Chapter 47 The Boss Lady?!!

Chapter 47 The Boss Lady?!!

The setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting faint, shifting shadows in the room.

The shadows grew more intense, shifting in the mottled light.

It had been ages since they felt this satisfied and relaxed.

If it weren't for dinner time, he would have gone for another round today.

They stood like that, her in front, him behind.

The air was thick with a tantalizing scent, milky droplets dripping onto the wooden floor.

They heard footsteps outside, and Hong Yu knocked on the door, "Eldest Master, First Madam, it's time for dinner."

Lin Yufan opened her mouth but couldn't speak, so he answered, "Got it."

The sound was sharp and clear, making her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

He bent down to tidy up, whispering, "We'll pick up where we left off later."

Lin Yufan pinched him, nearly tripping as she walked. Finally, he carried her to the bathroom to clean up, calming her down.

After dinner, she finished copying the manuscript, sealed it in an envelope, and planned to mail it to the Hong Kong Ming Daily on her way to work the next day.

To avoid suspicion, she sent it to an editor from Haicheng at the Hong Kong Ming Daily instead of Zhao Lixiang.

Anyone from Haicheng, especially in the media, would know about Si Mu.

Since the Hong Kong Ming Daily had covered Si Mu before, they'd likely prioritize her submission.

After dropping it in the mail, she headed to work as usual.

On the way, she bumped into Wang Muxun, who jogged over to walk with her.

Lin Yufan asked, "Did you send in your 'Mantis' yet?"

Wang Muxun nodded, "Sent it last week, still waiting."

Lin Yufan knew these magazines took 1-2 months to review submissions. She said, "Just wait, you'll hear back by year's end."

"No worries, I'm working on another novel. If this one doesn't pan out, I'll try the next."

"Good. I've got a suspect for the killer, but I'm not certain yet. I'll give it another read when I can."

"You'll never guess it."

"Why?"

Wang Muxun chuckled, "No hints from me. No rush. If you haven't guessed by New Year, you owe me a meal. If you guess it, I'll treat you."

Food was their thing, and their bets always came down to it.

Lin Yufan grinned and said, "Deal."

Wang Muxun suddenly remembered something, "By the way, yesterday after work, guess who I ran into on my way home?"

Lin Yufan shook her head, "Who?"

Wang Muxun: "Yang Pinwen. He and his cousin were arguing in the alley. His cousin said something like, 'Isn't this amount too small?' and also, 'Even if it gets published, my name won't be on it, and I'll be getting so little money.' It all sounded very odd."

Lin Yufan stopped in her tracks, a bit agitated: "What did they say?"

Wang Muxun repeated it again, then asked, "Why are you so upset?"

Lin Yufan didn't voice her suspicions, only saying, "As you mentioned, their conversation was really odd."

"It really was odd," Wang Muxun said, then asked her, "If you lose the bet with him, are you really going to have to publish an apology in the paper?"

"If I lose, I'll have to publish an apology. But I haven't lost yet, have I? What if he's faking it and hired an imposter for Si Mu?"

Wang Muxun frowned: "Would he really go that far? If Si Mu finds out, he'll surely sue us."

Lin Yufan: "As you said, if anything goes wrong, it's our press that will be sued, not Yang Pinwen."

That made sense.

It seemed to be the case.

Wang Muxun suddenly realized, "No wonder this so-called great writer's writing style is so peculiar. I didn't feel comfortable commenting much yesterday. If Si Mu is an imposter, then Yang Pinwen's alley conversation with his cousin yesterday would make perfect sense."

Lin Yufan pretended to be enlightened, "That might very well be the case. Wang Muxun, how do you think so quickly?"

Wang Muxun was a bit embarrassed by her praise.

He smiled and scratched his head, then thought for a moment and asked, "How can we prove that he's lying? Is there any way to contact Si Mu directly?"

Lin Yufan: "Contacting Si Mu would just cause problems. In the end, we'd do all the work and get none of the credit. The editor-in-chief and the director might end up blaming us."

Wang Muxun's mind worked quickly, "What if we get a sample of his cousin's handwriting and compare it to your 'The Voluptuous Woman' manuscript? Wouldn't that work?"

"Can you obtain his cousin's handwriting?" If there was more evidence, it would be better.

