Chapter 62

The Reader's Choice Award truly represents the popularity of a work. Only by winning the affection of many readers can one outshine the competition and win this award.

It must be understood that Lin Han's competitors this time were no longer newcomers, but rather many seasoned science fiction authors, even some science fiction giants. However, the short story "The Rural Teacher" had such high popularity that it directly outshone them all.

As the award speech stated, "The Rural Teacher" not only received widespread recognition within the science fiction industry but also attracted the attention of many readers in other fields, effectively expanding the scope of science fiction readers.

Starting from "Science Fiction World," the topic sparked a response from the national education system. This novel, which sang praises to teachers, was promoted in many schools, and some classes even began group purchases.

"The Rural Teacher" even broke the deadlock of science fiction novels in "Selected Short Stories," and the various reprints were particularly impressive. Therefore, the number of readers reached was much higher than for other novels.

In this way, among the shortlisted candidates, "The Rural Teacher" stood out, becoming a dark horse for the Reader's Choice Award.

Before the results were announced, no one would have thought that Lin Han could win this award. Even those who voted for him did so casually, without expecting him to definitely win.

This stunning upset made the award ceremony site suddenly noisy. The writers were not at all calm, discussing it animatedly, and the buzzing sound grew louder.

"The Reader's Choice Award is him? I thought Guo Tairei had no suspense at all. Is there a problem with the statistics? A newcomer actually knocked down so many science fiction giants and minor deities."

"Maybe they didn't promote much this year. I didn't see them forwarding and soliciting votes on Weibo. They probably don't value this award."

"I think there's something fishy here. Did Lin Han bring the entertainment industry's tactics into our cultural circle? Every time there's an online vote in the entertainment industry, it gets chaotic. This time, could it be that his agent helped him cast so many votes?"

"It's definitely not just that. If he dared to rig the votes, he would be locked out of the Galaxy Award. Have you forgotten the author who was permanently banned from the Galaxy Award selection two years ago?"

"It's still a well-deserved win. 'The Rural Teacher' is of high quality and is a rare good book recently."

...

Lin Han paid no attention to these discussions. He stepped back onto the stage and received the trophy from another judge. This was not only a heavy honor but also worth 100,000 RMB, which was a significant help for an author struggling to make ends meet.

But normally, those who win the Reader's Choice Award are considered big shots and wouldn't care about 100,000 RMB. No one knew that Lin Han had written science fiction just for the money, using it to support himself.

Now, 100,000 RMB was still a lot to him. The royalties from "I, Robot" had not been settled yet, so the bulk of the money was still in the publisher's hands. Lin Han's wallet didn't have much usable funds.

Compared to the nervousness when he received the Best Newcomer Award, Lin Han was much calmer now. He stood in front of the microphone, looked at the crowd below, and said, "I thought I would only have one chance to stand on the award stage, so I already gave my prepared acceptance speech. Now I am very excited. Thank you to the readers who voted for me, thank you to 'Science Fiction World' magazine, my mentor, and thank you to my agent, who is not only an agent but also a good friend, always encouraging me."

"I want to say that although science fiction cannot be equated with future technology, in recent years, the distance between science fiction and reality has been getting closer. The similarity between high-tech products and science fiction descriptions is increasing. Now is the best era for science fiction. As long as there are good works, readers will never abandon us! Thank you all."

After giving an impromptu acceptance speech, Lin Han, holding two trophies, was very noticeable in the audience. The conference had arranged him a middle position, which meant he was not given much importance.

But he had very commendably won two major awards, overshadowing all other authors, making the other writers feel like they were just accompanying him.

As the awards were announced one by one, people temporarily forgot about Lin Han's existence and focused on the Best Long Novel, Best Medium-Length Novel, and Best Imported Book awards.

These awards were predictably won by well-known authors, and the atmosphere on the scene finally eased, with no more surprises.

The award ceremony proceeded smoothly, and Lin Han even took a selfie with the trophies, thinking that winning two awards was already a surprise, and he wouldn't expect to win any more awards based on seniority.

Time passed, and as the guests' stomachs began to rumble, the award ceremony reached its final climax, the announcement of the Galaxy Award for the best submission.

This award was open to all authors, regardless of their level, the issue they were published in, or the type of science fiction they wrote. Any of them could win.

This award was the highlight of the day, and everyone at the scene held their breath, waiting for the results.

Li Wenyuan walked out from backstage with an envelope. As a super-popular science fiction author, his presentation of the most prestigious award naturally caused a stir. Wearing a suit, Li Wenyuan exuded the charm of a mature man.

Before opening the envelope, he spoke confidently to the camera, "Every year, the Galaxy Award is a grand event in the science fiction world. Last year, countless excellent works emerged. Which one did the judges appreciate the most? Was it 'The Meteor of Leo' or 'Dreams Shattered on the Other Shore'? Was it 'The Rural Teacher' or 'The Space Giant'? Each of these works is difficult to choose from, as they are all excellent works of Chinese science fiction, shining stars in the galaxy."

"The winner of this year's Galaxy Award is 'The Rural Teacher.' Congratulations to Lin Han!"

Fortune smiled on Lin Han again, winning the third award, and each one was significant. Lin Han had become the biggest winner of the night.

As he slowly walked to the stage from the crowd, people he didn't even know reached out to congratulate him. Lin Han accepted all the congratulations and shook hands continuously, which took almost a couple of minutes.

At the same time, the large screen on the stage began to narrate: "A wild imagination of the universe, combined with meticulous humanistic care. Lin Han, while integrating traditional Chinese thinking and national conditions, vividly depicts a grandeur not inferior to top Hollywood films with a humorous and romantic tone. The story extends from reality to interpret human nature, with accessible science fiction descriptions and a dual narrative. 'The Rural Teacher' delivers the most wonderful tribute to teachers!"

Hugging his good friend, Lin Han was now filled with nothing but excitement and joy, even his voice was slightly choked.

"I never thought the Galaxy Award would be so close to me. A few months ago, when I was in a difficult situation, I didn't dare to hope for the highest award, the Galaxy Award. When I won the first award, I was very satisfied; the second award, I was surprised and happy; now the third award, I am filled with determination. Thank you, Galaxy Award, and thank you, all the readers!"

Winning three awards, Lin Han could only hold the trophies in his arms, unwilling to let go of any of them.

In the blink of an eye, it has been a month since the book was released. Just now, I saw the statistics on the right side of the book page. Thank you to the top supporter "Guardian of Truth" for becoming the number one fan, "Lin Han" for becoming the top voter, and "God's Request" for becoming the top commenter.

Although the new book period has ended, the performance cannot fall too much. If you have recommendation tickets, please continue to support us~~

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