Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 372 The most empty press conference in history?

"Is... is it done?" Wang Xiaoman looked at the two words "Zhang Chao" written in a flamboyant style on the contract in front of her, but still felt as if she was in a dream.

She thought she was unlucky enough today. A young man who looked like a college student who was picked up from the street actually made fun of her immediate boss, Manager Tang, and she was scolded as well.

I didn't expect that this hippie-looking young man would come to me again in the afternoon. He didn't even change his clothes. He was still wearing brown sunglasses, but he had on a baseball cap with the brim pulled down low.

Manager Tang, who was patrolling the lobby, recognized him immediately and asked the security guard to kick him out.

Unexpectedly, the young man patted the bag on his back and said carelessly: "Is this how you treat consumers? I didn't bring any money this morning, but now it's different!"

The security guard immediately retracted his outstretched hand. Even Manager Tang hesitated and asked, "Is this... is this money?"

The young man unzipped the bag, revealing a pile of clothes inside.

The veins on Manager Tang's forehead were about to explode. He was already annoyed by the deserted sales office due to the positioning problem, and now he had to deal with this little bastard who teased him time and time again. If it weren't for the fact that the other party was a head taller than him, Manager Tang would have rushed up and taken action.

He lowered his voice and yelled at the security guard: "Are you guys here to eat for free?"

The security guard just raised his hand, but the young man quickly pulled out a red card from his pocket and sneered, "What era is this? Who brings cash to buy a house? You must have watched too much Story Club!"

Look carefully, what is this! "

The security guard retracted his hand again. Manager Tang used up the last bit of his rationality, stared hard and tried to read the words on the card, then read out word by word: "China Resources Vanguard Tesco Membership Card!"

"Ah~~~~" Manager Tang finally couldn't stand it anymore and didn't want to order the security guard anymore. He roared and rushed forward to strangle the young man's neck.

At this time, a serious and cold voice came from behind him, pouring cold water on him: "Old Tang, what are you crazy about? How do you treat our distinguished guests?"

Hearing this, Manager Tang was like a kitten seeing a mother cat. He immediately retracted his claws and turned around obediently and said, "Boss Xu, why are you here?"

The man called "General Manager Xu" looked younger than Manager Tang. His hair was basically intact and he seemed quite energetic. However, his expression was as gloomy as the sky before a thunderstorm, which showed that he was extremely dissatisfied at the moment.

Manager Tang immediately explained: "Boss Xu, he is not a guest, he is just here to cause trouble..."

Mr. Xu ignored Manager Tang and walked right past him to the young man. His gloomy face suddenly brightened up with a bright, even somewhat flattering smile. He said to the young man, "Why are you in the lobby? Mr. Wang has told me to handle the formalities for you directly."

The young man laughed and said, "Just when I was about to go upstairs, I was stopped."

President Xu turned around and glared at Manager Tang, then turned around and smiled like a crescent moon: "Don't mind, I'll take you upstairs."

The young man shook his head and said, "No, I want..." He turned around and looked for a while, then suddenly pointed to the sales lady who was watching, "She has made the greatest contribution to knowing this place, so let her handle it for me."

The sales lady pointed at herself in disbelief: "Me?"

Mr. Xu was anxious and said quickly: "She is still inexperienced, I'm afraid..."

The young man interrupted Mr. Xu and said, "Just tell her about the policy later. Any other questions?"

Mr. Xu was choked and speechless. He could only say, "Then...then who, take the guest to the VIP room quickly. I'll go over and explain the policy to you later!"

The girl who was chosen finally woke up from her dream. She nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice, walked to the young man in small steps, and said carefully: "My name is Wang Xiaoman, it's an honor to serve you. Please follow me!"

She didn't even dare to ask Mr. Xu what the guest's name was, nor did she notice the knife-like gaze from her colleagues behind her.

Only after sitting on the big sofa in the VIP room did the young man take off his hat and glasses, revealing his true face.

Wang Xiaoman covered her mouth: "Is... it's you?" Of course she recognized the person in front of her. No matter which TV station she turned on a few days ago, she could see this energetic face.

The young man is naturally Zhang Chao.

At this time, Mr. Xu also knocked on the door and came in. Seeing Wang Xiaoman's infatuated look, he quickly scolded her, "What's wrong with you? Be professional, be professional!"

