Chapter 2, Drafting in Wind and Rain
The three-on-three basketball game was in full swing. Liu Jingting held the ball and executed a perfect crossover to get past the defender and drive into the paint. Just as he was about to take a shot, an opposing player rushed in from the side to block him, pushing Liu Jingting mid-air. Time seemed to freeze. When Liu Jingting came to, he found himself lying on his desk in a third-year junior high school Chinese class, with drool having already formed a river.
When all the editors were filled with doubt, Mi Hu's lips curled into a faint smile, the seventeen-year-old girl standing gracefully like a daffodil in the wind
Liu Jingting glanced at the time and decided to skip class again in the afternoon. In fact, at his current level, he could completely bypass middle school and high school and directly take the college entrance examination, as he was essentially already a university student
"Young genius," Zhou Daoran revealed a shrewd smile and said, "The young genius is good; it has become a topic of discussion"
This is an extremely normal and ordinary university life, where similar scenes unfold almost every day on campus. However, what happened next caused the entire event to irreversibly deviate from its original course
Alright. Mai Mai took over the manuscript, feeling quite curious. A middle school student's piece is actually going to be featured on the cover of a magazine as an advertisement. The editor-in-chief rarely promotes newcomers like this. The last time a newcomer appeared on the cover, Han Shuo, is now one of the leaders in youth literature. He is also the only young author who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Xue Muliang in competition.
Thinking about it this way, apart from Alexander, I actually feel a bit excited
Liu Jingting thus inexplicably arrived in this world that was both familiar and unfamiliar. The familiar part was that he knew everyone he was supposed to know and was aware of every place he was supposed to know... This world still had seven continents and four oceans, still had Mount Everest, still had the Seven Wonders, still had the NBA and the World Cup, still had Hollywood, the Oscars, the Grammys, the Golden Horse Awards, and the Golden Bell Awards
Editor-in-Chief, please review the manuscript first," Mi Hu playfully pointed to the door and said, "Whenever you are so shocked that you have nothing to say, just call for me.
Ten minutes later, this novella titled "The Dragon and the Tiger" appeared on the desk of the editor-in-chief of the "Great Jianghu" magazine.
Oh, what manuscript has made our female mentor so unsettled? Zhou Daoran, seeing his favored protégé so highly regard the manuscript on the table, felt his curiosity piqued
Seeing the expression on the editor-in-chief's face, everyone felt a sense of foreboding. The last time such an unprecedented meeting was held was due to the transfer of the top figure of "The Great Jianghu," Bei Hetang, to "Ding Novel." Who is it this time? A Sheng? Annie?
Indeed, it is a fairy tale written by a middle school student, quite amusing. You should take a look at it and feature it prominently in next month's magazine. Also, let's advertise it on the cover alongside the picture book.
Liu Jingteng once vividly imagined a scene: the great and benevolent God patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Little Liu, the heavy responsibility of the Renaissance in this world is entrusted to you."
The floating water lilies drift, the lotus leaves gather, who can recount the heart's affairs of thirty years? The glint of swords and the shadows of blades flicker in the candlelight, the Zen heart has yet to allow the dust to settle. The grass weaves pearls, the ephemerals bloom through the mist, the children of the rivers and lakes often find themselves misled by fate. Looking back at the past, emotions overwhelm, as dragons and tigers vie in the twilight of the capital.
... ...
The spring season in Jiangnan is precisely the time when the orioles fly and the grass grows lush, with bright spring light everywhere, intoxicating to the senses
In dreams or perhaps in a past life, I have a deep affection for the martial arts novels of masters such as Jin Yong and Gu Long. If that is the case, let the first step of the Renaissance begin amidst the glint of swords and the clash of blades
In the midnight rain on the empty mountain, a strange guest arrives in the deep night, claiming to be a wandering spirit, speaking of past connections in the ancient temple
"Haha, interesting, so interesting." A burst of cheerful laughter from a young woman came from the editorial office of the Children's Literature Publishing House. The editors in the cubicles outside exchanged smiles; their chief editor's reviewing style had always been bold, and this was no rare occurrence.
Zhou Daoran smiled and shook his head, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "What hasn't this editor-in-chief seen?"
