I am not a literary giant

Chapter 121 gone with the wind

"Prince Xu!" Mei Rucheng shouted, then lowered his voice, "The big leader has other arrangements and time is very tight. If you have anything to say, you can report it through proper channels."

Prince Xu stepped forward: "This matter cannot be reported through normal channels."

"If we can't go through the normal channels, then we'll just have to keep it to ourselves!" Mei Rucheng raised his voice.

Mei Rucheng stared sharply at him, his broad, fat face resembling a feathered eagle, his eyes filled with a strong sense of warning:

Don't think that just because you won first prize and showed off your talent, you have the right to make demands. You haven't even had a chance to enjoy your prize yet!

Prince Xu knew that he wasn't trying to provoke him by showing off his official power.

In this world, those who applaud you are not necessarily your friends, and those who criticize you are not necessarily your enemies.

This seemingly harsh reprimand actually treated him as one of their own. How bad an impression would it leave on the leadership if he immediately started retaliating after just receiving an award?

What kind of problem was he raising? If the goal is to minimize the impact, it will only ruin Zhang Qian's future career prospects. But if the issue is taken too far, it could unleash a storm in Xihe.

What will people think of Prince Xu if he becomes the catalyst? How will he conduct himself in the political and literary circles of Xihe?

Mei Rucheng warned him with his eyes: Don't ruin your bright future!

Lin Feng wiped the sweat from his brow, looked around, and whispered, "Brother Wang, don't be impulsive, be rational... I'm still waiting to have a late-night snack with you tonight."

Ning Chunyan stroked her arm, looking at him with worry. She wasn't part of the system and didn't know how serious the problem Wang Zixu was talking about was. She didn't know whether she should advise Wang Zixu to back down now and reconsider later. Because she felt that Wang Zixu's expression was very serious, and he didn't seem like someone who could be persuaded.

Zhang Qian's fingers crumpled the hem of her clothes, sometimes wrinkling it, sometimes loosening it, as if she was weighing whether speaking to Wang Zixu would calm him down and make him let her off the hook. She glanced up casually and saw Chen Qingluo staring coldly at her, a look that startled her.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment, because of a single sentence, everyone was mobilized and put on high alert.

The prince closed his eyes, then opened them.

Rationally speaking, he really shouldn't have acted rashly at this moment. Or perhaps he should never have acted rashly at all.

He has already won first place in the literary competition. In a few days, Zhang Qian will have figured things out and might even come to curry favor with him. Shen Qingfeng will also be without a weapon against him, and Director Gou might leniently let him run rampant in the bureau from now on.

Those little things from the past, written on paper, torn into pieces, thrown into the wind, gone with the wind, from now on carefree, crossing the turbulent currents, letting the fish swim freely in the vast waters.

However, if that were the case, he wouldn't be happy.

Unhappiness is unhappiness; there's no way to fool yourself. Even if life goes on well from now on, thinking about this incident will still make him unhappy. Perhaps on his deathbed, he'll be filled with regret for not avenging that arrow wound.

After experiencing so much, he was like toothpaste in a tube; something inside had hardened and could no longer be squeezed out. Only by cutting open the tube and scooping out the contents could he finally get it all out.

Wang Zixu said, "I can't hold it in any longer, I just want to say it today. If I miss this opportunity, I may never be able to say it again."

The secretary looked displeased and wanted to step forward to speak to him, but was stopped by the senior leader.

"I have to rush to an event. What's the matter? Let's talk on the way. I want to hear what's wrong with you that you can't get through to normal channels."

The senior leader still had a smile on his face, but Zhang Qian looked ashen.

"Walk."

The big boss left without warning. Wang Zixu hesitated for a moment before realizing that he was being told to follow him and talk in the car.

The car is a private space, unlikely to cause any public disturbance. It's a flexible space to move forward or backward, depending on the scope of the issue raised by Prince Xu.

Wang Zixu did not object to Shen Jianqiu's political wisdom. He did not hesitate and followed suit.

"..."

After Shen Jianqiu and Wang Zixu left, the room seemed to have lost its soul, remaining quiet for a long while.

Choi Hyun grinned, half to himself, and muttered, "This top prize winner in the literary competition is definitely a very unique person!"

Everyone turned their gaze toward him, which made him somewhat apprehensive.

Almost everyone present knew Wang Zixu, except for him; even if they didn't know him personally, they had heard of him. Only he knew nothing about him.

His intention was to get the group talking, but he found that no one wanted to discuss the topic, which made him start to feel uneasy.

"Let's go too." Chen Qingluo stood up. "I still have to revise 'The Dedication of Simone de Beauvoir'."

Ning Chunyan was taken aback: "Wasn't it already revised?"

"The editor of The Gain said there are still some places that can be revised."

