Chapter 15

Now all speculations and assumptions are false. No one has the right to speak until they have seen the real work. For a writer, the work is the most important thing. Even if they have messed up before, as long as they can write a good work, people will not demand too much.

  No matter how much netizens discuss, Lin Han's attitude is clear. If you want to criticize me, go buy the book first and see the content before making any judgments. Everything will be revealed when the magazine is released on the 20th.

  The incident of the pseudonym leak seems to have not had much impact on Lin Han. On the contrary, it has increased people's curiosity about how Lin Han, a failed person in the film industry, can write about a rural teacher in a science fiction context.

  The editors who have read the novel are naturally very happy. Originally, there were no science fiction gods publishing in this issue of the magazine, and they thought the sales would decrease. But with Lin Han as the new force, it is possible to increase the sales.

  There is no lack of attention, no lack of quality. This is obviously very advantageous for the sales. Everyone is waiting for October 20th to come. Magazine sales are usually in advance, so the latest edition for the next month can be bought after the 20th of this month.

  The November issue will be available nationwide after October 20th, and it doesn't really need to wait until November 1st. This is naturally more comfortable for the readers.

  In the blink of an eye, it was already past five in the afternoon. Lin Han touched his slightly flat stomach. He needed to treat his five viscera temple.

  But when he opened the refrigerator, he realized that the vegetables he bought the day before yesterday were almost all eaten up, with only a few eggs left on the shelf.

  "I need to buy groceries again. When will this manuscript fee come?"

  Being in a state of sitting around and doing nothing, he was now carefully managing his finances. Although the over 8,000 yuan manuscript fee had already arrived, it was still not enough for him to pay the rent. Would he really have to move out of this place?

  As he was considering whether or not to find a new place to live, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.

  Closing the refrigerator door, Lin Han furrowed his eyebrows and thought, who could be looking for him at this time? He didn't have many friends and his neighbors were not friendly. It couldn't be a door-to-door salesman, right? They were too polite for that.

  However, when he opened the door, a familiar smiling face appeared before him, "Surprise!"

  If special effects could be added, there would definitely be a few black question marks floating above Lin Han's head. What's going on?

  With two suitcases in tow, Chen Jiaxuan stood lively at the door, smiling and saying, "What do you think? Surprised enough?"

  "Not surprised, more startled. What are you doing?" Lin Han asked.

  "Don't worry, I'm not here to crash at your place. I'm moving, and from now on, we'll be neighbors across the street." Chen Jiaxuan pointed to the open door across the street and made it clear.

  Just when everything was fine, now she suddenly moved across the street. Lin Han felt like his heart was as clear as a mirror. What was so good about him that he was worth being cherished and protected like this?

  Without asking why she moved over, Lin Han glanced at the suitcases in front of him and directly picked them up, saying, "Let me put them inside for you. The environment in this neighborhood is pretty good. You should like it here."

  Seeing Lin Han's back, Chen Jiaxuan's face revealed a smile. There was no ice that couldn't melt in the world. The closer one gets to the water's edge, the better the view of the moon. She was confident she could win him over.

  Chen Jiaxuan's apartment had the same layout as Lin Han's, a small one-bedroom unit. It looked compact and warm. But there were several messy boxes and no cleanliness inside the room. There were some bags on the sofa, luckily there were no private clothes lying around.

  "It's almost dinner time now, otherwise we could go out and eat something together, consider it a celebration for my manuscript fee and my official transition to being an author."

  "Really? How much did you earn? I thought you were just bragging. I was actually thinking of coming over to supervise you." Chen Jiaxuan was not familiar with how the magazine paid its authors. Although she knew that some people online had exposed that Lin Han published novels under a pen name, she didn't expect it to earn much money.

  In the eyes of this big agent, money seemed to be just a number. After all, she had several famous artists under her management, and an endorsement fee could be several million or even tens of millions.

  Looking at Chen Jiaxuan's excited expression, Lin Han inexplicably felt a sense of accomplishment. He smiled and spread his hands, saying, "20,000 words, sold for 10,000 yuan, but after deducting taxes, it's just over 1,000 yuan. But it's enough for us to eat out, and I'll treat you to a big meal when the novel is officially published."

  "You got taxed over 1,000 yuan for earning 10,000 yuan? That's terrifying!" Chen Jiaxuan pulled at the corners of her mouth. She didn't have high expectations for Lin Han, who had just entered the world of novel writing. This 10,000 yuan was already a pleasant surprise.

  "Don't worry, once I make more money in the future, you will find that the tax rate is lower than your personal income tax. What do you want to eat? There are many places to eat around the neighborhood, Chinese, Western, hot pot, barbecue, there's everything."

  Chen Jiaxuan glared at Lin Han, "You've only earned 10,000 yuan, so let's just eat at home. Let's buy some groceries and a couple cans of beer."

  She was not a fussy person and understood that Lin Han's financial situation was not optimistic. She straightforwardly made the proposal. Chen Jiaxuan, as a big agent, had a considerable net worth. With her artists earning money, she could also get a percentage. Although she wasn't a blood-sucking agent, she had been able to buy a house in Yanjing in the past two years.

  Hearing this, Lin Han had already prepared himself to be taken advantage of, but he didn't expect Chen Jiaxuan to be so considerate. He smiled and said, "Then let's go to the supermarket and buy some groceries. My cooking skills aren't great, but I can manage."

  "To prevent you from ruining dinner, let me be the chef. How about trying my specialty, braised lion's head meatballs?"

  "Of course, I didn't know you could cook." Lin Han teasingly said.

  Chen Jiaxuan rolled her eyes at Lin Han, speechless. "I'm usually with the artists. Where do I have time to eat slowly? We usually order takeout or have the housekeeper cook."

  Being an agent was also a busy profession, requiring 24-hour availability to handle all sorts of things. They had to personally take care of every detail, not only fighting for good roles and good pay, but also getting better publicity.

  Negotiating, listening, firefighting, and speaking all had to be done by the agent. They not only managed things, but also people and money. Every day, waking up was a new battle.

  After closing the door, Chen Jiaxuan picked up a small bag and the two of them walked towards the supermarket outside the community. It was the end of the work day, so there were quite a few customers coming and going in the supermarket.

  They pushed the shopping cart side by side in the agricultural and sideline products area, carefully selecting their groceries. They seemed to have a tacit understanding, blending in perfectly with the surrounding environment, just like an ordinary family.