The Wind's Direction

"Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal? What's that, Shui Xin? I've never heard of it," Li Xi said as she helped Tang Xin clean up the takeout containers and various snack wrappers on the table.

As Tang Xin's editor, her duties definitely didn't include these menial tasks, but she understood that if no one helped Tang Xin with these things, this girl, who was only good at drawing manga and had extremely poor self-care abilities, would likely turn this apartment, located in the heart of the magical city and worth its weight in gold, into a garbage heap.

"You don't know?" Tang Xin's eyes widened, her face full of disappointment.

"This one! It's serialized in Man Ying, a magazine under Ink Fish Manga Company. It's only been three chapters..."

"I don't know, I have no impression at all. But I basically know all the veteran authors from Luo Province. Since that's the case, it might be a new author who has emerged from Luo Province!" Li Xi shook her head.

"But why are you asking about this?"

Tang Xin stood up from her chair, looking a little embarrassed.

"Didn't you used to work at that manga company?"

"I mean..."

"If you're very familiar with them, could you help me get a copy of the subsequent manga for this work, or the manga name..."

"Although this work has only been serialized for three chapters in the magazine, if it's similar to our manga company's situation, perhaps that company called Ink Fish already has the manuscript for the fourth or even fifth chapter of Rurouni Kenshin. As for the manga name, they might have even drawn out the ending and submitted it."

"I'm very curious about the subsequent plot of this work." As she said this, Tang Xin clenched her fists, looking at Li Xi with hope and anticipation.

Upon hearing this, Li Xi unceremoniously gave her a chop to the head.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Tang Xin cried out, clutching her forehead.

"What are you thinking? I left that boring company two years ago! Moreover, I had a falling out with that manga company back then. How could I possibly get access to their manga drafts?"

"And even if my relationship with the staff of that manga company were still good now, this kind of thing is impossible! How could unpublished manga manuscripts and manga names be copied and lent out? Although a few people in that manga company are useless, don't even think about this kind of principled issue."

"Eh~~"

"But, only updating one chapter a week, this is too agonizing!" Tang Xin slumped heavily into her chair, looking dejected.

"Do you have the right to say that?" Li Xi sneered.

"Do you know how many issues you've taken hiatus this year? Calculated, you take a hiatus of one issue per month on average. Have you considered the heartache of your readers who can't even wait a week for one chapter?"

"But I really can't draw it! I feel like my talent has been exhausted, and my inspiration has dried up."

"Perhaps this is what the ancients called Jiang Lang Cai Jin! Maybe I shouldn't have pursued the path of a manga artist in the first place... If that were the case, perhaps I would already be an excellent fashion model!"

"Don't overthink it. You need to face reality. People like you, who can't take care of themselves, are easily deceived, and don't understand social etiquette, if you don't draw manga... you'll starve to death!" Li Xi looked at her and said very seriously.

"Alright, do you have any other strange requests? Just say them all, and I'll reject them all. Then, for the next five days, I'll stay by your side and won't leave. Before you finish drawing the new chapter, don't even think about getting close to your phone or computer. The internet will also be completely cut off."

"Are you a devil!" Tang Xin jumped up.

"I'm a manga artist, not a slave. I have human rights..."

However, Li Xi in front of her merely returned a resolute and sharp gaze.

Gradually, Tang Xin's imposing aura weakened.

"Then, can I make a request?"

"Speak!"

"This periodical called Man Ying, the previous issue, the one before that, and the future issues that will serialize Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal, can you contact your friends in Luo Province and mail them to me? Oh, right, don't send regular express delivery, send them via air cargo. The cost can be deducted from my manuscript fees!"

Li Xi let out a long breath, looking at Tang Xin's serious face.

"This manga called 'What Heart,' is it that good?"

"It's just a work in a local manga periodical..."

"Of course it's good..." Tang Xin turned the computer screen to face Li Xi, as if a child showing off a treasure.

"Otherwise, you can take a look yourself. It's only updated to the third chapter, it's not long..."

Monday, as soon as she walked into the Manga Company, Su Ruo felt a strange atmosphere.

Almost everyone was secretly sizing her up. Colleagues who used to give her the cold shoulder because of her discord with Song Jiayu were now much friendlier when they saw her today.

Su Ruo understood what was causing this strangeness she was feeling.

After the Man Ying voting results came out last Friday, let alone Mo Yu, even the editorial departments of two other manga companies of the same level, Feng Yu and Long Ya, learned that on Man Ying, there was a work that had only been serialized for two chapters yet received over ten thousand votes.

For the past two days, many acquaintances in the industry had inquired about this matter with her.

Never mind outsiders finding it unbelievable, even Su Ruo, Chu Yu's responsible editor, couldn't have imagined the situation would develop like this.

She had expected Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal to become popular, but she had never dared to imagine it would become popular so quickly.

"Su Ruo, these are reader letters. Please submit them to Teacher Shui Xin."

Upon reaching her office, a woman soon placed an entire box, containing nearly a hundred letters, on Su Ruo's desk.

"So many?"

"Yes, that's right. They've been confirmed. These are all letters sent by Shui Xin's fans from various places in Luo Province."

After the woman left, Su Ruo stared blankly at the pile of fan letters on her desk.

If the vote counts on the voting ranking SMS were just numbers, and she didn't have a very direct feeling about them...

The entire box of letters in front of her made Su Ruo understand that the work Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal had truly become popular.

It completely deserved the 14,000 votes of support from the previous issue.

Having been in the editorial industry for three years, Su Ruo hadn't thought about whether she would eventually lead a popular Manga Artist, but this was too fast!

Two months ago, she was still troubled by being ostracized after offending Song Jiayu within the Manga Company, even considering giving up her profession. Now, with the popularity of Rurouni Kenshin, her status within the Manga Company had naturally risen.

"Su Ruo, the Editor-in-Chief wants to see you," a colleague informed her as they entered.

"Oh, understood, I'll be right there!"

Su Ruo took a deep breath and replied.

He wants to talk to me?

Su Ruo didn't need to think to understand that it was definitely about Chu Yu.

After all, last week's ranking results had made the entire Mo Yu understand the potential of Shui Xin, who was Chu Yu...