongs to the rights of citizens, and the protection of human rights is a kind of protection of private rights. Why do some people still don’t understand? The thinking of this writer Gu Lu obviously retains the backward and barbaric thinking of the big countries in the East."
And so on.
In fact, in terms of class, there are relatively few rednecks who can read the Los Angeles Times. It’s not a stereotype, because red necks are more concerned about practical interests, such as whether more money should be provided for medical insurance, and whether the federal government can increase tariffs on imported agricultural products.
So they generally read USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. The former contains news related to celebrities and sports, as well as comics, for rest and entertainment. The latter has more local news and you can see real news.
But it doesn’t matter what the truth is. Those who are against are labeled rednecks, and those who are supportive are labeled liberals with broken brains (the term "white left" was invented by the Chinese Internet), and they label each other.
The above controversy can become a small hot spot on Twitter, Facebook and other channels. In addition to the legacy of Shawshank, there are also vested interests who are adding fuel to the flames. Yes, it's the Los Angeles Times.
It also attracted a lot of melon-eating people.
"Are there many more calls?"
Magnifying Glass editor-in-chief, the head of the Los Angeles Times newsroom, asked his office secretary, who lowered his glasses as he spoke.
The office secretary is a Latin woman. She responded, "No."
Realizing that such a response seemed to mean that the popularity was not as high as before, she added, "Maybe readers are Busy arguing on the Internet."
"I know that "The Shawshank Redemption" has become his pinnacle, and I am afraid that he himself will not be able to surpass it..." said the editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass.
The editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass froze midway through his words. He was thinking about whether to continue serializing the works of Chinese writers.
Ask Mr. Winton, the editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass, to deny this idea. Winton is only a director of the Times Group and does not have much management power.
As mentioned before, the era of serial novels in newspapers to attract readers has passed. If the quality and rhythm of "White Bear" are maintained, there is nothing wrong with having a column.
“It’s better to send an invitation.” The editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass said to the secretary.
The secretary is also more sensible and knows that the invitation is to the Chinese writer Gu Lu. After making sure that the editor-in-chief had nothing else to do, the secretary exited the leadership office unobtrusively.
The editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass put on his reading glasses. The page on his computer still showed liberals fighting rednecks, and he saw a frown behind him.
Dragging the mouse, the editor's anger level soared. After a long time, he took off his glasses and took a sip of black tea, as if to use the tea to restore his mood.
Why? It’s not that he has a good conscience, he sees the escalation of the war between his own people and feels that the country’s future is gloomy.
But "Why don't you add the two keywords "White Bear" and Los Angeles Times to the scolding of this bunch of bullshit?!"
Wouldn't the development of this kind of scolding strip away the original intention of propaganda? Already?
There is a gap only when there is comparison. The editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass felt the gap between himself and Winton. He is really good at attracting attention. The editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass lamented that Wynton Yakori was so popular last time that the newspaper was eaten from beginning to end.
Soon, snap, the secretary contacted the overseas agent Yao Xiaoju.
I don’t know if America is realistic enough, or if the editor-in-chief of Magnifying Glass is too straightforward and unwilling to do superficial things.
When I was anxious to get a new work, the editor-in-chief himself took the initiative to call and contact me. Now that the matter is over, he asked his secretary to contact him.
When Yao Xiaoju received the call, his tone did not change, but his face was obviously unhappy. In his view, the United States is a capitalist country, and if you can help make money, you are the boss. But because you are Chinese, if you can't make money, you will immediately fall out, without any human kindness.
He talked to the writer and there was a suitable short story to follow, so the price was negotiated.
The highest serial remuneration in the United States, which is US$2.2 per word, will definitely be reduced, and the specific amount remains to be discussed.
"Okay, I probably know. If the price is right, it can be serialized. After all, the U.S. dollars are there, and if you don't make money, you won't make it in vain." Gu Lu responded after learning about the situation on the phone. There is another saying in my heart, it is reasonable to copy foreign works and then earn money!
"I understand, Brother Gu, you are now a think tank expert and you need to maintain a certain degree of popularity abroad so that you can help with publicity at any time." Yao Xiaoju said on the phone, "I think the bottom line is 1- 1.4 U.S. dollars per word, this price is at the level of a first-tier American writer. This article has indeed brought the price to sky-high heights, but in America, there is no foundation in Great Britain.”
The foundation in Great Britain is absolutely deep, and Mr. Holmes is in the Doyle family. Driven by this, there are still about 100,000 copies sold every year, and there is also the title of King of Cthulhu.
In terms of money, if the British University invited him to give a lecture, he would pay several thousand pounds for one lecture (the same price for famous professors).
"If the Los Angeles Times can't reach an agreement, we have other options. Brother Gu doesn't have to worry." Yao Xiaoju comforted.
