Chapter 214: Guiding Public Opinion

In the office, Xia Yu finished listening to the detailed work reports from Song Quanping and his team, learning that the completed sketches were sufficient to serialize five issues of the magazine. "Zhiyin Comic Magazine" was set to cover four major themes with twelve pages dedicated to each theme. With this setup, even a single serialized manga could present a substantial amount of content.

After the reports, Xia Yu encouraged everyone and then visited the other three studios to check on their progress. 

He was pleased with the overall status of the studios, noting that all four were making similar progress. It seemed the studios were subtly competing, trying not to lag behind each other.

Xia Yu then returned to Ma Tengdong's office and praised him, "Tengdong, the company management is good. Keep up the hard work!"

Ma Tengdong nodded vigorously, assuring, "Boss, don't worry. I will keep pushing forward!"

"Mm!"

Xia Yu nodded lightly, noticing the magazine he had reviewed earlier on the desk. He picked it up and said to Ma Tengdong, "I'll take this with me for now. If you need it, just reprint it."

After a few more instructions to Ma Tengdong, Xia Yu left Jiuding Animation Company and went to Jiuding Newspaper Company.

At the newspaper company, Xia Yu met with Yan Wenhan. Without much discussion, he instructed Yan Wenhan to start taking action. Yan Wenhan, having already prepared, immediately began executing the plan.

The day passed in a flurry of activity, and Xia Yu returned home.

After dinner and a period of rest, Xia Yu knocked on his younger brother Xia Ming's door.

"Brother, you're here."

The door opened, and Xia Ming, seeing Xia Yu, greeted him with a smile.

"Working on your homework? Have you finished?"

Xia Yu entered Xia Ming's room with his hands behind his back and saw the open textbooks on the desk. He asked with concern.

"Yes, I've finished. Now I'm previewing the upcoming material."

Xia Ming answered honestly.

"Good job!"

Xia Yu smiled with satisfaction, and Xia Ming grinned and scratched his head, pleased but a bit shy.

"Here, take this. I took your comics earlier, so now I'm giving you one."

Xia Yu brought the magazine he had held behind his back and handed it to Xia Ming with a smile.

Xia Ming took the magazine, somewhat bewildered. Looking down, he saw it was a comic. He looked up at Xia Yu in disbelief and asked, "Brother, is this for me?"

"Who else would it be for if not you?"

Xia Yu gently patted Xia Ming on the head and smiled in response.

"But didn't you say comics are bad?"

Although Xia Ming was thrilled and tightly held the magazine, he remembered how Xia Yu had confiscated his "Bruce Lee" comics before, which made him puzzled.

"I didn't say comics are bad. I meant that the 'Bruce Lee' type of comic is not suitable."

"Remember, there is no absolute good or bad in this world. Whether something is good or bad depends on the people. Comics are just cultural works, and what's important is the ideas contained within them. I don't oppose you reading comics; I oppose those that spread harmful ideas. Do you understand?"

Xia Yu said with a gentle smile, giving guidance.

"Ah!"

Xia Ming nodded, seeming to understand but not fully grasping it.

"The 'Bruce Lee' comics you were reading, while having some positive aspects, mostly contained violence and could lead readers to solve problems with violence. This is harmful to your development."

"The magazine I'm giving you is produced by my company. The comics inside have positive ideas. You can read it. It's not for sale yet; this is the first issue, and I'm giving it to you. After you finish your homework, you can read it. I hope you think deeply and learn good things through entertainment."

Xia Yu earnestly advised.

Xia Yu wanted his younger siblings to do well. In his previous life, as the eldest, he was used to taking care of his younger siblings. In this life, with their parents lacking education and unable to assist the children much, Xia Yu naturally took on the responsibility, following the saying, "An elder brother is like a father."

"Okay! Don't worry, brother. I will think more and learn more knowledge in the future!"

Touched by Xia Yu's sincere concern, Xia Ming nodded firmly, feeling moved.

Seeing that Xia Ming had taken his words to heart, Xia Yu was reassured. He encouraged him a bit more before leaving Xia Ming's room.

After Xia Yu left, Xia Ming looked at the comic magazine in his hands and sat at his desk, flipping through it. He was quickly absorbed by the intriguing comics.

However, he remembered his brother's advice and read slowly, stopping occasionally to think.

Xia Ming suddenly realized that within the short plots and dialogues, there was a lot to learn. By thinking deeply, he could grasp some useful insights.

This was very different from his previous way of reading comics, where he just skimmed through and remembered only the excitement of battles and defeating enemies.

The night passed without further events.

As the western moon set and the golden sun rose, a beautiful new day began.

Early that morning, many subscribers of the "Fengyun Daily" picked up their newspapers and saw an intriguing headline.

"Are Comics Really Worthless?"

Readers of "Fengyun Daily" were used to its strong criticism of the Hong Kong comic industry, which had been denounced to the point of becoming widely despised, leading to a unanimous rejection of comics in society.

The newspaper had been labeled as the "Anti-Comics Vanguard."

But now, "Fengyun Daily," known for its anti-comics stance, seemed to be changing its tone and appeared to be trying to justify the comic industry.

This situation left everyone puzzled, but their curiosity was piqued, leading them to read further.

"Comics are a form of literary expression, distinct from ordinary literary works but essentially the same. As a carrier of ideas, they transmit the thoughts of literary creators...

From the readers' perspective, literary creation indirectly influences their ideological development. Therefore, literary creators should always remember their social responsibility, avoiding the spread of pornography, bloodshed, and violence...

Comics, as a literary form, are neutral in essence. Their nature is determined by the ideas they convey. Comics like 'Dragon Tiger Gate,' which are bloody and violent, should be banned. But are comics really entirely worthless?

When the content serialized in comics is full of positive energy, guiding readers to strive, progress, and show kindness...

Besides this article, there are other pieces like 'Literary Creators Should Remember Their Social Responsibility and Spread Positive Energy!' and 'On the Feasibility of Combining Education and Entertainment.'

Each article provides a dialectical perspective on the issue, provoking thought. Readers who previously held biases against comics, when guided by the articles, gradually shed their prejudices against the comic industry.

Many readers began to discuss, and during the debates, more people realized that an entire industry shouldn't be condemned outright, though resistance to violent and negative comics remained.

Additionally, the issue sparked interest in two new concepts: "Positive Energy," a novel yet simple term, and "Education Through Entertainment." Playing is a child's nature and can't be stopped, but every parent hopes for their child's positive development. So how would it be if education and entertainment could be combined?

With "Fengyun Daily" guiding public opinion, many other newspapers quickly followed suit, discussing the topic in depth.

Public opinion was moving in the direction Xia Yu wanted, which pleasantly surprised Ma Tengdong, increasing his enthusiasm for work and anticipation for the official release of "Zhiyin Comic Magazine."