46: Trap under the light

Saturday, early morning.

Jiang City, Xisheng Mansion.

Lin Que was woken up by Wang Xiulian's hurried knocking on the door.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Their event starts at nine, we have to go early to grab a good spot!"

Lin Jianguo was already fully dressed in the living room, holding a brand-new notebook and a camera in his hands.

"Let me tell you, last night I played chess with your Uncle Wang and the others, and when I mentioned this, they were all so envious!

They said my son is doing well now and can even represent the school to attend such a cultural extravaganza!"

Lin Jianguo's face was glowing, and his tone was filled with irrepressible pride.

Lin Que came out of the bedroom, pushed down onto a chair by his mother like a puppet, letting her spray hairspray onto his head.

Looking at himself in the mirror, forcibly combed into an "adult's appearance", he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Last night, Hong Hu was jumping with anxiety over the phone, saying that Professor Sun published an article to provoke a war.

Perhaps Hong Hu could never imagine that the two main characters of this war, at this moment, were obediently sitting at home, being criticized by his own mother for having his tie tied crookedly.

"Mom, I'm just going to make up the numbers and stand on stage, there's no need to make such a big deal out of it."

"How can that do?!"

Wang Xiulian gave him a pat.

"What you represent is the face of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School! You must pull yourself together with full spirit for me!

When you see those great writers and editors, your mouth must be sweet, and you must be modest and eager to learn, did you hear me?"

"Got it, got it."

Lin Que perfunctorily responded.

He slowly changed his clothes, and before going out, his phone vibrated.

It was a message sent by Wu Di, a screenshot, of the comment section that was arguing the most fiercely under Sun Jingshi's article.

[Jian Shen is nothing! Just a sissy who only knows how to hide behind the scenes and brew chicken soup! Do you dare to face the darkness of reality head-on like our Dream Weaver?]

Wu Di also attached a gloating meme.

[Brother Que, the big battle has already begun! As a student representative today, you must hold your ground! We are hardcore fans of the Dream Weaver after all!]

Lin Que smiled and replied to him with a single word.

[Okay.]

He turned off his phone, raised his head, and flashed a bright, sunny smile at his parents.

"Dad, Mom, let's go."

Today would be a very interesting day.

The square in front of the Jiang City Library had never been as lively as it was today.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the winding long line had already stretched two blocks away.

Huge banners were hung between the Roman columns of the library, with white characters on a blue background reading:

"The New Book Release and Public Welfare Launch Ceremony for 'Finding the worry solver Around You' of The Miracles of the Namiya General Store".

The air was permeated with a strange warmth that did not belong to commercial activities.

Among the queueing crowd, there were students carrying schoolbags, retired workers supporting their spouses, and even quite a few delivery workers and food delivery guys wearing uniforms.

Most of them held unopened envelopes in their hands —— those were the "Time Letters" designed by the organizers, ready to be dropped into the huge, replica "Namiya General Store" mailbox at the venue.

"Oh my, so many people!"

Lin Jianguo held up the digital camera that he had specially fully charged for today, and looking at the sea of people before him, not only did he not feel annoyed, but instead straightened his back even more.

"Did you see that? This is the charm of culture! This is the kind of writer our ordinary people like!"

He turned his head to say to Wang Xiulian, with a sense of pride in his tone that said "my son is also a part of this".

Wang Xiulian specially wore a dark red woolen overcoat today, and her hair was also put up, making her look exceptionally spirited.

While helping Lin Que straighten his collar, she lowered her voice and admonished:

"Little Que, later when we enter the inner venue, you must proactively greet the leaders and teachers.

Especially that Editor Xu, she specially sent you a text message, that's thinking highly of us, you can't lack manners."

"Mom, this tie is choking me to death."

Lin Que helplessly tugged at the dark blue tie around his neck.

"Don't move! A serious occasion, be serious!"

Wang Xiulian slapped away his hand and stepped back two steps, sizing him up with satisfaction.

"Mhm, quite handsome!"

Lin Que sighed in his heart.

His gaze crossed his mother's shoulders, looking toward the tightly closed glass door of the library.

Behind that door, beneath those seemingly affectionate flowers and applause, he smelled an unfriendly aura.

