Chapter 153: Whether it is effective depends on strength
"Seven-inch Blade, may I ask your name?"
Pei Wencong was silent for at least ten seconds before he calmly spoke to Seven Inch Blade on the other end of the phone.
Although the other party's tone was aggressive, Pei Wencong was a graduate of the University of Hong Kong after all, and he couldn't be the same as the gangsters in Causeway Bay.
But the voice on the other end of the phone was still cold and straightforward: "What's my last name? Does it have anything to do with the two conditions I just mentioned?"
“.”
Pei Wencong couldn't help but clench the phone receiver with his fingers, feeling angry and surprised.
He didn’t understand why there was such a big gap between them, as they were all “literati” from the mainland.
When Pei Wencong had dealt with Blue Ocean Publishing House in the past, Blue Ocean Publishing House had always been very polite.
Pei Wencong only needs to spend a few hundred Hong Kong dollars to help them buy some of the world's cutting-edge literary journals, and he will receive sincere gratitude.
In the recent phone calls, Blue Ocean showed "friendly respect" to the extreme.
Whenever Pei Wencong made a phone call, the main leader of Blue Ocean Publishing House would talk to him, and ordinary clerks would not dare to answer the call casually.
But why is this seven-inch blade on the opposite side so awesome?
"Then I'll call you Sir," Pei Wencong said neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Sir, the promotion and sale of "North Wind Flying" has just begun, and it has not yet reached the profit stage, so your request for 20% of the profit is invalid."
"Is it not true?" Li Ye said calmly, "How much profit did you make every month before you published "North Wind Flying"? "
Pei Wencong couldn't say that before publishing "Shuo Feng Fei Yang", his situation was very bad and he didn't make much profit.
He had no choice but to say, "It's hard to say. Besides, this is also a trade secret."
Li Ye did not argue with him and said directly: "Then I will take your profit after publishing "North Wind Flying", minus your profit before that. I want 20% of the difference between the two. Is there a problem?"
You are such a smart person!
Pei Wencong really admires him. Who says that people in the north are all kind-hearted proletarian brothers? Aren't they the same as the capitalist crocodiles in Hong Kong Island?
Of course, it might be a little better, because in a case like Pei Wencong, the capital crocodile would most likely eat him up directly.
"Sir, 20% is not appropriate. Yours is just one work, and there are many other authors' works in our publication."
Pei Wencong finally took it seriously and tried to bargain with Li Ye.
But Li Ye said, "If you think 20% is not appropriate, how about 25%?"
Pei Wencong really wanted to hang up the phone.
Do you really think this is a fight between young and dangerous people over territory? Whoever is more vicious will have the upper hand?
But Pei Wencong needs this book "North Wind Flying" now, otherwise he would not dare to sign a contract with the book sales association and lose the opportunity to turn things around.
However, Pei Wencong has been working in the industry for more than ten years and has seen many difficult people.
So he immediately changed the subject and said, "Sir, we have a dispute about the 20% profit issue, so let's talk about the second issue first, okay?"
Li Ye said briefly: "Okay, but don't talk too much nonsense. I don't like beating around the bush."
Pei Wencong had already gotten used to Li Ye's way of speaking, and said calmly: "Sir, you want me to send you an invitation letter and invite you to come to Hong Kong Island. It is what I should do both emotionally and rationally.
But invitation letters are not issued casually. It takes time to apply for them. I cannot confirm the specific time. "
Pei Wencong had just finished speaking when a puzzled question came from the other end of the phone: "Isn't three months enough for you to develop?
If you can't sell "North Wind Flying" to a hot seller in three months, can you still be considered a graduate of HKU? At that time, what will an invitation letter mean? "
“.”
Pei Wencong was finally surprised, because the Seven-Inch Blade on the opposite side seemed to have guessed the popularity of "North Wind Flying".
He didn't tell Blue Ocean Publishing about the sales of "The North Wind Flies".
Indeed, if Pei Wencong could sign a sales contract with the book association, three months would be enough to transform the Talang Literary Publishing House.
Although they are all taxpayers, they are also divided into different levels. Pei Wencong three months later will be a completely different person from Pei Wencong now.
"Okay, sir, I will definitely get the invitation letter. I will then take you to see the Pearl of the Orient, Lion Rock and Ocean Park."
You can't agree to anything right away. Pei Wencong thinks the time has come.
He is very aware of the desire of mainlanders to come to Hong Kong Island.
In the past twenty years alone, countless people from the mainland have swum into Hong Kong Island, happily accepting the label of illegal immigrants.
Those mainlanders who come here on business trips are full of envy and yearning for the prosperity of Hong Kong Island. Just one Ocean Park is enough to make them linger.
But Li Ye continued: "I am not interested in Ocean Park. I want to see Victoria Harbour and Kowloon Tong.
I want to see if there are any teenagers racing on Qingshan Road, and I want to see if there are really so many gods in Mid-Levels. By the way, Boss Pei, you have a mansion in Mid-Levels, right?"
If I had a mansion in Mid-Levels, I wouldn’t say a word to you, fuck!
