Chapter 39: Does the Publishing House Provide Meals?

When Old Man Sun chatted with the man, he was startled to learn that he was an editor-in-chief from a publishing house, and that he had come looking for Zheng Fei.

This scene felt strangely familiar, as if he had experienced it a long time ago—only back then, the person they were looking for was Zheng Fei’s father.

Although the chubby man in front of him hadn’t explicitly stated why he was looking for Zheng Fei, Sun had already guessed that it likely had to do with publishing a book. He sighed to himself; although this family lived in Tanzi Bay, they were the least "Tanzi Bay-like" people he had ever known.

...

Upon seeing Zheng Fei, Mo Changshan immediately began beating around the bush to tell him that his submission had been approved.

"Teacher Zheng, to be honest with you, this subject matter was extremely difficult to get approved. If I hadn't given that man surnamed Jiang at the Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House a thorough piece of my mind, he probably would have blocked it again."

Zheng Fei understood that Editor-in-Chief Mo was fishing for credit. Having had previous contact with Editor Zhang, he naturally knew that some old-guard comrade had jumped out to reject the manuscript, forcing the editor-in-chief to take this roundabout path. In fact, when Editor Zhang had introduced him to the Advanced Publishing House, he already knew that the approval process would no longer be an issue.

The hallway was damp, dripping like a water curtain, and it was biting cold outside, so Zheng Fei said, "Editor-in-Chief Mo, why don't you come inside and sit for a moment?"

"That would be great. I’d love to take a look at your studio, Teacher Zheng."

However, once they were inside, Mo Changshan was somewhat surprised by the stark simplicity of the room. He had dealt with many comic artists, and this workspace was undeniably primitive. Yet, despite the simplicity, the manuscripts on the desk were laid out with meticulous care. Mo caught a glimpse of the drawings, and his eyes narrowed.

"Teacher Zheng, is this the continuation of the story for *Wind and Cloud*?"

"Yes," Zheng Fei nodded. "I had some free time, so I kept on drawing."

Mo Changshan had been an editor for twenty years. Most artists, after submitting their work, would stop drawing until they received word on the publishing approval. If the submission failed, all that work would be for nothing. Mo couldn't help but study the young man; he couldn't tell if Zheng simply didn't know the ropes or if he was just incredibly confident.

He had come today not only to announce the approval but to clarify a few other matters. After seeing the sketches on the desk, Mo was certain that the manga *Wind and Cloud* was indeed drawn by Zheng Fei.

"Teacher Zheng," Mo continued, "who is the original author of *Wind and Cloud*? We need to credit the writer when we publish."

Zheng Fei thought to himself that since he had already decided to be a literary plagiarist, he shouldn't try to play the saint. He might as well go all the way. *Old Ma, I'm sorry, I hope you'll create even better works in the future.*

Without batting an eye, Zheng Fei replied, "I am the original author of the story."

Mo Changshan froze for a few seconds. Honestly, he was reluctant to believe it. "Did you write the text inside the manga as well?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Zheng Fei then produced a simple outline and manuscript for the editor to see. As Mo looked at the dense notes and small handwriting, he had no choice but to believe it. He could only conclude that there really were monsters in this world.

Sui Sui had left the Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House because the stories provided by their editorial department were abysmal. She had ended up at Advanced Publishing House working with him, and for the few picture books she had published, she had written the stories herself—and they had sold quite well.

Mo Changshan smiled. "Teacher Zheng, forgive me for my bluntness earlier. But as editors, we must be absolutely clear about copyright."

"I understand. I don't blame you."

"Long live understanding."

Having seen the outline, Mo realized that the story of *Wind and Cloud* would not be short. A book or two wouldn't cover it; it would likely be a complete series, much like the serialized versions of the Four Great Classical Novels. As a former editor-in-chief at the Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House, Mo knew that serialized sets sold the best and generated the most revenue. Many old-timers fought to illustrate these sets because they meant a steady stream of royalties.

If they could really pull off this *Wind and Cloud* series, the Advanced Publishing House would be making a comeback. Not only would they revive the firm, but they could also slap the faces of the old-timers who were waiting for them to go bankrupt. This was why Mo was so invested in this manga—it was their last chance. If they didn't produce results soon, the publishing house would likely close by next year, and they might even end up as a cautionary tale on the front page of the *Reference News*, being harshly criticized.

With the copyright question settled, Mo turned to technical details. "Since paper is in such short supply, I can only secure the 32K size for now. That’s acceptable, right?"

"No problem. 32K is fine."

Mo added, "If *Wind and Cloud* sells well, I will push for the editor-in-chief to upgrade it to a larger 32K format."

"I only have thirty pages done, which is definitely not enough. I suggest we aim for about a hundred pages for the first volume."

Zheng Fei thought it over. At a hundred pages, the story would end right when the Fire Qilin appeared and dragged Nie Renwang into the cave—a perfect cliffhanger.

"That works perfectly," Mo said with a grin. "Then... Teacher Zheng, how long will it take you to finish? I’ve already secured the printing quota. If we don’t print this year, we’ll have to reapply next year."

Zheng Fei hadn't expected that even after being reborn, he would still be hounded by editors for deadlines. There was only a month and a half left until the New Year, and he still had fifty pages to go before the Fire Qilin's debut.

"If I draw it alone, I won't finish until the New Year."

Mo pondered this. "What if I have Sui Sui assist you? How soon could you finish then, Teacher Zheng?"

"If Comrade Xu is technically proficient," Zheng replied, "I can get it done in a month."

Mo tapped the table. "Can you do it in twenty days? If so, we can aim to publish the first volume before the year is out."

"I can try my best."

Mo smiled. "It's a deal. However, Sui Sui's elders have specifically requested that she not come to your place. The publishing house will provide you with a private studio instead."

Zheng Fei’s mouth twitched. It felt like someone was explicitly guarding against him, though the editor in front of him didn't look like Xu Sansui's father. *Who would be so bored to do that?* Besides, he didn't feel anything for that girl with the glasses—perhaps he had played too many role-playing games in his past life and had become immune.

Having a private studio sounded pretty good, so Zheng Fei asked with a smile, "By the way, Editor-in-Chief Mo, does the publishing house provide meals?"

"This..."

"For the time being..."

Mo was incredibly embarrassed by the question. Provide meals? They barely had a staff; how could they have a cafeteria? Even they had to bring their own lunchboxes from home.

"The publishing house is still in its starting phase, but as long as we develop well, we will definitely have one in the future."