The Flash Empire's Court of Stars.

One of its rarely visited outer planets welcomed guests from other races who had all come to attend the Flash Empire's pre-sale preview event.

The Flash Empire was proud by nature, and this kind of pre-sale preview was a rare promotional activity for them.

"Something feels a bit off about the Flash Empire lately. They haven't been laughing at all," one reader whispered to their companion. After all, they were on someone else's turf, so it was better to keep their voices down when speaking ill of the host.

"The books that the Flash Empire published before were really good," said another alien who was also from a long-lived species. "Who knew the quality would keep dropping? Isn't it because they were always mocking other people's works? Who would still want to submit manuscripts after that?"

"They used to laugh so loudly. Now it's been completely quiet. Did they really change their ways?" a reader asked.

The long-lived reader replied, "Did they? My hearing has been deteriorating."

"I heard that the reason we can't hear anything is because they've been staying underground lately!" Another reader chimed in, sharing some fresh gossip.

"That's not good," the long-lived reader said. "If you don't get sunlight, you'll end up with osteoporosis."

"Thank you for your hard work, elder," the other readers said as they made more space for the long-lived reader.

Afterwards, they continued whispering excitedly, "It's not that the Flash Empire changed its personality; they just learned how to hide it. Actually, they laugh like crazy underground every single day!"

"That makes sense. That really does sound like something they'd do…" The gossip-loving crowd showed expressions of I totally get it.

"Maybe the submissions this time were just too bad, so they finally learned to reflect?"

"Well, that mentally prepares me for this preview event."

A faint silhouette of Big Purple could be seen in the sky, and the readers quickly shut their mouths.

Big Purple landed steadily and began hosting the various matters of the preview event. It handed out survey forms and collected everyone's opinions on the first batch of planned publications.

The long-lived reader flipped through the list of titles, and a title caught their eyes: Ancient Tomb Code. Squinting, it turned the page.

Half an hour later, it had only just finished the first fifty pages, yet its entire body wouldn't stop trembling. The other readers watched with concern.

They saw the elder shakily raise its head, its voice trembling so much that it practically carried wave marks.

"Big Purple, my child, you absolutely must not forget history!"

Big Purple had never lowered its head, always looking down from above at the tiny readers below. But hearing this, the giant figure felt slightly shaken.

The Ancient Tomb Code contained very strong historical elements.

Was it because they failed to value their own past that they could never build underground palaces as magnificent as those in the book?

The Flash Clan was born underground, with all historical symbols engraved on their very bodies. Who would care about different geological traces on a piece of ore?

The other readers were shocked. An alien actually dared to call the Flash Empire "child," and this typically arrogant race didn't get angry at all?

"This book is excellent!" the long-lived reader said, leaning on its cane as it handed out copies to the others. The other readers quickly reached out to take them, flipping through the pages with curiosity at their seats.

An hour later, the entire preview event exploded.

"It's so good! When is the next volume coming out? Has the author finished writing it yet?"

"Damn it, forget Yongye and Xun Ming! None of them compares to Canghai! I think Ancient Tomb Code is the best in this submission battle! I'm going back to the forums to post right now!"

"Why are you trying to start a fight at a time like this… Physical books are on a whole different level from web novels, okay? When I flip through a physical book, it feels like my brain is resting on the fluffy body of a Furball Star native. I could fall asleep just by closing my eyes. This book feels way too comfortable. I even feel like my reading ability is about to level up."

Listening to the preview readers' evaluations of Ancient Tomb Code, Big Purple felt deeply satisfied. The Flash Clan rarely interacted with outsiders and didn't welcome them either because the microorganisms carried by external species could destroy their hardened bodies. But thinking of their reputation, Big Purple still said in a low voice:

"When the time comes, Ancient Tomb Code will have a limited-time purchase bonus event. Everyone is welcome to buy it."

After returning underground, they needed to double the print run of Ancient Tomb Code!

The readers looked up at Big Purple and felt that the Flash Empire didn't quite match the image they remembered.

—

Space.

"We are about to jump to the Pangshi Galaxy. All ships must maintain their connection. Passengers are strictly prohibited from leaving their vessels."

