Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 23: The Literary Game-Changer
Lucifer, the lawyer wearing a wig, had been sent away by Ivna.
Arandor, vice president of Emerald Crest Publishing and concurrently its editor-in-chief, was lucky enough to remain behind and hear Marlon outline the basic concept of his so-called “Three-Win Plan”:
“First, we need… then, next… after that… following… and finally… and there you have it—a perfect three-way win!”
After patiently enduring Marlon’s drawn-out “explanation,”
Arandor, a man who had spent his entire life in publishing, did not respond with immediate approval or submission. Instead, he widened his eyes, his expression charged with emotion, and said—
“No! This is an utterly terrible idea! It has absolutely no chance of success! Miss Ivna, this clumsy scheme will completely destroy the publishing house your father spent his whole life building!”
Without a shadow of doubt, the white-haired Arandor was completely pessimistic about Marlon’s “Three-Win Plan.”
To prevent this plan from ever becoming reality, Arandor didn’t even address her as “President Ivna” but rather “Miss Ivna,” invoking her father’s name to appeal both emotionally and logically.
Ivna, meanwhile, was slightly dazed, her hands crossed over her cherry-red lips—
Even the so-called Red-Haired Queen Ivna had to admit that the content of Marlon’s “Three-Win Plan” was far too bold, far too risky, far too utterly unimaginable!
“I… I need a moment to think.” Ivna admitted, her mind in slight turmoil.
“Take your time.” Marlon said, a little parched, not particularly concerned, but he quickly added, “I’ve heard a country saying: ‘The bold starve not, the timid die of hunger.’ If you want to do great things, solve great problems… how can you do it without courage?”
Alright, here Marlon was being a little underhanded. He was clearly twisting his words, a subtle payback for Ivna’s earlier remark: “You? You can’t help, you’re useless!”
Who was Ivna?
Marlon’s slight pettiness was immediately understood by Ivna as soon as he spoke. She looked up at him, noticing the faint hint of pride in his eyes, and couldn’t help but feel both exasperated and amused—
This little guy!
Immature when you say so, yet in literary creation, he was astonishingly talented, even coming up with this heart-stopping “Three-Win Plan.” Mature when you say so, yet here he was, quietly proud of scoring a small victory in a war of words… This erratic mixture of childishness and maturity left one at a loss for words.
“Very well, then.” Marlon’s lighthearted banter nudged Ivna, who was agonizing over whether to make a decision, into focusing instead on the plan’s feasibility. “Marlon, according to the plan you just presented, first you need at least ten compelling stories. But right now, you—no, we—only have The Little Prince and Snow White.”
Marlon smiled, tapping his temple with his right index finger. “I told you, there are plenty of good stories… more than enough.”
Then he counted on his fingers: “Which ten to pick? Hmm… The Little Prince one, Snow White two, Pinocchio three, Puss in Boots four, Cinderella five, Sleeping Beauty six, and for the seventh, let’s end with Shrek, that’s all the fairy tales. Then three more novels for adults’ daydreams: The Count of Monte Cristo for the men, The Royal Emblem for the women, and a final killer move—Zichuan! Boom!”
Finishing his finger count, Marlon looked up and saw two faces frozen in disbelief, their jaws almost hitting the floor.
Marlon inwardly rejoiced, because this was exactly the reaction he wanted.
Of course, seeing their astonished expressions, Marlon had to put on a slight show: “Why are you looking at me like that?”
As he watched with secret satisfaction, Ivna slowly put away her shocked expression and raised a finger: “Marlon, first question—you can briefly explain these ten stories?”
“Of course,” Marlon said, smiling, flashing his eight perfect white teeth.
But instead of summarizing the stories, Marlon began telling the opening part of each one.
For the first six stories, it was still manageable. Though he jumped from one story to the next before finishing, both the Red-Haired Queen Ivna and the white-haired Arandor seemed able to sit calmly and listen.
However, when Marlon reached the seventh story, Shrek, and suddenly characters from Puss in Boots, the prince from Sleeping Beauty, and Pinocchio appeared, both Ivna and Arandor—lost it!
After all, both were seasoned publishing professionals.
By now, they could easily see what Marlon intended.
This little guy… the first six imaginative stories were all laying the groundwork for the seventh, even more astonishing Shrek story?!
Not to mention, this innovative way of connecting stories could alone make this boy world-famous, a true prodigy in literary creation!
Ivna and Arandor exchanged a glance, each reading shock in the other’s eyes.
Then, without any signal from Ivna, the white-haired Arandor, practically delirious with joy, stammered: “Marlon, continue with Shrek! No, no, tell us the eighth story! Quickly, tell us the eighth!”
The eighth story Marlon had prepared was The Count of Monte Cristo.
And what was The Count of Monte Cristo? In short, it was both a world classic and… the progenitor of adult daydream fiction!
The protagonist, falsely imprisoned, receives wisdom from a master, escapes, finds a treasure left by the master, and infiltrates high society as the suave Count of Monte Cristo, repaying kindness and punishing enemies… In this classical-era world, only five words could describe it: a literary superweapon!
Even before Marlon had finished his version, Arandor, completely absorbed and overly excited, was nearly breathless.
Fearing a disaster, Marlon quickly stopped his retelling of Monte Cristo and moved to the ninth story, The Royal Emblem.
And what was The Royal Emblem?
Ah, The Royal Emblem, also widely known as Daughter of the Nile,
Told the story of a female archaeologist who repeatedly traveled through time by accident and was relentlessly pursued by a series of handsome, charismatic kings, each with a distinct personality, in a whirlwind romance.
This perfectly matched every woman’s deepest fantasy of handsome men filling the room.
Its impact on women was indisputable!
Even the so-called Red-Haired Queen Ivna, under the bombardment of The Royal Emblem, couldn’t help but show a glimmer of fascination—stripped of all pretense, she was just a girl who daydreamed like anyone else.
Thinking this, Marlon finally unleashed his final ace: the web-literature sensation Zichuan.
In Marlon’s expectation, the subversive content of Zichuan would utterly make Ivna and Arandor’s eyes and jaws hit the floor.