Chapter 214: Standing Through the Meridian
Compared with when Wang Zixu left Xihe, Shen Qingfeng has changed a lot now.
I heard that he has recently started to exercise and strictly control carbohydrates. His body lines have become much tighter and his belly has become smaller.
But when a person loses weight, he looks darker. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes cannot be covered, but his face looks even older.
Not only the appearance has changed a lot, but also the psychology has changed a lot.
Since he was attacked by the Xihe Literary Society, his mental journey has been like that of a cancer patient, following the path of "denial, anger, negotiation, depression, and acceptance", and he is now in the "acceptance" stage.
He psychologically accepted the fact that he had ascended to the position of vice chairman and was placed below Lin Feng. Otherwise, he would not be willing to ride with Lin Feng.
But for Lin Feng, he is always the same as a muffled thunder, who doesn’t know when it will explode.
Just like today.
Lin Feng came specially to send Shen Qingfeng to attend the seminar today. He came because he was afraid that Shen Qingfeng would cause trouble at the seminar.
Lin Feng didn’t want to come, and he shouldn’t have come.
The vice chairman of the Literary and Art Association attended the seminar, and the chairman came to see him off. This is simply the opposite of heaven. He will make people laugh if he says it. But he came anyway.
He wanted to take advantage of the time on the road to have a heart-to-heart talk with Shen Qingfeng, so that he could let go of this grudge and stop finding fault with Wang Zixu. Even if you look for it, don’t look for it at a seminar.
But along the way, he spoke several times, but Shen Qingfeng pushed back without being soft or hard, and his meaning was not conveyed.
When he arrived on the NTU campus, he knew that he would have no chance if he didn't speak, so he could only bite the bullet and say:
"Chairman Shen, I have something to tell you."
Shen Qingfeng responded calmly: "Then please keep your story short."
Lin Feng blushed: "I hope you... put the overall situation first."
Shen Qingfeng looked at him sideways: "You've been holding it in all this time, and you just said something like this?"
The driver opened the door and said knowingly, "I'll go down and have a cigarette."
After the driver left, only Lin Feng and Shen Qingfeng were left in the car.
"People say that literati are pretentious. I am also a literati, and I have never been pretentious. However, my reputation has been ruined, so I hate pretentious people the most. Don't be pretentious, just tell me what you want to do."
Lin Feng sighed and said: "Today's seminar will determine the fate of the work "Fire in the Stone" in a big way. The conclusions discussed at the meeting are very important."
"So?"
"I hope that at the meeting, you can stand in the overall consideration of our Xihe Literary Association and say more good things about "Fire in the Stone"."
Shen Qingfeng's mouth became a line: "Do you think, based on my relationship with you, I should say good things for him?"< /p>
Lin Feng said: "No matter what festivals we had before, now we are all members of the Xihe Literary Association. In the eyes of others, we are all a whole.
"If you criticize his works today, people outside will think that we are not united, and the impression of the Xihe literary world will also become worse. ”
Shen Qingfeng smiled contemptuously: "The whole? Who is a whole with you? All the other members of your literary association are tied up and the royalties are added together. Is it as high as me?
"I went from being penniless to becoming famous all over the world today. What contribution did your literary association make? What help does it have for me? Why should I be with you all? "
Lin Feng said: "You were not in the Cultural Association before. If you write a masterpiece now, externally we will say that you have written well.
Shen Qingfeng smiled coldly: "You think I can't write a masterpiece, that's why you say that?" "
Lin Feng said hurriedly: "No. ”
Shen Qingfeng said: "Do you know what I hate most about you? Pretense. You are too pretentious."
Lin Feng doesn't care what he thinks of himself. He knew that Shen Qingfeng was a real villain, and those illusory honors and responsibilities were all bullshit to him.
Using that kind of thinking to talk to him will never lead to any results. He only cares about his own benefits.
But, what benefit can Lin Feng give him?
“When is the time to retaliate,” Lin Feng said, “If you target Wang Zixu, it’s hard to say he won’t repay you in the same way in the future.”
Shen Qingfeng smiled.
“You finally said something tough, well, now it looks a bit better, and it’s much more pleasing to the eye than before.”
After saying that, he added: “But, if, I mean, if, if after today, he really can no longer stand in the literary world, how will he retaliate against me in the same way in the future?"
Lin Feng was speechless.
Shen Qingfeng smiled, opened the car door and went out. Lin Feng was still stunned in the car.
