I am not a literary giant

Chapter 114 Nicomachean Ethics (9820)

Prince Xu knocked on the door, and it opened almost instantly.

The person inside the door was not Professor Zhong—Wang Zixu did not know Professor Zhong, nor did he know what he looked like, but he was certain that the person in front of him was not Professor Zhong—it was a boy with very short hair, wearing glasses, and looking to be a little over twenty years old.

The boy couldn't wait to ask, "Are you Wang Zixu?"

"it's me."

"Come in."

Without saying a word, he pulled Wang Zixu into the house and quickly closed the door behind him.

This was Wang Zixu's first time entering a guest room at the Plaza Hotel. It truly lived up to its reputation as a "near-five-star hotel," with its interior furnishings being quite impressive.

The aquarium facing the door emitted a soft glow, and the small red and yellow fish inside seemed to swim in the air. The curtains were open, and the view outside the window was unobstructed, with a clear view of the government office building across the square. Professor Zhong sat on an exquisitely made huanghuali wood chair, with a book open on his lap.

His skin was bronze, his face was deeply lined, and his body remained motionless, like a statue.

The boy turned around as a precaution, raised a finger to him, and made a "shush" gesture: "Professor Chung is reading right now, so don't talk to him for a moment."

Wang Zixu glanced at Professor Zhong, whose gaze was fixed on the book open on his lap, his expression focused and serious. He seemed completely unaware that another person had entered the room. This concentration made him appear unusually solemn.

Prince Xu greatly admired people with such strong focus, because he himself was such a person.

The boy introduced himself: "My name is Zhao Peilin, a graduate student at Nanjing University. I'm your senior."

"Senior brother?"

"Hey, junior brother, hello."

"..."

Prince Xu was somewhat puzzled.

He was visibly younger than me, and besides, he was a graduate student at Nanjing University while I was an undergraduate at Beijing Institute of Technology. In any case, he couldn't be considered my senior.

But he didn't seem like he was just trying to take advantage of someone. He spoke with such confidence that he was almost certain that Wang Zixu would get into Nanjing University for graduate studies.

The more confident he became, the more confused Prince Xu became.

Ning Chunyan had mentioned on the phone before that she used some unusual method to get his article accepted as a special contribution to Nanjing University. She didn't specify what that method was.

But she told Wang Zixu: When you meet Zhong Junmin, don't say anything out of turn. Listen more and talk less. No matter what he says, just agree to it all at once. Don't be surprised.

So Prince Xu skipped that part and introduced himself: "I am Prince Xu, you already know my name."

Zhao Peilin extended his hand to him: "Hello, hello. I've also read your novel, and I admit it's a little better than mine."

"You flatter me."

"My main literary platform is 'New Moon.' If you want to write or study poetry in the future, you can come and discuss it with me. Of course, this will have to be after you get into Nanjing University."

Prince Xu was filled with awe and respect.

"New Moon" is a top-tier literary monthly in China, and to be featured in "New Moon" shows that this person is no ordinary individual. So he extended his hand and shook hands with him, then asked, "Professor Zhong, do you always do this when you read?"

Zhao Peilin smiled and said, "Yes. It's always like this. Don't misunderstand, Professor Zhong isn't neglecting you, it's just that he needs to maintain a certain period of absolute focus every day, and once he enters that state, you'd better not disturb him, or you'll bear the consequences."

Prince nodded: "I know. Once you enter a flow state, it's very uncomfortable to forcibly interrupt it."

Zhao Peilin's face showed an expression of appreciation: "You actually know about flow?"

"Yes. It's a state of extremely high concentration, also known as the optimal experience. It's a research finding from the psychology of well-being."

Zhao Peilin's face lit up with the expression of someone who had seen an unexpected piece of knowledge in the Xinhua Dictionary: "Not bad. I approve of you."

"……Thanks."

Prince Xu didn't really need this level of recognition, but the feeling of being recognized wasn't bad. He looked around and whispered:

"Won't our conversation disturb Professor Chung? Should I wait outside?"

