How Can We Take Someone Else's Things?

In the eighties, educated young people who loved literature were given a flattering label—literary youth.

Among them, there were genuine literary youths and fake ones.

The former truly loved literature and the joy of letting their imaginations roam free in the ocean of words.

The latter loved all the benefits that came with literature—such as raising their social standing, or receiving the admiring gazes of pretty literary young women without spending a single cent.

They had even coined beastly phrases like "lustful but not obscene."

Teacher Ke was a genuine literary youth, and her literary standards were quite high. But the works she had read were basically pure literature, or rather, serious literature.

This kind of literature demanded a great deal from its writers, and its readership was rather discerning as well.

Some people said that this sort of literature was really written by a small group of people for another small group. Those who understood it found more and more flavor the more they read, while those who did not understand it felt rather miserable.

Take "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond." Without a teacher's explanation, how long would an elementary school student need to appreciate its perfect artistic conception?

Popular fiction, on the other hand, was much more down-to-earth. A fifth grader could read The Legend of the Condor Heroes and understand it at a glance.

Online literature took this a step further.

It no longer obsessed over the beauty of its wording, placing greater emphasis on plot descriptions. Its purpose was to build all kinds of scenes in the reader's mind and stir up their desire to keep reading.

So the moment Teacher Ke read the "Infiltration" written by Li Ye, she was drawn in by his novel style of description.

Especially the brilliant opening section, where Yu Zecheng assassinated Li Haifeng.

Li Haifeng stretched a hand out of the car window and tossed the pistol in his hand onto the ground, showing that he intended to give up resisting. He wanted to see just who was ambushing him.

When Li Haifeng saw Yu Zecheng emerge with a pistol in hand, agile and alert, he asked in disbelief, "It's just you?"

The scene where Yu Zecheng, alone and unarmed but for his gun, used the fear of death to force Li Haifeng to throw down his weapon and leave the car to become meat on the chopping block had been rendered by Li Ye with every sort of flourish, full of twists and turns and utterly gripping.

Then there was the detail of Yu Zecheng shooting three traitors dead, then feeling each of their necks to make sure their hearts had stopped beating. It had Teacher Ke completely engrossed.

The Legend of the Condor Heroes did not have scenes where someone killed a person and then felt their neck. Its characters were grandmasters of martial arts, able to see at a glance whether someone was dead or alive.

But "Infiltration" was different. What it portrayed were living, breathing ordinary people.

Teacher Ke read page after page, unknowingly reaching the final page before suddenly coming back to herself.

When she checked the time, it was already the middle of the night.

This novel... seemed useful.

A flash of light suddenly crossed Teacher Ke's mind, and she thought of a possibility.

Her thoughts rapidly spread outward as her mind began turning at high speed.

She frowned at times, looked ashamed at others, sighed now and then, and occasionally gritted her teeth. Before she knew it, dawn had arrived.

After evening study the next day, Teacher Ke asked Li Ye to come to her office.

Then she said to Wen Leyu, "Xiao Yu, go out for a while. I have something to discuss with Li Ye."

Wen Leyu's eyes suddenly widened as she stared silently at her mom.

Teacher Ke sighed softly. "I have something serious to discuss with Li Ye. Go out, close the door, and keep watch for us, all right?"

Wen Leyu looked at her mom suspiciously. Only after making sure she was not about to give Li Ye trouble did she reluctantly leave the office.

After Wen Leyu left, Teacher Ke began making small talk with Li Ye.

"Li Ye, I heard that your grandfather was an old soldier, and that your father was once a glorious fighter as well. Is that right?"

"Yes, Teacher Ke. The elders in my family did indeed go to war."

"Then did any of your family elders, or any elders you have come into contact with, ever work in intelligence?"

"..."

Li Ye looked at Teacher Ke and smiled. "No. They were all soldiers in frontline combat units. Why do you ask, Teacher Ke?"

Teacher Ke said, "Li Ye, I actually read the novel you wrote yesterday. It was extremely wonderful, but it still had some shortcomings."

"Shortcomings?"

Li Ye was surprised. He had not expected Teacher Ke to summon him over late at night and mysteriously close the door just to discuss his novel with him.

"Yes, shortcomings." Teacher Ke smoothed her hair and spoke eloquently. "For example, when you described Yu Zecheng's identity, it was not clear enough. Your portrayal of Zuo Lan was also very vague."

Listening to Teacher Ke's "corrections," Li Ye could not help going blank. The shortcomings she had pointed out were precisely the many sensitive points of knowledge he had deliberately avoided to keep out of trouble.

"Of course, you cannot be blamed for that," Teacher Ke said. "After all, you have never come into contact with professionals. If you relied entirely on imagination for so many details, your descriptions would naturally fall short."

Li Ye said modestly, "Yes, yes. I was inspired to write this novel by Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp. I just imagined it all out of thin air and wrote it for fun. Hehehehe."

Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp was a spy drama that had first aired in 1981. It had been wildly popular for a time, and it was also the excuse Li Ye had long prepared for the source material of his novel.

"Your 'writing for fun' would probably put many professional authors to shame."

Teacher Ke pondered for a moment, then finally said to Li Ye, "Actually, I can help you improve the flaws and omissions in your novel. I can also polish some of the rougher wording."

