novelRona Chapter 1605 Leveraging Power
Chapter 1605 Leveraging Power
At 7:40 a.m., the arrival level of Terminal 2 at Pudong International Airport was already lit up.
Uncle Fan stood at the very front of the arrivals gate, accompanied by a young assistant carrying a briefcase. He wore a dark gray jacket, looked energetic, and even more energetic than usual. Today was too important; he had even used hair wax to smooth back the few gray hairs at his temples.
The assistant whispered, "Mr. Fan, Mr. Qin Hao's flight doesn't arrive until 8:20. Aren't we too early?"
Uncle Fan ignored him and just looked up at the flight information screen.
He knew, of course, that he had arrived a little early.
But he just couldn't sit still.
Qin Hao is coming back.
Qin Hao is no ordinary author.
He is the lifeblood of Dingqi.com. He is the man who single-handedly propelled Dingqi.com to its peak. He is the living advertisement that made internet giants willingly part with billions to acquire him.
And the two years he stopped writing—
Uncle Fan gets a headache just thinking about the data reports from the past two years. Dingqi.com poured all its platform resources into promoting He Han, and He Han certainly lived up to expectations, with 80,000 first-day subscriptions and firmly holding the top spot on both the monthly ticket chart and the bestseller chart. But data doesn't lie. When Qin Hao was around, what was Dingqi.com's peak daily active users? Twelve million. And after Qin Hao stopped writing? Eight million.
It's a full third less.
This only covers daily active users; subscription revenue, IP adaptation pricing, and new user acquisition rates across all channels are all declining. Uncle Fan knows perfectly well that no matter how strong He Han is, he's still just He Han, not Qin Hao. In the entire online literature world, there's only one Qin Hao.
Therefore, he had to come in person today.
"Oh, Mr. Fan, so early?"
A clear, crisp female voice came from behind.
Uncle Fan shuddered and turned his head sharply.
On the marble floor of the terminal, a pair of black high heels walked over with composed steps. The person was wearing a well-tailored camel-colored trench coat, with her neat short hair casually draped over her shoulders, and sunglasses pushed up to reveal a pair of smiling eyes.
Lin Zhanqiao.
Uncle Fan's smile instantly froze on his face.
"Mr. Lin, you have so much free time today, and you're here so early to pick someone up?"
Lin Zhanqiao stopped three steps away from him, smiling calmly: "Isn't President Fan the same?"
Two equally shrewd people stood face to face, their smiles impeccably polite, but the instant their eyes met, an invisible spark ignited in the air.
Uncle Fan looked at Lin Zhanqiao warily.
Although rumors circulated that Qin Hao's contract termination with Lin Zhanqiao was unpleasant, Uncle Fan noticed a subtle detail in his conversations with Qin Hao—Qin Hao never showed any resentment when Lin Zhanqiao was mentioned. Whether Qin Hao was magnanimous or shrewd, at least the two didn't completely break off relations.
At this moment, Uncle Fan had already regarded Lin Zhanqiao as his imaginary enemy.
Uncle Fan's smile faded, and his tone became somewhat stern: "President Lin, He Han is enough for Zhixing. Taking too big a step will only lead to a fall."
Lin Zhanqiao was a shrewd person, and she immediately understood that Uncle Fan was using her as a hypothetical enemy. However, instead of being intimidated, she thought that this was a perfect opportunity.
With Qin Hao back, Dingqi.com will definitely pour all its resources into promoting him again. He Han's traffic will inevitably be diverted, making Zhixing's situation even more difficult. Rather than being neglected by Dingqi.com, it's better to take advantage of this opportunity to ask Uncle Fan for some benefits.
"Falling isn't important; the key is having the courage to get back up. What do you say, Mr. Fan?"
Lin Zhanqiao looked at him with a smile, her voice calm and unhurried.
Uncle Fan cursed under his breath, calling her a little fox.
With a forced smile, he said, "But as far as I know, your contract termination with Qin Hao was quite unpleasant."
Lin Zhanqiao didn't even frown.
"How could President Fan believe such rumors?" she said calmly, even with a hint of a smile in her voice. "If Qin Hao and I had really fallen out, how would I know his flight information?"
These words were like a knife, precisely piercing Uncle Fan's soft spot.
"President Lin, I advise you not to waste your time." Uncle Fan's face darkened, and his tone suddenly became more serious: "The conditions I can offer Qin Hao are things you can't possibly match. Don't forget, Zhixing is essentially just a studio, while Dingqi.com is a platform—the aircraft carrier of the online literature industry!"
He practically gritted his teeth as he said the last four words.
