Wen Ying and Yuan Fenghui left the office, with Bao Lixin’s uncontrollable roar echoing behind them.
Bao Lixin was going mad.
Yuan Fenghui pointed to her head: “There is something a bit wrong with him here.”
Wen Ying let out a chuckle. “Perhaps it is his smooth-sailing career history that gave Editor-in-Chief Bao such extraordinary confidence.”
The confident Bao Lixin believed all matters would unfold according to his expectations. He could knead and shape authors at will.
Wen Ying suspected that Bao Lixin’s long string of professional credentials had some embellishments. He had never successfully nurtured a bestselling author of Wen Ying’s calibre, yet he confidently applied his past tactics to her. Little did he know that a bestselling author of Wen Ying’s level could entirely bypass Bao Lixin’s so-called rules. Why wrestle with someone like Bao Lixin? Both Wen Ying and Yuan Fenghui chose not to waste time on such a person.
Their time was far too precious!
The only person Wen Ying worried about was Xiao Nin. With the shift to another publishing house, she needed to give Xiao Nin an explanation!
“Do you think Editor Ni does not know?”
Yuan Fenghui smiled lightly. “You trust Editor Ni, and Editor Ni understands you. Tiny Rongcheng cannot hold you back; sooner or later, you will head to a larger stage. Farewells always come, but true friends do not bind each other with emotions. True friends support and bless one another.”
Earlier at Yuan Fenghui’s home, Yuan Fenghui had said she would quickly help Wen Ying find a more suitable publishing house.
Xiao Nin, Song Fotxiang, and Editor Wan had decided to join forces to pull Bao Lixin down, allowing Wen Ying to continue cooperating with Rongcheng Literature Publishing House.
Both sides agreed to pursue these two paths simultaneously: whichever made progress first, they would follow that plan.
This agreement evidently favoured Yuan Fenghui. Too many publishing houses wanted to poach Wen Ying; surely one would offer terms satisfactory to Yuan Fenghui!
As expected, after Yuan Fenghui had already found a suitable publishing house, Bao Lixin was still acting as editor-in-chief. Yuan Fenghui won on both paths, and Wen Ying signed the termination agreement.
But Wen Ying had not yet signed the new publishing contract for “In Search of Yong”. She needed to bid farewell to Xiao Nin.
“Teacher Yuan, you said it yourself: true friends do not bind each other with emotions. I have my choices, and I accept that Xiao Nin might have different views.”
Wen Ying did not see Xiao Nin again until the afternoon.
Xiao Nin had pierced the heavens of the Literature Publishing House. She had reported Bao Lixin by name for irregularities in his work and driven away the publishing house’s most profitable bestselling author. Bao Lixin was overwhelmed and desperate, wishing he could tear Xiao Nin limb from limb.
The higher-ups naturally could not bear to let Wen Ying go either and expressed a desire to talk with her, but Yuan Fenghui blocked them all in her capacity as agent.
Seeing Xiao Nin enter the office, Wen Ying stood up.
“Xiao Nin…”
Xiao Nin took the initiative to hug Wen Ying, interrupting her, and asked with a smile: “Which publishing house did Director Yuan select for you to cooperate with?”
“Magic City Literature Publishing House.”
Xiao Nin was very satisfied with this answer: “It is an excellent publishing house. In half a year, you will be going to university in the Magic City. Director Yuan is truly planning for your future. By the way, what conditions did the Magic City Literature Publishing House offer?”
Xiao Nin was open and generous, leaving Wen Ying feeling a bit embarrassed instead. “Royalties are still 15%, initial print run of 600,000 copies, priced at 36 yuan. They are willing to advance 5 million in royalties.”
Initial print run of 600,000 copies, priced at 36 yuan, 15% royalties.
Normally, Wen Ying could receive 3.24 million in pre-tax royalty income from the publishing house.
The Magic City Literature Publishing House’s willingness to advance 5 million meant they were very optimistic about “In Search of Yong’s” sales and believed it would at least be a million-copy bestseller.
This was also normal.
Just look at Wen Ying’s two already published books; the sales figures from “Teenage Idol” to “The Galaxy and You” were right there.