A planet-class giant ship broadcast the announcement to the long, winding convoy trailing behind it.

The universe was constantly in motion. To travel along a fixed route without losing direction during interstellar travel, ships had to attach themselves to this kind of planet-class vessel. Among the convoy, several ships stood out. The central flagship was heavily armed in appearance, with neatly arranged escort ships floating around it. These were the merchant ships of physical book dealers, which were important in a way similar to armoured cash trucks on Earth.

On board, several alien merchants were chatting politely while probing each other for information.

"The Flash Empire is an old partner. I'm planning to stock two hundred thousand copies this time."

"Two hundred thousand? That's not very generous of you. I'm planning on three hundred thousand."

"Why are you all ordering so little this time?" a lanky alien merchant asked in confusion. It was so tall and skinny that it almost touched the ceiling. "Last time, weren't we all starting at a million? Sales were pretty good last time. I've already pre-ordered five million this time."

The other booksellers exchanged looks and gave the odd one a fake smile.

"Looks like you're not very well-informed, but it can't be helped. In the universe, whoever gets firsthand information makes money first."

"What… what exactly happened?" The lanky merchant became even more confused.

Seeing how anxious it was, the other aliens chuckled dryly and said, "You've heard of the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce from the Pangshi Galaxy, right?"

"Of course I have. But isn't their main business web novels? Web novels and physical books aren't even comparable. Physical books have higher literary value and can be reread. Readers aren't just paying for cheap thrills," the lanky merchant said disdainfully.

"You're wrong about that. Simple and straightforward writing has become a new trend in physical books too," the other merchants said mysteriously. "See that ship 0.3 astronomical units away? They're star authors from the Panqu Galaxy. They started with web novels, and then their physical books sold over a hundred million copies on the very first planetary day."

The other merchants leaned closer.

"They just happened to be travelling through here, and the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce from Pangshi invited them to sign on. Their drafts were already finished during the journey. I've got an insider who says the preview feedback was amazing and they're just waiting to publish. So tell me, whose books are you going to buy?"

"Sigh! I spoke too fast earlier and pre-ordered 800,000 copies from the Flash Empire. I regret it so much now," one merchant wailed. "I don't have the funds to buy from the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce anymore. Guess I just don't have the fate to make money! Fellow merchant, if you can get a refund, do it quickly."

"I already asked for a refund," one merchant said stiffly.

"Th-this… merchants should have integrity," the lanky merchant said awkwardly. "Besides, books published by the Flash Empire are still guaranteed, right…"

But the other merchants all looked at it with disapproval.

The lanky merchant lowered its head. It knew about the Flash Empire's reputation for arrogance and how the manuscripts they accepted got worse with each cycle. Could this submission round really be different?

This time, it might suffer a huge loss…

The book merchant ships suddenly jolted. In the blink of an eye, they jumped into the Pangshi Galaxy and dispersed to their respective destinations. The planet-class giant ship was automatically captured by the port star, circled it for a quarter turn, then accelerated away.

The book merchant ship arrived at the Flash Empire's Star Court.

Big Purple stood with its whole body glowing with solemn dignity, maintaining the pride of the Flash Clan.

The news that some booksellers had gone back on their orders and requested refunds came too suddenly, and they hadn't had time to adjust the print volume. But out of pride, they proceeded with the physical book transactions in silence. The lanky merchant, who had bought the most, came to collect the goods. Big Purple merely nodded slightly, expressing gratitude for the other party's integrity.

In the end, only 20 million copies of the physical books were sold.

Big Purple's underground book vaults were still packed to the brim.

After all the booksellers left, Big Purple silently returned underground and opened a group chat on its light-brain. The group name was A Loving Clan.

It slowly gathered its breath and spoke loudly into the chat:

"All of you—

If you keep digging into my underground palace, I won't be polite anymore!"

The lanky bookseller planned to sell books in the Pangshi Galaxy first, as most merchants did.

