The second volume is full of glory and splendor in the capital, and the spirit is full of vitality in the foggy city. Chapter 190: Circle of Friends (Part 2)
Chapter Subtitle: Teaming Up and Returning to Seris
"Meow!"
In fact, Lord Meow Meow came at the right time. Not only did he avoid the "Pika Pika" of the Master Ball, but he also interrupted Yuan Yanshu's words, so that Lord Ai Shouyi would not be disturbed by his nagging.
After the servant nearby chased the wild cat away, "Mr. Magician" took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sincerely reflected on himself: "Ni... Mr. Yuan, you are right! During this period of time, I have indeed..."
"Okay, Howard." Our Master Yuan was still very magnanimous and didn't let him continue.
He said earnestly, "Howard, let's forget about it this time. But you still have to remember to criticize and self-criticize: this is the fine tradition and style of our SCP... um, that magazine..."
"Meow!"
Why is there another wild cat?!
Just when Yuan Yan was about to yell at the servants, she heard...
"Host, do you want to taste Master Meow Meow's claws?"
He could only sigh and conclude, "Howard, I want to see your latest work in the next issue of SCP magazine!"
Master Ai Shouyi straightened his back and said, "Yes, I promise to complete the task!"
Yuan Yan suddenly nodded with satisfaction. She didn't know why, but the old man always seemed to be participating in organizational life when holding meetings.
The editor-in-chief of SCP mustered up the courage to say, "Neo, I have one more thing to tell you. It's about your new work..."
Yuan Yan frowned suddenly and said, "You mean 'Radiation' and 'Rural Teacher'? What's wrong with these two novels?"
"Neo, it's like this. I've read both novels, but..." Master Ai Shouyi said hesitantly.
Master Yuan said impatiently, "Howard, comrades... colleagues, shouldn't you be so hesitant? But what?"
Master Ai Shouyi said cautiously: "Fallout seems a bit too much, too much, too much..."
"Alternative, right?"
"Yes, it's different! I'm worried readers won't be able to accept it."
"Alternative" was originally a pop music term for rap music that went against traditional tropes. Later, the term's meaning became broader, encompassing anything that didn't fit the mainstream, even individuals.
The novel "Radiation" can be called "alternative" in the fantasy literature world of 1921.
Anyone who can fully read this novel needs to have a certain understanding of cutting-edge science, just like the Grand Mage, and understand that it is possible for super-technological weapons to appear, like the sword of Damocles hanging over the human world.
They also need to have a great sense of humor... Actually, this alone is not enough, because many of the references to things in "Fallout" have not yet appeared.
They must also possess moral concepts that transcend the times. Although Yuan Yanshou deleted many plots that are inappropriate for children, how can people living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland apply the morals of a peaceful environment?
In short, Mr. Ai Shouyi was not optimistic about the prospects of this novel at all... Well, if it was not written by his boss and praised by Einstein, he would definitely reject the manuscript.
Yuan Yan suddenly put down her wine glass, raised her hand to rub her own Jingming acupoint, sighed and said with some emotion: "It's different, so what? If you can't accept it, then you can't accept it..."
"Publish it!" He opened his eyes, looked directly at his editor-in-chief, and said, "Publish it in the next issue, as the cover novel..."
Speaking of the cover of "Fallout" , Master Yuan's heart moved.
He turned to Louis Baker and asked, "Louis, do you know Mr. Elntst Woodruff?"
"Mr. Ernest Woodruff?" Mr. Baker thought for a moment and said, "Neo, are you talking about Mr. Woodruff, who bought the Coca-Cola Company for $2.5 million in 1919?"
"Yes, that's him!" Master Yuan slapped his thigh and said, "Louis, I know you have the widest network of contacts. Find a way to get in touch with Coca-Cola's marketing department. I have a slogan for them. Of course, it's not for free. I hope they can place an advertisement in SCP magazine."
"What kind of slogan?" the curious crowd asked in unison.
Yuan Yan took a slow drag on her cigar, exhaling the smoke along with the slogan: "Drink to the End!"
Since 1925, Coca-Cola has had an annual slogan. However, Master Yuan did not plagiarize the slogans of later generations, but created an original one.
