Chu Kuang, a perpetual deity?
Long Fei was startled for a moment. After internally comparing the quality of the novels by Chu Kuang and Feng Hua, he hesitated for a while. He found both stories to be incredibly exquisite to the point that he couldn't distinguish which one was better—
Long Fei was suddenly shocked.
On the blog side, Feng Hua's "Changing Faces" triggered a flood of reader comments as soon as it was released. Regardless of whether they were Feng Hua's fans or just short story enthusiasts, no one held back their praise:
"As expected of Feng Hua!"
"Indeed, one of the three leading chariots!"
"'Changing Faces' is a form of dramatic art. Everyone knows that an actor on stage can change faces in a matter of seconds. The brilliance of Teacher Feng Hua lies in using the art of face changing to satirize the images of people in real life who are soft bullies…"
"The ending is the most ingenious."
"I found it hilarious yet somewhat sad that the dog ends up biting the patrolman. I wonder if the patrolman, having been bitten, would choose to punish the dog owner or accept the situation?"
The readers who had read "The Necklace" were also captivated by this story about materialism and vanity. After all, how could the representative work of Maupassant, one of the most famous short story maestros on Earth, not be excellent?
"What a sharp satire!"
"So he is Chu Kuang!"
"Indeed, Qin Province is a place full of talent. A rookie short story writer, with only a short period since his debut, can write such mature text. Now I remember Chu Kuang. This is one of the most stunning short stories I have ever read."
"The cost of vanity."
"Mr. and Mrs. Wang spent half of their lives for a fake necklace. Ten years changed their lives completely. I wonder if Lady Wang's memory of that dazzling night will become a beautiful past or an everlasting nightmare?"
"The price was too high."
"I feel that the prowess of this story lies in its inability to judge the specifics of gains and losses. Of course, the couple lost a lot, but in fact, they gained a lot too. At least Lady Wang and Mr. Wang didn't choose to escape, but bravely faced up to their responsibilities. This kind of character is the most precious, showing the integrity of the terms of their agreement.
This is true for both women and men."
"Vanity and honesty can coexist in the same person. It is wrong to be vain, but we should not deny a person because of vanity. Pursuing material things is a lifestyle, and it is not necessary to deny all about a person because of it."
On the Tribe literature side, "The Necklace" stood out, stunning countless readers. Even the short story writers who published their work at the same time as Chu Kuang were speechless before such a masterpiece.
Feng Hua's "Changing Faces" was also a standout. In comparison, other short stories on the blog seemed to become complementary. The two major literary sections in early March had roughly equal traffic!
The simultaneous publication of these two novels led to a debate about which work was better. This, in the eyes of many, should have been a foregone conclusion, but at this moment, this debate was indeed happening.
The readers divided into two camps.
Some people liked Feng Hua's work: "In life, we often come across such people. They blend in well with any crowd, are adaptable and have excellent social skills. We can't criticize this way of engaging socially as improper, but it unavoidably gives an impression of being too slick. The repeated face changes and references to the dog in this story are a profound satire of such people."
Some people liked Chu Kuang's work: "The complexity of human beings is not one-sided. The story itself is exquisite. While satirizing vanity and materialism through the story of a fake necklace that changes the couple's life, the plot begins to paradoxically show Mr. and Mrs. Wang fulfilling their commitment to repay the debt, even if the cost may be their future.
Perhaps after repaying the debt ten years later, Mr. and Mrs. Wang will not be without gain."
Even within the field of short stories, many writers are discussing who is stronger, which has also resulted in a rough tie. This was unbelievable to many people because the issue was no longer about whose story, Chu Kuang or Feng Hua's, was better. The truly astonishing point was that people were seriously comparing Chu Kuang with a short story writer of Feng Hua's caliber...
Chu Kuang is a new favorite in the circle.
Feng Hua is one of the three brahmins.
The former, whether in terms of experience, qualification, or fame, lags behind Feng Hua. Nevertheless, his works are now being compared with those of Feng Hua, and nothing could be more incredible than this!
While everyone was immersed in this emotion.
Teacher Changqin, one of the three brahmins in Qin Province's short story field who is now retired but highly respected in the circle, suddenly shared her thoughts on the tribal platform: "I personally think it's a tie. Both stories have different structures but are equally fascinating. The talents of Feng Hua and Chu Kuang are undeniable.
Perhaps the short story field in Qin Province is about to have a fourth carriage."
Even Changqin was moved!
However, what people cared more about was Changqin's evaluation—
Is Chu Kuang qualified to become the fourth carriage in the short story field?
The significance of this matter has far exceeded the competition between Chu Kuang and Feng Hua. In other words, Chu Kuang has already won!
What he won was recognition and popularity!
For many people, it's taken for granted that Feng Hua would perform well. However, as a rising star in the literary world, the fact that Chu Kuang could break even with a stalwart figure is a pleasant surprise!
It's very unfair to the old man.
Because you are extraordinary, it is only natural for you to perform well in the eyes of many.
Chu Kuang has been in a situation of being questioned before. Whether it's fame or qualifications, he's inferior to his opponent. So when he surpassed everyone's expectations and took on Feng Hua without losing, he had already won in a certain sense!
Some people inevitably disagreed with the term "the fourth carriage" as Chu Kuang's works are too few.
In terms of work quality, he indeed has the potential.
But how many more high-quality works he can write in the future is key in determining whether he can truly become the fourth carriage in Qin Province!
Feng Hua has more than just "Changing Faces".
His profile is filled with excellent short stories.
It's different for Chu Kuang who, all told, has only a handful of works, with "The Gift of the Magi" being the most talked about.
The evaluations of Chu Kuang's other two works, "Death of a Small Civil Servant" and "Artificial Beauty", were indeed good, but always fell a little short.
Of course, now there is an addition of "The Necklace".
In terms of quality, the quality of "The Necklace" is also excellent.
Everyone believes its classic status is no less than that of "The Gift of the Magi"!
In general, the question mark still needs to be placed behind the fourth carriage.
But what is undeniable is that Chu Kuang has now become the person closest to the three leading forces in the short story field in Qin Province!