The terminal's loudspeaker was announcing the arrival of a flight. A noisy flow of people passed by, including passengers dragging suitcases, people holding signs to greet passengers, and security personnel moving among them. No one noticed the silent confrontation taking place between the two people in the corner.
Despite Uncle Fan's aggressive questioning, Lin Zhanqiao remained calm and composed.
She even took a step forward, shortening the distance between herself and Uncle Fan to less than two meters, tilting her chin slightly up to look at him, a faint smile on her lips.
"Mr. Fan is right, Zhixing is indeed insignificant compared to Dingqi Network."
Just as Uncle Fan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she abruptly changed the subject—
"But don't forget, Zhixing has a large number of high-quality authors and editors, as well as He Han. If we add Qin Hao to that list, and they all switch to other platforms—"
She paused, looked directly into Uncle Fan's eyes, and said, word by word:
"Can Dingqi Network maintain its status as an aircraft carrier?"
Uncle Fan's expression changed.
"you……"
His Adam's apple bobbed, as if something was blocking it.
He was well aware that in the online literature arena where content is king, high-quality authors are the foundation of a platform's success.
Putting everything else aside, Qin Hao alone is enough to make an online literature platform rise rapidly.
If we add He Han and other high-quality authors, even if they can't bring down Dingqi.com, they will severely damage it.
He dared not take that risk.
Uncle Fan's gaze became uncertain, and his lips pressed into a thin line. His assistant, sensing the tense atmosphere, tactfully took two steps back, pretending to look at the flight information screen.
Just at this critical juncture of their stalemate—
A tall figure emerged, pushing a suitcase.
He was wearing a loose black hooded sweatshirt, faded jeans, and an old canvas bag slung over his shoulder, looking like he had just woken up and wasn't fully awake yet. But even in this casual manner, his height of over 1.8 meters and his proportions of broad shoulders and long legs still made him stand out in the crowd.
Qin Hao.
Uncle Fan's eyes lit up, and he was about to step forward—
Lin Zhanqiao was faster, taking only a few steps to reach him and giving Qin Hao a warm hug.
Lin Zhanqiao wrapped her arms around Qin Hao's waist, pressing herself against him and resting her head on his shoulder. From Uncle Fan's perspective, she even closed her eyes slightly, as if savoring this moment of reunion.
Qin Hao didn't seem to mind, and even patted her back gently.
Uncle Fan felt as if his heart had been squeezed.
At the same time, Lin Zhanqiao whispered quickly in Qin Hao's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Help me carry the sedan chair, make Old Fan bleed a little."
Qin Hao was stunned for a moment, then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"I thought you and He Han had broken up because you were being so proactive," he teased in a low voice.
"Go away, we're doing great, you jinx."
"Then how will my salary be calculated?"
"Shall I treat you to dinner?"
"It's a deal."
The "deal" between the two was completed in three seconds, as fast as if it had been rehearsed.
Lin Zhanqiao released her embrace, but her hand naturally took Qin Hao's arm, and she turned her body slightly to the side, striking an intimate pose.
These seemingly intimate gestures between the two were a complete shock to Uncle Fan.
He stood there, his expression shifting several times before finally settling on a smile that was more like a grimace.
Taking a deep breath, Uncle Fan went to meet him.
"Professor Qin Hao! Welcome back to China!"
He reached out and firmly grasped Qin Hao's hand, his enthusiasm as if he were seeing an old comrade-in-arms he hadn't seen in years: "Your Hugo Award-winning work is absolutely fantastic, truly eye-opening!"
These words were spoken from the heart. Although Uncle Fan was shrewd and calculating, he genuinely admired Qin Hao's talent. The day the news of "The Three-Body Problem" winning the Hugo Award reached China, Uncle Fan immediately bought the original English version and devoured it—although his English was only good enough to understand the gist, the concepts and settings alone were enough to send chills down his spine.
What exactly is the upper limit of this person's potential?
Qin Hao smiled and said politely, "Mr. Fan, you flatter me."
Before he could say anything more, Lin Zhanqiao had already taken his arm, turned to face Uncle Fan, and smiled brightly: "Mr. Fan, I had an appointment with Qin Hao, I'm sorry to have troubled you today."
After saying that, she grabbed Qin Hao and headed towards the parking lot.
Qin Hao obediently pushed his suitcase and followed, turning back to nod at Uncle Fan as a greeting.
Uncle Fan opened his mouth, took half a step, and then abruptly pulled it back.
He wanted to chase after them, but he was afraid that Qin Hao and Lin Zhanqiao were really in a hurry to go to the hotel—if he offended Qin Hao because of this, it would be a loss.
