Xu Jixin sat in Kang Jianfei's office and waited. As the editor-in-chief of "Oriental Daily", he had been let off by Kang Jianfei in the past few months. After receiving a call from Kang Jianfei's assistant, Xu Jixin came to pick up the manuscript early in the morning.
It's been half an hour and I still haven't seen anyone.
Suddenly there was a sound outside the door, Xu Jixin turned around and saw Kang Jianfei walking in.
"Chief Editor Xu is here so early?" Kang Jianfei asked with a smile.
Xu Jixin smiled bitterly and said: "Mr. Kang, I have been waiting for your manuscript for half a year."
"Then just wait a little longer," Kang Jianfei returned to his seat and sat down and said, "I'm looking for someone to write the novel. The ghostwriter will come later."
Xu Jixin was not surprised when he heard that it was a ghostwriter. It would be weird for a busy man like Kang Jianfei to write the novel himself. However, he still asked curiously: "None of the gunmen introduced by our Oriental Daily have caught the eye of Mr. Kang.
I wonder who I am asking for the pen this time?”
Kang Jianfei smiled and said: "Huang Jiaqiang."
Xu Jixin thought for a long time but couldn't figure out who Huang Jiaqiang was, so he could only sit in the office and wait patiently.
After more than twenty minutes, a tall, thin man came in with a stack of manuscripts in his hand. As soon as he walked in, he bowed and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Kang, there's a traffic jam on the road."
Kang Jianfei introduced: "Editor-in-chief Xu, this is Huang Jiaqiang."
"Hello, I am Xu Jixin, the editor-in-chief of Oriental Daily." Xu Jixin took the initiative to shake hands with Huang Jiaqiang, but his eyes fell on the manuscript in his hand.
Xu Jixin discussed the manuscript of the novel and asked, "I wonder where Mr. Huang is employed?"
For Wong Ka-keung, whose submissions have been rejected many times, the editor-in-chief of Oriental Daily is a big shot. He respectfully replied: "The Hong Kong Museum of Art."
"Really? It turns out that Mr. Huang is still an artist." Xu Jixin was a little surprised by Huang Jiaqiang's answer. He thought Huang Jiaqiang was a writer for some company.
Huang Jiaqiang said with a smile: "I can't talk about being an artist. I just do some chores in the art museum."
Kang Jianfei interjected: "Jia Qiang is very perseverant. He sent me twelve letters within three months, all of which were novels written by him."
"I wonder what novels Mr. Huang has written before?" Xu Jixin asked.
Huang Jiaqiang looked embarrassed and said: "I have written some short and medium stories. But they have not been published yet."
In fact, Huang Jiaqiang submitted several articles to Oriental Daily, but was shot dead by ordinary editors, and Xu Jixin never met him.
Xu Jixin looked at Kang Jianfei with doubtful eyes, as if he wanted to know why he chose Huang Jiaqiang as a ghostwriter, an art museum staff member who had never published any works. Xu Jixin really couldn't see anything special about it.
"Chief Editor Xu should read the manuscript first," Kang Jianfei said with a smile. "Jia Qiang sent me twelve letters in three months, and finally came to my company several times. I met with him and talked about it.
Speculative.”
In fact, Kang Jianfei was just talking nonsense. If he hadn't recognized that Huang Jiaqiang was Huang Yi, he wouldn't have let an "amateur" ghostwrite.
In the parallel time and space, although Huang Yi had already started writing novels at this time, he wrote all traditional martial arts. It was not until 1987 that he wrote the fantasy "Moon Demon" and it was finally published.
Inspired by Kang Jianfei's "Looking for Qin" and stimulated by "The Misty Journey", Huang Jiaqiang's ideas for writing novels broadened a lot. The manuscript he sent to Kang Jianfei was about fantasy martial arts.
Xu Jixin opened the manuscript and glanced at the title of the novel "The Clouds and Rain", and then went straight to the main text.
"Clouds and Rains" was originally a semi-mature work by Huang Yi. At this time, Kang Jianfei outlined the plot he remembered, and then asked Huang Jiaqiang, who was not yet good at controlling novels, to write it. The flavor was already very similar to the original "Clouds and Rains"
Big difference.
Xu Jixin only read a few lines and could tell that Huang Jiaqiang's writing skills were not good (Huang Yi often failed in his compositions when he was studying), and he really couldn't understand why Kang Jianfei found such a person to ghostwrite.
However, as the plot of the novel progressed, Xu Jixin was gradually attracted by the story. He waited until he finished reading the manuscript of more than 100,000 words before he raised his head and said: "A very unique martial arts novel."
