Back in August, we held an offline gathering for Alliance Leaders.
We rented two villas. Forty-one Alliance Leaders came, and we spent three days and two nights together. We talked about writing experiences, about the plot, about everyone's bond with Red Heart Patrolling the Heavens... So many people brought out little essays and poured out their hearts over drinks, talking about how much they loved this story. It moved me so much I was damn near in tears. Even I, someone who never smoked or drank, ended up downing one cup after another.
We had begun discussing this gathering at the start of the year. Everyone in the Alliance Leader group coordinated their schedules, and in the end, most agreed that August 12 was a good date.
We had held a similar gathering once before, but that was already two years ago.
Knowing my writing speed, everyone had originally expected me to take time off during the gathering. They even said they would help take the blame and weather the readers' scolding for me.
Back then, none of us had imagined that Red Heart Patrolling the Heavens would actually reach first place—and that it would happen in July, right before the gathering.
Taking time off as soon as I got first place would inevitably have looked a little like putting on airs...
To avoid missing an update, I frantically built up a stockpile of drafts. While everyone else was singing, playing board games, queuing as a five-man team, playing pool... I was running all over the place looking for somewhere to write and revise.
I stayed up until three or four in the morning, and when I woke up, I was still pulling out my laptop.
Fortunately, I still managed to complete my writing goals fairly satisfactorily.
Everyone had plenty