Chapter 227: I Refuse
“Meeting the two of you again, I feel honored.” In the gaze of the two, the female secretary walked over with a smiling face and raised her glass in a gesture of greeting, “Last time was rushed, I didn’t exchange names. I’m Mi Xiaolin, pleased to meet you both...”
Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji both squinted their eyes, staring at her without responding.
Their synchronized expressions and actions made Mi Xiaolin chuckle, “No need for that kind of expression... Although you were wearing masks last time, your grace and demeanor are the same. Plus, last time you stood up for Mr. Zhu, and now you’re with him again. As an eyewitness, I can naturally figure it out.”
Chu Ge pondered for a moment, “That’s true.”
Mi Xiaolin continued to smile, “I’m quite curious. Since you don’t want to reveal your identities, why not be even more discreet?”
Chu Ge’s response was calm, “We’re not afraid of trouble. We simply don’t want to disrupt our lives. But that doesn’t mean we have to live like mice, constantly hiding and second-guessing everything. It’s more troublesome to live that way. It’s better to be upfront, scare you off, and avoid unnecessary complications.”
“Haha... Just as I expected, as domineering as ever.” Mi Xiaolin seemed to find it amusing, “But you do have the confidence to back it up.”
Chu Ge remained unmoved, and his gaze turned slightly cold, “Since you know we dislike trouble, and now that you know our identities, why approach us and ask... What’s your intention?”
Mi Xiaolin hesitated for a moment, her curiosity seemingly directed toward Qiu Wuji.
Since Chu Ge had started the conversation, Qiu Wuji had remained silent, standing quietly by his side as if she had handed over the responsibility of external negotiations to him.
Such a beautiful, powerful, and obedient little wife... Where the hell did he find her?T/his chapter is updated by nov(ê(l)biin.co/m
Mi Xiaolin almost couldn’t resist educating her, that women should be independent and strong, not like this!
However, before she could deliver her educational speech, Qiu Wuji decided to educate her first, “My boyfriend is asking you a question! Why are you looking at me? That’s rude.”
Mi Xiaolin: “...”
Damn.
She sighed, “Since we’ve come to you, of course, it’s for a preliminary discussion, to see if we can reach a consensus on certain matters.”
“Courtesy before conflict?” Chu Ge chuckled, “Sure, go ahead and ask, what do you want to discuss?”
“Before that, I’d like to pose a question to both of you...” Mi Xiaolin’s smile faded, and she looked earnestly into their eyes, “Do you hope for the resurgence of spiritual energy and the empowerment of everyone with extraordinary abilities, or do you prefer a world without such things, where normalcy prevails? Or perhaps, did you once desire to obtain various powers, but now that you have them, you hope that others don’t.”
Chu Ge was momentarily stunned, unsure how to answer.
Because he hadn’t really thought about it.
Qiu Wuji also found the question intriguing.
“Dead?”
“Dead.”
“You killed them.”
“In the eyes of others, you killed them... Of course, that doesn’t matter. If we can truly cooperate, even if it was you who killed them, it would only increase your leverage, adding to the deterrent effect before anyone even arrives.”
Chu Ge stated lightly, “And if we don’t cooperate?”
Mi Xiaolin calmly replied, “Well, then you will indeed be in trouble.”
“Trouble in what way?”
“Trouble with this project...” Mi Xiaolin lazily gestured around, “You could say this project is all about you... It’s quite important to you, isn’t it?”
Chu Ge squinted his eyes without answering.
“Is it important, then?” Mi Xiaolin smiled slightly, “I know. An author who writes day and night, struggles for three or four years, endures all sorts of issues... Finally, when this book becomes a hit, gets fully adapted for various rights, gains the attention of Xie Wenyuan, is treated as a top guest at the company, fame and fortune are right in front of you... Truly, it’s the epitome of going from obscurity to worldwide recognition.”
Chu Ge looked up at the soft lights on the ceiling, lost in thought as he listened to her words, then suddenly chuckled, “Yes, it’s important... Your literary style is quite good, and you’ve described it accurately.”
Mi Xiaolin smiled and said, “But I’m sure you also know that you’re quite insignificant in these matters. Xie Wenyuan is willing to show you face, so you can be considered a core member. If he doesn’t trust you, you’re just a figurehead. You might not even know where the ‘original work’ name is hidden. When you calculate your seemingly bright future, you probably only have a few hundred thousand in copyright fees, and nothing else really matters.”
Chu Ge chuckled, “Do you think you can influence Mr. Xie’s attitude? I saw that he seemed uninterested in talking to you earlier.”
“I might not be able to make him value you more, but I can easily cause trouble,” Mi Xiaolin smiled warmly, “No leader wants to see a troublemaker in a project, someone who causes problems at the drop of a hat.”
Chu Ge’s smile remained, but a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.
Mi Xiaolin continued, “Why that expression... I’m just saying these things. I don’t think you have any reason to refuse cooperation at all. Since we’re collaborating, these things won’t even happen...”
“But I refuse,” Chu Ge straightforwardly threw out those three words.
Mi Xiaolin’s words seemed to catch in her throat, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Her eyes widened in astonishment, “You haven’t even heard the terms of the collaboration.”
“No need to hear,” Chu Ge said calmly, “Our paths differ, we shouldn’t work together.”
The once continuously cheerful expression on Mi Xiaolin’s face finally cooled down.
Meanwhile, Qiu Wuji, who had been silently listening, slowly began to smile.