Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 206 Could Zhai Da really stay in a hotel?

Zhai Da's speed caught Lu Siwen off guard.
On the contrary, she herself is still the same as when she gathered in Qingdao during the National Day holiday. Or rather, after gaining Zhai Da's initial approval, she has become somewhat anxious and often spends a long time pondering a single word, lacking inspiration and fluency.

Lu Siwen typed with difficulty and replied, "I still have 120,000 words."

On the screen, someone labeled "Writer Zhai" replied: "Don't rush. The ending of a suspense novel is the hardest part. The quality of a book depends entirely on the 10% of the ending. The climax is when all the suspense is revealed."

"By the way, do you still want to remain anonymous with Phoenix Media? They've been asking me about the second half of your book; they're very interested in the first half."

Lu Siwen thought for a moment and replied, "I want to make sure it can be published before I say anything. I'd appreciate it if you could keep it a secret for me, Zhai."

The other end replied with an "OK," and then said, "Then I'll discuss my own book's issues first."

"Could I see the second half of Zhai's story?"

"Yes, I will. Also, I'll be going to northern Beijing next month."

Zhai Da talked about the "Internet Gala". Although it was only for one day, Lu Siwen could still go and join in the fun, since she was the actual operator of the blog.

"I can help you look at the novel later."

Zhai Da's chats are always so purposeful; after he finishes saying what's important, the chat box goes completely silent.

Lu Siwen stared at her hand for a moment, but the light in her big eyes grew brighter and brighter, until they sparkled like gemstones.

Zhai is coming to northern Beijing!!!
That house needs some more furniture!
When friends come from afar, how can we let them stay in a hotel?!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next day, Jinling.

Inside the office building where Phoenix Media is located.

The study group was once again started because of Zhai Da's work.

Since the release of "The Long Road to Lu" in June of this year, everyone in the working group led by Lou En has made significant contributions thanks to this bestselling book.

Even though Phoenix Media's main business is large and thriving, and the proportion reflected in its sales growth is not significant, it is still a cultural industry after all. The halo brought by an excellent best-selling novel is not just about sales figures.

To put it bluntly, if they were to switch jobs now, "The Long Road to Success" would be a highlight on their resumes.

So when Zhai Da's "second work" was completed, everyone was very excited.

Lou En pushed up his glasses: "Everyone read the first half of Teacher Zhai's 'The Time-Traveling Cohabitation Manual' last month. When we were notifying you last night, we said to review it again if you forgot."

"Today is the second half, which is 9 words long. The book has a total of 18 words. I would like to remind you that this book has a novel theme, so you should read it from the perspective of a young person."

This book is based on "soft science fiction," which is completely different from the "realism" of the previous book. He was worried that the younger generation was too old to handle the finer things, so he specially found a few young people to participate.

Below, the middle-aged man in charge of planning laughed and said, "Editor-in-chief, there's no need to give us a heads-up. Teacher Zhai's writing is effortless, no matter the subject matter. In fact, after reading this book, other 'youth-themed' works will seem like utter nonsense."

For example, the movie "Tiny Times," which was released just a month ago and sold well, made adults like them feel extremely uncomfortable, like they were sitting on pins and needles, like they had thorns in their backs, like they were jumping up and down.

Lou En nodded: "Then let's begin. Oh, and Xiao Liu, go and get a few more packs of tissues. Also, everyone who smokes today has to go outside."

The memory of the last study session, where everyone was in tears and surrounded by smoke, is still vivid in my mind. This time, let's plan ahead.

Actually, I felt something was off when I watched the first half. Behind the cheerful and sweet cohabitation life, there were several hidden foreshadowing elements that left me feeling uneasy.

The study session officially began.

An hour later, the atmosphere in the meeting room gradually became heavy.

Two hours later, the more emotional woman was the first to burst into tears.

Since she was the first to break down, it piqued people's curiosity: "Where did you see that made you cry?"

The illustrator wiped away tears: "It was so difficult. Zhong Ming had to choose between completely losing Gu Xiaonian and saving Gu Xiaonian's broken childhood, and he ultimately chose the latter."

"I saw that part too, and it was a bit upsetting, but as a man, it's not hard to understand his choice."

"This book is also very suspenseful, on par with dedicated suspense novels!"

"Indeed, I was startled too. It's hard to imagine that the mastermind behind it all was..."

"Cough cough!"

Lou En glared at the other person, thinking to himself, "I haven't even seen that part yet, and you're already spoiling the plot?!"
Excellent works can make you forget that you are working.

Everyone was immersed in the work itself.

Finally, three hours later, a group of professionals, all of whom read very quickly, finished reading the second half of "How Long Will I Love U" (a book about time travel and cohabitation).

The number of people who broke through the defenses surged! Women were all wiped out, and half of the men also felt like they had been hit with a heavy hammer, unable to speak for a long time.

Quite a few people went out to smoke. Lou En sighed: "Indeed... tragedy is the true romance. Sixteen years of lonely waiting, hoping for even the smallest possibility?"

