Chapter 481 This Story Is Extraordinary!

It’s May and the entire Northern Hemisphere has been warming up rapidly.

Even Yingjili, who had always been cold and gloomy, now ushered in a sunny day with the sun shining in the sky. Many gentlemen who were almost moldy walked out of the room to feel the warmth of the sun.

This day.

London.

As the fog capital of the world, which is shrouded in fog for most of the year, it also has clear skies.

"Hey, today's a good day, Tom."

"Who says it isn't? Jerry, look at the sun, it looks like a golden pancake."

"have you eaten?"

"No, I'm going to buy a magazine first, and then I'll have a cup of coffee later."

"That's great, bring me a copy of "Bookstore"."

"I heard that this month's "Book Pavilion" is too tight, and there are no works by famous artists. "Sea of ​​Ink" and "Literary Elegance" both have famous writers, don't you want to change them?"

"Really? That's too bad. My favorite is "Bookstore". Let's see which novel is the first. If it doesn't look good, I will buy other magazines."

"..."

There was a long queue waiting in front of a certain bookstore.

Although it's not yet time to open the door at eight o'clock, everyone's eyes are filled with excitement and anticipation.

Because today is May 1st, the day when the three major magazines are released.

And these people queuing up are all literature lovers. Basically, they will watch the release of the three major short story monthly magazines every month, and then enjoy the stories in them for the first time.

In this Internet age where everyone is immersed in the world of mobile phones, many people still like paper books.

They love the smell of ink.

They love the sound of books turning as they flip through them.

They like to sit on wicker chairs with books and enjoy quiet time.

This is also the reason why many bookstores, newsstands, and magazine shops in European and American countries can still survive.

"Hey! It's open!"

At eight o'clock in the morning, the bookstore door opened.

People flocked in.

"Boss, a copy of "Ink Sea"."

"Hey! Give me a copy of "Literary Elegance"."

"Excuse me, where is "Book Pavilion"?"

Immediately, everyone shouted out their target magazines.

Just not for long.

Someone made a sound in surprise.

"Oh, God! It seems that "Mohai" magazine did not deceive me. This time they really invited famous Nolan celebrities."

"I've seen it too, and I'm really looking forward to this short story called "Tomorrow's Small Market."

"Buy! The boss sold me a copy."

The other side.

Someone was screaming too.

"Who do I see? Is this Mr. Andrew?"

"Oh my God! The first work of this month in "Literature" is written by Mr. Andrew."

"I'm a big fan of Andrew!"

"The story is called "This little clerk is very attentive"? I made it! I made it!"

Immediately, someone took the monthly magazine to pay.

Some people even bought two copies at once.

Even among the three top magazines, it is rare for two famous artists to publish new works at the same time. None of these people want to miss out.

There are also many people buying "Book Pavilion".

After all, London is Shuge’s headquarters, and Shuge’s fans here are huge.

Klein is a market researcher for "Ink Sea". He also came to this bookstore today. He wanted to investigate the sales of the three magazines immediately and then report the results.

He has been doing this job for three years.

In the past time, he has investigated detailed data: In this bookstore, "Bookstore" accounts for about 60% of the sales, and "Ink Sea" and "Literature Elegance" each account for 20%.

But today, he discovered that at the beginning, the sales volume of "Ink Sea" and "Literature Elegance" were actually on par with "Book Pavilion".

This surprised and delighted him.

"The May issue of "Shuge" is probably going to have a big sales problem. This is its home base. The sales volume is only comparable to the other two magazines. If it were placed elsewhere, wouldn't the sales volume be cut in half?"

Surprise.

Klein was deeply grateful that this was the reason why Mo Hai spent a lot of money to get a new work from the famous Nolan.

If you give, you will be rewarded.

After suppressing the excitement in his heart, he took a copy of "Bookstore" and sat aside to read.

Surveys are not just about analyzing sales, but more importantly, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of competitors’ content and learning from each other’s strengths.

Take your seat.

Ordered a cup of coffee.

Klein opened "Bookstore", and what came into view was the title of the first work in "Bookstore" that month, as well as the editor-in-chief's comments.

"Huh? Xilou? Who is this? Newcomer?"

He had never heard of such a leading figure in the short story world, and he never compared Xilou with the fairy tale king Xilou.

Because in the West, the probability of people with the same name is quite high.

Klein was stunned for a moment, then looked at Editor-in-Chief Melvin's comments.

