Chapter 3, The Beginning of a New School of Martial Arts
Mi Hu, you are responsible for contacting the author, clarifying the situation, confirming their identity, and then hearing their thoughts. Xiao Tang, you are in charge of writing the promotional copy. Zhou Daoran glanced at Editor Kuang and continued: "The promotion will be divided into two waves, before and after the article. The first wave should not create too much noise; the focus is on deliberately guiding the concept of 'New Wuxia.' After assessing the response, we will proceed with the second wave of promotion. Do you understand?"
For these experienced editors, the source from which the manuscript is reviewed has little impact on the final judgment. The white sheets of paper flutter into each editor's hands like snowflakes, and the office immediately falls silent
Indeed, there is often a secondary male character, whose inevitable action is to deliver a punch to the male protagonist's chin, accompanied by the line, "XX or XXX is a kind and innocent girl; if you dare to harm her again, I assure you I will not let you off."
"Senior brother, do you think this author can achieve it?" Mi Hu seemed to ask inquiringly.
Request for Chapter 7
The points made by Editor Kuang just now are indeed correct; however, they are somewhat general. Those assertions apply to every novel, especially the currently popular genres of youth pain and melancholy. In our traditional thinking and concepts, martial arts novels are merely about fighting and killing. However, this piece "The Dragon and Tiger Chronicles" begins to introduce something new, showcasing an ambition to treat martial arts novels as serious literature. I wonder if any of the senior brothers and sisters share this sentiment?" Mi Hu delivered a lengthy discourse, ultimately not forgetting to pose a question to everyone.
Upon hearing that the discussion was not about the author's departure, everyone let out a sigh of relief, and the tense atmosphere finally eased. One of the editors suggested, "Let's each take a look at the book and distribute the manuscripts."
This manuscript indeed has its unique qualities; however, it is still too early to establish a school of thought. Mi Hu, you should have read the manuscript by now, and I believe you have also noticed that the traces of imitation of the old-school martial arts style are quite pronounced in this work.
Zhou Daoran's lack of response to everyone's reaction only caused Mi Hu's smile to gradually spread across her face, as expected, "This is exactly the effect I wanted."
"What a pretender." Mi Hu silently cursed in his heart
Is that so? Editor-in-Chief Kuang smiled and looked at Mi Hu, saying, "What about your previous book, 'Migratory Birds'?"
I see now
Where is Chapter 8
A magnificent strike
After reading the manuscript, Mi Hu smiled at the editor-in-chief, who was still pretending to be calm. Zhou Daoran's composure was indeed remarkable; he cast a glance at Mi Hu and surprisingly remained unperturbed, playing with his ring as if he were completely detached from the situation.
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I agree with Mi Hu's statement. Over the past month, I have received nearly a hundred submissions in my inbox, with ninety percent centered around youth themes. The stories are overwhelmingly filled with sadness and pain, featuring male protagonists who are all strikingly handsome and come from noble backgrounds, while the female protagonists are mostly from humble origins, true Cinderella figures. However, they are generally self-reliant, often throwing a stack of money at the male lead, questioning him, "Do you think your little money allows you to trample on others' dignity?" They express their displeasure by slapping the cool and arrogant male lead a few times. Strangely, these rebellious male leads are all masochists; after being hit, they immediately become interested in the female lead and find themselves unable to extricate themselves. Another editor jokingly remarked, and before he could finish, the other editors were already nodding in agreement.
I will not discuss this book for now, but I would like to present some data. The statistics from last year, which everyone should be aware of, indicate that our "Great Jianghu" has seen a decline in market share of nearly 15%. Meanwhile, the share of "Ding Novel" has increased by 10%, reaching approximately 63%. Over the past three months, the situation has continued to deteriorate, and "Ding Novel" has essentially solidified its dominant position in the youth literature sector. As for our "Great Jianghu," it may need to be renamed "Little Jianghu." Last week, during a meeting at the headquarters, Mr. Bo made it very clear that if the situation does not improve this year, we may have to part ways in the Jianghu.
"Migratory Birds" is Mi Hu's debut work, and it is also her most renowned piece. She completed this book at the age of fifteen, but instead of capitalizing on her success, she transitioned to a career in editing, occasionally writing some critical pieces. At this point, Editor-in-Chief Kuang suddenly mentioned that this book is undoubtedly a very powerful rebuttal
Then let's do it, get to work
For these well-read editors, it is truly a rare occurrence to come across a book that makes them eager to read it immediately
This is how it is: Mi Hu handed me a manuscript today, "Zhou Daoran said, raising the manuscript in his hand, 'It's a novella in the martial arts genre. You all take a look at it first, and then share your thoughts.'"
After the initial chaos, everyone took what they needed, and the scene quieted down once again
The discussion on the manuscript quickly turned into a roast session. The editor-in-chief, Zhou Daoran, finally broke his silence, cleared his throat, and said: "We have digressed. Although I find this quite enjoyable, we have strayed off topic. Let's steer our thoughts back."
Understood. Everyone responded in unison.
Sigh...
