He strode out, bursting through the door.
In the office, Wang De'an let out a long breath.
He slumped in the chair, completely exhausted.
Xu Lan walked in cautiously:
"Editor-in-chief, are you alright? That was so cool!"
Wang De'an gave a wry smile:
"What's the use of being handsome? This time, we've completely offended this plague god."
The days ahead are probably going to be tough.
"What's there to be afraid of!"
Xu Lan clenched her fist.
"We have Teacher Jian Shen! As long as he's here, we have nothing to fear!"
"Yes, with him around..."
Wang De'an looked at the computer screen.
That's the first chapter of the manuscript for "The Ferryman".
"Xu Lan, notify the typesetting department that they need to work overtime tonight."
Let's put together the trailer for "The Ferryman".
I'm going to give Fu Bencai a resounding slap in the face in the next issue of the magazine.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Que was in his studio at SOHO.
Staring blankly at the computer screen.
The screen displays two completely different documents.
On the left is the latest chapter outline of "Human World is Like a Prison", and on the right is the opening plan of "The Ferryman".
On one side is a hellish battlefield where vengeful ghosts howl, and on the other side is a ferryboat where souls find peace.
Lin Que felt as if he had been split in two.
One half gazes at the stars from the gutter, the other half looks down into the abyss beneath the stars.
My email notification went off; it was an email from Wang Dean.
[Wang De'an: Fu Bencai came by, but I scolded him and he left.]
[Wang De'an: Mr. Jian Shen, this time I've staked everything on "The Ferryman".]
Lin Que smiled and replied with a message.
【rest assured. 】
Lin Que put down his phone and his fingers flew across the keyboard.
The Ferryman, Chapter One:
If I truly exist, it's because you need me.
The winds of the wilderness are about to blow across the world.
...
Monday's long break between classes.
On the playground of Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School,
The banner for the "Award Ceremony" was visible throughout the school, and thousands of students stood in neat rows.
Just now, Zhang Ya and Zhao Zichen finished their speeches.
The content was all the same, simply a list of thanks from top to bottom.
Now, let's get to the main event of this conference.
On the podium, Fei Yuncheng held a speech manuscript in his hand.
He was staring intently at Lin Que, who was standing to the side waiting.
"Lin Que, I'll double-check the manuscript."
Fei Yuncheng lowered his voice.
The first paragraph expresses gratitude to the school, the second to the teachers, and the third shares learning experiences.
Finally, the theme is elevated to inspire patriotism. Is that alright?
Lin Que, wearing a faded school uniform, stood with his hands in his pockets, looking completely obedient.
"No problem, Director Fei. I've memorized it perfectly."
"That's good, that's good."
Fei Yuncheng stared into Lin Que's eyes, his voice low and pleading:
"Lin Que, the top official of the Municipal Bureau, is sitting right below the stage."
"You absolutely must read it aloud; don't improvise."
Lin Que blinked and gave a harmless smile.
They even thoughtfully straightened Director Fei's crooked work badge:
"Don't worry, Director, I'm the kind of person who listens to advice the most."
As the host announced the program, Lin Que walked onto the stage.
The morning breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, making him appear somewhat thin.
Thousands of eyes were fixed on him from below the stage.
There was envy, there was jealousy, but mostly there was a numb wait.
—Waiting for yet another piece of clichéd, nonsensical literature.
Lin Que stood in front of the microphone,
He pulled the neatly folded speech manuscript out of his pocket.
Fei Yuncheng breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the next second, Lin Que did not unfold the manuscript.
Instead, he placed it on the lectern and weighed it down with a paperweight.
He looked up but didn't glance at the manuscript.
"Hello everyone, I am Lin Que, from Class 3 of Grade 11."
The sound was clear and resonant, carrying throughout the playground via the loudspeakers.
"Director Fei just asked me to thank the school and the teachers."
I think these words are too polite; everyone's tired of hearing them, and I'm tired of saying them too.
Fei Yuncheng's smile froze on his face, and he almost dropped the thermos in his hand.
He tried to rush up and stop him, but it was too late.
Lin Que noticed the tension on Director Fei's face and gave him an "OK" sign.
Today, I want to talk to everyone...
Let's talk about fear again.
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com