Honkai Impact 3rd: Join Anti-Entropy at the start and dominate the entertainment industry.

When the annual issue of "Spark" was released, Bai Qianqu went to a nearby newsstand to buy a copy. Ye Xiao originally intended to give him a sample copy, but he refused, since he couldn't write the address.

Bai Qianqu was slightly dazed as she rubbed the magazine in her hand.

He remembers the last time he bought a magazine was when he was a child. Back then, there were many newsstands, almost one on every street corner, stocked with lots of magazines and newspapers, and also selling things like tea eggs and sausages. They are all full of memories.

Although this world is technologically advanced, newsstands have survived. After all, there are many people in this world who like printed works, so they are still quite profitable.

Opening the book "Spark" in her hand, Bai Qianqu could see the name of her work in a very prominent position on the first page, and it was even enlarged many times. The words "[Qianjian's Latest Short Story]" were very eye-catching.

Bai Qianqu's lips twitched slightly. He hadn't expected that Ye Xiao would go to such lengths to promote his work. The large characters occupied almost a third of the page, as if he was afraid that others wouldn't know about it.

Although Qian Jian became famous for his novel "The King's Avatar", he is also a prominent figure in the field of short stories. He won the short story award and his story "Wolf" is still active on various forums and chat groups, and has even been included in many books.

As early as when Ye Xiao received Qian Jian's work, he had already promoted it to the outside world. After hearing that Qian Jian had written a new short story, many people had been discussing it and waiting for the annual issue of "Spark" with all sorts of thoughts.

At the same time that Bai Qianqu bought "Spark," the magazine had already appeared in front of many people, including Zhang Yucheng.

She is a very famous short story editor and the chief editor of the short story magazine "Lin Yi".

The status of "Lin Yi" in the short story magazine world is equivalent to that of "Zhu Huo" in the music industry—both are leading companies. Zhang Yucheng is also a reader who loves short stories, and her dream is to make "Lin Yi" one of the world's top magazines.

As a seasoned short story enthusiast, Zhang Yucheng not only reads her own magazine, but also enjoys reading all the top-rated magazines on the market. Every month, she brings home a pile of magazines, and "Spark" is one of them.

Although other magazines may not be as good as "Lin Yi", Zhang Yucheng did not underestimate them. Many times, she could find works that caught her eye in some inconspicuous magazines.

This feeling, similar to opening a blind box, was irresistible to her, greatly satisfying her desire to read and explore.

Of course, Zhang Yucheng doesn't just read short stories; she also reads some excellent novels when she has time, such as the recently popular "The King's Avatar".

Chapter 283 The Meaning of Maggie

However, as a busy office worker, she doesn't actually have much time to read each day.

She could only read a few short stories when she had time, and she couldn't finish the long ones at all. She couldn't stand the feeling of not being able to finish them, because it was still very upsetting not to see the continuation of the story.

In comparison, short stories can better address her pain points.

She had only watched a small part of "The King's Avatar", but it had already made her very upset.

Unfortunately, what office workers lack most is free time.

The annual magazine "Spark" is not the only one published each year, but this time Zhang Yucheng bought a total of twelve copies, which would be enough for her to enjoy during the Chinese New Year.

However, the magazine she was most interested in this time was still "Spark," not because "Spark" was the most famous, but because it featured Qian Jian's new work.

Zhang Yucheng really liked Qian Jian's last novel, "The Wolf." She read it more than twenty times and can now recite it almost from memory.

The story is good, and the concept is ingenious, especially the rhetorical question at the end, which is a real eye-opener.

Such masterpieces are truly rare and hard to come by.

Upon learning that Qian Jian had written a new work, Zhang Yucheng was naturally very interested and had high expectations for it.

In her mind, even if the new work couldn't compare to "Wolf," its quality certainly wouldn't be too bad.

Zhang Yucheng took a deep breath and eagerly opened the book "Spark" in her hand.

"Let me see what you've written this time. Can you give me another surprise?"

When Zhang Yucheng saw the title of the short story, he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"The Gift of the Magi? What does that mean? It looks like a gift a little girl received, but what could it represent?"

Having read countless short stories, Zhang Yucheng instantly recalled several articles about "gifts." The themes of those stories were quite similar, all revolving around the principles of "love and gratitude."