Uncle Fan could only watch helplessly as the two figures grew further and further away.
Lin Zhanqiao walked ahead, her steps light and quick, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor. Qin Hao followed beside her, pushing a suitcase, their arms linked together. From a distance, they certainly looked like a couple reunited after a long separation.
Uncle Fan took out his phone, stared at the screen for a few seconds, then opened his chat window with Lin Zhanqiao and quickly typed a few words—
"President Lin, we've been working together for so many years. We share both the good and the bad. Everything is negotiable."
After sending the message, Uncle Fan put his phone back in his pocket and took a deep breath.
suffocated.
The CEO of Dingqi.com, a top figure in the online literature industry, was actually outmaneuvered by a mere studio. He's the platform! The client! When did it become the service provider's place to act arrogantly in front of him?
But he just didn't dare to gamble.
What if Lin Zhanqiao really has the ability to sign Qin Hao? Even if she can't, what if she introduces Qin Hao to other platforms? With Qin Hao's current influence, whichever platform he goes to, that platform can compete with Dingqi.com.
Qin Hao is extremely important to Dingqi.com.
It was so important that Uncle Fan would rather swallow his anger than take even the slightest risk.
The assistant stood by for a while, and seeing that Uncle Fan remained silent, couldn't help but ask again, "Mr. Fan, so what should we do now...?"
"Back to the company." Uncle Fan's voice regained its usual composure, but the frown lines between his brows were deeper than usual: "Notify the legal department to review the draft of the new contract again. Regarding the profit-sharing ratio... get them to compromise again."
The assistant hesitated for a moment: "Also lower the bar? The last proposal was already significantly higher than the industry standard—"
“I said I’ll compromise another step,” Uncle Fan interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The assistant dared not say anything more and quickly lowered his head to write it down.
Uncle Fan glanced one last time in the direction Qin Hao and Lin Zhanqiao had disappeared, then turned and strode towards the parking lot. His steps remained steady and powerful, but the phone he clutched in his hand still displayed Lin Zhanqiao's chat window—
Message read.
There was no reply.
-
at the same time.
Lin Zhanqiao's white Audi A4 drove out of the airport parking lot and merged into the morning rush hour traffic.
She only managed to glance at her phone while waiting at a red light.
Lin Zhan smiled, the kind of smile a hunter gives when he sees his prey fall into the net.
She didn't reply immediately, but instead put her phone back on the center console.
Qin Hao leaned back in the passenger seat, tilting his head to glance at her: "What are you laughing at?"
"nothing."
"Come on." Qin Hao glanced at her phone screen on the center console. Although he couldn't see the exact message, he guessed pretty much what it was: "Did Uncle Fan message you?"
Lin Zhanqiao gave a light snort: "Getting impatient."
Seeing her confident demeanor, Qin Hao couldn't help but tease her, "Aren't you afraid of completely offending Uncle Fan and being blacklisted from the industry?"
Lin Zhanqiao said seriously, "I've been dealing with Uncle Fan for so many years. Although he likes to do some underhanded things, he's a magnanimous person and not petty. As long as there's mutual benefit, he won't choose a lose-lose situation."
"Besides," Lin Zhanqiao's gaze fell on the red light ahead, her voice suddenly lowering, "if it weren't for you, would I have taken such a big risk?"
Qin Hao chuckled: "Big sister, I just got back, what does it have to do with me?"
"How can it not concern you?" Lin Zhanqiao glared at him defiantly. "Now that you're back, Dingqi.com will definitely pour all its promotional resources into you. He Han is going to be back in second place again. If I don't get some benefits from Uncle Fan, how will Zhixing survive?"
These words were spoken frankly and without any concealment.
After thinking about it carefully, Qin Hao realized that it did make sense.
During his two-year hiatus from writing, He Han enjoyed immense success, consistently ranking first on both charts thanks to the full-fledged promotion from Dingqi.com. However, his return will immediately reverse the situation—with his Hugo Award-winning title and the halo of two top-tier works, Dingqi.com will undoubtedly pour all its resources into him. At that point, He Han's exposure, featured placements, and promotion across all channels will all have to give way to him.
This is indeed unfair to He Han.
But that's the reality.
"So you're using me as a bargaining chip?" Qin Hao looked at her with a half-smile.
"I wouldn't dare," Lin Zhanqiao blinked. "I'm just leveraging this situation. In return, Lao Fan will definitely make some concessions on your contract. It's a win-win situation for us."
"Alright, you have a point." Qin Hao waved his hand, leaned back in his seat, and looked out the car window at the city street scene rushing past.
It's been two years.
