Disaster Dragon
In truth, this first day was a disaster.
it was a desperate attempt at survival by a failing company, and the first day sent a message to all novel enthusiasts that Tangrenyi Culture was grasping at straws.
Of course, this only served as fuel to the fire, intensifying the infighting among the netizens. Heated debates erupted on various online platforms, with passionate fans fiercely defending TMY's work while skeptics dismissed it as an inevitable failure.
However, just when discussions were reaching a fever pitch on Weibo, a mysterious post emerged on the "Wenhua Tribe" forum in the evening, capturing everyone's attention:
"Hey, does anyone know what 'Tangrenyi Culture' is? I just heard about this today, but it's a trending topic?"
"Didn't 'Tangrenyi Culture' go bankrupt?"
"What is 'Tangrenyi Culture'?"
"They're going bankrupt soon anyway. TMY's novel flopped."
"No way! It's too early to judge. After years of waiting, 'Tangrenyi Culture' finally had another novel that surprised me! It took me to an unprecedented world, a world from which there's no escape once you're in! I'm only disappointed there aren't more chapters yet!"
"Are you on the wrong website? Why are you writing a review?"
"HEY! WHO IS TANGRENYI CULTURE???"
"Even a magazine like "Blood-Stirring Literature City" had the decency to know when to quit."
"Bro, "Blood-Stirring Literature City" just caught a stray."
"DON'T KILL BLOOD-STIRRING LITERATURE CITY AGAINNN!!"
The chat was messy, and filled with people probably too young to legally* use the internet. Strangely, one user stood out and supported TMY, and after an inspection was actually a respected veteran on the forum.
And it only takes one candle to burn a forest.
(A/N: *This falls into a legal grey area in IRL China (not 100% sure, I'm not a lawyer) so I'm making it 13)
(13 years old to use the internet)
(The asterisk indicates what specific part I'm talking about)
(Who am I kidding, you're 119 chapters into this, so you probably know how asterisks work)
(...)
(I should stop doing this in the middle of chapters...)
.
..
...
The chat continued:
"Stop wasting your energy. I agree with the original poster. It's been so long since I've seen a piece like 'Dragon Clan.' The beginning is hilarious, and the world of Casell is so mysterious. I'm eagerly waiting for the next chapters!"
"Same here. Don't be fooled by the negative opinions. 'Dragon Clan' is enjoyable. Just because it's a crossover to a different medium doesn't mean it won't be good. Look at the talent who created 'Closer.'"
"Let's give 'Dragon Clan' a fair chance. If 'Dragon Clan' is genuinely great, I don't want to miss out!"
This chatroom was only one piece of the puzzle. On social media platforms like Weibo and Goose, amidst the negative voices, the public began shifting from the initially negative; "No, I won't read it" to:
"I might as well give it a try."
- - - - - - - - - -
On December 16th, the weather was sunny, and the temperature was pleasant.
Today was destined to be far from calm in both the electronic music and literary worlds.
However, for Tang Miaoyi, it was just another ordinary day, as she had to attend her classes at school, no matter how famous she was in the music and literature scene.
The previous day had been an important milestone for Miaoyi, as it marked the announcement of the results for the first four chapters of "Dragon Clan I," her latest venture. Due to her hectic schedule, which involved balancing studies and working on two new music singles, she hadn't been able to keep a close eye on the initial figures.
"I guess... maybe... there's a high chance it didn't do well," she speculated, her voice barely above a whisper, sharing her thoughts with her close friend Qiuying.
Miaoyi's class was still in session, with the teacher passionately teaching(ranting) about difficult topics.
But her mind was on her new novel.
...Technically not her novel. She had 'borrowed' the plot from her original Earth, so she couldn't claim credit, though she wouldn't get full credit anyway.
This began after the Gao Tucáo incident ended. Her mother called about her routine monthly payment, and Miaoyi had taken the opportunity to pitch the same idea she told the world in her interview.
Though, while she had been known to write both scathing and glowing reviews, writing critiques and writing novels were two different beasts. Through her mother's connections, she found herself collaborating with one of Tangrenyi Culture's established authors, and they had been working on the novel together.
With the funds Miaoyi provided early on, the publishing company had dutifully executed Miaoyi's business strategy, and the app through which her new series was being distributed was now up and running.
The app operated similarly to popular streaming services, functioning as a platform for novel enthusiasts. Instead of streaming music, films, or television, it streamed literary works. Revenue was generated through advertisements or a subscription service that offered ad-free reading and unrestricted access to all 'Tangrenyi Culture' novels, as well as any user-submitted novels.
As the teacher droned on, Miaoyi struggled to focus on the lesson at hand, and started worrying about 'Dragon Clan.' She understood that the success of this business model relied heavily on attracting a large number of users. Only when the user base reached significant levels would it become financially viable. Otherwise, the costs of maintaining servers and databases would outweigh the revenue generated.
Which meant that 'Dragon Clan' had to bring in a large number of people.
Unfortunately, Tangrenyi Culture's diminishing reputation and fading popularity made it seem unlikely that 'Dragon Clan' would achieve the needed numbers. Betting on a company teetering on the brink of collapse to suddenly become a sensation felt like setting expectations too high.
As the class progressed, Miaoyi noticed many people gathering outside the classroom, peering in through the windows.
"Seems like there's a crowd outside today," Qiuying whispered, looking towards the window.
Miaoyi turned to see for herself, realizing that indeed, there were more people than usual.
Normally, people gathered outside her classroom because of her fame, but today's crowd seemed unusually large. She wondered what was going on.
Ignoring the commotion, the teacher scolded the students for being disruptive and asked them to focus on the class.
Once the class finally ended, Miaoyi was taken aback to find her desk surrounded by numerous classmates, forming a human blockade that prevented her from leaving. They eagerly asked for her autograph, presenting anything that could be written on, and showered her with praises for her exceptional writing skills and their newfound fandom for the 'Dragon Clan' series.
Miaoyi was genuinely surprised, wondering to herself, "Has 'Dragon Clan' not flopped after all, but rather, has it become a success?"
After school, when Miaoyi returned home, she received a call from her mother, who sounded ecstatic as she shared the incredible news about the soaring views of "Dragon Clan." What started with 50,000 views on the first day had now skyrocketed to over one million views on the second day!
In the midst of this astonishing turnaround, the data on the second day's views spread rapidly across cultural forums, igniting discussions and sparking even more curiosity and anticipation for the next chapters.