novelIdeaMax Chapter 1613 Everything That Was Needed Had Been Done
Chapter 1613 Everything That Was Needed Had Been Done
Before all the lights on the Bund were fully lit, Lin Zhanqiao had already arrived at a restaurant.
From her window seat, she could see Lujiazui across the Huangpu River. She ordered a lemonade, placed her phone on the table, and casually scrolled through messages in the Zhengxing work group.
He Han's new book has been updated regularly, and the average daily subscription has risen to over 300,000, which is a good number. Several editors in the group are discussing the recommendation slots for next month, and everything is so harmonious. Zhao Lanxin has also been quieter lately.
After reading the last message, Lin Zhanqiao locked the screen.
I looked up and glanced at the restaurant entrance.
The appointment was for seven o'clock, and it's already been ten minutes. Zhou Mei is usually very punctual; how did going out for fun cause her to develop this bad habit?
Just as Lin Zhanqiao was secretly complaining, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar and stopped opposite her.
Lin Zhanqiao raised his head—
The cup almost slipped from my hand.
There was a person standing in front of me. He wore a dark blue windbreaker, zipped up to his chin, with stains on the cuffs—I couldn't tell if it was mud or something else. He wore multi-pocket outdoor pants and hiking boots. His hair was casually tied in a ponytail, with a few stray strands framing his face. His face was clean—not the kind of meticulously groomed cleanliness, but the kind of cleanliness you get after just washing your face and heading out.
No makeup. No lipstick. No high heels. No of her signature slit skirt.
Lin Zhanqiao stared at her for a full five seconds.
"My God, is this really you?"
Zhou Mei was very satisfied with her reaction. She smiled and pulled out a chair to sit down: "How is it? Doesn't it have a unique charm?"
"And yet, she still has charm—"
Lin Zhanqiao pointed to her windbreaker, then to her boots, opened her mouth twice, but couldn't find the right words.
"Anyone who didn't know better would think you and Lao Qin had just escaped back from northern Myanmar."
Zhou Mei laughed out loud, pulled down the zipper of her windbreaker to reveal a quick-drying T-shirt underneath: "Didn't go to northern Myanmar, but I did a month-long trip to the Changbai Mountain primeval forest. Want to try it out?"
"Where's Lao Qin? Why didn't he come with you?"
"He went to the hotel to drop off his luggage first, he'll be here soon." Zhou Mei waved to the waiter: "Give me a glass of water, warm, I'm so thirsty."
The waiter left, and she leaned back in her chair, letting out a long sigh.
"But to be honest, although our trip wasn't as thrilling as the one back from northern Myanmar, it was definitely exciting."
Lin Zhanqiao raised an eyebrow at her lingering expression: "How exciting? Tell me."
Zhou Mei picked up her water glass, took a big gulp, put the glass down, and wiped her mouth.
“We went up from the north slope of Changbai Mountain. At first, we followed the scenic route, which had boardwalks and signs. After walking for about half a day, Lao Qin said that was enough, and then he led me off the main road.”
"Deviating from the main road?"
"We climbed over the fence and walked into the undeveloped woods. At first, it was alright. Although the path was difficult, at least we could see traces of people walking on it. The further we went in, the fewer traces there were. By the third day, we were surrounded by old trees that several people couldn't wrap their arms around, and their canopies blocked out the sky. In broad daylight, the woods were as dark as dusk."
Lin Zhanqiao frowned: "How long have you been inside?"
"One month."
Zhou Mei made a "one" gesture, her tone carrying a hint of boasting: "For a whole month, there was no signal, and we couldn't even see a single person."
Lin Zhanqiao looked at her as if she were a stranger.
"So how did you guys get through this past month?"
"At first, I wasn't used to it, but luckily Lao Qin's survival skills in the wild are top-notch. He has all kinds of skills maxed out, so he didn't make me suffer much. On the contrary, I saw a lot of beautiful scenery and delicious food that I can't get anywhere else." Zhou Mei shrugged: "Look at my hair. I thought it was too much trouble to wash, so he just used a knife to cut it for me."
