Chapter 7

We are not here to discuss this issue, are we? Seeing that I do not believe him, he clearly does not intend to provide further explanation

So, are you an investor

He lowered his head and looked at himself: "Well, no problem."

Su Xiaotao stood up and said: "It is all their fault, you are not at fault. Therefore, you should educate them even more. Also, who says magazines are not profitable? Do you think the sales volume is related to profitability? You probably have never considered what advertisements are used for."

Su Xiaotao, why do you always target me? What is wrong with you helping me a little?

She forgot to take her belongings

I was momentarily at a loss for words, but considering that he did not know Su Xiaotao, I thought it would not be a big deal to say it was fine and to address the matter first. I straightened my back, nodded, and maintained a composed demeanor

What about now? I asked Su Xiaotao: What is going on, and what should I do?

He said it was a guess, but his tone and demeanor were so certain that it seemed he knew everything. Hearing him say this truly surprised me. Between Su Xiaotao and me, we had always been very cautious about discussing this relationship, and only a few people were aware of it. Now that he has brought it up, I felt as if my privacy had been exposed.

I have also helped you quite a bit. You are the one who is not making an effort for yourself. Su Xiaotao picked up her bag and left

He nodded slightly and said, "Alright." He stood up, preparing to leave

I cannot believe I resolved this matter so easily; I truly admire myself. Su Xiaotao has underestimated me. However, I do not believe that Gao Mingliang could know that Su Xiaotao and I are sisters merely by guessing. Not to mention that Su Xiaotao and I do not have many similarities; even if we did, he, having never seen Su Xiaotao and meeting me for the first time, would not be able to discover it.

No, you are not, as far as I know, Susan is not like you

"Hello, Mr. Gao," I asked cautiously, "What about Su Xiaotao and me?"

After he finished listening, he paused for a long time and asked, "Are you Susan (the pen name of Su Xiaotao)?"

After Su Xiaotao finished speaking, she threw a piece of paper on the table: "The phone is here, you handle it yourself. I am not afraid of lawsuits, especially not for such a trivial case. However, in this matter, I will not spend a single cent for you. If you do not manage it well, I can directly dismiss you. You are responsible for your own work."

"Take care of yourself first." Chen Weiwei pushed me aside and walked away briskly

I know you have always been lazy and lack talent. I am aware that you copy things, but I haven't mentioned it before because I thought that even if I did, you would still be like this. But now, can it be that you can't even copy properly?" Su Xiaotao said while throwing a few magazines over: "Look for yourself, not a word missed. What's more, you have been copying from just one person for so many issues. This would be one thing, but these are all materials that have already been published in magazines. You don't even take copying seriously; your brain is truly just for show.

In a state of helplessness, I could only meander to the agreed meeting place, thinking that perhaps I could easily turn hostility into harmony. The designated location was an outdoor café in the park. It was a scorching summer afternoon at 2:00 PM, and upon my arrival, I glanced around, finding the entire café empty. I checked my watch to confirm that I had not arrived early, which meant that the other person was late. That was fine; I chose a spot with ample shade to sit down, thinking it would allow me to see the person approaching more easily. However, he was delayed for so long that, out of sheer boredom while waiting, I actually fell asleep in the summer afternoon.

I feel a bit embarrassed, Su Xiaotao truly deserves it, what kind of monster has she brought here: "Not entirely, but I can take full responsibility for this matter on her behalf"

Oh, that's nothing. I was just guessing, and it might not be correct," he said

Fortunately, with the advancement of the internet, every time Su Xiaotao sets the tone for a topic, I can simply search online with the title, and there are plenty of materials available for use. I only need to refine or organize these materials a bit. Recently, due to various issues, I have been even less in the right state of mind, so the articles I have submitted lately have been directly copied. After all, the world is so vast that no one would notice the small articles in this little magazine. Later, I realized that while the world is indeed very large, for an individual, it is actually quite limited. The sky is high and the sea is wide, but there are boundaries. A shallow-water fish will never know how dark the deep sea can be. Recently, due to various issues, I have been even less in the right state of mind, so the articles I have submitted lately have been directly copied. After all, the world is so vast that no one would notice the small articles in this little magazine. Later, I realized that while the world is indeed very large, for an individual, it is actually quite limited. The sky is high and the sea is wide, but there are boundaries. A shallow-water fish will never know how dark the deep sea can be.

Chen Weiwei glanced at the table with his eyes and found a Bluetooth headset. He picked up the headset and was about to leave. I quickly stepped forward and blocked his way: "You know about my matter, right? How about accompanying me to meet that young author this afternoon?"

"Do you have something to do? Is it with Su Xiaotao?" I did not open the door

I have always been quite unenthusiastic about my work, and there are many reasons for this, primarily two points. First, I find it difficult to adopt a diligent attitude under Su Xiaotao's supervision in order to win her favor, and I believe that even if I try hard, she still would not like me. Second, I am not sensitive to words; in fact, to be precise, I lack sensitivity towards anything that can be categorized as art, such as literature, music, fine arts, and so on. Therefore, it is only natural that I am not very good at appreciating or creating so-called literary works, even work drafts.