It went to its own offline physical bookstore. After some thought, it gritted its teeth and placed Ancient Tomb Code in the most prominent position, personally writing the recommendation:

"A hot, award-winning title from the Flash Empire's writing contest! A fantasy underground world beyond imagination! Limited-time purchase includes a bonus illustrated guide personally explained by the author!"

It hung the sign in the most eye-catching spot, then nervously waited for the first customer.

While waiting, it flipped through the bonus booklet that came with Ancient Tomb Code. The first page was the author's preface.

 

[

Preface

Hello everyone. This is my first time writing a preface, so I even asked Yu Jin how to do it. He said just thank the people you should thank.

So I'll begin.

Thanks to Yu Jin and Gano for their help during the writing of this book. I hope they stay safe and happy.

Thanks to Xun Ming and Yongye for providing me with entertainment while I was writing.

Thanks to Blue Planet for the inspiration that lets me dream often.

Thanks to the Flahs Empire for being willing to publish this book…

]

 

"Is the author a newcomer? Pretty lively," the lanky merchant muttered.

Flipping further, the dense explanatory text made it feel a little uneasy.

"Did reading too many web novels lower my ability for deep reading?"

The lanky merchant decided to set the booklet aside and read it after work. It went to handle other books in the shop, but kept glancing at the shelf holding Ancient Tomb Code.

Quite a few customers came in, glanced at the sign, and didn't seem very interested. Its heart sank.

Suddenly, a customer rushed straight in and carefully examined the Ancient Tomb Code shelf. The skinny merchant felt a burst of joy, only for the customer to loudly ask, "Do you have books by those authors from the Panqu Galaxy?"

The skinny merchant replied bitterly, "N-no…"

"Of course not. They haven't even started publishing yet. It'll be a few days. You must've heard wrong," another customer said, surprisingly knowledgeable about the Panqu Galaxy, and started chatting openly.

The lanky merchant couldn't bear to listen anymore. It lowered its head and tidied the shelves, planning to borrow some money later to buy new books.

Another anxious-looking customer rushed in, panting as they asked, "Do you—do you—have—"

The lanky merchant politely said, "No, but we'll keep an eye on that kind of news."

"But isn't this it?!" The customer slapped their thigh and grabbed Ancient Tomb Code from the shelf, one copy after another: five copies in total!

"Please wrap these up, thanks!"

The skinny merchant's face lit up. It quickly packed the books and asked warmly, "May I ask where you heard about our books?"

"Oh, I attended the Flash Empire's preview event before. Hurry up, I'm waiting to read what comes next," the customer said.

"They're all wrapped up. Please take care!" The skinny merchant personally walked the customer out, watching their impatient retreating figure and finally feeling a bit more confident.

When it returned to the shop, it realized that it had forgotten to give the bonus gift!

It had no choice but to pack it up first and wait for that customer to come back for it.

The lanky merchant personally packed all the bonus items, preparing for the next customer.

But customers came and went, while the shelf holding Ancient Tomb Code remained deserted. The lanky merchant frowned and shook its head, thinking that the rushed customer had just been an exception.

It wasn't until closing time that a casual browser randomly picked up the book and bought it. This time, the lanky merchant didn't forget to include the bonus and once again politely saw the customer off.

Looking back at the still-packed shelves, it sighed deeply.

News that the Ancient Tomb Code was being ignored reached Xi Yujin, but the Flash Empire didn't blame him. Instead, they said their promotional strategy had been flawed and, under the contract, paid part of the advance first.

However, if Ancient Tomb Code continued to sell poorly, the cooperation between Canghai and the Flash Empire would end there. There would be no more profit sharing, and certainly no sequel.

Xi Yujin replied politely, even though he felt completely dejected.

He also learned another piece of bad news related to Yongye.

There were too many mixed languages on the star network, making it twice as hard to surf. This universe inexplicably had no translation AI, making it even more backward than Earth. As a result, Xi Yujin had difficulty understanding information. He only recently learned from the donation rankings of The Case Files of Mr Zhong that a book fan forum had erupted into chaos.

"Why are there people on the donation board asking me to write 'Xun Ming' into it? Is that some kind of common name?"

