Chapter 055: Disbelief

Let us set aside Zhang Shanming’s anxious fretting and turn to the marketplace, where the latest issue of "Legends Past and Present – Story Edition" has just been released. With it comes a complimentary trial issue of the Wuxia Edition, delighting many readers who crave martial arts stories. The magazine features the first installment—over sixty-five thousand words—of "The Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast." For the newest novels, visit the website.

Many readers who had enjoyed the opening chapter published in the previous issue of the Story Edition now find themselves richly rewarded; those who fell in love with the tale are now treated to a feast. Xu Zhiyou was among them. The twelve-thousand-word opening had truly whetted his appetite, compelling him to call the publisher to inquire about the story’s continuation.

Now, the Wuxia Edition of "Legends Past and Present" delivers the full serial in one go, satisfying his craving. Reading the novel, he witnessed the cold-blooded constable’s ruthless counterattack, single-handedly facing thirteen notorious villains, relying on perseverance, intelligence, and courage to ultimately triumph—calculating and vanquishing all thirteen wolf-like martial arts masters. When, at last, the constable dragged his battered body and slowly walked back, Xu Zhiyou felt a shiver run from his head to his toes, an indescribable exhilaration that was utterly captivating.

"This is brilliant!"

"This is the best martial arts novel I’ve read this year—not inferior at all to the ones from Hong Kong and Taiwan."

"The author is called Tan Zhang? Excellent, from now on I’m a fan of Tan Zhang’s books. Wait, there’s an author introduction here… What!" Xu Zhiyou’s eyes fell upon the end of the novel, nearly popping out of their sockets, his mouth agape for ages before he managed to close it. "A high school freshman, born in 1996—just fifteen years old? This was written by a fifteen-year-old child?"

"No, no, no, that’s impossible." Xu Zhiyou’s first impulse was to reject the notion. Though he wasn’t highly educated, that didn’t mean he couldn’t discern quality writing. The literary skill in "The Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast" was simply not something a high school freshman could produce, whether in style or emotional depth.

"Could the magazine have fabricated this information, chasing… some sort of sensationalism?"

Lately, the term "sensationalism" was popular, often mentioned in news reports about businesses devising new strategies to attract attention.

"No, I need to call and ask, find out whether it’s true or not."

"A high school freshman? Do they think I’m stupid?"

Xu Zhiyou was a man of action. He immediately rushed to a phone booth and dialed the number listed on the trial issue of the Wuxia Edition.

A standard Mandarin message answered, "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently busy. Please try again later."

"Still busy," Xu Zhiyou grumbled. But he was stubborn—the harder it was to get through, the more determined he became.

After waiting a while and encountering two more busy signals, he finally connected with the editorial office of the Wuxia Edition. "Hello, is this the Wuxia Edition editorial office?"

A crisp, sweet voice replied, "Yes, hello, how may I help you?"

The other party was a woman; Xu Zhiyou enjoyed chatting with female operators. "Are there a lot of people calling your Legends Past and Present line? I had to try several times before I got through."

"My sincerest apologies," the woman said, "Our magazine’s trial issue just came out, and we’ve received many calls from enthusiastic readers. All the lines are quite busy, sorry about that."

With her apology, Xu Zhiyou’s temper vanished. "No problem, I’m just calling to ask: Is the author of 'The Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast' really a high school freshman? I hope it’s not fake—a high schooler can’t possibly write such a compelling martial arts novel."

"Hehe, hello, you’re not the first reader to ask," the female operator chuckled, then continued, "Tan Zhang, the author of 'The Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast,' according to our verified information, really is a high school freshman. We have clear records of the school and class he corresponds from. Our editor-in-chief has spoken with Tan Zhang directly to confirm: he is indeed a current high school freshman."

"A high school freshman writing so well—I still don’t believe it!"

"Perhaps Tan Zhang is a genius, like Han Jingming, though even younger."

"Who’s Han Jingming? Never heard of him. Are you sure this isn’t just sensationalism, fabricated for effect?"

"Absolutely not. Legends Past and Present is a nationally-renowned magazine. The success of the Wuxia Edition trial issue is crucial; we have no reason to falsify author information. Please trust us."

Faced with the operator’s firm response, Xu Zhiyou was torn. He couldn’t quite believe Tan Zhang was only fifteen, but the certainty in her voice didn’t seem fake.

Soon, his doubts were put to rest. The operator said, "We’ve just received notice from our editor-in-chief: Because so many readers are curious about Tan Zhang, we will publish an interview with him in the next issue—the inaugural Wuxia Edition—alongside the second installment, 'Fugitive,' of 'The Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast.'"

"That’s wonderful," Xu Zhiyou nodded vigorously, then realized she couldn’t see him and said, "Actually, I’m just puzzled about Tan Zhang’s identity. But I truly love his novels. I hope you’ll publish more of his work—I’ll definitely support the Wuxia Edition."

"Thank you for your support; we certainly will."

After hanging up, Xu Zhiyou still felt a bit dazed.

"A high school freshman? That’s unbelievable."

"But the writing really is superb."

…

Wuxia Edition editorial office, Legends Past and Present.

"Boss, over twenty readers have called to inquire about Tan Zhang," the operator reported to Editor-in-Chief Wang Conglun. "Is Tan Zhang really a high school freshman?"

Truthfully, the operator herself doubted it. Geniuses exist, but not to this extent. Even the wildly popular Han Jingming was constantly accused of having his novelist father ghostwrite his books. Now here was an author even younger than Han Jingming—who had dropped out to write—and he’d produced a martial arts tale of such remarkable quality.

"Many readers say 'The Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast' is even better than Zhang Feifan’s 'Three Blades Pursuing the Soul.' They refuse to believe it’s the work of a high school freshman."

Wang Conglun shook his head. "I know. At first, I didn’t believe it either. But I’ve spoken with Tan Zhang several times by phone: he really is a high school freshman. Enough, there’s no point in us agonizing over this. Just tell the readers we’ll arrange an interview in the next issue. I’ll call Tan Zhang now."

The operator left. Wang Conglun grabbed the phone on his desk, opened his contacts, found Tan Zhang’s number, and dialed.

The call was quickly answered.

"Hello, is this Tan Zhang? I’m Wang Conglun."

"Oh, Editor Wang, is there something you need? I’ve already mailed my manuscript—this one is about sixty thousand words."

"Good, good. Your 'Four Famous Constables Shake the Northeast' is very popular. It’s only been a few days since distribution, and already many readers are calling to say it’s as good as the famous Hong Kong and Taiwan authors."

"Heh, as long as readers enjoy my novels, I’m content. Anything else, Editor Wang? I’m quite busy at the moment."

"Since you’re busy, I’ll be brief. Many readers are curious about you, so I’d like to arrange an exclusive interview for the next issue, to satisfy their curiosity. Would that be alright?"

"An interview with me…" There was a pause on the line, then a resolute reply: "No problem!"