Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 472 Firm Refusal
After mentioning the first matter related to Chen Fan, He Qingsheng continued before Chen Fan could say a few polite words, "The meeting to be held the day after tomorrow will discuss the reconstruction of the Jiangnan branch of the National Writers Association, the collection of information on old members, the recommendation of new members for membership, and the voting on these matters."

Like other organizations that need to be rebuilt, rebuilding the Writers' Association is not complicated; the original system can be used directly.

The voting process for new members is quite simple: first, they look at the recommender; second, they look at your work. With your qualifications, you'll definitely pass. So just be aware of this. Once the meeting agenda is finalized, I'll explain the points you need to pay attention to. At that point, it'll just be a formality.

The more important thing is the agenda for the meeting the following day.

Chen Fan's eyes darted around slightly. "What's so important?"

He Qingsheng nodded and said seriously, "The agenda for the second day is to elect several writers from Jiangnan Province to represent our Jiangnan branch in the National Writers Association Reconstruction Conference in the capital in March. At the same time, we need to finalize the outline of the discussion proposals for the conference."

Chen Fan frowned slightly. "With the main branch reorganization underway, is it still necessary for branch representatives to participate?"

Isn't it enough to just set up a preparatory committee, appoint a secretary-general, gather a group of people, and then resolve issues such as venue, organization, functions, staffing, and compensation?

The subsequent work was naturally handed over to the various branches.

As provincial branches, we should just follow the lead of the general association. Why bother having representatives participate?
By the way, at that time, the provincial writers' associations were not completely independent units. For example, the Jiangnan Provincial Writers' Association was a name from the 80s onwards. Its correct name now should be the Jiangnan Provincial Branch of the National Writers' Association.

Therefore, when later generations searched online for the establishment dates of writers' associations in various regions, they found that they were all established relatively late. Provincial-level associations were mostly established in the 80s and early 90s, while writers' associations at the city, district, and county levels were established even after the new millennium.

Actually, this timeframe refers to the establishment time of local writers' associations after their reorganization, and does not include the previous "branch" stage.

If we include this period of history, almost every region in the country had literary federations and writers' associations in the 50s, only with different names.

He Qingsheng did not answer Chen Fan's question immediately.

After a few seconds of contemplation, he looked up and asked a question, "Do you know what the Writers' Association used to do?"

Chen Fan blinked. "The Writers' Association, isn't that just the Writers' Association, the one that manages authors?"

He Qingsheng suddenly chuckled, "You really are too young. You must have been only a few years old when the Writers' Association was dissolved. It's normal that you don't know."

Chen Fan was a little curious. Did the Writers' Association have some other impressive features?
He Qingsheng leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

Seeing that the water in his cup was almost empty, Chen Fan quickly stood up, picked up the kettle, and refilled it for him. He also poured some for himself.

He Qingsheng tapped his fingers twice on the coffee table to indicate "thank you for the tea." After Chen Fan was seated, he continued, "There are many arts and cultural organizations across the country, such as the Dancers Association, the Dramatists Association, the Musicians Association, and so on. These are all administrative units for arts and cultural workers, and at the same time, they are also members of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles."

He turned to look at Chen Fan, "However, the Writers' Association is the most extraordinary among them. Not only because the other units are all one level lower, but the Writers' Association is the only one that is on par with the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, but also because the Writers' Association at that time held enormous power and material resources."

With its higher rank, greater power, and more resources, the Writers' Association enjoys a superior status compared to other literary and artistic organizations.

However, this not only distinguishes the writer from other literary and artistic workers, but also makes him a 'scapegoat'!

After listening to his explanation, Chen Fan vaguely understood why so many military cultural troupes and local art propaganda teams had not been involved in any incidents, and even sheltered many people like Jiang Lili.

Only the Writers' Association, or rather, writers, are the most unfortunate.

So the Writers' Association used to be a management organization, not a service organization!
Think about what the Writers' Association does and what kind of wind it is blowing.

This is just incredibly unlucky!
When Chen Fan heard what He Qingsheng said, he also remembered some things about the Writers' Association.

