Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Inside Information (2/2)
A soft voice reached Lin Chuan’s ears.
Lin Chuan extended his right hand, spreading out all five fingers, “Can’t even count on one hand… Huh? Officer Shen, how did you get here?”
“Of course, it’s to treat you to dinner as my way of apologizing,” Shen Qianqian replied with a beaming smile, batting her eyes, her curved eyelashes like a slender crescent moon, “Just curious, how many exactly have you dated?”
Gossip is second nature, and Officer Shen was no exception.
Lin Chuan’s mouth twitched slightly, his hand awkwardly retracting, “Uh, Officer Shen, that’s not within the range of information required for the record.”
Old Wang on the side laughed, “Officer Shen, Old Lin has never had a girlfriend, he’s always home writing books, he’s seen very few girls, where would he get a girlfriend from?”
“I can tell.”
Shen Qianqian laughed along too.
At this moment, Shen Qianqian was back in casual wear, in a fresh little white dress outlining her slender waist, the hem falling to reveal a stretch of her fair calf. It was a completely different aura to when she was in her police uniform.
Sweet, gentle.
Then, a Mercedes-Benz GLC stopped in front of the three of them.
The driver was none other than Old Wang’s blind date.
“Get in.”
Xue Qiqi held the steering wheel, sporting sunglasses, looking lively and cool.
Shen Qianqian took the passenger seat.
Lin Chuan murmured into Old Wang’s ear, “Is Xue Qiqi really one of us?”
“Yes! She’s in female-oriented fiction, sold quite a few rights,” Old Wang whispered back.
Lin Chuan suddenly realized, no wonder Shen Qianqian thought ‘authors make good money’.
“Looks like you’re planning to live off a woman.”
Lin Chuan joked again.
Old Wang coughed, “I’m also someone holding great masterpieces, how can it be called living off a woman?”
“Impressive.”
Lin Chuan gave a thumbs up.
…
Shen Qianqian had booked a music restaurant.
Inside the restaurant, blue lights flickered, casting a glow on the art paintings hung on the walls. An antique vinyl record player spun slowly, playing a vintage folk song, cozy and romantic.
The four of them sat by the window.
Xue Qiqi was curious about Lin Chuan being taken in for questioning, “Lin Chuan, how did you end up being arrested by Qianqian as a criminal suspect?”
Lin Chuan’s face was full of bitterness, “Let Officer Shen explain.”
Shen Qianqian smiled lightly, her rosy lips parting slightly, “It wasn’t an arrest, it was a summons. The reason I had to summon Lin Chuan has an irresistible cause, a very large cause, which has to do with the books he writes.”
“Writing books?”
Xue Qiqi, also a writer, became even more curious upon hearing this.
Shen Qianqian nodded, sharing the story of how Lin Chuan had been mistaken as a criminal suspect and summoned twice.
“Lin Chuan, you really are full of surprises,” Xue Qiqi complimented, giving Lin Chuan a thumbs up.
Some people, on the surface, are failed writers, but in reality, they are locksmiths, they are swindlers!
Amazing!
Lin Chuan waved his hands, smiling, “It’s all a misunderstanding.”
The three writers naturally steered the conversation towards novels.
Xue Qiqi spoke earnestly, “However, your ‘Swindler’ coincided with Handon and Hongmei, two authors with tens of thousands of average subscriptions, and you were at a big disadvantage in terms of recommendations.”
Lin Chuan deeply agreed, “Indeed.”
“Actually, there’s some insider news,” Xue Qiqi said slowly.
“What insider news?”
Lin Chuan and Old Wang were both curious.
Xue Qiqi paused for a moment before dropping a bombshell.
“Sailing Novel will select recent releases for a ‘Heroes Compete’ event, that is, vying for the first place, with specific rewards unknown.”
“Although it’s called ‘Heroes Compete,’ everyone knows it’s actually ‘The Two Heroes’ battle, specially prepared for Handon and Hongmei, the two authors with tens of thousands of average subscriptions. Other books might just be cannon fodder.”
“This event should be announced in the next couple of days, Lin Chuan, you should be prepared.”