This sentence can be translated as "drink until the end" or "drink until the end", which fits the doomsday theme of the book "Fallout".
He added, "If they're willing to run an ad, I'll agree to include the Nuka Cola slogan in the book. Maybe we can even get a picture of them with Albert."
Anyway, Nuka-Cola is an allusion to Coca-Cola and Pepsi (Pepsi has been around since the late 19th century), so this kind of product placement can be said to be done naturally and there is no sense of incongruity at all.
Louis Baker chuckled and said, "If Mr. Einstein is willing to come forward, I think there should be no problem."
Yuan Yan suddenly reminded him, "Well, go ahead and try it. But don't sell my idea cheaply."
"Of course, your idea is worth at least two or three thousand dollars. If you add Mr. Einstein's photo, it will be at least five thousand dollars. Hahahaha..."
"Hahaha……"
Everyone present laughed together.
Mr. Huang smiled and gave his uncle a thumbs up in his heart. Not to mention his literary talent, his business talent of making full use of everything was truly amazing!
"Mr. Yuan Yanshu is an economist who truly applies his knowledge. His talent in advertising has made him an idol among advertisers on Madison Avenue in New York.
At his suggestion, Coca-Cola adopted its annual slogan in 1921. The original "Drink to the End" was his own creation. Incidentally, he also came up with the Chinese translation of the name "Coca-Cola."
Mr. Yuan later naturally became a master of advertising planning. He not only opened an advertising company, but also served as an advertising model himself.
One of his most famous photos is this: he is wearing a white sweatshirt and Levi's jeans, leaning against a Harley motorcycle, a Camel cigarette in his mouth, and peering at a passing blonde through his Harley sunglasses, not even noticing that the Coca-Cola in his hand has spilled.
The photo promoted five products simultaneously, which is considered a classic and unique example in advertising history. It also appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, his classic image of being cool, avant-garde, and a little decadent and rebellious quickly became popular in Europe and the United States, becoming a role model for the younger generation.
——Excerpt from "Yuan Yanshu on Madison Avenue"
I only heard Master Ai Shouyi ask expectantly, "Nio, since the next issue is 'Fallout', will 'Rural Teacher' be in the next issue?"
"Howard, this won't do!"
Our Master Yuan said with some complacency, "'Rural Teacher' will not be published in 'SCP' because a magazine has already pre-ordered it."
Upon hearing this, Master Ai Shouyi asked with some disappointment, "Which magazine is it?"
Yuan Yan suddenly raised his head subconsciously... Because talking about this matter was too funny, he couldn't help but want to laugh, so he deliberately didn't let others see his expression clearly.
He said lightly, "The Atlantic."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."
There was only a burst of exclamations from the audience, and someone excitedly said:
"Neo, is this really The Atlantic Monthly?!"
"Nio, this is really great!!"
"Nio, congratulations to you!!!"
Why are Master Yuan's friends so excited? It's because The Atlantic Monthly is the most "respected" magazine in America.
If the New York Times is America's People's Daily, then The Atlantic Monthly could be called America's Red Flag. And the American Liberation Army Daily...it seems there isn't one.
In short, the most important "newspaper and magazine" in the history of American newspapers and magazines are The Gray Lady and The Atlantic.
Of course, compared with the "two newspapers and one magazine" that do not need to pursue economic interests but only care about political effects, the "one newspaper and one magazine" is more accommodating to the market and more responsive.
Compared to the New York Times, which prioritizes newsworthiness and timeliness, The Atlantic has a stronger elitist vibe. Indeed, the magazine's target audience from its inception has been the American intellectual elite.
Compared to another similar magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic leans more conservative and Republican. The problem is that The New Yorker was not founded until 1925.
The Atlantic Monthly was founded in 1857, a turbulent year for America.
Politically speaking, the Civil War was about to break out in four years, so the debate over whether to abolish slavery and the survival of the Union was at a fever pitch.
Economically, railroads and telegraph networks rapidly expanded across North America, connecting the nation into a unified market. A large influx of immigrants also increased the population by a quarter. People began to explore the West, sparking the Gold Rush. With the three key elements of technology, capital, and labor, the American economy began to flourish.
