412: Chapter 412 Guidance from a Master or a Born Prodigy?

In the office of the Dean of the Qingbei School of Literature, the scent of tea curled in the air.

The spacious room lacked unnecessary modern decorations; instead, two rows of ceiling-high bookshelves stood against the walls, packed with yellowed documents and manuscripts.

In the center of the room sat a set of aged Huanghuali wood sofas, their grain gleaming warmly under the late autumn sunlight.

Xu Zhengqing and Su Mubai sat on opposite sides of the sofa.

These two titans of the literary world, who had known each other for decades, had shed their classroom majesty and looked more like elderly neighbors playing chess at the entrance of an alleyway.

Su Mubai held a celadon teacup, brushing aside the floating tea leaves.

"Old Xu, counting the days, it's been forty years since we stayed up all night in that tenement building compiling that literary series."

"Back then, we didn't even have an electric fan. A few of us worked shirtless, rummaging through piles of paper, our sweat soaking right through the manuscripts."

Xu Zhengqing leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping on the smooth wooden armrest as he looked around at the modern decor.

"Indeed. Even though conditions were harsh back then, we were full of energy."

"Now that we have such a nice environment, our old bones can't handle the strain anymore."

Professor Liu Zuoqing walked forward, carrying freshly brewed Wuyixing Da Hong Pao tea.

He skillfully lifted the purple clay teapot and filled the two seniors' cups.

The bright red tea poured into the cups, carrying the rich, mellow aroma unique to rock tea.

After putting down the teapot, Professor Liu Zuoqing settled into a single sofa on the side.

Dai Shengzong sat opposite Professor Liu Zuoqing, pushing his thin-framed glasses up his nose as he naturally started the conversation.

"The two of you really gave those youngsters a good lesson today."

"To be honest, the students in this session of the Qinglan Project have truly solid foundations."

"Whether it's Tang He, who writes urban fiction, Chen Jiahao from Guangdong Province, or that mixed-race youth."

"In previous years, any one of them would have been a top-tier talent."

"One could say their overall strength is the highest we've seen in nearly twenty years."

Professor Liu Zuoqing nodded in deep agreement, took a sip of tea, and looked at Xu Zhengqing with a smile.

"Elder Xu, your lesson today was incredibly precise."

"These geniuses are arrogant; usually pampered by various Writers Associations, their innate restlessness was all on the surface."

"With your move today, you've ground their sharp edges into true substance."

Xu Zhengqing waved his hand dismissively and blew on the steam from his teacup.

"Teaching and educating is nothing more than helping them clear their eyes."

"How far they can see depends on their own luck and effort. Fortunately, these kids are bright; a little hint is all they need."

The conversation naturally shifted to Xu Changge, who had performed eye-catchingly today.

Dai Shengzong put down his teacup and looked at Xu Zhengqing.

"Elder Xu, the transformation in Changge since he joined the camp is something we've all witnessed."

"The detail he mentioned today about the broom and the clear tape really made me see him in a new light."

"That aloof, detached air of a scion from a prestigious family he used to have—he finally started to shed it today."

Hearing his grandson's name, a trace of irrepressible relief and pride flickered in Xu Zhengqing's expression.

He knew all too well how heavy the Xu Family name could be for a young man.

For decades, Xu Changge had lived in the shadow of his family, and his writing always carried a lingering artificiality and overly refined formality.

"Changge has indeed taken the first step."

Xu Zhengqing's voice was calm, his tone carrying the comfort of an elder.

"He is willing to step away from those Song Dynasty editions and antique inkstones to look at the broom in the hands of the dormitory janitor; this direction is absolutely correct."

"To shed the family burden, one must dare to break out of their original aesthetic comfort zone."

But he paused for a moment, his fingers rubbing the edge of the teacup twice, as he pointed out the core of the issue with piercing accuracy.

"However, his perspective on the lives of those at the bottom is still unrefined."

"That detail about the clear tape was something he deliberately crouched down to find."

"The sense of distance of an onlooker between the lines cannot be hidden."

"This boy still needs time to truly roll around in the dirt a few times before he can wash away the 'young master' air from his body."

Professor Liu Zuoqing nodded slightly, leaning forward as he naturally took over the conversation.

He shifted the focus to the core figure who had triggered all these changes.

"Speaking of being 'clean,' the one in Changge's dormitory is the one who's truly impossible to see through."

