"I really don't know what kind of monster this guy is. He can write works of this caliber with such ease. His brain was surely born for poetry,"
Many contestants were also stunned by Wang Shu's poetic talent at this moment. They had never encountered someone who wrote poetry as easily as pouring cool water. What was even more terrifying was that what he casually wrote was a height they would likely never reach in their lifetimes.
"Firmly rooted in the green hills, standing tall in the broken rock."
"Through a thousand trials and tribulations, unyielding, let the winds blow from all directions."
Once the complete poem was revealed, Qin Xiaoyan immediately sent it to her grandfather back home. Qin Zhengran, who was recuperating in the hospital at the time, was deeply moved upon seeing the poem sent by his granddaughter.
"This poem, was it written by that great master?" Qin Zhengran asked directly.
"Grandpa, I'll tell you a secret. Don't be too shocked when you hear it!" Seeing her grandfather ask who wrote the poem, Qin Xiaoyan played coy.
"Hurry up and tell me, I want to know!" Qin Zhengran asked anxiously.
"Here, he wrote it. Do you recognize him!" Qin Xiaoyan directly sent a photo of Wang Shu to her grandfather.
Looking at the photo sent by his granddaughter, Qin Zhengran's hands trembled slightly. He realized what a huge regret it was that he hadn't attended the poetry gathering this time. He remembered this figure, and would remember him forever. He hadn't expected this master to participate in this event, and to once again create such an outstanding work.
"Is this the secret you mentioned?" After looking at the photo, Qin Zhengran retorted. What kind of secret was worth his granddaughter being so mysterious about?
"No, actually, I know who his true identity is!" Qin Xiaoyan said with feigned mystery.
"Who?" Qin Zhengran was also curious about the true face of this genius poet.
"He's my idol, Wang Shu!" Qin Xiaoyan said directly.
"Wang Shu? You mean the Wang Shu who sings?" Qin Zhengran pondered for a moment, then recalled the singer his granddaughter had been following recently. He had heard a few of Wang Shu's songs; the lyrics were quite good, but they weren't to his taste as an elderly person.
"You're not tricking me, are you?" Qin Zhengran continued to inquire, finding it hard to believe that this genius poet was the singer Wang Shu.
"If I'm lying, I'll be single for life!" Qin Xiaoyan swore.
"Alright, I believe you. It's truly unbelievable. No wonder his song lyrics are so good. I never expected him to be the genius poet I've been desperately searching for." Qin Zhengran couldn't help but sigh. After their parting at Tianmen Mountain, he had repeatedly studied Wang Shu's poems, even memorizing them by heart. Later, Bai Fu from Xiangnan had even sent him several poems Wang Shu had written after he left. He particularly loved the poem "Shuidiao Getou," finding it so astonishing upon first reading that he thought it couldn't have been written by an ordinary person.
"Please convey my regards to Master Wang Shu. From now on, he is also my idol!" Influenced by his granddaughter, Qin Zhengran now understood the meaning of 'idol' and sent the message to Qin Xiaoyan.
"Yay, my grandpa and I have the same idol!" Qin Xiaoyan was overjoyed to see the message from her grandfather. She hadn't expected her grandfather and her idol to be the same person, even if they admired different aspects of Wang Shu.
Meanwhile, on stage, after Wang Shu finished his poem, many people could only reluctantly compose their own verses. However, compared to their confidence in the first round, they felt immensely ashamed as they wrote their lines now. With Wang Shu's masterpiece preceding them, their own creations seemed dull and lifeless.
A few minutes later, the time for the second round was up. Most people had submitted their works, but some directly chose to give up. Their rankings in the previous round were already low, and even if they wrote excellent poems this time, they were likely to be eliminated. Even so, after seeing Wang Shu's work, they felt that what they had written couldn't even be called poetry, so they simply gave up, not wanting to embarrass themselves.
After the scoring of the second round, as a total score was required, there was a brief intermission. Students from Jiangnan Chinese University began to showcase their well-prepared performances on stage. Wang Shu sat back and thoroughly enjoyed watching the graceful dance of the female college students on stage. He recalled his university days in his past life when he would try to avoid watching any performances. Now, he watched with keen interest, regretting his youthful ignorance back then.
After a spectacular dance performance, the final rankings for the first round were announced. Wang Shu, as expected, remained steadily in first place. The lights for the twenty eliminated contestants' seats dimmed, and their display screens went black. Following this, the eliminated contestants left their seats. Some moved to the audience seats to continue watching, while others left the venue dejectedly. Wang Shu was surprised to find that the overly made-up student was still occupying a contestant's seat.
The second phase of the competition then commenced. The question setter this time was someone Wang Shu didn't really know. According to the host's introduction, this person was the Vice President of the Dragon Country Poetry Association, a top figure in the Dragon Country poetry circle. However, Wang Shu was indifferent to such matters. He was only here to win a ranking and earn extra income from the old station manager.
The old station manager was very pleased after the first stage. Because the television station Wang Shu represented had secured first place in the first stage, he had regained a lot of face. In previous years, Jiangnan Television's participation in this program was usually just for show, and as a judge, he had gained no prestige.
"Director Pu, where did your television station dig up such a powerhouse this year?" the Vice President of the National Poetry Association asked the station manager with a smile.
"Well, that's not convenient to reveal. But this time, the championship will surely belong to our Jiangnan Television. I'm afraid your Poetry Association won't be able to compete!" The old station manager said smugly to the Vice President of the Poetry Association beside him. In his opinion, if Wang Shu continued at this pace, he had a real chance of taking first place. At that time, their Jiangnan Television would not only gain prestige, but he could also taunt his old friend daily! After all, for a group of professionals specializing in poetry to lose to an amateur would be an incredibly boastful achievement for the amateur.