Li Tingfang looked up at her with a smile: "Qingluo, do you have a new work? Are you planning to publish it in 'Get'?"

"Um."

How long is it?

"More than 10 words."

"So long?" Li Tingfang was somewhat surprised. "You've been quiet these past few days; turns out you've been brewing up a masterpiece at home. Looks like you have a good chance of winning an award this time!"

Chen Qingluo didn't say anything more, only nodded very slightly: "Mm."

After saying that, she resolutely walked towards the door, and Ning Chunyan quickly followed her.

The crowd parted to make way for them with a sense of awe. Ning Chunyan pulled her arm and whispered, "How come I had no idea? When did the editor of 'Get' contact you?"

Chen Qingluo said, "It was probably when that person said 'stinking bitch'."

"Wasn't that just now?" Ning Chunyan asked, her voice low and strained. "Did they approve it? That's 10 words! What did their editor say?"

"They say," Chen Qingluo brushed aside her black hair, "that she's going to win the Mao Dun Literature Prize this time."

Li Tingfang watched the two women leave with a wise look in her eyes, then turned to Lin Feng and said, "Wang Zixu should have been invited to join the Writers' Association sooner."

Lin Feng quickly said, "The moment his work was published in Yangtze River today, I said I would be his recommender, and no one can compete with me for it."

Li Tingfang said, "Isn't there a vice-chairmanship position that's about to become available? I think he's fully qualified to be a vice-chairmanship member."

Lin Feng paused, and Li Tingfang glanced at him: "You won first prize at the literary competition again, and you also published an article in *Yangtze River*. I heard that *Yangtze River* is also planning to give him a Best Newcomer Award. Did you know about this?"

Lin Feng asked in surprise, "I don't know, teacher, where did you get this information from?"

Li Tingfang chuckled, "I'm very well-informed. Alright, it's time to go home and rest; I'm exhausted today..."

As Lin Feng helped Li Tingfang out, Lin Luo, standing behind them, was already furious.

Yanzishan stood up without a word, declined the invitation from the Writers Association, and walked out alone, his hands in his pockets.

Diao Yiwen hesitated for only a moment before following his back as he walked out. To avoid suspicion, she waited until they got off the elevator and, under the cover of night, mustered the courage to rush to his side.

"I know what you want to ask, but don't ask yet." Yan Zishan's hands remained in his pockets, and he didn't seem to have any intention of taking them out.

Under the cover of night, Diao Yiwen could neither see the expression on his face nor whether his hands were clenched into fists or open in a tolerant manner, which made her feel a little nervous.

Without warning, Yanzishan asked, "Are you from the same place as the first-prize winner this time?"

This question left Diao Yiwen somewhat puzzled. In the same place? Regardless of time, space, or family background, they weren't in the same "place." But she quickly understood the question and answered:

We work in the same company.

Yan Zishan hummed in agreement and said, "When you go to work, please pass on a message to him for me."

After a pause, he said, "Go to the East China Sea."

Diao Yiwen remained silent for a long time, but he didn't explain the meaning of her words. Instead, he asked in an emphatic tone, "To the East China Sea?"

"Um."

"Just this one sentence?"

He will understand.

"..."

Diao Yiwen paused for a moment, then said, "May I ask my question?"

Yanzishan said, "You're not extreme enough."

"Um?"

"You're not extreme enough, so you can only get second place," Yanzishan said.

Diao Yiwen finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "But they just said that you didn't vote for yourself. Is that because..."

"That's because you're not extreme enough," Yan Zishan said. "If you were extreme enough, you should have let me handle it directly, from beginning to end, taking full responsibility for writing this article. That would also be an extreme approach."

Diao Yiwen thought for a moment, then her eyes darted around before she said, "You mean, Wang Zixu's manuscript was also ghostwritten?"

Yan Zishan laughed sarcastically: "No. I voted for him because he's extreme enough."

Diao Yiwen stood there, stunned. Extreme? What exactly is extreme?

"Ultimately, the most interesting part of literature is the author's own feelings, attitude, and vision. And this is precisely the part of your work that I haven't touched. My revisions can only correct your expression, rhetoric, and language, but that's only the surface. The core part can't be changed, so I say you can only get second place. Because such a work doesn't deserve first place."

After saying that, Yan Zishan shook his head: "You're not from around here at all. So you can't understand. I can't talk to you about anything literary, because that's all foreign to you."

Diao Yiwen felt humiliated and wronged at the same time. Yan Zishan's words were extremely arrogant, but his tone was not arrogant at all. On the contrary, he seemed to be stating a fact from the bottom of his heart with utmost sincerity.

But this made her feel even more humiliated.

My father sent me a message. It was very simple: a photo of a table full of delicious food, with champagne prominently displayed, and a caption below: "We need to invite Teacher Yanzishan over."