Deeply feeling the cultural gap, Xi Yujin followed the address on the donation board and found the forum.

A hot post was pinned at the top.

 

[

Title: A Former Star Network Fugitive's Confession

I'm a former star network fugitive who just got out of a deep-space prison. Reading The Case Files of Mr Zhong gave me an incredibly strong sense of immersion. There are some details you can only understand if you've done them yourself—like motives and trace analysis. I'm kind of scared. Did I run into a real big shot this time?

]

 

There were countless replies. Every refresh added dozens of pages, with most expressing shock.

Shock! How did they not think of this before! Yongye writes so well, and so realistically, so there's only one truth! Yongye must be a professional in a related field!

"I'm shocked too. Where did my disguise go wrong? Am I not dissociating hard enough?" Xi Yu Jin muttered.

He was utterly baffled.

He quickly came up with a way to address this troublesome situation involving Yongye: simply issue a clean credit certificate on Blue Planet's official website. The universe black box was meant to be used for such black-box operations.

He was only worried about the reputation of the pen name Yongye.

If it got tainted with the image of a fugitive, future works might not sell well.

"Why is surviving and making money in this universe so hard…"

Xi Yujin felt mentally exhausted, and his whole being visibly dimmed.

Canghai earned very little, while Xun Ming didn't earn anything at all and even got taken advantage of.

Originally, Yongye had been the most profitable and the one he felt most at ease about.

But back on Earth, Xi Yujin had been surrounded by wolves, and neither spending nor earning money had ever felt smooth. Maybe out of a compensation mindset, he found himself prone to impulsive spending in this universe.

When he went to physical shopping malls, Gano was usually by his side to help, so he could still restrain himself.

But once alone, looking at his wallet balance, that wild, arrogant, reckless feeling of being able to buy the entire universe instantly swallowed him. He felt like he could throw money around freely! Money was just a string of numbers! His hands itched, and he spent 100,000 stardust to buy twenty uses of a writing AI.

After deducting what he had spent on eating and drinking on the commercial planet, he now only had 40,000 stardust left on his account.

Wasn't this precisely the same as before he came to the Pangshi Galaxy?!

Rounding up, he basically didn't make any money at all!

At that moment, the door to the reception room opened. Gano walked in holding manuscripts and froze when he saw Xi Yujin looking so dejected.

Xi Yujin suddenly felt even worse. He had no money now... didn't that mean he couldn't even pay Gano? Gano was paid by volume. He hadn't brought up leaving yet, which probably meant his energy cost was high and he still hadn't saved enough. If Xi Yujin couldn't pay for future work, Gano would naturally leave.

But Xi Yujin didn't want to be left alone without someone to talk to.

So he forced himself to put on a show and forced a dry smile for Gano.

Gano stood there awkwardly. He could tell that Yujin was upset, but why? Could he fix it? In what capacity could he fix it?

All he could do was awkwardly place the manuscripts in front of Xi Yujin, hesitating again and again, with no usable sentences in his mind.

"I'm fine," Xi Yujin said instead, noticing his embarrassment and stepping in to ease the situation.

Xi Yujin was very good at self-regulation. He would only feel down for a short while. By now, he had already come up with a new way to find fun—no, to solve the problem.

He spoke to Gano in a normal tone:

"It's just that my close friends ran into some issues. Canghai's book isn't selling well, Yongye is being smeared by others, and Xun Ming is even paying out of pocket to serialize his web novel…"

His voice gradually softened, as if drifting from far away.

"I'm really worried about them. When they're sad, I feel even worse."

Gano's breathing grew lighter as well.

The Zerg was always emotionally indifferent. By their common sense, comforting emotions was the responsibility of the closest partner.

If translated into Blue Planet's concept of close friends, then it should be a close friend's job.

But the spaceship was empty. From the moment Gano boarded, he hadn't seen any of them, and Xi Yujin handled almost everything on the ship himself.

These kinds of close friends are utterly inadequate, aren't they?

Looking at Xi Yujin trying hard to hide his emotions, Gano felt a surge of complicated feelings.

You worry about others day and night, but why is no one by your side when you're feeling sad?