Chapter 378: Shi Runrun feels that he has saved the galaxy
The academic exchange meeting arrived as scheduled.
The venue is set at the Beijing National Convention Center, a multi-functional lecture hall that can accommodate thousands of people.
The venue was packed.
Those sitting in the audience are all well-known figures in the field of literary research at home and abroad. Each of them is so famous that it can make academic journals tremble.
Shi Runrun, as the only undergraduate speaker in the audience, was scheduled to speak in the last session of the morning.
She sat in the first row of the preparation seats, her palms sweaty from nervousness, her heart pounding as if it was about to jump out of her throat.
Although the light blue Chanel dress she was wearing was specially picked for her by Xiao Xue Zheng.
Although the speech in her hand had been revised by that man no less than eight times, every sentence was perfect.
Even though the PPT that was about to be played on the big screen behind her was also created by that domineering CEO, using the specifications that he only used when doing cross-border mergers and acquisitions, each page was full of luxurious and high-end textures.
But she was still nervous.
After all, this was the first time in her life that she faced such an important scene.
"Don't be afraid."
A warm big hand suddenly covered the back of her cold hand and squeezed it gently.
Shi Runrun turned her head and met the deep and calm black eyes of the man beside her.
Xiao Xue Zheng was also dressed very formally today, wearing a pure black haute couture suit, which made him look even more upright and powerful.
Unlike other participants, he did not sit in the designated guest seats, but sat in the family seat next to Shi Runrun.
His handsome yet unfamiliar face and powerful presence attracted a lot of people's attention as soon as he entered the scene.
Everyone was whispering, wondering about the background of this person who didn't look like he was from an academic circle.
"I'm here." The man looked at her, his thin lips moved slightly, and in a voice that only the two of them could hear, he gave her a reassuring look.
Shi Runrun's heart calmed down instantly.
Yes, with him around, what is she afraid of?
Soon, it was her turn.
Shi Runrun took a deep breath, lifted her skirt, and walked up to the podium with elegant steps.
The moment she stood in the spotlight, there was polite applause from the audience.
She looked at the faces in the audience, some scrutinizing, some curious, and some encouraging, and her heart gradually calmed down.
She found Xiao Xuezheng's location.
The man was sitting there, looking at her quietly, his eyes focused and gentle, as if she was the only one left in his world.
Shi Runrun gave him a faint but extremely reassuring smile.
Then she picked up the microphone and began her speech.
"Hello, teachers and seniors. The title of my speech today is "On the Alienation and Reconciliation between Myself and the World in Modernist Literature..."
Her voice is clear and pleasant, with a hint of girlish sweetness, but when she expresses her views, she appears calm and organized.
She talked about Kafka's "Metamorphosis", Woolf's stream of consciousness, and then Eliot's "The Waste Land".
Her speech was logically clear and well-cited. She had both a solid theoretical foundation and her own unique insights.
The people in the audience gradually changed from their initial scrutiny as if they were "looking at a child" to genuine listening and appreciation.
The fifteen-minute speech ended quickly.
Shi Runrun bowed to express his gratitude, and the audience burst into warm applause again, which was much more sincere than before.
The host walked onto the stage and said with a smile, "Thank you very much for Shi Runrun's wonderful speech. You are truly a young talent. Now, let's move on to the question-and-answer session. Does any teacher in the audience have any questions for our student Shi?"
As soon as he finished speaking, an old man with gray hair and a vigorous look sitting in the middle of the judges' seat slowly raised his hand.
Shi Runrun's heart skipped a beat.
It’s Professor Chen Jingzhi!
Su Zhe's mentor and the most authoritative figure in the field of modernist literature research in China.
"Professor Chen, please come in." The host handed the microphone over respectfully.
Chen Jingzhi adjusted his reading glasses, and his not-so-big but extremely sharp eyes looked at Shi Runrun on the stage.
"Little girl, your speech just now was very wonderful." He first politely affirmed her, and then changed the subject and became extremely sharp.
"But, I have a question."
"In your speech, you mentioned that the core of modernist literature is the alienation between humans and the world. But you seem to overlook that underlying this alienation is a deeper desire for a new kind of connection. You only talked about destruction, not reconstruction. Do you think your understanding of modernism is a bit too one-sided and pessimistic?"
This question hits the nail on the head.
The entire venue fell silent in an instant.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the young girl on the stage.
Everyone was waiting to see how she would respond to the sharp questions from this leading figure.
Shi Runrun's mind buzzed and went a little blank.
The question raised by Professor Chen is indeed a weak link in her speech.
She and Xiao Xue Zheng had also touched upon this point during their discussion.
But because of limited time, and she felt that her experience and knowledge were not enough to explore this more grand proposition in depth, she deliberately avoided it.
Unexpectedly, he was caught red-handed by Professor Chen.
She stood on the stage, her hand holding the microphone, and began to sweat again.
She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to answer so as not to appear shallow or offend this academic authority.
Just when she was so anxious that she was about to cry and didn't know what to do.
In the audience, the man who had been sitting quietly suddenly stood up without any warning.
He did not raise his hand or wait for the host's permission.
He just stood up, and his tall and straight figure stood out in the entire conference hall.
He took a spare microphone from the staff member next to him.
Then, under the shocked gaze of everyone in the audience, he slowly spoke in that low, magnetic, yet powerful voice.
"Professor Chen, I have some different opinions on the question you raised."
The entire venue was in an uproar.
Everyone was shocked.
Who is this man?
He actually dared to stand up in front of so many people and say that he wanted to discuss the issue with Professor Chen Jingzhi?
Is he crazy?
The host was also confused. He was about to step forward to stop this family member who "did not know the rules".
Xiao Xue Zheng had already spoken.
He didn't look at anyone, but just cast his deep black eyes at Chen Jingzhi who was sitting on the judges' panel.
"You believe that the core of modernism is the search for a new connection after alienation. I partially agree with this view."
"But you overlooked one point. The connection that modernist writers sought wasn't a reconciliation with the outside world, but rather an inward-looking, deep exploration and reconstruction of their own spiritual world."
"They are not establishing a new world, but a new 'me'."
"From Joyce's Ulysses to Proust's In Search of Lost Time, what they all did was to use extreme, inward-looking writing to confront the absurdity and disorder of the outside world. This is a higher level of alienation and a more resolute resistance."
"So, my wife's emphasis on alienation in her speech wasn't one-sided; it captured the most essential and tragic core of modernism."
His words were powerful, logically sound, and his views were novel and profound.
He did not use any fancy words, but every word he spoke was full of gems. Every sentence was like a sharp scalpel, analyzing the core of the problem thoroughly.
The entire venue was in complete silence.
Everyone was completely stunned by his brilliant impromptu debate.
Everyone finally reacted.
This man is not some rich family member who pretends to know everything.
He is an academic genius who is truly talented and hidden away!
Professor Chen Jingzhi was also stunned on the judging panel.
He held up his reading glasses and carefully looked at the young man with a strong aura in the audience again. For the first time, his sharp eyes showed a look of surprise and appreciation.
Shi Runrun, who was standing on the stage, had already burst into tears.
She looked at the man who, in order to protect her, was willing to engage in a public debate with an academic leader on such an important occasion.
Look at him shining for her.
She felt that she must have saved the entire galaxy in her previous life.
Only in this life can I meet such a good man.
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