When Monsters See Ghosts

Teacher Ke changed her mind and refused to be credited on Li Ye's Latent because Wen Leyu had given her a manuscript for a new novel the previous night.

When Wen Leyu initially wanted to learn novel writing from Li Ye, Li Ye chose a "collaborative creation" model for real-time teaching, asking Wen Leyu to provide the story background and character materials for the new novel.

The materials were, of course, provided by Teacher Ke, and on the same day she provided the materials, Teacher Ke began writing herself.

She wanted to test her own abilities and see if she could write a novel like Latent.

Teacher Ke was a proud person and not an amateur in literary writing. She believed that with Li Ye's Latent as a reference, she could at least grasp some of the techniques.

Teacher Ke's writing went relatively smoothly. After all, she was a university student from the 1960s and had previously published literary works, so her command of language was definitely not an issue.

Moreover, many of the character prototypes in the materials she prepared had stories that she had heard from her elders. Now, she was merely elaborating on them in writing.

Teacher Ke found herself writing more and more smoothly, quickly producing a promising beginning.

After carefully reading it several times, she felt a bit confident and pleased, planning to show it to Li Ye in a few days for them to "learn from each other."

After all, in collaborative creation, everyone should contribute.

However, unfortunately, before Teacher Ke could give her manuscript to Li Ye, Wen Leyu brought Li Ye's manuscript.

Upon reading it, Teacher Ke, just like when she first saw the manuscript for Latent, sat up all night again.

Comparing people makes you want to die; comparing things makes you want to throw them away.

With the same character materials and the same story background, the resulting works were completely different.

If one had to make a comparison, Teacher Ke's story was like a poorly seasoned stew, lacking flavor and only barely satisfying hunger.

Li Ye's story, on the other hand, was a stir-fried feast with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, complete with color, aroma, and nutrition.

The missing seasonings and cooking techniques were all Li Ye's personal touches.

Teacher Ke's story was essentially a "ledger novel," with beautiful prose but a bland plot, while Li Ye's story was a literary novel with a rich plot.

As the sky outside began to brighten, Teacher Ke smiled self-deprecatingly.

She finally understood how imprecise and overconfident her request for co-authorship had been.

Li Ye didn't need her help at all; her help would only be a hindrance.

Although Teacher Ke had been desperate at the time, unwilling to let go of even a single straw, was that truly a justifiable reason?

Looking at the manuscript in her hands, Teacher Ke could feel that Li Ye was genuinely helping her.

This novel, tentatively titled Deserter in the Flames of War, was a "high-end custom piece" that perfectly matched Teacher Ke's desires.

Although it was just a beginning, the soldiers who shed blood for the light were described by Li Ye with vivid colors through various techniques, leaving a deep impression on the reader.

And this was important.

Once this book was finished, Teacher Ke planned to show it to certain people. As long as it left an impression on them, her long-forgotten husband would surely be remembered.

It could be said that Teacher Ke had never explained to Li Ye what she needed, yet Li Ye had precisely given her what she most desired and needed.

Sincerity towards others is mutual.

Teacher Ke immediately decided to apologize to Li Ye.

She showed her previously published works to Dong Yuejin and admitted her shortcomings, which was a way of elevating Li Ye's literary skill.

After all, Li Ye was still too young and easily underestimated.

Teacher Ke didn't feel ashamed admitting her shortcomings in front of Li Ye's parents; in fact, she felt it was quite appropriate.

Teacher Ke had witnessed the changes in her own daughter, and it was possible that something might happen between her and Li Ye in the future. She absolutely couldn't let their parents gossip.

"I'll toast the two of you. Congratulations on raising such a good son and grandson."

Teacher Ke raised her wine glass and formally toasted Li Zhongfa and Li Kaijian.

"Not at all, the children are still young, and we'll have to rely on your guidance, Teacher Ke!"

Li Zhongfa and Li Kaijian were also seasoned individuals. They didn't hold back, and the atmosphere in the private room was harmonious and lively as they clinked glasses.

Moreover, with Teacher Ke's intervention, everyone's doubts were automatically explained through their own assumptions.

Li Ye's age was still a bit young, and writing a spy thriller like Latent lacked some persuasiveness.

However, with Teacher Ke vouching for him now, this flaw was inadvertently mended. Everyone took it seriously, believing that Teacher Ke had narrated many stories to provide a foundation for Li Ye's use.

A short while later, Li Ye noticed Dong Yuejin's face gradually turning red and him sweating. He knew Dong Yuejin had a low alcohol tolerance, and if he got drunk, they wouldn't be able to discuss business.

When discussing business over drinks, it was best to be between "slightly tipsy" and "drunk." Being drunk meant words didn't count, while being sober meant they wouldn't speak up.

So, Li Ye found an opportunity to interject and asked, "Editor Dong, when you came this time, did the publishing house mention anything about royalties?"

Editor Dong was prepared and confidently replied, "Of course. Student Li Ye, your novel's quality is quite good. I managed to secure a royalty rate of 5 yuan per thousand characters for you, which is already quite high for a new author."

"5 yuan?"

Li Ye was clearly disappointed. The national regulation was 3 to 10 yuan per thousand characters. For a new author writing their first book, 5 yuan per thousand characters seemed not low.

However, for a book like Latent, only 5 yuan per thousand characters was truly not high.

Li Ye pondered for a few seconds and asked again, "Editor Dong, what about the royalty percentage? What is it?"

"Royalties?" Dong Yuejin blinked, asking Li Ye, "What royalties?"

