Because she had made an appointment with Qiao Shu, Weng Kanya took the reader survey report she had compiled on their magazine’s readers during this period to Happy Children Magazine the next day.
Since she felt that Editor Zhu seemed to have some bias against her, Weng Kanya thought it over and over, and in the end, she decided to go over his head and talk directly to the president about raising Teacher Little Qiao’s manuscript fee.
However, what she had not expected was that after she mustered up her courage and knocked on the door of the president’s office, the person who opened it for her was—
“Editor Zhu?!”
When Weng Kanya saw the door to the president’s office open and Zhu Hao’s greasy pancake face appear inside, she instinctively took a step back.
“You, how are you in… the president’s office…”
Before she could finish her words, Zhu Hao interrupted her.
“I’m the president’s brother-in-law. Is it strange for me to be in his office? On the contrary, what are you doing here?”
Hearing Zhu Hao’s words, Weng Kanya’s lips pressed tightly into a line.
Although she knew that Zhu Hao had gotten in through connections, she had not realized that he was actually President Wan’s brother-in-law.
“I… I came to see the president about something.”
Weng Kanya said stiffly.
“Oh, what bad timing. President Wan has been on a business trip recently. But before he left, he handed over all the magazine’s affairs to me. Whatever you have to say, you can tell me.”
Zhu Hao glanced at the folder in Weng Kanya’s hand and said with a smile.
Hearing Zhu Hao’s words, Weng Kanya instinctively wanted to leave.
After all, she knew full well that Zhu Hao had rejected her requests to raise Teacher Little Qiao’s manuscript fee so many times—even when she had placed Qiao Xiaoqiao’s novels right in front of him, he had not changed his mind. So she held no hope with him.
But then she thought again: she had already made an appointment with Teacher Little Qiao, and this matter could not be dragged on any longer.
No matter whether Zhu Hao agreed to raise Teacher Little Qiao’s manuscript fee or not in the end, she had a plan for it.
If Zhu Hao agreed to raise Teacher Little Qiao’s manuscript fee, then she would negotiate the fee and benefits, making sure Teacher Little Qiao got the highest author perks.
But if Zhu Hao refused, then… she would have no choice but to take the reader survey report she had compiled and jump ship with Teacher Little Qiao to a magazine with better terms!
So in the end, Weng Kanya still followed Zhu Hao to the editor-in-chief’s office and placed the reader survey report she had worked tirelessly on, using all her spare time, right in front of him.
“Editor Zhu, my request remains the same. I hope you can raise Teacher Little Qiao’s manuscript fee. Here’s the reader survey report I compiled in my off-hours recently. This reader survey report clearly shows that the reason our last two issues sold so well was largely due to Teacher Little Qiao…”
“So, I hope our magazine can raise Teacher Little Qiao’s manuscript fee. She deserves higher pay.”
Hearing Weng Kanya’s speech, Zhu Hao snorted coldly, narrowed his already small eyes, and stared at her displeased.
“Little Weng, you’ve come to me repeatedly about raising this Qiao Xiaoqiao’s fee. Don’t tell me… she’s some relative of yours, right?”
“Editor Zhu! You can’t just slander people like that! I have no relation to Teacher Little Qiao. I just admire her work, and if you take the time to read her novels, you’ll see that she deserves higher pay!”
Being slandered like this by Zhu Hao made Weng Kanya agitated at once.
“Little Weng, calm down. I was just joking. How come you young people can’t take a joke? Heh heh.”
Zhu Hao chuckled lightly twice and waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned.
“Since she’s not a relative, then the matter of raising the fee will follow our magazine’s rules. She’s only serialized two stories with us so far. Who gets a raise after just two pieces…”
Seeing Zhu Hao act like this again, Weng Kanya figured she was planning to quit anyway, so she lost her temper outright. She slammed both hands heavily on the wooden desk.
“Pa—!” The loud bang startled Zhu Hao, who was sitting in the boss chair.
Before he could react, Weng Kanya flipped open the reader survey reports she had worked so hard on right in front of him.
“Editor Zhu! Open your eyes and look! Out of these 100 reader reports, how many people bought our magazine because of Teacher Little Qiao’s works!”
Although there were only 100 reader reports, she had distributed far more than that!
And even for these 100, she had spent money on little gifts to get people to fill them out seriously.
Yet, after all her hard work, this editor-in-chief in such an important position at the magazine would not even glance at them. How could she not be furious?
Zhu Hao, who had never liked Weng Kanya and wanted to fire this college student who kept opposing him and never flattered him, now flew into a rage at her audacity.
“Weng Kanya, have you lost your mind?! Do you still want to work at the magazine?! You think you can fool people into raising fees with these reports you made up yourself? Are you out of your head?!”
Weng Kanya, already angry, was utterly disappointed when Zhu Hao slandered her and the reader survey reports she had poured her heart into.
