After hearing Jia Yihe's plan, Chen Wu nodded. Jia was an old hand at journalism, keenly attuned to how far a story could spread. He would handle this perfectly.
Jia Yihe relaxed when Chen Wu nodded, but then he heard Chen Wu speak again.
"Besides your new novel, there's something else I need your help with."
Jia Yihe immediately straightened. "Please tell me, Mr. Lu Xun. Whatever you ask, I'll go through boiling water and tread on fire."
"Come closer." Chen Wu raised his chin.
Jia Yihe hesitated. "But—"
"Hmm?" One glance from Chen Wu sent Jia Yihe hurrying forward.
Chen Wu took something from inside his robe and handed it to Jia Yihe.
"Take it!"
Jia Yihe reached out with trembling hands and took the booklet. Across its cover were the words Legend of the Condor Heroes.
"Oh."
"What's this?" Jia Yihe asked in surprise.
"Your Your Name, White Lotus is so good it's put my original novel in the shade."
"What? Mr. Lu Xun, you're Huang Jingu?" Jia Yihe looked up, utterly astonished.
Suddenly, even this well-known rebel, Lu Xun, seemed much closer to him.
"Just something I wrote for fun, to draw readers to the People's Daily," Chen Wu said. "But your novel is so good that no one reads mine anymore. That'll limit the People's Daily's reach."
"My Yongjiu School's idea of Leaderless Dragons will lose many supporters because of you. Tell me, from the Yongjiu School's point of view, doesn't that make you a terrible sinner?"
"I see!" Jia Yihe said. "But that was never my intention!"
"Now you have a chance to redeem yourself." Chen Wu smiled. "I've only serialized three chapters of Legend of the Condor Heroes. The remaining drafts and the story outline are here. Help me edit and continue it."
Jia