Chapter 16

"What's going on! Who can tell me what's going on! Why would Heshuo, who clearly agreed, now back out!"

At the entrance of the classroom, the editor-in-chief of the *Wuxia Story* magazine, Zhu Zhengting, angrily threw the report in his hand onto the table. The editors and managers on both sides dared not even breathe, their hearts filled with anger.

Qin Hong, the vice president in charge of this matter, sighed and comforted, "Forget it, Old Zhu, don't be angry, everyone. There's nothing we can do about this!"

Zhu Zhengting forcibly suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "What exactly happened? Ah Hong, explain in detail!"

Qin Hong was one of the founding members of the magazine, who had fought alongside Zhu Zhengting to establish it. Being a woman, she was the only one who could calm Zhu Zhengting's anger in this situation.

Qin Hong sighed, "We had previously agreed with Heshuo that his novel currently in preparation, *The Seven Curses of the Wild Wind*, would become our next long-running serial. Moreover, he would control the number of words published online, ensuring that the chapters published in the magazine would be two issues, or about 30,000 words, ahead of the online version."

Lin Shuiqing nodded, "That's right, I was there at the time, and Heshuo did indeed agree to this."

Qin Hong said helplessly, "However, it was a private agreement, and we didn't immediately sign a contract. We thought Heshuo, as a well-known writer, would keep his word. But yesterday, I suddenly received his call, saying that *The Seven Curses of the Wild Wind* had already been signed to the *Wuxia* magazine, and he suggested we find someone else..."

"What was the reason?" Zhu Zhengting said with hatred.

"The reason, everyone should know, is that Heshuo originally gained fame through the *Wuxia* magazine. It's said that due to financial reasons, he owed the *Wuxia* magazine a significant favor. That's why, without any prior notice, he reneged on his promise to us!"

Zhu Zhengting's anger seemed to dissipate all at once. This reason left them feeling extremely frustrated, yet they couldn't argue against it.

Their hard-earned magazine, though now recognized for its quality in the market, was still at a disadvantage due to its shallow roots, allowing the other party to dominate them!

The *Wuxia* magazine, with its long history, had the strongest network of connections. Most of the well-known writers in the wuxia novel industry had worked with them, and the goodwill they had built up was something the *Wuxia Story* magazine, with its short history, could never catch up to.

The favor of helping someone in need was deep, and when those writers were just starting out, any small act of kindness was a significant boost.

The *Wuxia Story* magazine, even if it paid ten times the price, was merely adding to the already successful writers' success in their eyes.

Writers value their reputation, and no one wants to be labeled as ungrateful.

Thus, the *Wuxia Story* magazine lost this time, losing cleanly and decisively, with no way to fight back!

"So now, is there any other way?" Zhu Zhengting looked around and asked.

Silence. After a long while, Qin Hong said with a bitter smile, "What other way is there! We were counting on Heshuo's fame to beat the *Wuxia* in the next serial. Now that Heshuo has been poached by the other side, the *Wuxia* will publish *The Seven Curses of the Wild Wind* in the next issue. They will definitely increase the number of words in the serial to catch up with the online publication as soon as possible. We can only hope that the sales of the next issue won't drop too much. What else can we do!"

"It's not necessarily so. *The Seven Curses of the Wild Wind* has already been serialized online for over 100,000 words, which will inevitably affect the magazine's sales. Even if the *Wuxia* magazine capitalizes on Heshuo's fame in the first two issues, it won't be a significant drop for us. As long as the quality of our next serial is up to par, the impact on our sales won't be too severe..."

Seeing the two leaders speak this way, the meeting room fell silent. Lin Shuiqing coughed and comforted them.

He was a senior editor, which gave him the confidence to speak at this moment.

Qin Hong didn't speak, and the other meeting participants naturally wouldn't contradict Lin Shuiqing at this time.

The first two issues would be affected by the online serialization, but as soon as the *Wuxia* magazine started publishing new chapters, given Heshuo's immense popularity both online and offline, it would immediately translate into solid sales for the *Wuxia* magazine. In this situation, even if the quality of their own magazine's serial didn't decline, it would be impossible to turn the tide!

Zhu Zhengting drank two large sips of tea to calm himself down, then asked Lin Shuiqing, "When will the author of the next serial submit the manuscript? Will there be any issues like with Heshuo?"

Lin Shuiqing shook his head confidently, "No, there won't be! The author of the next serial is Yiyeshu, who has been working with us since the beginning. His quality has always been top-notch, and he always submits his manuscripts on time, without any delays or cancellations. I can guarantee this!"

"Yiyeshu..."

Zhu Zhengting nodded. For a high-quality author like Lin Mu, he was well aware of his importance to the *Wuxia Story* magazine.

"Then, before the serial starts, give him a detailed advertisement to ensure that the sales of the first issue don't drop too much!"

By "detailed advertisement," he meant not just a simple mention, but a more extensive introduction, from half a page to a full page, and even adding a sketch of a related scene to maximize the promotional effect for the new book.

Lin Shuiqing nodded, indicating he understood, and then asked, "What about the payment for his manuscript?"

For a long-running serial, which is the face of a magazine, the payment is the highest among all articles, generally ranging from 150 to 200 yuan per thousand words.

For a first-time serial author like Lin Mu, the lowest standard is usually 150 yuan per thousand words, while established writers generally receive at least 200 yuan per thousand words.

Zhu Zhengting thought for a moment and said, "Don't use the lowest standard. Let's go with 180 yuan per thousand words! Explain it to Yiyeshu, let him relax, and focus on writing a more engaging novel. We'll take care of the payment!"

Zhu Zhengting's only hope now was not to lose too badly. Otherwise, if the other side used their trump card to crush them, it would be too embarrassing!

Compared to this, paying Lin Mu an extra 30 yuan per thousand words was a minor issue, not worth worrying about.

As long as Lin Mu put more effort into his writing, the increased sales would more than make up for the extra payment.

"Let's do it this way. Although we lost this time, we can't lose too badly! For the next few issues, whether it's a serial or a short story, focus on quality to offset the decline in sales!" Zhu Zhengting concluded.

"Oh, right, Old Lin, what's the name of Yiyeshu's serial?"

Lin Shuiqing thought for a moment and replied, "The *Liancheng Jue*!"

PS: Thank you to Mr. Wu Yu for the 100 yuan and Yizhan Qianji for the 1888 yuan donations. Also, thank you to all the brothers who quietly voted for the recommendation. If you want to discuss the plot, the book group number is in the introduction. Thank you.

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