Chapter 1613: ‘I Have a Dream’!Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
At the venue.
It was dead quiet.
So quiet that the sound of Bangalore crashing to the floor could be heard!
So quiet that the sounds of a few Nobel Prize nominees doing spit takes could be heard!
Zhang Ye was still leaning back in his seat with a posture that wasn’t very proper, with his hand maintaining the posture from when he was chatting with Anthony and Felicia. He turned his head to the stage and looked dumbfoundedly at the director, then at the winner’s card in his hands!
Little Wang’s jaw was hanging. “W-What did he say?”
Ha Qiqi said in shock, “Zhang Ye?”
Felicia looked like she had her tail stepped on. “Chinese author?”
Anthony was going crazy. “The Nobel Peace Prize?!”
Zhang Ye pointed at himself in disbelief. “Me?”
Bangalore became agitated. “Th-This is impossible!”
If the prize recipient was only known as Zhang Ye, everyone would surely think that it was just someone with the exact same name. However, when the announcement of the prize winner was made, the director added the prefix “Chinese author” to his name. Only one person had the name of Zhang Ye and could be called a Chinese author in this event!
Instantly, everyone at the venue stared at him in shock!
Instantly, the live broadcast cameras aimed at him in a frenzy!
Then screams rang out!
“Oh my God!”
“The Peace Prize?”
“A Chinese author?”
“Heavens!”
“This—this—”
“Who can tell me what just happened!”
“This is the Nobel Peace Prize we’re talking about!”
“The most important of the Nobel Prizes!”
“Could they have gotten it wrong?”
“Could the Nobel Foundation have made a mistake?”
Watching TV.
Zhang Ye’s parents were dumbfounded!
His parents-in-law were dumbfounded!
His three sisters were dumbfounded!
The staff of Zhang Ye’s Studio were dumbfounded!
Yao Jiancai was dumbfounded!
Ning Lan was dumbfounded!
Spring Garden was dumbfounded!
China!
Japan!
Korea!
America!
The UK!
Russia!
The entire world’s people were dumbfounded!
People around the world stared at their television in shock and could not believe their ears!
Not just them, even Zhang Ye, who was sitting in the audience, could not believe it either. Perhaps he had thought about getting the Literature Prize, or even the Mathematics Prize and the Physics Prize. But the Nobel Peace Prize? He had never even thought of it before! Not a single thought at all!
Me?
The Peace Prize?
Are you kidding me?
How could I have anything to do with this prize ever in my lifetime?
Suddenly, Little Wang exclaimed, “Director Zhang! The Americans repealed that Exclusion Act!”
Ha Qiqi also thought of something. “And the peace talks that Russia is holding!”
Zhang Ye was stunned. “Ah?”
Repealing the bill?
The Russian peace talks?
What the hell has that fucking got to do with me!
At this moment, the Nobel Foundation’s director who was standing onstage looked at Zhang Ye with a smile. He picked up the microphone and said, “This is the first time that the Nobel Peace Prize has been presented during the ceremony itself. Would the recipient please come up on stage to receive the prize and give an acceptance speech?” After a pause, he said, “Mr. Zhang Ye, please come up on stage.”
Anthony nudged him. “Zhang! Go on!”
Felicia said excitedly, “Zhang! Quickly go and accept the prize! Hurry up!”
Only then did Zhang Ye stand up in a daze.
A lot of people were currently looking at the director in shock!
Only then did they remember that this director of the Nobel Foundation was a black person!
Bangalore went crazy!
A lot of others at the venue also went crazy!
Their minds were no longer able to process this. If Zhang Ye hadn’t tripped someone, they might not have had such a great reaction. But what exactly happened earlier? Everyone around the world saw the Chinese man trip the Nobel laureate in Literature to the ground. A person like this! A hooligan like this! Someone who was so full of violence!
The Nobel Peace Prize?
Fuck your sister!
Th-This doesn’t make any sense at all!
There must have been a mistake!
Zhang Ye had gone onstage.