Then he smiled almost flatteringly and said, "You see, she is really a little... too young. I should..."

Zhang Chao waved his hand and said, "That's her. You should talk to her about the policy quickly. I have to catch a flight later."

Mr. Xu had no choice but to take out the documents he had prepared long ago and handed them to Wang Xiaoman reluctantly: "For distinguished guests like Mr. Zhang Chao, we have special preferential policies..."

After blah blah blah finished the introduction, he added: "I have already drafted the contract in advance. It depends on which apartment you want to buy. Xiaoman, you must serve Mr. Zhang Chao well and meet any of his requirements!"

Wang Xiaoman said with great trepidation: "Of course!"

She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Mr. Xu turned around and walked out. Then she focused her attention on Zhang Chao. She was still a little dizzy and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Zhang Chao noticed her nervousness and said first, "It's actually quite boring."

Wang Xiaoman was stunned and asked timidly, "Boring? What's boring?"

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "Today I deliberately experienced a common plot in online novels. I really found it boring and not fun at all. But that bald fat guy is really annoying. He didn't let me get the house even though I looked at it. He deserves it."

Wang Xiaoman had never read any online novels, so naturally she didn't know what Zhang Chao was talking about. However, these few words of conversation made her relax a lot. She felt that the Zhang Chao in front of her was not as arrogant and overbearing as she had imagined, nor was he overbearing.

Just a little... mischievous.

Wang Xiaoman first made tea for Zhang Chao, then took out the apartment models from the display cabinet in the VIP room, placed them one by one on the large coffee table in front of Zhang Chao, and prepared to start introducing: "We currently have a total of 5 apartment types for sale..."

Zhang Chao gestured for her to stop and said, "I've heard it several times this morning at the sand table. There's no need to introduce it again." Wang Xiaoman paused and said hesitantly, "Then you..."

Zhang Chao pointed to two of the units and said, "This is the smallest one, 189 square meters; this is the largest one, 358 square meters. Both units must be on high floors, facing the river, but not in the same building."

Zhang Chao spoke so bluntly that Wang Xiaoman did not react for a moment, until Zhang Chao reminded her: "That Mr. Xu may have only prepared one contract. Do you want to prepare another one?" Only then did she come to her senses.

After she had gone up and down, in and out, to complete all the formalities for Zhang Chao, and Zhang Chao had signed his name on the contract, Wang Xiaoman's feeling of uneasiness as if she was walking on cotton was alleviated a little.

Zhang Chao took out a red card from his pocket and handed it to Wang Xiaoman, jokingly saying, "Look carefully, is it a supermarket shopping card?"

Wang Xiaoman then took the card with a blushing face and took a look. It was a normal bank savings card.

He took out the POS machine and swiped it 8 times in a row. The pleasant "beep" sound of each successful swipe made Wang Xiaoman feel relieved. At the same time, she was amazed by Zhang Chao's financial resources. He spent nearly million on two houses without even frowning.

Is being a writer so profitable?

With all kinds of complicated thoughts and a little excitement of a young girl, Wang Xiaoman finally handed the stamped and prepared contract to Zhang Chao, and then said: "Congratulations, you have become the distinguished owner of our "Sunshine Buckingham Palace".

You will enjoy the best and most considerate service at "Sunshine Buckingham Palace"! "

Zhang Chao casually stuffed the contract into his bag and said, "Thank you, I'm leaving!" Then he stood up and prepared to leave.

Wang Xiaoman was still "immersed" in her fantasy. Suddenly, she felt an indescribable sense of disillusionment when she heard Zhang Chao's words. She subconsciously said, "Ah? You, I..."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "Isn't this order a big commission? Okay, no need to send me off, I can go by myself."

After leaving the sales office of Sunshine Buckingham Palace, Zhang Chao quickly got into a taxi and said to the driver, "Master, airport."

In the car, Zhang Chao recalled Wang Xiaoman's expression of gratitude mixed with expectation and resentment when she walked him to the door. He shook his head secretly: "This is a classic plot from online novels. It's pretty boring after trying it."

