novelRona Chapter 1611: Writing Stops Again
Chapter 1611: Writing Stops Again
For the next year and a half, the online literature community was like being put into a treadmill that never stops.
Qin Hao updates at a rate of 2.5 words per day, without ever missing a day or taking a break, rain or shine, like a writing machine with a turbocharger. A saying circulates among the readers of "Sword Comes"—"The administrator isn't human; he's some kind of carbon-based creature that feeds on keyboards."
Under immense pressure, He Han also began to accelerate his writing, updating 10,000 words a day. In one year, he managed to write over four million words, making this his most prolific update to date. Previously, He Han was considered productive with an average of 6,000 words a day, but this time, it seems he was forced to unleash his full potential by Qin Hao's pace. Readers were thoroughly enjoying the book, with the review section constantly filled with comments like "Brother Han really went all out this time."
But no matter how hard they work, the gap is still there.
The average subscriptions for "Sword Comes" have been climbing steadily, from 390,000 at the start to 700,000 on average... Every quarter, the curve on the data panel would rise a little higher. As Uncle Fan looked at the numbers in the backend, the smile on his face grew wider and wider, until his cheeks almost cramped up.
He Han's "Six States Break" is also rising, but the increase is far less than that of "Sword Comes". The average subscription has climbed from 120,000 to 280,000, which is He Han's best in history and is also at the top level in the entire industry - but compared with Qin Hao, it is like a searchlight next to a street lamp.
On the day "Sword Comes" ended, Dingqi.com's servers almost crashed due to the overwhelming amount of donations.
There are more than two hundred Silver Alliance members.
Alliance Leader? He can't even squeeze into the top 500 of the book club leaderboard.
The book review section was flooded with donation notifications for a full four hours, from midnight until 4 a.m. Each page refresh brought seven or eight new donation notifications. The operations team was glued to their computers, their eyes practically glued to the screens.
"This is already finished. If it hadn't ended, would it have been able to break a million average subscriptions at this rate?" Xiao Zhao muttered to himself, staring at the data panel.
Uncle Fan stood behind him without answering.
He had thought about this question too. A million average subscriptions per user—that's an unprecedented height in the online literature industry. Qin Hao was less than two hundred thousand subscriptions away from that number; if he wrote for another six months, he'd most likely reach it.
But Qin Hao chose to end it.
On the day the finale of "Sword Comes" was released, the number of comments in the book review section exceeded 400,000. Some laughed, some cursed, some wrote long reviews of several thousand words, and some repeatedly refreshed the last chapter to read it seven or eight times.
"Master Steward, is this all there is to it?"
"It's over... There's an emptiness in my heart, like I've lost something."
"This is the best fantasy novel I've ever read in my life, bar none."
"Please, sir, don't stop! Start a new book! Start a new book!"
"Sword Comes has ended, and so has my youth."
The average number of subscriptions ultimately reached 81.7.
This is the highest in history. He broke the record he had previously set.
That night, Uncle Fan drank half a bottle of whiskey and sat alone in his office, staring at the ceiling. He didn't celebrate, didn't post on social media, and didn't write a report to the board of directors.
He was thinking about something—Qin Hao's contract with Dingqi.com had less than two years left.
-
On the same day that "Sword Comes" ended, Qin Hao started a new book.
No rest, no breaks, no pre-launch hype, not even a book launch. They just added an announcement to the last chapter of "Sword Comes"—
"My new book, 'Lord of Mysteries,' begins updating today."
Then the first chapter was featured on the homepage of Dingqi.com.
The entire internet is in an uproar.
It wasn't because his new book caused a stir, it was because the title of the book caused a stir.
"Lord of Mysteries"? What the heck is that?
Clicking in reveals a Cthulhu-inspired, steampunk-style cultivation system based on sequences and pathways…
Readers in the fantasy/xianxia (fantasy martial arts) community were bewildered.
Fantasy readers were also bewildered.
Fantasy readers? They've gotten used to being a niche genre, and when they see someone writing fantasy, their first reaction isn't happiness, it's skepticism.
"Is the manager getting too cocky?"
This idea first came from the author community.
