Chapter 67: A New Era is Approaching

Chapter 67: A New Era is Approaching

The shaking and swaying closet finally came to a halt.

Lin Yufan's hands, gripping his shoulders, slowly relaxed. She leaned against his chest, listening to his racing heartbeat, and it took her a while to regain enough strength to speak.

"Your wound..." she murmured.

Zhao Zhiao caressed her smooth back: "It's fine. It won't reopen."

She wanted to scold him but thought better of it.

He was the type to get more worked up if you pushed him, and if you weren't careful, he'd start all over again.

She could only change her approach: "I'm beat. I'll wash up here and crash."

Zhao Zhiao, surprisingly agreeable, said, "I'll help you wash, and then you can sleep first."

She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She was completely worn out.

When she woke up, Lin Yufan was disoriented, realizing she wasn't in her own room.

Beside her, Zhao Zhiao was lying on his side, out cold.

Lin Yufan rubbed her face and neck, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

"You up?" he mumbled, eyes still closed.

Lin Yufan's voice was raspy as she teased, "Got eyes on your forehead or something?"

He smirked, his hand trailing lazily over her body.

Afraid he'd start something, Lin Yufan bolted out of bed.

It was nearly seven. She peeked through the curtains at the gloomy sky, heavy with the promise of rain.

Spotting a magazine on the coffee table, she picked it up.

It was Qin Hai's magazine, 'Ask the Sea.'

As she flipped through it, she stumbled upon an article by Qin Hai titled 'A Denunciation of Xie.'

Lin Yufan couldn't resist reading it, struck by Qin Hai's razor-sharp prose.

He likened Xie Guixiang to a 'human trafficker' and Qunqing Press to 'the desperate parents of a stolen child.'

"Now Xie Guixiang is suing Qunqing Press. Isn't that like a kidnapper blaming the parents for their child's disappearance?"

"If this kind of trash can win in court, what's the point of justice?"

...

The curtains were wide open, and Zhao Zhiao was up too.

Lin Yufan glanced up. "Never thought Qin Hai, the so-called rebel, would have our back."

Zhao Zhiao stretched. "Everything he's doing lately screams, 'I'm not the bad guy.' He's just trying to clean up his act."

Lin Yufan recalled the last time Qin Hai approached Zhao Zhiao for investment and asked, "Did you invest in this magazine for him?"

"I put some money in."

Lin Yufan didn't comment, trusting that he had his own sense of proportion in his actions.

She stood up, "Let me change your bandage."

*

That day, Xu Yinger showed her colleagues the "Expose on Xie" she had written.

"Just now, the editor-in-chief said my wording isn't fierce enough, not as good as other newspapers. Could you all take a look at my revised version and tell me if it's strong enough?"

Everyone gathered around.

Zhao Lixiang praised after reading, "You've really improved, Miss Xu!"

Xu Yinger laughed, "It's tough for someone like me, who's not good at arguing, to write such an expose."

"That's what being an editor is all about—constantly shifting gears to write different kinds of articles."

Others chatted with Zhao Lixiang, speculating about when the lawsuit would begin.

Zhao Lixiang spread his hands, "I'm not sure, the court hasn't notified us yet. Probably after the Lantern Festival next month."

At noon, Ji Shuping as usual came to Zhao Lixiang to have lunch together in the cafeteria. Both had ordered soup noodles that day.

Ji Shuping sipped her soup and said, "I asked the lawyer who helped me with the inheritance lawsuit last time. He said whether your sister-in-law can win this dispute mainly depends on the judge's attitude. With public opinion leaning in your sister-in-law's favor, she stands a good chance of winning."

Zhao Lixiang: "The lawyer is trying to prove that Boss Xie knew about Qunqing Press's name change to Three Cents Press before registering his publishing house. With this evidence, we have a ninety percent chance of winning."

Ji Shuping listened carefully, she repeated, "To prove that Boss Xie knew about Qunqing's name change before registering the publishing house, your sister-in-law can win?"

