The email was long and meticulously written.

However, the words convey a sense of condescending scrutiny.

The sender's signature was Fang Zhenyun, the deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine "October".

In the letter, Fang Zhenyun first gave a scathing, all-encompassing praise to "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store."

Such praise as a once-in-a-century act of kindness, such an echo of the times, one compliment after another.

Then, the conversation shifted abruptly.

He also congratulated Chief Editor Wang De'an on discovering such a gem as "Insightful".

Lin Que immediately understood the meaning behind the words.

The translation is:

The magazine "New Tide" has struck gold, but the temple is too small to contain this great Buddha; it needs to move to another location.

Sure enough, after a barrage of praise, the email finally revealed its true colors.

On behalf of October, he formally extended an invitation to "Jian Shen" to sign an exclusive author contract.

The conditions offered were incredibly generous.

Enough to leave any pure literature author dumbfounded on the spot:

I. Payment standard: 5,000 yuan per thousand words, the highest price among top domestic pure literature journals.

Second, the work will be serialized in "October" and all its affiliated platforms, and we promise to use all resources to promote it across all channels.

Third, the magazine will establish a dedicated team to handle all matters related to the publication of the works, film and television adaptations, and overseas copyright negotiations, with authors enjoying the highest level of profit sharing.

Fourth, we promise to help the author receive an award at one of the three major literary awards in China within two years.

At the end of the email, Fang Zhenyun left his personal contact information and added a very weighty sentence:

[Professor Jian Shen, what we need is not a single work, but the voice of an era.]

In October, may we pave the final stretch of the road for you to the hall of literature.

After reading it, Lin Que tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

It has to be said that Fang Zhenyun is a master of empty promises.

He didn't reply to the email; instead, he switched to another screen.

Slowly and deliberately searching through the search engine...

He typed the three characters "Fang Zhenyun".

Related terms immediately popped up.

Member of the Jiangsu Provincial Writers Association, renowned critic...

He is also known as a literary talent scout within the literary circle.

Lin Que smiled.

He could probably guess what Fang Zhenyun was thinking.

He clicked on Fang Zhenyun's personal column.

The latest article above is a review of a promising new writer who won the Huaxia Literature Award last year.

And that writer was the one Fang Zhenyun had signed against all odds a year ago.

The entire review appears to be praising the work,

However, his words subtly hinted at the foresight and wisdom of his "mentor".

"Integrating personal emotions into the tide of the times, and telling mainstream stories in the language of the market..."

Lin Que softly read out the column's title, his smile widening even further.

This Editor-in-Chief Fang isn't actually looking for writers, is he?

This is about finding parts that fit his "winning formula".

The warmth and humanistic care shown in "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store"

It happens to be the core component that his god-making machine needs most.

As for "Human World is Like Prison," which was suppressed by Wang Shouyi...

In the eyes of someone like Fang Zhenyun

They probably don't even qualify as negative examples; they're just low-brow noise.

Lin Que closed the search page and opened the reply email window.

He didn't make a phone call, choosing instead the most distant and mysterious way to communicate.

[Editor-in-Chief Fang, hello. Thank you for your kind offer, but there's no need to mention the contract again.]

Email sent successfully.

No matter how big you paint the pie, he won't eat it!

...

Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province.

Headquarters of the October magazine.

In the deputy editor's office, Fang Zhenyun was leisurely listening to his subordinate's report while holding a cup of hand-drip coffee.

"Editor-in-chief, Wang De'an is being very stubborn, insisting that he doesn't know Jian Shen's true identity."

"normal."

Fang Zhenyun placed the coffee cup aside and interlaced his fingers on the table.