Li Xiang's trip to Paris was specially low-key, bringing only Gu Qijing, Xiaoxia and Xiao Zhang, as well as Dingding Bookstore and Huaxia Bookstore. In addition, a contact staff member of the Huaxia Branch of Larus Publishing House, totaling seven people.

Two days before departure, they received an invitation from the Goncourt Literature Award jury, so this trip to Paris was natural, but in order to avoid the embarrassment of making a big fuss and finding nothing in the end, the itinerary was very low-key. No media reporter knew that they had flew to Paris on the same day. The media just said that Li Xiang had flew to Paris to prepare for the final matter of the Goncourt Literature Award.

The Gonguer Literature Award jury is very poor and it is impossible to reimburse any expenses, so Li Xiang contributed himself throughout the process. How poor are they? Just look at the prize money for this grand prize.

As one of the top literary awards in the world, the Goncourt Literature Prize is undoubtedly the lowest prize among the many awards, without doubt, because it is only 10 euros! It is insignificant.

I contacted 10 judges to eat and drink in the Druen restaurant. A sumptuous dinner cost only 2 francs, an average of 2 cents per person! You can know how careful the judge will be.

If you think about it carefully, it is actually understandable. As neutral literary prizes, they are not like the Nobel Prize in Literature. They have a fund stored for more than 100 years and can earn interest every year. They are not like the French Academy of Literature Novel Award, with financial support from the French government. The Goncourt Literature Prize does not have any fund support and does not accept any donations. 10 euros are taken out by 10 old men themselves. On average, 1 person is 1 euro. What else do you want??!!

In history, there have been countless times when people have proposed to set up foundations or donate bonuses to increase the prize money of the winning authors, so as to attract more outstanding writers to participate, but they have been rejected without exception, because the jury has always believed that every writer who wins the Goncourt Literature Prize can drive book sales, and the income obtained from this is no longer expensive, and there is no need for another bonus unless the jury can provide millions of euros.

Such a meager bonus can make this award famous all over the world, which shows the authority of the jury.

When the domestic media wanted to follow Li Xiang's whereabouts, Li Xiang and his group had already arrived in Paris and checked into the booked hotel. On the same day, Li Xiang went to the College of Goncourt to meet Mr. Cecil, chatted with him for more than an hour of literature, said goodbye and left. At his suggestion, he came to the Druen restaurant for dinner, a typical French Western food.

From entering the door to finishing the meal, no one disturbed him or recognized him. Just when Li wanted to check out, a middle-aged Frenchman wearing a brown vest came to the dining table and respectfully handed over the bill. Then he said there was a way to get free, and he didn't know if he was willing to try it.

This is the first time Li Xiang has heard such a question and curiously asked the other party to talk about it.

The other party first introduced himself, saying that he was the owner of the restaurant, and then said that the Druen Restaurant warmly welcomed talented writers, especially the writer who came here for the first time to dine here. Now Li Xiang is such a writer who came from the mysterious East. So, if he wants to take photos of him and hang them on the walls of the restaurant. However, because there is not much space, his photos can only be posted in a large photo frame, becoming the 18th of them.

The boss also pointed out to Li Xiang that there was a large photo frame with free space. The boss wanted to look at it with his head raised, while Li Xiang was tall and could almost look straight. After careful examination, he recognized 6 great writers in these 18 photos.

The boss seemed very proud of these remaining photos, and he never tires about introducing Li Xiang who each of them was, what his representative works were, and what he said, as he knew them all.

After listening to the boss's introduction patiently, Li Xiang finally asked the restaurant to take a photo and paste it in the photo frame, and then left amid the applause of many diners in the hotel. He came to the extremely smooth stone road, looked up at the signboard of the Druen restaurant, and his eyes moved forward and landed on the archway of the "Paris Opera House" next door. This is an old opera house. Now, the storefront looks very small, and the program list at the door shows that there are only two shows tonight, one is "Goddess of Good Heart" and the other is "Goddess of Soaring".

Li Xiang walked up the stairs and bought a ticket to "The Goddess of Good Heart". This was recommended by Cecil before coming.

The next day, Li Xiang and others had breakfast in the hotel. According to the pre-determined itinerary, they visited the headquarters of Larus Publishing House in Paris. At 12 noon, they entered the restaurant arranged by the publishing house and prepared to have lunch together.

Andrew, the president of the publisher, turned on the TV. The news was being broadcast on the TV. A French beauty was holding a microphone and talking to the camera. Although she couldn't understand French, Li Xiang saw the picture and soon knew that it was at the door of the Druen restaurant. The wooden sign was hanging in the camera. It was guessed that it should be live broadcast on the TV.

Andrew said to Li Xiang: "It's already 12 o'clock now, and the Goncourt Literature Award jury is also enjoying a hearty lunch. In another hour, they will drink the champagne in a glass, wipe their mouths, organize their instruments, get up from the dining table, come to the hall, and face the global media reporters to announce this year's literary award winning works. I think you are the biggest hot topic this year, and I wish you all your wishes come true."

Li Xiang picked up the red wine, clinked glasses with him, and said thank you.

While eating, everyone listened to the sound of live broadcast on TV, and occasionally looked up at the TV screen.

They had no meals like the old man on the jury. They finished lunch at 12:40, sat in the original seat, and watched TV together. The waiter packed the tableware, served the freshly brewed coffee, placed it on the dining table, exited the room, and brought the door. Not long after, on the TV, an old man wearing a vest and a black tweed coat and holding a civilized staff, came down from the narrow stairs. This year's rotating president Cecil walked in the front. Despite his age, these people were in good looks and had carefully combed their hair. It might be that the lunch I just passed was very enjoyable. Everyone would be happy to have a big meal with 2 francs.

The dining table in the hall had been moved away, and a large area was empty. Media reporters gathered together in arc shapes, aiming at Cecil and others. The audience who had prepared had booked the seats in the Druen restaurant a month ago, so that today's lunch could witness the announcement of the results of the Goncourt Literature Prize.

The restaurant was crowded with people, and the restaurant was surrounded by water. Everyone stretched their necks and looked inside. People who couldn't see it simply stood by the roadside, took out their cell phones, and watched the live TV broadcast nearby.

In Li Xiang's eyes, the old man Cecil, leaning on a civilized stick, walked three steps forward from the crowd on the jury, stood in the center, faced the microphone like a hornet's nest, and began to speak.

Gu Qijing couldn't help but clenched her fists nervously, glanced at Li Xiang, and saw that he was still calm, staring at the TV, and quietly relaxed, listening to the French spoken by Cecil on the TV. Larus Publishing House arranged professional translators to synchronize the translation for Li Xiang and others.
Chapter completed!