"Why is it you?"
"Hehe, I'm surprised too. I thought after we parted last time, we'd never cross paths again. Didn't expect to see you again so soon."
Perhaps thinking his words might have sounded impolite, Qi Xiuming explained:
"I'm a man who strives for the way of the gentleman. As the ancient books say: 'A gentleman's true nature is the same inside and out.'
"Most of the time, I try to keep my words and heart aligned. I'm saying this simply because it's what I truly think—there's no hidden meaning.
"And besides, we're not talking about profit or cooperation right now, so I hope you won't mind my straightforwardness."
Victor Wang sighed. "No, I don't mind. I feel the same—you and I thought we'd never meet again. I'm just curious—"
"Why me?"
"That's why I asked right away."
Qi Xiuming gave an apologetic smile. "I read too much into it. But in our line of work, we're trained to read others' thoughts. I'm just trying to be someone who needs no such reading—a transparent gentleman."
"…"
"Then I'll tell you why it's me. As for why I'm here—this is the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and I work for the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so of course it makes sense for me to be here. But you…"
Qi Xiuming rambled some nonsense, then looked up to meet Victor Wang's I'd like to hit you now expression.
"Ahem… This book's publisher—Liyue Publishing House—is an enterprise of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Book reviews also fall under our jurisdiction, and as it happens, it's within my division.
Normally, I wouldn't personally review most books. But, as luck would have it, I'm a fan of Dust. When I heard this was Dust's new work, I decided I had to meet the author in person. I never thought it'd be you."
That morning, after receiving Lisa's reply, Victor Wang had collected a pre-publication sample copy of The Butterfly Lovers from Wanwen Bookhouse at noon. Now, he was here at the Ministry to review the content, apply for copyright protection, and obtain a distribution license.
With Lisa gone, he had to handle all these things personally. In his letter to her, he had even complained about it.
But Lisa's reply had read: "If you wish, you can simply mail the manuscript to me—distance is no problem. The only worry… heh, I'll be waiting to see just how similar this new book is to the Romeo and Juliet you sent me~"
The plagiarism storm wasn't over!
It was a coincidence! A real coincidence! For Hu Tao, nothing fit better than The Butterfly Lovers… but of course, he couldn't tell Lisa that.
It was all because when he picked a book for Lisa, he hadn't known her taste, so he chose what he thought most women would enjoy—a love story.
And when it came to famous Western love stories, the first thing that popped into his head was Romeo and Juliet, which led to today's awkward situation.
The ship had sailed—too late to worry now…
Snapping back to the present, Qi Xiuming was examining the letter of proof stamped by the Knights of Favonius and the Mondstadt Publishing House, clicking his tongue in admiration. Such a document was rare to see.
"You really are Dust!"
"I really am Dust," Victor Wang said with a shrug.
"Will there be a signing event for the new book?!"
"Let's skip that. We can't have one every time I release something."
"Not interested?" Qi Xiuming rested his chin on his hand. "If no signing event, I have two other strategies to quickly make this book famous."
"Huh?"
Qi Xiuming smiled the polite, trustworthy smile of a scholarly gentleman, then said:
"Remove the author's name, slip it to bookshops, and have the shopkeepers promote it slightly to create the illusion that it plagiarizes Romeo and Juliet.
People love negative gossip. News of plagiarism will spread like wildfire. Then, when we officially release the version with the author's name, everyone will discover the so-called plagiarized book and the original are by the same author.
This way, fame comes quickly. Many will doubt you, but that's fine—public discussion keeps the fire burning. The longer they speculate, the longer the book stays hot.
In the end, we let some 'insider leak' that this was a marketing stunt by the publisher and bookshops. You emerge unscathed—at worst, our publishing house suffers a tiny, negligible dent in reputation.
That's the low plan."
Victor Wang chuckled. "You trying to play strategist now? What's the middle plan?"
"The middle plan is more standard, but still leans on plagiarism gossip.
Release the book normally, but secretly plant people to stir things up—claim it plagiarizes your previous work, say you've run out of creativity. The rumor mill will spin just as well.
