Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 542 Want it all

Let's rewind to yesterday.

After leaving Lujiawan, Zhao Junhui led Takahashi Hideo and others to check into the Nanhu Commune Guesthouse.

There was nothing we could do; Nanhu Commune only had this one guesthouse. Regardless of whether the environment was good or not, we had no other choice.

However, Hideo Takahashi is not in the mood to care about the accommodation right now.

After completing the formalities and handing his luggage to his assistant, Hideo Takahashi went to find Zhao Junhui.

Hearing the knock, Zhao Junhui went to open the door. Seeing it was him, he gave a polite smile and asked, "What can I do for you, Mr. Takahashi?"

Hideo Takahashi stood at attention, bowed slightly, and said, “Mr. Zhao, I have something I would like to ask you. Is that convenient?”

Zhao Junhui remained expressionless and smiled, "I wonder what it is? You know my job. There are some things I can answer without reservation, but there are some things I cannot answer."

Hideo Takahashi: "Understood. What I want to know isn't a secret, but about that Mr. Chen. I've heard he's a very talented writer?"

Inquire about Chen Fan?

A strange light flashed in Zhao Junhui's eyes. He looked at him intently for a moment, then said, "Regarding Teacher Chen, I can only tell you the publicly available information about him, and it will require the accompaniment of comrades from our relevant departments."

In many novels, the domestic comrades who accompany foreigners to find their relatives are portrayed as traitors, always prioritizing "foreign guests above all else" or being disobedient to the greater good.

Such people do exist, especially in the mid-to-late 80s and beyond, and are very common.

But at this point in time, such people almost never exist.

Nowadays, comrades who accompany relatives in the search not only have to perform ordinary tasks, but also have to take on the responsibility of "observation". Moreover, they are usually not accompanied by people from just one unit, but by two or three units.

For example, two other colleagues from different units came with Zhao Junhui this time. However, those two usually kept quiet and Zhao Junhui arranged everything. But Zhao Junhui couldn't avoid having private contact with the foreign guests.

Fortunately, Hideo Takahashi had nothing to hide, so he had no objections.

So a few minutes later, the meeting between the two turned into a "plenary session".

Let's eat and chat at the same time.

Under the arrangement of the Nanhu Commune, the state-run restaurant located at the entrance of the guesthouse alley was vacated and used specifically to accommodate them.

When Chef Zhu Hao saw that several small notebooks had arrived today, he really wanted to spit into the pot.

However, upon hearing from Zhu Gong'an that there were several cadres from provincial units who were also just following orders, he reluctantly upheld his chef's ethics and prepared a clean meal for them.

At Zhao Junhui's invitation, Zhu Gong'an didn't stand on ceremony and joined them at the table.

He'll be staying with these people in Nanhu Commune the whole time; it's not unreasonable for him to offer them meals, is it?
Besides, it's a small notebook for payment!
Yes, that's right. All expenses during family visits are charged, including the costs of accompanying personnel, and must be settled in foreign currency.

These days, people go to great lengths to earn some foreign exchange.

Zhu Gong'an sat down and first pointed to a plate of twice-cooked pork, saying, "Didn't you want to talk about Teacher Chen? Then you should try this dish."

Zhao Junhui glanced at it and said, "This is twice-cooked pork, isn't it? What does it have to do with Teacher Chen?"

Zhu Gong'an laughed and said, "Although this is a famous Sichuan dish, our commune didn't have this dish or any other Sichuan dishes before. It was after Teacher Chen came that he taught Chef Zhu here how to make it. Since then, twice-cooked pork has become the signature dish of this restaurant, and everyone who comes here orders it."

Zhao Junhui couldn't help but feel a little amazed. Director Chen could actually cook?
He then relayed the information to Hideo Takahashi.

Hideo Takahashi became interested upon hearing this, for in Japan, it was considered an elegant affair for a scholar to cook.

Haruki Murakami, a renowned food critic, once said, "Among writers, I am the best cook; among cooks, I am the best writer." He also tirelessly described the cooking process in his articles.

Of course, Haruki Murakami is not famous yet, but the customs are the same.

