Chapter 93 - 90: The High Cost of Daily Necessities_i
Chapter 93 - 90: The High Cost of Daily Necessities_i
For the readers, the end of “King of the Net” did not come as a surprise. Since the release of the fourth volume in April, the editorial department had already announced that the novel was coming to an end. Regardless, readers felt a profound sense of loss-
Everyone was engrossed in the story.
And you’re telling me the story is ending?
Usually, such bestsellers run over two or three million characters, so while readers did not find it abrupt, they could not help but feel a certain degree of discomfort, which further accentuated their sense of loss.
But to cherish something is only natural.
The plot of “King of the Net” was extremely well-structured without an ounce of filler. Each volume offered a roller coaster of highs and lows, especially the finale, which centered on a heart-stirring national tournament. At this point, the members of the Youth Academy’s tennis club reached their pinnacle in the story!
There was no inclination towards sentimentality in the tale.
The readers were awarded with a perfect ending.
After triggering widespread discussion among short story enthusiasts by winning first place in the Tribe Literary Competition, Chu Kuang manages to spur a broad discussion among fantasy fiction enthusiasts too with “King of the Net”, all within a mere span of a day.
“I finished the last volume in one sitting!”
“Even though the conclusion was quite satisfying, I felt a sense of loss when I finished “King of the Net”. Perhaps, it’s because the characters have been with me for nearly half a year. It feels like they are suddenly leaving me.”
“The book I was most reluctant to end, has ended.”
“I originally borrowed the first few volumes from a classmate, but seeing the novel endings, I bought all the volumes I had read. I plan to treasure this novel on my bookshelf, as I might revisit it in the future.”
“The trailblazer of sports fiction!”
“I never thought I’d be so obsessed with a sports-themed novel. Even though I still can’t play tennis after reading it, this doesn’t affect the novel’s status in my heart.”
Readers left comments on the message board on Silver Blue Books, various fiction forums, on many Tribe users’ latest status, and even in many people’s friend circles.
This novel was a great success.
Not only did it capture readers, but also influenced many authors. Before Chu Kuang published “King of the Net”, sports fiction was a genre so cold, no one bothered with it. However, after this novel’s release, numerous sports-themed novels appeared on the market.
Some about basketball.
Some about football.
Even some about track and field.
The hottest one named “Dunk” was actually from He Mingxuan, the novelist who Chu Kuang edged out for the newcomer title. After reading Chu Kuang’s novel, He Mingxuan found a genre suitable for himself. He posted on his own Tribe, proclaiming: “It is Chu Kuang who guided me onto the path of sports fiction. He is the pioneer of this overlooked genre!”
Sports fiction remains a niche.
However, Chu Kuang has proved that this genre is by no means without market potential. Even with sports fiction as the carrier, a quality novel can still make readers readily fork out money. Which is why there’s some success among those who followed, and those who have succeeded by emulating Chu Kuang naturally see him as the guiding beacon of sports fiction!
Inside the industry.
Many people are discussing the end of this novel. Much like the editors at Silver Blue Books, they feel that Lin Yuan is a very capricious newcomer, who decided to bring such a bestseller like “King of the Net” to an end so resolutely! “Doesn’t he like churning out more chapters?”
“He finished it just at a million characters.”
“Silver Blue Books must be rather stunned, wondering how could there be such a headstrong author who would forgo millions in monthly royalties and just end the book. If I were him, I would write until Silver Blue Books went under.” “Isn’t Chu Kuang writing short stories?”
“I’ve been following Chu Kuang’s short stories, this guy is truly frightening. He can handle two completely different genres with ease, undoubtedly the strongest newcomer in recent years.”
“It’s hard to say about his next book.”
“When Chu Kuang realizes that his new book’s performance falls far short of “King of the Net”, he might regret ending it too early. After all, sports fiction isn’t a genre that easily catches fire with a rush job.”
Some express regret; some offer commentary, others rejoice in the shadows. Particularly the competitors of Silver Blue Books, such as the chief editor of Prosperity Publishing House, who on the contrary is quite free and leisurely enjoying a small drink.
“Poor Silver Blue Books.”
The thought alone prompted a smile of schadenfreude. Of course, this gloating was not directed at Chu Kuang, he hadn’t even met Chu Kuang. Where would this inexplicable hatred come from?
Forget about hatred.
The chief editor of Prosperity even considered poaching Chu Kuang. Having been in the industry for many years, he has a sharp intuition. Naturally, he knows Chu Kuang’s ability to create novels is indisputable. Even if he doesn’t go on to produce bestsellers like “King of the Net”, his capabilities with short stories would surely be coveted by all publishing houses.
They want someone like him at Prosperity too!
His good mood at this moment is merely due to the fact that Silver Blue Books, Prosperity Publishing House’s primary rival, just concluded one of their bestsellers. Surely, his old rival must be in a pretty sour mood now, considering they have lost such a profitable work.
Bestsellers are blessings in disguise.
Any work that can be called a bestseller is precious to a publishing house, with everyone, from the chief editors to ordinary editors, coddling it carefully for fear of any blunder.
What kind of blunder?
Like if the plot starts to crumble.
But more terrifying than a crumbling plot is when the story doesn’t have any problems, the sales have no significant fluctuations, but the author chooses to end the novel. This situation isn’t rare either, as the author might get tired after writing a book for too long.
Put simply, the author gets tired of writing.
However, such a situation generally only occurs after the novel reaches around two or three million characters. For a bestselling novel to tire a writer out at only a million characters is almost unheard of, because this is the most profitable stage for the author.
“This feels so good.”
The chief editor of Prosperity takes a sip of his drink, keeping his stomach warm, while at the same moment, YangFeng contacts Chu Kuang, nervously asking, “When will you start creating the next book?”
“There’s no rush.”
This is Chu Kuang’s reply.
YangFeng not only isn’t discouraged by this, but is in fact somewhat pleased. ‘No rush’ means he will continue to write. YangFeng was afraid that Chu Kuang might concentrate on writing short stories in the future and stop writing comparatively more draining serialized novels.
His happiness lasts only for a moment.
YangFeng couldn’t help worrying again. Chu Kuang’s continuing fantasy writing is a good thing, but can he write another bestseller on the scale of “King of the Net”?
At the same time.
Lin Yuan is also considering what kind of novel he should design with the system.. “King of the Net” ended too quickly; this lazy system doesn’t know the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt!