Chapter 159 How many things are always urgent
This unexpected face to face made Wang Zixu feel dizzy for a moment, and he felt the blood rush to his face.
Surprisingly, Chen Qingluo’s face at the door was also red. The two looked at each other, and time froze for ten seconds. Wang Zixucai seemed to be waking up from a dream.
“Ah, it’s you.”
“Yeah.” Chen Qingluo said in a small voice from her nasal cavity, “Let me in, a good dog won’t stop me. ""
Wang Zixu suddenly went back to ten years ago, in that bustling classroom, with his legs spread like a flood dam, blocking the distance between the two desks.
“A good dog doesn’t block the way, let me in!”
At that time, Chen Qingluo also said the same thing.
He will say next, you are awesome, jump over my head.
So Chen Qingluo said, I am not Liu Xiang, how can I jump over? Come on, lower your head and I will step over.
The world of mortals was turned upside down, and time was reversed. Wang Zixu returned to the dusty magazine office, standing in front of Chen Qingluo without making a sound.
If he was still young, he would be able to say teasing words to her without shame, but now that he is a grown man, those words seem too childish.
He moved away clumsily, and Chen Qingluo walked past him haughtily.
Wang Zixu held out the manuscript in his hand: "Your new work?"
"Yes."
Chen Qingluo took the manuscript, smoothed her skirt and sat down in front of the editor's desk, her back straightened too straight.
“It’s very well written.” Wang Zixu scratched his face in embarrassment, “I haven’t noticed it yet. Your writing style is so easy to recognize, so I should be able to tell it at a glance.”
Chen Qingluo looked at him: "How many of my books have you read before you recognize my writing style?"
"You have read them all."
"Huh?"
"You have read everything you have published," said Wang Zixu, "There may be some short stories published in places I don't know about that I haven't read yet. Anyone who has published a book has read the novels and short story collections."
Chen Qingluo pursed her lips and wanted to smile: "It cost you a lot of money, why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have sent you a signed book." Chen Qingluo stopped talking, and he stopped talking.
For them, this is a topic that cannot be touched.
Chen Qingluo cleared her throat for a long time, as if to cover up her embarrassment, and after a while she asked: "I seem to have heard that there is such a thing, but I am not sure - you have written a new work recently, are you going to enter it in some competition?"
Wang Zi nodded: "Yes, I am going to enter it for the Feishi Literary Award. "
"Oh, I didn't get this award when I became famous, so I didn't have much impression."
Wang Zixu: "..."
Chen Qingluo glanced at him: "I'm a little interested, please show me the manuscript."
Wang Zixu said: "The manuscripts are too heavy and too heavy. I didn't bring the paper version. Will you come back tomorrow? If you come back tomorrow, I will bring it to you."
"No, electronic Did the editor bring it? ”
“Oh, I brought it.”
“Bring it here.” Chen Qingluo stretched out her hand and showed him her lovely palm prints.
Wang Zixu sent the manuscript by email, and Chen Qingluo downloaded it and read it without saying a word. Wang Zixu suddenly broke into sweat -
He thought Chen Qingluo was just being polite when she said he wanted to read it, but he didn't expect that she would be executed immediately in a vigorous and resolute manner, which made him feel slightly pained by being publicly executed.
Chen Qingluo glanced at it and read it very seriously. Only the sounds of birds and no human voices were heard in the room.
Wang Zixu sat blankly, suddenly feeling very happy, and suddenly thinking that this seemed to be the first time in his life that he and Chen Qingluo were alone in a space.
After he savored this comfortable time for a while, there was a sound at the door, and Ning Chunyan opened the door and came in. She saw him at first sight and said, "Wow, you came so early again." Then he saw Chen Qingluo at the second time, even bigger He said loudly: "Wow! You are here too!"
Ning Chunyan came over, and the little bird stood beside Chen Qingluo lovingly, and asked softly: "Whose manuscript are you reading?"
Chen Qingluo naturally said nothing, and Wang Zixu kindly answered for her: "Look at my manuscript."
"She is reading your Chinese version of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" "?"
"Yeah."
"By the way, has your manuscript been handed over to the editor of "Ancient City"? No news? "
Ning Chunyan's unintentional words aroused Wang Zixu's worry: "I handed it over and kept telling me that it was still under trial, or that I would wait for news. "
Wang Zixu sighed, and Ning Chunyan also became anxious, frowning and said: "It's bad, is this really Shi Tonghe's trick?"
