Chapter 00012: Fame Comes Early
# Fame Comes Early
Chapter 12
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 12: Fame Comes Early
From the moment media was born, only its form has changed; its essence remains the same.
The little essay Chen Qi wrote is no different from the content creators on Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, or Bilibili.
They all aim to stir emotions, provoke reactions, and attract attention to achieve their goals.
Chen Qi followed the path of emotional content creators, the kind that makes men silent and women cry.
In his essay, he criticized Plastic Factory No. 2. In later times, the factory would have launched a PR campaign to salvage its reputation, possibly even turning the negative publicity into a positive one, leveraging it to promote products and make a profit.
But things were different now.
People didn’t have the mindset for such strategies, and the environment didn’t allow it.
“I must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to end up with these employees!” The factory leader, holding a newspaper, was puffing on a cigarette like Old Wu next door, filled with frustration.
He had every right to feel wronged.
According to protocol, the so-called “meeting to discuss” wasn’t out of line.
In these times, the working class was king! Disciplining workers over trivial matters wasn’t something he could decide on his own.
It had to be discussed.
But before they could even reach a conclusion, the other side had already struck, delivering a knockout blow.
“Once it’s in the newspaper, it’s out there. Once it’s out there, the higher-ups will take notice… This is bad. Not only will those guys be in trouble, but I won’t escape unscathed either!”
“What should we do now?”
“What else can we do?” The factory leader fumed. “We’ll have to issue a self-criticism, hold a meeting, and write a formal report to submit to the higher-ups. They’ll definitely send someone to investigate. As for those guys, suspend them for now and wait for further disciplinary action.”
After a moment of thought, the factory leader suddenly grabbed his coat. “I’ll go personally and have a good talk with the Dashilan Street Office.”
…………
At the front gate, east of the archery tower.
At noon, twelve tea-selling youths were taking turns resting.
Why twelve? Because a few had, as usual, skipped work.
After a few days of practice, they had quickly gained experience.
For instance, they would pour the tea first, cover it with a glass lid to let it cool, ensuring it was warm when served.
This also kept out the dust.
Sales had been increasing day by day, and yesterday they had sold a staggering three thousand bowls.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted!” Huang Zhanying, imitating the slackers, tore open a steamed bun, stuffed it with pickles, and made a giant pickle burger. “It feels like there are more and more people. We can barely keep up.”
“Yeah, it’s already noon… Hey, where’s Chen Qi?”
“He said his stomach hurt. He’s resting at home.”
“Why does his stomach always hurt?”
“He’s just lazy!”
Huang Zhanying took a sip of water. “The reporter came to interview us yesterday. The article should be in today’s paper. I was so busy I didn’t get a chance to read it. I’ll definitely buy a copy after work.”
“Yeah, I want to buy one too. We took a group photo yesterday. I’ll show it to my mom so she stops saying I’m useless.”
“I wonder what he wrote. He’s been so secretive…”
“Ah! Stop pushing!”
A scream interrupted them.
Huang Zhanying jumped up, thinking someone was causing trouble again.
But when she went to check, she saw a crowd had gathered in front of the tea stall.
They were all young, men and women alike, and didn’t seem to be there for tea.
Their faces were filled with curiosity and eagerness.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, there’s only one tea stall at the front gate!”
“Ah, so this is where Comrade Chen Qi works? Our cooperative makes quilts. I thought we had it tough, but your conditions are even harsher. No shelter from the wind or sun.”
“…”
Huang Zhanying was baffled. “What are you all doing here? If you’re not here for tea, don’t push forward!”
Her shout only caused more commotion. “Is Comrade Chen Qi here?”
“We want to meet him!”
“I read the newspaper and came all the way from Haidian!”
“He… he’s sick. He took the day off.”
“Ah? What’s wrong? Is it serious? How did he get sick so suddenly? Where does he live? Can we visit him?”
“Yeah, yeah, I have so much I want to say!”
“It’s not serious. His parents are taking care of him. It’s not appropriate for you to visit. I’ll pass on your regards… Since you’ve come all this way, why not have a bowl of tea?”
Huang Zhanying’s eyes gleamed as she waved her hand.
