Manga Award

"What's wrong?"

Tang Yao noticed Li Xue suddenly turn her face away, and looked puzzled.

"N-nothing... I just feel like I've been hit with a critical blow."

Li Xue took a deep breath. Once she'd calmed down, she turned back and said seriously, "You really shouldn't say things like that in front of other people."

"I don't want to take anyone else away with me, so why would I say that?"

Tang Yao looked even more confused. "Actually, there's one other person, but that person wanted to make games from the start, so it doesn't matter... You're different. You're the only person I've ever wanted to say that to."

"..."

Li Xue knew it was probably, maybe, possibly, most likely a misunderstanding... but she still felt like she'd been hit with another critical blow.

So she hurriedly moved a little closer to Tang Yao and changed the subject. "Forget it. Just tell me about the game. I still don't know what preparations you've made. You've been so mysterious lately, I have no idea what you've been doing.

"What did you mean by the preparations beforehand? I'd like to know. That way I can be mentally prepared, and I'll have a little more confidence when I contact that relative of mine."

"Oh..."

Though Tang Yao found it a little strange, she leaned against Li Xue and told her about the preparations she'd made recently.

"..."

Li Xue listened quietly, finally pulling herself out of that inexplicable emotional state.

Then.

About ten minutes later.

"You..."

Li Xue's beautiful eyes widened slightly as she looked at Tang Yao in shock. "You mean... the new media department will help promote the manga that serves as the game's source material?"

Tang Yao nodded. "Mm. Impressive, right?"

"That's not the point... How did you even manage to connect with them?"

Li Xue was a little overwhelmed. "The new media department's director really agreed?"

"He did."

"And serializing it won't be a problem?"

"Not sure why, but yeah."

"..."

Li Xue was utterly stunned.

Tang Yao smiled. "So, Miss Li, I've already done everything I can. Now all that's left is to wait for the money and the results."

Li Xue came back to her senses. "The results?"

"The response to releasing the manga early... I'm pretty confident in Fate Zero, but it's not up to me. We still have to see what the readers think."

Tang Yao spoke softly. "We'll probably know soon. Director Shang is probably even more anxious than I am about releasing the Manga Award entries early."

Tang Yao hadn't guessed wrong.

Shang Tao really was more anxious than she was. After all, the website's launch was at stake.

The day after Tang Yao provided the decisive storyboard panels,

the new media department began ramping up the publicity.

Of course, the new media department thought it was building anticipation for the Manga Award.

But for many readers of Girl, Boy, and Sword, it felt like they were taking a dump right on their heads...

No, we've already been cursing you out this much, and you still have the nerve to promote some Manga Award? You even want us to read the entries early? Where do you get the nerve?

Take Su Deqiang, for example... He was completely baffled as he stared at the post about the Manga Award.

But being confused didn't stop him from tearing into them!

After all, after the past two days of backlash... he was pretty sure he really had been cucked.

His cyber doppelganger had been cucked!

The latest chapter of Girl, Boy, and Sword had been drawn with a plot that was absolute dogshit, but Ou Congquan had kept hiding like a coward! And the magazine was still promoting some Manga Award!

What the hell was going on?

Couldn't they hear us?

At that moment, his anger flared up in an instant.

"Let's see... Special event: Read Manga Award entries early. 'Outstanding works won't be affected by any events. The first batch of entries will be released promptly at nine tomorrow morning. Everyone's welcome to read them early!'"

Su Deqiang read the latest post on the official social media account of the Literature Center under his breath, feeling like he was about to have a brain hemorrhage.

Everyone's welcome to come and read?

That was how they were promoting it?

Wasn't that a little too much?

And what did they mean by, "Outstanding works won't be affected by any events"?

Wasn't that obviously a dig at the pile of crap Give It Your All had drawn in this issue?

So! They knew about it after all, didn't they!?

Then why, knowing that, hadn't they done a thing?

You damn...

The more Su Deqiang thought about it, the angrier he got.

And just then, something even more infuriating happened.

Ding-dong—

Ou Congquan, whom he followed closely, had posted a new update.

Su Deqiang froze, then clicked on Ou Congquan's post with the thought, You bastard finally showed your face.

[...I'm sorry for the trouble this issue's serialization has caused everyone. I've fully understood your concerns, and with help from my editor, I've revised the storyboard for the next issue. Please rest assured that the next issue won't disappoint you. I'd also like to thank my editor. I'm truly grateful to her. Without her, I'd probably still be wrapped up in my own little world right now.]

[Also, because of me, some of the Wenxin Manga Award entries are being released early. I'm sorry about that. I really don't want my actions to cause outstanding works to be overlooked, so if you're interested, you can go check them out...]

"..."

Su Deqiang read the post, his face quickly turning bright red. This time, he really was about to have a brain hemorrhage.

No.

You made it sound so nice, talking about how you'd fully understood the readers' concerns, but then you changed the subject, and completely exposed your real intentions!

You're just advertising the Manga Award, aren't you!? "The next issue won't disappoint you"—this looks exactly like you're trying to keep the Manga Award from being affected! You're just soothing everyone for the sake of the bigger picture!

Fine.

Just fine!

"Ou, you old bastard... At a time like this, you still have the nerve to pull this stunt? The Manga Award, huh!"

Su Deqiang clutched his phone, looking so furious that his body was trembling slightly. "Fine, fine, just you wait until tomorrow!"

As he muttered to himself, he started typing curses under Ou Congquan's latest post.

Judging by the number of replies... Su Deqiang was far from the only one who thought that way.

The next day.

When Tang Yao got up and saw the stunts Shang Tao and Ou Congquan had pulled, she was completely dumbfounded.

"This is a disaster..."

Wearing her pajamas, Tang Yao held her phone in one hand and lightly patted her forehead with the other.

She hadn't expected that after she gave Shang Tao an idea, he'd take it and turn it up to eleven!

...He'd actually gotten Ou Congquan to advertise it?

Were they really that worried readers wouldn't notice the Manga Award? That they wouldn't notice the entries were being released early? Sure, any publicity was good publicity, but provoking the readers like this? It was like standing in the middle of the street with your arms spread wide and shouting, "I have an announcement!"

Were they trying to get the entire manga readership to fall in line too?

"What are you doing?"

Tang Xun appeared at the doorway in an apron. She looked at her older sister, who was still in her pajamas and sitting in a chair. "Breakfast is ready."

"Nothing. I'm coming."

Tang Yao shook her head and put down her phone.

This probably... wasn't a bad thing, either, was it?

Ou Congquan had really made revisions, and the next issue really could reassure the readers... The readers had misunderstood him and thought he was playing games, putting the greater good first and spouting nonsense. Now they'd directed all their fire at the Manga Award, which seemed like a good thing.

At least... the Manga Award wouldn't be short on readers.

At the same time.

On the other side of the city,

Su Deqiang had also gotten up.

And when he remembered what had happened the day before, he was still furious.

So,

he didn't even bother washing up. He climbed out of bed and went straight to his computer.