"I think I can figure something out. Yang Pinwen previously showed his cousin's work to other editors. There should be records in the office files. I'll go look for them."

As they talked, they arrived at Qunqing Press.

In the morning, Yang Pinwen came to work and, after discussing with Editor-in-Chief Wang and Director Chen, it was essentially decided that Si Mu's novel 'The Voluptuous Woman' would be published by the end of the month.

All the terms were set based on Si Mu's demands.

Now they were just waiting for the president to stamp and sign it, and then they could apply for the book number and proceed with printing.

The president of Qunqing Press, President Liu, didn't handle much. After the change in ownership, President Liu was active for a while, but later, perhaps because he had already gained the owner's trust, he started slacking off again.

He would come in every other day, stay briefly, and then leave. Today he didn't come in, so they had to wait for him to come to work tomorrow, sign the document, and then they could apply for the book number.

*

Cui Yuan followed Director Gao to their newly rented warehouse to supervise the work.

The latest batch of items had arrived, all tightly packed in wooden crates with the words "Handle with Care" written in brushstrokes. No one knew what was inside.

Cui Yuan glanced at Liu Pangzi not far away and whispered to Director Gao, "Director, I happened to see Liu Pangzi yesterday."

Director Gao quickly turned his head, "What?"

Cui Yuan leaned closer to Director Gao, his voice even lower, "I saw him sneaking into Zhen'an Apartments."

Director Gao's expression changed slightly, and after a moment, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it."

"I suspect he’s a spy the Confidentiality Section planted here."

Director Gao knew Cui Yuan had always had it out for Liu Pangzi, and he was also worried that Cui Yuan might deliberately target him. However, Cui Yuan was always measured in his actions and wouldn’t lie or set traps on such an important matter.

He warned Cui Yuan, "From now on, don’t let him know about anything that needs to be kept confidential. Watch what you say around him."

Cui Yuan immediately responded, "I understand."

Director Gao recalled how Liu Pangzi had recently been obsessed with investigating Ji Shukuan’s death and had set his sights on Zhao Zhiao. He muttered, "Do you think the Confidentiality Section might be targeting Zhao Zhiao?"

Cui Yuan thought for a moment, "It’s possible. Director, why not let them fight each other and let Zhao Zhiao deal with them? Let them see what the local big shot can do."

Director Gao shot him a look, "Keep that kind of talk between us."

"I’m not an idiot; I’d never blab about it."

Seeing that the director didn’t refute his point, Cui Yuan knew his suggestion was accepted.

He looked up just as Liu Pangzi was walking toward them and whispered a reminder, "He’s coming."

Director Gao gave a nod, then raised his voice to the workers, "Be gentle—it’s probably porcelain. A little too much force and it could shatter."

Liu Pangzi approached, "Director! Captain Cui!"

Director Gao turned to look at him.

Liu Pangzi said, "Director, Captain Zhuang from the Confidentiality Section just came by. He said we need to strengthen the security for this shipment. A few of us taking shifts won’t cut it."

Cui Yuan suppressed his impatience, "Didn’t we hire a security company? Captain Zhuang personally selected over a dozen people. They’ll start their shifts this afternoon, fully armed. If the Confidentiality Section isn’t satisfied, let them guard it themselves."

Liu Pangzi chuckled, "They’re a pain, always giving us more to do."

Director Gao asked Liu Pangzi, "Any updates on Ji Shukuan’s case?"

Liu Pangzi replied, "I heard Zhao Zhiao is planning a birthday banquet for his mother. His concubines will definitely be there by then. If they don’t, there’s a problem."

Cui Yuan couldn’t help but ask, "How will you know if the concubines show up or not?"

Liu Pangzi had already thought of a plan, "I’ll figure out how to slip in."

Cui Yuan patted Liu Pangzi’s belly, half-joking, "With your size, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Don’t make me clean up your mess."

Liu Pangzi had long wanted to strangle Cui Yuan but held back his anger. "Why don’t you take my place, Captain Cui?"

Cui Yuan waved his hand, "Right now, my job is to watch this shipment like a hawk. If anything happens, I’ll have to answer to the Confidentiality Section."

