Chapter 11

Upon entering the publishing house, one is greeted by a spacious and bright hall. The entire hall is paved with marble, covering an area of over 1,500 square meters. On both sides, there are rest areas for visitors, and the walls of these areas are adorned with various certificates of honor and trophies that the publishing house has won.

On both sides of the rest areas, large wooden bookshelves are placed, filled with best-selling books of all types published by the house. This clearly shows that the California Publishing House has a rich history and solid foundation. Just a quick glance at the bookshelves, and one can estimate that there are at least a thousand books, all of which have been bestsellers. A thousand bestsellers is no small number, and it is evident that these books have brought substantial returns and honors to the publishing house, adding highlights to its history. This is also a way for the publishing house to showcase its depth and strength.

On the front wall of the hall, there are personal photos of famous editors and novelists, forming a hall of fame. A quick look reveals that there are over a hundred photos of well-known writers, clearly indicating that these writers are associated with the publishing house. The photos of the editors also suggest that the publishing house has many talented and discerning professionals. This display is straightforward, open, and clear.

After taking all this in, Xian Tai felt more reassured about the publishing house, as its professionalism would be beneficial to him. He then turned his attention to the reception desk, holding his daughter, and reported his name to the blonde receptionist, informing her that he had an appointment with the boss, Dale.

"Hello, I'm William Kim. I made an appointment with Mr. Dale yesterday to discuss the publication of a novel. Is Mr. Dale available now?"

William Kim is the name the unscrupulous alien elementary school student gave Xian Tai when he was granted American citizenship in this timeline. It is a very common name, and even appears on his social security card, which Xian Tai often complains about but has to accept. His daughter's name, Coco Kim, is also very common.

Perhaps this is due to the alien elementary school student's limited knowledge of Earth's Chinese culture. In any case, Xian Tai has no choice but to accept the reality.

The blonde receptionist quickly checked her notebook, confirmed the information, and then looked up at the young Asian boy in front of her with her bright blue eyes. Yes, in her eyes, Xian Tai was just a boy.

"Mr. Kim, the boss has instructed that you should go directly to his office when you arrive. Take the elevator to the fifth floor, and it's the third office on the left."

In the morning, Dale had personally instructed that he would not see anyone today and would cancel all his appointments. If a young Asian man named William Kim came to see him, the receptionist was to let him go directly to the office.

The blonde receptionist was curious about this. She wondered what kind of person this young, handsome Asian boy, who was 180 cm tall and considered attractive even by Western standards, could be to make the usually irritable boss, Dale, cancel all his appointments just for him.

Of course, curiosity aside, the receptionist maintained her professional conduct and did not pry into the matter. She had been working there for some time and understood that it was best not to be overly curious about certain things. Curiosity can sometimes be fatal, even for cats.

"Thank you."

Xian Tai politely thanked her and turned to the elevator, pressing the 'up' button and waiting patiently. "This boy looks like he's still a minor, yet he's holding a baby. Could he be a babysitter?"

After Xian Tai left with his daughter, the blonde receptionist couldn't help but speculate a bit. After all, a boy holding a baby is quite curious. Of course, she never considered that the baby was Xian Tai's own daughter.

Oh! Heaven! An underage single father—such a status would be quite shocking even in the open-minded United States.

Unfortunately, Xian Tai had no way to explain this. After being forcibly resurrected by the alien elementary school student, he entered a time tunnel and was affected by the mysterious energy within, transforming into a 16-year-old boy. The unscrupulous alien also fabricated a series of 16-year-old life experiences for him, emphasizing that he was a single father.

Ding!

The elevator doors opened, and Xian Tai entered with his daughter, pressing the button for the fifth floor. The elevator doors slowly closed. At the moment the doors closed, Xian Tai caught a glimpse of the inquisitive and gossipy look in the blonde receptionist's eyes, which made him shudder.

Damn! What kind of look is that? It's as if I'm some rare animal. I'm not a monster, so why look at me like that?

