I'm a Millionaire? How pathetic!

Since their last birthday celebration, Zhou Yan and Fan Binbin's relationship has undergone a significant breakthrough.

The two lived together, deeply in love, and were very sweet.

But the good times didn't last long, and Fan Binbin soon found herself in a busy state.

In order to allow viewers who had seen the first season of "My Fair Princess" to see the second season as soon as possible, and also to save on investment, the production team decided to stop filming before the Spring Festival in 1999.

To improve efficiency, they divided the crew into two groups, A and B, to film simultaneously.

Actors are required to move between the two groups.

Zhou Yan also witnessed firsthand the intense work environment of "Princess Pearl II". Sometimes they would start filming in the morning and continue until 2 or 3 a.m. the next day.

He would force himself to be energetic while filming, but would be exhausted after leaving the camera and would often fall asleep as soon as he leaned against something.

The intense filming schedule left Fan Binbin exhausted, and she needed to sleep for a long time every time she returned.

Zhou Yan saw it all and felt a pang of pain in his heart.

During this period, Fan Binbin even lived with Lin Xinru and others.

There's nothing we can do about it; the rest time is too short. If Fan Binbin comes back to rest, he won't get more than an hour of sleep before having to leave again.

Being with Xiao Yanzi and Lin Xinru allows me to rest for at least two more hours.

Fan Binbin's experience also made Zhou Yan determined to become a capital investor.

Only by becoming capital can one control the discourse.

Only then can one avoid being treated like an animal.

For a time, Zhou Yan's motivation to write the book became even stronger.

In November, "My Fair Princess" premiered in mainland China and was broadcast on Kyoto Cable TV. Just like in its predecessor, it achieved extremely high viewership ratings as soon as it aired.

"My Fair Princess" became a huge hit in mainland China, with its ratings soaring.

This also greatly excited the lead actors, including Fan Binbin.

Fan Binbin even called Zhou Yan specifically to show off.

Zhou Yan felt pressure in addition to offering her blessings.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Fan Binbin will terminate his contract with Qiong Yao next year.

The trigger was Fan Binbin accepting a role without permission.

But in essence, it's unfair treatment.

Zhou Yan supports Fan Binbin's contract termination because she can't get resources or respect from Qiong Yao.

If Fan Binbin wants to develop his career and become famous, terminating his contract is essential.

Fan Binbin debuted at the age of 16 and signed a contract with Qiong Yao while filming "My Fair Princess", a contract that lasted for seven years.

Originally, she thought she would be treated well, but after filming "Princess Pearl 1-2", she was abandoned by Qiong Yao.

Fan Binbin was naturally unwilling to waste his time, so he secretly accepted a role.

This became the trigger for the conflict.

Fan Binbin subsequently requested to terminate his contract with Qiong Yao, but was sued by her in court, who demanded one million yuan in compensation.

Qiong Yao also made a mistake, because Fan Binbin was only sixteen years old when he signed the contract and was not accompanied by a guardian.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it deception.

After all, Fan Binbin was still a student at the time and didn't know anything.

Filled with hope for the future and trusting others, I signed a contract, only to find it turned out to be a huge trap.

If we really investigate, this contract is completely invalid.

Ultimately, under the court's mediation, Fan Binbin paid 200,000 yuan in compensation, losing not only all his earnings but also his parents' savings and house.

"Now that you're my woman, I have a responsibility to protect you," Zhou Yan set a goal for himself—to help Fan Binbin terminate her contract!

The popularity of "My Fair Princess" continues, sweeping across the country like a whirlwind, with various related products appearing, such as posters and calendars.

Fan Binbin and the others were also very excited when they received this news. Coupled with Qiong Yao's promises, they all seemed to be on steroids and worked like crazy during filming.

At the end of November, Zhou Yan called the Shanghai People's Publishing House to discuss the "Qin's Moon" series and inquire about the sales of "The World's Number One" and "Water Moon Cave".

The Shanghai People's Publishing House responded quickly.

"The World's Number One" is selling like hotcakes, with the regular edition selling 500,000 copies in six months and the hardcover edition selling 120,000 copies.

The performance of "Water Moon Cave" was somewhat worse; the regular edition sold more than 400,000 copies in six months, while the hardcover edition sold 100,000 copies.

Moreover, sales volume is still growing rapidly.

Zhou Yan was very excited after hanging up the phone, and he did some calculations for himself.

The standard edition of "The World's Number One" consists of three volumes, priced at 21 yuan in total, with each volume valued at 7 yuan.

The deluxe edition of "The World's Number One" is more expensive, priced at 49 yuan.

The standard edition of "Shuiyue Dongtian" also consists of three volumes, priced at a total of 18 yuan, with each volume valued at 6 yuan.

The deluxe edition of "Water Moon Cave" is priced at 42 yuan.

According to the performance-based agreement between Zhou Yan and Shanghai People's Publishing House, based on the first year, if the sales volume is less than 100,000 copies, no royalties will be paid; if it exceeds 100,000 copies, royalties will be calculated at 8%; if it exceeds 300,000 copies, royalties will be calculated at 10%; and if it exceeds one million copies, royalties will be calculated at 12%.

Zhou Yan was very confident in his books. He believed that "The World's Number One" would definitely sell over a million copies, and "Water Moon Cave" should also be able to pass the mark if he worked hard.

Why is Zhou Yan so confident?

The reasons are multifaceted.

It is now 1998. People's living standards are beginning to improve, but the spiritual industry is extremely scarce, so reading has become a form of entertainment.

In addition, the internet was just emerging, e-books had not yet appeared, and physical books were still the mainstream. Coupled with the popularity of martial arts novels brought about by masters such as Jin Yong, Gu Long, Huang Yi, Liang Yusheng, and Wen Ruian, he was in the limelight.

Of course, the most important thing is the quality of the books; both "The World's Number One" and "Water Moon Cave" are quite good.

Zhou Yan was certain that her grades wouldn't be too bad.

Zhou Yan picked up a pen and started writing and calculating in his notebook.

Let's assume that both "The World's Number One" and "Water Moon Cave" sold one million copies, with each set priced at 21 yuan and 18 yuan respectively.

According to the contract, he is entitled to a 12% cut. Therefore, the calculation is as follows:

"The World's Number One" can earn more than 2.5 million (before tax).

"Water Moon Cave" can earn more than 2.1 million (before tax).

Zhou Yan was stunned when he saw these two numbers.

He knew he could make money, but he didn't expect to make this much.

"No wonder Aunt Qiong Yao and Mr. Jin Yong are so rich. You don't know until you calculate it, and you'll be shocked when you do! They can earn so much in a year!" Zhou Yan was a little dazed.

Even after taxes, he can still earn several million.

This doesn't even include the money earned from the deluxe edition.

"How pathetic, it's only a small amount of money," Zhou Yan thought to himself, cursing himself for being so weak.

It's only a few million and it's already like this? It's a disgrace to time travelers.

It should be noted that after several years of reform and opening up, many people have become wealthy, especially those who went into business and have accumulated considerable wealth.

What's a little money like this to me!

Zhou Yan organized the manuscript of "Qin's Moon" and sent it to the official email address of Shanghai People's Publishing House!

"Next up is the second installment of the [South China Martial Arts World] – [Heavenly Sword Heroes]!"

Zhou Yan did not start writing immediately. He planned to rest for two days and then officially begin writing in December.

He plans to visit the Beijing Film Studio in the next couple of days to relax his mind and breathe some fresh air!