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Chapter 12




Dissuaded by the game, Li Shuoxing’s meagre sense of shame was finally touched.
After reflecting on himself, he locked his phone, turned off the internet, sat back down at his computer and began typing away at his writing.
Focused, his efficiency soared.
Li Shuoxing, who had only written 4,000 words from 6:30 to 10:00, started at 10:15 and concentrated on writing all the way to 11:50. When he looked back, he had actually completed 5,000 words in less than two hours, accidentally breaking his peak speed.
A total of 9,000 words in one morning.
After writing, Li Shuoxing pushed the keyboard and slumped in his chair, feeling a sense of satisfaction that his body had been emptied.
He took a moment to slow down and turned on the internet first. Just after the internet was turned on, the Terminal Food Group crazily flashed in the top right corner of his computer.
What’s up with this group lately?
Jumping every day.
Jumping constantly.
And treating me as a summoned beast.
Don’t you all need to write? Have you gotten addicted to hiding in winter and fattening up? Just wait for me to burst out my word count and scare you!
Li Shuoxing silently judged, but he still opened the group. He saw familiar faces online, and Calm Egg had also @ him.
Calm Egg: “@Caramel Ximu, tomorrow’s Monday. Are you sure you want to post your novel tomorrow? You won’t hesitate or think about it any longer?”

What’s going on here.
Why is this guy sounding so cheap?
Li Shuoxing was puzzled and looked on. Everyone else had actually gone along with Calm Egg’s words and started a discussion.
Soren: “He probably doesn’t know what day it is today.”
Six Flavour Monk: “The mind is like still water, no ripples. Almsgiver Ximu has wisdom.”
Sang Wugui: “It can’t be. Even my colleagues who don’t read novels know about this. How could Ximuzi not know?”
Ten Zero Ling: “Why don’t we just call Ximuzi out and ask him? Circle him again?“
Li Shuoxing: “What the hell are you guys talking about? 9k.”
Soren: “
You actually still have the mood to count.”
Ten Zero Ling: “[cupped fist] Ximu is a pure man, a man of iron and blood.”
Sang Wugui: “You really don’t know yet?”
Six Flavour Monk: “Mundane matters, why bother.”
Li Shuoxing: “What’s going on? Speak human.”
Calm Egg was simple and direct. “Oh, Silent Stream launched his Master of Myriad in the capital today. Five of the country’s top literature websites, three major video sites, the most powerful game company in the industry, and leading directors and movie stars worth tens of billions at the box office gathered at the launch. The copyright transaction amounted to 100 million, and the amount invested in the first phase of copyright development reached one billion. Hundreds of media outlets have written extensively about the grand occasion of this new literary creation, and the Weibo hot search has been slaughtered. All the writer groups I’ve joined are discussing it like crazy now. Everyone’s joking that adding up the words they’ve written all their lives can’t even catch up to the money he’s made.”
Li Shuoxing was also stunned. In the past two days, he’d been on the game whenever he had free time and didn’t even open Weibo, so he really didn’t know about this. “He’s great.”
Ten Zero Ling lamented, “There has never been and will never be a person like this!”
Soren had always been more objective. “It’s true that there’s never been a person like this, but it’s not certain there never will be.”
Sang Wugui: “This kind of grand occasion probably won’t be repeated within two years.”
Six Flavour Monk was calm. “There are no constants in the world, the future is unknowable.”
Sang Wugui asked, “Do you think this development will succeed?”
Calm Egg: “Who knows? Depends on fate.”
Ten Zero Ling had the grief of niche authors. “I don’t understand, but I still hope it succeeds. The upper limit is raised, the plate is bigger, the leader eats meat, and we can follow along and have some soup.”
Soren: “That’s right.”
Everyone was having a casual discussion when Calm Egg suddenly said, “Eunuch, you really are pitiful. Silent Stream slaughtered you to get to the top back then.”
The group quietened down.
Li Shuoxing took a glance and calmly answered, “I’m flattered, what am I? At best, I was just the first one to be slaughtered by him and was lucky enough to be the first corpse. Wasn’t Interfinger also slaughtered by him back then? He’s an ancient god you know.”
This was what the situation was actually like.
