1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

He Chongshan took the receipt, glanced at it, and saw that it was covered with place names and numbers.

He picked up the teacup, blew on it to cool it down, took a sip, and didn't speak immediately.

Another editor in charge of reader mail joined in, carrying a cardboard box containing a recently sorted batch of letters: "Editor-in-Chief He, the reader mail has exploded! In just a few days, we've received this huge box full of letters just about discussions, inquiries, and debates surrounding 'Infernal Affairs,' and there are also many manuscripts sent directly to the editorial office, saying they were inspired by 'Infernal Affairs'..."

He Chongshan nodded, his face revealing little emotion: "The letters will be processed according to procedure, and valuable discussions can be excerpted."

For submitted manuscripts, follow the normal peer review process.

He walked to a desk by the window, where several copies of the latest issue of Contemporary Newspaper were piled up, still smelling of ink.

He Chongshan picked up a book, flipped through it, and stopped at the page of "Infernal Affairs (Part 2)".

He already knew the above content by heart, but looking at it now, he still felt a surge of excitement.

"Reprint it." He put down the magazine and said to Old Li, his tone decisive. "Have the printing press start up the machines again and print another 100,000 copies. No, 200,000 copies. Tell the factory to hurry up and do it as soon as possible."

Old Li was taken aback: "Two hundred thousand? Editor-in-Chief He, isn't this print run too large? What if..."

"There's no 'what if'," He Chongshan interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over the excited faces in the outer office. "At this rate, even 200,000 copies might not be enough."

Let's make the arrangements first, and then see how things go.

You personally coordinate the supply of paper and ink; it cannot be interrupted.

"Okay!" Seeing the editor-in-chief's firm stance, Old Li didn't hesitate any longer, took the receipt, and hurriedly left.

He Chongshan then looked at the bespectacled editor who was still on the phone: "Xiao Liu, after you finish this call, draft a notice and send it to all distribution points and partner bookstores, explaining the reprint situation, so that they can prepare to receive and distribute the books, and soothe the readers' emotions."

"Okay, editor-in-chief," Xiao Liu replied quickly.

After making these arrangements, He Chongshan, carrying his teacup, slowly walked back to his editor-in-chief's office.

Closing the door reduced some of the outside noise, but the phone ringing could still be faintly heard.

He sat down behind the large, old desk, on which were some documents and proofs laid out, but he had no interest in reading them at the moment.

Are you worried? A little, actually.

Reprinting is not a simple matter; it involves coordination of various aspects, including paper, ink, printing press scheduling, transportation, and distribution.

Printing so many copies at once carries risks.

What if the hype dies down later? What if?

But this sorrow was quickly overshadowed by another, stronger emotion.

happy.

He was genuinely happy.

The popularity of "Infernal Affairs" even exceeded his previous optimistic expectations.

The first half had already garnered widespread attention, and the release of the second half, especially the completely unconventional and thought-provoking ending of Infernal Affairs, has caused a complete sensation.

The enthusiastic response from readers, the supply falling short of demand in the market, the discussions within literary circles...

All of this demonstrates that his decision to sign the article despite opposition was a very wise one!

He was absolutely right to personally go to Wuhan to meet Xie Lü, the 18-year-old author.

Xie Lü is a true literary genius.

No, even "genius" is not enough to describe it.

This insight into the darker aspects of human nature and the precise control over the narrative rhythm are things that a freshman who has just come of age should not possess.

He Chongshan picked up his teacup and took another sip.

He could almost see countless readers queuing in front of the newsstand, reading under the lamp, sighing for Chen Yongren, feeling indignant and helpless towards Liu Jianming, and being deeply shocked by that final glance and flashback.

Isn't this the power of literature?

It's not just about romance and praise; it's also about touching people's hearts and provoking reflection.

He put down his teacup, opened a drawer, and inside were Xie Lü's initial submission letter, as well as later letters about the prequel.

Such promising talents must be carefully protected and properly guided.

He Chongshan sat up straight, spread out his manuscript paper, picked up his pen, and decided to write a letter to Xie Lu to urge him on the prequel manuscript and briefly explain the situation on his end.

I suppose Xie Lv is unaware of the huge stir his work has caused across the country.

As he wrote, He Chongshan suddenly remembered that he had read part of the Infernal Affairs prequel before. Even a small part of the content was enough to portray Ni Yongxiao's character so vividly. This made He Chongshan eager to see the rest of the Infernal Affairs prequel as soon as possible.

If the editorial department weren't so incredibly busy right now, with a mountain of tasks like reprinting, distribution, reader feedback, and compiling articles for the next issue, he would have loved to buy a train ticket and go to Wuhan again.

He stood guard beside Xie Lu, watching him write.

He writes one page, and then reads one page.

That's what you call awesome!

Thinking of this, a different idea suddenly popped into He Chongshan's mind.

His old classmate, Zhou Shaoyuan, is now at Wuhan University.

As the saying goes, those who are near the water get the moon first.

Based on his understanding of Zhou Shaoyuan, this guy appears serious on the surface, but he's a bookworm at heart, unable to resist good works.

Xie Lu is a student at Wuhan University, and Zhou Shaoyuan is the dean of the School of Literature. If he wanted to ask Xie Lu for a manuscript to read, wouldn't that be a piece of cake?

Perhaps Xie Lu has already shown the prequel manuscript to Zhou Shaoyuan!

The more He Chongshan thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Zhou Shaoyuan definitely abused his position for personal gain!

They claim they're helping students review content and learning new narrative techniques... all high-sounding words! In reality, they're just itching to see it for themselves!

Thinking of this, He Chongshan suddenly felt a little unbalanced, a mixture of "disdain" for his old classmate and deep envy.

That old guy is really lucky.

While I'm busy and stressed out here, worrying about the manuscript and feeling anxious, others are leisurely enjoying the pleasure of reading firsthand articles.

"Hmph." He Chongshan hummed softly at the blurry scenery outside the window and stubbed out his cigarette in the old enamel ashtray on the windowsill.

Once this busy period is over, he'll definitely urge Xie Lu to "share" what Zhou Shaoyuan has seen; he can't be the only one drooling over it.

On the other side, Wuhan University.

The night is dark.

The streetlights on campus were on, but most of the classrooms and dormitories were dark, with only a few windows still lit.

The Faculty of Arts building was quiet, except for the light in the dean's office on the third floor, which was still on.

Zhou Shaoyuan finally finished processing the last document at hand. These were all trivial matters that had taken up a lot of his energy.

He took off his reading glasses and rubbed his sore and swollen nose and eye sockets.

The prolonged exposure to small print and intense thinking caused a throbbing sensation in his temples.

The office was quiet, with only the regular ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock.