In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

The publishing manager looked troubled. He understood what the other party meant: they hoped to make some concessions and increase the other party's share of revenue, but this was difficult.

He nodded slightly to Ms. Kudo in return, then looked at Minamoto Chiya: "Mr. Minamoto, you probably haven't been involved in the publishing industry, so you may not know much about it, but eight percent is actually the highest standard we can offer in the industry. All the winners of the Rampo Award over the years have been at eight percent, without exception. I can assure you of this. Kodansha will not let you suffer in this matter."

The publisher chimed in, "That's right. And we also have to bear a lot of risks. After all, Mr. Yuan is a new author, lacking fame and market appeal. We have to arrange all the marketing expenses, magazine and subway ads, and get comments from well-known figures to help us. We also have to cover the costs. In addition, we may have to bear unknown market and inventory risks. So, giving us 8% is already quite a lot."

Ms. Kudo smiled subtly at this moment. The other party's words were exactly what she wanted to hear, saving her the trouble of deliberately guiding the conversation: "I'm sorry, it's true that Mr. Gen is a new writer, but he is not lacking in fame."

Upon hearing this, the distribution staff and publishing manager, who were mainly responsible for the negotiations, were visibly taken aback, somewhat not understanding what she meant.

Meanwhile, Gen Chiya was quietly drinking tea. Since arriving at Kodansha and sitting down, he had remained silent except for necessary moments, leaving everything else to Kudo Miyoko, something they had agreed upon on the way there.

After all, professional matters should be handled by professionals.

Ms. Kudo explained, "Actually, before Mr. Gen was awarded the Edogawa Rampo Prize, he was already quite well-known."

At this moment, the only woman among the five opponents, after being reminded, had her hidden memories awakened and looked at Yuan Qianye in surprise: "Yuan Qianye... Teacher Yuan, are you the Imperial Tiger who defeated forty-two people to win the championship in last year's Jade Dragon Flag competition?"

Yuan Qianye slightly raised her eyelids.

The shameful memories of his past life struck him once again!

Miss Kudo didn't seem to think anything of it, and even answered with a rather arrogant smile, "Yes, that's right."

"What tiger?"

"How many people has Yulongqi defeated in the tournament?!"

Both colleagues turned their heads to look at her at the same time.

The female member seemed quite excited, more memories surfacing. The face of the boy she had seen on the news perfectly overlapped with that of the new writer in front of her. She excitedly replied, "Senior, don't you know? Minamoto Chiyo, hailed as the future hope of Japanese kendo, that genius kendo boy! He's even been on the Asahi Shimbun and was interviewed one-on-one by the host!"

What a coincidence! I never expected to meet someone who knows about Yuan-jun's deeds here. But that's good, it saves me the trouble of explaining.

Ms. Kudo also took a sip of tea.

During this time, the female member had already explained to her colleagues some of Gen Chiya's achievements in the field of kendo.

However, her knowledge was limited, so Ms. Kudo also took the opportunity to mention the piano honors that Minamoto Chiya had received.

He won several small-scale piano competitions and was runner-up in a more prestigious competition.

Such an achievement, while impressive, is not surprising enough to astound others.

However, considering his honors in the field of kendo, plus the Edogawa Rampo Award he just received.

These few things taken together are enough to move people deeply.

Art, sports, and culture all flourishing simultaneously?

What an all-around genius!

"...What we mean is that Mr. Yuan already has a certain level of fame, and he doesn't mind if you use his achievements to generate buzz. It's a win-win situation, so we hope that you can also make a slight concession on the percentage of royalties."

Miyoko Kudo is quite active.

The meeting room wasn't hot.

But the publishing manager, who was mainly responsible for negotiating with her, took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Things had changed, and at his level, he couldn't decide to amend the contract, so he apologized, got up, and said he needed to consult with his superiors.

A higher-level leader from Kodansha soon came over to discuss the matter in person.

Ms. Kudo patiently explained her side's needs, striving to secure the best possible benefits for Minamoto Chiya.

Things went smoothly after that.

Kodansha made concessions.

They amended the contract.

Most other content remains unchanged.

The main change was to the distribution of revenue in the publishing contract.

And an additional clause has been added.

Regarding copyright distribution, Yuan Qianye's original basic royalty rate of 8% remains unchanged.

However, a tiered royalty system was added.

This is a privilege usually reserved for well-known bestselling authors.

The increase in royalties will be determined based on the sales volume of the work.

The first printing of "The Astrological Murder Mystery" was set at 30,000 copies, which is calculated as 8% of the total.

If there are subsequent reprints, the author's earnings will increase to 12% once the print run exceeds 30,000 copies.

Once the number of copies exceeds 80,000, the percentage will increase to 15%.

That's really a very sincere offer.

Of course, the publisher wouldn't make concessions without reason, and their new terms would require corresponding compromises from Yuan Qianye.

