Wang Peng asked Xue Fengling for leave, wrote her a leave note, and offered her a few words of comfort.
Back at the tobacco and liquor store, he left 1,000 yuan with Du Lei.
"Brother Lei, Mingzhu and I are going to Beijing for a few days. Keep this money for stocking up."
If cigarettes and alcohol are out of stock, they must be replenished promptly to avoid disrupting business.
Wang Peng said, "Brother Lei, only buy cigarettes from the tobacco bureau and only buy alcohol from old customers. It would be best to have Uncle Chen help you choose."
“No need.” Du Lei immediately shook his head. “I can tell the difference between real and fake wine. I’ve been learning every day these days.”
"Great!" Wang Peng gave him a thumbs up. "Product knowledge is still knowledge, and it will definitely be useful in the future."
"Brother Peng, what are you guys doing in Beijing? Are you going to see Mengjiao?" Du Lei asked in a low voice.
"Stop playing around, get rid of that lewd look on your face," Wang Peng laughed. "Mingzhu wants to publish her comics, I'll go with her to the publishing house."
At this point, he took out a comic book from his bag, which had already been stapled together.
The cover reads "Pirate King".
Li Mingzhu disliked the name "One Piece" and thought "Pirate King" sounded more imposing, so she used the name "Pirate King".
Turning to the first page, Du Lei found the art style very pleasing.
He then read through a dozen pages and said, "I can't quite put my finger on what's so good about it, but I just feel it's pretty good."
Wang Peng smiled slightly, put the comic book into his bag, and said, "Brother Lei, keep an eye on our shop. I'm leaving now."
The next morning, Wang Peng drove his girlfriend to Beijing.
Without navigation, I have to look at a map and ask for directions verbally. I drive during the day and rest in a hotel at night.
It took the two four days to finally arrive in the capital.
After asking around, we arrived at the Comic King Magazine, the largest comic magazine in the country.
It pirated and serialized Japanese manga such as Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya.
The five-story office building is decorated in a style similar to that of the Summer Palace, with a retro feel.
"Brother, I'm a little nervous."
Li Mingzhu held the sketchbook in her arms, her cheeks flushed. "I'm afraid they won't accept my manuscript."
Wang Peng smiled and said, "If they don't want it, we'll just go to another one. It's fine."
After a moment, Li Mingzhu began to take deep breaths and adjust her emotions.
“Brother, you’re right, don’t be afraid,” Li Mingzhu said. “Let’s go in and take a look.”
The two got out of the car and walked into the Comic King magazine office.
The interior decoration is quite lively, with various cartoon characters on the walls, the largest of which is the twelve Gold Saints.
The two approached the front desk, and Wang Peng greeted the staff, "Hello, we're here to submit our article."
The receptionist was a young woman, wearing a suit and tie, with curly hair.
"Judging from your accent, you're not from around here, are you?" The girl extended her hand and said, "My name is Tong Li."
“We’re from the Central Plains,” Wang Peng winked at Li Mingzhu.
Li Mingzhu quickly shook hands with her and asked with a smile, "Sister Tong Li, do you accept comic book manuscripts here?"
"Here, please fill out this form first." Tong Li took out the form and pen and said, "Please sit down."
"Thank you, Sister Li." Li Mingzhu glanced at the form and began to fill it out.
The form contains contact information such as name and address, as well as relevant information such as story background, main plot, and character introductions.
Li Mingzhu tried her best to write neatly, hoping to leave a good impression on the editor.
She couldn't finish filling it out in a short time, so Wang Peng wandered around the lobby and slowly walked to the giant Saint Seiya comic.
It's full of memories; I watched this animated film on a black and white TV in my past life.
"Comrade, who is your favorite among these?" someone asked from behind.
“Leo, Aiolia.” Wang Peng turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a thick beard.
With his messy hair and unkempt beard, he had the air of an artist.
"Hello, my name is Kong Fan."
Kong Fan shook hands with Wang Peng and said, "This painting is just a casual sketch. Take ten minutes to look at it. Thank you for your appreciation."
"Teacher Kong, you draw so well! My name is Wang Peng," Wang Peng said hurriedly with a smile.
He didn't just watch for ten minutes; he was lost in memories of his past life, his mind completely blank.
"Comrade, are you here in Beijing for tourism?" Kong Fan also recognized Wang Peng's Central Plains accent.
“My girlfriend drew a comic strip and came here specifically to submit it,” Wang Peng said.
"Impressive!" Kong Fan gave a thumbs up and smiled. "I know a bit about comics, can I take a look?"
"Please wait a moment." Wang Peng turned and went to the front desk, taking the sketch from Li Mingzhu's hand.
Kong Fan frowned slightly upon seeing the title, disliking the title "Pirate King".
He turned to the first page, still frowning, then casually pulled out a table, sat down on a stool, and continued reading.
He read another seven or eight pages, but he was still frowning.
Wang Peng was puzzled. Why was she frowning? Couldn't she bear to look at him?
Gradually, his brows began to relax, and after reading half of it, his complexion returned to normal.
After reading the last page, he had a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.
"Overall, it's alright." Kong Fan pointed to the title and said, "This title isn't good. I suggest changing it to One Piece."
“Uh…” Wang Peng was taken aback and couldn’t help but scratch his head.
"The male protagonist is Monkey Luffy." Kong Fan shook his head slightly. "Luffy's appearance is clearly that of an East Asian, so why does he have this surname?"
Wang Peng scratched his head again and said, "Teacher, this is my girlfriend's work."
Kong Fan was taken aback and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure. It's rare to find a comic book that I like."
"Where's your girlfriend? I'd like to talk to her," Kong Fan said. "I'm an editor here."
Good heavens, this is actually the first hurdle in determining whether a work can make money.
Wang Peng hurriedly stood up, turned around and said to the receptionist, "Mingzhu, Editor-in-Chief Kong Fan would like to talk to you."
The receptionist and Li Mingzhu were both stunned.
Li Mingzhu hurriedly ran over with the form, bowed slightly, and said, "Editor-in-Chief Kong, hello."
"Haha!" Kong Fan waved his hand and laughed, "Let me correct you, I am the editor in charge, not the editor-in-chief."
"Professor Kong, you're too kind," Wang Peng said with a smile.
Kong Fan waved his hand, "Gentlemen, let's talk in my office."
The three of them arrived at Kong Fan's office, which was a small room with a large bookshelf behind it and comics on the walls.
Kong Fan asked, "Mingzhu, what do you think about changing the book title to One Piece?"
Li Mingzhu was a little confused. One Piece King was a name given to her by Wang Peng, but she didn't like the sound of it, so it became Pirate King.
"You guys chat, I'm going to the restroom," Wang Peng said.
He doesn't understand comics; standing here is like listening to gibberish. He might as well go outside for some fresh air.
Upon arriving in the lobby, he sat by the window and casually picked up a magazine from the bookshelf. A staff member handed him a cup of tea.
"Thank you," Wang Peng said, standing up.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a woman standing next to his car downstairs.
The woman was wearing a white dress and black leather shoes. She was tall and had her back to him, reaching out to touch the car window.
Wang Peng hesitated for a moment, then turned around and went downstairs to stop her.
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