Kang Mu Cheng sat in his spacious office, gazing absentmindedly out the window.
Gorgeous evening glow shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining a rare magnificent sunset in the city center.
JinWu was an over 30-year-old company. Since Kang Mu Cheng started the business from scratch and passed it down to his hands, it had already occupied half of the publishing industry, and forged countless connections in the literary world.
But times were changing. If old companies didn't keep up with the changes, they would inevitably be abandoned.
In recent years, adapting textual works into movies and TV shows had become a trend, and there were no shortage of successful examples both domestic and abroad. Although publishing houses could earn considerable profits from this, some ruthless companies would even take all the copyright fees. For Kang Mu Cheng, this was obviously not enough.
Publishing houses held the copyrights, so why let others eat the meat while they drink the soup?
Investing was of course the simplest solution, and no one would complain about too much funding. However, people like Kang Mu Cheng obviously wouldn't be satisfied with just being an investor.
JinWu was a group company, currently with several major departments: the traditional publishing department, the publicity and marketing department, the copyright management department, and the newly established film and television media department. Each department had one or more subsidiaries.
The film and TV media department was directly under Kang Mu Cheng. It had already invested in several TV dramas and web dramas, some of which made money while others lost money or broke even, so it had accumulated some experience.
After opening this path, he was no longer satisfied with small gains and losses. He had been thinking about making a big move all along.
Having dinner with Qiu Lin from RuoCan Media was of course not just about the food, but rather both sides making contact to see if there were opportunities for cooperation.
This was certainly a good invitation, but the problem was that Kang Mu Cheng didn't want Jian Jing to expend effort on this.
Like his mother, he belonged to the type who didn't have any artistic talent themselves, but could appreciate and discover others' talents.
And of all the people he had signed, he cared most about Jian Jing.
On one hand, it was because she was pure enough, while everyone else was smarter and more sophisticated than her - she was like a blank sheet of paper, pretty and fragile, with both parents passed away and unfortunate experiences, which made him unable to not care about her. On the other hand, her talent also gave him ambitions.
His mother, Boss Kang, had her biggest accomplishment in decades of work by signing a young person that everyone else looked down on against mainstream opinion.
Twenty years later, this person won the Nobel Prize.
They were still good friends to this day, always working together without any discord.
Kang Mu Cheng harbored similar expectations for Jian Jing.
Their relationship was like a gardener and the flower he nurtured. The dazzling beauty that amazed the world belonged to the flower in full bloom, but the sense of accomplishment belonged to the gardener who silently watered it in the background.
But ever since half a year ago when he saved her from suicide, many things had changed unknowingly.
He tried hard to adapt, but also harbored a certain hidden apprehension.
Kang Mu Cheng twisted the Montblanc pen in his hand, taking a long time to return to his senses and put the pen cap back on.
"Go buy some food that girls like for me, deliver it here within 20 minutes." He said to his secretary.
JinWu Tower was located in the CBD center, surrounded by many famous shops, but the queues were always extremely long, so whether one could buy things depended on luck.
Yet his secretary readily agreed: "Sure, Boss Kang."
Kang Mu Cheng didn't care how she accomplished it. Twenty minutes later, two full bags of fresh food had already been placed in his passenger seat by him.
He dialed a number, but it was the customer service who picked up, saying the call couldn't go through.
Kang Mu Cheng frowned, stepping on the gas pedal.
Jian Jing's home security system had been upgraded - fingerprint + facial recognition + password were needed to enter. If a second person was detected to be present, it would immediately switch to alert mode.
Kang Mu Cheng entered his personal information and smoothly opened the door to go in.
He opened his mouth, wanting to call out her name, but an indistinct yet terrifying apprehension from the depths of his heart made him tightly shut his mouth again.
There was no one in the living room, no one in the kitchen, and no one in the study either.
Kang Mu Cheng's heart started pounding heavily in his chest, like a drum hammering against his ribs, and even causing some pain.
He calmed his mind, and carefully pushed open the door to the bedroom.
At first glance, he saw the phone on the bed.
He paused slightly, and didn't detect any abnormal sounds. Only then did he walk over to pick up the phone.
The moment his fingers touched the phone, his back was suddenly chilled, and he almost instinctively dodged to the side. However, a slender snow-white leg seemed to anticipate this, sweeping over and directly tripping him.
Kang Mu Cheng stumbled and half-rolled to sit on the wool rug beside the bed in an unprecedented clumsy posture. His elbow knocked against the nightstand with a muffled bang, and it hurt a lot.
Before he could prop himself up with the bed to stand, a knee pressed down on his abdomen, firmly pinning him to the ground.
Drip drip, cold water drops fell onto his face.
Kang Mu Cheng looked up to see Jian Jing's extremely shocked expression.
And the surprise on his own face was no less than hers.
The air froze. The strange, awkward silence was like an invisible rope strangling their throats.
Jian Jing was very puzzled. She couldn't understand why Kang Mu Cheng had secretly appeared in her bedroom at this moment. He knew she was home already, so he couldn't be here to steal things, right?
Once thinking went astray, it was hard to rein it back in. Her actions inevitably stopped as well.
As for Kang Mu Cheng, only awkwardness remained.
"You," he didn't dare move at all, his tone unusually hesitant, "can you get up first?"
Only then did Jian Jing release him, and went straight to the point: "Boss Kang, why did you sneak into my room?"
Kang Mu Cheng got up, trying his best to stay calm: "You didn't answer my call, so I came to check."
