An uproar!
Astonishment!
The entire Centennial Hall had been shaken by Zhang Ye"s shouts!
Bai Yi angrily roared, "That madman! He"s really a madman!"
A j.a.panese female reporter said, "We will raise a protest! This is an insult to us! This is the lowest form of personal attack on us!"
Many of the Chinese reporters had been greatly inspired. They focused their cameras onto Zhang Ye, not wanting to miss out on any footage of him. There was a great deal of satisfaction on all their faces. However, the j.a.panese reporters all looked very angry, as though they had be on the receiving end of a great insult, incredulous that someone actually dared to scold them and their country in such an official setting!
"Why is he like that!"
"What is he scolding us for!"
"Does he even know what he is saying? Ah!"
The students of Tokyo University were also raging!
A few of Peking University"s heads of school could only look at each other in shock!
Matsumoto and the political delegates, their faces as cold as water, lodged stern protests!
The accompanying Chinese officials were also shocked and confused, not knowing what they could say now to appease the situation!
A Peking University j.a.panese Department teacher jumped up and cursed, "This d.a.m.ned nationalist!"
A staff member from the Office of School Leaders.h.i.+p said irritatedly, "What kind of behavior is that! What has the war got to do with the j.a.panese citizens? Don"t let him keep speaking! Get him off the stage! Cut the mic!"
A few of them could not understand why a century-old inst.i.tution like Peking University, the top inst.i.tution in the country, would employ a hooligan like Zhang Ye as a teacher. This was a huge mistake, no matter how talented Zhang Ye was or how much Zhang Ye had contributed for academics. This sort of "role model" behavior would nullify all of that! Hiring him was the worst decision that Peking University had made! Zhang Ye"s treacherous speech this time would surely cause Peking University to be on the cusp of the news! It would definitely put them in the sights for controversy and criticism throughout the world!
But Zhang Ye still went on!
He was not done with his speech yet!
Then Zhang Ye continued speaking, "These days, there are many voices that claim that scolding others is not right. That there are also good people in j.a.pan, so don"t be a nationalist. The war has nothing to do with the commoners, scolding others does not mean that you"re patriotic but only tells people that you have low standards. j.a.panese technology is more advanced than ours, so we must learn from them. The j.a.panese have higher standards than us, so we must be accepting of them. Boycotting j.a.panese products is meaningless when we should be looking to raise our standards instead. We must be logical when it comes to patriotism! It seems like those people do not understand why boycotting j.a.panese products, not eating j.a.panese food, and scolding j.a.panese people can be labeled as patriotism? What they are thinking is that they"re the more elegant and cla.s.sier patriots!"
At this point, Zhang Ye raised his head, as though he was responding to those who were so pro-j.a.panese. "Actually, I"m wondering as well! I am also very amazed! If our behavior does not reflect patriotism, then does that mean that people like you who only eat j.a.panese food, buy j.a.panese products, never speak ill of j.a.pan, and always defend j.a.pan whenever you see anyone criticizing them…are the patriotic ones?" His tone had changed, as though he was laughing at them!
Applause burst again!
Peking University"s students were all cheering!
The staff from the Office of School Leaders.h.i.+p nearly suffocated to death!
Zhang Ye said with a cold smile, "They have high standards, they do not scold j.a.pan. But that"s not because they are patriotic while being more elegant and logical than us, not because they are cla.s.sier than us, not because of any of the highfalutin reasons they claim! That is because…They do not have any hatred for j.a.pan at all! They have long ago forgiven j.a.pan or maybe not even blamed j.a.pan at all before! That is the reason!"
Thunderous applause!
The Peking University students expressed their difficult to describe emotions with loud applause for this!
Zhang Ye adjusted his s.h.i.+rt and tie, presenting himself decently, and then said, "In an official government occasion, there are some things that some would never say as it would offend others, show a lack of demeanor and standards, presenting themselves as inelegant, attracting doubt and controversy. But I am not afraid to offend, I don"t have good demeanor, I have low standards, I have always been simple and inelegant, I am not afraid of being doubted and controversial! So whether or not there are cameras around, no matter who is here today, no matter how many reporters are here today, no matter how many leaders are looking at me right now…" Zhang Ye turned to look at the cameras and declared as he put his hand over his chest, "What the others dare not say, I, Zhang Ye will say it! At any point in time, at any place, at any occasion, whoever asks me the same questions, I have the courage to answer anyone just like today—"
Zhang Ye shouted once, "Boycotting j.a.panese products…is a sign of patriotism!"
Zhang Ye shouted twice, "Scolding j.a.pan…is a sign of patriotism!"
Zhang Ye shouted thrice, "Scolding those who defend j.a.pan by scolding us…is a sign of patriotism!"
Many of Peking University"s teachers were staring with their mouths agape! Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t!
Zhang Ye said fearlessly, "Is scolding people right? Scolding people is not right! Sorry then, we have low standards, we are inelegant, but this is who we are! Just a common citizen"s way of showing his love for his country!" Zhang Ye dragged out his words. "But this is just us, an ordinary citizen"s most humble patriotism!"
