Chapter 63: Let Me See Your Qualifications

After stepping onto the stage, Li Ye gave a slight bow to Principal Chang and the others before walking up to the microphone.

This was in stark contrast to Lu Jingyao’s approach, who had greeted the teachers with friendly smiles when she took the stage earlier.

There was no helping it—he was harboring a bit of resentment.

Even though Li Ye’s grand entrance with a sharp, military-posture gait had dazzled the eyes of several hundred high school students, anyone would feel annoyed if they were suddenly dragged out to be put on display without any prior warning.

Given that Li Ye had spent his past life rolling around in the brutal currents of society and beating the odds countless times, it was only natural. If he had really been an ordinary eighteen-or-nineteen-year-old high school student from this era, shoved onto the stage completely unprepared, it would have been totally normal for him to blush to the roots of his hair and fail to utter a single coherent syllable.

"Ahem~"

Li Ye gave a light cough to test the Second County High School's old and dilapidated sound system. The audio was a bit distorted, but overall acceptable—at least it wouldn't sound like a complete disaster.

"Hello everyone, I am Li Ye. Since I had no idea I would need to give a speech today, I didn't prepare any notes.

If I happen to say anything inappropriate in a moment, please don't mind it, haha! Just think of it as some hotheaded fool talking nonsense."

"When I was writing that novel..."

"Hahahahaha~ Hahahaha~"

As soon as Li Ye finished his first two sentences, the entire venue fell silent. It wasn't until he reached the halfway point of his third sentence that sudden bursts of loud laughter erupted from the audience, much like someone with a delayed sense of humor who had only just understood a punchline delivered by a comedian on stage.

Li Ye first looked stunned, then broke into a smile, waiting until everyone had laughed their fill before asking again, "Is it that funny? I also don't think I'm a hotheaded fool, but I can't help it when so many people wrongfully accuse me of being one!"

"Hahahahaha~~"

This time, the laughter lasted for a slightly shorter duration because the Dean of Students, Tang Feiyu, stood up and swept a stern, piercing gaze across the audience, forcefully suppressing the laughter.

The young teachers on the stage couldn't help but crack smiles as well.

Principal Chang first looked surprised, then a slight smile crept onto his face.

Talent should be recruited without sticking to rigid conventions; Li Ye was an exceptional existence to begin with, so he couldn't be viewed through the lens of ordinary people.

Therefore, he whispered to Li Ye, "Li Ye, tell everyone about your writing experience!"

"Writing experience?"

Li Ye glanced at Principal Chang, turned his head back, and didn't immediately start talking about any writing tips.

Although doing so would have been a great way to boost his reputation and prestige, it could very well end up misleading the students sitting below who were currently preparing for the college entrance examination.

After a moment of silent deliberation, Li Ye put away his cynical smile.

With a very calm expression, he said, "Perhaps many people feel that writing a novel and earning a few thousand yuan in royalties is a very inspiring and motivational feat."

"But I want to say... you must never learn from me, and you must never waste your energy on inappropriate places at the most crucial moment of your life."

Principal Chang was momentarily stunned.

Over the past few days, many teachers from the First High School hadn't missed a single chance to probe around the Second High School about Li Ye. Although they spoke politely, the sour taste of envy couldn't be concealed.

So a proud Principal Chang had wanted Li Ye to share his writing story just to provoke those jealous monsters from the First High School.

Yet, what was Li Ye doing right now? Being overly modest? Self-criticism?

Were you really the type of person to be genuinely modest?

Ignoring everyone else, Li Ye continued, "The reason everyone is able to gather here in this kind of weather today, I believe, is entirely because of the college entrance examination, because of university..."

"I don't need to reiterate the importance of the college entrance examination here; I'll only tell you the true significance of it."

"The college entrance examination is the most crucial opportunity to change our destiny that our generation will ever encounter.

Once you miss this chance, you will regret it for the rest of your lives. Because once you leave school, you will realize that there will never again be an opportunity as fair and as accessible as the college entrance examination."

Li Ye casually pointed a finger and struck a posture reminiscent of Zhang Xuefeng.

"For instance, after leaving school, you want to become a factory worker? Well, I'm sorry, but you need to have a father willing to let you take over his position, and you still have to coax your younger brother into letting you have that opportunity."

"Or, for another example, suppose you want to earn royalties just like me. Then please keep in mind that you need to be as talented as I am, and you also need to have luck on your side."

"Or take another example..."

"However, only the college entrance examination is an opportunity entirely controlled by you. In front of your scores, everyone is equal.

Whether you can get into college has nothing whatsoever to do with whether your grandfather is a bureaucrat."

"........."

The entire venue was stunned into absolute silence. Even the teachers standing behind Li Ye wore expressions of utter bewilderment.

In the year 1981, even a regular crosstalk comedian couldn't master this kind of modern stand-up comedy style of public speaking.

Li Ye gently tapped the microphone and said, "Now, shouldn't there be some applause?"

