Chapter Ninety-Six: Leaving Readers Dizzy with Anger

In mid-August, Jiangcheng was still wrapped in relentless heat. Chu Lan was helping Zhang Chu pack all the things he would need to take with him.

Although classes at the Jiangcheng Fifth Elementary School where she worked did not begin until September first, the teachers all had to report early, so she could not see Zhang Chu off.

“Take a look and see if there’s anything else you need to bring,” Chu Lan said excitedly. She could hardly wait to bundle Zhang Chu up and send him on his way; she looked nothing like the other parents.

Zhang Chu rubbed his forehead. The air conditioning that afternoon seemed to have been set a little too low, and he felt uncomfortable all over.

For him, it was enough to bring his ID card and his admission letter. He could buy everything else after he got there; there was no need to pack any autumn or winter clothes at all.

Besides, this body of his was only eighteen. In theory, he was still at the stage of growing, so a lot of his clothes had already become too small, and it was about time he changed up his style anyway.

“Mom, I can just bring my bank card and buy what I need there. Taking a plane with too much luggage isn’t convenient.”

“You child, what do you know? How can something bought on the spot compare with what we bring from home? Especially pillows and bedding—the ones the school hands out are all very ordinary.”

Chu Lan glared at Zhang Chu, but her hands did not stop moving.

Zhang Chu could only grimace helplessly and let her fuss over him.

In truth, he was not especially eager to live in the dormitory. He was even thinking that after a few more days he would ask his advisor for permission to rent a place outside.

People who had long since graduated tended not to like sharing a room with others, even if the living conditions were excellent.

“Oh, by the way, do you want sunscreen for military training? I bought a bottle on my last trip and haven’t used it yet.”

Chu Lan studied Zhang Chu seriously. She could not bear the thought of her fair, clean son being roasted into a lump of charcoal.

Zhang Chu thought about it carefully before answering, “Not for the moment, I guess. It seems our military training starts during the summer vacation after freshman year, before we go back to campus.”

Some schools held military training when freshmen arrived in September; others postponed it by a year. Yan University belonged to the latter.

That at least gave Zhang Chu a little breathing room. He wanted to go to school, but he did not want military training. That was probably every student’s wish.

If he could choose, no one would willingly stand in military posture under the blazing sun for hours on end.

After hearing him out, Chu Lan even looked a little regretful. She quickly shook off that thought and went on, “Wei Wenlin and the others have called you several times. Why didn’t you answer?”

“Mom, next time they call, just tell them I’ve gone back to my hometown to live with Grandma.”

Zhang Chu did not want to be surrounded and besieged by his group of buddies!

These past couple of days, the Journey to the West Diary he was serializing on Weibo had practically stirred up a public outcry. Other readers at most shouted online about mailing him blades or Teddy bears, but his buddies would really act on it.

Feng Tianrui and the others had also asked Zhang Chu about it on WeChat before. Later, he fooled them with a fake location, but if these friends really tracked him down, he would come out of it even if he did not die, stripped of a layer of skin.

Actually, Zhang Chu felt a bit wronged too. He was only a conveyor of words, after all. The original novel by Jin Hezai was written exactly like that; he had merely put it into writing. Who could have known it would provoke such a fierce reaction from readers?

He glanced at his Weibo page. Should he post today’s entry?

If he did, the readers’ resentment would only boil all the more.

“All of this is for the service of literature and art. A real man doesn’t back down!”

Zhang Chu cheered himself on. Having readers urge you to write was a good thing; the saddest thing of all was when no one cared.

...

Just after finishing his promotion match, the chubby Wei Wenlin saw that day’s update and nearly fainted from rage.

[Cleaning, chanting sutras, eating, chanting sutras, cleaning, eating, evening study, lights out. We have once again spent a fulfilling and joyful day.
(Note from the moderator: Are you planning to keep turning in this kind of thing to fool me?)]

Why was it this line again?

He was about to throw up from reading it.

Even if it was a diary, did it have to be this perfunctory?

Wei Wenlin was already moments away from sharpening a knife and heading straight for Zhang Chu’s house. You know this is a sham, and you still dare to admit it!

At the same time, readers under Zhang Chu’s Weibo post all used the same knife-wielding, murder-ready emoji to vent their dissatisfaction in unison.

“Same world, same rant. Well said, moderator. Let Tang Xuanzang write his diary properly.”

“Zhang Chu actually has some self-awareness. This is truly the ninth wonder of the world!”

“Will he change it tomorrow? Will he?”

“Moderator, please show some power. We strongly condemn this shameless word-padding check-in behavior.”

“666. Why does this diary feel so familiar? It’s just like the diaries I wrote in school.”

“The comment above reminded me: during summer break, I was ordered to keep a diary for two months, and on the very last day I made up all two months at once. They were all exactly the same.”

“Zhang Chu, are you trying to serialize this until the end of time? However many days the Journey lasts, you update for that many days?”

The readers’ resentment was practically about to crystallize into a demon. They had finally had their appetite whetted, and this was what they got in return?

If it were only online readers urging him to write faster, that would still be acceptable. But now even Wei Wenlin, Feng Tianrui, and the others were reading Journey to the West Diary. He did not even dare answer his phone, and he did not even dare turn on WeChat real-time location sharing, for fear of being torn limb from limb by those furious friends.

In truth, Zhang Chu felt rather wronged. He was only the messenger, after all. The original novel by Jin Hezai really was like this; he had simply written it out. Who could have predicted that readers would react so violently?

He looked at his Weibo page again. Should he post today’s entry?

If he did, the readers’ fury would only be stirred higher.

“All of this is for literature and art. A real man doesn’t back down!”

Zhang Chu gave himself another round of encouragement. Readers urging for updates was a good thing; what was truly pitiable was when no one cared.

...

Just after finishing his promotion match, the chubby Wei Wenlin saw that day’s update and nearly passed out on the spot from rage.

[Cleaning, chanting sutras, eating, chanting sutras, cleaning, eating, evening study, lights out. We have once again spent a fulfilling and joyful day.
(Note from the moderator: Are you planning to keep turning in this kind of thing to fool me?)]

Why was it the same line again?

He was about to be sick from it.

Even if this was a diary, did it have to be this half-hearted?

Wei Wenlin was already on the verge of grabbing a knife and storming Zhang Chu’s house. So you know it’s a sham, and you still dare to fool people like this!

Meanwhile, under Zhang Chu’s Weibo post, the readers all used the same knife-and-kill expression to vent their outrage.

“Same world, same complaint. Nice one, moderator—let Tang Xuanzang write his diary properly.”

“Zhang Chu at least has some self-awareness. This is the ninth wonder of the world!”

“Will it be changed tomorrow? Will it?”

“Moderator, please assert your authority. We strongly condemn this shameless word-padding check-in.”

“Six-six-six. No wonder this diary feels so familiar. It’s just like the diaries I wrote when I was in school.”

“The comment above reminded me: during summer vacation, I was told to keep a diary for two months, and on the very last day I filled in the whole two months at once. They were all exactly the same.”

“Zhang Chu, are you planning to serialize this until the end of time? Whatever number of days the Journey has, you update for that many days?”