Pei Wencong couldn't help but curse his mother several times in his heart, and he almost swore out loud.
Who are you blaming?
What kind of people live halfway up the mountain? Would they talk to you about a small business worth tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions?
But Li Ye did not wait for his answer and continued: "Of course, I am most interested in the cultural market of Hong Kong Island. I want to visit Zhonghua Book Company, Joint Publishing Company, Commercial Press, and Mingchuang Publishing House."
Pei Wencong listened blankly to Li Ye's "name-of-dish" narration. After Li Ye named more than 20 publishing houses, his calmness and superiority were long gone.
[It turns out that this Seven-inch Blade knows Hong Kong Island well. In fact, from the very beginning, he guessed that I was just a small shrimp. ]
When Pei Wencong was dealing with Blue Ocean Publishing House, he always maintained the demeanor of a "big businessman from Hong Kong Island".
But now he understood that this seven-inch blade had seen through him.
There were no luxury houses in the Mid-Levels area, and the publishing house was not famous, so it was hard to say whether it could make a comeback in three months. Unconsciously, the seven-inch blade had gently opened Pei Wencong's scar.
Pei Wencong sighed for a second and then made a decision.
"Sir, long-distance calls are expensive. I will get you an invitation letter during the Spring Festival.
Let’s talk about profit sharing! I think 20% is fair.”
Pei Wencong was a little nervous. He was afraid that the sharp-edged man on the other side would say something like 25% or 30%.
At this moment, he no longer has any bargaining chips.
As long as Seven Inch Blade writes a letter to Sanlian Bookstore and Commercial Press, saying that the copyright of "The North Wind Flying" is not in the hands of Talang Publishing House, then Pei Wencong's efforts for more than a month will be in vain.
After working so hard to make "Shuo Feng Fei Yang" famous, how could we let those big fish reap all the benefits?
Pei Wencong was unwilling to accept this.
As for the 20% profit that Seven-inch Blade mentioned, we can do something about it when the time comes.
When Pei Wencong thought of this, he suddenly remembered what Li Ye had said on the phone just now - don't play tricks.
Wanna play some tricks?
Will it be worth the effort?
. . . . . .
Li Ye hung up the phone in the Xicheng Post and Telecommunications Bureau, raised the corners of his mouth and chuckled.
He once thought that the only publisher that could establish a relationship with Blue Ocean Publishing House would not be a large one. After all, Blue Ocean was not a leading cultural institution in the mainland.
But I didn't expect that the opponent was so weak.
Li Ye is still young, so when talking to others, he cannot be polite and humble, as that will only make people look down on him.
That’s why Li Ye emphasized one being decisive and the other being “unreasonable”.
But the Talang Literary Society didn't even show any intention of resisting.
In other words, he didn't have the confidence to overturn the table and act domineeringly, and he didn't even have the courage to slam the table at Li Ye.
Either Pei Wencong is a weak little Karami who takes advantage of every little opportunity, or he is a cunning and unfaithful person who is not prepared to fulfill his promise.
Given the current situation between the mainland and Hong Kong Island, it is not difficult for the other party to play tricks.
But so what?
Pei Wencong can do some tricks, but Li Ye can’t?
If the serialization of your novel is interrupted halfway, or if you are even more ruthless and give you the entire special edition, you will fall into the ditch without knowing it, and the British Hong Kong government may even invite you for tea!
Li Ye called Lan Hai's Dong Yuejin again.
"Brother Dong, have you drafted the reprint contract? If you have, please ask someone to bring it over for signature!"
Dong Yuejin paused, then scolded with a smile, "It has been drafted a long time ago, just waiting for your approval! But when you signed the contract, did you foresee the situation today?"
It turned out that when Li Ye signed the contract with Dong Yuejin, it was clearly stated that it was for mainland sales rights.
At that time, Blue Ocean didn't think that a shabby book could be exported to earn foreign exchange, so they just ignored it.
As a result, we now have to sign another contract with Li Ye to reap another layer of profit.
Li Ye also smiled and said, "Times are changing. We should all look at things from a development perspective. Besides, you got this money for free. I'm just sharing a little bit of the benefits. It's not too much."
"Brother, you can't say that," Dong Yuejin said seriously, "No matter how famous you are in the mainland, you are just an individual. We at Blue Ocean are a government-owned unit.
I don't want to ask why you insist on contacting Hong Kong Island, but I have to remind you that apart from Blue Ocean Publishing House, any agreement you make with Hong Kong Island may not be effective. The capitalists will not keep their word with you."
"I know that brother, service comes from strength."
"Hey, what you said is right. It requires strength, and we at Blue Ocean have the strength."
“.”
Li Ye didn't want to explain to Dong Yuejin that the "strength" he was talking about was not some blue ocean.
Given the current situation, if Hong Kong Island really wants to cheat, Blue Ocean will be completely helpless.
But Li Yecai didn't believe Pei Wencong and couldn't see the strength of "Shuo Feng Fei Yang".
Speaking of novelists in Hong Kong, there are definitely many outstanding ones, and Gu Liangjin is a master of his generation.
