Starting as a Manga Editor-Chapter 28: Impossible

“You’re saying…”
A long while later—
Zhao Fangsheng looked at Shang Tao, seemingly just processing what he’d heard. He raised an eyebrow and slowly said,
“You want to use the drama around The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword… to promote the Manga Award and the online site?”
Shang Tao knew his boss well. That tone—that raised brow—meant he was definitely irritated, so he quickly jumped in to explain:
“On a technical level, yes, that’s the idea. But it’s out of necessity. Vice President, you’ve seen it—right now, all the readers are venting their anger on the Manga Award and the website…”
He then repeated Tang Yao’s whole “bad press is still press” theory, word for word.
“……”
After listening, Vice President Zhao Fangsheng slowly lowered his raised brow. He seemed to get what Shang Tao was going for and tapped the table with his fingers.
“So according to your plan, while you’re releasing these preview entries from the Manga Award, you’re going to occasionally bring up The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword to make the award entries look… ‘normal’ in comparison?”
“That could actually—”
Shang Tao’s eyes lit up. But the moment he opened his mouth, he noticed the vice president’s expression had turned ice-cold.
It was practically the same as stepping on their flagship series to boost others.
Way out of line.
He quickly backpedaled, “No no no, I wouldn’t do that. I’d just take advantage of readers’ existing resentment. I wouldn’t actively promote the bizarre arc from this issue of The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword that’s got everyone so upset.”
“But that’s still throwing it on the grill for everyone to roast.”
Zhao Fangsheng saw he was trying to walk it back, so his expression improved slightly—but his tone was still angry:
“Do you think I’m Ding Yilong? The readers blame the Manga Award, and your answer is to push out a batch of outstanding preview entries, like you’re saying: ‘Look how great our Manga Award content is.’ Isn’t that just inviting comparison?
You’re putting our flagship series on the chopping block? Do you have any idea how many people inside the company already oppose the New Media Department? If your website gains traction but that nutcase Ou Congquan keeps messing up, and The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword crashes and burns—do you know how many knives will be pointed at me and my department?”
“I do.”
Shang Tao replied immediately. Noticing the vice president’s doubtful glare, he added:
“I really do, Vice President. I brought up the exact same concern earlier. But that editor, Tang, said she could handle it. She said… she’d make that AORI line come true. She said this chapter of The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword isn’t actually a breakdown—it’s laying the groundwork for a future explosive arc.”
“Editor Tang?”
Zhao Fangsheng’s anger faltered for a moment. Seeing the confidence on Shang Tao’s face, he finally caught on:
“The one who wrote that AORI tagline?
So you’re saying… The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword is really going to pull a reversal?”
“At the moment, probably not.”
Shang Tao gave a bitter smile and then explained everything he’d seen and heard during his visit to the editorial department, including the backstory behind the current chapter’s plot.
He didn’t exaggerate a thing.
Because even the unembellished version was enough to send someone’s blood pressure skyrocketing.
Ding Yilong, an Editor-in-Chief, didn’t even read the manuscript. When the editor under him spotted a problem and tried hard to convince the mangaka to change course, he told her to back off.
As for helping his subordinate?
Dream on.
Forget helping—he used every trick he had to dump the blame on the one person who actually tried to help.
Any normal person hearing that would get an aneurysm.
As Shang Tao continued, Zhao Fangsheng’s face grew redder and redder.
“I f***ing…”
Even though he already knew Ding Yilong was a problem, he still couldn’t help blurting out a curse.
It was just too ridiculous.
“I was honestly shocked too.”
Shang Tao gave a wry smile. “But I guess it makes sense. The guy joined the company the same year as the president. He’s a company veteran. Past achievements… made him complacent.”
“Past achievements don’t excuse current failure!”
Zhao Fangsheng slammed his hand on the table.
“Who the hell does he think he is—the emperor of the editorial department?”
Shang Tao said nothing.
Because honestly… Ding Yilong probably did think that.
On the other side of the desk—
Though still fuming, Zhao Fangsheng began to calm down after slamming the table. He took deep breaths, bringing his expression back under control.
“You should know,” he said slowly, “the reason I sent you to the editorial department under the pretense of following up on that AORI line…”
“Yeah.”
Shang Tao nodded. “To see what the hell Ding Yilong was doing—and to check how much control he actually had over his key mangaka. I think Ding got a sense of it too. He kept pushing blame onto others in front of me.”
“I assumed that AORI line was the result of communication between the editor and the mangaka.
I didn’t think the situation was that bad.”
Zhao Fangsheng tried to stay composed, but he couldn’t help a bitter chuckle.
“And now you’re telling me… it was something the editor wrote on her own, just to soothe readers?”
