Chapter 96: What makes a name for oneself is the work, not the awards
Chapter 96: What will be remembered forever is always the work, not the award (8 points)
"Akutagawa Prize." Kitagawa Hide paused for a moment, then quickly put on a confident smile, "I once saw an article about the Akutagawa Prize in a magazine column at the end of a volume. At that time, I hadn't started writing a book yet, and I thought its statement was very interesting.
It said that the Akutagawa Prize was probably magical. Because there were writers who would make a scene after being rejected, its reputation became even more resounding; and because there were writers who would kneel and kowtow after being rejected, its authority became even more obvious.
Kitagawa Hide's words are quite hurtful, because "making a big fuss after losing the election" and "kneeling down and kowtowing after losing the election" are satires on two well-known writers who failed to win the Akutagawa Prize in previous years.
They were all like Kitagawa Hide, who suddenly lost the election despite being the popular choice, but their topics and controversies were not as strong as Kitagawa Hide's.
Because of this, Takeuchi Osamu also angrily criticized the Akutagawa Prize.
The matter of these two people has always been a topic that cannot be touched by the Akutagawa Prize and the Japanese literary world. People in the industry, including literary critics who dare to criticize anything, know that this is the Achilles' heel of the Akutagawa Prize Judging Committee and the editorial department of "Literary World".
Whoever touches him dies.
Now that Kitagawa Hide has said this publicly, it naturally brings up another topic that must not be discussed - is the Akutagawa Prize really fair, or is it a commercial product manipulated by certain people?
“I think the Akutagawa Prize is nothing more than an award given by the publisher Bungeishunju, which runs it as a commercial activity.
There is probably only one work written by a new writer that is impressive every five years. But the Akutagawa Prize is awarded twice a year, so it is inevitable that there will be some shoddy work, and the quality of the winning works is not high. "
Kitagawa Hide did not stop his "violent remarks", and this time he spoke more simply and directly.
In the past, the losers would either throw a tantrum like a child who didn’t get any candy, or lower their heads, kneel down and kowtow, begging the judges to give them the award.
just now.
The boy who asked the question, and the thousands of people present, did not see any similar reaction from Kitagawa Hide.
He just stood on the podium and casually said that "the quality of his award-winning works is not high", and there was no way for people to refute it!
Because compared with "Youth Trilogy" and "No Longer Human", those works are just ordinary works of low quality!
He even publicly said that the Akutagawa Prize is a commercial product!
“As for whether the Akutagawa Prize is ‘magical’, I’m not quite sure, and whether it is ‘authoritative’, I have no idea.
I have no interest in whether or not I win the award.
I had this mentality before, and it’s almost the same now, or rather, I’m becoming less and less interested.
For any award that is called an award, with the exception of special awards whose evaluation criteria are limited to numerical values, there is no objective evidence of its value. This is especially true for an award that is reviewed by a dozen people and is completely closed to outside information and opinions. It is like a toy in the hands of a child.
If you want to be picky, you can find as many flaws as you want; if you want to treasure it, you can treasure it as much as you want. "
As Kitagawa Hide's voice gradually fell, the air in the Yasuda Lecture Hall became increasingly stagnant and quiet.
Never had.
In the history of Japanese literature, there has never been a writer who criticized the Akutagawa Prize like this!
"For me, the most important thing is to make readers who like my books happy and joyful. No matter what kind of literary awards, medals or well-intentioned book reviews, they are not as important as the readers who buy my books out of their own pockets."
Beichuan Xiu glanced at the boy who asked the question in a domineering manner, then faced the camera and said word by word,
“It is the work, not the award, that will live forever.”
These words were so powerful that the whole audience was silent.
"Oh my God! It would be a loss to the criticism community if Mr. Kitagawa didn't change his career to become a literary critic!" Mori Tetsutaro, who was listening, was already full of admiration for Kitagawa Hide. He had been working in the literary criticism community for several years and had never heard such sharp words.
“It is the work, not the award, that will live forever.”
Just one sentence is enough to make the Akutagawa Prize and all the judges look a bit clownish.
At the judging meeting that day, the judges criticized Kitagawa Hide's work in front of the camera. All the derogatory remarks put together did not carry as much weight as one syllable of this sentence!
There was thunderous applause.
Sitting next to him, Hiroshi Yamaguchi became more and more convinced that Hide Kitagawa was the kind of writer he was looking for.
With such an aggressive character and such uncompromising words and deeds, Aum Shinrikyo will definitely not be let off easily!
He turned his head to his colleague next to him. The other party worked in the Ministry of Justice and should have a way to contact the people in the first row. This way, he would have the opportunity to hand his business card to Mr. Kitagawa.
Next to him, Mori Tetsutarou had already taken out the draft of the review, and without hesitation, he took out a pen and changed the word "will" in "Why will the Akutagawa Prize be awarded to Kitagawa Hide?" to "will not"!
He wants to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Kitagawa and criticize the Akutagawa Prize fiercely!
