Become a mother in a night

Chapter 50

At ScribeSphere, resources allocated to editors were relatively balanced. The best authors and prime resources wouldn't all be concentrated under one editor. After all, editors need to earn their keep too.
Each editor had a limited number of advertising slots, leaderboard spots, and so on. Thus, authors under the same editor could be considered competitors. The strategy was simple: allocate the best resources to the best-performing authors for maximum benefit.
This very consideration was why Alex Ye didn't want both Michelle Xia and Brandon Su under the same editor. Michelle's journey to make her mark amongst the myriad of established and emerging authors at ScribeSphere was challenging enough. There was no need to add a formidable obstacle in the form of Brandon at the end of her path.
Of course, while authors under the same editor competed with one another, they also formed supportive groups. Taking this into consideration, Alex decided to assign Michelle to a different editor, not wanting to give Brandon any advantages.
Hearing that Brandon had applied to be under the new editor, Alyssa, the same as Michelle, made Alex a tad uneasy. However, he knew he couldn't interfere too much in the internal workings of ScribeSphere. While he could have a slight say in certain matters between editors and authors, there were others he should not interfere with. Brandon's affairs clearly belonged to the latter category.
Alex responded with a nonchalant "Hmm," indicating he was informed, and then asked Derek Lin to pay closer attention to the ongoing situations at ScribeSphere.
Derek didn't read much into it. Given their objective to rectify legacy issues at ScribeSphere, it made sense for Alex to ask him to be more vigilant.
Alex had almost resigned himself to the idea of Michelle and Brandon being under the same editor. However, his mood lifted when Derek mentioned that Alyssa, the new editor, had refused to take Brandon on. Furthermore, she had confidently declared her intention to promote Michelle to stardom. This made Alex take a keener interest in this returning old hand at ScribeSphere.
Coincidentally, Alex's intent to address the legacy issues at ScribeSphere aligned somewhat with Alyssa's desire to oust Lulu. With Derek's assistance, they managed to provide Alyssa with significant advantages without causing major disruptions. As a result, when Alyssa eventually wanted to remove Lulu, she found the process smoother than she had anticipated.
Alyssa had been out of touch with the professional world for quite some time, and returning to her desk job would inevitably require an adjustment period. Every day, she would concoct different excuses for being late while also trying to reacquaint herself with the operational mode of ScribeSphere. She needed to gauge the resources currently at her disposal to boost Michelle Xia's profile.
When Alyssa had first returned to ScribeSphere, the editor-in-chief had assigned her some contracted authors from every editor's list. Michelle Xia, therefore, naturally came under her guidance. Not long after Alyssa's return, Brandon Su, having caught wind from some undisclosed source, also wished to transfer to her, but was sternly rejected.
To the editor-in-chief, Damien, Alyssa remarked, "Boss, I've got a good number of budding talents on my list now, perhaps it's best if Brandon stays under your wing." Brandon had already tried to make the switch to Alyssa twice. Although the second attempt had been unsuccessful, it was enough to earn Alyssa the ire of Lulu.
Hearing Alyssa's "gentle refusal" of Brandon,Lulu, thinking of the few authors under her watch whose careers were currently dwindling, couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh. She sneered, "Those few authors you have? Oh, maybe together they might be stronger than Brandon." Continuing, she added, "Alyssa, Brandon's practically offering you money on a silver platter. Why the pride? Wouldn't it be good to continue your past collaboration?"
Alyssa had a particular disdain for Lulu''s tendency to undermine authors. She knew the true state of the authors in her care, especially the two who had been transferred from Lulu's list. Recalling how Lulu had recently snatched a few promotional slots from her, Alyssa merely rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Alyssa retorted, "Exactly, I fear I might unintentionally hype another 'top-seller' author. How awkward it would be if Brandon were with me at that time." Lulu glanced at Alyssa with a look that said, "That's impossible," thinking how could any author possibly overshadow Brandon. Alyssa, with a piercing gaze, said, "I hold high hopes for my authors, not like you. Especially this newbie, ah, I forget the name, but a little push from me, and who knows? They might be the next big thing."
Pausing for effect, Alyssa added with feigned concern, "By the way, Lulu, I heard many authors under your guidance fell sick. Too diligent in their writing, perhaps? Ah, the pressures on authors these days. Writing 10,000 words a day isn't enough; some even write 20,000 to 30,000. They must think they're typewriters."
Hearing this, Lulu's face darkened. She demanded high update frequencies from her authors; to get the best promotional slots, their output had to be consistent and substantial. Many, in their quest for better promotion, worked themselves to the bone, often burning the midnight oil. A couple of her authors had health complications due to their relentless schedules, with two even taking a break to recuperate, wasting her hard-earned promotional slots. In her words, "They died before even breaking even."
