"Huang Yifan, when did you read the high school entrance exam math question bank? How come I never noticed?"
During the ten-minute break between classes, Zhang Huiping asked timidly.
"Well, I usually study pretty seriously after I get home, so it's normal that you didn't see."
"I don't believe that. You don't even pay attention in class, and you expect me to believe you're serious after class?"
"Alright, since you saw through me, I'll be honest then."
Putting on a very serious look, Huang Yifan leaned in toward Zhang Huiping and said, "If I told you I'm a genius, would you believe it?"
"I believe it."
Without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Huiping actually nodded. "I believe you."
"Ah... you actually believe that?"
That left Huang Yifan a little embarrassed. Damn, this girl is too naive, she really believes that?
"Hey, Zhang Huiping, how can you just believe something like that without thinking it over? Okay, the truth is still what I said in class. I saw that question in a math question bank at home. That's why I could solve it."
"Really?"
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
"Then what about that ghost story?"
"Which one?"
"Don't play dumb, I mean the 'biting a ghost' one."
"Oh, that ghost story, what about it?"
Huang Yifan looked a little guilty.
"I looked it up online when I got home. That ghost story you wrote doesn't exist online. Which means you really wrote it."
"You're talking about that? Silly girl, the internet is just the internet. Just because something isn't online doesn't mean it doesn't exist in real life. There are lots of things in print that aren't online. Like articles in magazines, not all of them get uploaded. That ghost story, don't overthink it. I saw it in a magazine once and copied it to trick you."
"Still lying to me."
Seeing Huang Yifan refuse to admit it no matter what, Zhang Huiping turned her head away and ignored him.
…
Midnight Talk
"Everyone, the situation is looking serious. From what I know, 'Suspense World' has poached the mystery master Zhang Yun from the publishing industry. They're preparing to launch a serialized suspense novel. Zhang Yun's new work will start serializing in 'Suspense World' next month. This puts a lot of pressure on us. Also, magazines like 'Thriller Weekly', 'Paranormal No.1', and others have all increased their manuscript fees for paranormal fiction. What are your thoughts?"
In the Midnight Talk editorial office, Chief Editor Zhou Qing spoke at a meeting for the upcoming 300th issue of the weekly magazine.
"Chief, why don't we also raise our manuscript fees or try to recruit some top-tier authors?"
Editor Yang Feng offered his suggestion.
"Yang Feng, you know our funding is limited. How can we afford to recruit people? Besides, our manuscript fees are already quite high. If we ask for more, even if I approve it, the finance department won't. And if it turns into a price war, we're not equipped to fight it. We'd lose the moment it starts."
"But the problem is, those other magazines have already started a price war. 'Suspense World' landing Zhang Yun is one thing. I bet it cost them a fortune. But now even the others are raising fees. If we don't act, how can we keep up?"
Yang Feng was grumbling to himself.
They wanted the horse to run, but wouldn't let it eat grass. Where in the world does that happen?
"Let's put that aside for now. I just want to ask if anyone's found any promising submissions lately. If so, we could try pushing one hard and see if it performs well."
Zhou Qing was feeling a bit awkward too. In truth, these operational problems weren't really the editors' fault. Besides, the magazine's situation was just too awkward right now.
They had no authors, no money, and if it weren't for the loyal readers they'd built up over the years, Midnight Talk would've gone under long ago.
"Chief, most of the top paranormal authors have already been snatched up by 'Suspense World'. All we have are some of our longtime contributors who still send us stuff occasionally. But even then, those stories usually get rejected elsewhere before ending up with us."
Another veteran editor, Lin Hao, chimed in. "But Chief, I did pull some strings and convinced an old paranormal author, San Yue, to submit something. His story, 'Ghosts Fear Me' is quite good. I'd like to apply to give it a featured push in the magazine."
"Oh, San Yue, now there's a name. He was on par with Zhang Yun back in the day."
Hearing the name San Yue, Zhou Qing's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, San Yue used to be a big name in paranormal writing. Too bad he later switched to wuxia, and it completely flopped. I guess he's come to his senses and wants to return to his roots."
"Brother Lin, how long has it been since San Yue last wrote paranormal stories?"
Intern editor Dong Xiaoyu, who had stayed quiet until now, finally asked.
"About ten years."
"Ten years? That long?"
Dong Xiaoyu was surprised. "If it's been ten years, then his writing must've gotten rusty."
But her comment didn't sit well with Lin Hao.
"Kid, what do you know? When San Yue was making waves in the paranormal scene, you were probably still in elementary school."
Glaring at her, Lin Hao continued explaining, "Sure, his skills have probably declined. But still, he was once a peer of Zhang Yun. He's got a pedigree. And honestly, we don't have anyone better right now. I had to beg him repeatedly. If it weren't for our personal history, he wouldn't have agreed."
"Lin Hao makes a good point. Regardless of how his writing is now, we can still use his name to our advantage. We'll feature him in the 300th issue and see how it goes."
Zhou Qing agreed and finalized the decision. Then he looked over at Dong Xiaoyu, sitting quietly in the corner.
"Xiaoyu, how are things going since you joined the magazine? I have to say, it must be tough for a girl to read all these creepy stories."
Dong Xiaoyu had just graduated from college and joined Midnight Talk as an intern editor.
Though her real name was Dong Xiaoyu, her submission editor name was Liangcha.
Liangcha didn't carry any special meaning. She just liked drinking herbal tea, and the name was easy to remember.
"Thank you for your concern, Chief. I've loved reading these kinds of story magazines since I was a kid. I always regretted not having the writing talent to contribute myself, but getting to be an editor here is like a dream come true."
"Haha, don't be discouraged, Xiaoyu. You don't need writing talent. As long as you can judge a good story, you're valuable."
"By the way, Xiaoyu, have you received any good submissions lately?"
The Chief Editor gave her a warm, managerial smile and asked a few more questions.
"I have received a few over the last few days. But I wasn't very confident in them, so I offered the base rate, fifty per thousand characters. But don't worry, Chief. I'll keep reading and collecting as much as I can and try to find some real gems."
"Good, good! That's the spirit. But Xiaoyu, you should also be bold when acquiring manuscripts. Whether it's fifty, a hundred, or even five hundred per thousand words, you can accept them all. I know funds are tight, but we do still have a budget for purchasing stories. So don't be afraid. Be bold, trust your instincts. If a story feels good, feels powerful, feels like it could sell, then go for it."
"Thank you, Chief."
"No need to thank me. I just hope you can learn a lot in the next few months. Alright, everyone, that's it for today's meeting. Dismissed."
Closing his notebook, Zhou Qing ended the meeting.
At the same time, Midnight Talk officially finalized its 300th issue.
Among the stories chosen, there was one that Dong Xiaoyu mentioned, called 'Strange Tales: Biting a Ghost'.
But because she didn't have much confidence in it, and it was submitted by a new author with no name recognition, and also because it was a short story, 'Strange Tales: Biting a Ghost' ended up placed at the very end of the magazine, in the least noticeable position.
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