Chapter 26 – The New Image Competition
Once on the bus, Chen Xing closed his eyes for a short rest.
This was a habit of his whenever riding long-distance buses. Even though he couldn't truly fall asleep, keeping his eyes shut at least made him feel a bit more comfortable and helped prevent motion sickness.
Chen Xing found his motion sickness a bit odd.
He didn't react much to gasoline, but the moment he smelled diesel—especially the kind used on these buses—it didn't take long before his stomach churned violently… Usually within two hours. He just hoped this trip wouldn't exceed that time.
Since it was all within the same city, it shouldn't be too far.
After resting peacefully for about an hour, Chen Xing received a call from Aunt Su.
She was getting ready to set off, joining a self-driving convoy departing from southern Yunnan toward Tibet. Before leaving, she had made a point to visit him at the hospital—only to find out he'd already been discharged.
"You're already better? These days, even poisoning only requires a day in the hospital?"
Chen Xing replied, "I'm completely fine now. You're about to head to Tibet—of course I can't keep staying in Lijiang, haha. I'm going to check out a local village in southern Yunnan, see if I can observe some of their customs."
"As long as you're well." Aunt Su had been worried about his health, even losing sleep over it the previous night. "If you're interested, go see it. Our traditional customs are disappearing fast. Just be careful out there on your own. Don't trust strangers too easily."
"Thanks, Aunt Su. But I'm a guy—not some little girl."
"Doesn't matter. Boy or girl, it's the same. Especially since you're so handsome. Listen to me—stay alert."
Chen Xing agreed without protest.
Aunt Su had suffered more hardships than he had and had traveled far more places. Since she gave this kind of advice, it was definitely worth taking seriously.
Safety was the most important thing—he always kept that in mind.
As soon as he hung up, Chen Xing saw that Zhou Peng had forwarded him a news article.
[Brought Together by Photography! Huawei 2021 New Image Global Contest Now Open]
> "Huawei invites users worldwide to capture scenery, tell stories, and freeze beautiful moments using their phones—experiencing the joy of photography and sharing through heartfelt creation. The submission deadline is 24:00, November 30, 2021, Beijing Time."
Chen Xing read the contest details carefully.
The competition had ten categories: Portrait, Black & White, Color, Snapshot, Night Scene, Telephoto, Wide Angle, Macro, Short Film, and Photo Story (3–9 images to express emotion or tell a narrative).
They would select three Photographers of the Year and 27 category winners...
Photographer of the Year would win $10,000, while each category winner received $1,000.
There were also merit awards, student spotlight awards, and more—all with $1,000 prizes. The student spotlight even came with a Huawei smartphone.
After thoroughly reading the contest info, Chen Xing went back to chat with Zhou Peng.
"Whoa, look at you getting into photography now?"
A moment later, Zhou Peng sent a voice message:
"You don't even know! TikTok's been recommending all kinds of stuff lately—how to shoot, how to edit colors, even boudoir shots, hehehe… you get it. This contest was pushed to me on TikTok too. I thought of you right away. With your food photography skills, you could easily win something."
Zhou Peng had seen a lot of great photos lately, but few—if any—came close to the artistic charm and spirit Chen Xing's food photos carried.
At the very least, he thought Chen Xing could snag a category win.
Zhou Peng held Chen Xing in high regard. He had gone from a complete skeptic to witnessing people at Guangzhou Restaurant treat Chen Xing with almost reverence.
After finishing the chat, Chen Xing reviewed the contest rules again.
He focused particularly on the copyright of submitted photos.
A truly exceptional photograph could easily be worth far more than $10,000 in the long run.
Seeing that copyright remained with the creator, he felt reassured and continued reading the rules carefully… He decided to submit a work and give it a try.
Despite having possessed photography skills for quite a while now, Chen Xing had never actually interacted with other real-world photographers. He'd started out with top-tier abilities, but lacked the foundational experience and industry connections to go with them. That gap was hard to fill.
Huawei was offering a great stage. Making a name for himself here wouldn't be a bad start.
Chen Xing's final verdict on the contest:
Huawei's New Image Competition—not bad.
But all the excitement and confidence over possibly winning first place couldn't save him from the harsh reality of motion sickness.
He already got carsick easily—and now he was staring at his phone?
Not even halfway through the two-hour mark, Chen Xing put down his phone and immediately felt nauseated. His face turned pale, and he dared not make a single extra movement.
The uncle sitting beside him noticed something was off. He had watched Chen Xing's face go from rosy to ghost-white.
"You okay, kid?"
"I'm fine! Just… a little carsick!"
"Ah, why didn't you say so earlier? Come on, let's switch seats."
The uncle got up and walked past Chen Xing, making it easier for him to move to the window seat. But even with a window seat, it didn't help much—the windows on this long-distance bus didn't open, and air circulation was terrible.
"Uncle, can I ask you something?" Chen Xing said.
"What is it?"
"This bus goes to Huaping, right? How much farther is it?"
"Well… we haven't even gone halfway. It's a long-haul bus. I think we'll stop at two more service areas. Hang in there."
Then he yelled to the driver, "Driver, stop at the next service station—this young man's carsick."
Immediately, everyone on the bus turned to look at Chen Xing. Some even leaned over their seats to get a better view.
"Whoa, good-looking guy."
"Face is totally white… hope it's nothing serious?"
"Look at those eyes—so bright."
Of course they're bright—Chen Xing was startled half to death.
They hadn't even reached halfway yet? That meant the whole ride would take over four hours? And Song Shulan said these buses ran frequently?
Was this really all within the same city?
The uncle beside him added, "If you get motion sickness, you should've taken the train. Trains are fast and comfy these days. Judging by your bag, you're a tourist here, right? Trying to save money?"
"…"
It wasn't about saving money—he had plenty.
But he had no idea this bus ride would take four hours, nor that there was even a train to Huaping.
Couldn't really blame Song Shulan either—she probably always took this bus herself. It was his own fault for not asking clearly or checking alternate routes.
Once the bus stopped at a rest stop, Chen Xing was the first to rush off and run to the restroom.
A few minutes later, he emerged from the convenience store with a bottle of sports drink, staring at the massive bus parked nearby.
I am never taking a long-distance bus again!
(End of Chapter)