1RomanceEB 4: Manuscript of "Chinese in Beijing in New York"
4: Manuscript of "Chinese in Beijing in New York"
After Han Wen finished calling his mother, he grinned as he paid the phone bill, his mouth agape, clearly heartbroken.
He accidentally spent more than ten yuan, which is equivalent to his mother's daily wage, which is simply outrageous.
I've decided to call my mother as little as possible from now on, and just remember to write her letters to let her know I'm safe.
After all, thrift and frugality are virtues, and his mother should understand his good intentions and not be angry.
Back at the shop, Hanwen continued to practice typing on the typewriter.
Just as he was training intently without any distractions, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties and was somewhat overweight walked in.
"Young man, can you type here?" he asked with a smile at Hanwen.
Upon hearing the call, Han Wen looked up and stood up, politely replying, "Sir, do you need typing? What kind of content needs to be printed? May I ask first? If it's not too difficult, then of course it's not a problem."
"A manuscript isn't difficult to produce; you just need to print it out. However, some parts need to be revised and proofread to avoid any mistakes."
Moreover, I urgently need the manuscript. Because I have too many things to do abroad, I can't stay in China for long." As he spoke, the other person took out his manuscript from his bag and handed it to Hanwen: "The manuscript is quite long. Because I need it urgently, many typing companies are hesitant to take it on."
I walked all the way here and only saw that your shop had no customers. So, I took a chance and came in to give it a try.
"Please have a seat," Han Wen said politely as he flipped through the manuscript.
The other person nodded, walked to a stool next to him, sat down, and stared at Han Wen with a somewhat anxious expression.
Han Wencai opened the manuscript in front of him and was completely stunned.
Because the title of this manuscript is actually "A Record of Leaving the Country". Author: Cao Guilin.
With a mix of surprise, doubt, and disbelief, he looked through several pages of the manuscript and finally confirmed that he was not mistaken; the book was indeed the soon-to-be bestseller, "Chinese in New York."
Moreover, with the book's popularity in the market, a TV series was quickly launched, and the TV series of the same name, co-directed by Zheng Xiaolong and Feng Xiaogang, also became a nationwide hit.
This drama not only made the female lead Wang Ji famous, but also made Jiang Wen, who was acting in a TV series for the first time, famous. The two of them won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor and Actress respectively, and also won the Award for Outstanding Long-Form TV Series.
Han Wen hadn't expected his first job to be printing Cao Guilin's manuscript, but he had to take it. However, the thick stack of manuscripts contained quite a few words.
He himself has written quite a few manuscripts, and with a simple estimate, he knows that there are nearly 200,000 words without even having to calculate them.
Han Wen didn't know when the other party would need it or whether he would be able to get it in time.
"Mr. Cao, hello, Professor Cao." Han Wen turned around and looked at Cao Guilin. "I can type up this manuscript. When is the earliest you need it?"
"The sooner the better, I can pay more," Cao Guilin replied. "Young man, tell me, what's the earliest you can get it out?"
"Professor Cao, your manuscript is probably close to 200,000 words long. I estimate that with revisions and proofreading, it will take about a week to type it up," Han Wen replied after making a mental estimate.
"Young man, you're not mistaken, my manuscript is indeed nearly 180,000 words long," Cao Guilin nodded. However, he was pressed for time and couldn't afford to wait: "A week is too long, can it be any faster?"
"I'll put all my other orders aside and focus all my energy on typing this manuscript for you."
"If we print for more than fifteen hours a day, it should be finished in three to four days." Han Wen didn't want to lose this order because it was the prerequisite for him and Cao Guilin to continue doing business together in the future: "Teacher Cao, do you think this timeframe is okay?"
If it's possible, leave the manuscript. If not, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help.
Cao Guilin was also surprised that the time had been shortened by almost half. He found it hard to believe and was overjoyed.
"Young man, are you sure you can do it? Working over ten hours a day at high intensity is no easy task." He was somewhat worried for Han Wen.
Because this young man seemed honest, steady, and a very good person.
"Teacher Cao, don't worry. If I can't do it, I won't take the risk, and I won't agree to it." Han Wen nodded: "If you have no problems, I'll write you a letter of commitment now."
"A commitment letter? Why do you need to write a commitment letter?" Cao Guilin didn't understand.
"I need to promise you some things. For example, I have accepted your manuscript, and I will finish typing it on time, not leak the contents of the manuscript, not lose the original manuscript, and ensure the manuscript is intact..." Han Wen replied with a smile.
He opened the drawer next to him, took out a pen and letter paper, and quickly wrote down what he had just said.
Because he started writing manuscripts in junior high school, his Korean penmanship is very good. The characters are of uniform size, square and neat, and each stroke is precise and well-organized.
He wrote nearly a hundred words in just a few minutes. Then, he signed and sealed the end, took out ink, pressed his fingerprint, and finished in one go.
"Teacher Cao, please take a look. If there are no problems, please accept it. If there is anything missing, please let me know and I will add it." Han Wen handed over the letter of commitment.
Cao Guilin was surprised and impressed that Han Wen, at such a young age, was so disciplined and methodical in his work.
He reached out and took the letter of commitment. After a quick glance, he found it to be comprehensive and without any problems.
"Your name reflects your character, very well. Han Wen, you are a person of principle, methodical in your work, of good character, and highly capable. You will definitely have a bright future," Cao Guilin couldn't help but praise.
"Teacher Cao, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise." Han Wen said modestly, referring to himself as the junior: "I dare to ask for your guidance in the future."
"Okay, if there's an opportunity in the future, there won't be any problem. Alright, I'll accept the letter of commitment."
"Do you have anything else to say? If not, I'll head back." Cao Guilin greatly admired Han Wen, so he didn't stand on ceremony with him any longer.
He's a very busy man and doesn't have time to linger here.
"That's all." Han Wen shook his head: "Teacher Cao, you just need to come and pick up the manuscript at the time agreed in the letter of commitment."
"We'll see when the time comes. If I have time, I'll come and pick it up myself."
"If you don't have time, you can send it to the magazine for me." Cao Guilin replied, "This manuscript was commissioned by the October magazine, and they're in a real hurry."
"But I'm too busy with my own affairs; I simply don't have much time to stay in the country."
"Picking up and delivering manuscripts is one of our services, so that's naturally not a problem," Han Wen nodded in agreement, but then added with a hint of helplessness, "However, I don't have a phone in this shop. If you can't come, how will you notify me?"
"If I haven't arrived by the agreed time, call me." Cao Guilin thought for a moment, then picked up a pen and paper from the table and left his home phone number. "I'll tell you over the phone where to send the manuscript and to whom. Just follow my instructions and don't make any mistakes."
"Okay." Han Wen nodded readily.