After all, anyone who knows a little bit would understand:
Even though "King of the Net" ranks first in the popularity of sports comics, the plot of the comic indeed came from Chu Kuang's hand.
This differs from Shadow's later works.
While Shadow became famous with this comic, he came into prominence only as an artist.
In summary:
There are various viewpoints.
What the public doesn't know is that Ling Kong is extremely satisfied with the influence this matter has caused!
Because he has preliminarily achieved his goal of promoting "Basketball Heart"!
This promotion was originally intended to ride on Shadow's coattails!
You're riding high now because of "Dead Sea of Fire," aren't you?
Aren't you hailed as the "Shadow God" by readers?
If so, why not capitalize on your popularity.
However, it has not been good for Ling Kong since he escaped heavy punishment and the Three Bros split with the Tribe.
He had to produce results to keep everyone's mouth shut!
He Dajun is the trump card Ling Kong has kept up his sleeve for so long!
Speaking of which, Ling Kong came up with the idea from Shadow's friend Xian Yu.
Seeing Xian Yu helping himself to the Bluelympics' assets, Ling Kong thought of using the Bluelympics to promote He Dajun.
Of course, He Dajun's ability and fame itself are worth promoting by the Tribe.
Otherwise, Ling Kong's ideas alone would be useless.
Perhaps what happened with Shadow served as a lesson for Ling Kong.
His attitude towards cartoonists has improved significantly now.
Especially towards He Dajun, whom the department is currently preparing to heavily promote, he immediately showered him with praises, "The new comic from Master Dajun can definitely take off and in my heart, you are indisputably the number one sports comic artist!"
Keeping his pride in check, He Dajun modestly grinned:
"You're too kind, Mr. Ling."
"Master Dajun, there's no need to be modest. We have a press conference coming up in a bit. Of course, the main purpose is to promote your new comic. Journalists might ask you questions about Shadow..."
"No worries, I know what to say."
He Dajun's smile faded a little, "I don't like that junior either."
Ling Kong, who was initially curious, asked, "Did you know each other before?"
He Dajun shook his head, "We didn't, but don't forget, I am one of the Chu people."
Ling Kong paused for a moment, then remembered some of the past events in the comic industry.
It seems like when Shadow released "Death Note," there were grievances between him and the Chu Continent cartoonists.
Some of the Chu people have moved on, but some still harbor resentment.
This worked out even better!
We have the same enemies, huh!
After the Dead Sea of Fire's alliance was split into three, Ling Kong was in a good mood for the first time.
...
Twenty minutes later.
Ling Kong, with He Dajun, held a grand press conference!
At the press conference site.
There was a huge banner with the words "Basketball Heart" written on it.
He Dajun, with his beer belly and an ill-fitting formal suit, wore a full face of smile.
The interview began.
A journalist asked He Dajun, "What's your take on Shadow?"
He Dajun's smile disappeared, "Junior, Shadow is an exceptionally talented junior."
A junior?
This emphasis is quite significant.
The reporter then asked, "Are you aware that some have referred to Shadow as the number one sports competitive comics creator?"
"I've heard about it."
"Have you read 'King of the Net'?"
"I have."
He Dajun had a poker face.
Being provocative, the reporter asked, "Could we hear your assessment of this work?"
He Dajun rarely let out a smile, even gave a thumbs-up, highly praising it:
"The plot setting is very brilliant!"
The reporter looked odd. A brilliant plot?
Who doesn't know that the plot of 'King of the Net' was written by Chu Kuang?
You barely mention the quality of the drawings, just the plot. It's hard not to let minds wander when you do that.
"What's your take on the popularity of 'King of the Net'?"
"The old generation plants trees; the younger generation enjoy the shade. I am truly delighted. We, the older generation of manga creators, have opened up the fertile ground for sports manga, and successors like Shadow have planted tall trees in this soil we have created. They have the best creative environment, a privilege we older generation envy.
But the bright side is, we've made our due contribution!"
Gasp!
That's quite a statement.
The journalist asked a tricky question: "How would you respond to the controversy over who is the number one in sports manga?"
"Number one?"
