Chapter 52: Opportunities Favor the Prepared Madman

**Chapter 52: Opportunities Favor the Prepared Madman

"All editors, come in for a meeting!" Yang Dahai shouted sternly as he stepped out of his office.

The senior editors, including Itou Ayumi and Xu Zhexuan, exchanged worried glances but set aside their work to follow Yang Dahai into the conference room.

Once everyone was assembled, Yang Dahai furrowed his brow and said, "I just received a call from Ying Hua. Teacher Guangjun had a stroke last night and is in the hospital."

Ying Hua was Lin Guangjun's editor. He had been informed of Lin Guangjun's condition by his assistant last night and had rushed to the hospital early in the morning.

[Translator: sauron]

The news stunned everyone in the room. A stroke was no small matter, and it could be life-threatening.

"Although Teacher Guangjun was rescued, his condition remains critical," Yang Dahai continued after a deep breath. "So, we will have to announce the suspension of his series, *The Gods Are Closed*, indefinitely."

The room erupted in murmurs. *The Gods Are Closed* was a weekly series that occupied a significant portion of *Comic World Gogo*. Even though its popularity had recently plummeted to the lowest rank, its absence would make each issue of the magazine feel "thinner."

*Comic World Gogo* had a minimum page requirement for each issue. Many fans had subscribed for six months or a year based on the magazine's 350-page format, having already paid the subscription fees. Reducing the page count by more than eighteen pages for a single series would surely lead to complaints.

Maintaining the magazine's reputation and credibility was crucial, and any shortfall would be seized upon by competitors.

"So, we need to find a way to cover the missing content for *The Gods Are Closed*," Yang Dahai said. "Are there any authors with new work ready?"

He was essentially asking if there were any seasoned manga artists who had prepared new material.

The editors looked at each other, then shook their heads.

"No, and the timing is too tight. The next issue's printing and layout need to be sent to the press by the day after tomorrow at the latest," a senior editor responsible for layout said with a wry smile.

"Finding new work at this stage is impossible," another editor added. "Our best option is to pull a series with extra content from a monthly or bi-monthly publication to temporarily replace the weekly slot."

With years of experience, Yang Dahai knew that *Comic World Gogo* had encountered unexpected suspensions before.

He looked hopeful. "So, which editor here knows of any authors with extra drafts?"

He glanced at the six editors, including Itou Ayumi, who managed the magazine's bi-monthly and monthly series. In theory, the longer intervals between updates for these series should allow for some extra content.

However, the four editors managing the bi-monthly and monthly series shook their heads with grim expressions.

"Teacher Yingyue never has extra drafts. I have to constantly call and even visit to urge him for submissions."

"Teacher Fenghuangyuan is the same. The last issue's chapter was even postponed."

"Yes, it's the same with the monthly series. We can't find the authors, and they may not even deliver the next issue."

While bi-monthly series often featured newcomers, the monthly series typically had established manga artists. These artists, who had achieved fame and financial independence, found it challenging to meet deadlines.

Asking these veteran artists for extra drafts was as futile as inquiring when Yoshihiro Togashi would resume serialization.

Yang Dahai was well aware of this, and he was not optimistic about the situation.

But then—

"Editor-in-Chief! Teacher Qingshan has extra drafts!"

Everyone turned to Itou Ayumi, who had spoken up.

Xu Zhexuan also looked at Itou Ayumi. He was aware that Yang Shuzhun had no extra drafts. Although having *Spirit Sorcerer* serialized weekly would boost his earnings and popularity, the recent improvements to the storyline had left Yang Shuzhun no time to create new chapters.

Even if he did, the intense work had left him exhausted, and he needed rest.

No serious manga artist would keep extra drafts. Such preparation was the domain of the truly obsessive!

Yang Dahai was overjoyed. "In that case, we'll temporarily use *Edge Runners* by Teacher Qingshan to replace *The Gods Are Closed* in this issue."

"Step Mei, contact Teacher Qingshan and have him submit the drafts by tonight at the latest."

It wasn't about permanently replacing *The Gods Are Closed* with *Edge Runners*; it was a temporary measure. With the printing deadline looming, this was a stopgap solution.

"Understood! I'll notify Teacher Qingshan right away," Itou Ayumi said with renewed energy.

As a result, the Mangaverse company website, official media, and the upcoming issue of *Comic World Gogo* all reported that *The Gods Are Closed* was on hiatus due to the author's illness, offering support and future assistance. It was also announced that *Edge Runners* would temporarily take over the weekly serialization slot.

*(End of Chapter)*