Chapter 138
Si Ming's talent is not limited to martial arts; he can learn any skill quickly and master it with practice.
He patted Si Jingyue's hand in return, then composed himself, pushed open the door, and strode out.
At the banquet, countless people toasted him, especially the publishing house owners, who waved their checks, hoping Si Ming would nod in approval.
"Brother, you should have finished writing Volume 8 of 'Red Dawn' by now. A billion Red Dawn fans are eagerly awaiting your book. We've known each other for a long time, and we've had a very pleasant collaboration in the past. Please continue to submit this book to our Prince Publishing House."
"Master Si Ming, it's best not to mix money with feelings, otherwise things will get complicated. Besides, Prince Publishing House has already 'luckily' lost several authors, and continuing to publish it wouldn't be good. Speaking of which, you initially approached our Bureau Chief Publishing House. I've already dismissed that editor who was blind to your talent. So why not go back to square one and let our Bureau Chief Publishing House handle the operation of 'Red Dawn'?"
"Ahem, both of you, please stop arguing. In terms of store coverage, our Spring and Autumn Publishing House has the widest reach, with branches in every country and county. Therefore, to maximize the value of 'Red Dawn,' it's best to entrust it to our Spring and Autumn Publishing House. Furthermore, we are willing to offer an additional two percent discount on your previous book, Master."
The book "Red Dawn," which these publishers fought tooth and nail over, is the masterpiece that established Si Ming's status as a novelist. It is now popular all over the country, and people from high-ranking officials to ordinary citizens have heard of it, even if they haven't read it. At various tea houses and book clubs, participants must evaluate the book and discuss its contents; otherwise, they are considered out of touch with the times.
After realizing there was no hope of leaving the Si Clan, Si Ming decided to become School of Fiction. However, unlike those "plagiarist" transmigrators, he did not choose the path of plagiarism.
In his view, copying the original plot word for word is something only a useless person with neither ability nor morals would do.
Having creative ideas from various genres is a huge advantage in itself. But if someone has creative ideas and successful examples to reference, yet can't create a completely new story, then they shouldn't be School of Fiction; they might as well be a photocopier since they don't need to use their brains anyway.
Copying plot is plagiarism, copying ideas is borrowing. Regardless of whether others think so, that's what Si Ming thinks. It doesn't matter if he's ridiculed for burying his head in the sand, as long as he can live with his conscience. Besides, even the law Fajian whether borrowing ideas constitutes plagiarism, but a word-for-word copy of the original is plagiarism even a primary school student would know.
Si Ming has tried all sorts of novel genres, including wasteland, sect leader, primordial world, mortal, infinite, Devil Beast. Each time, he has created a wave of imitations in the novel world, accumulating a large following and propelling him into the ranks of first-rate writers.
However, if that were all, he could only be considered "one of the most outstanding writers" throughout his life. Although he had many original ideas, he did not have a classic masterpiece that would be passed down through the ages. It would probably only be after his death that he would be crowned with the title of literary giant.
It wasn't until Si Ming used the history of the Communist Party as an outline and the modern history of Huaxia as a plot to write "Red Dawn" that he finally shocked the entire novel world. He not only became incredibly popular, but also established himself as the leading contemporary School of Fiction.
Anyone who has read "Red Dawn" feels that the story is extremely realistic, imbued with a profound historical weight. The tragic chapters depicting countless heroes who sacrificed themselves in the face of national ruin, searching for light in the darkness and seeking a way out for the Huaxia nation, far surpass previous works in both depth and connotation. Some even lament that there may never be a classic book that surpasses this one in the future.
Qu Dongping, the leading figure in the contemporary literary world, personally visited Si Ming and asked him to write the preface to "Red Dawn," commenting that it was "unprecedented and unparalleled."
Nation of Beauty particularly admire this novel, not only because the author is American, but also because the novel features a Nation of Beauty, which is the world's leading superpower in the story's background. Although it becomes an enemy of the protagonists in the middle of the story, its aura of global hegemony is very satisfying to them.
Military School were very fond of the various military theories in "Red Dawn," and even organized people to study the various battles in the book. After conducting military simulations, they found that the results were surprisingly similar to the outcomes in the novel. The Nation of Valor champion, Lord Champion, particularly admired the People's Party's war philosophy, believing that the sixteen characters "When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue" perfectly captured the essence of guerrilla warfare.
The Mohist School held "Red Dawn" in the highest regard. They believed that the socialist society depicted in the novel was the ideal society that the Mohist School had always pursued. Furthermore, the guiding ideology of the People's Party and the various derivative theories of communism in the novel had great reference value for the national policies of the Su State. Therefore, the Great Yi Institute sent an invitation letter, hoping that Si Ming could serve as a guest elder to guide and explain the theoretical knowledge in the novel. There was even a Mohist School Grandmaster comprehended a supreme martial art from the novel and named it "Communist Radiance Fist".