"No need. You underestimate Professor Zhong's flow state. Once he enters this state, nothing around him can disturb him unless someone speaks directly to him. Even if you're doing morning exercises next to him, he won't be affected."

The prince feigned admiration: "Remarkable."

"Yes, but speaking of doing morning exercises..."

As Zhao Peilin spoke, he lay down on the ground and began doing push-ups, much to Wang Zixu's astonishment.

After doing 15 standard push-ups, this person stood up, clapped his hands in front of Wang Zixu's face, and looked relaxed, as if Wang Zixu was making a fuss over nothing.

"Professor Chung often says that training and sculpting should be a constant task. If the body is not tough enough, it cannot withstand the lofty and transcendent spirit."

Prince Xu came to his senses and agreed with his opinion: "Civilize their minds, toughen their bodies."

"Yes, as students of Nanjing University, we must do this. So, how many can you do?"

"In one go? About 55?"

Zhao Peilin looked surprised: "Are you sure? I'm talking about a proper push-up, not the light, shallow one. You can do 55 in one go?"

"Can."

Comrade Wang Jianguo didn't leave him any family heirlooms or ancestral precepts; the few good habits he gave him were the importance of consistent physical exercise. Wang Zixu was only relatively confident in his physical abilities.

Zhao Peilin said with a disbelieving expression, "Then show me how to do it properly. Your waist can't sag, your arms need to be tight, your toes need to be raised, and your body needs to be in a straight line. I'll count for you; if it's not perfect, it doesn't count."

Wang Zixu glanced at the ground, and after confirming that there was no cigarette ash, footprints, or dog poop, he hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "Okay."

He lay down and started doing the push-ups with ease. The first 20 were very easy, and Zhao Peilin counted them loudly for him. The 30 were a little more difficult, and the speed finally slowed down when he got to the 40th, but he still managed to do all 55 push-ups without missing a single one.

He stood up, feeling somewhat exhausted, his arms feeling heavy. He clapped his hands and said, "How was it?"

"Can."

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Peilin said, "Now, I'm starting to admire you a little."

"……Thanks."

Prince Xu doesn't need that level of appreciation, but the feeling of being appreciated isn't bad.

"Do you suddenly ask everyone you meet for the first time to do push-ups? And only approve of them after they've done it?" he asked.

"No, that's not it. Recognition is multidimensional, and it doesn't necessarily have to be limited to push-ups," Zhao Peilin explained. "Relax, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. It's just that I was supposed to be the one to make an appearance at this literary gathering."

He spoke with considerable resentment in the second half of his sentence, and then added:

"I was sure I'd win a prize, maybe even meet one or two literary girls, and a beautiful love story would begin. But then you suddenly appeared out of nowhere, replaced my manuscript, and my happiness was gone."

"Excuse me."

"It's alright. As I said before, I've read your novel, and it is indeed a little better than mine."

Wang Zixu knew he had replaced someone's manuscript, but now he realized whose manuscript it was. Zhao Peilin's face suddenly seemed adorable to him.

Wang Zixu said, "Let's put aside the manuscript for now. As for love, even if you don't win a prize in the competition, you can still talk about it directly."

"But the feeling is different. When a girl admires you, it's much easier to find a partner. For example, when I was at Nanjing University, I could never find a girlfriend. Everyone here is from Nanjing University, so I don't have that kind of halo."

Although he sighed deeply, his words carried a pride characteristic of Nanjing University students. And what he said was indeed true. For Nanjing University students to come to Xihe University was a game-changer, and they would definitely be looked up to.

However, Wang Zixu felt that love shouldn't be as complicated as he thought. If he couldn't find a partner at Nanjing University, he shouldn't blame it on his university's prestige.

Just then, Professor Zhong finally spoke up: "Don't listen to him. He's like Xianglin's wife. Even if his article is selected, it might not win any prizes."

