30: Use me, or kill me?

Lin Que clicked on the link.

An official document stamped with over a dozen bright red seals immediately caught his eye.

The title of the document was full of murderous intent.

"Joint Proposal on Purifying the Online Literature Environment and Resisting Vulgar and Harmful Works."

The phrasing was severe, every word intended to kill.

The document first expressed deep distress and criticized online literature platforms represented by "Hongguo Novel Website."

It claimed that for the sake of traffic, they disregarded social responsibility,

allowing "spiritual opium" that promoted blood, violence, and nihilism to grow wildly and poison the youth.

Then, the tone shifted, aiming the spearhead directly at the bullseye.

[...Among them, the online novel "the human world is like a prison" is particularly egregious!

This work is filled with horrific plots of gods and monsters, distorting values,

and openly promoting extreme ideologies such as the uselessness of education and moral decay,

which has already caused an extremely negative social impact!]

[We hereby solemnly warn all cultural units, advertisers, and even relevant departments in the city,

to conduct a joint boycott and thorough investigation of "Hongguo Novel Website,"

until a complete rectification is achieved!]

Seeing this, a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on the corners of Lin Que's mouth.

The old man was driven mad with rage by "ghosts do not read poetry."

Now he was flipping the table, throwing all dignity aside.

However, when his gaze slid to the final paragraph of the document,

the smile slowly flattened, finally pressing into a cold, hard line.

[Literature should have character, and even more so, it should have warmth.

Here, we would also like to recommend to all literature lovers,

an excellent work that truly represents the spirit of the times and warms people's hearts.]

[It is "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store" by Teacher Jian Shen, published by "New Tide" magazine!]

[We call upon all creators to learn from Teacher Jian Shen,

using the pen as a torch to illuminate hearts and inject positive energy into society...]

Wang Shouyi, this titan of the Jiangcheng literary world,

was currently holding up Lin Que's right hand while hoarsely calling for everyone to cut off Lin Que's left hand.

Using me to strike me?

An uncontrollable low chuckle escaped Lin Que's chest.

But there wasn't a hint of warmth in that laughter.

This strike from Wang Shouyi

wasn't hitting his alias, but his wallet.

Cutting off a man's livelihood is like killing his parents.

What's more, this wallet maintained the warm lights of the home behind him.

"Little Que, why are you dazing off? Hurry and try this meat; Mom simmered it all afternoon."

Wang Xiulian picked up the largest piece of braised pork and put it into Lin Que's bowl.

Lin Que looked up.

A lighthearted variety show was playing on the living room TV.

His father, Lin Jianguo, was watching with great interest, laughing along from time to time.

Warm lighting, a feast of food, and his parents' peaceful smiles.

Lin Que moved his gaze away from his parents' content faces,

falling back onto the cold declaration of war on his phone screen.

He knew someone wanted to smash all of this.

And so, the last trace of warmth in his eyes flickered out.

He took a mouthful of rice and stuffed the piece of braised pork into his mouth; it tasted wonderful.

"It's delicious, Mom! The taste rivals a five-star hotel!"

He smiled at his mother.

"Stop being so smooth-tongued and eat more!"

He finished the last bite of rice in his bowl and set down his chopsticks.

"Dad, Mom, I'm full.

I suddenly have some writing inspiration; I need to get to the studio and write it down before I forget."

"So soon? Have some more!"

"No, it's a huge loss if the inspiration runs away."

SOHO Future City, 28th floor.

Lin Que closed the door, shutting everything else out.

He didn't turn on the lights, walking straight to the balcony.

He dialed Chlorophytum's number and, with a light tap, activated the voice changer.

"Dream Weaver Great Master! You finally called back. Did you see that document?"

"I saw it."

Lin Que's voice was very soft.

"Great Master, he's trying to completely blacklist us!"

"Has your legal and PR department made any moves?"

Lin Que was somewhat puzzled. Hong Guo Net was backed by China's number one tech giant: ByteDance.

Departments like legal and PR weren't pushovers.

"Great Master! The proposal... it was too sudden! The whole company is in chaos!

