"How did you know that?" Zheng Xiaoyun was startled.
Liu Fusheng smiled. "I guessed. A beauty like you must have countless admirers in school. How could you not have a boyfriend?"
A faint blush crept onto Zheng Xiaoyun's face. "We haven't seen each other in so many years, and you've definitely gotten better at sweet-talking. But you guessed wrong—he's not my college classmate. He's two years older than me, and his family runs a business…"
As expected.
Liu Fusheng gave a slight nod. That matched perfectly with what he remembered from his previous life—this boyfriend was the spoiled rich kid who turned out to be a scumbag.
"Xiaoyun, I'm here to submit a manuscript. Could you take a look at it for me?"
Changing the subject, Liu Fusheng decided to play the long game. After all, some things hadn't happened yet, and even if he told her now, Zheng Xiaoyun wouldn't believe him.
Zheng Xiaoyun grinned playfully. "Alright. Today, let this humble trainee editor enjoy a taste of your literary talent!"
She took the manuscript and, instead of returning to her office, began reading right there in the lobby.
At first, she was a bit casual about it, glancing at the title with a teasing tone: "The Ming Dynasty Stuff? Old classmate, that's quite a… random title you've got there."
Liu Fusheng simply smiled and motioned for her to keep reading.
A few moments later, she stopped talking. Her expression gradually turned serious…
After more than ten minutes, she finally finished, still looking reluctant to put it down. "That's it? Where's the rest?"
"I only just started writing," Liu Fusheng said. "Not enough words? Or is the quality not there?"
"The quality is absolutely fine!" Zheng Xiaoyun said with genuine admiration. "Old classmate, I'm not exaggerating—this is the most down-to-earth and original manuscript I've ever seen! You're amazing! I think this book could really blow up!"
"How did I not know you could write this well before? No… to be precise, it's not just your writing skill—it's your way of thinking. The narrative style is like chatting with an old friend, but every single word is solid content! If a history textbook's appeal is like a rifle, then your book is like an intercontinental missile. This is miles ahead of anything else out there!"
Hearing such high praise, Liu Fusheng didn't show much reaction.
After all, The Ming Dynasty Stuff was destined to become a nationwide bestseller in a few years. Having an editor with good taste recognize its potential was only natural.
"So, can I sign with you? Or do you need your chief editor to take a look first?" Liu Fusheng asked with a smile.
"We can definitely sign. No need for the chief to see it!"
Zheng Xiaoyun sounded confident. Then, a bit embarrassed, she added, "Old classmate, can I be the one to sign you? I may only be a trainee editor, but the chief editor takes good care of me. I'll fight to get you the best possible deal."
An editor's performance is measured by the sales of the books they sign.
If a potential bestseller appears, both editors and publishers will scramble for it.
Zheng Xiaoyun had gotten her job through a family connection, but at the end of the day, performance spoke louder than connections.
Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, Liu Fusheng smiled. "Of course. We're old classmates—if I hand my book to you, I can rest easy."
"That's great!" Zheng Xiaoyun clenched her fists in excitement. If this book took off, she could probably get promoted to full editor right away—maybe even become chief editor in record time.
At that moment, an unpleasantly mocking voice sounded from behind them:
"Who the hell are you? Trying to hit on my girl—do you have a death wish?"
Liu Fusheng raised an eyebrow.
Zheng Xiaoyun's face paled. She quickly turned and said, "Chen Jian, don't talk nonsense—this is my classmate!"
The speaker was a young man about the same height as Liu Fusheng, dressed in a flashy, greasy style. From their interaction, Liu Fusheng confirmed who he was—Zheng Xiaoyun's spoiled rich boyfriend. The same man who, in his past life, drove her into depression and suicide.
"Classmate?" Chen Jian gave him a once-over.
"Hello. I'm Liu Fusheng, Zheng Xiaoyun's high school classmate," Liu said calmly.
"Old flame, more like." Chen Jian sneered. "A broke loser like you thinks he can steal my woman?"
Zheng Xiaoyun stomped her foot in anger. "Stop it! We're talking about work! Liu Fusheng is here to submit a manuscript!"