After a brief internal complaint, Xian Tai took a deep breath and pushed the annoying thoughts aside. After all, he wasn't familiar with the receptionist, and they were unlikely to interact in the future, so it was best to forget this little incident. It was just a matter of feeling uncomfortable with the look, which wasn't a big deal.

Women are often gossipy. She was probably just curious about why I was holding a baby.

Xian Tai stood in the elevator, speculating, and he was mostly right.

Another 'ding' sounded as the elevator arrived at the fifth floor. The doors slowly opened, and Xian Tai stepped out into the corridor, identifying the direction and heading left. According to the receptionist, the third office on the left was Dale's office.

The entire fifth floor had an open office area on the right side, with seven or eight desks, each piled high with paper documents. Seven or eight people of various ages were diligently reading the documents, and none of them looked up at Xian Tai. Xian Tai also had no intention of disturbing these focused individuals.

Since the receptionist had already told him where Dale's office was, there was no need to bother anyone else.

The first room on the left was separated by large glass panels, clearly a meeting room. The second room seemed to be a storage area. The last and largest room was Xian Tai's destination, the office of the publishing house's boss, Dale.

Xian Tai knocked lightly on the door, and soon a woman in her thirties, wearing a business suit with light blonde hair, opened the door. She looked at Xian Tai with a puzzled expression, as he was unfamiliar to her.

"My name is William Kim, and I have an appointment with Mr. Dave. The receptionist downstairs told me I could come up directly to see Mr. Dave."

Before the woman could ask, Xian Tai explained his purpose and mentioned that he had an appointment with Mr. Dave, as he noticed a deep sense of caution in her eyes.

After a brief inspection, the woman didn't look particularly attractive and was at least in her thirties. She was dressed conservatively, not flamboyantly. Xian Tai guessed she was probably a secretary.

Upon hearing Xian Tai's introduction, the woman's cautious expression eased, and her demeanor softened. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dave was on an important call, so the office door was closed," she explained, clearly aware of William Kim's appointment. "I'm Mr. Dave's secretary, Laura."

Xian Tai's guess was correct; the woman was Dale's secretary. As she spoke, she led Xian Tai into the office.

"Is Mr. Dave busy? If so, I can wait outside. I don't want to disturb him while he's handling important matters."

Xian Tai didn't move but looked at Laura apologetically and asked softly. With the soul of a middle-aged man, he knew how to handle such situations.

Laura smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Dale has already instructed that today's meeting with Mr. Kim is the most important. Besides, Mr. Dave has already finished that important call."

With that, Xian Tai didn't hesitate and entered the office. The office was a suite, with Laura's workspace outside, featuring a large desk with a printer, a phone, a photo frame, and a file cabinet. Near Laura's desk was Dale's office, located in the inner room of the suite.

"Mr. Dave, Mr. William Kim has arrived."

Laura stood at the entrance of Dale's office and announced. A loud male voice responded, "Oh, Mr. William Kim, hahaha, I've been waiting for you."

As he spoke, a middle-aged man in a black suit, with a receding hairline, a hooked nose, and triangular eyes, quickly rose from his desk and came to the door, even before Xian Tai entered the office.

This is Dale?

Xian Tai was taken aback by his appearance, but he reminded himself not to judge a book by its cover. After all, he needed Dale's support for the publication of his novel.

So, Xian Tai extended his right hand and firmly shook the man's hand.

"Mr. Dave, I'm William Kim, the author of 'A Song of Ice and Fire.'"

Xian Tai introduced himself again, mentioning the name of his pirated novel, and a rare blush appeared on his face, a result of the slight embarrassment from writing a derivative work.

"Please come in, let's talk inside," Dale warmly invited Xian Tai and then turned to Laura, "A cup of coffee, no sugar." "And for Mr. Kim?" "Coffee is fine," Xian Tai didn't insist on tea.

Laura nodded and went to prepare the coffee. Xian Tai followed Dale into his office.

Upon entering Dale's office, Xian Tai habitually took a quick look around the room...