Huayu: I rely on hit-movie tactics to interweave...

Changsha in mid-August is as hot as a steamer.

The cicadas were chirping incessantly in the camphor trees outside the window, and the air conditioner's outdoor unit was humming. Liu Yu sat shirtless at his desk, the old desktop computer in front of him whirring.

The screen displays a Word document with the words "Chapter 30" written at the top.

The copyright for "The Eraser in My Mind" was purchased by Liu Yu through an uncle from Hunan TV in Japan.

He had just finished writing it that morning, and then went through it again from beginning to end, correcting more than a dozen typos and adjusting the tone of two dialogues.

"Xiaoyu! Xiaoyu!"

A loud shout came from the living room, with a distinct Changsha accent and a rising tone at the end.

Liu Min.

Liu Yu's fingers paused on the keyboard, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. That's just his sister's style; her voice arrives before she does, and once her voice arrives, her presence follows.

He saved the document, turned off the computer, and shuffled to the living room in his slippers.

The living room was already full of people.

Zhang Yan wore a rare dark blue dress today, her hair was styled in an updo, and she wore a pair of pearl earrings, showing that she had dressed up carefully.

Liu Min sat next to Zhang Yan, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, her ponytail tied high, and her skin tanned to a wheat color.

I was still fair-skinned when I returned from the UK last week, but less than a week after returning to Changsha, the sun taught me a lesson.

Two people were sitting on the sofa opposite.

A middle-aged man in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his forearms.

Beside her was a young woman with her hair in a ponytail, wearing a floral dress, holding a black briefcase on her lap, looking around at the furnishings in the room with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Liu Yu!" Liu Min was the first to see him, jumping up from the sofa. "Why are you taking so long! Editor-in-Chief Lin has been waiting for you for ages!"

"I'm writing something." Liu Yu walked over and nodded to the two guests.

Zhang Yan stood up and introduced them crisply: "This is Lin Jianhua, the chief editor of the Literature and Art Publishing House, and this is his assistant, Xiao Zhou. Chief Editor Lin, this is my son, Liu Yu."

Lin Jianhua stood up and extended his hand.

Liu Yu grasped his hand, neither humble nor arrogant, with just the right amount of pressure—a handshake etiquette he had practiced for twenty years in his previous life.

Three seconds, apply slight pressure, then release—perfect.

"Hello, Liu," Lin Jianhua said with a smile. "It's an honor to meet you. Director Zhang has mentioned you to us many times, saying that we have a child in our family who is particularly good at writing. It's great to finally meet you today."

"Editor-in-Chief Lin, you're too kind." Liu Yu sat down on the single sofa to the side. "My mother exaggerated; I was just making things up."

"Don't be modest." Lin Jianhua sat down again and took a document from his assistant, Xiao Zhou. "Our publishing house has already read 'Bullets.' It's a two-volume work, over 300,000 words. To be honest, for a new author's work, the level of completion is very high. Our editors didn't sleep all night after reading it, and came to work the next day with dark circles under their eyes, telling everyone they met, 'Hunan is about to produce a new author of military literature.'"

Liu Yu smiled but didn't reply.

Seeing that he didn't take the bait, Lin Jianhua wasn't embarrassed. He cleared his throat and began to talk about business.

"Liu, I'm here today on behalf of the publishing house to discuss a publishing collaboration with you. Let's get straight to the point."

He took a document from his assistant and handed it to Liu Yu with both hands, making a very respectful gesture.

"These are our initial contract terms. The first print run is 10 copies, priced at 24 yuan per copy, with a 9% royalty and a signing fee of 1 yuan. Of course, these terms were finalized after several rounds of negotiations with Director Zhang, who is..."

"Editor-in-Chief Lin," Liu Yu glanced at the contract, "is this royalty tiered or fixed?"

Lin Jianhua was taken aback, not because he was stumped by the question, but because he didn't expect a twenty-year-old to ask it.

"A fixed 9%, no tiers," Lin Jianhua answered truthfully. "For new authors, we usually offer a fixed royalty. If the second book sells well, we can discuss tiered royalties."

Liu Yu nodded, not dwelling on the matter.

A fixed royalty rate of 9% is not low for a newcomer.

Most new authors receive royalties between 6% and 8%, and 9% is considered a generous rate by publishers.

Moreover, there was a signing fee of 1 yuan, which was a considerable sum in 2002, enough to buy a house of about ten square meters in Changsha.

Money wasn't his primary concern.

"Editor-in-Chief Lin, how are the distribution channels arranged? In which cities are the main distributors?"

Lin Jianhua adjusted his glasses and answered in detail: "Nationwide distribution. We will distribute through Xinhua Bookstore system, private bookstore channels, airport bookstores, and train station bookstores. Key cities are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Changsha, with at least thirty stores in each city. For provincial capitals, we will select major bookstores to distribute to them, and for prefecture-level cities, it will depend on the situation."

"How are inventory and returns handled?"

"Normal cooperation. The return period for slow-selling books is eighteen months. For books stored for more than eighteen months, we will buy them back at 15% of the original price, or you can handle them yourself."

Liu Yu nodded slightly, then asked another question: "Do I hold the film and television copyrights?"

Lin Jianhua's expression remained unchanged: "Yes, the film and television rights belong entirely to you; it's clearly stated in the contract. We only have the rights to publish and distribute the books; all other derivative rights belong to you."

Liu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't show it on his face.

The film and television rights are where the true value of "Bullets" lies. The first print run was 10 copies, all of which were sold out. Based on the price of 24 yuan per copy and a 9% royalty, he could have earned a total of a little over 40 yuan.

After taxes, it's less than 36.

360,000 was not a small amount of money in 2002, but compared to his 30 million lottery winnings, it was not even a fraction of it.

