Chapter 239: Only Kids Make Choices
“Is there such a thing?”
Yu Wei had just gotten home and was placing the trophy on the shelf when the company called saying someone wanted to discuss cooperation with him.
He originally thought it was just ordinary cooperation, but upon closer inquiry, the other party had been waiting for him for many days, calling every other day to ask, full of sincerity.
Yu Wei wasn’t in a hurry; they’d waited several days already, so a little longer wouldn’t matter. He tidied up the room casually, opened the window for ventilation, and then took out the trash before heading out.
Twenty minutes later, he appeared downstairs at the Ying Huo Hua Wen Building. Yu Wei still remembered his bewilderment the first time he came here; now returning felt just like coming home.
In the conference room on the seventh floor, Awayuki Iroha and Sakuraya Rio had been waiting for a while. The latter was there to act as a mascot; she wasn’t thinking of playing the family card with her cousin.
Yu Wei pushed the door open and found that besides the two of them, no one else was present. If it were an entertainment industry cooperation company, they would definitely have arranged for others.
But Yu Wei’s book had nothing to do with them, and the profession didn’t match, so they could only help with introductions and not get too involved.
Awayuki Iroha was wearing a perfectly tailored light gray suit skirt set, with crisp fabric and a subtle sheen that perfectly outlined her capable figure.
Sister Liu said this was the president of Sakura Green Pine Publishing House. She didn’t look old, yet she was already a young talent—truly accomplished at a young age.
The two nodded slightly in greeting before sitting down to discuss the main matters.
“Mr. Yu, I’ve read your work, Malice,” Awayuki President began, her voice soft yet carrying an unquestionable professionalism. “I’m currently reading The Devotion of Suspect X.”
Her fluent Chinese surprised Yu Wei a bit. If he didn’t know her identity, he would have suspected she was Chinese.
Awayuki Iroha noticed his astonishment and thoughtfully added, “My mother is Chinese. I’ve been influenced by it, and I lived in China for a while before.”
No wonder. Not many native Sakura people spoke good Chinese; turns out she had some talent for it.
“Malice’s dissection of the dark side of human nature, and that deeply hidden malice that even the person themselves can’t explain, shocked me deeply.”
“The story background and characters in your work are unique. That bone-deep pursuit of criminal motives is profoundly deep.”
Awayuki Iroha got straight to the point. She believed this profound depiction of complex human nature and emotional paradoxes could provoke deep thinking among Sakura readers.
Plus, with the novel’s background set in Sakura, it would definitely create strong resonance.
Yu Wei nodded. This woman was very professional; her analysis of the work was spot-on, and she understood the market well.
“Especially the protagonist in your writing, who appears to be the victim’s close friend on the surface but meticulously plans a conspiracy behind the scenes to ruin their reputation. This irrational malice at the end of logic has tremendous impact.”
Yu Wei realized he had underestimated the weight of Keigo Higashino’s works in the hearts of Sakura people. Awayuki Iroha’s eyes lit up a bit when discussing the novel’s core.
Different environments breed different people; Sakura books for Sakura people…
Awayuki Iroha took out a folder, opened it, revealing densely marked book manuscripts and some preliminary market analysis notes.
“Our publishing house has successfully introduced works by several Chinese writers in recent years.”
“I’ve found that stories showcasing deep psychological games, emotional entanglements, and the unpredictability of destiny resonate strongly among Sakura readers, especially those pursuing reading depth and human nature exploration.”
She wasn’t blindly coming to cooperate; she’d done market research. The elements of Malice perfectly matched Sakura readers’ preferences.
The worst outcome was just not making money; it was basically impossible to lose. What was there to hesitate about for this level of cooperation?
Yu Wei noticed that Awayuki President paid great attention to details in the conversation and had obviously made full preparations.
However, he couldn’t cooperate so easily. A businessman’s words couldn’t be fully trusted; he should listen selectively.
Though Yu Wei had achieved some success now, the higher he climbed, the more cautious he needed to be. One misstep could shatter everything in an instant…
“Regarding translation,” Awayuki Iroha continued, “this is the most crucial link. We’ve preliminarily contacted Kuramochi Mishin, a Sinologist.”
“She has in-depth research on contemporary China literature and psychological depiction, with precise and literary writing.”
“We hope the translation not only accurately conveys the suspense rhythm but also passes on those subtle psychological and complex emotional layers in the original text.”
So professional. Yu Wei thought she’d just chat about it casually, but she openly discussed the follow-up cooperation.
Introducing novels required good translation. Using translation software directly would only convey the general plot; otherwise, it might feel bland.
This reassured him a lot. A professional translator should restore the novel to a level close to the original.
“Sounds good.”
Yu Wei was indeed a bit tempted. These two books would likely be hits in Sakura. Going overseas was inevitable, and if he had to choose a partner, the one before him seemed pretty good.
