Chapter 18

【With 1,000 favorites, an extra chapter is here. I hope everyone continues to support, and I look forward to 2,000 favorites for another extra chapter.】

Wang Pengfei quickly uploaded the stable version of the document he had read to the group files. When he took an ice lolly from the fridge, he found that the number of downloads had increased to 48 times!

There were only about a hundred people in the entire Sci-Fi Nebula group, but only one-fifth or even fewer were active in chatting. Many were lurkers, but the shared "Village Teacher" document had become a deep-water bomb, drawing out these long-time lurkers, showing just how attractive it was.

As authors who had read countless books, these people read very quickly. For them, 20,000 words took no more than five minutes. Those who read a bit faster had already started chatting in the group.

"No wonder the official Weibo said it received 100% positive reviews from the editorial department. This is written so well! I need to read it again; I read it too quickly to fully grasp the true meaning."

"You're right. When I saw the first chapter, I thought it was a work of non-fiction. But then the second chapter brought out an interstellar war, with the Carbon Federation battling the Silicon Empire. The sci-fi description is really good; I can't write like this."

"Tsk, very creative. Using Newton's laws of motion as a tool to save the world, and the Carbon Life using a life-level protection system to decide whether to destroy Earth. The isolation zone and the stellar frog jump setting are quite interesting."

"Did you notice how strong his control is? Two storylines are alternately described, but it doesn't feel chaotic at all. An ordinary new author couldn't handle this structure."

"Not only is the plot ingenious, but the writing is also excellent, and it can make you think. It's unbelievable that Lin Han wrote such a work."

"Could he have hired someone to ghostwrite it? There shouldn't be many people in China who can write sci-fi at this level. Can you tell whose writing style this is?"

"Are you kidding? This novel would be a hit no matter where it was published. No need to ghostwrite for others. No wonder he was so confident about the 20th. This is too strong."

"I also entered the Galaxy Award contest this time, but to be honest, I can't compare to this novel. 'Village Teacher' could at least win a second prize."

"I don't believe he can write such an article. This guy is too cunning. I'm going to delete my Weibo post to avoid being embarrassed."

"I'll do the same. This is much better than what I wrote. Looking back at our Weibo posts, it's embarrassing."

"Exactly, we've hit a hard wall."

The sci-fi authors in the group discussed, feeling their faces burn after reading "Village Teacher." Novels of this caliber are rare, with fewer than ten appearing in a year. If an author had written such a quality novel in their career, they would be considered a god.

If "Science Fiction World" was released on the 20th, these authors would have nowhere to hide their faces. They quickly deleted their Weibo posts before they were screenshot and saved.

After deleting their Weibo posts, these people's views of Lin Han changed. Although some were still不服气 (unconvinced), they had no evidence and could only curse him in their hearts.

Most writers are simple, straightforward, and passionate. They had cursed Lin Han in the group without considering his identity as a director in the entertainment industry. Now, after being impressed by his talent, they began to seriously appreciate and analyze the excellence of "Village Teacher."

If they liked it, they liked it; if they disliked it, they disliked it. They were straightforward people, not often involved in the complexities of society.

Sci-fi fans who followed these authors were ready for a show but found that the Weibo posts had mysteriously disappeared!

The novel fans, who had initially just wanted to watch the drama, were now unsatisfied. Conspiracy theories began to emerge, with no one considering that the authors had quietly deleted their posts.

"Damn, Lin Han's PR skills are too strong. I saw many people forwarding the 'Science Fiction World' Weibo to curse him, but now they're all gone."

"Yuan Fang, what do you think? Sir, there must be a conspiracy!"

"I'm kneeling. The people in the novel circle are not to be compared with the entertainment industry. A lousy director can easily PR away so many authors. Who's behind him?"

"Does Lin Han have such strong abilities? If he were good at PR, his Weibo wouldn't be constantly attacked, and his interview memes wouldn't still be flying around."

"I guess 'Science Fiction World' did some work. These authors collectively boycotted Lin Han, fearing it would affect the magazine's sales, so they made the authors delete their posts."

"Sigh, why isn't it the 20th yet? I'm about to go crazy waiting. What's 'Village Teacher' about?"

"Damn, just teasing us. Can't you just release it online? I'll subscribe to the electronic version."

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a marketing tactic? Deliberately making us curious to boost sales."

"Please be realistic. 'Science Fiction World' sells hundreds of thousands of copies per issue. Is it worth using such underhanded tactics?"

Poor Lin Han, who had done nothing, was now being suspected by a group of conspiracy theorists. He seemed to have a halo of ridicule, and any bad thing would be blamed on him.

As for the authors who deleted their Weibo posts, they endured the silence, letting the netizens speculate wildly. No one explained the situation. Could they tell them that they deleted the posts because they felt embarrassed after reading the novel?

After all, they were well-known sci-fi authors. It was better to keep this private and maintain their dignity.

Lin Han was unaware of what was happening. He was developing into an encyclopedia. Since he started answering questions daily, people often @ him to ask about animals and plants, forcing him to frequently search his memory. Some even asked questions through drawings, which were a real test of his observational skills.

"Request a reply @Lin Han @Animal Encyclopedia. What are these things? I found them on a beach in the U.S., covering the entire beach. They smell extremely fishy, but seabirds don't eat them, and they're still alive! [Photo] [Photo]"

After seeing this Weibo post, Lin Han casually forwarded it, "These are by-the-wind sailors (Velella velella). They have a small sail on their back and are usually very lazy, too lazy to swim, just floating on the surface of the sea, letting the wind carry them. When a big storm comes, they all get washed up on the beach and die. This story teaches us a lesson: laziness has no good end. They are quite beautiful when alive; you can search for pictures yourself."