pertwk Chapter 13: The Beginning
Chapter 13: The Beginning
"It's you, Chu Kong."
It wasn't until the girl unexpectedly called out Chu Kong's name that Chu Kong snapped out of his daze.
What's going on? Was she so nervous that she gave herself away?
Or is she trying to sabotage the live stream?
Or perhaps she was arranged by the production team?
So what should I do? Should I look surprised?
"Excuse me, do you know me?" Chu Kong asked with a puzzled look.
The girl placed the book on the table and stood up: "I happened to be passing by yesterday when you had your argument with that boy."
Chu Kong remained silent; this answer was not unexpected.
"Sit." The girl nodded, gesturing for Chu Kong to sit down.
Unlike other clubs that clear out classrooms to create large open spaces, this club's arrangement was different.
This club room is furnished with desks and chairs just like a regular classroom.
Chu Kong chose a spot that was neither too close nor too far away, sitting down three desks away from the girl.
"So, what kind of club is this? Is it the literature club?" Chu Kong pointed to the book the girl had just put down.
The girl did not answer. Instead, she picked up the book she had just put down, walked slowly to Chu Kong's side, placed the book next to him, and then sat down in the seat next to him.
The faint scent of cedar made Chu Kong's nose tingle slightly, and he stiffened uncomfortably, no longer daring to look at the girl's face.
This is neither shyness nor fear.
At least that's how Chu Kong comforted himself.
To hide his unease, Chu Kong subconsciously glanced at the book the girl was offering him.
Stray Birds.
The cover quietly displays the three large characters "銏金" (golden).
"If you're here to visit clubs, you should have already passed the Literature Club when you went down to the third floor."
The girl's voice was still so cold, yet it was also like a clear spring melting beneath a snow-capped mountain glacier, incredibly beautiful.
But Chu Kong could clearly detect a hint of mockery in that tone.
"Maybe it's a branch, or different factions with different ideologies. After all, splitting up is quite common these days."
For some reason, Chu Kong unexpectedly felt relaxed in front of the girl.
This was definitely not because the girl's beauty was truly pleasing to the eye, Chu Kong firmly believed in this thought, while forcing himself to remain vigilant.
The girl's lips were only slightly upturned, it couldn't even be called a smile.
It is like the first ray of sunlight after the polar night ends, casting a radiant glow of hope amidst the cold.
Chu Kong suddenly seemed to understand King You of Zhou.
The moment Chu Kong realized what he was thinking, he quickly shook his head, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
The girl ignored Chu Kong's actions and began to introduce herself.
"I am Shu Wenxue, the president of the Philosophy Club. Welcome to visit the Philosophy Club."
Chu Kong was waiting for the other party to continue introducing the club, but to his surprise, the other party opened the book "Stray Birds" again and stopped talking.
This is in stark contrast to other clubs that are incredibly enthusiastic about introducing themselves.
Left with no other option, Chu Kong randomly picked a topic: "Shu, are you the only one in this club?"
"Hmm." The girl spoke sparingly.
"Why is this happening? Is there no one willing to join?" Chu Kong continued to ask.
Chu Kong didn't find it strange that no one was in the Philosophy Club; rather, he found it strange that no one was joining a club with Shu Wenxue in it.
"It's probably because I set the entry standards quite high; no one has been able to meet them yet," Shu Wenxue said nonchalantly without looking up.
"What standard?" Chu Kong couldn't help but ask curiously.
Shu Wenxue glanced at Chu Kong, but instead of answering his question, she asked, "What do you think freedom is?"
Chu Kong frowned, becoming instantly alert.
Freedom is not an ordinary topic, and most people don't think about it specifically.
So, what does she mean?
Was he a key participant arranged by the production company?
Did you come to this conclusion through the live stream?
Or is it simply a philosophical discussion?
Chu Kong hesitated, wondering what the other party's intentions were.
The girl didn't ask any questions, and just as if nothing had happened, she quietly flipped through the book as if no one else was around.
"I don't know much about poetry and prose, and I only have a superficial understanding of Stray Birds, so I can't answer this question."
This was Chu Kong's final answer after much hesitation.