Hideo Takahashi was surprised that Mr. Chen could cook. Since Mr. Chen taught him, he definitely had to try it.

He was the guest of honor and the oldest at the table. After exchanging a few polite words, he took his first bite, picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, and nodded repeatedly, giving a thumbs up. "Delicious, delicious!"

The others followed suit and started working.

Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, so no one drank alcohol. They quickly ate their fill and then started talking about the main topic.

As the main speaker, Zhao Junhui began by recounting how Chen Fan invented the "Yunhu First Aid Method," dedicated himself to rural medical work, became a well-known writer, and ran veterinary training classes in production teams, nurturing dozens of people, including 23 who were admitted to key universities, more than a dozen qualified veterinarians, and even a teacher at the village primary school...

Police Officer Zhu listened from the side, a silent smile playing on his lips. He knew there were many flaws in what the man said, but he simply refused to say anything.

What's the big deal about that?
Helping Lujiawan develop aquaculture and other sideline businesses, it only took less than a year to take Lujiawan off to new heights, that's truly impressive!
In comparison, that little bit of "personal gain"... seems pretty powerful, doesn't it?!
Hideo Takahashi had been listening attentively. After Zhao Junhui finished speaking, he pondered for a few seconds and asked, "I wonder if we can find Mr. Chen's works here?"

Zhao Junhui remained silent after hearing this, instead turning his gaze to Zhu Gong'an.

Zhu Gong'an chuckled twice and said, "Teacher Chen is the pride of our Nanhu Commune. Almost every unit buys the 'Jiangnan Literature and Art' magazine where he publishes his articles, including ours. If you want to read it, I can borrow it, but you can't damage it. We need to keep it safe, and it'll be hard to find it again if it gets damaged."

Upon hearing his words, Hideo Takahashi immediately nodded and assured him, "Please rest assured, I am a publisher myself and I cherish books very much. I will definitely not damage them."

After listening to the translator's words, Zhu Gong'an nodded slightly, then asked with some curiosity, "Can you understand it?"

This time, instead of translating, he straightened his back, his face full of pride, and declared, "I can understand it!"

So that afternoon, Hideo Takahashi didn't go out; he stayed in his room listening to the translator read articles to him.

This includes the serialized novels "On the Hopeful Fields" and "Reed Marshes," as well as the novellas "River Dwellers," "The Tanka Fishing Boats," and "Braving the Wind and Waves."

I didn't listen to the whole novel, of course, but even from just a section, I could tell the quality of an article.

Translating the books was a little awkward because, apart from "On the Hopeful Fields" and "Fighting the Wind and Waves," the other novels all contained elements of the War of Resistance against Japan to varying degrees.

Xiao Ben's image is naturally negative, and hearing the victim curse him feels like the victim is cursing him. How could he not feel embarrassed?

Hideo Takahashi remained calm throughout.

Before the 80s, or more precisely from the late 40s to the early 80s, anti-war sentiment was the mainstream social trend in small-scale literature. Not to mention novels written by Chinese authors, even their own authors wrote many similar plots, emphasizing self-criticism.

This is for a reason.

One reason was that the postwar period in Japan was a time of widespread hardship, which led most people to develop an aversion to war. Another reason was that Japan prohibited the publication of anti-war statements and works, so after the war, many writers poured out their thoughts like a dam being opened, resulting in the emergence of various anti-war literature.

Many scholars also believe that Xiao Ben's contemporary literature began with anti-war literature.

Unfortunately, due to the erroneous education and public opinion guidance before the war, and the protection of the United States after the war, the original malignant tumors were completely preserved. These people were unwilling to be criticized and always insisted on engaging in verbal battles.

By the 80s, the small business economy had taken off, and this anti-war sentiment was quickly replaced by feelings of arrogance and other emotions. On the contrary, the opponents' emotions were high. Until the late 80s, a book called "Small Businesses Can Say No" was published, which completely reversed the left and right. With the help of the United States behind the scenes, the current situation was finally formed.

But that's for the future. Right now, anti-war literature still has a large market.

As the owner of a company that includes papermaking, printing, publishing, and distribution businesses, Hideo Takahashi felt that Chen Fan's writing was too conservative and that the effect would be better if it were more stringent.

