Chapter 242 The Man in the Box
Gu Zao’s words shocked everyone present, and everyone grasped different key points of the information.
“What? Wang Zixu went to attend the Guxuan Salon?”
“What are you talking about? Did he quarrel with others?”
"Who did he quarrel with? Why did he quarrel?"
Gu Zao is a handsome guy no matter how you look at him when he is not talking. When he talks, he makes people hate him till the roots of his teeth itch.
Wang Zhongxing’s teeth are itchy now. It took a lot of effort to get the topic away from Wang Zixu, but as soon as he came, he kidnapped her back. " Is there any water? I'm very thirsty, let me drink some water first."
The tea master poured tea for him, but he felt it was too hot, so he hesitated for a long time, just like the author of the online article, everyone was anxious.
"Teacher Gu Zao, are you kidding us? How did Wang Zixu enter the Guxuan Salon? How did he obtain the qualification?"
Liu Yinghe said a little aggrieved.
She has been working hard in the literary world for many years and was finally nominated for the Red Pepper Reading Contest; while Wang Zixu is a just-debuted author who has only written one book - she is not even qualified to go to the Guxuan Salon, so how can he be qualified?
It’s really weird.
Other authors also had this idea and nodded in agreement. Lu Chaoyuan pondered for a moment and said:
"I did see Wang Zixu at the entrance of the Guxuan Salon just now. At that time, I was still wondering why he appeared there."
Qi Jian asked: "Did he follow you in?"
Before Lu Chaoyuan could answer, Zhou Wei spoke first: "Where is the Guxuan Salon? Do you think you can sneak in just by walking there?"
"Then, did Wang Zixu also receive the invitation?" Qi Jian asked stumblingly.
No one answered him.
This news really makes people feel a little unbalanced.
Shi Tonghe looked at Gu Zao with a serious expression: "Are you sure that Wang Zixu received the invitation? Did Mr. Gu Xuan personally invite him?"
At this moment, Shi Tonghe thought a lot.
He also has some friendship with Gu Xuan. Based on his understanding of Gu Xuan, Gu Xuan should not take the lead here and invite someone who has a problem with him.
Is Gu Xuan deliberately hyping up this matter? Or provide him with a stage for performance? Or is he just here for Shi Tonghe?
He must figure this out.
Gu Zao slowly put down his teacup and said, "I don't know who invited him, but he was at the venue anyway."
After saying that, he spoke again He got excited: "That's not the point. The point is that this quarrel shocked the whole place. Zhuang Die, Meng Xin and other authors were all scolded by him. All the reporters on the scene rushed to the manuscript. This matter, it will become popular in the near future..."
"What?" Lu Chaoyuan was shocked.
“What?!” Shi Shuqiu was even more shocked.
“What?!” Ning Chunyan was shocked.
Lu Chaoyuan was shocked, how could Zhuang Die and Meng Xin confront Wang Zixu?
They are the training targets of the Cultural Association. During this critical period, there should be no negative news. So he specifically asked them not to talk to Wang Zixu.
Did the prince want to take revenge on the Cultural Association and deliberately set a trap for the two of them?
But even so, how could they break through the defense?
Damn it, what happened at the Guxuan Salon? !
Shi Shuqiu was shocked when Gu Zao said that Wang Zixu was going to become popular on the Internet again.
For the path of literature, he has little interest; but for the path of Internet celebrity, he can be said to be enthusiastic.
His account has always been operated by himself. He attracts fans and maintains fans. He uses various methods very professionally. He always thought he had a good sense of the net.
The life goals he has planned for himself are: break out of the industry at the age of 20, have a million fans at the age of 22, have a million fans at the age of 24, and be able to do variety shows with celebrities.
His ambitious 20-year-old has arrived. Before he even took the first step, a middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere and stepped on his face.
If it was okay just once, he could tell himself that he was eating his father’s black traffic. He doesn’t like or need black and red marketing.
But now, after a few days, if he becomes popular again, he will not be able to convince himself not to be jealous.
Everyone present had their own thoughts, especially those who were criticizing Wang Zixu just now; Lu Qingxuan was thoughtful, and Diao Yiwen had mixed feelings.
Ning Chunyan’s only thought at this time was: Wang Zixu didn’t tell me anything about such a big thing, how hateful this person is!
Lu Chaoyuan pulled him and asked: "What happened to Zhuang Die and Meng Xin? Why did they conflict with Wang Zixu? Was it Zizixu who provoked it? Or did Wang Zixu attack the Cultural Association again?"
Ning Chunyan glanced at him: "Zhuang Die is not the kind of person who is looking for trouble. He will definitely not take the initiative to provoke others."
Lu Chaoyuan always had a poker face, but now he finally showed a human expression, which made Gu Zao very satisfied. He finally said:
"Editor-in-chief Ning is right, it was not Wang Zixu who provoked others, but Zhuang Die and Meng Xin who provoked him first."
Lu Chaoyuan stared at him: "How is that possible?"
"That's the fact," Gu Zao spread his hands, "They all participated in the same forum. When Zhuang Die spoke, he said, I said carelessly, and he said that Wang Zixu was not worthy of being at the same table with him."
