People in the alley: A woman dressed as a man shouldn't be foolishly filial, Zhuang Chaoying

Editor Zhang was the first to break the silence. He frowned slightly and gently placed "Struggling to Move Forward" on the table.

As the editor in charge of the publishing industry, he naturally knew that the writer Zhuang Anhe was quite famous in their circle, and his previous works had sold very well.

Works like "2030," "Youth in the Great Northern Wilderness," and "Country Love" were printed one edition after another. Readers were very receptive to Zhuang Anhe's works.

However, he was not optimistic about the film "Difficult Steps" in front of him.

The descriptions in this work are too dark, many of the plots are extremely explicit, and some of the content may even have a restrictive tendency, making it unsuitable for audiences of all ages and social classes.

The novel's ending, in particular, is far too tragic.

Normally, their publishing house tends to favor works with happy endings, but in this novel, the son commits murder, the wife commits suicide, and even the protagonist's adopted son dies in a car accident. The protagonist himself is diagnosed with cancer, and the whole family suffers from a bad ending.

Editor Zhang stated his opinion with a serious expression. "Editor-in-Chief Zhou, this book, 'Struggling to Move Forward,' is too tragic. I don't think it's suitable for publication. Not only is the content tragic, but the language is also vulgar. If it's published, it might have a pessimistic impact on society. Look, people are dying and getting sick; I don't think such plots should be published."

Editor Zhang pointed to one page of the original manuscript and offered his suggestions.

"The description of X here needs to be deleted."

"The suicide scene is too realistic."

Editor-in-Chief Zhou actually quite admired both novels, and he did not entirely agree with Editor Xiao Zhang's opinion.

At that moment, another editor, Wang, immediately stood up to refute him.

“Editor Zhang, you can’t judge a good work based on your personal opinion. On the contrary, I think this book, ‘Struggling to Move Forward,’ is a pioneering work of pessimistic literature. There is no such thing as a smooth journey in this world. Although the novel is fictional, don’t similar tragic situations exist in real life? We can’t be so narrow-minded.”

"Literature should not have only one voice. The absurdity and despair in Zhuang Anhe's writing are precisely a sharp dissection of reality."

Editor Wang vaguely sensed the value of this work and did not want to easily miss such a potentially groundbreaking masterpiece.

Upon hearing this, Editor Zhang immediately stood up and responded with some excitement.

“Editor Wang, I’m just stating the facts. Please don’t resort to personal attacks. What readers need is hope and light! Look at this ending—a father with terminal cancer laughing in the pouring rain while holding his adopted son’s mangled body. Isn’t this just using suffering as a gimmick?”

Editor Wang shook his head as he listened to him. In his view, his opinion was based on an objective analysis of the work, not on unfounded accusations.

Editor Wang was determined to bring this excellent work to fruition and would never let it slip through his fingers.

He knew perfectly well that if such a work ended up in the hands of other small publishing houses, they would definitely be scrambling to publish it.

He felt that Editor Zhang was too stubborn, like an old relic, completely out of touch with the times, and unable to view literary creation with a more open and forward-looking perspective.

"I won't talk to you, Editor-in-Chief, what do you think?" Editor Wang turned to Editor-in-Chief Zhou, hoping that the editor-in-chief could give a fair judgment that would be beneficial to the publication of the work.

The atmosphere in the office became somewhat tense due to the heated discussion, with everyone waiting for Editor-in-Chief Zhou's final decision.

Editor-in-Chief Zhou's temples throbbed from the argument between the two editors. Although this was a common occurrence in their daily lives, the author was still there. He didn't care about saving face at all. Looking at Zhuang Chaoying sitting upright in front of him, he secretly thought something was wrong, but he still tried to remain calm on the surface.

With a "bang," he slammed his hand on the table.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing! You're making a fool of yourself in front of Anhe." Editor-in-Chief Zhou glared at Editor Zhao, who was about to speak again, and pulled him down to sit. He forced a smile and turned to Zhuang Chaoying.

“Anhe, your work will definitely be published by our publishing house, that’s a sure thing.”

Editor Zhang was about to defend himself, but Chief Editor Zhou held him back tightly, leaving him with a flushed face and an unwilling silence.

Editor-in-Chief Zhou cleared his throat and continued, “Xiao Zhang, literature should be diverse and vibrant, and we should keep up with the times, shouldn’t we? Anhe, let’s stick to the previous standard for your two novels: thirty yuan per thousand words. That’s top-notch in Shanghai. I’ll prepare the agreement right away.”

Zhuang Chaoying, who was leaning back in her chair and was about to fall asleep, straightened up when she saw the editor-in-chief finally getting down to business.

She stood up, straightened her slightly wrinkled shirt, and looked sharply at Editor-in-Chief Zhou.

"Editor-in-Chief Zhou, do you really think I don't understand the law? The new Copyright Law passed last September clearly stipulates three types of remuneration: basic royalties plus print run royalties, one-time royalties (which used to be buyouts), and royalties."

Editor-in-Chief Zhou originally thought that Zhuang Chaoying might not be aware of these new regulations since she hadn't published any new works in a long time, but he didn't expect to be outmaneuvered.

He was secretly annoyed, but still forced a smile on his face.

“Anhe, what are you saying? I haven’t finished speaking yet. We can calculate the royalties according to the previous standard, or we can use the new method.”

Zhuang Chaoying crossed her arms and slightly raised her chin. "Editor-in-Chief Zhou, you are aware of the situation with my book. It has always been a bestseller and caters to the general public. My demands are not high; I want royalties calculated on a 15% basis."

Upon hearing the figure of "15 percent," Editor-in-Chief Zhou and the two editors' eyes widened instantly, as if they had heard something unbelievable.

Editor-in-Chief Zhou had heard before that there was a difficult author in Kyoto who demanded 15% royalties. He never expected to run into one himself today. Did he think Zhuang Anhe was also a troublemaker?

Nan'an He, Bei Wang Shuo?

He regretted that he had belatedly underestimated the writer who had been lying low for a year.

The sixth printing of "Youth in the Great Northern Wilderness" was still warm in the warehouse, reminding him of the terrifying market appeal of Zhuang Anhe's works.

Editor-in-Chief Zhou tried to negotiate, but his smile was somewhat stiff. "Fifteen percent, Anhe, isn't that a bit too high? Twelve or thirteen percent, I can agree to that right now."

Zhuang Chaoying didn't speak, but just looked at them quietly. Then she reached out and picked up the original manuscript on the table, and slowly shook her head.

“My bottom line is 15%. Many of my works have been published by your publishing house before, so I came directly here today. But the works are mine, and I have all the right to choose.”

After saying that, he put the manuscript into a file folder.

He picked up his coat, nodded slightly, and prepared to leave.

Editor-in-Chief Zhou watched Zhuang Chaoying's retreating figure disappear around the corner of the corridor. "Wait! Wait a minute!"

He hurriedly took two steps after her. "I'll go talk to Editor-in-Chief Xu right away!" He then glanced at his watch; it was 12:30, and hurriedly grabbed Editor Zhao.