Started as a comics editor

Chapter 274 Moving Forward
An official invitation from ANF? A support program? Traffic? Incentives?
After exclaiming "Holy crap!", Miao Zhang sat bolt upright, his heart pounding in his chest.
He repeatedly checked the contents of the text message, fearing it might be a prank.

"This...this is real?" he muttered to himself, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. Just moments ago, he had been worrying about not inheriting the family business and wondering whether he should give up live streaming.

In the blink of an eye, a path that seemed to change his trajectory appeared before him without warning.

Although this text message doesn't reveal much information.

ANF's live streaming business seems to be just starting out. At present, in terms of scale and popularity, it is probably far inferior to the platform he is currently based on. However, Miao Zhang's excitement and anticipation did not cool down because of this. On the contrary, it burned even more brightly, as if fueled by an additive.

The reason is simple—this company, Avalon, has created far too many miracles!
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind... Avalon started from a niche anime and manga fandom, then surged ahead, sweeping across the entire mobile game market, and has now become the most lucrative monster in the gaming industry.

Their ANF platform has rapidly evolved from a small anime fan site into the undisputed spiritual home of the domestic ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) community, with user engagement and community atmosphere that are unmatched by any other platform.

This is just the tip of the iceberg that he, as an outsider, can directly perceive.

There are countless stories in the industry about how Avalon made precise strategic plans, how it had a keen eye for talent, and how it brought its ideas to fruition with astonishing speed and execution.

“A company that can incubate products like Hearthstone and Dungeon Fighter Online…a team that can build ANF to this level…” Miao Zhang stared at the text message from ANF’s content cooperation department on the screen, his eyes growing brighter and brighter: “They’ve taken a liking to my live stream? They think my content has potential?”

have to say.

This realization itself carried an indescribable weight and magic, enough to excite him.

Perhaps ANF Live is indeed a newcomer, and its platform traffic is limited.

But behind them stands Avalon! The Avalon who has proven his vision and ability time and time again, the one who has the Midas touch!
Being offered a job by such a company is a huge signal in itself, an opportunity full of potential. It means that his insights into game mechanics and his confident, prank-filled streaming style have been recognized by what is likely the industry's top team.

More importantly, Avalon has the resources, the ambition, and the mature experience to build a successful ecosystem.

Their promises of traffic support and creative incentives should not be empty promises. Just think of the terrifying effect of the FGO collaboration, and think of ANF's incentive policies for creators...

"Following their lead could open up entirely different possibilities!"

Miao Zhang said softly, somewhat excitedly.

Although the road ahead is unknown and the platform is small, this ship belongs to Avalon!
With this in mind, the anticipation for the future completely overwhelmed any minor doubts.

He took a deep breath, and without further hesitation, immediately clicked on the contact information left above.

A new world seemed to be slowly opening its doors before him.

at the same time.

Actually, it wasn't just Mr. Miao who received the text message.

Many other streamers also received the message.

Because there were so many people, ANF didn't contact them one by one by phone.

Most of the broadcasters who received the text message were overjoyed and made up their minds almost instantly, then contacted the ANF content department.

Of course, some people still have doubts and are still struggling with their decision.

However, ANF received quite a few calls that evening and the following morning, enough to make a live streaming section thrive.

The newly added live streaming section quickly became quite substantial.

……

same moment.

"Ugh……"

Rumi Studio, Rumi's mother—Guan Fang—sat in front of the computer, looking at the announcement on the ANF website homepage about the upcoming launch of the live streaming section, sighed softly, her expression somewhat complicated.

too fast.

This company, Avalon, is developing at an incredibly rapid pace, almost breathtakingly fast.

Every time she opens the website, it seems like they've taken another big step forward. She has a lot to say about this, because ANF's comics section is really encroaching on the territory that originally belonged to traditional publishing and to them.

She recalled how, not long ago, she had harbored the illusion that the online platform of Chasing Stars could rival it. In order to protect this private territory, she even firmly rejected ANF's request for authorization of Rumi's old works. At that time, in her eyes, ANF was nothing more than a nouveau riche platform that relied on games and had an unstable foundation. Comics? What did they know about comics!?

But what about reality?

The reality is that ANF's comics section, led by the terrifying monster "Chainsaw Man," has forcefully torn open the market. With its huge user base, active community atmosphere, and—which she has to admit is quite attractive creator incentive policies—it has squeezed out a number of established online platforms, including Chasing Stars.

Users, especially young users who represent the future, are continuously flowing to ANF.

