Chapter 20

Convincing Zhou Daoran was not an easy task, but for Mi Hu, she felt justified and had no psychological pressure, even harboring a sense of fighting against evil forces for her beloved. This subtle change in her mindset, if known by the editor-in-chief in front of her, would surely make him sigh, "When a girl grows up, she can't be kept, and a female subordinate is even harder to keep."

This was an understandable situation. When Mi Hu tried to convince Liu Jingtong, she lacked confidence and worried, "Will he look down on me because of this?" At this moment, Mi Hu smiled, confident and determined.

Zhou Daoran glanced at her and said, "You couldn't complete the task, and now you're trying to convince me on his behalf. Are you out of your mind? Did I not pay you last month?"

Mi Hu smiled and said, "Come on, Master, don't be angry anymore. After you hear my reasons, if you still insist on your opinion, we can simply not cooperate with him. When has our 'Great Jianghu' ever lacked for authors?"

Zhou Daoran coldly replied, "You little brat, don't try to use those public relations tactics on me. I'll give you three chances to start."

Mi Hu stuck out her tongue and said, "First, we will gain a talented and promising author. Think about it, he's so smart. He knows that using Liu Jingtong's name could earn him a lot of money, but he still refused. At such a young age, he's not bound by fame and fortune, which is quite rare."

Zhou Daoran snorted lightly, but he felt a bit puzzled, unable to see through the boy.

"Second, if we widely publicize that a middle school student who writes fairy tales has written a martial arts novel, it will definitely raise doubts and cause trouble, which is not what we want. Third, it concerns the taste of our magazine and your pursuit."

"What does it have to do with me?" Zhou Daoran started flipping through the documents in his hand, not even glancing at his disciple who had betrayed him.

"I remember when I first came to 'Great Jianghu,' you told me that you run the magazine to bring more people back to books, to create a spiritual haven for readers. We promote books based on the principle that good wine needs no bush. You've read Gu Yongsheng's work. Your judgment is so sharp, so..."

"Stop it," Zhou Daoran looked at Mi Hu with a frown, "No more flattery. Even if I agree, I can still post anonymously and leak the news to the media, right?"

Mi Hu shook her head and said, "You won't do that. You've always looked down on Xue Muliang's self-promotion. Why would you learn from him?"

"Don't 'you' me so much. I can see through you. You've fallen for that kid."

"Ah," Mi Hu's face turned red, and she stomped her foot, "Editor-in-Chief, what are you saying?"

Zhou Daoran, who had always seen Mi Hu as a cute junior and trusted her work ability and loyalty, noticed her expression when she mentioned Gu Yongsheng, which seemed like she was calling out her beloved's name. He jokingly said, "Look in the mirror. It's very obvious, especially now."

Mi Hu didn't argue. There was no need to explain. It was very normal for an editor and an author to fall in love and eventually get together. If the author was famous, it could even become a beautiful story.

Mi Hu blushed slightly, then tried to change the subject, but the editor-in-chief said, "Tell Gu Yongsheng that we can agree not to promote, but if the news is leaked by other netizens or the media, we can't do anything about it."

Mi Hu's blush quickly disappeared, and she said solemnly, "Editor-in-Chief Zhou, if you really decide to do this, I think we might lose this author. To be honest, the idea to catch the mole last time was his. This kind of trick won't fool him. He clearly told me that if we do this, he won't cooperate."

"I am the editor-in-chief of this magazine and have the final say in how to handle a book. If the author threatens me with non-cooperation, how can our magazine stand in the industry? This is a matter of principle. Besides, he's just a newcomer. I've already made the biggest concession. Don't forget, he has already signed the contract."

Mi Hu was stunned, completely unexpected that the situation would circle back to the starting point.

"There's still some time before Children's Day. Use this time to work on him."

"I've already promised him that his new book will come out cleanly. Now, it seems I've messed it up. I'm in a difficult position, and I really can't do anything more. I don't want to continue. I'll go out and do something else." Mi Hu's tone was desolate, and she turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, she heard the editor-in-chief say, "Headquarters has decided to abandon our magazine."

Mi Hu turned around sharply, surprised, "Why? The magazine's situation is improving, isn't it?"

"This is internal information. It's said that they are already in talks with Qianhong."

"Sell to Qianhong?"

"Huang Heng has joined Qianhong," Zhou Daoran said with a bitter smile, "He was originally full of ambition, planning to start his own business. Unfortunately, his original partner, Beihetang, changed their mind at the last minute, so he had to join Qianhong."

"So he's the one who pushed for the purchase?"

"I don't know the details, but Qianhong's interest in purchasing the magazine did arise after he joined. It's likely related. Headquarters has long had the intention to deal with the magazine. They are taking advantage of the improved situation to sell it for a good price."

Mi Hu looked at the editor-in-chief, speechless.

"So you understand why I have to insist on this, right?"

Mi Hu nodded.

"I didn't want to tell you this," Zhou Daoran suddenly laughed, "After all, we've been master and disciple. We might not work together again, and I don't want to part on bad terms."