A top-tier fantasy author posted on his WeChat Moments: "Fantasy? That genre has been dead for years, and the readership is less than a tenth of that of Xianxia (Chinese fantasy). Does the author think he can make anything he writes a hit?"
The following comments received a lot of likes.
Another renowned author of urban fiction left a comment in the book review section: "Sword Comes has just finished and they're already jumping into fantasy. This is putting the brakes on their own mythology. A Waterloo is inevitable."
These comments spread throughout the online literature community within a day through reposting, screenshotting, and secondary creation.
The readers' reactions were even more direct.
"Why write about fantasy of all things? This genre is so outdated."
"Yes, I subscribed to every single one of the previous works by the general manager, but I really can't get through this one."
"Me too. It's not that the author's writing is bad, it's just that I don't feel a sense of immersion."
"I couldn't remember who was who after reading three chapters of those foreign names."
"Cthulhu style? I came here for a fantasy novel, and you've given me a bunch of tentacle monsters and indescribable things. I won't be able to sleep soundly at night after watching it."
"The head steward has changed. He's no longer the head steward who writes fantasy novels."
"Sigh, maybe even the best writers want to try new things after reaching a certain level, but this time they really chose the wrong direction."
Dingqi.com was also in a panic.
When Uncle Fan first approached Qin Hao, he was still careful with his words.
"Mr. Qin Hao, the fantasy genre... well, the data isn't very optimistic. Perhaps you should reconsider?"
Qin Hao was writing Chapter Seventeen, his fingers never leaving the keyboard.
"Even the best writing can be broken."
Uncle Fan was stunned for two seconds.
Qin Hao spoke the words "A good article can be broken" very softly, without any arrogance or spite in his tone, simply stating a fact. It was like saying the weather was nice today.
When Uncle Fan approached him for the second time, his words were no longer as restrained.
"Mr. Qin Hao, reader feedback is far from ideal; the growth rate of favorites is more than four times slower than that of 'Sword Comes.' If the initial subscription data also falls behind, it will have a significant impact on the website's traffic—"
"Even the best writing can be broken."
the third time.
"Teacher Qin Hao! I've provided you with a framework for a fantasy/xianxia (fantasy martial arts) world. What do you think—"
"If I were to write other people's stories, I wouldn't have left Zhixing."
Uncle Fan was extremely anxious.
"Teacher Qin Hao, think about all the readers who have followed you all this way—"
"Readers value the quality of the work."
"..."
"Mr. Fan, what's the rush? Let's look at the data again in a month."
Uncle Fan hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling.
One month.
He couldn't possibly wait a month.
But there was nothing he could do. Once Qin Hao made a decision, he would never change it. Uncle Fan had been dealing with Qin Hao for three years, and he knew this very well.
Then wait.
Wait a month.
-
A month later.
"Lord of Mysteries" is now available.
On the large screen in the technical department of Dingqi.com, the initial order data started jumping from zero.
Old Wu sat in front of the computer, his fingers resting on the keyboard, ready to deal with server pressure at any time.
Uncle Fan stood behind him, his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the numbers on the screen.
Ten minutes - 20,000.
Half an hour - 60,000.
One hour – 150,000.
As the data skyrocketed, Uncle Fan's hands began to tremble.
It wasn't from fear, it was the kind of trembling from excitement.
Seven hours, 230,000!
Old Wu turned around in his chair, pushed up his glasses, moved his lips a couple of times, but didn't say anything.
Uncle Fan didn't say anything either.
He stared at the numbers on the screen as if they were a rising star.
The 24-hour period has ended.
Initial orders: 40.3.
It once again surpassed He Han's "Six States Break" and soared to the top of the bestseller list.
Uncle Fan immediately instructed the head of the operations department: "Make the posters now. The title should be 'Record Broken Again, First-Day Orders Exceed 400,000,' and the font must be eye-catching."
"Teacher Qin Hao..."
"Um."
"Four hundred thousand."
"Um."
Uncle Fan had so much to say: he wanted to praise him, apologize, thank him, and express that he would never question any of his decisions again—but all these words were stuck in his throat, and in the end, he could only squeeze out one sentence.
"Teacher Qin Hao, you are the only god in the world of online literature!"
On the other end of the phone, Qin Hao chuckled and hung up.
