Meep! The little rabbit was alarmed. The sight before it looked like some starving beast in human form devouring food at a terrifying speed. Its tiny eyes spun in circles as it tried to keep up.
The dishes on the table were rapidly diminishing. If things continued like this, everything would soon end up in Zhang Bao's belly.
Meep! The rabbit bit its lip, clutching the chopsticks with its tiny paws.
If it just sat there watching, it would be left with nothing.
Thus began the battle for food—two men and one rabbit, locked in a chaotic struggle over the table.
It was such a bizarre scene that if anyone recorded and uploaded it online, it would surely get millions of views.
Meep! The rabbit was the first to give up. Its stomach was small, after all; there was no way it could match the others.
Clack! Lang Lin set his chopsticks down as well. He leaned back, satisfied. It had been far too long since he last felt this full and content.
The only one still going was Zhang Bao, shoveling food into his mouth without the slightest concern for appearances. His face was smeared with grease, his hands and mouth moving nonstop.
And most importantly—he was enjoying every bite.
Burp!
The enormous man belched without shame, oblivious to the stares aimed his way.
Lang Lin could only shake his head wearily. This guy really is a glutton.
"This will be your room," Lang Lin said, pointing to a small, dusty chamber off to the side. The house was small, but it had three rooms in total.
"Thank you, Boss!" Zhang Bao beamed, clearing the dishes and heading off to clean his new quarters.
Meep! The rabbit was too full to move, so it just sat lazily on the chair.
Lang Lin ignored it and returned to his own room. He powered on his laptop, the first site he opened being the novel platform where he had uploaded his story.
He wanted to see what had happened while he was away.
"This is…!" His eyes widened. His novel, with only a handful of chapters, had already climbed into the top rankings!
Readers were flocking in droves. Those who discovered his Weibo account were following him there as well. Naturally, they wanted to order his books—but since he had limited each batch to just 500 copies, many were left disappointed, some even hurling complaints.
Even though Blood Throne was gaining immense popularity, it didn't mean everyone liked it. Nothing in this world was universally loved—where there were fans, there would always be critics.
Closing the novel site, Lang Lin checked his Weibo. His follower count had exploded, and the comments were endless.
He scrolled through them:
Young Master of Ten Thousand Feet:"Haha! Lucky me, I got in on the first batch of orders. Too bad for the rest of you, you'll be waiting a long time. Wahaha!"
Village God of the Bicycle:"Shut up, you jerk! Your name annoys me enough already. If I ever see you, I'll run you over with my bike!"
Miss Restroom Heiress:"Hmph! Whoever got a copy, they better watch out. If I find you, I'll rob you for it!"
Gray Rose of Love:"Why doesn't he just print more? Obviously it's selling well."
Trivia King, But Sleeps With Married Women:"I think this is his first published work. Look at how he turned down the publishers. He seems pretty indie to me."
MSK:"That's true. He's acting like an indie writer. He promised a new shipment in a week, but hasn't posted since. What's he doing?"
Curry Seller from the Restroom:"Well, it's not surprising. Handmade books take time. Printing, shipping—it's a lot for one person. Honestly, I don't know how he's even managing. Why doesn't he just release an e-book? Even if I can't hold it, I'd love to at least read it!"
Princess of the Eastern Palace:"Yes! E-books are fine too. What I want most is to read Blood Throne—I don't care if it's digital!"
Young Master of Ten Thousand Feet:"Hey, let's all comment together and push him to release an e-book!"
Curry Seller from the Restroom:"Great idea! If everyone says the same thing, he won't be able to ignore it."
MSK:"Alright, let's start chanting. We want an e-book!"
All:"We want an e-book!""We want an e-book!""We want an e-book!"
The flood of identical comments gave Lang Lin a headache, but also made him grin. Why didn't I think of this sooner? An e-book costs nothing to produce, unlike physical copies. And it fits perfectly with the times.
E-books were convenient, accessible anywhere. They didn't clutter shelves, though of course they lacked the satisfaction of holding a real book. Still, the market for digital publishing had exploded, while many traditional publishers had collapsed under the pressure.
Times had changed.
"That settles it," he muttered. "I should update my status."
To build and maintain a fanbase, consistency was everything. He had to let them know he was still here, still working.
He fetched a glass of juice from the fridge, set it beside his laptop, and positioned an old lamp for lighting. Smiling, he snapped a photo with his phone. He wasn't a professional photographer, but he knew enough about angles and lighting.
Click!
He reviewed the photo and nodded with satisfaction. Perfect. This will make them pity me, seeing how hard I'm working. Once they believe I'm sacrificing sleep just to create an e-book for them, my fanbase will grow even more. Ah, Lang Lin, you genius.
He posted the photo with a caption:
*"Thank you all so much for your support. Without you, I'd be surviving on instant noodles for months just to keep writing this story.
I'm still a new writer with little capital, so I can only produce 500 physical copies per batch. I know this has disappointed many, and seeing so many of you waiting pains me.
That's why I've decided to pursue another option—e-books! I'll be releasing one soon. I'm still choosing the right platform, so if anyone has recommendations for popular e-book sites, please let me know.
Even if it means sleepless nights, I'll do it for the readers who love my work.
From… Heaven-Splitting Sword."*
He hit post.
The response was immediate and overwhelming. In less than ten seconds, the post had already racked up a hundred comments.
Lang Lin stared in disbelief. Are these people just camping in front of their screens waiting for me?
Red Rose DJ:"Yes! I can't believe you're actually doing it. Thank the heavens—I'll finally get to read it. Thank you for your effort!"
Madam Liang:"Wonderful! I'll support you. I'll buy the e-book, and I'll still order the physical book too. Keep going, Writer!"
Young Master of Ten Thousand Feet:"See! I knew you'd listen. God bless hardworking authors!"
Thunder Goddess Jiajia:"This is great! Thank you for sacrificing your sleep for us. I'll buy the e-book and the paperback too!"
Cute Gaming Streamer:"Wow, you're so dedicated. I'll support all your future works. But… don't push yourself too hard, okay? We don't want to lose you!"
Little Piglet:"Please don't strain yourself for us, Writer. Take care of your health—we can wait!"
Tuanzhong:"You're incredible, Writer. I'm a rich heir, so if you need help, message me anytime. P.S. Don't eat too many instant noodles—they're bad for you. Eat me instead, I taste better! Ahaha!!"