"Indeed. And after reading it, I had a sense of 'time distortion'. Professor Zhai's description of the future was so specific and realistic that it was hard to describe."

Lou En wiped his face; after all, he was a middle-aged professional struggling in the workplace, and his mood quickly turned joyful.

Another masterpiece is about to be born from his pen!

In a few years, will I be able to look forward to the position of "general manager"?

Let's discuss this.

The content editor tapped the manuscript in his hand: "Teacher Zhai's writing is still full of emotion and delicate. I think that in terms of writing level alone, it is slightly better than 'The Long Road of Lü'."

The marketing strategist quickly wrote a few lines: "I think the sales have a chance to surpass 'The Long Road of Lü'. First, it has a novel soft science fiction setting. Second, the lighthearted and joyful cohabitation in the first half is a popular theme in the market. 'Living with an Air Hostess' still has a great influence, but there is no work of the same theme that can be connected and carried over. This book is very suitable and can attract a large number of new readers."

Cover design: "The only pity is that, because it's soft science fiction, it might suffer in terms of literary merit. Even though the writing in 'How Long Will I Love U' is top-notch, it will be difficult to gain recognition from the literary world."

Lou En waved his hand and said, "Hey~ we need to have a long-term vision. Teacher Zhai is still young and in his most productive creative period. Not every work is aimed at winning awards. There should also be some 'volume-boosting' works that cater to the market."

Literary awards have long lost their influence, at least in terms of market feedback.

Theoretical matters should be placed after practical matters.

What Zhai Da didn't know was that Phoenix Media had already been working hard to get "The Long Road to Lu" into the awards. Several prestigious awards were in the works, and even if it didn't win, at least the "nomination" was something that could be manipulated.

However, literary awards are scattered; some are only given out every few years, while others are in February this year but October next year. We haven't communicated with Zhai Da about the unresolved issues yet.

"The goal of this book is simple: to achieve record-breaking sales, solidify Mr. Zhai's status as a 'bestselling author,' let the world know that he is not a 'shooting star of genius,' and at the same time, solidify our group's important place in the 'fiction' field."

"My idea is to release it at the beginning of next year to avoid statistical conflicts with 'The Long Road to Lu' in terms of awards. Releasing it when the sales of 'The Long Road to Lu' have dropped will also allow the older book to ride the wave of popularity."

"Editor-in-chief, what about the first print run?"

Lou En stood up, put his hands behind his back, and went to the window: "I'll give you a number: five hundred thousand copies."

Currently, the sales of "The Long Road of Lü" have exceeded 150 million copies.

He has been pushing hard to push the book to over 08 million copies by the end of 200. With more and more distribution channels available, this is very likely. If not, he can offer a slight discount (without affecting royalties).

This way, they can maintain their position as the bestselling novel of 08 and avoid being overtaken by "Tiny Times".

This honor belongs not only to Zhai Da, but also to Phoenix Media and him as the editor-in-chief; they are now in a relationship of shared glory.

What if the bestselling novel champion of 08 was "The Long Road of Lü"?

Why couldn't "How Long Will I Love U" be the bestselling novel of 09?
Similarly, wouldn't it be reasonable for someone who served as the "General Manager of Phoenix Media's Publishing Business" for 10 years to be called "Lou En"?
Lou En is ambitious at 45, which is the perfect age for hard work!

Turning around with a broad smile, he said:
"In addition, Teacher Zhai spoke with me on the phone last night. He will be going to northern Beijing in December to participate in Xinglang's activities."

“Although we are not in northern Beijing, we have partners there. It’s rare for Professor Zhai to be away from the school, so we should make some arrangements.”

One of the people below asked, "Editor-in-chief, are we arranging the reception?"

"No, let's arrange a few book signings for him!!"

Teacher Zhai will be very happy to have more interaction with his fans. Hehe~
After finishing their business, everyone was quite tired. Reading for more than three hours straight, plus holding a meeting, was exhausting even for professionals.

The meeting room became noisy with constant chatter and conversation.

However, since Editor-in-Chief Lou hadn't said the meeting was over, they didn't dare leave.

After a while, Lou En returned from the restroom and sat back in the main seat, his expression becoming subtle:
"There's still a little time before I get off work. I have a few things here that I'd like everyone to take a look at."

Someone immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Editor-in-chief, is this the opening of Professor Zhai's third work?"

"Uh, no."

"I know, is it the second ending of 'The Long Road of Lü'? Teacher Zhai mentioned it on his blog."

"Neither"

Everyone was puzzled because the editor-in-chief rarely participated in study sessions or similar events, except for Professor Zhai's works.
What else could it be? Has the editor-in-chief discovered another new author?
Lou En coughed lightly and had the items distributed.

"Um, please remember this when you read it... This book is self-published, so we can be a little flexible with our standards."

The time has come to test the loyalty of your subordinates.
Obedience test: First feed fine bran, then give fecal soup.

Book Title: Gun Barrel and Gun Holster

Author: Lu Zetao.

Everyone:.
(End of this chapter)