Though she was a businesswoman, he could feel her genuine appreciation for the works themselves.
Seeing Yu Wei’s interest in cooperation, Awayuki Iroha rarely smiled. “Please rest assured, we’ll strive for fidelity, fluency, and elegance.”
As rumored, this Mr. Yu valued the works themselves the most. He really loved novels too much.
She had specially contacted a renowned translation teacher to appeal to his tastes, and it seemed she had done right.
Awayuki Iroha paused briefly, her tone more cautious.
“According to Sakura publishing conventions, we hope to obtain the exclusive Japanese edition publishing rights for Malice in the Sakura region, with the contract term typically five years after the first print.”
She was also optimistic about The Devotion of Suspect X, but with the novel unfinished, Awayuki Iroha didn’t dare conclude prematurely.
However, with cooperation experience from the first book, negotiating the second would definitely be easier—no need to worry.
Specific royalty ratios, advance payments, marketing promotion plans… these substantive details were laid out one by one.
Awayuki Iroha’s explanations were clear and logical, while also attentively listening to Yu Wei’s ideas and concerns.
After all, Yu Wei was a layman. When he expressed confusion about a clause, she patiently explained the industry conventions and considerations behind it.
Her ability and patience left Yu Wei in admiration. No wonder she became a young talent at such a young age…
“Regarding market promotion,” Awayuki Iroha took out another plan document, “we’ve preliminarily envisioned a few schemes.”
Books definitely needed advertising before release, especially for an obscure author like Yu Wei in Sakura.
Awayuki Iroha mainly proposed two methods: one for promoting the book itself, such as talks and new book launches.
The other was marketing the author personally. Celebrity writing books was a gimmick with great attractiveness anywhere.
“Can’t… we do them all?”
Only kids make choices; promoting the book and author together wasn’t conflicting.
Awayuki Iroha thought similarly. She planned to do both, but to market the work through celebrity status, he was best with some fame in Sakura.
Saying he was just a little star from China probably wouldn’t get much attention, but if he was already popular, it would be different.
Actually, this was Awayuki Iroha’s true purpose: she hoped Yu Wei could promote his music works in Sakura.
Ever since hearing Yu Wei’s Japanese song, she became even more optimistic about his potential, feeling this guy could become an international superstar.
Once he made a name for himself, releasing the novel then would achieve twice the effect with half the effort.
Yu Wei nodded at that. Good thinking—author and work complemented each other. If he became popular overseas, it would definitely boost novel sales.
He wouldn’t boast about others, but that Japanese song and the Castle in the Sky piano piece should be quite popular in Sakura.
“Take it slow; no rush on this.”
Specific contracts and translations needed time. By then, Yu Wei might already be a renowned overseas musician—who knew?
His “take it slow” had another meaning: he needed to review this cooperation further. He couldn’t agree on a whim after a short chat; it needed professional analysis.
Awayuki Iroha caught his implication, which was normal in business. No true heart-for-heart exchanges—just each getting what they needed.
Yu Wei’s reaction was within her expectations. As long as he showed cooperation intention, this meeting achieved its goal.
“I’m returning home tomorrow for a while. Let Rio convey the specific cooperation matters.”
Many things couldn’t be handled online; she needed to go back soon. Though she’d spent time here, Awayuki Iroha felt it worthwhile—Yu Wei was worth the time cost.
“No wonder you brought her.”
During their cooperation talk, Sakuraya Rio had been spacing out nearby. Yu Wei thought she was a free add-on; turns out she had a role.
“After all, she’s family.”
After the exchange ended, Awayuki Iroha became much more relaxed, shedding her previous shrewdness—this seemed to be her true state in life.
After seeing them off, Yu Wei went straight to Manager Song Yiwen’s office and showed her the contract terms from earlier.
Different trades are worlds apart; she definitely didn’t understand novel publishing. Yu Wei just wanted her to help ask around—power of connections.
“Making the company handle your private matters again?”
Though Song Yiwen teased, she took on the task smoothly. In a sense, Yu Wei’s novel boosted his fame, which was good for the company.
“No choice; no professional team.”
Yu Wei was just a lonely person. He really didn’t understand many things and couldn’t rely on assumptions; he had to borrow the company’s big hands.
“What about your team? How’s the preparation?” Song Yiwen composed herself, recalling Yu Wei’s earlier proposal.
Yu Wei planned to establish a personal studio under the company name, non-conflicting with business deals but making many processes more convenient.
Like his novels and private matters—easier for special handling, and future publishing could directly connect to work.
When Yu Wei took on the keyboard business revenue, he was already considering the studio. After accumulating so long, with ample influence and funds, it was water to the canal.
He wasn’t lying; money had big uses.
Signing a few artists to the studio, and Yu Wei could lie back and earn money—this was his small step from star to capital.
“Still in preparation; after the variety show filming.”
Then sign some failure authors, force them to explosive updates and output works; slow ones get the whip…
