Chapter 98

On a certain day in January, the weather was still quite cold. In the early morning, in a simply and elegantly decorated study in Jianghai City, a gentleman sat quietly in front of a computer, his attention highly focused, seemingly reading something important.

This gentleman was none other than Lu Yichou, the president of Qianhong Culture, known as the "most literary businessman." However, what he was reading was not an important document, but the opening of a manuscript titled "Xiao Shiyi Lang."

Although the opening was only three short chapters, mostly composed of short sentences and dialogues, the experienced Lu Yichou still spent nearly an hour, reading it back and forth twice before he finally moved his gaze from the computer screen, falling into deep thought.

Unlike his previous experiences reading Gu Yongsheng's manuscripts, this time there was no surprise or shock, just a sense of bewilderment and difficulty in understanding. Although he had long known that this was a novel tailored for a script, based on his years of reading experience and professional intuition, "Xiao Shiyi Lang" was clearly and unmistakably different from any of his previous works. This difference was not only in the paragraphing, word choice, and narrative perspective but more crucially in the overall style, feel, and the vastly different character traits.

The character Feng Siniang, who appeared in the opening, bore no resemblance to any of the previous female characters. Her brazen and fiery nature could not be found in the slightest in characters like Liu Yufang or Li Wenshu, and even compared to the equally fiery Lian Nishang, she was completely different.

Feng Siniang, who saw through the world but still felt its sorrows, cared about her age, didn't mind others peeking at her while bathing, longed to get married, and loved Xiao Shiyi Lang...

In short, it was different, just different.

Lu Yichou rubbed his temples, his mood becoming increasingly complex. He had met Gu Yongsheng, chatted with him, and even discussed literature seriously. He did not doubt that these works were by Gu Yongsheng, but he was worried.

As a businessman, he was worried. As an expert in the industry, he was worried. Gu Yongsheng's previous works had already accumulated a large following and a certain scale of fans. Suddenly changing his style would inevitably cause a backlash from readers, which was the part that worried the businessman.

Additionally, as a growing author, transitioning was undoubtedly a high-risk choice.

Lu Yichou saw this clearly, but he would not try to persuade Gu Yongsheng. First, apart from the change in style, the opening of this story had its unique aspects, with many highlights. Second, as a former editor, he knew that any author, once they had conceived a story and decided to write it, was generally unpersuadable.

Thus, Lu Yichou immediately forwarded the manuscript to Wei Wuzhi and Yi Shui'an, and left a message for Gu Yongsheng: "I've read the new book, let's talk when you have time."

...

Gu Yongsheng was currently unavailable because he was having a detailed discussion with Mi Hu.

"How does it feel?" Liu Jingting asked confidently after letting Mi Hu read the first three chapters.

Mi Hu did not respond.

Liu Jingting was not in a hurry because he knew that anyone who understood martial arts and the martial arts market could roughly judge the infinite potential of this manuscript. Of course, the fundamental reason for his confidence was that these works had already been proven in the other world. He believed that Mi Hu's current silence was due to being stunned by the novel and unique story, which was normal.

Whether it was the sharp, blade-like writing style, the introduction of the two main characters, or the detailed psychological descriptions presented through an omniscient narrative, there were many points worth praising. Liu Jingting had every reason to believe that Mi Hu, with her editorial experience, could easily capture the value of this book.

"Little girl, don't hold back, show me your admiration and shock," Liu Jingting thought, and then Mi Hu really spoke up:

"Liu Jingting, have you ever peeked at girls bathing?"

If they were eating, Mi Hu's face would have been splattered with food and soup. No matter how clever and perceptive Liu Jingting was, he could not have imagined that after reading such a novel filled with humanistic sentiment and positive energy, Mi Hu's first question would be this.

"In college, oh no, hmm?"

"The opening chapter is about a woman bathing," Mi Hu turned to glare at Liu Jingting, her eyes filled with a hint of menace, "and it's described in such detail. Have you peeked? What were you about to say, in college?"

Liu Jingting almost let slip a story from his college days in the other world. One summer, he lived in a dormitory opposite a girls' dormitory. One night, a roommate, either struck by a sudden idea or unable to bear the heat, secretly climbed to the roof to cool off. As the roommate enjoyed the view from the rooftop, a greater pleasure soon appeared before his eyes—through a thin layer of glass, he saw several girls in the water room of the opposite girls' dormitory bathing!

From then on, going to the roof to cool off became a daily routine for that roommate. A week later, others noticed the abnormality, and "going to the roof to cool off" became a trend in the dormitory. After much internal struggle, Liu Jingting, finding the weather too stifling, joined the trend...

This story was impossible to explain to Mi Hu.

Liu Jingting shook his head sincerely, "It's purely the author's imagination, it's quite obvious."

Mi Hu glared at him but did not pursue the matter further. The conversation finally returned to the novel itself: "A sudden change, readers will definitely be uncomfortable. Be prepared for criticism and abandonment."