"Just because I didn't answer your call, you came over specially to check?" She was even more doubtful.
Kang Mu Cheng realized there was a loophole, and quickly said: "I brought food for you. It's past 5 already, if you sleep now, won't you be hungry at night?"
He turned and went out to take the snacks out of the thermal bag: "Have something to eat before sleeping."
Jian Jing didn't actually want to sleep. But playing along with him, she was even less sleepy now: "You came just to bring me food?"
"I didn't explain clearly last time." Kang Mu Cheng sighed, and solemnly said, "Jingjing, I don't want you to worry about these things. You just need to focus on your writing. "
How could he not know that Jian Jing introducing Qiu Lin to him was because she wanted to help him? However, the reason writers need agents is precisely to save the time and energy spent dealing with the secular world.
Being embroiled in the bustling red dust would erode their aspirations. He had seen too many lost writers, and witnessed their spirit being eroded bit by bit by the secular world, until they could no longer write like they used to.
To maintain one's original aspiration - easier said than done.
Kang Mu Cheng couldn't guarantee that everyone could do it, but he hoped Jian Jing could.
"Jingjing, my value lies in resolving all the practical problems for you in the real world, so that you can persist in writing works you like." He looked into her eyes, "Do you trust me?"
"Of course." She replied.
"Then we have reached an understanding." Kang Mu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "From now on, you don't need to spend time and energy getting to know those people. Leave them to me."
Jian Jing was quite puzzled: "Why else would I ask you to go eat with her then?"
Kang Mu Cheng looked at her.
She also looked at him.
After a long time, Kang Mu Cheng slowly said: "Why did she want to take you out for a meal?"
He had thought that this meal happened because she happened to meet the famous agent on set and tried every means to get acquainted. But now hearing her words, it seemed not to be the case.
Jian Jing: "......" She let something slip.
"Uh, I did a favor for Jiang BaiYan, so she owed me." She breezily explained.
Kang Mu Cheng was suspicious: "What did you help him with? Would someone as cunning as Jiang BaiYan need your help?"
"That is indeed the case." She shrugged.
Kang Mu Cheng frowned: "Jingjing."
"OK," Jian Jing made a surrender gesture, "He encountered a crazy fangirl. I helped find the person and sent her to the police station. That's all."
Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, Kang Mu Cheng relaxed a little. As long as she hadn't fallen into a trap, that was good. But he soon sensed something off: "What a coincidence?"
Jian Jing: "No coincidence, no story."
He was skeptical, but couldn't help asking: "Too dangerous. When a small star's fans go crazy, you don't know what they might do. This is a dereliction of duty by their agency. You shouldn't have taken risks."
"Just an ordinary girl, subdued in an instant." To convince him, Jian Jing inadvertently gave an example, "After all, Boss Kang, just now I also......"
Kang Mu Cheng's expression froze.
He didn't look good. Jian Jing became apprehensive: "Did I just now......Does anywhere feel uncomfortable?"
"I'm fine." He quickly cut her off.
But Jian Jing's keen observational skills noticed that he moved his elbow ever so slightly.
"Mr. Kang," she persisted, "Let me see your hand."
He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine."
"I know my own strength when I hit someone," Jian Jing rummaged through the cabinets to find a first-aid kit. "Let me see your hand."
Kang Mu Cheng stood still for a moment before conceding defeat. He took off his suit jacket, undid the cufflinks on his dress shirt, and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows.
There was an obvious bruise about a third of the way down his forearm.
Jian Jing took out some ointment and gently applied it to his injury. She apologized guiltily, "I don't know who it was, I used a bit too much force. Does it hurt?"
"It's not your fault," Kang Mu Cheng said calmly. "I came in unannounced."
He was also curious, "When did you learn this?"
"I've been learning it for a few months now," Jian Jing answered semi-truthfully.
Kang Mu Cheng was silent for a bit before nodding, "I see."
He's hiding something from me, Jian Jing's intuition told her. She furrowed her brows in thought, but said aloud, "Speaking of which, Jiang BaiYan's fan was pretty scary. Being an idol really is a dangerous profession."
Before Kang Mu Cheng could lecture her, she abruptly changed the subject: "That fan who sent me flowers looked pretty similar too."
As she spoke, her gaze was fixed steadily on his face.
Kang Mu Cheng's eyes flashed with worry, but he soon answered calmly, "I'll definitely increase security at the next book signing event. You should mind your own business."
He evaded her probing.
"All crimes escalate gradually," Jian Jing said. "First it was sending me flowers. Who knows if he'll show up at the book signing next, or even come to my house—"
Kang Mu Cheng was visibly shocked. He looked up at her in surprise.
Jian Jing continued slowly, "Otherwise, why were you in such a hurry to get into my room?"
She had said she was sleeping and it was normal not to answer the phone. However, given Kang Mu Cheng's style, how could he possibly enter her bedroom without even knocking on the door?
Unless he thought there was no need to knock, or the sound of knocking would disturb something.
"Your door was unlocked," Kang Mu Cheng said calmly. "It opened when I pushed it."
Jian Jing: "I locked it."
"You didn't lock it properly then," he turned the accusation around. "What, are you upset I didn't knock?"
He refused to say.
Why?
Jian Jing frowned.
"Fine, I'll meet this Qiu Lin," it seemed Kang Mu Cheng wanted to avoid more questions. He decided to leave as the best course of action. "You rest, remember to eat something before going back to sleep."
He picked up his jacket and strode away.
