At home, Qin Yiku saw the comments on Weibo that were cursing him, and in a fit of anger, he threw his phone on the ground.
His daughter quickly poured him a glass of hot water: "Dad, don't be angry. That's just how people are online. If you met these kinds of people in real life, they'd be too busy trying to curry favor with you."
Qin Yi took a sip of water, but still felt nauseous. He thought to himself that as a member of the Writers Association and an honorary professor at several universities, he was always greeted with flowers and applause wherever he gave a speech.
He is also one of the most prominent figures at various literary and artistic symposiums.
When have I ever suffered such humiliation!
Qin Yi thought for a moment, then made a phone call: "Hey, Lao Liu? Have you heard of Zhan Chengwen?"
The person on the other end of the phone said, "I'm not an old fogey; I still read the news."
Qin Yiku said helplessly, "Young people these days have no sportsmanship! We only go so far as to stop when we've made a move, but they seem to want us dead!"
The reply came from the other end: "Young people, fresh out of school, don't know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is. That's how they get arrogant and conceited."
Qin Yiku added, "I was careless this time and got involved in Lao Ye's mess. After all, we've known each other for so many years. But I hope we can keep this young man in check."
The reply came from the other end: "Yes, don't worry, I'll talk to my old friends. They don't like people who are too noisy."
His poems will not be considered for any literary awards.
…
Before Qin Yiku could even feel happy for long after hanging up the phone, he noticed that his daughter kept glancing at him, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Jiaojiao, is there something you want to say?" Qin Yi asked with a wry smile.
"Hmm... Dad, Zhan Chengwen has posted another video!"
"What?" Qin Yiku's face darkened instantly. He took his daughter's phone and looked at the video on it.
The video is titled "Dead Water".
The opening ceremony was a painting, depicting a ditch filled with sewage and garbage.
As the image zooms in, you can see flies buzzing around inside, spiders spinning webs, mosquitoes flying around, and even a frog peeking out with its eyes.
The title "Dead Water" and the picture alone made Qin Yiku feel uneasy.
As the image disappeared, Zhan Chengwen appeared in the frame, and Qin Yiku's heart began to pound.
He knew that what Zhan Chengwen said was definitely not what he wanted to hear.
This is a stagnant pool of despair, where even a gentle breeze cannot stir a ripple.
Why not just throw in some scrap metal or dump your leftovers?
Perhaps the copper will turn green like jade, and a few peach blossoms will rust on the iron can.
Let the grease weave another layer of silk, and let the mold steam out some clouds.
Let the stagnant water ferment into a ditch of green wine, filled with pearl-like white foam.
The little pearl laughed and turned into a big pearl, only to be bitten by a mosquito that was stealing wine.
So even a ditch of stagnant, hopeless water can be described as somewhat vivid.
If the frogs can't stand the loneliness, they'll sing even in stagnant water.
This is a stagnant ditch of despair; beauty is nowhere to be found here.
Let ugliness cultivate the land and see what kind of world it creates.
As expected! Qin Yi tried hard to control her emotions, but her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Qin Yiku cried out in his heart, "How dare he? How dare he!"
He's trying to uproot the literary world of the Han Dynasty!
Just then, Qin Yiku's phone rang. He took a deep breath and answered it:
"Old Wang, what's wrong?"
The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment before speaking:
"The higher-ups are furious right now, Lao Qin. You'd better shut up, or things will get really messy. Also, don't come to the arts and literature symposium next month."
The magazine "New Youth" will publish Zhan Chengwen's "I Love This Land" and "Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms".
Try to think more positively; consider it a reminder to yourself.
After the call ended, Qin Yiku remained stunned for a long while, then seemed to collapse onto the sofa.
…
At this point, the comment section of the video "Dead Water" was exploding with comments.
"They've gone mad, they've gone absolutely mad! One by one they're trying to expel our God of Literature from the literary world."
"Sorry, that place is just a stagnant pool of despair for us LeBron James."
"It's true that people's hearts are fickle. I remember Qin was once a promising young man. I don't know when he turned out like this."
He considers himself a leading figure in "rural literature" every day, but he settled in Kyoto many years ago and hasn't really observed the countryside for many years.
I remember watching an interview with him not long ago, where he said that the story in his new book was based on a real person.
When asked by a reporter if he had met the person in person, he said he had heard the person's story and didn't need to meet him in person, as he knew the person very well.
Then I understood. He had changed long ago, becoming aloof and looking down on the land that had once nurtured him.
Looking back at the bygone days that can never be returned to, darkness and distortion are created through fiction and hearsay.
In his eyes, the countryside was always backward, ignorant, and full of bad habits and oppression.
His view of the countryside seems to have remained frozen 30 years in the past, and his material comes from what he has heard and his own past impressions of the countryside.
Who would believe that someone like this, who uses the guise of "rural literature" but has never actually made a positive impact on rural development, could write good works?
"The evaluation was a good scolding, hitting the nail on the head! Qin Mouku probably heard too much flattery and doesn't know what his reputation is now."
He himself is full of trivial matters, yet he still tries to take sides and threatens LeBron James openly and secretly.
It was almost as if he was shouting through a megaphone: "Zhan Chengwen, as long as I'm alive, you'll never be allowed to join the Writers' Association!"
To be honest, these people are really something else. They join a circle, act like kings and bullies within it, and then nobody pays any attention to them.
But he's like a dog suddenly appearing, snatching a bone from the ground, as if afraid you'd take it from him—it's unbelievable.
…
As its popularity soared, the hashtag #DeadWater also suddenly appeared at the top of the trending search list on Douyin!
Of the top ten trending topics, eight are related to Zhan Chengwen.
Zhan Chengwen can be said to have achieved legendary status in one battle.
The videos compiled by many bloggers about the whole story of this incident have also seen a surge in views.
Since "Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms" began, Zhan Chengwen has gained some attention.
From his outpouring of "I Love This Land" to his confession in "Confession," Wu Wencai was brought down. Zhan Chengwen's online following skyrocketed.
From Yeh Hwai-min's public feud to the release of "Torchlight," Chan Cheng-wen has once again taken down a major figure.
From Qin Yiku's unexpected attack to the release of "Dead Water," Zhan Chengwen has defeated a renowned general, completely etching his name into the history of the internet.
Watching the video creator's narration, accompanied by beautiful verses, viewers felt as if they had just watched an action blockbuster.
The screen was filled with a barrage of comments.
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