The two quickly stood at attention. Professor Zhong, who was standing beside them, finally closed his book, stood up, strode over, looked Wang Zixu up and down for a long time, and then nodded.

"Prince Xu?"

"Yes."

Wang Zixu felt a little uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze. Zhong Junmin, in a blunt tone, asked directly:

"Have you ever wondered why I agreed to let someone like you, with no educational background at Nanjing University, participate in this literary conference as a specially invited author from Nanjing University?"

"Here it comes," Prince Xu said to himself.

The muscles in his arms were still slightly sore; the 55 push-ups he had just done were a reminder that this was also a test. Professor Zhong must have been waiting for him for a long time on this issue. His answer would determine how certain problems were handled.

Gaining the approval of a senior colleague is easy, but gaining the approval of a professor is probably not so simple.

After considering it for a while, Wang Zixu said, "I've thought about this question and come up with various reasons, but I can't convince myself."

Professor Zhong sat down in his seat: "I've thought about this issue several times these past few days, but I still can't convince myself."

His answer made Wang Zixu's heart sink, and then Professor Zhong continued:

"On the one hand, they said that you've always aspired to attend Nanyang University and have consistently tried to get into their graduate program. For that reason alone, I can convince myself to make an exception. On the other hand…"

He recited in a repeating tone: "'All art, all aspirations, and all actions and explorations can be seen as aiming at some good. Therefore, good can be correctly defined by starting from the goal that things pursue.'"

Prince Xu listened quietly until he finished speaking, then said softly, "Aristotle."

Professor Zhong's eyes lit up: "You've read it?"

"Hmm. Nicomachean Ethics."

"That's right. What do you think of that statement?"

"There is a classical beauty," Wang Zixu said. "Ancient Chinese philosophers also expressed similar sentiments."

Which sentence?

"If, upon self-examination, I find myself lacking in virtue, even if I wear coarse clothes and am broad-shouldered, I will not be afraid; if, upon self-examination, I find myself lacking in virtue, even if there are thousands or millions of people, I will go forth." This also speaks of making value judgments based on the original starting point of "goodness," but Mencius discusses it more from the perspective of the ruler.

Professor Zhong smiled.

Which university did you graduate from?

"Beijing Institute of Technology," Wang Zixu answered truthfully.

Professor Zhong asked, "Beijing Institute of Technology? Did you study humanities or sciences?"

"Engineering".

Zhong Junmin thought for a moment and said, "You're studying engineering and you've read so many books and done so much thinking. Now I believe you truly are someone who cherishes the dream of Nanjing University."

Prince Xu chose to remain silent.

Although the process was very tortuous and complicated, Professor Chung's conclusion was at least correct.

Professor Chung said, "I was willing to facilitate this because I believe it is a pursuit of beauty, and beauty is goodness. Many people have broken the rules for your sake, including myself. I hope that in the future, when faced with choices between good and evil, you can remain clear-headed and not forget everything others have done for you today."

The prince nodded emphatically.

"I heard you work in a small company here?" Professor Zhong asked again.

"Um."

"You'll sit next to me at the awards ceremony later," Professor Zhong said. "Since I've given you the status of a specially invited contributor from Nanjing University, you naturally need to be part of our Nanjing University team."

Prince Xu nodded: "Okay."

Professor Zhong added, "If your novel wins a prize, it will probably be a huge irony for many people. Since you've mocked them, don't expect them not to retaliate; you have to withstand the pressure."

Prince Xu replied, "I will."

"Finally," Professor Chung said, "if you apply to Nanjing University's Chinese Language and Literature program in the future, you can choose me as your advisor."

This was a very weighty statement, and Prince Xu nodded solemnly: "Okay."

"I've finished speaking, you can go now. Remember to exchange contact information with Zhao Peilin and be on time for the awards ceremony."

Before Wang Zixu left, Zhao Peilin said to him, "Professor Zhong has approved of you."

"Um."

"I've figured it out. It's the same if you show your face this time. But you need to get into Nanjing University as soon as possible. You have a lot of social experience. Once you get in, you'll definitely bring a lot of female resources. That way, not only me, but many of our brothers at Nanjing University might be saved."

He was so naive that even Prince Xu couldn't bear to tell him the cruel reality: what kind of female resources did he have? Should he introduce Guo Ranran to him?

The atmosphere wasn't conducive to saying anything discouraging, so he simply nodded heavily and said to Zhao Peilin's innocent face, "Okay."

In any case, he had passed the test. After leaving the house, Wang Zixu dialed Ning Chunyan's number.

"Hey, I just saw Professor Chung."

Ning Chunyan asked in surprise, "How did it go? What did you say?"

"I met Professor Chung and his student Zhao Peilin. We did push-ups and talked about Aristotle."

"It sounds like things are going well."

"Actually, he's very serious," Wang Zixu said. "Professor Zhong gives me the impression of being a very serious person, or rather, a very pure person."

Ning Chunyan said, "Really? You feel the same way I do. You also seem like a very pure person to me. I was wondering before, would two people with such high aspirations clash if they came together?"

Wang Zixu said, "No, Professor Zhong asked me to sit next to him when I presented the award."

Ning Chunyan sounded somewhat surprised: "So that means he approves of you. Professor Zhong is very particular about reputation; if he wasn't satisfied with you, he'd be happy to keep you far away."

Prince Xu said, "Congratulations!"

Ning Chunyan then said, "By the way, I have something to tell you."

"Go on," Wang Zixu said with a smile. He was waiting for her to tell him how she had persuaded Professor Zhong back then.

"I'm going to grade your manuscripts right away," Ning Chunyan said with a grin.

Wang Zixu said, "With your cynical attitude, can you really do such a serious job as grading?"

"Who said that? I'm very serious!"

"Since this is a serious matter, we shouldn't reveal this kind of thing to the contestants," Wang Zixu said. "It's important to avoid suspicion."

"Hmph. You're certainly upright and incorruptible."

Ning Chunyan smiled slightly.

On such matters of principle, Wang Zixu was surprisingly difficult to speak about. She had originally planned to tease him, but seeing his serious expression, she found it hard to say anything.

Ning Chunyan's tone became genuinely serious as she reminded him, "But let me tell you, you're not the only one with connections in this essay competition. The judges and other participants aren't all as upright and honest as you."

Wang Zixu said, "I know. But if I reflect on myself and find myself guilty, I will go even if it means facing a thousand or ten thousand men. I don't want to look back later and realize that I have done something wrong. That would leave me with a permanent and easily defeated weakness."

Ning Chunyan smiled.

Although he was terribly pedantic, he was also terribly reassuring.

Wang Zixu paused for a moment, then said, "Also, I think I've figured out how you got my manuscript into Nanjing University."

"Uh..." Ning Chunyan scratched her cheek, "Is it really okay to talk about this when the atmosphere is so good..."

"Did you tell Professor Chung that I would definitely apply for graduate school at Nanjing University?"

Ning Chunyan's voice carried a hint of guilt: "I didn't say that."

"That means you said so."

"But I didn't say that."

"Who said that?"

……

"Ms. Chen Qingluo, could you tell us how you embarked on the path of novel writing?" the reporter asked.

Chen Qingluo sat on the sofa in the hotel's lounge with a weary expression, her hands on her lap, looking as if she were on trial.

After hiding at Ning Chunyan's house for so many days, she still couldn't escape this. Even with her evasion skills maxed out, she couldn't avoid the ever-present reporters.

Fortunately, she had already finished writing "The Dedication of Simone de Beauvoir," otherwise, this barrage of interviews today would have ruined her even the best of spirits.

"Teacher Chen Qingluo?" the reporter urged, raising his voice.

Chen Qingluo snapped out of her reverie and said in a monotone, as if a primary school student were reciting a text, "Since I was little, I've always cherished a literary dream..."

