Reading from the first chapter and starting somewhere in the middle were two completely different experiences.
The opening drew him in,
bringing the characters truly to life.
As Zhang Xiao read on, he became absorbed.
So absorbed that he did not even hear his phone ring.
Only when his secretary pushed the door open and reminded him about the meeting did he remember he had scheduled one.
But,
wasn't that meeting in the afternoon?
Seeing Zhang Xiao's puzzled expression, his secretary pointed to her watch.
Only then did Zhang Xiao look at the clock on his desk. What? It was already three thirty in the afternoon?
"Sorry, I lost track of time reviewing a manuscript," Zhang Xiao apologized to the publishing house's other department heads as he entered the conference room.
"No problem." The others seemed used to it and showed no particular surprise.
The meeting began.
Their main topic that day was the marketing plan for the new books coming out next month.
The marketing department led the discussion.
Originally,
this was supposed to be nothing more than a routine meeting.
After all, they already knew their promotional strategies, distribution channels, and budgets like the backs of their hands.
But,
at the end of the meeting,
Zhang Xiao suddenly proposed adding another book to next month's lineup.
And this additional book had been written by a college freshman.
That did not sit well with the others.
After asking a few questions, the marketing director discovered that the author had neither a reputation nor any notable connections.
"Come on, Zhang. Throwing another book into the mix like this will wreck my entire marketing budget."
"Li, trust me. This book is genuinely good. I think we should go all out promoting it from now through the end of the year."
"A