Chapter 3 Finalize the Edition and Get the Manuscript Fee
After Shen Liang became the knife boss, he used his position to find out the murderer, and then provided the information to Meng Fang and Chang Yu. The two waited for an opportunity to kill people, pretending to be ghosts and gods. Before, Shen Liang also passed the message through the protagonist Bao Zheng, but Bao Zheng didn't know the intention at that time. In this way, "Famous" and "Blood Altar" look more like a whole.
Lu Yun found some clues in Shen Liang's belongings and was killed while investigating. Bao Zheng was very sad about Lu Yun's death and vowed to find the murderer.
When Bao Zheng went to check Lu Yun's body, someone pretended to be a ghost to scare Bao Zheng, but was exposed by Bao Zheng. The person pretending to be a ghost was Zhan Zhao. After listening to Bao Zheng's analysis, Zhan Zhao thought that he still needed Bao Zheng to find the real murderer. So he took the initiative to follow Bao Zheng to protect his safety.
The appearance of Southern Hero Zhan Zhao ensured Bao Zheng's safety.
Liu Hongmin's setting in the story framework also began to be gradually relaxed. Mu Yanhua was deleted. After Zhan Jun and Gongsun Ce were deleted, this weird setting was no longer necessary. After the Qiyi tribe was deleted, the Qiyi Village was also changed to Shishan Village, which is a hidden village located in Jiushi Mountain.
Half a month later, Zou Shifang came to him and said, "Hongmin, the new issue of Weiming Lake has been finalized, and your novel has been selected."
Liu Hongmin asked happily, "Really? Are they all going to be sent out at once?"
"Of course!" Zou Shifang said, "Although your novel is a bit long, the manuscripts for this issue of Weiming Lake were not enough, so I squeezed Young Justice Bao in. I heard it only added two extra pages."
Two pages are indeed not much, only about 18,000 words.
"By the way, when will the royalties be paid?"
Zou Shifang laughed, "I knew you would ask this. I'm here to tell you to go collect your manuscript fee. Because of the quality, I can only give you yuan per thousand words, a total of yuan."
Liu Hongmin subconsciously asked, "Only over 200 yuan?"
"It's a lot!" Zou Shifang said, "I've seen the manuscript fee slips. Others got dozens of yuan, but you got over a hundred."
Liu Hongmin came back to his senses and said with a wry smile: "I just want the more the better!"
He secretly warned himself that he could no longer measure money today by the price of goods in 2024. The purchasing power of 1978 yuan in 2024 was greater than that of 15 yuan in 5. The monthly scholarship and allowance from Peking University was about 10 yuan. Liu Hongmin mailed yuan to his family every month, and he still lived comfortably with the remaining yuan.
If this happened in 2024, one thousand yuan might not even be enough for food.
Zou Shifang looked at him speechlessly and said, "Alright, hurry up and follow me. You got your manuscript fee today, so you have to treat me."
Liu Hongmin said disdainfully: "Are you used to eating for free? You are an editor now after all, and you get paid every month!"
"My annual salary is not as much as the fee you paid me this time!"
After all, Weiming Lake is a school publication, and the editing is done by teachers and students on a part-time basis. It is impossible to get a formal editing job, and they can only receive a subsidy of 5 or 10 yuan. It only adds up to about yuan a year, which is certainly not as much as Liu Hongmin's manuscript fee.
Liu Hongmin complained: "I have spent more than half a year writing this novel. Do you know how many brain cells I have lost? You can get a hundred or eighty yuan just by reading the book. It's like picking it up for free."
Zou Shifang pushed him out of the dormitory and said, "We all got it for free, you're the only one who worked hard!"
"Hurry up, or the accountant will be off work!"
After hearing this, Liu Hongmin shut up and quickly followed Zou Shifang to collect the manuscript fee.
He was just joking with Zou Shifang, who treated him to a meal when he received his first month's salary subsidy. He was not stingy either, and would definitely treat her to a meal after receiving her royalties.
Zou Shifang took him to the accountant's office, where someone was also collecting royalties.
"Zhenyun, you're here too?" Zou Shifang knew this man, so he pulled Liu Hongmin over and said, "This is Liu Hongmin, a junior from the History Department. He's the author of the next issue of Young Justice Bao - Famous Throughout the World."
Liu Zhenyun looked at Liu Hongmin in surprise, "Why did you want to write a mystery novel?"
"Liu Zhenyun, you were one family five hundred years ago."
Liu Hongmin greeted Liu Zhenyun and said, "I just wanted to earn some royalties. I majored in history, so I wrote this novel on a whim."
"Zhenyun is amazing. He started writing at the age of 14 and was the top scorer in the liberal arts in Henan Province in last year's college entrance examination. He also wrote a short essay this time. Zha Jianying said he has great potential."
Liu Zhenyun was a little shy. "My writing is not very good yet. If the editor is not Cha Jianying, I will definitely not get the manuscript approved."
"Zhenyun, you are underestimating yourself." Zou Shifang encouraged him, "We are just college students now. How high can our writing skills be? As long as we keep writing, we will definitely be able to write well in the future."
Liu Zhenyun looked at Liu Hongmin. It was hard for him to feel confident in front of Liu Hongmin, who had already written a novella.
Liu Hongmin did not notice Liu Zhenyun's actions. He had already signed the receipt for the manuscript fee and was staring at Accountant Zhu at the other side of the table who was counting the money!
The largest denomination currently in fashion is the 10-yuan note, which is known as “great unity” because it has images of workers, peasants and soldiers printed on it.
Finally, when Accountant Zhu finished counting the money, Liu Hongmin immediately took it and counted it over and over again.
"Okay, it's still the same money no matter how much you order."
Zou Shifang was speechless about this money-grubber and pushed him, "Hurry up, if you're late there won't be any seats left."
Liu Hongmin left a big unity note and stuffed the rest of the money into his pocket. Then he said to Liu Zhenyun, "Family, you come too, let's go out for a drink."
"I don't need it!" Liu Zhenyun felt a little embarrassed.
Zou Shifang hugged his shoulders and pushed him out, "Zhenyun, don't be polite to him. This guy has received so much royalties, he can't afford to go broke."
So the three of them went to a restaurant outside the school, ordered a few dishes, asked for a bottle of wine, and started to enjoy a feast.
"Red Citizen, has the second part of Young Justice Bao started to be written?"
"I've already started writing, but I've been writing slowly lately. I plan to continue writing after I go back to my hometown during the winter break."
"You're going back to Hanhai?" Zou Shifang asked, "It will probably take more than ten days to go back and forth, right?"
"No need." Liu Hongmin said, "My home is connected to the Changbai Line, the railway line built by the Japanese back then. As long as we can get on the train, a round trip will only take four days."
"That's okay!"
Zou Shifang did not neglect Liu Zhenyun, "Zhenyun, what about you? Are you going home during the winter break?"
"Go back!" Liu Zhenyun nodded. "My brother is studying in Shancheng and he definitely won't be able to come back, so I have to go home."
"So what do you want to write about during your winter break?"
"I have not decided yet."
(End of this chapter)