"Ahem," the reporter coughed lightly twice, "Teacher Chen, could you tell us something more real and down-to-earth? This report is aimed at children and parents, and your experience can set a good example for them."

The reporter was a beautiful woman in black stockings, dressed impeccably in a suit despite the sweltering heat. She was sweating profusely, and her face was caked with powder. In short, she looked incredibly pitiful, making it hard to refuse her.

Chen Qingluo sighed and said, "I participated in a competition and won a lot of money, so I've been writing ever since."

"Well……"

Chen Qingluo described a respectable literary competition as gambling, which sounded quite discordant. Therefore, some revisions and polishing were necessary when drafting the manuscript. The reporter noted this down and continued, "..."

Are you from a poor family?

Not poor.

"So... is money your only motivation?"

Chen Qingluo clasped her hands and retorted, "If you didn't get paid, how much motivation would you have to go to this job?"

"Uh... I think there shouldn't be many. But Professor Chen, I don't quite understand the logic behind it."

"I made a lot of money writing novels when I was 17, so I continued writing novels. Without that money, I would have had to find a job after graduation, but with that money, even if I wanted to find a job, they wouldn't let me. In other words, I embarked on the path of literary creation purely out of necessity."

The reporter looked extremely embarrassed: "Professor Chen, could you please try to say something that I can write in my report?"

Chen Qingluo sighed and said in a tone as emotionless as a primary school student reciting a text, "Since I was a child, I have always cherished a literary dream..."

After finishing the interview, Chen Qingluo walked out the door and saw a woman bowing to her:

"Teacher Chen, I'm Zhang Qian from the Publicity Department. The awards ceremony is about to begin. I'll take you to the venue."

"Are you Zhang Qian from the publicity department?"

"Yes, you know me?" Zhang Qian was somewhat surprised.

"You filthy bitch."

"Huh?" Zhang Qian thought she had misheard.

Chen Qingluo walked ahead without saying a word, huffing and puffing. Zhang Qian wondered if she had misheard. But she could clearly sense that Chen Qingluo disliked her intensely.

Zhang Qian jogged after her, her fingers secretly twisting together. She'd heard Chen Qingluo was difficult to get along with, but never this difficult to serve! However, receiving Chen Qingluo was a political task, and she couldn't afford to mess it up, so she didn't have a temper.

"Teacher Chen, please come this way."

Chen Qingluo's gaze was as sharp as the north wind, chilling Zhang Qian to the bone, making her heart tremble.

"You stinking woman..."

Zhang Qian, sweating profusely, asked, "What did you say?"

"It's nothing. Lead the way, let's go."

……

"Teacher Li, I should go now," Lin Feng said to Li Tingfang.

"Hmm." Li Tingfang opened her eyes. After a busy day, she felt a little tired. She had closed her eyes to rest for a while, and in the glow of the setting sun, she felt drowsy. As one gets older, it's not something one can control when one gets sleepy.

But she couldn't sleep anymore; there was more important work to do next.

She will preside over the final round of judging for the essay contest, which will determine who ultimately wins the awards.

Lin Feng helped her to her feet, and Li Tingfang withdrew her hand, saying, "85 points."

"Um?"

Li Tingfang said, "I would give you 85 points."

"Um……"

Lin Feng felt a slight disappointment, but he knew Li Tingfang too well and was mentally prepared for this outcome, so he wasn't particularly disappointed.

"This is a fair score. Whatever the score is, that's the score I'll give. Given my position, I can't show favoritism," Li Tingfang said.

Raymond Lam lowered his head: "I know."

"Shen Qingfeng will definitely give Lin Luo a very high score and you a very low score. The highest and lowest scores will be removed in this competition. This competition system is designed to avoid situations like his, but it will still have an impact. This is unfair to you, but there's nothing we can do. There is no such thing as absolute fairness in the world."

Raymond Lam nodded: "I understand."