That black director nodded while smiling and handed the medal to Zhang Ye. “This is the first time a Peace Prize has been awarded to a writer. A novel that helped America repeal the last remaining Exclusion Act; a novel that saved the citizens of Russia and many neighboring countries from the baptism of war; a novel that helped the entire world realize the horrors of war and the importance of unity. It saved hundreds of millions, maybe even billions of people from going through war. Today, I am very proud and honored to be able to hand this medal to you.”
Zhang Ye accepted it in a daze.
The director made a gesture to take it from there before walking off the stage. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NʘvᴇlFirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
The rest of the time was to be allocated to Zhang Ye.
The cameras of the media were all aimed at him!
At this moment, the entire world’s attention was on Zhang Ye’s face!
Everyone knew that this Chinese man must have not prepared a speech. Perhaps he did prepare one, but it would definitely have been for the Literature Prize instead!
Zhang Ye took the microphone. He had no idea what to say.
It’s me?
It’s really me?
Hans wiped his sweat away. “Zhang doesn’t believe it himself either!”
Anna could also see that. “Who can believe it!”
Paige gave a wry smile. “Do the Russian negotiations and the repeal of the American bill really have anything to do with him?”
A mathematician nearby added, “Let’s see what he has to say.”
Ha Qiqi clenched her fists. “Come on, Director Zhang!”
Little Wang said anxiously, “Say something! Hurry up and say something!”
Then Zhang Ye spoke.
On the stage.
Right here.
On this day.
Zhang Ye delivered a speech that would shock the entire world!
He looked at the camera and everyone else. “I have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Africa sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even India, a country sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together!”
The people in the live audience were stunned!
The viewers watching TV were also dumbfounded from hearing the speech!
Some people’s blood was racing with excitement!
Some people wanted to vomit blood!
For example, Bangalore nearly blew his top!
India?
Sweltering with the heat of injustice?
Sweltering with the heat of oppression?
Fuck your grandpa!
Zhang Ye said loudly, “This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for peace together, knowing that we will have peace one day.”
With every word, he spoke louder and louder!
Zhang Ye raised both his hands.
“And so let peace ring from the prodigious hilltops of America. Let peace ring from the mighty mountains of India! Let peace ring from the snowcapped Urals of Russia. Let peace ring from the volcanic mountains of the Atlantic! From every mountainside, let peace ring!”
The venue was shocked!
The world was shocked!
This was, of course, their first time listening to this speech. But if the people from Zhang Ye’s previous world were present, they would definitely find it familiar, very familiar, extremely familiar—because this was one of the greatest speeches given back in Zhang Ye’s previous world. It was called “I Have a Dream”!
Immediately, applause rang out!
Anthony jumped to his feet. “Bravo!”
Felicia was also quite excited. “Well said!”
Little Wang’s hands were red from clapping. “Well done, Director Zhang!”
Ha Qiqi was so excited she was overwhelmed by a rush of emotions!
That was fantastic!
It was so well said!
Director Zhang was still Director Zhang. He would never drop the ball at the critical juncture. So what if he hadn’t prepared a speech? So what if there was no draft? This was Zhang Ye they were talking about! On any occasion, at any time, he would not require a prepared speech!
Applause!
Screams!
Cheers!
A lot of people couldn’t help clapping when they heard this speech!
Quite a few people from the Nobel Foundation were also nodding in approval as they stood up to clap!
The Japanese author rolled his eyes.
Bangalore also found himself going crazy! You have a dream? Let peace ring? Like I’d fucking believe you! You don’t need to write a draft to bullshit, do you!
The world’s number one hacker!
The Panda Burning Incense that destroyed Korea!
Making weapons for China!
Trashing a Japanese hotel!
Beating up a Korean celebrity!
And even resorting to underhanded moves at the Nobel Prize award ceremony to hit someone!
There really wasn’t another person as much a hooligan as him in the world!
He really was the most notorious bastard in the entire world!
The Nobel Peace Prize?
Goddammit, did you make a mistake?!
How did you see any signs of “peace” in this bastard!
On the stage.
At this moment, Zhang Ye was also very confused. Even he himself felt that this was a tad nonsensical. He had thought that getting the Literature Prize would’ve been good enough, but he had never expected that he would actually end up with the Nobel Peace Prize instead. This was an even bigger award than the Nobel Prize in Literature!