For a long time, he took a deep breath.
“Old Wang, I hope you can turn the bad luck into good luck today and tide over the difficulties smoothly.”
……
When Lu Qingxuan handed "Obtained" to Ning Chunyan, Ning Chunyan was communicating with the publishing house about printing.
Today is the release day of the latest issue of "New Reward", and she is extremely busy.
After hanging up the phone and tearing open the transparent plastic packaging bag of "Obtained", Ning Chunyan asked:
"How is the sales of "New Award" going?"
"Not in seconds," Lu Qingxuan replied, " Many students squatted on the roadside and started reading. "
Ning Chunyan raised his hand and made a V: "It seems that my judgment is right. This issue will be a big hit. If I had known, tens of thousands more copies would be printed... However, we can't celebrate too early. It is impossible for the sales in NTU to be bad. "
Lu Qingxuan said: "I think it must be selling well in other places. I heard them discussing it fiercely. This work of Little Prince will definitely be out of the circle. It would be great if I also had a writing style as good as Little Prince." Lu Qingxuan asked: "Today is Wang Zixu's seminar, aren't you going to attend?"
Ning Chunyan's fingers while turning over the book paused for a moment, and then whispered: "He didn't invite me."
"Isn't his character always like this? He won't say a word even if he is about to be beaten to death."
"I can't take the initiative to help every time, right? He might think I'm causing trouble."
"That's not true." Lu Qingxuan felt that she was overthinking.
Ning Chunyan put down the book and said: "Besides, even if I go, what will happen? Chen Qingluo is still in retreat, and I am alone... No, even if she is here, what can the two of us do? That's Shi Tonghe across the way!"
Lu Qingxuan thought thoughtfully: "Will Shi Tonghe really have the nerve to put down his body and embarrass a junior in public?"
A familiar voice came from the door: "Shi Tonghe has already gone to attend the seminar, what else is there that is not in shape?"
Ning Chunyan looked over and his face darkened: "Xiao Mengyin, why do you show up like this every time? What are you doing here again?"
Today's Xiao Mengyin is very well dressed. I was in formal attire, but I didn’t seem to be in a very high mood. I said in a low voice:
“Oh. Just take a look around.”
Ning Chunyan’s pupils shrank: “Wait a minute, you are wearing formal clothes, you are not going to attend Wang Zixu’s seminar, are you?”
Xiao Mengyin nodded: “Yes. In principle, you should. Go. "
"Huh? What are you doing there?"
"I'm invited."
"Then you won't refuse?"
"Why should I refuse?" Xiao Mengyin said, "I can just sit there and eat melon."
Ning Chunyan bit her lip. Originally, she didn't go, and she just felt a little bit sorry. But now that she learned that Xiao Mengyin was going, she didn't know why she felt particularly unhappy.
Xiao Mengyin looked at her expression and waved her hand: "Okay, okay, I'm teasing you. I don't really plan to go. I plan to let the pigeons go like last time."
Ning Chunyan was stunned: "Why?"
"If I go, a certain little boy who was let off by me last time will be very upset."
"I'm asking you why you agreed to the invitation in the first place?"
"Because it's very interesting."
Ning Chunyan still couldn't understand this person's brain circuit, and waved his hand to tell her not to bother him. Xiao Mengyin picked up a copy of "New Appreciation" magazine and turned around to go out.
She went downstairs and walked into the yard, when suddenly Ning Chunyan from upstairs behind her called her while holding on to the railing.
“Hey!”
Xiao Mengyin turned around: “What are you doing?”
“If you go, help him!”
Xiao Mengyin thought for a while and shook his head: "Help the superior but not the inferior. If I go to help him, I will only be killed twice."
Ning Chunyan doesn't play games, so I didn't understand.
After Xiao Mengyin left, Ning Chunyan returned to the house, and Lu Qingxuan asked: "How was it?"
"I feel very desperate." Ning Chunyan said.
“Is it really that serious?” Lu Qingxuan blinked.
“If he can be more tactful and say a few nice things, maybe Shi Tonghe will be merciful.” Ning Chunyan’s expression became serious, “So, you must be more tactful in the future and don’t imitate him.”
Lu Qingxuan nodded confusedly.
“I hope Wang Zixu can survive this.”
…
Xiao Mengyin said she was not going to the seminar, so she left the magazine and walked towards the venue without any hesitation.
