"Boss White, thank you for taking the time to come to Modu."
After the writing session ended, Huang Yifan was invited by several editors to a teahouse near the Ruxin Hotel.
Seated beside him were Lingdian's chief editor, "Call Me Captain," editor-in-chief 567, and one of the founders, Lin Jian, whose pen name was Plum Blossom Sword, one of the first-generation web authors in Huaguo. Later, driven by his passion for online fiction, he co-founded Lingdian with others like Tiaodong de Fei.
At this moment, Call Me Captain finished pouring tea and spoke to Huang Yifan.
"Yes, this training camp is probably the most successful one we've ever held."
Editor-in-Chief 567 added, "We're honestly amazed at what's inside your head. So many creative ideas. When I was listening to your talk, I almost felt like worshipping you. Your thinking really opened our minds."
"Haha, you're too kind. I just daydream a lot and have read plenty of novels since I was young, so I end up with all sorts of random ideas. They're nothing special, you're exaggerating."
"No, not at all," 567 shook his head. "You may not realize it, but these ideas, even small ones, can start trends. If a platform consistently produces creative works, even without as many top authors as Huanyue, it can still attract a huge readership."
"Exactly," Call Me Captain added. "Tank even mentioned this before. If you ever have ideas you don't plan to use, it'd be best to share them with authors you trust, preferably Lingdian authors."
Though slightly awkward, 567 repeated the point for emphasis.
"Don't worry. I like Lingdian, and I hope it continues to grow."
"Thank you, Boss White. Come, have some tea."
They raised their cups again.
"Oh right, Boss White. Besides the training camp, we also have some good news to share."
After a sip of tea, Call Me Captain continued.
"Good news?"
Huang Yifan paused, then suddenly guessed, "Don't tell me… my travel expenses are reimbursed?"
Pfft.
Pfft.
Pfft.
Three people nearly spit out their tea.
"Boss White, you're hilarious."
"I'm impressed."
"You didn't know? Travel expenses are always reimbursed for this event."
"…They are?"
Huang Yifan was stunned.
Call Me Captain slapped his palm. "No wonder you took the train instead of flying. You didn't know it was reimbursed! We waited for you until 2 a.m. at the hotel. But Boss White, you're a big-name author, why take the train? Even without reimbursement, you could afford a flight."
"What money? 'How a Bad Guy Is Made' got taken down, and 'The School Belle's Bodyguard' isn't even monetized yet. I'm living off tips. Haven't even received the money yet. And I just bought a computer to play LoL, how could I afford a plane ticket?"
Huang Yifan complained, making the editors immediately respond.
"Don't worry, we'll ask finance to settle your payments early."
"That's great. But what was the good news?"
"You distracted us. Let Lin speak."
Lin Jian took a sip of tea and said, "Huaguo Mobile is planning to launch a mobile reading service. Through their platform, our novels can reach a much wider audience."
"Wow, that really is good news."
Knowing how powerful mobile reading would become, Huang Yifan felt genuinely excited.
"But for Lingdian, it's also a major challenge," Lin Jian added.
"How so?"
"You know the current market. Huanyue dominates, followed by Lianheng. Together, they hold over 70% of the market. Lingdian only has about 20%, with the rest split among smaller sites.
Because of this, our bargaining power with Huaguo Mobile is limited. They've only agreed to test a few of our works first. If performance is good, we'll get more exposure. If not, our share will shrink.
We've already tested works from authors like Wuhen, but the results were average. This time, we want to push your 'The School Belle's Bodyguard' and see how it performs."
All three editors looked at Huang Yifan.
"That does sound like a big challenge."
But Huang Yifan found something odd. Why tell him all this? Why such a formal setup?
"Are you trying to tell me something else?" he asked.
"You're sharp," they sighed.
Call Me Captain explained, "Normally, authors don't need to worry about this. But you're different. We wanted to discuss our plan with you.
We're planning to promote you in the media as a young prodigy. It's partly marketing, but mainly to boost your novel's launch on Huaguo Mobile."
"Like how Guo Cheng and Han Jin were promoted?"
"Exactly."
"Sorry, I refuse."
Now, Huang Yifan fully understood.
They wanted to package him as a "young genius" to boost sales.
For most authors, this would be a dream opportunity.
But Huang Yifan shook his head.
"Why?" The editors were stunned.
"This benefits you greatly."
"I know," Huang Yifan nodded. "And I appreciate your intentions. But I don't like being in the spotlight. I prefer writing quietly.
Fame gained through hype feels undeserved to me. I'd rather you promote another author or book."
Silence filled the room.
"Think it over," they urged.
"I already have."
Huang Yifan remained firm.
To him, becoming a media-created figure felt like becoming an entertainment celebrity lacking substance.
…
The training camp lasted two days.
On the second afternoon, the editors saw Huang Yifan off at the airport.
"Did you ask him to reconsider?" 567 asked.
"I did."
"And?"
Call Me Captain shook his head.
They all understood.
"Should we find another author to promote? This is our last chance with Huaguo Mobile."
Call Me Captain suggested.
But Lin Jian didn't answer.
He looked out the window at the plane disappearing into the sky and said quietly:
"Do you believe in miracles?"
==========
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