He never intended to make money by selling books.

From the very first word he wrote, the author of "Bullets" aimed for a film adaptation.

The novel was just a preliminary step, laying the foundation for the future script, so that he would have a presentable work before starting his studies at the Beijing Film Academy.

When people in the industry take notice of this book, he wants them to see not a "new author," but an "IP holder with the potential for film and television adaptation."

This is why he spent more than a year writing about Changsha in the Gobi Desert, totaling more than 300,000 words.

"Editor-in-Chief Lin, the film and television rights are in my hands, that's not a problem." Liu Yu closed the contract, "But I have one additional requirement."

"you say."

"If film and television companies come to discuss adaptation rights in the future, the publishing house will need to cooperate with me in publicity and promotion. You don't need to spend too much money or effort; just help me issue a press release or hold a media conference when I need it."

Lin Jianhua thought about it and felt that the request was not excessive.

"That's no problem. We can participate as a joint promoter."

"Also," Liu Yu added, "the book should include a note saying, 'The author is a veteran, and this book is based on his personal experience.'"

"Why?" Lin Jianhua asked, somewhat surprised.

"It'll sell well." Liu Yu smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "Editor-in-Chief Lin, think about it. A twenty-year-old veteran wrote a military novel of more than 300,000 words. This label is more effective than any 'new writer' or 'rising star of the literary world' label."

Lin Jianhua stared at him for two seconds, then burst into laughter.

"Liu, with a brain like yours, it's a shame you're not a businessman."

Liu Yu thought to himself: Editor-in-chief, I was a businessman in my past life.

.......

Liu Min, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, didn't say a word. She was eating watermelon while watching her brother negotiate with the publisher. Her eyes were filled with shock, as if to say, "Is this my brother?"

The last time she saw Liu Yu was two years ago.

At that time, Liu Yu had just been sent to the army. He was left behind with a punk rocker, looking resentful. He had even argued with his parents before leaving and almost knocked her down when he slammed the door and left.

Two years later, she returned.

Standing in front of her was Liu Yu, who was over 1.8 meters tall, with a straight back. He spoke calmly and patiently, and when negotiating with others, he was always right. He neither gave in too quickly nor was he aggressive.

"Mom, was my brother switched by aliens?" Liu Min whispered in Zhang Yan's ear.

Zhang Yan rolled her eyes at her: "What are you talking about?"

"Really, don't you think he's changed a lot?"

Zhang Yan didn't reply, but the slight curve of her lips betrayed her.

Of course she knew her son had changed; she knew it from the moment she picked him up at the train station.

A mother doesn't need to think about it; she can sense that the change isn't superficial, but comes from the very core of her being.

"Editor-in-Chief Lin, I have no problems with the contract." Liu Yu handed the contract back to Lin Jianhua.

The business was over, and the atmosphere relaxed.

Xiao Zhou took an author registration form out of his briefcase and handed it to Liu Yu to fill out.

Liu Yu lay on the coffee table, carefully writing his name, ID number, and mailing address.

Liu Min leaned over for a look: "Wow, your handwriting is pretty good. Did you practice in the army?"

"I practiced when I was bored." Liu Yu didn't look up. "Besides writing, all I could do in the Gobi Desert was look at the stars."

"Did you miss your sister under the stars?" Liu Min's tone was half-serious and half-joking.

Liu Yu looked up at her expressionlessly: "Sis, do you remember that you stole the five hundred yuan I had saved before you left?"

Liu Min's smile froze for a second, then quickly returned to normal: "...It was borrowed!"

"I borrowed it for two years and they haven't even called back once."

"International calls are so expensive! I'm just saving money!"

Zhang Yan casually chimed in from the side, "Yes, we used all the money we saved to buy Cambridge souvenirs, but when we came back, it was overweight, so we had to pay another 200 pounds for shipping."

Liu Min rolled her eyes and decided to stop talking.

Lin Jianhua watched them bicker with a smile, and then chatted with Liu Yu for a few more minutes about writing. He asked Liu Yu whose books he usually liked to read, who influenced him the most, and what kind of subjects he planned to write about in the future.

......

After seeing Lin Jianhua and Xiao Zhou off, Liu Yu returned to the living room and found Liu Min still sitting on the sofa, hugging a cushion and looking at him with an expression as if he were an alien.

"What's wrong?" Liu Yu felt a little uneasy under her gaze.

"When you were negotiating with that editor-in-chief just now, I felt like you were an elderly businessman."

Liu Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless.

"Maybe it's because I dealt with leaders a lot in the army." He picked up the tea that had gone cold from the coffee table, took a sip, and said, "Soldiers tend to be more direct in their speech and actions."

Liu Min stared at him for three seconds, then nodded with a hint of doubt.

"Yeah, you used to be such a carefree person, you're a completely different person now."

"People always change," Liu Yu said, putting down his teacup. "Sis, how long are you staying?"

"About half a month, after your college entrance celebration." Liu Min stretched. "I was planning to enjoy life in Changsha, but when I came back, I heard about your book. My mom praises you on the phone every day, saying things like 'Your younger brother is so sensible now,' 'Your younger brother got into Beijing Film Academy,' and 'Your younger brother wrote a book.' I'm so annoyed by you."

"Then don't come back."

"No way, my brother's getting into university and publishing a book are such big events, I have to see it with my own eyes." Liu Min patted his shoulder, her tone becoming serious, "Seriously, Xiaoyu, I'm so proud."

"Tsk tsk, you actually praised me."

"Get lost. I bought 2 million US dollars worth of NetEase stock from you, using double leverage, 267 million shares, almost triggering a takeover bid. Luckily, I was smart and used two accounts."