At the evaluation site of the New Concept Essay Competition, the grading of the final round essays was in full swing. Expert judges sat around a long table, with essay answer sheets piled high in front of them.
"This article... what a masterpiece! 'If the youth is strong, then the country is strong'—this is the exact spirit and sense of responsibility our Huaxia youth ought to have!" Professor Lu from Huaqing University stood up, deeply moved, his voice echoing through the evaluation room and drawing everyone's attention.
The others put down their work and gathered around, wanting to see what kind of article could cause the usually poised Professor Lu to lose his composure. Their gazes converged on the sheet of paper in his hands, where the handwriting was powerful and vigorous, seeming to leap off the page and carrying an endless, imposing momentum.
"The vigor of its brushwork and the grandeur of its momentum are simply terrifying," writer Cao Ping couldn't help exclaiming, his eyes filled with admiration for the essay.
After reading it, Director Cheng of Huaxia Publishing House let out a long sigh of admiration: "I am far inferior to the author of this piece."
"Your publishing house really hit the jackpot on this one, old Cheng," Cao Ping said with a smile, a hint of playful teasing in his tone.
"What?" Cheng Yu didn't react for a moment, still immersed in the shock brought by the essay.
"Take a look at the author's information. Isn't it that gifted writer you mentioned last time? He truly lives up to his name; he is entirely worthy of the word 'genius'," Cao Ping clicked his tongue in wonder, feeling even more curious about Fang Yuan.
Only then did Cheng Yu snap out of it. He checked the author's info, and sure enough, it was Fang Yuan. He couldn't help laughing out loud: "True enough, if any high school student could write a piece like this, it would have to be him. I specifically brought the latest two issues of *New Youth* this time; you all can take a look later."
"This essay reminds me of Mr. Shaoshan's 'Study for the rise of China.' Let's designate this piece as the Grand Prize of this competition. Does anyone have any objections?" At this point, Li Wenyuan, President of the Modu Writers Association and also the head of the competition's organizing committee, spoke up. His words radiated firmness and appreciation.
"The level of this essay far transcends the scope of the competition; among all past works, there is none to rival it," added another judge, who was also a professor in the Chinese Department at Fujiao University.
"Not only that, I suggest recommending this article to the National Textbook Committee. This piece must be included in the required reading texts," Professor Lu Yuan said, still incomparably excited, his voice revealing an eager intensity. "Its power in inspiring and encouraging the youth is immeasurable."
The members of the judging panel nodded one after another in agreement.
Meanwhile, Fang Yuan had no idea that his essay had already caused such a massive reaction during the judging process. Fang Yuan, Teacher Su, Ning Jie, and Wen Minghan were sitting together, enjoying a lavish feast. The dining table was laden with a wide variety of delicacies, from fresh seafood to exquisite desserts, with every dish exuding an alluring aroma.
Looking at her three students, Teacher Su smiled and said, "Well? Your teacher didn't break her promise, did she? I said I'd treat you to a big feast, and I always keep my word." Her tone was filled with indulgence and pride; she always spared no effort in supporting and encouraging her students.
"Teacher Su, since we're eating this well, can the school reimburse it? You won't end up having to pay out of your own pocket, right, Teacher Su?" Wen Minghan asked, expressing his concern while eating a large lobster.
"Don't worry. As long as the grades are good, the school is willing to pay for even the most expensive meals," Teacher Su replied with a smile, anticipation in her gaze. "How do you feel about this time? Are you confident?"
"I think it's all right. The prompt I drew was 'Encounter.' I'd written about similar themes before, so things went relatively smoothly this time," Ning Jie said with confidence, her tone calm and poised.
"I reckon I'm done for. The one I drew was 'Boundary.' I sat in the exam room for half a minute—no, half an hour—without a single clue, and in the end, I could only barely scrape together something mediocre. But it doesn't matter; with God Fang around, first place is definitely ours this time," Wen Minghan felt his performance was mediocre, but he didn't mind at all. His words revealed absolute trust in Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan just humbly replied, "My prompt was 'Youth.' There shouldn't be any problems, barring the unexpected."
The group chatted while eating in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, each sharing some of their essay-writing ideas and thoughts. Teacher Su listened attentively, offering encouragement and suggestions from time to time.
The lunch ended in a cheerful mood, and the four of them left the restaurant.
The afternoon was the ceremony for announcing the results of the New Concept Essay Competition. The group arrived at the church where the exam had taken place earlier, found their designated section, and sat down to await the start of the ceremony. The leaders stood at the podium and began their routine speeches, recounting the philosophy and goals of the New Concept Essay Competition. Although the words were filled with official rhetoric, one could still perceive their earnest expectations for the younger generation.
The leaders' speeches did not last too long; they seemed to realize that the students in attendance were far more concerned with the soon-to-be-revealed results. As the speeches were brought to a timely close, a wave of relaxed applause rippled through the hall. Immediately afterward, the award ceremony officially began.
Dum-dum-dum~ The standard award-presentation music used in schools nationwide began to play.
"Those receiving the finalist awards this session are Wang Defan, Li Bubai, Wen Minghan..." The host's voice echoed through the church. Every contestant whose name was called stood up and walked to the podium to receive their glory. Wen Minghan, never expecting that he would actually win an award, muttered "God Fang protect me" and ran excitedly onto the stage.
"Those receiving the bronze awards are Zhao Si, Sun Liu, Liu Wu..."
"The silver awards go to Ning Jie, Zhang Sirui..."
Subsequently, the lists for the bronze and silver awards were announced in succession. As Ning Jie, one of the silver award recipients, had her name called, she stood up and walked toward the podium with a flushed, excited expression.
"The winner of the Grand Prize for this session," the host paused, the air in the entire church seeming to freeze at that moment, "is Fang Yuan from Yangcheng Middle School, for the essay *A Young China*."
Fang Yuan took a deep breath. Although he appeared calm on the outside, he still couldn't entirely mask the excitement in his heart. He stood up and walked toward the podium as all gazes instantly converged on him. Some people recognized him as the student who had handed in his paper early the previous day and began to whisper among themselves.
"Are you telling me he finished writing in half an hour, and then steamrolled us to take the Grand Prize?" one contestant asked in a low voice, their tone tinged with disbelief.
"Turns out the other guy is a true heavyweight, and we're just genuine clowns," another contestant laughed at himself. Only now did they realize that Fang Yuan handing in his paper early hadn't been a surrender, but rather a display of confidence.
Standing on the stage, Li Wenyuan—President of the Modu Writers Association and head of the organizing committee—presented Fang Yuan with his trophy and certificate. President Li's face beamed with an admiring smile, and he gave high recognition to Fang Yuan's talent.
President Li picked up the microphone and spoke: "Today, the most outstanding work in the history of the New Concept Essay Competition has appeared. Student Fang Yuan's *A Young China* has truly given me a tremendous surprise. Here, I invite everyone to appreciate this masterpiece together."
As his voice trailed off, the giant screen behind him displayed Fang Yuan's essay line by line and sentence by sentence, accompanied by Professor Lu's deep, resonant recitation. Every single word and phrase carried the weight of a thousand jun, shaking the soul of every listener present.
"If the youth is strong, then the country is strong... spanning through all antiquity, embracing the eight desolate realms... Magnificent, my youthful China, boundless alongside the nation!" Someone in the audience burst into burning passion, spontaneously joining in the recitation, their voices echoing like a tidal wave through every corner of the church.
As the final word fell, thunderous applause erupted through the auditorium. This applause was not merely praise for Fang Yuan, but an acknowledgment and respect for the youth spirit conveyed by the essay.