Chapter 86

Listening to the Beijing Radio Station.

"Director Jia." The secretary entered the room.

Deputy Director Jia, busy with his work, looked up, "What is it?"

The secretary smiled, "I heard that Zhang Ye is applying for a host position at the TV station and has submitted many resumes to various provincial and municipal TV stations."

Deputy Director Jia laughed, "He still wants to work at a TV station?"

The secretary said, "Yes, as far as I know, they all rejected him. No one wants him."

"Alright, I know." Deputy Director Jia dismissed the secretary, thinking to himself that of course no one would take him. Both he and the director had already informed their friends in the industry. Although radio stations might not be as glamorous as TV stations, they still had a lot of connections. They might not be able to get a less qualified person hired, but they could definitely ensure that a somewhat qualified person wouldn't be hired. They could do that!

This was what was known as a "blacklist"!

After "Dead Water" was broadcast, the Beijing Radio Station was now at odds with Zhang Ye!

...

An entire day passed.

Zhang Ye had no success. Every time he submitted a resume, the other party wouldn't even give him an interview. The rejections came quickly, and they were all immediate rejections. It was impossible that they didn't recognize him. Normally, when a job seeker submits a resume, even if they aren't hired, the response usually takes a few days, sometimes even a month or two. But for Zhang Ye, it was almost always an "instant reply." Some were polite, while others were rude, even saying, "No one would want you" in their emails!

It was over!

The plan was ruined!

Am I now a pariah?

After a few more attempts, Zhang Ye was at a loss. His stubbornness flared up. Damn it, are the TV and radio industries collectively blacklisting me? Do you really think I can't survive without you? Do you really think I can only become famous through you?

Zhang Ye immediately adjusted his short-term plan. Entering a TV station was still a must for his future development, but the situation had changed, and he had to make temporary adjustments. He decided to put the TV station plan on hold and focus on something he had planned for a long time. He would wait for the negative impact of "Dead Water" to fade. During this idle time, Zhang Ye certainly wouldn't just sit around. Otherwise, he would lose popularity every day, so he needed to retain his popularity and earn some money.

He called his former assistant, Xiao Fang.

Dialing, the call connected.

"Hello, Xiao Fang, it's your brother Zhang."

"I know, Teacher Zhang, I have your number."

"Are you off work yet?"

"Not yet, I'm organizing files and might have to work until eight."

"Actually, I need your help. Do you remember the publisher who contacted our station about publishing 'Ghost Blows the Lamp'? I didn't agree at the time, and the publisher didn't contact me directly, or rather, the station leadership deliberately prevented them from contacting me. Now, I need the publisher's phone number. I've left the station and can't ask around, even if I did, I wouldn't get an answer. Can you help me find it?"

"Oh, I can't find it either, but I can secretly ask someone else. If a colleague knows, that should be enough, right?"

"Yes, knowing the publisher is fine."

"Alright, I'll take care of it right away. Wait for my news."

"Thanks for the trouble, I'll treat you to a meal later."

Putting down the phone, Zhang Ye lit a cigarette and waited.

About twenty minutes later, Xiao Fang called back, efficient and dedicated, "Hehe, Teacher Zhang, I found it. Write it down: 53276172. It's the Beijing Education Press, one of the largest publishers in Beijing. They mainly publish official books and works, but they also handle commercial books."

Zhang Ye wrote it down and said, "Thank you so much."

Xiao Fang whispered, "You don't need to thank me. Actually, Teacher Tian Bin knew you needed this, so he asked me to tell you. He was always the host of 'Midnight Ghost Stories' and handled all the author and publisher contacts. He knows the most. Uh, but Teacher Tian didn't want me to tell you he gave you the number. I'm telling you everything, so don't blame me."

Zhang Ye was surprised, "Tian Bin? He's being so nice? And he didn't want me to know?" He and Tian Bin had had many conflicts in the past, and their grudges were deep.

Xiao Fang sighed, "After you left, Teacher Tian's life hasn't been easy. You don't know, the station has already removed him from the 'Midnight Ghost Stories' host position and reassigned him to a substitute role, without a fixed position."

"Ah?" Zhang Ye was puzzled, "That can't be. Didn't I get him back on the show when I left?"

Xiao Fang explained, "It's because of Jia Yan. His new program 'Youth Soaring' has only aired eight or nine episodes, and after the first episode, which had a high rating due to the popularity of your 'Old and Young Storytelling,' the ratings have been dropping. The program's flaws are now exposed, and yesterday's rating was only 0.46%. It's about to be canceled. So, the station reassigned Jia Yan to 'Midnight Ghost Stories.' As soon as your 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' finishes, Jia Yan will take over. With the popularity of tomb-raiding and supernatural novels, buying the rights can boost ratings. The station is clearly paving the way for Jia Yan, and Teacher Tian... has become the sacrificial lamb."

Zhang Ye frowned, "Old Tian is in such a bad situation?"

"Ah, your 'Dead Water' didn't wake them up. The station is getting more chaotic. I heard Teacher Tian has already submitted his resignation and will be leaving in the next day or two," Xiao Fang said.

The call ended.

Zhang Ye sat on the bed, feeling no joy at the fall of his former enemy. Instead, he felt very uncomfortable!

Let's put this aside for now.

Zhang Ye called the number given by Tian Bin. The first call didn't connect, but the second one did.

"Hello, who is this?" The voice was a middle-aged man.

