NABC Chapter 84: A New Novel Being Serialized
Chapter 84: A New Novel Being Serialized
Early summer in Hong Kong always carries a sticky, humid heat. The wind carries the sweet aroma of dessert shops on the streets of Causeway Bay, as well as the salty smell of the sea, lingering and enveloping the hurried passersby.
Lin Zhou sat in a chair in a teahouse, a cigar between his fingers but not lit, his gaze falling on Su Wanqing, who was looking down at a magazine beside him.
The two have been in a relationship for over a month, and their days are like warm water soaked in honey—unhurried yet sweet in every way.
Today, Su Wanqing wore a moon-white cheongsam, the hem of which just passed her knees, revealing a section of her fair and slender calves. She wore a pair of beige high heels, and walking in the crowd, she always looked like a graceful white lotus. She was engrossed in reading, her slender fingers gently twirling the pages of the magazine, a faint smile on her lips. Sunlight fell on the tips of her hair, gilding them with a soft golden edge.
"Looking at that fashion magazine again?" Lin Zhou turned to the side, his arm naturally resting on the back of her chair, his fingertips brushing against her shoulder with a hint of tentative intimacy.
Su Wanqing raised her eyes and glared at him, but there was no hint of reproach in her eyes. Instead, she smiled and said, "Don't laugh at me. Now all the female workers at Zhonghua are starting to dress up. I have to check out the latest styles so that the tailors in the clothing stores can make some new clothes."
Lin Zhou chuckled softly and reached out to embrace her waist. His hand touched the delicate fabric beneath the cheongsam, and through the thin layer of clothing, he could feel the softness and slenderness of her waist.
Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she leaned closer to him and handed him the magazine: "Look, isn't this style beautiful? I'll make one for myself when I have some free time in a few days."
"You look good," Lin Zhou's gaze fell on the magazine, but he didn't really pay attention to it. He only felt that the person next to him was a thousand times more beautiful than the model in the magazine. "You look good in anything."
Su Wanqing's ears burned from his straightforward praise, and she lightly punched him: "You're just being cheeky."
The two made plans to go to the movies today.
In the late 1960s, the Hong Kong film industry was still dominated by Cantonese feature films. The screen was filled with stories of love and heartbreak between talented men and beautiful women, and tales of chivalrous heroes and their feuds. Lin Zhou knew these plots by heart. But since Su Wanqing liked them, he was willing to accompany her.
When they came out of the cinema in Causeway Bay, it was already dusk, and the neon lights along the street lit up one after another, dyeing the night with colorful lights. Su Wanqing was still enthusiastically discussing the plot of the movie, but Lin Zhou didn't listen much. He just took advantage of the cover of the night to quietly hold her hand.
Her hands were soft and delicate, with a slight coolness at the fingertips. The moment he grasped them, they trembled slightly, but then she obediently let him hold them.
Lin Zhou felt a ticklish sensation in his heart, as if gently brushed by a feather. He couldn't help but tighten his grip, then took advantage of the situation and pulled her closer to him. He put his other arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Wanqing, want to come to my place for dinner tonight?"
Su Wanqing paused, her cheeks flushed like the sunset, and muttered softly, "No, the food your auntie makes is too greasy."
Despite saying she wouldn't go, she still followed Lin Zhou towards the parking lot.
Lin Zhou chuckled and whispered in her ear, "Then I'll cook it for you myself? I recently learned how to make steamed grouper, I guarantee it won't be greasy."
Su Wanqing was moved by his words, looked up at him, met his smiling eyes, and finally nodded.
Their days of dating, shopping, and watching movies had become the norm. For Yu Linzhou, the movies were boring, but having a beautiful woman by his side, being able to openly put his arm around her waist, touch her hand, and occasionally steal a light kiss on her cheek in the dim light, was enough to make him content.
If he were bolder, he might have been able to go even further, but Lin Zhou always knew how to proceed step by step and did not want to displease her.
In these days filled with romance and family affection, Lin Zhou didn't completely neglect his career. However, compared to doing everything himself in the past, he was much more relaxed now.
Zhonghua Industrial Park was already running smoothly. From the handheld game console assembly line to the air fryer assembly workshop, each department had experienced supervisors and managers overseeing everything, each performing their duties efficiently and in an orderly manner. Not to mention, there was also General Manager Su Wanqing overseeing the overall situation. She was exceptionally intelligent and hardworking, and in just a few months, she had managed the large industrial park perfectly. From raw material procurement to product sales, she knew every step by heart, so Lin Zhou didn't need to keep a close eye on things at all times.
Therefore, Lin Zhou devoted more of his energy to the Zhonghua Daily.
That morning, Lin Zhou drove to the office building of Zhonghua Daily. As soon as he entered the editorial department, he heard a lively discussion. The layout editors were gathered together, holding sample copies of the newspaper, arguing heatedly, while reporters were hunched over their desks, the sound of keyboards clicking incessantly.
Editor-in-Chief Chen Jingzhi, with his sharp eyes, spotted Lin Zhou immediately and hurried over, his face beaming with barely suppressed joy: "President Lin, you've finally arrived!"
Lin Zhou raised an eyebrow, looking at his radiant face, and smiled, "Editor-in-Chief Chen, judging from your expression, do you have some good news?"
"This is more than just good news!" Chen Jingzhi rubbed his hands excitedly, handing the newspaper to Lin Zhou and pointing to the serialized section. "Look, the sales of 'The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty' have been soaring these past few days!"
Lin Zhou glanced down at the circulation statistics in the corner of the newspaper, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.
Since the workers' strike in Hong Kong subsided, the sales of the Zhonghua Daily have gradually stabilized. With the finale of "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" approaching, readers' enthusiasm has been completely ignited. The newspaper's phone lines have been ringing off the hook with readers urging for more updates, and many booksellers have also approached the office to discuss publishing the novel as a standalone book.
"Is the final draft all formatted?" Lin Zhou asked.
"Everything's ready!" Chen Jingzhi patted his chest and said, "Just waiting for the next issue, it'll be published on time!"
He paused, then, as if remembering something, his smile deepened: "By the way, Mr. Lin, that book you sent last time, *Zhu Xian*, we're already preparing to start serializing it! You didn't see it, but I just took it out yesterday, and the editorial staff were practically fighting over it, every single one of them was raving about it! I guarantee, this book's popularity will absolutely not be less than *Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty* and *A Step into the Past*!"
Lin Zhou smiled faintly upon hearing this.
Even before Chen Jingzhi asked him to urge him to finish the manuscript, he had anticipated that the newspaper's sales might fluctuate after the completion of "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty". Therefore, he prepared the manuscript of "Zhu Xian" in advance and sent it to Chen Jingzhi.
He still remembered how distraught Chen Jingzhi was when he received the first dozen or so chapters of "Zhu Xian." Chen Jingzhi had only read the beginning, but he couldn't take his eyes off it. He read from morning till afternoon, even forgetting to eat lunch. After reading the last word, he slammed his hand on the table, stood up, his voice trembling with excitement, and exclaimed, "Brilliant!" "This masterpiece will surely become a classic!" He immediately decided that once "The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty" was finished, he would start serializing "Zhu Xian."
Now, "Zhu Xian" is ready to begin serialization. We're just waiting for the end of "Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty". Judging from Chen Jingzhi's excited appearance, the readers' reaction must be quite good.
Lin Zhou walked to the window, pushed it open, and the wind blew in from outside, disturbing the fresh scent of ink in the room and bringing with it a touch of the vibrant life of this era.