China Entertainment Mythology 2004

Chapter 81 The Law of the Dark Forest
night.

Liu Cixin leaned on the bedside to read Li Mu's new book "The Divergent". After his wife finished washing, she went to bed and covered herself with a quilt:
"Hey, how much do you think "Three-Body Problem" can sell this time?"

Liu Cixin glanced at his wife, then looked away and continued to flip through the book:
"Not good."

"Didn't you say that "Three-Body Problem" received an overwhelming response? The last time Wandering Earth sold 30 yuan, why should "Three-Body Problem" sell for 50 yuan this time?"

"Besides Li Mu, is there anyone who wants to sell the copyright of my novel for 5 yuan?" Liu Cixin turned to look at his wife, and continued after a pause, "Li Mu wrote me a letter before writing the book for the first time. In the reply letter, he encouraged him to write boldly, and now that Li Mu has achieved great success in writing books, he paid a high price for my book because he was thinking about the old love that I encouraged him.

Liu Cixin's wife was rather disapproving of her husband's words: "Li Mu has achieved such a great achievement at a young age. He is very good at it. He will not do business at a loss."

"The subject matter of "The Three-Body Problem" is a bit sensitive, and it is not easy to adapt it. It might lose money, and if it sells for 30, I feel a little bit sorry. Let Li Mu see it and give it to him. Take as much as you want."

"What if people are only willing to give 10 yuan? You sell it too?" Liu Cixin's wife said angrily, "Anyway, "The Wandering Earth" and "Country Teacher" each sold for 30 yuan, and "Three-Body Problem" couldn't be sold cheaper. "

Liu Cixin put down the book in his hand, turned off the light and went to sleep, but did not reply to his wife.

In fact, from his psychological price point of view, the film and television copyright of a novel can be sold for 10 yuan, which is quite a lot.

In 09 on the original timeline, "The Three-Body Problem" had become quite famous in China at that time, and it became the well-deserved best-selling novel of Liu Cixin.

And it was also in this year that Liu Cixin sold the film and television copyrights of his novels for a mere 10 yuan.And just nine years later, the film and television copyright price of "Three-Body Problem" rose to 9 million.

At present, the market response of "Three-Body Problem" is indeed very good, but how much money did Liu Cixin get?The novel was serialized in Science Fiction World magazine, and Liu Cixin received a fixed manuscript fee of one or two hundred yuan per thousand words, while the total manuscript fee for "Three-Body 1" was only tens of thousands of yuan.

After the "Three-Body Problem" became popular in 09, Liu Cixin earned hundreds of thousands of dollars and even sold the copyright for a mere 10 yuan. Now "Three-Body Problem" only earns tens of thousands of manuscript fees, so Liu Cixin's psychological price for film and television copyrights will naturally not be high. Where to go.

but……

Liu Cixin was thinking about the new book "The Divergent" by Li Mu that he had just read.

"Is my "Three-Body Problem" worse than this book? If this book can sell well in the United States, why can't my "Three-Body Problem" work?"

Then he thought of "The Hunger Games". Is "The Three-Body Problem" worse than "The Hunger Games"?But "The Hunger Games" sold 2000 million copies in the United States!And it has been on the "New York Times" bestseller list for dozens of weeks.

……

A week later.

Science Fiction World Magazine.

As soon as Liu Cixin walked in, he immediately felt the warm atmosphere here. After inquiring, he found out that Li Mu's new book "The Divergent" had exploded in sales in the United States.

As of yesterday, the novel has been on the shelves for just one week, and the sales volume in the United States has officially exceeded 30 copies!

Liu Cixin was shocked.

30 copies were sold in just one week, how many copies will be sold in that month?
At least 120 million volumes!

What year?

Li Mu has written another novel with tens of millions of sales?

In the afternoon, Li Mu also rushed to the magazine office to meet Liu Cixin, who was ashamed.

"When we met last time, you said that we are the two science fiction writers in Asia who are most likely to win the Hugo Award first. Now you have won three Hugo Award nominations in one fell swoop, and I am still nowhere to be nominated. I am really ashamed ah."

Li Mu said with a smile: "There is no end in sight, at most it is the darkness before dawn, "The Three-Body Problem" must be a Hugo Award-level work, otherwise I would not come rushing to you to sign a contract."

Liu Cixin shook his head and smiled.

He loves the novel "Three-Body Problem" more than anyone else, but Liu Cixin really has no confidence in saying how great "Three-Body Problem" can achieve.

