AWB Chapter 15 of the serialized novel
Chapter 15 of the serialized novel
The afternoon sun shone through the blinds of the newspaper office, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Lin Zhou sat in the boss's chair, several folders piled up on the desk by the window, the top one being the newspaper's circulation report for the past six months.
He held a black fountain pen between his fingers, his gaze slowly moving across the reports, his brow slightly furrowed. The newspaper's current daily circulation was stable at around 10,000 copies, a figure that only placed it in the lower-middle range of Hong Kong's newspaper market. To gain a foothold in the fiercely competitive environment, and even achieve a breakthrough, the newly revamped newspaper had to deliver sufficiently impressive results.
The three-day free distribution event was a crucial step. Lin Zhou calculated in his mind again: after the free period, if he could stabilize at an average of 20,000 copies per day, that would be a real doubling of performance. If he could reach 30,000 copies, he could not only attract the attention of more GG merchants, but also truly make a name for himself in the Hong Kong newspaper industry.
Thinking of Google, Lin Zhou casually flipped open the folder next to him. Inside were the printing factory's client information and a list of companies that had placed Google ads in newspapers over the years. The thick list included both long-established local Hong Kong businesses and emerging foreign trade companies in recent years.
He flipped through the pages, ticking off the names of companies with stable partnerships and high investment amounts. He already had a preliminary plan in mind: once the circulation of the new newspaper stabilized, he would invite these GG merchants one by one to renegotiate the cooperation contracts.
The new circulation means greater exposure, so GG's pricing will naturally need to be recalculated. And those long-time clients who have supported the newspaper should also be offered more favorable terms for cooperation, since a win-win situation is the only way to go in the long run.
As Lin Zhou finished get off work in the evening, he tidied up the documents on his desk, locked the folder in the drawer, stood up, and stretched, his lumbar spine making a slight "click" sound. After a busy afternoon, his brain had been running at high speed, and now that he was relaxing, he felt quite tired all over.
Arriving at the newspaper office parking lot, he opened the car door and got in. Instead of starting the engine immediately, he leaned back in his seat for a few minutes, his fingertips tracing the steering wheel, his mind still processing the data he'd seen that afternoon. A moment later, he took a deep breath, started the car, and merged into the evening traffic of Hong Kong.
More than half an hour later, Lin Zhou parked his car in his designated parking space in the underground parking garage of his building. He took the elevator upstairs, opened his door, and was greeted only by silence. The curtains in the living room were still drawn, and the light was somewhat dim.
After a busy day, he really didn't feel like going into the kitchen to cook. After hesitating for a moment, Lin Zhou turned around and went into the bedroom, changed into a comfortable casual outfit, and put on a pair of light canvas shoes.
After tidying up quickly, he picked up his keys and went out again, intending to look for a restaurant that suited his taste on the nearby streets.
The streets near the apartment building form the commercial area of the residential district, with restaurants and convenience stores galore. Lin Zhou walked slowly along the sidewalk, the evening breeze carrying a slight chill that dispelled some of his fatigue.
He walked and looked around, passing several exquisitely decorated Western restaurants with few customers, and a few Cantonese restaurants, but he wasn't particularly interested in any of them.
It wasn't until I reached the street corner that I discovered a bustling restaurant, with two or three tables of customers even sitting outside. Was it hot inside?
The restaurant's signboard is made of wood, with the three large characters "鲁菜馆" (Lu Cuisine Restaurant) painted in red, the characters written in a vigorous and powerful style.
The shop wasn't big; from the outside, you could only see the first floor, which was about 80 square meters. The glass window at the entrance had a prominent sign for Shandong cuisine, with dishes like sweet and sour carp, braised pork intestines, braised sea cucumber with scallions, and stir-fried pork kidneys... The familiar names of these dishes instantly piqued Lin Zhou's interest.
He himself prefers the rich and flavorful taste of Shandong cuisine, and he never expected to find a restaurant specializing in Shandong cuisine in Hong Kong. Judging from the number of customers, the taste must be pretty good.
"Sir, how many are in your party?" The waiter at the door greeted Lin Zhou warmly as soon as he stopped.
"One." Lin Zhou nodded in response.
"Please come in, there's a window seat available on the second floor." The waiter led Lin Zhou inside, through the noisy first-floor lobby, and up the narrow stairs to the second floor. The second floor was about the same size as the first floor, but the tables and chairs were arranged more closely together, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of food and the faint scent of wine.
After finding a seat, Lin Zhou was handed a menu. He flipped through a few pages and ordered several classic Shandong dishes: braised sea cucumber with scallions, sweet and sour carp, and stir-fried pork kidneys, plus a side of stir-fried seasonal vegetables and a bowl of rice. The waiter noted down the order and quickly left. Lin Zhou leaned back in his chair, observing his surroundings. He could hear conversations from neighboring tables, most of whom had distinct northern accents. It seemed this restaurant indeed attracted many northerners working in Hong Kong.
