Chapter 34 The most powerful chapter attack!

Chapter 34 The most powerful chapter attack!

Chapter 34 The most powerful counterattack!

"It's Saito-san, come to my office and talk." Muramatsu Tomoshi glanced at Saito Rena, and when he saw that her dark circles were no less than his own and could not be concealed even by heavy makeup, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

It seems that she has also been worried about Mr. Beichuan's publication of "Hear the Wind Sing" recently.

The two looked at each other, walked into the office in tacit understanding, and then with a snap, they closed the door and pulled down the bamboo and wooden curtain that blocked the view from the outside.

An Yuanxian, who was secretly watching them outside, had to retract his gaze and refocus his attention on the sales statistics of the new issue of "Group Portrait" that had just been delivered by the distribution department on the table.

Today, all functional tasks of publishing houses have been refined to a very detailed level. For example, in the area of ​​data statistics, there is a data section directly under the distribution department that is responsible for its management.

This data class is divided into detailed groups such as the data analysis group and the data collection group, which have clear division of labor and help Kodansha handle the data content.

In large companies, departmental barriers are very serious.

Don't think that the sales statistics are closely related to the editorial department. As long as you ask them for a copy, they will hand it to you with both hands.

The actual situation is that even if Muramatsu Tomomi took action, he would not be able to get the detailed report in Anyuan Xian's hand.

Because to get this thing, you have to start with the director of the issuing department and go all the way down to the staff who is specifically responsible for this report.

These were all the obstacles that An Yuanxian buried after he joined the company in order to develop his own power. Just like the Oshima Hikari whom he promoted, they cost him countless efforts and money.

With so many sunk costs, he couldn't accept the outcome of failure.

However, reality dealt him another severe blow.

The latest issue of "Gunzo" has been released since the 15th. Except for the day of release due to heavy publicity and the popularity of Oshima Hikaru's new work, the sales reached a good level of more than 2 copies, but then the sales have been declining by half every day.

According to the analysis of the data course, it will be difficult to achieve an average daily sales of 1.5 copies in the next twenty days!

This is very close to Data Class’s valuation of the future sales of “Group Portrait”.

They believe that the sales volume of "Group Portrait" will eventually drop to more than 30 copies per month, and then fluctuate around this number.

In other words, if there hadn't been the wave of hot sales brought about by "Hear the Wind Sing", an average daily sales volume of 1 copies would have been the normal situation in the future.

However, the new work of Hikaru Oshima, which Kodansha spent a lot of money to promote, only increased the overall sales by a few thousand copies per month!
He even secretly told Hikaru Oshima about the idea and content of "Pinball in 1973".

Can't you even imitate?

What a waste of my expectations and investment in him!

An Yuanxian held the pen tightly, his back teeth almost breaking.

This sales statistics table also shows the sales of "Gunzo" in various areas of Tokyo.

Comparing with last month's sales statistics, it can be clearly seen that sales in Adachi Ward, Ota Ward, Edogawa Ward and other places have fallen sharply.

These regions are precisely the sales areas that "Group Portrait" originally could not cover.

Although the five major pure literature magazines all focus on pure literature reading materials, they each have their own characteristics.

"Gunzo" is famous for its fashionable and novel cover design and aesthetic style that tends to be inclined towards foreign literature. Therefore, its readership in Tokyo is mainly concentrated in downtown areas such as Chiyoda Ward and Bunkyo Ward, and most of its readers are rich people, the middle class and students.

Readers in suburban areas such as Adachi Ward and Ota Ward generally come from ordinary families and prefer the "Bungei" magazine (published by Kawaide Shobo Shinsha) whose content is close to their lives and whose aesthetics are in line with their cognition.

The previous issue of "Gun Portrait" sold a record-breaking 99.6 copies because it attracted a large number of new readers from the suburbs of Tokyo.

What does it mean that this issue of "Group Portrait" returns to the starting point?
This means that these people bought "Group Portrait" most likely just to watch "Hear the Wind Sing"!
An Yuanxian's eyes became colder and colder. It seemed that he had to take some time to have a good talk with Oshima Hikaru to see if there was any way to completely crush Kitagawa Hide. He must not let him repeat the hot-selling scene of the previous issue of "Gunzo".

And in the editor-in-chief's office.

After listening to Saito Rena's advice, Muramatsu Tomoshi fell into long contemplation.

Seeing that he was a little hesitant, Saito Reina quickly added, "Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu, we fought hard for Mr. Kitagawa's new publishing plan. Although it was not our original intention to publish a hardcover paperback, things have come to this point. As long as the sales of the paperback plummet, we will definitely not be able to escape responsibility."

"That's what you said." Muramatsu Tomoshi frowned even more. Saito Reina was right. When he agreed to fight for the copyright contract with Kitagawa Hide, he was ready to be attacked from both sides by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the company's top management, and he was also aware of the sales. The current situation is indeed becoming more and more grim. If it drags on, no one can guarantee that "Hear the Wind Sing" will not be affected by the decline in sales of "Gunzo".

