The Results (2)

"Why do you both look like that?" Chu Yu looked at them.

"If we're aiming to reach the top of Man Ying, then this still isn't enough!"

"We're almost twenty thousand votes behind first place..."

Still not enough?

Zhao Qinyin looked at Chu Yu. Honestly, although Chu Yu had set reaching the top as their goal and Zhao Qinyin was doing her best to get the work done, deep down she had thought that slogan was more like a goal, a direction. It needed to exist—it had to exist—because it kept you from losing your way.

But even if you worked toward it, how likely was it to actually happen? How many people could really make it?

She liked the feeling of moving toward a dream, but what was this?

At this rate, how long would it take Chu Yu to reach the top? A few weeks? A few months?

Was something that seemed so far beyond her reach really something Chu Yu could achieve in such a short time?

She was lost.

Thinking about her years as a manga artist, she felt a little demoralized.

Chu Yu seemed like someone with cheat codes. He took his manga seriously, but the rest of the time, he mostly read manga and played on the computer.

He didn't have to think about his manga drafts; he could just draw them. Unlike other manga artists, he didn't rack his brains over the plot or pull his hair out in frustration.

A lot of the time, Zhao Qinyin wondered if humans had ten hands instead of two, Chu Yu might be able to serialize five or six manga at once.

Was this what it meant to be talented...?

Zhao Qinyin sighed.

But she hadn't realized that, in other people's eyes, she was much the same. She only paid attention in class and never studied after lessons. When she got home, she either drew manga or worked as someone else's assistant, just as she was now, yet she had held the top spot at Ming City's Fifth Middle School—a key high school in Luo Province—for three whole years.

To others, especially the second-ranked student in her grade, she was every bit as despair-inducing.

"That's right, we did set that goal, but you have to take it one step at a time!" Su Ruo shot Chu Yu an exasperated look.

"Building popularity and laying the groundwork for the story and its developments all take time. Do you think you can get fat in one bite?"

"All right, look at you, with your excellent results and that bitter melon face. You're really annoying. Since we're free now, let's go out and have a feast. Chu Yu, you're treating." Su Ruo turned to Chu Yu.

"Why am I treating? And didn't we just eat? Why are we eating again?"

"Quit complaining. I just want to make you pay for a meal. So what if we just ate? We'll go out and eat again—call it a late-night snack. And of course, drinks are a must. What do you say, Zhao Qinyin?"

"I... I'm fine with it." Zhao Qinyin was feeling down too, but when she heard that, she smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

Modu was a dazzling city of indulgence, one of the Dragon Kingdom's true megacities and a holy land for its manga industry.

All seven of the Dragon Kingdom's nationwide manga magazines were based in Modu. They drew accomplished manga artists from across the provinces, all eager to take their careers to the next level there.

But reality was often cruel. How many manga artists who had made a name for themselves in their home provinces actually managed to establish themselves here? Most came and went, leaving nothing behind.

In the Dragon Kingdom, there weren't many forms of entertainment. For most ordinary people, there were only a few ways to pass the time: television, movies, animation, manga...

As a result, the manga industry in the Dragon Kingdom—and the world—was in its golden age. It had a huge readership and enormous influence, and manga artists and their works were as famous as celebrities.

In a high-rise apartment in Modu City Center.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows lay an unobstructed view of Modu's river, lit by dazzling neon lights.

People who could afford to live here in Modu might lack many things, but money certainly wasn't one of them.

But the woman sitting at the desk clearly had no interest in the priceless view.

Her hair was a little messy, hanging loose around her shoulders, but it couldn't hide her pretty face, clear eyes, fine brows, or fair, delicate skin. Anxiety had her biting her lower lip.

She looked a little disheveled, but her cuteness and beauty made it easy to overlook those minor flaws.

After all, looks were everything. If Qiao Biluo sat in front of you dressed appropriately, probably not many people could stand to look at her.

She wore pink pajamas and sat cross-legged on her chair, clutching a paintbrush. Her hands were covered in ink, and sheets of discarded manga paper and takeout containers were scattered before her.