However, a sudden inspiration flashed through Zhang Yucheng's mind.

"No! How could Qianjian, who could write 'Wolf,' write such a cliché story? This title must be hiding something."

She pondered for a moment, then a smile appeared on her lips.

“I’ve got it. The so-called ‘Maggie’ might not be a person’s name, but something else. I remember in a religious story, ‘Maggie’ represents three wise men, and the gifts they give carry the meaning of holiness and dignity. Following this line of thought, the so-called ‘Gift of the Magi’ could also be called ‘Gift of the Angels’.”

Zhang Yucheng's eyes sparkled.

Before even starting to read the story, the title itself is already full of hidden meaning. It's clear that Qianjian put her heart into this work, and the quality shouldn't disappoint her.

She made herself a cup of tea and began to read it carefully.

[One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That's it. Sixty cents of it was scraped together with pennies. These pennies were obtained by begging and haggling with the grocer, the vegetable vendor, and the butcher, one or two at a time; though they didn't say so explicitly, she always felt that this kind of haggling was too stingy, and her face turned red with embarrassment. Della counted it three times. It was still one dollar and eighty-seven cents, and the next day was Christmas, and she wanted to buy her husband Jim a Christmas present.]

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yucheng gasped slightly. The opening was straightforward and simple, but the writing style was very refined.

A poor but loving couple, the housewife had to "beg and plead with the grocer, vegetable vendor, and butcher to get every penny she could, one or two at a time." Despite this, by Christmas Eve the family had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents left.

Qian Jian uses seemingly plain language to create an atmosphere that immerses the reader, allowing them to understand and contemplate the characters' fates. He doesn't dwell on the family's poverty and hardship, simply introducing the story with "one dollar and eighty-seven cents." In particular, the scene of Della, the housewife who deeply loves her husband, counting the money three times and being heartbroken because she cannot buy him a satisfactory gift creates a melancholic and desolate atmosphere that permeates the entire text.

In such a poor family, how should the wife buy a gift for her husband?

With this curiosity in mind, Zhang Yucheng continued reading.

She suddenly turned around at the window and stood in front of the wall mirror. Her eyes were bright and clear, but her face paled within twenty seconds. She quickly let her hair down.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yucheng's heart skipped a beat. She felt a little nervous and couldn't help but frown.

What would a woman do if she were extremely short of money?

Many thoughts flashed through her mind. Although she didn't want to think about them, there were many examples out there. When a person is desperate, they may take risks and do illegal or criminal things.

Even now, there are still cases where people are forced to sell their bodies to make a living, a practice that has been repeatedly prohibited but continues to this day.

Is Qianjian planning to write an extremely melodramatic plot where the wife sells her body and the customer is her husband?

It's no wonder Zhang Yucheng is overthinking things; she's seen far too many strange and unusual stories like this, and such situations do happen in real life.

Could this be the meaning that the story of Thousand Swords wants to convey? To let readers see the cruel side of reality and thus provoke reflection?

But this doesn't quite match the title, does it? The title is "Gifts of Angels," so where is the holiness and nobility in it?

Zhang Yucheng patiently continued reading.

She soon realized how wrong her idea was.

Now, James Dillingham Young and his wife had two things they were particularly proud of: Jim's three-generation-old gold watch and Della's hair. If the Queen of Sheba lived in the apartment across the courtyard, Della would one day hang her hair out of the window to dry, making the Queen's jewels and gifts pale in comparison. If King Solomon were the doorman, storing all his wealth in the basement, Jim would surely pull out his gold watch every time he passed by, just to make Solomon glare with envy.

Seeing this, Zhang Yucheng had already guessed that the female lead probably wanted to sell her hair.

As a woman herself, she clearly understands the importance of beautiful long hair to them.

If there were absolutely no other choice, what woman would willingly lose her hair?

Moreover, according to the article, the heroine Della's long hair could even "make the Queen's jewelry and gifts pale in comparison."

How will Chapter 284 end?

At this moment, Della's beautiful hair cascaded down her body like a small, shimmering brown waterfall. It reached just below her knees, as if forming a garment for her. She nervously and quickly combed her hair. She hesitated for a moment, standing quietly, a tear or two falling onto the worn red carpet.