[In life, have you ever encountered one or two touching scenes that may seem ordinary but can be remembered for a lifetime? Can it make us feel the warmth of life at any time, and then rekindle our confidence in life? If you have ever had such an experience, then I think this story will resonate with you. 】

This time, Klein's eyes widened even more.

my God!

This time, the first short story in "Bookstore" is a warm and touching story?

Newcomer!

Heartwarming story!

Are you serious?

Could it be that all the editors in Shuge are so stupid that they are insane? Just pick up an article and get the top spot?

As a senior magazine investigator, his own literary attainments are not low, so he fully understands what the superposition of the two situations "newcomer" + "warm short story" means.

"Perhaps there is some reason that I didn't expect."

Klein didn't think Melvin was an idiot, so he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and opened the content called "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba".

At first, he frowned.

But soon, he felt that he had forgotten his job and began to read more seriously than ever before.

that's all.

time flies……

It wasn't until more than ten minutes later that Klein raised his head, his heart already becoming very complicated.

He didn't know what he was thinking at this moment, but what he was sure of was that he wanted to buy this magazine. This was an impulse, an impulse that he couldn't restrain.

As a man who came across the ocean from a beautiful country to work in London alone, he encountered many difficulties when he first arrived here.

But he met a good landlord, an old lady in her fifties who prepared a piece of pizza for him every night and kindly watched him finish it. It was precisely because of the warmth of his landlady that he survived the first difficult years.

So when he saw this story today, Klein suddenly felt a sore nose and almost shed tears.

Because of empathy.

That's why he wanted to buy the magazine and preserve the story.

Klein originally thought it was just a coincidence, and the other person's story just touched his heart.

But when he raised his head and wanted to go to the cashier to pay.

He suddenly froze.

They were people holding the May issue of "Shuge" in their hands. Their faces were heavy, filled with emotion, and had a depth that could not be described in words.

"Boss, a copy of "Bookstore"."

"Boss, I buy "Bookstore"."

""Book Pavilion", how much does it cost? Thank you."

"..."

Bookstore!

Or a bookstore!

If half an hour ago, only one-third of the people purchased "Book Pavilion", now this proportion has increased to half.

This wasn't what shocked Klein the most.

He also made an even more shocking discovery:

Among all customers, those who only browsed the catalog and then paid, each of the three magazines accounted for one-third. But if they were customers who had read the first article in detail, then almost without exception they all chose "Book Pavilion"!

If not all, this proportion is as high as 90%!

This is a ridiculously high statistic!

Even though this is the headquarters of "Book Pavilion", the 90% selection rate still makes Klein almost doubt his life.

He originally thought that his impulse to buy "Shuge" was because "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba" just touched his heart, and he was just an exception.

But at this moment, Klein felt a faint sense of uneasiness.

Case?

Can this situation be an exception?

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his violently beating heart, and then quickly recorded the situation.

He wanted to report what happened here as quickly as possible.

…

When Klein was writing furiously to fill out the investigation report.

worldwide.

There has been quite a stir in the world of short stories.

[Three Holy Lands of Short Story Literature Release May Issue]

[Nolan's new work "Tomorrow's Small Market" debuts in the latest "Sea of ​​Ink"]

[The famous novelist Andrew suddenly appeared in the first place of "Literary Elegance", and his new work was widely praised]

[The sales volume of "Shuge" in various places is mediocre. Without famous artists, the sales decline of "Shuge" is inevitable]

All kinds of news have spread throughout the industry.

In particular, there is no famous celebrity in "Bookstore" this time, which surprised many people in the industry.

What surprises the industry and readers even more is that, even if there are no famous writers in "Bookstore", the first work is actually a newcomer in the short story field that they have never heard of.

It's not unheard of for a newcomer's work to top the charts before, but no matter how excellent the work is, it can't compare with the world's top celebrities like Nolan.

What's more, the article "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba" published in Bookstore this time is not very highly rated in the industry.

"It's actually a heartwarming theme, it's too bland."

"Yes, although I don't want to admit it, I still think this issue's first book is a bit substandard."

"Chicken soup? Sorry, I don't like this."

"Compared to the works of Nolan and Andrew, the level is a bit far behind."

"The author's name is actually Xilou, which is the same name as the fairy tale king Xilou."

"It's normal to have the same name. There are not eight hundred but a thousand people named Nolan in the world."

"..."

Sea of ​​ink.

