I Became an All-round Artist

After a few seconds of daze, Han Jimei finally came back to her senses.

She never expected the story to end like this...

The wife sold her beautiful long hair to buy a strap for her husband's cherished gold watch, while the husband sold his beloved gold watch to buy the combs his wife had longed for.

They both sacrificed the most valuable possessions in their home for each other, but the gifts they exchanged simultaneously lost their original value.

Calling the ending cruel might be an overstatement, but it certainly left readers in a bittersweet state, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Yet, amid this humorous irony, the love between the husband and wife burst through the pages, vividly displayed for all to see!

It was the kind of love that made one envious.

Han Jimei thoughtfully closed the magazine. A sudden thought crossed her mind:

This kind of great story should have appeared in our platform’s literary section, much like Chu Kuang's Artificial Beauty.

"Why did we end up missing out on Chu Kuang?"

After all, he had initially chosen our platform.

A glimmer of determination flashed in Han Jimei's eyes as she pressed the green button on the top left of her desk: "Editorial meeting in five minutes."

Why hadn't the literary section of their platform gained momentum?

Because the quality of the stories wasn't up to par with those in the magazines.

At the core of the issue, it was clear: their platform simply wasn't appealing enough to top-tier authors.

And how could they change this situation?

It was simple—they had to secure better stories and recruit top authors!

Authors like Chu Kuang were exactly the kind of talent they needed. Han Jimei was confident she could eventually win over talented writers like him.

With this in mind, Han Jimei began the editorial meeting.

Her first question was direct: "Why isn't our platform the first choice for authors to publish their work?"

This was, in fact, the most crucial question.

The editor sitting to her right smiled and said, "Aside from the unique nature of our platform as an online publishing site, the primary issue is that we don't pay authors well enough."

Authors, after all, need to make a living.

Relying solely on online tips from readers simply wasn't enough.

Han Jimei stood up, placed her hands on the table, and leaned forward slightly. "I'll request funding from above. You all know what to do, right?"

"Poach talent!"

The editors caught on immediately.

Han Jimei smiled faintly. "By tonight, I want to see your list of authors to target. The first batch should include at least thirty authors. We're going big this time."

"Looks like we're going head-to-head with the top magazines for talent."

The editors smiled. They had no shortage of connections with writers. With enough funding, it wouldn't be difficult to attract top authors.

"Excellent."

Han Jimei straightened up. "It seems like you all have your targets in mind. Let me recommend someone for your poaching list."

"Who?"

"Chu Kuang."

The editors froze, thinking she must have made a mistake. "Isn't he more of a fantasy fiction writer? His last short story, Artificial Beauty, was good, but he's mainly known for writing young adult fantasy novels."

"Then take a look at this."

Han Jimei placed the latest issue of Quirky Reads on the table and glanced at everyone. "You can decide who you want to target, but Chu Kuang is my top priority."

...

As the featured story on the cover, The Gift of the Magi didn’t just catch Han Jimei’s attention. Many readers who bought the magazine were also captivated by the tale.

About a week later, online discussions exploded.

The first platform where the buzz started was the message board on the Silver Blue Books' magazine section, which functioned like a novel forum.

"The quality of this issue is amazing, especially The Gift of the Magi. I absolutely loved it; it was so moving."

"Not surprised it was the cover story—didn't disappoint at all!"

"It’s been so long since I’ve read a story this good. The Gift of the Magi is simply outstanding."

"I was lucky enough to read Chu Kuang’s Artificial Beauty over the holidays on another platform, and I remembered his name. Now I’ve just read his new work, and I personally think it's even better!"

"I can't believe this short story was written by Chu Kuang..."

"I looked up Chu Kuang and found out he’s mainly a young adult fantasy writer. What a rare talent!"

"As a fan of both young adult fantasy and short stories, seeing Chu Kuang excel in both genres is amazing. I’m officially a fan!"

...

Soon, this wave of discussion spread, and The Gift of the Magi was met with widespread acclaim.

The immediate result? The first-week sales of Quirky Reads skyrocketed by 50% compared to the previous issue!

There was hope that this month’s overall sales might reach even greater heights.

For the first time, Chu Kuang’s name entered the radar of short story enthusiasts.

Even some established short story writers, thanks to The Gift of the Magi, quietly took note of Chu Kuang's pen name.

At this point, Chu Kuang was starting to gain some recognition in the short story world.

Some might argue, “Wasn’t The Gift of the Magi already a famous short story from Earth? Aren’t people overreacting?”

This kind of response is understandable.

But before saying that, one should think about how difficult it is to write a story that truly moves readers. It’s worth noting that creating timeless art rarely happens overnight.

In fact, countless works hailed as masterpieces by future generations only caused brief ripples when they were first published. When people call something a "world-class classic," they should consider how much time has passed since it was first released.

There are few who achieve instant fame in their time unless they already wield significant influence.

More often than not, it’s the passage of time that turns a great work into a classic.

When these works were newly published, the creators might have only shown the potential for greatness. Their true “legendary” status often required more—perhaps a Nobel Prize, or many more works of the same caliber.

Or sometimes... it took their death to fully cement their legacy.

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