318: Chapter 318 Facing the Storm

The sound of uniform footsteps pierced through the glass doors,

quickly drowning out the original noisy clamor inside the hall.

Dozens of reporters, wearing multi-pocketed photography vests and various media passes around their necks, filed in one after another.

They carried long lenses and cameras in their hands, with heavy spare batteries and tripods slung over their shoulders.

The few people leading the group held microphones printed with national and provincial TV station logos,

walking extremely fast and heading straight for the right side of the hall with a clear objective.

The appearance of this group of official media personnel immediately changed the atmosphere of the scene.

On the left side, the group of readers who had just gotten their hands on 'ordinary world' were stuck in a dilemma, caught in a checkout line that seemed to have no end.

Amidst the tedious waiting,

their gazes were naturally drawn to this sudden, massive media presence.

A male college student wearing black-framed glasses, holding five thick physical books,

craned his neck to look toward the right. He nudged his companion next to him with his elbow.

"Buddy, what's the situation over there? Why did even the national TV reporters show up?

Jian Shen isn't coming in person today; did these big media outlets come just to film some B-roll?"

His companion, clutching a sample book with the plastic wrap recently torn off, looked in that direction.

He slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing.

"Oh! Look over there, I almost forgot!

Today is also the publication day for the official collection of 'Fu Zhi Yao Competition'!

The 'clash of the century' that's been buzzed about all over the internet—it's happening right in front of us!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd immediately erupted into a frenzy.

"Fu Zhi Yao Competition? You mean that high school essay competition led by the National Writers Association?"

"Right, right, right. I heard that the overall champion, Lin Que, is also on-site today.

Let's go, let's go. It'll take ages to check out here anyway, let's go join the fun!"

The innate Chinese nature for spectating was thoroughly triggered at this moment.

Customers who had originally been sitting on the floor on the left or chatting at the end of the line all stood up.

Adopting the mindset of "well, we're already here," they began to swarm toward the lonely signing area on the right.

In less than two minutes, the front of 'Fu Zhi Yao Competition' signing area, which had been frighteningly deserted, was quickly packed with a dense crowd of heads.

Seeing more and more people gathering, the dark mass of heads soon filled the empty space on the right.

What was glaring was that almost everyone in this group was tightly clutching that earthy-yellow-covered 'ordinary world'.

Dozens, even hundreds of copies of that eye-searing earthy yellow converged in front of the stage,

like an airtight high wall, making the nine... eight teenagers sitting behind the red carpet feel suffocated.

A few readers in the front row who were just there for the spectacle didn't even bother to hide their pointing and whispering.

"Look at that boy sitting in the middle, that must be the champion Lin Que, right?

He looks quite spirited, but it's a pity; he's destined to be a foil for Jian Shen today."

"He's being heavily promoted by the officials, but this turnout is indeed a bit pathetic."

Although these discussions weren't loud, they were clearly audible in the relatively quiet right-side exhibition area.

Sitting behind the signing table, Zhang Hao watched the earthy-yellow wave before him, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

He gritted his teeth hard, forcing his originally straight back to stay upright, as a layer of fine sweat broke out on his forehead.

"This lineup... is really brutal."

Zhang Hao lowered his voice, a hint of trembling tension in his tone.

He turned to look at Liu Yu beside him:

"They're all holding Jian Shen's books while coming to see us. Why do I feel like this is a public execution?"

Liu Yu pushed up the rimless glasses on his nose, his eyes behind the lenses staring fixedly ahead.

His hands gripped the edge of the table tightly.

"Stay steady! Even if they're holding Jian Shen's books to watch us fail, we have to sit up straight."

Liu Yu gritted his teeth, the words squeezed out from between them.

"Don't forget what Chairman Lu said backstage; today we represent the sharp spirit of the youth."

Tang He, sitting at the edge, didn't speak.

She had her hands folded on her lap, her fingers twisting together forcefully.

Facing this almost one-sided market feedback, even she, usually the calmest, felt a wave of panic at this moment.

Lin Que, sitting in the center position, was still leaning lazily against the back of his chair.

He watched the group of fanatical readers below the stage with great interest—holding the book he wrote in their left hands, while raising their phones with their right hands, ready to film his own embarrassment.

This extreme sense of absurdity, of "the left hand fighting the right hand,"

caused a fleeting smile to flash in the depths of his eyes.

The swarming crowd did not disrupt the media's rhythm.

These well-trained reporters quickly deployed their formations in front of the red carpet of the simple wooden podium.

Tripods hit the ground, and various camera angles were set up in a very short time.

Dazzling flashes began to flicker frequently, the white halos merging into one, completely enveloping the nine teenagers sitting behind the stage.