Shanghai's roads are still just as congested, the elevated highways are still just as crowded, and the plane tree leaves are still just as dense. Only the roadside billboards have changed several times, two coffee shops on the street corner have closed and three have opened, and even the traffic light duration seems to be a few seconds shorter than before.
Everything is the same, yet it seems like everything has changed.
"By the way, when are you planning to release your new book?"
As the green light flashed, Lin Zhanqiao started the car and asked casually.
"It depends on the contract progress with Dingqi.com. We'll release it once we sign the contract."
Qin Hao's answer was equally understated.
But Lin Zhanqiao's heart churned.
Once you sign the contract, the payment will be issued.
Other established authors generate buzz before launching a new book—announcements, reader group promotions, platform scheduling, and coordinating recommendation slots—every step is crucial. Even He Han needs at least two months to prepare for a new book launch.
Perhaps only Qin Hao in the entire online literature industry has the confidence to release a new book anytime, anywhere?
Lin Zhanqiao smiled wryly, but quickly suppressed it.
The car drove on the elevated highway for more than twenty minutes, and the two chatted casually, from the weather in Australia to the changes in the domestic online literature circle, from the grand occasion of the Hugo Award ceremony to the data of He Han's latest book.
The car stopped in front of the hotel.
Qin Hao opened the car door, got out of the passenger seat, and took a suitcase out of the trunk.
Lin Zhanqiao's fingers were on the steering wheel, preparing to start the car—
Qin Hao suddenly turned back.
He bent down and knocked on the passenger window.
Lin Zhanqiao rolled down the car window and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
When are you going to pay me back for the meal you owe me?
Lin Zhanqiao was taken aback, then couldn't help but tease, "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you afraid I'll renege on my promise?"
"I'm not afraid of you cheating, I know where your company is. I just want to rip you off," Qin Hao teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Lin Zhanqiao rolled her eyes: "You're worth over a hundred million, is it really worth it to take such a small advantage?"
“One thing at a time, this is the compensation I deserve,” Qin Hao said matter-of-factly. “You used me to put on an act in front of Uncle Fan, which really damaged my personal charm, and I have to make it up to you.”
"Personal charisma?" Lin Zhanqiao scoffed. "Do you need to compensate for your personal charisma? Any more and it'll overflow."
"Isn't that perfect? I'll share some with you if it overflows." Qin Hao grinned.
Lin Zhanqiao was amused by his words and reached out to close the car window: "Hurry up and get going, or the car will block the entrance."
Qin Hao stood at the hotel entrance, watching the white sedan disappear into the traffic, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He thought for a moment, then took out his phone and sent a message to He Han:
"I've arrived, and I'm still alive."
Three seconds later, He Han replied:
"Stop talking nonsense, how exactly did you win that Hugo Award? Tell the truth!"
Qin Hao chuckled and typed a few words:
"That's something anyone can do."
He Han:
"roll."
Qin Hao put away his phone, picked up his suitcase, and strode into the hotel lobby.
Once inside the room, he tossed his suitcase into the corner and collapsed onto the bed.
The soft mattress bounced slightly, and the ceiling light was bright but not glaring.
……
On the other side, Lin Zhanqiao's car drove into the underground parking lot of Chuxing.
She turned off the engine, but didn't get out of the car immediately.
Holding the phone in my hand, Uncle Fan's message was still displayed on the screen.
She stared at the line of text for a few seconds, then slowly typed a few words—
"Mr. Fan, you're too kind. We can certainly discuss anything. However, I don't like things that can't be explained over the phone. How about we schedule a time to sit down and talk it over?"
After sending the message, she leaned back in her seat and let out a long sigh.
She made the right bet on today's show.
Uncle Fan is the kind of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force, but what he fears most is uncertainty. He's not afraid of you setting conditions; he's afraid of you keeping him guessing about your hand.
Lin Zhanqiao put away her phone, picked up her bag, pushed open the door and got out of the car, her high heels making a crisp echo on the concrete ground of the underground parking lot.
The elevator doors opened, she stepped inside, and pressed the button for the sixth floor.
As the elevator slowly ascended, her expression softened slightly in the reflection on the metal wall, a change from her previous composure and confidence.
"Ding." The elevator has arrived.
Lin Zhanqiao took a deep breath, stepped out of the elevator, and pushed open the office door.
Zhao Lanxin was sitting at her workstation when she saw Lin enter. She raised her eyelids slightly and said, "President Lin, you're late today."
"Hmm." Lin Zhanqiao responded lightly and walked straight to her office.
As she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and, without turning around, said, "Notify the editorial department to have a meeting at ten o'clock." (End of Chapter)