Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 785 Planning in advance
When Zhou Yali returned to China last time, she stayed at her home in Shanghai for two months.

During that time, Chen Fan's imagined wonderful days were ruined, which naturally made him very unhappy. However, he could not vent his anger, so he could only vent his resentment by writing, and wrote a lot of things.

Zhou Yali naturally knew about this, and she had read almost all of Chen Fan's drafts. She had skimmed through most of the manuscripts, and the one that attracted her the most was "Saint Seiya," which was also a fantasy work.

It looks like a blockbuster that can rival "Legend of the Dragon Knight".

Moreover, compared to other works, "Legend of the Dragon Knight" has fewer elements of faith and places more emphasis on personal training and inner exploration. "Saint Seiya" is different; the entire background is a "war of gods," and the more devout one is to one's god, the stronger one becomes.

This is particularly in line with the characteristics of beliefs in Western societies.

In Western countries, you can have freedom of belief, but you cannot be without belief, otherwise you are considered "different".

Things are slightly better in later generations. In this day and age, if your neighbors find out you are a non-believer, they will definitely try to convert you to a religion.

Regardless of whether the religion is a mainstream denomination or a small, extremely obscure church, the point is that one cannot live without faith.

Therefore, this kind of "god war" background will definitely be very popular in Europe and America. After Chen Fan's careful adaptation, it may even be more attractive than "Legend of the Dragon Knight".

Another point is that the concept of "Saint Cloth" in Saint Seiya is not found in "Legend of the Dragon Knight". Zhou Yali has also seen the Saint Cloth illustrations drawn by Chen Fan and is convinced that such Saint Cloths will definitely be loved by book fans.

Especially for trend-conscious young people, who would refuse a golden armor?

Whether it's a full-size suit or a small model, turning the Saint Cloth into merchandise will definitely be a huge hit!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the completed Saint Seiya series until I left last time.

Suddenly remembering this, she asked it.

As soon as she finished speaking, a line of large words suddenly appeared on the TV screen: game over.

Jiang Lili covered her eyes with one hand and let out a dejected wail, "Ah, I lost."

Jiang Tiantian laughed and said, "If you lose, just start over. Xiao Fan has already reached level 7. Not only is the falling speed faster, but the graphics are also more complicated. You're probably not familiar with it since it's your first time playing. Starting from level 1 will definitely be much better."

Jiang Lili turned to look at Chen Fan, "So this is your first time playing too, how come you were able to get to level seven?"

Chen Fan reached out and patted her head, laughing, "I invented all these games, so what's so strange about me being good at them?"

Jiang Lili blinked, said nothing, turned around and handed the controller to Jiang Tiantian, "Sister, you go first, I'll watch you play for a while, I'll study on the side."

Jiang Tiantian reached out and took it, smiling, "Okay, then you can watch carefully."

Then, looking at the screen that had restarted, he said with a serious expression, "Watch how quickly I die!"

Jiang Lili stumbled, grabbed her with both hands, rested her head on her shoulder, and chuckled, unable to speak.

After the game restarted, Chen Fan said to Zhou Yali, "Saint Seiya is finished, but the manuscript has been given to the Jiangnan Writers Association. After they finish translating it, it will be published by the publishing house in Xiaobenzi."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali's eyes widened instantly. "My God, are you crazy? This is a blockbuster novel that can replicate 'Legend of the Dragon Knight,' and you're actually publishing it for someone else? Do you know how much that costs?"

Chen Fan chuckled twice, waved his hand, and said, "It's not that exaggerated."

He then gestured for her to sit down and talk.

The two sat down on the daybed by the wall. Jiang Lili immediately went to the tea cabinet, poured two cups of chrysanthemum tea, and brought them over. Then she continued watching her sister play games.

Chen Fan leaned against the bedside table, lifted the lid of the teacup, gently blew on it twice, and then said to Zhou Yali, "The Saint Seiya manga has been licensed to Takahashi Publishing House for publication, limited to small regions. Outside of those regions, it's still reserved for Qianfan Publishing House, and the lion's share is still ours."

In addition, Takahashi Publishing also pays royalties according to the highest standard. However, this part of the royalties will go through my unit first and will eventually be converted into RMB before reaching me. My unit keeps the foreign exchange, so I don't lose much of my royalties.

So the so-called loss is simply the money that Takahashi Publishing House earned. Considering the sales of "Dragon Knight Legend" and the market size of small-format books, it's probably around two to three million US dollars.

