After 'Strange Tales: Biting a Ghost' was submitted to Midnight Talk, at the same time, 'How a Bad Guy Is Made' officially landed on Lingdian's homepage news recommendations.
With far greater exposure than a second-tier page, 'How a Bad Guy Is Made' received a surge of attention.
Many readers browsing Lingdian on the day of the weekly chart update noticed this particularly eye-catching novel.
Its title was 'How a Bad Guy Is Made'.
A very blunt title.
Anyone who saw the name would instantly understand what kind of story it was.
At the same time, the title also had a lot of personality. Plenty of readers clicked the moment they saw it.
And once they started reading 'How a Bad Guy Is Made', they were hooked.
First, the writing style.
Unlike most of Lingdian's trending works: serious, literary, or overly ornate, this novel was refreshingly direct and easy to read. Where others favored flowery language and long-winded repetition to show off their "prose", 'Bad Guy' was straightforward. Many readers, who previously thought they had no problem with other books, only realized after reading this one that this was the style they actually loved.
Just the opening paragraph of 'Bad Guy' grabbed most readers' attention with its plainspoken, crystal-clear prose.
At the very least, it was understandable, relaxing to read, and gave readers the patience to keep going.
Sometimes, whether a book succeeds depends largely on whether readers are willing to give it their time.
Once you have a reader's patience, it's hard for your book not to rise.
'Bad Guy' was exactly like that.
As more and more readers breezed through its chapters, a deep sense of immersion grew in their hearts.
This was a story about a weakling getting bullied.
A story about someone who eventually fought back.
A story full of blood and fire, passion and defiance.
Who hasn't been a student?
Who hasn't been bullied before?
Who doesn't want to cast off weakness and become someone strong, someone who fears nothing?
Only, they had never managed to do it.
But 'Bad Guy' gave them hope.
Its protagonist reflected their own past selves.
"I love Bad Guy! I love everything The Number One White Under Heaven writes! More updates, please, ten chapters a day isn't enough!"
"This book is totally different from anything I've read before. It's on the path to becoming a legend."
"Wow, finally a good book! All my recommendation votes are going to you. But please update more! Ten chapters a day is way too few, at least twenty, no, thirty… no, fifty would be ideal!"
"I seriously love this novel."
"This is my kind of story, my kind of style."
"Upvote it, brothers! Let's push Bad Guy to the top so more readers can find it!"
The comments section of 'Bad Guy' was soon flooded by fans.
And that wasn't all.
Beyond the comment section, fans began promoting the book across other platforms.
"Brothers, let me recommend a great book, 'How a Bad Guy Is Made'."
In a TT group, a novel-loving user recommended the story to everyone.
"666, I've read this too, it's insanely hype. I love it."
"Sounds good. I'll go check it out."
"Why does 'Bad Guy' read so noob-style? Is it really that good?"
"Bro, you don't get it. Who cares if it's noob-style? People read web novels to feel good. You want elegant prose? Go read the classics, or better yet, Classical Chinese. That'll 'dazzle your eyes' real good."
"Agreed! Prose isn't everything. What matters is whether the story's told well. Whether it moves me, whether it excites me. And no doubt, 'Bad Guy' does. It touched me and got me fired up. At the very least, it made me realize, sometimes, you've just gotta man up. Even if you're born weak, when you're pushed around, you've got to stand up for yourself."
"With that said, this book really does seem unmissable."
"Definitely unmissable."
"Unmissable."
…
"Wuyue, you're amazing! You signed a god-tier book."
Wuyue's good buddy and coworker, Feiyuan, gave him a thumbs-up, clearly impressed. "Usually, a homepage news push nets maybe 3000 bookmarks in a week. 'Bad Guy' hit 3000 on day one. At this rate, it'll hit 20,000 in a week. And that's before it gets the big picture push, the spotlight recs, the personal bookshelf recs, or the pre-launch strong push. We're looking at 100K favorites in no time!"
"100K's too optimistic. The author, The Number One White Under Heaven, is new. He's got no existing fanbase, and his foundation's shaky. Now that he's been promoted, exposure's spiking. Later recs won't bring as big a boost. I'd guess 50K by the time it goes premium."
Though 'Bad Guy' performance surprised him, Wuyue remained calm.
"Even 50K is excellent. You know most books barely hit 10K by launch. If you're lucky, 20K means you might catch fire. At 30K, it's almost guaranteed. Only level 6 authors at Lingdian ever get 40-50K pre-launch. 'Bad Guy' is going to explode. If nothing unexpected happens, this year's Best New Author at Lingdian is going to be The Number One White Under Heaven."
"Let's hope. I'm planning to apply for the Four Seas Recommendation next."
"You're submitting for the Four Seas rec?"
"Yep. Based on 'Bad Guy' current popularity, it should qualify."
"Wuyue, think it over."
Feiyuan patted Wuyue's shoulder.
"What's the issue?"
"Well… you know the Four Seas rec is a Lingdian exclusive. It's unique and quite special. Not every book qualifies. It only recommends novels that are creative, thoughtful, and deep.
This list is interesting; it can make a completely unknown book go viral. But it also has a downside. If a book looks hot but flops on Four Seas, all its early momentum can evaporate.
In short, the Four Seas rec is a trial by fire.
Right now, 'Bad Guy' numbers are great. Even without Four Seas, it can do well. But if it flops there, it could lose everything it's built up."
Feiyuan had been at Lingdian longer than Wuyue, so in some ways, he understood the system better.
The two were close, and seeing Wuyue submit 'Bad Guy' for Four Seas, he felt the need to speak up.
"Also, the Four Seas rec is separate from our editorial system. Editors don't control it. We can apply, but the editor-in-chief makes the final decision. Even if you apply, 'Bad Guy' might not be approved."
"Thanks for the advice, Feiyuan. I understand. But I believe 'Bad Guy' has come this far despite everyone's doubts. So even if it gets the Four Seas rec, it won't fear any competition. In fact, under such a unique spotlight, it might go even further. Besides…"
"Besides what?"
Feiyuan was curious.
"We've never had a solid system for judging whether a book is truly good. Not even our experience can definitively say what's valuable and what's not. Fortunately, the Four Seas rec serves exactly that purpose. I want to see if 'Bad Guy' truly takes off, or is it all just hype?"
Wuyue said earnestly.
"I get it."
Feiyuan didn't speak further. He understood what Wuyue meant.
Real gold fears no fire.
If 'Bad Guy' was gold, then the Four Seas rec would be the furnace.
If it weren't, it would burn to ashes.
But if it was, then within the flames, it would be forged into a true weapon.
And become a legend. A book that makes its mark on history.
==========
Support the translation and help me keep the work.
patreon.com/Childish_Patriarch