They are no longer satisfied with one-way reading; they need community, interaction, derivative works, and impactful and topical works like "Chainsaw Man."

These are things that traditional magazines can hardly provide... Not to mention anything else, although there have been some improvements recently, the relatively conservative work strategy means that Star Chaser Publishing will hardly produce impactful works like Chainsaw Man.

The main reason is that there aren't many people who can create works like this...

Of course, this does not mean that traditional magazines do not have their own loyal users; traditional shonen manga still has a large following.

Guan Fang had a premonition... that as time went on, ANF's comic section would grow larger and larger, while the market size of traditional magazines like Chasing Stars would decline, and the new generation of readers would tend to choose the former...

Today's announcement of the live stream launch was like a heavy hammer blow to her heart.

ANF ​​is no longer content with simply being a content aggregation and distribution platform; it aims to build a complete, closed-loop ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) ecosystem.

Games, comics, animation (she has no doubt they will get involved sooner or later), live streaming... Users can complete the entire chain from content consumption to social interaction and then to content creation on ANF.

This power of integration is something that traditional publishing houses that operate independently simply cannot match.

"Live streaming... are they even venturing into this field now?" Guan Fang murmured to herself, her tone carrying a sense of helplessness, as well as a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe. There was unease about the dramatic changes in the industry, regret for her own misjudgment, and even a sense of panic about being left behind by the tide of the times.

Her pride as a senior editor, and her insistence as a mother on planning a traditional comic book path for her daughter Rumi, all seem so pale and stubborn in the face of ANF, this giant ship moving at high speed.

even.

She heard from her daughter, or rather, she realized it herself, that the comic book business was not ANF's main business at all.

It's just one link in the chain.

With just one ring, they completely overwhelmed the Star Chaser Society...

She couldn't help but recall the past, when "Nightfall" collaborated with FGO. At that time, the company was in a very delicate situation. Although FGO was very popular and profitable, it was limited to the anime and manga community. Star Chaser was able to negotiate with the other party on an equal footing, or even at a higher level.

but now?
Now she no longer has that qualification... Avalon's game production speed, which terrifies even an outsider like herself, its increasingly outrageous revenue streams, and ANF's phenomenal development speed.

All of this gave Rumi a terrifying feeling that this company had been gently pushed along the wheels of history.

Everything is changing.

This company felt unfamiliar to her.

In addition...

Guan Fang smiled wryly and opened another page.

[Breaking News! The annual awards at the Pinnacle of Comics have been announced! Rumi's new work, "Stardust Echoes," has won both the Manuscript of the Year and Manuscript Artist of the Year awards!]

This was originally a good thing, as her daughter's work was serialized in a traditional magazine and eventually won the most prestigious award in the domestic comics industry.

At this moment, Guan Fang's feelings were extremely complicated.

Of course, there was joy; it was a heartfelt happiness that my daughter's talent had received the highest recognition in the industry.

But this joy was overshadowed by an even stronger sense of bitterness and anxiety.

She scrolled down to the comments section and saw those undeniable voices in the public discourse:
"Congratulations, but I feel it's not as good as the third-rate teacher's 'Chainsaw Man'."

"According to the selection rules of Comic Strip, he deserves the award, but to be honest, if we take ANF into account, many works on the list are not very good. If we include Chainsaw Man, then Rumi would probably have a hard time winning the award."

"Stardust Echoes is still awesome! But these days, young people are probably watching Chainsaw Man at ANF, right? I feel like this award has a lot of influence..."

"Teacher Rumi is awesome! I'm urging you to update more! And why not consider joining ANF? I'm begging for the digital version to be available on ANF!"

"..."

These voices were like fine needles, pricking Guan Fang's heart.

Her daughter's moment of glory was inevitably linked to ANF, a platform she once looked down upon but now had to look up to.

While readers offered their congratulations, they subconsciously expressed their longing for the ANF platform, for the top works on that platform, and even the authority of the awards seemed to be quietly questioned, because the biggest traffic and discussion did not come from there...

ANF ​​is like an omnipresent ghost, shrouding the entire industry and even the achievements of its proud daughter.

The most outrageous is!

Her daughter said! The author behind "Chainsaw Man"! Is also the head of Avalon!

And I heard she's a girl who's not even twenty-five! Her initial motivation for drawing comics was simply to get the comics section of ANF up and running.

This is absolutely outrageous!
She has some doubts about life.

And just then.

dong dong——

Accompanied by a knock on the door.

The room door was suddenly pushed open gently, and a mature woman with a full and round figure, wearing loose pajamas and round-framed glasses, walked in while munching on an ice cream.

