Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
At the venue.
The live broadcast ended. The award ceremony was also over.
Everyone got up and left their seats. Naturally, the Nobel Prize recipients were the focus of everyone’s attention. Many friends and colleagues congratulated them, as did reporters. In previous years, once the award ceremony ended, the media from all over the world would surround the Nobel laureates, hoping to get the first interview after the awards had been given out. However, the atmosphere today was a bit funny. When the live broadcast camera switched off, all the reporters were moved!
“Mr. Zhang Ye!”
“Mr. Zhang!”
“I’m with the BBC!”
“I’m a reporter from ABC!”
“I’m with the CBC!”
“Please accept our interview!”
“Can we have two minutes of your time, please?”
Countless people looked at Zhang Ye in a surprise. They just managed to blink their eyes before the international media surrounded Zhang Ye!
The Economics Prize recipient?
The Physics Prize recipient?
The Mathematics Prize recipient?
None of the reporters went over to them!
Almost all the reporters were sprinting towards Zhang Ye with their microphones and cameras. A few foreign reporters couldn’t squeeze in and even resorted to squatting down and pushing their microphones into the crowd. That scene, that situation, it was ridiculous.
Little Wang felt very flattered.
Ha Qiqi said in a hurry, “One at a time, please, one at a time!”
Zhang Ye maintained his smile and stood there patiently, waiting for them to ask their questions.
This was his chance to get on the international media and television stations to boost his international fame. For a celebrity like Zhang Ye, this was too rare an opportunity, so of course he would not reject them.
A female Spanish reporter asked, “Did you ever think you’d win the Nobel Peace Prize?”
Perhaps because she had been too anxious, she spoke in Spanish. When she realized, she immediately thought of asking in English again.
However, Zhang Ye answered her in Spanish. “Honestly, it never crossed my mind before. This award was indeed unexpected.”
The female Spanish reporter was startled. “You, you can speak Spanish?”
Zhang Ye smiled. “A little.”
The female Spanish reporter said, “May I ask if Gone With the Wind will get published in Spanish?”
Zhang Ye smiled. “Definitely.”
A German reporter beside her quickly said, “Did you make up your acceptance speech on the spot?”
“Yes.” Zhang Ye said in German, “As I’ve said, I really hadn’t expected to get this award, so I just said what I was thinking and shared my thoughts.”
The German reporter was taken aback!
You know German too?
The surrounding reporters were also stunned when they heard this!
You can actually speak so many languages? Aren’t you too professional!
One.
Five.
Ten.
Zhang Ye dealt with reporters from all over the world.
At the end, a Chinese reporter finally squeezed in after much effort. He hurriedly said, “Teacher Zhang, I’m with Central TV! I’m with Central TV!”
Zhang Ye smiled and said, “Go ahead.”
The Chinese reporter quickly asked, “First of all, let me congratulate you for bringing home the first Nobel Prize for China. But when the award was announced earlier, I noticed a lot of people all over the world doubting it. They’re saying that you’re part of the grassroots and don’t deserve the Nobel Prize. They claim that there are a lot of other people more qualified than you to receive this award. In the past years, this award was only given out to country leaders who have identity and status. This is very different from what you represent, so what do you have to say?”
Little Wang looked at Zhang Ye.
Ha Qiqi had a grave expression on her face. This was a rather difficult question to answer.
But nobody expected Zhang Ye to smile and say, “I agree with this viewpoint.”
He had remembered a famous quote from Guo Degang.
The Chinese reporter was stunned. “Ah?”
Zhang Ye chuckled. “I am part of the grassroots.”
The Chinese reporter said without thinking, “Uh, is that so?”
Zhang Ye put up his fingers and raised a few examples. “What exactly are grassroots? They’re made of up things like ginseng, lingzhi 1 , and cordyceps.”
Ginseng?
Lingzhi?
Every example that he mentioned floored all the people around him!
You call those fucking grassroots?
Those things are more valuable than gold!
