I'm not a literary giant

Chapter 259 Apollo and Dionysus

"But what good would it do me to keep your secret?" Xiao Mengyin winked at him.

Wang Zixu remained calm in the face of this reply. Although he and Xiao Mengyin were old acquaintances, he never believed that a few words would make her obediently cooperate.

He seriously outlined his terms: "How about this, while you're here, I'll give you an extra 30% of the script fee..."

"Trying to bribe me with money?" Xiao Mengyin interrupted with a light laugh. "Do you think I'm short of money?"

“…Last time a girl came, she earned 130,000 in a month,” Wang Zixu continued relentlessly, trying to persuade her.

"It seems you underestimated me as a..." Xiao Mengyin's words trailed off as she suddenly realized what she had just heard, her eyes widening as she exclaimed, "...Wait, how much did you say??"

“130,000,” the prince replied humbly. He then asked, “What did you just say was an underestimation of you?”

Xiao Mengyin's lips twitched slightly. She decided to ignore Wang Zixu's rather offensive question.

Lolita fashion is an expensive hobby, and although Xiao Mengyin is quite capable of earning money, she is far from being "never worried about money." 130,000 is not a small amount that is insignificant to her.

She managed to calm herself and asked, "How can there be so many?"

“The revenue of speech therapists is split with the scriptwriters, and the more popular the script, the more money they make,” Wang Zixu explained. “That girl is only 17 years old, and like you, she’s a literary prodigy. However, we didn’t let her come this time.”

Upon hearing "just like you, a literary prodigy," Xiao Mengyin immediately frowned.

"The same as me? You mean, she also won the Fei Shi Literary Prize at the age of 25?" Xiao Mengyin asked irritably.

Wang Zixu hadn't expected her to focus on this, so he quickly explained, "That girl writes online novels; she definitely can't compare to you in terms of winning awards. I was talking about making money..."

"So you don't know, I simply did voice chat for a month and climbed to 5th place on the sales list, right?" Xiao Mengyin interrupted him, raising her voice eight octaves. "You probably don't understand what a real 'genius' is. Whether it's making money or winning awards, I'm an all-around genius."

“Yeah, you’re not bad at making money either,” Wang Zixu quickly chimed in, “but she’s number one on the leaderboard, and you’re just ‘a little bit’ behind her in that area. That’s what I mean.”

Wang Zixu solemnly gestured a tiny distance with his finger. Xiao Mengyin's gaze passed through the gap between his fingertips. She stared at him for a long time before finally being amused by his serious expression.

"Fine, ignorance is no excuse. I'll assume you don't know my abilities." After a pause, Xiao Mengyin said, "I'll join you. I'll show you what a real literary girl is."

"what?"

It wasn't Prince Xu's original intention to use provocation, but since it was so effective, he was happy to see it happen.

“However, I have one condition,” Xiao Mengyin added immediately.

……

Half an hour had passed since Prince Xu led Xiao Mengyin into the private room, but the door remained tightly closed.

Ye Lan held her head in frustration in the living room: when the scriptwriter team was being formed, Wang Zixu suggested adding a background check process, but she and Zuo Ziliang jointly rejected it.

If I had known this would happen, I should have listened to him back then—now my identity wouldn't have been exposed by acquaintances.

At this critical juncture, the Little Prince's true identity is top secret. If word gets out, reporters will swarm in, and their plans will be completely ruined without anyone else even needing to sabotage them.

Moreover, the Little Prince has always maintained a mysterious and revered image in everyone's mind. If his true identity were suddenly revealed, the contrast would be too great, his authority would vanish, and how would he lead the team in the future?

Ye Lan felt increasingly regretful. However, the scriptwriters sitting to the side didn't think so much. After settling their luggage, they gathered in twos and threes in the living room and talked in hushed tones.

“So Teacher Little Prince’s real name is Prince Xu,” Xiao Ba said first. “No wonder he’s called Little Prince, it’s derived from his birth name.”

"You're only finding out now?" The believer said smugly. "I've known for a long time."

"You knew all along, why didn't you tell me? How did you know?"

"Can you just say things like that so casually?"

Looking at the believer's smug expression, Xiao Ba felt a slight itch in his teeth.

In fact, the believer learned about it by chance—the last time he went out to meet someone, he happened to run into Wang Zixu and Ning Chunyan shopping, and that's how he learned Wang Zixu's real name.

But he was also unaware of Wang Zixu's true identity. To this day, only Cheng Xing and the poet know this secret.

Sakura said thoughtfully, "What I'm more curious about is, what is the Little Prince's identity in reality? How does he even know such a cute girl? He doesn't look like her."

Those who believed him scoffed: "Come on, he's the Little Prince! It's not surprising that he knows all sorts of girls. I wouldn't be surprised if he brought Rihanna over one day."

Cheng Xing, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't help but speak up: "Actually, I know who this cute girl Xiao Mengyin is. She is a very famous young writer."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately gathered around, even Xing Sheng and the black dog came to the side.

"Really? What did she write?"

Cheng Xing lowered his voice: "She was the winner of the first prize in the previous Fei Shi Literature Award."

"The Fei Shi Literary Award?" the believer repeated. "That award seems pretty famous, right? Is Luo Niang that amazing?"

"She's no ordinary young woman..." Cheng Xing said, "Among current young writers, Gu Zao (male) and Meng Yin (female) are the most promising rising stars in the literary world."

The believer asked, "What about Chen Qingluo? Isn't she popular anymore?"

“Chen Qingluo became famous relatively early. Although she is not very old, she is generally not compared with the new generation in the industry,” Cheng Xing explained. “She is at a different level.”

The believer pressed on curiously, "And what about you? Between you and Xiao Mengyin, who's better?"

Cheng Xing smiled bitterly: "Compared to Xiao Mengyin? I wouldn't even dare to think about it. Besides, ever since I published 'The Little Prince's Love Letters' online, I've been slowly marginalized in the literary world..."

At this point, realizing he was complaining, he changed the subject: "If Xiao Mengyin is a first-rate young writer, I'm probably somewhere between third and fourth-rate."

Suddenly, Xing Sheng spoke up and asked, "Are you the author who published 'The Little Prince's Love Letters' online?"

Cheng Xing turned his head: "Yes, it's me."

The believer patted Cheng Xing on the shoulder, his tone tinged with pride:

"Let me introduce you. This is the senior member of our Wen'ai scriptwriting team. He was just being modest when he said he was third or fourth-rate. He has a very high reputation in the literary world and usually associates with all sorts of... well-known writers."

The believer wanted to use Cheng Xing's name to establish authority over the new speech therapists and make them more humble.

Unfortunately, he wasn't from the literary circle and couldn't come up with any reasonable boasts. In the end, he could only squeeze out these two nonsensical sentences, which left Cheng Xing both amused and exasperated.

Xing Sheng was quick to respond and immediately went up to shake hands with Cheng Xing: "It's an honor to meet you."

Cheng Xing quickly stood up to shake hands with the person. He wasn't used to being a popular writer yet, and he had no airs at all.

"Are you the author of 'The Little Prince's Love Letters'?" the black dog asked. "You're also doing voice chat? I thought you were rolling in money."

Cheng Xing frankly stated, "My publication of 'The Little Prince's Love Letters' was purely for public benefit. I didn't earn a single penny from it, and the copyright doesn't even belong to me."

The black dog squinted at him for a long time and said, "Since you made the Little Prince famous, won't Wen'ai Company give you a share of the profits?"

The believer couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Can't you be a little more polite? Don't you know you're being a bit offensive?"

Black Dog replied, "I know, that's just my personality. I write online novels, unlike traditional literature, I always speak my mind and don't hide anything."

Cheng Xing quickly pulled the believer back from his outburst, signaling him to be quiet.

"To be precise, I never 'praised' the Little Prince. The text was his; I just published it on his behalf, and then it became popular."

After Cheng Xing finished speaking, he smiled and said, "If it weren't for the Little Prince, none of you would have heard of me. It's hard to say who's promoting whom."

Cheng Xing's words were actually tinged with bitterness. When he published "The Little Prince's Love Letters," he meticulously revised the original text to make it suitable for publication, putting in considerable effort and scrutinizing every word. If he wanted, he could easily have claimed to be the co-author.