Compared with taking care of Shi Shuqiu’s emotions, eating melon on the spot is more exciting.
The only worry is that if you go, you will definitely have to speak. When you speak, you inevitably have to take sides.
Shi Tonghe was present at this seminar. Under his leadership, the atmosphere at the scene must be very united - united to attack "Fire in the Stone".
Before coming to the seminar, she read the list of participants. Except for her, the other participants were either related to Shi Tonghe or not familiar with Wang Zixu.
After all calculations, except for her friendship with Wang Zixu, the only one who would stand by Wang Zixu is Professor Zhong Junmin.
And Professor Zhong Junmin is worried about his identity, so he probably won’t be able to speak.
This time they are here to strangle "Fire in the Stone". They will definitely sentence this work to death at the seminar. So, even if she speaks for Wang Zixu, what can she do?
These people control the right to speak in the literary and art circles, and they can set the tone for a work. If she stood up and sang the opposite, she would become that "guy with no taste and poor taste".
All in all, saying good things to Wang Zixu is an act that has absolutely no benefit and will cause great losses.
But what about the other way around? How about working with Shi Tonghe’s group to give special approval to Wang Zixu’s works?
This way, there will be a dull pain somewhere deep in her heart, and she suspects that it is the place where her conscience is stored.
After thinking for a while, she decided to go talk to Gu Zao.
The latest ⊥little⊥talk⊥ is published for the first time in the ⊥6⊥9⊥⊥book⊥⊥bar⊥⊥!
Although Gu Zao always presented himself as a cool person, she knew that he was a bit naive on the inside.
He has no interests tied to Shi Tonghe, and it is very likely that he is still unclear about the situation. In the words of Mrs. A Qing, "it is a wall that blocks the wind."
Not long after walking along the road, I didn’t see Gu Zao, but I saw another acquaintance - Duan Xiaosang.
Duan Xiaosang is alone today, wearing a thick down jacket, his hands in his pockets, and white Bluetooth headphones in his ears.
“Xiao Sang, why are you here?”
“Ah? Oh...it’s you.”
Duan Xiaosang had a strange expression. She didn’t notice Xiao Mengyin at first and didn’t know what she was listening to in her headphones.
Xiao Mengyin’s eyes widened: “You’re not here to attend the seminar, are you?”
Duan Xiaosang was stunned and said: “Yes...yeah. I asked my publishing friends to help me and asked for a seat to attend.”
"Why did you come to participate? With your qualifications, do you still need to come here?"
Duan Xiaosang was a little distracted: "Just... come and take a look."
Xiao Mengyin saw that she answered the question inappropriately and knew that there was something on her mind, but she didn't want to inquire.
At this moment, she saw Gu Zao's figure flickering at the end of the road, and said goodbye:
"Then, I'll go over first, I have something else to do."
"Yeah, okay."
Xiao Mengyin ran forward, and after watching her leave, Duan Xiao Sang muttered:
"It's Xiao Mengyin."
An Younan's voice came from the earphones: "Don't worry about her, this worthless Luo Niang is not important. Did you see the prince disappear?"
"No. I guess he left long ago."
"Then don't worry about him. In fact, I am more curious about Shi Tonghe now, and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of condition he is in."
"That's probably more difficult. He won't appear until the end."
"Take the camera, it's blocked by your pocket."
"Oh."
Duan Xiaosang fiddled with his chest for a while. After adjusting the picture, he couldn't help but yawned:
"Why do you want to do such a thing?"
"What 'such a thing'?"
"It's just that you woke me up with a phone call in the middle of the night yesterday. Why do you want me to help you live broadcast the entire seminar?" Duan Xiaosang couldn't help complaining, "I didn't even eat breakfast." Just let Shi Tonghe handle the news about the little prince, so why do you care about him?"
An Younan seemed to have regained his original intention in the silence just now, and said happily:
"Is there anything more interesting in the world than appreciating the failure of an adult man?"
"Haha." Duan Xiaosang laughed bitterly, unable to complain about An Younan's bad taste.
Having invited Shi Tonghe to destroy Wang Zixu and seeing his destruction with her own eyes, this woman was a bit too scary.
She walked up the mountain road and suddenly paused: "I saw Shi Shuqiu."
"Really?" An Younan said, "Go and have a look, go and see this little talent."
