Invincible Snake Emperor-Chapter 171: Thoughts on Going Premium

Finally, it's time for the novel to go premium, so I'll just say a few words.

To be honest, Qing Bai didn't want to write a premium announcement. I've seen it with many other books—as soon as the announcement goes up, the comments section gets flooded with messages like, "Now it costs money," "I'm done reading," or "I'm dropping this novel." To be honest, it's pretty hurtful.

It's like being in a passionate relationship where one person suddenly says, "Let's break up," and just turns and walks away.

Charging for chapters after going premium is unavoidable. Authors have to eat, after all. Otherwise, what's the point of pouring so much thought and effort into writing every single day?

I know many of you will choose to leave because it will now cost money. To those readers who are planning to depart, I want to say I'm sorry. But I need to make a living as well, and the basics of life all cost money.

I hope you can understand.

At the same time, I also hope that those of you who are planning to leave will refrain from posting comments about it. Seeing those messages truly saddens me.

My editor actually asked me to go premium with this book on the 23rd of last month, but I politely declined and managed to delay it until now. Firstly, I wanted everyone to read more free chapters. Secondly, the book's performance wasn't quite ideal yet.

But a book must eventually go premium. Of course, I hope all of you readers will be able to subscribe and show your support. I know most of you are students, so I'm not asking for gifts or donations—just a legitimate subscription is more than enough.

Also, for those who have decided not to continue reading, Qing Bai hopes that in consideration of the 360,000 characters you've read for free, you'll give the book a first-day subscription tomorrow. I don't think that's asking too much, right? You can even think of it as our "breakup fee"...

The first-day subscription numbers are incredibly important for a book. It's like facing the biggest exam of your life—a true turning point for this novel.

A first-day subscription only costs a few cents. I'm sure you all wouldn't refuse me this, would you?

Let's talk a little about the book itself...

Many of my long-time fans know that this is my side account. I previously wrote an Exotic Beast novel about a mosquito.

So why the switch to writing about a Snake? The biggest reason is that I myself was born in the Year of the Snake, and I've always wanted to write a novel about the Snake Race.

And since I'm writing about a Snake, I want to do justice to the story of a Snake. That's why, in this book, there will be no transformation into a Dragon.

The final evolutionary trend for any member of the Snake Race in these kinds of stories is always to become a Dragon. I wanted to do something more original. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Dragons—we Chinese are known as the "Descendants of the Dragon," and the Dragon is our totem—but this is, at its heart, a novel about the Snake Race.

But I'm getting off-topic.

Since I'm writing about a Snake, I want to make it stand out from the rest. The story doesn't need to be overly filled with slaughter; the main character doesn't have to eat every person on sight. It can be kind and interesting, too.

That's why this book starts with a House Snake as our way in, with the Snake King as the central theme.

People can be good or evil, and Snakes are no different. The reason the Snake King is worshipped is that it doesn't slaughter indiscriminately; it simply coexists with humans.

Everyone is used to seeing the fierce, malevolent side of a Snake, so I want to write about a side that is rarely shown.

I believe a book needs to have some substance, something unique to it. Of course, some people will say, "It's just a novel, as long as it's a fun read, who cares?" But maybe I'm just a little greedier than that.

I want to take this moment to thank all the friends who have accompanied me on this journey. Your daily votes, your daily comments urging me to update, and your daily donations—all of it has been a huge source of motivation.

I don't know how many of you will be left in the end, but I need your companionship. I need the motivation you give me.

This book is written for you. Without you, it has no value.

Another thing: the most common complaint I hear is that Qing Bai's updates are slow. And I know my updates really aren't fast. But please forgive me, I'm truly moving at a turtle's pace. Every day, before I write, I have to sit at my computer and just zone out for half an hour before I can start putting words down.

I don't dare write too quickly; if I do, it's easy to end up with filler chapters. When you aim for quality, your speed will inevitably suffer.

However, now that we're going premium, I will work even harder to update. I'll do my best to make the reading experience more exciting for you all, and to release more content.

We're going premium tomorrow at noon, 12:00 PM. See you there...

And finally, I'll use every ounce of my strength to roar: Please subscribe! Please subscribe! And again, please subscribe!...