"Hahahahaha~ Hahaha~"

"Clap, clap, clap~ Clap, clap, clap~"

The crowd burst into uproarious laughter, followed by thunderous applause.

Once the laughter died down, Li Ye said with a serious expression, "I've said this much simply to make you understand that from now on, stop doing anything that has nothing to do with studying."

Li Ye's gaze swept across Xia Yue, Jin Shengli, and the others, and his tone gradually turned sharp.

"Stop mocking others, stop scheming against others, stop looking forward to seeing someone else make a fool of themselves, stop fighting for power and profit... Just take care of yourselves!"

The playground fell silent once again.

Li Ye's successive comedic controls of the crowd had allowed everyone to taste joy, but at this moment, he made them feel the cold, stinging lash of a whip.

[Other people have a good grandfather, but do you? Then why aren't you working hard?]

Li Ye let go of the microphone and turned around, preparing to step down from the stage.

Taking off his heavy cotton-padded coat had certainly looked cool, but with the north wind howling, he felt like he was about to freeze solid.

Right at that moment, someone suddenly stood up from the audience and shouted loudly, "Classmate Li Ye, your novel can't even be bought in the provincial capital.

With such exceptional writing skills, shouldn't you share some of your experience with us so we can learn from it?"

Li Ye looked in surprise at the reckless young man before ultimately walking back to the microphone.

"I only scored a little over two hundred points on the college entrance examination last year. Are you sure you want to learn from my experience?"

"Hahahahaha~"

"If you insist on understanding my writing ability... To borrow a Western saying, it's like God closing a door for you while opening a window for you."

"But if you actually believe that saying right now, then when you fail the college entrance examination, you can just take it back out to console yourself."

"Hahahahaha~"

Good-natured laughter rang out once more, and the young man's face instantly turned bright red.

However, just as Li Ye was smiling along because of this "good-natured teasing," the opponent hurled out a remark he never could have anticipated.

"Li Ye, the reason you won't talk to us about your novel is because you're afraid we'll discover your despicable scheme, isn't it!

I've asked several professional writers, and they all stated that a book like *Stalker* is simply something a young person could never write."

"*Stalker* wasn't written by you at all."

Bewilderment, shock, confusion, sudden realization—a complex and chaotic swirl of emotions alternated across the hearts of everyone present, weaving together a thick sense of suspicion directed squarely at Li Ye.

Li Ye's expression grew heavy.

The young man down below was someone Li Ye didn't recognize; he probably wasn't a student of Second High School, because by now, no student at Second High School dared to openly challenge Li Ye like that.

Seeing Li Ye's expression turn somber and silent, the young man's momentum skyrocketed: "Why aren't you speaking? Why aren't you explaining? Did I hit the nail on the head?"

[Explain? Do you even have the qualifications to hear my explanation?]

Li Ye tilted his head and looked at the opponent with utter contempt. "I'd very much like to know who these writers you mentioned are, but I dare say you don't have the guts to speak their names.

Because cowardly scoundrels will always hide in dark corners, evading the judgment of the midday sun."

"And you,"

Li Ye pointed at the young man with his finger and said, "You can discuss my novel, and you can question my ability—those are your rights."

"But if you want to question me to my face, please bring out your own works first and let me see if you even have the qualifications, because I'm afraid that if I do give you an explanation... you won't even understand it."

"Hiss~~"

A collective gasp echoed across the playground, lingering for a long time, unable to be covered up even by the howling wind.

Arrogant!

Li Ye had used just a few sentences to brand those two massive words right onto his own forehead.

Yet, despite knowing how arrogant he was, no one stepped forward to teach him a lesson.

Even the school teachers were pondering whether this "hotheaded fool" would spare them any face.

[Do you want to question me? Fine, bring out your works and let me evaluate whether you have the qualifications.]

What qualifications?

Did it refer to the prestige of the publication where one's works were published? Or the total amount of royalties earned over the years?

If it were the former, people might still be able to trade verbal blows and argue.

But when it came to the latter?

Sorry, you couldn't find a single person in the entire Qingshui County who could compete.

The royalties sent to Li Ye by the Qingdao Blue Sea Publishing House were mailed through the post office, and Li Ye had to cash them out in person—the amount of money he received was impossible to conceal.

That was nearly three thousand yuan!

Lu Jingyao had also doubted Li Ye in the past and wanted to question him.

But now, recalling her own five yuan and fifty cents, she felt as though Li Ye at this moment was high up in the clouds, completely out of reach.

"Clap~~ Clap~~ Clap~~ Clap~~"

A solitary round of applause rang out.

Wen Leyu straightened her posture, her two small hands clapping steadily and persistently.

Usually, her delicate, palm-sized face always wore an expression of coldness and pride, but at this moment, it was actually filled with a sense of adoration.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap~"

Wen Leyu's applause remained lonely for only a few seconds.

Then, the other seven members of her small circle joined in one after another, clapping as well.

After a long moment, the rest of the crowd was infected by this persistent and firm applause, and the sound swelled into thunderous applause.