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Chapter 21 - Chapter 64: Timeless Classics

After ten seconds of being lost in thought, Han Jimei finally regained her composure.

She never anticipated the ending to be like this...

Mrs. A sold her beautiful, luscious hair to buy a gold watch strap for her husband, and her husband sold his cherished gold watch to purchase a hair comb for his wife—one that she had long desired.

They sacrificed their most precious family heirlooms for each other, yet the gifts they exchanged lost their original value in the process.

Such an ending was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, leaving one speechless.

Amidst this humorous contradiction, the love between husband and wife leaped off the pages, vividly portrayed!

Han Jimei found herself yearning for such love.

Lost in thought, she closed the magazine.

Suddenly, a realization struck her:

Great stories like this one should have appeared in the tribal literature, just like Chu Kuang's "Artificial Beauty."

"Why did we miss out on Chu Kuang in the end?"

He had only just begun to choose our platform.

Han Jimei's eyes gleamed, and she pressed the green button in the upper left corner of her desk: "Editorial meeting in five minutes."

Why was the literature section of the tribe always lackluster?

Because the quality of the stories in the literature section didn't match up to those in the market magazines.

At its core, the problem lay in the fact that the tribal literature section wasn't attractive enough for talented writers!

How could she change this situation?

The solution was simple: attract the stories and the authors!

Authors of Chu Kuang's caliber were worth attracting to the tribal literature section. Han Jimei was confident that she could eventually impress outstanding writers like Chu Kuang.

With these thoughts in mind, Han Jimei commenced the editorial meeting.

The first question she posed at the conference was, "Why isn't the tribal literature section the first choice for writers?"

This was, in fact, the most crucial question.

The chief editor on the right smiled, "Apart from the fact that the literature section is a relatively unique online publishing platform, the main reason is that we haven't been compensating authors adequately."

Writers needed to make a living too.

Relying solely on the rewards from the online platform wasn't sufficient.

Han Jimei rose from her seat, her hands pressed against the desk as she leaned forward slightly, "I'll apply for funding from higher-ups. Do you know what you need to do?"

"Poach talent!"

The editors understood.

Han Jimei smiled faintly, "Tonight, I'll review the list of authors you intend to poach. The first batch of writers should number at least 30. Let's make a big move."

"It seems we'll be poaching from major magazines."

The chief editor smiled. They weren't lacking in writers. With sufficient funds, finding outstanding authors wouldn't be difficult.

"Excellent."

Han Jimei straightened up, "It seems you all have targets to poach. I'll make my first recommendation from your list."

"Who?"

"Chu Kuang."

The editors were taken aback, thinking Han Jimei had made a mistake, "But he's not exactly a renowned short story writer. He primarily writes youth fantasy novels. 'Artificial Beauty' was just a short story he happened to create. Though it wasn't bad..."

"Then take a look at this."

Han Jimei placed "Interesting Reading" on the table, then glanced at everyone, "You're free to pursue whichever author you wish, but Chu Kuang is my primary target."

As the lead story on the magazine's cover, "The Maggie's Gift" captured not only Han Jimei's attention but also that of many magazine readers.

Close to a week later, fervent discussions erupted online.

The first platform to ignite these discussions was the official website message board of the magazine section at Yinlan Library.

Functioning like a novel forum, the message board buzzed with activity.

"The quality of this magazine issue is exceptional, especially 'The Maggie's Gift.' I absolutely loved it; it was so touching."

"It definitely deserved its prominent feature on the cover; it didn't disappoint!"

"It's been ages since I've come across such a captivating story; 'The Maggie's Gift' was superb."

"I was fortunate to have read 'Artificial Beauty' on the tribe during New Year's. I remember a writer named Chu Kuang. I didn't expect to see his new work so soon, and it's just as thrilling as ever—I selfishly think it's even better than the last."

"Discovering that such a fantastic short story was written by Chu Kuang...!"

"After researching Chu Kuang's background, I found out he primarily writes youth fantasy. This is a rarity."

"As a reader who loves both youth fantasy and short stories, experiencing Chu Kuang's works in both genres simultaneously was truly remarkable. I've become his fan."

""

Soon, this wave of discussion spread, and "The Maggie's Gift" was met with widespread acclaim as expected.

The immediate consequence was a 50% increase in sales for the latest issue of "Fun Reading" in its first week compared to the previous one!

Perhaps the subsequent sales for "Fun Reading" that month would also be worth anticipating.

Chu Kuang's pen name had entered the radar of short story enthusiasts for the first time.

Even some short story writers took note of Chu Kuang's pseudonym after reading "The Maggie's Gift."

At this moment, Chu Kuang was beginning to gain recognition in the world of short stories.

Some remarked, "Didn't Chu Kuang write 'Artificial Beauty' before?"

Indeed, he did. However, at that time, Chu Kuang was still pigeonholed as a youth fantasy writer. The title of "Net King" overshadowed the excellence of that short story to some extent.

When one identity outshines the other, this is bound to happen.

Therefore, it wasn't until Chu Kuang's second foray into short story writing that everyone truly realized:

Chu Kuang possessed such talent.

But one thing was undeniable: whether in the realm of short stories or youth fantasy, Chu Kuang was still a newcomer.

He had a long journey ahead of him.

The number of people eagerly anticipating his future works was steadily growing.

Some might argue, "The Maggie's Gift" isn't a widely recognized short story, and readers are already so astonished.

Such assumptions were understandable.

But those who made such claims must consider how difficult it is to create novels that astonish readers. They must understand that great art isn't achieved overnight.

Indeed, countless classics, now regarded as masterpieces, only elicited fleeting discussions upon their initial release. Before these works were truly recognized as masterpieces, they might not have received a Nobel Prize or been considered on par with many other classics.

Or... they might have gone unnoticed until the creator's death.