I am not a literary giant

Chapter 117 The Road Ahead is Unobstructed

"The winners of the Excellence Award in this competition are: Lin Luo and Cui Xian! Winners, please come to the stage to receive your awards, and our special guests will present them to you!"

A man in his thirties jogged onto the stage, his pockmarked face beaming with joy. He stretched out his hands and waved vigorously at the audience, perhaps greeting his family or friends. He was trying his best to share his happiness with everyone in the audience.

However, Lin Luo sat motionless in her seat. Seeing the man's sunny smile, she felt no joy, but rather found him extremely annoying.

Someone next to him reminded him, "Lin Luo! Go up on stage to receive your award! They're calling you!"

"Haha, you're so excited, aren't you? You're totally stunned."

Lin Luo slowly stood up amidst the shoving, his expression dazed, as if waking from a dream, unable to take a step for a long time.

Lin Feng looked at him, expressionless.

Among the people celebrating for Lin Luo, only Lin Feng knew that he wasn't happy, but rather disappointed.

Sometimes, the person who knows you best is your enemy.

Ye Lan asked, "Why are there two people?"

Zuo Ziliang said, "Because this award is not the first prize; it's for fourth and fifth place."

Ye Lan said, "Oh, it's like a consolation prize, right?"

Zuo Ziliang said, "No, think about it, picking the top five from hundreds of manuscripts is still pretty good."

Ye Lan said, "Oh, so that means 'keep up the good work'."

Zuo Ziliang said, "...there's also a 10,000 yuan bonus."

Ye Lan's eyes lit up: "That's quite generous! But this isn't much, is it? Our Prince Xu earns ten thousand in just a few days by casually writing scripts."

Zuo Ziliang pointed to the stage: "But this ten thousand was personally handed to you by Yanzishan. Just think about it, what an honor that is!"

"Ten thousand is ten thousand. Whether it's from the user or from Yanzishan, it's ten thousand yuan, no more, no less. Besides, who is Yanzishan?"

"Never mind what I said."

"Oh, so you're a pretty famous writer? Tsk, can you stop being so arrogant? I don't know anything about you!"

Zuo Ziliang looked up at the sky. But he couldn't help but envy Ye Lan's clear-headed life.

Lin Luo slowly moved towards the stage; the short distance of a few dozen meters felt incredibly long. The stage lights were dazzling; staring at them for two seconds made the world turn completely white, as if everything was made of silver.

Under the lights, the smiling man looked at him gently, his eyes seemingly encouraging him to come up on stage quickly. Lin Luo didn't recognize him; from the host's introduction, his name seemed to be Cui Xian. Lin Luo suddenly felt a strong dislike for this man—no, he loathed him.

Why are you laughing? Why are you so happy? Why are you encouraging him with your eyes? Who does he think he is?

Lin Luo found the man's smile disgusting. His hands were trembling; he wanted to rush onto the stage, punch that disgusting smile, dent his fleshy face, and tear his thick lips apart.

Why? Why should this nobody, this big shot who appeared out of nowhere, be allowed to receive the same award as me? Does he deserve it? Doesn't he feel ashamed? Doesn't he think he's lowered the standard of this stage and affected Lin Luo's reputation?

For this day, Lin Luo spent money, treated guests, and gained the strong support of many judges. This man, who didn't even know which way to turn at the Writers' Association, was standing on the same award stage as him and was still grinning foolishly. What made him so special?

Then, a profound sense of despair struck his heart. He saw Shen Qingfeng's eyes. Shen Qingfeng met his gaze for a moment, then looked away, seemingly equally disappointed in him.

In other words, he spent money, treated guests, and even used his personal connections, only to receive a consolation prize. Lin Luo didn't know how to face him next.

After much hesitation, Lin Luo finally stepped onto the stage, reluctantly standing shoulder to shoulder with the man named Cui Xian, facing the surging audience. Lin Luo suddenly felt like an ordinary commodity in a shop window or display case.

Xu Shichao asked, "Which organization do these two belong to?"

Zhang Cangnian said, "Lin Luo is from integrated media, but Cui Xian doesn't know that. He might be a master among ordinary people."

Xu Shichao laughed and said, "Look at those two, one is all smiles, and the other has a bitter face."

Song Yinglian asked, "Which one is Lin Luo? Which one is Cui Xian?"

"That flower is Cui Xian, and that bitter one is Lin Luo."

