Chapter 40: Fairytale Essay Competition!
Before getting off work.
Zhao Guozhou called Zhang Ye into his office, “Little Zhang, now that it’s just the two of us, I want to have a nice chat with you.” He said earnestly, “You were brought in by me. The facts have proven that I was not wrong. Your ability has been acknowledged by everyone. You have also gained the recognition of the listeners. However, humans are not lone individuals in this society. You need to eat, you need to survive, you need to cater to others, you need to be tactful. The station had planned the case regarding “Ghost Blows Out the Light” for a very long time. It had even established a special small planning team for it. Just because of one simple word from you of not selling, all the plans the station’s management had gone up into smoke. How could the station not be angry about this? Me suppressing you a bit this time was beyond my control. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I understand.” Zhang Ye said with a deadpan expression.
“That’s good, then about the copyright…” Zhao Guozhou persuaded.
Zhang Ye said without hesitation, “Not selling.”
Zhao Guozhou turned mad again, “You really can’t give me peace of mind!”
Zhang Ye also said his heartfelt feelings, “Director Zhao, I know you greatly appreciated me. Back then it was you who took me in despite my looks. For this favor, I’ll remember you for life. I know the station is repressing me, so it’s fine no matter how you treat me. However, about the copyright, I will say that same line forever – not selling!”
“You are willing to not go on a segment in the future?” Zhao Guozhou asked as he worried over his talent.
Zhang Ye said, “I still have a segment now. I will pull it up!”
Zhao Guozhou knocked on the form on his table, “The afternoon listenership rates have been handed out. Although it will only be announced tomorrow, I shall take this opportunity to tell you that ‘Old and Young Story Club’ is still in last place. This segment cannot be pulled up. It’s useless, no matter who it is. Your talent should be placed on a bigger stage, but why are you so stubborn? You…Hai, forget it. Go back.”
Lining the bottom once again?
Really can’t be pulled up?
Zhang Ye refused to believe that it was so. If two episodes weren’t enough, he would record a third. If the third recording wasn’t enough, he would record a fourth. He still had three days’ time. It was still possible for him to turn the situation around!
…
The sky still was bright, even after he returned home.
The rental apartment was quiet and lonely. It was like his current situation.
Zhang Ye switched on the computer as he absent-mindedly read the news. After some analysis, he realized that the reason why the ratings had not been pulled up was not the fault of the story. How could “Snow White” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” have a problem? They were the classic fairy tales out of the classics fairy tales from his world. The reason was apparently due to inertia. There were not that many people listening to this segment. New listeners were already completely disappointed with the present fairy tales, or they were sick of them. There was no habit to even listen in. There would not be any fresh blood being injected, so it would be odd if the listenership rate was going up!
How was he to attract new listeners?
He felt that he needed an opportunity; otherwise, it would be very difficult!
Zhang Ye left his mouse as he switched on television, planning to watch the News Channel. As someone working in the media industry, watching the news was part and parcel of one’s daily work.
“Today, another heinous case of a missing child happened in the capital. In a small district near to Cheng Nan Jia Yuan, four-year-old Wen Wen was left alone at home with his parents at work. According to police investigations and analysis of closed-circuit TV footage, Wen Wen had opened the door to a male stranger around the age of 35. It is unknown what method this person used to gain Wen Wen’s trust. Not only did he bring away Wen Wen, he had taken several valuables in the house. According to the closed-circuit TV footage, Wen Wen apparently was not crying. Currently, the police are using all their efforts to take in criminal suspects. This is the picture of the suspect taken from the closed-circuit TV. If anyone sees this suspect, please immediately contact the number shown on your screen!” The Central TV’s News Channel’s female anchorwoman said solemnly with a tinge of anger.
Next were street and school interviews.
A woman holding a vegetable basket said to the reporter, “This is already the fourth time a child has been abducted from home this month, right? It’s so depraved! These people should be shot to death!”
An old man said, “Why do these sort of things keep happening? Why would a child open the door to a stranger? I think it’s a problem with our education!”
At a particular kindergarten, the reporter interviewed at a promotional event held in the school. There were many people gathered in the school field. There were teachers, older students and parents.
“Little friends, remember that when you are alone at home, you must never open the door to strangers. Did you hear that?”
“Heard that!”
“Can you remember?”
“Yes!”
The screen switched back to the studio. The female anchor said, “Actually, the instructions of never to open the door to a stranger has been repeated countless numbers of times in the children education system. All the children know this, but when they meet strangers who claim to be “Mommy’s” or “Daddy’s” colleague, they still open the door. This is the fourth time that it has happened this month. I do not know what has gone wrong in our education system.”
Maybe we should use a teaching method more suitable for children to tell them this. It should not be something repeated to them in a dogmatic manner. Children have their children’s way of thinking and their own world. The way we indoctrinate them with ideas might not be something they can understand. Hence, a week ago, Beijing’s Education Ministry has led the way by organizing the historically largest fairy tale essay competition event. The name is “Fairy Tale Essays Collection for Not Opening the Door to Strangers”, The goal is to use these fairy tales to caution children in a fun and educative manner, so as to let children genuinely realize how to protect themselves.”
Fairy Tale Essays Collection?