Of course, this effect refers to small-scale production.

That's right, he wanted to translate Chen Fan's work into Japanese and publish it in a small bookstore.

This idea had already been in his mind when he left Lujiawan.

The niece-in-law said that Chen Fan was a writer who had also saved her grand-nephew, who was the only heir in her family. She felt indebted to him. The only way she could think of to repay him was to bring Chen Fan's works to her, promising to pay him the full amount regardless of the market.

It's basically just giving away money.

But after hearing his work now, it seems like this deal might still be profitable?!

After confirming with Zhao Junhui that there was currently no ban on books being exported from China, he requested to visit Chen Fan.

……

After Zhao Junhui and the others reached the door and exchanged a few pleasantries, Chen Fan led them into the living room and sat them down on the sofa.

By this time, Yang Mei and the others had already run back with the car.

After a quick wash and a change of clothes, they came in to make tea and then hurried off to prepare lunch.

Looking at the spacious and bright house, Hideo Takahashi's eyes gleamed with admiration. "Mr. Chen, may I ask which master designer created this house?"

Chen Fan sat in the main seat, chuckling awkwardly, "I'm not some kind of master, it's just a random design I came up with myself, please excuse my poor work."

All guests are welcome. Although he didn't like notebooks, the guests were very polite and even gave him a gift bag, so he naturally had to treat them warmly.

It was indeed a gift package, a square box wrapped in colored paper and tied with a ribbon. It was all very fancy, and I had no idea what was inside.

Make sure it's not something worthless, or don't blame him for being petty!
When Hideo Takahashi heard Chen Fan's words, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He exclaimed in amazement, "So it was designed by Mr. Chen himself. No wonder it has such a magnificent style."

He looked up and around. “This house is spacious, bright and airy, and exudes the style of a master craftsman. In particular, the furnishings, with just a sofa and a tea table, carry a touch of Zen. The antique shelf that separates the two spaces and the two low cabinets in the corner bring the Zen back to the human world. It can be said to be the work of a master.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that almost everyone was staring at him and Mr. Chen in disbelief, and he couldn't help but wonder, "What happened?"

Did they think my praise was just flattery?
But he really liked the design of this room, and he even wanted to copy it when he got his notebook back.

Then he saw Zhao Junhui staring blankly at Chen Fan, "You speak Japanese?"

Upon hearing this, Hideo Takahashi realized that Chen Fan had spoken directly to him, and in Japanese at that.

Chen Fan calmly waved his hand and smiled modestly, "It's just a little bit, and I've only been learning for a short time. I learned it from the book my mother left behind. Please forgive me if I don't speak well."

Zhao Junhui swallowed hard, unsure how to respond.

You, who are self-taught from a book and have only been learning for a short time, speak better than I have been studying for several years, and yet you say that you speak poorly and that you are making a fool of yourself?

Are you making fun of me?!

Hideo Takahashi looked delighted and asked, "Mr. Chen, can you write in Japanese?"

Hearing this, Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at him. "Mr. Takahashi means you want to commission me to write an article?"

Hideo Takahashi sat up straight, bowed slightly in greeting, then took a business card from his assistant and presented it with both hands, saying solemnly, "Mr. Chen, this is my business card."

Chen Fan accepted the business card with both hands, and saw that it was printed with the words "Takahashi Corporation, President, Hideo Takahashi".

Below is the address and phone number. Looking at the back, the business scope is printed on it: papermaking, printing, publishing, and distribution.

Chen Fan found it somewhat strange, as apart from large corporations, small businesses rarely engage in diversified operations.

They generally operate around a single core business. This kind of "one-stop shop" is more like the later private enterprises in China, which focus on "full supply chain" coverage.

Hideo Takahashi saw Chen Fan's expression but didn't quite understand what it meant. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, people in China don't really understand business and just obey the country's arrangements.

He continued, following his train of thought, "My family originally owned a paper mill, specializing in producing paper for book printing. During the war, due to business difficulties, we had no choice but to take advantage of our acquaintance with several writers to establish a publishing company and acquire an old printing press to start our book printing business."

