"Roger that," the prosperous editors echoed in the group chat, their acknowledgments a mixture of agreement and shared curiosity.
No one dared to voice the thought: Had the editor-in-chief made an error? Such thoughts were merely whispered within, never daring to break the silence.
After work, filled with confusion, the editors visited bookstores. To their surprise, they were greeted by signs at the entrances of major bookstores, all bearing a similar message:
"The 'King of Nets' is currently sold out at this bookstore. We will restock tomorrow. We apologize for any inconvenience."
Sold out? And bookstores making special signs for it?
At that moment, the editors from Dingsheng realized something unusual was unfolding. The bookstores' effort to notify customers about restocking indicated a high demand for "King of Nets," a phenomenon usually reserved for best-selling series.
Could this book really be catching fire?
One senior editor, in disbelief, turned to a colleague, asking, "Have you ever heard of a sports novel becoming this popular?"
"No," the colleague pondered for a moment, then shook his head, adding firmly, "This is unprecedented!"
The bookstore is often the best indicator of sales trends.
Which books are popular and which are not, bookstores always have the firsthand scoop!
Thanks to the close relationship between major publishers and bookstores, it wasn't hard to learn about the sales status of "King of Nets."
So, in the following days,
The entire industry's attention was captured by this book and its author, Chu Kuang.
"I didn't see it coming," exclaimed several seasoned editors across the industry. "A sports theme, selling this well, is unbelievable."
"This newcomer, Chu Kuang, has proven something with 'King of Nets'—that as long as it's well-written, sports and competition themes can also achieve great success!"
"This has to be a blockbuster, right?"
"It's not that nobody has written about sports and competition before, but nobody has ever done it like this. According to industry standards, the one who ignites a genre is its trailblazer. So, calling Chu Kuang the pioneer of sports competition novels wouldn't be wrong."
"Yes."
"In the future, many authors might follow the trend and write about sports competitions, all acknowledging Chu Kuang's status as the pioneer of this genre."
It wasn't just within the editorial circles.
The buzz about "King of Nets" was just as high among readers, with many novel forums buzzing with discussions about the book:
"Highly recommend 'King of Nets'!"𝑛𝑜ν𝒆ɭ𝔟i𝔫.𝓷ℯ𝘵
"I've read this book too; it's really good."
"I've been into youth fantasy and otherworldly adventure themes for years. After reading 'King of Nets,' I've become interested in sports themes for the first time."
"I thought my taste was too niche, but it turns out there are many of us who like 'King of Nets'!"
"Same here. I recommended 'King of Nets' to my friends yesterday. They were initially uninterested in tennis. That changed as soon as I made them read the first chapter. Now the book is all they talk about..."
The book market in Qinzhou has always been vibrant.
If we're talking sales alone, some books do surpass "King of Nets."
Many popular authors see scary monthly sales figures for their works.
But what's startling about "King of Nets" is that despite being a sports-themed book—a genre typically seen as unpopular—it has become as sought-after as many mainstream titles!
This has undeniably been a bombshell in the industry.
As the industry reels, major publishing houses have begun supporting and promoting sports novels with unprecedented enthusiasm!
Han Qi is a tennis player.
He's a well-known professional tennis player in Qinzhou.
Today, after finishing internal training, as Han Qi was heading out, he received a message from a friend: "I discovered today how interesting tennis can be. You have a match tomorrow, right? I'll come to watch. Make sure to save a ticket for me!"
"Sure, but why the sudden interest?" Han Qi was puzzled, knowing his friend had never shown interest in tennis before.
"You've got to hear about this!" his friend replied. "I recently got into a novel called 'King of Nets,' all about tennis. It's seriously good. You should check it out when you have time!"
Han Qi responded with an ellipsis, then said, "Tennis novels are usually written by people who don't know the game. They're likely to mislead readers who don't know any better."
"That's okay," his friend said, dismissive of Han Qi's skepticism. "To me, the tennis portrayal seems pretty professional, almost like how you've described it to me before."
Han Qi shook his head, "That's to be expected. Basic tennis knowledge is easily found online. If someone's writing a tennis novel, they'd do their homework. Perhaps the author is a tennis enthusiast; Qinzhou has its fair share of amateur tennis lovers."
"Who cares," his friend said, clearly done with the conversation. "You'll see once you read the novel. I'll message you about tomorrow."
"Alright," Han Qi conceded with a laugh. He found it amusing—a professional tennis player like himself hadn't managed to spark his friend's interest in tennis, yet a novel did.
Just then, Han Qi passed a bookstore.
On a whim, he stepped inside and bought "King of Nets," the novel his friend couldn't stop talking about.
As a professional player, he was genuinely pleased to see someone writing about tennis. Why wouldn't he support a novel about his own sport?
Back in his dorm, Han Qi randomly flipped through "King of Nets."
"What?" After a couple of minutes, he was surprised to find the tennis knowledge in the book was quite professional. The author hadn't dumbed it down for laypeople.
Initially, the information seemed basic. But as Han Qi skimmed further, he was astonished to find even the high-level tennis concepts were accurately depicted.
"It seems the author really knows their stuff." An ordinary amateur wouldn't have such a comprehensive understanding of tennis.
His interest piqued, Han Qi began reading from the first chapter.
As a student, Han Qi was an avid reader of novels. However, his tennis career left little time for reading. Picking up a novel now was a rare diversion, especially on the eve of a game.
Time flew as he turned the pages, engrossed in the story. Suddenly, his phone's ringtone broke the silence. Glancing at the clock, Han Qi exclaimed, "It's ten already? I've got a match tomorrow!"
He was torn. "King of Nets" had completely captivated him, and he wished to finish it in one sitting.
But he knew that sacrificing sleep could jeopardize his performance in the upcoming game.
"I'll continue after the match!" With a mix of reluctance and determination, Han Qi closed the book and turned off the light, committing to a good night's rest.