Restart life

Chapter 103 0100 [His methods are really wild!]

There were three carriages under the banyan tree, belonging to Li Xunhuan, Ning Caishen, and Xing Yusen.

If we add Annie Baby, then they will be known as the Four Great Writers.

Of course, many others have written books there, including Han Han and Guo Jingming. Others include Cai Jun, Jin Hezai, Murong Xuecun, Bu Feiyan, Rao Xueman, and many more.

Ning Caishen is probably familiar to everyone.

Xing Yusen has switched careers to become a screenwriter, mainly writing sitcoms such as "The Idle Ma Dajie", "A Family in Northeast China", and "Home with Kids".

Li Xunhuan was the most unique one. Besides being a writer, he also served as the editor-in-chief of Rongshuxia (a Chinese online learning platform). Zhu Weilian poached him from Beijing, offering him a monthly salary of over ten thousand yuan in 1999, plus renting him a villa in Shanghai.

After Rongshuxia was acquired by Bertelsmann, Zhu Weilian jumped ship to Shanda as a senior manager. Li Xunhuan, on the other hand, cashed out his shares and started his own book publishing business.

This person's approach is a bit unconventional, unlike traditional publishing houses.

What does "wild" mean?
Li Xunhuan walked into the coffee shop and saw that his competitor was still there. His first words were ruthless: "15% royalties, plus tiered revenue sharing."

"What did you say?" Shi Xiang jumped up.

These four words were actually something Chen Guiliang also wanted to ask.

I haven't even started the process yet, and you're already offering me above-average treatment? What have I done to deserve this?!

Li Xunhuan repeated: "15% royalties, plus tiered revenue sharing."

"You're insane! You're completely messing things up and will disrupt the publishing market!" Shi Xiang had lost his temper.

The customers in the coffee shop all looked over; Shi Xiang had been a bit loud earlier.

Li Xunhuan smiled but remained silent.

Ignoring the stares of the surrounding customers, Shi Xiang lowered his voice and said to Chen Guiliang, "This person has just switched to publishing. His company hasn't been open for long, and he hasn't even sold a single book yet. Even if he offers you 50% royalties, you still won't sell many copies of your book."

Chen Guiliang remained silent and turned to look at Li Xunhuan.

Li Xunhuan said, "Since 1999, I have been involved in the publication of every book that Rongshuxia has contacted. I have enough distribution channels and resources, and all I need is a best-selling book. Moreover, although my company is newly established, I do not lack operating funds. I previously had shares in Rongshuxia, and I cashed out a large sum of money when Bertelsmann acquired it."

Chen Guiliang remained silent and turned to look at Shi Xiang.

Shi Xiang said, "Guo Xiaosi and he had a very good relationship. They even needed each other's help to start a company and publish a magazine. But why didn't Guo Xiaosi let him publish his new book? It's because he's unreliable!"

Chen Guiliang smiled and turned to look at Li Xunhuan again.

Li Xunhuan explained, "There are three reasons. First, Guo Xiaosi's book is an illustrated collection, which can only be sold to loyal fans, so its sales are destined not to be very high. Therefore, I did not offer a high royalty, and I did not need to use this to build a relationship. I have already negotiated other collaborations with him. Second, Guo Xiaosi's personality is too cautious, which is why he chose a more conservative traditional publishing house. Third, Guo Xiaosi is unwilling to bow down to Zhuang Yu, so he rejected my operational plan."

The coffee arrived, and Li Xunhuan picked up the spoon and said to Chen Guiliang, "This book of yours is different; I have high hopes for it."

Chen Guiliang's smile widened, and he turned to look at Shi Xiang.

Shi Xiang repeated his previous statement: "His company is just a makeshift operation; smart people won't trust him. Guo Jingming is a smart person; no matter how good the relationship is, he won't publish for him."

Chen Guiliang finally spoke: "Editor Shi, can the royalty rate be increased again?"

Price increase my foot!
Shi Xiang's authority is only 10%; any increase would require approval from his superior. And his superior, at most, could only raise Chen Guiliang's authority to 12%.

The highest price that a reputable publishing house nationwide would offer is this. Chunfeng Literature and Art Publishing House is already considered very open-minded; otherwise, it wouldn't have earned the title of "pioneer" in youth literature.

Shi Xiangping usually mocks other publishing houses for being too conservative.

In Li Xunhuan's eyes, Shi Xiang also became a conservative.

That's way too damn wild.

What was the highest price Li Xunhuan offered Han Han? 20% royalties! Later, they simply became partners, and after deducting costs, Han Han could take 50% of the profits.

Unable to answer Chen Guiliang's question, Shi Xiang turned to Li Xunhuan and asked, "Are you making a profit at this price?"

"Sorry, it's a trade secret," Li Xunhuan said with a smile.

Shi Xiang felt extremely aggrieved. He had come from Shenyang by train and had a face-to-face meeting with Chen Guiliang before even reaching the hotel.

As a result, Cheng Yaojin showed up unexpectedly.

This deal is off; Li Xunhuan is here to overturn the table.

And it's not just about upsetting his company; it's about upsetting the entire book publishing industry!
Suppressing his anger, Shi Xiang tried his best to maintain his composure, shook hands with Chen Guiliang, and said, "I hope we can cooperate next time."

Chen Guiliang also gave him face: "I can feel Editor Shi's sincerity, and I will definitely cooperate with your company if there is an opportunity."

"Goodbye."

"Walk slowly."

Watching Shi Xiang leave the coffee shop, Li Xunhuan stirred his coffee and said, "They're old, outdated. The traditional publishing system is rigid and simply can't adapt to this era. We're all young people, the world belongs to us."

"You think so highly of 'Those Things About the Ming Dynasty'?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Li Xunhuan said, "There is no reading threshold, and the audience covers all age groups except for children. Moreover, it is humorous and relatable to the general public, making it very suitable for online and offline community dissemination. What's even more remarkable is that it is also a historical book. The image is positive, and parents will not treat it as a useless extracurricular book. It can even make readers proud; having read this book makes them feel prestigious and classy."

Chen Guiliang sincerely admired him: "Impressive, your analysis is spot on." "How many words do you plan to write in the whole book? How fast are you writing?" Li Xunhuan asked.

Chen Guiliang said, "The whole book is more than 100 million words, and I write between 3 and 10 words every month. The exact amount I write depends on how much time I have."

“That’s enough,” Li Xunhuan said. “15 words per volume, enough for three volumes to be officially published. Sprout is a great platform, but I hope to move to the internet later, serializing it simultaneously on Rongshuxia and Tianya Forum. Once it has gained enough popularity, we can publish the first three volumes.”

Chen Guiliang laughed and said, "Looks like I need to speed things up. What's the deal with the tiered royalty system?"

Li Xunhuan said, "For sales under 50 copies, the royalty is 15%. For every 10 copies sold, the royalty increases by 1%, up to a maximum of 20%."

"Lu Zong has a lot of spirit!" Chen Guiliang praised.

Li Xunhuan said, "I'll bring the contract over tomorrow. If you're worried, you can ask a senior from the law department to help you review it."

"Can I get an advance of 100,000 yuan?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Li Xunhuan chuckled and said, "Are you short of money?"

Chen Guiliang said, "I have started two companies, both of which are in their initial stages."

"Starting a company in your freshman year, and two at that?" Li Xunhuan was quite surprised.

Chen Guiliang asked, "Can I get an advance?"

"Sure, I'll give it to you when we sign the contract tomorrow." Li Xunhuan wasn't short of money from selling his shares; all he needed now was a bestselling book.

It's like carrying a hammer and searching the world for nails!

Chen Guiliang asked, "Does General Manager Lu live in the capital?"

Li Xunhuan shook his head: "I used to live in the capital, then I moved to Shanghai, and now my company is in Hangzhou. I came to the capital to discuss cooperation, but that person's novel is destined not to sell many copies. Yours is different; I know it will be a bestseller after reading only two or three thousand words. Of course, the subsequent content must maintain the quality of the opening."

"Pleasant to work with."

"Pleasant to work with."

Li Xunhuan took a sip of coffee, stood up and said, "How about we go for a drink together? I have plans with Ning Caishen and Xing Yusen tonight, so I can introduce you to them."

"Maybe next time, I have class tonight," Chen Guiliang said honestly.

You can see those two anytime, but you can't skip class.

Chen Guiliang rode his bicycle straight to the teaching building, while Li Xunhuan hailed a taxi and sped off.

He sped all the way to Lijiao, locked his bicycle, and rushed towards 207.

He arrived a bit late and could only sit in the last row of the large classroom. Others, who were delayed and arrived even later, simply stood in the hallway outside to listen.

The teacher's surname is Yuan, and he is currently the Dean of the Institute of Chinese Studies at Peking University.

He is almost 70 years old. He compiled the textbook for this class, "Ancient Chinese Literature," and he also compiled the courses on ancient literature for the Yuanpei Class.

Moreover, it is particularly commendable that he, given his position, insists on teaching undergraduate students.

"In this lesson, we will talk about ancient myths."

"Mythology is one of the origins of Chinese culture... In primitive society, mythology served as both a means of emotional expression and catharsis, and a safeguard for the formation of social order..."

"Unfortunately, the original myths of our country have not been well preserved. Most of what has been passed down today has been edited and transformed, and exists in ancient books such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Songs of Chu, the Book of Poetry, and the Zhuangzi..."

"These myths can be broadly categorized into five types: creation myths, ancestral myths, flood myths, war myths, and invention myths. Some myths are quite unique among mythologies worldwide, showcasing the indomitable spirit and fighting spirit of human heroes. For example, Kuafu chasing the sun and Jingwei filling the sea..."

"One of my doctoral students showed me a poem the other day. It was written by a high school student for a writing competition, and it contained many mythological stories. I heard that this student was specially admitted to Peking University; I wonder if he's come to my class..."

More than 30 students from the 2004 Yuanpei Class enrolled in Professor Yuan's courses.

They instinctively turned their heads to look around, and eventually one of them, who was sitting in the third-to-last row, discovered that Chen Guiliang was huddled in the corner of the last row.

The man raised his hand and said, "Professor Yuan, Chen Guiliang is in the classroom!"

Professor Yuan laughed and said, "Really? Where are you? Stand up and show yourself, don't be shy."

Chen Guiliang stood up calmly and even waved to Professor Yuan.

At this moment, classroom 207 of the Science Building had more than 200 seats. Including those standing in the corridor, there were a total of about 250 students, all of whom were looking at Chen Guiliang.

They've finally made their big splash.

The distance was too great for Professor Yuan to see clearly, but he asked with a smile, "What's your name? Which department are you from?"

Afraid that he wouldn't hear him, Chen Guiliang answered loudly, "Professor Yuan, my name is Chen Guiliang, from the 04 Yuanpei Class."

Professor Yuan nodded: "The Yuanpei Class is good. When you take the literature course in 'History of Chinese Civilization,' I will also come to teach you. Sit down, young man, you are very good, you can write classical poetry and prose at such a young age. If you have any questions in the future, you can come to my office."

These words elicited envy from freshmen, but some sophomores were already feeling jealous.

If you can make Professor Yuan happy, you can be recommended for graduate school or doctoral studies in no time.

(Please vote with monthly tickets! If I move up one more spot, I'll have four chapters today.)
(End of this chapter)