Lu Chaoyuan subconsciously wanted to say that Zhuang Die would not say that, but when the words came to his lips, he just couldn't say it. Because of Zhuang Die's character, he would really say that.
But he couldn’t figure out why: You, Zhuang Die, are so good, why did you mess with that Wang Zixu?
Ning Chunyan frowned slightly: "Isn't this too rude? Did you say it in front of your face?"
"Well, I told the whole audience in front of the camera and the big screen rear projection." Gu Zao drank tea, half of his face behind the tea bowl, "I don't blame Wang Zixu, but I am also angry."
Shi Shu Qiu leaned over and asked, "So, did he get mad on the spot and overturn the table?"
He thought of Wang Zixu's performance at the seminar, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: This might not be a bad thing.
Perhaps, he can set a pace and portray the prince as an irritable, resentful person who refuses to accept anyone... It would be better to just call him a crazy person.
Doesn’t no one care about his criticism of Shi Tonghe?
Gu Zao shook his head and said, "To correct your two words, he neither got angry nor overturned the table. He was very reasonable and gave a lecture to those who criticized him."
Everyone looked at each other.
Training? How to train?
What level of writers are participating in the Guxuan Salon? Is it the turn of Wang Zixu, a newcomer, to train others?
Gu Zao didn’t give in anymore and said: “Their live video is already online, I’ll just show you the video. I can’t see clearly on this small phone. Do you have a TV here? I’ll cast a screen.”
The waiter next to me walked up in small steps and said, "We don't have a TV here, but we have rear projection. Do you think it will work?"
Gu Zao said, "Okay, rear projection is better."
p>When Gu Zao was in college, he worked in the student union and played rear projection every day. He was very familiar with this thing. After a few clicks, the curtain on the wall lowered, and soon the face of Wang Zixu appeared.
Next to him, Qi Jian stammered and asked: "This, this is Wang Zixu?"
"Yes, this is him."
"I keep seeing him on the Internet recently."
Ning Chunyan never expected to see Wang Zixu’s unlucky face on this occasion. But I happened to see it. She wanted to laugh, but she didn't dare to, for fear of being misunderstood.
Shi Tonghe’s face turned ugly when he mentioned Wang Zixu’s name just now. Now he had to watch Wang Zixu’s high-definition face on the rear projection, which made him feel uncomfortable.
After the waiter clicked play, the entire discussion, which had been roughly edited, appeared on the screen.
At the beginning, the speeches of other writers were all cut very briefly. When Zhuang Die spoke, things started to get interesting. The writers seemed to be ignited by something and began to attack Wang Zixu.
Everyone watching in the tea room all had the same idea at this time: How did Wang Zixu fight back?
With everyone under siege, can he still make a comeback?
When Wang Zixu started to speak, Shi Shuqiu thought Gu Zao was exaggerating at first, but after hearing this, he gradually became dumbfounded.
Chen Caomu listened for a long time, and finally found that there were more and more awkward nouns, and muttered:
"My dear, this Wang Zixu has read so many books. Na? "
Hearing this, Shi Tonghe couldn't bear it any more, so he stood up and said, "Excuse me."
Chen Caomu was shocked and quickly shut up.
What happened again? What did I say wrong again? !
What do you see me doing? Could it be that I made Teacher Shi not want to stay here?
Gu Zao paused the playback and turned around and said: "Teacher Shi, the exciting part is not here yet."
Shi Tonghe suppressed his anger: "Well, I know. The speech was good, but I am really a little tired. I will watch it next time."
Gu Zao watched Shi Tonghe leave with a half-smile.
Shi Shuqiu got up, trotted all the way, followed Shi Tonghe, and whispered:
"Dad."
Shi Tonghe turned around: "What's wrong? You don't have to follow me. I'll go to the next room to sleep, and you stay with them. It's better to build a good relationship with them."
Shi Shuqiu said, "Dad, why are you leaving? Others thought you couldn't afford to lose."
Shi Tonghe asked: "Who? You think so?"
Shi Shuqiu was startled: "I just said..."
"Who said that?"
"No...I guess..."
Shi Tonghe closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
After a while, he breathed out quietly, his voice surprisingly calm:
"I am indeed a little tired."
After that, he turned around and left without further explanation.
He didn’t lie. He was indeed tired.
When people reach this age, their metabolism cannot improve. They feel exhausted after eating two mouthfuls, out of breath after taking two steps, and their energy cannot keep up.
But he is not exhausted just because he cannot keep up with his energy.
How he wishes he could be 30 years younger.
It’s not that he can’t afford to lose. When had Shi Tonghe never been able to afford a loss? Going forward 30 years, the scene in the video just now was not the same.
It won’t be Wang Zixu who deals damage alone. He can at least stand up and compete with him.
Russian literature is something he is more familiar with than his own family.
But now, he is timid and must keep himself in a box. He cannot quarrel with others or take the initiative to argue, otherwise he will lose his identity, or he will be disrespectful.
He is almost fed up with this kind of life.
Maybe he should retire early, as his old rival said.
