MM Racing Chapter 34 Published Novel
Chapter 34 Published Novel
After signing the contract, Lin Zhou called the newspaper and asked Wu Jiajia, the finance manager, to come to the construction company.
After paying the initial fees, Lin Zhou left the construction company with Wu Jiajia and drove back to the newspaper office. Just as they entered the office, Editor-in-Chief Chen Jingzhi came in with two cups of tea, a smile on his face: "Ah Zhou, is the land in Yuen Long secured? How did the negotiations with the construction company go?"
"The contract is signed, 250,000 yuan, to be paid in installments." Lin Zhou sighed and leaned back in his chair. "But we still haven't found a way to pay for the equipment. After paying the first installment for the project, there's not much money left in the newspaper's account."
Chen Jingzhi sat down opposite him, took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "I knew you would be worried about this. Actually, the solution has already been presented to you."
"Oh? Uncle Chen, do you have a good idea?" Lin Zhou's eyes lit up, and he quickly sat up straight.
Chen Jingzhi put down his teacup, went out and returned to his office. He took out a woven bag from the corner and then returned to Lin Zhou's side, saying, "Take a look at these."
Lin Zhou took the bag with a puzzled look, opened it, and saw it was full of envelopes. He randomly took out a dozen or so and opened them, finding they were all letters from readers. He randomly pulled out a few more and quickly browsed through them. The contents were all similar, asking when "A Step into the Past" would be published as a standalone book. Some readers even said they would buy it as soon as it was published, and many bookstore owners also wrote to pre-order.
"We receive over a dozen letters every day; we've accumulated so many already," Chen Jingzhi said with a smile. "You know better than I how popular 'A Step into the Past' has been in the newspapers for so long. Readers are so eager to buy it now; if you publish it as a book, you'll definitely recoup a large sum of money in a short time. That solves the problem of building factories and buying production lines, doesn't it?"
Lin Zhou looked at the readers' letters in his hand; the handwriting was different, but they all revealed their love and anticipation for "A Step into the Past." He had been so focused on building the factory that he had forgotten about publishing the novel. The serialization of "A Step into the Past" was indeed a huge success, and the newspaper's sales had been steadily increasing because of the novel. If it were published as a standalone book, the sales would definitely be good.
"That's right! How come I didn't think of that!" Lin Zhou slapped his thigh, his anxiety instantly vanishing. Originally, he planned to use his spatial abilities to go abroad for a free shopping trip, or find a gang in Hong Kong to make their ill-gotten gains disappear. But now he didn't need to. Instead, he was filled with excitement. "Uncle Chen, you're absolutely right! Publishing the novel 'A Step into the Past' now will allow us to ride the wave of popularity, and the funds will be recouped quickly."
"That's right, it's already the finale, and readers are still reminiscing about it," Chen Jingzhi said with a smile. "Moreover, publishing the novel will further expand the influence of 'A Step into the Past,' which will also benefit your future career. I've already contacted several publishing houses for you, among which 'Hong Kong Literature and Art Publishing House' offers the best terms and a high royalty rate. If you agree, I'll bring them over to discuss it tomorrow."
"Agreed! Of course I agree!" Lin Zhou nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with gratitude. "Uncle Chen, thank you so much. Every time I encounter a problem, you can help me come up with a solution."
"We're all on the same side, so there's no need for formalities," Chen Jingzhi waved his hand. "You're the boss of the newspaper, so if your business thrives, the newspaper will benefit too. Right now, the most urgent thing is to get the manuscript of 'A Step into the Past' sorted out. I'll keep the manuscript you gave me before. I know it wasn't the original, and you definitely have the original. But the publishing house is very efficient; once we reach an agreement, it will be typesetting and printing very soon."
Lin Zhou nodded, picked up the reader's letter on the table, and was filled with emotion. From the initial acquisition of the newspaper office to the current land acquisition and factory construction, they had encountered many difficulties along the way, but each time they had managed to turn the tide. This was inseparable from the help of Chen Jingzhi and Li Wangcai, as well as the support of the readers.
"Okay, I still have the original manuscript. I'll organize it tonight and try to reach an agreement with the publisher by tomorrow." Lin Zhou's eyes were firm. "The factory has already started construction, and the novel's publication is on the agenda. Next, we just need to implement the plan step by step."
That afternoon, the construction company's team entered the wasteland in Yuen Long. The workers first erected a tall wire fence, enclosing the entire 80-acre area, with signs hanging on the fence that read "Construction Area, No Entry". Subsequently, excavators and bulldozers arrived one after another, their roar breaking the tranquility of the suburbs, and began clearing the site and leveling the land.
Lin Zhou took some time to visit the construction site. Watching the workers busily working and seeing the wasteland gradually being leveled and organized, he was filled with anticipation. He knew that this would be a new starting point for his career. In the future, modern factories, even industrial parks, would be built here, with roaring production lines producing his own products, which would be sold to Hong Kong and even further afield.
Back home, Lin Zhou immediately went into his spatial house, ate a simple meal, and then immersed himself in organizing the manuscript for "A Step into the Past." He meticulously checked the content serialized in the newspaper, corrected some typesetting errors, and added some psychological descriptions of the main characters to make the story more complete. Thick fog rolled in outside the window, and the only sound in the room was the sound of his typing. The warm yellow light illuminated his focused face and the dream in his heart.
When Lin Zhou felt it was about time, he connected the printer, changed the font of "A Step into the Past" to traditional Chinese characters, and started printing. It took less than an hour to print and organize the manuscript. After leaving the space, he put the manuscript in his briefcase, went to the bathroom to wash up, and then went to bed.
He knew the days ahead would be busy, with him overseeing the factory construction, following up on the novel's publication, and possibly even attending book signings. But he didn't feel tired. He knew clearly that he was moving step by step towards his goal, and every effort he made was paving the way for future success.
The next morning, Chen Jingzhi brought the head of Xiangjiang Literature and Art Publishing House to the newspaper office. The two sides discussed the publication of "A Step into the Past," and the publisher offered very favorable terms: a royalty rate as high as 15%, and a promise of an initial print run of 100,000 copies, with subsequent print runs based on sales. Lin Zhou did not hesitate and signed the publishing contract with the publisher on the spot.
The moment he signed the contract, Lin Zhou breathed a long sigh of relief. The 250,000 yuan project payment was secured, the money for equipment and production lines was about to arrive, the factory was under construction in full swing, and the novel's publication was finally settled. Everything was moving in a positive direction.
Standing at the newspaper office window, gazing at the bustling streets outside, Lin Zhou was filled with pride. He knew this was just the beginning. At the construction site in Yuen Long, the cement mixers were still roaring, and the steel structure of the factory buildings had begun to be erected; at the publishing house, the manuscript of "A Step into the Past" had entered the typesetting stage, and the cover design was also in full swing.