She glanced at her mother, who sat in the dimly lit room, her back conveying an indescribable weariness and loneliness, then walked over and handed her another ice cream: "Would you like some?"

Guan Fang snapped out of her daze, turned to look at her daughter, and then her brows gradually furrowed, her expression slowly shifting towards that of a strict mother.

Rumi quickly replied, "I'll only eat this once this week."

Upon hearing this, Guan Fang thought for a moment but ultimately said nothing. She simply took the ice cream, put it aside, and continued looking at the screen.

Rumi glanced at the screen, then asked while eating her ice cream, "ANF... Mom, are you still hesitating?"

Guan Fang didn't answer her daughter's question immediately. She just stared silently at the announcement on the screen about the launch of the ANF live streaming section, recalling the news that her daughter had won two major awards. The only sounds in the room were the soft nibbling of ice cream by Ru Mi and the blurry noise of the city night outside the window.

After a long while, Guan Fang finally let out a long, tired breath, leaning back slightly in her chair.

She wasn't mesmerized; she kept her eyes on the screen, but her gaze seemed to pierce through it, directed towards some unknown future. She murmured, "This is outrageous."

As she tilted her head slightly, her eyes behind her round-framed glasses blinked, revealing a clarity unlike her mother's anxiety. She swallowed the last bite of ice cream, casually and precisely tossing the ice cream stick into the trash can a few steps away, her movements effortless and clean. At the same time, she asked, "What's so outrageous? ANF's current growth rate? Or is it that my work's awards can't suppress the popularity of 'Chainsaw Man'? My work is inherently inferior to 'Chainsaw Man,' there's nothing outrageous about it. If it weren't for the judging rules of the Comic Strip Awards, this year's Comic of the Year would definitely be 'Chainsaw Man.'"

Guan Fang suddenly turned her head and glared at her daughter.

Rumi shrank back, but still told the truth: "I'm telling the truth, Tang Yao... she is really amazing. Chainsaw Man is a hit, ANF is very popular now, and traditional comics, including our Star Chaser Studio, have been impacted."

My "Stardust Echoes" is simply not as good, so what's so hard about admitting that?

I'm also amazed by Avalon's rapid growth; I don't understand it either... It's truly outrageous, but times are changing, and no one can stop that. Just like how Chainsaw Man suddenly appeared and became a bombshell in the industry, we have to admit that newcomers will definitely emerge, and they might even be more powerful than the last. That's something we can't change.

It's not terrible to be inferior to others; what's terrible is remaining arrogant and hiding your head like an ostrich.

"..."

Guan Fang stiffened slightly and suddenly fell silent.

"So, stop worrying about it, Mom. Instead of worrying about this..."

Rumi was still a bit timid and didn't say much. She just reached out and gently patted her mother's tense shoulder: "Why don't you think about how to discuss the registration of my previous works with ANF?"

Say it.

She then quietly left.

Guan Fang sat blankly on the stool, seemingly still deep in thought.

suddenly.

Suddenly, the deep rumble of a heavy truck engine sounded outside the window, approaching from afar with a crushing weight, before roaring away into the distance.

That sound was like the turning wheel of history.

Guan Fang snapped out of her daze, remained silent for a long time, and then opened the email.

Da da da……

The crisp sound of keyboard typing echoed in the quiet room, drowning out the lingering sound of wheels outside the window, and sounded like the death knell of an old era.

Recipient: ANF Content Partnership Department.

Subject: Discussion on electronic copyright cooperation for works by Guan Fang and Rumi from the Zhuxing Society.

……

The ANF live streaming section is now online.

It wasn't sudden.

Because this period has been spent in preparation.

just.

This was quite unexpected for many ANF users. Because the very first live stream of the platform didn't feature the founders!

Where's my beautiful girl? Where's my virtual idol? Where's my huge beautiful girl costume?
Yes……

Many viewers were quite bothered by Tang Yao's absence from live streaming.

after all.

The starting point for ANF live streaming was when Tang Yao wore Rin Tohsaka's costume.

The section is now officially online, and it's so disappointing that she's not there.

of course.

Such silly users only make up a portion of the audience; most viewers were drawn to the games that were initially promoted in the live stream section.

Hearthstone...

This game recently launched a new version, and it's quite popular!

There was no highly anticipated debut of the founder's costume, nor was there an overwhelming influx of celebrity livestreamers to attract viewers.

The official launch of ANF Live has been low-key and pragmatic, just like Avalon's consistent style—build a solid ship first, then set sail.