Unless “In Search of Yong” was written particularly poorly, the Magic City Literature Publishing House would make a steady profit without loss.
The conditions offered by the Magic City Literature Publishing House were very generous, yet Xiao Nin did not get excited enough to shout or cheer.
A publishing contract that would make ordinary small authors envious to death was merely appropriate for Wen Ying’s status. The Magic City Literature Publishing House emerging from the competition was likely due more to geographical advantage or other agreements between the publishing house and Yuan Fenghui. Xiao Nin did not press for details.
“You deserve such a publishing contract.”
Light shone in Xiao Nin’s eyes. “You are so talented; your energy and time should not be worn down by trash. Compromising by changing oneself to fit in is what ordinary people must do, but you should always persist in being yourself!”
Xiao Nin not only supported Wen Ying in terminating and switching publishing houses but even encouraged her to do so. If one day Wen Ying had disagreements with the Magic City Literature Publishing House, there was no need to indulge them either.
As long as Wen Ying maintained her current creative passion and quality, the initiative in selecting publishing houses would forever remain in her hands!
Xiao Nin was truly Wen Ying’s most loyal supporter. Infected by her, Wen Ying’s mood lightened too: “It does not matter which publishing house; mainly, I cannot bear to part with you. I know you and Aunt Zou founded ‘Spark’ from scratch. Aunt Zou resigned and returned to the capital; you cannot abandon ‘Spark’ and leave Rongcheng…”
Wen Ying had considered inviting Xiao Nin to develop in the Magic City together, but considering the realities, she ultimately dismissed the idea.
Xiao Nin’s attachment to “Spark” ran deeper than Wen Ying’s.
With Zou Weijun gone, Xiao Nin felt responsible for holding “Spark” together.
Moreover, Xiao Nin already had ties in Rongcheng.
Wen Ying could not selfishly demand that Xiao Nin abandon “Spark” and the sweetness of striving alongside her boyfriend Zheng Zhihe, only to go alone to the Magic City and start over!
Xiao Nin blinked. “You are right; I will not put down ‘Spark’ and leave. But I do not think you need to either, unless Director Yuan not only negotiated the publishing contract for ‘In Search of Yong’ for you but also exclusively authorised all your mid- and short-story works to other magazines… I can still approach you for submissions as the executive editor of ‘Spark’, right?”
“Of course. ‘Spark’ will always be the magazine I prioritise for submissions.”
This time, it was Wen Ying who hugged Xiao Nin.
Xiao Nin patted Wen Ying’s shoulder. “Alright, you should go. What if Director Yuan cannot hold off those people later?”
Job-hopping was common. Not cooperating now did not mean no chance in the future. Wen Ying could tear into Bao Lixin but had no need to offend more people.
No sooner had Wen Ying left on her front foot than Song Fotxiang and Editor Wan arrived on their heels.
Editor Wan looked around left and right, utterly puzzled: “You really let her job-hop? Clearly, we could have pulled Bao Lixin down this time. I just do not get it. I told you long ago about Bao Lixin secretly reprinting ‘The Galaxy and You’. I thought you would report him right then, but you held back until now!”
Reporting earlier would have finished Bao Lixin sooner, and then Wen Ying could have stayed.
“Spark” needed Wen Ying, Rongcheng Literature Publishing House needed Wen Ying, even the entire group needed her.
The group might not care about the money a so-called bestselling author earned each year, but the group needed Wen Ying as a facade, as a symbol to attract talent!
With Wen Ying gone, the hard-built youth literature brand would collapse by half, and Bao Lixin would absolutely face dire consequences!
Xiao Nin gazed out the window. “Because I figured it out: just pulling Editor-in-Chief Bao down is useless. We cannot become editor-in-chief; the higher-ups will appoint someone else. Who can guarantee the new editor-in-chief’s abilities and temperament? I do not want Little Fish wasting energy on internal strife. Let her go where it suits her. If one day I can call the shots, I will definitely invite Little Fish back!”
Editor Wan and Song Fotxiang both looked shocked.
Xiao Nin was young, but her ambitions were not small. She was actually thinking of calling the shots.
What did calling the shots mean?
Being editor-in-chief definitely did not count; it had to be a position higher than editor-in-chief!