Shi Shuqiu was looking around at the spot. He seemed to have seen Xiao Mengyin just now. Duan Xiaosang came to him and patted him on the back. He was startled.
“Sister Xiao Sang, why are you here?”
"Hello, Mr. Shi."
After Duan Xiaosang finished speaking, An Younan shouted in the earphone: "Talk to him! Talk to him!"
"Are you here to attend the seminar too?" Duan Xiaosang asked.
“No… I’ll just come over and take a look.”
His answer seemed familiar, and Duan Xiaosang’s expression was a bit strange.
Shi Shuqiu came back to his senses and said: "Sister Xiao Sang, did you come with Xiao Mengyin?"
"No, I came by myself. I met her just now, didn't you see her?"
"Really? Where are you? No?"
Of course Shi Shuqiu will not come to the seminar. His father is in charge. If he goes to attend, it would be a bit embarrassing to face his father.
He came here to confirm how many people came to attend the seminar and to calculate the situation at the meeting.
More importantly, he wanted to confirm whether Xiao Mengyin attended the meeting.
In his last seminar, Xiao Mengyin let him go, which made him very disappointed. If she had come to attend someone else's seminar this time...he would be even more frustrated.
An Younan shouted in the earphone: "Ask him about Wang Zixu!"
Duan Xiaosang said: "Although I came to participate in the seminar, I don't know much about Wang Zixu. What is your father's evaluation of his book? I want to know more so that I won't be unable to understand their discussion when I get to the meeting later."
Hearing this topic, Shi Shuqiu cheered up: "My father's evaluation of this book is not high."
Duan Xiaosang tilted his head, his eyes sparkling: "Isn't it high? But I heard that this book is the Chinese version of "One Hundred Years of Solitude". Isn't it a very high evaluation?"
"My father doesn't agree with it." Shi Shuqiu smiled, "My father said that the excessive praise and god-making movement of some books in the literary and art circles are a bit unbearable. He wants to turn this seminar into a cleansing conference and bring literary evaluation back to normal values."
Duan Xiaosang pretended to be surprised and raised his eyebrows: "This is a very serious criticism."< /p>
"Of course. My father's specific opinions will be made clearer at the meeting."
An Younan laughed in the earphone: "This Shi Tonghe is quite good at bluffing people. He obviously took so many benefits from me, but I was quite reluctant at the time. Now he is scolding me, one after another!"
Shi Shuqiu said again: "By the way, Sister Xiaosang, I have recently written a sequel to "Yesterday's Star" and it will be completed soon. Can you help me pay attention to the publishing aspect?"
This time Duan Xiaosang was really surprised: "You actually wrote a sequel? How long is it?"
"Yes. About two hundred thousand words."
"Twenty thousand words?" "You wrote it recently?"
"...Yes." Duan Xiaosang nodded: "As long as the quality is sufficient, there is no need to worry about it."
"Don't worry, the quality will only be higher than before." Shi Shuqiu is very confident, or in other words, he trusts his father very much.
The two were chatting when the two people behind them came up from the mountain road and saw Duan Xiaosang saying hello: "Hey, editor Duan, long time no see."
Duan Xiaosang turned around and saw Tian Zhenlei, the editor-in-chief of "Literary Circle", followed by Ji Shaofei, the editor of "Flower Room".
"Are you two also here to participate in the seminar?"
"Yes..." Ji Shaofei hesitated to speak, his eyes flickering to Shi Shuqiu beside her.
Shi Shuqiu said: "Then I will leave."
"Well, goodbye."
After Shi Shuqiu pushed the bicycle away, Ji Shaofei expressed an exaggerated expression: "Master Shi is still here to check out the points!"
Tian Zhenlei was afraid that he would make mistakes if he spoke too much, so he coughed: "It seems that most of the teachers attending this meeting really don't think highly of "Fire in the Stone". "
Duan Xiaosang asked: "Did you hear what we just said?"
"We just discussed it and found that many of the people who came to the meeting have written articles praising "Fire in the Stone"." Tian Zhenlei said, "Let's find a seat together."
On the fifteenth floor of the Fuxing Shangpin Apartment Building, a widescreen high-resolution TV projected Duan Xiaosang's first-person perspective, and the picture was frighteningly shaking.
An Younan stretched out her legs and dug her toes into the down of the Persian carpet. Then she excitedly turned over and climbed onto the sofa, raising her hands high, her white skirt flowing:
“The live broadcast has begun!”
(End of this chapter)