Chapter 203: Experience the Power of Public Opinion

The next day, the hot news in Hong Kong continued to be the upcoming publication of *Seeking Qin*.

Gavin Peters' plan was already in motion. Major distributors had put up promotional posters, and the *Jiu Ding Daily* was also running promotions for *Seeking Qin*.

Many people, upon hearing the news, rushed to bookstores to place orders. With the explanation from *Jiu Ding Daily*, readers weren't worried about bookstores taking their money without delivering.

Aside from the buzz around *Seeking Qin*, a few small newspapers reported what seemed like an ordinary piece of news:

*"Is Huang Yulang the mastermind behind the commercial theft at Jiu Ding Animation Co.?"*

The article speculated on this possibility, guiding readers in that direction, and included several photos. One showed Huang Yulang entering a teahouse, and another showed him leaving, with a car visible in the photos.

The car wasn't Xia Yu's but belonged to Jiu Ding Animation Co., with the article even noting the license plate, suggesting Huang Yulang had met with Jiu Ding's executives.

Given the competitive relationship between them, the fact that Huang Yulang visited Jiu Ding Animation Co. when the news of the internal traitor broke pointed straight at him.

Since the photos didn't feature Xia Yu (as they were taken by his subordinates and anonymously provided to these small newspapers), they hadn't stirred much discussion due to the newspapers' limited circulation.

But this was the effect Xia Yu intended. He did this merely to provide a plausible reason for future actions, to avoid being labeled as domineering or bullying.

Despite the limited circulation of these papers, some discerning individuals noticed.

In the office of Shenghuo Publishing House, Shangguan Xiaobao looked at the newspaper on his desk with a smug expression.

Since the exposure of the traitor incident at Jiu Ding Animation Co. two days ago, Shangguan Xiaobao had quickly learned about it and was certain that Huang Yulang was behind it, as he himself wasn't involved in such activities.

He wasn't one to be overly competitive. His principle was not to seek the best but to avoid defeat, making him more suited to maintaining his position rather than pioneering.

So, while he was wary of Jiu Ding Animation Co., he focused on managing his own publishing house, ready to deal with whatever came his way.

After years of rivalry with Huang Yulang, Shangguan Xiaobao knew well the kind of person Huang Yulang was. Such underhanded tactics could only come from him, and only someone so bold and arrogant would dare provoke a major player.

Now, with the news report out, even though it was minor, Shangguan Xiaobao was certain Huang Yulang was behind it.

Xia Yu was not to be trifled with. Huang Yulang had poked the tiger's butt, and Shangguan Xiaobao was curious about what would happen next.

...

Shangguan Xiaobao didn't have to wait long. Soon, an unusual piece of news broke, released by the prominent *Fengyun Daily*.

*"A group of youths engages in brawls to mimic scenes from the manga *Dragon Tiger Gate*. Many have been injured!"*

The article detailed the incident.

A group of youths obsessed with the manga *Dragon Tiger Gate* had resolved to emulate the gangster lifestyle. They started imitating it in middle school and later abandoned their studies...

The article concluded with sharp commentary, condemning violent manga for corrupting youth, causing severe harm to their mental and physical health, and noting that the influence of violent manga was worsening.

*Fengyun Daily* even called for a survey to investigate the extent of violent manga's impact on teenagers, urging youth and parents to actively submit feedback.

By this day, *Fengyun Daily*'s latest circulation had reached 580,000 copies, with an impact covering over 1.5 million people.

In Hong Kong and Macau alone, *Fengyun Daily* had sold 190,000 copies, covering over 400,000 people.

A news story from such an influential newspaper naturally caused an immediate sensation.

Moreover, the length and content of the article indicated that *Fengyun Daily* treated it as a major news story.

The sensation matched *Fengyun Daily*'s status. Many readers, upon buying the paper early in the morning, were immediately drawn to the front-page headline.

The article was very well-written, effectively stirring readers' emotions. Many readers were outraged and condemned *Dragon Tiger Gate*.

Parents whose children had abandoned school to emulate gangsters also began to wonder if their own children had read such manga.

If their children had, many parents, upon reading the article, subconsciously blamed the violent manga, finding excuses for their children's behavior, as every parent would prefer to find a scapegoat.

In the office of Yulang Publishing Co., Huang Yulang was in a creative studio, reviewing work progress.

This studio was dedicated to researching *Dragon Ball*, and based on it, had created a manga called *Battle God*, telling the story of a monkey named Sun Xiaosheng who traveled around learning martial arts, aiming to become the strongest battle god. The story featured a mysterious wishing lamp that, once nine were collected, would summon a deity to grant any wish…

This was a blatant rip-off of *Dragon Ball*!

At this point, *Battle God* was nearing completion, and would be ready for release in no more than half a month. Yulang Publishing Co. might soon have another strong manga to follow *Dragon Tiger Gate*.

If not for the partial materials from *Dragon Ball*, Huang Yulang's imagination would have remained limited to the themes of fighting and gangster life. He wouldn't have thought of creating this kind of manga.

"Almost there! I'm looking forward to *Battle God* being completed. My manga empire's throne will be more secure, and I won't fear facing Jiu Ding Animation Co. head-on. I'll show you what it means to surpass your predecessors."

"As for offending Xia Yu, so be it. We're destined to be rivals."

Huang Yulang muttered to himself, though anxious, he continued to reassure himself that his approach was correct.

Yet for some reason, he felt an impending sense of crisis.

"As long as I don't cross the line, can Xia Yu still have any other means against me? Shouldn't be possible…"

It turned out Huang Yulang's awareness was lacking, and he was still too naive…