Chapter 106: Press Conference

That evening.

Cao Sheng sat in a classroom of the Continuing Education Building, writing a manuscript by hand just as he had when there were no computers.

As he wrote, he suddenly dropped his pen, frowned, and leaned back in his chair.

He clearly had two computers, yet he still had to write the manuscript by hand here; the indentation the pencil had pressed into his finger wouldn't recover for half a day.

No! He must counterattack as soon as possible! He couldn't be such a coward!

The school leadership wants me to handle this quietly? They won't allow me to speak to the media anymore?

Do the school leadership write the manuscript by hand for me?

If I endure like this, when will it ever end?

Having lived a second life, if I still have to endure, wasn't the rebirth in vain?

He silently stood up, picked up the draft, pencil, and teacup in front of him, turned around, and left.

After returning these items to his dormitory, he would go find the counselor, Lu Xiangwei.

He knew where Lu Xiangwei lived.

Before long, he knocked open the door to Lu Xiangwei's dormitory.

"Cao Sheng? Why are you looking for me so late? Is there something you need?"

Lu Xiangwei was very surprised.

Cao Sheng: "Teacher! Do you have any works previously published by Gongyang Buyu, Wang Gongjue, or Huang Shuren? Or do you know where I can find their previously published works?"

Lu Xiangwei frowned. "What do you want to do?"

Cao Sheng smiled. "I want to see their works and learn from them."

But suspicion shone in Lu Xiangwei's eyes. "Are you sure?"

Cao Sheng smiled and nodded.

Lu Xiangwei scratched his head. "I definitely don't have any here; I have no interest in reading those works of theirs. However, if you really want to see them, I'll take you to find Director Wu! When Director Wu was young, he also liked writing articles and published some; he should have the works of those few old fellows."

Cao Sheng: "Then I'll trouble you. Shall we go?"

Lu Xiangwei was a bit surprised. "Now? Why not wait until tomorrow daytime when Director Wu is at work?"

Cao Sheng smiled. "Teacher, let's go right now! I can't wait."

Lu Xiangwei: "..."

Lu Xiangwei, somewhat speechless, hesitated for a moment, then nodded anyway, and took Cao Sheng to the residence of the department head, Wu Chengping.

Wu Chengping had previously seen Cao Sheng's sample book.

He had even met Cao Sheng alone to chat.

He had a good impression of Cao Sheng, and combined with Cao Sheng's current achievements in the literary world, which Wu Chengping had seen with his own eyes, so after Cao Sheng explained his purpose, Wu Chengping did not refuse.

He directly took Cao Sheng into his study.

Wu Chengping's study had a bookshelf covering an entire wall.

On the bookshelf, many books were stacked densely.

In the corner, a large pile of old newspapers was also piled up.

He helped Cao Sheng search for over an hour before finding the works published by Gongyang Buyu, Wang Gongjue, and Huang Shuren back in the day.

After finding these works, Wu Chengping introduced them to Cao Sheng with the pride of a connoisseur: "This book, 'Gongyang's Diary', was published by Gongyang Buyu in his early years; it is said to be his labor of love written back then when he was sent down and lived in a cowshed; this book, 'Chaotic Years', was created by Huang Shuren over eight years; when it first came out, it sold quite well; this book, 'Elegy of City and Countryside', was a work published by Wang Gongjue more than ten years ago; it is said to have been self-published, so sales might not have been very good, but the evaluation within the circle was quite decent; and there is this one..."

Wu Chengping introduced one by one those works he had just dug out.

Cao Sheng listened carefully; after Wu Chengping finished introducing them, he politely declined Wu Chengping's courteous offer to stay for tea, said goodbye to Lu Xiangwei, and left.

A moment later, he also said goodbye to Lu Xiangwei.

Alone, carrying the few books and magazines borrowed from Wu Chengping, Cao Sheng returned to the empty Continuing Education Building classroom, endured patiently, and flipped through these works bit by bit.

Was he really learning from the works of these predecessors?

Of course not!

He didn't have such a good temper.

He just wanted to know himself and the enemy, wanted to find the problems of these people in their works.

Who can't nitpick?

He had also studied for more than ten years, and had read over ten thousand web novels; he had never seen a work where faults couldn't be found.

Moreover, he knew very well what these traditional writers used to write; they were either describing the dark side of society or complaining about the injustice of the times.

They liked to elevate personal misfortune and blame the country and the era for it.

One after another, they were filled with resentment.

