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In Ningbo High-tech Zone, the silver-gray office building of Minghui Group has a distinctly industrial feel.

Suning parked the black sedan steadily in its designated parking space, unsure whether the negotiations would go smoothly.

Chen Xiaojun pushed open the passenger door and smelled a distinctive mechanical odor.

She looked up at the twenty-story building in front of her. The glass curtain wall and the metal sculptures in the square in front of the building were completely different from the study where she imagined a writer should stay, filled with the fragrance of ink.

"Su Ning, could there be a mistake? Does the author of 'The Great River Flows East' really work in a place like this every day?" She gripped the strap of her canvas bag, her voice filled with disbelief.

She read about half of that thousand-page novel along the way, her mind filled with the grand sweep of the early days of reform and opening up...

The sounds of gears in state-owned factories, the hawking of individual vendors, and the struggles for survival by rural collectives could never be reconciled with the orderly appearance of this modern factory area.

At this moment, Su Ning had already straightened his suit collar, and the dark gray fabric made him look very tall.

Hearing Chen Xiaojun's exclamation and disbelief, a smile appeared in her eyes: "The ancients said that the greatest hermits live in the city, but now it should be called 'the greatest hermits live in office buildings.' Besides, she's a big shot who abandoned politics for business."

"Really? Giving up politics to go into business?"

"Let's go! Whether we can meet in person or not depends on luck."

As the two entered the lobby, the automatic doors slid open slowly, and a rush of cold air from inside the building greeted them.

The young girl behind the counter looked up and gave a standard professional smile.

His gaze swept over Su Ning's sharp suit and Chen Xiaojun's slightly awkward demeanor before he softly asked, "Hello, do you two have an appointment?"

"Hello, I'm Su Ning. I have an appointment to meet with Ms. Zhao Limin." The name Su Ning gave was a clue he had found after asking three friends and searching through the industry's contact list.

It is said that the Director of Strategic Development at Minghui Group is none other than the female writer A'nai, who never appears in public.

He deliberately avoided mentioning the pen name "Anai," only vaguely referring to it as "business cooperation negotiations," fearing that revealing his intentions in advance would prevent him from meeting the person.

The receptionist checked the reservation information and gestured to the adjacent lounge area: "Director Zhao is currently in a senior management meeting. Please wait a moment. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Thank you, warm water is fine." Su Ning nodded and pulled Chen Xiaojun to sit down on the sofa in the rest area.

Chen Xiaojun obediently followed Su Ning beside her, and suddenly felt that Su Ning's temperament changed after entering the building.

He no longer seemed like the carefree young man who chatted and laughed all the way, but rather a big shot who was truly preparing for business negotiations.

At this moment, Chen Xiaojun couldn't help but become curious again. For some reason, she could always sense a sense of mystery about Su Ning.

However, this wait lasted from 2 p.m. until nearly 4 p.m.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the rest area, forklifts carrying goods shuttle back and forth in the factory area, and workers in blue overalls walk by quickly, each with a busy expression on their face.

Occasionally, employees in business attire would emerge from the elevator, either looking down at data on their tablets or talking about "supply chain" and "profit margin" on their phones. The strong commercial atmosphere acted as a chasm, completely separating this place from the wonderful world of literary creation.

Actually, Chen Xiaojun, who was sitting next to her, started to feel uneasy after half an hour. She would sometimes rub the zipper on her canvas bag and sometimes look up at the elevator entrance.

"Su Ning, could it be... that we've got the wrong person? Or maybe she doesn't want to see us at all and is just making us wait here on purpose?"

Suning, however, appeared remarkably calm.

Then he took out the hardcover edition of "The Great River Flows East" from his briefcase again. The edges of the pages were already curled up. It was a first edition that he had recently found at a used book market.

He deliberately turned to the page where the bookmark was placed, where the passage described the state-owned factory director Song Yunhui arguing with veteran workers about technological reforms in the workshop. His eyes, however, were fixed on the sentence, "Reform is not about undermining, but about taking a different path."

"Wait a little longer." His voice was steady, his gaze still fixed on the pages of the book. "The person who could write this wouldn't be deliberately keeping people waiting."

Looking at his calm and composed demeanor, Chen Xiaojun felt her anxiety lessen for some reason.

She leaned over and glanced at the annotations in the book, which were filled with dense small print. Some were analyses of the characters' motivations, while others were supplements to the historical background. Clearly, Su Ning had read this book countless times.

Just as Chen Xiaojun's patience was about to run out, and she was even considering whether to suggest going to get something to eat first, the elevator dinged.

