Chapter 8. Do You Want to Be My Adopted Grandson?

    Though Bai Zhe was asleep that night, the ten girls who were Xi Mo’s fans were still wide awake. They were talking in their group chat.

    [Can anybody recall how we ended up lying there?]

    [No clue. We woke up at the same time, didn’t we?]

    [Weren’t we waiting to meet Bai Zhe at the front of our school before that?]

    [Girls…you better watch this first.] The owner of this message sent a picture from her smartphone to their group chat. It was the picture of her friends trying to take Bai Zhe’s clothes off, exposing his beautiful six-pack.

    [Ack! How could we do that without even knowing about it?]

    [I’m almost bloodless. Tissues, tissues.]

    [Bai Zhe has hidden his figure well.]

    [What a fine piece. No wonder why I lost control.]

    [Erm, will Bai Zhe have us arrested?] After this message popped up, the group chat went quiet for a moment.

    [No, probably not. If that were true, we would’ve already been taken in by the police, or the teachers, for investigation.]

    [Should we go apologise to him?]

    [I agree. Oh, what about the report for Mr. Jang? Bai Zhe isn’t in any group yet. We should invite him to work with us, as a form of redemption. Sound good?]

    [Great idea. Let’s do that. I agree.]

    [Agree.]

    [Me too.]

    Their conversation ended not long after that. The girls needed to sleep early because they also had an examination in the morning as well.

    The next morning

    Bai Zhe took a shower and got dressed. He put the notebooks containing the novel, of which there were up to ten, into a bag. They were the reason why he did not take the books for today’s examination to study with.

    He left the apartment earlier than usual and chose to walk to school instead. It was because reporters with cameras were milling around, trying to find the martial artist. They hoped they could find the mysterious martial artist of the park around this area. Bai Zhe frequently saw the reflection of light from the camera lenses. He wanted to wait until people forgot about the news before using his floating technique to jump from roof to roof again.

    Bai Zhe’s school

    “Bai Zhe,” a girl's voice rang, making Bai Zhe jump. He remembered the voice. It belonged to one of the ten girls from yesterday who had almost ravished him.

    ‘Bloody hell, what did I do to you all? Why do you have to wait to meet me this early like you are enemies from my previous life?’ he cursed inside his mind.

    “Wh…What is it? Do you need something?” He walked toward the girls to discover that they looked shy. He could not help but think that he might have done something wrong when he erased their memories. But no matter how much he thought it over, he was rather sure he had not made any mistakes in the memory erasure process.

    “We want to apologise about yesterday. Could you please forgive us?” said the girl, looking at Bai Zhe's face. When their eyes met, she suddenly lowered her face. Her ears were as red as a tomato.

    “It’s all right. I forgive you. But don’t do it again. Only this much, and I’m already wary of you guys.” He felt relieved when he did not see them trying to attack like yesterday, so he talked to them normally.

    “We are definitely not going to do it again. Ummm…Bai Zhe, have you finished the physical education report for Mr. Jang?” one of the schoolgirls asked.

    “Oh, the one about one sport or martial art, right?” he asked.

    “Yes. We haven’t done it yet. If you haven’t done it either, we’d like to invite you to join our group. The teacher said we could work in a group if we chose the same sport. It is no more than 10 people per sport, so we will have two separate groups. You can join any group you like. Consider it our redemption…for the bad things…we did to you. Sound good?” the one who looked like the leader said.

    “I already finished it. I wrote about martial arts,” answered Bai Zhe.

    “Wow, I didn’t expect that. Are you sure? You have to demonstrate it. Mr. Jang will be the examiner himself. I heard that he’s good at kung fu. You might get hurt,” a girl in the group warned him.

    “That’s not a problem. I think it is you guys who are in trouble. Will you finish it in time?” he asked the ten girls.

    “We are fine. We are the biggest group of girls in our class, did you know? We have the advantage of our numbers,” answered the leader, whose nervousness when talking to Bai Zhe had decreased, making her mannerisms more natural.

    “Good luck then. I will go to the examination room.” Bai Zhe turned back, about to leave them. The girls suddenly rushed forward and locked their arms with his before bringing out a smartphone to take a selfie with the unprepared Bai Zhe.

    “Off we go. See you!” The girls swiftly ran away, not giving him a chance to respond.

    ‘They are really scary. They erased their intention to the point where I couldn’t sense their movements. Did my senses get blunter? Seems like I need to find time to practice them,’ the boy thought.

    Bai Zhe could feel many female students’ eyes on him when he entered the building. Yes. That was because the girls in the morning had sent his picture to the others who were in the group chat, and it had been spread all over the school in a matter of minutes, making the atmosphere as heated as a fire. Many of the girls tried to come up to ask Bai Zhe for pictures with him, but he refused because he was in a hurry to get to the examination room.

    Bai Zhe quickly did his exam. Then, he hid out on the rooftop until it was time for the next subject’s exam. He went down only when it was time for the exam. During the last subject, Bai Zhe finished his exam as fast as he could so he could flee from the girls who wanted to take a picture with him.

