Chapter 60

（Last day of the new book period, strongly calling for recommendations~~）

Sometimes, the success of a magazine can be driven by a single author, but that wasn't Lin Han.

Although he didn't know the intentions of the two editors, he still showed enough friendliness. After a brief conversation, Wang Yifan and Chen Chuhé got up and left, leaving space for Lin Han.

He just needed to sort out his feelings and relax a bit. Winning an award at this ceremony would be great, but not winning wouldn't be a big deal. He would have more opportunities in the future.

As more and more classics were brought over, he was confident that he would gain the favor of the judges. However, Lin Han's ultimate goal was to become the first person to win the Nobel Prize in Literature with a science fiction novel. This goal was extremely difficult, but he wouldn't give up.

During the free time in the evening, Lin Han didn't stay in the hotel. Instead, he went to see the night view of Huangpu and wandered around places like the Bund.

He didn't want to meet Li Wenyuan before the award ceremony to avoid gossip.

The night in Shanghai was very charming, and even the cold night wind couldn't stop the tourists. Lin Han enjoyed the taste of traveling alone. He took a photo with his phone and posted it on Weibo.

...

The next morning, Lin Han, dressed neatly, came out of the hotel. His driver was already ready, but this time he wasn't leaving alone. He was with two other science fiction writers.

"Hello, I'm Wu Zhentian. I came here mainly to attend the lectures and the exhibition. What about you?"

Lin Han turned to look at the other person and said, "I'm Lin Han. This is my first time attending such an event."

"Really? You're Lin Han? They say your 'Rural Teacher' is a strong contender for the award. We've all read your novel. By the way, your Three Laws of Robotics are amazing. I saw this topic trending on Twitter yesterday, it's even popular abroad!"

"Forgot to mention, I'm Tian Ran, the author of 'Harvesting Dreams.' I wonder if you remember me."

The three people in the car weren't the type to be petty. Lin Han's memory included these two authors. Wu Zhentian's 'City of Rising Winds' and Tian Ran's 'Harvesting Dreams' were both published in 'Science Fiction World' in 2016, which is why they were invited.

However, he was curious about the "strong contender" thing. While the driver was still on the road, he quickly asked, "How is the list of strong contenders determined? I didn't know anything about this."

Tian Ran raised an eyebrow, "It seems to be compiled by someone with too much free time, based on online search data, Douban reading comments and ratings, professional book reviews, and the number of reprints in other newspapers and magazines. 'Rural Teacher' ranks very high, except for the lack of professional book reviews."

"I see. But who gets the Galaxy Award still depends on the judges' preferences." Lin Han shrugged, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement, as he had never experienced anything like this before.

After arriving at the venue, they first visited the future technology exhibition, and then the Galaxy Award ceremony.

So, Lin Han and his group saw the future aircraft smart cockpit, the smart plant factory that doesn't need sunlight or soil, the precise orthopedic surgery robot, and the robot that can build blocks and dance.

There were also the world-famous 3D printing technology and virtual VR zones, even Iron Man-like flying jetpacks and quantum levitation technology, making everything seem like a dream, as if the scenes from science fiction novels had come to life.

"Amazing, I want to stay here all day after the award ceremony."

Lin Han muttered to himself. At this point, he was just skimming through the exhibits and didn't even have the chance to experience the VR new world, only watching enviously as the audience enjoyed it.

Wu Zhentian felt his eyes weren't enough to take everything in. The exhibition was very interesting, and more and more people were queuing up outside to enter. He could only say, "When will these applications be available? I hope I live to see that day."

"Trust me, you definitely will." Tian Ran patted his shoulder and, led by the usher, the group passed through the exhibition hall and entered the large auditorium.

The auditorium was decorated with a strong sci-fi theme. The huge "Galaxy Award" letters on the stage shone brightly against the surrounding starry sky. Over two thousand seats were gradually filling up.

The large screen was playing a sci-fi concept video, depicting scenes of future life that captivated the attention of the sci-fi writers, making them forget everything around them and immerse themselves in the short film.

The wealthy 'Science Fiction World' magazine had even spent money to produce this video, which was almost entirely composed of computer-generated special effects. Each second was worth tens of thousands of yuan.

This wasn't just a short film; it was a stack of RMB!

Lin Han's seat was in the middle, slightly to the right. After taking two deep breaths, he stopped looking at the judges and guests in front of him and began to wait for the ceremony to start.

At 10:00 AM, the long-awaited Chinese Sci-Fi Galaxy Award finally revealed its mysterious face. The lights in the venue dimmed, and an exciting promotional video appeared on the large screen.

The naked-eye 3D technology, combined with stirring music, made it seem as if the spaceships were about to burst out of the screen, and the debris from planet explosions would hit the audience. The brilliant interstellar war, the lifelike robot butlers, the blood-red end-of-the-world crisis, and the highly advanced future transportation—all these scenes from science fiction novels appeared in the video.

When the five-minute short film ended, no one in the venue could remain calm. They could only applaud wildly to express their excitement.

Amazing, this is a true sci-fi award ceremony, with sci-fi elements everywhere!

Even when the host, dressed as a robot, appeared, Lin Han didn't react at first because it was so realistic. It was clear that a lot of effort had been put into the cosplay.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 27th Chinese Sci-Fi Galaxy Award ceremony. Science shapes the future, and imagination creates glory. This is the annual grand event of Chinese sci-fi literature, a celebration for all sci-fi novel enthusiasts!"

A spotlight shone down, and the female host, wearing a fitted spacesuit, appeared with a heroic demeanor. She didn't wear the traditional elegant long dress or formal attire. Instead, she had a ponytail and a laser gun, looking extremely cool.

"This is the highest honor in Chinese sci-fi and a milestone in the development of sci-fi literature. Today, we celebrate the 27th birthday of the Galaxy Award and welcome the rise of new sci-fi forces. The judges for this year's Galaxy Award include Wang Jinkang, Zhang Ran, Jiang Bo, Han Song, Li Wenyuan, Teng Yuanmi, Zhang Jiahao, and Ni Jianzhong. Also present are representatives from the scientific community, such as Lu Gang and Li Miao. Science and technology are merging today!"

"This award ceremony will be broadcast live by Shanghai TV's Economic and Trade Channel. It will also be live-streamed on platforms like Youku and Tencent. We welcome everyone to participate in Weibo and WeChat interactions to win signed books from famous authors."

After this long introduction, Lin Han was relieved that the leaders' speeches were skipped, so he began to focus, waiting for the awards to be announced.

The male host, dressed as a robot, said, "The first award today is to honor new sci-fi forces. Every year, countless new authors join the sci-fi literature family. They are the hope of sci-fi literature, and the future belongs to you!"

"Over the past year, many new sci-fi writers have contributed excellent works, bringing a reading feast to the audience. Here are the nominees."

"Li Yukun, 'Blue Blood'; Liu Wei, 'Beyond the Nebula'; Zhang Tianli, 'Moon Prisoner'; Qian Silin, 'The Disappearing Butterfly'; and Lin Han, 'Rural Teacher'!"