Chapter 13

Lin Han sat in front of the computer, his eyes unfocused, staring blankly ahead as his mind raced. He had just finished writing his first short story, but the 8,000 yuan in royalties was not enough to let him rest easy. He still needed to keep writing.

Next, he needed to write a full-length novel, submit it to a magazine for serialization to build up a fan base, and then move on to publishing. This steady and methodical approach was the only way to lay a solid foundation.

He had read over a thousand science fiction novels, and choosing which one to adapt was a problem. The options were vast, and each book was so excellent that it was hard to decide.

"Is this what they call a happy dilemma?" Lin Han chuckled to himself. He right-clicked on the desktop to create a new folder but couldn't decide what to write.

"Whatever, I'll discuss it with someone later and get their opinion."

In fact, Lin Han was still in a period of confusion. He had so many classic novels, and if he just threw them all out, it would seem wasteful and not make the best use of them.

He opened his chat app, found his friend list, and clicked on Li Wenyuan's name, preparing to ask this sci-fi expert about his next book.

But just as he was about to type his question, the editorial department called. This was the same number that had notified him about his acceptance.

"Hello, is this Mr. Lin Han?" Wang Yifan lowered his voice, not wanting everyone in the office to hear.

"Yes, it's me."

Wang Yifan knew his next words might offend, but to get "The Rural Teacher" published, he had to say it: "After our editorial team's discussion, we believe your novel is of very high quality. However, to avoid malicious attacks, we hope you can publish it under a pen name."

Lin Han immediately understood. The "Science Fiction World" editorial team was worried that if his identity was revealed, people would suspect various things.

Since they were worried about trouble, it was best to solve it at the root. Publishing under an unknown pen name was indeed a good choice. He could consider revealing his true identity later.

So Lin Han replied, "No problem, I understand your concerns, and I will cooperate."

"Do you have a pen name in mind? We need to send the draft to the design team soon, so please be quick."

"Let's call it 'Alien.'"

"Alien? Okay, thank you for your understanding. The royalties are being processed and should be in your account within two hours. Goodbye."

Wang Yifan didn't know what the pen name "Alien" meant, but for Lin Han, it was a way to commemorate himself. He wasn't from this place but from another parallel universe.

With Lin Han's pen name, Wang Yifan quickly relayed the information. The design team was waiting, and once the name was added, they sent it to Tan Lin for review.

This issue included Lin Han's "The Rural Teacher," which was 20,000 words long, so the layout was significantly larger. They had considered splitting the novel into two parts, but doing so would have lost its essence.

The first half of the novel told the story of a rural teacher's last class, much like a realistic novel. The second half described a space war and the students' efforts to save Earth, closely tied to the first part.

Usually, only established authors had the privilege of publishing a 20,000-word novel in one issue. With limited pages, Lin Han's work took up so much space that another piece had to be canceled. There was no other choice.

"Let's go with this. Send the file to the printing plant to start printing and binding. We'll see if next month's sales change," Tan Lin said without any objections to the final draft.

...

Lin Han wasn't in the mood to think about his next book. His nostalgia had been stirred, and he felt restless.

At this moment, he couldn't think too much. He decided to work up a sweat and tire himself out to cover his emotions.

The long-neglected dumbbells were finally put to use. His body, weakened by alcohol, quickly broke into a sweat, and his muscles ached, but Lin Han didn't stop. He wanted to push his limits.

Collapsing on the floor, Lin Han didn't even want to move his fingers. His clothes were drenched and clung uncomfortably to his body. To avoid catching a cold, he struggled to stand up and took a hot shower.

The scalding hot water from the showerhead fell on his hair and shoulders, dispelling the cold and fatigue. The bathroom was filled with steam, and the sound of the water drowned out the phone ringing.

After slowly drying his hair and changing into clean clothes, Lin Han walked to the sofa with a cup of hot water. He felt the negative emotions in his body had been washed away with the sweat, leaving him refreshed and full of energy.

He took out his phone to check the time but was surprised to see several missed calls from Chen Jiaxuan. He wondered what urgent matter she had.

He called her back and said, "Sis Xuan, I was working out and didn't hear the phone. What's up?"

"I thought you were drinking again. You should exercise more and get your six-pack back," Chen Jiaxuan joked, worried that Lin Han would fall back into his old ways. But now she realized her worry was unnecessary.

"Okay, okay, let's get to the point," Lin Han said, a bit annoyed. How did she know if he had a six-pack? It was a bit unsettling!

Chen Jiaxuan noticed Lin Han's evasiveness but didn't mind. One day, he would turn around and find her still by his side. "It's about you, and it's not good news. An informant revealed that you wrote a science fiction novel under the pen name 'Alien,' which will be published next month, titled 'The Rural Teacher'?"

"It's 'The Rural Teacher.' Has the content been leaked?" Lin Han asked with concern. He had only finalized the pen name with the editorial team an hour ago. If there was no mole inside, he wouldn't believe it.

"The content hasn't been leaked, but it has attracted some attention. After all, you're just a washed-up director, and even your haters don't care much about this. They probably think as long as you don't ruin their idols, you can write whatever you want."

Chen Jiaxuan's tone was light and casual, as if it wasn't a big deal.

But Lin Han knew it wasn't that simple. Otherwise, the busy Chen Jiaxuan wouldn't have called him several times. He didn't press for more details; he would check it out himself later.

He said, "I've never been famous, and it's a shame to be a stain on your career. I'm the only one under your management who isn't famous and was forced to leave the entertainment industry."

"I never thought that way. I'm grateful to have met you."

Her tone was almost nakedly sincere. Lin Han didn't know how to respond to this silly woman. He opened his mouth, thinking of how she had rushed to his house and used various methods to help him get back on his feet. Would it be too cruel to refuse her?

After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Meeting you has been lucky for me too."