Anko ran as fast as the wind! Despite hurrying, it still took nearly half an hour to reach the Novel Store.
There was a sign on the door with the words "Novel Store" written on it in large letters. Anko shook her hair and pushed open the door of the Novel Store.
"Hello, welcome~" a clerk greeted Anko as she entered, "I'm Hiroshi Kitazawa from Shueido. Master Mitarashi, how may I help you?"
Anko said calmly, "Who among you is responsible for collecting manuscripts? I'm here to submit one."
"Ah?…" Hiroshi Kitazawa looked incredulous and asked as if to confirm, "Master Mitarashi, are you going to submit an article?"
Anko waved her hands impatiently and said, "I'm submitting this for a friend. Hurry up! I'm in a hurry!"
"Oh… Sorry, please come with me." Seeing that Mitarashi Anko was a little impatient, Hiroshi Kitazawa couldn't help shivering.
Yuko sat in the office, looking at a pile of financial statements on the table and rubbing her temples.
She was the general manager of the Novel Store, equivalent to the general manager of the company.
The company's financial situation was really a headache. The boss had transferred a large amount of funds from the Novel Store, and there had been no new manuscript for Intimate Paradise for half a year…
Under the current circumstances, Yuko had no choice but to find another way out for the Novel Store and must not let it fall.
Just when Yuko was exhausted, a male voice came from outside the door: "Yuko-senpai, Master Mitarashi wants to see you."
Mitarashi?
Yuko was a little surprised. Was she here to submit an article? Or was it just some boring autobiography?
For that kind of old-fashioned book, you should go to Iwanamisha!
However, she did not dare to offend the notorious Mitarashi Anko easily.
Yuko cleared the things on the table and responded, "Come in!"
Anko was always straightforward. She walked over to the chair in front of Yuko's desk and sat down. She took out Kirito's notebook, handed it to her, and said, "This is written by a friend of mine. Would you like to take a look at it?"
"Hmm? Hidden Village Love Story?" Yuko flipped open the book and saw the title, piqued by the title. She said respectfully, "Would you please take a seat while I take a look at the contents?"
After opening the first page of the book, Yuko was slightly shocked by the beginning of the novel.
The author not only had good writing skills but also paid attention to details. However, the main thing about a novel is the plot, and only a good plot can attract readers.
As she continued to read, her expression slowly changed. The development of the plot and Rika's fate affected her!
After finishing the first chapter, Yuko breathed a sigh of relief and unconsciously asked, "Will Rika be happy?"
Anko heard Yuko's sudden question and pounded the table excitedly, saying, "Of course! Rika-san is such a lovely woman, she will definitely be happy!"
Two women, thinking the same thing!
Yuko cleared her throat. Although she felt it was against the rules, she couldn't help but ask, "Master Mitarashi, do you know what happened next? Are Ms. Rika and Mr. Kanji together?"
This question touched Anko's heart, and she angrily said, "The author didn't even tell me about the subsequent plot. He said I should respect the author's ideas and not interfere!"
"Oh, so that's how it is…" Yuko understood Kirito's behavior very well.
She also knew that the target audience of this book Hidden Village Love Story was the vast number of female readers!
"How about this book!" Anko asked excitedly. She was looking forward to the publication of this novel!
At this time, Yuko was very conflicted.
Although she was very interested in Hidden Village Love Story, there had never been a book of this type before, and it was unknown whether it could be sold.
From her point of view, this book would definitely be loved by women and might even become the Novel Store's second hit!
But if it failed, then the Novel Store would really be finished!
For a moment, Yuko was a little hesitant.
Anko was very good at observing people's emotions.
She didn't want to embarrass Yuko, so she stood up and said, "If you're in trouble, just give me the notebook and I'll ask somewhere else."
"No, no!"
When Yuko heard Anko wanted to take the manuscript back, she immediately became nervous. "Master Mitarashi, this novel has great potential to be a hit, but I still have some concerns. Please sit down and we can talk."
Seeing Anko sitting down, Yuko knew that she should make a decision, but Mitarashi Anko would not give her too much time to think about it.
Since the company was already in this state, she immediately made a decision: "We at the Novel Store want this novel and will arrange for its publication as soon as possible!"
"Oh, that's great!" Anko was very happy to hear that.
She was a little worried that if it couldn't be published, Kirito would lose the motivation to continue writing!
After making the decision, a smile appeared on Yuko's face, and the next step was to discuss the price.
Yuko took a deep breath, and after considering the limited funds left at here, she asked Anko, "Master Mitarashi, do you know what the author's expected value for this book is?"
"Ten million, maybe." Mitarashi Anko said loudly, smiling, "Isn't that a lot?"
If you start by offering a very high price and then negotiate after being rejected, you will have a greater chance of getting a satisfactory result.
Yuko: "…Haha, Master Mitarashi, you're robbing me!"
Anko blinked and said, "If I were to rob someone, it would be more than just that!"
Yuko almost vomited blood. Ten million was the last fund of Novel store. If it was all used to buy the copyright of Hidden Village Love Story, it would be difficult to operate the company in the future.
Yuko naturally knew that Anko was deliberately raising the price, so she said, "Master Mitarashi, please give me a more sincere price!"
Anko raised an eyebrow, "Ten million ryo."
Yuko: "…"
The negotiations had reached a deadlock. Not to mention that it was currently facing financial difficulties, even under normal circumstances, it was impossible for Yuko to spend ten million to buy the copyright.
"Ah…" Yuko thought for a moment and said, "Lord Mitarashi, ten million ryo is simply a fantasy for us right now. Can we discuss it again?"
Anko also knew the current financial situation of the Novel Store. Her real purpose was not the buyout money but the sales commission!
Kirito had talked to her about this situation before.
Anko put Kirito's thoughts into words: "Then let's try another payment method?"
"I'd like to hear more details," Yuko said helplessly.
"How about a profit-sharing system? For example, for every copy of Hidden Village Love Story sold, the author gets 20% of the profit. What do you think?"
After Anko finished speaking, she stared at Yuko to see what her attitude was.
Yuko thought about it and realized that here was short of funds at the moment, and this profit-sharing method could also reduce the risk of the company.
If the book sells well, they could get through this difficult time.
If it doesn't sell well, they wouldn't have to pay a high fee!
This method works!
"Sharing the risk, I think this approach is feasible," Yuko said after thinking it over. "But 20% is a bit high. Our costs are already high across the board. How about 10%?"
Anko waved her hand and said impatiently, "One point to two, not even a point less!"
"Okay, deal!" Yuko smiled slyly and said happily, "Okay, deal, 10% to 20%!"
Mitarashi Anko: "…"
End of the chapter.