Barewolf Then why doesnt QI simply record traffic to novels? Or make novel-specific subscriptions? You're treating this as a black and white problem when it isn't. QI had many choices but they just had to choose the worst one. I'm betting a premium subscription service coupled with a slightly higher release rate + chapters that currently are paywalled (not bothering to call it premium cause the only thing that's premium about them is the reeking of shit quality and bad grammar) would have given QI a lot more support and not so much backlash.
Or if Qi had started with 7 chapters a week and kept that rate the same since its emergence in preparation of premium (obviously @WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL lacks brain cells and financial analysts), there would be no backlash at all and just positive feedback from those wanting more chapters. This 7 chapters fixed rate would have also lessened QIs financial losses: Why the hell did they pay translators to do more anyways? They're basically operating on 2x or even 3x costs for little benefit. The more chapters a week a novel had previously to premium, was now the more chapters a week readers felt obligated to have for free. So basically QI just paid great amounts of money to shoot itself in the foot. (You're so great @WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL, I wish I could be like you, deserving to work at McDonalds but instead getting a job you're extremely underqualified for)
"oh so great losses oh no we didn't plan this out correctly! OH I know! How about we make some event we know the community will hate to roll out a paywall!!! And lets disguise it as a good thing!" - a shocked @WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL exclaimed upon going to office after 10 days of lazing around at home stuffing his obese body with McDonalds and KFC .
One of the saddest things is that QI acts like premium is a good thing for the readers. If they had admitted that they were operating under a huge loss and it was deeply apologetic/ other human resources jargon, they would have also gotten less backlash. But the Thank God It's (Friday/Wednesday now too cause we can't wait to take your money) is an utter disgrace.