“A prodigy from the sundry shop who's become a renowned name in Hong Kong, another Ni Kuang?”
After Zheng Bai Cheng's novel, which he named "Wulin First" or "Supreme in the World," became a hit in Hong Kong, newspapers started digging into some information about him.
For instance, he was the small boss of a sundry shop. He came from the mainland, had good luck being adopted by the owner of Chenji Sundry Shop, was a gentle person, had a very good reputation among the neighbors, and was well-liked by both adults and children.
Some newspapers exposed his story, calling him the "Sundry Shop Prodigy." They believed it was quite impressive that such a talent came out of Chenji Sundry Shop.
Moreover, his experience somewhat resembled Ni Kuang's, both coming from the mainland and becoming famous through their novels. However, Ni Kuang had attended a Hong Kong university and worked as a writer, experiences that were much richer than Zheng Bai Cheng's.
Some reporters also visited him for interviews, but he politely declined, citing his writing as the reason. He didn't want to offend these reporters, but their interviews would waste his time.
Even Lü Luo had to maintain good relations with reporters, so how could a small character like him be any different? A prodigy? He wasn't at Ni Kuang's level, and he didn't have the same status as Jin Yong, who was not only a reporter but also a writer. His position was naturally different.
Ni Kuang also saw the introduction to Zheng Bai Cheng. When a friend asked about his opinion on Zheng Bai Cheng, he scornfully said, "A young fellow who's only written one novel. Who knows what he'll be like in the future."
Somehow, this sentence appeared in the newspaper and reached Zheng Bai Cheng.
"Cheng Ge, Ni Kuang is so annoying. He said you're just a flash in the pan!"
"Xiaohua, why are you so angry? Cheng Ge isn't even upset." Xiao Fen teased Xiaohua, finding her hasty demeanor amusing. She also knew Xiaohua was in love with Zheng Bai Cheng.
"It's nothing. Maybe it really was just luck." He knew better than anyone that this novel was just inspired by a TV drama he liked.
In reality, if he had a system and a cheat code from a transmigration, he would have definitely gone head-to-head with the other party, letting them know the wrath of someone with the favor of a system father or a cheat code.
But he was different. He didn't have a system father, and he didn't have a cheat code. He was a real-world transmigrator, still living in this complex world where danger could appear at any time.
Not only Xiaohua, but also Zazhuoqiang saw the article. He angrily said, "We're both from the mainland. That loser is looking down on my boy! I… "
"Lao Dou, be broad-minded. Let them talk if they want to talk. They'll eventually shut up, and people will also say we're broad-minded and tolerant."
The implication was that Ni Kuang had a narrow mind. However, this was something he couldn't tell Zazhuoqiang.
Not only Zazhuoqiang and Xiaohua and Xiao Fen, but also the neighbors were outraged by this. They were proud of the prodigy from their neighborhood and naturally stood up for him. After all, Zheng Bai Cheng was one of them, and he was kind to the neighbors.
"That Ni Cai Zi, saying things like that about our A Cheng. I think he's jealous."
Zheng Bai Cheng just smiled and offered no opinion, simply expressing his gratitude. He also knew that fighting against established writers wouldn't be good for him.
This behavior of his earned him the admiration of many. People looked down on him, but he didn't get angry and even made fun of himself.
"You're all so kind to me. I appreciate it. I only have one work. What if the next one isn't good? You never know. Those who are jumping for joy now might be just as miserable later. After all, I'm just a sixteen-year-old boy."
Some people understood. This was a young man who should respect his seniors. It's fine for a senior to say a few things, no big deal. The newspapers were unhappy that both sides hadn't started insulting each other, because a verbal battle could increase sales.
Some reporters secretly interviewed Zheng Bai Cheng's neighbors, hoping to find something he said in private and use it against him. But most of them spoke highly of Zheng Bai Cheng, and hinted that they didn't want to fight with Ni Cai Zi.
One reporter returned to the newspaper office, tossed his notes on the desk, and said to the editor, "Boss, don't waste time digging anymore. That loser is impervious, hard to deal with."
The editor was intrigued and immediately leaned in, saying, "Tell me about it."
The reporter recounted his interview experience and showed him the interview record. The editor listened intently to his words and the interview content, started pondering, and then said, "We have a story."
The reporter looked at the editor's gleaming eyes, wondering what plan he had come up with.
"Get Ren Editor in. Let him write an article."
When Ren Editor came in, he saw the reporter didn't leave and was waiting for him to reveal the good strategy (good idea). The editor immediately kicked him out.
"Read the paper tomorrow. Loser, you couldn't get any news, and you still want to listen to *%￥#@#￥#@#￥……”
The next day, this newspaper had a headline on the front page, "Is he mature and steady, or a demonic young man?" As expected, this article brought the news back into the public eye after it had slowly cooled down.
"Wow, this Sundry Shop Prodigy is so mature."
"Impressive! He doesn't get angry when others look down on him, and he even defends the other party."
"They're both from the mainland, but this young man has a big heart, whereas Ni Cai Zi... sigh, never mind."
"I think Ni Cai Zi is envious and jealous, not worthy of the title of Prodigy."
"I think the Four Great Prodigies of Hong Kong should be changed. At least Ni Kuang doesn't deserve to be called a prodigy."
"Yeah..."
This article basically threw a log onto the dying fire, reviving the topic and making many people exclaim, "Oh, boy! There's a juicy story!" The joy of gossip is a universal human trait, spanning time and cultures, regardless of gender or age.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be entertainment magazines and newspapers in the West, and the paparazzi in the UK. This proves the universality of gossip.
News of this reached Ni Kuang. He threw the newspaper on the floor and was about to get angry when his phone rang. It was his old friend, Jin Yong (Cha Liangyong).
"A Kuang, don't get into arguments with young people. They'll say you're bullying the weak, damaging your reputation. Just ignore him."
If it was anyone else saying this, he would have surely retorted. How could he, the renowned Four Great Prodigies of Hong Kong, be put down by a junior? But this was his friend, who also happened to be the owner of Ming Pao. It was different. After all, he still published articles in Ming Pao. Although he had written articles for other publications, having such a friend helped him avoid a lot of trouble in Hong Kong.
"… I won't lose my temper…"