At that time, because the business volume was too small, no publishers or bookstores were willing to cooperate with me, so I had to run the distribution business myself and develop it through the form of convenience store sales.

After more than a decade of operation, it has developed into the Takahashi Corporation it is today, owning its own paper mill, printing plant, publishing company, and distribution company, becoming a medium-to-large-sized book company in the small-scale publishing industry.

He adjusted his posture and continued speaking to Chen Fan, "Although we are not as good as the top-tier publishing groups, we have the lowest distribution costs, distribution channels covering the entire country, and dozens of contracted authors, including three bestselling authors, so we have a certain strength in the industry."

I read Mr. Chen's work yesterday, and based on my years of experience, I believe it has a certain market potential in smaller print. Therefore, I earnestly request that Mr. Chen entrust me with the publication and distribution of his work in a smaller print format. I will certainly use the best resources to promote your masterpiece.

After hearing his explanation, Chen Fan's eyes showed a strange look. "You've read my articles?"

Hideo Takahashi nodded vigorously, "I've read it, it's excellent!"

Chen Fan pursed his lips. "Then you should know that some parts of the story aren't very friendly to you?"

Hideo Takahashi said seriously, "You are simply stating the facts. There is no fabrication or slander involved, so there is no question of being unfriendly."

He paused for a moment, then added, "On the contrary, I believe that more people should know about such works so that they can understand that period of history, oppose war, and embrace peace!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but open his lips slightly, looking at him speechlessly.

Since they've already gone this far, what else can he say?
He then asked directly, "Which ones do you want?"

Upon hearing this, Hideo Takahashi realized it was a sign of agreement, and his face immediately lit up. He declared generously, "I want all of your works, sir!"

Chen Fan blinked rapidly, "You want them all?"

Hideo Takahashi nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with determination. "Yes, I want them all!"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, turned to look at Zhao Junhui, who was listening intently, and the other comrades who looked completely bewildered.

Zhu Gongan nudged Zhao Junhui quietly and asked in a low voice, "Officer Zhao, what are they talking about?"

Zhao Junhui didn't even turn his head. "Takahashi said he wanted to publish all of Teacher Chen's works, and Teacher Chen agreed."

Zhu Gong'an glanced at him and asked, "Just this one sentence?"

Even though I'm not well-educated, you can't lie to me!
They talked a whole bunch of nonsense, and you just finished with one sentence?

Zhao Junhui thought for a moment, "They said a lot, but the meaning was just this one sentence."

Zhu Gong's lips twitched slightly. He concluded that this Zhao cadre was not reliable and decided to go back and ask Xiao Chen instead.

Seeing that Chen Fan remained silent, Takahashi Hideo assumed he was waiting for him to name a price. He patted his head lightly and said with a smile, "I forgot to mention the royalties. Here's the thing: our small-scale publishing company uses a 'uniform system' for royalties, meaning that regardless of the size of the author, everyone receives the same standard."

First, there's the basic royalty. We don't charge by word count, but by 'standard page'. Generally, one page of original manuscript contains 350 to 400 words, and the royalty is between 1500 and 3000 yen. The specific price depends on the content of the publication. Scientific research works are the highest, followed by valuable reference books, then novels, non-fiction, etc. For novels, the price is around 2500 yen per page.

Then there are royalties. Generally speaking, the royalty rate is between 10% and 14%. The author's level will be reflected here. Big authors pay more, while small authors only pay the base price. You are a very famous author in China, so the starting royalty can be set at the highest, which is 14%.

In addition, according to industry practice, if the circulation of your single volume exceeds 50 copies, the excess portion will be subject to a 20% royalty rate.

That concludes the discussion on payment. If you have any questions or are dissatisfied, please feel free to make your requests, and I will try my best to accommodate them.

Chen Fan blinked, knowing full well that if it were a normal business negotiation, the royalties he could get, even if not 10%, would definitely not reach 14%, not to mention the last sentence.

It's like saying, "Go ahead and ask for the moon; I'll give you everything I can!"

So it must have been someone from Lao Gao's family who told him something, and he came this time with the intention of repaying a debt of gratitude.

(End of this chapter)