After the studio's most popular and best-selling series, "Mo Wan" and "Vampire A Ming," were banned, the studio suddenly plunged into a dire predicament, its future uncertain.
At the time, Deng Ge had strongly suggested that the studio cater to the market by creating more positive, less gory and terrifying stories. This, he argued, would improve their chances of survival and attract a larger audience, leading to higher revenue.
However, the Head at the time directly rejected this suggestion.
The Head explained that they had initially come together out of a shared love for blood-curdling horror themes, and he refused to tarnish that original passion.
As a result, the studio's operations came to a complete halt.
First, Deng Ge left to join an animation company, embarking on a new career journey. Then, the Qin siblings departed. Their family background was modest; both parents were factory workers. Qin Siyu's health was poor, and the annual cost of his treatment posed a significant challenge, so Qin Siyao had no choice but to quit and find a different profession.
The last to leave was Hui Qiang. He quietly packed his belongings, served the Head a bowl of noodles, and then departed for a game company.
They had gathered due to shared interests, supporting each other through five years of ups and downs. Ultimately, however, they couldn't escape the harsh reality encapsulated in the old saying: all good things must come to an end.
Near the zombie Liang Cheng, there was another painting. It depicted Ah Qiu's comic protagonist—not a female character, but rather a man with empty eye sockets.
His name was Blind Bei, a man skilled at playing the piano. When he killed, he liked to hold his hands before him, miming piano melodies in the air as his prey suffered a brutal death.
Ah Qiu was the lead artist for this comic. Her art style was highly realistic, but the plot was weak. In many installments, Blind Bei would begin killing almost immediately; it often seemed he killed purely for the sake of it.
This was somewhat overwhelming even for dedicated horror aficionados, as readers still craved some narrative to accompany the terror.
However, perhaps due to Ah Qiu's unique perspective as a female creator, the character Blind Bei still managed to attract a significant number of hardcore fans. Consequently, its sales figures were slightly higher than those of "Dwarf Xue Three" and "Ah Li."
The characteristics of the protagonist in "Blind Bei" were likely influenced by Ah Qiu's family background: her father had died in the line of duty, killed by a criminal.
Three paintings hung on each of the long walls of the living room.
A single painting hung alone on the wall opposite the entrance.
After everyone had examined the portraits of their own comic protagonists, they instinctively gathered before this particular painting. It depicted an infant exuding an overwhelming aura of pure evil.
This was the Head's comic, titled "Mo Wan," which featured a baby as its main character.
In terms of both plot and artistic execution, it was nearly impeccable. By capturing the essence of pure, twisted horror, it had attracted a vast audience at the time. Even Deng Ge's "Vampire A Ming" was overshadowed in popularity by "Mo Wan."
"Mo Wan... just as stubborn as the Head," Deng Ge sighed wistfully.
He considered himself talented, but he also believed the Head was an even more exceptional individual.
It was a pity the Head was so stubborn, just like the characters he created. A slight change, a minor adaptation, could clearly have led to better prospects, but the Head had chosen to obstinately stick to his path.
Yet, he couldn't truly bring himself to blame him. After all, one could say that everyone else had strayed from their original intentions; only the Head had remained steadfastly true to his founding principles.
Deep down, what they felt for their former leader was likely more admiration than anything else.
"Where is the Head?" Qin Siyu asked.
These seven paintings in the living room were undoubtedly the Head's creations, but where was the Head himself—the one who had invited them all to reunite after three years?
Hui Qiang pushed open the door to one of the bedrooms and found the light on inside.
The bed was bare of sheets. Instead, neatly stacked upon it were copies of everyone's series—some officially published, others self-printed when official publication proved impossible, effectively making them contraband items.
These stacks represented the accumulated memories from the studio's five years of existence: titles like "Vampire A Ming," "The Woodcutter," "Dwarf Xue Three," and others. After the studio disbanded, everyone would still occasionally receive electronic drafts from the Head in their email inboxes. It was the Head who had silently continued to illustrate the subsequent chapters for them.
Beneath the bed, there was also a thick stack of comics.
They walked over and picked up the comics from beneath the bed. They discovered that these works were stylistically very similar to the comic themed around two women making phone calls.
The Head had been steadfastly adhering to the studio's original vision. But he must have needed money, so he had also produced a considerable amount of commercial work to make ends meet.
Upon seeing these works, Deng Ge's brow furrowed even more. He felt a sense of dissatisfaction. He had originally believed the Head was rigidly adhering to his principles, staying true to his passion, even if it meant forgoing money or fame.
But since the Head was already drawing these commercial pieces to earn money, it proved he had already become more flexible. If that was the case, why hadn't the Head approached him for help?
Could it be that he was too embarrassed?
Deng Ge felt that if the Head truly thought that way, it would genuinely tarnish the camaraderie they had cultivated over more than five years.
Just then, Deng Ge's phone rang. A video message arrived from the WeChat account labeled "Head."