229: Chapter 229 The entire internet will be unblocked at midnight.

Beijing, inside the Second Ring Road.

In contrast to the clamorous trending topics of the outside world,

Inside the Xu family's three-entry courtyard house, it was so quiet that only the rustling of the wind through the purple bamboo grove could be heard.

Xu Changge, dressed in loose white cotton and linen loungewear, was sitting at a stone table under a Crabapple Tree.

As a leading figure among the younger generation of the Beijing Circle, he had already self-studied the entire high school curriculum by his first year of high school.

These five months of leave from school were supposed to be a period of seclusion for him to charge toward an even higher peak.

But now, it seemed the person atop that peak had changed.

On the stone table, there were no thread-bound rare books he usually loved to read, nor were there any of those obscure and difficult original Western works.

What this crown prince of the Beijing Circle was holding in his hands at this moment was actually a tablet computer that was no longer a new model.

The screen glowed faintly, displaying an interface that was none other than 'Red Fruit Reading,' a site the mainstream literary world turned its nose up at.

And what he was studying word by word

Was the completed work by the author named 'Hell Dream Weaver'—"soul ferry."

As for the newly released "cthulhu mythos," he had temporarily set it aside due to its chaotic and depressing style.

If outsiders were to see this scene, their eyes would probably pop out of their heads.

The Xu Changge who read nothing but the classics

Was actually reading web novels? And supernatural-themed ones at that?

Xu Changge's brow furrowed slightly as his finger slid gently across the screen.

He wasn't doing this for leisure.

Ever since the awards ceremony ended that night,

Lin Que's phrase "clocking in and out" had been like a thorn pricked into his proud heart.

He was trying to find some kind of answer within these popular words that were supposedly "unfit for the halls of elegance."

"Crude."

After finishing a chapter, Xu Changge offered a low-voiced evaluation.

The prose wasn't refined enough, and there were even some conflicts deliberately manufactured for the sake of 'gratification'—in his aesthetic system, these were absolute points of deduction.

"But..."

His fingertip lingered on the description of Zhao Official's willingness to fall into darkness just to give the ancient zither a soul.

Beneath that crude prose lay an extremely precise insight into human nature.

It wasn't pretentious or detached; it was like reaching a hand directly into the mud and pulling out a handful of the smoke and fire of life, still smelling of blood.

"Is this what Teacher Jian Shen meant by... the heartbeat behind the wall?"

Xu Changge was lost in thought.

He didn't think this author of horror web novels had anything to do with Lin Que; their styles were worlds apart.

But he vaguely felt that this sharp, almost cruel brushstroke

Shared a certain subtle similarity with the core Lin Que displayed in "folding beijing."

"Still reviewing the match?"

An aged but vigorous voice came from behind him.

The carved wooden door was pushed open, and Xu Zhengqing walked slowly out of the inner room, rolling two walnut 'Lion heads' in his hand.

Xu Changge immediately put down the tablet, stood up, and gave a respectful bow:

"Grandfather."

Xu Zhengqing waved his hand, gesturing for his grandson to sit.

The old man's gaze fell on the still-lit tablet screen, glancing at the gaudy web novel cover.

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he said nothing more.

"Losing once is weighing on your mind?"

Xu Zhengqing sat down on a stone stool, his tone flat.

Xu Changge was silent for a moment, making no attempt to hide it.

"Grandfather, I just don't understand."

He looked up, and in his eyes, which were usually so calm, there was now the stubbornness of a youth:

"In my 'soul of the ancient wall,' whether it's the structure, the diction, or the underlying concept, I believe I achieved perfection. I also went to read that 'Dream Weaver' online, as well as the street stories Lin Que mentioned."

"In terms of literary merit alone, their writing isn't actually much more sophisticated than mine. Why... why could that kind of thing, so full of 'Work-life fatigue,' beat my sense of national pride?"

After hearing this, Xu Zhengqing was in no hurry to answer.

He rotated the walnuts in his hand, making a crisp clicking sound.

"Jingwen, your writing is indeed good. So good that it's like an exquisite jade carving; anyone who sees it in a museum would praise it as 'perfect.'"

