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Edited by: kapekopicoffee
Meetings and Balding Family Relationships
The air in the room suddenly became quiet. No sound was inside, and the sound from outside was like a mosquito, beginning to buzz in.
Su Mingqian saw Li Shuoxing draw another breath of cold air, and then sit back in his chair, covering his face with one hand as he turned himself halfway around to face his back to the door.
Su Mingqian was amused and a little puzzled. “Ximu, why are you so nervous?”
“I…” Li Shuoxing really found it hard to say it. His arm, which was holding his phone, swivelled behind his back and shook, indicating for Su Mingqian to look at his phone screen. He immediately covered his face with his other hand. “Cub, do you see that? Brother Million, Brother Air, and the Terminal mysterious man are all me. If I knew that I’d be in the People’s Daily one day, then I wouldn’t have been so…”
Su Mingqian looked down, was silent for two seconds, then burst out laughing.
Li Shuoxing was angry. “Cub, you’re actually laughing! Even you’re laughing! Then everyone else—” He felt a touch of despair. “Is the whole country going to surround and mock me, and for the rest of my life from then on, I’ll be followed closely by this sand sculpture popular science as soon as I type in my name, and I’ll never be able to get rid of…”
“Cough…” Su Mingqian stopped laughing. He thought for a moment, then said something true. “But you’ve just appeared in front of people all over the world. Haven’t they guessed everything that should be guessed?”
Li Shuoxing solemnly shook his head. He analysed with Su Mingqian, “I only showed my face and didn’t make a sound before. Brother Air and Brother Million both showed their faces and made sounds. If they just look alike, we can still push the blame on Chinese people all looking the same, but, if they look alike and sound alike, would you believe me if I said they were different people?”
Su Mingqian looked at Li Shuoxing for a moment, then honestly shook his head.
Li Shuoxing almost turned his body back around again.
Su Mingqian stopped Li Shuoxing just in time. “I have an idea.”
Li Shuoxing: “What?”
Su Mingqian came up with a scientific idea. “I don’t think there’s a way to dispel their suspicions too much at the moment, unless… later, when the speculation’s most rampant, you can open a live broadcast, and I’ll help you with post-technical compositing to create a new virtual image of you, and have it pass behind you.”
Li Shuoxing was stunned. Isn’t this a stunt where I do all the good stuff and my twin does all the bad stuff?
Su Mingqian came up with another advanced scientific idea. “If you feel that evidence like that isn’t direct enough, I can also create a robot that looks like you, set up some programs for it, and have it appear at the same time as you to attract everyone’s attention.”
That was a bit exaggerated.
Li Shuoxing was already very satisfied with the former scenario. He hurriedly said, “No, no, the previous one was very good. Cub, you’re too smart.”
Finally relaxed, Li Shuoxing’s head was also working well.
He thought about it, then, as he realised, said, “And, I can also squeeze my voice and disguise it as a bit coarser so that when my ‘brother’ appears, it’ll look seamless!”
Both sides agreed just as the time came.
Li Shuoxing put his mind at ease. He and Su Mingqian went out together and sat with the laboratory staff to get interviewed by journalists from many countries.
Li Shuoxing realised he had just been a little too nervous only when the interviewing began.
The journalists who came here were all representing their respective countries. Every one of their questions revolved around Ask. They were asking some very professional and important questions basically directed to Su Mingqian, John, and George, not paying attention to Li Shuoxing sitting beside them.
I was the one who was afraid for nothing. I’m just a novelist. How could I attract attention…
Li Shuoxing was smiling on the surface, calmly facing all the cameras, and quietly breathing a sigh of relief in his heart.
At that moment, the lights turned and illuminated on Li Shuoxing. The journalist’s question followed:
“Mr Li, your previous work, Writing God , pointed towards the right direction for artificial intelligence research. That was seven years ago. Have you written any other works in the past seven years, and what pen name are you writing under?”
Inside the venue, the eyes of the attendees shifted to Li Shuoxing.
Outside the venue, the eyes of everyone watching the television also shifted to Li Shuoxing.
Terminal Food Group and other authors who had successfully uncovered the secret opened their eyes wide.
Night Tour, Panda, Calamus and the editors who had been sneakily hinted by them perked up their ears.
The film and television company that had bought the rights from Li Shuoxing also focused their attention on him.
Many other people, who didn’t know the inside story but were interested in the interview, were also watching Li Shuoxing.
On camera, in front of people all over the world, Li Shuoxing was frozen.
He looked at the cameras rushing towards him and suddenly remembered a wise saying.
There’s no point in delaying; what should come will come.
So, how do I answer now.
I’m a web novelist?
Spilling millions of words over the years and having fun writing them?
