Chapter 102: The Job Advertisement

During the final days of May, the scent of football filled the air.

The quadrennial World Cup was just around the corner.

Led by the miraculous Bora Milutinović, the Chinese national football team had made a historic breakthrough and was set to perform on the grand stage of the World Cup finals. The Football Association officials, brimming with lofty ambitions, had issued a directive: the goal for this World Cup was to win one match, draw one, and allow for only one defeat. Across China, football fans and non-fans alike were all talking about the sport.

From May 31st to June 30th, this month-long period marked the duration of the Korea-Japan World Cup.

Zhang Tan liked playing football, but when it came to his passion for the sport, he could only be considered a casual fan—and a rather level-headed one at that. In his previous life, he had witnessed the Chinese team's crushing defeat, knowing they would return home after conceding nine goals without scoring a single one. Thus, even though he didn't recognize a single player on the current national team—who were all new faces to him—Zhang Tan still approached the matches with the utmost pessimism.

That way, if the Chinese team lost, he wouldn't feel frustrated; if they won, it would be a pleasant surprise.

In truth, even watching the games was quite a challenge. The internet cafe was too far away, his own computer's internet speed was too slow, and he often couldn't make it to the cafeteria in time to watch the live television broadcasts due to his classes. During this time, he mostly listened to the games, tuning into the radio commentators shouting things like, "Player X has the ball!", "Player Y clears it with a long kick!", "Player Z shoots! Ah, it goes over the bar!" and so on.

The immense influence of the World Cup radiated across China, filling the entire nation with passion.

Meanwhile, the weather grew warmer day by day, making it perfect for sports.

During breaks at Shuangdun Middle School, countless students could be seen dribbling balls across both the old and new sports fields. Even the small spaces beneath the basketball hoops were taken over by football-playing students.

Some even kicked the ball around in the dormitory courtyard. The loud thuds of the ball in the middle of the day provoked screams and complaints from the girls in the opposite dormitory building.

The louder the girls screamed, the more energized the boys became, wishing they could summon all their strength to kick the ball until it burst.

Zhang Tan, however, wasn't so restless as to play football in the courtyard at noon. In fact, contrary to his usual habits, he rarely went to the sports fields to play lately. Because his ranking had dropped significantly in the midterm exams, he had started paying a bit more attention in class. During his free time, he would return to his rented room to type away, aiming to finish *The Four Great Constables: Gathering in the Capital* by early June.

This would ensure that the publisher in Taiwan could release the second volume of the novel on schedule in July.

The news from Xianxian Culture was highly encouraging. The traditional Chinese character edition of the first volume of *Gathering in the Capital* had an initial print run of thirty thousand copies, followed by an additional print run of another thirty thousand. It had already sold over fifty thousand copies in Taiwan and other regions. The second volume had an initial print run of fifty thousand copies and had already sold over forty thousand.

These numbers were on par with those of established wuxia masters. It could be said that while *The Four Great Constables: Shaking Guandong* had laid the foundation, the publication of *Gathering in the Capital* instantly propelled Zhang Tan into the ranks of these acclaimed masters.

He now enjoyed immense fame among wuxia enthusiasts in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other Chinese-speaking regions, widely hailed as the leading figure of Mainland wuxia.

The stories of the Four Great Constables attracted a legion of fans. Not only did they buy Zhang Tan's books, but they also wrote letters to Xianxian Culture, hoping they would be forwarded to him. Some even went so far as to ask people to purchase copies of *Legends of Past and Present: Wuxia Edition* from the mainland through various channels, hoping to find more news about Zhang Tan inside.

In short, in the field of wuxia fiction, Zhang Tan was beginning to make a name for himself, standing on equal footing with the established masters of Hong Kong and Taiwan, poised to establish his own school of style.

The impact of Zhang Tan's novels naturally did not go unnoticed by those with a keen eye.