Although Huang Jiaqiang's writing style is not good, his storytelling ability is very outstanding, and he has a good grasp of the development of plot rhythm. Don't think that ghostwriting is an easy task. Kang Jianfei just outlines the story, and Huang Jiaqiang still needs to write it specifically.
To operate it, it is actually not much different from the original one.
Kang Jianfei said: "As for the author, let's jointly sign it. This is what I and Jia Qiang agreed."
Xu Jixin didn't care whether he signed Huang Jiaqiang's name or not, as long as Kang Jianfei's golden name was there. He nodded and said: "Okay, but the novel needs to be polished up before being serialized. Is there no problem with that?"
Many talented people have strange old problems. For example, when Ni Jiam wrote a novel, his handwriting was illegible and illegible. He also did not allow others to modify his manuscript unless it was a typo.
Huang Jiaqiang had no requirements in this regard, and Xu Jixin agreed as soon as he asked. As long as "Oriental Daily" did not change the plot, he could do whatever he wanted with the text.
Xu Jixin put away the manuscript and finally breathed a sigh of relief and said: "This book has been delayed for eight months, and I can finally give readers an explanation."
Huang Jiaqiang suddenly remembered the pen name issue, and he said: "Chief Editor Xu, my name will be signed Huang Yi, which is the Yi in the "Book of Changes"."
Kang Jianfei did not expect that the pen name Huang Yi would come out in advance. However, considering that Huang Jiaqiang had specialized in traditional Chinese painting in college and had been studying the metaphysics of Yi, it was reasonable to choose a pen name related to the "Book of Changes".
…
"Oriental Daily" acted very quickly, and put a headline in big letters on the front page of the next day's supplement: Countdown to the new book by famous novelist Kang Jianfei - only 8 days left!
The reason why it was not serialized immediately was because there was another novel occupying the space at this time, and "Oriental Daily" had asked the unlucky author to finish it as soon as possible before Kang Jianfei's novel was serialized.
In addition, using a countdown to advertise will help Kang Jianfei's new book get a lot of attention.
In a tea restaurant in Yau Ma Tei, a young man ordered breakfast, picked up the newspaper on the table and read it. A few minutes later, the young man suddenly spit out the barbecued pork buns in his mouth with a "pop", and then coughed while covering his chest.
.
"He's on the street!" The old man opposite the young man was sprayed with barbecued pork in his face. He slammed the table and cursed, as if the young man was going to stab someone with a knife if he didn't give an explanation.
The boss saw that something was wrong. He quickly ran over and asked, "Mingzi, what's wrong with you?"
The young man named Mingzi finally calmed down, pointed at the newspaper and said: "Kang Jianfei is going to publish a new book!"
"Who are you talking about publishing a new book?" The boss thought he heard wrongly.
"This is the Kang Jianfei who wrote "The Misty Journey"!" Mingzai pointed to the supplement of "Oriental Daily" and said, "Did you see that Kang Jianfei's new book is counting down, and it will be serialized in 8 days."
The boss was delighted at first, then scolded him: "That's a deadbeat. A book has been delayed for seven or eight months, and it has no credibility at all."
Mingzai smiled and said: "Uncle Gen, don't scold me. Kang Jianfei has a lot of money now, and he owns the big theater in the next street. People can earn ten to twenty million from making a movie now, how can they still have time to write novels? Jump
Tickets are better than closing the pen. Jin Yong just closed the pen after making enough money."
"That's true. It would be great if Jin Yong didn't close the book." The boss sighed. He is also an avid martial arts fan. He usually relies on novels to pass the time when there is nothing in the store.
The two of them exchanged words with each other and immediately forgot about the old man who had his face sprayed with sandbags. The latter could only glare at them fiercely, wipe the things off his face and continue eating breakfast.
The same scene is happening in various places in Hong Kong. In the 1980s when martial arts novels were in decline, there were still countless loyal fans of the novels. It’s just that these people’s tastes have been cultivated by Jin Yong, and it is difficult for ordinary novels to catch their eye. Now
Today there are only three most popular authors in Hong Kong, namely Ni Ji, Wen Ruian and Kang Jianfei.
Among them, only Wen Ruian specializes in martial arts, Ni Jiang's magic weapon is the "Wesley" science fiction series, and Kang Jianfei even writes cultivation novels such as "The Misty Journey".
Many loyal readers have been waiting for Kang Jianfei to release a new book. Now that the news of the countdown to the new book has come out, these people immediately rushed to tell each other.
"Brother Zhong. Kang Jianfei is going to publish a new book. It's only a week away."
"A Yuan, what do you think Kang Jianfei's new book will be about?"