"You, you're going to resign?"

"After the magazine is sold to Qianhong, the first to be replaced will be the editor-in-chief. If my guess is correct, Yi Shui'an will be appointed as the new editor-in-chief. Considering their recent announcement, this plan was likely written in Lu Yichou's plan book long ago."

"Yi Shui'an?" An image of a calm, low-key, and talented woman appeared in Mi Hu's mind.

Yi Shui'an was Mi Hu's favorite young female author. Her debut work, "Resident Bird," was written in the style of Yi Shui'an.

"After Xue Muliang emerged, he stirred up the publishing market. He often speaks rudely to the media and online, looking down on everyone. The veteran publishers in the industry have long been annoyed, but with the support of the Yellow River Literature and his genuine talent, he has made both magazines and books successful. We, including me, can only be annoyed and secretly criticize him."

"Everyone criticizes him for being too commercial, but they envy his business model. They can't lower themselves to learn from him, so they can only be defeated."

"So Lu Yichou is pushing two magazines this time, and the editors are as popular as Xue Muliang, to compete with him."

"Editor Huang..."

Zhou Daoran chuckled, "He's an idealistic person, with ideas and enthusiasm. But you see, he still has to bow to reality. 'Ding Xiaoshuo' must have offered a significant incentive to retain Beihetang."

Mi Hu was still digesting this news. Although she knew that even if 'Great Jianghu' was sold to Qianhong, her position as an intern editor would likely be secure, emotionally, she couldn't accept it. She looked at Zhou Daoran sincerely, "Master, two minutes after you leave, I'll apply for resignation and return to school to complete my studies."

Zhou Daoran waved his hand, "No need. I've already received invitations from three or four magazines. I'll start working again after a two-week break."

Mi Hu smiled faintly, "I can't become a full-time editor until I graduate, and I promised my parents to return to school in September. It's just a few days earlier."

Zhou Daoran didn't continue to persuade her, nodded, and said, "I'll do my best for Gu Yongsheng. It might take a week, at most two. Actually, merging 'Great Jianghu' with Qianhong might not be a bad thing. And, don't you like Yi Shui'an?"

Mi Hu smiled, "No matter how good it is," a brief pause, "you won't be there."

Zhou Daoran felt a warmth, a rare feeling in the workplace. He quickly covered it with a joke, "I'll always be watching them."

Mi Hu left the editor-in-chief's office, and Zhou Daoran quietly laughed, muttering, "Such a childish girl."

For the whole day, Mi Hu's state wasn't particularly good, but the atmosphere in the editorial department didn't change much. Perhaps in everyone's mind, selling the magazine to Qianhong was a better choice, and they had no say in such high-level decisions.

When she was about to leave work, Mi Hu unexpectedly received a call from Beihetang, inviting her to meet at Moonbucks Coffee. Mi Hu had some questions to ask him and agreed immediately.

Moonbucks was said to be a cultural holy land, frequented by industry elites and high-level white-collar workers. However, the literary girl Mi Hu didn't visit it often. It wasn't that she had a prejudice against such places, but she found her sofa and bed at home more comfortable and free, where she could walk around barefoot as she pleased.

Beihetang arrived early. Seeing the girl with a large backpack and white headphones at the door, he stood up politely and waved, his smile perfectly appropriate.

"It's been a while since you transferred," Mi Hu started the conversation casually.

"Yes, so I specially flew from Jianghai to talk to you today."

"Is there something specific?" Mi Hu asked straightforwardly.

Beihetang was slightly taken aback, then said, "Let's order coffee first and talk while we drink."

"Is there something specific?" Mi Hu repeated, and Beihetang realized she seemed in a bad mood.

"Yes, I want to discuss some cooperation," Beihetang said tentatively.

"Oh, what kind of cooperation?" Mi Hu seemed interested.

"I hope you can come to 'Ding Xiaoshuo' to help me." Beihetang knew there was no need to beat around the bush.

"Help you? What do you mean?"

"I can't say much, but there will be a project that needs people. I know your capabilities. Consider it."

Mi Hu laughed, a happy laugh that made Beihetang think she was about to agree. Then she suddenly stood up and said, "I'm going back to school to study. I won't be an editor for now. That's it." She waved goodbye to Beihetang politely and left.

Beihetang was stunned. He didn't move until Mi Hu left the coffee shop, then he rushed out. They met at a crossroads, just as the red light turned on. Mi Hu was about to put on her headphones when she heard someone call her. She turned around to see Beihetang walking quickly toward her, his expression strange. Mi Hu smiled symbolically and turned to put on her headphones. Beihetang stood next to her, shoulder to shoulder, and said meaningfully, "Hu Xiaomi, don't you know my feelings?"

Mi Hu was completely stunned, looking up at Beihetang. At that moment, she saw a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. Her heart stirred, and she turned to look. She saw Liu Jingtong standing on the opposite side of the road, looking at her with a smile.

The red light continued, and cars passed by like a slideshow. The scene in front of her seemed unreal.