LRAB Chapter 1609 Mars Collidees with Earth
Chapter 1609 Mars Collidees with Earth
On the day "Six States Broken" was released, He Han sat alone on the sofa in the hotel, staring at the computer screen.
The time displayed is 00:01 AM.
In the author backend of Dingqi.com, the new book's status changed from "under review" to "published." The 30,000-word opening chapter and ten chapters were all released at once.
He Han took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and calmed himself down.
He didn't actually know what would happen next.
-
Many readers of Dingqi.com are still awake.
"Sword Comes" has only been released for three days, and its popularity is at its peak. It remains firmly at the top of the bestseller list, the top ten on the donation list are all Gold Alliance Masters, and the book review section sees thousands of new comments every day. Readers are immersed in Chen Ping'an's story, discussing the characters, plots, and foreshadowing within the Lizhu Cave Heaven.
Then, someone noticed an anomaly on the new book chart.
A book called "The Fall of Six States" suddenly appeared at number two on the new book list.
"Who's got such a stubborn head?"
"He Han? Isn't this the great god second only to the chief steward?"
"Holy crap, He Han has started a new book?!"
"Wait a minute, why did He Han suddenly release a new book? Doesn't he know that the general manager's new book has just been released?"
"Is it possible that He Han came here specifically for the head steward?"
"I bet you 100 yuan that Dingqi.com will definitely release an announcement before work tomorrow, saying that an intern accidentally published He Han's new book ahead of schedule."
In no time, the message spread like a virus in various author groups and reader groups.
-
"Has He Han gone mad?"
This is the first reaction of most readers.
In the online literature world, who doesn't know Qin Hao's current status? Five works, each one a record-breaker on Dingqi.com. "The Great Feng Night Watchman" had 97,000 first-day subscriptions, and "My Senior Brother is Too Cautious" had over 50% readership. Spanning multiple genres, not a single book has flopped.
What's even more frightening is his update speed.
He updates 20,000 words a day, as consistently as a perpetual motion machine.
In three years, he published five works, totaling over 15 million words. Such output would be an impossible task for any author in any era. But Qin Hao accomplished it.
Qin Hao's new book, "Sword Comes," has only been released for three days, and the data is already terrifyingly high—500,000 collections on the first day, leading the bestseller list by a wide margin, and all ten of the top-ranked books on the donation list are Gold Alliance Masters.
In this situation, why did He Han choose to confront them head-on?
What is this if not madness?
"He's gone mad, completely mad."
"I understand He Han wants to prove himself, but the timing... how should I put it, it's like trying to ram a tank with a stick."
"Don't even mention wooden sticks, even iron bars can't beat a tank."
"I've read He Han's new book, and it's indeed quite good, but compared to Qin Hao... it's still a bit lacking. However, it's possible that He Han is better at planning in the mid-to-late stages."
"If you can't even win in the early game, how can you compete in the mid-to-late game? Times have changed, bro."
"It's not that He Han is incompetent, it's that Qin Hao is too strong. This guy isn't human, he's a machine."
Similar comments flooded various groups.
Of course, some of He Han's fans were not convinced.
"Aren't you all being too pessimistic? He Han has written good books before; his 'Star River Era' had over 50,000 first-day subscriptions and a readership rate of over 40%. How can he not beat Qin Hao?"
"Breaking 50,000 is a whole double the difference between breaking 100,000 and breaking 50,000. Is that what you call a victory?"
"I've subscribed to all of He Han's books. To be honest, his level isn't quite up to Qin Hao's. But that doesn't mean he can't give it his all!"
"Take a gamble? Gamble with what? With your looks?"
"All you people do is fawn over Qin Hao. At least He Han has the courage to face him head-on, which is much better than hiding in a corner!"
"Having courage is a good thing, but having courage doesn't guarantee victory."
"So what do you think He Han should do? Keep hiding from Qin Hao? What's the point of him writing books then?"
"Hiding doesn't mean shrinking back. Releasing it after Qin Hao's book cools down at least gives us a chance to reach number one on the new book charts. Releasing it now means we won't even get number one; it'll be directly overshadowed by 'Sword Comes.' What's the point?"
