In the largest room of the bookstore, a lean man was hunched over a desk, writing furiously. At the tables on either side, two young men were copying quickly, a middle-aged man was reviewing the manuscript, and a young girl was responsible for serving tea and water, and occasionally feeding them some fruit and snacks.
Zhao Cheng and the others had been standing outside the window for a while. Yang Cai'e looked at the lean man and asked in a low voice, "Is he the great master Jin?"
Seeing that Yang Cai'e was still somewhat skeptical, Zhao Cheng walked inside and said, "Let's go in and take a look."
Following Zhao Cheng to the back of the lean man, Yang Cai'e stared at the manuscript he was writing. The more she looked, the more alarmed she became. The names of the characters and the plot were clearly the content of "The Return of the Condor Heroes"!
"Really..."
Disturbed by Yang Cai'e's voice, the lean man turned around and scolded, "I'm rushing to finish a manuscript, don't make a fuss!! Where did this little girl come from... Ah, boss!"
The lean man immediately stood up.
Zhao Cheng was amiable. He patted the lean man's arm and smiled, "Hero, you go about your business. I just came to check on you."
"I'm sorry for the delay!" Jin Yong cupped his hands in greeting, flicked his sleeves, sat down, and continued working, his movements truly displaying the air of a great hero.
After reading Jin Yong's novel, Zhao Cheng took Yang Cai'e to several other rooms, which were basically equipped with similar staff: some were for writing, some for proofreading, some for copying, some for reviewing, and some for providing daily services.
Yang Cai'e counted silently on her fingers, so excited she could hear her own heartbeat.
Tonight I've met only renowned figures!
Old Xu, who serializes "Investiture of the Gods"...
The change of spirit in "The Search for Jing"...
Mr. Pu from "A Chinese Ghost Story"...
And there's the Wine Immortal from "Little Zhao Flying Dagger"...
Yang Cai'e returned to the courtyard almost in a daze. At first, she thought Zhao Cheng had only brought her to see Jin Yong alone, but she didn't expect to see so many people at once!
But the question is... why do all these famous figures live together?
"How do you feel?" Zhao Cheng took in Yang Cai'e's expression and guessed her mood.
Why... do they all call you boss?
This surprised Zhao Cheng. He didn't expect Yang Cai'e to not be stunned by the question, but instead get straight to the point.
"Because I'm their boss!"
"They are all so amazing..."
Yang Cai'e's implication was clear: they are all such capable people, why should they treat you as their boss?
“Sister, it’s our master who’s amazing!” Donghua explained, “The stories they wrote were all told to them by our master, and even their pen names were given to them by our master!”
"Huh?!" Yang Cai'e was even more shocked now.
"Sister, don't you believe me? Didn't you see it just now?"
Donghua leaned closer to Yang Cai'e and said, "Sister likes reading and also loves serialized novels. Think about it carefully, aren't serialized novels and these famous novelists all relatively recent, appearing only in the last two or three years?"
Yang Cai'e nodded.
"That's right! Master, this bookstore only opened three years ago!"
Zhao Cheng added, which also served as a reminder: "The bookstore is not open to the public; it's the writers' office. In the eyes of readers, famous writers like Jin Yong and Pu Songling are like free spirits, but in reality, they are all coders at our bookstore. This is their privacy, and also the bookstore's trade secret."
“Programmer…” Yang Cai’e chewed on the word.
Zhao Cheng said, "The job I'm going to give you is a programmer."
As Yang Cai'e gradually recovered from her surprise, a flush of excitement rose on her face, and she asked, "Can...Is it okay?"
Have you seen "The Butterfly Lovers"?
Yang Cai'e nodded: "It's a very poignant story, and many people enjoy reading it."
“Cao Bichang, the serialized author of ‘The Butterfly Lovers,’ can no longer write. If you are willing to do this job, you will become Cao Bichang.”
"You can do that??"
"Apart from the people in this courtyard, no one knows who Cao Bichang is or what she looks like. They only know that she wrote a book called 'The Butterfly Lovers'."
Zhao Cheng said seriously, "If I say you are, then you are."
Donghua pinched Yang Cai'e hard, signaling her to agree quickly.
Yang Cai'e still had doubts, saying, "I've never written anything like this before, and my writing isn't as good..."
Zhao Cheng interrupted her, saying, "I'll just ask you two questions: Do you want to? Do you dare? You don't need to worry about the rest, I'll take care of it."
"If I agree, will I be able to have an office like them?"
"Of course! The staffing is the same as theirs, and they are paid monthly."
"Is there any payment?"
Donghua interjected, "There are quite a lot!"
"I want to!!" Yang Cai'e blurted out, "I...I, I dare to too!"
Yang Cai'e was so excited that even the roots of her ears turned red.
Just kidding, at first she was just a little confused, but she wasn't stupid!
Becoming like Cao Bichang, being able to have your own independent space through writing and also earn money, is the best way out right now!
Otherwise... whether she stayed with Wang Yufeng, was bought by Xu An, or remained in the Right Prime Minister's residence, she would only be destined to be a maid or a concubine!
I, Abi the sheep, don't do that!
My younger sister is still young and doesn't remember much about things at home, but I remember everything!
I am the older sister, and given any opportunity, any possibility, I will definitely seek justice for my family in the future!!!
Becoming a serialized writer like Cao Bichang allows one to accumulate fame and generate influence!
Having figured this out, Yang Cai'e made up her mind, and her eyes became resolute.
"Alright, let's give it a try first. I'll tell you the story of the Seven Fairies first, then... no, slip of the tongue!
Zhao Cheng turned around and walked towards the room on the far side, saying, "Come here, Brother Cao."
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