Shang Tao sensed this was getting bad and quickly added, “It won’t be like that for long.”
Zhao Fangsheng looked at him. “You’ve got that much faith in this editor?”
“Not so much faith,” Shang Tao replied helplessly, “more like hope.
Because either way, whether I try to roast Ou Congquan or not, The Girl, the Boy, and the Sword is already in a pretty bad spot.”
“……”
Zhao Fangsheng fell silent again. After a while, he asked:
“So according to Ou Congquan’s original plan, he’s going to continue with the current trajectory?”
“According to Editor Tang, yes. No reversal.
It’s going to be two more months of hell-themed content, and then—finally—the protagonist gets resurrected.”
“What kind of bulls***…”
“I was just as shocked.”
“So why did that Editor Tang fail four times to convince Ou Congquan?”
“One reason is Ding Yilong being useless. He didn’t intervene at all—in fact, he suppressed her efforts.
The other reason… the mangaka doesn’t trust her. She’s young… and very pretty.”
Zhao Fangsheng raised a brow. “A woman?”
Shang Tao nodded, then added awkwardly, “Yeah. She doesn’t look like an editor at all. She looks more like… an idol group center. The kind who makes everyone around her fade into the background.”
“……”
Zhao Fangsheng gave him a look that said, “What are you even talking about?”
But he let it go. “So why does she think this time she can convince Ou Congquan?”
“Uh…”
Shang Tao hesitated. After a pause, he said, “Ou can read the reader feedback too, right? Maybe that’ll soften him up?”
“And what if he just doubles down, convinced he did nothing wrong?”
Zhao Fangsheng shook his head.
“That’s not unheard of. Back when I was an editor, I dealt with mangaka like that—refusing to change, arguing with readers just to prove they weren’t wrong.”
Shang Tao froze, and all the excitement he’d been feeling instantly vanished, like cold water had been dumped over his head.
Yeah.
Editor Tang had already failed four times.
Why would this time be any different?
“Unless…”
At that moment—
Zhao Fangsheng thought of that AORI line. He furrowed his brows.
“Unless that Tang editor has a deeper understanding of the upcoming story direction.
Unless she actually has a better grasp of the plot than Ou Congquan himself.
And unless she knows exactly how to connect her ideas to what’s already been drawn.
Only then—maybe—she could leverage this reader backlash and…”
Shang Tao’s eyes lit up again. The cold-water-drenched heart inside him started heating up.
“But the odds are low.”
Zhao Fangsheng shook his head, dumping yet another metaphorical bucket of water over him.
Then, after a moment of thought, he said,
“Still, let her try. Go ahead and prep the preview chapter releases for the Manga Award. Tang’s right—this is a great opportunity. But just prepare. Focus on tracking her progress.”
“Got it.”
Finally—
Shang Tao heard something that made his heart stop yo-yoing between hot and cold.
“Go.”
Zhao Fangsheng stood up.
“Keep a close eye on how things develop. If Editor Tang fails, I’ll personally go with her to meet Ou Congquan… On the other hand, we can’t let the content department continue like this. They’ve already lost control of the mangaka. Ding Yilong… that damn Ding Yilong.”
“Understood.”
Shang Tao nodded. He didn’t say anything more.
“I’ll go start prepping and screening the early-release chapters.”
“Good.”
Zhao Fangsheng gave a brief nod—then something else occurred to him.
“Right, what’s that Tang editor’s full name?”
“Tang Yao.”
“Tang Yao… got it.”
Zhao Fangsheng nodded, saying no more.
He was already thinking about scheduling a joint visit with Tang Yao to meet Ou Congquan—and planning the editorial restructuring of the youth manga department.
Not that he doubted Tang Yao.
Based on Shang Tao’s account, and that AORI line, he could tell she was competent.
But Ding Yilong… was insanely out of line.
Even if Tang Yao was talented, it was still a tall order to not only come up with her own unique take but also align it with the author’s original intent—and on top of that, seamlessly link it with what had already been drawn?
That was extremely difficult.
Pretty much impossible.
If she really pulled it off… she could just replace Ding Yilong.
Although… she’s probably only thirty-something, right?
Wait, how old is Editor Tang again?
Zhao Fangsheng frowned, recalling Shang Tao’s description: young and beautiful.
She was probably around thirty. It wouldn’t be unthinkable for her to be promoted.
After all, the shoujo manga team had a very young Deputy Editor-in-Chief too.
Wait… what am I even thinking?
The thought struck him.
Zhao Fangsheng shook his head, smirking at himself.
What nonsense. I was actually seriously considering something that unrealistic.
…Maybe he just wanted Ding Yilong gone a little too badly.