Chapter 121: The King of Trash Talk

The name of Fudan High School is derived from Fudan University. "Fudan" was proposed by the esteemed Fudan predecessor Mr. Yu Youren, taken from the classic line in the "Book of Documents: Yu and Xia": "The radiance of the sun and moon, morning after morning, again and again." The name carries three profound meanings: first, the diligent effort to revitalize China; second, the patriotic resolve to "restore our Middle Kingdom"; and third, a spirit of brilliance, splendor, and unceasing self-improvement. It uses the hopeful sunrise of each new day to symbolize the grand ideal of promoting education to save the nation.

The school motto of Fudan High School is "Broaden one's learning and hold fast to one's will; inquire earnestly and reflect on what is close at hand." It continues the motto of Fudan University, originating from the "Analects of Confucius: Zizhang," meaning to study extensively and pursue the truth with single-minded devotion, while inquiring in detail and reflecting on the practical realities of the present.

Fudan High School is one of the first "Experimental and Demonstration High Schools of Shanghai," a senior high school under the dual leadership of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Fudan University. Founded in 1950, the school was designated as a municipal key high school. It maintains extensive connections with secondary and tertiary institutions in the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and the Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions.

However, these polished descriptions seem entirely insufficient to encapsulate the glory of this extraordinary school.

Every graduate of a "prestigious" high school in China possesses a sense of pride unique to their institution; the better the school, the more this manifests as a sense of superiority. For instance, graduates of Suzhou High School always speak of their school’s long history and profound foundation; students from Shanghai Foreign Language School or Nanjing Foreign School might boast of their unique teaching methods and international study environments; those from Beijing No. 4 High School might speak of their character and integrity, while those from Fuzhou No. 1 High School would highlight their advanced quality-oriented education and extracurricular clubs.

Yet, every school has its own spirit, which cannot be narrowly categorized or summarized by the "school characteristics" found on an official website. Each student’s high school experience is unique, and even classmates may have vastly different takeaways. For most students, Fudan High School imparts a tangible, unique spirit, best summarized as "the sentiment of a Fudan High Schooler" or "the pride of a Fudan High Schooler"—not that of Suzhou, foreign language, No. 4, or Fuzhou No. 1 students, but the one-of-a-kind sentiment of those from Fudan High. As the school’s beloved Chinese teacher, "Brother Bing," put it: "They don't talk about where they went to middle school or where they went to college, but they insist on saying, 'My high school was Fudan High.'"

As an ordinary student in the 2010 Humanities Experimental Class of Fudan High School, Wang Ou, on the verge of graduation, thought about how everything related to the school would no longer belong to him. He was not panicked, but he felt an incomparable sadness.

Every Fudan High School student is proud. Among them are those who can win awards at overseas Model UN conferences, or read a brick-thick English legal code in size-5 font on a flight to the U.S. There are all-rounders who can play basketball well enough to reach the NBA, maintain top-tier grades, and later work as massage therapists abroad. There are also "lunatics" in the science stream who were guaranteed admission to Tsinghua University for winning a gold medal in their second year, only to lose the guarantee because they simply wanted to see if they would get caught stealing—and then went on to win another gold medal in their third year to get into Peking University.

Once, a student from another Shanghai high school posted on social media that if you didn't get into Tongji University, you should be too embarrassed to say you graduated from a Shanghai high school. Fudan High School students sneered at this; their gaze has never been limited to domestic borders. They look globally, and the Ivy League, Cambridge, Oxford, or even Imperial College are merely their starting points.

These people are but a glimpse of Fudan High School. Looking at their current achievements, one can imagine their extraordinary futures years from now.

The school itself is also proud; it is likely the only high school in all of China that, two weeks before the college entrance exam, would take two periods originally meant for testing to have the seniors listen to Professor Ge Jian lecture on the origins of China.

At the opening ceremony, Huang Yufeng said, "You must be people of substance—people of 383 Guoquan Road." Most Fudan students feel this is an honor, a constraint, and the realm that every Fudan High student must pursue throughout their life.

Cheng Xiaoyu had been at the school for too short a time to understand its deep foundation or the pride that emanated from the heart of every student. Thus, his silence over these past few days further infuriated this group of heaven-favored children who believed themselves to be the best.