Zhang Ye sighed. “It’s stuff like these that can’t even be shown off. I can’t compare to those people who are like red toons 2 , leeks, or cabbages you’d find in a greenhouse.” As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up. “They’re all so green3 !”
The Chinese reporter did a spit take!
Little Wang and Ha Qiqi were speechless.
The two of them didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
When he was dealing with the foreign reporters, Zhang Ye spoke properly to them, perhaps due to restrictions in language. But when he answered the Chinese reporter, everything that Zhang Ye spouted was nonsense. In his mother tongue, Zhang Ye had gained absolute mastery in the language. He could scold people without using any vulgarities.
The interview ended.
The international reporters all had a great harvest.
At this moment, Zhang Ye’s friends came over!
Anna said excitedly, “Zhang, congratulations!”
Zhang Ye opened his arms and embraced her. “Thank you, Professor Anna.”
Anthony laughed heartily. “You’re gonna get famous!”
Professor Hans also laughed and said, “Zhang, aren’t you going to treat us?”
“Sure thing.” Zhang Ye smiled and said, “I’ll treat everyone to lunch afterwards. All of you must show up!”
Suddenly, Ha Qiqi’s expression changed. “Director Zhang!”
Zhang Ye looked at her.
He saw Ha Qiqi nudge her chin at the outside.
Several English police officers arrived.
Beside them, a furious Bangalore was pointing in Zhang Ye’s direction. He was rambling to them after reporting him to the police at some point earlier.
It fell silent!
Quite a few people were looking in this direction.
The chief police officer said, “Are you Zhang Ye?”
Zhang Ye did not say anything.
But Bangalore shouted, “It’s him!”
Anthony took two steps forward. “What are you all trying to do?”
The English police officer said, “We’re looking for Zhang Ye to understand the situation. Please step aside.”
Zhang Ye tugged at Anthony and said, “Don’t worry, let me handle this.”
All of a sudden, another large group of people walked in from outside.
From their appearances, the group of roughly eight people turned out to be Chinese. All of them were dressed in suits and looked very formal, startling many people who were at the scene.
The lead Chinese guy said, “Wait!”
The English police officer turned around. “Huh?”
The lead Chinese guy pulled out his identification. “We’re from the Chinese embassy. Professor Zhang Ye is on a special visa, so we cannot allow you all to take him away. If there’s something, you can speak with us.”
The embassy?
They’ve sent someone from the embassy?
Bangalore’s expression darkened.
Anthony heaved a sigh of relief.
Felicia also felt a sense of relief.
They knew that with the embassy coming forward, this matter would definitely be resolved very quickly.
Zhang Ye and Ha Qiqi had not expected that the Chinese embassy in England would get alarmed either. For China to come out and help handle his issues? Who else could possibly get such treatment?
The Chinese embassy officials were very tough.
The English police officers could only seek advice from their superiors since this was out of their hands.
10 minutes later.
Both sides were done communicating over the problem.
The embassy official told Zhang Ye, “Professor Zhang, you’re free to leave now.”
Zhang Ye asked, “It’s settled just like that?”
The embassy official said, “You can go back to rest at your hotel first. We’ll pick it up from here to settle the issue with them. Once everything is fine, you’ll be free to return home. We will arrange for your plane tickets as well. This is something that Ambassador Lin has specially instructed us to oversee. Just rest up and don’t worry yourself over anything else.”
Zhang Ye said gratefully, “I’m sorry to have caused you all such an inconvenience.”
The embassy official gave a bitter smile. “As long as you know that. Please don’t be so rash again in the future.”
In fact, before Zhang Ye came to England, the Chinese military had already informed the Chinese embassy here through official channels that they must ensure Zhang Ye’s safety in England. If anything happened, they had to make sure to send him back to China at all costs. The embassy staff obviously knew what Zhang Ye meant to China. He was one of the top three key protected scientists in China. Further, he was now the person who won the Nobel Peace Prize for China. Anything could happen to anyone, except Zhang Ye!
Therefore, they had to come.
They had to send Zhang Ye off.
This greatly astonished everyone at the venue!
