Goddess Development Plan

"The term 'youth' doesn't just refer to teenagers. It includes those in their twenties, even up to their thirties. But if we include that entire range in this competition, the participant pool would be too large. It would also be unfair to younger contestants whose writing skills are less developed, which isn't beneficial for long-term growth."

Wang Shiyu smiled at Xu Qingling and continued before she could respond: "That's why I think this competition should be divided into two groups: a Junior Division and a Youth Division. Juniors can choose to compete in the Youth Division, but not the other way around. This will help minimize the imbalance in abilities."

"Of course, both divisions should still have age restrictions. For instance, the Youth Division could be limited to ages 22 to 32, while the Junior Division could include ages 13 to 21. This setup accommodates middle schoolers through university students. Even if there's still some disparity in skill, that's exactly the kind of dynamic we want."

"With this arrangement, if a particularly young participant were to fight through the ranks and ultimately win the Junior Division, it would make for a compelling story. It would attract widespread media attention and significantly raise the competition's profile. Don't you agree, Chu Lian?" Wang Shiyu had clearly gone to great lengths to direct the spotlight onto Chu Lian, drawing her into the discussion.

Whether or not her proposal was valid, the smug smile on her lips made it clear that victory or loss didn't concern her. What she really wanted was for Chu Lian to step forward.

Though she acknowledged Chu Lian's talent and knew her potential was terrifying, she didn't believe someone of her age could offer meaningful insights in such a high-stakes setting. This wasn't about talent or wisdom—it was about experience and composure.

Everything she did was for the sake of her younger brother—to restore his confidence and prevent him from being lost to this girl. He was her pride, the pride of their family, and her future support. She would never allow another woman to sway his heart before he fully matured. If there had to be someone, it would be her—not anyone else.

She knew all too well what it took to make someone seem less unreachable in the eyes of an admirer. First, the illusion had to be shattered, bringing her down from the pedestal.

To her credit, Wang Shiyu played her hand masterfully. Even Wang Hao was impressed by her precise timing. Xu Qingling, too, was taken aback. The girl who had always been her rival in school had now turned her guns on someone else entirely.

Wang Shiyu now turned toward Chu Lian, idly twirling the ends of her long hair. She was eager to see Chu Lian falter. She had waited a long time for this moment. If she could destroy Chu Lian's image here, she would do so without hesitation, even at the cost of future complications. For her brother, anything was worth it.

Of course, she knew this might not be enough to bring Chu Lian down. But that didn't matter—she had plenty of strategies left. She refused to believe Chu Lian could navigate them all. One misstep was all it would take to strip her of her glow.

This was Wang Shiyu's move to pull Wang Tingsi out of the dream he had built around Chu Lian, before he fell too deep.

The principal had merely called on a few students to liven up the room, but Wang Shiyu seized the chance to force Chu Lian into the spotlight.

As she looked at the shy girl now under the full scrutiny of the room, her smile grew more relaxed. It seemed she had overestimated her after all.

But her smile froze the next moment, because the previously shy girl suddenly shed all anxiety and unease. A supremely confident smile bloomed on her face. As she turned slightly, her gaze briefly passed over Wang Shiyu—without even pausing for a second.

"If we go by Sister Wang's suggestion and divide the competition into two groups, it's not a bad approach. And if a particularly young participant were to storm through the competition and win the championship, it would certainly cause a stir. If I were to compete, and if I chose to, I could win without anyone's help."

Her voice then rang out powerfully: "Whether it's the Junior Division or the Youth Division, the championship is within my grasp."

"So I propose we adopt Sister Wang Shiyu's age-based grouping method for this first Youth Literary Competition. We'll see how it goes this year, and then decide how to proceed in the future."

"As for genre and themes, or the structure of this year's competition—I'm sure you all know far more than I do, so I won't add anything further."

With that, she sat down again, not offering any more opinions. Indeed, when it came to professionalism, the others in the room were far more experienced. How to host a literary competition would certainly be discussed and planned thoroughly by them. Whatever she might say would only be considered a suggestion at best.

Her response, however, surprised many present. No one expected her to have such clear insight.

They hadn't expected much from the girls' input initially, but Xu Qingling and Wang Shiyu's responses had already surprised them. Ideas shared from a youth's perspective had a certain innate relevance and could serve as a useful reference.

Chu Lian's choice to refrain from adding more was even more surprising. She understood that the previous proposals by Xu Qingling and Wang Shiyu had already served as the meeting's prelude. There was no need to pile on more suggestions. Instead, she simply followed Wang Shiyu's lead and expressed her thoughts and confidence.

None of them truly believed that Chu Lian could win the Youth Division championship under Wang Shiyu's proposed system—even her winning the Junior Division seemed doubtful. But her confidence and pride far surpassed the others'. Her sheer aura made her shine too brightly in that moment.

Her words were perfectly measured—not arrogant, but genuinely impressive. It left many wondering: what kind of conviction did she possess to speak so boldly? She might be a literary prodigy, but wasn't this a bit too confident?

By now, Chu Lian had already stood up. She pulled up the hand of Li Xiu'er, who had been overlooked in the conversation and left silent without a chance to speak, and said, "Class is starting soon. We're heading out. You guys go on. Mom, don't forget to buy groceries. And make sure to get me some food. I want ginger duck tonight. I'll keep Tina with me, no need to worry."

As she reached the door, she turned around as if suddenly remembering something. With a bright smile, she said to the room, "If you want to know whether I can do it—you'll see when my second book begins serialization tomorrow."

"Good luck with your meeting! Bye Mom, bye Grandpa Principal, bye Sister Xu Qingling..."

Her voice trailed down the hallway, but she only said goodbye to three people. The rest received no words at all, causing many to frown.

"My daughter is still young. If she said anything inappropriate, I hope everyone can be understanding. I assume none of you would take offense to a child, right? If anyone does have something to say, her mother is right here. Feel free to speak to me. Just be sure you're ready to deal with the consequences."

Seeing the discontent on a few faces, Li Mingxue finally spoke up. But her light, mocking smile at the end silenced them. No one dared utter another word.

Her identity was one that those who didn't know would never uncover. But for those who did—her presence alone carried overwhelming weight, enough to make them think twice before acting.

"Now that everyone's ready, let's begin the meeting," said the elderly principal with a slow, satisfied smile.