Perhaps because there were many customers, the chef was exceptionally efficient. Before long, the dishes were served one after another. The first dish to arrive was braised sea cucumber with scallions. The sea cucumber was soaked to perfection, coated in a rich sauce, and topped with a layer of golden and crispy scallion segments, emitting an irresistible aroma.
Next up is the sweet and sour carp. The whole fish is fried until golden and crispy, with an exquisite shape, as if it is leaping out of the water. It is drizzled with amber-colored sweet and sour sauce, and the sweet and sour aroma goes straight to your nose.
The stir-fried pork kidneys were cooked to perfection; the kidneys were cut evenly and neatly, with no trace of fishiness. Stir-fried with green peppers and wood ear mushrooms, they were crisp, tender, and refreshing, with a savory and delicious flavor. The stir-fried seasonal vegetables were refreshing and helped to balance the richness of the previous dishes.
He ate slowly, savoring the flavor of each dish. He couldn't help but admire the chef of this restaurant. It was truly rare to find someone who could make such authentic Shandong cuisine in Hong Kong.
After finishing his meal, Lin Zhou paid the bill and left the restaurant around nine o'clock. There were fewer pedestrians on the street than before, and the evening breeze was cooler. Instead of going home immediately, he strolled slowly along the street, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Lin Zhou felt a bit chilly, so he turned and headed back towards the building. Back home, he first boiled a kettle of water, then went into the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water washed over his body, washing away his fatigue and the smell of cooking, leaving him feeling refreshed.
After changing into comfortable silk pajamas, Lin Zhou went to the living room and poured himself a glass of warm water. Sitting on the soft sofa, he took a couple of sips of water, his gaze falling on the night view outside the window. The city lights were still dazzling, and the distant skyscrapers stood like silent giants in the night.
Just then, Lin Zhou suddenly remembered something important: the novel that the newspaper was going to serialize.
Thinking of this, Lin Zhou immediately perked up. He got up and walked to the window, carefully drawing the heavy curtains to completely block out the light from outside and any possible prying eyes.
After confirming that the room was completely private, he closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and the next second, he disappeared from the living room.
When Lin Zhou opened his eyes again, he was already inside the spatial house. The familiar white room, simply furnished. This was his biggest secret, and the foundation of his confidence in this world.
Lin Zhou walked to the table, sat down, and opened his laptop. The screen lit up, and he moved the cursor to the novel reading software, double-clicked to open it, and found the massive amount of novel resources he had previously cached. It covered all kinds of genres from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, from martial arts and fantasy to time travel and reincarnation, from film and television to transmigration into books, from fantasy to urban and historical fiction, it had everything.
The readership of new newspapers is mostly ordinary citizens of Hong Kong. It is best to choose novels with tight plots, vivid characters, and easy to resonate with, or fast-paced suspenseful stories.
He swiped the mouse, slowly filtering through the cached novel library. First, he eliminated historical novels with overly complex backgrounds, and then he abandoned fantasy novels with elements of immortals and heroes, which were all slow-burning genres, and the newspaper urgently needed to make a name for itself.
Lin Zhou suddenly remembered the first time-travel TV series he ever filmed, "A Step into the Past," which was about a Hong Kong policeman who traveled to the Warring States period in a time machine. He quickly searched for "A Step into the Past" in the search bar.
Fortunately, it did exist. Lin Zhou opened the novel and quickly browsed the first few chapters. The plot was full of twists and turns, suspense, and easily drew the reader in.
"This is the one." Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction, moved the novel to the desktop, and made appropriate modifications and adjustments to the opening content.
There was no concept of time in this space; outside the window, there was always a swirling white fog. Lin Zhou connected his computer to a small Bluetooth printer, printed out the first ten chapters, then shut down the computer and let out a long sigh of relief.
Looking at the manuscript in his hand, he could almost see readers drawn in by the story, vying to buy the newspaper.
Stretching, Lin Zhou closed his eyes again, and with a thought, returned to the sofa in the living room.
The curtains remained drawn, and the room was quiet except for the ticking of the wall clock. He picked up the warm water on the table, took a sip, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.
Preparations for the new newspaper's launch, the serialization of the novel... everything was progressing smoothly. Although the road ahead was full of unknowns and challenges, Lin Zhou was filled with confidence. He knew that as long as he took one step at a time, he would definitely be able to carve out his own niche in Hong Kong's newspaper market.
After finishing his water, Lin Zhou got up, turned off the living room light, and went into the bedroom. Lying in bed, he didn't fall asleep immediately; his mind was still processing his work plan for the upcoming day.
Once the free distribution event ends and we have the specific distribution data, we should immediately meet with the distributors; after the novel is serialized, we need to pay close attention to reader feedback and adjust the subsequent content accordingly...
As he pondered, fatigue gradually crept in, and Lin Zhou's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Finally, amidst his anticipation of the future, he slowly drifted off to sleep.