"Editor Li, this is the work we recommend, 'The School Belle's Bodyguard.'"
Chief editor 567 from Lingdian sent a document to Li Bowen, chief editor of Huaxia Mobile Reading, silently praying that this novel could perform the same miracle here as it had on Lingdian.
After a while, Li Bowen replied, "567, are you sure it's this novel?"
"Yes."
"Alright, but let me be clear with you first. Previously, Lingdian recommended five or six novels to our mobile platform, and none of them performed well. The higher-ups are already starting to question Lingdian's capabilities. This is your last chance. If this book still earns less than 1.000 RMB in daily sales after being promoted, Lingdian will lose its qualification as a partner of Mobile Reading. You'll be treated the same as Tianying Literature and have to pay for recommendation slots."
"We understand."
"Good. As you understand, three days from now we'll put this novel on Mobile Monternet for recommendation. However, the first recommendation slot won't be great, probably a second-tier page recommendation."
"What? A second-tier page? Editor Li, you clearly promised us a first-tier homepage recommendation before. Why has it suddenly become a second-tier one? If it's only a second-tier recommendation, how can our novel possibly reach 1.000 RMB in sales?"
"567, that's on you. Yes, I did promise before, but take a look at the works you've recommended so far. Only Wuhen performed decently. The rest couldn't even reach 500 RMB a day. Do you think Mobile is just any platform? This is a platform with hundreds of millions of users. If a book can't even make 500 RMB a day, putting it on the top page is just a waste of resources. I've already been scolded by my manager over this. If I hadn't insisted that Lingdian, as one of Huaguo's top three novel platforms, still has strength, you might not even get this last recommendation slot.
Of course, if you don't want it, that's fine too. I can just upload the book directly. If it's good enough, maybe readers will still find it among hundreds of thousands of novels."
"Alright… then thank you, Editor Li."
567 felt his heart bleed, but the distribution channel was in their hands. There was only one Huaxia Mobile.
A small platform like Lingdian had no bargaining power at all.
Even a terrible recommendation was better than none.
Though given the current situation, 567 could barely see any hope.
…
"Hmph, if you want Mobile's resources, you'd better obediently follow my arrangements."
"Xueliu, it's done. I threw Lingdian a 'trash recommendation.' This time, they won't be able to recover."
In his office, Li Bowen cursed coldly, then picked up the phone and called Huanyue Chinese Web in Yanjing.
"That's great, Editor Li. Many thanks this time."
"Heh, what's our relationship? But Xueliu, doing this kind of thing is still a bit risky. The higher-ups always emphasize fair recommendations for all websites. You know, companies like ours that control resources have the hardest time being fair. If someone files a complaint, I'll bear a lot of responsibility…"
"You've worked hard, Editor Li. This really is trouble for you. But you know what kind of person I am. Since I've asked for your help, I won't let you suffer losses. Check your bank account when you have time."
"Heh, good."
Everything went without saying as the two hung up.
"This Li Bowen is really insatiable."
At that moment, Xueliu's assistant, Sun Dong, spoke up.
"Heh, Sun Dong, without someone this greedy, how would we get the chance to crush Lingdian?"
"True enough. But Editor-in-Chief, is it really worth spending so much money to suppress that 'School Belle' novel?"
"Why wouldn't it be worth it?"
"Editor-in-Chief, do you really think 'The School Belle's Bodyguard' can become popular? That seems unlikely. Haven't we already concluded a pattern recently? The more popular a novel is on PC websites, the less attention it gets on mobile reading platforms. This book is quite popular on Lingdian, so it'll probably flop on Mobile Reading."
Popular on PC, ignored on mobile.
It was a strange phenomenon.
To this day, Huanyue still hadn't figured out why. Even Huaxia Mobile didn't know.
All they knew was that Mobile Reading seemed bizarre. Top authors got no readers, while countless obscure writers gained massive readership.
"Editor-in-Chief, do you think this book might not only succeed on PC but also become popular on mobile?"
"Books that succeed on both platforms haven't appeared yet… but what if this one does?"
Xueliu patted his assistant's shoulder. "That's why we have to eliminate even the slightest possibility before it can grow."
…
From Modu back to Xijiang, the flight only took two hours.
When he got home, Huang Yifan couldn't help but sigh that having money really was good.
When traveling, without money, you take the train; with money, you take a plane.
Sigh… still no money.
Of course, that was just a joke.
Huang Yifan liked money, but he wasn't obsessed with it.
If he could earn it through his own ability, he would. If not, he wouldn't envy others.
He also had his own principles. For example, Lingdian had wanted to use his age for publicity. He knew that with a simple nod, fame and profit would come rushing in. But he still refused. He didn't like being an entertainment celebrity, nor did he like promoting his work through hype.
Writing good novels was the real path.
Right, the ancient romance series he had been considering, over the past couple of days, he had gained some ideas. Before publishing, he planned to test the market to see whether readers were actually interested in this genre. Although he had previously written 'A Chinese Ghost Story' and received some feedback, that work was wrapped in a supernatural shell and contained fantasy elements. He couldn't tell whether readers liked the romance or the fantasy.
If it were his choice, he would prefer the fantasy elements.
So he wasn't entirely confident. He decided to first publish an ancient romance novel online. But he didn't choose Lingdian, nor Huanyue, nor Lianheng. Although these three platforms were the most popular in Huaguo, they mainly focused on wish-fulfillment and fast-paced excitement, not traditional romance.
Fortunately, aside from the three major platforms, there were other novel sites.
For example, Songjiang Net.
Songjiang Net was a site focused on female readers. Although it couldn't compare to Huanyue, Lianheng, or Lingdian, over more than a decade, it had cultivated a large base of loyal female readers. Ancient romance novels usually had a delicate writing style, lacked power systems or face-slapping plots, and were mainly enjoyed by female audiences.
Entering Songjiang Net, Huang Yifan quickly created an author account under the same name, Fanchen.
Then he entered the backend and selected "Create Work", 'The Peony Pavilion Girl'.
This was a famous work by the Ming dynasty literary genius Tang Xianzu.
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Glossary:
'The Peony Pavilion Girl' "牡丹亭少女", Mudanting Shaonü is a title derived from 'The Peony Pavilion' "牡丹亭", Mudanting, a renowned Kunqu opera written by Tang Xianzu (汤显祖, Tang Xianzu) during the Ming dynasty, around 1598. 'The Peony Pavilion' is one of the most celebrated works of classical Chinese drama, often included among the "Four Dreams of Linchuan." It tells the story of Du Liniang (杜丽娘), a young noblewoman whose dream-born love leads to her death and eventual resurrection, symbolizing the triumph of passion over societal constraints and even mortality. 'The Peony Pavilion Girl' draws its name and thematic inspiration from this classic, evoking elements of traditional Chinese romance, lyrical expression, and the ideal of love that transcends life and death.
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