In this chapter, Shmoop introduces us to two new characters, the narrator and the student. Shmoltz introduces the narrator as a "reluctant lover" , and the narrator introduces the student as "Shen sheng" . The two of them discuss the novel they have just finished, and Shmoops exclaims that he's "scared to death" about the "cruel-hearted" nature of the story. The narrator tells the teacher that he wants to participate in a novel competition in the near future. He wants to sign a contract with a publisher and publish his work directly. The teacher tells him that the competition is a two-part contest, one for serialized works and one for new contributors. The first part is a short story, the second is a full-length novel. The winner of the first part will receive a contract to publish his or her