Chương 57: Chapter 57: Can I Dare To Make An Offer
"What is this?" Yang Feng inquired Chu Kuang through his contact list.
Lin Yuan saw the message only after finishing his meal and replied, "Isn't this the manuscript your company arranged? The person who commissioned it is named You Rong, claiming to be the editor-in-chief of 'Interesting Reads' magazine. Could it be that I've encountered a scam?"
Lin Yuan felt somewhat fortunate.
Luckily, he was clever enough to send the manuscript to Yang Feng, the editor at Silver Blue Library responsible for 'Tennis Prince.' If that person claiming to be You Rong wasn't from Silver Blue Library, Lin Yuan wouldn't have suffered any losses.
"He's not a scammer," Yang Feng replied with a complex expression.
Seeing that Chu Kuang didn't respond further, Yang Feng abruptly stood up from his position and dialed the editor-in-chief's number, "Editor-in-chief, you have to handle this matter personally. You Rong actually arranged a manuscript with Chu Kuang behind our backs!"
"What?" The editor-in-chief on the other end exclaimed, anger evident in his tone. "We guard against thieves day and night, and yet You Rong dares to arrange a manuscript with Chu Kuang without our knowledge? Does he have no regard for us? I'm at the office right now; I'll go to the magazine department and settle the score with him!"
Many companies granted annual leave for the Lunar New Year.
However, even during the New Year, some people at Silver Blue Library were on duty. Those working were mostly locals from Su City, earning five times their regular salary. Under such generous compensation, many were willing to work during the Spring Festival.
After ending the call, the editor-in-chief of the Young Adult Fiction Department, Old Xiong, stormed into the magazine department and immediately spotted You Rong, the person in charge of the magazine department, "Old You, are you playing dirty tricks, arranging a manuscript with Chu Kuang behind our backs?"
"Old Xiong, that's a bit harsh."
Ever since Chu Kuang said he sent the manuscript to Yang Feng, You Rong knew he was in trouble. So, he mentally prepared himself: "I was just about to inform you. Since you're here, sit down, have a cup of tea; we're all colleagues."
"Don't try to act crazy."
Ignoring the curious gazes of the surrounding staff, Old Xiong, without a good temper, said, "Chu Kuang submits 200,000 words every month for 'Tennis Prince.' I don't need to introduce the current high sales of that book. Now you want to arrange a manuscript with him. Doesn't this affect his creative process?"
"It's not my fault."
You Rong was getting anxious, "Even if I don't arrange a manuscript with Chu Kuang, he would still post short stories on the tribe. I have great confidence in the quality of his short stories. Instead of letting him freely publish on the tribe, why not have it published in our 'Interesting Reads'? After all, it's our company's flagship magazine."
"He did it on a whim."
Old Xiong's anger intensified, "But you fueled his interest in writing short stories. People's energy is limited. After he finishes writing short stories for your magazine, how much energy does he have left to update 'Tennis Prince'?"
"He volunteered."
You Rong coughed.
This kind of thing should indeed have been communicated in advance, but You Rong knew that Old Xiong probably wouldn't allow it to ensure the stable updates of 'Tennis Prince.' So, he thought of acting first and reporting later. Unfortunately, it turned out to be counterproductive.
"Are you intentionally poaching people?"
"How can it be called poaching when we're all from the same company?"
"I think you're just jealous of our performance!"
"Old Xiong, that's going too far."
Now, both editors were truly angered. They even argued in front of the staff, and it took someone to call the editor-in-chief to temporarily calm things down. However, the editor-in-chief was also troubled, "Stop shouting; let me see the manuscript."
Soon, Yang Feng sent the manuscript to the editor-in-chief.
The title of this manuscript is "The Gift of the Magi," a short piece of only three thousand words, ensuring a quick read for the chief editor. However, what puzzled Old Xiong and You Rong was...
After the chief editor finished reading the manuscript, an unusual silence fell upon him. Upon closer inspection, both were astonished. The usually stern and dignified chief editor had eyes that were slightly reddened, and he even discreetly wiped away a tear.
Was the chief editor moved to tears?
This development startled both of them.
Nervously, You Rong said, "Chief editor, what's wrong? It's just a minor disagreement between us on New Year's. There's no need for you to be so sad."
"That's right," Old Xiong added cautiously, "It's just a matter of submitting manuscripts. Since Chu Kuang has agreed, I won't say anything more. If he dares to take it, it means he's confident in handling both sides."
They had never seen the chief editor like this before.
Ignoring their confusion, the chief editor stood up without acknowledging them, his voice slightly hoarse as he made a phone call, "Immediately book a ticket for me to go home, I want the earliest flight."
"Chief editor..."
Old Xiong and You Rong were completely flustered.
The chief editor had originally decided not to go home for the Spring Festival this year, but just because of this trivial matter between the two, he was now moved to tears!
He didn't even care about work anymore!
The chief editor, with eyes slightly reddened, glanced at the two and said, "Do you know how tough it was for me when I first started my business?"
"Eh?"
Ignoring their puzzled expressions, the chief editor continued, "I remember the hardest times when my wife and I could survive on plain water and a steamed bun for a day. Later, my wife found a job cleaning in the school cafeteria, so I used the excuse of visiting her to get free meals, savoring the delicious soup. It was truly fragrant."
Old Xiong instinctively asked, "What happened later?"
The chief editor chuckled lightly, "Later, my wife moved into a luxurious mansion, enjoying all kinds of delicacies. However, when she had to take care of my parents in the villa and eat exquisite dishes, she often had to dine alone. Do you think we were happier back then or now? It's the New Year, and I miss my wife. I have to spend some time with my family. You locals, work hard, please."
With that, the chief editor bowed slightly and walked away.
You Rong hesitated and called out, "Chief editor..."
The chief editor suddenly paused, "Hmm, also, get me an autograph from Mr. Chu Kuang. Tell him I'm his fan."
This time, the chief editor truly left.
But between Old Xiong and You Rong, a subtle realization dawned as they faced each other, understanding that the root cause of this matter was not their conflict.
For, after so many years as the chief editor at the Silver Blue Library, for the first time, the chief editor openly admitted being a fan of a writer under the company.
A novel!
It was a novel!
Suddenly, both of them snapped out of their argument, merely sending Yang Feng a copy of "The Gift of the Magi."
Perhaps, this was the catalyst for the chief editor's change of heart.
After Old Xiong left,
You Rong couldn't wait to open "The Gift of the Magi." He wanted to see what was written in this novel that made the chief editor neglect even his work.
The novel was very short.
While reading the novel, You Rong didn't have any particularly strong reactions.
But when he reached the end of the novel, You Rong couldn't help but cover his temples on both sides of his forehead, letting out a painful cry:
"Ah!"
Now, he completely understood the editor-in-chief's anomaly. The power of words was frightening, and those who had similar experiences would always watch other people's stories, shedding their own tears, especially when facing the explosive ending of "The Gift of the Magi"!
"Boss, what's wrong?"
An employee couldn't help but express concern.
You Rong slumped in his chair: "Chu Kuang said to finish reading the novel before making an offer... Can I dare to make an offer for such a novel..."
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