As if the whole world owed them.

The protagonists in the novels were more tragic than one another; it seemed that if they weren't tragic, it wouldn't be profound, and if they weren't tragic, there would be no artistic value.

Cao Sheng didn't even need to look for bones in eggs; just flipping through these people's books casually, in no time at all, he found a pile of problems.

He didn't finish flipping through all these works; he only flipped through Gongyang Buyu's 'Gongyang's Diary', Huang Shuren's 'Chaotic Years', and Wang Gongjue's 'Elegy of City and Countryside'.

While flipping through, he folded the pages containing "brilliant content".

After flipping through twice, Cao Sheng let out a cold sneer, put these things away, and went back to the dormitory to rest.

These people wrote such stuff, yet they still had the face to criticize him, Cao Sheng?

Tomorrow, he would publicly execute these few old fellows in front of the media.

Let the world know their true faces.

Criticizing my writing as too plain, lacking aesthetic beauty?

Saying that writing 'Days Living with an Airline Stewardess' was shameless? That social morals are declining?

Saying my works are inferior to the masterpieces you carefully selected topics for and poured your heart and soul into creating? That my works' bestseller status will cause bad money to drive out good? Worrying that I can't hold back and will really go live with an airline stewardess?

When you criticize me like this, are your own conduct upright enough?

What did you write when you were young? Are you now so old that your memory has failed and you can't remember?

Or do you rely on the fact that few people have read what you wrote, and thus believe you yourselves have no problems?

Then I shall, before the world, take you all to recall together!

Professor Wang Gongjue, you were knocked unconscious by anger last time; this time, you must hold on!

Huang Shuren, you called the Huizhou Writers' Association, trying to force me to apologize? You truly scared me; I hope you can remain this imposing forever.

And Gongyang Buyu...

I said you are not a famous writer, and you feel I am insulting you?

Then it seems you misunderstand the word "insult"; tomorrow I will let you know what true insult is.

With such feelings, Cao Sheng slept very well that night.

The next morning.

He went to the department office building and found the department head, Wu Chengping.

"Director Wu, constantly hiding in the school like this is not a long-term solution, so I wish to hold a press conference to respond collectively to the reporters' questions and resolve this storm; do you think that is acceptable?"

Wu Chengping frowned, looking at Cao Sheng.

"You want to hold a press conference? Are you sure?"

Cao Sheng nodded.

Wu Chengping touched his prematurely bald forehead. "How do you plan to respond?"

Cao Sheng smiled. "Respond properly, striving to completely resolve this storm; otherwise, these reporters will come to our school every day, affecting not only me but also other alumni's normal classes and life; don't you agree?"

Wu Chengping hesitated a bit.

After considering for a moment, he picked up the telephone on the desk. "Wait a moment; I will discuss it with the leadership."

Cao Sheng nodded.

About two hours later.

In the school auditorium, reporters holding microphones, cameras, and video cameras surged in, each with an excited expression.

It wasn't easy! After being surrounded, chased, and blocked by the school security guards for several days, they finally achieved victory; this school and Zhongyuan Yidianhui compromised a bit, finally granting them this press conference.

Thinking of the words Zhongyuan Yidianhui spoke when facing the media last time, they had reason to expect today's harvest.

However, will Zhongyuan Yidianhui remain as defiant and unyielding as last time?

Has he become cowardly?

When forty or fifty reporters had gathered in the auditorium, Cao Sheng, accompanied by Jiang Xiaoshuang, walked up to the podium. Jiang Xiaoshuang was the broadcaster for the school radio station; last year, when hosting the New Year's Eve gala, she shone brilliantly and was privately hailed by many students as the top talented lady of this school; today she was arranged to host this press conference, which also served as an opportunity for the school leadership to give her a chance to appear before the media and the public.

The school had already arranged the microphones on the podium in advance.

As soon as Cao Sheng appeared, the cameras on site began recording; the shutter sounds of the cameras rang out in a chorus; the white light flashing from the camera strobes blinded Cao Sheng, making him unable to see anything for a moment.

School president Zhang Xiaoguo, department head Wu Chengping, and other school leaders stood not far away, watching this scene with some concern.

They both hoped Cao Sheng could truly resolve this storm, and also feared Cao Sheng might stir up an even greater storm.

At the same time, they also hoped Cao Sheng could raise the reputation of Huizhou Teachers' College one level higher.

This was also the reason they agreed to hold this press conference after deliberation.