When Zhang Zhong arrived in Los Angeles, he sent the manuscript of "Alive" to Chen Qing.
During the last half day at Columbia University, they held a press conference. At that time, a reporter asked Zhang Zhong if he had any new book plans recently. After all, more than two months had passed since the last book was released.
Zhang Zhong did not reveal specific news about his new book, but only told everyone that the next book will not be a science fiction novel, nor will it be a detective novel.
Such an answer is undoubtedly very disappointing, not only for journalists, but also for readers who like science fiction and detective novels.
Especially science fiction fans.
This year is a very important year for Chinese science fiction, because Jiangyang has applied to host next year's World Science Fiction Convention, and the results will be announced in August.
Of course they hope that at this critical moment, Zhang Zhong can publish another science fiction novel to help Jiangyang Shenhuan.
However, things went against expectations. Zhang Zhong already said at the press conference that the next book will definitely not be a science fiction novel.
The release of "Alive" will probably take more than a month, and by then it should be released in three languages: Chinese, English, and French.
However, although Zhang Zhong did not reveal the news about the new book at the press conference, he did play a trick.
During the autograph session in Los Angeles, Zhang Zhong went against the norm and selected dozens of lucky fans and signed special autographs for them.
Different from previous special draws, Zhang Zhong’s special draw this time is a bit inexplicable.
"Death is not losing life, it is just walking out of time."
"In the beginning, we came to this world because we had to come. In the end, we left this world because we had to leave."
"People live for the sake of living itself, not for anything other than living."
"To live is to experience the happiness and hardship, boredom and mediocrity of living by yourself. Survival is just the evaluation of others."
…
All of Zhang Zhong’s special draws this time are a bit confusing.
And the most critical and surprising thing is that all of Zhang Zhong's special signatures are written in Chinese.
This is a bit strange.
It’s not that Zhang Zhong has never held autograph sessions in the United States. When he held a autograph session in New York before or later in Cupertino, he would also give out some special autographs, but most of those special autographs were
In English, there are also words such as giving to so-and-so, congratulations to so-and-so.
But this time, they are all those Chinese special signs that make people scratch their heads.
Many people who got the special lottery were happy but also confused. They didn't recognize the words on it.
So after the autograph signing in Los Angeles, there were a lot of people posting on the Internet asking for translations.
This weird special signing event was also discovered by more book friends.
Someone else integrated it and made a collection of dozens of special lottery tickets this time.
It is said that there are many great (xians) and gods (ren) on the Internet. This is not true at all. When these dozens of special signs were integrated, some people pointed out that these special signs may seem confusing, but they all have their own meanings.
connect.
As for what the connection is, they haven't figured it out yet.
[The themes of death and living appear very frequently in these special signs, which must be related to this.]
[Do you think it’s a sentence from Zhang Chong’s book?]
[Sao Nian, your idea is very insightful. 】
[Is Zhang Zhong playing decryption with us this time?]
[Haha, I think he was addicted to writing the Qingming Festival Code and the Da Vinci Code, so he played like this.]
[My initial guess is that the new book is related to life.]
[Life... this theme is too imaginary, I even said it is related to people. 】
[But what does it mean to live just for the sake of living itself? Can anyone explain it? 】
[My guess is that there is no other meaning to life, which sounds quite helpless.]
【It’s impossible to be so sad.】
…
Zhang Zhong's Whisperer A large number of book friends came in that day, all asking about special signings and new books, but Zhang Zhong did not answer because after the signing, Zhang Zhong was busy taking his family to enjoy the scenery of Los Angeles.
As the largest city in the western United States, Los Angeles has many places worth seeing, including Hollywood, Disney, Venice Beach...
They went to Hollywood first and then to Disney.
The happiest thing about these two days is probably Pengpeng, especially going to Disneyland, which is simply a paradise for children. The oldest Disneyland, Los Angeles Disneyland is indeed more fun than Disneyland in China.
When they were in Hollywood, the young man who came to receive them from Wenner Entertainment recommended them to visit Beverly Hills, saying that this hill best represents American culture and is a place worth visiting.
This statement aroused the interest of the old couple.
Zhang Zhong was not interested in Beverly Hills, but when he saw that the old couple wanted to go, he took them to Beverly Hills on the last day after leaving Los Angeles.
This is known as the most affluent community in the world. You can see luxury cars everywhere on the road. You can see luxury stores just a few steps away. Looking up the mountain from the visitor center, you can also see luxury villas one after another.
Wealth is indeed rich, but the scenery here makes the couple a little disappointed.
Standing at the entrance of the shopping street, Hu Huifang shook her head, "It's better to go to Venice Beach yesterday. Isn't this a nicer community?"
She was right, this was a nice community. As for what the Wenner employee said before that represented American culture, she really didn't see it.
Is American culture so superficial? Luxurious cars, luxury goods, and beautiful villas?
But speaking of it, it seems that this is the only shopping street that I can go to.
The family entered a jewelry store. Hu Huifang saw a bracelet that she thought was quite good, so she asked in simple English: "How much does it cost?"
The saleswoman smiled and said, "Hello, the price of this bracelet is $60,000."
"Sixty thousand US dollars." Hu Huifang couldn't help but exclaimed, "This is too expensive."
The salesperson smiled and didn't say anything, and then said in Spanish to another salesperson next to him with a smile, "Haha, another one. Don't they know that just asking the price in Rodeo means they can't afford it?"
When the saleswoman said this, she wore a professional smile the whole time, as if such a mean and ridiculing sentence did not come from her mouth at all.
Looking at Hu Huifang and the others, they really didn't have any reaction. After all, they didn't understand Spanish.
However, Zhang Zhong knew a little Spanish and happened to be able to understand what she just said.
"Madam, do you think you shouldn't ask about the price when buying something?" Zhang Zhong asked in Spanish.
Hearing Zhang Zhong's words, the two saleswomen were stunned, and then quickly explained, "No, no, sir, you misunderstood, we were just joking."