Liu Zhiqiang came from an intellectual family. He liked reading and writing since he was a child. He studied liberal arts in high school. He was a representative of the Chinese class for three years, participated in various composition competitions, and wrote many short stories. I have never been able to get a place in the competition. Passing the preliminary round is the best result, and submitting a manuscript to any publishing house is even harder.
Gradually, Liu Zhiqiang saw himself clearly and knew that he was not the material for being a writer.
This kind of cognition is really disheartening for a 16-year-old boy. But Liu Zhiqiang's mentality was good, but he didn't feel down for a long time. He also entered the top three in the county in the college entrance examination.
After going to college, Liu Zhiqiang only took required courses, and spent the rest of the time in the reading library, eagerly reading foreign classics, domestic classics, and the newly emerging Internet, and compiled information from various publishing houses. , set your life goals early.
If you can't be a writer, then go to work in a publishing house.
I can't write a decent book, but I can publish a book for a talented author. For Liu Zhiqiang, this can be regarded as the realization of half a childhood dream.
When he was a junior, Liu Zhiqiang came to Xinyun Publishing House as an intern and never left. He became a trainee editor, then an editor and a responsible editor, and later became the deputy director of the editing center. Now he is the director of the "Mystery" studio. , manages about 60 people.
The excellent employees of Xinyun Publishing House have a photo of Liu Zhiqiang on the wall. The man in the photo is high-spirited and has a hint of greenness. It was taken many years ago.
Now Liu Zhiqiang is no longer youthful, and even his vitality is almost exhausted.
In the past few years, the publishing industry has not been able to do well. Many people from Xinyun Publishing House have left. Some of the rest rushed forward with a breath, while others were struggling to find a horse on a donkey. Liu Zhiqiang counts half of the former and half of the latter.
Pushing forward for six or seven years, when Liu Zhiqiang was still the editor-in-charge of the editing center, it was the best time for the publishing industry. Liu Zhiqiang devoted himself to his work and published more than ten best-selling books in a row.
It is a pity that good times do not always come, and people are easily dragged down mentally and physically in the heavy work day after day.
After more than ten years of ups and downs, the pride and ambition of the year have long been gone. Now Liu Zhiqiang is standing in the dark crowd waiting for the green light in a shirt and trousers. His image is simply a typical "social animal".
The green light was on, and he was still distracted. The "social animals" beside and behind rushed towards the opposite side of the road like a flood. He suddenly shivered in the dog days, and then hurriedly opened his legs and walked forward quickly. go with.
This is the morning rush hour. He should be the first to clock in as in the past, spend a busy day in the studio, ask about the work of each group, hold a meeting to formulate work points for the new week, go to the leadership office to bow his head to accept criticism, and then criticize symbolically. After a few minutes, I finally ended my day's work after the subway had closed. I stayed for ten minutes, turned off the lights in the studio, and left silently.
But now, with his briefcase, he went to McDonald's where breakfast was being served.
He took field leave and didn't have to go to the publishing house to punch in.
Ever since he learned that the police are investigating the tomb, he has been anxious, and has been in a trance from time to time. He has been in various bookstores in Los Angeles for several days in the name of going out for field work.
This is not an unusual move at first. The staff of the publishing house should have maintained a good relationship with the bookstore. After the books they handle are listed, the editor-in-charge will stay in the bookstore to observe the sales situation and put some pressure on the bookstore. Try to have your own books on the most visible stand.
However, Liu Zhiqiang has long been the backbone of Xinyun Publishing House and the director of the "Mystery" studio. It is reasonable to say that he does not need to go out for this kind of field work, and he did not often go to the bookstore in the past.
If something is abnormal, there must be something suspicious.
Mingshu went to Xinyun Publishing House twice, and both times coincided with Liu Zhiqiang's field work. Last time Mingshu had other things to do, so he could only let it go, but this time he came to Liu Zhiqiang, even if he waited, he had to wait.
The police came frequently, and the employees were somewhat nervous, and they were looking to see a good show. Some people even started to gloat over the misfortune. The publishing house will lay off grassroots personnel in the second half of the year. The police came several times in a short period of time. It must be someone Or there is a problem with the book in charge of some editors, and the colleague "rolls over", so you just sit tight.
Mingshu walked around the "Mystery" studio and chatted with several young employees about Liu Zhiqiang.
They used the official accent uneasy, and no one dared to say that the boss was not.
Mingshu checked the time and knocked on the office door of Sun Sha, the deputy director of the studio.
Sun Sha is older than Liu Zhiqiang. She is in her forties. She has a round face and dark circles under her eyes. She looks very tired.
Seeing Mingshu sitting in front of her, she lifted her heavy eyelids, stood up awkwardly, and took a paper cup, "I'll pour you a glass of water."