"Use a knife to repair it?"
“Yes, one of those outdoor survival knives.” Zhou Mei gestured, “It’s pretty nimble.”
Lin Zhanqiao was silent for two seconds.
"Are you sure what you're saying isn't part of Lao Qin's novel?"
"Believe it or not." Zhou Mei leaned back, putting her hands behind her head: "Anyway, this past month has definitely been the most exciting time of my life."
Seeing the barely concealed joy in her eyes, Lin Zhanqiao couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Then you and Lao Qin—"
"In the middle of nowhere, a lone man and a lone woman—" Zhou Mei drawled out the words, without the slightest hint of coyness: "Of course, we did everything we should and shouldn't have done."
His tone even carried a hint of smugness.
Lin Zhanqiao slapped his forehead: "Old Qin is completely finished with you now."
"What do you mean 'fell into my hands'?" Zhou Mei pouted. "This guy isn't as simple as you think; he's got all sorts of tricks up his sleeve—"
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Lin Zhanqiao wink at her.
Zhou Mei turned around and looked.
Qin Hao had somehow appeared behind her.
Zhou Mei opened her mouth, as if to say something.
Before he could even utter a sound, Qin Hao had already bent down and kissed him in front of everyone in the restaurant.
Zhou Mei paused for a second, then reached out and hooked her arm around his neck.
The customers at the nearby tables all turned to look. A child was leaning on the back of a chair, but his mother pulled him back to his seat.
Lin Zhanqiao's eyes widened in surprise.
Is this still the Qin Hao she knows?
"Ahem, you two, that's enough." Lin Zhanqiao tapped the table. "If you keep this up, I'm leaving."
Qin Hao then straightened up.
Zhou Mei sat back down, a faint blush on her face, but her eyes remained unwavering. She exchanged a glance with Qin Hao, a look Lin Zhanqiao had never seen on her face before.
Then Zhou Mei turned her head and smiled at Lin Zhanqiao: "You can also call He Han over."
"Tch, don't be ridiculous." Lin Zhanqiao pouted. "We wouldn't be like you, so careless about your image in public, and not afraid of setting a bad example for the kids."
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao pretended to take out his phone: "How about I ask He Han—"
"If you call him here, I'll leave." Lin Zhanqiao rolled her eyes at him.
Zhou Mei laughed from the side: "You and He Han have been dating for so many years, you're practically an old married couple, and you're still shy about kissing in the street."
"Hmph, that's better than you two being birds of a feather."
"So what if we're birds of a feather?" Zhou Mei grabbed Qin Hao's arm. "At least our friendship is open and aboveboard."
Lin Zhanqiao was amused by her smug look.
The waiter brought over the menu, and the three of them ordered. Qin Hao and Zhou Mei were starving, so they ordered all the hearty dishes—braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, and a soup.
While waiting for the food, Zhou Mei took out her phone, flipped through the photos in her album, and showed them to Lin Zhanqiao one by one.
"Look, this is the tent we set up in the woods, and the water in the stream next to it is drinkable."
“These are the vines used for carrying poles. When Old Qin cuts them with his knife, the water really flows out.”
"This photo was taken from the mountaintop. The sea of clouds below is so beautiful that a mobile phone camera can't capture even a tenth of its effect."
"And this one—"
Looking at the photos, Lin Zhanqiao had to admit that the scenery was indeed beautiful. It wasn't the kind of beauty found in tourist attractions with viewing platforms and signs; it was a genuine, pristine beauty, untouched by any artificial intervention.
"You guys are pretty good." She handed the phone back to Zhou Mei: "You're having a wild time."
The dishes were served one after another.
Qin Hao picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his expression seemed to have finally come back to life.
"After eating wild game for a month, I can finally eat normal human food."
"Isn't wild game good?" Lin Zhanqiao said.
“It’s good, but try eating it for a month straight.” Zhou Mei picked up another piece of meat: “For the last two weeks, I felt like vomiting whenever I smelled fishy food.”
Lin Zhanqiao smiled, picked up her cup, and took a sip of water.