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "But Japan isn't an English-speaking country. The distribution of 'Legend of the Dragon Knight' in Japan was also given to Takahashi Publishing, so ultimately they'll still have to earn that money."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali immediately lost her confidence, but still muttered, "If I'm only responsible for distribution, my share will be even lower, okay? Two or three million US dollars isn't much money, is it? In the past, the Zhou family's annual net profit was only two or three million US dollars."

Before collaborating with Chen Fan, the Zhou family's total assets were around one hundred million US dollars. After the economic boom of the 70s and 60s, the US economic growth rate began to slow down in the 5s, and prices gradually rose. The overall economic situation was not optimistic, and the return on assets for most companies was only around 5%.

Most of the Zhou family's assets were high-quality assets, with an overall return rate of about 7%, which means that the Zhou family's annual net profit at that time was more than 700 million US dollars.

Qianfan Publishing House earned more than 30 million US dollars in a year just from the book "Legend of the Dragon Knight".

This is the power of the cultural industry: it doesn't require a large asset investment; as long as you can capture a blockbuster, you can generate revenue comparable to hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.

So even though it's a small region, a single book like "Saint Seiya" can make Takahashi Publishing Company a huge success.

Chen Fan was well aware of this.

Zhou Yali had calculated everything perfectly, and her anger, which had just subsided, flared up again. She said irritably, "Even if that damn president of the Little Notebook asked you to write an article, you could just give them any article you wanted. Why give them such a good piece of work?"

We handle global publishing ourselves, only outsourcing the distribution of the small-format edition to Takahashi Publishing. They'd make at most a million dollars. How much is the difference?!

He smiled and gestured to Zhou Yali to calm down, then said with a smile, "Three reasons."

He picked up his teacup, blew on it a few times, took a sip slowly, and then explained slowly and deliberately, "First of all, when Hideo Takahashi approached me, although his purpose was to repay a debt of gratitude, his way of repaying that debt was a bit too much. Without seeing any market prospects and without any precedent, he signed a contract with me with the highest royalty standard, and paid me $120,000 to $130,000 in the first installment."

Hearing this, Zhou Yali finally calmed down. After a two-second pause, she nodded slightly. "I've heard you mention this before. Even if he was just repaying a favor, it was still a generous gesture, far exceeding what you gave. It's understandable that you're returning the favor."

Chen Fan smiled and continued, "The second reason is to achieve results for myself."

Zhou Yali rolled her eyes slightly and looked at him, asking, "The Writers' Association?"

Chen Fan put down his teacup and smiled, "It's not only the Writers' Association, but also a public organization."

He paused for a moment, then explained softly, “Unlike the United States, where society is made up of many small, independent individuals, here, society as a whole is a huge collective. Even if people work in different organizations, as long as they achieve outstanding results, they will be recognized by the entire society.”

Back then, I compiled a "First Aid Manual." Apart from the health system, other units also respected me. Later, I was transferred to the Writers' Association and achieved some success. Other units and systems also respected me.

Among the Writers Association's achievements, the one most valued is its ability to generate foreign exchange.

Not only do my own works generate foreign exchange through overseas sales, but they also help other writers in my organization to export their works, bringing in hundreds of thousands of US dollars in foreign exchange revenue for the Jiangnan Writers Association in total…

At this point, he turned to look at Zhou Yali and smiled meaningfully, “Otherwise, why do you think I was able to be promoted to vice chairman so quickly and be able to abandon my work and live a carefree life everywhere?”

Strictly speaking, my behavior violated work discipline, but it earned me foreign exchange. As long as I used the guise of creative work, no one cared. Understand?

Zhou Yali blinked, her mind racing for a while before she finally realized, "You mean, as long as you can contribute to the public good, you can do whatever you want?"

Chen Fan quickly waved his hand and corrected, "It should be said that we can act expediently as long as it does not violate principles."

Zhou Yali's way of thinking is very similar to that of most modern people in later generations. When doing things, she first considers "self-interest", especially how much reward she can get from doing something, and only then does she consider other things.

Even in later generations, if you want a raise, you have to achieve results first before your boss will consider whether to give you a raise.

Not to mention now, the whole country is acting as one, and in principle, or at least on the surface, there are no special people or things, and all actions must comply with the regulations.

There are strict standards for the starting salaries of college graduates, vocational school graduates, cadres, clerks, and workers.

When it comes to standards, everyone is treated the same, regardless of whether you come from a cadre family or a peasant family.

