Chapter 284: Human Hearts Are Not Satisfied, Snakes Want to Swallow Elephants

Acquire Anjiu Bookstore?

Hearing these words, Honda Kohei and many other management levels subconsciously looked at the proposer, discovering it was the executive director of the Business Intelligence Department, Shimoku Reiko.

Honda Kohei thought for a while and asked: "Executive Director Shimoku, tell us your reasons."

Shimoku Reiko stood up, looked around at everyone, and reported: "At the industry exchange meeting half a year ago, I had a conversation with President Anjiu Jin Gangyi of Anjiu Bookstore. In the conversation, I heard that he might have some dissatisfaction with Akiwara Yuto."

"Dissatisfaction?"

Honda Kohei was a bit confused, and everyone in the venue also discussed it.

After all, judging from the current market situation, the relationship between Akiwara Yuto and Anjiu Bookstore is completely dependent on each other.

If there was no copyright authorization from Akiwara Yuto, he estimated Anjiu Bookstore would still be a publishing house.

Shimoku Reiko explained: "Yes, he complained that Akiwara Yuto took away too much royalty, so their publishing house's profit was too low."

After a pause, she continued to report: "Our intelligence department sent people to investigate later. We found that publishing a book, their average income is only 8% royalty, and after deducting various expenses, their net profit for the half year is only about 200 million yen, most of which is paid to Akiwara Yuto."

Honda Kohei "laughed" in his heart after listening to this explanation.

In the intelligence he understood before, Anjiu Bookstore's net profit before cooperating with Akiwara Yuto was less than 10 million yen a year.

Now the annual net profit can reach 400 million yen, but instead, they are not satisfied.

Truly, human hearts are not satisfied, snakes want to swallow elephants.

However, in his view, this could also be counted as a good thing, so he asked: "Executive Director Shimoku, then in your view, how should we operate?"

Shimoku Reiko nodded and continued: "I have 2 plans..."

Three days later, the newly rented office of Anjiu Bookstore.

Asano Aiko and Anjiu Jin Gangyi sat in the office, chatting about recent work while drinking tea.

After reporting the recent sales results, Anjiu Jin Gangyi took a document and pushed it in front of Asano Aiko.

"Asano-san, regarding the copyright of Akiwara-sensei's previous works, I hope to be able to supplement an agreement."

Asano Aiko was a bit confused but still finished reading the document and said: "Exclusive cooperation authorization agreement for 95-05."

She frowned and looked at Anjiu Jin Gangyi, asking: "President Anjiu, what does this mean?"

Anjiu Jin Gangyi smiled and replied: "It's like this, our Anjiu Bookstore is preparing to further increase the promotion of the works to reach the point of further occupying the market. But this is a plan that will last for many years, so we are worried about whether Akiwara Yuto will hand over the copyright to other publishing houses later."

Asano Aiko, as an editor from the former Mantansha, understood it after pondering slightly.

For a publishing house, whether to promote a writer and how to promote a writer is also a very strategic thing.

If after promotion, this writer announces that they will hand over their work copyright to other publishing houses, then for a publishing house that has spent a large amount of money on promotion, it will undoubtedly cause big problems.

However, because of the agreement, actually most publishing houses won't have such problems.

And the copyright exclusivity agreement between Akiwara Yuto and Anjiu Bookstore side will expire at the end of 1995.

Asano Aiko thought for a while and continued: "President Anjiu, don't you believe Akiwara-sensei will hand over the subsequent copyright to Anjiu Bookstore?"

Anjiu Jin Gangyi sighed and said: "Akiwara-sensei has a very good relationship with the Kejiaoguan side, I am very worried that he will hand over the copyright of some works to the other party."

His expression became a bit serious, "Asano-san, Anjiu Bookstore is different from before now, having more than 60 employees and more than 40 temporary employees, and even having its own printing factory, stores, and public relations department. As president, I have the obligation to be responsible for their future."

Asano Aiko looked at the other party's determined expression and also understood his meaning.

That was that Anjiu Jin Gangyi, as the president of a publishing house, hoped that the process would be more standardized and formal, rather than pinning the future of the publishing house on Akiwara Yuto's personal plans.

In that case, she didn't have much reason to refuse.

She frowned and thought for a while, then said: "I need to go and ask Akiwara-sensei."

Watching her back as she left to make a phone call, Anjiu Jin Gangyi showed an inexplicable expression.

That afternoon, Asano Aiko brought the contract to Akiwara Yuto's house, and besides Akiwara Yuto, there were also Satake Maki and a lawyer named Beigang Youmei.

Satake Maki, as someone from Anjiu Bookstore, knew Anjiu Jin Gangyi relatively well, while Beigang Youmei was invited because she needed to review the legal problems in the agreement.

After informing them of the cause and effect, Asano Aiko distributed copies of this contract to everyone in the venue.

After 20 minutes, everyone had finished reading the content, Akiwara Yuto put down the document and fell into deep thought.

On this document, the content of the copyright of all his works since his debut was written, including *ZOO*, *The Devotion of Suspect X*, *Death of a Detective*, etc.

And the time range was limited to 10 years, exceeding the 3-year authorization period for signing cooperation in general.

Although the time was a bit long, there were precedents for similar cooperation in the industry.

However, why didn't Anjiu Jin Gangyi mention it before, but instead proposed it now?

He raised his head and looked at Asano Aiko, asking: "Asano, what is the promotion plan President Anjiu mentioned?"

Asano Aiko replied: "Anjiu-shacho is preparing to take out 20% of the annual turnover to increase market promotion and channel distribution, and the subsequent supplementary agreement has been prepared."

Akiwara Yuto heard this number, and the confusion in his heart decreased quite a bit.

Turnover is not equal to net profit, involving very large cost problems.

If it is to take out 20% of the turnover, it undoubtedly increases the operating burden of Anjiu Bookstore.

If he hands over the copyright to other publishing houses after the other party spends a large amount of money on promotion, he doesn't know if Anjiu Bookstore will go bankrupt.

No, it should be 100% bankrupt.

No wonder the other party wants him to sign this agreement; maybe they just want to feel a bit safer in their hearts.

He turned his head and looked at the lawyer named Beigang Youmei. The other party was a part-time legal counsel hired by Akiwara Yuto's foundation and had relatively much legal experience.

"Beigang-sensei, do you think there is a problem with this contract?"

Beigang Youmei didn't answer immediately but combed through it and replied: "This is a standard contract, except for the time limit being a bit long, there is no problem in law. However, there are also other risks."

Other risks?

Akiwara Yuto pondered for a while and said again: "Other risks?"

Beigang Youmei nodded and said seriously: "If Anjiu Bookstore goes bankrupt, this agreement will very likely be treated as part of the property rights and interests and be mortgaged to creditors or transferred."

Akiwara Yuto felt relieved in his heart after listening.

Because it involved profit sharing, Akiwara Yuto's foundation sent a financial person to stay at Anjiu Bookstore, and all accounts would be strictly queried.

He knew very well how the cash flow of Anjiu Bookstore was.

Looking at it this way, there was no problem with him signing this agreement.

But just then, Satake Maki's phone rang... ===== CHAPTER 285 =====