Chapter 121 Gone with the Wind
Chapter 121 Gone with the Wind
"Wang Zixu!" Mei Rucheng shouted, then lowered his voice, "The leader has other arrangements, and time is tight. If you have any questions, you can report them through proper channels."
Wang Zixu stepped forward and said, "This matter cannot be reported through normal channels."
"If we can't get through normal channels, then just keep it to ourselves!" Mei Rucheng raised his voice.
Mei Rucheng stared at him sharply. His broad, fat face looked like a hairy eagle, and there was a strong warning in his eyes:
Don't think, kid, that just because you won the first prize and showed off your talent, you are qualified to make conditions. The prize is not even warm in your hands!
Wang Zixu knew that he was not using his power to show off his authority.
In this world, those who applaud you are not necessarily your friends, and those who scold you are not necessarily your enemies.
This may seem like a reprimand, but in fact it is treating him as one of their own. If he is eager to take revenge right after receiving the award, how bad will this leave on the leader?
What kind of problem did he reflect? If we try to minimize the impact, it will make Zhang Qian alone have no hope of promotion in the future. If we make it bigger, it will cause a storm in Xihe.
How would Wang Zixu be viewed as the trigger? How would he handle himself in the political and literary circles of Xihe?
Mei Rucheng warned him with his eyes: Don’t ruin your bright future!
Lin Feng wiped the sweat off his head, looked around, and whispered: "Brother Wang, don't be impulsive, be rational... I'm still waiting to have supper with you today."
Ning Chunyan stroked her arm and looked at him worriedly. She was not in the system, so she didn't know how serious the problem Wang Zixu mentioned was. She didn't know whether she should persuade Wang Zixu to stop and make a long-term plan later. Because she felt that Wang Zixu's expression was very serious and he didn't seem like someone who could be persuaded.
Zhang Qian pinched the corner of her clothes with her fingers, crumpling and loosening them, as if she was weighing whether speaking to Wang Zixu would calm him down and let her go. She raised her eyes inadvertently, but saw Chen Qingluo staring at her coldly, and that look scared her.
The air in the room suddenly became stagnant because everyone was mobilized and prepared for battle.
The prince closed his eyes, then opened them.
From a rational point of view, he really shouldn't act rashly at this time. Or he should never act rashly.
He has already won the first place in the literary competition. In a few days, Zhang Qian will figure it out and might come to curry favor with him. Shen Qingfeng will no longer have the knife to use against him, and Director Gou might just let him run rampant in the bureau from now on.
Those little things in the past are written on paper, torn into pieces, thrown into the wind, gone with the wind, and free from now on, crossing the turbid current and letting fish swim in the vast water.
However, if this were true, he would not be happy.
If you are unhappy, you are unhappy. You can't lie to yourself about this. Even if you live a good life from now on, you will still feel unhappy when you think about this incident. Maybe before he dies, he will regret not taking revenge for this arrow.
After going through so many things, he was like the toothpaste in the tube. Something inside had hardened and could no longer be squeezed out. He had to cut the tube open and dig out the stuff inside before he could let it all out.
Wang Zixu said, "I can't hold it back any longer. I want to say it today. If I miss this opportunity, I may never be able to say it again."
The secretary looked unhappy and wanted to step forward to talk to him, but was stopped by the big boss.
"I have to rush to a place. If you have anything to say, please tell me on the way. I want to hear why you cannot report it through normal channels."
The big boss still had a smile on his face, but Zhang Qian looked as pale as death.
"Walk."
The big boss left as soon as he said he would. Wang Zixu hesitated for a moment before he realized that he wanted him to catch up and talk in the car.
The car is a private space, so there won't be any impact in public. You can advance or retreat, depending on the scope of the problem that Wang Zixu reports.
Wang Zixu did not object to Shen Jianqiu's political wisdom. He followed without hesitation.
"..."
After Shen Jianqiu and Wang Zixu left, the house seemed to have its soul sucked out and it was quiet for a long while.
Cui Xian grinned and said half to himself: "The first place winner of this literary gathering is indeed a person with a unique personality!"
Everyone looked at him, which made him look a little frightened.
Except for him, almost everyone present knew Wang Zixu. Even if they didn't know him, they had heard of him. Only he knew nothing about him.
He originally wanted to start a conversation with a few people, but he found that no one wanted to talk about this topic, and he couldn't help but feel worried.
"Let's go too." Chen Qingluo stood up. "I still have to revise Beauvoir's Offering next."
Ning Chunyan was stunned: "Hasn't it been changed?"
"The editor of Get said there are still some things that can be changed."
Li Tingfang looked up at her with a smile: "Does Qingluo have a new work? Are you going to publish it in Obtain?"
"Ah."
"How long is it?"