Li Ye was also taken aback. He thought for a moment and said, "It's royalty fees based on print run. Didn't the country reinstate royalty fees in '80?"

Dong Yuejin looked embarrassed and said, "I really don't know about that."

Li Ye frowned. He didn't know if Dong Yuejin genuinely didn't know or was playing dumb.

Because when he wrote web novels in his previous life, he was envious of the high royalties of the top authors and had incidentally read about China's royalty system.

Royalties had been introduced to this land in the 1920s. Figures like Hu Shi had lived quite comfortably in the capital city, where "it's hard to make a living," thanks to royalties.

By 1980, the country had resumed the long-interrupted royalty system, establishing a base royalty rate of "5% for every 10,000 copies printed." Later, this rate increased repeatedly, with even Han X earning 20% royalties.

However, what Li Ye didn't know was that while the country had regulations, the actual implementation of this author-benefiting policy only occurred after "Shuo Ye" made his groundbreaking appearance.

But Li Ye, in his current state, had no idea about this. He thought he had misremembered.

So, Li Ye tentatively asked, "Then, Editor Dong, is the manuscript fee standard set in '80 that original works get 3-10 yuan per thousand characters, and translated works get 2-7 yuan per thousand characters?"

Dong Yuejin was also embarrassed. He nodded and said, "Yes, that's correct. But I'll need to check with the publishing house about the royalty fees based on print run."

So, he hadn't misremembered. For a moment, Li Ye felt a bit uncomfortable, and the smile on his face clearly cooled down.

In fact, Dong Yuejin was in a difficult position. Although "Latent" was indeed an excellent work, the status gap between the publishing house and the author couldn't be bridged without seeing its success.

Dong Yuejin was already a very amiable and accommodating editor towards new authors like Li Ye.

In this era, there were many people like Feng Bo from Dahe Publishing House.

When Li Zhongfa and Li Kaijian heard this, they also felt uncomfortable. So, the highest rate was 10 yuan, the lowest was 3 yuan, and they only gave their grandson 5 yuan, and even cut off the subsequent profits?

Li Zhongfa immediately laughed heartily and raised his glass to encourage drinking, "Come, come, Editor Dong, let's have a drink. Children can be a bit serious, don't take it to heart. We're not writing books for the sake of a little money, are we?"

Li Kaijian, a former reconnaissance soldier, took the opportunity while they were drinking to quietly retrieve Li Ye's novel manuscript and put it securely in his bag.

A little over a thousand yuan to buy my son's treasure? Is that a lot of money?

Hao Jian's malt candy business was surprisingly booming. A few days ago, Jin Peng came to report, and it was estimated that the profit share for this batch might reach as high as three thousand yuan.

Therefore, the Li family's emphasis on money had changed from before.

Dong Yuejin, having been plied with a lot of alcohol by the Li family elders, fumbled for his bag to get the contract and confirm the publication with Li Ye, only to discover the manuscript he hadn't finished reading was missing.

It was like the power going out and the internet cutting off halfway through a binge-watch – stuck in limbo, frustrating and uncomfortable.

However, this also served as a reminder to Dong Yuejin. If he, a seasoned editor, could be so captivated by this novel, what would ordinary readers think?

It could be said that the latter half of Li Ye's manuscript far exceeded Dong Yuejin's expectations, solidifying his resolve.

"Latent" is a good book, I must get it!

He took out the contract and said with a smile to everyone, "We've had our drinks and our meal, it's time to talk business! This is the publishing contract the house has prepared for "Latent." Li Ye, please take a look."

"Oh, what's the hurry?" Li Kaijian put his arm around Dong Yuejin and said warmly, "Editor Dong has finally come to Qingshui, we must host you for a few days. We still have to drink tonight."

Dong Yuejin smacked his lips, knowing that this matter was going to get complicated.

However, he was also a responsible person and immediately stated, "We can't drink anymore, or it will delay work. I'll call the publishing house later to report this and try to get a higher manuscript fee. What do you think?"

Li Kaijian was taken aback for a moment. He patted Editor Dong's shoulder vigorously and said, "Old Dong, you're a straightforward person. No matter what, I've made a friend in you."

Dong Yuejin left the restaurant, insisting on refusing Li Kaijian's continued hospitality and went to the post office to make a phone call.

The phone call didn't go smoothly. The publishing house had strong objections, claiming there was "no precedent."

Later, when Dong Yuejin mentioned that "Dahe Publishing House is interested in getting involved," the editor-in-chief finally told him, "If you're willing to bear all the responsibility, then go ahead and mess around."

This statement carried significant weight. If Dong Yuejin insisted on making an exception, unless "Latent" became a massive hit, his future career would be affected.

Dong Yuejin wandered dejectedly around the county town for a couple of circles, getting more worked up the more he thought about it.

By then, the alcohol had also kicked in, and it was almost 5 PM. He decided to stay overnight and carefully consider the matter before discussing it with Li Ye tomorrow.

He walked into the Qingshui County Guesthouse and saw a young man at the counter, checking in while asking for directions to County Second High School and inquiring about the typical age of students in the repeat-year class.

Dong Yuejin became interested. He leaned closer to glance at the person's introduction letter. Although his nearsighted eyes couldn't see clearly, he could make out the words "Publishing House" within the large red seal.

Damn, talk about a ghost seeing a ghost.

Dong Yuejin jolted, the alcohol instantly wearing off.

He quietly backed away, exited the guesthouse, and bolted in the direction of County Second High School.