Back home, the first thing Wos did was check the doors and windows to make sure everything was secure.
“Looks like we’ll have to think about moving,” he muttered to himself.
“This place is too dangerous.”
“Moving?” Aqua said reluctantly.
“But I just got used to it here.”
“Got used to what? You’ve only been here for a day.” Wos rolled his eyes.
“And what happened today might happen again.”
It was true.
Having offended Tony Stark and made enemies of the local thugs, it really wasn’t safe to keep living in Hell’s Kitchen.
“But moving takes money.” Wos calculated his savings.
“We’ll need to save up for a while longer, at least.”
Tom walked up to Wos and patted his leg, his eyes full of determination.
“You’re saying not to worry?” Wos understood what Tom meant.
“Having you protect me really does put my mind at ease.”
Jerry also jumped onto Wos’s shoulder and made a “don’t worry” gesture with his tiny paw.
“Alright, then we’ll stay a little longer.” Wos gave in.
“But everyone has to be careful.”
As night deepened, the four went back to their rooms to rest.
Lying in bed, Wos replayed everything that had happened that day.
From Tony Stark’s pressure to the thugs’ revenge, it had been an incredibly thrilling day.
“Tomorrow is the official contract signing at the publisher. I hope everything goes smoothly,” Wos silently prayed, looking at the starry sky outside the window.
The next morning, Wos got up early.
Today was the day of the official signing at the publisher, and he was so excited that he hadn’t slept well all night.
“Tom, what do you think of this outfit?” Wos, wearing the only slightly formal set of clothes he had, spun around once in front of the mirror.
Tom sat on the bed, propping his chin on his paw as he looked Wos over carefully.
The shirt was a bit wrinkled and the pants were a little old, but overall it was reasonably neat.
He nodded to say it was acceptable.
“I think you should wear a tie.” Aqua got up from the sofa, her hair a mess.
“For something as important as a signing, you should definitely dress more formally.”
“I don’t have a tie.” Wos spread his hands.
“This is already my best outfit.”
Jerry suddenly popped out of a drawer, holding a red ribbon in his mouth.
He hopped in front of Wos and gestured as if to tie it on him.
“Where did this come from?” Wos took the ribbon and found that the quality was decent.
Tom scratched his head a little sheepishly.
It turned out that last night he had secretly slipped out and dug it out of the trash can at a nearby gift shop.
It was secondhand, but after being washed clean, it looked pretty respectable.
“Thank you both,” Wos said, moved.
“I’m so glad to have you.”
After tying on the “necktie,” Wos looked in the mirror and felt much more put together.
“Let’s all go together.” Aqua said excitedly.
“This goddess wants to see what a mortal publishing house looks like too.”
“Please don’t cause trouble.” Wos waved his hands quickly.
“What if you say something weird again?”
“This goddess won’t cause trouble!” Aqua pouted in displeasure.
“Besides, at such an important moment, a companion should of course be there to support you.”
Tom and Jerry nodded in agreement.
“Fine, but you all have to behave, no saying weird things, and no revealing your identity.” Wos gave in helplessly.
“Especially you, Aqua, absolutely do not mention anything about being a goddess.”
“I know, I know.” Aqua waved her hand dismissively.
The group of four set out for the publisher.
On the way, Wos was so nervous that his palms were sweating.
“What if they change their minds?” Wos said anxiously.
“What if they think my book isn’t good enough?”
Tom patted his leg to tell him to relax.
Jerry made an “OK” gesture, signaling that everything would go smoothly.
“Don’t worry.” Aqua rarely offered comfort.
“Your book is so well written, they’re sure to want it.”
When they reached the publisher’s entrance, Wos took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and pushed the door open.
“Mr. Wos!” the receptionist greeted him warmly.
“Mr. Osk is waiting for you, please follow me.”
When they arrived at the office, Osk was already waiting at his desk, with a thick contract lying on it.
“Wos, you’re here.” Osk stood up to shake his hand.
“I finished reading all of your manuscript last night, and it’s truly wonderful.”
“Really?” Wos’s eyes lit up.
“What did you think?”
“Very good.” Osk pointed at the manuscript on the desk.
“The plot is cleverly designed, the characters are vivid, and your grasp of World War II history is spot on. The friendship between the protagonist and Steve is especially moving.”