The next day, the entire internet's opinion reversed.
The authors who previously predicted the failure of "Lord of Mysteries" have all fallen silent. The comment predicting a Waterloo on social media has been deleted, and the sarcastic comments in the book review section have also gradually disappeared. They weren't deleted by administrators; the authors deleted them themselves.
The readers stopped arguing.
What's all the fuss about? The data speaks for itself. 400,000 first-day subscriptions—this is a new historical high created by Qin Hao himself, but considering that the reader base of the fantasy category is less than one-tenth of that of the Xianxia category, this achievement is actually more valuable.
The sentiment in the book review section has shifted.
"There are no unpopular topics; the key is who writes them."
This comment was pushed to the top and received over 20,000 likes.
Someone replied below: "I used to think fantasy was dead, but now I realize it wasn't the genre that was dead, it was the writers."
"A manager is a manager; no matter what category they're classified under, they're still completely outclassed."
"Klein Moretti, I've remembered that name now, and I'll never forget it."
"The review section for Lord of Mysteries is currently the highest quality on the entire internet; there isn't a single low-quality post, only in-depth analysis."
"Where are those people who say the general manager's gotten arrogant? Come out and show yourselves!"
However, what truly surprised Uncle Fan was not the domestic results.
It's overseas.
A week after "Lord of Mysteries" was released, the English translation of the book quietly climbed to the top of the charts on WuxiaWorld, the overseas version of Dingqi.com.
In the first week, the English version's readership exceeded 500,000.
In the second week, it surpassed 1.2 million.
Week 3 - Uncle Fan received an email from the Operations Director of WuxiaWorld.
The email was simple: "Lord of Mysteries has become the fastest-growing title in our platform's history, with a 78% reader retention rate in North America and Europe—a figure never before achieved by any translated work."
78% retention rate.
This means that nearly 80% of those who finish the first chapter will continue reading.
It's worth noting that the average retention rate of translated works on WuxiaWorld was only 35%. Due to cultural differences, translation quality, and different narrative habits, overseas readers view Chinese web novels much like Chinese readers view Japanese light novels—they are mostly curious, but few retain them.
But the "Lord of Mysteries" is different.
It is set in a Western fantasy world. Steampunk, the Victorian era, and the Cthulhu Mythos—these elements naturally resonate with Western readers. Coupled with Qin Hao's narrative structure and character development, there is virtually no cultural barrier after translation.
After reading that email, Uncle Fan immediately sent an even longer one to the board of directors.
The title is: "Preliminary Report on the Overseas Market Expansion of 'Lord of Mysteries' and Next Strategic Plan".
He wrote three core points in this email—
First, "Lord of Mysteries" proves that non-wuxia works also have huge potential in overseas markets.
Secondly, Dingqi.com's overseas strategy should shift from "exporting martial arts" to "exporting diverse themes".
Third, Qin Hao is the key figure in opening this door.
The board responded that same day: "Fully support, an additional three million to the budget."
After reading the reply, Uncle Fan sat in his office and laughed for a long time.
As he was laughing, he suddenly remembered something.
The length of "Lord of Mysteries" is only a little over four million words.
At Qin Hao's rate of updating 2.5 words per day, it will be finished in less than a year.
What happens after it ends?
What happens after the contract expires?
The smile was still on his face, but Uncle Fan's eyes had changed.
-
Two months later.
Uncle Fan proposed a contract renewal for the fifth time.
This time he brought a new contract with him, which included several new clauses—0.5% of Dingqi.com's internal shares.
0.5% may not seem like much, but Dingqi.com's valuation has already exceeded 10 billion. 0.5% is 50 million.
This isn't just sincerity; it's laying your heart bare on the table.
Qin Hao glanced at the contract and put it down.
"Mr. Fan, I have no complaints about Dingqi.com; in fact, I'd say I'm quite fond of it."
Uncle Fan's heart skipped a beat.
"The main reason I've stopped writing is that I've run out of ideas and plan to take a break and reflect."
His talent has run dry.
Uncle Fan almost burst out laughing.