Wang Zixu shook his head: "I thought so at first, but I later checked that the editor Hao who contacted me was really a well-known editor. He was very confident that he would be published. Shi Tonghe specializes in mobilizing connections at this level. Just to mess with me, is he sick? "
Ning Chunyan said: "I know Bian Hao, he is indeed very famous, but this is the truth. Yes..."
"And what's the use of him suppressing my manuscript? The rule is that you can't submit more than one manuscript within a month. If he doesn't reply, I will submit it to another company. , I make sense too.”
Ning Chunyan said: “But it’s going to be a month, and your deadline is coming soon, and the time will be very tight.”
"Of course, this is just the worst plan, and I can't really wait for a month."
Ning Chunyan frowned and thought for a while, clasped his fingers and said, "But This doesn’t make sense. Look, Shi Tonghe said, if he truly recommended it, why would “The Ancient City” go through such a long process without giving an accurate answer? ” Wang Zixu raised his head and thought, indeed. I can't figure out what they want to do anyway.
Ning Chunyan slapped her thigh: "Oh no, they got your manuscript and wanted to plagiarize it, right?"
"They dare!" Chen Qingluo, who had been reading seriously, suddenly spoke, "Copyright is so strict now, if they dare to plagiarize, they will be seen in court, which will ruin their reputation."
Wang Zixu said: "The three versions of my manuscript were all stamped and mailed to me. There were also emails exchanged and timestamped. If they want to plagiarize, I have enough evidence in my hand." "The human heart is indispensable."
Chen Qingluo finally broke away from the computer screen, frowned and said to them:
"I have finished watching the first part. This quality is more than enough for "The Ancient City". It is impossible that there is no response so late. There must be some off-site factors. "
Ning Chunyan looked at Chen Qingluo with admiration arising spontaneously.
Whenever this happens, Chen Qingluo can always give her opinions categorically, and her opinions are always based on the quality of literature itself, which is very convincing.
Chen Qingluo said to Wang Zixu in a commanding tone: "Tell me what happened when you met with Bian Hao in detail, what words you said, his expression, and all the details."
Wang Zixu thought about it for a while, and then started to talk.
If he was asked to do anything else, he really couldn't do it. He only had a better memory, so he told everything that happened that day.
He first started talking about Editor Hao being late, talking about how he ordered the food (Chen Qingluo curled her lips in disdain, this delicious guy will die), and also talked about how he spoke after reading his manuscript.
At this point, Chen Qingluo frowned: "He said, 'You are still worried about the issue of publication.' Are you sure he used a rhetorical question?"
Wang Zixu said: "Yes, what's wrong?"
Chen Qingluo said: "Isn't this still not accurate?"
Wang Zixu said: "I asked him if he could be published. What he said at the time was, 'Are you still worried about publishing the recommendation by Chairman Shi?' From the context, it is guaranteed."
Chen Qingluo sighed, as if she disliked his naivety:
"If you encounter a similar situation in the future, whenever the other party responds to you with rhetorical questions, hints, or insinuations, you have to ask what it is like. You must force him to use a declarative statement to guarantee it, otherwise it will not count."
Wang Zixu was stunned for a moment: "Is it that serious?"
"It is that serious," Chen Qingluo shook her head and sighed, "This is all my own fault, and I have learned the lessons of blood and tears. Forget it, let's not talk about it."
Wang Zixu wanted to ask her what happened to her, but it was not the time at this time, so he kept his mouth shut.
"In short, this does not guarantee that you can publish it. At least this point is doubtful. You can continue."
Wang Zixu talked about the content of their chat again. Chen Qingluo frowned again and said: "Looking at it from this point of view, the situation of "The Ancient City" is getting worse."
Wang Zixu asked: "Why do you know?"
"He said that they generally don't submit manuscripts now, but only invite manuscripts," Chen Qingluo said, "This is an unhealthy sign of the magazine!"
"Why?"
"Literary magazines need editors and readers to establish flesh-and-blood connections and emotional communication. Author submissions are also a kind of communication. They don't read the submissions, saying that the quality of the submissions is too poor. This is also because the manuscripts they publish do not touch their readers, and a two-way cycle is not established. They have cut off the connection with readers in this way, and they are all commissioned manuscripts. How can they run healthily?"
