Chapter 821

【Takahashi Jun: Convenient! Very convenient! Natsume-sensei, where are you now? Do you need me to come pick you up?】

The reply speed was astonishingly fast, and the tone was so enthusiastic it could almost overflow through the screen.

【Natsume Chikage: No need to trouble you to make a special trip, I'm already on the train, and I estimate I'll be at Shibuya Station soon. Also, my novel manuscript hasn't been printed yet, so I might need to go to a nearby convenience store to print it first, and it will take a little more time to get to the publishing house.】

【Takahashi Jun: No, no, no! Natsume-sensei, please don't go to a convenience store to print! That's too wasteful, and it's not convenient!】

【Takahashi Jun: You can just come directly to the publishing house! We have professional printers and paper in the office, you can use them directly when you arrive, it's convenient and fast!】

【Natsume Chikage: Is that so... then fine, I won't be polite. Then we'll see you at the publishing house later.】

【Takahashi Jun: Yes, yes, yes! Okay, okay! I'll wait for you at the office! Awaiting your arrival at any time!】

Midnight Publishing House.

Editorial Department, Group 2.

Takahashi Jun put down his phone, his face filled with irrepressible excitement and a flushed glow.

He had spent almost the entire day waiting for news from Natsume-sensei.

Not only him, but his direct supervisor, and even the editor-in-chief of the Literature Department, upon learning that the talented Natsume-sensei had completed a new work just as "The Devotion of Suspect X" was released, had all shown great surprise and expectation.

The editor-in-chief even privately urged him to receive Natsume-sensei well and try his best to keep this new work at Midnight Publishing House.

Thinking of Natsume Chikage's imminent arrival, Takahashi Jun had specially turned down several authors who had originally scheduled to come for discussions today.

At this moment, he couldn't sit still anymore.

He quickly tidied up his slightly messy desk.

He picked up his briefcase and was about to walk out.

He wanted to go to the subway station exit early to wait!

This would show more sincerity!

This Natsume-sensei was now his "big performance," "big sponsor," and even the key person who might bring a turning point in his editorial career!

He had to be held as carefully as a national treasure!

However, he had just stood up.

At the adjacent workstation, that trainee editor, Niigaki Shoji, who had always had excellent performance and was shrewd, keenly noticed his movements.

Niigaki Shoji's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood something.

He also quickly began to tidy up the things on his desk.

Then, he walked quickly to Takahashi Jun's side, with a perfectly appropriate smile on his face.

"Takahashi-senpai," he said, his tone respectful, "Are you... going to pick up Natsume-sensei now, right?"

Takahashi Jun's footsteps paused, and he looked at him somewhat unexpectedly.

"Hmm? Niigaki-kun, how did you know?"

Niigaki Shoji smiled embarrassedly and explained:

"I heard you mention before that Natsume-sensei might bring a new work over these few days."

"And, today happens to be the day Natsume-sensei's 'The Devotion of Suspect X' is released."

He glanced at the excitement that had not yet faded from Takahashi Jun's face.

"Seeing you so happy, looking like you're about to go out, I guessed that you were most likely going to pick up Natsume-sensei, and then go to the bookstore to see the sales situation or something."

"The work on my hands is almost finished today."

Niigaki Shoji paused, his tone more sincere.

"If you don't mind... could you let me go with you, Senpai?"

"I have always admired your eye, Senpai, and I also want to learn from you about the experience of communicating with store managers and clerks at bookstores to understand sales dynamics."

"Of course, if it involves Natsume-sensei's new work and it's not convenient, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Takahashi Jun looked at this junior's sincere face, remembering the last time when deciding whether to share the performance risk of "The Devotion of Suspect X," in the entire office, only Niigaki Shoji stood up voluntarily, willing to share it with him.

Takahashi Jun had always kept this friendship and vision in his heart.

In addition, as a co-editor of "The Devotion of Suspect X," although the share was not large, he had every reason and qualification to participate in the preliminary contact.