"No." Mingshu didn't look away from her face, his voice was a little cold, "I don't drink plain water."
Sun Sha was already standing beside the water dispenser, and she stammered awkwardly when she heard the words, "This... That's it."
Mingshu pointed his chin to the position opposite the desk, "Liu Zhiqiang is not here, I can only ask you some questions for the time being."
There was plenty of air conditioning in the office, and Sun Sha wore a silk scarf that women of her age often wear.
On the way back to her seat, she tugged at the hem of the silk scarf several times, her double chin constantly highlighted by swallowing saliva.
Mingshu saw all her little actions and asked bluntly, "Have you read the book on the heart of the tomb?"
"Guo Xian is in charge of the heart of the tomb." Sun Sha looked down at her hand.
"Don't evade my question." Mingshu said, "I'm not asking you who is the editor in charge of the tomb heart, I am asking - have you read the book of the tomb heart?"
Sun Sha touched her fingers faster, her cheeks flushed, "No."
"No?" Mingshu said, "but I just saw the workflow posted on the wall in the big office outside. For any book published by your studio, no matter who the editor in charge is, the director and the three deputy directors are all It must be read."
Sun Sha raised her head, panic in her eyes.
"You obviously have read the book in the heart of the tomb, but you lied to me that you haven't." Mingshu said, "Then I can only think that there is a problem with the book in the heart of the tomb. Published for a reason."
Sun Sha shook her head, "No, it's not like that."
Mingshu leaned forward, put his right forearm on the desk, stared at Sun Sha sternly, but didn't speak immediately.
This time is up to a minute.
It wasn't until Sun Sha's shoulders wrapped in silk scarves visibly trembled that he asked, "Then tell me what the facts are. From your reaction just now, you must be an insider, but maybe not a decision maker. You are just a deputy director, Some things you know are wrong, but you can't do anything about them, right?"
Sun Sha's eyes suddenly turned red, and the lines at the corners of her eyes trembled slightly. She opened her mouth several times, but she couldn't speak.
"Don't be nervous, think about it later." Mingshu pressed his right hand down to show that he had time and patience.
Three minutes later, Sun Sha finally said, "It has nothing to do with me. It was signed by Liu Zhiqiang. I reminded him that he didn't listen."
Mingshu tapped his index finger on the table, "It seems that there is a real problem. Ms. Sun, calm down first, and then tell me clearly what the problem is."
Sun Sha's lips moved frequently, and she was hesitating and struggling.
Mingshu put the certificate on the table and reminded: "The paper can't wrap the fire. If I didn't get the clues, I wouldn't come to your studio again and again. It's better for you to tell the truth now than for us to check it through other means. Get the truth."
"I said, I said!" Sun Sha made up her mind and threw the silk scarves aside, "Director Liu, he is too aggressive, and the main responsibility for this lies with him. Guo Xian is a young man's thinking, bold and avant-garde, not only can't see it As for the problems in the book from the tomb, it is believed that as long as the writing is good and the story is fascinating, it will definitely be published to make money. In fact, this is not correct, the publisher has the social morality and responsibility of the publisher, and the book of the tomb is not suitable for publication at all! "
Mingshu nodded at the right time.
"How much influence a vivid story can have on readers, you may not be able to imagine if you are a layman." Sun Sha continued: "Grave Heart is a very talented author, and all the characters in his works are vivid and bloody. Yes, he extols the pure violence in the dark, magnifies a shortcoming of ordinary people infinitely, to the extent that they must accept sanctions, and then his protagonist kills this ordinary person in the name of justice."
Sun Sha stopped, took a sip of water, and continued: "The heart of the tomb is very smart. What he wrote is not the victory of evil over justice, but the packaging of evil, extreme, and darkness into justice. In his book, the protagonist murderer is too small. The wrong person, not only is not a crime, but will be praised and sought after. He whitewashes the act of murder as a 'demon hunt', and uses the power of words to magnify the small mistakes of ordinary people to unforgivable sins. This is enough to be impetuous. It has a great resonance in the society of the Chinese people. When I first published his manuscript, I knew that as long as his book was on the market, it would definitely attract a large number of readers. Words can sometimes be a weapon. Our publishing house has always had manuscript censorship. The system, this is not to cater to the policy above, but to adhere to the social responsibility of the publisher. The book in the heart of the grave does not meet the publishing requirements of our heart.”
"But it became a bestseller," Mingshu said.
Sun Sha shook her head gently, helplessness written on her face.
For a moment, she stretched out her hands and covered her face, as if she was making a late confession.