Chen Qingluo still shook his head: "The tight space is not a reason not to read the submissions. And they are all requests for manuscripts. In the short term, the quality of the articles is high, but in the long run, the readership will shrink more and more, and finally the readers will shelve them and close themselves off."
After finishing speaking, Chen Qingluo stared at Wang Zixu and said: "Literature that no one appreciates is sad. Literature can only have vitality if people like to read it."
Wang Zixu sat deeper in the chair: "Now, let me call Editor Hao again and ask? How about a showdown with him?"
Chen Qingluo took out Pulling out her cell phone: "I'll ask."
Ning Chunyan was a little worried: "Can you get involved?"
"It's okay. I'll ask. I have experience in dealing with them."
Chen Qingluo had Editor Hao's phone number. After dialing, the other end answered quickly.
"Hello, um, it's me, hello, hello... I heard that your son had a birthday, so I called to say hello. What? Your son's birthday half a year ago? What? It's not a son but a daughter you gave birth to? Oh, it seems I made a mistake... Ah, it's okay. Make an appointment? I don't have a manuscript on hand yet..."
Wang Zixu and Ning Chunyan listened silently. When they heard this, they both covered their faces at the same time.
Just when they thought Chen Qingluo was about to fail, she suddenly changed the subject:
"By the way, I want to ask about an acquaintance of mine. I heard that he recently submitted a manuscript to you. Hey, I want to know how his manuscript went?"
Having said this, Chen Qingluo quietly put down her phone and clicked on the speakerphone. Bian Hao's voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Who is your friend?"
Chen Qingluo said: "Hey, Not a friend, just an acquaintance. I heard that his manuscripts are highly regarded in small circles, but I can’t read them, so I just wanted to ask you. ”
Edited by Hao. The voice was a little wary: "We have a lot of manuscripts recently, what's their name?"
"Zixu."
"Oh, him." Bian Hao on the other end of the phone made a sudden voice, "So you still know him? Isn't he an author who has just started? Is he worthy of your concern?"
Chen Qingluo said: "This has nothing to do with qualifications. His manuscript was indeed praised by many people I know. So I became a little curious."
Editor Hao said: "We are still reviewing that manuscript."
Chen Qingluo asked: "We are still reviewing it. ? I heard that Teacher Shi Tonghe didn’t recommend it? Why did it take so long?” Editor Hao said, “Who told you that Teacher Shi Tonghe recommended it?” Chen Qingluo looked at each other and said, “He said it himself.”
Editor Hao sighed: "The matter is more complicated. This manuscript was indeed recommended by Teacher Shi Tonghe, but after I got the manuscript in my hand, he said that this manuscript must be strictly reviewed, regardless of his feelings. The more detailed the review, the better. So it is not easy to publish the manuscript yet."
Chen Qing Luo frowned very tightly: "Return to review? That manuscript has to be published before the end of Feishi. Can you give me an accurate answer? Otherwise, it will delay things too much?"
Editor Hao sounded suspicious: "Teacher Chen, isn't it the prince who asked you to inquire about it?"
Chen Qingluo sat up straight: "Mr. Hao, I think you should communicate more with the author. If you want to change something, let him change it quickly. If it is delayed for a long time, it will affect the rhythm of others."
Bianhao's voice became cold and hard: "Teacher Chen, I don't know if the prince asked you to ask, but whether it is him or you, I have to say that we have our own work process. "
Chen Qingluo said: "But your workflow is also to better help authors write better works!"
Editor Hao simply said: "Teacher Chen, if this is the case, then we can only reject the manuscript."
Wang Zixu and Ning Chunyan stared at her nervously.
Chen Qingluo pondered for a moment and then said: "Editor Hao, if you want to reject the manuscript, you need to give a reasonable reason, right?"
Editor Hao said: "Many people in our editorial department have read this manuscript by Wang Zixu, and they all It’s very long, and many people haven’t finished it. Let me tell you our feedback.
“Our feedback is that this manuscript did not conquer all of us, and it caused a lot of controversy. Some people said it was good, and some people disagreed. "
The prince was modest and his hair was tight.
Chen Qingluo looked very unconvinced: "What about your own judgment? ”
"My judgment is that it has not yet reached the standard for long-form publication," Editor Hao said, "It would be very reluctant to let it be published."
Chen Qingluo was anxious: "Can you read?"
(End of this chapter)