The presence of the Writers' Association in later generations is very low, so low that even members of the Writers' Association say that if it weren't for someone criticizing it, most people wouldn't even remember that such an organization exists!
Actually, before, at least before the new millennium, the Writers' Association's reputation wasn't so bad.

So when did it start to spoil?
It's not shallow!

It's Xiaoming!

Around 2007, Xiaoming joined the Writers Association.

Those who know him are aware that he had a case that had been adjudicated at the time. And the title of a book related to this case actually appeared on his application form to join the Writers' Association.

That's not the key point. The key point is that more than half of the people in the Writers' Association actually support him.

As Wang Meng once said, "The Writers' Association does not select moral exemplars."

It disheartened and chilled the hearts of its opponents.

Then, the prestigious reputation fell to the ground, and authority was swept away. Apart from occasionally being criticized and trending on social media, only a group of online writers still wanted to join the Writers Association, but they were blocked openly and secretly by some old guys who were just sitting on their laurels. If you ignored them, they would come looking for you again. This back-and-forth struggle was how they managed to find some sense of existence.

But that's in the future.

As for now, and even for the next 20 years, the Writers' Association remains the most coveted holy land for the vast majority of writers across the country, and the only path for aspiring literary youths to become authors.

Especially in the 80s, the magazine "People's Literature," sponsored by the Writers Association, was hailed as the crown jewel of literature.

In terms of professional fields, the Writers Association remains a unique behemoth in the domestic literary scene, capable of influencing the direction of literature. It's still two or three decades away from ruining its reputation.

Even Chen Fan, who wants to make money by selling his writings, must align himself with this organization.

Seeing that Chen Fan understood his meaning, He Qingsheng continued, "Therefore, the reconstruction of the Writers' Association is very important. After these years of changes, the Writers' Association has also been reflecting on its internal situation, so there were two voices within the association during the reconstruction process."

One option is to restore the original state and manage it according to the functions of the former writers' association. To put it bluntly, it means 'taking back what has been lost'.

However, this view only represents one group of people. Another group believes that the Writers' Association should, like other artists' associations, focus on art and artists themselves, transforming its administrative structure into a service unit, so that academic research can proceed smoothly.

Chen Fan blinked and asked in a low voice, "Editor-in-Chief He, which department are you in?"

He Qingsheng shook his head with a wry smile, "Of course I support the change of functions. Those who are engaged in literature should just focus on literature and follow the banner. They should not get involved in other things."

He paused for a moment, then exhaled a long breath. "However, thinking about it is one thing, but how it will ultimately be implemented depends on the decision of the higher-ups."

Chen Fan nodded slowly after hearing this; it was indeed the truth.

After a few seconds, he suddenly came to his senses. "You said this has something to do with me, but I don't feel like it has anything to do with me!"

I'm just a newcomer, I probably don't deserve to be a representative of writers!
He Qingsheng turned to look at him, smiled, and said, "Now that I'm here, of course I need to make things clear with you. This time, in addition to the long-serving member writers, the higher-ups require at least one new member to be selected as a writer representative to attend the meeting in the capital..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan immediately realized that he was the "lucky one"!
Before He Qingsheng could finish speaking, he chuckled awkwardly, "Editor-in-Chief He, I'm just a complete newbie. I haven't even been writing for a year yet, so I probably don't deserve to be a representative."

He Qingsheng smiled and waved his hand, "Hey, don't underestimate yourself. Although you haven't been publishing articles for very long, in terms of achievements, you not only overwhelmingly surpass all other newcomers, but even all the veteran writers don't produce as many as you."

Moreover, even if we broaden the scope to the entire country, I don't believe there's anyone more prolific or capable of producing works of equal quality than you.

Chen Fan chuckled dryly.

Actually, I just want to earn more money.

He Qingsheng continued, "As for whether other writers will agree, you don't need to worry at all. As long as you stand there, I guarantee that no one will object when I nominate you!"

Chen Fan: So, who's better, me or you?

He Qingsheng said, "Not to mention you have more than a dozen pen names and identities. When I reveal these pen names, no one will object." Chen Fan immediately chuckled and replied, "There's no need for that!"

