The signing model of the Huanyu Editorial Department was actually not complicated.
Each editor was allocated a fixed number of signing slots, which they could use to sign promising new authors from the New Stellar List.
The better the performance of the authors they signed, the more signing slots the editor would be allocated in the following year. Therefore, the sharper an editor’s judgment and instincts, the faster they could distinguish themselves.
However, there were instances where a particularly successful new author would receive signing invitations from multiple editors all at once. In such cases, the power dynamic would shift, with the new author choosing their preferred editor instead.
But Yu Mian’s case was quite unique.
From a purely statistical perspective, “Contract Marriage” was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding new works Huanyu had seen in recent years.
In terms of clicks, collections, and comments, it had already far surpassed the typical new works and was on par with many signed works that had earned official leaderboard recommendations!
However, when it came to deciding whether to grant this work a signing slot, the editorial team quickly split into two opposing factions.
The opposition, led by senior editors, keenly noted that this book’s style was almost entirely at odds with the historical tone of Huanyu’s works.
It could even be described as unorthodox.
“If we grant a signing slot to this kind of work, wouldn’t that, in a sense, mean officially endorsing this style of writing?”
“And what if it leads to a wave of copycat works?”
As the most senior editor with a professional academic background, Editor Lei’s opinions always carried significant weight.
When this viewpoint was raised in the meeting room, it indeed sparked a lot of discussion.
“But wasn’t Huanyu founded with the purpose of helping readers find the stories they love?”
Shax, who was representing the younger generation of editors, couldn’t help but voice his opinion.
“Besides, “Contract Marriage” doesn’t contain any prohibited content! It simply provides readers with a delightful and thrilling tale of youthful romance!”
“That’s right. Even now, I admire Gu Bai’s resilience and kindness, and I’m completely drawn to Caesar’s boldness and passion. This work has received so much love and support from readers. Why shouldn’t we boldly embrace it?”
Several other daring young editors also voiced their support.
The differing viewpoints between the two generations of editors made the atmosphere in the meeting room tense, ready to ignite at any moment.
“I have reason to suspect that your refusal to approve my application is, in a way, a complete waste and suppression of this author’s talent and popularity!”
“This outstanding work has been delayed for so long without signing, without getting the proper promotion before entering V-status! This is not only a loss for the author but also a loss for Huanyu!”
In the heat of the moment, Shax expressed his frustration bluntly.
“Shax, what are you saying?”
“You young editors are always fixated on the data. But Huanyu’s history is full of authors who had a sensational start but quickly faded into obscurity.”
Senior Editor Lei was visibly upset and couldn’t resist adding a sarcastic remark.
“This type of work doesn’t even need to be read. I can tell it’s just using flashy tricks to attract attention. Over my many years as an editor, I’ve never recognized such unorthodox approaches.”
Editor Lei’s stance was unyielding to the extreme.
“Alright, stop arguing! How about this? If you insist on signing, Shax, you can use your last slot of the year to sign this author.
“But if there are any issues with the work later, you’ll bear full responsibility. Are you sure you can handle that?”
The deputy editor known for diffusing conflicts stepped in to calm the situation.
However, while it appeared that both sides compromised, the pressure on Shax undeniably increased.
After all, for a young editor still on probation, if a signed book underperformed, it could ruin their entire year’s evaluation.
“I can do it. I will sign this book, and I will take full responsibility for it.”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the meeting room, Shax ultimately agreed.
The meeting ended on a sour note.
“Shax, are you really going to sign this book? While its data is indeed impressive, and we’ve all enjoyed following the updates, we’ve never seen a work like this before…”
Even the rookie editors who privately wanted Yu Mian’s work signed began to waver after hearing Editor Lei’s arguments.
What if this book turned out to be a mere flash in the pan, crashing later on? That would nullify the entire year’s achievements.
Especially since Shax’s resume was the most outstanding among the new hires, losing the chance for Huanyu’s permanent rating because of this would be a great pity.
