Everyone is imagining that Lin Yan has some earth-shattering master plan hidden away.
The night market stall owner says with absolute certainty: This young man knows how to bide his time. Sooner or later, he'll build a restaurant empire.
The idol-show fans are deeply moved: He sees right through the chaos of entertainment-industry capital and has no interest in chasing fleeting fame.
The metaphysics livestream audience worships him devoutly: A reclusive master who understands that the Great Way is simple, he never reveals his powers lightly.
The amateur football scene is abuzz with rumors: A grassroots tactical genius is biding his time, waiting for the chance to start a youth training club.
Only Lin Yan knows the truth:
There is no elaborate master plan. He just goes wherever the hottest web-novel genre is to work, observe, and gather material.
He sets up a stall and somehow becomes the most popular internet sensation on the whole street.
He joins an idol competition and accidentally debuts, with the audience voting him straight into a top position.
He livestreams about metaphysics, making a real-life version of For Science! and focusing on debunking all kinds of supernatural rumors.
He plays amateur football and, with his tactical insight, pulls off an upset against the provincial youth team.
No matter what he tries, he somehow becomes a sensation by accident.
But the moment he sits down at his computer to write, he crashes and burns at lightning speed.
His food novel turns into a street-stall business manual, and readers complain: All those cost calculations, and not a single thing to whet our appetites.
His idol-show story is packed with industry analysis. Nobody wants a variety-show report without passion or bonds between the contestants.
His metaphysics novel has no ghosts or strange encounters, only scientific explanations for supernatural rumors, so every paranormal-fiction reader quits.
His football manuscript is crammed with tactical analysis but lacks the roars and camaraderie of fighting side by side. Fans say it's not exciting enough.
Everyone else keeps overinterpreting him, convinced he is too highbrow to cater to the market.
Lin Yan calmly reviews the data: I simply don't know how to stir people's emotions. This approach isn't working.
People from all sorts of circles try desperately to guess what this legendary figure will do next.
Lin Yan looks down and checks his list: Material collected. Pack up and head to the next hot new field to gather inspiration.
[Everyone overinterprets everything] [Everyone is a conspiracy theorist] [A robotic, indifferent protagonist] [Hilarious misunderstandings] [No all-powerful arrogant hero]
Theme: Writing novels is a surefire way to flop spectacularly
