Chapter 44

Li Ye ultimately did not become "Master Shuo," smashing the shackles of the industry with his own strength on the spot and winning a pioneering precedent of "print-run royalty" for the vast number of literary workers.

But after several tugs-of-war with Lanhai Publishing House, he finally pried open a crack in the contract and added an additional clause that seemed impossible to achieve.

【If the print run of this novel reaches more than 500,000 copies, the author shall be paid a print-run royalty at the standard of 5% basic remuneration per 10,000 copies in accordance with relevant regulations.】

A print run of 500,000 copies really wasn't anything in the era decades later, but in the early eighties, for a new writer, it could be said to be an astronomical figure.

"Legend of Past and Present," launched in '81, sold more than 2.7 million copies within five years, ranking first among literary publications.

But it was a periodical; converted, the circulation per issue was less than 100,000 copies, and that was the high sales brought about by the word-of-mouth fermentation over several consecutive years.

At that time, the print run of many novels for each edition was only a few thousand copies; those with tens of thousands were in the minority.

As for the phenomenon of "Fortress Besieged" selling over a million copies within ten years of its reprint, no one felt that it could be associated with Li Ye.

Who was the author of "Fortress Besieged"? Who were you, Li Ye?

Li Ye was a newcomer; even if the content of "Lurking" was good, could it compare to the classic work "Fortress Besieged"? Wanting to break through sales of 500,000 copies was no different from a daydream.

Of course, Lanhai Publishing House also did the math; a novel was priced close to two yuan,

Even if Li Ye were to become a massive hit against all odds and break sales of 500,000 copies, their earnings would reach 600,000 to 700,000 yuan.

By then, even if other peers accused Lanhai of breaking the rules, Lanhai could produce an irrefutable reason—if you want to accuse me, you print 500,000 copies first.

Yeah, that's exactly what Dong Yuejin said to Geng Zhi of Dahe Publishing House.

Geng Zhi followed the tug-of-war between Dong Yuejin and Li Ye the whole time, and even constantly tried to intercept halfway.

But it was a pity that he didn't have Dong Yuejin's responsibility, and the Dahe Publishing House behind him didn't have Lanhai Publishing House's courage. In the end, not only did he not move Li Ye, but he stimulated Dong Yuejin to get motivated, and "on impulse," he signed the exceptional contract.

So when Li Ye went to the station to see Dong Yuejin off, the latter held Li Ye's hand tightly and said: "Student Li Ye, we are now grasshoppers on the same line. If you become popular, I will definitely benefit; if you... sigh..."

Li Ye was also a little embarrassed. To tell the truth, Dong Yuejin wasn't a bad person and was the kind worth making friends with.

So Li Ye said: "If this one doesn't become popular, I'll write another one for you, at a friendship price."

"Write another one?"

Dong Yuejin became interested instantly and asked: "Do you have any ideas now? What type?"

【I have plenty of ideas.】

Li Ye thought for a moment and asked Dong Yuejin in return: "What type of novel do you want? History, romance, science fiction... I can do them all."

"..."

Dong Yuejin didn't know how to respond. If he hadn't been familiar with Li Ye's "arrogance" these days, he would have spat in his face on the spot.

Still asking us what type of novel we want, still history, romance, science fiction; do you think you're a chameleon! Shake your head and shake your brain, and you can change your skin?

But Dong Yuejin finally said: "Martial arts are relatively popular now; can you write them?"

Li Ye pursed his lips and said embarrassedly: "Martial arts... I'm really not good at them."

Dong Yuejin blinked, with an expression of "let you brag, I've exposed you, haven't I."

Li Ye was really not good at martial arts, because when he was scanning the charts to write web novels back then, martial arts had already declined.

The times were progressing, and the readers' tastes were also progressing.

It was fine for your Guo Jing to show off; it was fine for Yang Guo to show off again, but if you let Xiao Yan play the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms again, is this combat power still up to standard? It must be world-destroying to be enough!

The development process of popular novels was a drama of the waves behind pushing the waves in front. No matter how classic a famous master's work was, there would be a time when readers became numb and tired.

"There's still some time before the train departs; let's talk about history!"

Dong Yuejin still gave Li Ye face and changed the subject.

"I see that some martial arts novels in Hong Kong are related to history. The authors will use historical backgrounds to promote patriotic feelings,

I once read a sentence, 'The great hero, for the country and the people,' which is very moving..."

Li Ye: 【In the current situation, it's not suitable to talk about "A Step into the Past"!】

Listening to Dong Yuejin talking eloquently, Li Ye pondered a suitable work and finally chose a novel with more significance—"Soaring Soaring Wind."

"If it's history, I have an idea for the time being," Li Ye asked Dong Yuejin: "Editor Dong, do you know about the Battle of Talas?"

