ICTEUWMN Chapter 181 [END]

Due to various reasons, the past few anniversaries had not featured special events.

This time, with “The Vast Immortal Path” surpassing distribution in over a hundred star systems, everyone at Huanyu decided that this year, they had to celebrate properly.

And what would an anniversary celebration be without a variety of exclusive merchandise?

Thus, the mermaid cotton plushie became the first unanimously approved secret collectible.

With its tiny arms raised and its soft, huggable fabric tail gently drooping, plus different hairstyles and eye colors to choose from, it was irresistible.

“I seriously suspect that resellers are going to go crazy again this year.”

No true fish fan could possibly resist this, right?

“Hehe, this is a special limited edition. To prevent scalpers, only those who pass quizzes and games will be able to earn the ultimate reward.”

The person in charge of the merchandise department explained seriously, “The invitations are all prepared, right? If everything is in order, we should start sending out the park tickets and the event schedule to all our guests.”

The deputy chief editor looked at the list in his hands, rubbed his hands together eagerly, and asked, “Most of the people we could contact can receive their invitations directly. As for those farther away, we coordinated with General Huo Ting to help with communication. For instance, everyone from the Dwarven Tavern will be arranged for transport via starship.”

The person in charge immediately reported the progress.

Since this was a grand anniversary celebration, it was essential to invite all the old friends and acquaintances to the Federation Star to participate.

“Heh heh, I can’t even imagine how surprised Teacher Fish Soup Noodles will be when he sees all his longtime online readers gathering together.”

Just the thought of that scene made everyone smile uncontrollably.

Moreover, the event had garnered official attention, receiving strong support from the military, which helped resolve several logistical challenges in hosting such a large-scale celebration.

“But it turns out that reading Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ works really benefits mental power. No wonder I always feel so uplifted after reading.”

Upon seeing Dr. Cook and others’ research papers, everyone at Huanyu was amazed.

What did this mean?

It meant that reading Fish Soup Noodles’ novels not only provided an excellent mood boost but also enhanced mental power, turning readers into supercharged, healthy Fish Fans!

Though preparations for the anniversary celebration were in full swing, everyone tacitly agreed to keep it a strict secret from Fish Soup Noodles to maintain the element of surprise.

Meanwhile, Yu Mian had been extremely busy during this period.

With “The Vast Immortal Path” concluded, he temporarily had no new serialized works, but matters regarding the foundation were now officially in motion.

Using a portion of his royalties to establish a literary award open to the entire universe for submissions and competitions to support outstanding writers was clearly no easy feat.

“But if we can pull this off, it should be an incredibly meaningful endeavor.”

Just thinking about it filled Yu Mian with motivation.

With the help of Madam Inas, Secretary Hals, and others, he took his first steps in learning how to organize and structure the operational mechanisms of such an institution.

As for the overwhelming financial contributions from countless friends and family members eager to participate, the foundation’s funds had reached an unprecedented level of abundance.

Director Gu Qi and his team even suggested that award-winning works could be prioritized for film adaptations, while Taoyuan Company, led by Derqin, naturally secured the game adaptation rights.

Huanyu was, of course, responsible for the distribution and promotion of the winning works.

It was easy to imagine just how much this foundation would contribute to the development of literature across the universe.

And none of this would have been possible without Fish Soup Noodles’ influence and connections to rally everyone together.

After all, during the preparation period, Yu Mian personally reached out to various parties on multiple rare in-person occasions. Each time he was spotted by fans, he would smile and wave in greeting.

Unfortunately for countless Fish Fans, every time Fish Soup Noodles appeared in public, he was always accompanied, without exception, by a certain infamous love rival of the entire universe!

Whether in photos or videos, every time Fish Soup Noodles signed an autograph, that person could be seen watching intently from not too far away.

Only after Fish Soup Noodles finished signing would he nod politely to the observing crowd before leaving together, hand in hand, their matching rings gleaming conspicuously.

[TwT Damn it, I finally ran into Teacher Fish Soup Noodles at Xinggui, but even just getting an autograph meant being under constant scrutiny. My colleague and I originally wanted to hug him, but we didn’t dare move a muscle.]