This blatant disregard exacerbated the tensions already ignited by the "Goddess Su" incident, leading to the collective poetic crusade against Cheng Xiaoyu.

At this moment, Cheng Xiaoyu was carrying an electric piano toward the school broadcasting station. The activity center was close to the station, so Wang Ou and Chen Haoran had already arrived, with the simplified drum kit dumped at the door.

Ji Yunyun ran over, breathless; she had just been to the student union to get the keys to the station. She opened the door and helped Cheng Xiaoyu carry the electric piano into the broadcast room. Cheng Xiaoyu placed the piano in front of the microphone and then went to the door to help Chen Haoran move the drums in.

Once the four of them had set up the drum kit, they all looked at Cheng Xiaoyu, asking what on earth he was up to.

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Some people have been too bored lately. I’ve been too lazy to pay them any mind, but now I want to respond."

Wang Ou scratched his head, puzzled. "Then what's with the singing? What's the point? It would be better to write a poem and scold them back."

Cheng Xiaoyu picked up the drumsticks, keeping them in suspense. "You'll know in a moment." He pulled over a stool and said to Chen Haoran, "Once my voice starts, you give me this rhythm." He played a simple beat to show Chen Haoran what he needed.

Ji Yunyun, watching Cheng Xiaoyu’s elegant rhythm on the drums, had stars in her eyes, thinking that someone who could play drums was incredibly cool.

Chen Haoran said with a deadpan expression, "Just repeat this simple rhythm? There’s no melody to speak of, is there?"

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded. "Yes, just that simple. Add fills if you want. Stop when my singing stops. Everything will be fine. It’s very easy."

Chen Haoran didn't say more and sat down at the drums. Cheng Xiaoyu signaled for Ji Yunyun to turn on the broadcast. It was the time of day when the station played classical music, and it wasn't long before afternoon classes were to begin.

Cheng Xiaoyu sat at the electric piano, tapped the microphone, and the "pop-pop" sound echoed throughout the school. He cleared his throat and spoke into the mic: "Good afternoon, everyone. I will be hosting today’s program. You must not be familiar with my voice. Well, that’s fine. I believe you won't be forgetting it from now on."

"Let me introduce myself first. I am the man currently at the center of the school's hottest gossip, the male lead who has been condemned and insulted in most of your poems: Cheng Xiaoyu from Senior Class 2. I think many of you know me well—yes, I exist in the emojis on all of your computers. Recently, many have posted poems to challenge my status as the 'Poet King' of Fudan High. I remained silent for a long time, but today, I think it’s time I gave you an answer. Do you think I'm going to tell you what poetry is? No, I'm going to teach you how to curse, and let you know what it means to be invincible with words."

Cheng Xiaoyu played a beautiful melody, and suddenly, the entire campus was filled with the sound of a gorgeous piano.

Everyone in the school thought he was going to curse, but they were surprised to hear him play the piano. Many students in their classrooms hissed, thinking Cheng Xiaoyu was too cowardly to actually curse on the air. But before the hissing could die down, Cheng Xiaoyu’s powerful, explosive voice erupted from the speakers. (Yes, the past-life Cheng Xiaoyu was not only a third-rate rock singer but also a third-rate rapper.)

*As I walked into this campus*
*Trying to realize my dreams with a heavy bag*
*Filled with the hopes of my mom and dad*
*I remember the teacher saying Fudan High is the strongest in Shanghai*
*No one knew who the next king of poetry would be*
*My mom was dying, telling me to study hard*
*I held back tears, telling her I would remember*
*I wanted to keep her, but she left without hesitation*
*Until now, I’ve failed her and amounted to nothing*
*Growing up, I was never scolded by idiots*
*Until the teacher said tolerance is a virtue, so I pretended not to care*
*You scold me a hundred times, I return it this once*
*You scold me a hundred times, I say this is the last time*

Cheng Xiaoyu’s fast-paced rap stunned every student in the school. Rap, this incredibly bold way of cursing, was unheard of in this world, and it was set to such a beautiful melody. Every classroom in Fudan High fell silent, filled only by Cheng Xiaoyu’s rhythmic and explosive voice.