The editor-in-chief smiled and said: "Front-line investigators have successively reported the sales of monthly magazines in various places after they were put on the shelves. Our magazine has increased by about 20% compared with last month, and "Literary Elegance" is about the same. Only "Book Pavilion" has a sales volume It has dropped by at least one-third. Although this data cannot represent the final sales volume in May. But one step at a time, one step at a time, it seems that in May, "Bookstore" will not be a cause for concern."

The deputy editor said: ""Bookstore" is looking for death. They actually dare to put a newcomer's work in the first position. Do they think that a newcomer can compete with Nolan or Andrew? Of course...it's outrageous. There have been newcomers before, but my newcomers' works all have ups and downs in the plot and unexpected endings. But I don't understand what Melvin thought. He recommended a short story that was as plain as water and explained kindness and warmth. First place. Is he still trying to win by surprise? I'm sure that even a short story master like Lewis wouldn't dare to take this risk."

…

Literary magnificence.

The editor-in-chief was also talking about this issue: "I heard that Melvin put a newcomer's novel first, but this short story still followed an emotional route. I'm sure he made two big mistakes:

First, emotional stories have never been popular among readers in short stories. How can you impress readers with a mere three to four thousand words? Total nonsense.

Second, he will offend other writers who are not in the first place. These writers will definitely feel aggrieved because the novels they carefully prepared cannot compare to a newcomer, which will greatly discourage them from submitting to the bookstore in the future.

I think Melvin is old and confused. If he does this, the editor-in-chief of Bookstore will have to be replaced in a few months. "

…

Bookstore.

Melvin was the first to get the first batch of investigation reports, and he frowned: "Sales are not as expected?"

He had long expected that a story like "A Bowl of Soba Soba" might not be accepted by readers, but he still wanted to take a gamble. After all, there was no work better qualified to be the first in this issue.

In addition, this novel is indeed emotionally well written.

But he didn't expect that he would lose the bet.

"Forget it...it seems we can only hype up Xilou's reputation to the outside world."

Melvin sighed deeply.

But when he was about to call the Propaganda Department, the researcher who sent the investigation report half an hour ago actually sent a second investigation report with an asterisk.

The asterisk represents the importance of the email.

Melvin's heart trembled.

Did something unexpected happen again?

His hands were shaking a little, and he quickly opened the email, and then saw the title of the email: "The sales volume of "Bookstore" has turned around, and the number of buyers has increased by 200% in half an hour."

What?

Melvin thought he had read it wrong. He rubbed his eyes and continued to read the text.

The content of the email was very small, and it mainly said: After the initial half-hour decline, the sales volume of "Bookstore" suddenly increased. Basically, any reader who read the first article will have the intention to purchase. Its proportion far exceeds that of "Ink Sea" and "Literary Elegance". Investigators have not analyzed the specific reason yet, but they speculate that it is most likely related to the article "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba".

Melvin read it several times before suppressing the violent beating in his heart and replied: "Probe again! Report again!"

After completing the reply.

He sat there for a while, stunned, and then clenched his fist fiercely.

It seems that he did not make a mistake, and there are still many people who like this article as much as he does.

This is enough!

at the same time.

The editor-in-chief of Mohai also received the email from Klein. His face showed absurdity: "Are you kidding me? As long as readers have read the first book of "Book Pavilion", their purchase intention is as high as 90%?"

Even though Klein is located at the Shuge headquarters, isn't this ratio too exaggerated?

Calm down.

The editor-in-chief suddenly shouted: "Bring me a copy of the May issue of "Bookstore"."

Before this, he had not read the other two magazines because he was too busy. He only learned about some of the competitors' situations from employee reports, but at this moment, he felt a faint sense of uneasiness.

After getting "Shuge", the editor-in-chief immediately found "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba" and started reading.

A few minutes later.

The editor-in-chief raised his head, his expression becoming extremely complicated.

He shook his head and read the story again. Suddenly he felt that he had no strength at all.

The other side.

The editor-in-chief of Literature Fenghua was also silent.

He wanted to find some faults in the novel in front of him, but found that he couldn't.

"Perhaps...only a small number of people like this kind of story? Yes, that must be the case."

He was going to see readers' real reactions.

So he thought about it and opened the "Book Pavilion" forum.

Only in the forum can you see the most authentic readers' voices.

After opening the forum, a dense number of posts came into view.

【I was moved. 】

[I am also touched. The world needs true love to warm you and me. 】

[I have to say that I have read too many satirical and money-worshiping short stories, but this time "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba" made me feel the warmth I had not seen for a long time]

[It turns out that short stories can also make my heart feel as warm as fire. 】

[At first I thought it was not enough to take the top spot, but after reading the story, I found that it touched me even more than Nolan and Andrew's new work. 】

Almost all good reviews!