After saying this, Yao Xiaoju hung up the phone.
Gu Lu on the other end of the phone was silent for a long time. Indeed, he had to maintain his high popularity abroad. He personally did not pursue high officials or anything like that, so he did not go from the Writers Association to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and then become a zx committee member (Tang San's path).
At the same time, I also want to have a more free position, to be able to do whatever I want and do nothing.
We must improve our own united front value.
Gu Lu's value among Chinese writers is second only to the one who won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Neon, Lion City, Malaysia and other Asian countries have considerable popularity, especially in Neon.
In the European region, Norway, Spain, France and Great Britain all have names.
"I should be considered a world-class writer. Even if I lack a world-wide best-selling work, it would be good to become famous in different areas without realizing it." Gu Lu thought to himself.
If Chinese writers want to become famous in Asia or even the world, there seems to be only one way to "win awards" and win foreign awards.
I won’t mention the Nobel Prize for Literature, but others include the Booker International Prize for Literature, the Kafka Prize for Literature, the Femina Prize for Literature, the Nonino International Prize for Literature, etc.
I believe that I have also noticed that this road is the road of serious literature. If Chinese popular literature wants to go to Asia and even the world... there is no example.
The cultural hegemony dominated by the United States has led to Europe and the United States being "aloof" and like running water. It is easy for European and American popular literature "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Shadow Stealer" to come to China. Gu Lu can be said to be a person who goes against the trend!
"Black Mirror is a little weak, why not just go to "Gut"...forget it." Gu Lu denied it, Gut still tasted heavy.
Just wait for "Fall of Giants". Gu Lu went back to read yesterday and read about half of the book, but he clarified a doubt.
The delivery boy said something in the chat that triggered the trigger: "That's all I want, a house, no worries about food and drink, and we will rest after the sun goes down every day. The days will pass day by day. Get better." This sentence is a classic quotation in the book, and the little brother said something similar.
At present, America's popularity is maintained by the Black Mirror series, and the rest... Gu Lu thought, the bank sent a text message and received a sum of money.
Look at the payer.
“The identity of a think tank expert is really a shame.” King Gulu sighed with emotion.
"White Bear" has more than 20,000 words, and Gu Lu earned almost 40,000 US dollars. The speed at which royalties are received in the United States is quite fast, surpassing that of Britain and Japan in this respect.
You can see through it with your professor-level math skills. You have paid thousands of taxes, and all of them were withheld by the IRS, the most powerful department in America. Originally, it had to be paid at home. Even though there was a policy of deducting the personal income tax paid overseas, the amount was too high for King Gulu.
The reason why I put it down is because Gu Lu's serialization abroad is considered as "practice for the country" by think tank experts. Gu Lu enjoys tax exemption for all serializations in overseas newspapers.
“America’s taxes are really heavy, much higher than those of Neon and Daying.” Gu Lu also learned about it carefully.
America pays different taxes to part-time writers and full-time writers. If she writes as her main job, and if she joins the Writers Guild of America as a full-time writer, she will pay less tax.
Correspondingly, part-time creations will pay a lot of taxes. For example, if the autobiography "The Pursuit of Happiness" published by stockbroker Garner was purchased for film and television rights, a lot of taxes will be paid. As long as Gu Lu does not join the Writers Guild, he cannot prove that he is a full-time writer, even if he has published many works.
［What table number is it at? 】The WeChat message was revealed.
“Coming?” Gu Lu put down his phone and looked towards the door.
The familiar figure at the door is looking around.
Gu Lu wanted to shout "This way", but he held it back and dialed a WeChat number. After getting through, he said: "In front of you on your left, table 14. That's right, that's the big red ball. Below.”
The place where the two met was a coffee shop. Gu Lu chose this place mainly because of its reputation. The decoration here is in an "abstract" + "Internet celebrity" style. It does not pay attention to the basic experience of customers, but only requires the ability to "produce movies."
For example, at Gu Lu's table, the big red ball above his head is so big that it can cause some people's phobia of giant objects. But taking photos from a distance and comparing the big and small ones below is suitable for checking in and uploading to social media.
It was indeed designed by someone, but the aisle movement was extremely unreasonable. Li Guyuan turned half a circle before sitting down at table 13.
"I'm so tired. Why do you have to ask me to come here?" Li Guyuan sighed when they met, "Do you know, I've been very busy recently."
It can be seen that Li Guyuan is currently very busy. With thick dark circles under his eyes, Gu Lu said, "I need to bring a car here. You know I can't drive. Don't you have a driver's license? Help me drive home."
You don’t know how to drive and you want to pick up your car today?
Would you like to listen to what you are saying?
Li Guyuan choked.
(End of this chapter)