Director Gao cautioned Liu Pangzi, "Zhao Zhiao is no ordinary person. If you’re going to his place, you’d better be cautious. You’re acting on behalf of our office now. If anything goes wrong, Zhao Zhiao will hold me accountable."

If he didn’t know Liu Pangzi’s true identity, Director Gao would have directly ordered him not to act so recklessly. But now, he’d rather play it safe and avoid any blame.

In the Zhao family garden, Wang Junyao and Lin Yufan sat in the small parlor discussing the guests to be invited to the birthday banquet.

*

"I don’t have many connections in Hong Kong, but your aunt, Mrs. He, and her family are a must. Also, one of my cousins moved to Hong Kong earlier this year, so her family should be invited too. The rest is up to Zhi Ao."

Lin Yufan nodded, "I’ll check with him later."

Liu Fang thought for a moment and asked, "Do we need to invite the Ji siblings?"

Wang Junyao didn’t want anything to do with the Ji family anymore, so she made an excuse: "They’ve just had a funeral. We shouldn’t invite them. If you invite them, it’s a lose-lose situation—they’ll feel awkward whether they come or not."

As they were speaking, Zhao Lixiang came back from running errands. Hearing the conversation between his mother and his second aunt, he said, "Don’t bother inviting them; Ji Shutong’s already gone back to Haicheng."

Wang Junyao was surprised: "When did he go back?"

"He left on the morning ferry," Zhao Lixiang sat down, peeled an orange, and started eating.

"Why’s he going back? Did he get transferred?"

"With more and more cities being liberated in the north recently, he probably saw the writing on the wall. He’s going back to sell off the family’s land and old house."

Lin Yufan was surprised Ji Shutong had such foresight.

Zhao Lixiang, eating the orange, didn’t usually talk about work with them, but… "You guys remember Si Mu, right?"

Wang Junyao and Liu Fang almost spoke in unison: "Yeah, the writer who took down the Second Branch. What about him?"

Lin Yufan paused mid-shelling a melon seed.

"He sent us a piece for the paper," Zhao Lixiang was somewhat excited, "a travelogue. It’s coming out tomorrow—it’s a great read."

Wang Junyao nodded: "I’ll check it out tomorrow."

Lin Yufan was relieved to hear this. She wouldn’t have to come up with another plan.

Lin Yufan pulled Zhao Lixiang aside for a quick chat.

Meanwhile, in Zhang Aiming’s bedroom on the third floor, Zhao Zhiao stood by the window, looking out at the garden, where the exotic kapok trees were in full bloom.

A sea of pink blossoms stretched as far as the eye could see.

Zhang Aiming said, "The higher-ups said this shipment can’t leave Hong Kong."

Zhao Zhiao was curious: "What exactly is it?"

Zhang Aiming: "A haul of priceless artifacts dug up in Yunnan."

"That really can’t be allowed to be transported away," Zhao Zhiao thought for a moment, "I’ll figure something out."

"By the way, that Liu Pangzi’s been a real pain. I’ve already told Thorn to take care of him."

Zhao Zhiao nodded: "If it were me, I’d kill Ji Shutong first. Killing him is the only way to cut the problem at the root."

Zhang Aiming also had no solution: "The rules are clear—we don’t kill civilians."

"He’s not an ordinary person. He’s Ji Biao’s son. He’s seen your face."

Discipline must be followed, Zhang Aiming helplessly said, "Unless he’s a spy, or he threatens our life safety, or obstructs our mission, otherwise we can’t kill him."

Zhao Zhiao put his hands on his waist, turned back, really out of patience, "I don’t agree. I’m running out of patience. When he returns from Haicheng, I must kill him. In my view, he has already threatened our life safety. If you can’t do it, I can."

Zhang Aiming did not stop him.

She couldn’t help but laugh: "This is also good, what I can’t do, you can do, that’s the advantage of you maintaining your non-party identity."

*

As expected, the lifestyle supplement of the Hong Kong Ming Daily published Lin Yufan’s submission of Hong Kong experiences the next day.

And it was placed in a prominent position.

After the midday break that day, Lin Yufan taught Sister Dao how to type.

Sister Dao had already learned twice before. Her hands were quick, but her mind was slow to process, often making mistakes.