“I’m telling you, Zhu Hao! I quit! With an editor like you, the magazine is doomed to fail!”
Weng Kanya glared at Zhu Hao furiously, threw down those words, and strode out of the editor-in-chief’s office.
Seeing Weng Kanya declare she was quitting and walk away just like that stunned Zhu Hao for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he thought of her words about the magazine going under with him there, and he was so angry he wanted to drag her back and yell at her some more!
By the time Weng Kanya had packed her personal belongings and left Happy Children Magazine, a breeze blew over her, and she finally calmed down.
She realized she had originally had two plans, but because of her impulsiveness, only one remained. She suddenly felt she had let down her goddess, Teacher Little Qiao.
So, she decided that before seeing Teacher Little Qiao, she would first find her a new magazine and secure higher pay.
Unfortunately, what Weng Kanya did not know was that after she left Happy Children Magazine, the furious Zhu Hao called several children’s magazines and badmouthed both her and Qiao Xiaoqiao, exaggerating wildly.
This put her Plan B in jeopardy…
However, Qiao Shu knew none of this.
At that moment, she was obediently following beside He Hong as they went to Aunt Cui Ping’s home in the Air Force Compound.
As soon as they entered the Air Force Compound, she saw the large spirit wall at the entrance inscribed with bold, powerful characters—
“Fight with all your might to annihilate invading enemies.”
Qiao Shu read the phrase softly, and it inexplicably stirred her heart.
Although her country’s air force was weak now, in the future, it would possess powerful military strength across the skies, seas, and lands. Her heart swelled with admiration once more for the people of this era.
It was because of the tireless efforts of these predecessors, bearing heavy burdens forward, that the great prosperous nation of the future existed…
Soon, the sedan drove past a golden avenue paved with countless ginkgo trees and fallen ginkgo leaves, arriving in front of a three-story house in the western district, surrounded by towering trees and a spacious courtyard.
“Shushu, let’s get out. We’ve arrived at your Aunt Cui Ping’s house.”
He Hong gently patted Qiao Shu, who had been holding her arm, and smiled.
As soon as the car stopped, Qiao Shu, who had been quite interested in the Air Force Compound, hopped out of the sedan energetically.
“Mom, this Air Force Compound looks so lively.”
Qiao Shu listened to the neat footsteps of soldiers in the distance and their resounding slogans.
Especially the teams of female soldiers she had seen from the car earlier, dressed in uniforms, tall and graceful with beautiful faces. Qiao Shu inexplicably gained a youthful, vibrant impression of the Air Force Compound.
Seeing Qiao Shu say that, He Hong smiled and asked,
“Do you like the Air Force Compound, Shushu?”
Though she did not understand why He Hong asked that, Qiao Shu nodded obediently.
“Yeah, I like it quite a bit.”
Seeing that Qiao Shu liked it, He Hong became even more satisfied with Cui Ping’s youngest son. She felt that Cui Ping’s boy and their little girl were surely fated.
However, that notion shattered soon after they entered Cui Ping’s home.
The reason was simple—
Cui Ping’s youngest son was not there!
“Tiantian, this is your Aunt He Hong. Come say hi.”
As soon as He Hong arrived, before Cui Ping could even get a clear look at He Hong and the slender girl behind her, she enthusiastically pulled over Tian Tian, her distant niece from her husband’s side, and told her to greet them.
“Hello, Aunt He, I’m…” Tian Tian.
Tian Tian greeted them obediently too, but she had only just started when she froze in place.
Her face was full of disbelief, her eyes brimming with amazement at Qiao Shu.
And as the other girl drew closer, her heart pounded faster, a blush tinting her still baby-fat apple cheeks.
At that moment, she had only one thought: What a beautiful girl! She must be a fairy descended from heaven! How else could anyone be this stunning…
Compared to the young Tian Tian, who was so dazzled by Qiao Shu’s face that she forgot who and where she was,
The older Cui Ping, though also stunned by Qiao Shu’s peerless beauty, had stronger willpower and quickly regained her composure.
But even her usually calm face showed a flicker of daze.
“He Hong, this girl you brought… she’s truly a national beauty with heavenly allure. Even a heavenly fairy probably looks just like this…”
Originally, when Cui Ping had received He Hong’s call saying she wanted to introduce a marriage prospect for her youngest son, she had not paid much attention.
After all, her youngest son was so outstanding that too many people wanted to introduce matches to him.
She had long grown immune to such things and no longer cared.
Especially since her mother-in-law was keen on pairing her son with this niece from her own family.
She had even brought her straight home to foster feelings, so Cui Ping had even less involvement in introducing prospects to her son.
She figured that even if He Hong’s girl was exceptional, what did it matter? Forget whether her workaholic son, who never dated and lived in the lab, would agree—even her domineering, picky mother-in-law would be the first to say no.