Chapter 13

Dave felt he couldn't just sit there and wait with Jin Xiantai, as it would make the atmosphere awkward, so he took the initiative to start a casual conversation with Jin Xiantai.

"Is this child a relative of yours?"

"No, this is my daughter."

"You don't look like you've had a child at such a young age. Is the child's mother around your age?"

"Yes, we grew up in an orphanage together."

"Do you and the child's mother still go to school? You should still be in school at your age. But it must be tough to raise a child while studying. I have three children, so I know how hard it can be."

"I've already dropped out of school. The child's mother passed away in a car accident last year. To support this little one, I had to drop out and work to earn money. Otherwise, I couldn't have supported her."

Jin Xiantai used the fabricated life story created by the unscrupulous alien elementary school student to evade Dave's questions. At the same time, he recalled the appearance and smile of his deceased wife from another timeline, as well as the happy moments they shared, and his face showed genuine sorrow.

Seeing this, Dave quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up your painful memories."

Jin Xiantai waved his hand, "It's okay. That's life, isn't it? Life isn't always sweet; it has its bitter, sweet, and sour moments. I've just experienced them a bit earlier than others my age."

It was a profound insight into life. For someone his age, it was quite remarkable to have such a deep understanding and to be able to express it.

Of course, such a life story was also quite touching.

Dave's gaze towards Jin Xiantai gradually softened. After all, this was a young man who was facing a tough life and striving to live, far better than those boys who just ask their parents for money and spend their days partying and chasing girls.

Yes, even better than his own three sons.

At this age, not many young people understand the true meaning of 'responsibility.'

But this Asian boy clearly understood what responsibility meant and was shouldering it with his young shoulders.

A 16-year-old orphan raising a child under a year old, the difficulties and hardships Dave could imagine.

"Life will get better. Once your novel is published, it will certainly bring you financial improvement. It's a very good novel, I can guarantee that."

The atmosphere was a bit heavy, so Dave changed the topic to the potential financial rewards from the novel's publication.

Actually, Jin Xiantai was also very confident about this. After all, the novel he had plagiarized, "A Song of Ice and Fire," had sold tens of millions of copies over a decade in the original timeline, with no signs of slowing down.

This meant that once the novel was published, Jin Xiantai would have a steady income, no longer needing to worry about financial issues. He would receive substantial royalties from the publisher every month, far more than what he earned from his two jobs.

Moreover, he could look forward to the novel being adapted into a TV series or movie, or even a comic, and negotiations with foreign publishers. If any of these happened, his income would increase even more.

Furthermore, the population in this world was ten times larger than in his original timeline.

So, Jin Xiantai wasn't worried at all. Based on the sales data of the novel in the original timeline and the population of just the United States in this timeline, he estimated that the novel could sell over 500 million copies in the next twenty years.

That meant, on average, one million copies per month. If the novel was priced at 10 yuan per copy, Jin Xiantai would receive 10% of the royalties, which would be one million yuan per month.

Of course, Jin Xiantai wouldn't receive all of this money, as he would have to pay a 35% high-income tax. But even so, the income would still be substantial, enough to instantly elevate him from a struggling individual to a middle-class elite.

Jin Xiantai smiled, shaking off the painful memories.

"Thank you for your good wishes. I hope the novel sells well so that I can afford to move to a better neighborhood and provide a better living environment for my daughter."

Jin Xiantai was more polite, unlike Westerners, as he was still fundamentally an Easterner, not the 'banana person' the unscrupulous alien elementary school student had fabricated for him.

"Oh, where do you live now? Still in the orphanage?"

Dave was quite curious.

"No, I've left the orphanage. I'm now renting a place with my daughter. But the neighborhood isn't very safe, with serious gang problems, which is a big concern for me."

Jin Xiantai responded half-truthfully. Some of the information was fabricated by the unscrupulous alien elementary school student, while the other half was true. After all, he had been living with his daughter in this timeline for half a year, and that timeline couldn't be faked.

"Living in such a neighborhood isn't good. But don't worry, once the contract is signed, you'll receive a signing fee. It's not a lot, but it should be enough to help you move out of that place."

Dave's impression of Jin Xiantai, the young Chinese man, was getting better and better. So, he decided to give him a signing fee after the contract was signed, even though new authors usually don't receive one, only established authors do.

But considering his good impression of the young man and the fact that he was specifically instructed by the big boss, Miss Annie, to take care of him, he thought it would be fine to use his authority to give him a small favor.

At least, Miss Annie wouldn't have any objections. As long as she was okay with it, even if other shareholders found out, it wouldn't affect him.

"Is there a signing fee?"

Hearing this, Jin Xiantai was a bit excited. Although he had six thousand yuan saved up over the past six months, which gave him the confidence to quit his two jobs after the novel was published, this amount was only enough to cover their living expenses for a few months. It wasn't enough to move to a better neighborhood.

But if Dave gave him a signing fee, even a few thousand yuan would be enough for him to start planning to move.

So, it was understandable that Jin Xiantai was a bit excited.

"Um..." Jin Xiantai looked hesitant but finally gathered the courage to ask, "I'm sorry, Mr. Dave, can you tell me how much the signing fee usually is?"

"Please understand, I'm not someone who is only interested in money. But if I had enough money, I would want to move out of my current neighborhood as soon as possible. I hope you can understand why I'm asking."

Given the circumstances, Dave could understand.

Although he didn't know the exact address of the young Chinese man, he was aware of the dangerous areas in Los Angeles.

Clearly, the young man lived in one of those areas.

As someone who had lived in Los Angeles all his life, Dave knew all too well about the poor security and various dangers in those areas.

If not for financial reasons, no one would choose to live there.

Jin Xiantai was an orphan with a child, so it was clear why he chose to live there—it was cheaper.

Otherwise, as a 16-year-old who had to support a child and work, he wouldn't be able to afford a house in a good neighborhood. Even though the rent wasn't very high, a 2500 yuan or more rent was beyond his means.

"20,000 yuan, you can receive 20,000 yuan as a signing fee."

Dave said a number that made Jin Xiantai's heart race.

20,000 yuan!

With this money, he could take his daughter out of that dangerous neighborhood.

Although it wasn't a lot, it would be very useful.

So, the next step was to check if there were any issues with the contract from the publisher. As long as there were no problems, Jin Xiantai wouldn't change his mind.

After all, if the conditions from this publisher weren't good, he wouldn't find better ones elsewhere.

After chatting a bit more with Dave, Jin Xiantai revealed some more half-true and fabricated personal information. Then, the secretary, Laura, appeared again, interrupting their conversation.

"Here is the prepared contract. Please take a look. If there are no issues, we can sign it once the lawyer arrives."

Jin Xiantai took the contract from Dave, flipped through it, and saw that it was at least 20 to 30 pages long. He then carefully read through the contract and its various clauses.

As time passed, half an hour went by, and the lawyer Dave had called arrived ten minutes ago. However, Jin Xiantai hadn't finished reading the contract, so the lawyer could only chat quietly with Dave while waiting.

After carefully reviewing each clause, Jin Xiantai found no traps or loopholes. The publishing contract was very detailed, with clear and precise terms and rights distribution, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Moreover, as Dave had said, all the favorable conditions were clearly stated in the publishing contract.

At this point, Jin Xiantai had no more concerns. He looked up at Dave, who was chatting quietly with the lawyer, and said, "I've read it. The contract is fine. Can we start signing now?"