Zhang Ye said, "Hello, I'm Zhang Ye, the original author of 'Ghost Blows the Lamp.' I heard your publisher wants to discuss the copyright. Are you still interested?"

The man was surprised, "You're the author of 'Ghost Blows the Lamp'?"

Zhang Ye laughed, "Yes, the real deal."

"But didn't you say you wouldn't sell the copyright?" the man asked, puzzled.

Zhang Ye said, "I never said that. You got the information from my station, but they never informed me. I'm now resigned."

The man was excited, "Oh, that's great. We've been trying to get 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' for a while, but your station wouldn't budge. Finding you makes it much easier. Teacher Zhang, I'm in charge of this. We can discuss the copyright. Do you want a royalty split or a one-time buyout for the simplified Chinese edition?"

"What are the prices?" Zhang Ye asked.

The man said, "For royalties, we follow the standard rate, based on sales. For a buyout, we initially offered two million to your station. However, 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' has gained more popularity and positive feedback. Many people are eager for a physical book. Even the imitations of your tomb-raiding novels have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. I'm sure you know this. So, we'll offer a higher rating. Let's say, a flat four million for the simplified Chinese edition. The other rights remain with you. How about that?"

"A bit low, isn't it?" Zhang Ye's tone was unsatisfied, but he was secretly thrilled. Four million? That's enough for a lot of instant noodles!

But thinking about it, it wasn't much. In his world, 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' sold like crazy, and the author's earnings were likely more than four million.

The man paused, "Teacher Zhang, I don't know your expectations, but believe me, only the Beijing Education Press would offer four million for a book's copyright. We have the financial flexibility this year. Other publishers wouldn't dare take such a risk. If the sales are poor..."

Zhang Ye interrupted, "The sales can be predicted, right? The imitations are already selling well. If 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' is published, the sales will be several times higher! I think you understand the market better than I do."

The man said, "But your program has already been broadcast on the radio, and many people have heard it, which will affect the sales."

Nonsense, 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' was first published online in his world, and it didn't affect the book sales at all!

They haggled a bit.

Zhang Ye asked for six million.

The man could only offer up to 4.8 million, but he added more.

Finally, the man said, "Teacher Zhang, six million is possible, but you need to sell us the publishing rights for 'Little Bunny Foo Foo,' 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' and 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' We are an educational publisher, and we can publish these stories with illustrations. Together, it's six million!" Clearly, they had already researched Zhang Ye and knew the value of his fairy tales!

"Do the fairy tales include overseas rights?"

"Sweat, no, just the simplified Chinese edition. We don't have the capability for overseas publishing," the man thought, "Your vision is quite broad, already thinking about selling fairy tales abroad?"

Zhang Ye calculated and found the price acceptable, "Alright."

"Great, let's meet now to sign the contract?" the man said, "I'm also a loyal listener of 'Ghost Blows the Lamp.' The novel is almost finished, so we need to send a legal notice to the Beijing Radio Station to stop broadcasting 'Ghost Blows the Lamp.' The audio rights are with you, right?"

"Yes, all the rights are with me," Zhang Ye said.

"Perfect. If we wait for the broadcast to finish, it will affect the sales. Since you've resigned, I assume you have no objections to stopping the broadcast?"

"Of course not, you can contact them."

"Good, we'll handle it. I'll draft the contract right away!"

The deal was made, and both sides were happy.

While the price of six million for 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' wasn't particularly high, it was acceptable. Zhang Ye knew that the sales success of 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' in his world was a long-term process, accumulating over years. The six million was a one-time payment, considering inflation and other factors, he wasn't losing out. This was just for the simplified Chinese edition, not including game, movie, and other rights, so he was very satisfied.

They signed the contract and discussed details and promotions.

...

The next morning.

Deputy Director Jia had just arrived at the station when the secretary rushed over, "Director Jia, there's a problem. The Beijing Education Press has sent us a legal notice, demanding that we stop broadcasting 'Ghost Blows the Lamp' immediately, or they will sue us for copyright infringement!"

"Copyright infringement?" Deputy Director Jia was furious, "Our program, what copyright infringement?"

The secretary smiled bitterly, "But the novel is Zhang Ye's original work, and he didn't authorize us. The legal notice is with the director, and I heard Zhang Ye's signature is on it."

Deputy Director Jia's anger flared, "What is this little Zhang trying to do? Stop broadcasting after so long? How do we explain it to the listeners?"

The secretary sighed, "But legally, we are..."

The office phone rang, and Deputy Director Jia quickly answered, "Hello, oh, Director... What? Really stop broadcasting? But how can we stop it? The story isn't finished... But... Alright, I understand. I'll inform the cultural frequency... Don't worry."

The station didn't want to get into a lawsuit and pay compensation, so the director compromised!

Deputy Director Jia was furious. This Zhang Ye! Even after leaving, he's still causing trouble!

Indeed, they had blacklisted Zhang Ye, and Deputy Director Jia had naively thought Zhang Ye would never be able to work in the industry again, fading into obscurity. With such a big "blacklist," how could Zhang Ye make waves? But now, Deputy Director Jia realized that while they could suppress Zhang Ye in the radio industry, they were powerless in other fields!

The publishing industry?

They couldn't blacklist him there!

And Zhang Ye wasn't just a broadcaster; he was a creator with his own novels and fairy tales! Outside the radio industry, Deputy Director Jia angrily discovered that Zhang Ye could still thrive! This made him extremely frustrated and helpless!