Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 239 Following the Will of the People!

The headquarters of Bering Publishing House, located on Rue Saint-Jacques, seemed to be shrouded in an invisible storm at this moment.

The employees walked on tiptoe and spoke in hushed tones, afraid of disturbing the people in the office on the second floor.

François Behring Jr., the publisher and a middle-aged businessman known for his impeccable appearance, was slumped in his high-backed armchair, completely lacking any semblance of decorum.

His hair was disheveled, his bow tie was askew, and he was clutching a copy of Le Parisien tightly in his hand, the interview with Lionel on the paper crumpled beyond recognition.

On the table, newspapers such as Le Figaro, Le Monde, and Le Repubblica were scattered haphazardly...

Almost all major newspapers featured this sudden "wave of artwork donations" on their front page or in prominent positions in their culture sections.

François Behring Jr. muttered to himself, his voice hoarse: "They're all insane! Hugo... Daudet... Zola... Do they even know what they're doing?"
This is betrayal! A betrayal of the entire publishing industry!

Across from him, the publishing house's finance director looked ashen: "François, we must calm down and assess the situation..."

If, if "Two Children's French Trip" were truly included as a core text in the "French Reader," and we were forced to donate the copyright...

The buyout fee of 80,000 francs that we paid to Madame de Fouye three years ago... has been completely wasted!

This doesn't even include the investment we made in printing, advertising, and establishing distribution channels..."

This was a meticulously planned investment. They laid out plans in advance, catered to the superiors' wishes, and smoothed things over. Everything was developing in the most perfect direction they had envisioned.

However, Lionel, whom they initially thought they could easily crush, destroyed them in ways they could not comprehend at all!
François Behring Jr. suddenly looked up: "That's not all! If all authors' works are free, what reason would the Ministry of Education have to choose Behring's books?"

They can choose anyone's book! Daudet, Hugo, even that Sorel! What's our exclusive advantage?!

All the favors and connections we made to promote this book have been for nothing!

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, then suddenly stood up and paced rapidly back and forth in the office: "This is not just about 80,000 francs! This is shaking the very foundation of our publishing house!"
We've lost a source of profit that could have lasted for decades! Other publishers, like Charpentier who deal with literary books, are doing alright, but what about us?
Like Hachette, a large part of our business at Behring relies on the education market!

His biggest regret now is that he launched the rumor campaign against Lionel.

He originally just wanted to eliminate a potential competitor who might distract the committee and ensure that "Two Children's French Trip" would win without any suspense.

Who could have imagined that the young man would not only not be defeated, but would instead unleash such a terrible "unpaid" storm, drawing everyone into it!
François Behring Jr., as if grasping at a last straw, abruptly stopped in his tracks: "Charles... yes, Charles de Blanch!"
He demands an explanation! This whole thing started because of them! They must be held accountable!

He practically roared at his partner, "Get the car ready! To his house! I need to see him right now!"

------

Charles de Blanc was sitting by the fireplace in his study, leisurely enjoying a glass of brandy.

He seemed somewhat impatient with François Behring Jr.'s visit.

Charles de Blanchard's voice was languid: "My dear François, the nights in Paris are meant to be enjoyed, not to be panicked about."

Sit down, have a drink, the sky won't fall!

François Behring Jr., disregarding etiquette, rushed to the desk: "Charles! Don't you realize how serious this is?"

"Donate! They're all saying they want to donate! Hugo! Daudet! And that damned Sorel! They started it, and everyone's gone crazy!"

Charles de Blanchard took a sip of his drink, not even lifting his eyelids: "So what? It's just a bunch of writers playing a game of seeking fame and fortune. They're free to give up their meager royalties for a pitiful reputation."

This even saves the Ministry of Education some money, and Prime Minister Ferry might be pleased to know that.

François Behring Jr. almost screamed: "Savings? Good God! Don't you understand, Charles! 'Two Children's Travelogue of France'!"
Our publishing house's lifeline! It's an entire book! A full six hundred pages! And this is only the first part! It's not just "The Old Guard" or "The Last Lesson"!

His breathing became rapid: "If... if this trend eventually spreads to 'Travelogue' as well... what will happen to the huge costs we've invested?"
Advance payments for printing, stockpiling of paper, 'public relations expenses' for local education officials...

And we also anticipate a steady stream of reprint profits over the next ten to twenty years!
That would be a loss of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of francs! We would go bankrupt!

Charles de Blasio finally put down his glass, a look of pity on his face: "Calm down, François, what you're saying is indeed a bad situation."

However, what you're worried about is far from the worst-case scenario.

François Behring Jr. froze, all color draining from his face: "There...there's something even worse?"

Charles de Blanc stood up, his back to Bering: "At today's closed-door meeting on the selections from the French Reader, Count Rohan..."

Our esteemed Deputy Minister has submitted a formal proposal.

He paused for a moment, as if appreciating Bering's sudden cessation of breathing.

Charles de Blasio's voice pierced Bering's eardrums like a needle: "He proposed that the Ministry of Public Education and Arts should take the lead in 'purchasing' the copyrights of all the texts that were ultimately selected for the French textbook."

It's not about buying the printing rights, it's about buying out the copyright itself, making it completely 'public'.

François Behring Jr. felt the floor beneath his feet disappear.

Charles de Blanc continued, his tone as flat as if he were describing the weather: “His Excellency the Deputy Minister eloquently pointed out that since so many outstanding writers have demonstrated such lofty patriotism and voluntarily dedicated their works to the cause of education in France, the Ministry of Education should follow the will of the people and institutionalize this matter thoroughly.”

He proposed that the state step in, paying a symbolic fee, or even… given the writers' generosity, try negotiating a gratuitous transfer to resolve all copyright ownership issues in one go.

Charles de Blanchard turned around: "Once the copyright is made public, the Ministry of Education will only be responsible for developing and reviewing the outlines of the French textbooks. As for the actual printing of the textbooks..."

His Excellency the Earl suggested that the task could be delegated to the education departments of each province, and that schools with the necessary conditions could even be allowed to find their own printers.

He said this would introduce competition, effectively reduce textbook printing costs, and greatly alleviate the ministry's financial pressure.

He shrugged and gave a cruel smile: "Look, François, how perfect is your logic? Because the writers are all vying to say they don't want any money, the cost of this 'copyright acquisition' is almost negligible."

Decentralizing printing rights can save a lot of money.

This was a win-win proposal that would save the national treasury a huge amount of francs, and it received the support of many committee members at the meeting.

Even that old fellow, Bisong, though frowning, couldn't find a strong reason to object for the time being.

After all, it seems too 'republican,' too 'efficient,' and too 'taxpayer-oriented.'

Don't you think so, dear François...?

As Charles de Blanc spoke, he paced back and forth, standing opposite François Behring Jr., the firelight from the fireplace casting his shadow over the businessman before him.

(End of this chapter)