"Always ready," Liu Jingting shook his head and smiled, "Even without a transition or a change in style, readers will still be lost. Look at Yi Shui'an, who has stuck to her style for so many years. Has the number of readers who left been small?"

"It's different. This change is too big, a complete 180-degree turn. Readers who liked 'Bai Fa' and 'Qi Jian' will likely not like your 'Xiao Shiyi Lang.'"

"Because of the purely modern language, lack of poeticism, and no literary allusions?"

"It's a matter of reader taste."

"Still, the author cannot assume what readers like and write accordingly. Instead, they should strive to write a good story to make readers like it. Don't you like Feng Siniang, don't you like Xiao Shiyi Lang?"

"Let's see the rest of the story."

"What about this style of writing?"

"Broken Blade, Qin Se, or Beihetang are in this style."

Liu Jingting smiled slightly, "The difference is too great."

In Liu Jingting's view, apart from the purely modern language style, the stories, insights, and flavors of their works were far inferior to those of Gu Long's. The novels they produced could only be considered college student exercises.

Mi Hu did not expect Liu Jingting to suddenly say such an unmodest thing. She wrinkled her nose and said softly, "How long is this story?"

"It's a long novel."

Although Mi Hu was worried, she still had great confidence in Liu Jingting's abilities. In the foreseeable future, Liu Jingting would have to face the temporary departure of readers who were not yet accustomed to the change, which was a pity. Although she knew that new readers would join, she still felt it was a pity. If readers always increased and never decreased, how wonderful that would be.

Thinking from the perspective of her little boyfriend, how could she remain objective?

At this moment, Liu Jingting's phone suddenly rang.

...

Yi Shui'an, newly married, did not immerse herself in the honey pot and forget the time. She still followed her biological clock, living, working, and writing, adhering to the principle of "not losing oneself in marriage."

Then she saw Lu Yichou's email.

Regarding Gu Yongsheng's new book, she was one of the few who knew early on. She knew it was a novel written for a script, a collaboration with Xingyue, but she did not know the new novel would be like this.

Like Lu Yichou, after reading the first three chapters, Yi Shui'an also fell silent. As an author herself, she had a more direct feeling about Gu Yongsheng's transformation.

Unlike Lu Yichou, she did not simply leave a message for Gu Yongsheng. After five minutes of deep thought, she directly called Gu Yongsheng.

"Yi Da?" Gu Yongsheng's puzzled voice came from the phone.

"It's me," Yi Shui'an said calmly, "I just read your manuscript and want to talk about this book. Is it convenient now?"

Liu Jingting glanced at Mi Hu, mouthed Yi Shui'an's name, and said into the phone, "It's convenient."

"Um, the first thing I want to know is the general direction of the story. From the introduction of the male protagonist, it seems to be a Robin Hood-like thief?"

"Yes."

"Similar to Bonnie and Clyde?"

"There's also a female protagonist, but you can define it that way."

To Liu Jingting's surprise, throughout the conversation, Yi Shui'an did not mention the issue of transformation, only asking questions about the novel itself, some minor details. Finally, she summarized, "I see potential in this story and really like the flavor. I hope it will be a success."

After hanging up, Liu Jingting smiled at Mi Hu and shrugged.

...

"Using two chapters to set the stage and the third to introduce the male protagonist, the most remarkable thing is that during the setup, a character like Feng Siniang can capture the reader's attention. Although the style has changed, the skilled technique remains consistent. To be honest, my interest in Xiao Shiyi Lang is greater than in any of Xiao Gu's previous male protagonists. To put it bluntly, I like the character of Xiao Shiyi Lang."

This was Wei Wuzhi's evaluation of Gu Yongsheng's new book, and he was speaking to Lu Yichou.

"The previous works were somewhat dominated by female characters."

"I don't think you need to worry about reader backlash. In fact, they are probably waiting for Gu Yongsheng to present such a decisive character. After reading Feng Siniang's introduction, I was already greatly impressed. When Xiao Shiyi Lang appears, it's not an exaggeration to say it's a masterpiece. The elegance, the laziness, the disdain for wealth and power, and the wildness make one feel that this is what a character in a martial arts novel should be."

"It's been a long time since I've praised someone so much."

"Ha, it's been a long time since I've read such a refreshing and straightforward story. I hope Xiao Gu doesn't disappoint me this time."

"Let's keep our expectations high. Then, here's my idea: 'Da Jianghu' will publish the next issue at the end of the month. I don't want Xiao Gu to wait that long. Let's strike while the iron is hot and put it directly after Han Shuo's 'Yuan Shang Cao.' What do you think?"

"Put it in the 'New Faces' section, it's fine."

"Okay, let's do that. I'll talk to An and Han Shao, and then confirm the remaining manuscript with Xiao Gu."

"Let's also get the public relations and editorial departments moving. We don't need to beat around the bush; let's tell everyone directly that this is a completely different story and form a first impression." (To be continued. Please search for Piaowen.com for better and faster updates!)

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