Chapter 26

The news that Han Shuo was going to start a magazine had already caused a great stir online. Speculations about the sky-high royalties, the name of the magazine, the submission methods, and the promotion of new talent were rampant among netizens.

However, Han Shuo and Qianhong Culture remained silent. Of course, to maintain the topic's heat, the company's public relations department and editors transformed themselves into various personas, lurking in major forums and microblogs. Sometimes they were uninformed readers, sometimes they were mysterious insiders, and sometimes they were eager contributors...

Meanwhile, the official microblog of Qianhong Culture released an important announcement on May 18th, stating that Qianhong Culture would hold a press conference a week later, on May 25th. At the conference, Han Shuo and Yi Shui'an would jointly address the recent hot topics and common questions online. They would also reveal the name of Han Shuo's new magazine, which had been the subject of much speculation among netizens.

As usual, there would be a retweet and comment contest. The announcement stated that netizens could retweet the message and guess the name of the magazine. Those who guessed correctly would receive a year's free subscription to the magazine. The contest would end the moment the magazine's name was announced.

After these two announcements, a "gorgeous dividing line" appeared, followed by a line in large font: "More major news will be released at the press conference!"

The news of Han Shuo revealing the magazine's name and Yi Shui'an becoming the editor-in-chief of the new magazine was enough to cause a huge stir in the industry. What else could be considered major news in the face of these two pieces of information?

Han Shuo and Yi Shui'an's relationship?

Lu Yichou and Xue Muliang's collaboration?

After the announcement, Han Shuo, Yi Shui'an, Lu Yichou, and other authors under Qianhong Culture all retweeted the message, jokingly congratulating Han Shuo and Yi Shui'an, saying that while they didn't wish to be born on the same day, they did wish to become editors on the same day...

This message quickly became the top trending topic on microblogs that day.

...

The day after Qianhong Culture created the top trending topic, the chairman of Dingjie Culture, the master of youth literature, the best-selling king, and the editor-in-chief of "Ding Novel," Xue Muliang, finally made his move!

At around 9:00 AM on May 19th, Xue Muliang posted a preview on his microblog: "At 12:30 PM, a major ** photo will be released. I don't know what will happen to the world after this photo is released, but I know my world will be turned upside down. I can't reveal too much, but if you really push me, it's four words: not suitable for children!"

A classic and perfect teaser, which effectively piqued the interest of netizens. They all exclaimed in unison that Xue Muliang was finally going to release his bed photo with Shen You!

As a result, some mischievous netizens borrowed a movie poster and used Photoshop to create an intimate photo of Xue Muliang and Shen You, which was quickly shared enthusiastically by netizens. At the same time, another photo titled "Love Lost in the River and Sea" was also being circulated in a small circle. In this photo, Xue Muliang and Han Shuo were sitting back-to-back on the banks of the Orange River, with a red sun setting in the west. In the hazy background, the towering Oriental Pearl Tower could be seen.

Just as the excitement was starting to die down, at 12:00 PM, Xue Muliang's personal homepage suddenly updated: "I want to 'confess' to everyone. Although I've published several books and they've all been annual bestsellers, when the editor told me that my new book, 'Sad Forest,' would be serialized in 'Ding Novel' on June 1st, I couldn't help but feel nervous, confused, and restless. At this moment, I have no idea what I'm doing. Don't look for me, don't ask me, let me go hide in the forest."

The accompanying image was a half-naked photo of King Xue!

A determined and unyielding expression, a bronze-colored skin, clearly visible six-pack abs, and a hint of chest hair...

Xue Muliang finally pulled out his trump card—nude photos!

Was this the true meaning of "confession"?

For a moment, netizens didn't even react effectively. When they finally did, the "headline" homepage jokingly forwarded the "Love Lost in the River and Sea" Photoshop photo.

Xue Muliang successfully became the top trending topic of the day, and even more so, he made the front page. However, he never expected that the unremarkable and disgusting Photoshop photo would overshadow his "stunning nude."

...

...

[Shuke looked through the periscope, and his heart almost stopped: the streets were full of cats.

"Reverse!" Shuke said hurriedly. The tank turned around and drove in the opposite direction. Not far away, it came to an abrupt stop. Shuke and Beta finally realized that this was a city of cats. At this moment, the cats on the street were all attracted by this new and strange object, and they surrounded the tank like a tide. Shuke and Beta had nowhere to run.]

When Qianhong Culture announced the major news, when Xue Muliang boldly released his nude photos to create a topic, and when the internet was in a frenzy, the model student Liu Jingting quietly sat in his room, focusing on typing away at his keyboard, finally completing the seventh to ninth chapters of "Shuke and Beta."

After finishing the manuscript, he logged into WC and sent the manuscript to Editor Yao. However, as soon as he went online, he saw that Mi Hu and Tang Nan's avatars were flashing. He opened Mi Hu's chat window first, greeted her briefly, playfully asked for the next part of "Seven Swords Descend from Heaven," and teased a bit about the confrontation between Qianhong and Xue Muliang:

"For the Children's Day battle, they are all armed to the teeth, or undressed to the belly, and you, as one of them, have made no move at all."