Hearing the praise, Wos’s face turned red.
Tom and Jerry were happy for him from the side too.
“Phil has read it as well, and he rated it very highly,” Osk continued.
“He said it’s one of the best transmigration novels he’s ever read.”
“What about Mr. Coulson?” Wos looked around.
“Isn’t he here today?”
“He went out to sea on business, but he asked me to pass on his congratulations,” Osk said with a smile.
“Alright, let’s talk about the specific contract terms.”
Osk picked up the contract and began explaining: “The first print run is ten thousand copies, priced at eighteen dollars. The royalty is 20%, which means you’ll earn 3.6 dollars per book.”
Wos quickly did the math.
If they all sold, that would be dollars!
“The advance is 5,000 dollars, paid immediately after signing,” Osk continued.
“If the first edition sells well, we’ll consider a reprint.”
“Wonderful!” Wos was so excited he almost jumped.
Aqua’s eyes sparkled as she listened from the side.
Five thousand dollars, how many pretty dresses could that buy!
“In addition, we hope you’ll continue writing follow-up works,” Osk said.
“If this book gets a good response, we can consider making it a series.”
“Of course!” Wos nodded again and again.
“I already have ideas for the sequels.”
Osk took out a pen.
“Then let’s sign.”
Wos took the pen, his hand a little shaky.
This was the first publishing contract of his life, and it meant a great deal.
He carefully read through the contract terms, and after confirming there were no problems, wrote his name on the signature line.
“From today on, you are a signed author of our publishing house.”
“Thank you! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!” Wos excitedly grasped Osk’s hand.
Tom and Jerry high-fived in celebration.
Aqua was so happy she spun around in place.
“Oh, and there’s one more piece of good news.” Osk took a check out of the drawer.
“Here’s the 5,000-dollar advance.”
Wos took the check, and looking at the number on it, felt as if he were dreaming.
“When will the book officially go on sale?” Wos asked.
“About a week from now,” Osk said.
“We’ll arrange printing, binding, and distribution, and we move very fast.”
“A week? That fast?” Wos was a bit surprised.
“Your book is of excellent quality, and we have great confidence in it,” Osk said with a smile.
“Besides, a transmigration story with your kind of setup is very rare, so market demand is high.”
After the signing was done, the group said goodbye to Osk and walked out of the publisher’s front door.
“We’re rich!” Wos said excitedly, holding up the check.
“Five thousand dollars!”
“Wonderful!” Aqua hugged Wos’s arm.
“We can buy so many things now!”
Tom and Jerry were happy too, and the two little ones held hands and danced in the street.
“We have to celebrate today,” Wos decided.
“Let’s go have a good meal!”
“The most expensive restaurant!” Aqua said excitedly.
“Not the most expensive, but we really should celebrate properly,” Wos said with a laugh.
“And I’ll buy you all some gifts too.”
Tom waved his paw to say he didn’t need a gift, since seeing Wos succeed already made him happy.
Jerry nodded in agreement too, though a glint of anticipation still flashed in his eyes.
“Then let’s get some cheese for Jerry and some good fish for Tom,” Wos thought.
“As for Aqua…”
“A dress! A pretty dress!” Aqua immediately raised her hand.
“Fine, fine, I’ll buy you a dress,” Wos said with a helpless laugh.
The four walked down the street, happy smiles on everyone’s faces.
It was only a beginning, but this beginning meant limitless possibilities.
“By the way, Wos.” Aqua suddenly thought of something.
“What’s your book called?”
“*Reborn in World War II, I Became Captain America’s Comrade*,” Wos said.
“What do you think, is it pretty straightforward?”
“It’s definitely straightforward.” Aqua nodded.
“But it sounds fun.”
Tom and Jerry looked at each other and both thought the title was good.
Simple and clear, and you could tell what kind of story it was right away.
“Once the book comes out, we’ll be famous!” Wos joked.
“Maybe people will even come to interview us.”
“Then won’t this goddess get to be on TV?” Aqua’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Don’t even think about it.” Wos quickly threw cold water on the idea.
“The moment you go on TV, you’ll reveal your identity.”
“Hmph, stingy.” Aqua pouted.
And so the group of four began their celebration tour.
Although the road ahead still held many unknowns and challenges, for now at least, they could fully enjoy this hard-won success.