Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

The day the Galaxy Awards results were announced, the servers of Red Eggplant Literature Network crashed.

This isn't the first time. But the reason this time is a bit special—it's not that the number of readers visiting is too large, but that too many different groups of people are flooding in at the same time: science fiction fans, educators, media reporters, readers who are chasing after the old man to urge him to update "Dragon Raja 2", and passersby who are simply drawn in by the trending topic.

"The Rural Teacher" won the Galaxy Award Readers' Choice Award nomination, receiving a landslide victory in the votes. The news was trending third on social media, followed by the word "hot".

But what really crashed the server was not the award itself.

Someone discovered that the old man from Mount Akina is the author of "The Rural Teacher".

The reason is simple. When the Galaxy Awards announced the winners, they included the authors' pen names. Some busybodies thought the pen name "Akina Mountain Old Fool" looked familiar, did a quick search, and discovered a breathtaking fact: this person who won the Galaxy Award for science fiction is also the author of "Zhu Xian," "Murder on the Orient Express," and "Dragon Raja."

The screenshot was posted on the forum and spread across the entire internet within three minutes.

[@ScienceFictionFanXiaoZhang: Wait, wait, wait, was "The Rural Teacher" written by that old bastard from Mount Akina???]

[@Late-Stage Book Famine: This old geezer became a god-like writer of fantasy, mystery, and youth fantasy—and now he's a god-like writer of science fiction? Does he have some kind of KPI of "winning a championship every time he switches to a new genre"?]

[@Lu Mingfei's Dog: So I was wrong to criticize him in the comments section for the past six months???]

[@MathematicsDepartmentSaltedFish: You're not wrong. His winning the award and his not updating Dragon Raja 2 are two separate things.]

The comment section, book club forum, Weibo, and Zhihu on Hongqiezi Literature Network all exploded.

The news quickly reached the editor-in-chief's desk. Looking at the surge in data in the backend, the editor-in-chief remained silent for a moment, then opened the author's backend and sent Lin Yuan a message—

[Congratulations, author, on your Galaxy Award Readers' Choice nomination for "The Rural Teacher." Also, Science Fiction World, in conjunction with several mainstream literary platforms, would like to arrange an interview with you to discuss your creative inspiration. Would that be convenient for you? Furthermore, our readers are eagerly awaiting your response…]

Lin Yuan replied this time.

[An exclusive interview is fine. Anonymous. No cameras. You set the time.]

The editor-in-chief looked at the reply and hovered his fingers over the keyboard for a moment.

Not turning on the camera? Fine. Anyway, this big shot has never shown his face since his debut, and fans are still guessing whether he's male or female.

He replied: "Received. I'll arrange it."

The interview is scheduled for three days later. It will be conducted online via audio link, co-hosted by the editor-in-chief of *Science Fiction World* and a senior journalist from a mainstream literary platform.

Lin Yuan sat in front of his computer in his room, put on his headphones, opened an electronic voice changer software, and adjusted it to a neutral to warm tone. He recorded a sentence as a test, listened to it once, and thought it was fine.

The connection is established.

The reporter seemed a little nervous: "Hello, Mr. Lao Pifu. Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," Lin Yuan's voice came through the voice changer.

"Hello, hello. Let's get started."

The interview lasted twenty minutes.

Afterwards, the official transcript was compiled into a written Q&A document. There was no video footage, only pure text dialogue.

This is also the first time that the old man from Mount Akina has accepted an exclusive interview with a formal media outlet since he started writing his book.

Three days later, the official written Q&A was released.

Q1: About creative inspiration

Reporter: The realism of "The Rural Teacher" is so palpable that many readers even suspect you yourself live in a rural area. What was the inspiration for this work? Was it based on a real person?

Old Man of Mount Akina:

Inspiration comes from real life.

During my visit home for the Chinese New Year, I met a close relative who is a primary school teacher who has been working in the countryside for decades. Over drinks, he shared many of the realities of rural education – teacher attrition, young people's reluctance to stay, veteran teachers' silent dedication, and children in the mountains having to travel long distances to attend school.

These are not literary fictions, but real stories that are happening in countless rural schools today.

Q2: Regarding the science fiction theme

Reporter: You've focused your science fiction on rural life and education, rather than traditional themes like spaceships, mechs, and interstellar warfare. What is the core message of this novel?