The main reason is that he doesn't want to die.

He Qingsheng looked at him with a half-smile, "You think I'm the only one who can tell that these authors have the same writing style?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly, "It's better to guess than to confirm."

Seeing his sympathetic expression, He Qingsheng couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "You're just like the old-school writers, each pen name representing a different idea. You might end up 'fighting with yourself' in the future."

Chen Fan understood that the "old school" he was referring to probably referred to the group from the Republican era, and the so-called "fighting with oneself" was also the style of some writers from that period.

He uses one pen name to discuss current affairs, another to talk about romance, yet another to write essays to make money, and a different one when he gets banned... If he encounters a debate, he uses several pen names at once, turning a one-on-one fight into a group brawl.

Seeing that he was unwilling to go public, He Qingsheng assumed that he wanted to learn from the senior writers, so he smiled and didn't try to persuade him further. He then said, "By the way, there's something else I need to tell you. Your writing quality and output are both very high. Are you writing full-time now?"

Chen Fan shook his head, and He Qingsheng smiled and said, "That's right, there will be a few full-time writer positions in the Writers' Association. In addition to receiving royalties, they can also receive a salary."

For example, when the China Writers Association was first established, its headquarters were located at No. 22 Dongzongbu Hutong in the capital. At that time, there were more than 20 full-time writers in residence, including famous writers such as Zhou Libo, Zhang Tianyi, Ai Qing, Bing Xin, Bai Lang, Luo Feng, Ai Wu, and Zhao Shuli.

Their compensation is quite high. The highest level, Arts and Literature Level 1, has benefits comparable to Administrative Level 9, but even higher than the 243 yuan salary of Administrative Level 9, at 333.5 yuan. Arts and Literature Level 2 is equivalent to Administrative Level 10, Arts and Literature Level 3 is equivalent to Administrative Level 11, and so on.

(The payroll did not pass the S test)

Seeing Chen Fan's interest, He Qingsheng smiled and continued, "Although our provincial branch is not as high-level as the general branch, it is not much lower. If you come to the Writers Association as a full-time writer, you can get a literary level 6 and earn a salary of more than 100 yuan."

If you don't want to be a full-time writer, there are other administrative positions within the Writers' Association. These involve handling some mundane tasks, but if you do well, there's room for advancement.

After saying that, he looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "So? Are you tempted?"

Chen Fan blinked and chuckled dryly, "But I only make a little over 100 a month now."

Including his roles as a consultant at the machinery factory and cotton mill, and a technical consultant at the pottery factory in Team 6 of Lujiawan, his monthly salary is over 400, which is higher than that of a high-ranking official in a ministry!

He Qingsheng was taken aback upon hearing this, looking at Chen Fan as if he couldn't believe it, "You just said you were only 18 years old, how come your salary is so high?"

No matter what position it is, you have to start from the bottom. Even college students have to go through an internship before they can become managers, let alone someone as young as him.

A salary of over 100 is already higher than many level 8 workers.

Chen Fan smiled shyly, "Although I'm young, I was specially promoted, so I was awarded the rank of deputy section chief, and my salary is set at over 100."

Or is he a proper cadre?
He Qingsheng was even more surprised, "I was just about to ask you, which unit are you from?"

Chen Fan's smile vanished, and he said seriously, "Hello, Editor-in-Chief He. Let me reintroduce myself. I am the deputy section chief of the Yunhu Health Department, responsible for promoting new technologies. My main job is to be stationed at the Lujiawan Production Brigade to guide health construction. I also serve as a health consultant for the Yunhu Machinery Factory and the Yunhu Cotton Mill."

He Qingsheng was a little confused. "Why did you end up in the health system?"

Chen Fan rubbed his hands together and said shyly, "I was specially recruited mainly because I participated in compiling a medical book in May and June."

"Medical book?"

He Qingsheng squinted and tried hard to recall if any new medical books had been published this year that would warrant the special recruitment of a deputy section chief.
A few seconds later, he suddenly realized what was happening and stared wide-eyed at Chen Fan. "First aid manual? Chen Fan, the inventor of the Yunhu First Aid Method? It's you?"

