Back To The 80s-Chapter 135: Cooperation (Please vote for monthly ticket)_1
Gu Xiaobei asked the gatekeeper for directions and found the small wooden building where Jiang Jiahua worked. It’s an E-shaped structure with thick pine wood stairs and floor that creaked with each step.
Jiang Jiahua was in his office, figuring that if Gu Xiaobei didn’t come by the afternoon, she’d definitely show up the next day. Just as he thought, there was a knock on the door.
Gu Xiaobei heard a deep and strong male voice from the inside: "Come in." Pushing the door open, she froze, for heaven’s sake, it’s a small world, it was the weirdo she had met.
Upon seeing that the petite woman entering his office was the same one he met at the train station that morning, Jiang Jiahua was also startled, then instantly realized that this was Gu Xiaobei.
Jiang Jiahua stood up and greeted her with a warm smile, "Comrade Gu Xiaobei, I’m delighted to meet you."
Snapping out of her surprise, Gu Xiaobei responded with a polite smile, "Hello, Editor-in-chief Jiang."
Jiang Jiahua invited her to sit at his desk, while he joked, "I’m sorry about this morning. My sister is overly pampered."
"No worries, I plan to return home tomorrow, so we’re short on time. Let’s get down to business," Gu Xiaobei sat down, opened her bag and handed over a part of her manuscript.
"You are in such a rush! Since you’re here, stay a few extra days and take a good look around the city," Jiang Jiahua said with enthusiasm as he accepted the manuscript.
"No need, I have things at home to handle," Gu Xiaobei replied indifferently.
Jiang Jiahua didn’t say anything further, but admired Gu Xiaobei’s manuscript; she was truly talented. After a quick glance, he asked, "Any thoughts?"
"I’d like to run a children’s publication, as a monthly, featured ten short stories each issue. It should primarily contain twenty words," Gu Xiaobei said with clarity.
"Good idea, so how would you like to cooperate with the publisher?" Jiang Jiahua replied, keeping the conversation focused and concise.
"I thought of selling the rights directly to the publisher," Gu Xiaobei, who needed money quickly, admitted. She knew this may earn her temporary funds, although in the long run, she might get less than if she co-published.
Jiang Jiahua raised an eyebrow: "Have you considered the cost?"
"Thirty thousand!" Gu Xiaobei stated without hesitation.
Jiang Jiahua was taken aback, "She dares to ask! Three thousand? It’s too much for an entirely unknown market."
"Just because it’s unknown, you can seize the first-mover advantage. As society progresses, education will receive increasing attention, and English will be widely promoted. Look at the current study-abroad fever in Capital City and Shanghai, and we can foresee the importance English will have in the future. Moreover, starting with children to cultivate English learning will become a significant trend in future education. Now that each family typically has one child, parents would spare no effort in their kid’s education," Gu Xiaobei analyzed calmly.
Jiang Jiahua had to admire her; although the woman in front of him looked young, with a baby face, and delicate, when she spoke, she was articulate and logical.
"Your analysis is correct, but no one can guarantee whether it will earn approval once it hits the market," Jiang Jiahua countered.
Gu Xiaobei confidently smiled, "I wouldn’t ask for thirty thousand if I weren’t confident. The majority of books currently available are difficult to understand, even popular English children’s rhymes don’t suit our kids’ actual life. We need English textbooks based on traditional stories, right?"
"Do you have any good ideas?" Jiang Jiahua couldn’t help but admire Gu Xiaobei’s eloquence.
"We can start with the twelve Chinese zodiac signs as cartoon prototypes, telling stories related to each sign. For example, for dragon, we can have ’Search for Treasure in the East Sea Dragon Palace’, ’Search for Friends in the Proud Sky of Dragons’," Gu Xiaobei suggested, well-prepared because of her vast knowledge of animations.
"Thirty thousand is not a small sum. We need to have a meeting and further discuss it. We’ll write to you afterward," Jiang Jiahua said, intrigued but unable to make the decision alone.
"Sure," Gu Xiaobei had already foreseen this outcome. She had decided her bottom line was fifteen thousand, and if they could not meet it, she would submit her work to another publisher.
Jiang Jiahua curiously asked, "Your English is excellent. How did you learn it?"
"Does it matter how I learned it? As long as I know it, that’s good enough," Not liking to gossip about her personal life with strangers, Gu Xiaobei responded.
Jiang Jiahua paused, observing the calm, wisdom, and the innocence on Gu Xiaobei’s young face, his interest sparked, "Would you allow me the honor of inviting you to dinner tonight?"
"Sorry, I have some things to do, so I might not be able to," Gu Xiaobei declined resolutely. She always kept her work and personal life separate.
"Alright, you can go home and wait for my letter. No matter the result, I’ll let you know," Jiang Jiahua didn’t get annoyed and gave a smile.
"That would be greatly appreciated, Editor-in-chief Jiang." Gu Xiaobei politely replied, neither being submissive nor excessively flattering. She understood that being overly humble during negotiations could convince others that she was eager for success and thus potentially reduce her demands.
Jiang Jiahua escorted Gu Xiaobei out of the building and asked her at the entrance, "Have you got your train ticket yet?"
"Yes, I have," Gu Xiaobei lied. She hadn’t even informed Liu Hongbing about buying a ticket for tomorrow.
"Would you like me to drop you off tomorrow? The place can get crowded, it’s challenging to board," Jiang Jiahua courteously offered. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"No need, my husband has asked his comrade to drop me off," Gu Xiaobei declined gracefully.
Suddenly Jiang Jiahua remembered, Gu Xiaobei was already married. Such a young and lovely lady was somebody else’s already.
Jiang Jiahua felt a twinge of regret, but he managed to keep smiling, "Alright, next time when you visit the city, allow me the chance to invite you for dinner and play the part of a good host."
"Okay, surely next time," Gu Xiaobei thought if she could visit again, that would mean she could sign the contract. Then, a meal together would be fitting.
After bidding farewell to Jiang Jiahua, Gu Xiaobei decided to return to the guest house first before giving Liu Hongbing a call to inform him of her decision to leave tomorrow. She could have left tonight, but she didn’t want to waste the opportunity to visit the city.
The department store closed at 6pm in the afternoon those days, so she has no time for a detour as it’s already past 4pm. She’ll walk around and enjoy the city tomorrow, then catch the night train back home.
Jiang Jiahua watched Gu Xiaobei’s departing figure, in her simple dress and hair casually tied back, feeling a strange stirring in his heart.
Despite nearing his thirties, the proud Jiang Jiahua aspired to have a Platonic love and was hesitant to marry an ordinary girl. Until today, he finally encountered a girl who touched his heart, but alas, she was already married.
When Gu Xiaobei returned to the guest house, she used the phone to call Liu Hongbing, informing him that she planned to take the train home tomorrow night.
After hanging up, she hesitated before dialing Lu Zhanguo’s office number, not sure if he would be in.
Once the phone connected and she heard Lu Zhanguo’s sexy and deep voice, she couldn’t stop laughing, "Were you waiting for my call?"
"Yes, I was worried about you being alone," For the first time, Lu Zhanguo found the experience of waiting for someone agonizing. He thought about how he used to leave for long periods without any contact, wondering how Gu Xiaobei got through it.