Haha. I chuckled twice: "This is the best compliment I have heard so far, do you believe it or not?"

Now, you should contact the author yourself. They have already called and asked whether we are preparing to file a lawsuit. You handle it yourself

What are you doing here? I became alert

You may have misunderstood me; I never intended to pursue this matter. I merely wanted to find an opportunity to get to know Susan. It seems that this will not be possible now, so..." He paused and looked at me

That is good, that is good. I nodded and smiled.

I have never been so astute, truly exceptionally clever: "She is coming, but there is a last-minute issue; however, it is not a problem, I will make arrangements. It will be this weekend, in the evening, still here, she will definitely come."

After he mentioned that, I realized I had somewhat strayed from the topic. In fact, knowing is just knowing, and it is nothing significant. Is there anything inappropriate about the relationship between sisters? So I decided to get back to the main topic and asked him, "What are your thoughts on infringement?"

No, I have something to attend to. I see that you are in good spirits, so I will not accompany you to add to your joy

I ultimately could not hold back: "Could you wear darker clothing next time? I think it might be better, though you look good now as well." I am not certain that Su Xiaotao will definitely come, but I can make an effort. However, if she does come and sees such a bright creature, she will surely leave in a huff, and I cannot take that risk

Su Xiaotao is considered a popular figure in her circle, attracting quite a few admirers. While the number of those who covet her cannot be said to be as numerous as the fish crossing a river, one can still easily find a few. This person likely falls into that category. I do not mind his familiarity with Su Xiaotao, as she is meant to be known by others, but the fact that he is aware of the connection between Su Xiaotao and me makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable. However, this is not the main point; the main point is to have Su Xiaotao agree to meet him, and the rest can be left to fate. I do not mind his familiarity with Su Xiaotao, as she is meant to be known by others, but the fact that he is aware of the connection between Su Xiaotao and me makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable. However, this is not the main point; the main point is to have Su Xiaotao agree to meet him, and the rest can be left to fate.

See you on the weekend

I felt even more embarrassed, and at the same time, very angry. If you want money, just say you want money; if you want to sue, just say you want to sue. Why do you care who I am? I shook my head and said, "I can handle this matter, and I guarantee it will not harm your interests in the slightest, so rest assured."

I thought about it: "I am not skilled in these matters, so either you go and deduct my money when you return, or compensate them. The author is merely trying to create hype, and they are not afraid of a lawsuit. We can also increase our visibility. Besides, our magazine does not make much profit anyway." I am actually in the wrong, but if I have to go myself, what can I do? For now, I can only rely on Su Xiaotao.

When I woke up, there was already someone sitting across from me, sipping coffee and looking at me with a cold gaze. Upon closer inspection, I was somewhat surprised; this person should be the Mr. Red Tears from the phone call. He had an average appearance, neither particularly good nor bad, with a common face, a dark yellow complexion, and was extremely thin. If there was any distinguishing feature, it would be that his face was slightly wider than usual and his cheekbones were a bit higher, but all within normal limits, not causing any aesthetic aversion. However, he was wearing a magenta silk top, which looked awkward no matter how you viewed it. I smiled at him; my smile, of course, was not as vibrant as Su Xiaotao's, but it was more than sufficient to convey warmth and friendliness. I thought he would at least return the gesture, allowing us to start off on a good note, making things easier in the future. However, I miscalculated; he showed no reaction to me, his eyes fixed on my face, seemingly lost in thought.

When Su Xiaotao asked me to resolve the dispute regarding the manuscript infringement on my own, I momentarily doubted whether I had heard her correctly

I truly suspect that you are not just two random individuals; you bear a certain resemblance to each other.

I was standing in Su Xiaotao's office for a while, just about to leave when the phone rang. By some strange impulse, I answered it, and it turned out to be a man who fancied himself a famous columnist, calling himself Hong Yan Lei. He wanted to know about the response to the infringement case. Without having time to think, I arranged to meet him in the afternoon, mimicking Su Xiaotao's tone. After hanging up, I wondered how he would feel if I called him Mr. Hong. He was clearly a man, yet he chose such a pen name; could it be that he... As I was lost in thought, Chen Weiwei walked in and saw me: "What are you doing here?"

In this situation, I decided to act swiftly: "Regarding the manuscript, it is indeed a mistake on our part, and we acknowledge the infringement. I sincerely apologize for this, and we are willing to resolve the issue. So, what do you think? Should we pay the manuscript fee and publish an apology notice, or should we correct the author’s name? Or do you have a more reasonable solution? Regardless of the method, we will cooperate with you to resolve this matter to the best of our ability." Since I did not know his real name, I addressed him as "Mr. Red Tears".

It is impossible; can you randomly find two women on the street and guess that they are sisters or mother and daughter

He smiled and said: "My name is Gao Mingliang. I am not used to being called Mr. Hong, and no one has ever called me that before. I was just asking casually; you can solve it if you want. I guess she is your sister, right?"