Her companions understood immediately and started pouring tea.
“As the Chinese saying goes, ‘Since you’re here…’”
Since they were here, of course, they had to drink tea.
And after drinking, it would be rude not to pay.
Huang Zhanying pretended to refuse the money but reluctantly accepted it.
She thought it would just be this one group, but more and more people kept coming.
All of them were looking for Chen Qi.
Some even brought letters for Huang Zhanying to pass on.
She felt like a celebrity manager, dealing with a bunch of obsessed fans on behalf of her boss.
“Two bowls, please!”
“I’ll have one too!”
“Your work isn’t easy either. Our cooperative is in the east of the city. We’re all comrades in the revolution, supporting each other!”
“Everyone, line up! Don’t push!”
It was supposed to be their lunch break, but they were swamped.
As they bustled about, they couldn’t help but feel curious.
They were determined to buy a copy of the newspaper after work.
…………
“Wow!”
“Another sackful!”
At the China Youth Daily office, as the workday was winding down, an editor dragged in another sack of letters and dropped it on the floor. “Young people these days are so passionate! The article just came out today, and hundreds of people have already sent letters, all discussing it!”
“Are they addressed to us or the author?”
“Both!”
“Get Lao Sheng over here!”
Soon, Sheng Yongzhi arrived.
He flipped through the letters and randomly pulled one out.
It read:
“Dear Comrades at the Newspaper, After reading the article ‘How Should We Walk the Path of Life?’ published in your newspaper today, I was deeply moved and couldn’t help but share my thoughts. Please forgive my presumptuousness. The author mentions the importance of building one’s spiritual home, which is certainly reasonable, but I cannot fully agree. I believe that limiting our ideals to personal fulfillment is too narrow. We are young people, in the prime of our lives. Our goal should be to realize our own value, thereby creating value for society and our country…”
“Not bad. The youth have some good ideas.”
Sheng Yongzhi nodded. “Since this topic is so popular, why don’t we select some letters with differing viewpoints and publish a few in each issue? Let everyone share their opinions and create a space for discussion.”
“Good idea. That’s what we were thinking in the editorial department too!”
“This kind of atmosphere hasn’t been seen in years!”
“As they say, a new era brings new energy!”
For a moment, everyone was excited.
They were all intellectuals, deeply moved by the recent past—many had things to say but lacked the platform to say them.
Sheng Yongzhi gathered a stack of letters and instructed, “Xiao Yu, keep an eye on that tea stall. Leaders might go there for inspections later. Let me know when they do.”
“Got it!”
“Also, follow up on that author. See if there’s any more news.”
“Will do!”
Yu Jiajia agreed happily.
…………
“My son!”
“I had no idea you’ve been suffering so much!”
Meanwhile, after work, Yu Xiuli came home and immediately hugged her eldest son, tears streaming down her face.
Chen Jianjun stood by, both relieved and heavy-hearted.
Chen Qi rolled his eyes.
He realized his mother had a bit of a dramatic streak, while his father was the quiet type.
Crying in the house over his published article was one thing, but why did they have to do it in the yard?
It was all to show off to the neighbors, of course!
The effect was immediate.
Everyone stopped cooking and gathered around their house, forming a tight semicircle.
Chen Qi felt like a monkey on display.
“Xiuli, this is such a good thing. Don’t cry!”
“Yeah, your son’s article got published in the newspaper. That’s way better than my kid, who almost got arrested yesterday for holding a girl’s hand!”
“Hey, Xiao Chen, did you get any payment for the article?”
“How did the reporter interview you?”
“Wow, do you think leaders will come to inspect?”
“I always said this kid was good at writing. It’s a shame he got sent to the countryside.”
“…”
As the neighbors chattered away, Chen Qi remained calm, as indifferent as a passenger on a tram, as oblivious as a husband sleeping in the living room, as deaf as a colleague in the break room, and as heartless as a parent bringing a tutor home to help their child with homework…
If it were any other young person, they might have been floating on cloud nine.
But Chen Qi knew better.
He didn’t yet have the social standing to back up his newfound fame.
Writing a letter was just a small step, a fleeting moment of attention.
But it was a good start.
After all, fame comes early!
(End of Chapter)