12 Chapter 12: Breaking Through with Fire (Edited)

 "Have you finalized the contract with Cook? It's been half a month, right? How are the sales of the novel?"

"It's okay. It's doing fairly well among the new releases, but it's no match for the famous veteran authors."

"You should be satisfied! To achieve such results with your first book, what more do you want? To compete with those famous authors who've been around for years?"

"Of course! After all, I'm a descendant of Chief Marcus. If I can't surpass them, wouldn't that be embarrassing for you?"

"You little rascal..."

In the passenger seat of the police car, Clark was having a lively chat with Marcus, the Chief of the Manhattan Police Department.

As the saying goes, it's easier to get things done with connections, even in the Marvel universe's America.

Coincidentally, the squad led by Marcus was the one responding to the call today. When he found out the involved party was Clark, his concern immediately shifted from the street fight to Clark's injuries.

The thugs, obviously with several priors, had vanished at the sound of the police sirens.

Clark, being the only involved party and a familiar face to Chief Marcus, could easily shape the narrative of the incident. Thus, Clark became a victim of New York City's poor public security and a good citizen who bravely fought against criminals. After receiving simple medical treatment at the police station, Chief Marcus personally drove him home, treating him like royalty.

If those thugs had witnessed this scene, who knows if they would have been driven to dial 911 in despair?

"I suggest you buy a car. At the very least, avoid taking shortcuts through secluded alleys. The security in New York..." Marcus couldn't help but advise as they reached Clark's building, but given his position, he couldn't criticize the security situation and ended with a cough, "Just be safe."

"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Marcus. I will," Clark quickly agreed, though what he would actually do remained unsaid.

Would he buy a car, be more cautious, or continue taking shortcuts through alleys? After bidding Marcus farewell and seeing the surge in his impression points, Clark had already made his decision.

...

Thanks to the motivation of profits, the efficiency of Americans can indeed be guaranteed.

"Battle Through the Heavens" was published just a week after the contract was signed. The publishing house completed the cover design, advertising, typesetting, printing, and other preparations in record time. By the second Monday, the book officially went on sale in all major bookstores across the city.

Due to the rushed promotional efforts and Clark being a complete newcomer, the sales in the first two days were just passable, not reflecting the potential strength of "Battle Through the Heavens."

However, from the third day, the sales of "Battle Through the Heavens" surged dramatically. By the end of the first week, its performance had outshone other newcomers by a large margin, even beginning to rival the sales of veteran authors.

By the second week, this trend became a reality. With a cumulative sale of 100,000 copies, "Battle Through the Heavens" secured a mid-tier spot on the bestseller list. This achievement marked its place in American literature, considering it competed against all books released in the same period, including the "Playboy" magazine series.

If only considering novels, "Battle Through the Heavens" was already a standout.

The exact sales figure of 100,000 copies was not a coincidence but because the publishing house only printed 100,000 copies!

The first edition of "Battle Through the Heavens" was declared sold out by the second Friday, missing the weekend's prime sales period and affecting its overall sales. In other countries, the publishing house might have organized overtime work to meet market demand for the sake of performance.

But this is America, where "freedom and democracy" are highly valued, and workers' rights are fiercely protected.

Overtime?

Ha!

Forget about it!

However, this inadvertently aligned with the concept of scarcity marketing.

Suddenly, following "Battle Through the Heavens" became a trend, especially among teenagers, becoming an unstoppable movement. Coinciding with the start of the school season, owning a copy of "Battle Through the Heavens" became a way to show off among classmates.

Discussions during breaks revolved around "Battle Through the Heavens," with phrases like "Do not underestimate the poor," "Burning Fingers," "Flame Lotus," and "Terrifyingly powerful" becoming their catchphrases. Those who had read it could boast, while those who hadn't could only listen in confusion.

And of course, those who hadn't read it were not content. With the book sold out, they could only save up and swear to buy a deluxe edition as soon as the new printing arrived, vowing to show off in front of others.

...