[What?! You actually met Teacher Fish Soup Noodles?! And you wanted a hug?! Forget General Huo Ting, if it were me, I wouldn’t allow it either!]

[I even considered sneaking a kiss after getting my autograph… Ahem, of course, I was only thinking about it! But seriously, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles in real life is a hundred times better than on the light screen! I can’t even describe how good-looking he is! (Screaming)]

[+1! Especially when he made eye contact, I completely lost my ability to speak! I had a whole speech prepared, but now I deeply regret fumbling it.]

Every time Fish Soup Noodles was spotted in public, it would spark countless discussions across the star network.

Those who hadn’t seen him were filled with jealousy and envy, while those who had were left regretting that they hadn’t seized the moment better, wishing they could redo the encounter like a rehearsed scene.

[So Teacher Fish Soup Noodles hasn’t started a new book yet because he’s busy with that foundation he mentioned at the last press conference?]

[Yes, I heard he’s working on the copyright conversion rewards.]

Therefore, as Yu Mian’s diligent preparations for the literary foundation continued, more and more authors and readers became intrigued.

A few months later, the first-ever Blue Star Literary Award competition was officially launched, creating an unprecedented spectacle.

On the very first day, thousands of submissions poured in from across the universe.

The range of novel genres far surpassed any previous writing competitions.

Although many participants joined just for the chance to enter the finals and receive their award directly from Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, the competition also ended up catapulting several outstanding works into the limelight, granting them massive exposure.

After all, the entire universe was eagerly anticipating who the lucky finalists of the first-ever “Mermaid Award” would be. Along the way, they also discovered many unexpectedly fantastic novels.

This was a small comfort for many Fish Fans suffering from book drought while waiting for Fish Soup Noodles’ next novel.

[Alright, alright! Thanks to Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, there are now even more great novels to read! This makes me so happy! I’m seriously considering joining next year just for a chance to win and get praised by him.]

[+1! I got so excited that I jumped out of bed, turned on my light brain, and tried to start writing…only to realize at dawn that I had managed a grand total of… one hundred words. I should never have overestimated myself. (Crying)]

[But when will Teacher Fish Soup Noodles start a new book? And what exactly is the secret event at Huanyu? The countdown has been going on for so long…will it finally be revealed tomorrow?]

Huanyu’s entire platform had already begun the mysterious pre-heating event for the anniversary celebration. As long as one opened the app, they would see the grand event’s countdown everywhere.

Even so, when the event was officially revealed, it still amazed everyone.

Because Huanyu had actually collaborated with Piedmont Park and made a massive investment to secure an entire plot of land on the Central Star to launch a theme park based on Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ novels!

This time, it wasn’t just the haunted house from “I Picked Up A Traveling Light Brain”, but an entire amusement park with dedicated areas for every novel, starting from the first book, “Contract Marriage”.

The area for “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King” featured an adrenaline-pumping full-immersion holographic battle game. The “Vast Immortal Path” area had a wildly popular Cloud Ascension Roller Coaster. In the “King of Tianshan” area, visitors could board a simulated aircraft and embark on an adventure through snow-covered forests in search of Da Xi Gredo.

As for the “God of Cooking” area, not only could visitors DIY their own dishes, but there was also a Blue Star Food Street, the perfect place to enjoy a meal after a long day of fun.

In addition to all the themed zones based on the books, there was even a massive water park.

At the center stood a mermaid fountain sculpture, surrounded by glowing whale and jellyfish installations that created an enchanting light show.

“Ta-da…this is our anniversary surprise for you, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles! Please keep writing for a long, long time!”

“That’s right! We even left plenty of space next door. Every time a new book comes out, we’ll build a new themed area!”

As Editor Shaxs led the team in setting off celebratory fireworks, Yu Mian was looking at everything in front of him in disbelief.

This was practically a high-tech interstellar version of a theme park.

Huo Ting looked at Yu Mian’s dazed expression, took a golden pair of scissors from Secretary Hals and handed them over.

“Would you like to try cutting the ribbon yourself on the first day of opening?”

“I actually forgot that today happens to be another anniversary. This is really an incredible surprise.”