Lin Yufan took out a newspaper and casually pointed, "Sister Dao, try typing out this paragraph. Take your time, don’t rush. Follow the mnemonic I taught you, and if you can’t remember, just ask me."

Sister Dao agreed, "Having you here really calms me down. A Fan, you’re my teacher now. Tomorrow, I’ll treat you to breakfast."

"Sounds good."

Sister Dao typed slowly, character by character, glancing at the newspaper as she went, and even reading aloud as she typed.

"Travelogue from Hong Kong, Preliminary Statement: I, Si Mu, have never planned to publish a novel, nor will I ever write a novel under this pen name in the future. Any novels published under my pen name Si Mu constitute infringement..."

As she typed, Sister Dao suddenly looked at Lin Yufan.

Her mind was slow to process, and only now did she realize. She pointed to the newspaper and exclaimed to Lin Yufan, "A Fan, it’s Si Mu!"

Meanwhile, Wang Muxun, A Tang, and Uncle Qiang had already caught on to what she was reading and turned around.

Lin Yufan feigned ignorance, picked up the newspaper for a closer look, and everyone else gathered around.

A Tang read the statement again and then said, "Si Mu doesn’t write novels? Then who did that eunuch upstairs invite?"

Wang Muxun immediately chimed in, "Who wrote *The Voluptuous Woman*?"

Sister Dao shook her head in confusion, "Who knows?"

A Tang, who usually despised Yang Pinwen’s androgynous and overly proud demeanor, snorted coldly, "That eunuch Yang must’ve brought in a fake!"

Uncle Qiang, who had a rivalry with Lin Yufan, didn’t want Yang Pinwen to lose and Lin Yufan to win.

Uncle Qiang retorted, "How do you know that the Si Mu in *Hong Kong Ming Daily* is the real one, and Yang Pinwen’s is a fake?"

The others ignored him.

Lin Yufan looked at Sister Dao, "What do we do now?"

"Let’s go talk to the director," Sister Dao said, holding the newspaper and knocking on the director’s office door.

The others followed her in.

Director Chen had just woken up from his nap, still groggy, with sleep marks on his forehead.

Sister Dao said, "Director, check this out."

"What is it?" Director Chen quickly put on his glasses and glanced at it.

This was a big deal!

Wang Muxun asked, "When we published the novel under Si Mu’s pen name, did he come in person to sign?"

"No. Yang Pinwen took the contract out and brought it back after Si Mu signed."

A Tang concluded, "Then this Si Mu has to be a fake! I suspect Yang Pinwen hired someone to impersonate him!"

Suddenly, Yang Pinwen’s voice interrupted from the doorway, "Impersonate what?"

Turning around, they saw Yang Pinwen standing at the door, holding a document freshly signed and stamped by the President, ready for processing. He had come down to instruct Uncle Qiang to speed up the ISBN application.

"Pinwen, perfect timing. Check this out," Director Chen handed him the newspaper.

Yang Pinwen grabbed it, skimmed through, and his face instantly changed.

Didn’t Qin Hai claim Si Mu never came to Hong Kong and was on the verge of death?

Uncle Qiang, standing behind him, stirred the pot: "Could the one in the newspaper be fake?"

At this moment, Editor-in-Chief Wang was called down, and the curious onlookers from upstairs also came to see the commotion.

The tiny office was crammed with people.

Yang Pinwen swiftly masked his expression: "Director Chen, Editor-in-Chief Wang, Qin Hai vouched for this, so it’s got to be legit. Think about it—Si Mu made his name in Guangming Daily. Qin Hai used to be the editor-in-chief of Guangming Daily, and Si Mu rose to fame under his guidance. How could the Si Mu he backed be a fraud?"

Editor-in-Chief Wang nodded in agreement: "Makes sense. Qin Hai’s word should be solid."

Director Chen: "Can we get a face-to-face with Si Mu?"

Yang Pinwen shook his head: "No, Si Mu’s too sick to see anyone."

Lin Yufan muttered under her breath: "You’re the sick one!"

What a coincidence? Director Chen was skeptical: "Then can we go to see him?"

Yang Pinwen wondered if he could get someone to pose as Si Mu.

"How about I check first? See if he’s on board?"

Wang Muxun was about to speak, but Lin Yufan had already spoken up: "Who’re you asking? Qin Hai or Si Mu?"