That was the smell of a hunting rifle being cocked.

On the second floor of the library, the media reception area.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the warmth downstairs.

Long guns and short cameras had long been set up, and dozens of journalists were lowering their heads to fiddle with equipment or gathering together to whisper.

Among them, a middle-aged man wearing black-framed glasses and hanging a "Jinling Cultural Daily" press card in front of his chest was standing by the window, overlooking the crowd downstairs while reporting in a low voice to the other end of the phone.

"Editor-in-Chief Fang, rest assured. I've already grabbed the spot, right in the front row."

He was Zhou Yang, an old subordinate of Fang Zhenyun, and also a well-known "pen knife" in the circle.

He was best at setting traps in interviews, driving respondents into dead ends, and then taking things out of context to create explosive points.

Inside the earpiece, Fang Zhenyun's voice was a bit distorted, carrying a casual weariness:

"Don't deliberately make things difficult. Young people, after all, are inevitably hot-tempered; you just need to give him a chance to express himself.

As for whether it will burn onto Jian Shen, that's a matter for public interpretation."

"Understood."

Zhou Yang pushed his glasses, his mouth splitting into a cold smile.

"Today's young people, if you praise them a couple of times, they forget who they are.

As long as I guide him a little and let him speak out his worship of the Hell Dream Weaver, and then step on Jian Shen's affectation, tomorrow's headline will be secured."

"At the release site of The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, student representative openly defects."

Zhou Yang chuckled.

"This headline is definitely explosive."

Hanging up the phone, Zhou Yang turned to look at the entrance.

There, a group of people were walking over slowly.

Walking at the very front was Wang De'an, Editor-in-Chief of New Tide, though his face was glowing, his eyes revealed a trace of undisguised anxiety.

Behind him followed a female teacher with a cold temperament, none other than Shen Qingqiu.

And beside Shen Qingqiu, that teenager with his hands in his pockets and a sleep-deprived look, was today's prey, Lin Que.

"They're here."

Zhou Yang gestured to the cameraman beside him.

"Keep up the camera position, don't film that Editor-in-Chief, just film that student."

"Student Lin Que, later no matter what the journalists ask, you must think clearly before answering."

Shen Qingqiu walked by Lin Que's side, her voice lowered very much, but her speed of speech was fast.

"If you encounter questions that are hard to answer, look at me, and I will block them back for you.

Remember, you are here representing the school, and every word you say doesn't just represent yourself alone."

She wore a black professional suit today, looking capable and serious.

But Lin Que could feel that her knuckles clutching her handbag were visibly exerting force.

She was nervous.

The tearing caused online last night by that article "What Kind of Vanguard Do We Need", Shen Qingqiu naturally saw it too.

She knew all too well the hidden dangers lurking in today's press conference.

Pushing a student regarded as a "Dream Weaver disciple" to the front stage was in itself a risky move.

"Teacher, relax, don't be nervous!"

Lin Que yawned, his gaze lazily sweeping across that row of pitch-black camera lenses in front.

"I'm just a student, can they eat me up?"

"You don't understand."

Shen Qingqiu's brows furrowed tightly.

"Some pens are sharper than knives."

As they were speaking, they had already walked up to the check-in desk.

Before Wang De'an could speak, Zhou Yang, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed over fiercely like a shark smelling blood.

"Student Lin Que! I'm a reporter for the Jinling Cultural Daily!"

Zhou Yang's microphone was almost shoved into Lin Que's face, and the camera flashbulbs behind him flashed wildly, instantly attracting all the surrounding attention.

"As one of the specially invited student representatives of this launch ceremony for The Miracles of the Namiya General Store, we all know that the firefly you previously created had a very depressed style, and was even considered by some critics to carry the shadow of the Hell Dream Weaver."

Zhou Yang spoke extremely fast, giving no opportunity for others to interject at all.

"Last night, the famous critic Mr. Sun Jingshi published an article, arguing that compared to the idealist warmth of 'Jian Shen', the sharpness of the Dream Weaver in exposing the darkness of reality, is precisely the vanguard spirit more needed in contemporary literature."

"As a creator deeply loved by young people, do you also agree with this view?"