It's not that I find it funny, it's that I find it absurd. When Qin Hao wrote "Lord of Mysteries," he switched from Xianxia to fantasy, completely changing the style, system, and narrative logic, and it still got 400,000 first-day subscriptions. This kind of person claims to have lost his touch? Even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't believe it.
But he couldn't expose it.
How can we negotiate if we've already broken off relations?
"Professor Qin Hao, how long do you plan to take a break from writing this time?"
Qin Hao thought for a moment, as if he were estimating an uncertain number.
"It will take anywhere from one to three years."
Uncle Fan's face fell.
"Three years... Mr. Qin Hao, three years is too long. Please consider the fans and readers who have supported you all these years. They really can't wait any longer—"
"Okay. Let's compromise. Like last time, let's take a two-year break."
Uncle Fan opened his mouth.
He felt like he'd shot himself in the foot. He'd just said three years was too long, and Qin Hao had cut it down to two years—but two years was still a long time! He'd originally planned for six months, or at most a year.
"Teacher Qin Hao, two years..."
"Just two years."
Qin Hao's tone was calm, but Uncle Fan sensed that there was no room for negotiation.
He sat opposite Qin Hao, staring at that calm face, and suddenly realized something—Qin Hao wasn't negotiating with him, but rather informing him.
Uncle Fan stood up, put the contract into his briefcase, and zipped it up.
"Mr. Qin Hao, I respect your decision. However, I will continue to communicate with you regarding the contract."
Qin Hao chuckled inwardly. If Fan Shu knew that he wasn't just stopping writing, but was actually preparing to retire from the literary world, he'd probably want to die.
Uncle Fan walked to the door, paused, and glanced back at Qin Hao.
Qin Hao had already sat back down in front of the computer, his fingers on the keyboard, and the screen displayed a new chapter of "Lord of Mysteries".
Uncle Fan sighed and went out.
The hallway lights were bright, almost blindingly white. He walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and watched the numbers drop down from 17.
With each jump, a mental process would go through him.
Two years.
There hasn't been a new book by Qin Hao for two years.
Two years without a traffic bomb that generated 400,000 first-time subscriptions.
For two years, we lacked a foothold in overseas markets.
Dingqi.com's daily active users finally grew from 13 million to 15 million—how many of those were brought in by Qin Hao? Of the 20 million, at least 4 million are Qin Hao's die-hard readers, drawn by the name "General Manager." If Qin Hao stops writing for two years, how many of those 4 million will leave?
Uncle Fan dared not calculate.
The elevator reached the first floor. He stepped out, stood at the building entrance, and lit a cigarette.
He stubbed out the rest of his cigarette after smoking half of it and threw it in the trash can.
I got back into the car, started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot.
-
The day "Lord of Mysteries" ended was two months earlier than Uncle Fan had predicted.
He updated 2.5 words a day, totaling more than four million words, and finished writing the entire book in less than a year and a half.
On the day the book concluded, the number of comments in the review section broke another record—250,000. This is significantly less than "Sword Comes," but considering the large readership of the fantasy genre, this number is far more significant.
The overseas discussion forums also exploded. On WuxiaWorld, there were over 20,000 discussion threads about "Lord of Mysteries," with English readers' comments filled with an emotion that Chinese readers couldn't quite grasp—"This is the best fantasy novel I've ever read, and I've read Tolkien."
Someone took a screenshot of this comment and posted it to a book review section in China, where it was met with a whole page of replies expressing "pride".
……
Qin Hao's book is finished, and his "semi-retirement" life has officially begun.
When he had nothing to do, Qin Hao would occasionally go to He Han's place to provoke him.
He Han, unable to bear it any longer, kicked him out of the hotel suite.
Qin Hao stood in the corridor, smiled, and thought that it felt pretty good to be a little cheeky sometimes.
Just as he reached the elevator, his phone rang.
A WeChat message.
"What have you been busy with lately? Aren't you writing a new book or just wandering around aimlessly?"
Upon clicking, I saw Zhou Mei.
Qin Hao leaned against the wall in the corridor and typed a reply.
"This isn't because we've run out of ideas; we're just taking a break and experiencing life."
Three seconds later, Zhou Mei replied with a heartbroken emoji, along with the text—
"Do you realize how devastating that statement is to a loyal fan? I've been eagerly awaiting your new book release, and you're telling me to go experience life?"
