[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of":3,"chapter-dreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of-dreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of-chapter-50":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dreaming Back to 1997: I Became the Forefather of Web Novels",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2348284,4589,"Chapter 50","dreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of-chapter-50",50,"\u003Cp>July 22nd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A little past 10:00 AM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the county town where Cao Sheng’s family home is, his old classmate Tan Lei was dragged to a newsstand by her high school deskmate Jiang Ya. As soon as they arrived, Jiang Ya began flipping through the newspapers in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While flipping through them, she said, \"You and he are both at the Huizhou Teachers College; do you really not know at all that he wrote a novel? That he’s already become a big author? Do you two not keep in touch?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the complex-looking Tan Lei could reply, Jiang Ya pulled out a copy of the *Wenhui Daily*, pointed to a report on it, and said, \"Look! Take a look! This news is about him! Hurry and look!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lei frowned as she looked over, only to see the headline of the news piece read: \"The Pioneer of Internet Novels — Central Plains Little Grey!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The text of the report below read: \"Cao Sheng, pen name Central Plains Little Grey, is only 18 years old and still a freshman. However, at the beginning of this year, he became an instant hit on the internet thanks to *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant*. On just one website alone, the number of reads for his work exceeded 2 million. He and this work of his are not only the pioneers of internet novels but also the creators of the highest popularity currently...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Tan Lei saw this, Jiang Ya pulled out a copy of the *Yangcheng Evening News* and shoved it in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s on here too! Look here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ya pointed to a spot in the *Yangcheng Evening News*, signaling for Tan Lei to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time the headline was—\"Have you read this year’s hottest romance novel, *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant*?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body text: \"What’s hot isn't just this year’s midsummer, but also Central Plains Little Grey’s *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant*! This is the first internet novel! It is also the internet novel with the highest current popularity, with a total online readership exceeding 2 million and physical book sales already breaking 100,000 copies!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ya then placed a copy of the *Chongqing Daily* in front of Tan Lei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fair fingers pointed to a news piece, \"Look here too! This is also reporting on him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lei looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Headline: \"Cao Sheng! A Rising New Author Who Has Emerged Out of Nowhere!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Body: \"If you love reading and follow literature, then you must surely know that a book called *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant* has recently become a hit. The author had the good fortune to meet the book’s author, Cao Sheng. If you would like to understand him in depth, please see my conversation with Cao Sheng below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Me: 'Hello, Cao Sheng! May I ask under what circumstances you decided to create this work?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng: 'Hmm, I suppose it was out of boredom!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Me: 'Boredom? Are you saying your university life is very boring?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng: 'Pretty much! My university courses aren't many; sometimes I only have half a day of classes, and the afternoons and evenings are all free time. Saturdays and Sundays are also free, so I often feel bored and wanted to find something to do for myself.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Me: 'And then you decided to write a novel?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng: 'Yeah! Writing this doesn't cost any money; it counts as a very cheap form of entertainment.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Me: 'Ah? You treat writing a novel as entertainment?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng: 'Is that not allowed?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lei looked at these, not knowing what to feel inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facts seemed to have already proven that her judgment was good; she had taken a liking to him before he became famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she hadn't been able to end up with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he was already famous now, having become a rising new author in the newspapers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ya was still looking for other newspapers for her; in a short while, she had found seven or eight papers reporting on Cao Sheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The proprietress of the newsstand was unhappy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey! You two young ladies can't do this! If you want to read something, spend money to buy it! You can't just read them for free like this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ya frowned and retorted, \"I bought one yesterday; is it not allowed to bring a classmate to take a look today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proprietress: \"Who knows if you bought one yesterday? Anyway, I don't have an impression of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ya was about to argue further, but Tan Lei raised a hand to stop her, then took out her wallet and bought the three newspapers they had just been looking at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Donglaishun Hot Pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng, having finally finished this book signing tour, was eating mutton hot pot with Zhao Ping and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last 10 days were days he had never experienced before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day was a race against time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Racing against time to accept interviews from one media outlet after another, racing against time to record radio programs, racing against time to attend book signings, racing against time to board flights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Busy like a celebrity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he stayed for two days in each of the five cities for the book signings, he arrived in a rush and left in a rush; there was no time for sightseeing, nor was there time to taste the delicacies of each city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These 10 days, everything was just a fleeting glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very tiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, it was finally over; after finishing this hot pot meal, he could go home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although physically and mentally exhausted, he still raised his glass and took the initiative to toast Zhao Ping and the others, thanking them for flying around with him these past few days and rushing from place to place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this book signing tour, the Huachengchubanshe had equipped him with a marketing team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ping was mainly responsible for his travel, accommodation, and meals; other work, such as contacting the signing venues and media in each city, the setup of the signing sites, and so on, was handled by designated personnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person in charge of this book signing tour was named Huang Song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Huang Song raised his glass with a face full of smiles, signaling, \"Cao Sheng! You've worked hard recently. Come! Let me toast you another glass! I hope we have the opportunity to cooperate again next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng raised his glass and clinked it with his, \"You’ve worked hard too! Everyone has worked hard, and I also look forward to our next cooperation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After downing the drink, Huang Song remarked with emotion, \"It has indeed been hard work recently, but our hard work is worth it! I just contacted the headquarters today; in just these few days, the first printing of 100,000 copies has already sold out, and the headquarters is already working overtime to print more!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ping asked curiously, \"Boss, how many copies are being printed this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Song: \"100,000 copies!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before everyone could react, he added, \"However, looking at the current market heat, I personally estimate that printing another 100,000 copies might not last long; I expect we will have to print more very soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Zhao Ping and the others beam with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the higher the sales of this book, the higher the bonuses they would be able to receive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hundred thousand copies...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the passenger plane flying to Huizhou that afternoon, Cao Sheng thought about this number, and a sense of accomplishment arose in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Huang Song, such sales figures had already broken their publishing house's record for the past few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bona fide bestseller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sales figure of 200,000 copies itself wasn't very astonishing; the key was that the time was too short!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten days on the market, and the first printing of 100,000 copies had already sold out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the current domestic publishing market, the vast majority of works don't even reach 100,000 copies in a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Sheng returned to Huizhou Teachers College.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in his dormitory, the clothes and shoes he had bought for his parents were still in his suitcase in the dorm; if it weren't for coming back to get these things, he could have gone straight home after finishing the book signing in Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Intimate Contact*, which was being serialized on the BBS, updated a chapter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after this chapter was updated, the book's fans were in an uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in this chapter, the female lead, Qingwu Feiyang, died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wanwan author Pizi Cai had no chance to buy the physical copy of *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant* that had just been published recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the portion of this book serialized online hadn't written about Ran Jing dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, many readers on the internet were recently following both the updates of *Intimate Contact* and *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant*; after all, these were the two hottest novels on the internet this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the female leads of both books were very likable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The readers who loved them numbered in the tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the result?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly published *Days of Living with a Flight Attendant* had written Ran Jing to death, and tonight Pizi Cai had written Qingwu Feiyang to death again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could stand this?\u003C\u002Fp>",1573,"2026-06-21T01:55:54.452Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","556aa0b69f69b26dfd75f0eba965b4885cc023d80c0570417ba2dbe8723770bc","dreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of-chapter-51","dreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of-chapter-49",338,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdreaming-back-to-1997-i-became-the-forefather-of-cover.jpg"]