However, "The North Wind Flying" is a literary work spanning nearly thirty years. The author wrote by standing on the shoulders of his predecessors. Both his vision and control over the readers' mentality are far beyond the level of the 1980s.
Our predecessors used countless works to test out the preferences of readers, and later generations absorbed all of them without realizing it.
Many people nowadays just think that "The North Wind Flies" is fun to read, but the core of it is completely different.
"Li Ye, how are your talks with Hong Kong Island going? Are they willing to send you an invitation?"
Dong Yuejin tried his best to control his tone so that Li Ye would not notice anything strange about him.
During the club meeting, we talked about letting Seven Inch Blade test the waters and see the attitude of Hong Kong Island. If it works, they can also get an invitation letter!
Anyway, Seven Inch Blade is young, so it’s not shameful to be rejected.
"They said they need to apply, which is not easy to do," Li Ye said, "I won't talk to you anymore, Brother Dong. There may be a similar work submitted to you recently. Please take care of it when the time comes."
"Similar works? What works?"
"The name hasn't been decided yet, but the mailing address should be Keiseung University."
“Oh, that invitation.”
“Beep, beep, beep~”
Dong Yuejin listened to the busy tone on the phone, shook his head, and said self-deprecatingly: "It's not that easy!"
. . . . . .
Li Ye hung up the phone and settled the phone bill amid the astonished gaze of the post office staff.
A few dozen dollars these days is really not a small amount of money.
I rode my bike slowly to find Li Huaisheng and the others. Today was the last day for mailing new novels. If I was any later, I would not be able to make it in time for the next issue of "New Wind" to be printed.
Li Ye arrived at the activity room of Li Huaisheng and his friends. Before he even entered the door, several people pushed and shoved Li Huaisheng and Yang Yumin, and he was squeezed out of the door.
These people were not as strong as Li Huaisheng, and they did not take advantage of him in the shove, but they were merciless in their words: "What do you mean by promoting history and culture? It's just feudal dregs picked up from the garbage dump.
You have been educated in the new society, but you promote and praise the decadent feudal dynasty. This is a shame for Peking University. Only a fool would publish your article. "
Li Huaisheng and others also had red faces and ears, and were obviously very angry.
Yang Yumin, who is always good-tempered, picked up a mop and yelled at the people outside the door.
"You write your poems, and we write our novels. If you dare to say one more word, I will smash your head with a stick."
"You knock, you knock, if I dodge for a while, you're awesome."
The poet outside tried to be stubborn, but his body was involuntarily pushed far away by Li Huaisheng, and he finally left in a huff.
Yang Yumin threw down the mop and looked at Li Ye who was laughing and watching the fun, and he was extremely angry.
"Little brother, you came here at the right time today. You saw a good joke. You have to buy a ticket."
Li Ye ignored his teasing and asked, "Who are those two? What grudge do they have against us?"
"Two great poets," Li Huaisheng snorted coldly, pointing his head towards the activity room, "That's hatred, but no one is willing to admit it."
Li Ye took two steps forward, looked inside, and found a very tall girl.
A long braided pigtail, neatly draped behind the back, exudes a sense of efficiency.
Li Ye whispered, "Who is jealous?"
"What a joke. They just like to read my novels and don't like to listen to their poems. I don't look down on poets, but their poems are just... tsk."
Li Ye nodded, not planning to go in, turned around and was about to leave.
The gossip storm of the junior year had nothing to do with his freshman brother.
But Li Huaisheng stopped Li Ye and said anxiously: "It has been several days, and everyone has been arguing about it, and they can't decide on a title. You have a lot of ideas, so give us some suggestions."
The reason why Li Huaisheng and others' new book has no title is that these guys have a professional disease.
He is either from the ancient literature or history department. That guy has one ancient style name after another like "Gui Lai Xi".
Li Ye thought for a while and said, "I am studying economics. From the perspective of economics, the name of this kind of popular novel must be easy to understand.
For example, the title of "Hometown Lonely Soldier" is well-known as soon as you hear it. The cover also features a large Tang Dynasty banner and some tattered armor, and that's about it."
"A lone soldier looking back at his hometown? Your idea is too vulgar. It lacks any historical flavor."
"Well, I'm uneducated, so I'll leave first. My girlfriend is waiting for me to have dinner!"
“.”
Li Huaisheng stared blankly at Li Ye as he walked away, his mind full of resentment and jealousy!
He already had a beautiful and elegant girl friend in his freshman year, but I am already a junior and I am still competing with several poets like a peacock spreading its feathers.
Bah, who is the peacock spreading its tail?
Li Huaisheng pushed the door open and said in a cold voice, "I asked Li Ye, and he said the new book will be named "Lonely Soldier Looking Back at Hometown". What do you think?"
“.”
After a long while, a classmate finally said, "It's pointless to argue about it. Just do whatever you want! Just don't use your name 'Soul-Calling'."
"What's wrong with the name I chose? Is Gui Lai Xi a summoning of spirits?"
The quarrel started again, and in the end even the tall girl joined in.
There is a reason why the scholar’s rebellion failed after three years.
(End of this chapter)
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