The reason he didn't do that was because he was proud. He didn't want to be accused of trying to ride on the coattails of The Little Prince's fame, and he strived to do everything with integrity, preferring to do nothing in return. But in the eyes of others, his behavior wasn't noble; instead, they suspected him of having ulterior motives.

Take black dogs, for example.

Black Dog's thoughts represented the thoughts of the masses, and even many people in literary circles whispered about him behind his back. This was the first time he had found an opportunity to calmly and directly discuss this matter.

The black dog remained expressionless: "Oh, so the Little Prince wasn't a product of marketing?"

Cheng Xing shook his head: "Absolutely not."

"Then dare you say that Wen'ai Company didn't hire any promoters?"

Ye Lan, who was already annoyed, finally couldn't stand it anymore after hearing what the black dog said. She looked up and pointed at him, saying:

"If we hire someone to help us, I'll jump from the third floor. If we don't, you kneel down and kowtow 10 times. How about it? Want to bet?"

The black dog shrank its neck and dared not utter a sound.

Ye Lan said, "Don't dare to gamble? Then shut up. No one will think you're mute if you don't speak."

The believer quietly gave her a thumbs-up and whispered, "Sister Lan is awesome!"

Just then, the door upstairs opened, and Xiao Mengyin and Wang Zixu walked out one after the other.

A sudden silence fell over the area downstairs; everyone stopped chatting.

Prince Xu came downstairs, glanced at everyone, and noticed that the atmosphere was a bit strange, but he didn't think much of it and said:

"As usual, let's start with introductions. Since there are new members, everyone needs to introduce themselves. Cheng Xing, you can go first."

Cheng Xing smiled slightly and asked, "Should we follow the same rules as last time?"

Prince Xu nodded: "Do it the same way as last time."

"I am Cheng Xing, a writer. I have published more than 30 short stories in magazines such as Fiction Monthly, Nanfeng, and Get. I have published the novels Monk's Journey and Empty Mountain."

"After its publication, 'Empty Mountain' was fortunate enough to be selected for the monthly best book list of 'China Reading Weekly'. In addition, the short story collection 'No Talking at Three in the Morning' has just been nominated for the 'Chinese Literature Media Award' for Best Newcomer of the Year."

“In addition…” He glanced at the bookshelf and said, “This time I can proudly say that I have read three-quarters of the books on the shelf.”

This was Cheng Xing's serious personal resume, and it was also a blind spot for Xing Sheng and Black Dog. They only knew him as the author of "The Little Prince's Love Letters." He hadn't even included "The Little Prince's Love Letters" in his resume.

Sakura asked, "Compared to last time, have you published a lot more books?"

Cheng Xing laughed and said, "No, there are only two books, one long and one short. Ever since 'The Little Prince's Love Letters' became popular, many publishers have approached me about the Little Prince IP, but I have rejected them all. I want to break free from this label and develop my own style."

The believer interjected, "That's pretty strong too."

Prince Xu simply nodded, then turned his gaze to Xiao Mengyin.

"Is it my turn?" Xiao Mengyin was taken aback, then asked bluntly:

"My name is Xiao Mengyin. I don't remember the number of short stories I've published in top journals, but it's more than Cheng Xing's. My novel, 'Ice Wall,' won the top prize in last year's Fei Shi Literature Award by chance. It has been reprinted twelve times and its copyright has been exported to fourteen countries."

"My novella collection 'Broken Bridge' won second place in the New Talent Award, and my short story collection 'Silent Song' was included in the 'Contemporary Classics Library.' There are also some scattered short stories that have been featured in 'Asia Weekly's' Top Ten Chinese Novels in the World, but I won't go into details."

Cheng Xing was secretly astonished. Xiao Mengyin's honor was far more prestigious than his, and it was all-encompassing.

Unfortunately, most of the people present were novices from outside the industry. To them, both of their honors were equally unattainable, which was like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

Wang Zixu asked, "What about the readership?"

"What readership?" Xiao Mengyin asked back.