"Fat man, didn't your family subscribe to Oriental Daily? You can bring a copy to school every day from now on."
"..."
"Clouds and Rains" has not yet been officially serialized. Just the news that Kang Jianfei is about to release a new book has attracted the attention of countless people. This situation has made many small authors in Hong Kong jealous. What they have worked so hard to write is rarely seen.
After asking about it, Kang Jianfei's new book has become known to everyone without even publishing a word.
…
The eight-day countdown passed in a blink of an eye, and "Oriental Daily" specially printed an additional 10,000 copies to prevent the newspaper from selling out like last time.
In a rented house in Kowloon, Hong Kong, Wen Ruian stared at the wall in a daze for a long time before finally picking up his pen and continuing to write. However, he only wrote for a while, then stopped again, threw away the pen and stood up to walk around.
Wen Rui'ien is now in a miserable state. After being deported by the Taiwan authorities, he came to Hong Kong last year after many journeys. Now he makes a living by serializing novels in the "Ming Pao Evening News".
In the parallel space, after Wen Ruian came to Hong Kong, he was invited by Qiu Degen to join Asia Television as a creative manager (equivalent to the chief screenwriter). He also successively adapted and filmed "Four Famous Captors in the Capital" and "The Divine Prime Minister Li".
"Buyi" and other dramas, I received a large amount of copyright fees, and my life was enjoyable.
It is a pity that there is only Phoenix TV in Hong Kong but no Asia Television. Wen Rui'ien has not become the creative manager of the TV station, and his novel has not been adapted into a TV series. He can only live on the royalties. Fortunately, "The Four Famous Catchers" was compiled into a volume at the end of last year.
With sales of more than 80,000 copies, Wen Ruian's pockets suddenly became fuller.
"Dong dong dong..."
Wen Ruian, who was already in trouble, felt even more upset when he heard the knock on the door, and ran to open the door angrily.
When he opened the door, he saw a middle-aged man wearing glasses outside. Wen Ruian said angrily: "Why are you here again?"
The visitor is Shangguan Xiaobao, a great cartoonist who is as famous as Huang Yulang. He is here to discuss the comic adaptation of "Four Famous Catchers". Unfortunately, the adaptation fee is too small, and Wen Ruian has always been unwilling.
"Mr. Wen, today's young people like to read comics. If "Four Famous Catchers" is published in comics, the reputation of this book will definitely be the icing on the cake and rise again." Shangguan Xiaobao pretended not to see Wen Rui'an's bad face and said,
Just try to convince the other person.
Wen Ruian didn't even bother to talk to him. This guy actually wanted to buy the comic adaptation rights of "Four Famous Capture Masters" for 20,000 yuan. It was simply nonsense. As for changing the comic book to increase the popularity of the novel, it was even more nonsense. Shangguan Xiaobao was
I saw last year's "Four Famous Catchers" novel selling well, so I wanted to adapt it into a comic to make money.
"No negotiation if it's not 200,000 yuan." Wen Ruian refused directly, and even quoted a sky-high price to make Shangguan Xiaobao quit. After saying that, he went out to pick up today's newspaper from the newspaper box in the corridor.
As a writer who makes a living by typing, Wen Ruian must read the serialized novels in newspapers such as Ming Pao and Oriental Daily every day. Wen Ruian had already learned about the countdown to Kang Jianfei's new book and guessed it was from Oriental Daily
method of speculation.
After getting the newspaper, Wen Ruian put aside "Ming Pao" and turned directly to the supplement of "Oriental Daily". He was actually very curious about what Kang Jianfei's new book would be like.
Shangguan Xiaobao was ignored. He was so shameless that he did not leave, but wanted to wait for Wen Ruian to finish reading the newspaper before continuing the conversation.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the comic industry in Hong Kong flourished, and a large number of comic writers emerged. Since drawing comics was very profitable, cats and dogs joined the ranks of comic creation, and the competition became extremely fierce. Major comic magazines and newspapers wanted to
To increase sales, cartoonists began to be encouraged to create violent and pornographic plots.
As soon as the comics newspapers at that time were opened, either blood was flying everywhere or all three points were exposed. In the end, it naturally aroused public outrage, so much so that the British Hong Kong government ordered an investigation and legislated to regulate the comics industry.
After some inspections, the prosperous comics market came to a standstill. Countless comics magazines and newspapers closed down. Shangguan Xiaobao and Huang Yulang were the only two survivors. They very smartly launched the "Comics Cleaning Movement" to proactively reduce violence and "seqin" scenes.
, finally ushered in a leap forward in the face of adversity.
