Chapter 22 Unexpected Visitors and the Hexi Corridor
Zhou Bingkun carefully put his new book in his schoolbag, and then he sat on his beloved bicycle and went home humming unconsciously.
As soon as he walked out of the school gate, he saw his cheap sister-in-law Hao Dongmei waiting there. Zhou Bingkun felt a little confused, "Sister-in-law, why are you waiting here?"
"Bingkun, I want to go home with you to see our mother!" Hao Dongmei finally saw Zhou Bingkun and said with a smile unconsciously.
"Oh! Our mother will be very happy to see you go back!"
Zhou Bingkun said with a smile and got on his bicycle again. Hao Dongmei quickly got on her bicycle and followed.
After walking for a while, Hao Dongmei suddenly smiled and said, "Bingkun, I saw that your article "The Rise of Great Powers" was published in the National Daily!"
"Oh! I know this!
However, the National Daily is too stingy!
They gave me a royalties of 1,200 yuan!" Zhou Bingkun said disapprovingly.
"Huh? One thousand two hundred yuan is a huge sum of money!"
"What! I didn't spend it at all! I spent it all in a few days!"
"Ah? Bingkun, what did you do?
You need so much money?" Hao Dongmei's eyes widened in surprise.
"I didn't do anything! Then the money was gone!" Zhou Bingkun looked at the surprised Hao Dongmei and said casually.
Looking at the back of Zhou Bingkun riding the bicycle in front, Hao Dongmei once again lamented that her brother-in-law was too difficult to get along with.
...
Zhou's mother Li Suhua was extremely happy when she saw her eldest daughter-in-law coming home to visit her, "Dongmei, why do you have time to go home today?"
"Mom, there are no classes in our school today!
I just want to come back and see you!" Hao Dongmei explained with a smile.
"Okay! That's great! Fortunately, you and Bingkun are both studying in local universities in Jichun. If you get homesick, you can come back and visit!"
"Yeah! Mom is right!
I will come back to see you often in the future!" Hao Dongmei said with some shame.
"Bingkun, your sister-in-law is back today!
The food should be richer!" Zhou's mother Li Suhua suddenly said to Zhou Bingkun who was standing aside.
"Okay! Don't worry! Make arrangements!"
Seeing Zhou Bingkun and Zhou's mother Li Suhua getting along harmoniously, Hao Dongmei suddenly became jealous, and then looked at Zheng Juan aside, "Zheng Juan, are you pregnant again?
This efficiency is too high!”
"This is not the last time, my sister Zhou Rong and her brother-in-law came back to pick up Feng Yue!
Bingkun and I really want children, we just want to have our own daughter!" Zheng Juan explained with a smile.
"Have you checked? Girl?"
"Yes! I went to the hospital for a checkup! It's a girl!" Zheng Juan explained with a smile.
Looking at the prosperous Zhou Bingkun, Hao Dongmei suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, which was one of the reasons why she was reluctant to return to Zhou's house.
Zhou Bingkun's movements were very fast. He quickly prepared four simple dishes and one soup, and then brought them to the table.
The family had a happy lunch, because they had already had a meal with Mr. and Mrs. Zhou in the school cafeteria, so Zhou Bingkun just stayed with them and ate some more.
Because of Zhou Bingkun's advance instructions, Zhou's mothers, Li Suhua and Zheng Juan, did not mention Zhou Bingkun's plan to build a new house in front of Hao Dongmei.
...
The next day, Zhou Bingkun returned to school as usual, preparing to take a long leave when Zheng Juan was approaching her due date.
Counting the days, there are still four or five months left before Zheng Juan's due date.
As soon as I walked into the classroom and put my butt on the bench, I heard someone outside shouting, "Zhou Bingkun, someone is looking for me!"
Zhou Bingkun put down the schoolbag in his hand with some confusion and walked out. Then he saw a strange middle-aged man and a young man who looked like a secretary.
"Hello! I am Zhou Bingkun, who are you?"
"Hello, classmate Zhou!
I am the editor-in-chief of "Oriental Daily" in Hong Kong Island, and my name is Ma Tingfang!" Looking at Zhou Bingkun in front of him, the middle-aged man stretched out his hands and introduced himself.