She had been sitting there all day, unable to think of anything.

"Ah! I can't draw! Guess I need to take a break and look for some inspiration!"

At the thought, her face suddenly brightened.

She dashed over to another desk, turned on the computer, quickly logged in to Xin Man Net, and opened the manga recommendations page.

When manga artists ran out of inspiration, they often read other excellent works in the hope of finding a spark.

Of course, for her, looking for inspiration was an excuse. The real reason was that she didn't want to work. After all, reading manga was much more fun than drawing it.

"Forest Secrets, a work from Yun Province..."

Five minutes later, she clicked the X in the upper-right corner of the page.

"This is so boring. I almost fell asleep."

"Chu Ge, huh? A historical manga."

Six minutes later.

"It's not bad. I'll bookmark it for now."

After browsing around a little, she gradually lost interest.

But just as she was about to leave Xin Man Net, she saw the post with the most clicks on the homepage again.

"Highly recommend this new work from Man Ying, a manga magazine in Luo Province: Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal!"

She had seen the post when she first opened the site, but the title had put her off.

Rurouni Kenshin? What a weird name! And Trust and Betrayal—did that mean there were other arcs that hadn't been released yet?

The title was a bit of a turnoff, but after thinking about it, she realized she had nothing to do once she left Xin Man Net. The thought of going back to drawing made her laziness win out, and she clicked the post.

"The number you have dialed is switched off..."

Li Xi parked her car and stopped trying to call. She got out, dressed in a black business suit. Her slender figure and pretty face drew plenty of attention from the men around her, but she was clearly used to it.

Tang Xin, you have five days until the deadline, and you dare not only to ignore my calls but to switch off your phone?

Fuming, she strode into the elevator.

When she reached her destination, she rang the doorbell.

Half a minute passed, but nobody opened the door.

Li Xi frowned slightly, took a key from her bag, and unlocked the door without hesitation.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw snack wrappers strewn across the floor, along with instant-noodle cups and fast-food containers...

Li Xi shook her head. She really couldn't understand why that girl spent so much money to live in a place like this for a month, only to eat instant noodles and fast food.

"Tang Xin..." Li Xi called.

"Tang Xin..."

Li Xi turned on the light and stopped calling. She headed straight for one of the rooms.

She opened the door. Sure enough, Tang Xin was sitting in front of the computer.

"Still on the computer? I guess you've finished your manga draft, then." Li Xi walked over to her, sneering.

But the girl at the computer didn't acknowledge her. She just stared fixedly at the screen.

"What is it? Cat got your tongue?"

"What excuse is it this time? Chest pains? A headache? Or has that nonexistent gastritis flared up again? Maybe you got your finger caught in a door and can't draw?"

As Tang Xin's manga editor, the days leading up to a deadline always gave Li Xi a headache.

One glance at the pile of discarded drafts on the desk told her Tang Xin hadn't even figured out the manga draft yet. No wonder she'd sent her assistant off to have fun yesterday.

Typical... just like her.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Li Xi asked, puzzled. Normally, Tang Xin always acted meek and nervous when Li Xi showed up to chase her for the work.

Why was she so quiet this time?

Li Xi glanced at her computer. She was reading manga on Xin Man Net? Was it a local provincial work? She was really absorbed in it.

Li Xi was a little moved. She knew how picky the girl was. Ordinary works couldn't catch her eye, and she was staring so intently that she was obviously engrossed.

"Li Xi..." Tang Xin finally spoke from her desk.

Tang Xin pointed at the manga on the computer screen.

"I remember you said you were from Luo Province... and that you worked at a manga company there for a while."

"What was the name of that manga company?" Tang Xin's voice was clear and sweet, though she spoke a little slowly.

"A small- to medium-sized manga company called Mo Yu. Why?" Li Xi replied casually.

"Mo Yu, I knew it... I remembered right." Tang Xin suddenly grew excited.

"Then you know the author of this manga, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal—Teacher Shui Xin?"

Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal?

Teacher Shui Xin?

Who was that?

Li Xi looked at Tang Xin's unusually excited expression, confused.

What... was going on with her?