Swedish Academy, the meeting room is smoky.

After a three-month survey of the "finalists", the Faculty of Arts officially resumed its meeting in mid-September.

The meeting lasted for two full hours, and the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy of Literature and the chairman of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Holstaum, stood up and said: "On behalf of the Swedish Academy of Letters, I officially announce that there are five finalists for the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, and they are...... The Swedish Academy has no objection to the above five writers. So, let's start the first round of voting! ”

The Swedish Academy of Letters is the awarding body of the Nobel Prize in Literature and has the final say on the award. If the body disagrees with the list of finalists recommended by the jury, it can be rejected directly and no appeal will be accepted.

The list of finalists can only be voted on if they have been approved by the Swedish Academy.

John Berryman, a writer, critic and poet, wrote the name "Eugene O'Neill" on his ballot.

Writer and poet Fogel Kvester also wrote the name "Eugene O'Neill" on the ballot.

Cnut Hammarskjöld, a politician, writer and lawyer, also wrote the name "Eugene O'Neill" on the ballot papers.

Literary historian and writer John Sherke still wrote the name "Eugene O'Neill" on the ballot paper.

More than ten minutes later, the president of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Holstaomu, personally sang the vote: "Eugene O'Neill 1 vote, Eugene O'Neill 2 votes, Eugene O'Neill 3 votes ......"

Damn it!

Holstaomu's face was extremely gloomy, and his heart was already burning with anger - except for Eugene O'Neill, or Eugene O'Neill, why did that damn Yankee win!

The results of the first round of voting in the runoff were: 11 votes for Eugene O'Neill, 4 votes for Zhou Hexuan, and 1 vote for each of the remaining three nominees.

With a total of 18 votes, and the winner of more than half of the votes was awarded, Eugene O'Neill had already exceeded the award criteria, and the vote had never been smoother.

John Berryman smiled and said, "Mr. President, please announce this year's Nobel Prize in Literature." ”

"I think I can do it again." Holstaumu said in a cold tone.

"No," John Berryman shrugged, "the results of the first round of voting were obvious, O'Neill won the prize, and 13 academicians voted for him, which was a landslide victory." ”

"I said vote again!" Holstaumu slammed the table.

Fogel Kvester frowned: "Mr. President, this is not in accordance with the rules, the results of this year's selection are already obvious, and you have no right to ask for a new vote." ”

"Don't forget, I'm not only the president of the Nobel Prize in Literature, but also the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy of Letters. If you do not agree to a new vote, then I have the right to cancel this year's award on behalf of the Swedish Academy! ”

Everyone looked at each other, all with angry and helpless expressions.

According to the regulations governing the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy of Letters can decide to suspend the award every five years, and the permanent secretary of the Academy of Letters has the power to veto.

John Berryman was extremely dissatisfied: "Why can't Eugene O'Neill win the award? I need an explanation! ”

Sven Hedin, a geographer, archaeologist and travel writer, said: "Mr. O'Neill, indeed, is a brilliant dramatist, but his penchant for depicting intricate feelings and dealing with intricate plots is not up to the task of this complexity." So I think Mr. O'Neill's work is very entertaining, but the artistry is obviously not enough to win the award. The scope of his works is quite narrow, and the audience may be novel when they watch one, but they are boring when they watch several. Mr. O'Neill, his work has no style at all! ”

Holstaumu is even more blunt: "Eugene O'Neill's plays are just some pastime playthings, and he does not deserve the Nobel Prize for Literature." ”

John Berryman was angry: "Mr. O'Neill is the founder of the American national theater, and his works reflect American society and the American national spirit. He used the contrast between material prosperity and spiritual wasteland to awaken Americans to reflect, he is a great writer! ”

Holstaumu sarcastically said, "Perhaps. For you Americans, Eugene O'Neill's work is rare and thoughtful, and he is indeed an American master. But this is Europe, and Eugene O'Neill is not qualified to talk about literature and art! ”

"You're discriminating against the United States!" John Berryman was furious.

"It's not discrimination, it's a fact. ”

Before World War II, the United States had always been regarded as a desert of literature and art by Europe, and it was normal for people to be looked down upon.

"Ahem!"

Sven Hedin coughed twice and said, "The quarrel is meaningless, let me talk about Mr. Zhou Hexuan." Compared with Mr. O'Neill's works, which are single, narrow in scope, and mediocre in technique, Mr. Zhou's works are varied, wide-ranging, and astonishingly skilled. In particular, "The Goddess" and "The Dog Officer" are amazing in their realistic and magical expressions, and they are of epoch-making significance in the field of literature. ”

"I don't care about that," John Berryman exasperated, "I just know that the first round of voting has already been decided, and Eugene O'Neill got more than half of the votes, and he is the winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Literature!" ”

After a long time of arguing with no result, Fogel stood up and said, "Well, we'll see you next Thursday." ”

Voting for the Nobel Prize in Literature is held once a week, on Thursdays, and a week before a second round of voting is initiated.

"Adjournment!" Holstaum announced with a blank face.

Halstoum didn't think much of Zhou, he just hated Eugene O'Neill and didn't want to award the Nobel Prize for Literature to that stupid Yankee. He looked down on American literature, even American writers such as John Berryman, and he would rather award the Nobel Prize to a Chinese than to a superficial Yankee!

From 1901 to the 21st century, the Nobel Prize in Literature was the only one to be cancelled by the Swedish Academy in 1935, except for the suspension of the Nobel Prize in Literature due to the war. Historically, there has been no winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, for the simple reason that Holstaumu hates the winner.

He is not only the chairman of the Nobel Prize in Literature, but also the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy of Letters, and has the power to veto anyone who does not like him.

By the time Zhou Hexuan and Zhang Leyi arrived in London, the Swedish Academy had already concluded the second round of voting, and the result was: Eugene O'Neill 10 votes and Zhou Hexuan 8 votes.

Eugene O'Neill was once again the winner, but Holstaomu was not satisfied with the result and strongly demanded a third vote. John Berryman, of course, disagreed, he was already so angry that he slammed the table, but it was a pity that Holstaumu was the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy of Letters, and he had the power to suspend the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The threat of either awarding the prize to someone else or canceling this year's Nobel Prize in Literature is big enough that none of the voters in the audience wants to tear their faces apart.

So, there was a third vote.