"Yes. What is it?"

Ji Shuping licked her lips, her mind working extremely fast, "I can actually prove it."

"What?" Zhao Lixiang was scalded by the hot soup, "You can prove it? How so?"

Ji Shuping explained, "Our newspaper's ad section is printed at Wenmo Printing Factory. Before the New Year, I went to Wenmo Printing Factory to follow up on the advertising layout, and I overheard Boss Xie and another person discussing Qunqing's name change to 'Three Cents Press' while holding our Hong Kong Ming Daily with the statement."

Zhao Lixiang excitedly stood up, "Why didn't you mention this before?"

Ji Shuping stared blankly at Zhao Lixiang, she seemed to have never seen Zhao Lixiang so happy before.

"I didn't realize this was crucial evidence earlier."

Zhao Lixiang urged, "Hurry up, finish your meal, and let's go see Lawyer Yan."

Lawyer Yan was currently in Lin Yufan's office.

He had gathered recent media opinions and compiled them into a booklet.

"All of this will be submitted to the judge as additional evidence. Three Cents novels have recently taken Hong Kong by storm. Most people link 'Three Cents novels' directly with 'Qunqing' Press. Xie Guixiang, as a practitioner in the related industry, couldn't possibly not know the origin of the 'Three Cents novels' name. Moreover, you published the name change statement in the newspaper the day after applying for the name change. Your announcement predated their registration application."

Lin Yufan nodded, letting him continue.

Lawyer Yan took out a copy of "The Amorous Widow" from his briefcase, "This is the sole novel published by Xie Guixiang's press at the moment. The book size is exactly the same as your Three Cents novels, and the market price is also thirty cents. If he wasn't copying your company's idea, why would he release his own version of Three Cents novels right after yours, at the height of their popularity?"

As he spoke, he addressed Lin Yufan as if she were the judge.

Lin Yufan: "Should I get a few well-known figures in the industry to help us draft a joint letter?"

"If possible, that would be best. Given the current public sentiment, if the judge rules against us, he’ll also face a lot of public pressure. I believe he’ll consider these factors."

As they were speaking, Lawyer Yan’s assistant knocked and whispered something to him.

After hearing it, Lawyer Yan said joyfully, "Mrs. Zhao, we’ve got a witness who can prove Xie Guixiang knew about your publishing house’s name change in advance."

They actually managed to find a witness?

Lin Yufan asked in surprise, "Where’d you find the witness?"

After hearing Lawyer Yan’s explanation, Lin Yufan couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Ji Shuping?

Ever since drawing inspiration from the novel *The Mantis*, Lin Yufan had noticed Ji Shuping getting closer to Zhao Lixiang lately, and she couldn’t help but feel wary of the girl.

How could it be such a coincidence that Ji Shuping just happened to overhear crucial evidence?

Did Boss Xie really talk about Qunqing’s name change at Wenmo Printing Factory?

She even wondered if Ji Shuping might be lying to win the Zhao family’s trust and favor.

But without proof, Lin Yufan couldn’t just accuse her.

Besides, even if Ji Shuping lied, it’d be her problem, not Lin Yufan’s.

Lin Yufan still reminded, "Lawyer Yan, you should talk to Miss Ji first and see if there’s anything off about her testimony."

Lawyer Yan was confident, "My assistant’s already talked to her, and there shouldn’t be any big problems. With public backing and Miss Ji’s testimony, our odds of winning have shot up. I bet we won’t even need to go to court—Xie Guixiang might just drop the case."

Sure enough, when the opposing lawyer heard about the new witness, Boss Xie filed to withdraw the lawsuit the next day, looking to settle out of court.

Lin Yufan refused and countersued for infringement, demanding they drop the "Three Cents Press" name, pull all their books from the market, and pay 10,000 Hong Kong dollars in damages.

After the countersuit, the public was thrilled, convinced Lin Yufan had it in the bag and justice would win out.

