Chapter 53

Since Baxi last upset the goddess Donggua, he had been feeling uneasy and was always looking for an opportunity to make up for his image in the goddess's eyes. Secretly observing, he noticed that the goddess was still working overtime alone, and he was overjoyed. He quickly went out to buy her favorite dinner and brought it back.

Looking at the goddess's powerful back, he hesitated to approach. After taking a few deep breaths, he mustered up the courage, picked up the high-quality takeout, and walked over, gently placing it on the table. When he got close to the goddess, he was still nervous and stammered, "Editor You, I... I saw... you are still... working... overtime, you must not have had dinner, so... I bought some for you. I was too hasty last time, I'm sorry."

Donggua was already seething with anger from San Pang, and now the instigator of the incident had appeared. With the major promotion from Huandao Book Alliance, the competition had become even more intense. Thinking about this, she was furious and slammed her hand on the table, standing up.

"Arrogant and self-righteous, you're just a pig, a stupid pig. You don't deserve to be an editor. I gave you a chance last time, but you didn't cherish it. Instead of spending time reviewing works, you tried to curry favor. Get out of here now..."

Donggua herself didn't expect to lose her temper so badly. Baxi's face turned as bitter as a bitter melon, feeling extremely disheartened. His attempt to please her had backfired, making her even more annoyed. He hung his head low, looking like a good student listening to a lecture.

"I was wrong, Editor You. Your criticism is very fair. I won't do it again." A surge of courage rose in his heart, and he vowed to carefully select some excellent works.

After venting her anger, Donggua felt a bit awkward and realized how explosive she had been. She had been so upset by San Pang that she had lost her temper with Baxi, who had only meant well. Feeling a bit guilty, her tone softened, and she said, "You can go back now. I was a bit short-tempered just now. I'll take the food you brought, thank you. In the future, spend more time reviewing new books. Each new book carries an author's dream, and we are the ones who discover and guide those dreams. It's a responsibility and a glorious mission."

Baxi felt a surge of excitement, straightened his back, and was filled with energy. He said firmly, "I will definitely do it. If I make such a self-righteous mistake again, I'll pack my bags and leave."

With that, he walked out, full of determination.

Donggua was satisfied with her education of Baxi. She was really hungry and started eating the food, devouring it quickly, which was quite different from her usual goddess-like demeanor. Looking at the chat window on the computer screen, she felt a mix of frustration and helplessness.

Why is this damn San Pang so annoying? He makes everyone so angry. If he were half as obedient as Baxi, it would be better. How can I catch this cunning fox? While eating, Donggua thought seriously about it.

...

After typing for so long, Liu Meng stretched lazily.

Zhou Shiyuan, the little girl, came over with a cup of lemon water and said with a smile, "Uncle, you've worked hard. Have a cup of lemon water to refresh yourself."

Liu Meng stared at the little girl's smiling face, feeling something was off. He kept staring, but the little girl maintained her smile without any panic.

He looked at the water in the cup, which was white and seemed fine, but he remembered the last time she tricked him into drinking a cup of alkaline water. He patted the little girl's head and praised her, "Good job, Shiyuan, you're really sensible."

As he said this, he took the cup.

"Drink it all down. It's full of my admiration for you, Uncle. Don't waste my efforts; my little heart can't take it." The little girl even pretended to touch her chest.

Liu Meng pretended to drink it in large gulps but only took a small sip. It was very sour, and he thought, "How much white vinegar did this girl add?" He laughed, "Hahaha, little girl, do you think I'll fall for your trick twice? Even if I'm stupid, I won't fall into the same trap twice. Be a bit more creative, okay?"

He wanted to see the little girl's embarrassed expression, but she still had a mischievous smile and seemed to be holding back a laugh. He had a bad feeling, wondering if there was another trap.

The little girl puffed up her nose and hummed, making Liu Meng nervous. He quickly tried to put down the cup to avoid any other tricks, but the cup stuck to his hand.

Zhou Shiyuan held her fist and laughed, "I'm a very innovative good child. Uncle, how did I trick you so easily? Didn't you see I was holding the bottom of the cup? Uncle, you were too careless. This is super glue; you won't be able to remove it without peeling off some skin."

The little girl was so pleased that she even puffed up her little bottom, finally avenging the spanking. It was worth pretending to be a good girl for several days.

Liu Meng was so angry that he trembled, pointing at the little girl with his remaining hand. The little girl puffed up her slightly developed chest and said in a sweet voice, "Uncle, remember our agreement. It's only between you and me. I won't tell Mom, okay?"

Since Guo Yunting had fallen asleep in Liu Meng's arms last time, they both felt awkward when they met again. Guo Yunting acted very calm, but her slightly flushed and warm cheeks betrayed her feelings. Whenever Liu Meng came over, she would immediately hide in her room.

Liu Meng didn't have the heart to bring up this trivial matter, so he could only suffer in silence.

...

In the morning, just as it was time to start work, Donggua rushed to the office of the chief editor, Yan Hui. She knocked on the door, and a tired voice replied, "Come in."

Donggua entered the room and saw Yan Hui with red, bloodshot eyes and messy hair. His voice was hoarse. "Why did you stay up all night again? You don't take care of yourself at all."

She quickly poured him a cup of hot water and made a bowl of oatmeal.

Yan Hui's tired face showed a rare smile as he looked at Donggua and said happily, "There's no choice. If we don't get funding, our website will die before it even starts. The editors who have been working hard with us will have to find other jobs."

"Don't rush. The funding issue needs to be considered carefully. If your health fails, nothing else matters," Donggua said, her tone full of concern and reproach.

Yan Hui laughed heartily, "I'm fine. A few sleepless nights won't hurt me. What brings you here so early?"

Donggua then recounted her conversation with San Pang and the situation with Huandao Book Alliance.

After listening, Yan Hui didn't take it seriously. He thought for a moment and said, "Our competition with Huandao Book Alliance is getting more intense. Xiao Xueqiang from Huandao is also seeking funding. The key is who gets the funding first and how much. 'Return to Ming' is just one book; it won't affect the overall situation. Even if Huandao Book Alliance gets it, the impact on us won't be significant."

Seeing that Yan Hui didn't take it seriously, Donggua felt a bit disappointed but persisted, "This isn't just any book. I think we should try harder to get 'Return to Ming' recommended."

"How can we recommend it? It's not signed, and we can't break our rules," Yan Hui questioned.

"I think we should recommend it to Sanjiang Pavilion first to keep San Pang in line. We can then plan our next move. I feel that if we miss this opportunity, we will suffer a significant loss," Donggua insisted, pouting.

"Ha, you're still so pure about web novels, just like I used to be. But in business, it's different. Money is the key. I used to think it was vulgar, but now I realize how useful it is."

Yan Hui sighed, "The review team for Sanjiang Pavilion is independent. No one else has the authority to interfere, and I can't force them. Let's leave it at that. Try to get it recommended, but if it doesn't work, so be it. It's just one book. Your job is to discover more and better works. Go on, I need to organize some materials and meet the boss of Shengshi Group, Jiang Dajiao. He's a tricky old fox and hasn't made a move yet."

He pushed Donggua out, and she left Yan Hui's office, feeling dejected.