thebusnovel Chapter 19 Novel Becomes a Hit
Chapter 19 Novel Becomes a Hit
Today is the day when Zhonghua Daily and its partner GG merchants are re-signing contracts. Lin Zhou stands by his desk, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, watching Li Wangcai and the GG merchant representatives solemnly sign the new contract. The scribbling sound of the pen gliding across the paper seems to be the prelude to this win-win cooperation. In the new contract, the GG fee will gradually increase as the newspaper's sales rise.
With an undisguised smile on his face, GG Merchant shook Li Wangcai's hand and exclaimed repeatedly, "Manager Li, when your newspaper changed its name, some people disagreed, saying that changing it to Zhonghua Daily would mean the GG fees we'd invested would be wasted. I didn't agree with that! Look! Now the newspaper's sales are soaring, and our product exposure has increased several times over. That money was well spent!"
Li Wangcai responded with a smile, "Mr. Wang, you flatter me. This is a win-win situation for both of us. Our newspaper's influence will only increase further in the future, and we won't let you down."
Lin Zhou watched quietly from the side until the contract was signed and GG Merchant left satisfied. Only then did he slowly put away the copy on the table and hand it to Chen Jingzhi: "Old Chen, I'll leave the follow-up coordination to you."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things here." Chen Jingzhi took the contract, his eyes full of enthusiasm. "The newspaper has a completely new look now, all thanks to your book, 'A Step into the Past'."
Lin Zhou waved his hand casually, "It's all thanks to everyone. I just provided a story. Li Wangcai is better at operations than I am. With you two working together, I don't need to worry about anything."
Having said that, he turned and left the newspaper office. Since the serialization of *A Step into the Past* began in the Zhonghua Daily, things at the newspaper gradually got back on track. Editor-in-Chief Chen Jingzhi controlled the content direction, operations manager Li Wangcai revitalized the magazine and distribution, and finances were handed over to the newly recruited college graduate Wu Jiajia. Auditing was handled by an accounting firm; each department performed its duties efficiently. Lin Zhou was completely relieved of his burdens and began a life of near-laid-back relaxation.
For the next week, Lin Zhou became a leisurely traveler in the city. Every morning, he drove through the streets and alleys of Hong Kong, drove up the winding mountain roads on the outskirts of the city, overlooked the outline of the entire city from the top of the mountain, and felt the pleasant breeze on his cheeks.
He didn't need to worry about the newspaper's sales, nor did he have to deal with complicated interpersonal relationships. Occasionally, when he remembered that the newspaper was waiting for his manuscript, he would pull up the chapters of "A Step into the Past" that he had already marked on his computer, print them out, and deliver them to the newspaper to Chen Jingzhi when he had time.
These leisurely days passed in a flash, and it wasn't until the afternoon of the seventh day that Lin Zhou drove to the Zhonghua News Agency again. As soon as he entered the office building, he sensed a different atmosphere than usual.
The large office was bustling with noise. Reporters and editors had flushed faces with excitement, and lively discussions could be heard from time to time. Even the typing on the typewriters was faster than usual, as if chasing some kind of burning heat.
As he approached his office door, he saw Chen Jingzhi and Li Wangcai walking side by side, both with undisguised joy on their faces and their steps much lighter than usual.
"Boss! You've finally arrived!" Li Wangcai excitedly stepped forward upon seeing him, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "I have some incredibly good news to tell you!"
Chen Jingzhi nodded in agreement, his eyes gleaming, and added, "It's about newspaper sales and 'A Step into the Past,' something you'd never guess!"
Lin Zhou raised an eyebrow, pushed open the door to let the two in, and poured them two cups of tea: "Judging from your expressions, what good news do you have? Tell me slowly."
Li Wangcai took the teacup, took a sip, and said impatiently, "Our Zhonghua Daily's daily sales have now exceeded 50,000 copies!"
"Fifty thousand copies?" Lin Zhou was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised. He knew that "A Step into the Past" should boost sales, but he didn't expect it to reach this number. You have to understand, the daily sales of Zhonghua Daily were only a little over ten thousand before, so to surge to fifty thousand in just over half a month was nothing short of a miracle.
