Under countless watchful eyes.
Many were notified the moment it occurred.
The controversy over Shadow's new work had yet to subside, sparking even more heated discussions—
"It's being released today?"
"It's really a mystery genre!"
"I previously thought this could be some kind of joke, merely a marketing gimmick to attract attention to the new site. But now it seems clear that Shadow's new work is indeed a mystery genre!"
"Publishing it on the blog first?"
"Is this to spark reader interest?"
"The problem is, I have zero interest in mystery per se! I tried reading 'The Kindaichi Case Files', even persevered through dozens of chapters, but it truly wasn't my cup of tea. It's far too niche!"
"Is it a combination of Chu Kuang and Xian Yu?"
"The manga name is quite cheeky. 'Chu Yu' has to be the protagonist's name, right? I don't for a second buy the idea that this 'Chu Yu' and 'Chu Kuang Xian Yu' have no relation. Shadow is just skillfully riding their wave of popularity. However, I'm still not into the mystery genre. Why is Shadow so determined to go this route!"
Fellow comic artists could roughly guess Shadow's intention:
He wanted to use the blog to create some excitement for his as-yet-unreleased work.
This surprise move does have some benefits, too.
The main advantage is, people's attention could indeed be captured by the early release, so when the comics go live on the internet amidst ongoing intense debates, even the readers claiming to be uninterested in the mystery genre might give in to curiosity and have a look!
But the real problem is:
Readers genuinely aren't interested in the mystery genre!
Perhaps only some fans of 'The Kindaichi Case Files' would be interested?
Forcing everyone to read the new work might just have the opposite effect, increasing their dissatisfaction!
The plan may end up doing more harm than good.
As the recognized competitor, Tribe Comics also received news of Shadow's new manga releasing at 8 PM tonight.
Suddenly, the entire department was clueless.
Inside the Director's office.
Ling Kong remained expressionless.
Besides Ling Kong, there was another man of average appearance in the office.
The man giggled and began to speak, "The early release only shows he's desperate. He knows that letting public opinion ferment wouldn't do him any favors. However, if the quality of the manga isn't up to standard, this move might further disappoint readers, even affecting the traffic on their new site on its initial day..."
Ling Kong sat in front of his computer with his hands clasped together: "You are one of the most senior editors in the manga industry. I want to see a detailed analysis report of his new work. Stay here and watch it."
As Ling Kong's expression grew serious, the man couldn't help but reassure: "You don't need to worry. From the beginning, Shadow has chosen the wrong path. It's not that his mystery manga isn't well-drawn, but the problems lie in the genre itself. He thinks if he draws even better, people will be more willing to buy it.
I do believe that he could indeed make it better, but the inherent weakness of this genre remains. I've been an editor for so many years, and the most popular mystery manga I've seen is 'The Kindaichi Case Files'. You should know very well how this manga compares to other popular manga!"
Ling Kong remained silent.
He believed in this veteran editor's judgment, but he believed more in the hard data!
He wouldn't slack off in the slightest before seeing Shadow's new manga.
After all, Shadow was the first person in many years to make him suffer a significant loss.
Although the main reason behind his loss was not solely due to Shadow but the forces behind Shadow...
The fact that Shadow could influence such great forces itself was enough to show that Shadow was not to be underestimated.
He would not underestimate such an opponent again.
In the blogging world.
There was discussion within.
"Shadow's new manga is being released first on our blog, huh."
"I heard that Shadow's previous mystery manga flopped. Can this one succeed?"
"I have a friend who's into manga. He said that Shadow chose to do mystery because he wasn't satisfied with something. But whether he's satisfied or not is irrelevant. The problem is that not many people like the mystery genre. If it were a mystery novel, people might be interested. But it seems that's not the case with manga."
"Tribe Comics must be thrilled about this."
"Who cares? Tribe Comics has taken a big hit this time around, Xian Yu and Chu Kuang are now with our blog!"
"Shadow was just a bonus."
"All of this started because of Shadow, but he isn't the key. The key players for our blog are big names like Xian Yu and Chu Kuang."
"Even if Shadow's new manga flops again, it won't harm our blog. Of course, I sincerely hope that Shadow's new manga becomes a hit. That would greatly benefit our blog."
The blogging community viewed this as a casual occurrence, not taking it too seriously.
The reason is practical.
Because Shadow wasn't the main focus of the blog.
Even though they announced the arrival of the Three Bros with great fanfare, the core purpose was to give Xian Yu and Chu Kuang enough prestige.
Shadow just didn't make the cut.
Even the influential stars like the members of the Yu Dynasty couldn't compare to Xian Yu and Chu Kuang!
But since Shadow had a good rapport with these two big shots...
Why not cater to him?
It also served to appease the two big shots.
Having learned from past lessons, the blog would not repeat the errors of Tribe Comics.
Even if Shadow served as a mascot, for the sake of Xian Yu and Chu Kuang, the blog was willing to hold this mascot in high regard.
Someone said, "It's eight o'clock."
Someone nearby immediately pitched in, "Has the manga been released?"
"Let's check it out!"
One of them got excited.
There were teasing voices around, "I thought you didn't like manga."
"Well, Shadow's competitor is Tribe Comics. If Shadow's manga is excellent, it'd be a slap in Tribe Comics' face. Their discomfort would make me happy!"
He spoke with conviction.
Everyone nodded, "Makes sense!"
Perhaps with the same sentiment, they all clicked on this manga named 'Detective Chu Yu'.
He's released over twenty chapters all at once!
He's come thoroughly prepared!
Those elsewhere who were following Shadow's manga also started reading 'Detective Chu Yu'.
This includes Tribe Comics as well.
"I will finish reading it quickly."
The man of average appearance said to the handsome Ling Kong while surfing through it.
Ling Kong waved his hand: "No rush, take your time and be thorough; I need your most honest feedback..."
The man of average appearance chuckled and began reading the first chapter.
After an undefined period.
The man of average appearance suddenly shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his face slightly tense.
Ling Kong noticed his fleeting change, causing his eyebrows to twitch a little.
ps: Begging for a monthly ticket, one more chapter to go and I think I could hit rank five?