As everyone becomes increasingly immersed in the storyline of hetushu.com, there are constant sighs and exclamations, leaving one to wonder whether they are lamenting the characters within the story or expressing their feelings about the story itself
Half an hour later, an editor suddenly exclaimed this sentence. As soon as the words fell, the other editors responded in unison
Where is the grand finale, please give it to me!
I have a question, "Mi Hu has complete confidence in this manuscript, and naturally, after hearing Editor Kuang's evaluation, she has something to say. "I just want to ask everyone, have you ever read a martial arts novel like this before?" She deliberately emphasized the words 'martial arts,' and naturally, no one responded.
What the senior brother said makes a lot of sense, however...
Mi Hu, however, was not hit. She met the gaze of Editor-in-Chief Kuang and said, "That is my work from two years ago. By discussing a topic now using a work from two years ago, isn't that proving my point from another perspective?"
The editor-in-chief holds the final decision-making authority, and since he has stated this, "The Dragon and Tiger Journal" must be given a strong push forward
Ah, how could this happen
I want Chapter 10
Editor-in-Chief Zhou sat at the head of the meeting, his expression as calm as water. The various editors and a group of managing editors sat quietly in their seats, not daring to make a sound.
Editor Kuang was momentarily taken aback, hesitating and unable to articulate a response. At this point in the discussion, Chief Editor Zhou Daoran finally stepped in to take charge of the situation
For these writers, straying off-topic during meetings has become a common occurrence. However, they also have experience turning birthday parties into topic discussions. Editor-in-Chief Kuang was the first to steer the conversation back on track, stating: "Everyone's criticisms are valid, but have we considered why these things are popular?" After a brief pause, Editor-in-Chief Kuang added: "The market, because these things have a market mhetushucomcom"
The conference room was so quiet that even the sound of a heartbeat could be clearly heard. It is indeed disheartening to witness such a day for the once-glorious "The Great Jianghu"
I have listened to everyone's opinions, all of which were excellent, and I would like to summarize in two sentences. Upon hearing the editor-in-chief speak, everyone immediately fell silent and collectively focused their attention.
Everyone, please do not make the atmosphere so tense; today is just an ordinary topic selection meeting," Editor-in-Chief Zhou said淡淡. These leaders always seem to forget one thing: it is clearly they who have created this atmosphere, yet they pretend to comfort everyone.
After listening to the editor's speech, Mi Hu immediately nodded in agreement, while Lao Kuang shook his head and countered: "In martial arts, the word 'martial' is essential. If you look at the entire story, the fight scenes are very clichéd and rigid. As for the main focus of the novel—emotional portrayal—there is nothing particularly outstanding in the book, making it seem quite bland."
The typical setting features a cold and wealthy male protagonist, while the female protagonist is a naive and kind-hearted girl. After a series of melodramatic events, the male protagonist discovers the female protagonist's innocence and kindness, ultimately falling in love with her
Moreover, there is usually another wealthy young woman, referred to as the second female lead, who is typically engaged to the male protagonist. She is invariably beautiful in appearance, yet possesses a heart as venomous as a snake, being a woman of extremely poor moral character. She continuously schemes against the female lead, ultimately revealing her vile nature to the male protagonist.
I do not agree with Lao Kuang's viewpoint. Before Mi Hu could finish speaking, another editor was already eager to take over the conversation. While there is indeed an element of imitation, our focus should be on the innovative aspects. As the saying goes, "One must break before one can establish." However, whether in social change or artistic transformation, the basis for this breaking still relies on existing works. This breaking requires a certain degree and should be gradual. This story cannot be said to be particularly brilliant, nor is the emotional portrayal particularly moving, but the new trends reflected within it are worthy of contemplation and exploration, especially the final statement made by the author, which indicates that the author possesses this ambition and intention.
Another classic line is when the male protagonist, in a deeply poignant manner, tells the male second lead or male N lead, "In fact, we have all been changed by XX or XXX"
As creators, we cannot be led by the market; instead, we must lead the market.
This meeting is held in the Moon Conference Room, highlighting its significance
The "Great Jianghu" has a total of seven conference rooms, named Sun, Moon, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, collectively referred to as the Seven Luminaries. The Sun and Moon conference rooms are large conference rooms used for hosting high-level meetings or meetings with a large number of participants. The other five elemental offices can be randomly selected by various departments for topic selection or temporary group meetings.
However, there is no need for everyone to be overly anxious; we will not sit idly by. Many measures are being improved. Additionally, regarding today's draft, my opinion is that if we create a favorable environment, execute the publicity effectively, and provide proper guidance to the author, I believe that the martial arts genre will usher in a brand new era. Even if we do not reach the ideal state, we can at least attract a group of readers.
"In martial arts, chivalry should prevail over skill, with skill serving as an aid. Therefore, the story must be interesting, breaking conventions, embracing inclusivity, and creating a new landscape for martial arts." A young male editor, after reading the manuscript and coming across this note, couldn't help but read it aloud, "Creating a new landscape, that implies establishing a new school of thought, quite a bold statement."
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