Chen Hao's comic The Coolest Reverse March in the World had unexpectedly gone viral.
Originally, Ms. Chen Qiumei had only intended to publish it in the school newspaper. But after bringing it to the senior year faculty office, the vice principal happened to catch sight of it. Thoroughly impressed, he praised the piece and suggested promoting it citywide.
With that, the comic was borrowed once more and submitted to the People's Daily of Jianghai City, where it quickly gained traction online. Comments poured in, praising the raw emotion and message behind the comic.
Still, while the comic itself drew widespread admiration, the artist behind it remained largely anonymous. Even though Chen Hao was clearly credited at the bottom of the page, the name didn't ring a bell with most readers. And without Weibo or similar platforms to amplify his identity—this being 2006—the buzz quickly faded within a week. At school, Chen Hao's brief moment of fame barely lasted a couple of days.
Then, word spread that one of their classmates, Lin Ran, had relatives affected by the Tianlang Residence fire.
Lin Ran herself didn't live in the complex—she'd simply gone to her aunt's place for dinner that fateful evening. Tragically, the fire had originated in her aunt's apartment. Her aunt perished at the scene, and her mother, Fan Rudan, had been rescued but suffered severe burns covering over 50% of her body.
Though she was now out of immediate danger, her recovery required multiple surgeries, and any infection could still prove fatal.
Everyone sympathized with Lin Ran, but there wasn't much anyone could do to help.
Meanwhile, Chen Hao had quietly finished the first three chapters of One-Punch Man.
Now came the hard part—finding a publisher.
He wasn't particularly confident.
In its original timeline, One-Punch Man had only started as a rough webcomic. It wasn't until another artist picked it up and redrew it that it exploded in popularity. The story blended serious action with absurdist comedy, and Chen Hao wasn't sure if people in 2006 were ready for that kind of hybrid.
But if he wanted to gain attention fast, a hero-themed manga was still the best bet.
Since he'd already drawn the chapters, he might as well give it a try.
That Saturday, Chen Hao took his polished manuscripts to Huahuo Publishing House—the only company in Jianghai City at the time that published comics. Their focus was usually on short comic strips; long-form serials hadn't yet caught on.
Even though it was a weekend, there were still staff working when Chen Hao arrived.
"Hello, may I help you?" the front desk receptionist asked, standing up politely.
"I'd like to speak with Editor Xu," Chen Hao said confidently.
If his memory served him correctly, the man overseeing comic submissions in 2006 was named Xu Tongyong. In the original timeline, Huahuo had folded in 2013 due to poor management and the rise of e-books. Xu later transferred to a newspaper, where Chen Hao briefly worked alongside him.
The receptionist gave Chen Hao a once-over. His casual clothes and youthful face made it obvious—he was just a student.
"Do you have an appointment with Editor Xu?" she asked.
"No."
"Then may I ask what this is regarding? Editor Xu might be busy today. If you don't have an appointment, I can pass along a message."
Chen Hao thought for a moment. "I'm here to discuss a comic manuscript I'd like to publish."
"A book?"
"A manga."
The receptionist gave a polite smile, but there was already disinterest in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but we're currently not accepting comic submissions. Even if we were, all work must be submitted through proper channels."
Chen Hao pulled out a neatly packed envelope and placed it on the desk. "These are the first three chapters. Please pass them to Editor Xu. If nothing comes of it, I'll accept that."
The receptionist reluctantly took the envelope and nodded. "Alright. I'll make sure to deliver it when I see him."
After Chen Hao left, she opened the packet out of curiosity. Flipping through the pages, she frowned.
"What is this? The first chapter's art looks decent, and the hero is pretty handsome. But why is he bald in the second chapter?" She flipped further. "Wait, now there are monsters? What kind of ridiculous plot is this? If this gets published, Editor Xu's career would be over."
With a dismissive chuckle, she put the pages back—and tossed the entire packet on a side table.
At that moment, Editor Xu himself walked out.
The receptionist quickly straightened up. "Editor Xu, are you heading out?"
"I just got word that the author of Wasted River has finished a new novel. I'm going to negotiate publishing rights."
"Zang Yehua?" Her eyes lit up. "He's the Haruki Murakami of Jianghai! Everyone says he's going to win the Nobel Prize someday."
Xu nodded. "His writing style might be niche, but unconventional works are often award magnets. He's only twenty-five, and already a genius. If we land this book, the entire publishing house benefits."
"Please get his autograph for me if you can!" the receptionist gushed.
"I'll try," Xu said with a chuckle, then paused at the door. "Did anyone come looking for me today?"
"Yes. A student stopped by earlier. Left a comic manuscript."
Xu shook his head. "We're scaling back the comics department. City News might publish one more special issue, but long-form manga? Out of the question."
He didn't even glance at the file bag as he walked out the door.
Left alone, the receptionist finally picked up the envelope—and dumped it straight into the trash.
Chen Hao, meanwhile, didn't suspect anything. He had assumed that once the receptionist passed the manuscript along, he would get a reply soon, regardless of whether it was accepted or rejected.
Two days passed—nothing.
No call, no message.
Feeling uneasy, Chen Hao made a second trip to Huahuo Publishing House.
This time, a different receptionist was at the front desk.
"Hi, I submitted a comic manuscript here two days ago and asked that it be given to Editor Xu. May I ask if he's seen it?"
The new receptionist frowned. "Comics? I believe Editor Xu said we're not currently publishing manga. Also, we only accept short-form submissions. But if you left something here, let me take a look."
She rummaged through the drawers. Nothing.
Then Chen Hao's eyes wandered—and landed on a familiar file bag sitting atop a stack in the trash bin.
His manuscript.
Still sealed. Still untouched.
His first three chapters of One-Punch Man, thrown out without ever being read.