Even if someone has a family advantage, at most they'll have a better chance of leveling up later, but at the starting line, everyone starts from the same position.

There is only one way to break through the rules: to achieve results.

If you achieve something, something that only you can do and no one else can, then you are a treasure in your workplace.

Unlike later generations, society in this era is a large collective. If you can become a representative figure of a large organization, the whole society will recognize your achievements.

A simple example: these days, a "National Model Worker" is practically an idol; no matter which workplace they go to, they have to show them respect. But what about future model workers? Who would even notice them?

Chen Fan doesn't need a promotion; his current position is already high enough, and at his age, he even feels a bit lonely at the top.

He didn't care how much money he could get, since he wasn't short of money anyway.

However, if he wants to continue to enjoy a carefree life at work and get things done in other units with respect, then he must continue to achieve results.

Writing and publishing books brings fame, but fame is only for oneself. What's more important is bringing "profit" to the organization, which is when the organization will provide him with convenience.

Actually, when his teacher transferred him to teach at the university, He Qingsheng subtly suggested that he go there. At first, he might not have felt anything, but later he gradually figured things out on his own.

Things like "literature correspondence centers," which can promote literary education and popularize literary literacy, are beneficial, but we shouldn't do them anymore. If we do one or two more of these projects, everyone at all levels will be in a difficult position, unsure of where to promote the individual.

But foreign exchange earnings are different. Now is not the time to focus on the "economy". No matter how well this is done, it will not be considered a "political achievement", but everyone in the unit will like it.

The more of this kind of thing, the better.

The more foreign exchange he earns, the more popular he becomes at work, and the more secure his status as a "freelancer" becomes. Even if a few short-sighted individuals disagree, there will naturally be people who defend him.

Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily turned to Jiang Tiantian, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Jiang Lili is indeed his fiancée, but they haven't had a wedding or registered their marriage. It's already a bit against the rules for her to live in his house, and now even his sister-in-law is moving in. If this happened to anyone else, there would probably be all sorts of rumors flying around.

But you never hear a single word of gossip about him; isn't it just that most people automatically rationalize things for him in their minds?

Look, even Jiang Tiantian's book publication is attributed to his personal cultivation.

Although it is true, gossip doesn't care whether it is true or not.

The reason we are in this situation is because of Vice Chairman Chen's "noble character and integrity".

Not only do they generate foreign exchange for themselves, but they also open up their resources to encourage other writers to generate foreign exchange together. Isn't this a noble and virtuous act?
Would such a virtuous person do such underhanded things? Impossible.

Zhou Yali understood Chen Fan's meaning at this point, but she still didn't quite grasp the key point, so she pouted and muttered under her breath, "Isn't this just paying money to buy peace of mind?"

Chen Fan turned around, shook his head and laughed, "That's not how it is."

Zhou Yali's eyes widened. "Isn't that right?"

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head. "Look, I'm from the cultural system, and I used to be in the health system, but when I went to Shenzhen, why did General Manager Liang, who holds a lot of power, give me face and treat me so politely?"

Zhou Yali immediately retorted, "He just wants my investment. You're my brother, how dare he disrespect you?"

Chen Fan smiled and shook his head, saying, "That's only one aspect. More importantly, the whole country is a unified whole. As I just said, society in China is a large collective. As long as you are a member of a unit, you are a member of this large collective. He and I are both members of this collective."

I consider myself to have some reputation, and I've achieved some success in the past two years. Although he's not in the same system as me, he has to acknowledge this reputation and these achievements. As for the reasons…”

Zhou Yali interrupted him thoughtfully, or rather, continued his sentence, saying, "Because you are all part of a large group?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, "Indeed."

As for the idea that a famous writer can both make and break someone, that's another story. Whether it brings success or failure, it's not something to be discussed openly; it's best left unsaid to both parties.

After pausing for two seconds, Chen Fan looked at Zhou Yali, who was still deep in thought, and continued, "On the other hand, the achievements I have made will not only bring me the convenience of being a 'free agent,' but will also become my 'resources.'"

Our company has now begun to expand into the mainland market, and we will definitely face all sorts of problems in the future. Without these resources, although we can still develop, we will inevitably encounter some troubles, some of which may even be difficult to handle and force us to give up some things.

But with these resources, the situation would be significantly different.