The more the article describes how beautiful Della's hair is, the more Zhang Yucheng understands her reluctance to part with her.

But there was no other way, and in the end, Della sold her long hair for twenty dollars.

She eventually used the money to buy a platinum watch chain because her husband's gold watch didn't have a strap, and the platinum chain would be a perfect match. The store sold it to her for twenty-one dollars, and she hurriedly went home with the remaining eighty-seven cents.

When Della got home, a small part of her euphoria was replaced by caution and reason. She took out her curling iron, lit the gas, and began to salvage the disaster caused by love and generosity. In less than forty minutes, her head was covered in tightly curled frizz, making her look like a truant schoolchild. She carefully and harshly examined herself in the mirror again and again.

What started as an impulsive act now makes her somewhat worried and regretful. She worries that her behavior will anger her husband and cause him to scold her severely. After all, in her husband's heart, Della's long hair is also his pride. If she loses her long hair, will she still be as beautiful in her husband's eyes as before?

Zhang Yucheng's heart clenched; she felt sorry for Della in the story.

Being cautious and living in poverty, such a life was simply unimaginable to her.

Although people's lives have improved a lot now, there are still many poor families in remote areas. As society develops rapidly, it seems to have forgotten them, and some people don't even believe they exist.

There was a film that depicted their lives before, but it was questioned as being fabricated.

This made Zhang Yucheng feel very uncomfortable.

Technology and society have forgotten them, so what about art and culture? Must they be abandoned as well?

Zhang Yucheng seemed to understand the thoughts that "The Gift of the Magi" wanted to bring to the readers.

Zhang Yucheng murmured to herself, "The next part should be the husband receiving the gift from his wife, and then the two of them hugging and crying, which shows the love and beauty between the couple in their impoverished life."

"Although it's not particularly amazing, it's a short story with a very good theme that can make readers think."

The story unfolded exactly as Zhang Yucheng had imagined; her husband returned later.

The door opened, Jim walked in, and closed it behind him. He was thin and very serious. Poor man, only twenty-two years old—and already shouldering the burden of a family. He needed a new coat but had no gloves.

Jim stood motionless inside the doorway, like a hunting dog that had caught the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed on Della with an expression she couldn't comprehend, which greatly alarmed her. It was neither anger nor surprise, nor displeasure nor disgust—none of the expressions she had anticipated. He simply stared at Della with that peculiar look.

Zhang Yucheng sensed that her husband's behavior was a bit strange, but she didn't think much of it and continued reading.

She was also a little nervous, worried that her husband would fly into a rage, become furious, or even slap Della.

If this is the ending, Zhang Yucheng naturally cannot accept it.

The ending of a story can be ordinary or even cliché, but it absolutely cannot be disgusting.

If Qianjian deliberately wrote an ending that disgusted readers for some effect, she vowed never to read any of Qianjian's works again.

Della twisted her waist, jumped off the table, and walked closer to him.

“Jim, my dear,” she cried, “don’t stare at me like that. I cut my hair and sold it because I can’t celebrate Christmas without giving you a present. My hair will grow back—you won’t mind, will you? I had no choice but to do it. My hair grows so fast. Say ‘Merry Christmas,’ Jim, let’s make us happy. I bought you something so wonderful—so beautiful—you’d never guess it.”

"Did you cut your hair?" Jim asked with difficulty, as if he hadn't quite grasped the obvious fact after racking his brains.

“Not only did I cut it, I sold it,” Della said. “Anyway, you still like me the same, don’t you? Even without hair, I’m still me, aren’t I?”

Jim looked around the room curiously. "You said you've lost your hair?"

He asked with an almost idiotic expression.

Watching the conversation between the two, Zhang Yucheng was somewhat puzzled.

What happened?

Shouldn't the husband be moved in the end, and the two embrace?

Is my husband angry or not? Why does he seem a little confused?

What exactly is Qianjian trying to write? Am I wrong? How will Qianjian end?

She was completely baffled until she saw this passage.

Jim took a package out of his coat pocket and threw it on the table.

“Don’t misunderstand me, Della,” he said. “Whether it’s a haircut, a shave, or a shampoo, my love for my girl will never diminish. But once you open that package, you’ll understand why you stunned me just now.”