Chapter 125: Making the Cut
Ye Zhiyun received an invitation, an electronic one, from the Wenqing Editorial Department, inviting her to their annual New Talent Awards ceremony. Every year, they selected outstanding works to compete for the awards, and the winners usually received publishing contracts.
Many aspiring writers hoped to make a splash at the New Talent Awards, launching their careers. However, most talented newcomers chose Qidian over Wenqing. After all, Qidian was the largest novel publishing platform and website in the country.
Wenqing hadn’t attracted fresh talent in years, facing a shortage of new authors. They tried increasing benefits for newcomers, but it wasn’t enough to retain them. Everyone aspired to join Qidian, the publishing giant.
Luo Nan had submitted her manuscript to Wenqing, hoping to start her career there. They had been interested in signing her, but she had made several demands that Wenqing considered excessive for a newcomer, ultimately rejecting her. The proud Luo Nan, offended, took her manuscript to Qidian and, within two months, secured a publishing deal, her name becoming widely recognized.
This incident was a significant blow to Wenqing. They had handed a promising talent to their rival, a decision they deeply regretted. There were calls for a change in their approach to newcomers.
Regardless, the New Talent Awards would proceed as planned, and since Ye Zhiyun had been invited, she would attend. Though she was just a small-time investor, not a prominent figure, her previous dealings with Wenqing and their interest in fostering a good relationship with her had earned her a guest invitation.
The awards ceremony was scheduled for after the New Year.
Ye Zhiyun stretched, saved the electronic invitation, and gazed out the window. The weather in England was colder than back home, the streets covered in snow. Yet, people were still venturing outside. Perhaps the British simply enjoyed outdoor activities, she thought.
“Zhiyun, come here! Let’s go play in the snow!”
Her mother’s excited voice called from outside her room.
“Mom, how old are you? Acting like a child.”
Despite her words, a smile graced Ye Zhiyun’s face as she opened the door.
“It’s been so long since I played with my precious daughter. I want to make up for lost time! Come on, let’s go! Your cousin’s coming too!”
“Mom, honestly…”
Her mother no longer resembled the formidable businesswoman she once was. Who would have thought that the once proud and unyielding woman would become so playful after having children? Li Xiaoyue looked elegant in a gray down jacket, a white scarf, and light brown boots crunching through the snow, her hair tied back in a ponytail. If there were a live stream, the comments would be flooded with messages like, “I love you, Mrs. Ye!” and “Your hairstyle is dangerous!”
“Zhiyun, come and play! You’ll be busy again after the New Year. Spend some time with me while you can.”
“Mom, who’s the child here, me or you?”
Ye Zhiyun chuckled. Around her family, she was always relaxed.
She had been raised as a princess, doted on by her mother, who perhaps loved her even more than her father, often taking her on trips. Once, when little Zhiyun expressed a desire to shake hands with Mickey Mouse, her mother flew her all the way to Disneyland.
Her mother was her closest family member; she would do anything for her.
Ye Zhiyun ran, leaving footprints in the snow.
The New Year was a time for national celebration. After spending the first few days with Dai Wenqian, Yu Linna was alone again. Everyone had family to celebrate with, returning to their hometowns or traveling abroad, while she remained in the city, solitary.
But she was content. As long as her friends cared about her, that was enough.
And on this day, she received good news.
Logging onto her computer, she found an email from Wenqing.
“Dear Shion, congratulations! Your novel, Ballad of the Enchantress, has been shortlisted for the Wenqing New Talent Awards! We invite you to attend the awards ceremony on February 17th, where the winners will be announced.”
She had…
Made the cut?
Yu Linna couldn’t believe it. She reread the email several times, finally accepting it wasn’t a dream. Her heart pounded with excitement. She had been prepared for rejection, yet here she was, shortlisted against all odds.
Was she dreaming?
Had she really made it?
“Haha…”
Staring at the screen, a smile spread across her face. She covered her face with her hands, the feeling surreal, like a dream she might wake up from at any moment.