Inside a bar in Manhattan, two young men resembling Quicksilver and a chubby guy were chatting about "Battle Through the Heavens."

One of the Quicksilver look-alikes, a dark-haired youth, suddenly asked, "Have you two ever thought about becoming superheroes?"

The other, a blonde Quicksilver look-alike, immediately shook his head, "Wow! Dave, have you lost your mind? Such thoughts? 'Battle Through the Heavens' is just a story; don't take it too seriously. Moreover, 'Xiao' is not a superhero in the traditional sense."

Dave, the "dark-haired Quicksilver," earnestly shook his head, "I know, but I see in him a brave and persistent heart, which I believe is essential for a superhero."

The chubby guy chimed in, "Oh, Dave. I advise you to give up that unrealistic idea as soon as possible. Our society is nothing like the one described in the book!"

Despite unanimous opposition from his companions, Dave shook his head helplessly, "Too bad Clark isn't here, or he'd definitely be on my side."

The blonde Quicksilver nodded, "That guy has been working out and studying Eastern martial arts lately, looking indeed like he wants to become a superhero. But as far as I know, he started working out at the beginning of summer break, and learning kung fu was before 'Battle Through the Heavens' was released."

Dave said nothing more, but his eyes shone with determination.

...

"Peter!" Meanwhile, in a house in Queens, Ben Parker called out his beloved nephew's name as he entered.

Soon, a boy about seven or eight years old ran out of a room, saying, "Uncle Ben, you're back."

"Peter, look what gift I brought you?" Ben pulled out a hardcover edition of "Battle Through the Heavens" and waved it in front of Peter.

The boy's eyes lit up with excitement, jumping up to grab the book, "This is so cool, Uncle Ben! Do you know how awesome the classmates who have this book are at school?"

"Fortune favors the bold! I, Peter Parker, will also become a man as upright and resolute as 'Xiao'!"

...

On an unnamed town's bench, a middle-aged man in a black suit, holding a cane, put down "Battle Through the Heavens" and muttered, "I didn't expect human subjective initiative to contain such immense potential, even capable of defying fate?"

Shaking his head, he clearly found the idea of "defying fate" absurd.

Yet, after another look at the closed "Battle Through the Heavens," he shook his head again, murmuring, "Though it can't defy fate, it can improve work efficiency. It seems that the young man named Johnny is not the best choice..."

With that, the middle-aged man stood up and walked towards New York City.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long, but anyone paying close attention would notice his shadow didn't match his gentlemanly appearance, resembling more a hunched devil.

...

Situations like Dave's and Peter's were unfolding all over New York City, but most people were just enjoying the spectacle. Very few, inspired by a novel, truly aspired to become superheroes.

Starting the third week, the publishing house mobilized, halting all other work to focus on printing "Battle Through the Heavens." The publisher, pleased with the week's sales figures, awarded Cook a bonus, encouraging him to maintain contact with Clark. If he could secure the publishing rights to "Battle Through the Heavens," he would be promoted to editor-in-chief.

Simultaneously, the publisher signed contracts with other publishing houses to use their resources for increased printing capacity.

From Monday morning, the second batch of "Battle Through the Heavens" went on sale, causing overcrowding at bookstores.

When the third week's sales figures were released, they astonished everyone. With over 3.4 million copies sold, "Battle Through the Heavens" became the second best-selling book in New York City, only behind "Playboy."

And this was just the beginning of the "Battle Through the Heavens" craze. With the new book's success, Clark gained a massive amount of impression points, which he used to upgrade his BGMs, resulting in...

Activated BGMs:

"Calories"

Level: 6 (0/1000000)

Effect: Enhances exercise effects by 60% and reduces fatigue and injury from exercise by 60%.

"Men Should Strengthen Themselves"

Level: 4 (0/1000000)

Effect: Maintains composure in combat, increasing combat awareness by 80%.

"Chinese Kung Fu"

Level: 4 (0/1000000)

Effect: Accelerates the learning speed of combat techniques by 80%.