The first trial was lost, and it wasn’t just Han Qin who was furious, her boss was too.
Initially, Han Qin had been so confident, and her boss believed her nonsense, feeling unfazed even when the court summons arrived, only to be thoroughly defeated in the first trial!
Eighty thousand yuan was to be jointly compensated by the magazine and Han Qin, a small sum, but the real issue was the magazine’s loss of face.
Because of Han Qin’s assurances, the magazine had pulled many strings, and the promotion of Youth Idol in Shandong Province was scaled back to the minimum. After investing so much, they still lost the case?
If they had won, the higher-ups wouldn’t have cared, but losing meant they would definitely ask questions.
“Who is this author? Why didn’t we sign them ourselves?”
“High demands aren’t an excuse, contract terms can be negotiated! The New Concept Composition Contest has been popular these years, and first-prize winners have the right to negotiate with magazines!”
“Didn’t know the book would be this successful? That’s the editor’s lack of vision and poor professionalism!”
Han Qin’s boss didn’t need to think hard to predict these lines, they could guess them with their toes!
Aige was indeed a major platform, capable of nurturing famous youth literature writers, but it was rare for a debut to match the explosive success of Youth Idol.
Letting a bestselling author slip away was a loss for the magazine and a mistake by Han Qin, and her boss couldn’t escape responsibility either.
Letting a bestselling author go and dragging the magazine into disgrace was a significant liability.
When Han Qin tried to explain, her boss didn’t want to hear it, hinting over the phone that she should resign to save face, but Han Qin was unwilling.
Resigning now would mean admitting defeat and acknowledging her despicable actions. How could she find another job in the industry?
Du Li’s and Zhao Dong’s words came to mind. Appealing carried risks, and another loss would boost Youth Idol’s popularity, but not appealing left her with no other options.
“We can still appeal!”
Her boss snapped, “Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? If you want to appeal, do it yourself! Don’t forget you have another lawsuit to deal with. Handling two lawsuits at once, I doubt you’ll have time for work! Here’s the plan: hand over your current tasks and take a less demanding role for now. Isn’t there a vacancy for a proofreader? Take that on temporarily!”
Proofreader?
Previously, Han Qin had sidelined Xiao Ni by assigning her to proofreading, intending to teach her a lesson and make her compliant.
Now, her boss was assigning Han Qin to proofreading, clearly trying to force her to resign!
After all, Xiao Ni was just an editor, a newcomer, while Han Qin was a seasoned professional and chief editor. The insult was immense!
“This, this…”
Han Qin couldn’t form a sentence. The phone emitted a “beep beep beep” as her boss hung up.
Clutching the phone, Han Qin nearly ground her teeth to dust.
To appeal, she needed the magazine’s support, but they clearly wanted to settle the matter quickly and had no intention of appealing.
If she appealed alone, as her boss suggested, Han Qin would have to invest significant time and money.
Since Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong refused to settle, Han Qin didn’t have to pay the 350,000 yuan settlement fee, so her savings were intact, and she could afford a lawyer.
But, as her boss pointed out, Han Qin faced another lawsuit—former magazine editor Ni Sisi had sued both Han Qin and the magazine. To fire Ni Sisi, the magazine falsely accused her of “bribery and misconduct,” making this a case about defending her reputation and violating labour laws.
Han Qin tried several times to call Du Li about appealing but held back.
Ni Sisi’s case was also orchestrated by Han Qin. If she lost this lawsuit too, she might not even keep the proofreading job!
Endure!
Endure, endure, endure!
Bang—
Unable to bear it, Han Qin smashed her phone.
The situation was against her, so let the villains gloat for now. She booked the earliest flight back to Shandong!
Han Qin had it all planned, but after hurriedly packing and checking out, she was swarmed by reporters at the hotel entrance. Some righteous passerby had leaked her hotel to Chengdu media, and several publications wanted to interview her!
Last time at the courthouse, Lawyer Xiong had shielded Han Qin from reporters, but now, without him, she had to face them alone.
Surrounded, she experienced the “celebrity” treatment, but as a scandal-ridden star.
Reporters asked if she planned to appeal, but Han Qin gritted her teeth and stayed silent.
The reporters scribbled in their notebooks: Evidence conclusive, first trial fair, Chief Editor Han accepts the verdict!
This fueled their enthusiasm, and they pressed her on when she’d issue an apology.
A reporter from Chengdu Evening News pushed to the front, handed Han Qin a business card, and announced to peers, “Reverse Flow Fish has designated our paper to exclusively publish Chief Editor Han’s apology. Whenever you’re ready, contact us. No worries about space, we can publish any length!”
Han Qin, forced to take the card, felt as if she were holding something vile.
This was too much, truly too much!
Other reporters lamented, condemning Chengdu Evening News for hogging the scoop.
They had published the verdict; let them handle the apology too!
The Evening News reporter just smiled.
One reporter asked Han Qin about her feelings, nearly shoving a microphone in her face, “Chief Editor Han, this must be a profound lesson for you. How will it affect your career?”
“Yes, Chief Editor Han, tell us, will the magazine appeal?”
Han Qin was so furious at these sharp-tongued reporters she felt like exploding. Each question was a knife, stabbing her heart.
When she finally broke through the crowd and got into a taxi, she was utterly disheveled.
Click, click.
Reporters snapped photos.
Whether she answered or not didn’t matter; a few pictures were enough for a ten-thousand-word report!
One reporter realised they couldn’t let Chengdu Evening News take everything. They might not have the verdict or apology, but they could interview Reverse Flow Fish in person!
With personal details public, surely they’d accept an interview now?
“Tomorrow, head to the provincial key school!”
That was the thinking of ordinary reporters.
The sharper ones were already plotting to get Wen Ying’s contact information that night to secure an exclusive interview.
Meanwhile, Han Qin, finally in the taxi, told the driver to head to the airport. The driver, a chatty one, asked if she was visiting Chengdu for tourism.
Proud of their hometown, locals love to boast. The driver asked if Han Qin had visited Wuhou Temple or seen the pandas. Once started, he couldn’t stop, proudly saying in Chengdu’s spicy-salty accent, “Our Chengdu isn’t just about historic sites and national treasures, we produce talent too. Recently, a young writer called Reverse Flow Fish emerged, with that Chengdu girl’s spirit, taking on a big magazine in court. Have you heard about it?”
Han Qin: Shut up, I don’t want to hear it!