If you're asking about the major events in the health system this year, I don't know about other provinces, but in Jiangnan Province, the Yunhu Health Department launched a major innovation: the Yunhu Emergency Rescue Method. And this is quite different from the sensational "chicken blood injection" of the past. Doctors have verified that it is truly effective, and it has reportedly saved dozens of lives.

Therefore, the Provincial Health Department took the lead in conducting a first aid training session in various units throughout the province, explaining various commonly used first aid knowledge in daily life.

Of course, the most dazzling of them all is undoubtedly the Yunhu First Aid Method.

He Qingsheng was from the literary system, not the news system, and was not very sensitive to these things. Apart from hearing that the inventor of this first aid method was named Chen Fan, and being surprised that he shared the same name as the writer Chen Fan, he put the matter out of his mind.

But to my surprise, it really was the same person!
He stared blankly at Chen Fan for a long while, and just as Chen Fan was starting to feel uneasy, he suddenly slapped his thigh and sighed, "You've lost out!"

Chen Fan's eyes widened. "Huh?"

He Qingsheng said seriously, "How could it not be? Just look at how many people have been specially promoted in recent years based on their skills? The less qualified ones go to provincial units, and the better ones go directly to ministries and commissions, and even become cadres or high-ranking cadres."

Based on your contributions, let alone a minor deputy section chief position, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to promote you to a deputy director position in the health department. Moreover, once this technology becomes widespread and saves countless lives, you might even have the opportunity to be transferred to a ministry.

So you were dismissed by a mere deputy section chief? Isn't the Yunhu Health Department bullying you? Isn't this a huge loss?!

Chen Fan's eye twitched slightly. Was it really necessary to get so agitated? You're not the one who's going to suffer!
He Qingsheng took a breath, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said to Chen Fan, "If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. Come work for me, and I'll get you a full section chief position. You won't have to do anything else; you can just write your novels. Isn't that better than being mistreated in the sanitation department?!"

Chen Fan's eye twitched violently. "Which eye of yours saw me being bullied?"

After pausing for two seconds, he scratched his head and said with a simple smile, "Thank you for your kindness, Editor-in-Chief He, but I really never thought about leaving Yunhu."

Not to mention that his previous dream was to lie down for a while, wait for the world to be at peace, and then travel around the country to enjoy life.

After hearing He Qingsheng's words today, and knowing that the Writers' Association is in such a dangerous situation, I am even less likely to get involved in this mess.

He just wanted to get a membership in the Writers' Association to enhance his resume, and at most be a mascot to represent the people at meetings in the capital. He didn't want to get involved in anything else.

He Qingsheng tried to persuade him a few more times, but Chen Fan remained adamant. He could only give up regretfully, shaking his head and saying, "Alright, you're still young. If you change your mind someday, just tell me, and I'll arrange a transfer for you."

The Writers' Association is the organization that is least picky about backgrounds. Its members come from all walks of life, including oil workers, steelworkers, farmers and commune members at the grassroots level, as well as leaders of government agencies and government officials.

Chen Fan, the mascot of the health system, can still be the mascot of the Writers' Association.

Why won't you come?
After finishing their conversation, He Qingsheng didn't linger and prepared to leave.

He had already reached the door when he suddenly turned around, slapped his forehead, and said, "I almost forgot, when are you going to give me your manuscript? It's the story of 'Love by Cloud Lake'."

Chen Fan grinned dryly; it was impressive that he remembered all those words he had spoken.

He then said, "The meeting is the day after tomorrow and the day after that. I will definitely give you the draft before the meeting ends."

He Qingsheng nodded, then asked with some curiosity, "With such a short time, and a meeting to be held, is there enough time?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment, "Anyway, I will definitely submit the manuscript before returning to Yunhu."

He Qingsheng nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, then I'll look forward to reading it."

Only after receiving the promise did he leave with a slight sense of regret.

The regrettable thing is why Chen Fan wouldn't agree to transfer him to a different position.
Chen Fan waved to him as he left, and after he disappeared into the stairwell, he gently closed the door.

Too much work and too little money, let whoever wants it do it!
(End of this chapter)