Browsing one of the literature bulletin boards, he came across a serialized novel titled “My Beijing,” published under the pseudonym Drunken Fish.
Hao’s depiction of Chengdu’s seedy underbelly became a sensation on forums like Tianya, one of the period’s largest blogging platforms.
Once, a colleague recommended the novel to Hao without knowing that he was Murong Xuecun.
“From the get-go, he has been completely obsessed with how people are corrupted by the environment in which they live,” says Megan Walsh, author of “The Subplot,” a book about contemporary Chinese literature.
Later, at a propaganda meeting, the deputy party secretary of Chengdu criticized Hao’s fiction for damaging the city’s image.
Persons:
Hao, ”, Fish, Murong Xuecun, Wei Da, Wei, Megan Walsh, Li Boqing, Li, Ran Yunfei, ” Ran
Organizations:
Authorities, Writers ’ Association, International New York Times
Locations:
Beijing, H.R, Shenzhen, Chengdu, China, North Africa, Weibo