"I think you're just lazy."
"Don't you feel guilty saying that to an author who updates 2.5 words a day?"
Zhou Mei really couldn't refute that now. Updating 2.5 words a day—that's beyond diligence; that's the level of a nuclear-powered ox. To say this kind of author is lazy is as absurd as saying a plowing ox is lazy and gluttonous.
"Are you really planning to stop writing?"
"Yes, we plan to take a break for a while."
"How long will it stop?"
"Two years, I guess."
"Help! How have I been supposed to get through these past two years?"
Zhou Mei sent a frantic emoji, the kind where someone's hair is being pulled wildly.
Qin Hao looked at that expression, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he replied with a seductive emoji—the one with the outstretched finger that was bent.
"I specifically accept homeless, beautiful female readers here."
"Come on, you're the culprit!"
After venting her frustrations, Zhou Mei immediately followed up with more questions.
"So what are your plans for the next two years? To travel the world?"
"I've basically traveled all the foreign destinations I could last time, so this time I'll explore some domestic places."
What are some fun things to do in China?
Qin Hao sent a smirking emoji.
"You don't understand. Going to those commercialized tourist areas is obviously not interesting, but if you go exploring undeveloped primeval forests like Shennongjia and Ailao Mountain, isn't that much more interesting?"
"Want to go together?"
Zhou Mei replied with a facepalm emoji.
"Stop kidding me. I can't live without the internet these days. Besides, I'm someone who's never lifted a finger in the kitchen. You're asking me to go to a primeval forest? You're asking me to die!"
He paused for two seconds, then added another sentence.
"You're not serious, are you?"
Qin Hao chuckled and retorted, "You don't actually think I was just joking, do you?"
Judging from his tone, Zhou Mei didn't think he was joking.
She changed to more formal wording.
"Qin Hao, stop fooling around. That kind of place is really not a place where modern people can survive for long. You might even lose your life. You've earned so much money and haven't spent it yet. It would be such a pity if something happened to you."
"Don't worry, there's no place in this world I can't go. I'll bring you back some local specialties."
Zhou Mei sent him three more messages, urging him to give up, mentioning how many people had gone missing in Shennongjia, how many accidents had occurred in Ailao Mountain, and how dangerous the snakes, insects, and rodents in the primeval forest were.
There was no response.
Not a single one.
Zhou Mei stared at her phone screen; the chat window was as quiet as an empty room.
She panicked a little.
He swiped his finger across the screen twice, tapped into his contacts, and found another name—Lin Zhanqiao.
The phone rang three times before being answered.
"Sister Lin, Qin Hao said he's going to explore Shennongjia and Ailao Mountain! You know, those primeval forests! It seems like he really wants to go! I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn't listen, and now he's not replying to my messages!"
There was a two-second silence on Lin Zhanqiao's end.
"...He's going to the primeval forest?"
"Yes! It's that kind of undeveloped, primeval forest adventure! I told him those places are dangerous, but he wouldn't listen. Lin Zhanqiao, you need to persuade him!"
Lin Zhanqiao did not reply immediately.
The sound of turning over documents came from the other end of the phone, followed by a soft sigh.
"If Qin Hao had listened to advice, he wouldn't have had seven books banned in a row back then. Don't be fooled by his seemingly easy-going nature; he's actually the same type of person as He Han. Once he's made up his mind, no one can dissuade him."
Lin Zhanqiao suddenly realized what she had said.
"Wait a minute, why are you so concerned about Lao Qin's affairs?"
Zhou Mei's tone turned sour, then she said proudly, "I'm a loyal fan of his books. I'm just worried that if something happens to him, he won't be able to write books for me to read anymore."
"Oh? Is it really that simple? Be honest, you've had quite a bit of contact with Lao Qin behind the scenes, haven't you?"
"Tch, come on, you're not my mother, why should I explain myself to you?"
"Oh, it seems I guessed right. But it's better than you trying to seduce married men."
Zhou Mei retorted angrily, "Who's seducing a married man!"
"Oh? What's the deal with that Attorney Bei?"
"I've told you so many times, he's just a client of mine, and I only ask him to help me with some legal issues!" (End of Chapter)