The homepage featured a special live stream of the new Hearthstone expansion, "League of Adventurers." Several invited streamers, who had gained some fame in the previous Hearthstone tournament, had already started broadcasting. The card collision effects and the streamers' passionate or calm commentary immediately attracted a large influx of Hearthstone players.

To be honest, for many viewers who were eagerly anticipating the beautiful girl costumes, this start was a bit hardcore, and some were even quietly complaining, "Where's Rin-chan?"

However, this slight disappointment was quickly dispelled by the greater enthusiasm of the gaming community.

Because live streaming with a costume also exists... in another section.

Well, no.

The main reason is that ANF's core users are anime fans and loyal supporters of various games under Avalon. When the new version of Hearthstone was launched, it was a time of explosive popularity. Being able to watch live streams and discuss decks directly in the community they frequented instantly captured their hearts.

In no time, the Hearthstone section became the hottest topic, and the popularity of several top streamers' live streams skyrocketed.

Further down the list, a live stream room called "[Measure the World - Hearthstone Super Cool Bro]" quietly lit up.

Miao Zhang took a deep breath and pressed the start live stream button. The screen lit up, reflecting his slightly nervous but trying-to-remain calm face.

He habitually glanced first at the familiar yet glaringly conspicuous number in the backend—that's usually where the real-time number of viewers is displayed.

The ANF backend also displays real-time viewer data, but it also clearly shows the number of followers and a very eye-catching "rising star anchor" label.

"call……"

Although I don’t know why.

But Miao Zhang breathed a sigh of relief... his tense nerves relaxed a little.

It's probably because of that rising star streamer's logo.

He cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone.

"Hello everyone! I am Miao Zhang, the Zhang who measures the world."

His voice, coming through the microphone, was slightly hoarse and trembling, far less resonant than when he streamed on other platforms: "Today... uh... my first time streaming on ANF, new... new place, new look! Thank you... uh... thank you everyone for watching..."

My opening remarks were halting and stammering; my mind went blank, and I forgot all the words I had prepared.

He stared intently at the backstage chat screen—there was no sign of any audience interaction.

The live stream room was completely silent.

The only sounds were his slightly heavy breathing and the low hum of the computer fan.

Quiet.

An absolute silence.

It's even colder than when the old platform was at its worst.

At least there are still some people there... proving that someone is still watching, even if they might be robots.

There seemed to be nothing here. A huge sense of loss and self-doubt overwhelmed him like an icy tide, and his previous excitement and anticipation seemed like a joke.

"Is...is anyone really watching me?" he muttered to himself, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, tinged with a bitter self-mockery.

Even my hand felt a little shaky when I opened the Hearthstone client.

But just when he was about to be consumed by despair—

User [Hearthstone Old Salty Fish] entered the live stream room.

User [Loves Iced Cola] entered the live stream room.

Two simple system prompts, like faint starlight suddenly illuminating the darkness.

Miao Zhang's eyes widened instantly, and he almost held his breath, staring intently at the two prompts.

Immediately afterwards, a line of simple white text slowly floated by:

Hearthstone Veteran: Huh? This new streamer looks hilarious! Playing ranked? What deck are you planning to play?
This line of text is like a shot in the arm!

Miao Zhang felt his stagnant blood surge back to life. He almost roared, his voice cracking with the excitement of surviving a close call: "Yes, yes, yes! Hello, brother! Welcome, welcome!"

He spoke rapidly, like a machine gun: "I'm Miao Zhang! I just arrived at ANF today, and we...we'll get started right away! Uh...we'll definitely be playing ranked matches and researching the new League of Explorers expansion!"

He frantically opened the Hearthstone ranked ladder page.

Just then, another comment appeared: "Looks familiar? Has the streamer broadcasted on other platforms before?"
"Huh? Yes! It was broadcast!"

Miao Zhang immediately responded, as if grasping at a straw: "I used to stream on XX platform, and this was my ID too! Do you recognize me, bro?"

Loves Iced Cola: Oh! I remember now! The founder of the Universe Sakaar group? That streamer who always asks his viewers if he's awesome? You're on ANF too? That's impressive!
"Hahaha, yes, yes, it's me!"

Miao Zhang was amused by the teasing remark, and his feigned composure and awkwardness instantly crumbled. His familiar, confident nature, tinged with pranks, began to show: "I'll show you how awesome I am later!"

With the appearance of these two experienced travelers, the live stream seemed to come alive.

of course.

The biggest reason is ANF's support for the live streaming section.