Why does he look so miserable?

"have no idea."

The stage lights were bright enough to illuminate everyone's expressions, but no one wanted to delve into the inner thoughts of those on stage. Whether Lin Luo was happy or sad was irrelevant to the audience. As long as you weren't the one to spoil the fun, fourth or fifth place was perfectly acceptable.

At least in the eyes of the onlookers, the smiling Choi Hyun looked much more approachable than Lin Luo.

Guo Ranran asked worriedly, "There are no fourth or fifth place winners anymore. Will Xiao Diao be able to win an award?"

Song Yinglian said, "Definitely. Xiao Diao will definitely be in the top three."

Diao Yiwen whispered, "Don't say that, I don't even have as much confidence as you guys."

"You still need to have confidence," Guo Ranran said. "I'll at least finish in the top three!"

Song Yinglian said, "Who knows, Xiao Diao might be next."

Diao Yiwen bit her lip and looked away. That's why she didn't like Song Yinglian. Although he was very attentive in flattering her, he sometimes lacked emotional intelligence. Since he had already started flattering her, why didn't he just say she was number one? If she really got third place, her father would scold her to death.

Yanzishan said she wanted to get second place.

……

The prize for the Excellence Award was a certificate, encased in a hard cover and secured with a red ribbon. The certificate was placed on a tray, which was then respectfully presented to Yanzishan by a hostess.

Yan Zishan picked up the certificate, glanced at it, and asked, "Cui Xian?"

The smiling man quickly raised his hand: "It's me!"

Yan Zishan handed him the certificate. Then, he handed the remaining certificate to Lin Luo without even asking his name.

The hostess next to me whispered a reminder: "Smile, it'll make the photos easier to take."

Lin Luo's laughter grew even more painful. Yan Zishan stood beside him, still expressionless. His status allowed him to refrain from smiling.

That concluded the awards ceremony. A symbolic round of applause erupted from the audience, but it didn't last long.

Lin Luo stood on the stage, the man beside him still waving happily to the audience. He felt lost again, tucking the certificate under his arm, unsure whether to step down or stay on the stage.

Fortunately, a hostess came to their rescue, asking the two of them to move aside slightly to make room for the people who would be going up to receive their awards later.

Offstage, Zhao Peilin nudged Wang Zixu's arm a couple of times and whispered, "Great, now you're guaranteed a top-three finish."

Xie Cong chuckled upon hearing this and turned to ask, "How come it's guaranteed to be in the top three? Shouldn't the awards be for fourth and fifth? What's the logic behind this?"

Zhao Peilin patted Wang Zixu on the back: "The fourth and fifth places are out, so he can only get into the top three, right?"

Xie Cong raised an eyebrow: "So confident?"

"It's possible that... well, anyway, his manuscript won't fail to get into the top five."

Zhao Peilin wanted to say, how could a manuscript that could be supported by both of Xihe's top writers not even make it into the top five? But he realized that it was not a good thing to say this to outsiders, so he swallowed it.

Xie Cong glanced at Wang Zixu and said, "Old classmate, are you confident you can get into the top three?"

Prince Xu ignored him.

He now devotes most of his attention to Chen Qingluo, with a small portion focused on awards and rankings. He has very little energy left to understand the conversations of those around him, and even less to replying.

He actually considered himself to be fifth. As he had told Ye Lan before, getting fifth place would already be enough to satisfy everyone.

Hearing that his name wasn't among the fourth or fifth names, he felt as if he had stepped into thin air, feeling extremely upset, yet also desperately hoping that Zhao Peilin's beautiful wish would come true.

Xie Cong waited for a long time but did not receive a reply from Wang Zixu, and he began to have some doubts.

On stage, Lin Luo and Cui Xian, who were ranked fourth and fifth respectively, stood to one side like items that had been auctioned off. The host then announced:

The third prize-winning entry in this essay competition is "The Movement of the Sun," by Lin Feng.

"Bravo!" The members of the Writers' Association led the applause. Lin Feng was quite popular in the association, and his applause was more enthusiastic than Lin Luo's. Lin Feng stood up apologetically from the crowd, smiling and saying that at least his suit wasn't a mistake today.

Hearing Lin Feng's name, Wang Zixu breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a little empty. He raised his hand and applauded for Lin Feng.