    ‘Did he just guess on his exam? How could he have done it this fast?’ a boy sitting behind Bai Zhe thought.

    ‘Does he have something to do after this?’ thought a girl sitting on Bai Zhe’s left side.

    ‘No! If it’s like that, I won’t have a chance to take a picture with him then,’ another girl mentally screamed.

    Female students were looking for Bai Zhe after the exam. His classmate told them that he had already finished his exam and gone back home. The girls felt disappointed; still, they hoped to see Bai Zhe again after the midterm exam.

    Bai Zhe went to Xi Lua’s company as scheduled. He used the VIP lift like he had before. The moment the lift doors opened, he found Xi Lua sitting on the sofa in the living room in front of the office.

    “Oh, you’re here. Let’s go inside.” The old man stood up and opened the door for Bai Zhe.

    Xi Lua’s office was drastically changed, which surprised the boy a little bit. Up on the wall behind the desk, the calligraphy painting he had given to Xi Lua had been hung so that it was the centre of attention. The placement suited the intention of the painting very well, too.

    “That's an excellent placement,” the boy praised him.

    “Hahaha, Meng Dong handled it. Did you bring it?” The old man rubbed his hands together before holding them out. Bai Zhe put down his bag, then took out the notebooks and handed them to Xi Lua.

    “Oh, there are this many?” The man was surprised by the number of notebooks.

    “Yes. All of them are my novel about a martial artist who people called the greatest swordsman.” He confirmed that the notebooks were all the full-length novel that he had written.

    “Just a moment.” Xi Lua called ten of his employees up to his office before telling them to get these notebooks scanned and put onto a drive.

    “I’ll keep this handwritten manuscript. I will give the one on this drive to you, along with the documents from the Office of Intellectual Property showing that this novel is yours. As for putting forth a price to the publishers and Chen Feng, do you want to put forth a price yourself or do you want me to do it for you?” asked Xi Lua.

    “It would be all right for you to do it. If the publishers give me a high copyright fee, I will be happy to add the condition that I offer them my new novel first when it is finished,” said Bai Zhe.

    “All right, let’s agree on that. Wait a moment. I’m sending the file to my friend who is the owner of the publishing company,” said Xi Lua. While he did this, the old man wondered why he was helping this boy without wanting something in return. Bai Zhe was not his grandson. Maybe it was because he was impressed that the boy was talented and filial, trying to lighten his parents’ financial burdens. Bai Zhe was also frugal.

    “Bai Zhe, let me be frank. Are you interested in being my adopted grandson?” Xi Lua decided to say it out loud. He wanted this kind of grandson. If Xi Mo did not inherit his business, Bai Zhe would be the most suitable choice for the chairman position in the future. Still, he needed some years to observe the boy’s behaviour.

    “I wouldn’t suit, sir,” Bai Zhe answered politely.

    “What do you think makes you not unsuitable? Look at the money in your account and your age. They show that you are suitable, both in terms of your status and your capability,” said Xi Lua.

    “What about your children and your grandchildren? What would they think if they knew about this?” asked Bai Zhe.

    “I will not tell them now. I believe in my sense that you will be famous in the near future. When that time arrives, I’ll tell them. They would not have any problems if you can prove yourself and make people accept you,” the old man explained.

    “If you say I am, Grandfather, I would be honoured.” Bai Zhe smiled. Xi Lua got up from his seat and then pulled him into a hug.

    “Good. From now on, you are my grandson, Xiao Zhe. If you meet Xi Mo, you can call him Brother Mo, understand?” said Xi Lua, feeling strangely like he was complete.

    “Uhm, Xi Mo calls me Master Bai,” said Bai Zhe, making the old man guffaw. That was because Xi Mo respected Bai Zhe’s talent, so he called the boy ‘Master Bai’ as his grandfather did.

    “Well, you can just call him Xi Mo. I’ll tell him that I’ve allowed you to call me Grandpa,” said Xi Lua.

    They talked about many topics after that and had dinner together. Bai Zhe ate just to be polite. In his stomach right now, qi was dissolved and separating out unnecessary dirty components. He secretly spit them out into his napkin the moment he wiped his mouth. Then, the boy asked to go home. Xi Lua had his driver drive Bai Zhe home.

    Xan Long Publishing Company

    Wu Jia, the owner of this publishing company and a member of the calligraphy painting enthusiast club, was Xi Lua's friend who had been asked personally by him to consider a novel.

    Wu Jia accepted it as a matter of courtesy. He gave the novel manuscript he had gotten from Xi Lua to all the necessary people for evaluation. He himself went to his lounge. which was next to his office to nap. The relevant people took the manuscript, read it, and discussed the novel by themselves privately.

    “This is so long. Is it going to be any good?”

    “The president said we should consider it just as we normally do when someone sends us a manuscript to consider.”

    “The president is really respectable. Though they are friends, business is business.”

