Chapter 163: I firmly oppose!

Thursday, 8 AM.

Akiwara Yuto got up early, and after a simple wash, he put on a thin sweater and walked out of the house.

After more than 20 minutes on the bus, he arrived at Ichigaya in Chiyoda Ward. Here, there was the Keibunsha, one of the four major publishing houses.

Akiwara Yuto walked to the main entrance and subconsciously raised his head, looking carefully for a few times.

Unlike the architectural style of the Manshusha, the Keibunsha started by publishing middle school textbooks, so the architectural style was relatively conservative.

The overall architectural style was mainly dark blue, and it was only 10 stories high from bottom to top.

Although the number of floors was not high, the footprint of this rectangular building was very large, several times more than other buildings.

At the main entrance, one could see people in suits and ties coming in and out from time to time.

Akiwara Yuto looked around for a while, then turned around, pushed the door open, and walked in. His purpose for coming today was to submit the outline and first draft he had already written.

Facing the receptionist at the front desk, Akiwara Yuto said politely.

"Hello, I am Akiwara Yuto. I have already made an appointment with Editor Awazu Hideki of *April Youth* before. May I ask how to get to the editorial department of *April Youth*?"

The receptionist showed a standardized professional smile, "Master Akiwara, please register."

Akiwara Yuto nodded, and after registering, he took the badge handed over by the other party and marked it.

Immediately after, he was led by the other party to take the elevator to the 5th floor and was brought to an office marked "Editorial Department of *April Youth*."

After arriving here, the receptionist asked him to wait a moment, then walked in and called Awazu Hideki out.

"Master Akiwara, it's really troublesome for you to come over in person."

Awazu Hideki rubbed his hands, and immediately after, he greeted Akiwara Yuto and walked into the editorial department office.

Akiwara Yuto nodded and walked in.

While walking, he subconsciously looked around.

A space of about 100 tsubo was separated by "L"-shaped desks.

But these desks only had two-thirds with manuscripts and books on them.

As for the remaining one-third, it was obvious that no one was using them.

Awazu Hideki caught Akiwara Yuto's gaze and felt a bit embarrassed.

"Master Akiwara, those empty desks are for freelance editors. Currently, because the performance is not very good, they have been asked to suspend work for a period of time."

Akiwara Yuto raised his eyebrows.

Freelance editors? Aren't those temporary workers without formal contracts?

But they can't even afford to hire temporary workers?

It seems the situation *April Youth* is facing now is even more difficult than he imagined!

Although Akiwara Yuto thought so in his heart, the expression on his face didn't show it at all.

He nodded without replying and continued to follow Awazu Hideki inside.

10 minutes later, he walked to the door of a room marked "Editor-in-Chief's Office," but to his surprise, some sounds came from inside, sounding like people were arguing.

In this sound, he faintly heard the two words "oppose."

"Sorry, Master Akiwara, the atmosphere inside our editorial department is relatively relaxed, so sometimes the deputy editor-in-chief and the editor-in-chief have some disputes."

Awazu Hideki, upon hearing the argument, immediately said to Akiwara Yuto in an apologetic tone.

Akiwara Yuto waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind.

After all, what did the internal affairs of *April Youth* have to do with him?

"Editor Awazu, are we not going in?"

Akiwara Yuto looked at Awazu Hideki a bit puzzled and found that he was standing at the door, hesitating and not knocking.

Awazu Hideki smiled awkwardly, "Master Akiwara, let's go to the reception room and sit for a while. Wait a moment, I'll let the editor-in-chief come over to see you."

Akiwara Yuto was even more puzzled, but nodded and didn't say anything, then followed Awazu Hideki to a reception room and sat down.

Looking at the tea with "water vapor" rising in front of him, he placed the file bag he had been holding on the coffee table in front of his seat.

This adapted work shouldn't have much of a problem, right?

At the same time, in the Editor-in-Chief's Office of *April Youth*, a fierce argument was taking place.