In short.

As more and more viewers entered the live stream, the number of comments on the screen also increased rapidly.

What professions do streamers play?

"Newcomer reporting in! Can the host tell us about the new version?"

"Does the streamer have any special skills?"

"..."

The number representing popularity in the background jumped up a small bar, extremely slowly but steadily.

As Miao Zhang looked at the barrage of comments—some asking questions, some urging, and some teasing—and saw that the number of viewers was no longer zero, an indescribable warmth immediately dispelled the previous coldness and panic.

There really are people! And they're willing to talk!
They're still asking what game it is!
"Alright! Buckle up, guys!" Miao Zhang's voice was completely unrestrained, filled with the long-lost passion of live streaming. The restraint he felt due to the new environment had vanished without a trace: "Today, let's try out the hyped-up Highlander deck from the new expansion! Let me tell you, this deck is insanely powerful..."

As he selected a deck and began matchmaking, he launched into a long explanation of his deck strategy, his tone regaining its characteristic, somewhat reckless confidence.

Although the number of viewers will definitely not be large.

He tried his best to respond to every comment and answered every question seriously.

And it is this dedication that has attracted even more people to join.

In his first match, he once again demonstrated his signature meticulousness and profound understanding of the game's settlement mechanism, eliminating his opponent before any of the viewers could react.

The chat was immediately flooded with comments like "666" and "Awesome," creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

"Do you guys think the streamer is awesome?!"

Miao Zhang then shouted out what he most wanted to say.

The barrage of comments paused for a moment, then even more comments poured out!
They were all just jokes.

Mr. Miao didn't mind at all; on the contrary, he became even more enthusiastic.

And soon.

He discovered that... the live streaming environment here was indeed different from the previous platforms. Besides the jokes, many people started discussing deck building and version understanding with him.

As Miao Zhang started the next game, he began to chat about the comments in the live chat.

It turns out.

This feeling... is really not bad!

Because this is the headquarters of Avalon games...finding like-minded people here is so easy!

"Of course we'll bring the Jewel Beetle; a flush toilet is pointless."

"The Doomsday Descendant is indeed quite overpowered, but it depends on the situation. The timing of its deployment is crucial, and many players still don't understand it."

"In the current environment... Druid is probably the hardest to play against with my deck. It's a bit hard to calculate Druid's kill threshold. The easiest to play against is definitely Warrior. Right now, it's all Warrior decks that are all about holding back."

"What did the soldier do to me? Uh... ask the others."

"..."

Miao Zhang became more and more excited as he spoke. The feeling of being seen and accepted was like a shot of adrenaline, directly dispelling all the fatigue and self-doubt that had accumulated on the old platform.

Because ANF viewers are really knowledgeable!

He looked at the screen full of discussions about deck building and version understanding. Although there were some teasing him, most of the conversations were based on the game itself.

This feeling was amazing! It even brought back the joy of simply studying games.

Miao Zhang's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

In this simple, clean, and even somewhat rudimentary new live-streaming room, he experienced a pure joy of sharing games with like-minded people that he had never experienced on the old platform.

His first broadcast progressed smoothly amidst this wonderful transformation from initial skepticism to warm enthusiasm and from nervousness to complete engagement.

And by the time he realized what was happening...

Just found out.

There are so many comments in the live stream chat that I can't keep up!
……

"No."

same moment.

Tang Yao tilted her head, looking at the streamer on the screen who seemed to be a combination of supernatural powers and abbot, and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Where did Cai Quan find this talent?!"

Li Xue peeked over and then smiled, "I remember him. He's a streamer on a certain live streaming platform, poached by Cai Quan... He seems to be quite popular."

"It's really popular; it's ranked in the top three in its region."

Tang Yao shook her head slightly: "But that's normal, after all... her whole body is for the show."

Speaking of which.

She seemed to remember something interesting, and a captivating smile appeared on her beautiful face.

then.

She turned off the live stream and stopped watching, instead browsing other live streams.

The other live streams also seem to be getting a lot of attention.

Clearly, ANF's viewers are not opposed to the live stream; in fact, they seem to enjoy it.

Avalon's business has expanded again.

Moreover, given the current momentum, it might slightly alter the industry, and it remains to be seen whether other companies in the same industry can withstand it...

But whether they can handle it or not is another matter.

Avalon's steps will never stop.

As Tang Yao thought about it, she raised her snow-white chin and looked at Li Xue: "Miss Li, the new version of FGO is also being teased in the live stream section, right?"

(End of this chapter)