First, I want to apologize to everyone. I've been saying since early September that I was getting ready to release a new book, but now it's already mid-October, and I've put it off for over a month. Some things came up during that time and disrupted my train of thought, but more than anything, I was slacking off and underestimated how complicated the new book would be.
My editors have been very supportive, but we've had some differences of opinion. A little over half a month ago, after hearing my ideas, one of the more influential editors kindly and tactfully reminded me that the site didn't need a purely horror novel: the risk was high and the returns low, so he hoped I'd make some changes.
One of the main reasons everyone liked Nightmare was its horror atmosphere. That was the foundation I'd built my work on, so that wouldn't change in the new book. But the editor had a point, too. Given the overall climate, this was a reality every author had to face.
I thought about it for a long time. I didn't show up in the group chat at all while I was home during the National Day holiday. I didn't even send everyone greetings for Mid-Autumn Festival or National Day. Partly, I was just too embarrassed: I'd kept saying the new book was coming, but nothing had happened. And partly, I was frustrated. The story I'd planned had fallen apart, and I had to start over on a lot of ideas.
Enough complaining. Let me share some good news. While taking a break from writing over the National Day holiday, I watched a lot of movies and read all sorts of old books. One early morning, inspiration suddenly struck, and I think I've found a direction