Chapter 162: A Flawless Masterpiece [Fourth Update, Asking for Subscriptions]

Only seventy-five points? That feels a bit too low for him.

Ma Qiwei said with a hint of regret. He held very high expectations for Zhang Chu, and in a submission contest like this, only a score above eighty could be considered truly outstanding.

Regarding this future student of his, Ma Qiwei had no intention of putting in a good word or asking for any sentimental points.

Chen Yingsong stroked his bristling beard and retorted angrily, "Only? This score is already quite high! The main reason is that the first part of his book focuses entirely on the life and religion of an Indian boy, making the narrative entry point rather slow. Besides, I am an atheist, so I couldn't really resonate with the religious elements he describes."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind, you guys keep chatting. I need to hurry up and finish reading this book; if I don't finish it, I feel like something is missing."

"You old fellow, go on then. After get-off-work, I'll go find Director Deng and see if I can borrow Zhang Chu's book to read back at the hotel."

...

Returning to the judges' room, Chen Yingsong didn't even take a break. Hearing that the other groups had already reviewed so many works while his own group hadn't even finished the first one, he knew he had to pick up the pace.

In the subsequent chapters, he encountered an extraordinarily realistic survival chronicle of a shipwrecked boy. Every detail felt visceral—from the desperate facial expressions upon spotting the emergency rations stored in the lifeboat after prolonged starvation, to the frantic expression of gratitude after stuffing biscuits into his mouth.

These descriptions appeared remarkably authentic, especially the precise inventory of supplies on the boat, as if the author had personally inspected them on-site: motion sickness pills, canned fresh water, compressed biscuits, woolen blankets, a solar still, a life vest complete with a whistle, hand-held flare signals...

[The impending death is frightening enough, but what is even worse is that death is still some time away. During this interval, all the joy you once possessed and all the joy you might ever possess become so precious, and you watch with absolute clarity as you lose everything.]

Between the lines, the Indian boy's utter despair was palpable, the shadow of death looming heavily over him.

Fortunately, there was Richard Parker. That tiger served simultaneously as a threat, a companion, and a driving force!

Chen Yingsong had not expected the sequence of drifting across the Pacific Ocean to be so extensive and detailed. Whatever happened to a fantastical voyage!

It looked nothing like a fantasy at all; instead, it resembled a textbook on surviving a shipwreck.

However, this section was narrated from Pi's first-person perspective, devoid of the author's personal commentary and observations. It flowed seamlessly in one go, full of twists and turns yet deeply comforting.

This stretch of nearly one hundred thousand words was packed with every conceivable danger and obstacle encountered during survival at sea: thunderstorm-filled nights with lightning flashes, sharks and whales attempting to overturn the lifeboat, and passing giant cargo liners that not only missed the lifeboat's signals but also generated waves that nearly swamped the small craft.

Within this segment, Zhang Chu produced strokes of sheer brilliance. His descriptions of the ocean, the sky, cloud pillars, the underwater world, and inverted cities teeming with life all came vividly alive beneath his pen.

...

Chen Yingsong read with immense fascination. By this point, he felt that the seventy-five points he had initially given were indeed a bit too low; judging by the content so far, the score easily warranted an upgrade to eighty-five!

External noises could no longer disrupt his reading. Right then, a miraculous island began to plunge him into deep contemplation.

Although the vast world contained all sorts of wonders, a miraculous island teeming with meerkats actually existed in the middle of the boundless Pacific Ocean!

The island's vegetation could satisfy his hunger, and the sluggish meerkats served as delicious feasts for Richard Parker. Yet, every night, Richard Parker insisted on returning to the lifeboat, leaving Pi deeply puzzled.

Eventually, Pi discovered a bundle of leaves in the branches of a grand tree containing thirty-two adult human teeth. He suddenly realized that this was a man-eating island, and every night, the island's pools would digest any creatures that came too close!

Chen Yingsong suddenly had a hunch that this island must carry a deeper meaning, that it was by no means an ideal paradise.

True to Chen Yingsong's expectations, Pi resolutely fled the island. This single action elevated Pi even higher in Chen Yingsong's estimation.

[I crawled down from the gunwale, not daring to let go just yet—I was so close to being rescued, but I was terrified that I might drown in this two-foot-deep water. I looked up to see how much further I had to go, and that upward glance gave me my final glimpse of Richard Parker, because at that very instant he leaped past me...

At that moment, I was certain he would look back, that he would flatten his ears, that he would roar. But he did nothing of the sort. His eyes remained fixed straight ahead on the jungle, and with a single bound, he leaped forward, vanishing from my life forever.]

Finally rescued!

Chen Yingsong breathed a sigh of relief. The rescue in the Gulf of Mexico echoed the hospital visits at the very beginning, creating a fairly complete and cohesive structure.

Yet, there were still several pages left at the end, arousing his curiosity. What further story could Pi possibly tell after being rescued?

As he read on, Chen Yingsong was left utterly stunned!

In this concluding section, faced with the skepticism and interrogation of the Japanese investigators, Pi recounted the fantastical tale of his voyage, but they refused to believe it.

Consequently, Pi told another story. In this version, there were no hyenas, no orangutans, no tigers, and no zebras.

Just as the freighter sank, there were four people left on the lifeboat: a Chinese sailor with a broken leg, a French ship's cook who prepared meals on the cargo ship, Pi, and his mother.

However, right in front of Pi, the cook first murdered and consumed the sailor, then killed Pi's mother. In the end, only Pi survived, and one can easily imagine the cook's ultimate fate.

This narrative concluded amidst the horrified expressions of the two Japanese men. After finishing it, Chen Yingsong felt a chill run down his spine!

It was not until Pi articulated that supposedly fabricated second story that all the preceding events flashed before Chen Yingsong's mind, one scene after another. Every seemingly innocent and playful detail from earlier now revealed itself as foreshadowing, connecting the entire story into a seamless, unified whole.

It shattered the previous harmonious and affectionate fantasy adventure, laying bare a ruthless, bloody, and merciless reality!

Which of the two stories was true?

An indistinct answer began to take shape in Chen Yingsong's mind. No wonder those four animals were chosen; each of them carried its own symbolic meaning.

"This Zhang Chu is truly remarkable! Even a score of one hundred feels too low!"

The two stories represented the duality of human nature—both good and evil. Although it was a cruel truth difficult to accept, the process of telling the first story had repeatedly hinted that the second story might be the genuine one.

Yet, in the end, the two Japanese investigators chose to believe the first story.

Deep within every person's heart resides a Richard Parker; in times of crisis, it roars out from its cage, yet remains inextricably bound to human existence.

A fierce tiger resides in the heart, yet it delicately sniffs the rose.