Chapter 100

Listen, listen, listen (please follow and give recommendations~)

"Why did you only prepare so few books? I want to buy a few more, where can I get them?"

This black reader arrived a bit late, thinking there would be plenty of books, but found that there were none left, with too many people and not enough to go around.

The frustrated black brother seemed to be someone who wasn't short of money. He walked over to the line of readers waiting for autographs and asked softly, "Hey, I'll give 50 pounds, is anyone willing to sell me a book?"

However, he underestimated his status among these hardcore readers; a mere 50 pounds wasn't enough to move them.

A blonde woman laughed and teased, "No one will sell to you. I suggest you quickly check the nearby bookstore; maybe they have already received the books but haven't put them on display yet."

Most fans of science fiction are male, but there are also some female fans. The blonde woman stood out in the queue.

"Hey, Blondie, if I sleep with you tonight, how much would you sell the book for?" the black reader teased, but his words were a bit too forward.

However, the blonde woman wasn't one to be trifled with. She snorted and flipped him the middle finger, "F*ck off!"

"Then I'll offer 100 pounds, is anyone willing to sell me a book?"

A group of onlookers gathered around the Penguin Publishing Group booth. One of them sneered, "I'll give 150 pounds, who will sell me a book?"

It was unclear whether this person was joking or serious. Lin Han, from a distance, could sense the tension and quickly signed his name, feeling quite pleased.

What could be more enjoyable than a live auction? Although the money wasn't going to Lin Han himself, the fact that someone was willing to pay ten times the price for a book was a sign of true love.

The black young man took out four 50-pound notes from his pocket and waved them lightly, "200 pounds, I'll trade the book now, is anyone willing?"

With real money on the table, a young man in a leather jacket in the queue raised his new book and asked, "Are you sure you want to buy it?"

For 200 pounds, unless one was crazy, the original price was only 15 pounds. A quick resale could net 185 pounds, why not?

Not everyone could resist the temptation of money. Among the 100 people who bought the books, some might have just followed the trend, some might have liked science fiction but not to a great extent.

Not seeing the book for one more day wasn't that hard to accept. With 200 pounds, he could buy more books he wanted!

After the transaction, the black young man stood at the end of the queue, happily kissing the cover of the book, "Baby, I finally got you."

Perhaps it had been a long time since he had written so many words by hand. After signing 100 books, Lin Han's wrist felt slightly sore. He found it hard to imagine how others managed to sign hundreds or even thousands of books.

The onlookers gradually dispersed, each with their own business to attend to. However, the reporters found Lin Han again, wanting to interview him.

Most of them were from Chinese media, as many Chinese publishing groups had booths here. The hottest topic on the first day was Lin Han's successful entry into the Penguin Publishing Group's classic book series.

Given the natural language advantage, the reporters wouldn't let this opportunity slip. Some had already started writing articles to send back to China for review.

"Mr. Lin, as we understand, this is your first full-length novel. What inspired you to write a science fiction novel?"

Lin Han looked at the Phoenix News logo and smiled, "Actually, it's quite simple. I've always loved science fiction novels and animations since I was a child. Now that I have the ability to write, it's like fulfilling a small dream. Of course, there were also some practical reasons. I was short on money at the time and saw the Galaxy Award call for submissions, so I gave it a try."

Another reporter with a recorder asked, "How many books have you written so far? Which one are you most satisfied with? If you could rewrite any of them, would you add or improve anything?"

Starting with short stories, Lin Han's writing speed was much faster than that of a normal author. He quickly wrote many books, from "The Rural Teacher" to "I, Robot," then "The Martian," and finally "The Last Earthling" and "Artificial Beauty." He took steady steps, building a solid foundation.

"I think each book has its own strengths and weaknesses. I believe each one needs improvement, but once a work is written, it belongs to the readers. So, I don't plan to rewrite any of them."

Chen Jiaxuan didn't stop the reporters. She enjoyed watching Lin Han speak confidently, despite his initial nervousness.

"According to online reports, it's said that Random House also contacted you to publish the English edition of your book, but you offered them a royalty rate they couldn't accept, leading them to reject the collaboration and blacklist you?"

Lin Han didn't know where this rumor came from. Random House had a booth at the London Book Fair, and this was clearly the opposite of the truth.

"Since it's an online report, why believe it? I'm glad Random House approached us first for negotiations, but we had different ideas on many issues, so the deal didn't go through. We might collaborate in the future."

Lin Han always left room for maneuver. He could directly say that a manager from Random House's China division deliberately underpriced, but that would only add a sensational element to the news without any real benefit. The manager wouldn't resign because of it, and he wouldn't sell more books. It might even lead to a deadlock. Even if Random House was acquired by Penguin Publishing Group, it was still a giant in the international publishing industry. Lin Han couldn't afford to make an enemy, who knows what trouble it might cause.

The Chinese reporters were enthusiastic, but the British Sun reporter beside them was struggling to get an interview opportunity.

The Sun has high sales and visibility, but its reputation is poor. It is known for unprofessional and biased reporting, often using sensational methods to boost sales.

"Hello, Mr. Lin, we just interviewed Blair Buck, who won this year's Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award. He said your work is superficial and doesn't deserve to be included in the Penguin Classics series. What do you think about that?"

"Who is Blair, is he famous?"

Lin Han didn't need to be polite. If he had to explain every comment made about him, he would need thousands of mouths.

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