“But the reason I became an editor was to manage and support the stories I love.”
“Besides, isn’t the real reason this book is being targeted because it completely overshadowed the new work Editor Lei just signed on the New Stellar List?”
Shax’s bold statement instantly made the group of editors glance at the door nervously.
After confirming that the conservative editors had left, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
“But there’s nothing we can do. That’s just how the senior editors operate.”
“Like Editor Lei’s By Lake Madra—didn’t he also force the author to rewrite the plot? He simply doesn’t like this style.”
“But isn’t the readers’ love enough? The By Lake Madra incident must not happen under my watch!”
Shax’s firm resolve made everyone else sigh.
The power dynamics of the workplace were never easy to overturn.
—
[Crispy Shark: …So that’s roughly the situation. I’m really sorry it took this long to finalize your signing. I’ll expedite the contract process as quickly as possible!]
Apart from not saying that this was his last signing slot this year as he didn’t want to put too much pressure on Yu Mian, a “newbie author”, Shax told Yu Mian almost all the reasons and consequences of the delayed signing.
[Crispy Shark: A work like yours should’ve been signed and put on the leaderboard ages ago. Delaying it like this is a waste of such an amazing plot! You might face some challenges entering V-status now.]
After hearing the entire story, Yu Mian found himself admiring Shax’s determination.
Signing with a stubborn senior editor would have been a nightmare.
No wonder By Lake Madra took such a bizarre turn in its later chapters—it had been forcibly stifled!
For Yu Mian, the idea of an experienced senior editor interfering with an author’s story was incomprehensible.
[Fish: Not at all! You’re exactly the kind of editor I need, and I’m so grateful you fought for this signing opportunity! I’ll fill out the contract and send back the electronic version right away.]
Yu Mian felt that the situation had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This Crispy Shark was so honest and straightforward he was a little cute.
Shax hadn’t expected Yu Mian to be so easygoing.
‘Ah, he is worthy of being the author I follow!’
Even if this decision cost him his performance evaluation for the year, Shax felt no regrets.
After completing all the formalities, Shax quickly sent over a detailed guide for signed authors.
Still, he couldn’t resist sending some reminders from a personal perspective:
[Crispy Shark: Just a heads-up, though, you might have to enter V-status right after signing. This could put you at a disadvantage in building your numbers, especially during the first leaderboard PK assessment after V-status.]
[Crispy Shark: Also, you’ll need to maintain a steady update schedule. If you stop updating for a few days again, it’ll result in penalties and possibly getting blacklisted. Do you have enough drafts ready?]
[Crispy Shark: Oh right, I’ve been keeping up with the latest chapters, and they’re absolutely brilliant. But I’m a little worried that the readers’ excitement threshold might have been raised too high…]
Yu Mian looked at the string of long, hesitant, and nagging messages sent from the other side and couldn’t help but laugh.
This editor really treated him like a rookie, fussing over everything like a babysitter.
But, to be fair, what he mentioned was a common pitfall for many new authors.
Especially for those who shot to unexpected fame, their downfall often started when they entered the V status.
With the demanding update schedules, one ranking competition after another, and the overwhelming influx of readers and their diverse opinions flooding the comment section…
Many rookie authors, unprepared for the pressure, would buckle under it, causing their entire book to crash and burn.
[Fish: Thank you for the reminder, but the drafts I planned to release that day are nearly ready. Perhaps I’ll send you a copy tonight so you can review the plot?]
However, for Yu Mian, these concerns simply didn’t apply.
During the time he had been waiting for the aquarium to be moved, he had spent days and nights frantically typing away in the study while Huo Ting was away, amassing a stockpile of drafts.
Yu Mian was confident that everything leading up to this point in “Contract Marriage” was just an appetizer.
It’s just that readers in the interstellar era had never encountered the dynamic of a “silly, domineering CEO X resilient little sun”, so they thought the earlier chapters were already spectacular and couldn’t imagine what was to come.
