Chapter 23

The article "The Rural Teacher" slowly spread among the circle of physics teachers across the country. After the word of mouth fermented, these teachers would often mention the novel in passing. They not only bought it themselves but also used it as an example to teach their students, helping them understand the importance of learning physics.

Other types of teachers did not miss this opportunity either. What if the question drawn was not about physics, but chemistry or biology?

Therefore, they emphasized the need for a well-rounded education, using the novel to bridge the gap with their students, making learning fun and gradually changing the students' perspectives.

Almost every bookstore and newsstand outside schools sold out. The "Science Fiction World," which usually sold only forty to fifty copies a week, was sold out on the first day, with no stock left.

However, people kept asking. Every now and then, students in school uniforms and carrying backpacks would come to inquire if there were any new issues of "Science Fiction World" left. This made the sellers see a steady stream of business opportunities, and they wished they could quickly reprint and deliver to meet the market demand.

If one were to calculate which books were the best-selling in the country, all magazines would have to give way to educational materials. Every student would have a pile of study guides, and the number of books sold would be astronomical, given the number of students in the country.

"Science Fiction World" was not an educational read, but with so many people asking, even those who didn't usually read science fiction were influenced and wanted to know what was so appealing about it.

...

In the university town, a college student wearing glasses was walking along the road, looking for a nearby bookstore. Snowflakes fell on his body, and girls with umbrellas in hand and hot drinks in the other walked briskly, occasionally bursting into joyful laughter.

"Boss, do you still have 'Science Fiction World'? I need the November issue."

Mao Wenbin looked at the beautiful shop owner with great anticipation. This was the fifth bookstore he had visited. If he couldn't find it here, he would really be in tears. He had never missed an issue before, but this time he was just one day late, and why was it sold out everywhere?

"Another one."

The beautiful shop owner shrugged and sighed, "I'm sorry, but we're sold out. Although we don't have 'Science Fiction World,' we have other magazines. You can choose one."

Mao Wenbin, hearing her tone, realized that many people had already asked before him. Curiously, he asked, "Every issue of 'Science Fiction World' was easy to buy before. Why is this one out of stock? I can't find it anywhere, and it's really frustrating."

"It seems that nearby middle school students bought them all. A group of them came and bought all the copies, saying their teachers recommended it as extracurricular reading. Both junior and senior high school students were there. I didn't read the content, so I don't know what it's about."

"Ah, when will you restock? If you get it, please save one for me!" Mao Wenbin didn't want to miss this issue. He was considering whether to go online to find out what had happened.

The beautiful shop owner smiled and took out a register, "You can sign up for a backorder here. I've already contacted the distributor, but I don't know when it will arrive. When it does, I'll call you. By the way, if you really need it, you can buy the electronic version."

"Does 'Science Fiction World' have an electronic version? When did this happen? I had no idea."

Mao Wenbin considered himself a loyal fan, but he had never known about the electronic version. He was very curious.

"It seems it was launched about half a year ago. However, the number of users has always been low. People still prefer physical magazines, and electronic reading hasn't been widely promoted."

"Alright, I'll go back and check. Boss, please remember to notify me!"

Every issue of "Science Fiction World" was a collectible, and Mao Wenbin didn't want to miss this one. He turned and walked out of the warm bookstore, shivering in the cold north wind.

Back in his dorm, he took off his coat and hung it up. He quickly turned on his computer and searched for the electronic version of "Science Fiction World."

The largest legitimate electronic book download platform in the country was Douban Reading, which offered a vast amount of legitimate resources. Not only "Science Fiction World," but any magazine you could think of could be purchased and downloaded.

Douban Reading even collaborated with foreign copyright companies, allowing the purchase of books by foreign authors, not limited to translations but also the original English versions.

Now, magazine publishers knew that the future direction was mobile reading, so they were all vying for a leading position.

Mao Wenbin had a Douban Movies account, so he didn't need to register again; he just logged in. On the main page of Douban Reading, the left column showed today's bestsellers, and at the top was "Science Fiction World" 2016, Issue 11!

He clicked on the cover and checked the price. The cost for a paid download was 2.99 yuan, about 3 yuan, which was much cheaper than the 8 yuan for the physical version. It could be stored on a computer, phone, tablet, or e-reader, making it very convenient to carry and read anytime.

After clicking to download, he started reading immediately, eager to find out why this issue was so popular. He was so engrossed that he even forgot to have dinner.

...

Lin Han had already finished reading the two borrowed books. The development of science fiction in this world was also quite rapid, on par with Earth, and even shared some consistent views. However, it lacked someone to summarize them.

Putting the books away, he said to himself, "I'll borrow two more books from the library tomorrow and read more before I start writing."

Since he learned about the magazine's sales, he felt much better, with no more back pain or leg pain, and he was eating well. However, he was a bit worried about Chen Jiaxuan's absence. The room opposite had not been lit for two nights, and he hadn't seen her for almost two days, which made him quite concerned.

He wanted to check on her, but he didn't want Chen Jiaxuan to get the wrong idea. It was common for agents in the entertainment industry to travel, accompanying artists to TV stations in other provinces for recordings, or to film locations, award ceremonies, or brand endorsements.

At this moment, Wang Yifan, an intern editor at "Science Fiction World," sent a screenshot to Lin Han's QQ, saying, "Mr. Lin, our magazine has set a new record for electronic sales today, and most of the comments are about your novel."

Lin Han opened the image and saw that it was the sales statistics from Douban Reading. In 48 hours after the magazine's release, the 2.99 yuan electronic version had sold 480,000 copies!

What does 480,000 copies mean?

This issue of "Science Fiction World" not only topped the weekly sales chart but also dominated the monthly chart!

It's important to note that this was achieved in just two days, while other magazines had 22 days to sell. Despite this, it held the top spot on both the weekly and monthly charts, attracting more people to click and purchase.

The runner-up on the monthly sales chart, "Reader," sold 450,000 copies in a month, and its physical book sales were over 5 million, with the highest record being over 10 million copies for a single issue.

This shows the significant gap between electronic and physical sales. However, "Science Fiction World" broke the mold, achieving a nearly 1:1 ratio between electronic and physical sales!

Due to the insufficient supply of physical copies, many people couldn't buy the paper version, leading to a surge in electronic sales. This not only surprised readers but also left industry leaders amazed, prompting them to call and inquire about the details.