"The significance is—He and Han dare to fight!"
The two groups of readers were arguing fiercely in the group chat.
He Han's die-hard fans felt that their idol had great backbone and dared to face a strong enemy. Qin Hao's fans, on the other hand, felt that He Han was overestimating himself and was simply throwing his life away.
Many readers, however, simply watched with a "spectator" mentality.
"Honestly, I don't know which side to take. Qin Hao's books are indeed good, but He Han's books are also quite good..."
"I'll order both books; I'll be happy no matter who wins."
"The online literature world is never short of excitement. If He Hanzhen and Qin Hao were to actually fight this time, that would be truly spectacular."
"A fight? How will they fight? By voting?"
"Subscriptions, tips, monthly passes, following the reader—these are all battlefields."
For a time, a strange sense of excitement permeated the online literature community.
This isn't the first time two books have clashed head-on, but it's the first time an author of He Han's caliber has proactively chosen to confront Qin Hao directly.
-
Uncle Fan received the message at 1 a.m.
Xiao Zhao, the operations manager, called him, sounding somewhat hurried.
"President Fan, He Han's new book has been released."
Uncle Fan was taken aback.
What is Han?
Uncle Fan's reaction quickly shifted from confusion to annoyance.
When was it released?
"Midnight. 30,000 words, all released at once."
"Midnight?" Uncle Fan's voice turned serious. "What is he trying to do?"
Uncle Fan's annoyance turned into anger.
He Han's choice to release his new book just three days after the release of "Sword Comes" and when its popularity was at its peak was not a coincidence at all, but a deliberate act.
This is a direct confrontation.
This is the dismantling of the Dingqi Net platform!
How much promotional resources did Dingqi.com invest in Qin Hao's new book? All-channel push, app splash screen, homepage banner, short video platforms, KOL collaborations... There was no upper limit to the budget, and everyone worked overtime to make "Sword Comes" a hit across the entire internet as soon as it was released.
Now that He Han has suddenly released a new book, isn't this just blatantly trying to grab attention?
Uncle Fan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and asked, "How's the data?"
"Currently, it has 80,000 favorites, and the follow-up reading rate hasn't been released yet, but the comments section is already buzzing."
"What's all the noise about?"
"Qin Hao's fans went to the book review section of 'Six States Broken' and said that He Han was overestimating himself. He Han's fans are fighting back, and the two sides have started arguing."
Uncle Fan remained silent for a few seconds.
Are the fans arguing?
That's not surprising.
What really annoyed Uncle Fan was that He Han chose to release the book at this time, which was obviously an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of "Sword Comes" for publicity.
The higher the popularity of "Sword Comes," the more attention He Han's new book will receive. The direct clash between the two books will naturally generate topics, and these topics will attract even more onlookers.
In other words, He Han is using Dingqi.com's promotional resources to do free marketing for himself.
Uncle Fan's anger was like a pot of boiling water, bubbling and churning in his chest.
He picked up his phone and dialed Lin Zhanqiao's number.
-
Lin Zhanqiao is still awake.
She sat in Zhixing's office, a laptop in front of her, the screen displaying various data from "The Six States Break".
the phone is ringing.
Lin Zhanqiao glanced at the caller ID—Uncle Fan.
She knew what that phone call meant.
As soon as I answered the phone, Uncle Fan's voice came crashing down on me.
"Lin Zhanqiao, what exactly do you want?!"
His tone was stern, filled with undisguised anger.
Lin Zhanqiao remained calm. She knew Uncle Fan too well. When this guy got angry, the best way to deal with him wasn't to explain, but to wait until he finished venting.
"Mr. Fan, please don't be angry—"
"I'm angry? How can I not be angry?! What are you trying to do? Deliberately sabotage me?"
"General Manager Fan—"
"Do you know how much promotional resources we've invested in Professor Qin Hao's new book? He Han, did you choose this time to release your book to try and ride our coattails?"
Lin Zhanqiao finally found an opportunity to speak.
