“I, I…”
Everyone was looking at her, and the female author, whose pen name was Liang He, felt unprecedented psychological pressure.
Her eyes were evasive, her ears were red, and she was completely at a loss.
On one side is the condemnation of conscience, and on the other side is the pressure of life.
Han Qin's words repeatedly washed over Liang He's heart like brainwashing.
"Your writing is no worse than others, yet you've been writing for so many years and yet you're still not popular. Do you know why?"
"What you lack is not writing talent, but an opportunity!"
"The writing industry is ultimately no different from any other industry. If someone supports you, you can succeed even if you're not good enough. If no one supports you, you'll be wasted your whole life!"
"Do you know how many times Ni Sisi has fought for royalties for 'Fish Against the Current'? If she's willing to do this to you, are you any worse than 'Fish Against the Current'?"
"You may treat her as a friend, but she may not treat you as a friend. She will flatter whoever can bring her good results!"
"You're married now, and your writing is mediocre. Your status in the family probably isn't high. Look at those people who have gained both fame and fortune through writing. Aren't you envious at all?"
Every word made Liang He's heart tighten.
Han Qin really knows how to "persuade" a person. She analyzes the interests involved, uses coercion and inducement, and first breaks down Liang He's psychological defenses with words, and then puts the naked benefits in front of Liang He.
Although Han Qin was demoted from editor-in-chief to proofreader, some of her promises still count. She told Liang He that it was already a great shame for the magazine to lose the lawsuit in Chengdu. If Liang He was willing to testify and help the magazine win the lawsuit in Shandong Province, the magazine would just allocate some resources to Liang He, which would be enough for Liang He to break free from the lukewarm status quo of her writing career over the years.
There is a huge difference between having a platform to support you and not having one!
Better layout, better acceptance rate, higher royalties, and even magazine editors who can personally prepare outlines and analyze popular articles in the market... With this kind of support, you will definitely become a top author on this platform, not to mention becoming famous all over the country.
This is the temptation of the future and also the temptation of dreams. Youth literature is so popular in China now, and Liang He, who has persisted for many years, also wants to gain both fame and fortune.
If empty promises are easy to break, Han Qin also gave other benefits.
There are more tangible benefits than being a top author, which can immediately relieve Liang He's life pressure - why did she stay up late to finish her manuscripts? Because she got married, she had a baby, and she became a mother. All her daytime time was occupied by the baby, and she could only finish her manuscripts in the dead of night.
Tired during the day and not getting enough sleep at night, Liang He was tossed around by life and felt haggard and miserable.
By accepting the benefits given by Han Qin, her financial pressure will be reduced, she can hire a nanny to help take care of the children, she can have her own time again, and she can devote herself to her writing career!
She is not a noble person, but an ordinary person who has been bent by the reality of life.
Liang He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling.
——But she was not like this before.
I can't be considered a completely good person, but I have never done anything bad... Of course I have lied, everyone lies as they grow up, but perjury is much worse than lying.
Liang He's inner torment was reflected on her face to some extent. Zheng Zhihe saw through her torment and felt relieved: Han Qin was really not good at anything, and even lacked the vision to be a bad person.
Why choose such a female author who can't stand the pressure to give false testimony?
"Perjury is a crime."
Zheng Zhihe's voice was gentle, yet it carried unquestionable authority. "If you take the wrong path for a moment, you can turn back. But refusing to do so even when you know you're wrong is foolish. I've read your novels. Your writing is solid and your emotions are sincere. If it doesn't become popular sooner, it will be popular sooner."
In order to gain Liang He's trust, Zheng Zhihe mentioned the names and content of several of Liang He's novels. Without having read them himself or analyzed them carefully, he could not give such concrete comments.
If the occasion was not wrong, Zheng Zhihe seemed to want to discuss writing techniques in detail with Liang He.
Liang He didn't dare to look at Xiao Niu, but couldn't help but listen to Zheng Zhihe's words.
Lawyer Zheng's gentleness brought a little comfort to Liang He, who was suffering from guilt, but at the same time made her more painful: someone like her only deserves to be harshly questioned by Lawyer Xiao Niu!
Lawyer Bai protested, arguing that Zheng Zhihe was interfering with the witness. The judge asked Zheng Zhihe to finish his speech, and Zheng Zhihe raised his hand:
"Your Honor, I just want to say one last word to the witness."
Zheng Zhihe turned around and said, "Actually, I lied to you. I haven't read your novel at all!"
Liang He's body shook.
How can you tell if you haven’t seen it?
Liang He was not a fool after all, and he figured it out instantly.
Zheng Zhihe has never read her novels, but he can describe her writing style so clearly... It was Xiao Niu, it was Xiao Niu who told the lawyer!
For the first time today, Liang He looked up at Xiao Niu, but Xiao Niu didn't say a word of blame.
Then Liang He's emotions collapsed.
She is just an ordinary author.
If Han Qin and the magazine didn't need her to testify, she wouldn't have been able to speak to the editor-in-chief.
She got stuck on writing so many times and didn't want to write anymore. She couldn't balance her dreams and life. The ones who encouraged and supported her were all little salamanders.
The donkey-hide gelatin cake sent by Xiao Niu.
The little salamander cares about her so much.
——If she gave false testimony, would Xiao Niu still care about the author and trust the author?
It is already difficult to find an editor like Xiao Niu. If there is one less, it will be a loss for many authors!
Liang He covered her face and cried bitterly:
"...I'm sorry, I lied!"
"Xiao Niu didn't ask for a bribe from me. The ginseng tea wasn't a bribe. It was a gift from me to Xiao Niu. I did receive the donkey-hide gelatin cake that Xiao Niu sent me."
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