21 Building (Illustrated in Color)

Author: Zhou Daixin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Who Will Save the Prisoners of the City? — Zhou Daixin uses the eyes of a security guard to observe and question how human nature becomes twisted! 21 Building is the latest long by the renowned novelist Zhou Daixin. This novel has a touch of allegory, at least it is a microcosm. The "21 Building" in the novel is grand, sophisticated, and modern, yet it appears unreliable and unstable, shrouded in an unpredictable and mysterious aura. As a symbol of human survival, "21 Building" subtly points to the turbulence and helplessness of increasingly commercialized urban life, as well as the tragic distortion and reshaping of people in the pursuit of money, wealth, or social status. The "story" of "21 Building" gradually unfolds through the perspective of a young security guard, the "I" in the novel, including his experiences, perceptions, and emotions. Although the "story" in the novel differs slightly from the usual understanding, it still feels very smooth. I think the reason lies in the fact that the "I" in the novel is not only a perspective (or narrative angle) for conveying the various characters in "21 Building" but also a living, breathing person in the work. The "I" is a rural youth who served in the army as a scout, seen the world a bit, longs for freedom, and is unwilling to accept his original state of existence. But "I" is both materialistic and spiritual, and his life is a constant struggle between the two. He starts as a security guard in the fourth-floor restaurant, which serves as a "prelude." Later, due to outstanding performance in a critical situation, he is "promoted" to the top floor of 21 Building, the 58th floor—a high-end residential area with only four households. Then, after a robbery occurs, he is "demoted" to the basement level 2, which is a parking lot. But in the basement level 2, it is the happiest or least oppressed time as a security guard for "I"—the parking lot is close to his original life, and it can be considered authentic "lower-class life." Later, after bravely fighting a car thief, he is "promoted" to the 32nd floor, which has three companies. After that, he is transferred to the 43rd floor in a pre-set trap, but not as a regular floor security guard, but as a personal bodyguard for a "female manager" whom he considers very despicable and shameless—this "female manager" is Mei Yuan, whom "I" first met when working as a security guard in the fourth-floor restaurant. Mei Yuan was hurt when she first entered society and was sympathetic to and helped "I," but her actions in "21 Building" have deeply disappointed "I," filling him with disdain and hatred. However, can "I" ultimately resist her temptation? In theory, these characters in the novel (the so-called white-collar workers), whether living in the high-end residential area on the 58th floor or the ordinary residential area on the 43rd floor, are either very successful or very lucky, though some have reached their goals through illegal or unethical means. Yet, wealth and a rich life have not brought them spiritual or emotional happiness. Instead, they are filled with suffering and boredom, especially those living in the high-end residential area, who struggle in a hollow and pale spiritual state, becoming inseparably tied to the fear of survival due to their wealth. In fact, even Mei Yuan, who has transformed into a "female manager," though currently safe, lives uneasily—she constantly tries to bribe and seduce "I," but reveals her true colors the moment she succeeds. Money does not equal spirit, and people must have some spirit. Compared to the characters living in the high-rise of "21 Building," the few working in the basement level 2 parking lot may have low incomes and low status, each facing their own hardships, bitterness, or worries, but they are mentally and emotionally grounded, able to see the light, and even noble and pure. If we compare this, who is rich, who is poor, or who truly embodies what it means to be human becomes a question worth savoring. 21 Building, a peculiar building. It soars into the sky, overlooking the city with pride, functionally divided into many spaces such as companies, commercial residences, restaurants, and high-end residential areas. Thus, all kinds of people gather here: big spenders, nouveau riche with mistresses, silver collars who became wealthy overnight through intellect but never found emotional fulfillment, ultimately losing their sense of life's purpose, and women who are cunning, selling their bodies to achieve revenge and power. A building like this is like a small society, concentrating, twisting, and reflecting the myriad complex human attitudes in the face of power, desire, and money, posing a soul-searching question to people living at the turn of the century: How do you live? The story of this work is captivating, full of suspense, with a unique artistic conception, a sharp and incisive perspective, vivid and humorous language, demonstrating the author's exceptional artistic talent, as well as his sense of concern for human fate and a great love for humanity. 21 Building, a peculiar building. It soars into the sky, overlooking the city with pride, functionally divided into many spaces such as companies, commercial residences, restaurants, and high-end residential areas. Thus, all kinds of people gather here.