"Battle of Talas?"

Dong Yuejin recalled carefully for a moment and slowly shook his head.

Li Ye explained patiently: "The Battle of Talas was in 751 AD, when the Great Tang Empire and the Arab Empire, both at their peak, had an encounter during their respective expansions. It was a large-scale collision between the two major empires of the East and West at that time..."

The story of "Soaring Soaring Wind" actually wasn't complicated; it was about the descendants of the losers of the Xuanwu Gate Incident being expelled and exiled to the west of the Congling Mountains, and then participating in the famous Battle of Talas.

If it were just a simple description of war, Li Ye wouldn't recommend this novel much.

But after the Great Tang's influence retreated from the Western Regions, the male lead still led the remnants of the Great Tang to persist in fighting, allowing the Great Tang's flag to flutter for decades in the Western Regions, which were surrounded on all sides.

The story of the Great Tang's isolated army in the Western Regions was a bitter tragedy, but it was also an epic worth remembering forever by the descendants of the Tang people.

However, after Dong Yuejin heard Li Ye's narration, he wasn't moved much.

He asked Li Ye: "If you write a novel according to this idea... what do you want to express?"

Li Ye stretched out his finger and pointed solemnly at the land under his feet.

"I want to do my best to let more people understand this land... its former strength."

"..."

Dong Yuejin was suddenly taken aback, as if something had flashed through his mind.

Li Ye asked: "Editor Dong, have you ever come into contact with imported goods? Are they easy to use?"

Dong Yuejin nodded: "I have, they are easy to use."

Li Ye asked again: "Editor Dong, do you know about the fever for going abroad?"

Dong Yuejin nodded again: "I know; now, a quota for studying abroad can make husbands and wives turn against each other and brothers become enemies."

Li Ye asked again: "Then Editor Dong, do you think the West is better, or is this land of ours better?"

"..."

Dong Yuejin didn't speak.

Li Ye asked again: "Then Editor Dong, do you think that as we come into contact with the outside world more and more, the public's self-confidence in this land of ours will rise or fall?"

"This..."

Dong Yuejin didn't know how to answer.

Because his Island City was a port city, his contact with the outside world was far more than that of the inland.

Now, those who had seen the West almost unanimously believed that the West was better, and looking at this trend, this consciousness would become even stronger in the future.

Even Dong Yuejin himself believed that the West at this moment was superior to their side in all aspects.

This kind of consciousness was still hidden and tucked away by people, but it was foreseeable that in the near future, it would become rampant in a grand and open manner.

"Li Ye, what exactly do you want to say?"

Li Ye lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said seriously: "I want to say that in the next period of time, we may be subjected to strong ideological shocks...

Many people will dislike this land under our feet, will despise our former ancestors and glory, and will think that this nation that has nourished us for thousands of years is backward and good for nothing..."

What Li Ye said was true.

In his previous life, the phenomenon of worshipping foreign things lasted for a long time.

But when, decades later, the two most powerful bipolar forces on this planet began to "challenge" each other again, Li Ye and others suddenly realized that this Dragon Kingdom was still so great and prosperous.

It could be said that because of his advanced vision and experience, Li Ye had completely different views and opinions from the people of this era.

Li Ye looked up at Dong Yuejin and said with a light smile: "Actually, my original intention for writing novels was for money, but I still want to make a little meaningful contribution while making money..."

"This nation of ours, in the thousands of years of time, has always stood at the pinnacle of the world, with its power radiating for ten thousand miles; now it is just temporarily silent and declining,"

"I think an excellent author has the responsibility and obligation to promote the history and culture of our nation and let readers know of our former strength,

Let readers feel proud and arrogant for their identity as descendants of the dragon, instead of feeling... disgusted and pathetic."

This was Li Ye's heartfelt thought.

No matter how outrageous or strange the web novels of later generations were, most of them would stick to one belief—we are strong, we are awesome, and we have great hope.

Admittedly, there are such and such sufferings in life, but instead of grabbing those sufferings and mourning, why not run toward the beautiful?

Although everyone knows they are not Dragon Overlord, no one wants to live like Xu Fugui.

Looking at the bewildered Dong Yuejin, Li Ye, who had written millions of words of novels, felt at this moment that his vocabulary accumulation was so lacking that he couldn't express his beliefs to the other party clearly.

But Dong Yuejin felt Li Ye's emotions and produced a clear ideological resonance.

Intellectuals are easily emotional.

He grabbed Li Ye's hand and pulled him out of the station.

"Hey, hey, Editor Dong, where are you going? The train is about to depart."

"I'm not leaving; I have to talk to you for three days and three nights."

"..."

Dong Yuejin really talked to Li Ye for three days and three nights, to the point that Li Ye felt a little scared—I won't give birth to an XX fighter, will I?