He Dajun's face turned serious: "If we're talking purely about creating competitive sports manga, I've never been afraid of anyone since I debuted. In fact, when it comes to basketball, I can even go as far as to tell you this!"
The journalist asked subconsciously, "What?"
He Dajun spread his hands slightly apart, then with one hand, he mimed grasping something:
"No one knows basketball manga better than me!"
The journalist seemed shocked and took a small step back.
Such an imposing aura.
But indeed, He Dajun does have the qualifications to make such a claim.
No matter how much the outside world disputes, when it comes to manga related to the sport of basketball, He Dajun is invincible!"
On the sidelines.
Hearing this, Ling Kong felt spirited:
"That's right! There's no one who understands basketball better than Master He Dajun! Even if it's the title of 'Number One in Sports Manga', I believe Master He Dajun truly deserves it. This has nothing to do with the quarrels between Shadow and Tribe Comics!"
Ling Kong looked great on camera.
This was his first time stepping to the front as the head of Tribe Comics.
In front of the camera.
He was handsome and confident, smiling at the camera:
"The word 'first' indicates not only the pioneers but also the ones with the most influence. 'Basketball Fire' has become a memory for one generation, but the new generation of manga and anime fans need new stories. This is the responsibility and duty that Master He Dajun's new manga must bear."
He Dajun turned serious:
"I dedicate this work to the 44th Bluelympics and also to everyone who loves basketball!"
Ling Kong chimed in:
"That's why I love basketball and Master He Dajun's works. I hope everyone can feel this love for basketball and then pay attention to our grandly launched 'Basketball Heart'!"
The music that the organizers had arranged in advance started playing!
The two of them played off each other, bringing the atmosphere of the press conference to a climax!
...
After the press conference, the related videos and interviews immediately spread all over the internet. The controversy over who is the number one in sports manga finally heated up. Supporters of He Dajun erupted in enthusiasm!
"He Dajun is amazing!"
"He truly is the pioneer of sports manga!"
"Well said!"
"He Dajun paved the way and grew the reader base for sports manga. When 'Basketball Fire' was released, there were not many people who liked sports manga, but even so, He Dajun made this niche category popular!"
"Those were tough times."
"The head of Tribe Comics called Ling Kong is quite handsome, but that's not the point. The point is that He Dajun is speaking our mind. Everyone acknowledges that 'King of the Net' is a hit. But it was released in a period when it had an advantage and Chu Kuang's plot was superb. If Shadow solely based his comparison with He Dajun on results, that'd be a bit cheeky." Stay updated with Freewebnovel
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"I agree."
"Strictly speaking, the success of 'King of the Net' can only credit Shadow with one-third of the merit. Another third belongs to Chu Kuang, and the last third should go to He Dajun and other predecessors who paved the way for sports manga."
"..."
Supporters of Shadow were left dumbfounded:
"I totally didn't expect one-third of the credit should go to He Dajun!"
"Such compelling logic."
"In order to claim the title of 'Number One', they would even forgo their dignity. Why don't you just say that 'King of the Net' is drawn by He Dajun!"
"They can't compare with Shadow in other genres, the entire Tribe Comics was beaten up by 'Dead Sea of Fire', and now they're picking on sports manga?"
"Let He Dajun draw 'King of the Net' and see if he could make it a hit."
"The head of Tribe Comics is quite funny, talking about having nothing to do with the grievances with Shadow and others. This is clearly aimed at Shadow. If you just claim that He Dajun is the number one in basketball manga, who would bother to refute you?"
"..."
While the two sides were at loggerheads, Lin Yuan also saw this interview video.
So, you like basketball, huh?
He logged into Shadow's blog account, carefully checked to make sure he entered the correct account, and then posted a status update:
"The new work, 'Slam Dunk', is currently in the animation production and the manga will soon be released on the Alliance. This is a story about basketball, youth, and dreams."
Everyone was still in the middle of a verbal battle at the time.
But when this status update from Shadow was posted, the supporters of both Shadow and He Dajun fell silent. The words sounded like a thunderbolt exploding right next to everyone's ear—
The netizens were dumbstruck!