Diao Yiwen looked around, but Yan Zishan had vanished without a trace after speaking, and his whereabouts were now unknown. It was definitely impossible to persuade him to come.

She dialed her father's number and whispered:

"Dad, I want to quit my job."

Mr. Diao asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened? Did you get second place? You should be happy."

Diao Yiwen wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks and said, "I want to win first place."

As she stood on the stone bridge making a phone call, Lin Luo came out of the hotel and jogged to meet Shen Qingfeng, who was waiting at the door.

"Teacher Shen, I have let you down."

Shen Qingfeng stared at him with disgust: "You still have the nerve to see me?"

Lin Luo was sweating profusely: "This was a bit of an accident..."

Shen Qingfeng's expression was terrifying, but as soon as he turned around, he put on a cheerful face and ran over, calling out, "Talented Lady Ning, Talented Lady Ning!"

Ning Chunyan grabbed Chen Qingluo tightly: "Let's go!"

The two quickened their pace and, before Shen Qingfeng could get close, hurriedly hid in the car, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Chen Qingluo said, "Why don't you listen to what he's going to say?"

"It's not those kinds of things, is it?"

Ning Chunyan tried to use an adjective to describe Shen Qingfeng's attempt, but she failed and simply stuck out her tongue and made a "vomiting" expression.

Chen Qingluo said, "You're short of money right now, so you should try to squeeze some money out of him first."

Ning Chunyan rolled her eyes: "Sister, do you think his money is so easy to take? Everything in life has a price tag. If I take the money, I'll definitely have to pay a price, do you understand?"

Chen Qingluo frowned, seemingly worried. She tilted her head and thought for a long time before asking, "So, if I call someone a 'stinking bitch,' is there a price for it?"

"puff."

Ning Chunyan said, "The term 'stinking bitch' is the price Zhang Qian paid for what she did."

Chen Qingluo was convinced by her answer and nodded sincerely: "I see."

Ning Chunyan asked, "Hey, what do you think Wang Zixu would say in the big leader's car?"

Chen Qinglu remained silent.

"I'm a little worried that he might cause trouble again."

Chen Qingluo turned her head flat towards her: "What are you worried about? They're married now, it's none of your business to worry about them!"

Ning Chunyan said with a hurt expression, "Why are you being so harsh? I'm just worried as a friend, what's wrong with that? Aren't you worried? That was practically a suicide attack."

"I'm not worried. I don't know that person well."

"Even if we weren't close, I still wrote a poem for you on the spot. Ah, 'Green vines twine around branches,' weren't you moved?"

Chen Qingluo leaned back strategically: "Oh, so it's because he wrote a poem for you that you got flirted with him, right? Ah, amidst the spring blossoms, you certainly know how to be moved by spring."

Ning Chunyan roared in fury: "You're the one with spring fever! You're the one who's just starting to feel romantic!"

"Drive carefully, don't get angry on the road."

……

When Wang Zixu got home, it was already 11 p.m.

Two or three hours.

He and Shen Jianqiu chatted for longer than he had expected.

My wife is still at her parents' house. I was planning to go and pick her up today, but it seems that's not going to happen.

If he goes to pick her up now, he can forget about the blissful reunion after a short separation; instead, she'll yell and blame him for waking her up so late.

Thinking of this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Wang Zixu's lips. This mundane scene, despite being filled with the sordidness that had drowned him in the past, now acted like gravity, making him feel firmly grounded and at ease.

When he returned to his residential compound, the elderly security guard at the gate suddenly stopped him and said, "Someone came looking for you."

Prince Xu asked, "Who?"

The security guard said, "A woman has been waiting for you here for a long time!"

Wang Zixu said, "That should be Zhang Qian, right?"

The security guard said, "Yes, yes, her name is Zhang Qian."

Wang Zixu asked, "What does she want with me?"

"I don't know, but she's been waiting for you for a long time, right up until just now, for an hour or two."

The security guard shook his head, clicking his tongue in amazement. In this age of smartphones, it's rare to see people waiting for someone for such a long time.

The old security guard stared at Wang Zixu with a ulterior motive—if Wang Zixu didn't have a romantic debt to that person, he must owe that woman a lot of money.

Wang Zixu wanted to ask Zhang Qian why she wasn't calling him, but then he remembered that he must have blocked all her contact information.

Back home, the house, untouched for a long time, smelled of dust and leaves. He didn't turn on the lights, but sat on the sofa in the dark, playing on his phone for a while before dialing Zhang Qian's number.

"Feed".

"They didn't say anything."

"If you want to meet, then let's meet tomorrow and clear things up."

"Still in that coffee shop."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Zixu arrogantly crossed his legs and pressed his fingers against his cheek.

Zhang Qian finally got scared and wanted him to let her go.

But some things can never go away with the wind, or rather, they can't end quietly.

(End of this chapter)