“I made it! I made it! Haha… I knew I could do it! I knew I could…”
She repeated the words, unable to contain her excitement, her joy overflowing.
And as she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes.
She was happy, ecstatic, but also… sad.
Only she knew how difficult it had been to reach this point. The constant failures, the hardships, the setbacks. She had considered giving up, but she couldn’t let go of her dream, her determination pushing her forward. Now, her efforts had been rewarded.
How could she not cry tears of joy?
It had been a long and arduous journey, filled with self-doubt, wondering if she would ever achieve recognition. Chasing her dream, she had even been almost forced into a compromising situation. But after leaving the entertainment industry and turning to writing, she had finally found a platform to showcase her talent.
Though she hadn’t won yet, she had made it to the finals. It was an acknowledgment of her hard work, a validation of her efforts.
Who could understand her struggles? Her desire for recognition, for achieving her dream, was simply to make a name for herself, to reach greater heights. But it had been so difficult.
“I did it! I actually did it! wuwu…”
Overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn’t stop crying.
From having nothing, to struggling relentlessly, to finally making it to the finals. Her life was a story.
A story of rising from nothing.
Though she didn’t know if she would win, she was one step closer to success.
Since she had blocked Chen Xi on QQ, the editorial department had to assign another editor to contact her. This new editor was Rabbit Princess, a recent university graduate. She had contacted Shion at Chen Xi’s request. Since Chen Xi had been blocked, and Rabbit Princess had a good relationship with her, she took over.
“Hello, I’m Rabbit Princess, not Rabbit Ski. Hello, Shion (laughs).”
“Hello.”
“Your work has been shortlisted for our awards, and we’re interested in signing you. Regarding your novel…”
“I absolutely will not change it.”
“Ahaha, I know…”
How could Rabbit Princess not know about Shion, the author who would rather block an editor than revise their work? In a way, it was impressive.
Though the novel wasn’t entirely suitable for commercial publication, the chief editor, Tang He, loved it. He had declared it “the most captivating work I’ve read in years.”
Clearly, Shion was a talented writer.
“If we sign you, we’ll offer you the standard newcomer royalty rate: 4%. How does that sound?”
Yu Linna frowned. Did they think she was illiterate? That was a paltry offer, even for a newcomer.
She knew how to do math; that royalty rate was too low.
After the Chenghe incident, Yu Linna wouldn’t trust anyone easily, wouldn’t wag her tail for a small favor. She would think, question, and scrutinize.
She suspected they were offering such a low rate to assert their dominance, to remind her that Wenqing held the power, that she was just a small fry.
Her impression of Wenqing soured.
“Let me think about it.”
Another winter was coming.
Having just experienced the joy of being shortlisted, she now faced the possibility of not being published. The royalty rate Wenqing offered was too low; she wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want to sell her hard-earned work for such a pittance.
It was the product of her blood, sweat, and tears.
Yu Linna was torn. After the Chenghe debacle, she was wary of trusting anyone, especially when it came to contracts. Contracts were always biased towards the powerful, and she, with no influence or backing, was vulnerable to exploitation.
Chenghe was a prime example. Though they had violated the law with their unfair contract, what could she do? Despite her abilities, she was powerless against them. She lacked the resources.
While Wenqing wasn’t as powerful as Chenghe, they were still a major force, far beyond her reach.
Yu Linna was unsure how to proceed.
Should she sign or not?
After much deliberation, she decided against it. Burned once, she was twice shy. She replied to the message.
“I’ll give you my answer after the awards ceremony.”
How cunning!
Rabbit Princess’s eyes widened upon reading the message. She had hoped to sign Shion before the results were announced, to avoid a repeat of the Luo Nan incident. But it seemed Shion didn’t trust her, unwilling to sign now.
At the editorial department, a clear consensus seemed to be forming regarding the winner of the New Talent Awards…
Leave a Reply