Old Man of Mount Akina:

Advanced extraterrestrial civilizations possess natural advantages, as knowledge can be passed down through genes from generation to generation. Humans are different. We lack the ability to pass on knowledge genetically, and we are not born with innate memories of our civilization.

The reason why human civilization has been able to continue for thousands of years has never been due to talent, but rather to the teachings and legacy passed down from generation to generation.

Teachers are the core carriers of human civilization.

Q3: Regarding going mainstream

Reporter: The immense popularity of "The Rural Teacher" far exceeds the impact a science fiction novel should have. How do you evaluate this phenomenon?

Old Man of Mount Akina:

Good works will never be out of touch with the times.

Currently, the whole society is paying attention to rural education, and countless people have witnessed the hardships of rural teachers, yet few people truly speak up for them. I simply used a grand, science fiction-like perspective to amplify the greatness of these ordinary people.

Let the public see that even beneath the soil, there is a blazing starlight.

Q4: About the new book

Reporter: What readers across the internet are most concerned about—your next new book, or "Dragon Raja 2"—do you have any plans to update it in the near future?

Old Man of Mount Akina:

There are currently no plans to start a new book or continue an old one.

For now, I just want to reflect. Thank you to all the readers for your support. I will let you know as soon as I have any plans for the future.

—The interview is over.

The interview article went viral as soon as it was published, trending on social media.

Within half an hour, three related topics surged into the top ten.

[#First Interview with the Old Man of Mount Akina#] Part 2.

[#The prototype of the rural teacher is a relative of the author#] Fourth.

[#Old Man Says He Won't Write Dragon Raja 2 for Now#] Sixth.

The comment section was completely flooded with comments.

[@Chinese Language Teacher Xiao Wang: It turns out that Li Baoku's prototype was a rural teacher the author actually met! No wonder it's written so painfully and realistically!]

[@ScienceFanLaoZhang: Extraterrestrial civilizations pass on their genes, while humans pass on their civilization through teachers! This concept completely blows away all formulaic science fiction!]

[@DragonPalaceUpdateAssociation: So what? You're not writing DragonPalace 2? What's the point of all this?]

[@BurningOnAnimeAllNight: The most miserable reader of the year, watching the author achieve legendary status in various genres, yet still not updating the sequel we're most looking forward to.]

[@AnonymousNetizen: Unseen interviews, low-key deification—this big shot truly embodies mystery to the extreme.]

The internet is polarized. One group is wildly praising the depth of thought and humanistic warmth of "The Rural Teacher," repeatedly reading the interviews. Another large group is clamoring for more updates online, a scene of utter lamentation.

The most popular comment is only one sentence:

"You old bastard, how many more cards are you hiding? Can you hand over Dragon Raja 2 first?!"

602 Dormitory.

Zhou Zixuan, holding up his phone, leaned down from the top bunk: "Brother Yuan, did you see that interview with that old bastard?"

"I saw it." Lin Yuan stared at his phone screen and swiped his thumb up.

He said he's not writing Dragon Raja 2 anymore!

He said he wouldn't write it for the time being.

"Isn't that the same thing?!" Zhou Zixuan's voice was filled with the bitterness of abandonment. "I've waited for half a year! What happened to Lu Mingfei? Does Nuonuo even know about him—"

"You can fill in the blanks yourself."

"I can't imagine it! I'm not some old fool!"

"Then we'll wait."

"...Could you act like a normal reader and be a little anxious?"

"No." Lin Yuan scrolled to the bottom of the interview page. "I'm quite calm."

Zhou Zixuan stared at him for three seconds, feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

404 Dormitory.

Xie Wanyin lay on the bed, her phone screen displaying the interview page. She read it twice from beginning to end, then turned over and stared at the ceiling.

"Sisters, I have a question."

"Speak." Shen Qingci was applying a face mask.

"Just who is this old scoundrel?"

"A novelist." Su Zhiyuan said without looking up.

"No, what I mean is—how can he write well on any subject?"

"It might not be human," Su Zhiyuan said.

Lin Yuan, who was at the center of the incident, closed the interview page.

The phone was on the table, and the screen went dark.

Outside the window, the April wind blew in, carrying a hint of earth and grass.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

The truth is that it has been settled.

As for the new book and sequel? Take your time, no rush.