He pretended to think that Shu Wenxue was asking about his impressions of Stray Birds and tried to evade her question.
But Shu Wenxue didn't seem to intend to end the question there, and continued, "For example, what do you think of the sentence, 'If you plate a bird's wings with gold, it will never be able to soar in the sky again'?"
Chu Kong scratched his head and continued to play dumb: "It probably means something like 'being too attached to worldly things will lead to the loss of freedom.'"
"Is that really what you think?" The girl raised her head, looking at Chu Kong with sharp eyes.
Chu Kong instinctively avoided those sharp eyes, almost subconsciously believing that he no longer harbored any secrets beneath them.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"So, according to your statement, this poet compares people to birds, then who is it that gilds the birds' wings? You can't possibly say that gold is what birds like, can you?"
Even if a bird truly loves gold, and even knowing what will happen after its wings are gilded, yet still sacrifices its freedom for gold, what will it ultimately gain?
Upon hearing this, Chu Kong's expression changed drastically.
The girl's implied meaning was not complicated; Chu Kong only needed to think for a moment to roughly guess what she wanted to express.
The birds naturally represent Chu Kong, while the gold represents everything Chu Kong gained from participating in the show. This statement is a warning to Chu Kong: "Even if you truly care about everything you gain from the show, and are even willing to sacrifice your freedom for it, the show is ultimately just a lie, an illusion. In the end, what is real?"
Although it was a metaphor, this was the first person to actively hint at Chu Kong's situation since he joined the program.
This caused a stir in Chu Kong's heart.
He thought for a moment and said seriously to Shu Wenxue, "Perhaps it is a bird that has lost the ability to survive independently. For it, gold is a means to please humans, and it can also spend a good time with its kind golden wings."
Or perhaps, not being able to soar in the sky doesn't matter to this bird; it simply doesn't like soaring in the sky.
For example, it's all just needless worry. This bird is clearly from mythology; whether it's gilded or not, it won't affect its ability to fly. It's just that it deliberately conceals everything.
At this point, Chu Kong paused and looked at Shu Wenxue's expression.
She also looked at Chu Kong with great interest.
"So, in the end, whether the bird is gilded or not is not important. What is important is whether those choices and decisions were made by the bird itself." Chu Kong concluded his speech.
Upon hearing this, Shu Wenxue's face showed a moment of confusion.
But after a brief moment of confusion, she quickly regained her composure, as if the confusion had never existed. Then, with great interest, she continued, "What if the bird thinks it's free, but it isn't?"
Chu Kong replied without hesitation, "If that's the case, then what in this world is truly free?"
Human vision is restricted to the spectrum that the eye can distinguish.
Human hearing freedom is limited to between 20 and 20000 hertz.
Human beings' freedom to survive is restricted to substances essential to the human body, such as oxygen and sunlight.
Even the Earth's free movement is firmly fixed within the orbits of celestial bodies in the solar system.
Based on this calculation, freedom is a false proposition for the known universe.
Any being with a will can always be defined as "thinking it is free."
Shu Wenxue stood up, looking at Chu Kong with the eyes of someone who had discovered a novel species. Her intense gaze made Chu Kong feel somewhat uncomfortable.
He then realized that he had unknowingly become somewhat carried away.
Just then, the school bell rang at the perfect moment, saving Chu Kong.
The morning session is over, it's lunchtime.
Chu Kong stood up as if granted a pardon and bid farewell to Shu Wenxue, saying, "It's lunchtime, so I won't bother you any longer, Shu."
At this moment, Shu Wenxue also stood up and said to Chu Kong, who was about to leave, "Classmate Chu, if it's alright, I would like to invite you to join the Philosophy Club."
Chu Kong turned his head in confusion, but seeing the other person's sincere eyes, he still replied, "I will consider it."
This was a lie. Before Chu Kong found a foolproof plan to deal with the production company, he had no intention of making any rash moves.
After saying that, he turned and left the philosophy club.
A moment later, Shu Wenxue, who was standing in front of the glass window, watched Chu Kong walk out of the club building.
After thinking for a while, she let out a long sigh.
I took out my phone and made a call.
On the other end of the phone came a voice Chu Kong recognized: "Xiaoxue, have you made up your mind?"