    “Of course. Who’s going to invest if they know they will lose money?”

    After their chit-chat, the employees went to their desks and started to read the novel.

    “Hmm.”

    “Wait, or is it…?”

    “It is like this then.”

    Their interjections sporadically slipped from their mouths. Nobody talked or exchanged their opinions. The novel was very addictive. It was around 5 in the morning when they finished reading it.

    “I-I couldn’t stop reading,” said one of them, leaning back against his chair and closing his eyes.

    “I agree. This is very addictive. I might have gone crazy if I hadn’t read it all in one go,” a middle-aged woman said.

    “I'm going to excuse myself to take a shower and come back to sleep a little. President Wu will probably call us for a meeting at 9 a.m.,” said another man.

    “Me, too. I’ll set an alarm.” Another young man brought out his smartphone to set an alarm before walking to a sofa and going to sleep.

    The other staff who had also stayed up all night reading the novel went their separate ways to take showers and naps before their meeting at 9 a.m. as well.

    A meeting room, Xan Long Publishing Company

    In Xan Long Publishing’s meeting room, at 9 a.m., Wu Jia was sitting at the head of the table. His ten staff members were still sleepy. However, they were much better after taking a nap.

    “Any comments after reading it?” asked Wu Jia.

    “It shouldn’t be called a novel,” said one of the male staff members. Wu Jia closed his eyes. He had a feeling it would turn out like this. Why did Xi Lua not screen it first? How could his friend embarrass him in front of his employees like this?

    “It should be called a literary masterpiece, to be accurate,” the same man continued. Wu Jia’s eyes opened. Had he heard it correctly? Why did the staff member call it a literary masterpiece?

    “What did you just say?” he asked the man again.

    “I said it should be called a literary masterpiece. The diction is excellent. The writing is superior. Also, his handwriting is very beautiful. If it was changed from a pen to a brush, it would feel like we are reading ancient literature.” He praised the novel he took all night to read passionately.

    “Are you exaggerating?” asked Wu Jia.

    “No exaggeration, sir.” This time, all ten staff members sprang up, talking to him all at the same time.

    “President Wu, you need to read it yourself,” a middle-aged staff member handed him a USB drive. Wu Jia took it, opened it up, and started to read the novel. It was not long before he was immersed in the world of the novel. What was this enjoyment and uncontrollable need to keep on reading? He could not stop exploring the fictional world. Still, it had pauses for the readers to catch their breaths. Wu Jia did not know how long he had read the novel. Before he could click to the next chapter, a hand stopped him.

    “President Wu, you need to calm down. We were like you when we read it,” the middle-aged male staff member said. Wu Jia finally understood why his staff and his friend, Xi Lua, spoke so highly of this novel.

    “Let’s have a vote. Raise your hand if we should buy this. If we should not buy this, stay still,” said Wu Jia. All the staff raised their hands.

    “So, we buy it. Next is the contract that the writer…hmm?” Wu Jia had just noticed the pen name of the writer. The members of the club and he himself would never forget this name. It was the name of the artist who bestowed upon them calligraphy paintings that had already become national treasures.

    “Are you all right, President Wu?” one of the staff members could not help but ask when he saw Wu Jia go still.

    “Do you know the name of the artist of the two calligraphy paintings that just got promoted to be national treasures?”

    “A moment, sir.” They instantly searched for the information with their smartphones, before their expressions turned to shock and they compared the name on their phones to the pen name.

    “D...does that mean…?” The middle-aged male member’s hands shook with excitement. He knew that if they bought the novel, the artist of the national treasures would come to their office.

    “There is a high possibility. My friend, Xi Lua, is the owner of one of the paintings. He might know this master. So, in the contract, he wants us to pay him 50% of the profits we gain per book. But if we give him 60% and we take 40%, he will sell us his new novel when he has one. What do you think?” Wu Jia explained the details of the contract immediately.

    “If is really that Master, I think a 60/40 deal will gain us long-term profits.” One staff member voiced his opinion, which was agreed to by his colleagues.

    “Deal. His share is at 60% of the profit. I will make an appointment with him to sign the contract. Have the legal department prepare the contract. The meeting’s over.” The others went back to work while Wu Jia called Xi Lua to tell him that he had decided to buy the copyright on this novel.

    “All right, thank you, Wu Jia.” Xi Lua thanked his friend with a smile on his face because Wu Jia had called the novel ‘a literary masterpiece’, which he agreed with.

    “Lua, hang on. On the day we sign the contract, can the master give me a chance to buy him a meal?” said Wu Jia with excitement. He was thrilled to meet this master because he had had to work on the day of the calligraphy painting display event. Therefore, he did not attend it. Moreover, no photography had been allowed at that event, so he had missed a chance to see the master whom everyone talked about.

    “Sure, I will ask him. Wait a second… All right, he will definitely be there. Goodbye and thank you so much.” Xi Lua hung up. He was wondering what Wu Jia would do when he discovered that Bai Zhe was the famous Master. Then, he hooted with laughter.