…
At the teahouse, as soon as Shi Tonghe left, he didn't want to stay for a long time, so he found a reason to run away; Wang Zhongxing followed closely behind.
As soon as they left, the atmosphere became much more lively. A heated discussion broke out among the writers.
There are those who are red-faced and stubborn, insisting on finding faults in the eggs, and pretending to be a bad guy, knocking the prince to the ground and stepping on ten thousand feet to prove that he is on the right side;
There are also sayings His words were gentle, his eyes were clear, and his evaluation of Wang Zixu was much softer than before, or he was a lot more timid;
There was also a surface indifference, and he was secretly glad that he didn't speak much just now, and he didn't make his position clear, so it didn't count as a slap in the face.
Everyone was having a lively discussion. Here was an autistic Chen Caomu and another autistic Shi Shuqiu.
Chen Caomu turned to look at Shi Shuqiu, feeling sympathetic, and said softly: "Actually, all the fame is fake. Just like his name, it is fake. Writing still depends on how much money you can make, right?"
Shi Shuqiu suddenly broke his defense: "Are you mocking me?"
Chen Caomu sweated: "I, I didn't mean that..."
Shi Shuqiu glared at him. Chen Caomu was baffled.
"By the way," Gu Zao added, "Before I left, they were announcing the annual awards of the Guxuan Salon. The annual author was actually awarded to me. I was afraid of going on stage to receive the award, so I ran away quickly."
Just before everyone thought he was showing off, he added:
"Master Shi, you won the Rising Star Writer of the Year."
< br>Shi Shuqiu was distracted. When he heard his name, he was first surprised and then delighted: "Me?"
Gu Zao pointed at Qiu Moke and Li Yan. Said: "You two have been nominated."
Next to him, Thursday Wei quickly handed over his hand: "Congratulations, congratulations, Mr. Shi, congratulations to both of you."
Qiu and Li were stunned, then they both held up their hands and congratulated Shi Shuqiu.
Shi Shuqiu’s mood finally improved a little. Qiu and Li felt quite unhappy.
They seemed to find that their lottery numbers were one digit short of the grand prize. I didn't expect to win the prize at first, but after the lottery was drawn, I realized that I was so close to winning, and started to worry about gains and losses again.
When I thought that the winner was Shi Tonghe’s son, Shi Shuqiu, everything seemed natural.
As he said just now, "He can't win the first prize because his opponent is me" - yes, his opponent is him, can he still expect to win the prize?
Thinking of this, I felt that the words Gu Zao just said before he came were full of irony.
Gu Zao continued: "Wang Zixu won the Most Charming Writer Award."
Upon hearing this, Ning Chunyan, like Chen Qingluo, who was on hand to monitor the voting, spat out a mouthful of tea.
Shi Shuqiu raised his eyebrows and turned his eyes: "He? The most charming?"
"Hmm."
"I remember, this is a public judging award," Zhou Wei said. There was sourness in his tone. The implication is that this award is more about entertainment.
But no matter what, Shi Shuqiu’s mood finally improved and became depressed again.
He realized what Zhuang Die said, "Sitting with you makes me feel doubly ashamed." Winning the prize in the same batch as Wang Zixu, he suddenly felt that winning the prize was no longer enjoyable.
The spectators at the Ningchun Banquet are enjoying themselves, it has nothing to do with themselves.
…
After the party, Ning Chunyan said goodbye to Diao Yiwen and Lu Qingxuan (these two had been bombarded with messages for a day and had different thoughts). She took out her mobile phone and planned to confront the guy.
As soon as she dialed the phone, she said: "Okay, Wang Zixu, I have been worried about you these past two days. How did you sneak into Guxuan Salon? Why didn't you tell me? You are very strict with your words!"
But the voice on the other side seemed not to be very interested. , even a little feeble: "Yeah."
This was beyond Ning Chunyan's expectation. She originally planned to say "Let me describe Shi Shuqiu's face to you"... It was originally a very happy topic, but Wang Zixu's lack of interest suddenly calmed her down.
Ning Chunyan's expression changed: "What, are you accompanying the rich woman? You are accompanying the rich woman, so I won't disturb you."
Wang Zixu said, "Why do you think so?"
"Gu Zao told me," Ning Chunyan curled her lips, "When you left the venue, you followed An Younan, right?"
Wang Zixuyou A little surprised: "Gu Zao? Why didn't I see Gu Zao?"
"Don't change the subject."
Wang Zixu Said: "Well, yes. But I am not with An Younan now."
The other end of the phone seemed to think for a long time before he finally said: "I met my mother today."
Ning Chunyan was a little surprised: "Your mother? In my impression, isn't your mother... gone?"
The other end of the phone said: "Well, she ran away from home when I was 8 years old."
Ning Chunyan realized that she had made a big misunderstanding, blushed and said, "Oh, Okay, are you going to reminisce about old times together? "
"No. I'm alone now."
"What are you doing?"
p>“Walking alone on the road.”
Ning Chunyan realized that he was not in the right mood and simply said: “Give me your address and I will drive to pick you up. . ”
“...That’s not what I meant.”
“But I asked you to give me your address.”