Shu Wenxue's tone was unusually gentle as she replied, "I promise you, Tangtang."
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Perhaps because it was a day off, there were hardly any people queuing at the subsidy window in the corner of the cafeteria.
Chu Kong suppressed his excitement, got a meal, and found an empty spot to sit down.
Just as he was enjoying his meal, an elderly man dressed in fine clothes and with a refined demeanor sat down not far from Chu Kong, also carrying a plate.
It is worth noting that he is a foreigner.
Chu Kong glanced at him but didn't take it to heart. After all, Yulan Middle School had foreign teachers for every subject, and he was used to it.
"Whenever I see you young people eating, it reminds me of the feeling of hunger," the old man said to Chu Kong in fluent Chinese.
"Perhaps watching others eat can enhance one's appetite," Chu Kong said, frowning slightly as he gave this overly familiar old man a perfunctory reply.
"That's one reason, but more importantly, it reminds me of when I was young. Back then, I had a huge appetite and could eat several times this much in one meal." The old man, holding his plate, leaned closer to Chu Kong.
Chu Kong did not respond; he was focused on swallowing the food in his mouth.
"But not now. I lose my appetite after just a couple of bites, and I don't have the inexhaustible energy I used to have when I was younger."
The old man sighed, then placed a braised duck leg from his plate onto Chu Kong's plate: "Don't mind, I haven't started eating yet."
This left Chu Kong at a loss for what to do, and he hurriedly thanked the teacher.
The old man smiled and shook his head.
Next, Chu Kong deliberately slowed down his eating pace and chatted with the old man about this and that.
Gradually, Chu Kong relaxed. The old man was just a slightly talkative old teacher.
As the meal drew to a close, the old man smiled and asked, "Young man, it was a pleasure eating with you. What's your name?"
Chu Kong said respectfully, "Teacher, my name is Chu Kong. I have learned a lot from eating with you."
"That's good. My name is Eric Floyd. I hope we'll have another meal together sometime." The old man smiled as he dressed and slowly stood up.
But his gaze never left Chu Kong's face.
Naturally, Chu Kong's expression changed the moment he heard that name. Although he quickly recovered, Freud still caught it completely.
This is the expert in charge of writing the script at the production company.
It's obvious that he came for himself.
"What's wrong, Chu? You seem afraid of me?" Freud asked.
Thinking quickly, Chu Kong racked his brains to make amends for his blunder.
He stood up hastily, bowed slightly to the other person, and said, "Professor Freud, it's not fear, but awe. I read your works in the field of psychology a long time ago."
Freud didn't hide his surprise, but he still asked, "It's an honor. May I ask which of my works you've read?"
"I've had the pleasure of reading 'The Collective Unconscious' and 'Pseudo-Emotional Impulses'," Chu Kong said excitedly.
"I see." Freud nodded, but just as he was about to speak again, a voice from not far away interrupted him.
"Chu Kong, you're here!" Ning Wantang waved and jogged over to Chu Kong and Freud's side. She then noticed Freud beside Chu Kong: "Excuse me, teacher, did I interrupt your conversation?"
Freud narrowed his eyes, then smiled and said, "Not at all, darling. I just hit it off with this classmate and we chatted for a bit during dinner. We've finished eating and I'm about to leave. You two keep talking."
After saying that, Freud patted Chu Kong on the shoulder and slowly walked out of the cafeteria.
Chu Kong stood there, the spot on his shoulder where he had been patted feeling as hot as if it had been branded with a hot iron.
"Chu Kong, are you alright? Who is that teacher?" Ning Wantang asked with a worried expression.
"fine."
Chu Kong shook his head, looking at Ning Wantang with a concerned expression.
Sunlight streamed through the cafeteria windows, illuminating her figure brightly.
But at this moment, he only felt a chill in his heart.
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Shortly after leaving the restaurant, Floyd boarded a satellite vehicle. Inside, a huge electronic screen displayed several images, each centered on Chu Kong.
On the screen, Chu Kong's every move was exceptionally clear.
Freud picked up the walkie-talkie and said unhurriedly, "The main character has performed well, but now it's time for the first course."