An environmental regulator has published a sequel after his first novel about smog gained national attention.

Sequel to smog crisis novel hits the shelves.[File photo]

Li Chunyuan, deputy director of the Environment Protection Bureau in Langfang city, in north China's Hebei Province, made his name as an author after his first novel, "Smog Is Coming," was published last June. It has sold 30,000 copies and online excerpts have received 100 million page views.

The sequel, "The Conundrum of Smog," is the second in Li's smog trilogy and hit shelves this week. It explores bureaucracy, fraud and controversy surrounding a smog-related pollution crisis.

The hero of the first novel was Lu Zhengtian, head of the environmental protection bureau of E County. The second novel centers on higher-ranking officials, as Li draws characters and scenes from his work in Langfang, which has been regularly covered by smog.

The second novel weaves a story about government action, obstacles and the varying interests of different parties in a pollution crisis, Li said.

"In the war between smog and man, have the government, companies and the public really made efforts in the same direction?" Li asks in the book.

"Through fictional stories, I challenge people to abide by moral, legal and scientific rules and work to curb the crisis," Li said.

Li said that many local government officials think more about their private interests than the big picture.

Environmental workers still face huge shortages in manpower and funding, even after the environmental law was amended to give regulators more power to deter polluters.

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