Li Mu, Liu Cixin, Qin Li, Yang Feng, Yao Haijun and others gathered in the reception room and chatted all over the place at first, and when the atmosphere was getting better, Li Mu began to talk about business.

"The Three-Body Problem basically represents the highest level of Chinese science fiction. It composes a profound and magnificent hymn to civilization with its majestic narrative force, which makes people deeply shocked and cannot put it down. Such a work should not stop at 20 Wanzi, what I want to buy this time is not just the copyright of the finished "Three-Body Problem", what I want is the copyright of the "Three-Body Problem" trilogy."

Liu Cixin couldn't help being moved when he heard that Li Mu had such a high opinion of "Three-Body Problem", but when he heard that Li Mu wanted to buy the copyright of "Three-Body Problem" trilogy, he felt a little hesitant.

He does have some ideas in his mind, but he can't guarantee that these ideas can support him to write the trilogy of "The Three-Body Problem".

Writing "Three-Body Problem 2" should not be a big problem, but the trilogy is...

"The trilogy of "The Three-Body Problem"—movies, TV, web dramas, web dramas, anime, comics, 150 million copyrights, if Brother Liu has no objections, then we will sign the contract under the witness of several editors from the magazine. gone."

"what?"

Everyone in the conference room was taken aback. The number Li Mu gave out exceeded everyone's expectations.

Previously, everyone predicted that Li Mu would still buy the film and television copyright of "The Three-Body Problem" at a price of 30 yuan, and at most it would not exceed 50 yuan.

But no one thought that what Li Mu wanted was not just a "Three-Body Problem", but a trilogy of "Three-Body Problem".

I don't know the quality of the next two "Three-Body" trilogy!

It was even more unexpected to everyone that Li Mu directly offered a price of 150 million!

There is no such price in China!

Da Liu once said that he would not write novels that could not make money.Before "The Three-Body Problem" became popular all over the world, he never felt that he could support his family just by writing novels.Now Li Mu is willing to spend 150 million to buy the copyright of the "Three-Body" trilogy. The 07 million in 150, with a loud bang, has the mentality of dying for his confidant.

Editor Qin Li was stunned.

Editor Yang Feng was shocked.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Yao Haijun even suspected that he had heard it wrong.

Liu Cixin assured Li Mu with a solemn face: "Don't worry, I will try my best to write the following content well, and I will never let you spend a lot of money to buy a bunch of rubbish words to go back."

Li Mu smiled and said, "I believe it."

At this point, the matter is basically settled, and the rest is to find a lawyer to draft a contract and formally sign the contract. There are many follow-up matters. Li Mu and Liu Cixin will stay in the city for a few days.

That night, Liu Cixin went to Li Mu's room with a heavy heart.

"I thought about it carefully again. I do have some ideas in my mind, but I'm really not sure whether these ideas can support the length of the trilogy, or..."

"How can you be unsure? I have read "The Three-Body Problem" no less than three times. It can be said that this novel has a profound conception, a grand conception, and endless brain holes. It is by no means a mere 20 words. Body 1" foundation, there will be no problem supporting the trilogy."

Liu Cixin blushed a little and said, "In fact, many of the ideas in "Three-Body Problem" came from your inspiration. Without your part of creativity, "Three-Body Problem" might lose its color a lot."

"what?"

Li Mu was stunned for a moment.

Liu Cixin smiled and said, "You don't remember? The last Galaxy Award was also in Chengdu. We all drank too much. I insisted on pulling you to talk about some of my ideas. You said at the time that this was a Hugo award. If I pester you again, you will have to copy it first as a respect. I didn’t listen, and continued to pester you to discuss the plot. I remember that you said a lot of ideas casually, and these ideas helped me write "The Three-Body Problem" "was a great help."

Li Mu thought about it carefully, and it seemed that such a thing really happened.

Liu Cixin added: "So without your help, I'm really afraid that I won't be able to write the trilogy, so..."

"So what?"

Liu Cixin: "So let's continue to discuss and discuss the next plot."

"what?"

Then, Liu Cixin stayed in Li Mu's room for a whole night, and after one night, Liu Cixin finally formally constructed a complete dark forest theory under Li Mu's various inspirations.

The next morning, Liu Cixin seemed to have opened up the two veins of Ren and Du, and his confidence in writing the "Three-Body" trilogy was directly multiplied, and at the same time he felt more deeply how powerful Li Mu was.

"The Law of the Dark Forest."

"A decisive battle against the Trisolarans."

"Two-way foil."

……

wait wait wait.

Every time I think of it together, it becomes more systematic and perfect.

(End of this chapter)