Chapter 12

When Liu Jingtang was about seven or eight years old, he started reading "Chu Chuk and Beta." He still remembered that it was a picture book, and he was deeply fascinated from the moment he first encountered it. His dream of owning an airplane and a tank also began at that time.

In this world, there were no such heroic mice, and the children of this world would not have such dreams. Therefore, Liu Jingtang felt it was his responsibility to pass this dream on to them.

Liu Jingtang entered his room with a black laptop bag, took out the contract, and glanced at it. The contract not only specified the remuneration and royalties but also included clauses for film and television rights. Liu Jingtang deeply understood that film and television rights would be a significant part of his future works. He signed the contract in imitation of his father's handwriting, then put it aside, took out his computer, connected it to the power source, and created a new document next to the "Seven Swords" document—titled "Chu Chuk and Beta." He opened the document and began typing:

Chu Chuk was born into a family with a bad reputation;

Chu Chuk flew away from home in a helicopter;

Chu Chuk ate the most fragrant meal of his life;

"Chu Chuk, you're growing up, you can go out and find your own food now," his mother said one day to the little mouse Chu Chuk.

"Really?" Chu Chuk was delighted.

Chu Chuk was a little mouse living in China. Since he was born, he had always stayed in the hole and never gone out to play.

"Tonight, I'll take you out to recognize the way, and then you can go by yourself," his mother said, grinding her teeth.

Chu Chuk also learned to grind his teeth like his mother. He loved good food. Every time his mother brought him something delicious, he would eat it all.

At night, Chu Chuk followed his mother out of the hole.

"What a big room!" Chu Chuk exclaimed.

...

Everything was ready, and Chu Chuk sat in the cockpit, putting on his flight cap.

"Now I'm not a mouse anymore, I'm a pilot named Chu Chuk," Chu Chuk thought excitedly. He turned on the starter, and the red propeller began to spin, getting faster and faster. Soon, the helicopter lifted off the bedside table.

...

The first flight of the helicopter gave Liu Jingtang a great shock. The scene where Chu Chuk proudly declared himself a pilot almost ran through his entire childhood. He had fantasized countless times about being like Chu Chuk, flying a helicopter, soaring in the blue sky, and loudly announcing to the world: "I am the pilot Liu Jingtang!"

The first chapter of "Chu Chuk and Beta" described how Chu Chuk saved a little ant and was then treated by the ant king. The moral was simple: don't be a thief, earn your rewards through hard work.

Liu Jingtang wrote three chapters, stopping when Beta appeared. The purpose was to test the waters, as all literary works need to be tested by the market. It wasn't in his nature to make the magazine lose money.

Additionally, the scene where Beta, driving a tank and using peanuts as ammunition, fought the kitten Mili, was deeply etched in Liu Jingtang's mind. Now, this writing style seemed particularly fashionable and pretentious, giving the main character Beta a golden finger—his tank—and then trampling Mili. Mili,不服气, called her friends, and they were trampled again.

One of the most loyal friends of humans (the other being dogs), the cute and adorable Siamese cat, unfortunately became a spoiled, rich second generation in the fairy tale world, a truly sad setting.

Liu Jingtang attached a brief introduction to the subsequent plot after the three chapters and briefly expressed his intention for writing the story. After completing these, he logged into WC and began sending an email to the editor-in-chief of "Children's Literature," Yao.

To Liu Jingtang's surprise, he received a personal reply from Editor-in-Chief Yao just three minutes after sending the email: "Thank you for your submission. I hope our cooperation will continue."

Liu Jingtang humbly replied, "It's my honor. I hope Mr. Yao will give me more guidance."

As he finished typing the last word, Mi Hu's cute raccoon avatar began to flash. Liu Jingtang opened it to see an angry face, followed by the words: "Are you online, not writing?"

Liu Jingtang sent a smiley face and explained, "The editor-in-chief of 'Children's Literature' called today to request a submission, and my mother agreed for me. I had no choice but to write a piece."

"Are you writing for other magazines?" Mi Hu quickly replied.

"Yes, fairy tales, there shouldn't be any conflict, right?"

After a moment, Mi Hu replied, "No problem, you only signed the book, not yourself. Besides, fairy tales don't match our magazine's style. I'm just worried that you'll have to write fairy tales, martial arts stories, and prepare for the high school entrance exam, and you won't have enough time."

"Thank you for your concern. I'll manage my time well. I'll send you the detailed outline of 'Seven Swords' later. After 'Dragon Tiger Battle in Jinghua' finishes serialization, I should be able to complete ten chapters, ensuring a seamless transition."

