And there it was again: someone accusing Bai He of vote manipulation...

In truth, ever since this book first launched, people have constantly claimed that Bai He is a fraudster. They alleged vote-padding for clicks, for recommendations, and it seems some even accused Bai He of rigging the review section. Now, finally, it’s come down to manipulating monthly votes.

Honestly, Bai He doesn't even want to bother explaining anymore.

Bai He didn't become a star overnight. Since The Undead, it seems I’ve been a regular fixture in the top six of the monthly ticket charts. And my older novel, Light Brain, held the second spot for three whole months. These are concrete, undeniable achievements.

Back when I was vying for monthly votes against Geng Su and Old Cat, even when I lost, I never once thought about cheating by buying votes. I simply relied on my sheer output to plead with my readers for their support.

Seeing them flaunt their success above me back then, though it stung my pride, my only thought was to decisively clean them out during the annual meeting, making them cough up whatever they’d pocketed.

Now, competing with Fatty for the monthly votes, Bai He still won't resort to rigging.

Fatty’s imitation work is fantastic, truly a masterpiece. To maintain such a dedicated loyal readership and those unyielding 24-hour subscription numbers over nearly three years on Qidian—that is exceptionally rare, truly one in a handful across the entire platform.

On that front, Bai He is deeply self-critical and humbled.

Bai He lacks Fatty's innate talent, so the only way is to compensate with sheer hard work, laboring like an old ox every single day to churn out chapters totaling ten thousand, sometimes even fifteen thousand words, as repayment to everyone.

What Bai He seeks isn't timeless literary classic status; it’s simply the hope that everyone who reads my work can find a moment of genuine amusement and feel their spirits lift. That’s satisfaction enough.

Bai He knows only how to pour his heart and soul into the writing; anything beyond that, I genuinely have no capacity to manage.

So, please, stop trying to sow discord between Bai He and Fatty. I just want to say, regardless of who takes third or who takes fourth, even if there’s lingering friction now, when we meet next year, the worst outcome will be forcing one of them to treat the other to a meal. I refuse to believe that Fatty and Bai He would ever trade venomous words over monthly votes.

At the very least, I, Old Cat, and Geng Su haven't become enemies, right? Those two hammered me countless times during the The Undead period. Am I supposed to go after them with a knife?

(To be honest, Geng Su is quite thin; he might lose a fight. Old Cat is fat enough that I might not win. If Crane and Cat were to clash, Bai He would likely suffer the greater damage; Old Cat's sharp claws and teeth are no mere prop.)

Ultimately, the necessary discussions will happen, and the necessary competition for votes will continue. If one has to worry about this or fret about that, then none of us should bother trying to make a living on Qidian.

Therefore, please, stop coming to Bai He’s section to talk about vote rigging.

To borrow Fatty’s line from last year: We simply cannot afford that kind of shame...

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P.S.: Similarly, I hope all of Bai He's friends will refrain from instigating trouble in others' review sections, especially now while competing with Fatty. If anyone attacks Fatty, they aren't helping Bai He; they are actively harming me. I can’t reach into other authors’ review sections to quell things, but in Bai He’s own review section, I earnestly request everyone to remain calm and quiet down. Just silently read the book, and Bai He will be eternally grateful.