*

That noon, Lin Yufan was in her office going over the final drafts for the fourth issue of *Wanxiang Magazine* with Wang Muxun.

She passed Wang Muxun the "Ask Mi" column for the fourth issue.

Wang Muxun opened it and read—

"Ask Mi: Spring brings lots of rain. Any warnings from Mi Xian?"

"Mi Xian: Spring’s dry—watch out for fires, especially in the shantytowns."

In spring 1949, a huge fire tore through the shantytowns, destroying thousands of wooden homes and killing dozens.

It was one of Hong Kong’s worst disasters.

But Wang Muxun couldn’t remember the exact day the fire happened.

He couldn’t help but wonder how Mi Xian got it so right.

Remembering what Lin Yufan had told him before, he suspected that the friend Lin Yufan mentioned, who could dream of the future, might be Mi Xian herself.

Could Mi Xian see Zhao Zhiao’s future in her dreams?

That's why Lin Yufan repeatedly asked him about the prototype of "The Mantis" story and whether the ending could be changed.

It suddenly dawned on him.

No wonder Lin Yufan's attitude towards him had become more distant than before.

She might be holding it against him for not saving Zhao Zhiao.

Wang Muxun sighed inwardly; there was nothing to explain. He was indeed selfish and had indeed failed to save him.

"What are you spacing out for?" Lin Yufan asked him.

Wang Muxun smiled, "If Mi Xian's prediction turns out to be accurate this time, and everyone takes precautions early, it would be a truly great act of kindness."

"Yes, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda," Lin Yufan couldn't recall the exact date of that fire either; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so vague about such an important matter.

Wang Muxun agreed, "You're right."

Lin Yufan stood up with a smile, "Go on, get to work."

Wang Muxun went out, and Lin Yufan, carrying a teacup, went to the second floor with He Xiaoqing.

In the Square Inch Pictures office upstairs, Shen Jie and Gu Huiling were discussing the premiere details with Lin Yuwu.

"The Gold Heist" is set to premiere the day after tomorrow, with the premiere ceremony at Yunhe Cinema tomorrow night at seven.

The premiere has invited Zhao Zhiao, Lin Yufan, and Director Shen's circle of friends and relatives, as well as many cultural celebrities, editors from more than ten newspapers and magazines, and broadcast journalists to attend the screening.

Shen Jie hadn't expected to invite so many media reporters. He laughed, "This scale is somewhat reminiscent of a Hollywood event."

Lin Yuwu was completely following Lin Yufan's instructions. He said, "As per the boss's instructions, we are following the Hollywood model. Anyway, we've already taken care of everything. After the premiere, newspapers, magazines, and broadcasts will not stop promoting our movie."

After sitting down, Lin Yufan instructed, "Make sure to take good care of these media and cultural figures. Building good relationships is beneficial for everyone. However, reputation still depends on the quality of the work itself, and I'm confident in that."

Lin Yuwu assured her, "Mrs. Shen and I have split the responsibilities. I will handle the media, and she will take care of the cultural figures. There definitely won't be any mistakes."

When it comes to dealing with people, both Lin Yuwu and Gu Huiling are social butterflies, and Shen Jie also ensures the production quality is top-notch. The cooperation between the two sides can help maximize the box office.

Shen Jie laughed, "I'm so nervous; I'm afraid the expectations are too high and the box office won't meet them."

Lin Yuwu asked, "What is our expected box office?"

Gu Huiling replied, "Based on our investment calculations, we need to surpass last year's box office champion to break even. I hope to achieve at least 150,000 Hong Kong dollars at the box office. If we can reach 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, then it will go down in history."

Lin Yufan analyzed, "Hong Kong has nearly two million people. We just need to get ten percent of them into the cinema. At the current ticket price of 1 Hong Kong dollar per ticket, we only need 200,000 people to watch the movie. That's enough."

