Chapter Ninety-Nine: The End of the First Episode

With no other choice, Lin Nan sent all the collected images to Si Dong and shared his ideas with her. Si Dong would then use software to perform post-production, blending all the harsh environmental details into what became known as the gray haze layer.

Lin Nan paid meticulous attention to every detail, believing that success or failure hinged on these nuances. In basketball, the key lies in mastering the fundamentals; in comics, it might be the characters, the story, and the background.

At this stage, the primary focus in comics or films is the plot—of course, the storyline is always crucial. However, a decade from now, or in the future with the rapid advancement of the internet and broadened perspectives, audiences would have seen nearly every kind of plot. Then, what matters most are the details. As long as your story isn’t too poor and your special effects are impressive, more people will watch it.

This is especially true for science fiction films, where the quality of special effects often outweighs the plot. Many directors spend far more time in post-production than on shooting. Lin Nan seemed to grasp this truth intuitively.

It took two full weeks before the first chapter of “A Glance Beneath the Starry Sky” was completed. The chapter consisted of only twenty illustrations. Lin Nan had taken photos of eight different phases of the moon to represent various times in the story. He also requested depictions of life in human settlements without sunlight, capturing expressions of pain, helplessness, and regret on each person’s face. He insisted that Xia Shiyang draw them all.

After everything was finished, Lin Nan had Xia Shiyang add a dim, muted color overlay to each illustration to emphasize the gray haze layer blocking the sunlight. Lin Nan’s pursuit of perfection left even Xia Shiyang astonished.

When the first chapter was finally complete and every detail thoroughly checked, the three of them agreed to upload it to the Star Comics website using Xia Shiyang’s account. There were no formal agreements or contracts. After all, this was the fruit of their two weeks of hard work, and they were aiming for a prize of one million yuan. If they actually earned that much, Xia Shiyang could keep it all, no problem.

Such arrangements only happened among classmates still in school. Once in society, money-related matters became far more cautious.

That weekend, with Xia Shiyang’s family away, Lin Nan and Si Dong gathered at her home, sitting around the computer in eager anticipation of the first chapter’s debut. The internet speed was fast, and in no time, Xia Shiyang uploaded the entire “A Glance Beneath the Starry Sky” chapter.

Because she had uploaded her own comics to Star Comics before, the review process was swift. To Xia Shiyang’s surprise, within minutes several readers had already left positive comments; one was even a previous critic of her work.

***

Zhou Xiaolin was the quintessential homebody. Every weekend, he would stay indoors watching anime. At his age—over twenty—he had already watched countless classic series. When he ran out of anime, he turned to comics.

But most good comics had been adapted into anime, so Zhou Xiaolin found himself wandering aimlessly across various websites, hoping to stumble upon something good yet undiscovered.

That was how he found Shi Yang, a young artist. With his broad experience, Zhou Xiaolin immediately recognized her work as the product of a young girl. Although her technique was decent, the storylines lacked depth and excitement—such as the typical “neighborly older brother” or “domineering CEO” tropes. Despite being a homebody himself, he found these plots too clichéd.

Still, because Shi Yang’s female characters were all adorable, Zhou Xiaolin always checked her updates.

Picking up a can of cola beside his desk, he clicked into Shi Yang’s homepage. The first image was of the gray haze layer caused by air and environmental pollution, accompanied by a brief but clear explanation.

Zhou Xiaolin’s eyes brightened. “Hey, this artist’s style has really grown!” he thought. “The beginning looks promising.”

The title “A Glance Beneath the Starry Sky” was quite poetic.

Within minutes, Zhou Xiaolin found the comic created by Lin Nan and his team after their two weeks of hard work, located near the penultimate page. He understood the story: humans battling against the evil gray haze to restore light.

He clicked to the final page, where the story showed Jun Ziyu and Xing Guang trapped in a laboratory. The last illustration was a silhouette of Xing Guang appearing before Jun Ziyu, a luminous figure rendered with delicate artistry.

Xia Shiyang had spent an entire afternoon crafting this image, with help from Si Dong. It was Lin Nan’s idea to end the chapter here—offering readers only a glimpse of Xing Guang’s ethereal form, withholding her true appearance. The glowing figure was so vivid that it felt almost alive.

To Zhou Xiaolin, it was as if he were looking at a masked celestial maiden, making him long to see her real face. But when he tried to click further, there was no continuation.

“What does Xing Guang really look like?” Zhou Xiaolin wondered, his imagination running wild. Based on Shi Yang’s skill and this phantom-like image, she must be incredibly cute. Yet there was no more story.

He could only give the work a like and leave a comment: “Please, dear author, update soon!”

Many others like Zhou Xiaolin—homebodies sipping cola and surfing the web—left similar comments, all eager to see Xing Guang’s true visage.

With the growing number of comments and likes, the Star Comics website editors quickly took notice. After a review, they agreed this was a high-quality work, with unique details, creative storylines, and well-drawn characters.

They immediately placed “A Glance Beneath the Starry Sky” on their ranking list and sent a contract offer to the author.

All three of them, sitting in front of the computer, broke into excited smiles. Xia Shiyang hugged Si Dong joyfully. “This is the first time I’ve received a contract offer so quickly. Looks like our work is really good!”

Lin Nan, standing slightly apart, watched the two girls huddled together and asked, “Is it hard to get signed by a comics website?”

Xia Shiyang released Si Dong and calmed her excitement before answering, “Not really. Comics are different from writing. You can’t just submit anything; most people who post here have a solid drawing foundation, so most get signed. But it’s rare to get a contract after just one chapter.”

After a moment's thought, Lin Nan said, “Then let’s wait until we upload the second chapter before replying to the editor.”

A few days earlier, Lin Nan had researched the payment system for comics online—the revenue sharing and charges. There was no strict standard; it mostly depended on popularity.

He thought there was no need to rush. Besides, he believed their comic had potential to be adapted into anime, though none of the three currently had the capability to produce one.

So there was no hurry to sign a contract. They would wait to see if the appearance of Xing Guang would spark a bigger reaction first.