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Chapter 45




Li Shuoxing was shocked. “I actually said something like that to you?”
“Don’t really lose your memory!” Night Tour paused, then turned the conversation. “Even if you’ve lost your memory, you have to tell me first, will you sign this contract?”
He stopped talking nonsense and told Li Shuoxing about the offer from the film and television company that came to consult.
“Beijing Mingxu Entertainment is offering 10 million for the TV series and web series rights of your Great Dispute . We think this company is very strong, and this price fully proves the importance they attach to you. Consider it for two days and give me a reply. Alright, I’m going to bed.”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
He looked at the time. After all the talking they’d done, it was only 6:50am.
He was speechless. “I was thinking how come you came to see me in the morning. It’s not that you’ve gotten up, but rather you haven’t slept yet.”
Night Tour yawned. “I’m going to bed, good morning.”
As soon as the words flashed out of the chat box, the avatar darkened. Night Tour was offline.
Li Shuoxing lay back as well.
He lay in bed blankly for a while, but wasn’t really sleepy, so he took out his phone and got on the game, still lying in bed.
The colour of the sky in the game was practically synchronised with that in reality.
The sky was already bright, but a layer of clouds gathered in the sky to hide the sun behind them, making the sky less blue and adding a jade haze.
As the cold winter approached, the remaining tree in the courtyard was beginning to take off its yellowing clothes, revealing its vigorous body underneath. The fallen yellow leaves paved the ground and submerged the swing.
The Double 11 unique shopping skin had disappeared and the game had reverted to its daily light colour scheme. Now he actually felt a little nostalgic recalling the bustle of yesterday.
Li Shuoxing swept a couple of glances at the courtyard before turning his gaze indoors.
At this time of the day, the little person was still resting in bed.
He was on his side, facing outward. One arm stretched out from the blanket, with a bent elbow pressed against it, while the other arm was hidden in the blanket, with only five fingers exposed, holding the edge. His sleeping position was relaxed and comfortable.
Suddenly.
The person with his eyes closed suddenly opened them.
He rolled over and sat up. After staring blankly at the sky for a while, he suddenly turned his head and took a look at the alarm clock at the head of the bed.
What’s going on?
Why does it feel like the cub is thinking about something?
Li Shuoxing was a little puzzled.
He also looked at the time.
6:59am.
Still very early.
Just that while he was distracted, the little person in the room had come down from the bed.
He made his way to the door, opened it, and stood inside looking out.
The last minute passed quietly.
Suddenly, “shh”.
The sprinklers installed in the courtyard suddenly sprinkled a mist all over the sky. Just at that moment, the clouds cleared and the figure of the sun appeared in the sky. The mist met the sunlight, forming a half rainbow figure in the air.
Li Shuoxing noticed the numbers suddenly appearing above the head of the little person standing at the door looking out.
+50.
+50.
+50.
Three 50’s merrily and nimbly jumped out to meet the sun and pledge their owner’s mood.
Li Shuoxing: “!”
Before the exclamation mark faded from Li Shuoxing’s mind, Su Mingqian, who was standing at the doorway watching the sprinklers at work, turned around and headed back to the lounge. It was only a couple of steps to the lounge from the door leading to the courtyard.
When he reached the door to the lounge, Su Mingqian stood outside and glanced in, just like when he was watching the courtyard earlier.
At a glance.
+50+50.
Li Shuoxing: “!!”
I was thinking why there was no change in favourability yesterday.
So you were saving it together for today to make a big move?
Li Shuoxing was deeply satisfied with this big move. He greeted, “Cub.”
A voice belonging to another person suddenly appeared.
Su Mingqian was slightly startled but wasn’t frightened. He was used to it. “Ximu?”
Li Shuoxing: “Yeah.”
Su Mingqian: “Why are you here so early today?”
“I was woken up by someone and couldn’t sleep, so I came over early.” Li Shuoxing added, “Alright, you have breakfast first. I’ll go to the production workshop to have a look.”
Su Mingqian: “Okay.”
Li Shuoxing went into the production workshop.
He bought so much stuff yesterday and owed external debt. Today, no matter what, he had to manufacture items with the raw materials to start paying it off…
Speaking of which, I just had a 10 million contract in front of me.
What’s the point of me manufacturing?
Wouldn’t it be better to just top up and pay it off.
…
No.
I said I won’t put in money, so I won’t.
I definitely won’t slap myself in the face!
After all, it’s a manufacturing process in a game and doesn’t require full concentration.
Li Shuoxing began to manufacture while brushing his teeth, then manufactured while eating breakfast, and then chose to manufacture while listening to a book… Later, the little person came in.
Su Mingqian walked up to the workshop that was moving in the void and said, “Ximu, I’ll join you.”
Li Shuoxing lazily responded, “Mm.”
Su Mingqian didn’t say much more. He took the stuff and started working.
The two of them did the task at hand in silence, and a sound effect or two rang out from time to time in the production workshop. When Li Shuoxing was halfway through his third book of the morning, Su Mingqian suddenly put down the work in his hands.
Su Mingqian: “It’s ten o’clock. Let’s take a break.”
Li Shuoxing came back to his senses. “It’s already ten o’clock? Alright, take a break.”
With that, Li Shuoxing sold the results of their morning’s work to the system, which returned to them 120 contribution points.
Li Shuoxing looked at his savings.
The original 35 contribution points in the contribution pool and the 120 contribution points just now merged together to become 155.
On the love credit card, it was still negative 3060.
With 3060 averaged over 15 days, he’d have to save nearly 200 yuan a day.
