Chapter 28

《Boys Over Flowers》 became a hit.

《Naruto》 became a hit.

It became inexplicably popular.

It became unbelievably popular.

It became shockingly popular.

It left Mai Xiaoyu in a state of bewilderment.

In recent days, the internet has been flooded with heated debates over the "coincidence" of the nationalities of the winners of the "Màn Màn Ài" New Talent Competition for three consecutive sessions. Both sides of the debate have cited him and his two manga works to argue whether there was any foul play in the competition.

Ironically, both sides agreed that the two manga were excellent, praising them while simultaneously hurling insults at each other. If anyone dared to say the manga were not good, both sides would immediately unite to attack that person, and then... continue their mutual insults.

What was going on?

Curious onlookers began to dive into the controversy.

However, the two manga were not being serialized, so they could only piece together bits and pieces from the arguments, leaving many onlookers itching to know more and getting even more deeply involved.

The internet was filled with posts from onlookers seeking help.

"Seeking enlightenment!"

"Seeking the truth!"

"Seeking content!"

"Seeking the serialized magazine!"

Some media outlets also reported on the matter.

They first indirectly praised the two manga through netizens' comments, then shifted the tone to point out that such excellent manga were disqualified due to the contestants' identity fraud, highlighting the responsibility and credibility of Ai Man Culture.

The final conclusion was that the "Màn Màn Ài" New Talent Competition had no foul play, and the public should not spread rumors.

If the media's words were to be fully trusted, pigs could climb trees.

Mai Xiaoyu sneered and closed the page. He didn't need to think to know that those media reports were definitely the work of Ai Man Culture.

No foul play?

What about me?

What about the recording in my hand?

The more the situation escalates, the better. I was just worried about the timing not being right!

Picking up his psychology book, he continued his daily self-cultivation and self-improvement as a con artist.

As noon approached, the phone rang.

He had two phones. The "Ya Li" phone, which had a ringtone called "Con Artist," was mainly used for business and was listed on his business card. The "Da Mi" phone, which had a ringtone called "Night," was used for personal communication. The number was known only to Wang Xiaoxing, Zhang Xiaoquan, and the "Màn Màn Ài" New Talent Competition registration.

The one that rang now was the "Da Mi" phone.

Are they finally making a move?

Mai Xiaoyu's lips curled slightly. He turned on the recording function on the "Ya Li" phone, answered the "Da Mi" phone, and put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I ask if you are Mai Zi, the author of 《Boys Over Flowers》 and 《Naruto》?"

The voice on the other end was unfamiliar, not Li Gang, the chief editor of the "Màn Màn Ài" magazine.

"Yes, who is this?"

Yang Linfei was excited: "Hello, Mai Zi. I apologize for the intrusion. I am Yang Linfei, the chief editor of Feiyang Publishing."

"Feiyang Publishing?"

"Yes, 《Feiyang·Youth》 is our publishing house's manga magazine. Your two works are excellent, and I really like them. I sincerely invite you to serialize them in 《Feiyang·Youth》. The treatment will be guaranteed to satisfy you. When would be a convenient time for us to meet and discuss the contract?"

《Feiyang·Youth》?

Sign my manga?

Guaranteed treatment?

"Do you have 1.5 million?"

"..."

A bucket of cold water was poured over Yang Linfei's head, leaving him stunned.

Before making the call, he had prepared himself mentally and considered various possible reactions from Mai Xiaoyu, but 1.5 million... no author would make such an absurd demand!

"Without 1.5 million, don't bother me!"

Mai Xiaoyu was not very interested in serializing his manga at the moment because it didn't bring in money quickly, and Aunt Song couldn't wait that long. His current target was Ai Man Culture, a fat sheep from which he had to shear 1.5 million.

However, Ai Man's recent reactions were not as expected, which made him a bit worried.

My prediction should be correct, so why isn't Ai Man Culture following the script?

While he was thinking, the phone rang again. Mai Xiaoyu grabbed it: "I said, don't bother me unless you have 1.5 million!"

"Would one million be okay?" Gu Hongzhou's voice came weakly from the phone.

Huh?

The "Ya Li" phone?

I was just flustered!

Being flustered means a slip-up, which is a big no-no for a con artist. This is not good.

Composing himself, Mai Xiaoyu asked, "Mr. Gu, what one million?"

"Ice Valley Company wants to invite you to shoot an advertisement. They are willing to pay one million for the creative fee."

Ice Valley Company, primarily dealing in mineral water, is one of the large private enterprises in China. Its main product, Ice Valley Spring Water, is a top brand in the domestic natural water market with high recognition.

The company recently developed a mixed fruit juice drink called Ice Valley Orchard, which can cater to different taste preferences. They plan to launch it in the market this summer to capture a share of the domestic fruit juice market. Advertising is always a key part of the sales battle.

After a strict investigation and selection, Ice Valley Company finally set their sights on Mai Xiaoyu. They hope that he can create a classic advertisement for Ice Valley Orchard, not inferior to the Dove Chocolate Window series, to help Ice Valley Orchard make a big splash and become the biggest dark horse in the summer fruit juice market.

Mai Xiaoyu thought for a moment and said, "1.5 million."

"Mr. Mai, one million is not a small amount. How many companies are willing to spend a million on a creative idea these days?"

"That's because they don't understand the value of creativity."

Mai Xiaoyu stuck to 1.5 million. Despite Gu Hongzhou's persistent persuasion, he had no choice but to hang up the phone, pulling his hair in his office, worrying about how to negotiate with Ice Valley Company.

The difference between 1 million and 1.5 million is significant. Ice Valley Company is a large company with its own dignity. What if the negotiations break down due to poor communication? Gu Hongzhou didn't want to lose this major client.

Mai Xiaoyu was not worried.

Negotiating a deal is about negotiating. How can you close a deal without negotiating?

Can you just say whatever price you want?

You should at least let me counteroffer, right?

People have their flaws; if you don't counteroffer, they think you're making more money.

After lunch, Mai Xiaoyu took a one-hour nap in his office and then began his afternoon interview work.

Recruiting young talents is a traditional business of the company and the main source of income, which is stable and cannot be abandoned. He still chose those with good family backgrounds but raised the threshold significantly.

To ensure that Meng Ren Film and Television does not revert to Meng Ren Film and Television, quality control must be strict, and the membership level must be raised, shifting from pursuing quantity to strictly controlling quality.

Standard One: Handsome men and beautiful women, with good temperament, excellent appearance, sweet voices, fair skin, beautiful faces, long legs, sunny and handsome rich men...

Standard Two: Unique appearance with high recognizability.

The first standard is easy to understand and doesn't require much explanation from Mai Xiaoyu. The business staff... the company's talent scouts can quickly grasp the spirit. Male scouts discover female members, and female scouts discover male members, each to their own talent!

But the second standard...

What does it mean to have a unique appearance? What is high recognizability?

Currently, only the business manager Deng Chao has a vague idea.

This afternoon, he invited a young man with a unique appearance for an interview at the company.

"Mr. Mai, Huang Bo has arrived..."