Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 126 Recommendation from an Established Author
Someone once said that home is a place that will welcome you back whenever you return, just like the different branches of a big tree, no matter which way they grow, their roots are all connected.

Some say that home is the source of pain, a burden that holds you back, like a balloon tied to a stone, hindering your flight.

But Zhai Da believes that there is no need to be superstitious about any one theory; there are more types of families in this world than there are different types of people.

Some families are like big trees, yet they hope their children will be like balloons. Other families are the opposite.
Attempting to "attribute all effects to one cause" is just as misguided as "inferring all effects from one cause," and will only lead you further astray.

Lu Siwen was lucky; her mother wasn't as sharp as she seemed, and her father wasn't as dull as she appeared.

She is also braver than she appears.

It's inconvenient for Lu Siwen to continue interfering in family matters, but she has won a chance to have a good talk with her family. It is believed that Zhai Da will soon see a free, lively, and energetic little deer.

Zhai Da is also about to start preparing for his "summer vacation plan".

The next morning, a run helped me get into a good mood.

After having breakfast, Zhai Da returned to his room, turned on his computer and email, and finalized the various materials for "The Long Road of Lü" with Phoenix Media.

The essence of a physical book is still a commodity, and commodities need packaging; the cover, dust jacket, and cover text are all part of the packaging.

With Phoenix Media's strong capabilities and full-speed operation, Zhai Da only needs to make "multiple choices" via email.

The layout, font, table of contents, and other textual elements were quickly finalized, while the illustrations and cover design were confirmed by Zhai Da as the initial draft and are currently being revised.

The project was able to progress so quickly not only because we were racing against time and the project was driven by the editor-in-chief, but also largely because the project participants genuinely loved the work.

They are eager for the book to reach a wider audience.

The power of words can be conveyed to the reader, and the participants themselves are also readers.

Besides that, there was a pleasant surprise.

“We contacted several established writers and asked them to provide some ‘recommendations,’ which will be included on the book jacket and back cover.”

"It covers writers from three generations, about four or five, the most famous of whom is 'Han Han'."

On the other end of the phone, Lou En reported the good news. As the editor-in-chief, this was a small matter, but the fact that he called personally showed that he valued it, didn't it?

Zhai Da was genuinely surprised: "He managed to get this? Was he even willing?"

Lou En laughed and said, "This is actually industry practice. Xiao Zhai, you're a new author, so you probably don't have these kinds of connections. I just helped you get some resources. Of course, he might not actually read them, haha~"

“You don’t need to make a big deal out of it. Phoenix Media has many sales channels and controls or holds shares in hundreds of bookstores in Zhejiang and Shanghai. Publishers all over the country need to maintain good relationships with us. It’s a normal business cooperation and not a personal relationship between writers.”

“I didn’t contact Han Han himself, but went through the publisher to ask for him. This kind of mutual recommendation is very common.”

In Phoenix Media's office building, Lou En took a sip of tea and said, "In a sense, Han Han's audience is also your audience. During the Star Wave Micro-Fiction Competition, those news articles also compared the two of you."

Zhai Da quickly stopped him: "That's not a comparison. At most, it's just using my forceful involvement with Han Han to criticize education issues."

"That's pretty much the gist of it. In short, the two of you working together will be a great marketing opportunity. Are you ready to step into the public eye?"

Inside the small room, Zhai Da leaned back and looked at the [inextinguishable light bulb] on the ceiling.

During the previous discussions, a key issue was whether Zhai Da should use a pen name or his real name.

Older generation writers, mainly those born before the 1970s, mostly used pen names, while newer generation writers mostly used their real names.

There aren't many tricks to it. If I had to say, the older generation was probably worried about being investigated for writing things that included profanity, while the new generation has too many topics to choose from and doesn't have that concern.

Of course, no one has actually been caught telling the truth. Traditional writers on the market are all well-off and successful, typical upper-class elites, none of them poor, but their works seem to portray them as being in a state of long-term oppression at the bottom. If we look further back from 08, pen names and real names are related to work content. A pen name means that one basically focuses only on behind-the-scenes and pure writing work, while a real name will have more opportunities to expand externally and gain more fame.

With social development, writers have a wider range of employment opportunities. Screenwriting, television programs, and lecturing are all directly related. Some writers go further afield to become directors, stars, or even start entertainment companies, such as Han Han and Guo Jinming in the future.

For Zhai Da, the key question is whether or not to use his status as a college entrance exam taker/high-scoring student in marketing.

Or rather, given his chance to be the top scorer (although Lu Wei's estimated score is higher than his), if he plays this card, his true identity will be exposed in no time, resulting in a loss of conversion rate.

After several discussions, from a practical point of view, Phoenix Media also hoped that he would use his real name so that he could carry the most "energy" in the future. Zhai Da agreed after thinking it over, as he also needed fame to support the upcoming teaching base.

Even further into the future, other endeavors.

Having even secured Han Han's recommendation, Zhai Da increasingly felt like he was becoming a "writer."

A former copywriting drudge has undergone a remarkable transformation after being reborn.

"It's all been decided. I haven't done anything shameful, so I'll just use my real name."

Lou En laughed and said, "That's good. This summer, your name will surely be remembered!"

He finished writing the book.

He got the score.

Fame will soon follow.

After hanging up the phone, Zhai Da closed his laptop.

By the way, he ultimately chose to use the HP 520 he had selected, while the IBM, which cost several times more, was given to Lu Wei.

Lu Wei wasn't very computer literate, so Zhai Da told her that his computer was more advanced.

Because it's thicker, it uses more material.

Lu Wei only reluctantly agreed because Zhai Da only said it was for her to use, not a gift. She basically didn't plan to use it.

Turning my head, I saw Lu Wei resting her chin on her fair and delicate wrist, engrossed in reading a book.

She has been preparing lessons recently. She is one of the math teachers at the tutoring institution. However, being able to solve problems and being able to teach are two different things. This is a big challenge for Lu Wei, who is not talkative. The key is whether she can keep students who are only one or two years younger than her in line.

Fortunately, she now has her own little cheat code, the "Six Roots of Purity Wooden Fish," which should make the students behave better.

If you misbehave, I'll keep hitting you until you become an idiot!
Curious, Zhai Da opened the system interface and saw that the little wooden fish's task progress bar had reached "(78/1000)". He asked curiously:
"Did you strike the wooden fish?"

Lu Wei nodded: "I tap it when I get up in the morning. I also tap it when I'm bored."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "It sounds great, I really like it."

Zhai Da stroked his chin, thinking, "My neighbor must be getting a good rest."
While the task of eliminating 1000 distracting thoughts is still a long way off, the "strong luck" of eliminating 100 distracting thoughts is very close.
He was very curious about what the effect would be.

"Come out with me this afternoon."

"Where?"

"Where you will work in the future."

(End of this chapter)