My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Ever since Zhao Wen mentioned on his birthday that he wanted to push "Princess Pearl" to the brink of collapse, Deng Ge has kept it in mind.

Instead of following the normal publicity route, he directly used his so-called "newspaper connections," flooding the media with news about "Princess Pearl" from Taipei's United Daily News and China Times to local evening newspapers in Tainan and Kaohsiung.

The praise was so exaggerated it was almost shocking, nearly making Brother Deng unlock the "shocking" mode—

"A historical drama unlike anything ever seen on Chinese-language television screens." "Hilarious when you laugh, heartbreaking when you cry, a vivid portrayal of palace intrigue and the complexities of human relationships." "Shocking! A promising screenwriter, after years of preparation, delivers a groundbreaking masterpiece that subverts tradition!"

The costumes, props, and casting behind-the-scenes footage of the drama have been repeatedly highlighted, turning a show that hasn't even aired yet into the most anticipated television feast of 1982—"Chu Liuxiang"? Sorry, I'll just praise what I want, and let Chu Liuxiang be handsome!

This promotional campaign began in early September and continued uninterrupted, with daily reports in newspapers. These reports ranged from behind-the-scenes glimpses of the princesses to leaked plot details and industry critics' "amazing" praise after "advance screenings."

Wu Deng also bought prime time slots on several radio stations to broadcast trailers and previews of the series. Even the poster boards on the street and the pre-screening posters in cinemas were filled with promotional materials for "My Fair Princess".

The entire island of Taiwan seems to be covered by a large net. Anyone who can read, listens to the radio, or watches television knows that there is a Qing Dynasty drama about to be broadcast.

The news that CTV only paid 280 million for one round of exclusive broadcasting was considered almost insane by the industry. On the day the news was published, it added a new wave of popularity to "My Fair Princess". The whole island was curious about what kind of drama could make CTV make such a big mistake.

Wu Deng and Zhao Wen felt that 280 million was too little. In fact, this figure was already considered astronomical in the Taiwanese television industry in 1982. At that time, the broadcasting rights for a regular prime-time period drama generally cost around one million New Taiwan Dollars, and it wasn't for one run, but for life! Television professionals relied on the Chinese communities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand to make money.

The promotional buzz continued in various creative ways until the first Saturday of October—the day the TV series "My Fair Princess" officially premiered.

Everyone's appetite was whetted to the max; they were all waiting for the premiere and wanted to be the first to see if this much-hyped drama lived up to its reputation or was just all show and no substance.

Inside the old wooden house, Zhao Wen flipped through the evening paper of the day, looking at the full-page advertisement for "Princess Pearl". He chuckled to himself, thinking that Brother Deng's clever moves, combined with his own guidance, had really mastered the publicity tactics for decades later.

He knew in his heart that these praises seemed exaggerated, but when "My Fair Princess" actually aired, the audience would only think that the praise was too conservative.

Even more interesting than the promotion of "Princess Pearl" was the fact that the old wooden house near Zhao Wen's home was targeted and acquired at a high price.

People flocked to buy the old houses at a premium, mostly college students from wealthy families. They loved the artistic atmosphere of the wooden houses and would almost always get support if they mentioned to their parents that they wanted to buy a house in "Snail Lane".

After all, most of their parents are also fans of Mr. Snail's books.

This has become a celebrated story in Tainan today.

As for the original inhabitants of the old wooden houses, there were indeed a few households that saw the old houses worth tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan, and when people were willing to offer 300,000 or even 400,000 yuan, they sold them immediately.

But when they saw a few days later that a family with an even more dilapidated and smaller house had sold it for 550,000, they realized they had lost a lot of money!

So now, the more than 300 households in the old alleys of Yongfu Road Section 2 in the Zhongxi District are determined not to sell their precious houses, which are more valuable than gold, easily.

Editor Gao sighed, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have emptied my savings and sold more wooden houses!"

"Uncle Gao, when you buy a house just for investment, not for your own residence, you've actually become a gambler."

Although Zhao Wen quoted Cao Wang's famous saying to show off, he still felt a sense of awe as he looked at the young students coming and going in the alley. He thought that even if the first wave of people bought these wooden houses at exorbitant prices, they might actually make a lot of money in the future.

Because he had absolutely no intention of moving out of the area.

Zhao Wen has recently developed a mixed feeling of fear and love towards his book fans.

He went to his office through the back door, indulged in a cigarette for a while, and then, as he casually walked through the meeting room, he suddenly bumped into dozens of brightly colored female readers.

He was careless. With his current popularity, his fans are unlikely to disappear. At most, the wave that disappeared yesterday will be replaced by a new wave today.

These female readers already knew Mr. Snail; his photos are now all over Taiwan.

At this time, there were no barriers to separate the female readers. In the Snail Literature and Art Reception Room, and without any security personnel to pull them away, they immediately grabbed Zhao Wen, excitedly touching him here and there.

These book fans are all "fan leaders" handpicked by Miss Yi'an. Now, Yi'an has given them the title of "group leaders of Snail House," with two group leaders for each district.

In his past life, Zhao Wen deeply hated those so-called fan circles. You guys are always talking nonsense, what kind of talk is that? Can't you be a little more mature?

But now, why don't I feel so disgusted by these female book fans, or rather, group leaders—who call me "Giegie" all the time, and even "Snail Brother"?

Why wasn't there any strong aversion? There was even a hint of smugness! Zhao Wen rationally assessed the situation. Perhaps it wasn't that the book fans were immature; perhaps his book was simply too moving...

As Zhao Wen walked through the gate of Chang Hwa Bank's Tainan branch, three employees rushed over from different directions, respectfully greeting him, "Good morning, Mr. Zhao!"

They really didn't want to call him Mr. Zhao because it felt too distant; they preferred to call him "Mr. Snail."

Such respect was not only because Zhao Wen was a famous writer, but also because he was a major client.

In 1982, a large house in downtown Tainan cost only two or three million NT dollars. But Zhao Wen had hundreds of millions of NT dollars in cash on hand, making him one of the most important clients in southern Taiwan. The bank had already added his information to its list of key clients.

Zhao Wen came to exchange for "Taiwanese currency".

Chang Hwa Bank cannot open a "Taiwan branch," but for a big spender like Zhao Wen, it's easier to do this than for an ordinary person to withdraw money.

The teller manager at Chang Hwa Bank handled everything for Zhao Wenren; he didn't have to lift a finger.

The bank handles its own interbank clearing to transfer the money to Formosa Bank's Tainan branch. Once the invoice is issued, a special person delivers it over. He only needs to sit in the meeting room, drink tea, and wait for the signature. The branch manager even has to accompany him.