"Gu Yongsheng, a new author?" Chief Editor Zhou Daoran glanced at the signature and casually inquired
What rendered Liu Jingting unfamiliar was that those literary works or authors he was well-acquainted with had no records whatsoever in the *图* book. He searched extensively online and combed through various books, yet found no results. The literary world in this realm appeared desolate, akin to the Sahara Desert. The field of children's literature still relies on ancient tales such as *Aesop's Fables* and *One Thousand and One Nights*, while youth literature is represented by the currently popular bestselling authors Xue Muliang and Han Shuo, who are relatively more active. Traditional literature, on the other hand, is filled with various historical texts and classics. The literary world in this realm appeared desolate, akin to the Sahara Desert. The field of children's literature still relies on ancient tales such as *Aesop's Fables* and *One Thousand and One Nights*, while youth literature is represented by the currently popular bestselling authors Xue Muliang and Han Shuo, who are relatively more active. Traditional literature, on the other hand, is filled with various historical texts and classics.
So, where does the revival of the arts begin
Liu Jingting turned to a fresh page in his notebook and searched his memory once more. In the realm of martial arts in his previous life, there was a consensus that the new school of Chinese martial arts began with Mr. Liang Yusheng's "The Dragon and the Tiger Fight in the Capital." Whether out of respect or in accordance with the laws of literary development, Liu Jingting's journey as a novelist would also commence from this point.
No, editor-in-chief, please take a look at the manuscript first. I dare say you have never seen a novel like this before.
Liu Jingting, upon finishing this sentence, could not help but comment: "Master Liang's literary accomplishments are exceptionally high, and his novels are imbued with a strong literary atmosphere, even the chapter titles are written with such poetic brilliance"
After finishing reading, she remained silent for a long time, her expression one of melancholy and unease. After a while, she finally came to her senses and, in an incredulous tone, muttered to herself: "Martial arts novels can actually be written like this!"
The more bizarre aspect is that these books, both in name and content, are clearly imprinted in his mind, as if he has a vast U disk of hetushu.com stored in his brain—wow, a U disk! Liu Jingteng suddenly recalled the U disk he had found at the old man's stall. Could it be that this U disk was actually stored in his head?
As for the classic martial arts novels by Jin Yong and Gu Long, the globally popular "Harry Potter," and the extensive detective masterpieces, there is not even a single word recorded about them, nor is there any trace of the ten world-renowned classics selected by The New York Times
"Mang Mang and Ti Ti, such lovely names." Mai Mai returned to her seat and began to study earnestly.
"Editor-in-Chief, I feel that this article will spark a new wave of reading." The young and beautiful female editor spoke with excitement, her gaze fixed intently on the Editor-in-Chief
Mi Hu, as a rising editor of "The Great Jianghu," has a remarkable career at a young age, excelling in both writing and editing. With a sharp eye for manuscripts and a keen sense of trends, he has discovered numerous outstanding young writers. However, more than half of them have been lured away by Xue Muliang's "Ding Novel" at high prices
Liu Jingting let out a light sigh, no longer continuing to ponder. After three months, he had basically accepted the reality before him, even comforting himself by saying that those "past glories" were merely a dream he had in class. The "novels" in his mind, which could shake the entire world to its core, were gifts bestowed upon him by God, and of course, they also represented a kind of mission
"Wheat, come and bring the books to my office." The editor-in-chief stood at the office door holding several sheets of letterhead, waving to the editor Mai Mai.
Speaking of which, this is truly a sorrowful yet delightful story. Three months ago, on the second day of the second year of Liu Jingting's university studies, which happened to be a Tuesday, he had no classes in the afternoon. Liu Jingting and a few friends from his dormitory planned to go to the basketball court. Below the boys' dormitory, they saw an elderly man setting up a stall, and Liu Jingting casually picked up a 300G USB flash drive.
He is a middle school student, but the writing style and sentiment in his novels may suggest that they are ghostwritten by an adult. Of course, it is also possible that he is a young prodigy
An hour and a half later, Zhou Daoran solemnly emerged from the office, holding a stack of printed papers in his hand. He addressed the entire editorial department, saying, "In ten minutes, there will be a meeting in the Moon Conference Room. All editors and the chief editor must attend"
At the same time, the beautiful young editor Mi Hu from the "Great Jianghu" magazine was also reviewing the manuscript. At this moment, she was completely engrossed in the document in her hands, even forgetting to retract the hand that had gone to grab a snack, clearly captivated by the story. After a long while, she murmured: "With the sound of metal and horses, the dreams of the Jianghu, awakening at the ends of the earth, the bright moon and the Hu flute, everywhere is home, in the struggles of dragons and tigers over thirty years, the matters are trivial, yet the people are distant, gazing far at the capital, the vast western winds and the sands of the sea."
A clever girl jumped in front of the editor-in-chief like a little deer and cheerfully asked, "Editor Yao, have you found another good manuscript?"