Shen Jie, being a pessimist, said, "Ten percent is quite difficult. Lower expectations; 150,000 at the box office would be very good."

On the contrary, Lin Yuwu, who is handling a movie for the first time, was optimistic. "Anyway, as long as we have 90,000 at the box office, we can break even with about 40,000 in hand. With the current popularity of 'The Gold Heist,' as they say locally, it's a walk in the park."

Lin Yuwu successfully made everyone laugh.

Shen Jie said, "Anyway, my task is considered done. Next is to wait for the audience's test."

After chatting for a while, Lin Yufan asked, "Director Shen, what are your plans next?"

Shen Jie smiled, "I was going to ask if 'The Mantis' could be filmed?"

Lin Yufan currently does not want to film "The Mantis." She said, "Let's put 'The Mantis' aside for now. We have another very popular 30-cent novel called 'The Passionate Tenant.' Director Shen, are you interested in adapting it into a movie?"

Shen Jie asked, "What type?"

Lin Yufan then went into detail with him.

Shen Jie and Gu Huiling were intrigued after hearing about it, feeling that this was a genre they hadn't tried before and were willing to give it a shot.

"We'll go back and carefully study this novel first."

Lin Yufan told He Xiaoqing to bring two copies of *The Passionate Tenant* for Shen Jie and his wife.

As they were still chatting, He Xiaoqing came in with two books for Shen Jie and his wife and whispered to Lin Yufan, "Sis Fan, Boss Xie is here; he wants to see you outside."

Lin Yufan wasn't keen on seeing Xie Guixiang at first, but then thought she had something to verify with him, so she quietly told Xiaoqing, "Let him wait."

After going over the arrangements for tomorrow's premiere, Director Shen and his wife left first. Hong Yu and Tie Long headed to the bank to withdraw some cash, and Lin Yufan communicated with Lin Yuwu about the matters at Zhaoyang Printing Factory.

Lin Yuwu had cleared both the soft and hard obstacles at Zhaoyang Printing Factory, and it was now running smoothly, starting to handle a lot of their own orders.

"Remember to stockpile pulp."

Lin Yuwu said, "I won't forget. We're already constructing a warehouse. You can count on me."

After wrapping up the discussion, Lin Yufan had Xiaoqing call Boss Xie in.

Boss Xie walked into the Square Inch Pictures office with a smile, holding a big fruit basket.

"Mrs. Zhao, Fifth Master Lin, oh, it's been a while."

Lin Yufan sat quietly without saying a word, while Lin Yuwu smirked sarcastically, "Boss Xie, it's been months. How come your face has turned black? Ew, it must be because your skin is too thick, and your black heart is showing on your face."

What sarcasm!

Boss Xie: "..."

Luckily, Boss Xie was no stranger to such situations and had thick skin. He put down the fruit basket and apologized with a bitter smile.

"My fault, I, Xie, am uneducated; I listened to my subordinates' slander. They said three-cent novels are profitable now, and since we have our own printing factory, we have an edge. So I thought of registering a publishing house to get into this business. I couldn't think of a good name, so I just decided to use the name Three Cents Press. Who knew it would clash with yours? This was truly an honest mistake."

Lin Yuwu scoffed, "An honest mistake, and you still sued us?"

Wasn't it just for fame?

Boss Xie hurriedly explained, "No, I found a lousy lawyer. This lawyer wanted to make money and kept urging me to sue you. He said our publishing house was approved by the General Administration of Press and Publication, we have the certificate, and we are in the right. I had no idea at the time; you had applied for the name change earlier than us. I thought you were unhappy with us using the name 'Three Cents Press,' so you applied for the name change."

Lin Yufan questioned, "You didn't know about our name change before? But we found a witness who can prove that you were at the printing factory at the beginning of the year, holding our declaration in the *Hong Kong Ming Daily* and discussing the name change of 'Qunqing' to 'Three Cents Press' with someone."

