Hall Film Company

Two days later,

Jiang Hao received a call from Robert. He had already finalized negotiations with the publisher, and they could go over to sign the contract.

At the Times Books office, Jiang Hao met Howard, the publisher's owner. The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. "Mr. Hall, I've read both of your books. I have to say, the stories are exceptionally compelling and captivating. They're also deeply meaningful and thought-provoking. They're the best novels I've read in the past two years."

"Thank you for the praise, Mr. Howard. I'd like to ask, roughly how long will it take for the books to be published after we sign?" Jiang Hao asked.

"It will take about two months. The manuscript needs to be organized, typeset and designed, reviewed and proofread three times, assigned an ISBN, finalized, and printed. None of those steps can be careless," Howard said.

It seemed he would have to wait another two months before the books hit the market.

After the two sides signed the contract, they poured themselves drinks in Howard's office and held a simple celebration. Jiang Hao then took his leave. On the drive back, Jiang Hao said to Robert, "Robert, I'm planning to start my own film company and make my own movies."

Robert looked at Jiang Hao in surprise. "You're not going to keep writing novels, Jon? You have talent in that area. You should make the most of your strengths. The film industry is shrinking across the board right now. Even the major studios are losing money. I don't think this is a good idea."

Robert was right. Since the 1950s, television had become wildly popular and dealt a tremendous blow to the film industry. From 1946 to 1953, in just a few short years, the number of people going to