Chapter 1442 Sisia's Gossip <TOC> Chapter 1444 Warm and Tender Sentiments
Translator: SumTLMan
The renowned “Benz’s Modified Weir” is an entertainment district within Sky Mechanical City. It’s a haven for leisure, offering everything from fine dining to various amusements. Just among the Bliss Pavilion alone, there are numerous establishments.
On this street, almost everyone seems to be wearing a smile.
However, emerging from a building at a street corner is a sullen-looking Pride.
Standing in front of the building, he lets out a deep sigh and turns his head to gaze at the not-so-tall structure. When his eyes land on the neon sign at the top, flashing —Sky of Truth—, a sense of helplessness fills him.
If there are no unexpected twists, in a few days, Mr. Fonsman will strip him of his chief editor position.
Once he loses that status, perhaps his girlfriend, Joline, might not stick around. Moreover, without the position, he won’t have the means to save enough to buy the Cold Night Potion.
Meaning, Pride might forever remain a mere ordinary man, lost in the hustle and bustle.
Perhaps, with the support of his father and siblings, he wouldn’t be entirely destitute within Sky Mechanical City. But, his father and brothers are merely wizard apprentices. One day, they’ll leave this mechanical haven, and then who could he rely on?
In this dog-eat-dog world, relying on others is a gamble. Only self-reliance can truly bring peace of mind.
But how can he trust in himself? He must transcend the ordinary! His mental strength is rated at 9. With the Cold Night Potion, he could have the chance to become extraordinary.
But the Cold Night Potion costs a fortune!
With a heavy heart, Pride hangs his head and slowly strides away from Benz’s Modified Weir.
All the while, he contemplates: To have money, he must retain his chief editor’s seat. This means that the next issue of —Sky of Truth— has to be a bestseller!
In order to achieve this, a major scoop is essential.
But where can he find such a scoop?
Pride walked past the entrance of the Bliss Pavilion, shimmering in the colors of a rainbow, as two staggering male apprentices emerged.
“Have you heard? The ‘Son of the Ocean,’ Jiebo, has already broken through the tenth floor of Infinite Battle Tower.” “Such a prodigious wizard is beyond our reach.”
“Oh right, I’ve heard that Jiebo has a sworn enemy. Do you think he’ll participate in the Novastar Competition this time?” “You mean Sir Pat? How is that possible? Have you had too much to drink and forgotten? Sir Pat is now a member of the Research Institute. There’s no way he would demean himself by participating in the Novastar Competition…”
The two apprentices walked away arm over shoulder. As Pride listened to their conversation, a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.
Two years ago, he had been promoted from a mere staff member to the chief editor because he reported on Angel’s mysterious realm encounter in Black Castle and Isabelle’s return to the Southern Region.
Now, his position as chief editor is threatened, all because of Angel.
Angel’s fame is soaring day by day, especially after becoming a member of the Research Institute. He’s undoubtedly the shining star in the public’s eyes at the moment.
Reporting more on Angel’s activities would certainly boost the magazine’s revenues.
However, —Sky of Truth— is just a small magazine. Their network isn’t wide and the information they receive is often outdated. How could they produce any major scoops? As a result, for three consecutive issues, even though the main focus was still on Angel, —Sky of Truth— didn’t sell much.
After several failed issues, Mr. Fonsman was furious. He had just decreed that if the next issue didn’t improve, Pride would be removed from his position as chief editor!
But how could he revitalize the magazine?
Is he really considering using the strategy given by his girlfriend Joline?
The tactic Joline proposed is——writing from a contrarian viewpoint. Due to the inherent flaws of human nature, what people love most is watching those placed on pedestals fall from grace.
Angel is one of those people who’s now been elevated to such a peak.
If they dissect Angel’s imperfections and depict him as a classic case destined for downfall, perhaps, riding on this wave of controversy, they might find an avenue to success.
Joline’s strategy is indeed an option, but Pride hesitates.
He doesn’t want to employ such a method.
It’s not that he’s righteous. In the past, he has used a similar tone to write about others. However, he’s reluctant to write about Angel in this manner simply because… Angel has brought benefits to him. After all, it was through Angel’s information that Pride became the chief editor.
Now, if he proceeds this way, he’ll struggle with his conscience.
Moreover, with Angel being part of the Research Institute, if he writes in such a manner, he might offend the institute as well.
But without using this approach, how else can he resurrect —Sky of Truth—?
With a heavy heart, Pride trudges forward, returning to his home, a tiny space squeezed between two large buildings.
Though the space is small, if he loses his position as chief editor, he might not even afford this modest dwelling.
Pride sighs, weary, unlocking his door, ready to take a bath and contemplate alternative strategies.
Just as Pride was about to enter, something caught the corner of his eye — the mailbox by his door.
From the slit of a dark green lacquered mailbox, the corner of a white envelope peeked out.
“Who left a letter for me?” Pride mused, approaching the mailbox. With a key, he opened the container and retrieved the resting letter.
His eyes danced with curiosity over the envelope’s face.
A plain white envelope, devoid of any text; what struck Pride as odd was the seal of red wax. Normally, such seals bear the emblem of a person or an organization. However, imprinted on this wax was a claw mark.
It resembled the footprint of some bird.
“Who could this be from?” Holding the envelope, a befuddled Pride made his way home.
