Wenhao 1979, starting with contributing to Story Club

Chapter 10 Yu Zhen is a little confused

"Knock knock knock..."

A crisp knock on the door woke Yu Zhen.

I actually fell asleep while lying in bed thinking about things.

He responded, quickly got out of bed, and went to open the guest room door. He thought that only Editor Wu was outside, but to his surprise, there were four or five figures standing there, crowding the corridor in front of the door.

Yu Zhen was startled and subconsciously took half a step back, his eyes scanning the many unfamiliar faces with wary eyes.

Editor Xiao Wu quickly began the introductions: "Writer Yu, these are all leaders in the publishing house. This is Editor-in-Chief He of 'Story Club,' this is Editor-in-Chief Li of 'Harvest,' and this is Editor-in-Chief Ru of 'Shanghai Literature'..."

Yu Zhen's eyes widened instantly, and he quickly shook hands with each person in turn.

He was a little confused and had no idea what was going on.

It's reasonable that Editor-in-Chief He from "Story Club" came. After all, considering the 25 articles he contributed, his personal visit demonstrates a positive attitude towards cooperation, and it's only right to show hospitality.

However, the other two, one from Harvest and the other from Shanghai Literature, were also personally visited by the journal's editor-in-chief.

This is really...

Good heavens, what have I done to deserve this?

Listening to Editor Wu's brief introduction, Yu Zhen felt a chill run down his spine. He learned that the editors of the other two journals had also come for his manuscript. His feet even hurt from the impact.

Clearly, Yu Zhen overlooked one thing.

He seemed unaware that the three journals shared the same office space, and that they belonged to the same publishing house, making them like "triplets from the same mother" in Shanghai's literary circle.

At the same time, a few meters away in the corridor, the heads of two Shaanxi Provincial Literary Association cadres, Feng and Chen, peeked out of the room.

They pricked up their ears, their eyes widened like bull's, all looking utterly shocked.

"What's going on?!"

"You're asking me?! Who am I supposed to ask?!"

"It just so happens that the young man surnamed Yu is also staying at the Jianguo Road Guesthouse..."

"And right now, he's being warmly shaken and having a pleasant conversation with Li Xiaoli, the editor-in-chief of Harvest magazine..."

Neither of them spoke, but their inner thoughts were being revealed one after another.

This is unbelievable! That kid surnamed Yu, didn't he say he only contributed to "Story Club"? How come... even Editor-in-Chief Li personally came to visit him...

"The literary circles in Shanghai are a bit out of control!"

"Of course..."

The two whispered to each other, and before anyone could see them, they quickly pulled their heads back and quietly closed the guest room door slightly, but still pressed their ears against the door, holding their breath and listening intently to the sounds outside.

The guesthouse rooms are a bit small.

Yu Zhen shook hands with everyone, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then, at Editor-in-Chief He's invitation, they all went downstairs.

As the group passed by the guest room of the two literary association cadres, Feng and Chen, they heard a soft "click." Feeling guilty and like they'd seen a ghost, the two quickly closed the door tightly, afraid that Yu Zhen would see them.

Until the sound of footsteps in the corridor ceased.

They finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Old Feng, that was really Li Xiaoli, the editor-in-chief of Harvest magazine, right?!"

"Yes, you read that right, it's her..."

"Old Feng, then you tell me..."

"Old Chen, there's no need for you to keep repeating what I said. Maybe we've both lost our minds. Xiao Yu should be the same Yu the poet who has been publishing poems in the Poetry Journal. Yu the poet and Yu the writer should be the same person. Stop denying it, it's pointless. Whether we admit it or not, the facts are right in front of us. If we keep going like this, we'll really become a laughing stock..."

"No, Lao Feng, the main organization we visited and learned from on this business trip to Shanghai was the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, which is Editor-in-Chief Li's workplace. We originally planned to find an opportunity to visit Mr. Ba, but given the current situation, what do you think about the two of us..."

"Alright, Lao Chen, stop talking..."

"Wang, the engineer at Xi'an Aircraft Factory, did he already know the truth? If he knew the truth, why didn't he warn us sooner? He's an old comrade, why did he just want to see us make a fool of ourselves? How could he do such a thing? What kind of heart does he have...?"

"Old Chen, can you just shut up?!"

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up. It's all my fault. I'll take full responsibility from now on..."

"you……!!"

The group went downstairs and soon arrived at the guesthouse canteen. Editor-in-Chief He whispered something to the guesthouse leader, and then everyone was seated in a private room.

"Mr. Yu, please forgive me for any shortcomings in our hospitality!"

"No, no, that's not true at all. Editor-in-Chief He, Editor-in-Chief Li, and Editor-in-Chief Ru, the three of you have come all the way just to entertain a new author like me. I am already overwhelmed with gratitude. How could there be any question of how we could have been poorly received?"

Everyone carries the flowery sedan chair.

After everyone settled into their private room, they inevitably engaged in some polite and warm conversation.

Yu Zhen would never take the opportunity to put on airs; he'd have to be crazy to do that.

With a gentle reminder from Editor Wu, he finally understood the close relationship between the three journals. He also realized that all 25 of his submissions had caught the eye of the three editors.

The current situation, with the three editors arriving together, is actually aimed at negotiating with him about "dividing" the manuscripts.

Upon learning the truth, Yu Zhen was truly shocked.

Under the coordination and arrangement of Editor-in-Chief He, the guesthouse canteen opened a special kitchen and soon a large table was filled with delicious food.

The Shanghainese cuisine features dishes such as crab meat lion's head, braised fish tail, stir-fried shrimp, braised pork belly with clover, and chicken oil bok choy. Each person also has a bowl of thin noodles in broth. The meal may seem simple, but it is exquisite and delicate in every detail.

"Come, come, Mr. Yu, food is essential for life. Let's eat and chat. I just don't know if you, a man from the Northwest, can get used to our sweeter-tasting food from the South."

"Editor-in-Chief He, you're too kind. I really enjoy the food; I love our southern cuisine!"

How could Yu Zhen possibly not be used to sweet food?

Before transmigrating, he was a native of the South, but after transmigrating, he endured a whole winter of Northwestern noodles, which was quite a hardship for him.

"Comrade Yu Zhen, how old are you this year?"

Ru Zhijuan kept a gossipy eye on Yu Zhen's every move at the dinner table.

She was incredibly curious about the young man in front of her.

Submitting more than twenty works at once is not the first time they have encountered this situation in their careers.

There have been even more outrageous submissions from authors.

However, even with 25 manuscripts, almost all of which are masterpieces, if Yu Zhen submitted them directly to magazines like Harvest or Shanghai Literature, he might not be able to get his manuscripts rejected by editors like them.

In other words, this young man's creative ability is simply phenomenal.

Yu Zhen, however, chose the most conservative approach to submitting his manuscripts, directly sending so many excellent pieces to "Story Club," a magazine with relatively weaker requirements for writing quality and literary merit.

Why do we have to do it this way?!

Or perhaps this young man has no idea just how extraordinary his creative abilities truly are?!

Could he really be an extremely insecure young man?!