Chapter 54: The Fangs of Capital
"No matter how good he is, he's just one person." Kane's eyes were sharp. "White Night is a genius, but she's just a little girl. We have an entire conglomerate. Crush them with resources, drown them in marketing, cover them with heat. Readers see an FMA ad today, a Seat of God ad tomorrow, a celebrity endorsement the day after—over time, they'll only remember which one is louder."
He looked at Hiro's responsible editor. "Tell Hiro, Chapter 6 must have explosive points. Protagonist awakens new power, fights 1v5, gets a new harem member. I want plots that trend, scenes that get screenshotted and retweeted."
"Yes."
"Also," Kane added, "contact the water army (bot) teams. Change the tactic. Don't attack FMA for being dark; attack it for being 'pretentious,' 'too high-brow,' 'deliberately obscure.' Make 'hard to understand' a flaw, and 'gratification' a virtue. We fight the public opinion war too."
At the same time, Manga Weekly Editorial Department.
Editor-in-Chief Gavin Zhao looked at the intel, frowning. Shonen World's 80 million marketing budget was a clear attempt to brute-force the market. On his side, although The Thorn Bird hit 76.8%, White Night insisted on drawing a "calm farewell," refusing to add commercial explosive points.
"Chief," White Night's editor Klein pushed the door open. "White Night returned from the ranch. She says Chapter 10 is finished; Alex gave her a lot of pointers."
Zhao took the manuscript, flipping page by page. Chapter 10 was the Sister's Death Arc. White Night drew it with extreme restraint—no melodrama, no explosions, just a calm farewell and a silent breakdown.
"This..." Zhao sighed. "It's drawn very well, but it's too quiet. In the face of Shonen World's marketing bombardment, this quietness could easily be drowned out."
"But White Night insists..."
"Then let her insist." Zhao made a decision. "But double the promotional resources. Also, in the name of the editorial department, send a collaboration invitation to Alex Walker—ask him to publicly comment on The Thorn Bird Chapter 10. Heat up the 'Master-Apprentice' topic."
"Will Alex agree? He never appears publicly..."
"Ask in White Night's name," Zhao said. "He will agree."
Ranch, early morning light snow.
Alex received Sue's message and saw Shonen World's marketing teaser. He read it, remaining calm.
White Night called soon after, voice urgent. "Teacher, Shonen World is launching a capital crush. Hiro got an 80 million budget. My Chief asked if you'd be willing to publicly review my Chapter 10?"
"I can," Alex said. "Come to the ranch tomorrow. I'll read it and give my opinion; you record it and post it."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
The next day, White Night arrived at the ranch through the wind and snow. She took out the finished Chapter 10, hands trembling slightly.
Alex read page by page under the lamp, very carefully. Finishing, he said, "Drawn very well, especially the last panel. But here, the flashback frames are too full, not enough negative space. Here, the dialogue is redundant; a look is enough."
White Night took notes seriously, eyes shining.
Outside, the snow fell heavier. The two drew in the studio, the only sounds the scratching of pens and the hiss of the heater.
When the snow stopped in the evening, White Night suddenly asked, "Teacher, Hiro uses capital and marketing. We only use works. Can we really win?"
"Yes," Alex said with certainty. "Because capital runs out, marketing gets old, but good works don't. Ten years later, no one will remember which work had the hottest marketing this year, but they will remember which work was the best to read."
White Night looked into Alex's eyes. There was a calmness and determination she had never seen before.
Saturday, Magazine Release Day.
Shonen World was indeed ubiquitous. Seat of God full-color special, anime PV, game pre-order codes, celebrity posters—every marketing tool was used.
But the real storm was in the other two magazines.
The Thorn Bird Chapter 10: Sister's Death Arc.
After White Night modified it per Alex's guidance, the emotional impact was devastating. Especially the last panel—the older sister leaning against the wall watching the morning light. No dialogue, no tears, but every reader understood.
Forum feedback exploded:
"Cried for half an hour after Chapter 10."
"Not a single melodramatic line, but sharper than any knife."
"White Night's evolution is terrifying..."
Data: 78.9%. Just one step away from the 80% mark.
Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 23: The Truth of the Chimera Arc.
This chapter triggered an industry earthquake.
The darkness and ideological depth exceeded everyone's expectations. The military corruption behind the Shou Tucker incident, the cruel truth of the Philosopher's Stone, Edward's powerlessness and anger against the system...
The forum was silent for an hour after release, then erupted like a tsunami:
"Holy sh*t... that's how the Philosopher's Stone is made??"
"Tucker was just a pawn? The military is the mastermind?"
"Edward's speech in the tribunal... gave me chills."
"This isn't manga anymore; it's social critique..."
Most shocking was the professional circle's reaction. A philosophy professor wrote a column: "FMA Chapter 23 is the most profound mass literary work I've seen in years. It explores not just ethics, systems, and power, but the alienation of humanity under the system. For such social critique to appear in a 'shonen manga' is subversive in itself."
The article was shared wildly. FMA completely broke the circle.
And the data—81.3%.
The first work in weekly manga history to break an 80% approval rating.
Domination. Absolute domination.
Hiro's 71.3% looked like a joke in front of 81.3%.
Shonen World HQ. Kane stared at the number 81.3% on the screen, his hand shaking.
He spent 80 million, mobilized the entire group's resources, and the opponent crushed everything with just one chapter of manga.
"Why..." he muttered.
The board sent a notice: Suspend extra budget for Seat of God. Proceed with standard protocol.
Kane slumped in his chair, looking at the page of FMA Chapter 23. He looked for a long time, then closed it, covering his face with his hands.
He lost. Not because marketing wasn't enough, but because—his authors couldn't draw such a work. Not in a lifetime.
Ranch, evening.
Alex finished reading the data report and replied to Sue: "Understood. Chapter 24 will be submitted on time next week."
White Night's message came too: "Teacher! 81.3%! You set a record!"
Alex replied: "Yeah. But don't be proud. The next chapter is the real beginning."
(To be Continued)
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