Seeing everyone around him eagerly waiting for praise, Yu Mian finally smiled, taking the golden scissors and solemnly cutting the ribbon.

In the next moment, golden confetti rained down from the sky, and the grand opening of the Central Star’s first Fish Soup Noodles Theme Park officially made headlines.

This massive anniversary celebration immediately caught the attention of the entire interstellar community.

Especially when detailed maps of the themed areas and novel-based attractions spread across the star network, they were forwarded so many times they were almost smoking.

Who would have thought something like this was even possible!?

[Damn, Huanyu, you really outdid yourselves this time. Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ smile is so healing! I’m making this my new screensaver right now!]

[I’m actually a little emotional. Seeing Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ happy smile during the ribbon-cutting, I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot in front of my light brain. What is this weird old father mentality?]

[So how do we buy tickets to this theme park? Do they have annual passes? I want to buy a 99-year one so I can visit until I’m old!]

With the entire star network eagerly urging for details, Huanyu also released a comprehensive guide for visitors.

For the first month, all park tickets would be distributed as giveaway prizes.

Readers could enter a lottery for free tickets based on their purchase history of Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ novels, each book granting one entry.

Additionally, activities like presales for the physical books of “The Vast Immortal Path”, the Foundation’s writing contest voting, and various other related events would randomly drop a large number of free park tickets.

[Huanyu Reading: Don’t worry! For fans who don’t win free park tickets in the first month, we’ll continue giveaways throughout the entire first year of trial operations. We welcome every fish fan across the universe to join this grand offline book club party!]

However, for fans outside the Central Star system, this luxurious fish fan party was bittersweet.

[Help! Why is it always the Central Star!? How are we, the outer star system readers, supposed to live? We want to go play right now! [crying]]

[Can’t we just build a Fish Fan Park in every star system, like we did with the haunted house back then?]

But the Central Star fans, who had just been celebrating moments ago, soon found themselves in tears too.

[Great. I live on the Central Star and still can’t get a ticket. The soonest available slot for my free ticket is six months from now!]

Some local fish fans even started calling for everyone to let the outer star system fans have priority for the free tickets.

[After all, we can visit any time, but outer star system fans can’t get that chance easily. Let’s be considerate!]

However, as soon as Huanyu announced the second wave of promotional activities, the atmosphere immediately shifted.

[Huanyu Reading: In addition to exciting attractions, completing the novel knowledge challenge in each area will earn you exclusive themed badges. Collect them all to enter the grand prize lottery at the central hall! The first prize is a giant, ultra-soft mermaid plush doll! [photo]]

All fish fans across the universe: !??? [eyes widening]

Especially when everyone saw the centerpiece of the prize showcase…a cute chibi version of Teacher Fish Soup Noodles. It instantly became the focus of all attention.

[That’s it, I can’t hold back. I have to win this. I’m pulling out all my book purchase records right now to enter the lottery!]

[If I can bring this plushie home and place it on my bed, I swear I’ll only have sweet dreams of Teacher Fish Soup Noodles telling me bedtime stories. TwT]

[Huanyu, what other good things are you hiding? Just bring it all out at once! We have plushies now, what about blind boxes, figurines, stickers? Just give us everything already!]

With so many mermaid fans, the competition for prizes was bound to be fierce. Huanyu’s strategy of releasing them bit by bit only made everyone even more desperate.

Even Yu Mian, as he accepted the first edition of the mermaid plushie from Shaxs, couldn’t help but squeeze the fabric mermaid tail a few times. The material was incredibly soft and had an amazing texture.

“This one is a special exception just for you. Every other plushie in the universe can only be obtained by completing the novel knowledge competition.”

The head of the Huanyu merchandise department happily introduced the details.

Anyone who could pass all the mini-challenges was undoubtedly a senior fish fan.

They had to be deeply familiar with the plot of every book to answer the numerous questions in the quiz bank.

“But aren’t the questions a bit too tricky?”

Yu Mian looked at the first question in the quiz bank. It actually asked for the name of the dagger-like weapon that Lin Mu first acquired on the Garbage Star.