"Qin Hai," Yang Pinwen answered, only then noticing it was Lin Yufan who asked. He suddenly raised his voice: "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to speak here?"

Compared to Yang Pinwen, Lin Yufan was very calm: "You bet against me, and now it’s about who wins. Why can’t I speak?"

Yang Pinwen seemed to have an epiphany: "Oh, I get it—you’re scared of losing, so you copied Si Mu’s style, huh?"

Lin Yufan smiled wryly: "Hong Kong Ming Daily knows better than you how to spot a fake. Sure, Si Mu rose to fame in Guangming Daily, but not everyone knows he and Qin Hai ended up at odds."

Yang Pinwen was clearly caught off guard by Lin Yufan’s inside knowledge. He instinctively asked: "How do you know?"

"My brother-in-law was an editor at Guangming Daily. So I know some inside stories that outsiders don’t. The final piece in Si Mu’s anti-Japanese series, 'The Little Cigarette Girl,' blew the lid off the traitor scandal at No. 54 Ping’an Lane, and Qin Hai’s older brother was one of those traitors."

The room erupted. Hui Yan, who had read that story, asked curiously: "Is that true? I heard three traitors were eventually shot, and one of the leaders was surnamed Qin. Could it be Qin Hai’s brother?"

Lin Yufan nodded: "It’s true. At that time, Qin Hai intercepted Si Mu’s final manuscript to protect his older brother, forcing Si Mu to submit the manuscript to another editor-in-chief of Guangming Daily, Su Yibai. After the incident was exposed, Qin Hai was forced to resign."

Hui Yan, as if performing a duet with Lin Yufan, said, "So Qin Hai got the boot? No wonder he ditched his editor-in-chief gig at Guangming Daily and started fresh in Hong Kong."

Yang Pinwen retorted: "That’s your one-sided story. Why didn’t you mention these inside stories during the previous meeting?"

Uncle Qiang chimed in: "Yeah. What’s wrong with you, a mere clerk? Do you have the right to speak here?"

Lin Yufan shot Uncle Qiang a look: "If you can speak, why can’t I? During the previous meeting, I was only responsible for taking notes and didn’t need to express opinions. Besides the statement in the newspaper, we’ve also found other evidence."

There’s other evidence?

Yang Pinwen glanced at Editor-in-Chief Wang coquettishly.

Editor-in-Chief Wang quickly waved his hand: "Didn’t Pinwen say we should ask Qin Hai first and let us meet the real Si Mu? Then why don’t we just ask Si Mu directly? Why bother hanging around here?"

"What? Scared to face the evidence?" Lin Yufan was utterly blunt. She knew the ins and outs of the publishing house. If there was something she didn't know, she would find out. Even if it meant quitting, she would uncover the truth.

Guilty people always protest the loudest.

Editor-in-Chief Wang was on Yang Pinwen's side, and Director Chen would obviously support his own team.

Director Chen said, "We've already invested so much time, what's a little more? Since Yufan mentioned there's other evidence, why don't we take a look at it first?"

Others chimed in, "Yes, let's see the evidence first, it won't hurt."

Wang Muxun was already heading out, and Lin Yufan followed. Everyone else came out of the director's office.

Wang Muxun took out a manuscript from the drawer, "I found this in the warehouse. It's the draft of a novel that Yang Pinwen's cousin Li Zhun submitted for publication but was rejected."

Yang Pinwen's face fell when he heard this.

Lin Yufan then took out a sheet of manuscript from her own drawer, "This is a page from 'The Voluptuous Woman' that I held onto yesterday."

The two drafts were placed side by side on the table. Lin Yufan said, "Take a look at the handwriting in both."

Everyone gathered around. They could all see the handwriting matched.

An experienced editor immediately said, "The handwriting's identical! Look at 'is' and 'me,' they're a perfect match!"

"Yes! They are indeed the same!"

Wang Muxun raised his voice, "We suspected Yang Pinwen after I saw him arguing with his cousin the other night. His cousin said, 'Even if the book comes out, I won't get credit, and I'll barely see a dime.' Because of this sentence, we started to suspect and began to sort out various loopholes. Those who have read the book can compare it. The style of 'The Voluptuous Woman' is nothing like Si Mu's Anti-Japanese Chronicles."