As she put down the cup, she glanced at Qin Hao.
"Seriously. I heard from He Han that you were planning to leave the online literature industry, so why are you starting to get into physical publishing? Do you think online books are inferior?"
Qin Hao was gnawing on ribs when he heard the question. He put the ribs on the plate and wiped his hands.
"Whether it's influence or the speed at which money is made, physical publishing can't compete with online literature right now. As for prestige—"
He smiled.
"I don't write serious literature. Even if the physical book sells well, how can I win the Mao Dun Literature Prize?"
"But you've already won the Hugo Award!" Zhou Mei retorted.
Lin Zhanqiao smiled and shook her head.
"They are completely different things."
She picked up the cup, took a sip of water, and put it down.
"The Hugo Award is selected by a vote of members of the World Science Fiction Association, while in China it is entirely decided within a small circle. Moreover, there is a hierarchy of contempt in the cultural industry—those who write professional works look down on those who write serious literature, those who write serious literature look down on those who write light literature, and those who write light literature look down on those who write novels. Online literature is at the very bottom of this hierarchy of contempt."
"Don't even mention Lao Qin, believe it or not, even if Lu Xun were reincarnated, it would be difficult for him to win an award."
After hearing this, Zhou Mei pouted.
"They're all so poor they can barely afford to eat, yet they look down on everyone else."
"Oh—" Lin Zhanqiao raised an eyebrow: "This is nothing, and you're already starting to defend him? Are you really planning to turn over a new leaf this time?"
Zhou Mei didn't hesitate and directly took Qin Hao's arm.
"Yes, I'm making it official now."
She took out her phone, put her face close to Qin Hao's face, and snapped a picture.
Then I found a photo of the Bund in my album, put the two photos together, opened my WeChat Moments, and typed a line of text—
"A romantic dinner with my boyfriend."
Click send.
The entire set of movements was fluid and seamless, without any pauses.
Lin Zhanqiao took out her phone and scrolled through her WeChat Moments. Sure enough, she saw the post that Zhou Mei had just made.
The caption was just eight characters, and the accompanying photos were a close-up group photo and a night view of the Bund.
Her finger paused on the screen for a moment.
She knew Zhou Mei all too well. Countless wealthy men had pursued Zhou Mei over the years, yet she had never posted a single photo of herself with a man on her social media. Not one.
This is unprecedented.
Lin Zhanqiao locked her phone and looked at Qin Hao.
"Old Qin, you'd better be careful of her. Roses may be beautiful, but they all have thorns."
Before Qin Hao could even speak, Zhou Mei was already displeased.
"Is this how you act as a best friend? You're siding with outsiders."
"There's nothing I can do." Lin Zhanqiao shrugged. "It's because your past record is just too impressive. I don't want to see you end up with nothing."
"What do you mean my record is too impressive? It's because I'm so charismatic! They came to me of their own accord, what does it have to do with me?"
"Yes, yes, it's very charming."
Lin Zhanqiao gave a perfunctory reply, her gaze still fixed on Qin Hao.
"I'm serious. This woman looks beautiful, but she's not easy to please."
Zhou Mei was about to retort when Qin Hao spoke first.
"Alright, she's just a little vixen. Watch how I teach her to behave."
His tone was casual, but the way he looked at Zhou Mei, coupled with the slight smile at the corner of his mouth—
Zhou Mei blushed, a rare occurrence for her, as if she were thinking of a scene in Changbai Mountain.
Seeing this scene, Lin Zhanqiao finally felt relieved.
If Qin Hao were being led by the nose by Zhou Mei, she would really be worried for him. But judging from the current situation, Qin Hao is the one who has the upper hand.
Yeah.
After finishing their meal, the three of them leaned back in their chairs and chatted idly. Outside the window, the sky had completely darkened, and the lights of Lujiazui were reflected on the river, shimmering into fragments of light.
Zhou Mei was flipping through the photos again when she came across one that was particularly blurry. She looked at it several times before she recognized it.
"I took this picture after I fell on the mountain. The camera lens got scratched, but Lao Qin said this one is the most touching."