Boss Xie immediately clarified, "Impossible, I never discussed this matter with anyone at the printing factory. The discussions about registering the publishing house were all done at home with my subordinates. I also don't know where Mrs. Zhao found this witness."

Lin Yuwu scolded, "Are you saying we found someone to frame you?"

Boss Xie: "No, no. That's not what I mean. This person did come to our printing factory, but I don't know her. I said I discussed it with others, but who are these others?"

Lin Yuwu retorted, "The witness heard you talking; she doesn't need to know you. And she only knows you. As for who you were talking to, she didn't pay attention."

"But I really didn't discuss the publishing house matter with anyone at the printing factory." Saying this, Boss Xie extended three fingers and swore, "If I'm lying, may Xie Guixiang be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

Lin Yufan stared at Boss Xie, "You had no idea about our name change before? If you knew, then may you be struck by lightning and die a horrible death! Do you dare to swear?"

"Huh?" Boss Xie wanted to say, that's not what he meant.

Lin Yufan carefully observed Boss Xie's expression: "I wrote to Mi Xian, and Mi Xian said that you preemptively registered after knowing about our name change."

Boss Xie didn’t expect Lin Yufan to involve Mi Xian.

He was momentarily at a loss for words, only nervously licking his lips.

Lin Yuwu: "If you're going to swear an oath, make it harsher. Don't swear on yourself, swear on your son. If you lie, may you be struck by lightning, and may your son die a horrible death!"

Damn bastard!

Boss Xie couldn’t help but curse in his heart!

This Lin Yuwu is truly ruthless!

Boss Xie could only dodge the main point: "I really didn’t talk about the Three Cents Press at the printing factory."

Lin Yufan understood that Boss Xie only dared to swear he didn’t talk about the Three Cents Press at the printing factory, which was probably true, so Ji Shuping provided false testimony.

Ji Shuping just wanted to use this opportunity to get closer to their family, closer to Zhao Zhiao, to make the Zhao family grateful for her alleged "favor."

After all, disproving Ji Shuping’s false testimony would be difficult.

Under normal circumstances, even if Boss Xie didn’t admit to Ji Shuping’s accusation, Lin Yufan, as the opposing party, certainly wouldn’t believe Boss Xie’s words.

Ji Shuping is one cunning woman.

Boss Xie repeated: "I really didn’t talk about the Three Cents Press at the printing factory."

"Who’s asking about that? Do you dare swear that you had no idea about our name change before registering the press? Do you dare?" Lin Yuwu shouted, startling Boss Xie so much he almost lost his courage.

Boss Xie put on a pitiful face: "Didn’t I withdraw the lawsuit? I admit my mistake. I will go to cancel the registration of the name Three Cents Press tomorrow. I came today to sincerely apologize, hoping the two bosses won’t hold a grudge against a small man."

Lin Yufan was firm: "Withdrawing the lawsuit doesn’t help; we’ve already filed a counter-suit. If you don’t meet our demands, I won’t settle out of court."

"Withdrawing all the 30-cent novels from the market is too difficult, the workload is huge, and the cost is high. Also, a compensation of ten thousand Hong Kong dollars is too much. A 30-cent novel only earns ten cents, so selling a hundred thousand copies would barely make ten thousand Hong Kong dollars. We can’t earn that much in a year of hard work. Can we reduce it to a thousand dollars, is that okay?"

Lin Yuwu: "A thousand Hong Kong dollars? That’s too low a price. Stop playing the poor card, Boss Xie. Everyone knows your Yaohui Shoe Factory and two dormitory buildings sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Boss Xie complained about his poverty: "We were hundreds of thousands in debt; if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have sold the shoe factory. After paying off the debts, I really don’t have much money left."

So Boss Xie’s visit to apologize was fake; his real intention was to get Lin Yufan to lower the compensation conditions.

Lin Yuwu scolded him: "Stop pretending to be the victim. This lawsuit you filed against us has made you famous. Who knew Xie Guixiang before? Now your name is practically a household name in Hong Kong. Next, you’re probably planning to register a new press and continue to leech off us to make money, right?"