Shangguan Xiaobao and Huang Yulang are enemies. They are old rivals who have been grudges for more than ten years. When one person is successful, the other person will be in misfortune.
In recent years, it has been Shangguan Xiaobao's turn to be unlucky. He was even annexed by Huang Yulang's Yulang International three years ago. He endured humiliation and worked under the enemy's hands.
Ma Rongcheng was brought into Yulang International by Shangguan Xiaobao, and he was nominally his apprentice. As a result, Ma Rongcheng and Huang Yuelang are now fighting fiercely, and their comic "Heroes of China" is selling like hotcakes, and Shangguan Xiaobao has nothing to do with it.
Shangguan Xiaobao just left Yulang International at the beginning of this year and regained his freedom. Seeing the popularity of Wen Ruian's "Four Famous Catchers", he wanted to adapt the novel into a comic. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford much money.
The serialization of "Clouds and Rains" in newspapers only lasted nearly 10,000 words, and the polished novel was very interesting. After reading it, Wen Rui'an still felt that he was still unsatisfied.
Wen Ruian put down the newspaper and suddenly found Shangguan Xiaobao standing next to him. He said in surprise: "Why haven't you left yet?"
Shangguan Xiaobao said: "Mr. Wen, I really don't have much money on hand now. What do you think, based on the sales volume of each issue of "Baer Painting Society". If the sales volume exceeds 10,000 copies, I will give you 100 for each issue."
If the adaptation fee is less than 10,000 yuan, I will give you an adaptation fee of 80 yuan per issue."
"Baer Painting Society" is a daily comic book. At 60 yuan a day, it brings in 1,800 yuan a month. It is far more profitable than selling off the comic copyrights directly. Wen Ruian was a little tempted by this proposal.
In fact, if Shangguan Xiaobao's signature work "Bruce Lee" had not been merged into Yulang International, he would not have shamed himself and asked Wen Ruian to adapt "The Four Famous Catchers".
"Dong dong dong..."
Wen Ruian was about to agree when suddenly the knock on the door rang again.
"Who are you?" Wen Ruian asked looking at the strange man outside the door.
The visitor smiled and said: "Hello, Mr. Wen, I am Xu Xiaoming, manager of the TV production department of Oriental DreamWorks."
"Dream Factory?" Wen Ruian, who was already familiar with the name Oriental Dream Factory, asked with great anticipation, "Excuse me, what does Manager Xu want from me?"
"It's like this," Xu Xiaoming explained, "DreamWorks wants to adapt Mr. Wen's "Four Famous Catchers". I wonder what Mr. Wen's plan is?"
Wen Ruian was very happy. His novel has never been adapted into a TV series. This is definitely a big opportunity for him. Once the TV series "Four Famous Catchers" becomes popular, the number of readers of his novels will definitely increase greatly.
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Wen Ruian said: "I am very happy to cooperate with DreamWorks, but I don't know how to calculate the adaptation fee?"
Xu Xiaoming explained in detail: "The current copyright fee for Jin Yong's drama is about 250,000, and the copyright fee for Gu Long's and Liang Yusheng's dramas is around 150,000. Although Mr. Wen's "Four Famous Catchers" sold very well, after all, you can't follow
Compared with Jin, Gu and Liang, we can only give you 80,000 yuan."
The reason why DreamWorks wanted to make "Four Famous Catchers" was the same as Shangguan Xiaobao's adaptation of it into a comic book, because the book was selling very well some time ago.
But the difference is that the TV series will be broadcast on the platform of Phoenix TV, which will bring huge benefits to Wen Ruian in terms of fame. Let alone 80,000 yuan, Wen Ruian will agree even if he is only given 10,000 yuan.
However, he still had to pretend to be reserved. Wen Ruian said: "I still like DreamWorks and Phoenix TV. Although 80,000 yuan is a bit low, I am very happy to cooperate with you. I don't know if I can participate in the script."
Adaptation work? After all, "Four Famous Catchers" is my hard work, and I'm afraid that it will be too outrageously modified by other screenwriters."
The screenwriting department of DreamWorks now has seven or eight writers, but there is really no writer as famous as Wen Ruian. Xu Xiaoming suddenly had the idea of hunting rabbits and said: "It would be great if Mr. Wen could participate in adapting the script.
, why don’t you come to our DreamWorks as a part-time screenwriter.”
"It just so happens that I also plan to be a screenwriter, so it's better to be respectful than to obey." Wen Ruian was worried that there was no place to display his talents, so he naturally agreed with a smile.
Shangguan Xiaobao stood aside and watched the two people chatting happily, and suddenly felt that he was a bit redundant. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian () to vote for recommendation, monthly vote, your support is mine.
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