I am not a literary giant

When Wang Zixu's unit hosted the inspection team, they used the largest table in the cafeteria. When Wang Zixu arrived, the table was already full, with the inspection team members sitting among his colleagues.

Lin Feng and the leader sat at the head of the table, Guo Ranran sat below, and Zhang Cangnian was also present. When he saw Wang Zixu, he winked at him.

Upon meeting Wang Zixu, the leader said, "Comrade Wang really values ​​his personal image, huh? It took him so long to come over after he went back to work on it."

His words were veiled in sarcasm. If it were when Wang Zixu was just starting out, he would have been sweating profusely. But now he's an old hand and isn't afraid of being scalded by boiling water anymore.

Wang Zixu said, "I'm sorry, something came up and I was delayed."

The leader waved his hand: "Never mind, never mind, sit down. A seat has been prepared for you; we're just waiting for you."

Wang Zixu noticed the empty seat next to Lin Feng and asked in surprise, "Should I sit here?"

The leader said, "Yes, General Manager Lin specifically asked you to sit next to him. So you two can chat about literature."

"Yes, I had a brief chat with this Comrade Wang Zixu this morning, right? He seems to know a lot about literature. This is a great opportunity for me to learn more from him."

Lin Feng smiled and nodded at him, while Wang Zixu was inwardly groaning. But forced by circumstances, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit down.

In his limited experience of attending banquets in the past, he had always sat at the lower end of the table, serving food and drinks without having to worry about anything else. This was the first time he had ever sat at the head of the table.

Sitting at the dining table, looking ahead, all eyes were fixed on the area around him. Wang Zixu suddenly understood why his colleagues liked to go out drinking so often.

However, he didn't like being the center of attention; he preferred to sit at the bottom, enjoying his meal in peace and comfort.

……

While Wang Zixu was forced to attend the banquet, Ye Lan called Zuo Ziliang and said she had found a new scriptwriter. The three then arranged to meet at a shopping mall.

When Zuo Ziliang arrived, Ye Lan and the new scriptwriter were already sitting on the sofa waiting. The other party was a young man with a middle parting, not particularly handsome, and too young for his age. He was carrying a crossbody bag and wearing Converse sneakers.

Ye Lan pointed to the boy and said, "This is Cheng Xing. He's currently in university, but he's already published quite a few short stories on Douban, and they've been very well received. He's even published a book, and he has quite a few fans. You two can chat and get to know each other."

Zuo Ziliang stared at the boy opposite him. The boy was very polite and nodded, saying, "Hello, Teacher Zuo. You can call me Xiao Cheng."

Zuo Ziliang simply nodded slightly, then went straight to the point: "Xiao Cheng, right? What are your thoughts?"

Cheng Xing asked, "Which aspect are you referring to?"

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​becoming our scriptwriter?"

Cheng Xing said, "Oh, it's like this. I'm about to graduate from university and I want to write full-time in the future, so I want to work in a writing-related industry as a means of making a living."

Zuo Ziliang said, "What, you've already published a book, and the royalties aren't enough to live on?"

Cheng Xing smiled politely: "I work in the traditional publishing industry, unlike those online novelists. My royalties are enough to live on for a while, definitely not enough to live on for a lifetime."

Zuo Ziliang asked, "Did you bring your sample manuscript?"

Cheng Xing quickly opened his schoolbag: "I brought it, please take a look. If you have any suggestions, please let me know, and I can make changes."

Zuo Ziliang looked down at his manuscript. While he was reading, Ye Lan smiled and said:

"You have publishing experience, a fan base, and Cheng Xing is a graduate of a prestigious university. Oh, and what literary competition did you win in junior high school?"

Cheng Xing said, "Sprout. I won second prize. Guo Yueran won first prize that year."

Ye Lan said, "Oh right. So, how about it? Isn't the scriptwriter I found more reliable than the previous ones?"

Zuo Ziliang didn't answer, his brows furrowed as he looked at the draft.

Cheng Xing lowered his eyes, picked up his water glass, and took a small sip. His gaze was deep, and he didn't speak, but his mind was already racing.

……

The dishes were served, but no one touched their chopsticks. Lin Feng was the star of the meal; only when he started eating could everyone else begin. This was the most basic rule at a banquet.

The leader leaned forward and said to Lin Feng, "President Lin, my father-in-law gave me a few bottles of Shaoxing wine during the New Year. They're all aged wines, with an excellent flavor and low alcohol content. Since we're all in such a good mood today, shall we open some and have a good time?"

Lin Feng loved literature and disliked baijiu (Chinese white liquor), preferring huangjiu (yellow wine). His superiors, of course, had already found out about this preference. Upon hearing about aged huangjiu, Lin Feng's mouth watered slightly, but he frowned and said, "Isn't this inappropriate?"

The leader said, "Look, firstly, this wine is from my personal collection and won't be charged to the bill this time; secondly, today is Friday, after work, so it's not a workday anymore; and thirdly, the alcohol content is really low, so it won't cause any problems. From any perspective, it doesn't violate any regulations. If it did, I wouldn't even dare to mention it. What do you think?"

Lin Feng fiddled with his chopsticks, then turned and said, "Shall we get some?"

"Okay, okay, okay. Hey kid, go to my office, and get me the wine from the cabinet under my desk."

The rice wine was served, and the younger colleagues at work poured it for him. Lin Feng turned to Wang Zixu: "Want to have a drink together?"

The leader was glaring at Lin Feng from behind. Wang Zixu knew that if he didn't drink today, he might not be able to stay at work. He could only nod and say, "I can't hold my liquor. I can only drink a few cups. Any more and I might pass out."

The leader tapped the table and said, "Xiao Wang, this won't do. You're already getting nervous before we've even started drinking. Don't lose face, show some fighting spirit!"

Lin Feng said, "Hey, we're not drinking to get anyone drunk. We'll just have fun. It's alright, Brother Wang. Drink to your heart's content, and go home when you're done. It doesn't matter."

Prince Xu nodded, and the bright yellow, clear liquid was poured into the glass, shining brightly under the light, with a faint fragrance wafting from it.

The leader raised his glass high and said, "Since we're so happy to have met such a literary talent as General Manager Lin today, let's raise a glass together to toast this talented man!"

A toast was raised in unison. Only after this one glass of wine did the banquet officially begin.

Lin Feng said, "Let me correct you on one point. I'm essentially just an ordinary person. I love poetry, wine, and good food; I don't deserve the title of literary genius. This time, not only me, but all members of our inspection team, including all your colleagues, have worked hard and deserve a toast. This toast is to all my colleagues—thank you for your hard work!"

The leader clapped: "Great! Come on, drink!"

Yellow wine is clear and refreshing, smoother on the palate than white wine, but has a stronger aftereffect and can easily cause a hangover. Prince Xu hadn't drunk alcohol for a long time, and his alcohol tolerance had declined considerably. After just one cup, he already felt a little dizzy.

Everyone ate. The canteen chef was specially invited from his hometown by the leaders; his culinary skills were at the level of a top-notch amateur. The dishes were home-style with a touch of local flavor, neither overcooked nor lacking in substantial portions. Lin Feng and the other guests ate with great relish.

After taking a couple of bites, Lin Feng leaned forward and asked, "Brother Wang, we talked about Hugo this morning. Which of Hugo's books is your favorite?"