A discussion thread about Puella Magi Madoka Magica popped up online: "Come on, let's guess how Old Thief Lin will trick everyone into watching Episode 9."
The topic quickly sparked a lively debate among netizens:
"I almost forgot! Old Thief Lin has been tricking us all along since the Puella Magi Madoka Magica project was announced."
"Except for calling the initial despair 'hopeful,' it's not exactly outright deception. But he's definitely been using clever wording to mislead us, which has had the same effect."
"We were fooled by him in Episode 8. I doubt he'll dare to mislead us again in Episode 9. Still, it's wise to stay vigilant against new scams and prepare in advance."
"To figure out how Old Thief Lin will trick us in Episode 9, we first need to know what it'll be about. After so many shocking twists already, there shouldn't be any more unpredictable ones, right?"
"With Sayaka gone, Madoka will definitely become a magical girl. She'll likely be the first protagonist in a Magical Girl Anime to become a magical girl so late. That record should end here."
"Whether Madoka becomes a magical girl in Episode 9 is still uncertain. But since Sayaka has become a Witch, there's no hope for her. If Old Thief Lin makes a move, he'll definitely exploit this."
"Maybe he'll try to convince us there's a chance to save Sayaka?"
At Lin Zhiyan's home, after his shower, he sat on the edge of his bed in his pajamas, laptop in hand. Beside him, Nanase Mayumi joined him as they browsed online discussions about the animation Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
The topic of how he might deceive everyone into watching Episode 9 naturally caught his attention.
After watching for a while, he couldn't help but say to Nanase Mayumi beside him, "Lying really isn't good. I've barely lied a few times, and my reputation is already ruined."
Nanase Mayumi didn't comment on this. Instead, she asked, "Do you want to use my forum account to promote it?"
"No need," Lin Zhiyan shook his head slightly. "Your account doesn't have many followers. Even if I posted as the producer of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the impact wouldn't be nearly as effective as my own posts. Besides, I'm the one who should be taking the heat for this. I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire."
Nanase Mayumi smiled. "Don't worry. I used to practice karate. I'm not exactly a master, and I've let it lapse for a long time, but the fundamentals are still there. Most people wouldn't stand a chance against me."
"I just worry about running into someone extraordinary," Lin Zhiyan said, patting Nanase Mayumi gently on the head.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Come to think of it, maybe I should learn karate or something. If I ever get into an accident, I need to know how to handle myself."
"Then I'll protect you!" Nanase Mayumi said pointedly.
Lin Zhiyan turned to look at her, leaned in, and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, wife," he said with a smile. Then he changed the subject. "But I still want to be able to protect myself and you, not the other way around. Besides, accidents might not even happen. The main goal is to get stronger and healthier anyway."
Karate isn't the only option; anything would be good.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica hasn't finished airing yet, and there's still a lot to do.
I'll make a note of it. Once the animation is done, I'll schedule it and put it on my to-do list.
With this thought, Lin Zhiyan opened the memo app on his computer and jotted down the matter. Then, he returned to the internet and posted under his own account:
"Knowing I've completely lost all credibility, I originally had no intention of addressing the content of Episode 9. However, since you've all earnestly asked, I'll mercifully enlighten you.
That Lin Zhiyan fellow will undoubtedly lie to you all: 'Episode 9 is sweet and heartwarming, and you absolutely must watch the ending credits because it's a new one—a warm and healing ending like those in Episodes 1 and 2.'"
Netizens could speculate and discuss all they wanted, but none of them actually expected Lin Zhiyan to come out and post.
The moment the post appeared, within a minute, many couldn't resist teasing:
"He actually posted!"
"Is Old Thief Lin constantly lurking, or does the company have someone specifically monitoring discussion threads and reporting them to him?"
"The discussion about what the author might say has actually drawn the author himself to post!"
"The man himself has come to testify—impressive."
Of course, the majority of the comments were complaints about the post's content:
"Well, well, well, Old Thief Lin, so you finally admit you were lying before? Just a few days ago you were still claiming to be a good person and not deceiving anyone. Now you're not even trying to deny it anymore?"
"Episode 9 is sweet and heartwarming? Really? I don't believe it for a second."
"Is this the truth or a lie? If it's the truth, then he's directly admitting he was deceiving everyone. If it's a lie, then he wasn't deceiving us. It's a total contradiction no matter how you look at it."
"The new ED is definitely real—I don't think he'd lie about that. But saying Episode 9 is sweet and heartwarming? I absolutely don't believe it."
"Just assume the opposite of whatever Old Thief Lin says. If he claims Episode 9 is sweet and heartwarming, it's definitely going to be heartbreaking and soul-crushing. Given how this animation has been since Episode 3, that's the only logical conclusion."
"Since they're openly admitting it's a deception, the part about it being sweet and heartwarming might actually be true. Everyone's overlooking something: before Puella Magi Madoka Magica aired, it was advertised as a healing anime. And Old Thief Lin kept insisting he wasn't lying. So I suspect the animation is following a pattern of first being devastating, then healing. Episode 8 was the absolute peak of devastation; by Episode 9, it's time for the healing to begin."
"What if in Episode 9, the Main Character makes a contract with Kyubey to become a magical girl, and her wish is to save Sayaka and restore her to normal? After all, Kyubey mentioned in Episode 8 that the Main Character can distort the laws of nature. Saving Sayaka would be a piece of cake for her—sweet and heartwarming. That must be why."
If Lin Zhiyan hadn't added the line, "This guy Lin Zhiyan will definitely try to trick you all into thinking...", no one would have believed his claim that Episode 9 was sweet and heartwarming.
But with that line, the effect was completely different, and many people were genuinely confused.
Lin Zhiyan didn't plan to say any more. After posting this, he immediately closed his laptop, set it aside on the small table, and lay down with Nanase Mayumi in his arms to sleep.
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