Lin Feng's third-place finish was well-deserved and a result of his wishes, and I'm genuinely happy for this kind-hearted man. However, at the same time, he can't help but worry about his own future—

If I'm not in the top five, how am I supposed to face Ning Chunyan... and Chen Qingluo?

Raymond Lam walked confidently onto the stage, stood calmly beside Lin Luo, faced the audience with composure, and then smiled.

He felt only slightly regretful, not disappointed, for not achieving a higher ranking.

Lin Luo stood beside him, staring at him with a hint of resentment. He knew that Lin Luo must be full of complaints at this moment, and was probably thinking of a way to attack him.

"Look at this guy, he calls himself the vice president of the Writers' Association, but he's only ranked one place higher than me, and he can only get a third prize!"

— Lin Feng had anticipated that Lin Luo would say this.

Unfortunately, Lin Luo lost without a doubt. He neither achieved his long-cherished wish of taking first place nor managed to dethrone Lin Feng. All his and Shen Qingfeng's elaborate plans ultimately failed. Someone will naturally settle accounts with him in the future.

Lin Feng didn't achieve his long-cherished wish either, but he remained quite calm. Wang Zixu had strongly recommended Hemingway to him. He couldn't understand most of Hemingway's books; he only gleaned some meaning from *The Old Man and the Sea*.

True strength doesn't rely on the failures of others. A true strong person first and foremost believes in themselves.

Lin Luo tried every means to crush him, using all sorts of tricks and underhanded methods to make Lin Feng fail in order to highlight his own superiority, relying on various external forces but not truly believing in himself.

He is not a strong person.

Lin Feng has experienced many things and has some understanding of this murky world, but he still believes in something Li Tingfang told him a long time ago:

"Someone may have gotten second place through underhanded means, but only the strong can get first place."

Lin Feng knew he wasn't a strong person. He was just a little stronger than his past self, and a little stronger than Lin Luo now.

Just a little bit stronger is enough.

The two were like two darts that landed just outside the bullseye, their landing points not far apart, but their states of mind were different. These states of mind led to completely different feelings for them.

The second prize-winning entry in this essay competition is "On the Road to the West," by Diao Yiwen.

A cheer erupted from the crowd. People looked toward the source of the cheers. Diao Yiwen stood up shyly. Beside her, Song Yinglian clapped vigorously, his palms turning red, while Guo Ranran shouted excitedly.

Gou Yingbiao clapped his hands lightly, turned his head and said in a strong voice, "Not bad, Xiao Diao!" He couldn't wait to cheer and let everyone around know that Xiao Diao was his subordinate.

Diao Yiwen nodded with a smile that didn't reveal her teeth, and strode towards the stage, but sighed inwardly.

As expected, he came in second place.

Yanzishan had confidently declared that she would get second place. But secretly, she had wondered, what if she got more than second? After all, it was Yanzishan!

She also wondered if Yanzishan was too proud of his status and didn't want to make any promises, so he deliberately threw out a second place and emphasized that Diao Yiwen's framework was problematic, so that even if the ranking was not good afterward, he could still save face.

Diao Yiwen also thought that if she won first place, she could hold the certificate and smile at Yanzishan and say: My framework did hold you back, but not by much. You can also misjudge people sometimes!

But as it turned out, Yanzishan lived up to his reputation; his judgment was spot on. It wasn't that he was being overly proud or concerned with saving face that prevented him from making overly confident statements. His insight was remarkably sharp. He said he would get second place, and he indeed did.

This is the keenness he cultivated through years of immersion in the art of writing.

The four people stood on the stage, each with their own thoughts.

Lin Luo was annoyed, Diao Yiwen was regretful, and Lin Feng was neither happy nor sad.

In the end, only Choi Hyun was genuinely happy.

Now all that's left is to wait for the true and sole winner of this match to appear.

Sitting in the first row, Shen Jianqiu stretched out his fingers, counting the four people one by one, and then said:

"There are many unfamiliar faces, and some familiar faces as well, about half and half!"

Mei Rucheng leaned closer and said, "Yes, in this competition, the newcomers are the main force."

Shen Jianqiu sighed, "The wheels of time keep turning, and new talents always replace the old. But I think the two most promising contenders have already made it to the next round. So who will take first place?"

Mei Rucheng said, "You mean Lin Feng and Lin Luo? Yes. It can't be said that they underperformed this time; it's just that there were dark horses this time, and more than one."

Shen Jianqiu smiled and said, "Then let me see who the remaining dark horse is."