Hui Yan said, "Yang Pinwen, were you in on this scam with your cousin?"

Director Chen looked at Yang Pinwen with a dark face, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Yang Pinwen swallowed hard, "That fight with my cousin was about something different. As for the language habits, novels and documentaries are apples and oranges."

Director Chen said, "You still haven't addressed the handwriting."

Yang Pinwen suddenly changed his tune. He picked up the single page of 'The Voluptuous Woman' and said, "Yeah, that's my cousin's writing. I had my cousin copy it because the original was too valuable to risk losing. That's why the handwriting is the same."

Lin Yufan said, "Then where is Si Mu's original manuscript? Don't tell me it's gone."

"I gave the original to Editor-in-Chief Wang."

Editor-in-Chief Wang, who had already broken out in a cold sweat, quickly caught on and nodded, "Yes, Pinwen did give me a handwritten manuscript of 'The Voluptuous Woman,' it's in my office."

Soon, Editor-in-Chief Wang brought the handwritten manuscript. It was a copy that Yang Pinwen had made in advance to allow more people to read it quickly.

His wife copied it, and her handwriting's neat.

"Take a look, this is Si Mu's handwriting."

Lin Yufan glanced at it and shook her head, "This one of yours, the paper is brand new, without a single crease, especially this fountain pen writing, the ink is still fresh. Clearly, this one was just copied. The one your cousin wrote looks like it's been around for a while, more like the original."

"You're just nitpicking!" Yang Pinwen raised his voice.

Hui Yan said, "Yufan has a point. The one you brought out looks more like a copy, not the original."

Half of the others agreed with Lin Yufan, while the other half agreed in their hearts but didn't speak up since the editor-in-chief was here.

Sure enough, Editor-in-Chief Wang came to the defense again, "You can't just go by gut feelings to decide what's real. We should be fair."

Yang Pinwen hurriedly said, "Yeah, you’re just trying to frame me."

Lin Yufan gave a small smile, "Take it easy. I’ve got a witness."

"A witness?"

"What witness?"

Lin Yufan: "I’ve brought someone who’s seen Si Mu’s handwriting and has her manuscripts to check if they’re real."

Wang Muxun was also confused, "Who? You mean Qin Hai?"

Hui Yan worried, "I’m worried they might be working together."

As they were speaking, someone knocked at the door a few times. At first, no one paid attention, but after a few more knocks, someone finally turned around.

Sister Dao called out loudly, "Who are you looking for?"

Standing at the door was Zhao Lixiang, who had been there for a while.

Yang Pinwen saw Zhao Lixiang like he was a lifesaver, "Second Young Master Zhao, what are you doing here?"

He could use this chance to greet Young Master Zhao and get away from these people, then find Qin Hai to come up with a solution. As long as there was enough time, he could easily find someone to pose as Si Mu.

Hearing Yang Pinwen’s greeting, everyone realized this was the Zhao family’s second son, who wanted to publish a book for his friend.

Yang Pinwen continued, "It’s a mess here today, let’s step outside to talk."

Zhao Lixiang walked in, "No need, I’m in a hurry."

"Ah? Then why are you here..."

"My sister-in-law sent me." Zhao Lixiang said as he walked towards Lin Yufan, glancing around with slight disdain, "Sister-in-law, you work here? Does my brother know about this?"

Sister-in-law?! Zhao Lixiang called her that, so Lin Yufan must be Zhao Zhiao’s wife!

So the brother-in-law Lin Yufan was talking about was Zhao Lixiang!

With connections like that, figuring out Si Mu’s identity would be a breeze.

Yang Pinwen’s legs instantly went weak.

He had really messed up this time.

The others were so shocked they almost couldn’t believe it.

Lin Yufan was itching to slap Yang Pinwen: "Lixiang, you’ve got Si Mu’s manuscripts, you know her handwriting. Take a look, are these hers?"

Meanwhile, upstairs, President Liu, who hardly ever came to work, heard Zhao Lixiang was here and thought, isn’t that the boss’s brother?

He was about to head home after work, but got so scared he rushed downstairs.

When he reached the downstairs office, he realized not only was the boss’s brother there, but also the boss’s wife.