Vigorous applause once more echoed through the entire hall. All of the students had stood up to clap with all they had. A few female students were so excited by this talk that they even had tears in their eyes!
What a good "scolding j.a.pan is a sign of patriotism"!
What a good "most humble patriotism"!
Just as Zhang Ye had said, there were some words some people did not dare say, but he dared. In the faces of the visiting delegation, in an occasion faced with so many Chinese and foreign reporters, Zhang Ye shouted out what no one else dared to say!
The people upstairs were already in full rage!
But Zhang Ye looked directly at them and said, "I have a poem here I would like to dedicate to our friends upstairs to end my speech with today."
Poem?
He was going to compose another impromptu poem again?
The applause quickly stopped as the Peking University students perked up their ears in antic.i.p.ation!
Zhang Ye melodiously recited:
"How to let you encounter me.
"At my most beautiful moment.
"For this—
"I"ve prayed to Buddha for five hundred years.
"Prayed he"d bring us together by destiny."
This was a masterpiece from his previous world, a work by Xi Murong ent.i.tled A Flowering Tree!
When Zhang Ye recited it, Yao Mi was taken aback, Senior Song had a look of suspicion while countless other Peking University students all did not seem like they understood any of it. It wasn"t that they did not understand the meaning of those words, but they did not understand why Zhang Ye would randomly recite a love poem.
Prayed for five hundred years?
Brought together by destiny?
Brought together with who? j.a.pan? What was this supposed to mean?
But Zhang Ye continued:
"Buddha thus turned me into a tree.
"Growing beside the path you must pa.s.s.
"In the suns.h.i.+ne, in full bloom gingerly.
"Every blossom a hope from my past life."
No one could deny that this was indeed a good poem. Up until here, the mood of the poem was vividly established, but still, no one could understand: how was this not a love poem?
Zhang Ye smiled lightly.
"When you near.
"Please listen closely.
"The quivering leaves
are the warmth of my waiting.
"But you eventually moved on, oblivious?
"Falling all over the ground behind you, / my friend, / are not petals, but me softly saying…" Zhang Ye raised his hand and pointed at the j.a.panese. "Idiots!"
At this instance!
At this moment!
When the word "idiots" rang out, the whole hall exploded into laughter!
Those who had been scolded by Zhang Ye in the most direct and vulgar manner had their faces flush so much they looked purple!
Meanwhile, those from Peking University were shocked and could not believe what had just happened!
Su Na: "..........."
Professor Zeng: "........."
Chang Kaige: "……"
Zhen Shuquan: "……"
Dean Pan: "……"
Xin Ya: "............"
The foreign mathematicians: "……%^&*()(*&^%! ! !"
Prayed to Buddha for five hundred years, brought together by destiny with them, turned into a tree beside the path they must pa.s.s, hope from the past life, warmly waiting, all just to have a face-to-face chance to softly say—Idiots!?
Everyone was shocked by how daring Zhang Ye was!
In this second, the large Centennial Hall went fearfully quiet!
The Peking University students and teachers went quiet, the Chinese reporters went quiet, the j.a.panese political and university delegations also went quiet!
The atmosphere seemed to have frozen for a second!
When they had been targeted, who stood up for them? Zhang Ye!
When they were sternly scolded by the professors and teachers, who spoke up for them? Zhang Ye!
So when Zhang Ye finished reciting his poem, many of the Peking University students looked upstairs at the delegations!
Suddenly, a chubby Peking University student suddenly stood up and pointed upstairs, shouting, "Idiots!"
The third-year senior who had been protected by Zhang Ye earlier also stood up from her seat, looked at those upstairs and shouted out loudly, "Idiots!"
Yao Mi stood up. "Idiots!"
Li Li stood up. "Idiots!"
Senior Zhou drew a deep breath and pointed upstairs. "Idiots!"
At the beginning, there was only spa.r.s.e and inconsistent shouting!
But gradually, everyone"s shouting became more consistent as one, ten, a hundred, two hundred people, all Peking University students joined in!
"Idiots!"
"Idiots!"
"Idiots!"
Finally, even Senior Song the straight-A student stood up to shout out, "Idiots!"
Five hundred students!
A thousand students!
1,500 students!
All of the Peking University students had joined in to shout and denounce them!
All of them were standing up together! All of them were pointing their fingers at those upstairs!
What sort of a place was this? It was Peking University! This was the country"s best and most elite education inst.i.tution! Among the students, there were last year"s scholars from Beijing, Beihe, Jiangsu, Gansu, and nine other provinces! There was also the best testing student from the national college entrance exam two years ago! There was a top student from Peking University"s postgraduate program!
Can you imagine the scene?
A Peking University teacher, leading a group of more than a thousand elite students from across the country, pointing their fingers at the j.a.panese delegation, shouting one louder than the other, "Idiots!"
My G.o.d!
Just what kind of image is that?
Just what kind of sight is that?
The Peking University teachers were all shocked!
The Chinese reporters were all shocked!
The j.a.panese delegation was shocked!!!