Chapter 1953: Afterword

Afterword

Medical Union has been over for more than ten days; many readers ask me why there is no afterword, why no remarks; frankly, Zhangyu indeed has a lot to say in his heart, but when he picks up the pen, he feels his mind is empty, not knowing where to start.

When Zhangyu began writing Medical Union in 2014, it was the most difficult and bewildering period for him; Zhangyu had been writing books since 2003, having written over ten, but suddenly he had none left, and everyone probably already knows the reason.

The financial loss was secondary; the psychological blow was extremely severe. The 11 million-word Medical Official Path had at least been completed, while the Food and Lust Under Heaven, into which I had poured great effort and placed high hopes, was cut short midway; at that time, this book of over a million words had firmly held a place in the top ten of the Monthly Ticket Ranking, publication had progressed to the fourth volume, and various rights were being negotiated—such a gap left Zhangyu sleepless at times.

At least at that time, I had not thought of writing Medical Unification, but the readers' earnest expectations and my own love for writing led me back to the keyboard, and thus this book came into being.

Looking back now, perhaps I have not yet emerged from the shadow of the previous censorship, or perhaps I am not fully prepared; for the opening of Medical Union I strove to write it plain and light, yet my mood then was like a blind man feeling for a horse at midnight by the pool, fearing to touch a danger zone with a careless move. So I did not let go, nor did I write as freely as in my previous works.

I have considered too much, thinking about how to avoid risks as much as possible and how to cater to readers as much as possible, yet I have lost my initial writing passion.

Medical Union's performance is not bad, but performance does not represent everything, does not mean you have already succeeded, and is not worth boasting about.

Zhangyu has been writing for over ten years, and he has always believed that a work's success first depends on whether you yourself are satisfied and can get past your own hurdle; when I finished the full text of Medical Union, I thought carefully for several days, always feeling that something was left unsaid, always feeling that something was missing; in short, I am not satisfied with Medical Union.

In Medical Union appear aliens; in the middle and later parts I frequently open brain-holes, not because Zhangyu is writing randomly, but because Zhangyu, under reasonable possibilities, strives to challenge his imagination and control; from beginning to end, I have never been lax, I have always been diligent.

Looking back, Medical Union still has many highlights, but unfortunately I failed to let each character shine to the fullest, nor did I write each story to satisfaction; Zhangyu can only say he did his best, and sincerely apologizes to everyone for the shortcomings in the text.

Many have asked me about my new book; in fact, that is also why I am writing this afterword today. The new book has been conceived for a long time—just the opening alone I have written dozens of versions, and only these two days did I finalize the beginning. The new book remains under contract, its subject is history, its type is alternate history, referencing the background of the late Qing to early Republican era.

The title has also been decided, but the contract temporarily prevents disclosure; the current writing progress is thirty thousand words, tentatively set for release in early March 2017. During these four months, Zhangyu will accumulate a considerable number of words and will carefully polish this entirely new story. Although the interval is somewhat long, I must have enough time to buffer and settle, and only thus can I be responsible to the readers.

Do not forget the original intention; this new book has also let Zhangyu rediscover the feeling of writing at the start. In this era of flooded articles and restless hearts, Zhangyu only wishes to return to that original self, to settle down, and to write earnestly a work worthy of himself and worthy of the readers.

Believe that I am worth your wait; when my new book is released, you will see a completely new me!