Chen Fan picked up his teacup, took a sip, exhaled softly, turned to look at the two sisters who were still playing games, and smiled, "You're in front, I'm behind. What you can't do, I can do; what you can't handle, I can handle. Anyone who dares to disrespect you is disrespecting me, and I can make them lose face."

From compiling the "First Aid Manual" to designing cars in a machinery factory, and then to his achievements in the Writers' Association, can we really say that everything he does is a contribution?
The connections and resources he accumulated behind these events, and even his current international fame, are the foundation of his confidence to say these words.

As long as he is in the right, no one can bully him.

In this respect, even Mao Lao and Ba Lao wouldn't dare say they are better than him, after all, they are just simple intellectuals, while Chen Fan is not!

Mechanical systems and sanitation systems are his "backbone".

Although he didn't put much effort into managing it, the few pieces he casually made, taking advantage of the situation, and then integrating them, could become his own foundation.

This is the perspective and advantage of a time traveler.

However, this kind of pleasure is something that cannot be explained to outsiders.

Let others continue to maintain the image of writer Chen as "young, capable, kind, and easy to talk to."

Although Zhou Yali still couldn't fully understand Chen Fan's words, she realized that Chen Fan's contributions to the company weren't for nothing.

Since it wasn't a futile act of dedication, she had no objections.

She coughed lightly, took a sip of water, and asked, "You just mentioned three reasons, so what is the third reason?"

Chen Fan shifted his position, leaning back on the daybed, but didn't answer her question immediately. Instead, he asked, "What do you think of the notebook market?"

Almost without hesitation, Zhou Yali immediately said, “Closed-off and xenophobic. It’s not the kind of xenophobia that’s policy-driven, but rather a cultural one. The people’s first choice is domestic products. In terms of culture, from literature to music and film, domestic products are the main focus. Only a very small number of American films and music works can break into the market.”

She paused for a moment, then frowned slightly and said, "I even suspect that they deliberately put some of the works in there in order to avoid retaliating against the United States."

Hong Kong films and music had not yet entered their "golden decade" at that time, so she only mentioned American culture and not Hong Kong films and music.

Hong Kong films and music were indeed among the very few cultural products that were able to penetrate the Japanese market. After the decline of the Hong Kong entertainment industry, only a small portion of the Korean wave was able to achieve this.

Hearing her words, Chen Fan laughed and gave a thumbs up, "Absolutely right."

He sat up abruptly and said seriously, "Ruth Benedict's 'The Chrysanthemum and the Sword' analyzes the Little Notebook in great detail. If you take a look, you will gain some understanding of the Little Notebook's national customs."

Arrogance and conceit are among their traits. A portion of this personality trait contributes to their exclusivity; the market for notebooks is arguably one of the most closed markets in the world, requiring internal manipulation to gain entry.

The academic view that has been almost universally accepted in later generations is that "the small-scale economy is a highly monopolistic and self-enclosed economic entity," which includes "cultural monopoly and self-enclosure."

The entertainment industry in small towns is also highly closed off. Due to their highly developed economy, their cultural market can support "self-production and self-sales" and generate extremely high profits. This has led to the result that it is difficult for "works from outside the industry" to enter their market.

Compared to the previous question, Chen Fan only made a starting point at this point, and Zhou Yali immediately understood.

She kicked off her slippers, turned around and sat on the daybed, facing Chen Fan, and said thoughtfully, "You mean, create works specifically for the notebook market, and then naturally enter their market through their local companies to make a profit?"

Chen Fan smiled and nodded gently, "My previous work was handled by Takahashi Publishing House, which was just something I did casually. Now that we have established Qianfan Publishing House, we have to pay more attention to small book publishers, as one of the most important or even the richest cultural markets in the world."

Saint Seiya is just a starting point. I will continue to create works suitable for the small book market and enter it through Takahashi Publishing.

However, Qianfan Publishing House cannot remain idle. Your focus shouldn't be solely on my books; you can assign someone to maintain communication with Hideo Takahashi, exchanging suitable Eastern and Western literary works for in-depth collaboration.

Zhou Yali suddenly realized, "I understand..."

She took a few deep breaths, gesturing with her hands, clearly excited, and smiled at Chen Fan, "I know what you mean, and I know what to do. Don't worry, we'll definitely be able to take a big bite out of this little notebook!"

Chen Fan smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

As for the claim that the collaboration with Hideo Takahashi was a prelude to the Plaza Accord, there's no need to bring that up.

Wouldn't it be interesting to let someone experience your "unfathomable" nature when the time is right?

(End of this chapter)