*I never thought I would live like this*
*If the seasons didn't change, I wouldn't even feel you exist*
*A year ago, you couldn't remember my name*
*A year later, you can only look up at my back*
*Back then, I was young and thought human nature was beautiful*
*Until I saw the big-character posters on the bulletin board*
*Are you a fallen angel, or just too young?*
*In such a big world, why is dignity so small?*
*You wrote nine hundred and ninety words and cursed me nine hundred and ninety times*
*Yet I don't know when I ever offended you*
*Finally, I’m fighting back against your shamelessness with this song*
*Is it that I don't understand social reality, or are you just shameless?*
*Am I naive and ignorant, or did I just run into fools?*
*Even hipsters and gangsters have learned to write poems*
*A country-bumpkin singer writes this verse for you*
*Reality isn't my fault; it’s just that your level is too weak*
*I finally understand that the scary thing isn't reality*
*But being tripped by jealousy and never being able to stand straight*
*Look at the lyrics; everyone’s past is a story*
*Don't be stubborn; if you fall before you’ve even tried, you might as well die*
*People laughing at you doesn't mean you're a moron*
*You are a moron, and you are also nearsighted*
*That’s why you can’t see clearly, and now you have your own story*

This section was Cheng Xiaoyu’s sharpest counterattack against everyone who had insulted him. Yet his method was so impressive that even those who had cursed him couldn't help but be convinced. Those being scolded felt the thrill of being "roasted" so intensely by Cheng Xiaoyu, which was an unbelievable sensation. Every student in the school stared, dumbfounded, at the speakers, never imagining that poetry could be expressed this way; combined with music, it was invincible!

*Too many students say that class is just a place to change where you sleep*
*I know it’s a joke, but it’s not funny at all*
*Some study, some sleep, some have had a cold for three years*
*Some are decadent, some are depraved, some are looking for hookups every day*
*I know too much, so some want to kill me*
*Blame me for speaking too many truths, so I caused trouble*
*Wanting to be a whore but demanding a monument to chastity—I’ve never done that*
*After being a whore and building the monument, does anyone regret it?*
*Those whores hiding in the shadows, 398 yuan*
*Developers and nouveau riche give them 400 yuan a day*
*Someone asked me to connect them, two thousand per head*
*I’m waiting in Senior Class 2 for you to come get your money*
*You whores, aside from gossiping behind people’s backs*
*Yapping all day long, I say you all need to shut up*
*I’m going to pack your filthy words into a plastic bag*
*And shove it into your mouth so you don't go out selling anymore*
*I learned violence, I learned poetry*
*Chinese civilization is the bow and arrow in my hand to shoot you down*
*I cover my eyes*
*Even if I can't see anything*
*I can still find you dirty bastards*
*A goddess isn't something you can become just because you want to*
*Better look in the mirror and fix your shameless habits*
*While you’re lying in bed wasting time*
*My poems have been written one after another*
*Since I was a child, teachers taught us*
*To start by being civilized*
*You can't even learn a shred of etiquette*
*Even though the teacher never gave you any encouragement*
*Be upright in character, be well-rounded in deeds*
*Let me tell you, don't just look at the surface of things*
*I am a loser who hates those whores*
*I can write poems, and the fakes are like leaves*

This part was the revenge for Su Yuqi, with all the mockery and scolding bursting forth in the lyrics. No one could have imagined that someone could recite so quickly while articulating so clearly, allowing the audience to understand exactly what Cheng Xiaoyu wanted to express without any obstruction. Cursing so melodiously, and making the people being cursed feel a sense of enjoyment—what kind of situation was this?

*Pseudo-intellectuals listen to Haizi, listen to obscure poetry*
*They only listen to English, but only understand the curse words*
*Chinese poetic rap is my original culture*
*Your inferior writing has all been killed by me*
*This is the most direct expression of a country-bumpkin rapper*
*I don't believe my poetry is worse than yours, you fool*
*Take your hypocritical masks and get out*
*Because now I’ve said enough truth*
*Take your sinful souls home now*
*I’ll use rap and poetry to build you a cross*

When Cheng Xiaoyu finished his final "la-la-la," Chen Haoran’s drums also stopped, leaving only the sound of the piano echoing through the silent campus.

After a brief silence, the proud students of Fudan High School erupted into applause that seemed to shake half the sky of Shanghai, signaling their submission to the King of Words.