A woman in a navy blue business suit walked out quickly. Her short hair was neatly tucked behind her ears, and she wore no makeup except for a dusty rose lipstick.

She was about forty years old, carrying a black folder in her hand. Her steps were light but not hurried. When her gaze swept over the rest area, she paused for a moment before landing on Su Ning.

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, as if she hadn't expected the person waiting there to look like this. Then, a hint of uncertainty appeared in her eyes. She hesitated for a few seconds, but still walked over quickly.

"Excuse me... are you Mr. Su?" Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable crispness, clearly a habit cultivated from her long-term management position. "I'm sorry, an additional meeting about overseas markets was added at the last minute. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Su Ning immediately stood up and handed it over: "Hello, Ms. Zhao? I'm Su Ning, sorry to bother you."

He deliberately avoided mentioning the pen name "Anai" because he wanted to confirm the other party's identity first.

The woman didn't shake his hand immediately. Instead, she stared at his face for a few seconds, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she were recalling something.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, her surprised expression instantly turning into unbelievable joy, and her voice rose a few decibels: "Oh my! It really is you! When I heard the name 'Su Ning' just now, I thought it was just a coincidence! Aren't you the actor who played Taozi in 'Under the Zhengyang Gate'?"

These words stunned not only Chen Xiaojun, but also Su Ning.

He never expected that this writer, who was rumored to be so low-key that even the publishing house had never met him in person, would have actually watched the period drama he had just starred in.

"You know me?" He took the woman's hand and could feel her surprise.

"Of course I know you!" The woman nodded with a smile, her eyes losing some of their competence and gaining more of the warmth of an ordinary person. "I was tired from work recently, so I watched 'Under the Zhengyang Gate' several times. Your portrayal of Taozi was so realistic. From a naive young man to someone who knows his place, that tenacity was very special. I even told my colleague that this actor's eyes are so expressive!"

Su Ning couldn't help but laugh: "Thank you for your recognition, Ms. Zhao. I didn't expect you to enjoy watching my performance."

"You should be called Teacher Su." The woman waved her hand, then turned her gaze to Chen Xiaojun, who was still in a daze, and asked curiously, "And who is this?"

"This is my assistant, Chen Xiaojun," Su Ning introduced. Chen Xiaojun snapped out of her daze and quickly stood up. "Ms. Zhao, hello! It's a pleasure to meet you."

She had just suspected that the other party was deliberately keeping them waiting, but now it seemed that Director Zhao was not only approachable but also quite friendly.

"Don't be so formal, just call me Sister Zhao." The woman smiled and patted her shoulder, then turned around and gestured, "The meeting room is upstairs, let's go up and talk, we can't stay in the rest area forever."

"it is good."

The three then entered the elevator, and the woman pressed the "18" button.

As the elevator ascended, she looked at Su Ning with a hint of curiosity in her eyes: "Teacher Su, you came all this way to see me today, you didn't really come to talk about business cooperation, did you? You don't seem like someone who's in business."

Su Ning smiled, but didn't answer directly. She only said, "You'll know when you get up there."

The small conference room on the 18th floor was very simple, with a white conference table and a chart of Minghui Group's development history hanging on the wall. From a small processing plant more than ten years ago to an industry leader today, the photos showed the factory expanding step by step, which inexplicably echoed the changes of state-owned factories described in "The Great River Flows East".

After they sat down, the woman had her secretary bring three glasses of warm water before looking at Su Ning with a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "Now you can tell me, right? What did you come to see me about? It couldn't have been just to talk to me about 'Under the Zhengyang Gate'."

Suning's smile faded, and his expression became extremely serious.

Then he took a dark brown business card holder from his briefcase and pulled out a business card...

The card is matte black with only silver lettering and no extra patterns, giving it a simple yet sophisticated look.

He handed over the business card with both hands: "Sister Zhao, actually, I came here today to discuss cooperation with you in this capacity."

The woman took the business card, looked down at it, and her pupils contracted slightly.

The label reads: "Guangguai Luli Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd., Director/Producer Su Ning," followed by a series of contact details.

“Bizarre and outlandish…” she murmured the company’s name, then looked up at Su Ning with a scrutinizing gaze. “I’ve never heard of this company. You… are an actress, a director, and a producer?”

"Guangguai Luli is a company I just founded this year. Although it is still in its early stages, it has a deep cooperation with Shandong Film Group." Su Ning did not hide anything, and her tone was frank but confident. "Sister Zhao, perhaps I should call you 'Teacher A Nai'."