"Editor-in-Chief Dacheng, I firmly oppose the conditions given by Akiwara Yuto! Where is there a writer who only serializes works but doesn't sell single volumes?! If this is the case, other writers will inevitably be dissatisfied!"

The person speaking was named Okamoto Junyou, the deputy editor-in-chief of *April Youth*.

The middle-aged woman he was speaking to was his superior, and also the editor-in-chief of *April Youth*, Dacheng Lixiang.

Dacheng Lixiang, sitting in the office chair, shook her head.

"Deputy Editor-in-Chief Heben, Master Akiwara has already stated his position. If he cannot hand over the distribution rights of the single volume and the film and television copyright to himself, he will not serialize in *April Youth*."

She paused and added, "And when inviting the other party initially, you also expressed your agreement."

Okamoto Junyou frowned and responded in a dissatisfied tone.

"But it's too inconsistent with industry rules, right? After all, the income from single volumes is also a very important part of the editorial department. And for the other party's works, we also have to spend quite a bit of publicity expenses here!"

In Okamoto Junyou's view, Akiwara Yuto's condition was undoubtedly a lion's opening of the mouth.

After taking the serialization manuscript fee offered by *April Youth*, he used the publicity expenses provided by the editorial department to make the work famous.

As a result, after doing all this, he wanted to leave *April Youth* behind and publish and distribute the single volume himself. Where is there such a good thing?

And the manuscript fee of 50,000 yen per page is completely the level of some veteran writers.

Even if the other party won a Mystery Literature Newcomer Award, in the end, he is just a newcomer. What qualifications does he have to get such high treatment?!

Dacheng Lixiang shook her head, "Deputy Editor-in-Chief Heben, this serialization matter is something we are asking of the other party, not the other party asking of us, so I don't think there is a problem."

She emphasized her tone.

"For *April Youth*, what is most important now is the weekly circulation of the journal, not any performance income. Only when our sales are stabilized can we consider other aspects!"

When saying these words, her attitude toward her subordinate was increasingly dissatisfied.

Regarding the treatment of Akiwara Yuto, the entire editorial department had basically reached a consensus, and only this one person was pestering and not letting go.

In her view, although Akiwara Yuto is just a newcomer, he has gained quite a bit of fame among the public and book reviewers by relying on the "Burakumin" turmoil and the dispute with the Mantanshe Society.

So as long as the other party is willing to serialize in *April Youth*, it is equivalent to doing a wave of publicity for *April Youth*.

How can such a writer be regarded as a pure newcomer?

And the other party also won the Mystery Literature Newcomer Award. If there are no accidents, he will inevitably have greater achievements in the literary world in the future!

Isn't it a matter of course to make friends with such a writer and give up part of the benefits?

Okamoto Junyou was still dissatisfied, but at this time, he also saw that his editor-in-chief had already made a decision.

He "hummed" and replied.

"Editor-in-Chief Dacheng, regarding this matter, I will report it to Executive Director Sanqiao! If the sales still don't reach expectations, Editor-in-Chief, you should know."

After saying this, he didn't even look at his editor-in-chief and left the Editor-in-Chief's Office.

When closing the main door, he even directly shut it "heavily."

He walked toward the outside of the editorial department, thinking in his heart while walking.

Women are women after all. Where can a writer reverse the current terrible situation of *April Youth*?

This editor-in-chief position should be changed to someone else!

Dacheng Lixiang sat in the office chair, listening to the gradually fading footsteps, and sighed in her heart.

If Akiwara Yuto cannot help the current predicament of *April Youth*?

Then who can?

On the other side, Akiwara Yuto sat in the tea room, looking impatiently at the clock hanging on the wall.

From the time he sat down until now, more than half an hour had passed.

Making him wait so long, *April Youth* is too impolite, right?!

Now he is no longer that unemployed youth who had nowhere to go. Does *April Youth* want to repeat the Takei Kohei incident and make him wait for another half day?

Akiwara Yuto frowned and then made a decision.

Wait another 10 minutes, if no one comes, just leave directly! ===== CHAPTER 164 =====