"Perhaps "Bookstore" controlled the review?"

The editor-in-chief of Literary Fenghua was still a little unwilling, so he opened his own forum.

But when he saw it, he almost lost his expression.

I saw that the forum was even more lively.

[Andrew lost this time! 】

[Although the first work in "Shuge" is a chicken soup article, I drank this bowl of chicken soup. 】

[After reading Andrew’s new work, I felt it was average, but Shuge’s “A Bowl of Soba Soba” made my eyes shine. 】

[As someone who has endured too much pain, I know very well what this kind of warmth means to strangers. 】

[Even though I am a fan of "Literary Elegance", I still bought "Bookstore" this time, just for that bowl of noodles. 】

[In my opinion, it is not an ordinary bowl of noodles, but the warmth that shines into our hearts. 】

Seeing the content of these posts, the editor-in-chief of Literary Fenghua almost went dark.

how so?

Fans of your own magazine are actually praising your competitors?

He swallowed, feeling as if he had underestimated the influence of "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba".

It may really be comparable to Nolan and Andrew's new work.

But the other party is indeed a newcomer!

Under such circumstances, "Book Pavilion" naturally wins.

However……

Is it really only on the same level as Nolan’s new work?

soon.

Suddenly, a piece of breaking news came out: "On Instagram, the famous critic Dean published a review of "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba"."

boom!

This time it was really thunder, which made many people’s scalp numb.

Dean is one of the most well-known literary critics in the world today. With his position, he even dares to review the works of the Troika.

Many people spent a lot of money to ask him to comment on articles, but to no avail.

Unexpectedly, this time Dean took the initiative to comment on the work of a newcomer on "Bookstore".

"What's the review?"

"Is it a swipe?"

"It can't be a compliment, right?"

"Dean is a well-known venomous tongue. Even if the Troika's works are not well written, he still dares to criticize them mercilessly."

"..."

soon.

Everyone found Dean’s comment.

But the next second, everyone was stunned, because Dean's article did not seem to be a review, but a story, a story about himself.

"When I was a child, I was always afraid of the dark, but when I got home from school every day, it was already seven or eight o'clock in the evening. I had to go through a long alley to go home. It was extremely dark, as if it were a devouring devil's mouth, which made me afraid In the past. Every time I passed by there, I was so scared. One day I was so frightened that a wild cat ran away. "

"When I passed by the alley again the next day, I was originally on tenterhooks. But I unexpectedly found a light on in the middle of the alley. Although it looked dim, it illuminated the entire alley. I was shocked and surprised. Congratulations, I won’t be afraid of crossing the alley from now on.”

"Until one long day, after I passed by the alley, I accidentally turned my head and saw that the light had just gone out."

"Later I learned that this light would only light up when I passed the alley, and would go out when I walked through the alley."

When everyone saw this, they already felt something.

Dean seems to be telling a story, but in fact he is narrating the same story as "A Bowl of Soba Soba".

Finally, Dean said:

"The rise of the Internet seems to have brought people closer, but in fact the distance between people has become farther. Over the years, I have deeply realized one thing: Our society has become more and more It is becoming more and more inhumane, and many people are becoming more and more selfish and profit-seeking, making this seemingly hot world become cold.”

"But is this really good? I think an impersonal society will make many people who have already experienced twists and turns become more depressed and desperate. In my opinion, this world needs some people to maintain it. Warmth. Many times your seemingly small actions can bring great encouragement to others. ”

"Just like the lamp in the alley when I was a kid, it not only lit up my path through the alley. It also lit up the rest of my life."

"In this society, what I hope is that there will be more people who can light lamps. Maybe the society does not lack the lamp you light. But maybe just because of your lamp, it will illuminate inadvertently. A stranger’s future.”

"At the same time, I also want to encourage those who are struggling in the darkness: please don't give up fighting because of the current difficulties. In all the lights in the house, there is always a light that shines for you."

See to the end.

Many people's hearts were immediately touched, with an indescribable feeling.

Especially what Dean said at the end: Among the lights in every house, there is always one light that lights up for you.

Seeing this sentence, countless people burst into tears.

Originally, many people had not seen "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba" and had only listened to it.

After seeing Dean's review, countless people turned to bookstores, newsstands, and magazine shops almost invariably. They wanted to read this story and see why it deserves Dean's careful review. (End of chapter)