Three years ago, Li Shuoxing and Silent Stream started novels on the same subject at almost the same time, and they were entangled from new books all the way to entering the VIP stage <sup>1</sup> 䞊架 [shĂ ng jiĂ ] means to be put on the shelves (for sale). This can refer to when a novel begins to charge readers for chapters. . After that, they also competed for the monthly vote list. That book did well, and Li Shuoxing had burst out and overtook Silent Stream in monthly votes at one point, but in the end, he was still trampled under Silent Stream’s feet and missed the first place.
At that time, it was a real shame. After all, the prize for first in monthly votes was 10,000.
However, looking back now, the first place in the first month’s monthly votes was just the beginning of the road to success for Silent Stream’s novel
 That time was magical. Many great gods had started novels one after another, and everyone in the writer circle felt that the monthly vote lists for the next six months would definitely be a reign of terror and drawn-out battle. Unexpectedly, the reign of terror was real, but there was no drawn-out battle.
With his own strength, Silent Stream had slaughtered many great gods, giant gods and ancient gods. He had held the throne of first in monthly votes for nine months, and even smoothly broke Terminal’s subscription record midway. It could be described as a testament to his power, stepping on all the gods and ascending to the top!
Calm Egg was still brooding. “Eunuch, if you had gotten first in monthly votes in the first month
”
Li Shuoxing didn’t think so. “The result wouldn’t have been any different. That book of his had so much momentum he could be crowned god.”
Calm Egg was very choked. “I don’t care if he can be crowned god or not. If you had won that month, then I would’ve won too! Back then, I bet with others that you would win first place. But you were a useless eunuch. It wasn’t enough to get your ass blasted clean, you even made me lose my underpants.”
Shit.
Li Shuoxing gave Calm Egg a middle finger.
Ten Zero Ling joined the chat sequence. “Actually, Ximu is right. He was just slaughtered a little. The real tragedy is Interfinger. Every time a new god wants to prove themself, they pull him out and kill him once. If I remember correctly, it was once three years ago, and once five years ago
”
Interfinger Storm: “And once seven years ago
”
While everyone was chatting, Interfinger Storm had appeared quietly.
He was an ancient god who’d been at the top since the Terminal site was established. At his most powerful, he and the other two ancient gods had carried the Terminal site together and were collectively known as the Three Terminal Giants. Unfortunately, time was like running water. Although he was still popular, in the end, he didn’t have the momentum of the earliest days.
Interfinger Storm said calmly, “I’m used to it. There’s nothing to say. He can slaughter as he likes. It’s not like I’m the only one to be slaughtered. At worst, I’ll hug Ximu and sing Chrysanthemum Terrace <sup>2</sup> èŠèŠ±ć° [jĂș huā tĂĄi] is a song by Jay Chou. together.”
He really sang, “ Wilted chrysanthemums are spread across the floor, even your smile has turned faintly yellow ~”
Li Shuoxing: “Get out!”
Soren: “Don’t get off topic you guys. Ximu, Silent Stream has made so much noise with his book that everyone’s attention has been drawn away. You’ll be disadvantaged if you post yours one day later than him, so how about you postpone it for two days.”
Calm Egg: “That’s right, tuck it back in before it comes out. Haven’t you been crushed enough by him three years ago?”
Six Flavour Monk also said, “The monk agrees. The Buddha says not to fight. The Buddha does not say to send death.”
In fact, they were right.
But Li Shuoxing pondered for a while and still refused. “Forget it. I’ll be crushed either way whether it be now or one month later. There’s no difference.”
Everyone: “
”
Everyone cupped their fists in respect. “Wise, it’s still you Ximu who’s wise.”
Calm Egg suddenly said, “But, do you guys feel like this situation is a little similar to that three years ago?”
Li Shuoxing commented, “If we’re talking about the position of being crushed, it’s very similar.”
Calm Egg was also sweating. “Eunuch, you should learn from your experience of being crushed.”
Li Shuoxing was against it. “Since I can’t resist, then I’ll just lie down and enjoy it.”
He really didn’t have the heart to compete with Silent Stream. Anyway, he had enough to feed himself and his family and now he earned money for retirement. There was no need to toss about. It was enough to write stories he liked and share them.