Chen Jingzhi added with a look of deep emotion, "It's not just a surge, sales have been skyrocketing these past few days! Director Wang at the printing plant is going crazy. He's been trying to get your signature to sign off on hiring workers, but he couldn't reach you no matter how many times he tried. He had no choice but to take matters into his own hands and hire workers urgently. Now we're working three shifts around the clock, printing day and night, just to barely keep up with the order demand."
"Didn't Director Wang complain?" Lin Zhou asked casually.
"Complain? He's overjoyed!" Li Wangcai laughed. "The printing factory's business was lukewarm before, but as soon as our newspaper orders increased, their machines haven't stopped running. The workers are working overtime, and their wages have increased significantly!"
Lin Zhou smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and felt a warmth rise in his heart. He had only wanted Zhonghua News Agency to grow bigger and stronger and achieve new glory, but he never expected it to bring about such a huge chain reaction.
"Why did sales suddenly increase so much?" Lin Zhou asked, though he could roughly guess the reason.
"What else could it be? Of course, it's your 'A Step into the Past'!" Chen Jingzhi said with certainty, his eyes full of admiration.
"This book is now a complete sensation; the plot of 'A Step into the Past' is being discussed everywhere in Hong Kong!"
Li Wangcai immediately picked up the conversation and said incessantly, "That's right! I went to the vegetable market yesterday and heard the vegetable vendors talking about whether Xiang Shaolong could find Ying Zheng."
While eating lunch at a noodle shop, several young people at the next table were arguing heatedly about Princess Zhao Qian's fate; even the owner of the newsstand downstairs from my house said that every day as soon as he opens, the first thing to sell out is our Zhonghua Daily, many people come specifically for "A Step into the Past," and if you arrive late, you have to pre-order!
Chen Jingzhi nodded in agreement: "The editorial department receives a ton of letters from readers every day. Some are urging for more updates, asking where Xiang Shaolong is going next; some are analyzing the plot; and some readers have even sent us drawings of the characters from the novel, saying they love them so much. We've even had bookstore owners contact us, asking if we could compile 'A Step into the Past' into a book, saying it would definitely be a bestseller!"
As Lin Zhou listened to their stories, vivid scenes flashed through his mind: people of different ages and backgrounds resonating with each other because of a novel, enthusiastically discussing the characters and plot. It was a wonderful feeling. Upon reflection, he realized that this wasn't his own novel, but he was the author. How could it not be wonderful?
"I didn't expect it to become so popular so quickly." Lin Zhou put down his teacup, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"That's your skill!" Chen Jingzhi exclaimed sincerely. "Previous martial arts novels were all the same old stories of chivalrous feuds and vengeful tales, but 'A Step into the Past' is different. It has both the weight of history and the novelty of time travel. The character Xiang Shaolong is so captivating—daring to love and hate, witty and decisive. Readers are tired of the old formulas, so when they suddenly see such a fresh story, they will naturally flock to it."
Li Wangcai added, "A bookstore owner told me that dozens of people come to his shop every day asking about the serialization of 'A Step into the Past.' He has already subscribed to 500 copies of our newspaper specifically for retail sales."
"I brought the manuscript. These are the next five chapters." Lin Zhou took out a stack of printed manuscripts from his bag and handed them to Chen Jingzhi. "Take a look. If there are no problems, then we'll arrange for serialization."
Chen Jingzhi took the manuscript as if it were a priceless treasure, eagerly turning to the first page. His eyes were immediately drawn to it, and even his breathing slowed down. Li Wangcai also joined him, the two of them head to head, engrossed in reading. The only sound in the office was the rustling of pages turning.
Lin Zhou smiled helplessly at their absorbed expressions, then turned and walked to the window. Outside, the setting sun was slowly sinking, painting the sky a brilliant orange-red.
Li Wangcai finally finished reading the manuscript, looked up, and exclaimed in admiration, "It's brilliant! Readers will definitely go even crazier when they get to this point!"
Old Chen nodded repeatedly: "That's right! With these articles, our newspaper's sales will definitely increase even more! I'll arrange the layout right now, and I guarantee it will be published on time tomorrow!"
The orange-red light from outside shone into the office, illuminating the warm and bright smiles on the three faces. The sunset outside the window deepened, but the popularity of "A Step into the Past" continued to rise and intensify throughout the city.