Uh… As the author, it’s been so long after finishing it that even he wasn’t sure if he remembered the answer.

“No, no, no, don’t underestimate the combat power of fish fans. If the questions were too easy, they might completely wipe out the inventory on the first day.”

The staff explained this very seriously.

Yu Mian: QwQ

That actually made some sense?

“But that one with the black fish tail is quite interesting too.”

Yu Mian leaned against the display cabinet, smiling as he looked at the various colors and styles of mermaid plush dolls filling the walls. He couldn’t help but feel that one particular plushie oddly resembled Huo Ting.

Would it be considered cheating if he participated in the quiz himself to get a matching pair?

Huo Ting followed his gaze and looked at the plush as well.

“But the first batch of visitors is about to officially enter the park. Aren’t you curious to see who’s coming?”

Editor Shaxs told Yu Mian that the surprises weren’t over yet.

It turned out that during the opening week’s ceremony, not only did Grandpa Huo, Huo Yan, Aunt Inas, and Qiao Ni come to help distribute a giant cake and various small gifts, but even some well-known readers had arrived.

Kane, with his dazzling golden hair, and his sister Audrey sent a domineering flower basket as a congratulatory gift. Audrey even dragged Kane to take a picture in the Caesar-themed area.

When the photo was uploaded to the star network, countless “Contact Marriage” fans liked it with nostalgia, saying they couldn’t believe how much time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Even now, thinking back to the infamous rumor-denial disaster from back then still made everyone laugh.

The little crab, Ernis, even performed a self-written song, “I Am a Fish Fan, I Love Reading”, fulfilling his dream of singing a theme song for Fish Soup Noodles.

The lyrics were straightforward and passionate, with the phrase “I am a fish fan, I love reading” repeating in a catchy loop that had countless netizens laughing uncontrollably.

His younger brother, Douglas, wanted nothing more than to cover his brother’s mouth, trying to stop the overly enthusiastic Ernis from continuing.

Yu Mian, however, laughed and said it was actually quite a good song, definitely better than anything he could sing himself.

“You really can’t keep encouraging him like this, or he’ll take it seriously.”

The exasperated Douglas begged Yu Mian not to spoil the crab too much.

His older brother could sing other people’s lyrics just fine, but his own compositions were truly disastrous.

When Lilith and the other Bart clan members arrived, they extravagantly filled the “Eternal Night Rose” garden area with freshly imported glowing Eternal roses. When night fell, the entire park looked like a dreamy wonderland.

Even Yu Mian’s old friends from the Garbage Star finally realized their dream of visiting the Federation Star, marveling at everything in sight.

The Federation Star was truly bustling and magnificent.

“Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, we’ve prepared a special batch of barley beer. This one is really good. I swear I didn’t secretly add any water this time!”

Boss Fos led a group of burly men carrying barrels of beer, intending to distribute them as celebratory drinks for the park’s opening.

“What?! Boss, you’re saying you didn’t dilute the beer for Teacher Fish Soup Noodles Teacher’s gift? So, does that mean you’ve been watering down the beer for us all this time?!”

His old friends, who had followed along, were instantly shocked.

“Ahem, well, I was selling it to you all at such a low price. Adding a bit of water isn’t a big deal. Besides, if I watered it down, you guys wouldn’t get drunk so easily and end up in trouble.”

Boss Fos coughed awkwardly, realizing he had accidentally exposed himself.

Meanwhile, Derqin and the elves, along with everyone from the Taoyuan Studios, had also arrived. This time, however, they brought the official promotional plan for the “The Vast Immortal Path” game adaptation.

Once the book was fully completed, fans who were left wanting more could log into the game and experience a fully immersive holographic fantasy world.

Even the Imperial Star brothers, Claudius and Kechard, had sent their congratulations, stating that in a few months, they would visit Federation Star for an interstellar alliance event and would definitely check out the park then.

ILu Wei, unfortunately, had just been sent on an outer star research trip by the institute and missed the opening week’s events. However, he sent Yu Mian a stalk of wild reed he had discovered on another planet!

Lady Landis officially provided the coordinates of that sea area, while Ke Ke and the young aquatic descendants had already gone wild in the water park.