The red lights of the cameras lit up, and the lenses were precisely aimed at the center of the stage and the signing table.

A live director on the side wore a headset, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue.

After confirming that all media camera positions were ready, he turned toward the control console in the direction of the stage and made a crisp, decisive "OK" gesture.

The control console received the command.

A stirring symphonic warm-up piece immediately emanated from the speakers.

The music was grand and majestic, instantly suppressing the original noisy discussions in the hall.

A professional host, wearing a sharp dark suit with his hair meticulously combed, walked briskly to the center of the stage, following the beat of the music.

His steps were steady, his stage presence extremely experienced, as he firmly took hold of the standing microphone.

"Distinguished guests, friends from the media, and all literature-loving readers present, good morning!"

The host's voice was deep and highly penetrating, spreading throughout the entire first-floor hall via the high-fidelity speakers.

Using a set of extremely professional and enthusiastic opening remarks, he quickly settled the slightly chaotic order of the scene.

"On this autumn day belonging to words and dreams, we gather at Shanghai Century Book City to witness the rise of new stars in Chinese literature.

The collection of winning works from 'Fu Zhi Yao Competition' National Finals officially meets you all today!"

After a few lines of the opening speech, the attention of the customers below the stage, who were originally just there for the spectacle, was forcibly pulled back to 'Fu Zhi Yao Competition' event.

The crowd gradually quieted down, and everyone looked toward the center of the stage.

Seeing that the timing was right, the host immediately raised his volume.

His tone became highly provocative as he looked toward the backstage area.

"Today, we are very honored to have invited a heavyweight guest.

He is a pillar of the Chinese Literary World and a guide in the hearts of countless literary creators.

Let us welcome the Chairman of the Shanghai Writers Association, Mr. Lu Xun, to the stage with the warmest applause to deliver a speech!"

As soon as this name was mentioned, the crowd below the stage was silent for a second.

Immediately after, someone led the way in clapping.

This applause was like a spark falling into a pan of oil, instantly igniting the entire venue.

This group of fanatical readers, whose heads were filled with 'Jian Shen',

when facing this titan of the cultural world who usually only appeared on the evening news,

were still awed by that natural prestige, and thunderous applause spontaneously erupted throughout the hall.

The applause surged like a tide, even drowning out the background music from the speakers.

Amidst the deafening applause, Chairman Lu walked onto the stage with steady and powerful steps.

Today he wore a black suit without a tie, his shirt collar slightly open, exuding an unconventional scholarly character.

He walked to the center of the stage and took the microphone from the host.

There were no extra pleasantries, no hypocritical smiles.

His gaze slowly swept across the entire venue, from the media reporters in the first row,

all the way to the readers in the back holding 'ordinary world'.

Upon meeting this gaze, the entire venue miraculously became completely silent. Even the frequency of the camera flashes slowed down.

Chairman Lu raised the microphone and spoke with a powerful, resonant voice.

"Just now backstage, I heard some voices from outside, and I also saw the books you are holding."

Every word from Chairman Lu was like a heavy stone, striking the hearts of everyone present.

His gaze was sharp, and he unhesitatingly tore away the most awkward fig leaf of the scene.

"Someone asked me, does the Writers Association know what day it is today, and yet they still pushed a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old children to the forefront?

Yes, on the other side is the most prominent masterpiece in the literary world recently, and on this side is the practice work of budding students.

This is no different from striking a rock with an egg."

The readers below the stage looked at each other, and many silently lowered their heads.

This was exactly the topic they had been discussing privately just now.

Chairman Lu's fingers tightened slightly around the microphone, and his voice suddenly rose.

"But I told them,

that we stand here today precisely to break the status quo of the literary world's lack of successors over the past few decades,

and to inject the most powerful fresh blood into Chinese literature!"

These words were like a sudden thunderclap, exploding over the hall.

Sitting behind the stage, Zhang Hao, Liu Yu, and the others felt their eyes grow hot, and their backs instantly straightened.

The media reporters in the front row tapped their keyboards frantically, and the sound of shutters merged into one, for fear of missing any word from this titan of the literary world.

Chairman Lu turned and pointed his hand toward the nine teenagers sitting behind the signing table.

"These nine children are the pure gold that fought its way out from millions of high school students nationwide,

and it can be said that they represent the future of Chinese literature.

Towering trees do not grow in greenhouses. The officials do not fear market testing, nor will they change the schedule just to avoid anyone."

He turned his head to face the entire audience again.

"To push the youngest pens into the most real of storms,

to let them, today, at this venue, face the most brutal commercial collision.

This is also our greatest expectation for the 'Rear Waves'.

Only by withstanding today's storm can they carry the banner of the Chinese Literary World in the future!"

...