"You can only get through this if you do your best and are impeccable. If you put your heart into it this time and still can't get through, it means you still need to hone your skills. Then try again next year."

Li Tingfang thought for a moment and said, "Just as Hemingway said, a man can be destroyed but not defeated."

Lin Feng's voice became more firm: "Yes!"

"It's almost time," Li Tingfang glanced at her watch. "I should head to the venue."

……

"I should head to the venue," Shen Qingfeng said to Lin Luo. "No need to calculate anymore, we're already number one no matter how you look at it."

Lin Luo lay on the table, the white paper in front of him covered with notes, including names and arithmetic formulas, all in a very messy state.

Lin Luo looked extremely nervous: "Let's do one last calculation. You add Teacher Liu and Teacher Fan. Teacher Liu can give 95 points, and you give 90 points. That way, if Teacher Fan can be a little lenient..."

Shen Qingfeng said impatiently, "As long as Li Tingfang doesn't give you a score below 60, your average score will definitely be above 90."

Lin Luo said, "It mainly depends on Teacher Fan. It's a pity that he's such a shameless scoundrel. He took the bath and accepted the gift, and then said he would give a fair score."

Shen Qingfeng said, "There will always be such old-fashioned people. Stop thinking about it. Money can only do so much. If you can spend money, others can too. Besides, we don't need to be number one. We just need to keep Lin Feng in check."

Lin Luo pursed her lips.

Suppressing Lin Feng was Shen Qingfeng's wish, but it was not Lin Luo's wish.

This time, everything is on his side – the timing, the location, and the people. If he wants to win first place in the literary competition, this might be his best chance.

If you don't get first place, there will always be some regrets.

Shen Qingfeng was aware of his thoughts, but he didn't point them out.

In fact, one of the judges, Teacher Fan, had already given his approval. He could tell that if the judges put in a little more effort, they might be able to get his points as well.

But that meant nothing to him.

Lin Feng is an opponent to Shen Qingfeng, but isn't Lin Luo a threat as well? If Lin Luo can stab Lin Feng in the back, why can't he stab him in the back?

He didn't intend for Lin Luo to necessarily win first place. As for whether Lin Luo could ultimately win first place, that depended on his own destiny and luck.

Shen Qingfeng grabbed the briefcase from the table, tucked it under his arm, and said, "I'm leaving."

"Take care, Teacher Shen. I'll see you off."

……

"That's all for now," Yan Zishan said, turning back to Diao Yiwen's father.

Not far away, a black sedan with the license plate number 010 marked "Official Vehicle" was parked on the side of the road. The civil servant stood outside the car, respectfully waiting for Yanzishan to arrive.

Mr. Diao nodded and said in a low voice, "Teacher Yan, since my daughter has already made it to the third round, we can be satisfied. But if she could get a ranking, there would be less regret..."

Yanzishan remained silent, saying expressionlessly, "I know."

Mr. Diao held up one finger, indicating a very small distance: "If she can achieve even a slightly better ranking, that would be perfect for her, and from now on..."

"No need to say anything more."

Yan Zishan turned and left. He was just spouting nonsense. How could he possibly give himself a low score for a draft he revised himself? He wasn't some rigid, bookish fool. He always gave himself full marks for his own writing.

He decided to give Diao Yiwen's manuscript a score of 98, deducting one point for not being entirely his own writing and the other out of modesty. If he had to remove the highest score, he would remove his own.

Since he said that Diao Yiwen's manuscript could get second place, Diao Yiwen will definitely get second place; she will neither get first nor third place.

He has this confidence because he is Yanzishan.

……

"I'm not confident I can get first place. I only found out a few days ago how well everyone else was prepared; some people started writing six months in advance. I only spent a few days finishing my draft, and I even had to go to the hospital for the ending."

Wang Zixu squatted on the flower bed, lit a cigarette in the sunset, and spoke to Ye Lan on the other end of the phone.