Zhang Chao bought these two houses, a small one for himself, and a large one for his parents. Although the two of them are still in their prime, it is okay to live in the county. When they are old, it is better to live in the city. After all, this is the provincial capital and has the best medical resources in the province.

Just now he even wanted to hand the bank card directly to Wang Xiaoman and ask her to help him use the remaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in the card to buy some furniture and small appliances to move into the house he was going to live in, so as to save himself or his parents from worrying about it.

Because in the next period of time, he will attend the launch ceremony of his novel "Homeland" in Yanjing, New York and Tokyo.

But after thinking about it carefully, I gave up the idea. It is one thing to experience the plot of online literature, but it is another thing to really seduce young girls.

Zhang Chao actually discussed with Kadokawa Shoten and Random House whether he could not be present in person and just record a VCR and play it on the spot, but he was rejected by the other party, saying that they had prepared an unprecedented grand ceremony for "Homeland" and he must be present in person.

Otherwise, book fans in Japan and the United States will riot!
After nearly a year of continuous controversy, hype and media exposure, Zhang Chao's reputation in both countries has reached a height that most foreign writers cannot achieve.

In the words of Madeline, the editor of Random House, “Except for Harry Potter 7 and JK Rowling…”

In July this year, JK Rowling's "Harry Potter 7" held its global debut, which was unprecedentedly grand. After all, this is a global super IP and its audience is much larger than that of Zhang Chao's works that tend to be pure literature.

But it is precisely because of this that Zhang Chao's popularity seems unusually exaggerated - even Nobel Prize winners in literature did not receive such expectations for their first new book.

Now in the United States, Zhang Chao is labeled with a bunch of messy labels, such as "the pride of Chinese people", "the pride of ethnic minorities", "the pioneer in anti-discrimination", "the pioneer in anti-abuse of discrimination", "the coolest novelist in the world", "the hope of the American left-wing cultural circle", "a fellow traveler of American conservatism", etc. Some of these labels are contradictory.

But Americans don't care about this. Except for a few extremists, almost every cultural and political camp is shouting that "Zhang Chao is our man." It has even become a fashion to quote texts from several of Zhang Chao's works.

Just like the daily verbal spats in the US Congress a while ago, a congressman blurted out: "You are 'Amy', you speak nicely, but I don't know what conspiracy you are brewing in your heart!"

Needless to say, in Japan, Zhang Chao has become a collective idol of young people. In addition to being the "writer of the empire", he is also the "Tokyo savior", "the oriental magician of words", and the "terminator of Japan's aging population"...

With such high enthusiasm among readers, if Zhang Chao did not show up at the launch ceremony of "Homeland", I'm afraid Kadokawa Shoten would have a falling out with him.

With the concerted efforts of the United States and Japan, the two most important book markets in the world, to fan the flames, Lu Jinbo, who had obtained the mainland copyright of "Homeland", could no longer sit still. He upgraded the specifications of the launch ceremony of "Homeland" twice in a row. He even turned his hair white over the plan, but still could not finalize it.

All he had to do was make a phone call and get Zhang Chao to come from Fuhai to Yanjing in advance.

After all, when it comes to book marketing, if Zhang Chao says he is second, no one in the country dares to say he is first.

It was in this situation that Zhang Chao hurried home, packed a few clothes, carried a bag, and rushed to the airport - he just found time to spend eight million to buy two houses.

On the plane, he finally had time to turn on his computer and carefully read the launch ceremony plan sent to him by Lu Jinbo.

Originally, he didn't want to get involved in this matter. After all, there were too many details to take care of in such a large-scale event. He didn't want to participate after doing it twice. But this time, Lu Jinbo spent millions of real money, and Zhang Chao was embarrassed to refuse again and again.

After reading the first few pages of the plan, he frowned.

Lu Jinbo indeed attached great importance to the launch of "Homeland". The ceremony set records for domestic new book launches in terms of venue, media scale and number of participants.

The rental and decoration of the venue alone would probably cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, which can be said to be a great deal of sincerity.

However, Zhang Chao felt that there was always a lack of resonance here, a resonance with the theme of the novel "Homeland" and a resonance with his readers.

Without this resonance, the press conference would be like a hollow orange, with only the appearance for show.

After working as a businessman for ten years, Lu Jinbo finally lost his literary roots.

(End of this chapter)