The argument was heated, and Si Ming was getting annoyed. Suddenly, he noticed that Si Huaruo's personal maid was looking around in the crowd, so he made an excuse to go up to her and ask, "Who are you looking for?"
"Young Master Ming, so you're here. Please go to the side room quickly; Miss is arguing with the clan leader again."
"Okay, I'll go right away."
Having a perfectly legitimate reason to escape, Si Ming was overjoyed. After apologizing to everyone, he followed the maid to the side room. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he heard Si Huaruo's smug voice.
"Si Jingyu, we've been rivals our whole lives, and I've never beaten you once. But today, I've won this round. Ming-gege will be mine soon! Haha, it doesn't matter if I lose to you in everything else; they're just trivial matters. The only thing I can't lose to is Ming-gege. Fortunately, your defeat was destined from the moment you were born."
Even without seeing her in person, Si Ming could easily imagine that Si Huaruo must be standing with one hand on her hip and the other covering her mouth, looking like a serf who had been liberated and was now singing songs of triumph.
"How shallow. Do you really think you've won? Quite the opposite of what you say. From the moment you were born, it was destined that you could never beat me over Mingdi." A haughty, cold voice came from inside the room.
"Hehe, the wailing of a loser is so pleasing to the ear! I never thought you'd be such a sore loser, hahaha, just seeing that unwilling expression on your face makes me happy enough to eat ten bowls of rice. My whole life has been worth it. Don't worry, I'll allow you to complain; it's the victor's tolerance towards the loser."
Si Ming sighed as he listened. The two of them used to have a good relationship when they were young, but they turned into enemies at some point, always picking on each other. Si Huaruo was always the loser, often crying from anger and unable to sleep at night. But she was extremely resilient and had a high fighting spirit. She would fight again and again after each defeat, and the next day she would wipe away her tears and start fighting again.
Si Huaruo's martial arts talent only gradually emerged after she had her first period. She was only slightly inferior to Si Jingyu. Now she is a well-known master among the younger generation. It is predicted that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will definitely advance to the Nascent Spirit Transformation before the age of forty. She is the second best master in the Water Mirror Manor.
The top expert of the Water Mirror Manor is Si Jingyu. As for the ancestor Si Jingxi, she was severely injured by the Eight Asura Sin Lord in a battle twelve years ago, and her injuries have not yet healed. She is unable to fight anyone. However, this secret is only known to a few core members of the Si Clan. On the surface, she is still the top expert of the Water Mirror Manor.
"Can't you two at least take a short break today?"
Si Ming pushed open the door and entered, offering his advice.
Suddenly, a beautiful figure rushed into his arms, hugged him, and kissed him.
"What... what did you do?!" Si Huaruo stammered.
Si Ming then realized that it was his older sister Si Jingyu, who had kissed him. He felt a little embarrassed and quickly took a step back.
Si Jingyu, however, remained calm and said lightly, "It's nothing, just a little bit of intimacy between siblings."
"I've never heard of such a sibling relationship!"
Si Huaruo was so angry that her golden hair stood on end. She grabbed Si Ming, hugged him, and said, "From today onwards, he is my man. You are not allowed to have any improper thoughts!"
"Unreasonable thoughts? You're the one who's being unreasonable, you sly little cat!" Si Jingyu raised an eyebrow. "He and I are siblings, a blood relationship that's destined and can never be separated. You and him are just legally engaged. Even if you were married, with a divorce decree, you and he would be nothing more than strangers."
"To issue a letter of divorce on someone else's engagement day, do you know what etiquette is? Do you know what good manners are?"
"Only a shallow woman like you would care about such hypocritical things. I don't live for the opinions of others."
Just as Si Huaruo was about to explode, she suddenly calmed down, looking as if she had victory in her grasp.
"I do care a lot about etiquette, so don't worry, no matter how impolite you are, I will still have my child call you 'Auntie'."
She covered her mouth and burst into laughter, her expression resembling that of a fox that had stolen a chicken.
Upon hearing the word "aunt," a chill flashed in Si Jingyu's eyes, and she said in a deep voice, "Let me tell you something: the law cannot bind me."
Si Huaruo was stunned. "You, you, you! How could you say something so dangerous! I'll stay by Ming-gege's side 24/7 from now on, and I won't give you the slightest chance to take advantage of me!"
Am I going to spend the rest of my life amidst these arguments?
Si Ming thought to himself with distress.
Note: This is a parallel world story adapted from Qidian. It belongs to a future branch of another world line, not a future branch of the main story. Please refer to the first six chapters of "Abandoned World Line Volume" to view it.