Hearing Ma Tingfang's self-introduction, Zhou Bingkun's heart moved, and then he reached out and shook hands with the other person, "Hello, Editor Ma!
This is not the place to talk!
There is a Changxin Tea House outside the Normal University, let’s go and sit there!”
"Haha, guests do as they please! We're just going to bother you!"
Zhou Bingkun said hello to a classmate in the class, asked him to speak to the teacher, and then took Ma Tingfang and the two to the Changxin Teahouse at the entrance of Northeast Normal University.
"What kind of tea does Mr. Ma like?"
“Just regular green tea!”
"Waiter, let's have a pot of Lu'an melon slices!" Zhou Bingkun said to the waiter beside him.
"Okay! Please wait!"
"Classmate Zhou, I saw the article "The Rise of Great Powers" in the National Daily in Shenzhen yesterday!
After knowing that it was written by you, we came to Jichun overnight!
I would like to ask Mr. Zhou, do you still have the copyright for "The Rise of Great Powers"?" Ma Tingfang explained with a smile, and then asked urgently.
"Eh? The copyright should still be there!
I just published it in the National Daily and didn’t sign any contract!”
“That’s really great!
We at "Oriental Daily" are very interested in this article "The Rise of Great Powers"!
I really want to publish and then release the physical book of "The Rise of a Great Power"!" Ma Tingfang explained in surprise.
"Then I wonder what conditions Mr. Ma can offer?"
"Two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, and 10% commission on the issuance of physical books!" Ma Tingfang said with a smile.
"No! Too little!
Three hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, 20% of the physical book issuance!" Zhou Bingkun refused directly.
"Classmate Zhou, your conditions are too high!
You know, "The Rise of Great Powers" has been published in the National Daily!
There is no prerequisite to impress others!" Upon hearing Zhou Bingkun's conditions, Ma Tingfang shook his head and said with a bitter smile.
"Classmate Zhou, let's each take a step back!
Two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, 15% commission on the physical book!
This is the greatest sincerity of our Oriental Daily!"
"Yes! Okay! Then let's do it!" Zhou Bingkun restrained his inner ecstasy and pretended to be profound.
"Haha, great!
Classmate Zhou, I wish us happy cooperation!" Seeing Zhou Bingkun agree, Ma Tingfang said happily.
“A pleasure to work with!”
"However, I listen to Mr. Ma!
If I still have unpublished articles, can you agree to my conditions just now?" Zhou Bingkun suddenly asked with a puzzled smile.
"Ah? What Mr. Zhou means is that you have no published articles yet?" Ma Ting said with surprise.
"Yes! There is a new article!
It’s also historical! It’s called “Hexi Corridor”!
If Mr. Ma is interested, we can have a chat!" Zhou Bingkun saw Ma Tingfang in front of him and explained with a smile.
"Very good!
Interested! Of course I am interested!
But can I take a look first?" Ma Tingfang said in surprise.
"Okay! Mr. Ma, you guys have some tea here first, and I'll go back to school!" Zhou Bingkun said with a smile.
"Classmate Zhou, please excuse me! We are waiting for you at the teahouse!"
...
It didn't take long when Zhou Bingkun came back, holding the just-finished "Hexi Corridor" in his hand.
Taking the "Hexi Corridor" handed over by Zhou Bingkun with great expectation, Ma Tingfang looked through it excitedly. As time passed, Ma Tingfang gradually became short of breath.
"Classmate Zhou, our "Oriental Daily" wants this article "Hexi Corridor"!
The conditions are what Mr. Zhou just said, 300,000 Hong Kong dollars and 20% commission on the issuance of the physical book!"
"Can!"
Ma Tingfang acted quickly and prepared two contracts the next day, and then signed the contracts under the witness of the lawyer.
Because Jichun is the provincial capital, there are plenty of big banks, so Zhou Bingkun completed the account opening procedures without much effort, and then 500,000 Hong Kong dollars were transferred.
To save trouble, Zhou Bingkun directly converted it into 450,000 yuan.