Ten Zero Ling said with a smile, “In fact, Eunuch and Interfinger aren’t so bad off. Even though they were crushed, they have made a name for themselves and are quite dignified. Beneath your bodies, there are many corpses that don’t even deserve a name.”
Calm Egg echoed, “Yes, yes
 No, where have you taken the conversation? What I want to talk about isn’t what position Eunuch will be pushed down. I want to talk about the sensitive situation that many great gods have started novels!”
Soren was the first to respond, “How many great gods are there?”
Calm Egg emphasised, “Seven!”
Interfinger Storm sighed. “Seven great gods, you can summon a dragon.”
Li Shuoxing also understood.
This was a custom of Terminal. In the many years since Terminal opened, apart from the free-for-all grassroots period, the new gods who wanted to prove their position had to battle at least seven great gods.
Over time, people jokingly called it the “Dark Seven Dragon Balls <sup>3</sup> 䞃韙珠 [qÄ« lĂłng zhĆ«] also refers to the anime Dragon Ball. Summoning Method”.
Soren: “It’s been three years since Silent Stream emerged. It’s about time for a new god.”
Ten Zero Ling: “When you think about it, it’s really terrifying!”
Li Shuoxing: “Maybe it’ll be a repeat of what happened three years ago, and Silent Stream will add another cornerstone to his throne?”
Soren: “
”
Six Flavour Monk: “
”
Interfinger Storm: “
”
Ten Zero Ling: “
It’s distressing, Eunuch.”
Calm Egg scratched the wall. “How much longer will that fatty Silent Stream be popular ahhhh! Let’s get some handsome new faces like Eunuch!”
The group wailed, but Li Shuoxing didn’t answer anymore.
Because he suddenly realised that it was already 12:30, half an hour after the time he and the little person had agreed on!
Li Shuoxing hurriedly logged into the game. As soon as he entered, his eyes locked onto the dining table in the room.
The food that had been stored in the refrigerator was already on the table.
But everything was intact.
The little person was sitting at the table, not eating at his regular time, but instead holding a book and flipping through the pages.
Is he waiting for me?
Li Shuoxing wondered.
But he was a little hesitant, thinking it seemed unlikely. Until

-1.
Cub is really waiting for me!
This AI is amazing!
After confirming the -1, Li Shuoxing’s mind was set. He hurriedly typed, “I’m here. Sorry, something happened earlier and I got delayed.”
Su Mingqian: “It’s okay.”
Li Shuoxing felt he should compensate such a good cub. “I’ll buy you another dish.”
Su Mingqian shook his head. “No need, there are already enough dishes on the table. You can buy more when it’s finished.”
Li Shuoxing grew more guilty. “Next time you can eat straight away when it’s time. You don’t have to wait for me.”
Su Mingqian: “
”
Abruptly -1.
Li Shuoxing was stunned.
What happened? Did I say something strange?
Li Shuoxing tried to explain, “So that you won’t go hungry.”
Suddenly -1.
Li Shuoxing continued to explain, “I’ll be distressed if you’re hungry.”
Another -1.
Li Shuoxing was confused.
What’s going on? Could it be that the little person likes playing -1 today? Cub, I won’t call you cub. I’ll call you master, great master. If you keep deducting favourability, we’ll have nothing but the bare walls of a house again!
He simply asked, “Why are you angry?”
Su Mingqian: “We agreed that you would come every noon and I would wait for you to eat. Now,” he asked, “do you want to go back on your word?”
Li Shuoxing was stunned for a long time before he caught something in those words.
He thought for a while and then explained, “I don’t intend to break our agreement, but I feel that I sometimes get caught up in things and can’t come in to see you on time.”
Su Mingqian: “It doesn’t matter if you can’t be on time.”
Liar, is your -1 deduction fake?
Li Shuoxing looked at the little person and thought to himself.
Su Mingqian continued, “What matters is that you show up and I want to see you.”
1
䞊架 [shĂ ng jiĂ ] means to be put on the shelves (for sale). This can refer to when a novel begins to charge readers for chapters. 2
èŠèŠ±ć° [jĂș huā tĂĄi] is a song by Jay Chou. 3
䞃韙珠 [qÄ« lĂłng zhĆ«] also refers to the anime Dragon Ball.