Lin Zhanqiao leaned over and took a look.
The image is crooked and the composition is completely wrong. In the middle is a forest path that seems to lead nowhere, with dense, impenetrable trees on both sides. The light is very dim, so dim it's almost oppressive, but for some reason, it makes you feel like you're actually standing on that path.
“It’s not bad,” she said.
Zhou Mei put her phone away and stretched.
"Once Lao Qin's next destination is decided, I'll go there again."
Lin Zhanqiao glanced at Qin Hao: "Where do you plan to go next?"
"I haven't decided yet," Qin Hao said. "It could be Tibet, or it could be Xinjiang. We'll see how it goes."
"Will the Ghost Blows Out the Light series continue?"
"Write it. The manuscripts for the later volumes have already been submitted to the publisher; they just need to schedule the publication."
Lin Zhanqiao nodded.
She actually had many questions to ask. For example, were you really planning to retire or just taking a break? What were your thoughts on Dingqi.com? Had you considered returning to Zhixing?
But she knew that asking these questions would not yield any answers.
Or rather, she already knew the answer.
Qin Hao is the kind of person who always makes his own decisions. No amount of persuasion from others will work.
The three people paid the bill and got up.
Lin Zhanqiao picked up her bag and was about to leave when she caught a glimpse of someone rushing into the restaurant.
The man was running so fast that he almost bumped into a waiter as he entered. He stood at the door, glanced around, locked his gaze on them, and quickly walked over.
As they got closer, Lin Zhanqiao finally recognized the person—Uncle Fan.
"President Fan?"
Uncle Fan was wearing a dark gray jacket, his forehead covered in sweat. When he saw Lin Zhanqiao there, his expression changed slightly.
"What a coincidence, you're here for dinner too?" Lin Zhanqiao said quite casually.
Uncle Fan forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace.
"I have no appetite right now!"
He had previously told Qin Hao that even if Ghost Blows Out the Light sold well, it would only reach a maximum of ten million copies, and the revenue would be about the same as an average subscription of one hundred thousand. Qin Hao wouldn't care about such scraps.
But reality was not what he imagined at all.
The second volume of "Ghost Blows Out the Light," titled "The Lost Caverns of the Dragon Ridge," was released, and its sales exceeded 2.6 million copies in its first month.
The third book, "Yunnan Insect Valley," was even more impressive, selling four million copies in its first month.
The two books together have already sold nearly seven million copies. At this rate, it's almost certain that the entire "Ghost Blows Out the Light" series will surpass twenty million copies.
In terms of royalties alone, it is indeed less than his income on Dingqi.com - Qin Hao's books have high average subscription rates, and his monthly royalties are astronomical figures. No matter how high the royalties for physical books are, it is difficult to catch up with that level.
But the key issue is not royalties.
It's about copyright.
For offline publishing, Qin Hao only signed a physical copyright agreement with the publisher. Electronic publishing rights, film and television adaptation rights, and game adaptation rights—all of these remain with Qin Hao himself.
With the rise in popularity of "Ghost Blows Out the Light," Uncle Fan received no fewer than ten calls from film and television companies inquiring about the copyright.
We can't talk to any of them.
Because he doesn't own the copyright.
Those film and television companies can only go to Qin Hao; they have absolutely nothing to do with Dingqi.com.
The adaptation rights for just one book, "Ghost Blows Out the Light," have cost Dingqi.com tens of millions of yuan in lost revenue.
This is not the most worrying thing for Uncle Fan.
What he was really afraid of was that Qin Hao, having tasted success in physical publishing, would only do physical publishing from now on.
Qin Hao's contract with Dingqi.com has expired, but if he really decides to focus solely on physical books, it would be a disaster for Dingqi.com.
"Teacher Qin Hao."
Uncle Fan sat down at the table, rubbed his hands together, and managed to force a smile that didn't look too anxious after several attempts.
"You see, it's been over a year since I stopped writing, and readers and fans have been eagerly awaiting my return—"
Qin Hao chuckled to himself.
