I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 34
My phone showed the message “Received a transfer of 1500 yuan” and together with “Marisa’s Iron Butt,” I took the elevator back to Room 1002.
“So, that’s the situation. If you want to reclaim the last month’s payment, and if you don’t have anything urgent at home, you can stay. I’ll help you contact a reliable landlord here. Currently, in the city center of Shenzhen, the rent is generally around 1500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, and better ones can go up to around 2000. There are some apartments in urban villages and the suburbs that might be cheaper, but the utility bills can be higher.”
“What kind of illness does the boss’s daughter have? Why does a surgery cost over a million?”
“Probably a heart condition. Organ transplants, surgeries, and ongoing treatments are all expensive. Well… as a father, I can understand it to some extent, but we all need to eat and live. He just had to do this at such a crucial time…”
From afar, I could hear the discussion of the bald chief editor, Pipi, and others in the large office.
“So, it’s said that the parent company of the Yae-Do Light Novel Network had a financial crisis a long time ago. This time, it’s because their boss took all the company’s money at once, coupled with various loans, that led to the breakdown of their finances.”
“But even if it’s for treating his daughter’s illness, suing them like this won’t get our money back, and I feel… it’s too harsh.”
“Don’t worry too much. My friend said the surgery was relatively successful, and she’s out of immediate danger.”
“I don’t care about the reasons. If it’s my money, I want it back. Just because your boss is in trouble, does that mean a small author like me doesn’t matter?”
“…”
—
“What happened?”
Pushing open the door to Room 1002, Jiang Wei placed the empty boxes and table aside and scanned the room. “Why are there suddenly so few people?”
“Oh, Apatea and the others have gone back. Those who remain are getting ready to file a lawsuit for their rights.”
Pipi casually grabbed a desk chair and kicked it towards Jiang Wei. “Did you sell out the hard drives?”
“Sold out. With Nuo’er in charge, those guys who love lolis went crazy.”
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Wei stepped on the chair and leaned against its armrest. He shook his phone in front of the bald man. “I sold them for over 6,000 yuan. I transferred 1,500 to Nuo’er. Is that okay?”
“No problem.”
The bald man pointed to the bunny-ear backpack and sleepwear on the table. “Take these with you.”
This…
I walked into the midst of the crowd. “I heard you talking about the boss’s daughter having a heart condition. What’s going on?”
“Oh, in simple terms, the boss of this company secretly transferred the company’s money to treat his daughter, and he also took out loans in the company’s name. This could be considered a contributing factor, but the main reason for the financial breakdown was poor management.”
Pipi added, “The chief editor’s friend just called and said they’ve managed to contact the boss. The surgery went relatively smoothly, but he did admit that he indeed has no money to pay us our fees and suggested that we go ahead with the lawsuit.”
“Nuo’er, how about you go back for now?”
For some reason, Jiang Wei interrupted Pipi and handed me the bunny-ear backpack and the sleepwear set on the table. “Now that you’ve got your payment, you don’t need to get involved in our adult matters.”
As he said that, he seemed to exchange a certain look with Pipi.
I’m not a child!
“Oh, right,” Pipi chimed in.
Pipi understood what was happening. “Nuo’er, you can go back. We’ll handle the legal matters from here.”
I felt a bit indignant. “Are you planning to stay in Shenzhen for the lawsuit?”
“I might, depending on how long it takes. If it’s too lengthy, it won’t be easy to manage my computer store, and Pipi has a daughter at home, so he probably won’t stay either.”
For some reason, Jiang Wei’s tone suddenly became more assertive. He came over and lightly pushed me. “Didn’t forget anything, did you? I’ll take you downstairs.”
Wait a minute, what are you guys suddenly up to? Wasn’t I supposed to be local guides in Shenzhen?
I threw an inquiring look at Pipi.
He responded with a “go ahead” expression.
“Alright, young one, focus more on your studies. Don’t keep your mom and dad waiting, okay?”
The bald chief editor waved to me as well. “If you ever consider writing for the new website I work at in the future, I’ll give you a big recommendation for the cover.”
“Alright.”
Seeing that the main individuals in charge here had all said so, I felt it wouldn’t be right to insist on staying, so I just waved to them. “I’ll head back then.”
“Goodbye.”
“Marisa’s Iron Butt, why don’t you escort her to the bus stop?”
“No need for the bus. Marisa, why don’t you call her a taxi?”
“…”
And so, in this peculiar atmosphere, I and “Marisa’s Iron Butt,” Jiang Wei, soon left Room 1002, took the elevator downstairs, and went our separate ways.
In truth, I could somewhat guess the situation from earlier.
The bald chief editor had a friend working at Shenzhen Network Technology Company and probably received a call from this friend when we were downstairs selling hard drives with Jiang Wei. This call might have provided the latest information about the boss to Pipi and the others.
Combining keywords like “heart disease,” “surgery fees,” and “financial breakdown,” even if I didn’t hear exactly what they were discussing, I could make a fairly accurate guess.
The parent company of Yae-Do Light Novel Network had long been facing financial difficulties, suffering prolonged losses. Even the salaries of the editors at Yae-Do Light Novel Network were being reduced. In such a situation, it seemed the boss’s daughter needed surgery or something similar, which required a significant amount of money. The boss then took all the company’s assets, along with a loan, leading to the instantaneous collapse of both companies, including Yae-Do Light Novel Network.
Their current discussion probably revolved around whether they should pursue their rights given this backdrop. From a logical standpoint, the boss’s actions were understandable, as any father would undoubtedly use all available resources when faced with such a situation involving their daughter. However, from another perspective, the company’s employees, editors, and authors who were unpaid were also innocent. Regardless of the reasons for the boss causing the company to go bankrupt, they still had the right to seek justice.
Jiang Wei probably didn’t want me to get involved in this kind of situation. In the eyes of everyone, I was just a girl in her early teens, and such matters were a bit too realistic for a child. So, he changed his attitude and just wanted to send me back home.
This feeling was somewhat similar to scenes in novels and anime where, when bloody and gruesome events occur, the powerful protagonist would cover the child’s eyes and take them away from the scene.
“I can take the bus myself, it’s not far.”
We left the Pearl Tower together, and it looked like Jiang Wei was genuinely going to call a taxi for me. I quickly stopped him. “The bus stop is only a few hundred meters away, and it goes directly there.”
Jiang Wei hesitated for a moment. “Taxis are safer.”
“Safe my foot. What if the taxi driver has ulterior motives?”
I chuckled. “Bus have more people, it is safer.”
“That… sounds right.”
Seemingly convinced by my argument, Jiang Wei put down his phone. “Shall I take you to the bus stop?”
“I’m not a child, and I won’t get lost on this short walk.”
I playfully rolled my eyes at him. “Do you think I act like a child when we play games together?”
“You… actually, yes.”
“Huh!?”
Jiang Wei scratched his head. “I didn’t notice it until you mentioned it, but when we play games, you really do give off a vibe like a young girl.”
After checking the bunny backpack and the bag containing my clothes, I thought for a moment and placed the backpack inside the bag.
“In the future, don’t go out alone like this, especially when meeting people from the internet. You can’t trust anyone you meet online.”
Jiang Wei thought for a moment. “Are you still writing books? Which website?”
“Honeydew Light Novels.”
“Oh, that one. It’s one of the major light novel websites. If your submissions go well, you can go full-time. I’m quite friendly with that editor ‘Tuzi.’ If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to come to me.”
Hearing me say this, Jiang Wei seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Alright, go back now. Girls really need to take care of themselves.”
“And don’t worry too much about the rights issue. If there are any updates, I’ll let you know.”
“……”