Offstage, the boy who asked the question suddenly added, "So you think the Akutagawa Prize selection mechanism is unfair. Is that right?"
Another minefield.
At this point, Kitagawa Hide was almost certain that this boy was a stooge sent by the Akutagawa Prize Judging Committee, who wanted to induce him to say something immoral and then have the media criticize him heavily.
They think they can either be submissive or talk without thinking.
However, Kitagawa Hide had already prepared everything.
Faced with injustice, oppression, and these disgusting guys, Kitagawa Hide had already given his answer when he was at Kodansha.
"Yes, that's what I think."
Kitagawa Hide directly stepped on the face of the Akutagawa Prize. His words and actions today were all paving the way for the subsequent series "I Am a Cat" and "The Literature Award Serial Murder Case". He is very good at mobilizing emotions.
“There are many students from Tokyo University here. You must have worked hard to get to where you are today, adhering to the belief that ‘hard work will be rewarded.’ However, just like the Akutagawa Prize was to me, what awaits you in the future will be a society where ‘hard work may not be rewarded.’
Just as I wrote in "No Longer Human", there are still people in this world who "work hard but don't get rewarded", people who "want to work hard but don't know how", people who "work too hard and ruin both their body and mind", and people who want to work hard but back off when they think "it's not my turn anyway" and "I'd better give up".
Compared to them, at least you have enjoyed all the advantages brought by the superior environment and resources.
So, when you enjoy these and make your own efforts, please think about those who do not have such resources.
What you should do in the future is to help them and treat them well, instead of relying on these advantages to unite with some guys who are also at the top of the resources to dominate, play with, and bully ordinary people. "
Kitagawa Hide's last words seemed to be directed to all the students of the University of Tokyo, but in fact they were a satire on the boy who asked the question and the group of people standing behind him!
The other people in the audience also heard this meaning and stood up and applauded, bringing the lecture to its climax!
A public literature appreciation class, from literary research to punishing cults to criticizing the Akutagawa Prize and the literary group it brought about, has a smooth pace and is all under the control of Hide Kitagawa.
The class ended at noon, but the audience still felt unsatisfied. Someone asked Kitagawa Hide if he had any ideas for his next novel. He smiled and replied that it would soon be serialized in "Wenyi" and that it would be the Akutagawa Prize judges' favorite "literary and critical" novel!
It immediately caused an uproar.
The reporters present felt that they had made a real profit by coming here today, as there was one explosive piece of news after another, including new theories of literary research, the issue of cults, and the battle between the Akutagawa Prize and Kitagawa Hide!
There is also a new book project by Hideo Kitagawa!
Kitagawa Hideyasu dropped the news that his new book had been decided at the end, and put it after his criticism of the Akutagawa Prize, which aroused people's imagination.
The students and outsiders left the stage one by one. The welcoming team was given the opportunity to stay and take a photo with Kitagawa Hide because of their performance.
"It would be great if Mr. Kitagawa could come to the University of Tokyo as a professor!" The girl who played "Ryoko", Chizuru Hui, had bright eyes and officially became a loyal fan of Kitagawa Hide. "His literary research theory is more useful than those of the professors."
Kitagawa Hidemasa was shaking hands and saying goodbye to Murayama Tomiichi and others one by one. Murayama Tomiichi was deeply touched by the lecture and became more determined to fight against cults. He also cordially invited Kitagawa Hidemasa to serve as the government's anti-cult ambassador.
Although this job is annoying, it has many advantages. First, it gives Kitagawa Hide a fixed salary of 15 yen per month, and Kitagawa Hide has never had too much money.
First, the government will urge the Ministry of Education to assist in the sale of "No Longer Human" because it will become a must-read book for anti-cult propaganda along with Kitagawa Hideshige!
The most important thing is that Kitagawa Hide hates these weird guys who make a living by harming others from the bottom of his heart, and he feels obliged to punish them if he can.
During this period, Kitagawa Hide also got a business card from Yamaguchi Hiroshi, who sincerely invited him to serve as the honorary president of the "National Inspirational Commercial Law Countermeasures Lawyers Liaison Association." He did not have to do anything, just be a mascot and get paid, and occasionally attend parties.
Kitagawa Hide readily agreed. Now he had the resources on the lawyer side. As for how to fight against cults, he adhered to his consistent philosophy of leaving professional matters to professionals, so he handed Yamaguchi Hiroshi's business card to Murayama Tomiichi.
The two of them must have a lot in common!
Just like that, Kitagawa Hide took photos with the welcoming team members one by one with a smile. When it was Jabami Rei's turn, the sharp-tongued woman seemed like a different person. She was a little embarrassed and shy, but in the end she still happily took a photo with him.
After finishing today's journey, Kitagawa Hidewan declined the suggestion to have lunch with the bosses, and secretly found Yumeko, then ran away in Kawade Shizuko's business car.
In his heart, work is work and life is life. The money he earns and the things he does are all for the purpose of giving himself and his young wife a better life in Japan.
If life is nothing more than working to make money and currying favor with others, then where is the fun in that?
