I asked you to write a light novel, but you wrote about living?

He turned his head and looked into the corner.

Yu Yin was squatting on the ground, carefully folding their few clothes into a worn-out fiber bag, her little face full of longing for a new life.

"Yinyin."

Yu Wen called her name.

Yu Yin stopped what she was doing, turned to look at her brother, her eyes bright.

"Let's not move today."

Yu Wen tried his best to make his tone sound calm:

"Brother has some more important business to attend to right now. Take some money and go out to buy some good food so we can have a hot meal together."

Yu Yin paused for a moment, keenly noticing the deep weariness etched on her brother's face.

But children from poor families mature early, and without asking any further questions, she simply nodded obediently.

"Okay, brother, don't overwork yourself. I'll be right back."

Watching his younger sister's frail figure disappear beyond the rusty iron gate, Yu Wen withdrew his gaze, opened his terminal, and dialed the private communication of Chang Liren, the president of Weiguang Literature.

The call was answered almost instantly after the dialing was made.

"Teacher Yu."

Chang Liren's voice was hoarse and tired, and without saying anything more, both of them knew it was because of the deadly media storm at hand.

Despite the situation having deteriorated to the extreme, Chang Liren tried his best to remain calm and spoke reassuringly:

"Teacher Yu, don't worry about what's going on outside for now. Don't worry, Weiguang will not give up so easily. We are trying to find a way to break this deadlock."

Upon hearing this, Yu Wen couldn't help but feel moved.

As an adult who has navigated the workplace twice, he knows all too well what the "optimal solution" is in the game of capital.

At this point, if the Weiguang platform wants to protect itself, the wisest and fastest way to cut its losses is to immediately issue a righteous and stern statement and directly sever ties with him.

If the platform immediately states, "We are also victims and did not know that the original manuscript was plagiarized," and then follows public opinion to ban "To Live" across the entire network, it can not only quell the anger of netizens, but also gain a good reputation for being "responsible and decisive."

But Chang Liren did not do that.

Despite the pressure of sponsors withdrawing their investment from the Spark Cup and the criticism from millions of people online, Chang Liren still chose to protect him.

This approach carries enormous risks; if anything goes wrong, the entire Weiguang platform could be destroyed along with him in this unforeseen disaster.

However, despite being moved, Yu Wen could still sense deep worry and a lack of confidence in Chang Liren's seemingly calm reassurance.

Indeed, faced with such a deadlock, without absolute physical evidence, success or failure hangs by a thread, and no one can produce a sure-win trump card.

"President Chang, I understand the pressure Weiguang is under."

Looking at the blackened, broken desk in front of him, Yu Wen recalled his past life.

In that era, when celebrities or public figures were caught in a massive public relations crisis involving rumors, the most direct and preferred way to break the deadlock was to hold a press conference to clarify the situation in person.

Although we've moved to a cyber wasteland, the underlying logic for dealing with public opinion remains the same.

So, he calmly offered an idea:

"Mr. Chang, I plan to hold a holographic online clarification press conference."

On the other end of the communication, Chang Liren was stunned for a moment.

Yu Wen continued:

"There's no need to rent any venue or go through complicated procedures. All I need to do is install a holographic camera and projection equipment in the basement and bring all the skeptics, media, and influential figures to this 'holographic scene' in the basement. In front of the entire internet, I can resolve any issues at once."

When this bold idea came out, Chang Liren was clearly surprised, followed by deep hesitation.

"Teacher Yu, will this work?"

Chang Liren frowned.

In fact, in the public relations world, when faced with celebrity scandals or such large-scale negative public opinion, almost no public figure is willing to take the initiative to hold a clarification press conference.

Firstly, press conferences are tantamount to actively generating buzz for an event, often leading to it escalating and gaining more attention over time.

Secondly, the cost is extremely high and the risk is completely uncontrollable.

The mainstream response has always been a written statement.

In the past, when the internet was underdeveloped and social media was limited, the only way to refute rumors was through offline press conferences.

