HPDBC Chapter 24 I am He Fei's younger sister, He Lin!
Chapter 24 I am He Fei's younger sister, He Lin!
She chattered like a magpie announcing good news, speaking much faster than usual, briefly recounting the enthusiastic response from readers and the mountain of letters that had poured in.
Chen Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh as he listened.
He really didn't expect it to be so popular.
The rice noodle shop almost turned into a mini autograph session, which was already surprising enough, but I didn't expect that there was also the newspaper's mailbox overflowing behind the scenes.
Zhou Shutang got to the point: "Readers are strongly requesting a longer serialization. We'd like to ask for your opinion: if we increase the daily word count from three thousand to five thousand, can you keep up with your writing speed?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiyuan laughed even more heartily.
Increasing the daily word count is exactly what he wants to see.
Writing 3,000 words a day is indeed a bit slow for a two-million-word novel, and it takes too long.
"Sister Zhou, I'm perfectly fine on my end."
He spoke with a relaxed yet confident tone, "By the day after tomorrow at the latest, I will be able to send out another 50,000 words of manuscript. In addition, once I receive the second payment, I plan to buy a computer. At that time, I will be able to keep up with writing 5,000 words a day, or even more."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shutang on the other end of the phone felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart, and she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had initially worried that it would put pressure on Chen Zhiyuan, but it turned out she had been overthinking it.
"Great! It's settled then!"
Her voice was filled with obvious joy, "Starting tomorrow, we will increase the daily word count to around five thousand words."
The two chatted happily on the phone for several more minutes before hanging up.
Putting down his phone, Chen Zhiyuan not only didn't feel creative pressure, but actually felt even better.
The increase in the number of words in the serialized work meant that his income also increased from 300 yuan to 500 yuan per day.
Moreover, he had a premonition that, given this momentum, the book's influence would grow, and he estimated that it wouldn't be long before publishers would approach him to discuss physical publication.
With the copyright in your own hands, you must choose a reputable and established publisher and negotiate royalties thoroughly.
The current serial publication fees are just an appetizer; the royalties from physical publications are the real money to earn your first pot of gold.
When I'm in a good mood, I'm more motivated to write.
Chen Zhiyuan picked up his pen again, sat down at his desk, and quickly entered that focused and selfless creative state once more.
However, a morning had passed, and he had already written more than two thousand words, but He Fei still hadn't arrived.
Chen Zhiyuan thought that the girl was probably shy and embarrassed to visit alone. He didn't take it too seriously.
After waking up from his afternoon nap, the chubby Jin Liang called right on time, inviting him to go to the internet cafe.
Chen Zhiyuan readily agreed, as it would be a good opportunity to relax.
In the afternoon at the internet cafe, the two of them didn't play StarCraft, but instead played Diablo for a while.
When Jin Liang came out of the internet cafe, he looked at Chen Zhiyuan as if he were a monster, his face full of admiration and incomprehension:
"Zhiyuan, you're not only good at StarCraft, but you're also amazing at Diablo. Is there any game you can't play?"
Chen Zhiyuan smiled smugly and said in a deliberately irritating tone, "This little game is easy for anyone."
Do people say that?
Jin Liang rolled his eyes at him, thinking to himself: According to you, does that mean I'm a clumsy person?
Chen Zhiyuan noticed Jin Liang's expression and chuckled again, jokingly saying, "Fatty, considering your godfather took you out to play games all afternoon, shouldn't you go and buy him an ice-cold Coke as a token of your respect? This weather is so hot, it's making us dry."
Jin Liang smiled and gave him a feint kick, which Chen Zhiyuan nimbly dodged.
The two joked and played around for a while. Jin Liang wasn't stingy and went to the nearby convenience store to buy two bottles of iced cola, one for each of them.
The two drank their cola and chatted casually as they slowly walked back.
As Chen Zhiyuan passed by the familiar old locust tree, he was slightly surprised—the area under the tree was empty, and he did not see He Fei and her daughter setting up their stall.
He thought to himself, maybe something came up at her house, so she didn't come to set up her stall, and naturally, she didn't come to my house either. Hmm, that must be it.
In fact, Chen Zhiyuan's guess was not entirely correct.
He Fei's family did have an emergency, but more importantly, the girl's reserve and shyness made it difficult for her to muster the courage to step into a male classmate's house alone, even though he was her deskmate.
Chen Zhiyuan didn't think much of it.
That night, he was even more inspired and wrote one or two thousand words before resting.
The next morning, during his morning run, he passed by that familiar intersection again, but still didn't see the mother and daughter.
Chen Zhiyuan couldn't help but shake his head and smile, thinking to himself with a touch of self-deprecation: What's wrong with me? I'm actually kind of hoping she'll appear, and I feel a little disappointed when I don't see her.
He shook off this inexplicable emotion and turned his attention back to the important matter: completing the 50,000-word manuscript.
I'll mail it out this afternoon, or at the latest tomorrow morning.
Chen Zhiyuan spent the entire morning at home, focusing on writing his manuscript.
Around ten o'clock, there was a soft knock on the door.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
The knock was very soft and polite.
Chen Zhiyuan knew it definitely wasn't his parents—they both had keys; nor was it the chubby Jin Liang—that guy always knocked on the door with a deafening "thump, thump, thump."
Could it be... He Fei has arrived?
The thought flashed through Chen Zhiyuan's mind, and he immediately put down his pen, got up, and went to open the door.
The door opened, and two girls were standing outside.
One of them was He Fei, and next to her was a girl who looked a little younger and resembled her by about 70 or 80 percent.
He Fei's face flushed slightly; she still seemed a little reserved, but better than before. Mustering her courage, she spoke first: "Chen Zhiyuan, hello."
Chen Zhiyuan's face immediately broke into a bright, sunny smile, and he warmly stepped aside to let him in: "Please, please come in! My parents aren't home, so don't be nervous."
His gaze fell on the girl beside him, and he asked, "He Fei, who is this? Aren't you going to introduce her?"
Just as He Fei was about to introduce her, the girl next to her beat her to it, waving her hand gracefully. Her personality was clearly outgoing and lively, quite different from He Fei's quiet demeanor.
"Hi, hello! I'm He Fei's younger sister, He Lin!"
Chen Zhiyuan understood immediately: No wonder they look so alike, they are He Fei's sister.
"Please come in, please come in! Make yourself at home, don't be shy," Chen Zhiyuan said repeatedly.
His enthusiasm and easygoing nature put He Fei at ease. She even took the initiative to explain apologetically, "Chen Zhiyuan, I brought my sister along without telling you beforehand. You don't mind, do you?"
"How could that be!"
Chen Zhiyuan quickly shook his head, "I'm more than happy to welcome you! I've heard you mention having a younger sister before, and I've always wanted to meet her. I'm so glad to finally meet her today."