"..."

Li Ye was genuinely astonished.

Before coming here, he had imagined all sorts of possibilities. For instance, they might discuss why he had not continued being selfless and publicly spirited by providing the entire class with more fresh and varied test questions.

Or perhaps she would take the attitude of "I'm doing this for your own good" and tell him to keep his distance from Wen Leyu, not to entertain any improper thoughts.

But Li Ye would never have imagined that Teacher Ke wanted to help him "improve" his novel.

Li Ye fell silent for several seconds, then slowly shook his head. "Teacher Ke, have you considered that if the book is supplemented and improved the way you just described, it may become too sensitive to be published?"

"..."

Teacher Ke's pupils abruptly contracted as she stared at Li Ye in disbelief, unable to respond for a moment.

Was he really only eighteen or nineteen? How could he know something so subtle?

Or had he not written this book himself, but received guidance from some hidden master?

After weighing her words, Teacher Ke said, "I truly had not noticed that. I thought the situation had greatly improved now, so I did not think in that direction."

Li Ye carefully studied Teacher Ke and caught a trace of shame and disappointment in her eyes.

He swiftly analyzed Teacher Ke's intentions in his mind, ruling out one unreasonable possibility after another.

After considering Teacher Ke's identity and current circumstances together, Li Ye finally came to a sudden realization.

Li Ye immediately said, "Actually, I may just be worrying for nothing. Some of the ideas you mentioned are still quite valuable, Teacher Ke. I'll think them over after I get back and put them to use as soon as possible. Then I'll list you as a co-author, all right?"

"..."

Teacher Ke was truly shocked.

Li Ye had already surprised her beyond measure just now, but what he had said this time struck straight at her heart.

How did he guess what I intended? I never told Xiao Yu!

Teacher Ke simply could not understand how Li Ye had guessed what was in her heart.

She had only formed this idea after reading Wen Leyu's manuscript last night, and she had not told anyone about it.

If one said it was a coincidence, that Li Ye had simply blurted it out, that would be far too insulting.

Just look at Li Ye's steady demeanor at this moment, at the gaze so utterly out of keeping with his actual age. How could it possibly have been a casual remark?

A novel was not a thesis, where one could tack a whole crowd of co-authors behind the first author. Novels rarely had a second author or co-authors.

More importantly, she could not actually help! The "shortcomings" she had thought existed were not needed by Li Ye at all, so what right did she have to take his benefits for nothing?

What should she do? Should she agree? But would that not be too shameless?

"All right, then! I'll hurry and organize some materials for you. See whether you can use them. As for being a co-author..."

Teacher Ke was still deeply conflicted, and with her face red, she did not directly agree.

But how quick was Li Ye's reaction?

He immediately stood and headed for the door. "Then I'll head back first, Teacher Ke. Just have Wen Leyu give me any materials you find."

Teacher Ke could only stand and see Li Ye out. "Oh... all right!"

However, after Li Ye reached the doorway, he first paused for two seconds. Only after the brisk, hurried footsteps outside had completely faded away did he reach out, open the door, and leave.

More than twenty meters outside, Li Ye passed Wen Leyu.

Little Mute had both hands twisted behind her back, her eyes flickering with obvious unease.

Li Ye smiled. "It's fine. Hurry back! You still have class tomorrow!"

Wen Leyu looked at Li Ye, then quickly walked back. The moment she entered, she questioned Teacher Ke.

"Mom, how can you do this? That novel is Li Ye's painstaking work. How can we take someone else's things?"

"..."

Teacher Ke was silent for a long while before asking the stubborn, furious Wen Leyu, "Xiao Yu, do you miss Dad?"

"..."

Wen Leyu was instantly struck as if by lightning, her slender body swaying again and again.

Teacher Ke asked again, "Xiao Yu, do you miss your brother?"

Wen Leyu hurriedly lowered her head, refusing to let her mom see the tears in her eyes.

The mother and daughter remained silently speechless. After a long time, Wen Leyu finally said softly, "In Dad's last letter, he told me he was doing very well and told you not to worry, Mom."

"But I know Dad is not doing well. He used scrap paper and pencil to write that letter."

"Ah..."

Teacher Ke sighed softly and wrapped her daughter in her arms.

Husbands and wives trapped in adversity always reported good news and hid the bad.

The husband far away did not know that his daughter had become withdrawn and silent. He had even hoped to use their daughter to encourage her mom to pull herself together and remain optimistic.

Teacher Ke said gently, "Xiao Yu, you are already a big girl. There are some things you should know now.

"We need help now, but there are fewer and fewer people who can help us, and fewer and fewer who are willing to help us."

With a nasal voice, Wen Leyu asked, "But what does this have to do with Li Ye's novel?"

Teacher Ke said, "It does have something to do with it. At the very least, it can give us a reason to walk through the door, to meet some people and say a few words."

"A few words? Will that be useful?" Wen Leyu asked doubtfully.

"It will!"

Teacher Ke answered with certainty, but in her heart, she was not so certain at all.

But Teacher Ke understood very clearly that even if it was only a single straw, they had to do everything possible to grasp it.