Readers and fans don't care whether his work is published on Dingqi.com. In fact, for many readers, it's better if it's not published on Dingqi.com—they can read pirated versions without feeling guilty.
"President Fan, it hasn't even been two years yet, what's the rush?"
Uncle Fan's smile froze for a moment.
"How can I not be anxious?!"
He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, but his eagerness was impossible to hide.
"Teacher Qin Hao, you have no idea how much traffic Dingqi.com has dropped in the year you've been gone. We really can't do without you."
"How about this—"
He paused for a moment, as if making a final mental preparation, and then gritted his teeth.
"We can concede a maximum of one percentage point on the shareholding."
Zhou Mei was drinking water and almost choked when she heard this.
She put down her cup, glanced at Uncle Fan, and then at Qin Hao.
She usually only reads novels by Qin Hao and He Han, and her understanding of the online literature circle is basically from what Lin Zhanqiao occasionally told her, which was all over the place. She didn't really understand what a top author like Qin Hao meant to Dingqi.com.
But she knew the market value of Dingqi.com.
Lin Zhanqiao had previously told her that Dingqi.com's current valuation is over 30 billion.
One percent of 30 billion is just 300 million.
Could Qin Hao really get shares worth 300 million yuan just by nodding his head?
She looked at Qin Hao, waiting for him to speak.
"President Fan."
Qin Hao's tone was very calm.
"I've made myself perfectly clear. It's not about the money."
Uncle Fan opened his mouth as if to say something, but Qin Hao didn't give him the chance.
"A person can't live their whole life just for money, right? There has to be something else to pursue. What I want now is more freedom to create, not to lock myself at home every day to rush to finish my work. I can write when I feel like it, and put it aside when I don't feel like it, go out and have some fun, and gather inspiration."
His tone wasn't harsh, but his certainty was like a nail driven into the ground, impossible to remove.
Uncle Fan remained silent for a few seconds.
Is there absolutely no room for maneuver?
"At least not yet." Qin Hao shrugged.
Uncle Fan's eyes darkened.
He slowly stood up, picked up his phone from the table, his movements somewhat sluggish.
Before turning to leave, he glanced at Lin Zhanqiao.
Only when his figure disappeared at the restaurant entrance did Zhou Mei finally let out a long breath, releasing the breath she had been holding in.
"You're just going to give up shares worth 300 million?"
"Only three hundred million."
"Three hundred million, and that's all?" Zhou Mei was somewhat shocked. Although she knew Qin Hao was rich, judging from his tone, it sounded like three hundred million was just like thirty thousand yuan.
Lin Zhanqiao cleared his throat: "I think I need to give you some background information. This guy has published seven works on Dingqi.com, and the royalties alone are several hundred million. The other copyright fees are also over a hundred million."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Mei immediately hooked her arm around Qin Hao's neck: "So, does that mean I've found a billionaire?"
"So, you know what to do from now on, right?"
Seeing that the two were about to do something inappropriate for children, Lin Zhanqiao quickly interrupted, "You two calm down. If you have something to do, do it back at the hotel. I, as a third wheel, also have my limits!"
Qin Hao and Zhou Mei looked at each other and smiled.
"Let's go."
Zhou Mei took his arm, and the two walked outside.
Lin Zhanqiao followed behind, and when they reached the door, a night breeze blew by, carrying the moisture from the Huangpu River.
She looked at the backs of the two people in front of her—Qin Hao was wearing a windbreaker, and Zhou Mei was also wearing a windbreaker, both of them with a bit of warm light from the restaurant on their shoulders.
She suddenly felt that the scene was actually quite pleasing to the eye.
However, just as Zhou Mei was feeling smug, her phone suddenly lit up. Upon seeing the message on it, Zhou Mei's expression instantly changed.
"What's wrong?" Lin Zhanqiao asked, puzzled.
Zhou Meiliang opened the message directly, and Lin Zhanqiao's expression changed from relaxed to serious upon seeing it.
"It seems we're in for a tough battle tomorrow," Zhou Mei said to Qin Hao in a tone of unprecedented seriousness. (End of Chapter)