The moment the word "Ah Nai" left her lips, the woman's expression paused, then she smiled knowingly: "Looks like you guys still managed to find out."

She neither denied it nor showed surprise, as if she had long expected this day to come.

“I went through a lot of connections to confirm your identity.” Su Ning sat down a little closer and looked at her sincerely. “I’m here today on behalf of Guangguai Luli Film and Television Company. I hope to discuss with you the film and television adaptation rights for all your novels. In particular, I want to turn ‘Da Jiang Dong Qu’ and ‘All Is Well’ into high-quality dramas that can stand the test of time.”

He paused, knowing that his words weren't enough weight, so he threw out his long-prepared bargaining chip: "Moreover, I've already communicated with Shandong Film Group, and they're willing to do a deep co-production with us. Director Kong Sheng has read your 'The Great River Flows East,' and he said it's the most historically significant novel in recent years, and he'd love to participate in the adaptation and the subsequent filming."

"Adaptation rights to all novels? Joint venture with Shandong Film and Television? Director Kong Sheng?" Even though she was used to the ups and downs of business negotiations, Ah Nai was still shocked by this series of information.

She leaned back in her chair, her fingers unconsciously stroking the business card in her hand, her gaze fixed on the handsome man Su Ning in front of her, as if trying to find a trace of exaggeration on his face.

How did a newly established film and television company, with a young actor and producer, manage to attract the "golden brands" of Shandong Film and Television and Kong Sheng?
But all she saw was the sincerity and confidence in Su Ning's eyes.

At this moment, Su Ning did not flinch from her scrutiny. Instead, she stepped forward and continued, "Teacher Anai, I know that the subject matter of 'The Great River Flows East' is not easy—there is no melodramatic romance, no traffic-driven elements, it's all about the struggles of ordinary people under the torrent of the times. But I think that the more dramatic the story, the more it should be brought to the screen. Today's audiences need works that can make them calm down and think."

Ah Nai paused for a moment, tapping her fingertips lightly on the conference table, before finally asking the most crucial question: "Mr. Su, I write novels to record the times, and I run businesses for pragmatic management. I want to know, why did you go to so much trouble to find me and bring in such a good production team? Where do you see the market for 'The Great River Flows East'?"

Su Ning didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the book "The Great River Flows East" from the table, turned to the title page, and pointed to a sentence on it...

“Every era has its own heroes. They may be ordinary, but they live out their own lives amidst the waves.”

"What I'm after is to let more people see these 'ordinary heroes'." His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally firm. "As for the market, I believe that stories that can touch people's hearts will always have a market."

Ah Nai looked at the words under his fingertips, then at the young man with burning eyes in front of her. The scrutiny in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a touch of emotion.

She picked up the warm water on the table, took a sip, and then slowly said, "You understand my books better than I imagined."

"Teacher A'nai is willing to cooperate with the bizarre and fantastical?" Su Ning looked at the woman in front of him with great anticipation.

"Since you've mentioned Shandong Film Studio, why don't I just cooperate with them directly?"

"Cooperation is like a romantic relationship; you always need a mediator to take a look at your heart. And Guangguai Luli is willing to be that mediator."

"Pfft! That's a very good analogy! It seems you know a lot about Ningbo culture."

At this moment, Su Ning pointed to Chen Xiaojun beside him and said, "I wouldn't say I understand! I just did some homework beforehand and even hired this girl from Jiangsu and Zhejiang as my assistant. I was just worried that you, Teacher Anai, would call me an idiot and that I wouldn't understand."

"Haha, you're judging others by your own petty standards. How could we Ningbo people casually hurl insults?"

"Teacher A-Nai, to be honest, I really believe in the adaptation value of your works. If they are successful, not only will my bizarre and fantastical works gain a foothold in the film and television industry, but your works will also become known to more people."

"You're a very good lobbyist! But I've had quite a few contacts, and do you know why I haven't agreed to any of them?"

"why?"

"Trust! Trust between people is very difficult to establish."

“This…” Su Ning really didn’t expect the woman in front of him to be so difficult to deal with.

In short, it's a complete blockade; frankly, it's a lack of trust in Suning.

Moreover, this issue is indeed very complex, and at this point, the bizarre and fantastical world seems more like a broker.

"Teacher Su, I already know about it. That's all for today. I'll contact you once I've made a decision." Teacher Anai said, waving the business card in her hand.

"Then wait for good news."

...(End of chapter)