When Professor Liu Zuoqing mentioned Lin Que, his tone carried unabashed amazement.

"That kid Lin Que has an extremely rare spiritual aura about him, and he's terrifyingly sophisticated."

"If I hadn't personally checked his files and confirmed he's only seventeen this year,"

"I would truly think he's some old monster who's been through the wringer in the literary world for thirty years, wearing the skin of a youth."

Professor Liu Zuoqing smiled and continued.

"The assignment I left before class ended was to write grounded science fiction."

"I just saw the surveillance in the next room; those youngsters were all dumbfounded."

"The grandeur of sci-fi and the coarseness of the lower class are naturally repulsive to each other."

"Only Lin Que sat there without even a furrow in his brow. I'm really curious to see how he'll play this game."

Su Mubai nodded repeatedly in deep agreement.

He recalled the scene from a few days ago when Lin Que analyzed the cruel core of 'the steps'.

"Zuoqing hit the nail on the head. When he talked about the father's self-exile in 'the steps' last time, I felt something was off."

Su Mubai set his teacup on the table with a crisp clink.

"Today, when he critiqued Jian Shen's 'ordinary world,' that composure and insight... how could a high school student possibly have that?"

"Just how deep is the stuff inside this kid's head?"

Su Mubai looked at everyone present, his tone very certain.

"His ability to peel back the layers of human nature and his wariness of modern social structures certainly didn't come from nowhere."

"That kind of thing—if you haven't been crushed by life or soaked in the mud for decades—you simply can't write it or explain it so thoroughly."

"A seventeen-year-old child, no matter how talented, couldn't possibly possess such a profound life experience."

Dai Shengzong laced his fingers over his knees and followed Su Mubai's train of thought.

"Elder Su, are you suggesting that Lin Que has an expert guiding him from behind the scenes?"

Su Mubai nodded.

"It can only be that way."

"He's like a perfect megaphone, expressing the life's work and thoughts of some hidden master through his pen and mouth."

The group quickly took stock of the literary depth of Jiangcheng.

Dai Shengzong thought for a moment, carefully running through the list of the Jiangcheng cultural circle in his mind.

After a long while, he shook his head, dismissing the speculation.

"I know those old fellows at the Jiangcheng Writers Association well."

"They're fine for writing rural essays, but as for this kind of soul-piercing depth..."

"Aside from Yuan Chao at Jiangcheng University, who is still doing basic theoretical research, there's simply no one who could teach such a freakish talent."

Professor Liu Zuoqing also agreed with Dai Shengzong's view.

"Jiangcheng is a place where the land and water nurture people, but they don't nurture writing with such a sharp edge."

"Lin Que's foundation is too 'wicked'."

"He can write sci-fi with modern deconstructive meaning like 'folding beijing,' and yet strip the logic of grassroots narratives completely bare."

"Control over such a broad span is not something any teacher can impart."

A brief silence fell over the office.

The water in the teapot boiled, making a soft bubbling sound.

Xu Zhengqing picked up his teacup and drained the last half-mouthful of tea.

He placed the cup firmly on the table, producing a dull thud.

"Since we can't find the source, let's investigate personally."

Xu Zhengqing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a final decision.

He looked at Dai Shengzong and Professor Liu Zuoqing and dropped a bombshell decision.

"I will have Changge invite Lin Que to visit the Xu Family home tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, both Professor Liu Zuoqing and Dai Shengzong were stunned.

Xu Zhengqing continued.

"The comments that child made in class today about 'offense' were explained too thoroughly."

"I want to see up close just what the background of this unpolished gem is."

"The things hidden within him are far more than what we see on paper."

Dai Shengzong pushed his glasses up and spoke tactfully.

"Elder Xu, should we reconsider this?"

"Right now is a critical period for the Qinglan Project's intensive training."

"Although tomorrow is a holiday, according to the rules of the Qingbei School of Literature,"

"it's easy for people to gossip if a lead mentor privately invites specific outstanding students to their home during the evaluation period."

Dai Shengzong glanced at Xu Zhengqing's expression and lowered his voice slightly.

"If word gets out, what will others think?"

"They'll think the selection at Tsinghua-Peking University is biased, that this is giving Lin Que special treatment."

"It would affect Lin Que, Changge, and even your long-standing reputation for fairness."

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