A smile appeared on Takahashi Jun's face.

"Of course you can, Niigaki-kun."

"It just so happens that we can chat on the way. Natsume-sensei's new work might also need your help to look at it together and offer some opinions."

Upon hearing this, a flash of joy crossed Niigaki Shoji's eyes, and he nodded quickly.

"Thank you, Senpai! I will definitely do my best!"

Just as the two were about to leave the editorial department together.

At a workstation not far away, diagonally opposite.

The veteran editor Yoshida Tomohito saw all of this in his eyes.

His face was gloomy, the corners of his mouth turned downward, and his eyes were filled with undisguised disdain and annoyance.

Hmph... two idiots!

He sneered in his heart.

In his view, Takahashi Jun, the "yes-man" who had been at the bottom of the performance list for years, had just had a stroke of luck, and somehow managed to fool a newcomer author with some talent.

And Niigaki Shoji was a slippery guy who was good at seeing which way the wind blew and clinging to big shots.

However, that book "The Devotion of Suspect X" was released today.

But the real sales data would have to wait until the evening or even tomorrow, when the statistics from various bookstores were summarized, to see the outcome.

And books that editors all looked favorably upon, but ultimately met with a cold reception in the market, or even flopped without a sound—the editorial department had seen plenty of such things.

This was "acclaimed but not popular"!

It was a typical manifestation of the author's artistic pursuit being seriously out of touch with the public's reading taste.

So don't talk about the vision of the group leaders; even the editor-in-chief might not necessarily understand the public trend.

So even a great author favored by editors could still flop!

Such things were common in the publishing house.

And such a book might get some good reviews in a small circle, but it was absolutely impossible to become a bestseller, let alone make big money.

Especially, in order to sign Natsume Chikage, Midnight Publishing House gave quite generous conditions, including a royalty share as high as 40%!

This was already close to the treatment of some famous great authors who had been around for a long time!

This share ratio also meant that if the sales of this book didn't reach a considerable base, the publishing house might even lose money!

Once it lost money... someone would definitely have to take responsibility.

As for who, did that even need to be said?

It must be Takahashi Jun, this loser!

At that time, this guy would definitely be cold-shouldered or reprimanded by his superiors, or even the editor-in-chief, because of his misjudgment and excessive publishing conditions.

At that time, let's see if this guy could still laugh!

Yoshida Tomohito seemed to have already seen the pathetic appearance of Takahashi Jun in the conference room, kneeling down to the editor-in-chief and superiors, cold sweat dripping, constantly apologizing.

At the same time, he also transferred that deep disgust to Natsume Chikage.

If it weren't for this kid who suddenly popped up, inexplicably choosing Takahashi Jun as his editor, and writing that "The Devotion of Suspect X" that looked decent...

How could he have caused dissatisfaction and cold-shouldering from everyone at the last editorial meeting because he tried to fool other editors into giving up co-editing?

Now, his situation in the office had become a bit awkward.

The editors who used to revolve around him now looked at him with a hint of imperceptible distance and scrutiny.

It was all their fault!!

However... as long as the sales of Natsume Chikage's book flopped...

As long as the facts proved that his judgment at the time was correct—that this book was not worth everyone sharing the risk—everyone would be his 'good friends' again, just like before.

In Yoshida Tomohito's eyes, a cold and expectant light reignited.

Then, these wall-grass-like guys would naturally understand who was the truly insightful one who could lead everyone to avoid risks.

At that time, he would still be the most influential and popular veteran editor in this editorial department!

And Takahashi Jun and Natsume Chikage...

One would be marginalized because of a serious mistake, and might even lose his job.

The other, because of the commercial failure of the work, would be labeled "no market value" by the publishing house, and from then on, his works would definitely be evaluated more strictly.

They might even directly lower the share ratio, making him return to the share that a normal newcomer author should have.

Thinking of this, Yoshida Tomohito's mood became better. ===== CHAPTER 822 =====