The old man paused, his gaze becoming deep:

"But jade carvings are cold."

"You've lived a life of luxury since childhood, looking at the world from the top of the tower. The walls you see are monuments of history, the backbone of a nation. This isn't wrong; it's very noble."

"But that boy..."

Xu Zhengqing pointed toward the faint sound of traffic coming from outside the courtyard walls.

"He is standing in the mud. The walls he sees are shadows that block out the sun, blades that divide people into different social classes."

"Your article has a skeleton and a skin, but it's missing just one thing."

Xu Zhengqing stared into his grandson's eyes and said word by word:

"Flesh and blood."

"If it's too refined, it loses touch with the common people. If it's out of touch, it won't move hearts. They say there's no absolute first place in literature, but in that specific examination hall, in an era where everyone yearns to be understood, he cried out a single 'ouch' on behalf of all living beings. That one 'ouch' made it worth that score."

Xu Changge froze in place.

The wind blew, and a crabapple petal fell onto his shoulder.

After a long while, he let out a long breath.

"Without destruction, there can be no creation..."

Xu Changge murmured to himself, then gave a bitter smile. The confusion in his eyes gradually dissipated,

Replaced by a more restrained clarity.

"Grandfather, I understand."

He picked up the tablet again and closed the web novel interface, but he remembered that feeling in his heart.

Lin Que was no longer just an opponent.

He was a high mountain standing before him, one that required him to take off his scholar's robe, roll up his pant legs, and climb.

"It's good that you've figured it out."

Xu Zhengqing nodded with satisfaction, then as if remembering something,

He pulled a folded piece of printed paper from his pocket and handed it over.

"This is news that just came from the Ministry of Education."

Xu Changge took the paper, unfolded it, and his pupils constricted slightly.

[Notice Regarding the Public Announcement of premium selection Works from the 'Fu Zhi Yao' Cup National Essay Competition]

"At twelve o'clock noon today, the official websites of the Writers Association and the Ministry of Education will simultaneously unseal the premium selection works from the first two rounds."

"Except for the top five in the finals, which won't be made public for now due to commercial confidentiality agreements involving physical book publishing and film/TV adaptations, the rest will be released one after another."

"In other words..."

Xu Changge's fingers tightened slightly on the paper.

"I still won't be able to see the full text of 'folding beijing'?"

Xu Zhengqing nodded.

"That's a cultural bombshell the state wants to promote heavily; they have to keep that layer of mystery to blow up the market."

A flash of regret crossed Xu Changge's eyes, but then they lit up again.

"But Lin Que's two works from the preliminary and semifinal rounds will both be released?"

"That's right."

A meaningful smile played at the corners of Xu Zhengqing's mouth.

"I heard that old fellow Gu Changfeng bragging about the articles he wrote in the first two rounds, saying they're definitely not inferior to the one in the finals."

Xu Changge took a deep breath and glanced at the watch on his wrist.

"I want to see them."

Xu Changge's voice carried an unprecedented fighting spirit.

"I really want to see exactly what kind of writing he produced before."

...Across a thousand miles, back to Jiangcheng.

Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, Class 2-3.

If the Xu family's ancestral home was a quiet deep pool, then the Class 3 classroom right now was a boiling pot of oil.

"For real?! We can see the Great God's articles?"

"I just wanted to read 'folding beijing'! Too bad we can't see it this time."

"When it's published, I'll definitely be the first to buy the physical book."

Lin Que sat in his seat, spinning a ballpoint pen in his hand.

Looking at this group of classmates caught in a frenzy, he shook his head helplessly.

"Quiet!"

On the podium, Shen Qingqiu tapped the chalkboard eraser forcefully.

Chalk dust danced in the sunlight, making several students in the front row cough.

Shen Qingqiu's gaze swept across the room, and the decibel level in the classroom dropped instantly.

"At twelve o'clock, the official website will unseal them on time. At that time, I will lead everyone in interpreting them together."

The pen in Lin Que's hand fell onto the desk with a 'clack'...