“More than 10 words.”
"So long?" Li Tingfang was a little surprised. "You've been quiet these past few days. It turns out you've been working on your masterpiece at home. It looks like you have a good chance of winning this time!"
Chen Qingluo didn't say anything extra, just nodded very slightly: "Yeah."
After saying that, she walked towards the door resolutely, and Ning Chunyan quickly followed her.
Everyone made way for them in awe. Ning Chunyan pulled her arm and asked in a low voice, "How come I don't know when the editor of Get contacted you?"
Chen Qingluo said: "It was probably when that person said 'stinking bitch'."
"That was just now, wasn't it?" Ning Chunyan suppressed his voice, "Have they approved the manuscript? It's 10 words! What did their editor say?"
"They said," Chen Qingluo pushed the black hair away from her shoulders, "I'm going to win the Mao Dun Literature Prize this time."
Li Tingfang watched the two girls leave with a wise look, then turned to Lin Feng and said, "Wang Zixu should have been invited to join the Literary Association earlier."
Lin Feng said quickly: "As soon as his work is published in Yangtze River today, I will say that I am his recommender. No one can compete with me for it."
Li Tingfang said, "Isn't there a vice-chairman seat opening up recently? I think he is fully qualified to be a vice-chairman."
Lin Feng paused, and Li Tingfang glanced at him: "He won the first prize in the literary competition and published an article in Yangtze River. I heard that Yangtze River is going to give him the Best Newcomer Award. Did you know about this?"
Lin Feng was surprised: "I don't know, teacher, where did you get this news?"
Li Tingfang laughed: "I am well-informed. Well, it's time to go home and rest. I am exhausted today..."
When Lin Feng helped Li Tingfang out, Lin Luo, who was behind them, was already grimacing.
Yan Zishan stood up without saying a word, declined the invitation from the Literary Association, and walked out alone with his hands in his pockets.
Diao Yiwen hesitated for only a moment before following his back outside. In order to avoid suspicion, she waited until they were out of the elevator, and under the cover of night, she mustered up the courage to rush to his side.
"I know what you want to ask, but don't ask it yet." Yan Zishan still had his hands in his pockets, and he didn't seem to have any intention of taking them out.
Under the cover of night, Diao Yiwen could neither see the expression on his face nor whether his hands were clenched into fists or spread out in tolerance, which made her feel a little nervous.
Yan Zishan asked without warning: "Are you and the first prize winner this time in the same place?"
This question left Diao Yiwen somewhat puzzled. In the same place? Regardless of time, space, or family background, they were not in the same "place". But she soon understood the question and answered:
“We work in the same unit.”
Yan Zishan hummed and said, "When you get to work, tell him a message for me."
After a pause, he said, "Go to the East China Sea."
Diao Yiwen was silent for a long time, but he did not explain the meaning of this sentence, so he asked in an emphasizing tone: "Go to the East China Sea?"
"Ah."
"Is that all?"
"He would understand."
"..."
Diao Yiwen was silent for a moment and said, "Excuse me, can I ask my question?" Yan Zishan said, "You are not extreme enough."
"Ok?"
"You're not extreme enough, so you can only get second place," said Yan Zishan.
Diao Yiwen finally couldn't help it and asked, "But, they just said that you didn't vote for yourself. This is because..."
"That's because you're not extreme enough," Yan Zishan said. "If you were extreme enough, you should let me take charge of writing this article from beginning to end. This is also an extreme approach."
Diao Yiwen thought for a moment, rolled her eyes, and said, "Do you mean that Wang Zixu's article was also written by someone else?"
Yan Zishan laughed sarcastically: "No. I voted for him because he is extreme enough."
Diao Yiwen stood there in a daze. Extreme? What is extreme, anyway?
"In the final analysis, the most interesting part of literature is the author's feelings, attitude, and vision. And this part of your work happens to be what I did not touch. My revisions can only correct your expression, rhetoric, and sense of language, but that is only the surface after all. The core part cannot be changed, so I say that you can only get second place. Because such a work does not deserve first place."
After saying that, Yan Zishan shook his head and said, "You are not from here at all. So you can't understand. I am not worthy of telling you anything about literature, because it is all nonsense to you."
Diao Yiwen felt humiliated and wronged at the same time. Yan Zishan said this in an extremely arrogant manner, but his tone was not arrogant at all. Instead, he seemed to be stating a fact from the bottom of his heart and with great sincerity.
But this made her feel even more humiliated.
My father sent me a message with a very simple content. It was a photo of a table full of delicious food with champagne placed in a prominent position. There was a sentence attached below: Please invite Teacher Yan Zishan.
Diao Yiwen looked around, and Yan Zishan disappeared after he finished speaking. He was nowhere to be found now. It was definitely impossible to invite him.