From a religious perspective, the European Spring of 1848 greatly shook the feudal conservative forces, and new scientific discoveries, such as the theory of evolution that was to be published in 1858, greatly shook people's religious beliefs.
Finally, culturally speaking, American intellectuals who had been influenced by European Enlightenment and Romanticism longed to have their own unique American voice.
The magazine's founder, Ralph Waldo Emerson, known as the "leader of the American Renaissance," wrote: "We have listened too long to the gentle muse of Europe."
He believes that "a magazine should lead the entire era. This is a very beneficial and necessary thing... Editors need to have a broad vision and perspective, find the best (articles) from this land, and be able to reject the public taste... The public will soon calm down and find that they have a mentor."
It was in this context that The Atlantic Monthly was born, and would later be revered as "a symbol of the awakening of the American spirit."
When the first issue was published, Emerson clearly stated that it was "a magazine concerning literature, politics, science, and art."
It helps people get to know new writers and poets, helps writers and poets publish their works, and publishes comments by famous writers on contemporary political events and other major events.
In the mid-19th century, the magazine documented the writings of Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Muir, and others, and later became the publication where Mark Twain and Henry James first published their novels.
In the early 20th century, it published important political essays by Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt.
Later, Ernest Hemingway's early short stories were published in it.
Later, Martin Luther King sent it the manuscript of "Letter from Birmingham Jail"...
This is going too far. It's hard to say whether this black priest who loved to seduce white women in the 1960s could have become a famous human rights leader or even survived. Because he was the mortal enemy of "The Hermit", if things went wrong, he would have been killed by Hoover.
Well, well, our Master Yuan's "Rural Teacher" will soon be published in "The Atlantic Monthly", which not only means that he has been recognized by the mainstream American literary circles, but also means that the level of science fiction has been raised by Lord Grey Knight.
How could he not be proud?
Yuan Yan casually tossed the cigar into the wine glass, stood up, raised her hands, pressed them down, and said, "Guys, I've been able to get to where I am today because of your help and support. So I want to say... thank you!"
He really meant what he said. Even if he was a time traveler, he couldn't conquer everything. And to be honest, Louis Baker was his first benefactor.
Therefore, what he said was so heartfelt that everyone couldn't help but recall...it was actually just a few months ago.
"You know I'm going back to China after I get my Ph.D.... I'm getting married, and I don't know when I'll be able to come back to the States. So I'm telling you this first..."
At this moment, Miss Pulitzer suddenly raised her hand and said, "Neo, can I go to China with you? Oh, and I can be your photographer for free. I can also be your bridesmaid at your wedding!"
"Emma, you want to go to China with me?"
Master Yuan was also stunned when he heard this, but then he thought about it and realized that going to Seres was not too unbelievable these days. Last year, a Hollywood actress traveled around China and published several travelogues in the Los Angeles Times..
"Be a bridesmaid?! Then I want to go too!" Before he could answer, a female voice suddenly rang out. It was naturally the voice of "Helen of Manhattan" who had almost fallen asleep.
After she said that, Mr. McCall was definitely unable to sit still. The reason why he couldn't sit still was naturally because his current big client was too attractive. It would be too lonely on this journey... It was really terrible.
So he immediately said, "Actually, ever since I read Jules Verne's 'Around the World in Eighty Days,' I've always wanted to take a trip around the world. Now that I have the chance, I'll go with you."
He looked deeply at his fellow sufferer Louis Baker and said, "Louis, why don't you come along too."
"Hmm!" Mr. Baker was no fool. He nodded deeply and agreed, "My grandfather has always wanted to expand his business in East Asia. It seems I really need to go to China."
Miss Moman, who had been diligently taking notes, revealed a longing expression and said, "A trip around the world... Boss, I want to go too!"
"you……"
Our Master Yuan really has no reason to stop them from following him back to Seris, and there is no need to stop them.
He shrugged and said, "Well, you're welcome to join me on my journey, and you're also welcome to my wedding. But..."
But before returning home, he has to make a big news.
He shook his head at Master Ai Shouyi and said, "But, Howard, don't go with us. We can't do without you here."
Then Yuan Yan suddenly waved to the servants beside her and said, "Guys, now is..."
“Champagne time!”
"Bang!"
