stjorthotic Chapter 12 is it!
Chapter 12 is it!
Inside the editorial department of the Jiangnan Daily, the distinctive smell of paper and ink mingled with the low hum of an old-fashioned air conditioner.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting alternating light and dark stripes on the light green desk.
Zhou Shutang buried himself in a pile of letters and manuscripts, his brows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.
She is not only a beautiful and popular reporter at the newspaper, but also a sharp-eyed and highly responsible editor. A graduate of the Journalism Department of Jiangnan University, she has almost demanding requirements for writing.
Scattered on the table were various submissions—short stories, essays, poems, reviews… She quickly browsed through them, only to be disappointed time and time again.
What she longed to find most was a substantial novel that could captivate readers.
The martial arts novel currently being serialized in the newspaper is nearing its end, and a new work is urgently needed to take its place.
During this period, the publishing house has received a number of long submissions, but most of them are of mediocre quality, unappealing and unpalatable, and we can't find anything better for the time being.
"Is it really only a matter of choosing the best among the worst?"
Zhou Shutang sighed softly, rubbed his throbbing temples, and prepared to carefully sift through the few "passable" novels at hand.
Just then, her gaze was drawn to a large kraft paper envelope.
Among a sea of letters, some thin and some ordinary, it stands out as particularly thick and eye-catching.
"Huh, it's so thick?" Zhou Shutang's heart stirred slightly, and a hint of anticipation quietly rose.
She immediately reached out and pulled it from the pile of letters, her movements somewhat hurried. Its heavy weight made her heart skip a beat.
"You'd better not disappoint me... no, you'd better give me a surprise." She thought to herself as she carefully examined the envelope.
The first thing that catches the eye is the mailing address and category name written in pen on the envelope. The handwriting—
Zhou Shutang's gaze was instantly drawn to him.
What beautiful penmanship!
The structure is rigorous, the strokes are vigorous and powerful, and the control is excellent. It has a rare beauty and strength. Just this handwriting alone exudes an extraordinary temperament and is eye-catching.
She almost impatiently picked up the paper cutter and carefully sliced open the edge of the envelope.
Inside was a stack of neatly stapled lined manuscript paper with clean edges, showing the contributor's care and seriousness.
Pulling out the manuscript paper, the good feeling I had for the beautiful handwriting was instantly amplified again—over 30,000 neatly arranged characters, all written in equally beautiful, even more free-flowing, penmanship as you went on.
Just looking at these neat, beautiful, and powerful characters is enough to make one feel relaxed, like drinking a cup of refreshing tea on a hot summer day.
But when her gaze actually fell on the content, Zhou Shutang's eyes lit up completely.
"Let's start with a file. Name: Zhu Yuanzhang, also known as: Zhu Chongba, Zhu Guorui..."
This is the beginning!
It's novel, interesting, and a bit playful, yet it captures a key point in history.
She originally only intended to quickly skim through a few paragraphs to get a general idea of the level, but once she started reading, she couldn't stop.
The humorous and vivid narration, the lively and three-dimensional characters, the clear yet profound historical context, and the seemingly casual yet insightful commentary... Zhou Shutang was completely immersed in it.
The noise in the office, the cicadas chirping outside the window, and the other work piled up on her desk all seemed to fade away from her.
She would sometimes smile knowingly, sometimes nod slightly, and sometimes ponder deeply, her fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the edge of the manuscript paper.
Time flew by in the silent reading.
When she finally turned the last page, let out a long sigh of relief, and looked up, she realized that the office had become much quieter, and the sunlight outside the window was already setting in the west.
An indescribable excitement and joy suddenly welled up in my heart.
"This is so well written! It's brilliant!"
She blurted it out without thinking, her voice unusually loud with excitement, making it very clear in the otherwise quiet office.
A dozen or so colleagues around him looked up, curiously glancing over.
"Shutang, what treasure did you find? You seem so happy!" The old editor at the opposite table pushed up his glasses and asked with a smile.
Zhou Shutang excitedly waved the thick stack of manuscript papers in his hand, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement: "Come and see, I've discovered a masterpiece! The author's handwriting is as beautiful as calligraphy, and the content is absolutely amazing! Historical novels can be written like this!"
Her words immediately piqued the interest of several colleagues, who gathered around.
Someone picked up the manuscript and was first amazed by the beautiful handwriting, marveling at it; then, after reading a few pages, their face also showed amazement.
"This writing style is fresh! Interesting, and informative!"
"The writing is masterful; this author is no ordinary writer!"
"Shutang, hurry up and show this to the editor-in-chief. This is the one for the next serialization! This quality will definitely boost our newspaper's readership!"
Hearing her colleagues' unanimous praise, Zhou Shutang nodded vigorously, and the last bit of uncertainty in her heart vanished.
She carefully arranged the manuscript paper as if holding some precious treasure, then stood up and strode towards the editor-in-chief's office, her steps light and firm.
Chen Zhiyuan was, of course, unaware of what was happening in the editorial department of the Jiangnan Daily.
He was estimating that the manuscript had been sent out two days ago, and given the postal speed and editing process of that era, the newspaper should respond in two or three days at the latest.
At that moment, he and the chubby Jin Liang emerged from a smoke-filled internet cafe filled with the clatter of keyboards.
The afternoon heatwave hit us, creating a stark contrast with the cool air conditioning inside the internet cafe, making us squint.
Jin Liang's face still had a flush of excitement, and he looked like he hadn't had enough.
Just now at the internet cafe, I played several rounds of StarCraft with Chen Zhiyuan, winning every game without any effort and crushing my opponents. The exhilarating feeling made me feel like I was walking on air.
Chen Zhiyuan also felt physically and mentally refreshed.
After writing articles at home for several days in a row, I came out to play some games and exercise my fingers and brain, which made me feel much more relaxed.
A healthy lifestyle involves balancing work and rest, and maintaining a proper balance between activity and relaxation.
"Fatty, following me all the way to victory, isn't that great?" Chen Zhiyuan chuckled and nudged Jin Liang with his elbow.
"Awesome! This is absolutely awesome!" Jin Liang grinned, his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter. "Zhiyuan, you're my lucky star!"
"Since you're having such a good time," Chen Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow, glancing at the roadside convenience store, "shouldn't you do something to show your appreciation, like... buying me an ice-cold Coke?"
On this sweltering day, having just stepped out of a cool internet cafe, what young person could resist the temptation of "soda"?
Especially after it's been chilled, the refreshing coolness of gulping it down is invigorating.