Inwardly, Liu Fusheng thought: Well, I already didn't like you. I was wondering how to pick a fight, but you went ahead and insulted me yourself. Guess you're asking for it.
"You're not worthy of Zheng Xiaoyun," Liu said bluntly, staring at Chen Jian.
"What? Say that again if you've got the balls!" Chen Jian's eyes went wide, and he looked ready to throw a punch.
Even Zheng Xiaoyun was stunned—she looked between the two men, shocked at how quickly things had escalated.
"You sure about that?" Liu Fusheng said with a smirk.
"Stop it, both of you! This is my workplace!" Zheng Xiaoyun tried to pull Chen Jian back.
Chen Jian glanced around, then pointed at Liu. "Do you know who my family is? Dressed like a bum and you dare say I'm not worthy? If Xiaoyun weren't stopping me, I'd beat you to death right now!"
Liu chuckled. "Make it three minutes."
Three minutes?
Both Zheng Xiaoyun and Chen Jian blinked in confusion.
Liu Fusheng strode out the front door of the publishing house, turned back, and said, "Three minutes. I'll teach you how to be a man."
Chen Jian, being the kind of rich brat who was always getting into fights, couldn't resist such provocation. He shoved past Zheng Xiaoyun and stormed out.
"You little punk, you're dead—"
BAM!
Before Chen Jian could finish, Liu's foot slammed into his stomach. Without giving him time to react, Liu unleashed a flurry of punches.
In his previous life, Liu had worked and lived under enormous pressure. To cope, he had taken up combat training—not that it saved him from tragedy, but the moves and techniques had been etched into his muscle memory.
Now, reborn with his peak physical strength and seasoned skills, taking on someone like Chen Jian was child's play.
After barely a minute, Chen Jian lay on the ground, clutching his head in disbelief. He had never imagined Liu Fusheng could fight like this.
At the publishing house entrance, Liu knelt on Chen Jian's chest, fist raised for another blow, when Chen suddenly cried out, "Big brother, I was wrong! Please stop! I give up!"
A crowd had gathered by now, and Zheng Xiaoyun was tugging at Liu's arm from behind.
She froze when she heard Chen Jian's words. She knew how arrogant and aggressive he usually was—quick to insult, quicker to hit. Yet here he was, begging for mercy before even lasting three minutes?
Liu didn't want to cause a bigger scene. He got to his feet and said, "Get lost."
Chen Jian scrambled up and ran for his car, ignoring Zheng Xiaoyun completely. Once inside, he started the engine, rolled down the window, and shouted, "You little punk, you're dead! I'll have people take care of you!"
Then he slammed the gas and sped away.
Liu walked back into the publishing house, ignoring the stares around him, and said to Zheng Xiaoyun, "Sorry—couldn't help myself."
She stared for a moment in the direction Chen Jian had fled, then sighed. "It's fine. Let's get back to talking about the manuscript."
"You're not mad at me?"
"He was way too arrogant—he had it coming. And honestly… if a man's first reaction is to ditch me and run, why would I be angry on his behalf?"
"…."
They went to her desk, where she began preparing a contract with a blank expression.
"You two don't seem to have a good relationship," Liu said thoughtfully.
"Does that matter?" she replied, shaking her head. "I just thought he could protect me, that I could rely on him. But it turns out he's not reliable at all… Forget it, let's not talk about him. Here's the authorization agreement—it's a standard template. Take a look."
Publishing contracts were usually boilerplate, unless the author was famous or the book was exceptional—then terms could be negotiated.
Liu skimmed through it. "No problem."
"You really do get things done without fuss," Zheng said with a smile. "Leave the manuscript with me. I'll fight to get you the best terms. We'll stay in touch."
"Alright." Liu picked up the pen and signed his name.
Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, giving him a deep look. "You've changed a lot since we last met."
Liu grinned. "If you can improve every day, why not?"
At that moment, his phone rang—it was Zhang Wenwen.
"Liu Fusheng, we need to talk," she said coldly.
"Alright."
Hanging up, Liu turned to Zheng. "I'll treat you to dinner another day."