First, he took a bath. Emerging from the bath, his mind was still occupied with how to create a buzz for the next magazine issue, but he came up empty.
His eyes landed on the envelope resting on the table. After some thought, he decided to check its contents.
He speculated that it might be from his family, perhaps they had news for him.
As he drew out the amber-colored letter, he paused in surprise.
“This handwriting… it looks so familiar?” Instead of reading its content, Pride quickly skimmed to the letter’s end. His eyes widened when he saw the signature.
‘Your Stone Grandpa’?!
It was a letter from him!
Pride’s face showed utter astonishment. Although the name ‘Your Stone Grandpa’ might sound peculiar, it was this very individual whose contribution helped Pride become the chief editor of —Sky of Truth—.
Angel touched upon the mysterious realm while Isabelle returned to the Southern Region, both pieces of news were dispatched by “Your Stone Grandpa”.
Initially, Pride hoped “Your Stone Grandpa” would be a permanent fixture in —Sky of Truth—, perhaps even helming a column and becoming a professional writer. Yet, the old rock stopped sending articles, much to Pride’s dismay.
Now, another letter from “Your Stone Grandpa” has arrived. Could it be another submission?
His initial submission had catapulted Pride to the chief editor position. Could “Your Stone Grandpa” be throwing him yet another lifeline?
Pondering this, Pride excitedly delved into the letter.
Midway through reading, his portly figure started trembling with excitement. His eyes shone brighter with every word, and by the end, he leapt up from his sofa, exclaiming, “This is fantastic! Oh, Stone Grandpa, you’re a true savior!”
It was unexpected, during his darkest, most desperate hour, to once again be rescued from the depths by “Your Stone Grandpa”!
Pride quickly grabbed his discarded robe, barely wearing it properly, clutching the envelope as he dashed out the door.
Once the contents of this envelope are published in the —Sky of Truth—, how could it not be a sensation?
Pride was certain, if he could exclusively release this submission, his position as the chief editor would be unassailable. After all, the news inside the envelope revolved around the hot topic of “Angel”. It would undoubtedly reignite the currently stable public discourse, setting it ablaze! And —Sky of Truth— would be the torchbearer!
In haste, Pride dashed back to the magazine office, summoning every staff member through the communicator.
Soon, everyone, wearing expressions of confusion and displeasure, gathered in the grand hall of the Sky of Truth magazine office.
“Hey Pride, what in the world is going on? Coming here and causing a ruckus in the middle of the night? If you don’t clear things up, you and I are going to have an issue!” The one speaking was a young staff member. In the hierarchy of the magazine, he was surely lower than Pride, but he was gifted. Even if he spoke disrespectfully, no one dared to retort, including Pride.
Pride’s current girlfriend, Joline, also voiced her confusion, “Pride, you called us over. Have you finally decided to use that method?”
Joline knew that if Pride summoned everyone, he must have had a plan in mind. She didn’t think that in such a short time Pride would have any explosive news. She suspected he might use the approach she mentioned before.
The others also turned their eyes to Pride, waiting for him to explain.
Pride pulled out an envelope, fervently saying to everyone present, “I just received some significant news. We start working on it right away — tonight, not tomorrow. If we push hard, by the day after tomorrow, our new issue will be out!”
“Why the rush? What’s the big news?” Joline asked, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
“Yeah, if you mess up, don’t drag us down with you!” someone sarcastically commented.
Pride seemed indifferent to the taunts. The reality was harsh. Gifted individuals always held more sway than ordinary people like him. The fact that these gifted ones were willing to come to the magazine office in the middle of the night was already a significant concession to him.
Pride placed the letter in the center of the group, “Take a look for yourselves. With this news, our —Sky of Truth— will undoubtedly make a splendid comeback!”
Everyone cast curious glances at the document, their astonishment growing with each line they read.
The young man who had ridiculed Pride earlier spoke in disbelief, “Is what’s written here true? Sir Pat has truly advanced to the realm of wizard… and he’s even not far from achieving true knowledge?”
Pride nodded, “It’s submitted by ‘Your Stone Grandpa’. You should be familiar with this contributor. It’s legitimate.”
Upon hearing this, the entire room erupted in astonishment.
Pride was but a mere mortal, unaware of just how terrifying the news of Angel’s ascension to the status of a formal wizard was.
Yet for those endowed with gifts, they deeply understood the value of this news. Should word get out, the entire Sky Mechanical City… No, a vast majority of the Southern Region would likely be thunderstruck!
Joline observed the astonished expressions of the magazine staff, then shifted her gaze to Pride, a faint smile curling her lips: it seems Pride’s position as the chief editor should be secure.
Joline was also a mere mortal; her reaction was relatively calm, and she even had the leisure to ponder the content of the letter.
Joline remarked, “By the way, don’t you all find the last line from this ‘Your Stone Grandpa’ a bit strange?”
Everyone followed her gaze to the letter, and its last paragraph read——
“Please make sure to add more praises about Angel. This is crucial and my only requirement for submitting to you. Oh, and remember to attribute my name. It would be best if Angel sees it; otherwise, I’m done for!”
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. What did ‘Your Stone Grandpa’ mean?
At that moment, someone speculated, “Could it be that ‘Your Stone Grandpa’ had offended Angel and is seeking forgiveness through this method?”
Chapter 1442 Sisia's Gossip <TOC> Chapter 1444 Warm and Tender Sentiments