"Mr. Fan, please let me hear you out—"
"What did you say? You—"
"Mr. Fan, don't you think it's a bad thing for one person to dominate a platform?"
Uncle Fan's voice trailed off.
Lin Zhanqiao seized the opportunity, softening his tone and adopting a sincere attitude.
"Qin Hao is indeed very talented, and his books are truly excellent. However, having only one top author monopolize all the resources on a platform may not be a good thing for its long-term development."
"Hmph, but that's no excuse for you to use Qin Hao for publicity!" Uncle Fan's anger hadn't subsided.
Lin Zhanqiao's voice was calm and resolute.
"If only Qin Hao's books can take first place on Dingqi.com, readers will eventually develop a habit of only reading Qin Hao's books. This is unfair to other authors and not good for the platform either. After all, Qin Hao can't write forever. He will retire and stop writing someday. What will Dingqi.com use to retain readers then?"
Uncle Fan fell silent.
The two years that Qin Hao stopped writing caused a huge drop in traffic to Dingqi.com, which was definitely an outcome he didn't want to see.
Cultivating new top players is the best option.
However, nurturing new talents takes time and opportunity. If Qin Hao absorbs all the traffic, newcomers will have no chance to rise to prominence.
"Moreover—" Lin Zhanqiao continued, a hint of a smile in her voice, "It's a good thing for the platform that He Han's book can work alongside Qin Hao's 'Sword Comes.' Just think about it, how many onlookers will be attracted when two top-tier works collide head-on? And how many of those onlookers will become paying readers?"
Uncle Fan thought for a moment.
Indeed, a showdown between two top experts is far more effective than simple promotion.
Promotions can only attract readers, but topics can attract more new users.
"This way, there will be buzz to generate during promotion," Lin Zhanqiao continued. "Qin Hao's new book will go head-to-head with He Han's new book. Who is the current number one online novelist? Once this topic comes up, the entire internet will be paying attention. At that time, Dingqi.com's traffic will reach another level. What do you think?"
Uncle Fan remained silent for a few seconds.
He had to admit that Lin Zhanqiao was right.
From the platform's perspective, this may not necessarily be a bad thing.
Uncle Fan snorted coldly, his tone still hard.
"That sounds nice, but He Han's new book would have to be truly impressive."
Lin Zhanqiao smiled.
"Don't worry, Mr. Fan. I spent six months helping He Han polish the framework and setting of his book. I can say with certainty that this is his best book to date."
Uncle Fan snorted again.
"Then let's wait and see."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
Lin Zhanqiao stared at the end of the call on her phone screen and let out a long sigh.
She knew that Uncle Fan's anger had subsided for the time being. But the aftereffects of this incident were only just beginning.
-
He Han's phone rang.
Caller ID: Qin Hao.
He Han was stunned for a moment.
Qin Hao called him?
At this point in time?
He answered the phone, and Qin Hao's voice came through, with his usual unhurried tone.
"I heard you released a new book."
He Han smiled.
"Um."
"Is he planning to challenge me to a duel?"
Qin Hao's tone contained neither anger nor annoyance, only a faint, almost teasing tone.
He Han leaned back on the sofa, his tone calm.
"According to the saying in our line of work, I can't feel at ease if I don't do it this way."
Qin Hao smiled.
Do you need me to give you a recommendation?
Chapter Push.
In the online literature community, chapter recommendations are a common form of mutual support. Established authors recommend other authors' books at the end of their own chapters, which brings them significant exposure.
Qin Hao is currently at the peak of his popularity, and the traffic his posts can bring is stronger than that of most platform recommendations.
He Han remained silent for two seconds.
Then he smiled.
"No need."
His tone was calm, carrying a subtle confidence.
"Let each person rely on their own abilities."
There was a silence on the phone for about two or three seconds.
Then, Qin Hao's voice rang out again, still with that faint, almost teasing tone.
"Alright. Then let's see who has the best skills."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
He Han stared at his phone screen, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Each relies on their own abilities.
These four words were spoken lightly, but he knew the weight behind them.
