The series The Promotion Story of Du Lala has been well-received since its debut in September 2007. The story about how Du Lala, the heroine with ordinary background, grew from an administrative assistant to an HR manager in one of the Fortune 500 companies through her own efforts became a bible for office workers.

Three books in the series have been released as of May, with sales of more than three million copies according to the publisher. The movie, TV and play rights for the first book were sold, and the movie, released this April, turned out to be a huge box office winner, taking in more than 100 million yuan.

Despite all the glory, the author, Li Ke, has remained behind the veil. She is known to have graduated from a prestigious university with an undergraduate degree and to have worked in one of the Fortune 500 companies for more than 10 years in sales and human resources. But she never revealed her identity or released any photos and she only receives interviews via e-mail.

Of the questions METRO asked her, she only replied to half of them.

Q & A

Q: Did you think it was a certainty that the Du Lala series would be well-received?

A: Career novels are different from other types; they're more about functional reading than entertainment.

College education in China is not that practical; a deficiency is that it teaches too little about techniques such as interpersonal relations, project management and so on.

Career novels can address these and teach you things you come across in real life. The Du Lala series is one of them.

Q: Has your life been affected by the success of the book?

A: My life has barely changed.

Q: Are you deliberately keeping yourself mysterious by only receiving interviews via e-mail? Will you come out from behind the curtain after you finish the whole series?

A: No. It's just my values. I won't choose to be a public figure even when I'm 60.

Q: Have you watched the movie or stage drama adapted from your novel. Which main actress is most like you?

A: Du Lala is a fictional figure, a complex character, so that many readers can find themselves in her.

So it's not about which actress looks like me; it is important is that audiences accept her in the role.

Q: Which do you think is more important, a good company or a good boss?

A: It's very important to choose a good industry. And then go toward leading companies in these industries and core departments in these companies. It needs a plan, action and persistence to accomplish this process, and optimism as well.

Q: What's your own attitude toward office romances?

A: I think the agreement that Du Lala made with Wang Wei (Du's colleague who has a relationship with her in the novel) is practical, which is not revealing the thing between them to other colleagues.

Of course the best situation is that the careers of both are not affected and the relationship is protected.

Q: Du Lala moves to another company in the third book. Does that mean that you also have plans or have moved to another job in the last year? What is the best time to change jobs?

A: I wasn't particularly lucky. I didn't change often, not because of how loyal I am, mainly because the company was good.

Job-hopping is for better opportunities, not changing for the sake of change.

Q: Since the series is so popular, many pirated copies have appeared on the market. What is your attitude toward them?

A: I hate piracy very much, but I feel like I can do nothing about it.

Q: How many books do you plan to write for the series?

A: The stories of Du Lala will be continued, but I won't make it too long.

I don't want to write till the readers are tired of it.

I don't want to reveal the specific writing plan at the moment.

Q: Did you treat yourself after you received your royalties?

A: Yes, to treat me more time. I want to learn drawing, comics. But I don't have time; I will definitely do it in the future.

As I was a student, my drawings would only get 60 points, and sometimes as lowest as zero. I know that art needs talent, but I still plan to learn, and composition as well.

Q: Can you reveal your marital status?

A: I only share my views, not my life.

China Daily