On the third day after the lecture at the University of Tokyo, the "National Inspirational Commercial Law Countermeasures Lawyers' Liaison Group" launched several large-scale anti-cult marches with the secret support of Tomiichi Murayama.
Tomiichi Murayama had been unhappy with Aum Shinrikyo and Asahara Shoko for a long time.
As the leader of a political group and the prime minister, he could not personally fight against the political and business figures who had ties with the cult, and he did not have many Socialist Party followers, so he was never able to handle the matter.
Now that we have the useful "National Inspirational Commercial Law Strategies Lawyers Liaison Meeting", this group of lawyers, like people who have been injected with chicken blood, are inciting emotions everywhere and producing solid evidence one after another.
For example, the Liberal Democratic Party colluded with the Aum Shinrikyo cult and accepted political donations. This matter could be a big or small matter, and the Liberal Democratic Party could even ignore it.
But when these evidences fall into the hands of lawyers, the effect will be different!
In this way, under the appeal of the whole nation, with each copy of "No Longer Human" sold, there was one more person calling for an anti-cult movement. Even the financial groups and political parties gradually could not resist this offensive.
Especially the anti-cult group established by students of the University of Tokyo. Their voice is not loud, but these people will be elites in all walks of life in the future, and many of their family members are also current bigwigs in various fields. Such a force is being promoted in major campuses in Tokyo, which puts greater pressure on the government.
On September 9, Naoko Kikuchi, who was responsible for the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, was arrested in Kanagawa Prefecture. The other two fugitives, Nobuyuki Hirata and Katsu Takahashi, one could not bear the pressure and surrendered voluntarily, while the other was knocked unconscious by a reader holding "No Longer Human" while hiding in Tokyo and was sent to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
That afternoon, the Tokyo court, which had always been slow in its trials, completed the trial and sentencing of Aum Shinrikyo at lightning speed.
The cult leader Asahara Shoko and his core members Inoue Yoshihiro, Hayakawa Kiyohide, Nakagawa Tomomasa, Shinzō Tomomitsu, Tsuchiya Masami, Endō Seiichi, Kikuchi Naoko, Hirata Nobuyuki, and Takahashi Katsu were executed on the same day.
On September 9, the hospital affiliated with Maha Posa Co., Ltd., which killed Yumiko Yan'ai, was demolished and razed by a construction team dispatched by the local Civil Engineering Bureau.
All the people involved in the case were arrested, including the bastards who destroyed Yumiko Yan'ai's body without authorization!
Kitagawa Hide sat in the business car, watching the hospital collapse silently, and then he remembered what Masato Chihara said.
"Justice may be late, but it will never be absent."
He believes that justice in absence is no justice at all.
When he saw the hospital destroyed and heard Asahara Shoko and others being executed, he felt that justice had been fully served.
The biggest vision of writing "No Longer Human" has also been achieved.
"It's almost time. Can we set off for Tokyo Aoyama Cemetery now? Mr. Kitagawa, President." Driver Kinoshita took one last look at the hospital that had turned into ruins, feeling filled with emotion.
"Yeah." The two people in the car nodded at the same time, then smiled at each other.
The business car carrying a group of people quickly arrived at Qingshan Cemetery.
Kitagawa Hide, Agatsuma Yumeko, and the drinking and bragging trio, Saito Rena and Kawaide Shizuko, walked towards the graves of Takuya Iwao and the others.
The wind was blowing gently, and there were a lot of people visiting the graves today.
Today is the 49th day of the anniversary of Takuya Yan'ai's family.
The festival is usually held on the 49th day after the deceased is buried, hence the name "Forty-nine Days Festival". It is a traditional religious ceremony in Japan, mainly used to commemorate deceased relatives or friends.
"Teacher Kitagawa." Saito Rena and others looked at him.
Kitagawa Hide glanced at the cemetery, which was surrounded by all kinds of flowers and tributes. It seemed that before them, countless people had come to mourn spontaneously.
He said "hmm", picked up the signed and messaged copy of "No Longer Human", and strode over.
The match was torn, a cluster of flames rose up, and then the pages of the book were slowly ignited.
Suicide note, three photos, and Kitagawa Hide's preface and postscript.
Everything gradually turned into ashes and flew into the sky.
On the last page of the book, Kitagawa Hide wrote a message, which was his last words to Takuya Yanjing——
There is no need to apologize for being human.
He stood up and scattered the last of the ashes. When he looked up, he seemed to hear a silver bell-like laugh and a voice so faint that it was inaudible.
"Thank you, Mr. Kitagawa."
This volume ends here. I will publish the conclusion of the second volume later and it will be officially concluded.
It may not be well written, but the last sentence "There is no need to apologize for being born as a human being" is what I really want to say to people who work as hard as Yan Jingsang.
I don’t know whether you are Takuya Iwao, Yozo Oba, or Hide Kitagawa, but no matter what, please love yourself, love life, and work hard to live.
Also, I love you too.
(End of this chapter)