She dialed her father's number and whispered:
"Dad, I want to quit my job."
Father Diao was surprised and asked, "What's wrong with you? Why are you crying? What wronged you? Didn't you get second place? You should be happy."
Diao Yiwen wiped away the tears that flowed down her cheeks and said, "I want to take first place."
When she was standing on the stone bridge and making a phone call, Lin Luo was just coming out of the hotel, jogging all the way to meet Shen Qingfeng who was waiting at the door.
"Teacher Shen, I disappoint you."
Shen Qingfeng stared at him with annoyance: "How dare you see me?"
Lin Luo was sweating: "This time it was a bit unexpected..."
Shen Qingfeng had a terrible expression on his face, but as soon as he turned around, he put on a festive look and trotted over: "Talented Ning, Talented Ning!"
Ning Chunyan grabbed Chen Qingluo tightly and said, "Let's go!"
The two of them quickened their pace and quickly hid in the car before Shen Qingfeng could catch up with them, then they breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Qingluo said, "Why don't you listen to what he is going to say?"
"It's not those things?"
Ning Chunyan wanted to use an adjective to describe Shen Qingfeng's attempt, but she failed and just stuck out her tongue and made a "vomit" expression.
Chen Qingluo said: "You are short of money now, you should first find a way to squeeze his money out."
Ning Chunyan rolled her eyes: "Sister, do you think his money is so easy to take? Everything in fate has a price tag. If I take the money, I will definitely have to pay a price. Do you know that?"
Chen Qingluo frowned, looking worried. She tilted her head and thought for a long time before asking, "Then if I call someone a stinky bitch, will there be a price for that?"
"puff."
Ning Chunyan said: "'Stinky bitch' is the price tag for what Zhang Qian did."
Chen Qingluo was convinced by her answer and nodded sincerely: "I see."
Ning Chunyan said: "Hey, what do you think Wang Zixu will say in the big leader's car?"
Chen Qingluo was silent.
"Will he cause any more trouble? I'm a little worried."
Chen Qingluo turned her head towards her and said, "Why are you so worried? They're already married, is it your turn to worry?"
Ning Chunyan said with a hurt expression: "Why are you so mean? I am just worried as a friend, so what? Aren't you worried? That was a suicide attack."
"Don't worry. I don't know that person well."
"Even if we're not familiar with each other, at least I wrote a poem for you on the spot. Ah, green vines entwine around the branches, aren't you moved?"
Chen Qingluo retreated tactically: "Oh, so it's because he wrote poems for you, you were aroused, right? Ah, Chunyan Huajian, you are quite good at arousing love."
Ning Chunyan was furious: "You are the one who is in love! You are the one who is moved!"
"Drive carefully, don't go on the road in anger."
……
It was already 11 o'clock in the evening when Wang Zixu returned home.
Two or three hours.
He chatted with Shen Jianqiu longer than expected.
My wife is still at her parents' home. I had been planning to pick her up today, but it seems like I can't do that today.
If he went to pick her up now, he could forget about the warm welcome he had received after a long separation. Instead, she would scream and blame him for waking her up so late.
Thinking of this, Wang Zixu couldn't help but smile. This lifelike scene, although full of the same depravity that had drowned him in the past, was like gravity at this moment, keeping his feet firmly on the ground, which made him feel at ease.
When he returned to the community, the elderly security guard at the gate suddenly stopped him and said, "Someone came to see you."
Wang Zixu asked, "Who?"
The security guard said: "A woman has been waiting for you here for a long time!"
Wang Zixu said: "That should be Zhang Qian, right?"
The security guard said, "Yes, her name is Zhang Qian."
Wang Zixu said, "Why did she look for me?"
"I don't know. Anyway, she has been waiting for you for a long time, until just now, about an hour or two."
The security guard shook his head in amazement. In this era of smartphones, it is rare to see people waiting for so long.
The old security guard stared at Wang Zixu with an intentional look - if Wang Zixu didn't have a debt of love to someone, he must have owed that woman a lot of money.
Wang Zixu wanted to ask Zhang Qian why she didn't call him, but then he remembered that he must have blocked all her contact information.
When he got home, the house, which had not been visited for a long time, smelled like a mixture of dust and leaves. He did not turn on the light, sat on the sofa in the dark, played with his phone for a while, and then called Zhang Qian.
"Hey."
"Nothing."
"If you want to meet, then meet tomorrow and make things clear."
“Still in that cafe.”
After hanging up the phone, Wang Zixu arrogantly crossed his legs and put his fingers on his cheeks.
Zhang Qian finally got scared and wanted him to let her go.
But some things can never go with the wind, or in other words, cannot end in a dull manner.
(End of this chapter)