Winters in Nanjing are damp and bitterly cold.

Although the wind is not as fierce as the north,

But they were like countless fine needles, burrowing into the gaps between the collar and cuffs.

Lin Que hunched his shoulders, his hands tucked into his down jacket pockets.

Strolling leisurely along the bluestone pavement of Laomendong.

Behind them, at Zijin Villa, a farce that was nominally "new" but actually "old,"

As the cold wind blew into my collar, I finally felt something real.

Lin Que rubbed his stiff fingers.

I didn't realize it when I picked up the microphone, but now that excitement has faded...

My stomach felt like it was on fire, so empty and unbearable.

What Fang Zhenyun, what mainstream literature,

Nothing is as life-saving as the smell of duck fat wafting from the alley ahead.

My phone in my pocket has been vibrating nonstop.

Lin Que took it out and glanced at it; the screen was full of red dots.

He didn't rush to open the barrage of messages.

Instead, he made a video call home first.

The video call connected quickly, and Wang Xiulian's face instantly filled the entire screen.

The background is the white wall in my house with the character "福" (fortune) pasted on it.

"Hey son! Why are you calling now? Weren't you supposed to be in a meeting?"

Wang Xiulian's voice was filled with surprise.

And with a touch of caution, for fear of disturbing the important matter.

Lin Que pointed the camera around at the surrounding ancient buildings, then found a sheltered spot against a wall and stood there.

"Mom, the meeting is over, it's time for a break."

"My supervisor saw that I was performing well and gave me special permission to come out on a field trip, and also to have a nice meal while I was at it."

"As long as you perform well, that's enough! As long as you perform well, that's enough!"

Wang Xiulian smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits, then turned and shouted into the house.

"Old Lin! Come quick! It's a video call with our son!"

A series of clattering slippers followed, and Lin Jianguo's serious face squeezed into the corner of the screen.

He was still holding half an unpeeled apple in his hand.

He adjusted his reading glasses and scrutinized Lin Que on the screen:

"How was it? Kid, you didn't show any fear at such a big event, did you? You need to listen to the advice of your seniors, understand?"

Lin Que grinned at the camera, revealing a set of white teeth:

"Dad, don't worry."

I was extremely respectful to my teacher today.

I say whatever my seniors tell me to say.

Editor-in-Chief Fang noticed I was tired and even told me to go and rest.

They said I was a rare honest child, and I was so touched my face turned pale... cough, red!

"That's good, that's good."

Lin Jianguo breathed a sigh of relief, took a bite of the apple, and mumbled his instructions.

"He's the chief editor, so he has a good eye for people."

You're usually too mischievous, but you can stay calm in serious situations, which shows you've grown up.

If Lin Jianguo knew that his "keeping his composure" meant throwing away his name tag in front of all the experts in the province,

That apple is probably going to get stuck in my throat.

"By the way, Xiao Que."

Wang Xiulian brought the topic back to the present.

"You seem to have lost weight again."

"Mom, I've only been here for two days!"

Lin Que sniffed, his nose turning a little red from the cold wind.

"I won't talk to you anymore. I'll bring you salted duck when I get back."

"Alright, alright, go ahead and take a stroll, but be careful!"

After hanging up the video call, Lin Que exhaled a puff of white breath.

The smile on his face faded slightly.

His eyes regained that nonchalant clarity.

Having appeased the two big shots in the family, the next step is to deal with that huge mess.

He opened QQ, and the news feed on Redfruit.com was already exploding.

The editor, Green Ivy, sent no fewer than twenty voice messages, the last few of which were all exclamation marks.

[Green Ivy: You're amazing! That recording of yours is incredible! The internet is full of discussions about it now!]

[Green Ivy: Boss Red Fox just sent out red envelopes in the group, saying you fought a great battle!]

They slapped Fang Zhenyun so hard his face was swollen!

[Green Ivy: But... I also heard that something seemed to have gone wrong at the scene?]

A student representative wrecked the venue? Do you know who this person is? That's outrageous!

Lin Que's fingers tapped randomly on the screen.

[Hell Dream Weaver: I don't know him. He's probably been oppressed for too long; after all, even a rabbit will bite when cornered.]

[Green Ivy: The boss said that this time we've finally gained a firm foothold.]

From now on, if anyone dares to say that online articles are vulgar, throw this recording in their face!

Lin Que curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

Red Fox is a smart person; he knows how to turn public opinion into traffic.

He then switched to his email.

[Wang De'an: Mr. Jian Shen, the letter has been delivered.]

Although Fang Zhenyun tried his best to hide it, his frustrated and helpless expression was truly gratifying.

Chairman Gu highly praised your statement, "From a high vantage point, it's difficult to know the water's temperature."

[Wang De'an: After this battle, the style of "The Ferryman" is firmly established. The author's tactic of retreating to advance is brilliant.]

Lin Que replied:

[Insight: Fang Jun is a respectable person; a little guidance is all it takes.]

Literary debates ultimately must return to the text itself. Thank you for your hard work, Editor-in-Chief Wang.

Lin Que put his phone back in his pocket.

This show has come to an end.