After half a month of rigorous screening—cutting submissions with low popularity, suspected explicit content, or mismatched campus romance themes—only 200 books advanced to the final round.
These 200 would decide the gold, silver, and bronze awards right here in the office.
Though the task seemed serious, the light novel editorial team kept the finals refreshingly casual.
Editors read while sharing thoughts in the group chat, sparking lively debates. Weak entries? The team would pile on with relentless critique.
This method boosted objectivity—but sometimes, momentum swept everyone along.
“This contest’s packed with hidden gems! I’ve spotted several big-name authors already,” Big Wildcat remarked in the chat.
“Totally! The quality this time is insane!”
“Has anyone checked Author Xia Mo’s new release, *Becoming a God Through Campus Romance*?”
An editor kicked off talk about the frontrunner, igniting instant buzz.
“Yes! Xia Mo’s heroines are always so lovable! Ai Weiya is *way* too cute!”
“I prefer Ai Erli! A black-stockings femme fatale? Absolutely irresistible!”
The female editors could only sweatdrop. Harem novels weren’t their style—but wow, was it popular.
“Ugh, if real girls were this cute, I wouldn’t be single,” Potato sighed.
“Even if they were, you’d still be single! Xia Mo’s magic is making you *feel* that fantasy!”
“You otaku boys, enough! Focus on other books!” Lily snapped.
“Quality work deserves respect,” Potato insisted solemnly.
“This objectifies women… *sigh*… *shiver*… *cold*…”
“…”
Still, even skeptical female editors admitted it: flawless plot, perfect character design. Its hype was earned.
“Um…”
Green Leaf cut through the heated debate.
“Has anyone read *Your Lie in July*?”
“*Your Lie in July*? Oh—the new author’s book ranked third!”
“Title confused me. Skipped it.”
“Reviews are polarized. New authors + controversy usually get disqualified…”
Male editors chimed in.
Instantly, the chat exploded.
“READ IT FIRST BEFORE JUDGING!”
“IT’S A HIDDEN GEM!!”
“A MASTERPIECE—DON’T YOU DARE SLANDER IT!”
Male editors blinked. They’d never seen the women this fired up—not even during earlier spats!
Well… reviews awaited. Might as well dive in.
Silence fell. Everyone opened the file.
Minutes later—
“Uh… this book’s… actually got something,” one editor murmured.
“Damn. How is reading this *this* satisfying?!”
“…Yeah. Solid.”
Casual readers might bounce fast. But editors pressed on.
And then—
ADDICTIVE!!!
The prose? *So* lyrical. *So* poetic.
Even tough guys felt hearts skip.
Once you settled into the rhythm? Total surrender.
Gong Sheng’s first meeting with Lavender bloomed in breathtaking detail. Burly editors mentally bookmarked lines to scribble later.
Speed-readers might miss it. But seasoned editors felt every crafted syllable.
In this fast-food web novel era? A rare, breathing masterpiece.
And Lavender herself—genuine, vivid, unforgettable.
No match for the tropey femme fatales, lolis, or tsunderes in *Becoming a God Through Campus Romance*.
“The editor-in-charge is… Green Leaf? You had the guts to sign this?!” Potato gasped.
“Chief Editor Cucumber approved it,” Green Leaf said, beaming with quiet pride.
Cucumber let out his signature “hehehe.” A wave of respect rippled through the chat.
“No wonder he’s chief!”
“Cucumber-sensei, legendary!”
Flattery flooded the screen.
“But…”
Big Wildcat’s voice cut through.
“This book’s brilliant—but unfit for contest awards.”
“Big Wildcat-sensei,” Lily retorted, tone sharp, “outsiders accuse us of bias against new authors. This quality *deserves* consideration.” (She was its fiercest fan.)
“Polarized reviews remain the issue,” Big Wildcat stated calmly.
True. History showed: massively divided feedback = automatic disqualification.
Praise poured in—but so did “pretentious!” rants.
Even recent supporters hesitated.
Awards demanded objectivity. Not passion.
“Big Wildcat’s right. A pity… but we move on,” Cucumber said gently. “I’d hoped for bronze. Time’s tight—next book.”
“But… maybe haters just quit too soon?” Green Leaf interjected, reluctant.
“Such a gem can’t vanish. How do we get readers to *stay*?”
“What about a physical release?” Lily suggested.
The chat detonated.