He spoke while laughing, though the laugh was tinged with bitterness. He felt increasingly overwhelmed by life. Besides, there were so many mosquitoes by the flowerbed.

Ye Lan chuckled and said, "You don't need to underestimate yourself. Don't forget, you're the kind of person who can increase a 6% retention rate to 16% in a single day. I wouldn't be surprised if any miracle happens to you."

"After all, those are two different things. Even if you make a lot of money, you won't necessarily be recognized by everyone. Look, even the world's richest person has a lot of people criticizing him."

"That's true," Ye Lan said. "But if I become the richest person, I don't mind people criticizing me."

"What's painful is that when you're poor, a bunch of people come over and point their fingers at you and curse you."

Ye Lan burst into laughter, but Wang Zixu didn't. Because what he said was based on personal experience, and no matter how ridiculous a personal experience is, it's not funny.

Ye Lan said, "Guess where I am right now?"

Wang Zixu said, "You didn't come to the literary gathering either, did you?"

"Hmm." Ye Lan said lightly, "Zuo Ziliang is here too. We all came to see you."

Wang Zixu covered his face: "What about the company? Is it not making money anymore? What's so interesting about this lousy story?"

"It's so lively, what's wrong with it? Today is your big day, of course we had to come!"

Wang Zixu said bitterly, "You guys are putting a lot of pressure on me. I'm not even sure I'll get a place."

"If you don't win any prizes, we'll just watch the show!" Ye Lan said.

After saying that, she added, "Hey, what's your expected ranking?"

I have no expectations.

After saying that, he felt it was too hypocritical, so he changed his words and said, "I hope to at least get 5th place. If I can get 5th place, I can give Nanjing University an explanation, and I can also give Ning Chunyan an explanation. When I get back to my unit, I won't be so embarrassed."

"And what about yourself?"

"Um?"

Ye Lan asked, "Do you think getting 5th place is fair to your hard work and effort?"

This is a good question.

Wang Zixu considered Ning Chunyan's and Nanjing University's reputation, as well as the friction within his workplace; he considered everything. The only thing he didn't consider was his own thoughts.

He was deeply moved that Ye Lan paid attention to him under these circumstances.

For many years, no one has cared about what Prince Xu thinks.

He remained silent for a long time before saying, "Many times, hard work doesn't necessarily guarantee a reward."

"But you must always believe that good things will happen."

"I hope so."

"So, with your efforts, what place do you think you can get?"

"No. 5."

"Tch, what a loser." Ye Lan scoffed. "You should just focus on making money in Wen'ai. At least your earning ability is beyond anyone else's judgment."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Zixu still couldn't stomach Ye Lan's motivational platitudes. In his 30 years of life, he had hardly encountered anything that could be considered "good."

Just imagine, what would have happened to him if Ning Chunyan hadn't helped him? He wouldn't have made it to the third round no matter what. What does that have to do with hard work? How could he have known back then that his lack of effort in dating would lead to his failure in the essay contest? How could he have foreseen this?

If you force yourself to believe in motivational platitudes, you'll probably be disappointed.

But if the sentence were changed to "try your best to hold on until good things finally happen," it would make more sense, because that's exactly what he did.

The good things that happened to him all fell within these last few months: Zuo Ziliang, Ning Chunyan, Ye Lan… If he hadn’t constantly gotten up from the ground and eventually developed an iron body, he wouldn’t have made it to meet them. Wang Zixu felt that overall he was quite fortunate; at least God hadn’t made him live to be sixty.

As for the "bad things" he encountered before the age of 30, he wanted to utter a declaration in the style of Shi Tiesheng: If there are some things I haven't said, don't think I've forgotten them. I haven't forgotten anything. Some things are only meant to be kept, not spoken, not thought, yet cannot be forgotten.

He would silently remember these "bad things," writing them down stroke by stroke, and then, at a crucial moment, he would bring them up again and realize, "Oh, you still owe me a debt here."

In the square, large white lights lit up one after another, making crisp "click, click, click" sounds. Several intersecting shadows appeared beneath Prince Xu's feet.