Now he and the cub had done half a morning’s work together to just gain 120 contribution points…
Li Shuoxing abruptly lifted his hand to turn off the voice function and tapped the screen. “System, what’s the minimum installment repayment?”
Yesterday’s clever and alert system didn’t move, as if dead.
Li Shuoxing politely gave the middle finger to the trash game.
Then, the little person’s voice came from the game again.
Su Mingqian: “Ximu, are you there?”
Li Shuoxing turned on the voice function again. “I’m here.”
He found that they had returned to the lounge from the production workshop.
Su Mingqian was moving the books, small cushions and other stuff that was in the bedroom into the lounge.
He first sorted the books into different categories, one long compartment for each category. After the three categories of books had occupied their tiny positions on the large shelf, Su Mingqian picked up his small cushions. He took the cushions, put them in the sun, patted them, dusted them off, and stuffed them in the laundry basket in the bathroom. When he took them out again, they were as good as new.
Su Mingqian placed the two cushions on the sofa, one on the left and one on the right. After arranging the two most comfortable positions, he went to the bedroom, poured two glasses of water, and placed them on the table in front of the two cushions.
After doing all this, he sat down in his seat.
Li Shuoxing was a little lost.
He found himself increasingly unable to figure out what was on the cub’s mind. The cub looked like he was doing all this to entertain guests no matter how he looked at it, but there were clearly no other creatures in the game…
Su Mingqian: “Ximu.”
Li Shuoxing said subconsciously, “Hmm?”
Su Mingqian: “You’re not in the right state today. Did you run into any problems?”
Li Shuoxing: “…?!”
I feel like this gesture of entertaining guests and having a long talk is just for me?
Li Shuoxing was flattered.
But more importantly—
He asked in horror, “How did you know I ran into a problem today?”
Su Mingqian blinked in confusion. “You came very early today. When I asked why you came so early, you said you were woken up by someone. Then you didn’t talk much. It’s obvious you’re feeling unhappy and torn about it.”
Li Shuoxing: “I…”
Su Mingqian: “So what happened?”
Li Shuoxing: “This…”
Su Mingqian: “Is it something very confidential?”
Li Shuoxing: “That’s not it.”
After being asked a couple questions in succession by the little person, Li Shuoxing calmly thought about it and felt that there was nothing wrong with venting to the little person in the game, so he opened up and briefly told Su Mingqian about the situation earlier.
Su Mingqian pondered for a moment and made his reply.
His answer was beyond Li Shuoxing’s expectations.
Su Mingqian: “Collaboration is a trend. This is the era of collaboration. Your novel is your novel, the company’s film is the company’s film. It is both a derivative of your novel and a completely new work. After the company has paid the copyright fee, you can’t force them how to make it, nor can you force their derivative work to be exactly like your novel. After all, you’re not targeting the exact same audience. You also can’t give investors the following definite answer—”
“‘Follow my novel and it’ll be popular’. Right?”
Li Shuoxing was surprised. “So you mean, after I authorise it, I shouldn’t interfere too much?”
Su Mingqian: “No, what I’m trying to say is that you don’t need to interfere too much in their specific production, but you should choose a good collaborator. A good collaborator is the start of a good collaboration and will keep things on the right track. And I think… you should be able to judge that.”
Li Shuoxing didn’t say anything. He switched to the input method and subconsciously returned an ellipsis to the other side.
Li Shuoxing: “…”
He was a little shocked and even felt a trace of confusion.
He found that Su Mingqian wasn’t wrong.
It was precisely because Su Mingqian’s words were very reasonable that he couldn’t help feeling confused.
Has artificial intelligence now been strengthened to this extent?
It’s able to respond to my feelings.
Able to detect what I’m hiding.
Able to answer my doubts.
So what’s the difference between it and a human being?
Is it just a difference in physical form?
Other people’s explanations could no longer satisfy Li Shuoxing, so he decided to buy two recently published professional books to get a systematic understanding of the extent of the development of artificial intelligence.
But before that.
Li Shuoxing switched back to voice and said, “Cub, I understand. Thank you, muah!”
Su Mingqian was stunned. “…”
In his hurry offline, Li Shuoxing didn’t see that the little person sitting in the chair, after figuring out the last syllable he made, had a tangled wool ball drift out his head, and then.
Slow -1.
And slow +1.
Su Mingqian explained to himself.
Looking at Ximu’s tone, it should just be a habitual modal particle for him.
It does cross the line a bit…
But I shouldn’t overreact.
***
Li Shuoxing got offline.
He messaged Night Tour, “Old Night, you said that people had been asking about my copyright before, right? Who else but this company asked for this book’s copyright?”
Five minutes later.
The darkened avatar slowly lit up.
Night Tour quietly spoke, “Brother, it’s so early. Let me have a good rest, okay?”
Li Shuoxing: “It’s really not early now. Answer my question.”
Night Tour: “Let me think… There’s another company, also buying the TV series rights, offering eight million. However, that company isn’t particularly easy to communicate with and feels a little stingy, so I didn’t inform you.”
Li Shuoxing: “When will we talk?”
Night Tour responded, “You’re willing to talk?”
Li Shuoxing: “I’d be a fool to not take the money.”
Night Tour praised, “It’s good you understand. This is a derivative work. If it’s done well, we applaud that everyone has worked really hard. If it’s not done well, can’t you just ignore it? Since you want to talk, let’s not delay. I’ll have someone buy you a plane ticket so that you can come to Beijing today or tomorrow directly to talk.”
Li Shuoxing: “Let’s do it today. I’ll pack a bag and then I can leave. By the way, I want to ask the film and television company a few questions this time.”
Night Tour: “What questions?”
Li Shuoxing: “What part of my book touched you? What are your ideas for its adaptation?”