My boss betrayed me

The bidding for the manuscript came to the third day, and the scene was extremely hot!

In the spacious hall that could accommodate hundreds of people, there were so many people that it looked like an ant nest being stirred wildly, it was airtight and there was not a single space between them.

People gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to each other, looking like a group of mysterious agents planning a great feat.

Or they would rush around the booths like headless flies, with their eyes wide open like bells and their eyeballs seemingly about to pop out of their sockets at any time, searching eagerly for the manuscripts they liked, with such madness that they seemed determined not to give up until they achieved their goal.

Nangong Yue was in this noisy place, and her heart was as up and down as if she was riding a crazy roller coaster.

She looked at the scene in front of her, and couldn't help but mutter to herself: "With so many people here, can my work soar like a rocket and become a hit? Or will it be like a pebble thrown into the ocean, disappearing in an instant and becoming a nobody?"

On the ceiling of the hall, several rows of huge chandeliers emitted dazzling light, illuminating every corner as if it were daytime.

But even so, it is difficult to dispel the tense atmosphere in the air that is so tense that it almost makes people's hearts stop, and people's anxious expectations that are like ants on a hot pan.

The various promotional posters and slogans posted on the walls sparkled under the lights, as if they were competing with each other for beauty.

The ground was made of marble tiles as smooth as an ice rink. The sounds of people's footsteps and conversations rose and fell, interweaving into a noise that could make people collapse in an instant.

In front of the neatly arranged rows of booths, the manuscripts looked all kinds of different. Some were packaged as luxuriously and beautifully as those of royal aristocrats, while others were casually clipped together, looking as sloppy as Cinderella abandoned in a dark corner.

There was a constant stream of shocking news about manuscript sales.

A posthumous autobiographical novel was easily bought by a self-employed entrepreneur for 200,000 Dragon Coins, as if he was buying vegetables.

A celebrity memoir was bought by a group company for one million Dragon Coins. This is simply a bold and generous act of spending money like water.

After a frantic battle among several film companies, a movie script was finally settled at 1.2 million Longteng coins.

When Nangong Yue heard this, her heart was like a spice jar with all five flavors overturned, with sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty flavors all coming up at once. She felt envious and anxious at the same time: "These are all masterpieces by famous artists. Will my fledgling rookie's work ever have a chance to stand out? It won't remain unnoticed forever, with no chance of ever turning around!"

The works that were sold were all masterpieces of famous artists, and were placed in extremely prominent positions, as if to show off arrogantly: "Look, we are the overlords who dominate this area!"

And those manuscripts that have not yet been completed are like abandoned concubines banished to the cold palace, pitifully waiting for their prince charming to come and save them.

Nangong Yue has deeply realized the powerful influence of "famous brand" here. She doesn't even dare to breathe, so how can she say anything about other people's works? She can only honestly study the highlights and shortcomings of other people's works.

Then compare it carefully with your own work so that you can have a clearer and more accurate understanding of your own work.

This attitude towards learning made her feel a little more relaxed, and she almost forgot her real mission here.

In this hall where all kinds of great booksellers are showing off their talents, Shang Shuli obviously belongs to the category of ordinary booksellers. Such people are more practical, do not want to be in the limelight, and do not want to take risks. They usually focus on young authors and manuscripts priced at tens of thousands of Longteng coins, and take a steady and conservative route.

Liuli had been sitting beside the table guarding the manuscript. Rather than saying that she was loyal to her duty, it would be more accurate to say that she was dreaming about something unrealistic and thinking about her own problems.

Recently, she has been feeling very nervous, as if she had a huge bomb that could explode at any time.

Recalling the past, analyzing the present, and imagining the future, a question kept jumping up and down in her mind, constantly tormenting her.

She kept asking herself: Should a degree from a higher education institution be a solid foundation for one's career success, or just a tool for finding a job and making a living?

Nangong Yue's development deeply stimulated her unconsciously. She became more and more unwilling, and her heart was filled with anxiety and restlessness.

Just when Liuli was lost in thought and felt as if her soul was leaving her body, a middle-aged man in a well-ironed suit, who looked as if he was going to shine at the Oscars, walked up to the booth and stopped.

He first quickly browsed through the content introduction of the manuscript as if scanning a QR code, then sat down on the chair opposite Liuli, picked up the manuscript and began to read it fascinatedly.

There were two young men beside him, standing silently behind him, like two silent guardian gods.

This situation is common and normal.

Most people would look at the price for a while, then complain about it and walk away without any hesitation.

So, at first this person didn't attract Liuli's attention at all.

The middle-aged man looked at her for a while, then raised his head. His eyes were so sincere that they could melt the ice that had not melted for thousands of years. He said to Liuli:

"Miss, can I take this manuscript away and have a closer look? It's as noisy as a rock concert here, and it seriously affects my concentration. I will definitely return the manuscript before four o'clock this afternoon and give you a satisfactory answer."

He rubbed his hands unconsciously, as if he was holding a rare treasure and was afraid that it would disappear if he was not careful.

Liuli frowned slightly, with a very conflicted expression, and said, "This needs to be approved by the author himself."

“You’re not the author?”

"No," Liuli looked at him and said politely.

"I think it should be fine for you to take it and read it, but I have to remind you that first, the author is not very famous now. For those buyers who only look at the fame and not the work, 800,000 Dragon Coins is a prohibitive price."

"Second, it is no longer possible for you to simply pay the marked price and buy the manuscript, because someone else has already offered that price."

As Liuli spoke, she shook her head slightly with a wry smile on her face, secretly complaining in her heart: "Don't waste time here!"

Liuli said this mostly because she didn't want to get too entangled with the other party, but also to save face. After all, she couldn't let people think that no one was interested in her manuscript.

"Then why is the manuscript still here?" the guest asked doubtfully, his brows slightly raised, with a stubborn look as if he would not give up until he got to the bottom of the matter.

"For bidding." Liuli answered casually, with a hint of helplessness on her face. She shrugged her shoulders and secretly complained in her heart: "Is there any need to ask this? I am speechless!"

He does not mean that.

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment, then his expression was as serious as if he was going to attend a state funeral, his eyes were as firm as laser beams, and he said to Liuli: "Miss, please invite the author here, I want to have a deep chat with her."

Liuli's heart trembled violently, as if she had been struck by lightning, and she seemed to have a premonition of something unusual.

She wanted to look up and take a closer look at him, but she was afraid that he would notice something, so she stood up and said politely and casually, "Okay, please wait a moment."