Caught off guard, Boss Xie forced an awkward smile, "There are so many presses in Hong Kong, one more won’t make a difference, right?"

"One more press won’t make a difference. But don’t leech off us like a parasite." Lin Yufan was slightly impatient, "I couldn’t care less about your ten thousand dollars, but solving the problem with a thousand dollars is impossible. We’ll let the court decide and abide by the judge’s ruling."

With that, she dismissed Xie Guixiang and walked out.

Boss Xie looked embarrassed at Lin Yuwu, "Lin Yuwu, I’m begging you, help me out."

Lin Yuwu sat back down to make tea, "I don’t have the ability, can’t help."

*

After communicating with Lawyer Yan at Guozheng Law Firm, Ji Shuping came out, and Zhao Lixiang invited her to dinner.

After dinner, Zhao Lixiang took her home.

At the Ji family’s door, Ji Shuping invited: "Come in for a while. You still haven’t taken your watch back yet."

Zhao Lixiang, completely clueless, said, "I almost forgot about that watch. I gotta check out the new darkroom at the photography department. Can you bring the watch to the newspaper office tomorrow? I’ll head off now."

Ji Shuping watched Zhao Lixiang leave, pursed her lips, and walked into the house, feeling utterly helpless.

She got home, took a shower, and then the phone rang.

She picked up the phone: "Hello... Yes, no progress. I can’t tell if he’s playing dumb or if I’m just not charming enough... It’s pretty bold of you to suggest forcing things... I know... Fine, I’ll go all in... Just waiting for the right opportunity."

After hanging up, Ji Shuping looked at herself in the mirror, slightly disgusted, and closed her eyes.

*

Square Inch Pictures’ *The Gold Heist* premiered in grand style at Yunhe Cinema.

The cinema entrance was decked out with flower baskets from friends and family, and the scene was dazzling with stars and constant flashes from cameras.

This marked Lin Yufan’s first time stepping into the media spotlight for an interview.

She wore three hats today: producer, original author, and screenwriter, plus the added status of being the wife of the richest man, outshining the director and the star-studded cast.

What stood out was her beauty—even next to glamorous actresses, she held her own, exuding elegance and composure.

Zhao Zhiao stood behind her, beaming with pride and a touch of narcissism, thinking no one could choose a wife better than he could.

The event was packed with tycoons, socialites, and celebrities. Reporters marveled that Hong Kong’s cinemas hadn’t seen this much buzz since Japan’s surrender.

After tweaking the music, *The Gold Heist* got a final polish.

Director Shen reworked the final scene, boosting the film’s quality and adding depth.

When the movie ended, the theater burst into thunderous applause and cheers.

The film’s plot outshone the original book, thanks to the screenwriter’s touch; its complete and artistic presentation on screen was a credit to the director and actors.

Even the male lead, a complete rookie, oozed charm...

Back home, Lin Yufan tuned into the radio, nervously drumming her fingers on the table as the broadcaster sang her praises.

Zhao Zhiao teased her: "Weren’t you very composed at the cinema?"

She was faking it.

Lin Yufan was extremely nervous.

She’d never sweated profits or losses in her other ventures.

But this was different—it felt like unveiling her own child to the world, fearing that the pearl might be overlooked and not appreciated by the world.

Luckily, the next day brought good news: by 6 PM on opening day, the box office had already topped ten thousand!

Opening day smashed Hong Kong’s box office records.

Over the next three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—the cumulative box office exceeded fifty thousand, breaking records again.

Tickets had to be booked at least two days in advance at many cinemas.

Seeing this success, distributors from Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea expressed interest in bringing *The Gold Heist* overseas.

Newspapers, magazines, and radio praised the film’s success, largely attributing it to Lin Yufan, the original author, who invested in and adapted her own work.

Some papers even declared: A new era is on the horizon!