Wang Zixu pointed to the bookshelf over there: "It's our custom here to judge the level of readers by how many books on that shelf they've read."

Don't you know my skill level?

Although Xiao Mengyin said that, she had already walked to the bookshelf and started scanning the books on it. She was so engrossed in looking at them that she forgot she was introducing herself.

Wang Zixu ignored her and said to the others, "Continue."

After Cheng and Xiao introduced themselves, everyone behind them felt immense pressure. In the end, it was the trustworthy one who, thick-skinned as ever, spoke in a very ordinary but confident manner:
"I am a useless believer, a student at a 211 university, a former editor of the school newspaper, and a writer of online novels with an average subscription of 8,000. I have currently read one-third of the books on this bookshelf. Next."

"What does an average order of eight thousand mean?" Prince Xu asked.

Xiao Ba said, "Looking at the average subscriptions alone, he surpasses 99% of authors on a certain point. But this guy is a procrastinator. After the training at the Wen Ai Base last time, he had a burst of inspiration and wrote a book with 8,000 average subscriptions, but he couldn't continue after writing 500,000 words and had to give up. So he didn't make much money."

Prince Xu seemed to understand but not quite, and the black dog beside him couldn't help but speak up: "If I had eight thousand jun, I could write until the company went bankrupt, but you actually cut it off."

The person who wrote the letter looked at him in surprise: "You also write online novels? What are your achievements?"

The black dog's dark face flushed slightly, and after a long while, it finally spoke: "I have several books, the last one was 600 average."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But my last book had reached 12 million words, and I was updating it with 20,000 words every day."

Upon hearing this number, the believer muttered under his breath, "Holy crap."

If it were him, there's absolutely no way he could have written so much with such a low average rating.

But looking at it from another angle, to write 2 million words a day with 1200 daily updates and still have 500 average subscriptions, this guy has real perseverance, but he also has no talent.

Wang Zixu said, "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

The black dog seemed to be a combination of inferiority and arrogance. Just a moment ago it was defiant and indignant, but now its face was flushed, and it took it a long time to utter a few words:
"I'm Black Dog. My university... was terrible, I won't go into details... I've been writing web novels since university... Later, I started doing voice chat. That's it."

The believer asked curiously, "Why did you come here to do voice chat?"

The black dog mustered its courage and said, "I want to make money, a lot of money. Voice chat can make money, so I'm here."

The believer stared at him for a long time, and finally let out a sneer.

The black dog got angry, clenching its fist and saying, "So what if you want to make money? You dare say you didn't come here to make money?"

The believer raised his hands: "I'm sorry, I wasn't mocking you, I was just thinking about my past self."

Prince Xu asked, "How many of the books on the bookshelf have you read?"

The black dog shook its head: "I don't read those literary books. I write online novels, and I only read online novels. After I started doing voice chat, I only read 'The Little Prince's Love Letter'."

Prince Xu nodded: "Okay. Here's your chance to make money. However, you'll have to read a lot of books afterward."

Next up was Xing Sheng, and his self-introduction surprised everyone:

“I am Xing Sheng, and I work as a front desk supervisor at an international hotel. This job has instilled in me the habit of observing and understanding people. I have witnessed too many human dramas: adulterous couples, negotiating tycoons, and celebrities collapsing... I consider myself the best audience for these dramas, making sure I am in my seat on time, but never stepping onto the stage.”

After saying that, he winked at Prince Xu: "It is also my long-cherished wish to observe the Little Prince's live performance up close."

Prince Xu was not worried that the other man would see through him. From the moment he became immersed in the book, he forgot that he was Prince Xu and that he was now the Little Prince.

After everyone had introduced themselves, Prince Xu stood up and said:
"Okay, I'm going to change the format of this training. I'll divide you into two groups, and on the last day of the training, the group with the higher total performance will get 20% more commission."

Before he could even finish speaking and before the crowd below could rejoice, Prince Xu continued:
“Xiao Mengyin, Xinzhe, and Heiquan, the three of you are the Sun God Group.”

He then turned to the other side and said, "Cheng Xing, Xing Sheng, and Xiao Ba, the three of you are the God of Wine Group."

(End of this chapter)