1994: I Became a Literary Master in America

Chapter 50 The IP Robbery Plan

Hayashi, in general, is no different from the Japanese people in Xu Shengjie's mind.

He is polite and courteous to everyone.

When necessary, he would make an exception and show some flexibility, giving people the impression of being very well-mannered and cheerful.

Yes, even in Chinatown, he was quite popular.

But Kenny Zhang once said: That guy carries a knife, and you never know when he'll pull it out.

Honeyed words concealing a dagger?

That's probably the kind of person I'm talking about.

Therefore, he was not close to the members of the Ghost Shadow Gang.

However, Hua Qing seems to have a very close relationship with him.

That's normal. Huaqing (a Taiwanese youth organization) is closer to Taiwan. What kind of people are Taiwanese? Those who know, know.

They had the kind of relationship where they treated the Japanese like their own fathers, not to mention that Hayashi also had an American identity, making him even more of a father figure.

Before, this guy was at most sarcastic and eccentric.

But during the inspection that night, Xu Shengjie sensed hostility.

Since you're hostile, then I'm sorry, I won't be polite either. The Chinese have a fine tradition of nipping problems in the bud.

With James Huang's influence, handling this matter shouldn't be too difficult.

Of course, Xu Shengjie still needed to find a suitable reason.

It's impossible for James Huang to do whatever he says... It's a favor if someone takes care of you. It's fine if it's something insignificant, but when it comes to personnel changes within the police department, James Huang can't just do what Xu Shengjie says.

Those are puppets!

Xu Shengjie was not qualified to make James Huang his puppet.

……

Julie has something to do today and won't be coming back.

She has an apartment in Midtown, which is about the same size as Xu Shengjie's apartment.

It's just rented!

New York real estate isn't cheap, and Julie's current income level isn't enough for her to own an apartment there.

As for why she doesn't come back?

Xu Shengjie did not inquire about it.

Giving each other some space might help the relationship last longer.

That night, he watched the NBA Finals at home.

The Knicks, missing key players, unsurprisingly lost.

Perhaps exhausted from the previous match, the gorilla was completely outmaneuvered by the Dream and suppressed throughout the entire game.

With Oakley and Stoudemire sidelined due to injuries, Anthony was unable to provide him with sufficient support.

The Knicks lost!

Xu Shengjie was not surprised.

It's like in a past life, the Rockets also won the championship.

The Knicks always seemed to fall just short of the championship, which was a pity considering James Dolan's enormous contributions.

By the way, the Knicks' current owner is none other than James Dolan, that spendthrift son.

It was his father, Charles Dolan.

Xu Shengjie turned off the TV and sat back down at his worktable to continue working.

Around 10 o'clock, Julie called, and the two chatted on the phone for two hours before reluctantly hanging up.

Xu Shengjie didn't continue working. He yawned and went back to his room to sleep.

……

The next day, a rapid ringing of the telephone woke Xu Shengjie from his sleep.

He stumbled out of the bedroom, still half asleep, and grabbed the phone.

The call was from Susanna, who informed Xu Shengjie that she had already contacted Vanessa's agent.

"Come over for dinner tomorrow night, and we'll talk about it in detail."

"OK!"

"Also, I've shortlisted a few suitable agents for you. We'll discuss them tomorrow night, and you can make the decision yourself."

"Thank you, Aunt Susanna."

"Also, there's something else. Do you know Diane?"

"what?"

"Diane English, the producer of Murphy Brown, talked to me about you today."

"I remember now, she was sitting next to me during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on the 15th."

But how did she know about your relationship with me?

"Hehe, she doesn't know."

However, she saw the manuscript of "Buffett" that I had placed on the table, so she asked me how I got it.

Of course I told her, "You're my nephew..." She was very interested and wanted to ask me for the manuscript, but I said I needed to discuss it with you.

"Oh, I see. We chatted for a bit, and I mentioned 'Buffett' as well."

"Smart kid, you've made a very smart decision."

"What do you mean?"

"Recently, ABC's drama division has been discussing the development of new types of dramas."

From what Diane said, she's very interested in the "teen fantasy" theme you suggested; otherwise, she wouldn't have asked me for the manuscript. Jeffrey, could I recommend it? Maybe they'll actually like this story.

"But we haven't found a publisher yet."

Robert said he recommended him to Jason Epstein, but hasn't received a definitive reply yet and expects to have to wait a while longer.

"Then you can tell Robert that ABC is prepared to follow suit."

So, Aunt Susanna, what exactly is your position?

Is he just a screenwriter?

If he were just a screenwriter, why would he speak with such certainty?

But Xu Shengjie didn't say anything more, and instead honestly said, "Okay, I'll talk to Robert about it right away."

If a television station follows up, the publisher's response will also be expedited.

Xu Shengjie and Susan had arranged to visit each other the next day. After hanging up the phone, he glanced at the clock on the wall...