Once the waters are muddy and the fish are biting, we explain the differences between the two works. As long as we're clear, there'll be basically no damage.
This is the middle plan.
I call these two approaches 'black-red marketing.' People use red to mean hot or prosperous—if we need a color for negative press, it's black. Together, that's black-red.
Don't underestimate black-red. Not everyone can pull it off. Without enough strength, you stay black and never turn red.
Either way, black-red is still red. The goal is to get hot."
"Pfft—" Some things truly transcend nations and worlds. "But black-red is better avoided. How do you know I'm not actually out of ideas?"
Qi Xiuming spoke confidently: "The Butterfly Lovers and Romeo and Juliet may look similar, but the gap between them is as wide as Mount Tianheng. Most readers will see that after a deep read.
Still, public opinion is like a quagmire—even if you escape, the smell sticks. Given your current reputation, the best option is the high plan—a signing event."
"Rest assured, I won't choose any of the three."
Victor Wang was sick of plagiarism scandals, but also knew that signings had to be rare—scarcity creates value… and besides, he had a new project.
"No matter, I don't mind~" Qi Xiuming sighed theatrically. "A gentleman plans well and adapts to the times."
"But in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, talent abounds—there's no real use for my cleverness. Just having someone to talk to is already rare."
The talk ended without much real intent from either side, and during it, the distribution license and related contracts were completed.
When Victor Wang took the stamped license and prepared to leave, he casually said, "I may not hold a signing for The Butterfly Lovers, but its opera adaptation The Butterfly Lovers will be performed tomorrow night by the Yun-Han Opera Troupe. You could come support it if you like."
"An opera… I see! No wonder the book needs no extra promotion. I'll spread the word to some colleagues."
"As you wish. After all, the highest state of a gentleman is probably to follow the heart without overstepping the bounds."
"To follow the heart without overstepping…"
Outside the Ministry, Xingqiu had been waiting for a long time. Today, he'd finally caught the chance to meet Victor Wang alone—he had a personal question that had troubled him for some time.
Seeing Victor Wang emerge, he waved. "Over here!"
The Ministry was too close to his home—better to get some distance for safety.
Once they descended the stone steps opposite the Ministry and made sure no acquaintances were around, Xingqiu pulled out a book and handed it to him.
"This A Legend of Sword is a wuxia novel I wrote based on a friend's experiences. But Liyue's publishers said its setting was too absurd while the plot was too cliché—no one would like it…
"I've read all your books. They're a different genre from A Legend of Sword, but your plot and writing are far stronger. So… could you help me see how to improve it?"
It had been his pride and joy, yet it was mercilessly rejected. He'd secretly paid to print a few copies and placed them in Wanwen Bookhouse—after two years, only one was gone. When he asked Ji Fang, she couldn't remember who bought it. It might've been carried off by a stray cat or dog…
Reality forced Xingqiu to admit that maybe A Legend of Sword wasn't as good as he thought. Now that he had a famous writer as a friend, he hoped it might be saved.
Victor Wang flipped through it quickly. The content was identical to the one in the game, so there was nothing to say. He shook his head. "Have you considered that maybe this book was just sent to the wrong place?"
"What do you mean?"
"I think it's well-written and doesn't need much feedback. It just doesn't quite fit Liyue's culture. If you submitted it to Inazuma, I think it would be a hit."
It had already sold well in Inazuma—changing it now would be gilding the lily.
"You really think so?!" For the first time, A Legend of Sword was affirmed—and by a famous author. Xingqiu couldn't help but be excited, almost wanting to write a poem about finding a kindred spirit.
"But there's one thing I have to poke fun at."
That one sentence brought Xingqiu back to earth.
"W-what? Don't spare my feelings for the sake of our friendship—that would hurt me more. Just say it plainly…"
"It's not a big deal. You say A Legend of Sword is a wuxia novel… Are you sure? Isn't this actually a fantasy novel?"
"Ah—well, don't worry about that. There are martial artists in it, after all!"
Xingqiu sighed in relief—so it really was just a joke.