He knew Qin Hao's talent better than anyone. Five works, each a top-tier achievement. He updated 20,000 words daily, as consistently as a machine. His fan base was despair-inducingly large; he could easily field a hundred Silver-level patrons.
Should we confront him head-on?
He Han knew he didn't have much of a chance of winning.
But he has to fight.
If I don't fight back, I'll keep that feeling inside and never be able to write a truly masterpiece.
-
The next day.
The data from "Six States Broken" surprised many people.
Within 24 hours, the number of favorites exceeded 300,000.
Follow-up reading rate – 46.3%.
This readership rate is a new high in He Han's writing career.
It's worth noting that He Han's previous books only had a readership rate of around 40% at most. Now, with "The Fall of Six States," the readership rate has soared to 46.3%, higher than all his previous works.
What does this mean?
This shows that the book is indeed very good.
Once readers click through, they become engrossed in the story and are willing to follow along. This is the best proof of the work's quality.
However, this data is insufficient when compared to "Sword Comes".
"Sword Comes" garnered 500,000 favorites on its first day, with nearly 50% of readers following the story.
The data differences between the two books are obvious at a glance.
What's even more disheartening is the donation ranking.
In the "Sword Comes" donation ranking, the top ten are all Gold Alliance Masters, and there are hundreds of Silver Alliance Masters.
What is the donation ranking for "Six States Broken"?
The top spot is held by only a few Silver Alliances, while the second through tenth spots are all held by Alliance Leaders.
The gap is too big.
It's not that He Han is incompetent, but that Qin Hao is too strong.
Qin Hao's fan base is something He Han simply cannot match. Many of those top-tier fans have been following Qin Hao since the "Da Feng Night Watchman" era; their loyalty is something He Han simply cannot achieve in the short term.
-
The argument in the book review section became even more heated.
Fans of "Sword Comes" went to the book review section of "Six States Break" to post.
"Three hundred thousand favorites, two hundred thousand less than 'Sword Comes' five hundred thousand. Is that what you call a victory?"
"A 46.3% follow-up readership rate is indeed good, but compared to 'Sword Comes' 50%, it's still a bit lower, isn't it?"
"Look at the donation rankings yourselves. How much worse are the top silver alliances compared to the three gold alliances in 'Sword Comes'?"
"I'm telling He Han's fans, stop pretending. It's not shameful to admit the gap."
As soon as these posts were published, the book review section of "The Six States Broken" exploded.
He Han's fans immediately retaliated.
"What kind of manners are you to come to other people's book review sections and mock them?"
"A 46.3% follow-up rate, setting a new career high for He Han, proves the book's excellent quality! You guys think you're the best just because you've spent a few gold-level followers?"
"The difference in donation rankings is indeed significant, but donations reflect fan loyalty, not book quality. Let's look at the subscription figures after the book is released; then it will be clear who's stronger!"
Fans of both sides engaged in a heated debate in the book review section, arguing fiercely.
Someone posted a thread with the title:
"Who is the current top online novelist? He Han vs. Zong Guan, what do you think?"
The post immediately caused an uproar in the comments section.
"No doubt about the chief editor. Five books, each breaking the records on Dingqi.com, what's there to argue about?"
"He Han is also good, but his results have never broken the manager's record. What's the comparison?"
"At least He Han has the courage to confront things head-on, which is much better than those authors who hide."
"Courage doesn't equal strength. The manager's strength is undeniable; no matter how hard He Han tries, he can't catch up."
"Not necessarily. The quality of 'The Fall of Six States' is indeed quite good, with a 46.3% follow-up readership rate, indicating reader approval."
"Approval doesn't guarantee victory. The manager's fan base is something He Han couldn't catch up to even in ten years."
The debate intensified, spreading from book review sections to various author groups, reader groups, and even social media.
On Weibo, the hashtag #WhoIsTheNumberOneActiveOnlineWriter# began to see a surge in views.
On Zhihu, someone posted a question: How would you evaluate He Han's new book "Six States Break" directly challenging Zong Guan's new book "Sword Comes"?