It's 10 a.m.!

I slept a little late last night. Romania lost 1-4 to Switzerland, earning Xu Shengjie 500,000 yuan.

Although he tried his best to appear calm on the phone.

But after getting into bed, the joy of suddenly becoming rich kept him tossing and turning until he finally fell asleep around 2 a.m.

I slept for nearly eight hours.

He yawned, picked up the phone, and dialed Robert's number.

Robert recounted what Susanna had said.

Robert expressed great surprise.

"You're a lucky guy!" Robert Gottlieb laughed on the phone. "If that's the case, it makes things much easier. I'll urge Jason and then talk to the others. Publishers love this kind of work; if a TV station gets involved, it guarantees sales, which will speed things up even further."

Kid, if this book sells over 100,000 copies, it'll be the key to unlocking the doors of the publishing world...

By the way, have you decided on a pen name yet?

Should we use the name Jeffrey, or...?

Xu Shengjie thought for a moment and said, "Sheldon, Sheldon White Lee, I think that's a good name."

"OK, I understand."

As for the meaning of this name?

Robert did not ask.

Writers all have their quirks, and it's Xu Shengjie's right to choose which pen name he wants to use, as long as he continues to create excellent works.

"There's one more thing, 'Canal Street Metro Station' is now complete."

"Oh, so fast?"

"Yes, I'm in an amazing state right now."

"If you're in good shape, then write more."

You can send me the manuscript; I should receive it by the day after tomorrow at the latest.

"I see!"

Xu Shengjie didn't waste any more time. He talked to Robert for a few more minutes, then hung up the phone.

If I'm in a good mood, I'll write more!

What should I write?

There was so much to write about that Xu Shengjie was completely lost.

However, it needs to be adaptable, commercially viable, and preferably based on a major IP that can be continuously adapted and generate profits...

There's no rush to produce literary works.

He's only 19, and creating such profound works will likely be controversial.

It's 1994 now, and he needs to calm down.

I turned on the TV, and it was the sports channel, discussing yesterday's finals... It wasn't very interesting; I wasn't interested in listening to those people bragging or flattering.

So, change the channel!

Xu Shengjie took the remote control, changed several channels, and finally landed on CNN, the American cable news channel.

I don't recognize the host!

After all, Xu Shengjie had only been in this world for a month, and apart from those future shining stars, he didn't really recognize many of the people on TV. So he didn't mind, changed the channel, and went into the kitchen to make a simple breakfast.

Eggs, bacon, toast, and milk.

He carried the plate back to the living room, sat down on the single sofa in the corner, and ate while watching the news.

"Today, the filming of 'The Last Assassin,' a co-production between Warner Bros. Pictures and France 4, has successfully begun in Paris, France. Here is the report from the scene."

The TV screen suddenly switched to footage of the production team's press conference.

Eh!

Xu Shengjie became interested.

He had actually seen this movie.

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, and Julian Moore.

Xu Shengjie's deepest impression of this movie was the line "jasmine" that Antonio Banderas uttered after losing Julianne Moore in the square... It's a movie he really likes, but the box office seems to have been mediocre.

On television, reporters interviewed members of the film crew.

Stallone and others were naturally the focus, but soon, people started asking questions to the director and screenwriter.

It's not actually that sharp.

"The Last Assassin" is the screenwriter's first work, making him a novice screenwriter.

Director Richard Donner is a Hollywood veteran with many excellent works under his belt, such as *Superman 1/2* and *Lethal Weapon 1/2/3*. He's a director who has proven his abilities, and Xu Shengjie likes him very much.

So, there's nothing particularly exciting about it.

This target points to the screenwriter.

The screenwriter of this movie is called...

There are two people in total, they are brothers.

One is named Larry Wachowski, and the other is named Andy Wachowski; they share a common name: the Wachowski sisters…

Bah, Wachowski brothers!

They were still brothers at this time.

In the future, they will become sisters, one named Lana and the other named Lily!

Xu Shengjie was stunned!

He had never noticed in his past life that the Wachowski brothers were the screenwriters of The Last Assassin.

His most memorable work for him, no, for the Wachowski sisters, was the Wachowski brothers' *Matrix* trilogy.

I watched the fourth episode too, but to be honest, I was very disappointed.

After all, by the time the fourth installment was filmed, the Wachowski brothers had become sisters.

So, The Matrix?

I feel like it's not impossible...

Xu Shengjie read an interview with the producer of The Matrix in his previous life, which contained all the details of the filming of The Matrix.

What was that guy's name again?

Joel Silver, yes, that's the name.

In an interview, Silver said that he first discovered the Wachowski brothers because of a play they wrote called "Carnivores," which tells the story of a restaurant that kills rich people and then makes meat broth to distribute to the poor.

At that moment, Xu Shengjie immediately thought of a Hong Kong movie...

Yes, it's that movie, The Untold Story!