Chapter 44

"Reading can be as small as helping one escape poverty or as grand as saving the world. As a short story, this span is unprecedented in the history of Chinese literature. Whether you believe it or not, this is a story about a group of village children saving the world, where hope, though meager, truly exists on an ancient and barren land. This is a completely different kind of science fiction novel, worth a read, and I highly recommend it with a rating of ★★★★★!"

When the new issue of "Selected Short Stories" began to be sold, readers flipping through the middle of the magazine read this editorial recommendation. These loyal subscribers had almost forgotten the last time they saw a science fiction story in the magazine.

Driven by the five-star recommendation, they all eagerly turned to the next page and began reading, unable to stop once they started.

At this point, Lin Han had finished writing and proofreading the remaining chapters of "I, Robot" and handed them over to the People's University Press. They had to work quickly to print and publish the novel for sale.

There's a saying on Earth: fame comes to those who seek it early. Now that Lin Han had fallen behind for so long, he couldn't afford to miss any opportunity.

He had been writing almost day and night recently, and now he just wanted to rest for a couple of days to recover. Even though he was writing a book that existed in his mind, it still required a lot of mental energy.

It was already late November, and dark clouds filled the sky over Yanjing City, making the weather gloomy. After submitting his manuscript, Lin Han felt light and carefree, sitting on the sofa to watch variety shows and relax.

Both printing and publishing required time, even though the staff were working hard to speed up the process, it would still take some time before the book could be sold.

Compared to "Science Fiction World," each issue of "Selected Short Stories" consistently sold over two million copies. The magazine, which covered a wide range of stories, had a large readership. Some might not buy every issue, but many had at least read it.

With two mainstream publications choosing to reprint "Village Teacher," Lin Han received a substantial payment, allowing him to focus on his writing without worrying about rent.

"Hey, have you checked Weibo and the forums? The science fiction fans are going crazy, flooding the screens. You should come and see."

Li Wenyuan's text message appeared on Lin Han's phone. He didn't know what caught his attention, but he had even sent a message.

Curious, Lin Han logged into Weibo on his phone and found that dozens of people had tagged him. He clicked on the topic #VillageTeacher that Li Wenyuan had tagged him in, and it had reached the 37th spot on the Weibo trending topics list!

This ranking might mean nothing to other celebrities, but for a novel, especially a science fiction novel, it was a huge honor.

Under this topic, he saw that the view count had exceeded 4.78 million, with over 300 discussions. The topic host was the official Weibo account of "Science Fiction World."

"#VillageTeacher I just read this story in 'Selected Short Stories,' and it's amazing. I never thought a science fiction story could be written like this. The author is a genius."

"I've already quietly deleted my previous Weibo post. Lin Han didn't ruin science fiction; instead, he added a classic to it!"

"Damn, damn, damn! When I read this story, my friend told me it was written by the director of 'Beyond the Solar System.' If his directing skills were even half, no, a tenth of his writing skills, that would be great."

"I bought the previous issue of 'Science Fiction World.' Today, my desk mate told me she saw this story in 'Selected Short Stories.' It's so surprising! Good stories can indeed attract different readers."

"Congratulations, Alien. I've fallen in love with this author. What other books has he written?"

"It's unbelievable that I can see a science fiction story in a mainstream cultural magazine. Why is it Lin Han? It would be better if it were someone else."

"Let me, a former top critic of Lin Han, explain the awesomeness of 'Selected Short Stories.' This magazine has great sales and is backed by the National Writers' Association. It's a magazine that almost every author wants to be published in. There hasn't been a science fiction story in it for the whole of last year, making this the most impressive one."

"Mainstream literature has finally acknowledged science fiction. This is finally happening. I'm looking forward to the next novel."

The topic host, the official Weibo account of "Science Fiction World," pinned a message: "The author of 'Village Teacher,' Lin Han (pen name: Alien), will bring a new work to 'Science Fiction World'! The December issue will feature the prologue and first chapter of the long science fiction novel 'I, Robot.' The remaining content will be published in the next eight issues. Stay tuned!"

This was "Science Fiction World's" strategy to capitalize on the momentum. With "Village Teacher" gaining popularity again and attracting more readers, they seized the opportunity to promote the new book and the magazine, informing netizens about the new book.

Seeing this Weibo post, Lin Han also shared it, along with a picture: "The first installment of 'I, Robot' will be serialized in 'Science Fiction World' 2016, Issue 12, and is expected to run until Issue 8 of 2017. The full text is already completed. The novel will be published in simplified Chinese by the People's University Press in January next year. For any other copyright inquiries, please contact my agent."

"I, Robot" consists of 9 chapters, each a different short story: Robbie (also translated as Little Machine), Ring Dance, Reason, Catch That Rabbit, Liar, Little Lost Robot, Escape, Evidence, and Evidence Revisited.

The situation where the work was popular but the author was not was evident. There were many discussions about "Village Teacher," but few people paid attention to the author's Weibo. Lin Han still had to work on his visibility.

"Village Teacher" was now a thing of the past. Lin Han and Chen Jiaxuan had shifted their focus entirely to "I, Robot," his first full-length science fiction novel. If the sales were not good, it could complicate future negotiations.

Just then, a phone call made Lin Han jump up from the sofa, forgetting all his worries.

"Great writer Lin, are you free now? If your schedule allows, come to the Houhai bar street, where we used to drink. Let's celebrate the end of my ascetic life!"

Wang Hao's excited voice came through the phone. After traveling with the "Journey to the West" crew across nearly 20 provinces and cities, he was finally free and wanted to gather with old friends.

Lin Han was surprised; he hadn't realized so much time had passed. He replied happily, "I'll make an effort to adjust my schedule for you, even though I'm free all day. See you at 7 PM?"

"Great, don't be late, or you'll have to pay the bill!"

"See you then!"