The answers were endless.
Most of the answers were in Qin Hao's favor.
"The manager's skill has been proven through five works. He Han is also good, but his achievements have never reached Qin Hao's level."
"He Han's decision to confront them head-on is commendable, but he will most likely lose."
"It's not that He Han is incompetent, it's that the head steward is too strong. This guy was born for this job."
However, a few answers sided with He Han.
"He Han's decision to confront the project head-on this time is a breakthrough in itself. He has never directly challenged the head steward before, and his willingness to draw his sword this time shows that he still has that fighting spirit. Even if he can't beat this one, I believe he will create even better works."
"The quality of 'The Fall of Six States' is indeed quite good, with a 46.3% readership rate, setting a new career high for He Han. This shows that his writing level is improving, not stagnating."
"Winning or losing isn't important; what matters is that He Han dared to take on the challenge. I admire him for that alone."
-
Uncle Fan stared at the data, his smile growing wider and wider.
The topic has generated so much buzz that it has exceeded his expectations.
On Weibo's trending topics list, #WhoIsTheNumberOneActiveOnlineWriter# has already climbed into the top 20. The number of answers to that question on Zhihu exceeded two thousand in just one day. Dingqi.com's daily active users increased by another million compared to yesterday.
This traffic is all generated by the topic.
The general public, who didn't originally read online novels, came to watch out of curiosity after seeing this topic. After watching, some of them clicked on "Sword Comes" or "Six States Break," became attracted by the story, and turned into readers.
Uncle Fan thought for a moment and then called over Xiao Zhao, the operations manager.
"You guys should nudge this topic around a bit."
Xiao Zhao was stunned for a moment.
"Mr. Fan, you mean—"
“Let the topic continue to develop,” Uncle Fan said calmly. “The head-to-head clash of these two books presents a huge opportunity for Dingqi.com to generate traffic. Make a few videos, find some KOLs, and push the hype up.”
Xiao Zhao nodded.
"clear."
Uncle Fan thought for a moment and then added a sentence.
"However, don't go too far. Fans arguing is fine, but it shouldn't turn into fans insulting each other. Keep it within limits; as long as the buzz is generated enough, that's fine."
Xiao Zhao nodded again.
"Okay, Mr. Fan."
-
In the following days, the popularity of the two books continued to rise.
The data for "Sword Comes" still crushes everything.
The number of favorites increases by no less than 50,000 every day, the follow-up reading rate is stable at around 50%, the number of silver patrons on the reward list is increasing, and there are thousands of new comments in the book review section every day.
While the data for "Six States Break" isn't as terrifying as that for "Sword Comes," it's still quite impressive.
The number of favorites is increasing by 20,000 every day, the follow-up reading rate is stable at around 46%, the number of patrons on the reward list is also increasing, and the book review section is also bustling with activity.
Fans of the two books began to dislike each other.
Qin Hao's fans felt that He Han was overestimating himself by insisting on going head-to-head with Qin Hao, only to be crushed, yet he still remained defiant.
He Han's fans felt that Qin Hao's fans were too arrogant, and that they went to other people's book review sections to mock them, which was considered low-class.
The two sides argued on various platforms, and the topic became increasingly popular.
On Weibo's trending topics list, #Who is the No.1 active online novelist# broke into the top ten.
The number of answers to that question on Zhihu has exceeded 10,000.
Dingqi.com's daily active users increased from ten million to thirteen million.
This traffic comes from the topics discussed.
As Uncle Fan looked at the daily data reports, his smile grew wider and wider.
He knew that this wave of popularity was not over yet.
The two books clashed head-on, sparking a buzz and drawing onlookers—a marketing extravaganza, with Dingqi.com emerging as the biggest beneficiary.
A month has passed in the blink of an eye. The free word count for both "Sword Comes" and "Six States Break" has reached 300,000, and all the recommendations on the site have been completed.
Next comes the test of a book's true quality—putting it on the shelf!
Ultimately, those who are truly willing to pay for a subscription are the ones who truly love the product. (End of Chapter)