…

"It's kind of interesting, you can make a price. After reading the 50,000-word "Ethereal Journey", Pan Aosheng, editor-in-chief of "Ming Pao", suppressed his inner shock to the novel "Ethereal Journey" and said.

"Five hundred words in a thousand words. Xu Cun quoted directly.

"What? Mr. Xu, are you sure you're not joking?" Pan Aosheng said with wide eyes.

"Isn't Ni Hao's Wesley' five hundred words a thousand words? Does Mr. Pan think that 'The Ethereal Journey' is not as good as 'Wesley'?" Xu Cun looked at Pan Aosheng and asked.

"Please forgive me, Mr. Xu, you are just a newcomer, but Mr. Ni is a long-established predecessor in the literary world. In addition, Mr. Ni Duo's remuneration is also incalculable -- half a year ago, Huang Yulang set up a new magazine, and just used the "Wesley" hot daughter to buy horse bones, and wanted to build momentum by giving Mr. Ni a super high manuscript fee, so as to make his magazine popular, so he gave Mr. Ni a price of 500 words per 1,000 words. Mr. Ni's contribution fee in Ming Pao is only 18 words per 1,000 words. Pan Aosheng suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and said.

What Pan Aosheng said, Xu Cun really didn't know, he only heard from Li Zhu from the side that Ni Hao's manuscript fee was five hundred words per thousand, so he quoted this price. Hearing Pan Aosheng say this, Xu Cun also felt that the price he quoted was a little outrageous. However, he was old and sophisticated, and he did not show it.

After a pause, Pan Aosheng continued: "Under normal circumstances, five hundred words per thousand words is the price of a famous artist Zhuan Lan - for example, Ms. Yishu writes a movie review, which is probably the price. However, Ms. Yishu's deadline for writing a novel to be published in "Ming Pao" is not so high, at most it is 200 words per 1,000. So, Mr. Xu, if you really want to publish your "Ethereal Journey" in Ming Pao, I can only give you a price of 50 words at most. ”

"Fifty words?" Xu Cun frowned and repeated. This price was too far from what Xu Cun expected - he didn't think that Pan Aosheng would bargain, but he didn't expect Pan Aosheng to keep the price so low.

"Mr. Xu, the price of 50 words is not low - the average newcomer only writes a high-quality article for 30 words, and I personally like your "Ethereal Journey", so I gave you the price of 50 words for 1,000 words. Pan Aosheng lobbied Xu Cundao.

Next, after some bargaining, the two tentatively set the price to 80 words. However, Xu Cun did not agree on the spot, and only said that he would go back and think about it.

Pan Aosheng personally sent Xu Cun out of the "Ming Pao" building, and then told Xu Cun to give him a reply, and then waved goodbye to Xu Cun.

Xu Cun, who left the "Ming Pao" building, went straight to the headquarters of the "Oriental Daily" -- Xu Cun would not make a final decision without shopping around.

On the way, Xu Cun used the change left over from yesterday's pen paper and dictionary to buy a copy of "Ming Pao", a "Ming Pao Evening News", a "Oriental Daily", and a "Sing Tao Daily".

After a brief look at the four newspapers, Xu Cun became more confident about his trip to the headquarters of Oriental Daily.

……

Xu Jixin is younger than Pan Aosheng, and "Ethereal Journey" shocked him more than Pan Aosheng.

After reading "Ethereal Journey" twice, Xu Jixin put down "Ethereal Journey" and said: "Mr. Xu, your "Ethereal Journey" is really an eye-opener for me! If you are willing to publish "Ethereal Journey" in our "Oriental Daily", I will give you the price of 50 thousand words. ”

"Let's be honest, Mr. Xu, I just came out of "Ming Pao", I am very dissatisfied with the price given by Mr. Pan, so I came to you to take a look, if you can only give this price, then I can only go to "Sing Tao Daily" to see. Xu Cun said.

Xu Cun's words made Xu Jixin's heart sink - he knew that if he wanted to leave "Ethereal Journey" today, he was afraid that he would have to spend a lot of money.

Immediately, Xu Jixin asked Xu Cun quietly: "Mr. Xu, can I ask, what is the price that Lao Pan gave you?"

Xu Cun is not a chick who has never seen the world, how can he tell Xu Jixin in detail? He said slowly: "The price I quoted to Mr. Pan is five hundred words per thousand. ”

"Uh...... That one...... I'll tell you the truth, don't mind - Mr. Xu, with your fame, this price is too outrageous. Mr. Ni Duo's manuscript fee half a year ago cannot be used as a label for the industry, so ......," Xu Jixin said stunned.

"On the way here, I bought a few newspapers, and saw that Ni Huan's novel was published in Ming Pao and Wen Rui'an's novel was published in Ming Pao Evening News, and if my Ethereal Journey was published in Sing Tao Daily, the future of Oriental Daily would be a little worrying!" Xu Cun said with a smile.

"Mr. Xu, you are very confident in your "Ethereal Journey"!" Xu Jixin said angrily.

"Being favored by Mr. Pan and you at the same time, "The Ethereal Journey" should be regarded as a good novel, and maybe it can change the current pattern of "Ming Pao", "Sing Tao Daily", and "Oriental Daily...... I heard that the reason why "Ming Pao" has today's status is all because of Mr. Cha's martial arts novels. Xu Cun said confidently.

Xu Jixin was silent for a while, then looked at "Ethereal Journey" again, and then said to Xu Cun: "Mr. Xu, please wait a while, I will go to Mr. Ma to discuss." ”

……

Mr. Ma is Ma Chengkun, the general manager of Oriental Daily, and is only 21 years old this year.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for such a young Ma Chengkun to achieve the position of general manager of "Oriental Daily"!

But there was no way, Ma Chengkun's father Ma Xiru and uncle Ma Xizhen were charged with smuggling opium into Hong Kong and bribery this year, and both fled back to Taiwan. Therefore, "Oriental Daily" can only be resisted by Ma Chengkun, the leader of the younger generation of the Ma family.

Ma Xiru and Ma Xizhen founded the Oriental Daily, which developed into one of the most influential newspapers in Xiangjiang, and their simultaneous escape to Taiwan dealt an incredible blow to the Oriental Daily—in just a few months, the sales of the Oriental Daily were cut by half. If this continues, it won't be long before Oriental Daily has to close its doors.

Therefore, when Ma Chengkun was deeply attracted by the novelty of "Ethereal Journey", he immediately clapped his hand and said: "Give him three hundred words for a thousand words, and I, Ma Chengkun, want to let the people of Xiangjiang know that there is not only one topaz wolf who is willing to buy bones!"

……

When Xu Cun returned to Li's house with 15,000 Hong Kong dollars and the contract of "Ethereal Journey" and two baicao chickens, Li Zhu brought Xu Cun another piece of good news: "Cunzai, my brother Li Wo is a prop in the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions", and he promised to let you go to the props crew of "Dream of Red Mansions". ”

……