Advertisers are fleeing, app stores are going to delist us,

even... even the group's high-level executives have stepped in, demanding we take down 'the human world is like a prison'!"

"Hong Hu Editor-in-Chief is currently arguing with the higher-ups. He doesn't agree, but the pressure is too great!"

"Great Master, if there isn't a good solution now, we can only..."

The other end of the line fell into silence.

Lin Que didn't speak, just listening quietly.

The wind on the balcony blew the stray hairs on his forehead.

Chlorophytum's heart sank bit by bit.

This was what she feared most.

A god-level author like Hell Dream Weaver had a proud and aloof personality, writing entirely based on interest.

Now that such a big mess had happened and the website wanted to take down his book, who wouldn't be furious?

Would he, in a fit of rage, stop writing altogether or move to another website?

Either outcome would be a catastrophe for Hongguo Novel Website.

"Great Master, please... please don't be angry. This is only temporary. Once the storm passes..."

She explained stutteringly.

"Who told you I was angry?"

"Huh?"

Chlorophytum was completely dazed.

"Listen!"

Lin Que leaned against the railing, his voice calm and unhurried.

"The book must never be taken down."

"But... but the pressure from above..."

"He wants me dead, so I insist on living.

And I'll live better than anyone else."

Chlorophytum was infected by his attitude, and the panic in her heart

inexplicably dissipated quite a bit.

"Then... then what should we do?"

"You don't need to do anything."

Lin Que said.

"Don't issue any announcements, don't respond to any doubts. If anyone asks, just say it's under internal review.

If advertisers want to withdraw, let them. Let Wang Shouyi stir up as big a wave as he can."

"Huh? We just... just hold on like this?"

Chlorophytum felt like her brain couldn't keep up.

"Yes, hold on."

Lin Que's tone became certain.

"He wants to see us fall, so we'll stand even straighter. The bigger the wave he stirs up, the more it will hurt when he falls."

"Additionally."

His tone shifted.

"Tell your Editor-in-Chief to have the money ready."

"Prepare money for what?"

"Have the technical department reinforce the servers. The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish!

Don't let the bowl be too small to catch it all when the time comes."

After saying that, Lin Que hung up the phone.

He left Chlorophytum on the other end of the line, alone in the noisy office,

holding her hot phone, stunned like a wooden chicken.

Inside a room on the 28th floor of SOHO.

Lin Que looked down at the city's heavy traffic, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

Wang Shouyi wanted to use power to crush him?

Then he would use the god that Wang Shouyi himself had built up to shatter the man himself.

He returned to his computer, but instead of logging into Hong Guo Net,

he opened the email account belonging to "Jian Shen," which was so clean it only had a few emails.

He found the email sent by Xu Lan, the editor of "New Tide."

Lin Que's fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard.

He didn't reply directly but created a new document.

For the document title, he wrote only two words.

[reply letter]

Then, the main text began.

[To a confused reader who loves literature:]

[Your letter has been received.]

[You said you recently saw a debate. Some say literature should be a temple that brings hope; others say literature should have the courage to face the darkness.]

[You are very confused and don't know who to believe.]

[I think this perhaps isn't a black-or-white choice.]

[Just like the mailbox of the Namiya General Store, it connects the past and the future. Literature also connects ideals and reality.]

[We certainly need to praise the sun, but if someone wants to use a red cloth to cover the sun forever, only allowing people to praise the color of that red cloth.]

[Then, tearing open this cloth, even if it brings brief darkness and pain, is a greater light.]

[Recently, I heard of a senior in the literary world who is attempting to use the power in his hands to define what literature is, and to decide the life or death of a platform or a work.]

[I want to say to him:]

[Teacher, your love for literature might not be wrong.]

[But when this love turns into a narrow-mindedness that allows no others to exist.]

[What you are guarding is no longer literature.]

[But your own shrine.]

After writing the final word, Lin Que saved the document and sent it as an attachment in his reply to Xu Lan.

At the end of the email, he only attached one sentence.

[If your publication finds it appropriate, this letter may be published openly.]