CH: 10 Agreement

10. Agreement

After the 4 CEOs of the large publishing house reached an agreement, they did not raise the conditions again as they felt it was already the bottom line.

"Mr. Henry, our HarperCollins offers you our best publicity in the United States and the best channel. I already did research that most of your audience is from the United States. If you choose us, we guarantee the best publicity in the US that no other can provide. 46% of royalties are our maximum offers,"

George confidently states his condition, knowing that Henry's primary readership resides in the United States. HarperCollins boasts unrivaled influence in the US, supported by the Murdoch News Group. Moreover, their extensive international network ensures widespread distribution, even in non-English-speaking countries, allowing them to reach audiences across the globe.

"HacheteLivre can provide you with the best publicity in France and Europe. We can help you expand your reader base to Europe as Europe markets no less than the United States. 45% too is our maximum."

Macmillan and Simon & Schuster don't raise conditions anymore as their influence both loss to HarperCollins and HacheteLivre so they don't bother raising the condition.

Henry then remained silent for a while as he contemplated the conditions raised by HarperCollins and HacheteLivre. George Lucas and the CEO of HacheteLivre are silent too as they know Henry must choose between two of them.

Henry then thinks about pros and cons if he chooses one of them. Finally, after 10 minutes, Henry makes his decision.

"Mr. Martin, I'm sorry, as Mr. George said, "My reader base is in the United States, and they could still reach out across the globe so I choose HarperCollins."

When George heard that, he was grinning as he already knew this would happen.

Henry does not blindly make this decision. This decision is based on various reasons, like first, like George said, his majority reader is from the United States. HarperCollins' influence in the United States is the best compared to the rest of the publishing house as they are backed by Murdoch News Group.

Henry's decision not to choose HachetteLivre stems from his strategic focus on consolidating his reputation in the United States, where he primarily resides. While HachetteLivre may offer competitive terms, Henry's priority is to establish himself firmly in his home country before expanding his reach to distant Europe.

As for why Henry doesn't establish his own publishing house to reap all the benefits alone, the answer lies in the considerable effort and reputation required to build such an enterprise. Creating a publishing house would entail significant investment and could potentially alienate existing major players in the industry. Moreover, Henry's main focus lies elsewhere, as the returns from the literature industry are only a fraction of what he anticipates making in the future. Therefore, rather than committing fully to the literature industry, Henry seeks to strike a balance that satisfies all parties involved.

"It's a wise decision, Mr. Henry. Here is the contract; you can check it first," George said with a chuckle as he handed over the prepared document. Henry carefully reviewed the contract to ensure there were no hidden traps or legal loopholes. Satisfied with its terms, he signed the contract and shook hands with George.

"It seems you've won this round, George," remarked Martin Abel, patting George Lucas on the back.

"Haha, indeed. Perhaps it'll be your turn next time," George replied, feeling a sense of pride in securing a deal with such a talented author. After discussing various aspects of the upcoming books for around 30 minutes, George and the others left the conference room, leaving Henry alone to contemplate the day's events.

For Henry, this was just a minor task easily resolved. While he could have maximized his benefits by handling it himself, he recognized that his current plans demanded his energy for the long term. With that in mind, he headed off to his computer science class, ready to tackle the next challenge of the day.

---

The news of Henry being visited by numerous CEOs of publishing houses spread like wildfire throughout Harvard, sparking envy and resentment among some, while others clamored for his attention and sought his autograph.

Henry's aura now dazzled with an unprecedented intensity, solidifying his reputation as a super-rich, talented author, genius intellect, and strikingly handsome teenager among the Harvard community and beyond.

With his newfound fame, Henry found himself inundated with attention from admirers, particularly from hopeful girls vying for his affection. Even his everyday activities, like morning exercises, attracted a crowd of onlookers, leaving Henry feeling somewhat restricted by the sudden surge in attention.

Immersed in the depths of the Harvard library for the following week, Henry delved into a myriad of subjects, absorbing knowledge with an insatiable thirst. From physics to mathematics, chemistry to biology, and countless other advanced fields, Henry's intellect soared to unprecedented heights.

Having transmigrated to 1973, Henry's intelligence had ascended to an unparalleled level. If his IQ in his previous life was a modest 120, it now rivaled that of Tony Stark, reaching at least 180, if not higher by his own estimation.

But it wasn't just about numbers; the nature of intelligence on this Earth was vastly different from that in the Marvel universe. Henry effortlessly grasped complex concepts and theories, synthesizing them with his own insights to deepen his understanding further.

With each new discovery, Henry's excitement grew, realizing that his future held boundless possibilities. He was determined not to squander his intellect for mere financial gain; instead, he saw greater purposes awaiting him, ones that could shape the course of history.

Even if you have all the money in the world, it can never be compared to life. Henry ambitiously wants to develop something like a life serum to expand his lifespan. One thing Osborn was more genius than anyone else was genetics.

Norman himself was a genius in genetics and several other areas of study; however, the old Norman only used his intellect for the direction of Oscorp leaving aside everything else.

An action too stupid, and now that he was in his body and had that knowledge and ability, he would surely make better use of it.

After all, he was a genius, he was only 18 years old when he graduated from college, he had taken a degree in genetics and electrical engineering and only two years later he got both master's degrees and his achievements did not end there, at the age of 22 he created his own company and in only 4 years he managed to position it as an equal to companies that had a long history as was the case of Stark Industries.

His own intelligence seemed to have increased; possibly he would have the same capacity as the old Norman.

Something he was truly happy about, not saying that he was an idiot, but he knew that compared to the Marvel geniuses it was possible that he could only be considered as a normal person and despite how reluctant he could be he had to admit that Norman was intelligent maybe not at the level of Tony Stark, Hank Pym, or Reed Richards, but he was, and he would make good use of that intelligence.

His new intellect filled him with hope, driving him to study diligently. If all unfolds as planned, he envisions developing superior technology compared to what existed when he initially arrived, back in 2030.

In his mind's eye, he can already visualize groundbreaking technologies materializing at his fingertips: a Space Elevator, True Artificial Intelligence, Life Serum, Super Soldier Serum, and an array of other advanced innovations. However, despite his brilliance, he recognizes that he cannot accomplish this alone; he acknowledges the necessity of collaboration and assistance from others. Thus, after some time, he intends to officially launch his plan, which he believes will propel him toward his ultimate goal.