But the real climax of a “chasing-the-wife crematorium” novel can only unfold after a period of buildup.
The timing of entering V turned out to be unexpectedly perfect.
After all, how many of Earth’s seasoned readers, after getting familiar with these routines, often parachuted to the later chapters according to the table of contents, bypassing the early setup to savor the plot twists where the CEO chases his wife, turning an angsty “chasing wife to the crematorium” novel into a cool and refreshing novel for themselves.
The true power of such novels lay in the mid-to-late chapters where the dramatic tension reached its peak.
[Crispy Shark: Huh?]
[Crispy Shark: !]
[Crispy Shark: Is that really okay!? I’d absolutely love to!]
Caught off guard by Yu Mian’s message, Shax felt like he had been hit by a pleasant surprise out of nowhere.
This…is this the joy of being the editor for your favorite novel?
You could even get a sneak peek into the author’s draft folder!
Soon, the other editors at the Huanyu office noticed something unusual. The previously worried Shax seemed to be floating in bliss all day long.
Shax had never felt time drag on so slowly before.
Finally, at 8 p.m., his messaging app chimed.
Shax opened it quickly and saw a file. It was the draft.
‘Tens of thousands of words!’
‘By the stars above—’
‘Was this young author a human word processor!?’
Shax couldn’t imagine how cheerful and optimistic he’d be after binge-reading this draft tonight.
Moreover, the automatic updates of “Contract Marriage” from the draft box were bursting with tension and had masterfully retained the readership and plot tension.
Ever since Caesar and Gu Bai had a falling-out over the mysterious exhibition hall, their relationship had plummeted to a new low.
But as the author, Yu Mian wasn’t about to let the story stay in a rut for long. He had quickly queued up a fresh highlight:
New Year’s Eve was approaching, and Gu Bai was taken back to Caesar’s family estate to attend the annual banquet as his “newlywed spouse,” in a bid to fend off intense matchmaking pressure.
This was a pivotal plot point.
Caesar’s grandfather was rumored to be a sharp-tongued, eccentric old man with immense authority.
Having missed the wedding due to illness, this would be Gu Bai’s first time meeting this extremely difficult elder and also pretend to be a happily married couple.
But, just before the banquet started, Gu Bai was maliciously sabotaged by a jealous villain, causing him to get lost in the vast garden.
While helping an “elderly gardener” who had fallen into the flower bed, Gu Bai soiled his expensive outfit!
[Crispy Shark: Oh my gosh, are we really going with this plot…? Won’t readers be so furious they’ll tear us to shreds?]
[Crispy Shark: If Caesar’s grandfather finds out about the fake marriage, won’t everything fall apart? And the dirty outfit—he’s definitely going to be disgusted with Gu Bai at the banquet!]
Crispy Shark was both anxious and excited as he nervously messaged Yu Mian to confirm the direction of the story.
‘Did this rookie author not realize how famous he had become?’
If the plot unfolded like this post-V, not just the author but even Huanyu’s editorial department might get bombarded by the readers’ outrage!
Meanwhile, Yu Mian, who was in the middle of his writing session, read Shax’s messages and smiled mysteriously.
Because any seasoned reader of Earth’s sweet and dog blood novels would sense what was coming next.
That is, while it appeared as though a new crisis was looming, in reality, this was precisely the moment when the grandfather, the key BOSS, was about to make his grand entrance. And without a doubt, he would have his favorability maxed out by the resilient and kind-hearted protagonist, Gu Bai. Then, he would step in personally to help and support him, and also slap everyone in the face.
The kind protagonist getting lost in the garden and accidentally helping a mysterious old man, who turned out to be a big BOSS, was a classic trope.
Not only did he instantly gain the favor of the hidden big BOSS, but he also naturally slapped the faces of a group of villains.
This upcoming wave of bloody routines were so simple and clichéd, but they were also irresistibly satisfying.