Publishers such as Sun Ya Publications and Mustard Seed Garden Publishing House from Hong Kong, as well as Yuan-Liou Publishing and Chung Hwa Book Company from Taiwan, had all contacted Zhang Tan, hoping to secure the rights to his next book. Xianxian Culture had made a fortune from Zhang Tan's two novels, and their growing influence was beginning to draw envious looks from others.

The vast pool of writing talent in the mainland, in particular, made the mouths of Hong Kong and Taiwan publishers water.

Among the overtures from these publishers, Zhang Tan was actually more interested in Sun Ya Publications. This was because Sun Ya's reach extended to most Chinese-speaking regions in Southeast Asia, particularly the numerous Chinese bookstores in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Compared to an established publisher like Sun Ya, Xianxian Culture's distribution channels were far too weak.

Actively expanding his market to ensure his works reached a wider audience aligned perfectly with Zhang Tan's ambitions.

Aside from the active approaches from Hong Kong and Taiwan, mainland publishers had also begun to pay attention to Zhang Tan and his works. Needless to say, Hunan People's Publishing House was among them. Seeing the hot sales of *Shaking Guandong* and the ongoing success of *Gathering in the Capital* in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Wang Guohua had contacted Zhang Tan early on, eager to secure the mainland publishing rights.

In addition, other domestic publishers like Yunnan Publishing House, Chunfeng Literature and Art Publishing House, Nanjing Publishing House, and Flower City Publishing House had also reached out to him.

The terms they offered were all quite favorable.

Compared to the days when his first novel went completely unnoticed, he was now truly enjoying the treatment of a celebrity. In the future era of online literature, he would undoubtedly be considered a top-tier "Great God" author.

As more and more publishers contacted him, Zhang Tan found himself with no time to deal with them all. With one phone call after another, he barely had any time left to write.

Therefore, Zhang Tan decided to find an assistant to handle his publishing affairs.

To find an assistant, Zhang Tan needed to consult with his parents.

Zhang Quanshun and his wife didn't have any good ideas either. They didn't know anyone in the publishing industry, and none of their relatives had the slightest clue about how novels were published. So in the end, it was still up to Zhang Tan to figure out a way to find an assistant with a relevant background and experience.

When it came to finding the right assistant, Zhang Tan was completely in the dark. However, just because he couldn't find one didn't mean others couldn't. He called Wang Conglun directly to ask for his help.

Wang Conglun was very straightforward and agreed on the spot.

The method he chose, however, took Zhang Tan by surprise. Instead of introducing someone directly, he arranged for *Legends of Past and Present: Wuxia Edition* to run an exclusive interview with Zhang Tan, and at the end of the interview, they would include a recruitment notice for his assistant.

Zhang Tan was somewhat speechless at this. "Is it really appropriate to place a recruitment ad in *Legends of Past and Present*?"

"It's fine, we won't charge you for the ad space," Wang Conglun joked before turning serious. "I do know some people in publishing, but after thinking it through, none of them seem quite right to be your assistant. Placing an ad allows you to set your own terms, making it easier to find someone who fits your exact needs."

Since Wang Conglun was willing to do him this favor, Zhang Tan had no reason to decline. He immediately listed his requirements.

Regarding the job requirements: a recent university graduate with a bachelor's degree, some experience in novel publishing, good communication skills, a willingness to learn, bold yet meticulous, diligent, obedient to management, willing to travel for business, and preferably residing in Hefei.

Regarding compensation: a base salary of 2,500 yuan per month, with commissions for every deal closed, and all travel expenses fully reimbursed. Detailed terms would be discussed in person.

Essentially, the assistant Zhang Tan was looking for was more like an agent.

After all, he wasn't just looking at publishing; there were also film and television adaptations, comic adaptations, game adaptations, and many other areas that required an elite professional to handle.

With the recruitment ad settled, the next step was to arrange the exclusive interview for *Legends of Past and Present: Wuxia Edition*, which would satisfy the readers' curiosity about him and provide a preview of his upcoming book.