Mei Rucheng smiled and said, "I have a feeling it will be quite a pleasant surprise."

Ye Lan grabbed Zuo Ziliang by the collar and shook him: "They haven't even called Wang Zixu's name yet! He's going to be in trouble again!"

Zuo Ziliang said, "Isn't the first place winner still to be announced?"

Do you think he has a chance of winning first place?

"There's no need for people to live in the eyes of others. Isn't standing on stage also being stared at? It's enough to just keep quiet, earn some money, and live a comfortable life."

Ye Lan said, "So you mean he can't get first place?"

"I did not say that."

"You're already making excuses in advance!"

Zuo Ziliang straightened his crumpled collar and frowned, saying, "Even if we get first place, I'll still say the same thing."

"So, is it possible for us to get first place?"

Why are you asking me? I'm not a god.

……

Xie Cong said, "Old classmate, there's only one first prize left. What do you mean?"

Prince Xu remained silent. He heard it, but he didn't know what to say.

Xie Cong sneered. His expression was like seeing a lobster about to be thrown into a hot pot, desperately waving its claws at him—old friend, do you really think you can still take first place?

He stared at Zhao Peilin, his tone flippant: "So, are we guaranteed at least first place now?"

The fourth and fifth place winners were out, guaranteeing a top-three finish; the third place winner was out, guaranteeing a top-two finish. Zhao Peilin grew increasingly optimistic, but in Xie Cong's eyes, they had no way out.

Zhao Peilin looked at him and remained silent for a long time. Although he was naturally outgoing, he seemed a bit awkward around outside of school, especially when facing someone like Xie Cong.

Zhong Junmin glanced at him sideways: "What, you're afraid to make a prediction?"

Zhao Peilin pursed his lips, turned to the side, and whispered to Wang Zixu:

"Go up on stage and lift your trophy."

Zhong Junmin smiled and laughed: "Yes, that's right, we should stick to our guns. Even if it means facing a million men, we will go!"

On stage, Chen Qingluo finally couldn't sit still any longer. She looked at Ning Chunyan from a distance and mouthed to her whether Wang Zixu was among the top five.

She was initially full of confidence, but now she was starting to panic. In fact, she knew that Wang Zixu was in the audience, and she even knew the approximate location of his seat, but she hadn't searched for him at all. She was just waiting for him to come on stage so that she could pretend to be surprised, as if she had just noticed him, and let him be a little smug.

Ning Chunyan then made a cross with two index fingers and mouthed something. Chen Qingluo's face instantly darkened.

That's it, it's over.

In her panic, Chen Qingluo tried to find the figure with her eyes, but the audience below was so dark that she couldn't see anything.

The host glanced down at the cue card in his hand for a moment, then began to read:

"The word 'dream' is beautiful, yet for some, it is also a curse."

"This work is reportedly the longest in this essay competition, but not a single sentence can be deleted, and it has received unanimous praise from almost all the judges."

The first prize-winning entry in this essay competition is "The Road Ahead is Safe." Author: Wang Zixu.

For most people, this is a relatively unfamiliar name. For a few, however, this name holds profound significance.

Lin Feng's eyes widened, his neck stretched, and his mouth opened wide.

Mei Rucheng shrugged at Shen Jianqiu: "Look, what a surprise!"

Ye Lan shook Zuo Ziliang violently, suppressing her voice as she exclaimed, "Wow! A 10 yuan bonus!"

Zuo Ziliang was completely disoriented: "It's only half a month's income..."

"I'll have him treat me to dinner later!"

Guo Ranran looked around blankly: "Wang Zixu? Wasn't he said he didn't make the cut?"

Song Yinglian said, "Same name, right?"

Zhao Peilin raised his hands high and clapped loudly in the air. He then turned to Xie Cong, whose face was flushed with pride, and said, "My prediction is as sure as a rock."

Chen Qingluo glared fiercely at Ning Chunyan, who whispered, "I just said No Problem! No Problem! There's no problem!"

The hostess walked up to Chen Qingluo and whispered, "Please, Ms. Chen, present the award to the first-place winner."

Caught off guard, Chen Qingluo's face flushed red, and she stood up in a panic.

Her gaze finally turned to the audience below the stage. Strangely, she couldn't find him before, but now she found him in an instant. She saw a figure who had also been caught off guard and stood up blankly—that big, clumsy guy.

Their eyes finally met.

(End of this chapter)