With today's advanced internet, information spreads extremely quickly. A single image with an official seal can instantly cover the entire network. Offline or real-time clarification press conferences are becoming less frequent, and now we see only a few a year.

Moreover, Yu Wen proposed a holographic live stream with absolutely no room for maneuver.

Holographic live streaming is different from issuing text statements; it's a 360-degree, real-time interaction.

If Yu Wen stumbles or loses control of his emotions in the slightest when faced with those tricky and malicious questions under the scrutiny of millions of people online, the press conference will turn into a public execution, making the already bad situation even worse.

Yu Wen sensed Chang Liren's concerns; he knew the other man was afraid that he would break down under pressure.

He suddenly chuckled softly and said in a low voice:

"Mr. Chang, do you also think that I didn't write 'To Live'?"

"Of course not!"

Chang Liren immediately denied it:

"Teacher Yu, I've never doubted your ability to use words. I'm just... I'm just worried about your health. The pressure of the holographic live stream is too intense. Can your physical and mental state withstand the malice of those people?"

"No problem, Mr. Chang."

Yu Wen's gaze fell on the worn-out mechanical keyboard beside him:

"A clear conscience fears no accusation. I typed this book out word by word, and I'm not afraid of anyone asking questions. I'll immediately call the technician to come and expedite the installation of the holographic camera and projection equipment. You can have the operations department prepare to open the holographic channel interface of the live broadcast room to its maximum."

On the other end of the communication, Chang Liren remained silent.

In this ever-changing business world, once this move is made, there's no turning back.

Whether he would be utterly disgraced or stage a comeback, the fate of this 20-year-old disabled youth rested entirely on his shoulders.

After a full ten seconds, Chang Liren took a deep breath, his voice more solemn than ever before:

"Okay, Teacher Yu, I believe you!"

……

After the communication was disconnected, the basement returned to a deathly silence.

Yu Wen unconsciously looked up at the old LED light on the ceiling that flickered from time to time, lost in thought.

He had made bold statements at the holographic launch event, and he had a general outline of his strategy for breaking the deadlock, but he wasn't entirely confident that he could achieve it perfectly under the watchful eyes of millions of people across the internet.

The online criticisms have indeed pointed out his most fatal weakness...

The disconnect between experience and identity.

In my previous life, there weren't many in-depth interviews with Mr. Yu Hua discussing "To Live".

More importantly, Mr. Yu Hua's understanding of suffering is based on the real life trajectory of that specific era.

These are specific backgrounds belonging to the previous generation. If he dares to verbatim them in a holographic live stream, he will be instantly exposed by those "research-oriented" big V's, pushing the already unclear situation to a dead end.

In fact, Yu Wen has no shortage of "real and profound experiences".

The souls of two lifetimes, coupled with this paralyzed body, and the days and nights spent struggling in this dark and dreary basement with his sister, all he has to live on...

The suffering he endured was equally profound.

But he couldn't say it so bluntly.

The feeling of suffering is universal, but the experience of different eras is not.

He must find a foothold.

One that perfectly matches his current identity as "twenty years old, from the downtown area, and paralyzed in both legs," and can logically and profoundly explain the spiritual fulcrum of "To Live" that transcends the barriers of time to explore life and death.

Yu Wen's fingers unconsciously rubbed the rusty metal armrests of the wheelchair.

A cool, rough sensation traveled down my fingertips.

Wheelchair... Paralysis... An ultimate analysis of suffering and life and death...

In my mind, it was as if a beam of light cleaved through the thick fog.

He couldn’t replicate Yu Hua’s experiences and thoughts to explain the book, but he thought of another person in the history of literature from his previous life.

A great writer who, at the most arrogant age, suddenly became disabled in both legs and was confined to a wheelchair by fate, yet used his pen to dissect the suffering, dignity, and meaning of life and death more thoroughly and purely than any able-bodied person.

He was also Mr. Shi Tiesheng, a lifelong friend of Mr. Yu Hua!