Henry Carter had carefully researched news about this elderly gentleman after receiving a call from Mr. Foster: he was famously frugal, and it seemed that most of his social activities revolved around promoting classic literary works. Whenever he discovered a good piece, he would go all out to support it.

Now, it’s no exaggeration to say that Mr. Foster's disciples are spread all over the country, and even many politicians and business tycoons hope to become his students.

However, he never officially accepts students; it’s just that the writers he has mentored or those who admire him are willing to call him Mr. Foster.

“Why did you want to write the Three Character Classic? Did you really write it yourself?” Mr. Foster asked with a smile. In fact, even after a week, he still found it hard to calm his emotions: for a classic like the Three Character Classic to be written by a 14-year-old child—what had everyone else been doing with their decades of life?

“Can I not answer that question?” Henry Carter replied with a wry smile. “I’m sure you’re very surprised, but what I can guarantee is that if there are any copyright disputes, I’ll take full responsibility. Mr. Foster, you don’t need to worry about that.”

To be honest, although he copied a classic, Henry Carter just wanted to make money and nothing else. He didn’t need fame, nor did he need others to recognize his literary talent. He just wanted to make money—plain and simple.

At the end of the day, Henry Carter was just a rather rough and ordinary person. If you really think he’d live a second life with resources at his disposal and not use them, that wouldn’t fit the character of a common man. Did he feel psychological pressure? Yes, but only a little.

Henry Carter had actually thought it through: if most people went through what he did, he didn’t believe they’d leave a classic unused.

Everyone’s just ordinary; there’s nothing to be pretentious about. However, to stubbornly insist that it’s your own creation and to be self-absorbed about it—that’s another matter.

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Foster shrugged. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. The main reason I came today is to discuss the copyright issue with you and settle the royalty terms.”

“I’ve thought about it—6% is fine, but it has to be 6% of the list price, not the wholesale price,” Henry Carter said firmly.

Royalties are a form of manuscript payment that has been used worldwide for hundreds of years. In other words, the royalties Henry Carter would receive = book list price × number of copies sold × 6%.

Actually, the more common rate is 8% royalties, but that’s calculated based on 65% of the list price as the wholesale price. In this light, 6% is actually higher than usual for Henry Carter.

Mr. Foster stopped and looked deeply at Henry Carter. It was hard to say who was getting the better deal with this 6%, but at least both sides could make money. Suddenly, he laughed and said, “Alright, let’s do it your way. This is my first time negotiating with a 14-year-old, and I really don’t know where to start. If I push too hard, people will say I’m bullying you at my age.”

“Mr. Foster would never bully me,” Henry Carter said cheerfully.

“Come on, let’s find a place for you to treat me to a meal, and we’ll sign the contract while we’re at it. I brought the contract with me.”

“There’s a noodle shop up ahead that’s pretty good. Also… about the payment for the article on page three of the Kyoto Daily…” Henry Carter rubbed his hands awkwardly.

Mr. Foster's eyes suddenly widened. “You’re just going to treat me to noodles?”

“That’s right, and I’ll have to use the payment you gave me to pay for it,” Henry Carter turned out his pockets to show he only had fifty cents. “If I told you I wrote the Three Character Classic for money, would you believe me?”

Mr. Foster burst out laughing. “Noodles it is! When I’m in Kyoto, I always want to have a bowl of zhajiang noodles but never have the time. Today, thanks to you, I finally get the chance!” As he spoke, he pulled an envelope from his coat and slapped it into Henry Carter's hand. “A-level poetry payment—48 yuan per line.”

Poetry payments have always been calculated by the line, but most so-called literati only get about 100 yuan for a poem, and some works pay just 1 yuan per line. That’s why Henry Carter had no idea how much he’d get for the Three Character Classic.

Henry Carter started counting the money right in front of Mr. Foster—over 8,000 in total!

“Forty-eight yuan per line… If I’d known, I would have split it into more lines…” Henry Carter muttered under his breath.

“Now I believe it.”

Henry Carter was taken aback. “Believe what?”

Mr. Foster said with a complicated expression, “I believe you really wrote the Three Character Classic for money. This is the first time someone has counted their payment right in front of me. Those literati are always afraid that such an act would taint their work with the smell of money. They want others to see them as lofty and untouched by worldly concerns.”

Henry Carter chuckled. “Don’t mind me, I’m just a common guy—no need for all that pretentiousness. But have you ever heard this saying? ‘Great vulgarity is great elegance.’”

“‘Great vulgarity is great elegance…’” Mr. Foster savored the phrase. “Hahaha, what a saying! Great vulgarity is great elegance!” To be honest, it was the first time he’d heard it, but that wasn’t surprising, since even this saying was something Henry Carter brought from a parallel world.

And so, Noah Foster brought Henry Carter over 8,000 yuan in payment and the promise of potentially endless royalties in the future, and in return, Henry Carter treated Noah Foster to a bowl of egg noodles at a roadside diner.

Noah Foster seemed even happier because of it.