Chapter 20: Voices of Doubt [2]
Alex shook his head. "If people are cursing, it means people are reading."
"Good mindset." Henderson lit a cigarette. "But seriously, too many eyes are on you now. A tall tree catches the wind."
"I know."
After buying supplies, Alex rode home. Passing the middle school, he saw a handwritten poster on the bulletin board titled "Agricultural Knowledge in Silver Spoon." Below were several points, accompanied by illustrations copied from the manga.
The drawings were childish, but earnest.
He stopped his bike and looked at it for a long time.
In late October, the latest issue of Manga Critique hit the stands.
The cover headline was striking: "Silver Spoon: A Carefully Packaged Mediocrity."
Alex didn't buy it; Henderson mailed it to him. Attached was a note: "Just look, don't take it to heart."
He opened the magazine. The article took up six full pages. The author, pen name "Harsh Critic" (Yan Ke), wrote with a sharp pen:
"The explosion of Silver Spoon is a microcosm of the poverty of the current manga market. A work with dragging pace, a mediocre protagonist, and a flat plot is elevated to the altar simply because the subject matter is fresh..."
"The author clearly lacks the ability to tell a good story. Milking a cow in Chapter 8, raising pigs in Chapter 12, and by Chapter 20 the protagonist is still confused—this isn't reality, this is incompetence..."
"The so-called 'cinematic feel' of the storyboards is actually an abuse of negative space and close-ups to mask the lack of narrative ability..."
"The display of agricultural knowledge is superficial. Readers with real interest would be better off reading professional books..."
"The failure of the copycats does not represent the success of Silver Spoon, but only shows the market's hunger for fresh themes. Once the novelty passes, this work will be quickly forgotten..."
The article concluded: "Silver Spoon is not a good manga; it is just a successful marketing campaign. Readers are confused by labels like 'agriculture,' 'reality,' and 'warmth,' ignoring the mediocrity of the work's essence."
Alex finished reading and closed the magazine.
The article was mean-spirited, but some points were correct—the pace was slow, the protagonist wasn't hot-blooded, and the agricultural knowledge wasn't as detailed as a textbook.
But what the critic failed to understand was that the charm of Silver Spoon lay not in "speed," but in "slowness"; not in "hot-bloodedness," but in "reality"; not in "detail," but in "warmth."
He opened his computer. The forum had exploded. The article had been reposted, and the comments were a battlefield.
"Teacher Yan Ke is right! I always felt this comic was overrated!"
"You know nothing! Yan Ke is just grandstanding!"
"But the slow pace is a fact... I kind of want to drop it."
"Drop it then, we don't miss you!"
Alex watched for a while, then closed the page.
He continued drawing Chapter 20. This chapter was about disease prevention. Foot-and-mouth disease broke out on a farm (not the school, but nearby, raising tension), and Hachiken and his classmates spent the night caring for the cows, disinfecting, isolating, and finally controlling the potential spread.
He drew with intensity—the pained eyes of the cows, the exhausted faces of the students, the strict orders of the teachers. And the feeling of powerlessness in the face of an epidemic, followed by the relief of finally controlling it.
Late at night, Sarah came up to bring milk and saw he was still drawing. "Not sleeping yet?"
"Almost."
Sarah put down the cup and glanced at the magazine open on the desk. "That... the one cursing you?"
"Yeah."
"Don't take it to heart," Sarah said. "You draw yours; let them curse theirs."
"I haven't taken it to heart."
Sarah stood there for a moment, then added, "Mr. Miller came by today. He said he read that article cursing you and was furious. Said he wanted to write a letter to curse them back."
Alex smiled. "Tell Mr. Miller not to bother."
"I told him, he wouldn't listen." Sarah shook her head. "Draw. Sleep early."
She went downstairs. Alex took a sip of the milk. It was warm.
He remembered a sentence from the article: "Once the novelty passes, this work will be quickly forgotten."
Will it?
He didn't know. But he knew Silver Spoon had just begun. Hachiken's life at the Ag School had two more years. There was too much left to draw—the depth of the specialized courses, the hardships of internships, the choices of graduation, and those thoughts on life, food, and the future.
Novelty passes, but stories don't.
He continued drawing.
At the end of October, Chapter 20 was released. Because it involved disease prevention, the editorial department was a bit worried—too heavy, would it affect sales?
Three days after release, the data came out.
Reader Survey Ranking: 2nd.
It dropped one place from the previous chapter, losing to a new arc in Legend of the Sword God—where the protagonist awakened a new power and slaughtered everyone.
Sue called, her tone calm. "Dropped, but still in the top three. The Editor-in-Chief says it's acceptable."
"Okay."
"Also, the Agricultural Association sent a letter." Sue paused. "They read Chapter 20 and said the process of foot-and-mouth disease prevention was drawn very professionally. They want to invite you to be a consultant and participate in compiling a 'Manga Version of Livestock Epidemic Prevention Manual'."
Alex paused. "Consultant?"
"Yes. No need to show your face, just offer opinions and draw some illustrations. There is remuneration."
"I can do that."
"And," Sue added, "that article in Manga Critique... you don't need to respond. The editorial department will handle it."
"How?"
"In the next issue of the magazine, we will publish a rebuttal article authored by a professor from the Agricultural University." Sue paused. "Not speaking for you, but speaking for agricultural science communication."
"Good."
After hanging up, Alex opened the forum. Sure enough, in the discussion for Chapter 20, new voices appeared.
"This chapter was too heavy... hard to watch."
"But it's real! My family raises cattle, and when foot-and-mouth broke out, it was exactly like that!"
"The part where Hachiken cried made me bawl... even though they tried so hard, the cows still had to be culled."
"This is agriculture. It's not playing house."
Some also mentioned the Manga Critique article:
"Yan Ke said this comic is superficial? Does this chapter slap his face or what?"
"Professionalism off the charts, okay! I'm an Ag student, and my professor used this as a case study!"
Alex closed the forum and opened his email. The invitation from the Agricultural Association had arrived, worded formally, with a draft consultant contract attached.
He scanned it. Reasonable terms, considerable pay.
He replied: "Agreed. Please contact my editor Sue Vance for details."
Sent.
Then he stood up and walked to the window.
The night was thick, the ranch silent. Distant lights in the cow shed were on; the night watchman was making rounds.
He remembered the ending of Chapter 20—the epidemic was controlled, but three cows died. Hachiken squatted outside the barn, watching the vet truck take the dead cows away.
Komaba walked over and handed him a cigarette. Hachiken didn't smoke, but he took it.
"Hurts?" Komaba asked.
"Yeah."
"If it hurts, remember it." Komaba lit his own cigarette. "Remember this pain, so you can do better next time."
Hachiken nodded, holding the unlit cigarette in his hand.
The scene froze there. No melodrama, no preaching. Just two boys squatting outside a barn, watching the night.
Alex felt that this was what he wanted.
Not a hot-blooded victory, not a happy ending for everyone. Just reality—real heaviness, real powerlessness, and the reality of continuing to move forward.
(To be Continued)
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