That is, they require that if Chiya Minamoto writes any more mystery novels in the future, he must submit them to Kodansha for publication.

Ms. Kudo was relieved to hear that the other party had made concessions, feeling that she had not let down the president and Mr. Gen, and had finally achieved a satisfactory result.

But upon hearing the other party's new terms, not only did Yuan Qianye frown slightly, but she also suddenly became angry.

This clause is too domineering.

If this is really signed, wouldn't that be like selling her current boss to Kodansha?

It's very simple.

If they really sign the contract, then all of Gen Chiya's future works will have to be published by Kodansha. Unless they give their approval, his works will not be published.

Even if it can be published, with this clause in place, they'll be completely at the mercy of the other party!

They are not afraid of your disagreement, because if you disagree, there is no way to publish the work.

That's why they call themselves a long-established publishing house; they really know how to make a shrewd business sense.

cunning and treacherous!

"We cannot accept this additional clause." Ms. Kudo slammed the contract on the table, a rather forceful gesture that clearly demonstrated her stance—this was a point on which she would not compromise.

For the next half hour, Ms. Kudo single-handedly put on a show, taking on several opponents and unleashing a barrage of attacks.

Ultimately, she succeeded in getting the other party to make concessions again.

An additional clause stipulates that [any mystery novels written by Chiya Minamoto after this point must be submitted to Kodansha for publication.]

The terms have changed to: [If Chiya Minamoto writes any more mystery novels in the future, he must submit them to Kodansha as a priority. If Kodansha is unable to cooperate, Chiya Minamoto may choose another publisher. Both parties are obligated to maintain confidentiality regarding this clause.]

I thought that coming here to sign a contract would only take an hour or two.

In the end, it wasn't until after 5 p.m. that Chiya Minamoto and Miyoko Kudo were finally escorted out by the Kodansha group.

The originally scheduled interview session was cancelled due to the late hour and will be rescheduled for tomorrow.

"Thank you so much for today, Ms. Kudo."

"It's nothing. Actually, what happened just now was like how businessmen always raise the price of their goods a bit first to leave room for price reduction. Their original intention was probably just to deliberately give such excessive terms to test our reaction. If we didn't react strongly and signed directly, they would naturally be happy to do so."

"So, Ms. Kudo, your deliberate act of never backing down wasn't out of genuine anger, but rather to test their true bottom line."

"That's right~ But I'm still a little angry, after all, it's practically a contract of servitude."

As the two walked towards the parking lot, Kudo Miyoko stretched out a big yawn in the evening breeze.

After getting to know Yuan Qianye better, she realized his easygoing nature and relaxed in every way.

"The club president told me to take good care of you. I barely managed to complete the task today. Please continue to guide me in the future, Mr. Yuan."

"I should be saying that. Please take care of me in the future, Ms. Kudo."

"Let's give each other pointers~ Do you have time now?"

"There are no other arrangements."

"Then let's go to the mall while we're at it. I need to print some business cards for you; you'll definitely need them later. I also need to get you a new SIM card as a business number, which I'll manage and keep separate from your personal number. That way, I can handle any less important matters for you directly. Also, I can confirm the time for tomorrow's arrangements and relay the message to you..."

Even after getting on the bus, Miyoko Kudo continued to chatter on and on.

It's clear that she's a professional at being an assistant.

…………

Volume 1: Chapter 152: If the older sister isn't here, there's still the younger sister.

"I am back."

"You're back! Mom made lots of delicious food for you!"

Around 7 p.m., Yuan Qianye returned home.

Rikka Takanashi, with her jet-black wings on her head, came to the entrance to greet us in a sweet voice, just in time to see the car leaving the house.

She poked her head out: "It was Miss Kudo who brought you back."

"Well, I was thinking of coming back on my own, but she insisted on seeing me off."

"Why don't you invite her over for dinner? I'm quite curious about what an assistant does on a regular basis. I'd like to hear about her daily work routine."

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, and she will come to our house often."

Yuan Qianye handed over the large and small bags he was carrying, and then squatted down on the low chair by the entrance to change his shoes.

"What are all these?" Dark Wings peered curiously into the paper bag along with Rikka.

"After signing the contract, I went to the mall with Ms. Kudo, bought a new phone and got a new number, printed some business cards, and also brought you some gifts. You've always wanted a drone, saying it would be cool to be able to look down from the sky... although I don't think it's cool at all."

"I'm so touched that you still remember!"

"Hey, don't suddenly hug me!"

"What does it matter? You're not incapable of holding on."

"It's a matter of whether I can hold on or not! Get off my back!"

The brother and sister came into the living room, playing around.

Gen Chiyo squatted down in front of Chiyo on the baby chair with a smile, making a funny face at her, which made the little one laugh non-stop.