Benefits must be taken, but he would never charge into battle for Sara Zhuo.
Zhao Dong broke out in a cold sweat, setting this as his guiding principle.
A person with depression, if he provoked her even slightly, he’d likely take the blame.
Who would the Xie family point fingers at then?
Definitely him!
Sara Zhuo asked Zhao Dong to help Zou Weijun, but he wished he could stay eight feet away from her.
Without Zhao Dong’s interference, Youth Idol’s launch faced no new hiccups.
Before August 1, the first print run of 100,000 copies of Youth Idol had been shipped to bookstores nationwide—originally planned for 50,000 copies, but its pre-launch buzz was so high. Black or red, attention was attention. Zou Weijun applied to her superiors, who agreed to take the gamble.
The leadership didn’t expect Youth Idol to replicate Hush, Little Secret’s sales, but the frenzy of that book’s launch was still fresh. Back then, the publishing department faced pressure and criticism while overseeing constant reprints.
Even if Youth Idol didn’t match Hush, Little Secret, its current hype justified the 100,000-copy first run.
Many people were criticising the book.
But those critics were also potential readers.
Curiosity drives people. Seeing so much criticism, they might buy it to see for themselves.
The day before Youth Idol’s launch, a prominent veteran writer spoke out in a newspaper, saying those in literature must first have good character. Writing skills can be honed, but a flawed character affects readers through the work. An author with questionable morals, the better their book sells, the worse the impact on society!
The piece didn’t mention Youth Idol or “The Fish Against the Current”, but everyone knew who it targeted.
Han Qin was impressive.
Or rather, Lu Province Publishing Group was, managing to enlist this old gentleman.
Wen Ying didn’t want to think so badly of people. At the old writer’s age, swaying him with benefits wouldn’t work. She felt he was misled.
Zou Weijun’s department head was a bit rattled.
With the old gentleman speaking out, Rongcheng couldn’t just play deaf and act like nothing happened.
100,000 copies of Youth Idol were being rushed onto bookstore shelves nationwide, and pulling them back now would be a hassle.
“Xiao Zou, this is tricky.”
Tricky?
Zou Weijun was calm, “The arrow is on the string, it must be shot. The books are printed. If we stop selling because of someone’s words, how much money would we lose with 100,000 copies sitting in storage? Money aside, it’d be a huge blow to our reputation. We can’t back down!”
The leadership didn’t want to back down either.
With 100,000 copies printed, Zou Weijun was the planner, but he had approved it. If it failed, he’d face criticism at the group’s year-end review.
“How about…”
“How about you give me a big spread, and we state our position?”
Zou Weijun spoke first.
A big spread?
The leader hesitated, “If we can win the lawsuit, a big spread isn’t out of the question.”
Zou Weijun was confident.
After some thought, the leader agreed to her request.
It was just a big spread, the group could coordinate internally to secure it. The department had poured so many resources into Youth Idol, and as Zou Weijun said, the arrow was on the string, it had to be shot. If they won the bet, the publishing department would rake it in. If they lost… they couldn’t lose. Han Qin’s reputation was tied to Aige’s, and Aige had to back her. Likewise, Wen Ying’s interests were now tied to the publishing department. This wasn’t just Wen Ying versus Han Qin anymore, it was a high-stakes gamble where the winner takes all and the loser gets nothing!
On the evening of July 31, Wen Ying’s emotions were complex.
The battle horn had sounded, and she felt a strong fighting spirit.
Whether the book would sell well would be clear once it hit the market.
This was Wen Ying’s first book.
It carried her “writing dream” from two lifetimes.
Wen Ying cared about how many copies it would sell, but she cared more about readers’ comments. The first 180,000 words had been read, but the final 120,000 hadn’t been published yet. Would her overall storytelling win market approval?
Excitement and nervousness kept Wen Ying awake.
Chen Ru, getting up to use the bathroom at midnight, saw Wen Ying’s light still on and knocked gently, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“Mum—”
Wen Ying called out. Chen Ru turned the doorknob and entered, “What’s wrong?”
Wen Ying wanted to say she was nervous, but if she did, Manager Chen would ask why, and her secret identity would be exposed.
Wen Ying could only say she had a nightmare.
Chen Ru thought for a moment, went to the kitchen, and brought back a glass of milk.
“Drink this and sleep, I’ll wait until you’re asleep.”
This was treatment Wen Ying hadn’t had since before primary school.
She thought she wouldn’t sleep with her mum watching, but whether it was the milk or the sense of comfort, she fell asleep quickly.
Chen Ru waited until she was asleep before quietly returning to her room. Wen Dongrong, clueless, was snoring away. Chen Ru kicked him awake, and he mumbled, “What’s wrong?!”
“Don’t you think Wen Ying’s been acting strange lately, like she’s anxious about something?”
Thank goodness it wasn’t his secret savings exposed, what a scare!
Wen Dongrong sat up, pulling the blanket, “What could she be anxious about? Are you overthinking?”
Chen Ru studied his expression, he genuinely seemed unaware.
Was she really overthinking?
Or was there something Wen Ying wasn’t telling either of them?
Chen Ru fell into thought.
Relying on this useless man was pointless, she’d have to keep a close eye herself.
The next morning, at the breakfast table, Wen Ying saw Zou Weijun’s big move.
Zou Weijun had secured a large spread, announcing Youth Idol’s nationwide bookstore launch today, and for the first time, publicly disclosing the lawsuit against Aige and its editor-in-chief, Han Qin. The past month’s controversies, good or bad, would be settled once the court delivered a fair verdict!
“The law is our weapon to defend personal reputation.”
“A book’s quality isn’t determined by others’ comments, but by your own judgement.”
“Read Youth Idol, see the new spirit of today’s youth, and join the young protagonists in overcoming obstacles to chase dreams!”
Wen Dongrong shook the newspaper, muttering to himself, “This book’s been all over the papers lately, must be pretty good, huh? After all this hype, it’s finally out today. Maybe I’ll grab a copy to see what you young folks are thinking.”
Wen Ying looked up at him.
Comrade Old Wen, you’ve unintentionally broadened your path!
