Chapter 25

The first batch of people who bought "Science Fiction World" were mostly loyal old readers. Although there had been a wave of resistance against Lin Han and "Science Fiction World" on Weibo, those people wouldn't have bought the magazine anyway.

Who could expect a brain-dead fan of a celebrity to buy something they never read? Besides, that wave didn't really take off; only a few people kept posting about it, so the impact was minimal. Those who were going to buy the magazine still did, especially the students. Normally, they would be scolded for reading an extracurricular magazine, but now they could ask their parents for money to buy it openly, as it was recommended by their teachers.

For science fiction literature, students are the future backbone, whether they write or read science fiction. They are an extremely important reserve resource, and perhaps the future of science fiction will depend on them.

On Douban Reading, the discussion about "The Rural Teacher" was so extensive that the official site even opened a dedicated discussion and review page for the novel, along with a brief introduction of the author.

In just one day, over a thousand people rated "The Rural Teacher," which seemed to be a large number compared to the sales, but not everyone who read it was willing to type a review. Having so many people was already beyond expectations.

Reader Guyao gave a 4-star rating and commented, "This is a tribute to science fiction teachers, very touching."

"‘The Rural Teacher’ is a standout short story. Under the guise of science fiction, it conveys more humanistic care." Nizoushizhong also gave a 4-star rating.

In a five-star rating system, one comment was particularly interesting: "I thought it was a horror movie just by the title, forgive me for being brainwashed by Hong Kong films. This story is full of sentiment, even moving a god-level civilization's ruler."

"Deeply interprets what it means to be an engineer of the human soul, like the best promotional material for dedicated educators." The five-star rating was very prominent, with very few negative reviews.

"‘The Rural Teacher’ is a classic, simple yet powerful. The power lies in the contrast between the vast, cold universe and the small, warm moments, a very good novel."

"Hope, though weak, still has a chance to spread."

"Trash novel, not worth reading. What good can Lin Han write? It's either plagiarism or ghostwritten."

"Although I haven't read it, the synopsis seems forced and emotional. Two stars, no more."

With over 1,200 reviews, "The Rural Teacher" scored 8.6 on Douban Reading, with about 47% giving it five stars and only 2% giving it one or two stars. The rest were excellent four and three-star reviews.

An 8.6 rating is high even among science fiction novels, ranking in the top 30, which includes many excellent domestic and international works, such as "Beyond the Solar System" at 8.9, ranking 8th.

Lin Han himself did not expect such success, whether in sales, reviews, or influence, all far exceeding his expectations.

Of course, this score is not fixed. As more people read and rate it, the score might drop slightly but will definitely stay above 8, surpassing most science fiction novels.

On Weibo, some readers who knew the pen name "Alien" started tagging Lin Han, not to criticize but to seek clarification, as they had some questions about the plot.

"@Lin Han, this novel has a good meaning, but it seems a bit illogical. Would such advanced aliens be so foolish as to use random data to敷衍各地调查统计出的数据？即使小孩子们回答不出问题，随便看看城市的发展和科技水平也应该能大致了解地球文明，这里是不是有bug？"

This wasn't just one person's question; many people were thinking about it, having read too quickly to notice all the clues, thinking it was just a game.

It felt good not to be criticized. Lin Han thought carefully and quickly typed: "In the novel, it's set that the silicon-based empire's civilization recovers extremely quickly, so the carbon-based alliance must eliminate and blockade billions of star systems that could be used by silicon-based life in a very short time. There are too many, and there isn't enough time for detailed observation. Their computers are only responsible for finding the most complex life forms on uninhabited planets and asking them basic cosmic knowledge. If they can't answer, they are destroyed. When the human children answered the mechanics questions, the carbon-based alliance observed Earth more closely and saw human cities and technology."

After posting this long message, Lin Han was delighted to discuss the novel's plot with readers, something every author enjoys, proving that readers are truly engaged, even if they don't fully understand.

Previously, many people didn't believe he could write a good science fiction novel. Now, with "The Rural Teacher" successfully igniting the education system, those people are silent. Lin Han, with his自带话题效果, has become the hottest science fiction writer of the past week.

Even some media have noticed the reportable content, seeing it as the rise of science fiction literature, not only overshadowing currently popular martial arts and fantasy novels but even surpassing popular literature, making the book hard to find!

To many, this novel seems to be written by someone within the education system. The spirit of dedication, like a silkworm spinning silk until death or a candle burning to the end, resonates with every teacher.

With this novel, Lin Han gained a large following of teacher fans, and teachers are part of the cultural system, responsible for passing on the information they receive to the next generation. Therefore, Lin Han's future is very bright.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lin Han was overjoyed and rushed to the door.

However, when he opened it, it wasn't Chen Jiaxuan but the landlord, Aunt Wu, with her wavy hair, which was a bit disappointing.

"Little Lin, it's like this. You should pay the rent for the next three months, and don't forget the heating fee. Otherwise, it won't be pleasant to have the heating cut off in the middle of winter."

"Aunt Wu, don't worry, I won't forget. By the way, how much is the heating fee? I'll transfer it to your bank account on the 1st."

"The heating fee hasn't changed, it's still 24 yuan per square meter. This room has 53 square meters of usable area, so it's a total of 1,272 yuan."

Lin Han silently calculated the cost in his head. Good grief, with three months' rent, he would have to pay over 10,000 yuan. He nodded and smiled, "No problem, I'll note it down and pay you on time. As you can see, I've never been late in over a year."

Aunt Wu isn't the type to be pushy. She nodded in agreement, finding it reassuring that her tenant rarely had issues.

"Alright, Little Lin, you go back to your work. Goodbye."

Lin Han looked up at the notice on the opposite door and suddenly asked, "Aunt Wu, is no one living in the opposite room?"

"Yes, the girl moved in a few days ago but hasn't been seen since. If the heating is cut off, it won't be good. I'll have to look up her phone number and call her."

"Alright, take your time, I won't see you off."