Zhang Ye immediately had a feeling. Here came an opportunity!
You are reading story I’m Really a Superstar at novel35.com
But the next thing the female anchor said made him disappointed, “Submissions began last week and the deadline is at midnight, tonight. During this period, the education ministry has allowed people to vote as a fair way to choose the number one story. From that, kindergarten and elementary schools or other child care groups will receive large-scale promotions!”
It was already 7+ P.M.!
There was less than five hours left?
Zhang Ye switched off the television and hurriedly opened the Beijing’s Education Ministry’s specially created essay website. There were many publicity pictures on it. They were filled with pictures of children that had gone missing in Beijing. Their smiling faces, their pictures of their lives and the crying expressions of the parents whose children had gone missing. There was only one slogan: Please use your words to help children. Upon seeing this, Zhang Ye’s heart felt heavy, as if he felt suffocated. He was planning to look for an opportunity to improve the segment’s ratings. But upon seeing that the deadline was at midnight, Zhang Ye knew that it was impossible. Others had accumulated a full week of votes, so how could he exceed them within just a few hours? However, when he followed the stories of how children were abducted, Zhang Ye felt that he had to write something. It had nothing to do with his segment, nor did it have to do with anything else. He just wanted to contribute a portion of his strength!
So what if he did not succeed?
It was enough, as long as he did something!
…
As this matter caused quite a commotion in society, people on the streets, in public transport, on the internet and those interacting with online media were all reflecting and discussing about it. It could be considered a hot topic among all the citizens. Anything that was child-related would forever be something that grabbed the hearts of people. Hence, this continuous outbreak of heinous crimes had caused great concern for society. As such, this fairy tale essay competition had become abnormally well-received. Many people published their stories.
The most famous one was by Tao Xueru, the highest-paid female children’s fairy tale author in the country.
Secondly, there was Little Red Mushroom. It was a stage name. She, too, was a female children’s fairy tale author. The sales of her books were inferior to Tao Xueru, but the most famous fairy tale in the country was hers.
The both of them were practically propping up about half of the children’s fairy tale industry in the country.
There were other children’s literature authors. Many authors of fairy tales that people were familiar with when they were young had submitted their stories to the essay competition.
The ranking was as follows.
Little Red Mushroom: 28,018 votes.
Tao Xueru: 24,311 votes.
Old Lee: 17,223 votes.
Zhang Qiang: 16,976 votes.
For the story competition, the authors who submitted their works would show their verified status. For example, Little Red Mushroom and company all had their verified status. Zhang Qiang, who was ranked at fourth place, was a children’s literature author. Only Old Lee, who was in third place, was not in the industry. In his verification status, there was written “Office Employee”.
Zhang Ye flipped through the stories. Ever since the world changed into a different world, Zhang Ye always had a feeling of looking down upon others. However, when he looked at the top ranking stories, he was quite impressed. They were worthy of being the top figures in the field of children’s literature. They were well written, especially Little Red Mushroom’s children story that was ranked first. Even if it was brought to Zhang Ye’s world, it was a high-quality fairy tale that could be remade into an animation.
However, it was still lacking slightly. It was not that the story was poor, but it was because the story was slightly complex. After all, the target audience of a fairy tale to warn children not to open a door to a stranger was definitely very young. One could not expect them to understand things that were too complicated. Little Red Mushroom’s story was 8,000 thousand words long. So although it was really good, there were too many characters. Zhang Ye suspected that children would not be able to finish reading it properly.
The further he went down the ranks, the more horrible the stories became.
Ignoring those who were not professional authors, some of those with verification statuses were children’s literature authors. How could they write such a mess? These stories all had a serious problem. Either they were so childish that even children themselves would find it childish, or they were too mature, where the entire story was written according to an adult’s way of thinking. How could these be shown to children?
None of them could work!
All of the stories were inappropriate!
Zhang Ye pulled up his sleeves and got to work. He felt that he had a story that was extremely appropriate. It was also a story gathered out of the overall essence from his world. It would be perfect if used in this essay competition. There was no other story that was better than that one.
Zhang Ye first used his Weibo’s information to gain the recognition on the education website. After obtaining his verification, Zhang Ye began typing. He clacked away before uploading it!
The story’s name: “Little Bunnies Be Good”.
Mommy Bunny had three children. One was called Little Red Eyes, one was called Long Ears, and one was called Stumpy Tail.
One day, Mommy Bunny said to her children, “Mommy is going to the fields to pick carrots. Watch the house and close the door. Don’t open the door to anyone; open the door only when Mommy comes.”
Mommy Bunny carried her basket and walked towards the fields. The Little Bunnies remembered Mommy’s words and locked the door well.
Later on, the Big Bad Wolf came. He wanted to enter the Little Bunnies’ house, but the door was tightly closed by the Little Bunnies, so he could not enter!
The Big Bad Wolf sat by the Little Bunnies’ door. He narrowed his eyes and thought of a bad idea. Suddenly, he saw Mommy Bunny return. He quickly ran and hid behind a large tree.
Mommy Bunny came to the door. She pushed the door but the door was tightly closed. As she knocked, she sang, “Little Bunnies be good; open the door! Come, open it quickly; I want to come in.”