Chapter 123: This Time, His Reputation has Really Gone Bad!
This year’s competition was fully broadcasted live. The video feed could only be switched among the different camera angles to prevent any wrong or unwanted footage from being shown. But the audio feed could not be cut off. When Zhang Ye scolded, it caused the cameramen in the auditorium to become extremely busy. According to past experiences and rules, it was needless to say that they definitely had to avoid a troublemaker like him. The effect was too negative.
The champion was making trouble at the couplet competition?
Zhang Ye cursed at the Beijing Writers’ Association?
If such a headline had spread, it wouldn’t look good!
While they were busy making sure the cameras did not capture the wrong things, an internet video website’s supervisor received a call from his manager.
“Old Wang!”
“Leader, the situation now is…..”
“I know! Don’t cut off the camera!”
“Ah? If I don’t cut away, what should I do? Just face it straight at them?”
“Of course! Such a hot topic only happens once in a hundred years! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Live stream the whole event! Don’t cover up anything!”
“Is that… Is that really okay?”
“Why is it not okay? We are not an actual television station, just an internet live stream site. We don’t have so much to think about. Whatever comments or opinions come, we can handle it! Let me tell you, Old Wang, the amount of people watching online now has already surpassed 1 million. Although this is the Beijing Couplet Competition, the people watching are not limited to only the Beijing area. People from all over the country are viewing it now. This is a 1 in a million chance. Are you still going to shift the camera away? This is a 1 in a million chance! Just follow my instructions! Record the cursing, too! If anything goes wrong, I will be responsible!”
“Alright, Leader. I understand!”
……
So, the viewers over the internet didn’t miss anything. The camera not only recorded the whole scene, Zhang Ye and Meng Dongguo were both given feature shots. Their back and forth exchange of couplets reached a climax and almost made the web audience jump up and cheer!
“Oh, my God!”
“A simple couplet can be used to curse in such an earth-shattering manner?”
“Hahaha! Come and see!”
“Those who did not watch the live broadcast will regret this for sure!”
“It’s too delightful! Teacher Zhang Ye is too delightful! Wahaha!”
“Such a great bull’s head hopes to grow a pair of dragon’s horns!”
“I feel the ultimate was ‘A horse steps into dirty mud; how can the old beast (bast**d) raise its hooves!’!”
“That ‘it’s not like I’ll come’ doggerel was too good. Teacher Zhang is as splendid as ever with his words. A doggerel was also written so interestingly!”
“Support Teacher Zhang! They don’t want us? We are the ones who don’t want the association!”
“That’s right! No matter how you succeed or fail, it’s not like we’ll come!”
“What did I say? What did I say? The Face Smacking Specialist has returned once again!”
“Hehe, don’t they know what happened at the Silver Microphone Awards? They actually dared to get Teacher Zhang to give an acceptance speech in public? ‘Face-smacker Zhang’ is a person with past (‘criminal’) records!”
“Here it comes! I knew Teacher Zhang would not say anything nice!”
“This time sure is interesting. Back then, Teacher Zhang was banned by the radio station. This time, he will be banned by the literature circle. Teacher Zhang is too good at causing incidents, but… Haha. I like it. I love a Teacher Zhang who dares to speak up and act! He is my lifetime idol!”
“This is a godly curse!”
Some people were still unclear of what was going on, “Why did this person scold so ruthlessly?”
A person below him said in a despising manner, “Bro, did you just get onto the internet today? This isn’t the first time Teacher Zhang has scolded others. Search online for this year’s online slangs. About half the top 10 slangs for cursing were created by Teacher Zhang Ye. It’s not weird!”
That person went to check, “Eh? I bought a watch last year was an original creation of Teacher Zhang? I just learned about it!”
“Bros, in the future, join our Teacher Zhang’s troll army. It gives you meat to eat, and girls to meet!” The person began recruiting. There was reason to believe that after today, Zhang Ye’s popularity would definitely have another explosive increase!
……
Peking University.
Couplet Competition venue.
After Zhang Ye said the last doggerel, no one dared to challenge him to a quarrel anymore!
Meng Dongguo stopped speaking. Big Thunder also shut up. The people from the Beijing Writers’ Association could only stare angrily, as they could not do a thing. It was hopeless, for they were completely no match for Zhang Ye. Saying anything more would just bring ridicule to themselves. A pair of couplets from Zhang Ye was enough to feel like curses were raining down on them. Meeting a prickly person who did not care about anything would only cause headaches!
Zhang Ye surveyed the surroundings. Seeing that no one made a sound, and seeing that they were all stunned because of him, he placed the microphone back onto the rack before walking off the stage. He left Meng Dongguo and the people from the Beijing Writers’ Association the view of his back!
The three judges were also looking at each other with wry smiles. Couplets were one of the traditional cultures of China, and it was also an important piece of Chinese literature. They knew that although people felt that couplets were mostly quite proper, there were couplets that embedded mockery in them. There was no doubt that the couplets Zhang Ye had used to curse were some of the best amongst mocking couplets. Zhang Ye was the first person that they had seen that was able to use mocking couplets in such a masterful way and say it so impressively.
Every one of them was good!
Every one of them was flawless!
From their point of view, this young man, Zhang Ye, had completely researched what there was to couplet culture. He was probably more knowledgeable than old scholars who had been immersed in it for decades!
Elder Qian suddenly had a yearning for talent, “Hai, I suddenly feel like taking in a disciple.”
The third judge laughed, “Old man Qian, aren’t you not taking in disciples anymore? You still want to take him in? Besides… What can you teach him?”
Elder Qian was helpless, “Indeed, it is precisely that I do not know what to teach him. In literature, it seems that he is more accomplished than me.”
The old granny said, “And he is quite a prickly person. After what he did today, he would most definitely be known in the literature scene. However, there will be even more people doubting him. Just like a few old fools I know, they are predecessors who enjoy teaching juniors to be respectful of their elders. They would definitely attack him.”
“Then I won’t take him in as a disciple.” Elder Qian said, “I’ll help him.”
The third judge said, “Elder Qian, why do you think so highly of this youth? There are many people who are talented. But most of them are young and aggressive and would fall to nothing early on, with no accomplishments. There are so many of these kinds of youths. They are uncountable, but how many of them can last until the end? You think he can make it?”
Elder Qian was very determined, “Those people you mention just have average talent, but Zhang Ye is different. He definitely can. I think he definitely can.” Saying that, Elder Qian looked at his two old friends in a joking manner, “No one from China has gotten a Nobel Prize in Literature. What if at some time in the future, when China really gets this highest honor… Will it be him?”
The old granny said surprisingly, “You really have such thoughts?”
“Elder Qian, isn’t your evaluation of him too high?” The third judge was shocked as he said, “There are so many literary scholars in the country who have failed. No one has reached the top after all these years. He is just a 20+-year-old lad. Nobel Prize in Literature? You think too highly of him!”
The old granny also didn’t think so highly, “Zhang Ye is still far from that.”
Elder Qian laughed, “At least he is closer than us. Now, all he needs is time and experience. He is the best seedling that I have ever seen!”