"Okay, we'll start promoting your new novel."

"Sure."

Mi Hu didn't respond again. Liu Jingtang closed the chat window and reopened the "Seven Swords Descend from the Mountain" document. Just as he typed the first word, Mi Hu's window moved again:

"Go, Gu Yongsheng! Go, Liu Jingtang!"

...

In the following week, Liu Jingtang's life was basically writing and attending classes. However, he was gradually losing interest in his classes. The initial excitement of often stumping teachers and occasionally correcting their mistakes had become less thrilling. Now, he spent more time listing the books he planned to write and his future plans.

The serialization of "Chu Chuk and Beta" was a done deal, and the previous plan needed to be adjusted. He now had to balance writing fairy tales and martial arts stories, requiring a suitable arrangement of writing time and order.

The most important thing now was how to avoid classes without causing a fuss. After all, the high school entrance exam was still two months away, and he needed to follow the rules and play the role in this world. Of course, he could choose to drop out and focus on writing, but not finishing university would always be a regret, and campus life had its unique charm.

On one hand, he was a mediocre student, aimlessly walking through a talent-filled campus, and on the other, he was a super bestselling author, writing stories that made countless people crazy. The low-key way of hiding his achievements, the pretentiousness of being a hidden master, and the occasional pleasure of pretending to be a pig and then eating a tiger, made him feel content and at ease.

In fact, the issue of attending classes did not trouble Liu Jingtang for long. An expected and logical opportunity soon came with a storm:

"Chu Chuk and Beta" officially began serialization!

The editors of "Children's Literature" followed their usual workflow, proofreading, setting the layout, and sending it to print. The process was similar to the publication of previous issues. After completing the April issue, the editor-in-chief treated everyone to a meal, rewarding them and discussing the next month's topics and the upcoming Children's Day activities.

"Does anyone have any expectations for this issue? Is there any particular piece that stands out?" Editor-in-Chief Yao asked as usual during the meal.

The editors, based on their respective sections, officially and formally answered the question.

After everyone had spoken, Editor-in-Chief Yao casually said, "Have you all read Liu Jingtang's new piece?"

Mai Mai followed up, "That piece is in the editor-in-chief's recommended column, everyone should have read it."

"How do you feel about it?"

"Quite novel, using two mice as the main characters, something we've never done before."

"Yes, I think it has great educational value and fits our style perfectly."

...

Everyone expressed their opinions, mostly praise. With the editor-in-chief's strong recommendation, who would dare to criticize?

After listening to everyone's comments, Editor-in-Chief Yao nodded and summarized, "I have a feeling that 'Chu Chuk and Beta' will create a bigger sensation than 'Mang Mang and Ti Ti.'"

The editors responded somewhat nervously, as Editor-in-Chief Yao was always confident about his recommended pieces, but few actually caused a sensation.

"Children's Literature" quietly distributed "Chu Chuk and Beta" across the country, and the story of the two mice silently entered one family after another.

The first reader to encounter "Chu Chuk and Beta" was a six-year-old boy named Hu Hu. After dinner, he obediently went to bed, and his mother, as usual, sat by his bedside to read stories from the new issue of "Children's Literature." After reading two or three, the boy's eyelids drooped, and he was about to fall asleep. His mother continued, preparing to read the last story to send her precious son to sleep:

Chu Chuk was born into a family with a bad reputation;

Chu Chuk flew away from home in a helicopter;

Suddenly, the boy's eyes opened, and his spirit was mysteriously restored. His mother, reading and observing his reaction, was completely surprised by his abnormal behavior and asked softly, "Baby, do you need to pee?"

Hu Hu didn't answer but urged, "Mom, read the story. Where did Chu Chuk fly the helicopter?"

The day after Hu Hu asked this question, another question, like a dandelion with wings, spread to countless kindergartens across the country: Did Beta defeat Mili?

"Chu Chuk and Beta" had only been serialized for three chapters, but these short chapters had already captured the hearts of thousands of children across the country. They were eager to know if the tank-driving Beta had defeated the proud kitten Mili and whether Chu Chuk and Beta would meet.

The children enthusiastically discussed the first three chapters, while those who hadn't read the story eagerly asked their parents when they got home, "I want to read 'Chu Chuk and Beta.'"

In this era where "all children are princes and princesses," when children have demands, parents are often at a loss. However, when children actively asked to read a book, the parents were pleasantly surprised and immediately bought the new issue of "Children's Literature," causing it to sell out.

[Note: WC stands for wordscommunication, a chat tool, not a toilet.]

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