45: What Kind of Pioneers Do We Need?

Thoughts?

Lin Que could almost imagine that young female editor,

sitting in front of her computer at this moment, full of anticipation,

and even carrying the fervor of wanting to save a wayward literary youth,

waiting for his reply letter.

He thought for a moment, his fingers tapping out a line of text unhurriedly on the screen.

["My thought is that Grandpa Namiya is very fortunate; his troubles are simply helping others solve their troubles."]

After sending it, Lin Que stuffed his phone back into his pocket and ignored it further.

Meanwhile, in the office of New Tide,

Xu Lan looked at this reply and froze.

She read that sentence repeatedly, savoring the complex emotions within it.

That was neither simple praise nor harsh disparagement,

but rather a kind of...

bleak insight that only an outsider could possess.

That's right, Grandpa Namiya was fictional, and his world was warm.

But what about reality?

Lin Que, who wrote firefly, what he saw in the world,

was perhaps filled with troubles of his own that could not be solved by a "reply letter".

A stronger impulse surged in Xu Lan's heart.

She had to meet this boy.

...

Saturday morning.

Dark clouds hung low, and the air pressure was so low that it made one's chest feel stuffy.

Overnight, the trend on the internet suddenly changed.

The reason for this shift stemmed from a viral article published late at night on a literature forum,

and the author was Sun Jingshi, a veteran writer in the circle.

The article title was extremely inflammatory:

"What Kind of Vanguard Do We Need?"

— — A Brief Discussion on the Realistic Significance of the human world is like a prison.

At the beginning of the article,

instead of making moral criticisms of the horror elements in the human world is like a prison like Wang Shouyi did,

it instead adopted an appreciative posture, defining it as a necessary offense.

["...The current literary scene is flooded with too much sentimental self-indulgence and too much ineffectual, feigned melancholy.

We have grown accustomed to discussing wind and snow in heated rooms, yet we have forgotten literature's initial sharp edge—

to pierce through hypocritical pustules and to face dripping blood directly."]

["On this level, the appearance of the human world is like a prison is nothing short of a clap of thunder."]

["Many people only see its terror, yet ignore the truth of its core."]

["From the pungent satire of the pedantic scholars in the literary world by ghosts do not read poetry, to the profound metaphor of capital logic by the talent scout."]

["What kind of courage and insight are required for such merciless, nearly cruel dissection?"]

If one only looked at these parts, it could still be considered a normal book review.

But the true intent is always revealed at the end.

Sun Jingshi shifted his tone, pointing his spearhead at The Miracles of the Namiya General Store.

["...Of course, we equally need works like The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,

which are like a bowl of warm chicken soup for the soul, comforting weary travelers.

But we must soberly realize

that chicken soup can only bring temporary warmth

and cannot grant us the backbone to fight against the wind and snow."]

["Compared to the gentleness chosen by Teacher Jian Shen to stitch up wounds in an ideal world,

what the Hell Dream Weaver chose is the bravery to sharpen blades in the quagmire of reality."]

["One is a perfect idealist, and the other is a sober realist."]

["Which one is the vanguard that our era needs more?"]

At the end of the article, a huge, thought-provoking question mark was left behind.

This article sank into the internet like a bomb.

It did not directly deny The Miracles of the Namiya General Store;

instead, it elevated it to the height of perfect idealism.

But turning around, it placed the crown of greater bravery, profundity, and critical spirit

upon the head of the human world is like a prison.

For a time, the internet was in a complete uproar.

["Holy crap! Elder Sun's review is going wild!

This is the first time I've seen anyone dare to interpret the human world is like a prison like this!"]

["That is so right!

worry solver is very good, but it's too wonderful, so wonderful that it feels unreal.

After reading it, my heart is warm, but the next day I still have to face bloody reality.

But the human world is like a prison is different; it makes you fearful, but after the fear, it makes you think!"]

["Stop switching concepts up there! Literature's function is to give people hope, not to spread anxiety!

Teacher Jian Shen is saving people, while that Dream Weaver is killing people! How can these be the same?"]

["What do you mean by killing? He's just smashing open the bones of reality for you to see!

In the chapter 'the talent scout', anyone who has ever gone to work will have their scalp tingling upon reading it! This is true realism!"]

["Cut it out, it's just a web novel, stop forcefully gilding it.

Criticizing reality, does it deserve to? It's not even worthy of carrying Teacher Jian Shen's shoes!"]

The reader groups, which were originally distinct, were completely torn apart by this article.

The supporters of "Jian Shen" felt that this was clinging to fame and insulting their idol.

The fans of "Hell Dream Weaver", on the other hand, seemed to have suddenly found a theoretical basis,

and could finally righteously elevate the work they liked to the height of criticizing reality.

The two waves of readers who originally minded their own business

were forcibly driven to opposite sides by this article.

...

The previous night in the editorial department of New Tide,

Wang De'an looked at the screen, his expression frighteningly gloomy.

He did not fly into a rage as Xu Lan had expected, but instead fell into a death-like silence.

["Editor-in-Chief, this is too shameless!"]

Xu Lan said with righteous indignation.

["They are deliberately confusing the public!

Putting two completely different types of works together to compare—this in itself is a trap!"]

["This is precisely their brilliance."]

Wang De'an's voice was hoarse, his finger tapping heavily on the desktop.

["Praising instead of scolding, killing the Dream Weaver with kindness while belittling Jian Shen.

Once this argument that realism is superior to idealism is established,

Teacher Jian Shen's reputation will become weightless.

What's even more terrifying is..."]

He suddenly raised his head, a flash of panic crossing his eyes.

["Fang Zhenyun's move is not only for the public opinion war, but even more so for tomorrow's book signing event!"]

Xu Lan was stunned:

["A book signing event?"]

["Have you forgotten who the student representative we invited is?"]

Wang De'an's speaking speed was extremely fast, revealing anxiety.

["Lin Que! That genius youth who wrote firefly, called a freak by Professor Li, and universally recognized as being most influenced by the Dream Weaver's style!"]

Xu Lan instantly reacted, her spine turning cold.

["If at this critical juncture, Lin Que, as the specially invited student representative, is induced by reporters at the scene

to utter even a single word agreeing with Sun Jingshi's view..."]

Wang De'an gritted his teeth and finished the second half of the sentence:

["Then tomorrow's headline will be

— — "Jian Shen's Book Signing Flops, Student Representative Prefers the Hell Dream Weaver"!

This is not only slapping Teacher Jian Shen in the face,

but also completely smashing the lighthouse image that worry solver has managed to build with such difficulty!"]

The air in the office seemed to congeal.

["Quick! Xiao Xu!"]

Wang De'an stood up abruptly, his chair making a harsh screeching sound as it was shoved back.

["Call Teacher Shen! We must confirm Lin Que's attitude before tomorrow! If not, even if we have to change people, we cannot let him talk nonsense!"]

Xu Lan flurriedly dialed the number, but all that came through the receiver was a cold busy tone.

["Editor-in-Chief..."]

Xu Lan put down her phone, her face pale.

["Teacher Shen's phone is turned off... At this time, she should be giving closed-door intensive training classes to senior high school students."]

Wang De'an sat back down despondently in his chair, looking at the gloomy sky outside the window.

Tomorrow is the book signing event.

That youth named Lin Que

was now like an uncertain bomb, personally invited by them to the very center of the stage.

And the detonator was in the hands of those malicious reporters.

["Leave it to fate."]

Wang De'an closed his eyes and muttered to himself.

["I hope Teacher Jian Shen's writing has truly reformed this child..."]