Chapter 126: Going Viral

"That's right, the novels in here are amazing—even better than that *The Deer and the Cauldron* you're reading," the little chubby boy said, lifting his head triumphantly with an air of absolute certainty.

"Impossible," Shang Xiangyang scoffed dismissively, quickly flipping to the first page of the magazine.

"Do you want to know how far the realms of fantasy reach? Do you want to let your imagination take flight? Do you want to explore the wonders of a fantastical world? ...Please step inside, *Fantasy Youth*..."

The blurb on the front flap was highly provocative, and Shang Xiangyang’s anticipation grew even stronger.

"This is another magazine imported from Pearl Harbor, isn't it? Seems decent enough," Shang Xiangyang remarked to the boy beside him while flipping through the pages.

"Haha, Shang Xiangyang, you’re wrong! This is a magazine from our own country. It’s absolutely spectacular; you could never guess the plot twists. It’s just too good!" the little boy stammered, his face flushed with excitement.

Xiangyang snorted but said nothing, turning to the first piece. " *Zhu Xian* by author Gongchang Lizi? What kind of ridiculous name is that?" He muttered a small critique of Zhang Ye’s pen name before starting to read.

'In this world, there were originally no immortals. However, since ancient times, humanity has witnessed the wonders of the world—lightning and thunder, violent storms, natural disasters, and man-made calamities. Countless lives were lost, and the land was filled with sorrow, things far beyond human power to resist. Thus, people believed that above the Nine Heavens resided various deities, and beneath the Nine Netherworlds were the domains of ghosts and the halls of King Yama. Consequently, the legends of immortals spread throughout the world. Countless people knelt in sincere prayer, bowing to the various gods they had imagined into existence, seeking blessings and venting their grievances. The incense burned bright...

In the present age, the righteous path flourishes, and demons retreat. The Central Plains are blessed with beautiful mountains and clear waters, brimming with life and rich in resources, firmly occupied by various righteous sects. Among them, the "Qingyun Sect," "Tianyin Temple," and "Fenxiang Valley" stand as the three great pillars and leaders.

This story begins with the "Qingyun Sect."'

The entire introduction immediately gripped Shang Xiangyang’s heart. An unprecedented sense of excitement welled up within him. He flipped quickly past the front pages and began to read, word for word.

"So? Is it better than those martial arts novels of yours?" The little chubby boy reached out his plump hands, waving them in front of Shang Xiangyang’s eyes to pull his focus away from the book.

"Let me borrow this magazine for a few days, I'll give it back to you later," Shang Xiangyang said, completely enthralled by the plot. Ignoring the boy’s pestering, he pushed him toward the door, eager to be left alone to savor the story in peace.

"No way, I haven't even finished it yet! I can only lend it to you for an hour," the little boy said, hands on his hips, panicked.

"Fine, fine, an hour is an hour." Shang Xiangyang didn't care about the time; he immediately seized the opportunity and dived back into the text.

...

"It's gone? How is it gone?" An hour later, Shang Xiangyang was frantic. He flipped toward the end, only to find the story cut off just as it was getting started. A small note at the bottom reading "Please look forward to the next issue of *Fantasy Youth*" made him want to pull his hair out.

"Alright, give it back," the little boy had been waiting and snatched it away.

"One more hour, just one more hour!" Shang Xiangyang’s expression shifted. He grabbed the magazine, pulled out all the stops, and agreed to countless unfair terms just to pacify his cousin so he could keep reading.

It wasn't until eight o'clock in the evening that Shang Xiangyang finished the entire magazine.

"Ahhh... it’s too good! I want to submit a story, I want to submit! I want to attend the *Fantasy Youth* annual meeting next year, I want to go to Lihua County and greet Teacher Gongchang Lizi and Teacher Wang Mengzi at the *Fantasy Youth* headquarters..."

After reading the entire magazine cover to cover, Shang Xiangyang was completely electrified. This was exactly the kind of novel he wanted to write—the kind he had imagined: full of imagination, grand, majestic, pure, and brilliant...

Across the country, countless people were struck by a similar creative impulse sparked by *Fantasy Youth*. The vast imagination found in stories like *Zhu Xian* and *Journey to Immortality* had opened a door to a new world for them.

An urgent desire to see the next issue of *Fantasy Youth* took root in their hearts. They began to wheedle and pester their parents, acting like model children, performing their best party tricks, and doing chores—all to convince their parents to subscribe to *Fantasy Youth*. They were completely captivated by the stories within.

Some, inspired by the call for submissions, started planning their own stories. Others, obsessed with a particular novel, used every trick in the book to persuade their parents to order it.

This craze, ignited by a single magazine, spread first among children and then into the world of adults.

Soon, discussions about *Fantasy Youth* were breaking out everywhere. The president and editor-in-chief of Tianmeng Magazine, the famous and beautiful young writer Wang Mengzi, began to appear in the public eye. An interview with her on the Guangyang City television station began to air in thousands of households.

Newspapers across the country followed suit with a series of reports on *Fantasy Youth*.

In short, it could be summed up in one sentence: *Fantasy Youth* had become a hit...

...

On October 3rd, the third day of the National Day holiday, Wang Mengzi called from Guangyang City to report that the trial reading and quiz-based giveaway events held on university campuses and busy streets in Guangyang had been met with overwhelming attention and popularity from teenagers.

This news relieved much of the anxiety Zhang Ye had been carrying.

Following this, a flood of payments and letters for subscriptions to *Fantasy Youth* for the coming year arrived from all over the country, along with surveys for the most popular works. The members of the Tianmeng Magazine office, who had been enjoying a moment of leisure, were once again plunged into a whirlwind of activity.

Among the letters, there was a strong demand for increased print runs. Many readers, aside from expressing their love for *Fantasy Youth*, complained that the first issue had only been printed in a run of 30,000 copies. Countless readers had chanced upon copies in the homes of friends, classmates, or neighbors and had been unable to put them down. They desperately wanted the print run increased so they could ensure they could get their own copies of this beautifully crafted magazine.

Zhang Ye could only manage a bitter smile at this.

"Damn it, does printing not cost money? Every copy printed costs a fortune! The production cost is over two yuan per book, and the first three issues are free... Do you think I don't want to print more? But I'm broke, so what good does talking do?" Zhang Ye grumbled, but after a moment of restraint, he gave the order to print 50,000 copies for the next issue.

Fortunately, he had been farsighted enough to keep some savings rather than investing everything at once, which allowed him to weather this initial bottomless pit. Combined with the steady stream of subscription payments arriving by mail, the financial pressure was somewhat alleviated. Otherwise, Zhang Ye wouldn't have been able to be so generous.