The most famous military literature website in China is undoubtedly Tiexue Net! Born from a military forum founded by a magazine with a special background—a military literary publication—this literary site had already gathered a large following of veterans and military enthusiasts since its inception a decade ago.
However, today, the book fans of Tiexue Net were a bit stirred up. They had first been recommended by friends to a novel published on Qiyue Literature Network's military section, a site they usually wouldn't deign to visit.
Novels in Qiyue Literature Network's military section excel in imagination but lack realism. Often, the bestsellers are riddled with loopholes and flawed logic.
This disdain was felt by military enthusiasts who love scrutinizing the real data of weapons and equipment—it's as absurd as a history professor who has studied the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods for decades seeing a novel claim that papermaking was invented by Confucius.
But "Soldier Assault" was different. They were utterly captivated, and many weapons and data were accurately described—Yang Yi, drawing on his predecessor's memories, had corrected the names of some weapons and tanks from his past life.
"This author must have served in the military and had similar experiences!" Many veterans from rural backgrounds were moved to tears by the first few chapters and went on to recommend it to even more people.
However, the comments under this novel were far from friendly!
After all, the audience for web novels is vast, ranging from "old boys" in their thirties and forties to elementary school students just learning to read long stories, including successful businesspeople, rich second-generation heirs, and migrant workers who read to pass the lonely hours after earning their hard-won wages.
The slow pace and deeper plot of "Soldier Assault" made it hard for some readers accustomed to fast-food literature to adapt!
What stuck in the craw of readers seeking instant gratification was the protagonist's "weakness"!
"How can there be such a pathetic protagonist? I really can't keep reading!"
"Truly a first—seeing a protagonist who only becomes a soldier out of pity! I gave up after two chapters."
"Surrendering at the sight of a tank barrel? Can Xu Sanduo even survive in the barracks? How could the author write such a useless protagonist?"
Indeed, everyone was used to web novel protagonists who dominate heaven, earth, and air with their arrogant, cool, and explosive style. Now, encountering a lackluster protagonist felt like a shock to their worldview.
Of course, there were readers who loved the novel. People like Mu Yucheng, who had patience and appreciated the writing style, were not few. They argued their case, and surprisingly, those who rarely tipped were willing to spend money to support the author, encouraging him to keep writing.
But under the barrage of negative reviews from disgruntled readers, "Soldier Assault" consistently scored low, failing to even cross the median line of five!
Seeing these reviews and scores, the netizens from Tiexue Net were furious.
How could they slander such a good work?
"This is the most realistic military work I've ever seen! I'm also a soldier from a rural background, and I can responsibly tell you that the author writes truthfully. Many rural recruits join because their families are poor and their parents push them into service, starting from the most basic units! Unlike you city kids with good family conditions, no one wants to enlist, and even if they sign up, it's just to use the military as a stepping stone for credentials!"
Many veterans also chimed in: "Enlistment isn't as simple as military training. You think the protagonist is pathetic because you haven't experienced suddenly leaving home and parents on a military train for a completely unfamiliar place. The author captures this process well. Yes, even if we're all men who bleed without tears, in that atmosphere, if one comrade cries, the whole carriage will be in tears! Those who think it's childish can stop—they're just raw recruits, not yet tempered with strong will!"
"What hits hardest is Xu Sanduo's early days in the barracks, those embarrassing little episodes during training—they're full of memories! Back in the day, I was also scolded by the platoon leader for marching out of step, kicked in the knee, and tricked by teammates into running laps... Damn, reading this book makes me want to cry. I, Zhao Tiezhu, miss the army!"
With all this emotional outpouring, a group of comrades below were hugging and crying together.
The arrival of Tiexue Net users shifted the balance in the review section. The new force was substantial, and combined with the original supporters of Yang Yi, they even gained a certain advantage!
But they weren't satisfied. They still felt Yang Yi was being wronged on this site.
So, they started a campaign urging Yang Yi to publish his next book on Tiexue Net.
"Qiyue Net's readers look down on you, but it's okay, author, come to Tiexue! We'll spoil you rotten! There are tons of fans here who love your work!"
"Author, is your next book also military literature? Come to Tiexue—this is your true home."
Promoting a rival site on someone else's platform—even though Yang Yi, as the moderator, hadn't managed it—quickly caught the attention of Qiyue Literature Network's staff. They began deleting posts and banning repeat offenders.
However, Tiexue Net users had hot tempers—otherwise, they wouldn't be so devoted to military novels. The more they were suppressed, the angrier they got, and the more vigorously they posted.
That afternoon, Qiangzi was called into the editor-in-chief's office.
"Chief Hu, you wanted to see me?" Qiangzi was a bit nervous.
Chief Hu nodded, the glow of the computer screen partially obscuring his expression: "'Soldier Assault'—you discovered this book, right?"
"Yeah." Qiangzi nodded uneasily.
"This book has stirred up quite a controversy lately..." Chief Hu's tone was still calm.
But Qiangzi, like a startled bird, quickly explained, "I know it's caused some trouble for the site, but Chief Hu, this book is truly excellent."
Chief Hu laughed heartily, saying, "Qiangzi, you've misunderstood. I'm not blaming you. On the contrary, I want to commend you for uncovering such an outstanding work for the site."
"Huh?" Qiangzi was dumbfounded.
"Look at this data!" Chief Hu handed a printed sheet to Qiangzi. "In the past few days, our site's new user registrations have surged significantly. Our tech team looked into it, and most of these new readers came for 'Soldier Assault'!"
Qiangzi had noticed the issues in the review section and asked puzzledly, "But won't their comments affect our site? And these readers aren't loyal—they'll go back to Tiexue after finishing the book..."
"They've spent money, so they're our users. What matters isn't where they came from, but whether we can keep their hearts!" Chief Hu said decisively. "And to keep their hearts, we need to ensure the author of 'Soldier Assault' isn't poached by Tiexue, and that his next book is still published on our site!"
Making the opponent unhappy and luring away their reader base—Chief Hu keenly sensed this was a great opportunity!
"Qiangzi, have you contacted this author? Invite him to our company for a talk!" Chief Hu looked at Qiangzi eagerly.
Qiangzi felt like crying: Bro, I wish I could reach him too!
"Not yet... I've been waiting for him for days, but he hasn't come online." Qiangzi smiled bitterly.
Of course, as a subordinate, he couldn't shift all the blame to his boss. He quickly added, "But I think he should be online today because his backlog of drafts is almost gone!"
"Great! Focus on this today—make sure you contact that author." Chief Hu clenched his fist to encourage Qiangzi. "This is crucial, Qiangzi. You carry our hopes!"
But while Qiangzi was eagerly waiting for Yang Yi, what was Yang Yi doing?
He was chatting with a beautiful single mother!