"Director Liu used to be an intern under my supervision. As an editor, he is very capable and has risen faster than me. Now he has become my boss." Sun Sha sighed, "He is an old publisher, Guo Xian can't see it He can actually see the problem. He knows that the views conveyed by the tomb are very extreme and powerful, but in order to meet the current market demand, it can also be said to be speculative. Eyes, let the book with almost no revision go out directly, and deliberately put forward the particularly extreme viewpoints in the book and display it on the cover."
Mingshu said, "Some people deserve to die?"
Sun Sha wiped her sweat, "Yes, that's the sentence, but more than that. Many things expressed in the heart of the tomb will resonate with readers, sell well, but also affect potential criminals. We... "
Seeing that Sun Sha suddenly couldn't talk anymore, Mingshu waited for a while and asked, "What about you?"
Sun Sha smiled bitterly, got up and looked out the window, looking very lonely.
"I came to work at Xinyun when I was 20 years old. My teacher told me that publishers must have their own attitude and sense of responsibility. Some books that distort facts and reverse black and white cannot be published no matter how attractive the plot is and no matter how flawless the words are. We can't control other publishing houses, but we can control our own conscience. I have been doing this for so many years. I once felt that I was worthy of my teachers, my readers, and my life. But... "Sun Sha After a pause, "In recent years, many young people have attacked us and scolded us as lackeys. We insist on the social responsibility of publishers. Is it wrong to insist?"
Mingshu didn't know much about this line of business, so he couldn't give Sun Sha an objective answer.
Sun Sha quickly packed up her emotions, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's go back to the tomb heart. It's not the first time we have received manuscripts like the tomb heart. We had it three or four years ago, but the result was It's all — either the author is advised to revise some of the content, or it is not published."
Mingshu said, "What is the reason for Liu Zhiqiang's sudden disregard of regulations and responsibilities?"
"What else could be the reason, management pressure." Sun Sha sighed, "The publishing industry is getting more and more sluggish, and the group calls for transformation all day long, splitting the former editing center and setting up relatively independent studios. The management requirements placed on our studio are particularly high. If the published books do not make money, the studio may be dissolved at any time. Our directors and deputy directors will not lose their jobs, but it is difficult to say new young employees. Director Liu I just wanted to give it a shot. The book in the heart of the tomb is very eye-catching. The evil in the text has already put on the cloak of justice. On the surface, it expresses the punishment of evil and evil. It's easy to pass the final review. But it's a disregard for the publisher's social responsibility. I always disagree, but I'm only a deputy, and he is the official. He insists on publishing, and even if I don't sign, he can still publish ."
Mingshu understood, and finally understood why Liu Zhiqiang was so flustered when he saw Liu Zhiqiang for the first time.
Fang Yuanhang stopped Liu Zhiqiang in a bookstore. Liu Zhiqiang was under enormous psychological pressure after he decided to publish the book on the heart of the tomb. When he suddenly saw the police, his mood collapsed instantly, and he knelt on the ground and cried.
It made Fang Yuanhang cry.
"I was obsessed with my mind for a while, and it's all my responsibility." In the city bureau's inquiry room, Liu Zhiqiang kept his head down, "During that time, the reality of our publications had a mediocre response to suspense, and readers were less and less likely to buy it. Suspense-oriented Readers, in fact, most of them want to see more exciting and sharp things. If there are no prominent contradictions in the book, it will be difficult to grasp the readers' hearts. Celebrating violence and highlighting all contradictions is not in line with our publishing regulations, but it will definitely attract readers' attention."
Saying that, Liu Zhiqiang covered his eyes and rubbed vigorously, "The above gave me a task, and if there is no more topical book, part of the studio will be disbanded. I... I can only temporarily put down the publisher's society. responsibility."
"But you have more than one book." Mingshu said, "It's because you tasted the sweetness, right?"
Liu Zhiqiang buried his head even lower, "His books are selling very well. Although he is a farmer who hasn't gone to school, he is a writing genius. I envy him and I envy him. He has a lot that I don't have. A person like me can only make a wedding dress for him. Because of him, our studio has been favored by the leaders of the group. Later, we published several best-selling books one after another, barely standing in many studios. Heel. But when I see a lot of readers talking about 'some people deserve to die', I see young people citing the point in the book that the old man who grabs the seat is damned, the crying baby is damned, and the child is left alone I was scared, really scared, when my parents in the family died. I'm worried that sooner or later some of these readers will be influenced by the heart of the tomb and kill people in the name of 'some people deserve to die'."
Mingshu said: "There are already such people."
Liu Zhiqiang was annoyed, his arms kept shaking, "I guessed it, otherwise you wouldn't come to investigate the tomb's heart or our publishing house. We will recall all the books in the tomb's heart, but the social impact caused by me, I… "
"You can't eliminate it." Mingshu said coldly.
Depressed cries broke out in the interrogation room, came from the half-open door, and echoed in the corridor.
"My book violates the rules?" After tearing off the disguised mask, Hou Cheng was no longer dumb. At this time, he, like the paranoid protagonist in each of his books, despised everything, "Then why did Xinyun Publishing House accept me What about submissions? I'm just a writer, I write books, not kill people. What era is this now, and writers are still not allowed to express their thoughts freely? Xinyun is only now saying that my book does not meet their publishing regulations, but Why did you want me to publish it at that time? It also deliberately put the most shocking sentence in the book on the cover. I don't know anything."
Mingshu said, "You will really excuse yourself."
"It's not an excuse. If you don't understand, I'll explain it to you. I always have the right to explain, right?" Hou Cheng laughed, "Now suddenly I want to withdraw my book, okay, but Xinyun must pay me The liquidated damages written in the contract. I repeat, I am just a book writer, and I am not responsible for the readers. Some people read my book and use a sentence in my book to kill people. This is out of my control. The wicked want to kill One person can find 10,000 reasons. Having read my book is only one of 10,000 reasons. If my book is really demagogic, now... "
Hou Cheng's eyes suddenly burst into a cold and crazy light, "Now all over the country, I don't know how many 'demon hunting' murders have occurred!"
Mingshu's pupils shrank.
Nationwide!
In the previous analysis, he had not thought of the concept of the whole country.
The cafe murder case and the college dormitory murder case both happened in Dongye City. The murderer has been identified and the motive for the crime is very clear. According to common sense, the two cases have been closed.
It was Lu Kun who suddenly said the heart of the tomb, and Li Hongmei had read the book on the heart of the tomb before he started to investigate the heart of the tomb.
What about in other cities
Have readers who were affected by the heart of the grave have long been involved in murder cases, and the so-called "demon hunt" has already been launched all over the country
Because the murderer is determined, no police in any city has found the heart of the tomb
After all, as the tomb heart said, he is only a writer, and he cannot decide the behavior of readers. If the police go to great lengths to search the tomb heart because the murderer has read the book of the tomb heart, it will be a big deal, and it may even be dubbed by public opinion as "not doing the right thing in business". ", "I'm free to fart", "Don't do what should be done" and other hats.
And it was Xiao Yu'an who gave him strong support for him to come to Luocheng to grasp the line of the tomb.
Mingshu's heartbeat gradually accelerated, and when he looked at Hou Cheng again, he saw the other party smiling triumphantly, with a look of "what can you do to me".
"With the evidence we have so far, we really can't take Hou Cheng." Xiao Yuan pressed his forehead, "It is the only thing we can do to get Xinyun Publishing House to recall the books on the market."
"I'm not reconciled!" After working for a long time, Mingshu's eyes became more red and his voice became hoarse. "He consciously guides readers. He knows what he is doing, so he forged an identity. If he does not know his own identity at all. What social impact might it bring, and why did he make those reversals?"
"Yes, we all know that he is deliberately guiding readers, especially young readers who are violent, but this cannot be used as evidence." Xiao Yu'an said, "He is completely able to put the blame on Xinyun Publishing House. It's a pen, not a knife, not a gun."
"But the pen can also kill!" Mingshu said, "Does it require that he really kills before we can..."
Xiao Yuan turned his head, "Huh?"
"It really killed people..." Mingshu murmured, pressing down on his temples.
There was a sudden pain in a certain part of my mind, as if some lost thought was about to come out.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Yuan walked over, put his palm on the back of his neck, and kneaded gently.
"What if Hou Cheng really killed someone?" Mingshu raised his head sharply, "In the past, when we thought that there was someone else in the tomb, we suspected that Hou Cheng was killed by the tomb, but now? Young man, has he been killed by Hou Cheng long ago?"
Xiao Yuan half-squinted his eyes, his face cold and solemn.
The office suddenly became extremely quiet, and Mingshu stood motionless in the same place. Between the lights and flints, he finally caught the flash of thought in the basement of Hou Cheng's house.
"I see!" He clapped heavily.
Xiao Yuan asked, "What?"
"The smell of Hou Cheng's basement was very unpleasant. We found a lot of watermelons that were completely rotten. Fang Yuanhang asked me why there were watermelons in the basement, and I told him that the basement is a good place to store watermelons because the temperature is low." He said excitedly: "I overlooked one thing - although the basement is a good place to store watermelons, but after the watermelons rot, Hou Cheng should clean them out, instead of leaving them in! The basement is also his home, and he has no reason to do so. Only clean the two floors above the ground, regardless of the cleanliness of the basement! He left the watermelon in it to cover up another smell with the rotting watermelon! There must be a secret in that basement!"