But the suggestion made by Rena Saito is still too much.

If it fails, not only will she be at risk of having to pack up and leave, but I will also be at risk of having to leave.

Muramatsu Tomoshi's idea was to take a step back and see the bigger picture, instead of going into a bloody battle with Yasuhara Akira and Oshima Mitsuru at this time.

But Rena Saito didn't even have the slightest thought of backing down!

Instead, he wanted to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Akira Yasuhara and Hikaru Oshima!
When almost all publicity and promotion resources are tilted towards Oshima Hikari's "Memories of Tokyo 1973", and when it is clearly known that Oshima Hikari's new work has borrowed from Kitagawa Hide's work, we still have to confront it head-on!
This is crazy.

"Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu! Don't you understand yet? Deputy Editor-in-Chief Anyuan wants to completely destroy Mr. Beichuan and us! He not only wants to destroy Mr. Beichuan, the new writer, but also wants to destroy our future!"

Saito Reina's pretty face turned red due to holding her breath, her fists were clenched tightly, and her voice was trembling. Although she didn't want to use the interest-binding rhetoric of "us" to induce Muramatsu Tomosaki to make a decision at this moment, she had no choice.

We cannot sit and wait for death, we must act decisively and never give up as long as there is hope!
"Editor-in-chief Muramatsu, the only way to reverse the decline is to publish Kitagawa's "1973 Pinball" in advance through a supplement."

Seeing that he was somewhat convinced, Saito Reina immediately struck while the iron was hot.

"This is the legitimate sequel to Hear the Wind Sing, so many readers will definitely be attracted to it. Moreover, since it is released before the paperback edition, it can replace many of the previously cancelled promotional activities and bring a wave of popularity to the paperback edition sales."

Muramatsu Tomoshi's hand slowly raised up.

He knew that what Saito Rena said was right. There was no better way to promote "Pinball 1973" than to publish it in advance.

Looking at the determined eyes of the young female editor in front of him, and the familiar yet unfamiliar drive, Muramatsu Tomoshi was a little dazed.

When did it start?
I became timid in doing things on my own, no longer considering the author's interests first, but always putting the company's and my own interests first.

I no longer have the passion and drive at work, and the key to handling interpersonal relationships is to be tactful and not offend others.

He had previously agreed to help Kitagawa Hide obtain the copyright contract because he was actually afraid of letting such a potential writer slip away, and the blame would be put on himself, which would then give An Yuanxian, who was eyeing him covetously, an opportunity to undermine his position.

During the conversation just now, Muramatsu Tomoe learned that the reason why Saito Rena couldn't sleep was that she was angry that Oshima Hikaru plagiarized Kitagawa Hide's ideas. In comparison, he was even more impressed by Kitagawa Hide's novel, and his inner shame deepened.

After discovering this, his first reaction was not to be angry about Kitagawa Hide being plagiarized, but to be saddened by the infighting in the editorial department and worried that the person he hired, An Yuan Xian, would one day replace him.

"Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu." Saito Rena suddenly stood up, her body straight, and then looked at him with burning eyes, bowed sharply at 1973 degrees, and said word by word, "Please! Please allow me to be willful once again. Publish a supplement to "Pinball in "!

I am willing to use my career as a guarantee. If the sales of the supplement are not good and the hardcover paperback edition of "Hear the Wind Sing" also fails, I am willing to endorse these and take all responsibilities and resign voluntarily! "

"Editor-in-chief, publishing a supplement is our strongest response to them!"

Saito Reina, who was bending over and lowering her head, trembled slightly as she spoke. After adding the last sentence, she seemed to be a deflated balloon and suddenly softened.

All the strength has been drained away.

In Japan, where seniority-based systems and superior-subordinate relationships are highly valued, Saito Rena's behavior has already reached the brink of "crossing the line."

If it were two and a half months ago, before she met Kitagawa Hidetoshi, she felt that she would never do such a thing.

But when I think about the things that happened during this period of time, the anger I felt when I saw "Tokyo Past in 1973", the groundless slanderous articles against Kitagawa Hide in the Yomiuri Shimbun, the "Hear the Wind Sing" that should have been published smoothly, and my own fate after the failure.
She really couldn't help it. Not only did she make such an excessive request to Muramatsu Tomoshi, she also played a trick and used her words to tie herself and him to the boat of interests.

"I understand." Muramatsu Tomoshi looked at Saito Rena who was still bowing at a 90-degree angle, and suddenly a long-lost feeling came over him. "You've already said this. If I still refuse, wouldn't I be the same as Yasuhara Akira?"

"Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu!" Saito Reina stood up and looked at him happily, feeling that the lost strength was slowly returning again. "What do you mean?"

"I agree to release the supplement this month. You are right. This is also our strongest response to them!"

Muramatsu Tomoshi stood up and bowed 90 degrees to her.

"Editor Saito, I will immediately ask the top management for the supplement. Please go to Mr. Kitagawa after get off work today and ask him to write a preface to the supplement that can boost sales! Please!"

(End of this chapter)