After thirty days of intense struggle, the dust settled in the final second, and we dropped from second place to third. That was due to the opposing side's incredibly powerful fanbase, whose leader suddenly tipped 1.5 million in support. Lao Gu managed a smile then; there wasn't much difference between second and third.

However, during the final few hours today, suddenly being overtaken by fourth place by a mere hundred votes, which bumped Lao Gu down to fourth, was something he couldn't remain calm about.

Lao Gu tried desperately to salvage the situation, shamelessly appealing to the author group for votes, his heart heavy. In those last few hours, his fingers were almost trembling. As a result, many friends who held high-level VIP accounts immediately transferred money via online banking without hesitation to give Lao Gu their monthly votes. He was deeply moved; the group chat erupted—the most intense it had ever been!

In the end, everyone managed to pool together a few dozen votes, but it wasn't enough to reverse the outcome. Still, Lao Gu was happy, invigorated, and deeply emotional.

Furthermore, thanks to Editor Pikachu, the Chief Editor, and everyone who fought until the very last moment—gratitude! Truly, profound gratitude!

September will be unforgettable; this month was too oppressive. On the first day of its release, we exploded upward with overwhelming force, rocketing from fifth place to secure the second spot, a position no one could shake!

Later, because Lao Gu became too stressed and failed to maintain his composure for the first time, combined with the manic burst of output early in the month, the quality suffered.

Lao Gu cared too much about this book, which led him to read the hateful comments from the trolls. He hesitated, constantly wondering if he really needed to conform to what they suggested. Thus, Lao Gu tried writing a chapter in that suggested way, but immediately, he couldn't capture the feeling he once had.

This affected many who had silently supported and voted for Lao Gu, leading them to voice questions. Consequently, Lao Gu became trapped in this internal conflict. Compounded by the relentless pressure of the monthly vote chase, the quality gradually declined.

Faced with the ever-closing gap in monthly votes, Lao Gu lost his calm and erupted into a frenzy of posting, resulting in writing that lacked the feeling I intended.

I can write better than that!

To those who originally liked this book and consequently blamed Lao Gu, I want to say, "I'm sorry!" Lao Gu promises to write better in the future!

Because of a few petty gnats, Lao Gu was distracted; that will not happen again.

In that final second, we dropped to fourth place. The blow to Lao Gu was immense; he even contemplated abandoning the project (becoming a taijian). It was the encouragement from the group members, the Chief Editor, friends, and everyone else that sustained Lao Gu through it.

The devastation wasn't about losing the 3,000 yuan monthly vote bonus or missing out on that glory; it was because our subscriptions, our clicks, our popularity—all surpassed the other side's!!!

But because the monthly votes didn't match, Lao Gu felt sorrowful, somewhat disheartened. However, looking at the passion in the group chat afterward, Lao Gu realized everyone had done their utmost; Lao Gu was tired, and everyone else was too.

Thank you so much for all your support.

Lao Gu is someone who seeks genuine emotion.

Material things can be bought.

But the tremor of the soul cannot be purchased.

Yet today, Lao Gu was shaken, stunned, moved by everyone’s passion.

We lost 3,000 yuan, but we don't care. Now we can focus entirely on writing. In October, if you have monthly votes, please help cast them.

This month, Lao Gu will rise again, drastically improving the quality. I will diligently study, concentrate my thoughts, and incorporate all the best parts of the outline!

Go!

I love you all!

To everyone who has struggled against the darkness, thank you! A