Liu Jingting was deeply attracted by the phrase "undressed to the belly." He boldly guessed that this phrase, like "armed to the teeth," was a common saying. However, when this somewhat provocative saying was expressed by a beautiful girl, it was quite thought-provoking.

Then he opened Tang Nan's chat window. Tang Nan's message conveyed three things: one, inviting him to the press conference on May 25th; two, informing him that the royalties for "Dragon and Tiger Struggle in Jinghua" would be sent to him.

Liu Jingting first sent "Shuke and Beta" to Editor Yao, then replied to Mi Hu's message: "I don't know what 'undressed to the belly' means, but with my current level, if I appear in the spotlight, I will feel like I'm undressed.

Also, are the moving and enrollment matters settled?"

Next, he replied to Tang Nan's message: "My studies are heavy, and I'm still young. I don't want to repeat the story of Fang Zhongyong. I won't attend the press conference. I'll go to your company in a few days to sign the contract and collect the money. Best wishes for everything to go smoothly."

Tang Nan, as an editor, was naturally always online during working hours. Seeing Liu Jingting's reply, he smiled bitterly and started typing: "The press conference is very important. We will announce the release of your 'Dragon and Tiger' in a major way. Mr. Lu has given me a strict order to ensure your presence."

Liu Jingting, reading Tang Nan's reply, couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "Cultural businessmen, after all, are still businessmen."

Lu Yichou's idea was simple: if Liu Jingting showed his face in the media, his young and talented face would immediately attract the attention of the media. The title "Young Genius Writer" would naturally follow, and within a week, the media would investigate every detail of Liu Jingting's hometown, including the number of branches on the poplar tree to the east. So, could the true identity of the author of "Shuke and Beta" remain hidden?

Faced with this situation, Liu Jingting didn't know how to refuse. He wouldn't use the excuse of "forcing me to stop cooperating." After thinking for a while, Liu Jingting replied: "I will talk to Mr. Lu directly. You're busy, so go ahead."

Just as he sent this message, Editor Yao's avatar started flashing again. He opened it and saw a simple message: "Manuscript received, as always, excellent. Thank you for your hard work."

Liu Jingting replied with a smiley face, without saying much more.

That afternoon, "Children's Literature" released a story preview of "Shuke and Beta" on its official website, and left a meaningful message: "Children's Day is a holiday for children!"

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the implied meaning was very clear. Due to the excellent performance of the last two issues of "Children's Literature," the magazine's dynamics also attracted the attention of some media and peers. After some hype, a media outlet created a headline:

Qianhong and "Ding Novel" clash, "Children's Literature" joins the fray!

This news, full of provocation, portrayed Qianhong, "Children's Literature," and "Ding Novel" as the three kingdoms of the late Han dynasty, artificially creating a tripartite confrontation for Children's Day. This news greatly satisfied the netizens' desire for drama and quickly became a hot topic.

The three parties reacted differently. Xue Muliang, in his luxurious office, looked at his phone screen with a cold eye, though he was indifferent on the surface, he was deeply concerned. Lu Yichou of Qianhong Culture took bold actions, looking forward to this confrontation. Editor Yao of "Children's Literature" remained calm and composed, smiling lightly. She wasn't completely indifferent or overly confident; she knew that her magazine's positioning had nothing to do with these confrontations.

...

On May 25th, at 10:00 AM, the press conference of Qianhong Culture Development Co., Ltd. was held as scheduled. Thanks to the strong appeal of Han Shuo and Yi Shui'an, the venue was packed, with not only the media but also many fans of Han and Yi.

The senior executives of Qianhong Culture, including Lu Yichou himself, appeared on time at the press conference. However, the media's interest in them wasn't particularly high. They asked a few symbolic questions, all about the two authors who hadn't arrived yet. Lu Yichou was clearly used to this and answered calmly with a smile.

At around 10:20 AM, the usually low-key young female writer Yi Shui'an arrived gracefully, wearing a dark green dress that immediately caught everyone's attention. Lu Yichou and others stood up to welcome her, and Yi Shui'an bowed to apologize, causing a wave of cheers from her fans. The media's cameras also focused on the elegant woman.

At 10:30 AM, Han Shuo arrived, slightly apologetic, and greeted everyone, pushing the press conference to another climax. Amid the commotion, Lu Yichou's confident voice suddenly rang out: "Please calm down, everyone. Our press conference is about to begin."

The venue gradually quieted down, and professional media immediately aimed their cameras at Lu Yichou, as he was the true host of the press conference.

"Today, we have three important announcements to make, so I call this the 'Three Yellow Egg Press Conference,'" Lu Yichou smiled proudly, saying, "I guarantee that no one here will leave disappointed."

The page turns to an AD.

The page turns from the AD.