"I am an indestructible, unyielding, and unbreakable copper pea."

He threw down his cigarette butt and walked toward the venue.

"Make way, everyone! Pea's coming to beat someone up today!"

……

The square was already packed with people. The viewing area was divided into inner and outer sections. The inner section was for seating, and half of it was occupied by government agencies, with signs indicating which agency sat where. When Wang Zixu passed by his own agency, someone saw him.

"Prince Xu! Over here!"

Prince Xu turned his head and glanced at him, but only smiled slightly, without stopping.

Song Yinglian frowned: "Where did he go?"

Guo Ranran stood up: "He's sat in the first three rows!"

Upon hearing this, many colleagues stood up and craned their necks to look.

The first three rows were reserved for city leaders and special guests. Why would Wang Zixu sit there without an invitation? It was utterly absurd. Diao Yiwen thought to herself with disdain, but she couldn't help craning her neck to look.

"Look, look! He really did sit in the third row!"

"What's going on?" Gou Yingbiao's nasal voice rang out from behind.

"Director Gou, Wang Zixu has moved to the third row!"

……

"Professor Chung."

In the third row, Chung Chun-min waved to him and said succinctly, "Sit."

Wang Zixu entered sideways and sat down next to Zhong Junmin. Zhong Junmin remained silent, but Wang Zixu couldn't help but glance around before quickly averting his gaze in fright.

As expected of the first three rows, everyone there is someone who has appeared on television; some have been on local news, and some have been on national news.

"Junior brother, junior brother!" Zhao Peilin called out to him, leaning down from the seat across from him, "Keep it up!"

Wang Zixu lowered his head and said, "Now is no longer the time for me to change anything by working harder."

"I know, but perseverance is a life attitude."

"Okay, then good luck to you too."

Professor Zhong glanced down at the two of them and said, "How about we switch seats so you two can have a chat?"

Wang Zixu said, "I'm sorry, Professor Zhong."

Zhao Peilin said, "Thank you, Professor Zhong."

Professor Zhong switched seats with Zhao Peilin, and Zhao Peilin sat next to him: "I've heard that Xihe is known for its beautiful women."

"Shouldn't we avoid discussing such low-level topics in this setting?"

"Alright."

From afar, Guo Ranran was still peering in, peeking out cautiously, then turned to report: "Prince Xu has indeed sat down and is chatting with someone!"

Gou Yingbiao's face darkened: "You guys call him!"

Xu Shichao held up his phone: "I called, but I couldn't get through."

"Too many people, bad signal."

Zhang Cangnian sat in the chair, looking relaxed: "Forget it, as long as he has a seat, it's fine. They didn't kick him out."

Guo Ranran turned her head and asked, "But why is he sitting in the third row?"

"Yeah, why should we?" Zhang Cangnian laughed. Young people are often blind to some things.

Just as Guo Ranran was still indignant, she heard a sound like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing.

The cheers started from the outer perimeter. Wang Zixu and Zhao Peilin were discussing what kind of topics they should talk about to pass the time without seeming lewd, when they heard the cheers.

So he raised his head, and in that instant, as if possessed by a spirit, he looked in the right direction and saw the source of the cheers. Then he was jolted awake.

It was a feeling of divine inspiration. Before Wu Yazi bestowed this inspiration upon Xu Zhu, he first slapped him on the forehead, crippling his martial arts. Just like Xu Zhu, Prince Xu was slapped, his face bruised and swollen, dizzy and disoriented.

Having roamed the world for many years, the tough guy thought he was invincible. Just as his confidence was soaring, he suddenly saw his original aspirations again. His steel-like skin was easily pierced, and his diamond-like will crumbled.

No matter how much a person tries to protect themselves, they cannot defend against an attack launched from the softest spot in their heart.

After 12 years, 3 months and 5 days, Wang Zixu saw the living Chen Qingluo again.

(End of this chapter)