The World in My Mind and the Real World

"Your complexion is terrible. Did you go grave robbing?"

Tang Yao lowered her head again and asked casually.

On the other side, Kang Ming, whose complexion was exceptionally bad, heard Tang Yao's words. He didn't rush to answer. Instead, he first pulled out a chair and sat down, then said with a serious expression, "Editor Tang… I've been screwed over."

"Huh?"

Tang Yao was stunned for a moment, then slowly turned her head, her beautiful eyes wide as she looked at him. "My condolences… Also, if possible, please explain in detail!"

She was very interested!

"No."

Kang Ming looked at the sparkling-eyed Tang Yao, knowing she had misunderstood. He shook his head forcefully, then held up the latest issue of big comic in his hand and said heavily, "Three years ago, right after I graduated, I saw the collected volumes of Girl, Boy, and Sword. From then on, I fell in love with this manga. The reason I came here to interview for a Manga Editor position when I had nowhere else to turn was also because of this manga.

Because I really, really love this manga."

"…I understand."

Tang Yao's eyes instantly dimmed, a little disappointed, like seeing someone bring over cat food, excitedly preparing to eat, only to find the flavor wasn't right.

However, she did understand why Kang Ming had that expression.

"I really love this manga, but do you know what this manga's latest issue drew?!"

Kang Ming's emotions suddenly became agitated. "Teacher Give It Your All! No! You old thief! No! That idiot actually…"

"You're too loud."

Tang Yao lowered her head again, adjusting the font for Uzumaki, and interrupted, "I know what you care about. I'm the editor in charge of this manga, and I saw the plot development of this issue before you did."

"Ah?"

Kang Ming's expression froze. He stared blankly at the girl with her head lowered, as if he had just learned this fact.

Then, he became even more agitated, his voice suddenly rising, "Then…"

"I told you not to be so loud."

Seeing other editors looking their way, Tang Yao could only raise her head. "I tried my best. You should know the specific reasons. Do you remember the argument between me and the editor-in-chief when you first reported for duty? I mentioned Teacher Ou's issues, and he told me not to interfere."

"…Teacher Ou?"

"I almost forgot you just arrived. Give It Your All is a pen name. His real name is Ou Congquan… Yes, that's the Teacher Ou I mentioned."

"……"

Hearing this.

Kang Ming's expression froze again, and the memories of his first day in the Editorial Department flooded back like a tide.

Teacher Ou's drawings have problems! Can you understand them better than him?! Do you know which work has the highest sales for big comic? Do you know the impact of Girl, Boy, and Sword going on hiatus for a week?

Editor Ding's words exploded in Kang Ming's ears.

"He's an idiot too, isn't he?!"

In an instant.

Kang Ming understood the whole situation. He suddenly stood up and roared, "This is worse than a hiatus! This drawing is like dog shit! And there's no problem?!"

Because of his roar.

Suddenly.

The entire editorial office fell silent.

Everyone looked at him.

But Kang Ming didn't care. He just looked at Tang Yao, waving his arms, "You warned them! Why did they still insist on their own way? Why did they still feed shit to the readers?"

"Calm down first."

Tang Yao took her hands off the keyboard and looked at Kang Ming helplessly. "Can shouting solve the problem? Can it change the current situation?"

"But! This is too outrageous! Why did you say something, but neither the author nor the editor-in-chief did anything? This is completely unreasonable!"

"……"

Seeing that he still hadn't calmed down and the situation was becoming more troublesome, Tang Yao took a deep breath, moved her chair to turn around, slowly removed the expression from her face, extended a fair finger, pointed downwards, and said coldly, "Sit down!"

"……"

Kang Ming looked at the girl in front of him with a blank expression, completely different from her usual cute and lively demeanor. The stark contrast made him shiver.

In an instant, he calmed down.

He obediently sat down.

"I can understand how you feel."

Seeing him sit down, Tang Yao resumed her usual demeanor, turned her chair back, and replied, "I was a reader too. I know your dissatisfaction and indignation. You can curse if you want, but being so loud in the editorial office will cause a lot of trouble. Don't forget you just arrived, and you're really noisy."

Kang Ming gave a wry smile, glanced around, and then looked back, understanding Tang Yao's meaning.

But…

"But I'm really unwilling… or rather, my fantasy about this profession is shattered. What was the old thief Give It Your All thinking?!"

Kang Ming lowered his voice this time, but he clutched the latest issue of Big Comic tightly in his hand, his words filled with strong confusion.

"Everyone experiences moments when their illusions are shattered. It's better to get used to it sooner rather than later. After all, once a hobby becomes a profession, it gets complicated. Even the game industry you originally wanted to join is like that. You probably don't know this, right? Many online game designers don't even play the games they're responsible for."

"Huh?"

"You really didn't know."

Tang Yao looked down, constantly refining the comic's font, and replied helplessly, "That's why work is such a boring thing. As for giving it your all, that Teacher Ou's idea isn't exactly rare. It's just like a horse without reins, getting lost in its own world and feeling good about itself... Because, in a way, authors are free. They can draw whatever they want, as long as they completely ignore the commercial aspect.

But if it's a commercial work from the start, the market will teach them what the real world is and what the cost is.

If online game designers don't play their own games, they won't understand what players truly want. They might hold on for a while, but they'll eventually face retribution.

And for manga, retribution comes faster. After all, that Teacher Ou's work is far from finished. The reader survey next issue, the manga's popularity, the readers' grievances – these will directly feedback to that Teacher Ou.

He'll probably realize soon that there's a gap between the real world and the world in his head."

Speaking of which.

Tang Yao couldn't help but recall a past-life anime called 'The Irregular at Magic High School,' also known as 'Anti-X Hero.'

That anime perfectly illustrated what the author's imagined world was like, and how it was completely different from the real world... The part that Tang Yao found most unbearable was probably the ending of the first season, where they righteously declared they wouldn't pollute the coast and would wait for the warships to leave the coastline.

When the issue of discharging nuclear wastewater came up.

Every time Tang Yao thought of that scene, she felt it was so stupid... She wished she could shove a microphone into the original author's mouth and make him perform it again.

"...But even with such strong self-expression, you can't do it this way. Didn't he even consider the readers' feelings?"

After hearing Tang Yao's words, Kang Ming experienced a double blow of shattered illusions in a short period.

His face was pale and ashen, his expression like he'd been hit by a truck. He muttered, "Honestly, I still feel indignant. Miss Tang, don't you think..."

"I went four times and still couldn't change that Teacher Ou's mind."

Tang Yao paused her movements, then said, "Actually, editors are the bridge between readers and manga artists. They are responsible for preventing manga artists from getting carried away and completely falling into their own worlds. But neither that Teacher Ou nor Editor Ding seem to think that way."

"..."

Kang Ming was speechless.

The pillar author was being stubborn, and he had also heard what his immediate superior, the editor-in-chief, had to say.

In that situation, she still diligently went four times.

This couldn't just be called professionalism; it could be called giving it your all.

But the result remained unchanged.

In this instant.

He felt all his illusions shatter, and he wanted to resign on the spot.

"However, judging from your reaction, other readers outside probably aren't calm either. Let's let that Teacher Ou and that respected editor-in-chief taste the bitter fruit first."

Tang Yao finished typing the last character, took her hands off the keyboard, and turned back again. "Now it's up to the author himself. After drawing such a plot, if he can't provide an explanation later, if he can't better tie up the plot, I think even the pillar author is about to be finished. Let's just see what he actually thinks and what choice he makes."

Kang Ming blinked. "Choice... Is there even a choice?"

"Turn to the last page."