Since signing with the Kowloon Commercial Press, Zheng Bai Cheng felt his typing speed was too slow. His dilemma was quickly resolved.
"Xiao Hua, you type really fast, right?" Zheng Bai Cheng asked with a hint of doubt. Could this girl with a weapon be a speed typist?
"Cheng Ge, don't underestimate her. Xiao Hua is a good student in our school, although her grades are average, she types very fast," Xiao Fen said, a little unhappy. Feeling her friend was being disrespected, she stepped in to defend her.
"Okay, okay, let Xiao Hua give it a try. If she can handle it, we'll make her a permanent employee and give her a raise, a base salary of five hundred dollars a month."
Xiao Fen was also happy. Her current salary was three hundred dollars, and with bonuses, she could reach five hundred. She was naturally thrilled for her friend, who had a good boss.
With Xiao Hua's typing, Zheng Bai Cheng's writing speed increased significantly. What used to take him half a month to complete ten thousand words, now only took five days. When Li, the editor-in-chief, heard the news, he personally visited and reviewed the manuscript.
"Sharp, young man, you're incredible."
After reading it, Li took a receipt and asked Zheng Bai Cheng to sign it. He then handed Zheng Bai Cheng a check for six thousand Hong Kong dollars. Za Huo Qiang watched from the side with a big smile.
His adopted son was truly remarkable, not letting fame go to his head. He remained the same, which made Za Huo Qiang extremely happy.
Xiao Hua and Xiao Fen, naturally, were also delighted. They were the first to hear the novel, so to speak, due to their proximity.
"Li, when will this be published?"
"About five days."
"Li, can we get one hundred copies to sell here? My neighbors also buy newspapers here."
"Okay, okay, no problem."
In the following days, Zheng Bai Cheng opened an account at HSBC and deposited the check. He returned to his simple yet fulfilling daily routine.
He dictated, and Xiao Hua typed.
Recently, Zheng Bai Cheng became obsessed with listening to English radio. This baffled Za Huo Qiang, "You're listening to this bird language, why? Are you planning to go to university?"
"No, I just want to learn, it's always good to have skills."
Za Huo Qiang grumbled and ignored him, going straight to fish. The two girls listened to Zheng Bai Cheng listening to English, occasionally imitating the London accent from the radio.
"Cheng Ge, why are you learning English?"
Zheng Bai Cheng replied, "It's good to have skills, you never know when you might need it. There are so many Hong Kong gweilo."
One morning, Li Cheng Long suddenly came over, delivering one hundred copies of the newspaper. "Ah Cheng, here are the newspapers, one hundred copies. Your story is published, well-written."
"Thank you for the compliment."
In the morning, some workers came over, bought breakfast, and then bought a newspaper to take back. They flipped directly to the novel section. It was the first publication, so the novel was longer, about ten thousand words. The neighbor held the newspaper, ate breakfast, and read at the same time. His actions caught the attention of others who were buying breakfast, sparking their curiosity. They wanted to take a look.
"Hey, don't bother me, go buy a newspaper over there!"
"Damn it, don't be so irritable. Ah Cheng, give me a newspaper."
Soon, within a short time, twenty newspapers were sold. Each newspaper cost five cents, totaling ten Hong Kong dollars. Seeing how quickly the newspapers were selling, he kept a few copies aside, planning to send them to the char siu and roast meat shops later. He left two copies on the table for customers to read while eating.
As expected, his instincts were right. The remaining newspapers quickly sold out, and the ones he left were already occupied.
"Young man, you are amazing!" An older neighbor, after finishing the newspaper, gave a thumbs-up, saying, "You're the new Cha Sheng."
Many other customers were also there and said, "Yeah, the story is so good!"
"Ah Cheng, ask the newspaper to deliver more tomorrow! Not enough for everyone."
"No problem, no problem!" He could only smile sheepishly. At that moment, Za Huo Qiang returned with a bucket, seeing so many people, he curiously asked, "What's going on?"
"Old man, my story is published, they came to see it!"
"Oh, it's published? Good, good. Let me see it!"
…
When preparing for lunch, Zheng Bai Cheng sent the newspapers to the char siu and roast meat shops. They naturally picked them up and started reading, asking their employees to cover them for a bit. With ten thousand words, they finished reading quickly. They were martial arts novel enthusiasts, so naturally, they were very appreciative.
"Ah Cheng, amazing!"
The ink on the newspaper was smudged, leaving their hands oily, so they naturally needed to wash them. But their praise was genuine.
However, around noon, the already busy general store became even busier. This time, most of the customers were book lovers. They ordered a two-dish lunch and stood or squatted around, eating and chatting with Zheng Bai Cheng about the novel.
"Neighbors, I can't spoil it, otherwise, it won't be fresh or mysterious, and your anticipation will be diminished. I'll write the book as soon as possible."
Zheng Bai Cheng's calm and humble personality appealed to the neighbors, who understood his point. After finishing their meal, they said goodbye.
"Ah Cheng, your two-dish lunch is so delicious, I'll come back often."
"Thank you!"
"Ah Cheng, save me a newspaper for tomorrow. And tell them to send more, I was halfway through reading when someone snatched it away…"
"They have some, I'll definitely ask them to send some over."
"Ah Cheng…"
…
In the past few days, Zheng Bai Cheng and his novel became the most talked-about topic in the neighborhood. It was no less exciting than if one of their neighbors had been accepted to the University of Hong Kong, filling them with excitement as if they had written and published their own book, boasting endlessly.
With their spread, the general store became known as the "general store of talent," and the "general store prodigy" was a playful term for Zheng Bai Cheng.
Along with this, Kowloon Commercial Press's sales went from barely able to maintain basic operations to profitable, and highly profitable. Ads increased significantly, prompting Li, the editor-in-chief, to call his nephew over.
"Ah Long, from now on, the collection of manuscripts will be your responsibility too."
Li Cheng Long immediately understood that his uncle wanted him to build a good relationship with the writer.