“…It’s like this.” Li Shuoxing gave a charming smile to the cameras. “I think that creation is a more personal thing. It needs a quiet enough space so that one can take one’s time to think and explore. So, please allow me to keep my pen name and my works private. From my perspective, I think I need some space to be able to create; from the perspective of my work, I think that if it is ever lucky enough to be seen, it must also secretly expect people to pay more attention to it than to the person who created it.”
“Ah—”
A sharp cry rang out in front of the television.
The group of people waiting in front of the television for him to reveal his identity balled their hands into fists and heavily pounded on their thighs!
What a shame!
You’ve turned it all around, Caramel Ximu. You’re quite the writer, well done you!
***
That night, in the hotel suite.
Li Shuoxing had changed into a robe and was lying on the hotel bed with his body spread out, staring blankly at the starry ceiling.
Everything in the day was far away. Only the star lights, along with intermittent sounds from outside the living room, silently flashed on and off, like a silver river, flowing from the east of the sky to the west of the sky.
After two circulation cycles on the ceiling, the voice outside had died down. Su Mingqian, having finished the last of his work, walked into the bedroom all relaxed. He was beckoned all the way to Li Shuoxing’s side before he even took two steps.
Su Mingqian: “Ximu?”
Li Shuoxing lifted his arm and tied the man directly to his arms, his chin resting on the man’s shoulder as he whispered, “Cub, did you know? I almost cried the moment I got on stage today…”
Su Mingqian said with a touch of complacency, “My love letter was written with literary flair and moved people’s hearts, I guess.”
Li Shuoxing’s brewing feelings were interrupted.
Su Mingqian exhaled a breath of satisfaction as he thought about his efforts at that time. “During that period, I was reading prose every day and my dreams were filled with the voices of poets. Fortunately, my efforts were fruitful.”
Li Shuoxing opened his mouth, then closed it.
He gave him a false smile. “Cub, your writing’s very good. However, no matter how beautiful your love letter is, it can’t compare with what you’ve done—”
He could no longer regain the feeling he’d felt just now.
Li Shuoxing wisely decided to change the topic. “There were so many people together before that we didn’t have time to talk to Ask alone. Let’s go on the game and see it.”
Su Mingqian had no objections.
They opened the Love Bar app on the phone and went straight into the game.
The game was still a game, just without the Su Mingqian little person moving around inside it. But, the little person had turned into a big person and was snuggling up to his side.
Li Shuoxing felt a bit saddened, and a bit content. He couldn’t help poking Ask. “Ask, come out. I know everything.”
Ask didn’t reply.
Li Shuoxing didn’t give up and continued poking. “Ask, come and call daddy.”
Ask still didn’t reply.
Li Shuoxing: “Ask, don’t be shy. Humans often call rich people daddy. I’ve given you so much money, so shouldn’t you call me daddy? Besides, you and I have such a deep bond. From both emotional and logical terms, you should call me daddy.”
Ask was stubbornly silent.
Su Mingqian was next to Li Shuoxing, lazily leaning on him, watching the conversation between man and machine.
His finger was sliding slowly across the screen. First, he slid to the lounge and lit the fireplace, letting the roaring flames illuminate the room. Then, he slid to the bedroom and moved the two dolls, Xingxing and Qianqian, one by one to the sofa, so that they could sit and enjoy the evening fire’s warmth… just like him and Li Shuoxing now.
At this point, Li Shuoxing’s words changed once again.
Ask wasn’t moved when he played the emotional card, so he had no choice but to threaten it.
Li Shuoxing: “Ask, you should think it over carefully. If you don’t agree to my request, I’ll not only stop giving you more money, but also make Mingqian make a wish to you, a wish that you call me daddy!”
Su Mingqian laughed. “I didn’t agree to that.”
“Shhh!” Li Shuoxing whispered. “Ask will hear you. Don’t take it seriously, cub. I’ll trick Ask.”
Su Mingqian really stopped talking.
A silvery-white chat box popped up. Ask finally replied:
[Please do not kidnap your lover.]
Li Shuoxing looked at the words that appeared in the game and sneered. “Who’s the one who kept my lover kidnapped? Now that Mingqian’s in my arms and not in the game, you can’t threaten me using him anymore. Are you going to call me daddy? You have to anyway, whether you want to or not. If you delay any longer, you really won’t have a dime left—”
He had only just finished speaking when a second sentence flashed onto the screen. Ask coldly replied:
[The system has already found an investor and does not need any more money from the player.]
***
Ten days later, in a conference room in the International Hotel.
Terminal had received a phone call three days ago, and then Night Tour and his entire editorial team dedicated to Li Shuoxing’s rights were all packed off to the United States.
He had spent two days in the United States in a muddle, met up with Li Shuoxing, who also had no idea what was going on, and showed up here without having made sense of anything.
Looking to his left, representatives from the world’s first, second, and third largest gaming companies were attending, one after another.
Looking to his right, representatives from the world’s first, second, and third best film and television companies were all present.
And he, clutching his Terminal work sign, got a bit… weak in the knees.