The thought of the missed commission darkened Lulu's face even further. Enjoying the sight, Alyssa returned to her tasks. Editors at ScribeSphere were swamped, and Alyssa, still adjusting, was doubly so. After two days of whirlwind work, she finally caught a break and started contemplating how to wrest back promotional slots from Lulu.
She'd save the best slot for her prized author, Michelle Xia! She shot Michelle a message, "Got your outline? Started drafting? When will you publish?" Receiving the curt message, Michelle couldn't help but smile. Alyssa, usually verbose, compressing her usual sentences, even sparing the time to hit enter – the life of an editor indeed seemed hectic.
She sent a message back to fafa.
Michelle: Done writing it.
Michelle: I've written it.
Michelle: I can post it anytime.
fafa: Alright, post it in these few days. Just give me 30,000 words before next Wednesday.
fafa: I need to snatch my recommendation spot back from that woman! Give me some pride, kiddo!
Michelle Xia: Kiddo?
fafa: Oh, I meant, make me proud.
Michelle: Do I need to send it to you for review first?
fafa: Even if you typed it with your eyes closed, I'd trust it.
Seeing how much confidence fafa had in her, Michelle Xia couldn't help but smile.
Realizing that the address of ScribeSphere was in Rivenhold, Michelle thought that after picking up Lizzy from school, it would soon be the end of the workday. She could drop by to see her.
This was Michelle's third time inviting fafa for a face-to-face meet-up. Now that fafa had started working at ScribeSphere, she couldn't possibly use the "failed cosmetic surgery, can't show my face" excuse again, could she?
Michelle Xia: Can we have dinner together after you finish work?
fafa: ?
fafa: Michelle, can't you focus on writing? What do you think about all day?
Michelle Xia: "......"
Alright, Michelle felt it. The current fafa was not the same fafa anymore, but her responsible editor, Alyssa.
However, thinking of all the things Alyssa had done for her, Michelle felt deeply moved. Since she couldn't thank her in person, all she could do was to work hard on her writing.
Michelle Xia wrote consistently over the years and had a decent creative efficiency, swiftly publishing her new piece.
She intended to test the waters with a moderately long novel. Recently, her ghostwriting was all set in modern times, which she had grown weary of. Therefore, she decided to set her new story in a fictional ancient backdrop.
The story was straightforward: Wars raged, with large empires consuming smaller ones. Amidst the chaos, a princess of a fallen kingdom, Nora, relying on her charisma and exceptional abilities, garnered a group of loyal followers and embarked on a mission to reclaim her homeland. The narrative also subtly conveyed the idea, "Is love really better than a flourishing career?"
Michelle was cautious not to design an overly intricate plot, fearing she might lose track as she had in the past, deviating from the original concept.
fafa didn't comment on the story but remarked on Michelle herself, "Are you underestimating your abilities or really underestimating your abilities?"
Michelle humbly responded, "I'm just testing the waters, hoping to build a reader base and popularity."
Alyssa felt that such a simplistic story wasted the recommended spot she worked hard to snatch from Lulu.
When could Michelle dominate the literary scene with such a plain narrative?
Alyssa had initially planned to retire once Michelle established herself as a dominant literary force. Now, Michelle's cautious approach drastically delayed Alyssa's retirement, causing her immense heartache.
Soon enough, Michelle's work was published on ScribeSphere.
Before Michelle's publication, Alyssa had already arranged for an online "army" to boost her numbers, aiming to improve the initial metrics before securing a recommended slot for her work – essentially creating a "meteoric rise" aura around Michelle.
However, the timing of this support was crucial to avoid making it blatantly apparent.
Alyssa's plan was to deploy her online supporters three days post-publication. By then, the story would have a reasonable length, and readers could locate it through tags and searches. The appearance of this "army" would seem legitimate.
Keeping a close watch on Michelle's work, Alyssa noticed an unexpected influx of online support arriving even before hers.
Given the stark rapidity and obviousness of this support, Alyssa felt compelled to warn Michelle via a private message.
Alyssa: Darling, your online boosters came too soon and too blatantly. Be careful not to get caught.
Michelle: ...
Michelle: I didn't hire any online support.
Alyssa: ?!?!?
Panicking internally, Alyssa wondered if she had been too boastful in front of Lulu, causing Lulu to purposely deploy low-quality online supporters, and then framing Michelle for manipulating numbers.
Disturbed, yet not wanting to alarm Michelle, Alyssa replied breezily, "Oh, then it's fine."
Subsequently, Alyssa rushed back to the office that night, tirelessly sifting through Michelle's work data for anomalies.