Freedom and Flight: My Youthful Journey with Guo Jingming

Author: Zhang Shenglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "When the literary world in the 1980s was blooming wildly and unrestrainedly, you should stand up even more unrestrainedly, defeat them utterly, and restore the truth to the world, the truth to readers, and the truth to history!!!" But what is the truth? Yan Ge says in her novel "Guanhe," "The truth is unknowable, and will always remain unknowable. Those who know the truth do not live long!" Perhaps there is no truth in this world, only dreams. Those who have woken from the dream look down from the clouds with disdainful laughter; those who are chasing dreams queue at the foot of the mountain, competing with each other. And I, this half-asleep, half-awake person, stand alone atop the mountain, taking in the expanse of heaven and earth in one glance. At this moment, the lonely and persistent me finally realizes: literature is a dream, and life is also a dream. In the illusionary city where dreams intertwine, how many flowers have fallen? The author of this book was born on a cold but passionate Christmas night and belongs to the determined, lonely, and persistent Capricorn. He is a workaholic who is usually cold, deep, and taciturn, but inside, he is gentle as water and passionate as fire. His friends describe his personality as "a volcano on the ocean, ice on the volcano!" He is deeply emotional and loyal, willing to go to great lengths for his friends and family. He loves reading comics, watching movies, and embracing new things, but what he never wants to change is his sincerity towards people! This book is dedicated to Guo Jingming, as well as to all who cherish and miss their friends!
Flowers, crowds, applause, and screams—this world seems to belong to him. Luxury cars, fragrant rooms, golden tickets, and scepters—none of them truly belong to anyone. Guo Jingming is like an angel who has descended to the human world, his appearance magnificent and noble. When that luxurious silver BMW stopped at the school gate, when that stern and old-fashioned woman who was a whole head taller than him helped him out of the car, and when he revealed his face, covered in powder and masks, to the long-lost townspeople, the scene was already swarming with crowds like a thousand armies. The woman, with a stern and fierce expression, stood closely beside him, holding his left hand and waving her right to fend off the surging crowd, as if wielding the power of the Buddha's palm. Journalists from all over and more than forty security guards formed a second inner circle. The sound of camera flashes and the noise of the crowd echoed together. The scene was filled with dirty shoes, crumpled books, and torn sleeves, creating a frenzy of chaos. Guo Jingming looked up at the sky. Several nameless green birds were startled by the noisy crowd and flew over the dense camphor forests on the cross-ridge, leaving grey marks like eyes in the azure sky.
"Guo Jingming is here!" "I love Guo Jingming!" "My idol, Guo Jingming!" "You are our pride, Guo Jingming!" In the face of countless praises and accolades, the child favored by the world seems to be unhappy. At least, no smile can be seen on his face, and his expression remains stern and melancholic, calm yet sorrowful. What makes him unable to speak or smile when facing his hometown, his alma mater, his teachers, and his fellow students? Perhaps, it is too many happy and sorrowful memories that have plunged him into a melancholy of longing; perhaps, as a celebrity, he should maintain a cool demeanor; or perhaps, the tight schedule and constant travel have left him too exhausted! The leaders of the school formed a special team and finally broke through the heavily guarded student wall to meet the "hero" Guo Jingming. Principal Fan, drenched in sweat, stepped forward and clasped his "honor" in both hands, saying excitedly, "Welcome back to your alma mater!" It was only then that Guo Jingming managed to force a smile for the occasion, and under the guidance of the special team, he, along with the media and security guards behind him, were taken to the multi-purpose classroom of the comprehensive teaching building.
"I have never witnessed such a grand scene of a celebrity before. In my eyes, the status and honor he has achieved are so unreachable and unparalleled! It is known that Guo Jingming's return to his alma mater was actually a publicity stunt organized by the school to boost enrollment. For this, the school mobilized a lot of manpower and resources, invited various media, organized students to rehearse a welcome banquet, and even brought back graduates like me to create a buzz. As far as I know, Guo Jingming was accommodated in one of the school's high-end hotels the night before, and the leaders and principals all fawned over him. And yet, in just three