No one had expected Federation Star to have such an incredible water park.

The mermaid fountain in the center, in particular, was widely praised.

And on the very afternoon of the park’s opening, Huanyu officially announced that the pre-sale figures for the physical books of “The Vast Immortal Path” had shattered the historical sales record for any novel in the universe.

It was undoubtedly a cause for celebration.

Even the Federation’s official Cultural Department sent two representatives.

At first, the people at Huanyu thought something had gone wrong. They rushed over nervously, fearing that some unexpected issue had arisen.

But the officials quickly waved their hands and said, “No, no, no. We’re here to present an award to Teacher Fish Soup Noodles.”

Editor Shaxs: “An award?”

Our Teacher Fish Soup Noodles had won another prize!?

It turned out that after months of comprehensive evaluation, the authorities had recognized Yu Mian’s works’ widespread influence, as well as the literary foundation’s impact on cultural development. As a result, they had officially awarded Yu Mian the “Universal Cultural Contribution Award.”

“This anniversary gift is truly amazing. Thank you.”

Just as Yu Mian accepted the award with a smile and took a photo, a familiar system voice chimed in:

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have achieved the perfect career-line ending achievement, ‘Famous Across the Universe’. All career-line rewards are now unlocked!]

[The special upgraded version reward package ‘Breaking Through The Void’ will be distributed in ten working days! Wishing you a happy life~]”

“A special upgraded completion reward?”

Was this the completion reward for “The Vast Immortal Path”?

After all, at the book’s finale, the two protagonists had ventured to a new realm.

Yu Mian suddenly had a bold guess, could this reward mean he could return to Earth?

[That’s right! Because I detected that you obtained a special cosmic plane coordinate from Lady Landis, I applied for a reward upgrade from the system, and it actually got approved! Please try it out in ten working days.]

[Anyway, my mission is now complete. Wishing you a happy and wonderful life! To be honest, I really love reading your stories O///O. Goodbye, dear host.]

As Yu Mian watched, a small glowing orb appeared, gently nuzzled his cheek, then flew off into the sky and disappeared.

Just as Yu Mian stood there in a daze, staring at the sky, a new mermaid plush doll was suddenly placed in his hands.

Yu Mian: !

It was actually the black-tailed chibi-style mermaid doll he had seen in the glass display case!

“Did Shaxs and the others make another exception and give one more out?”

Yu Mian held it up in surprise and rubbed it several times. Now he could pair it with the one he already had and display them together in his study– so cute.

Huo Ting, however, merely smiled without saying a word.

“No, no, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, did you really not cheat for General Huo Ting!? How did he manage to get all the answers right?”

The staff in the gift department were in shock.

During the live broadcasted quiz challenge, the fish fans across the star network had practically exploded, suspecting that Fish Soup Noodles had given special treatment to his partner.

They had no choice but to watch in disbelief as someone casually walked away with the first limited-edition gift in the entire universe!

“I don’t know either. Is this guy really that amazing?”

Yu Mian laughed as he turned to look at Huo Ting.

“Is it really that amazing?” Huo Ting replied with a subtle touch of Versailles, “It’s just the basic quality for a husband.”

=^=

That night, the amusement park hosted a grand fireworks display.

The brilliant and colorful fireworks lit up half the sky, their dazzling light reflected in everyone’s eyes.

At this moment, Yu Mian held Huo Ting’s hand, gazing up at the breathtaking scene above.

“What should I write for the next book?”

“The Vast Immortal Path” had ended, and the foundation was running smoothly. It seemed like it was time to start planning the next novel.

But no matter what he wrote, it would surely be a story filled with hope and beauty.

Yu Mian exchanged a smile with Huo Ting, and at the stroke of midnight, he couldn’t resist standing on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss.

“Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, come take a group photo!”

As the group came rushing over, calling for Yu Mian from afar, they were caught completely off guard by the scene before them and ate a big mouthful of dog food.

In an instant, a sour smell filled the air and they blushed while screaming,

“You are not allowed to steal kisses from our Teacher Fish Soup Noodles!!”

[END OF MAIN TEXT.]