/

Chapter 15




Li Shuoxing had 100,000 followers on his Weibo. However, because he didn’t post much on a daily basis, his actual popularity wasn’t very high. An important event like starting a novel had been sent out for ten minutes, and there were only five or six comments underneath scrambling for the first reply and cheering.
He switched back to the Terminal page and refreshed it to see the data.
The data was okay. In just ten minutes, there were already over a thousand recommendations and hundreds of favourites. But, after all, the time was very short, and there was nothing more to see at the moment.
Li Shuoxing calmly turned his attention to the work discussion section. The comments here were much more interesting than on Weibo.
“Towering buildings are built up from the ground <sup>1</sup> 䞇䞈高愌ćčłćœ°è”· [wĂ n zhĂ ng gāo lĂłu pĂ­ng dĂŹ qǐ] means to build something from scratch. In Chinese forums, a post is referred to as a building and the replies underneath are referred to as floors. . I’m the first one to sign in to Nine Crossings! I’ve built a sign-in building and will shower coins every 100 floors. Let’s start a bet, the first to guess how many words Ximuzi will update tomorrow will get 10,000 Terminal coins.”
“The beginning is great. Ximuzi, you’re still the Ximuzi we know.”
“Eunuch Ximu is out of the palace to go shopping again. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him. He’s really as elegant as before [heart].”
“I’m a newcomer who’s stepped into the crater. I just want to ask you guys, how are this author’s updates? Why do you call him Eunuch? Does he have a history of hiatuses?”
“Often missing updates not adding extra updates, daily 3,000 never 6,000. Eunuch, Eunuch, you really are our Eunuch (strum)—”
“First line: Once you meet Ximu, there is no end. Second line: 3,000 sufferings every day. Horizontal scroll: Although not Eunuch, it is Eunuch.”
“Sorry about reading the pirated text of your last book. I’ve cast ten votes and become an alliance master. We’ll see each other again in three months [bare teeth].”
“How will three months be enough? It’ll take three years! I’ll first reward and become an alliance master for support. Ximuzi, you go for it!”
Seeing this, Li Shuoxing twitched his lips.
It’s all nonsense!
Where am I missing updates often? I’m clearly out getting material. Besides, I often add extra updates, at least three times a month

He complained about his injustice and read on.
“The novels Ximu writes are immortal grasses. Ximu himself is a poisonous grass. The combination of immortal and poison is incredibly rapturing.”
“Yesterday I read Silent Stream’s Master of Myriad , and today Ximu started Nine Crossings . There’s another novel to catch up on.”
The discussion in the forum had just been pulled up to here when Li Shuoxing’s QQ popped up. Calamus was looking for him.
Calamus: “Ximu, are you there?”
Li Shuoxing: “?”
Calamus: “You know about Silent Stream’s launch yesterday, right?”
Li Shuoxing: “Yes.”
“Silent Stream’s book has a lot of momentum. Since yesterday’s launch, rewards have never stopped coming his way, and the app has been flooded by them. I went to ask around just now, and it seems they’ll be reaching 800 allies.” Calamus lamented, “One alliance master is 1,000 yuan, and 800 alliance masters is 800,000 yuan. Among them, there are also the 10,000 yuan silver allies and the 100,000 yuan gold allies. Silent Stream’s fans are really rich.” After lamenting, she wondered, “In fact, they’ve got 800 allies. I don’t know why they don’t go for 1,000
”
Li Shuoxing explained casually, “Silent Stream is not solitary <sup>2</sup> 毂 [jì] can mean silent or solitary. , he has eight hundred companions. This is the slogan used by Silent Stream’s fans, every day, everywhere.”
Calamus was surprised. “You know this too?”
Nonsense, this is the slogan Silent Stream’s fans shouted in his battle with me three years ago.
Seeing it every day for at least half a month, even a fool would remember it.
Li Shuoxing was thinking this, but he didn’t say it directly. He just said, “I’ve read his books.”
He really had read them.
Silent Stream really had skills in writing books. They were very good.
Thinking of this, Li Shuoxing opened the page of Silent Stream’s new book. He scanned the description and beginning, and found that the book was a Xianxia novel.
It was an old subject.
But, the same subject, even the same plot, had different appearances and styles when written by different authors.
If a book was compared to a painting, the beginning of Silent Stream’s book perfectly described a vision.
Faint haze, thin water colour, mountain immortals, seemingly real and illusory.
Having checked the beginning, it was his type.
Li Shuoxing added the novel to his favourites, and then used his mini account to reward 100 Terminal coins, leaving a message:
“Public daily updates are 6,000, VIP daily updates are 10,000. I can read it after a year. See you in a year.”
Just after writing this line of words, another message came from QQ.
Calamus: “
When Silent Stream’s 800 allies come together, he’ll have an opening screen. The poster’s already been finished. So I specially talked to the top about moving our opening screen to a week later to stagger it with Silent Stream. No problem, right?”
Li Shuoxing didn’t care. “Sure. It’s also okay to have the opening screen after going VIP.”
Calamus was quite confident. “There’s no way we can move it to then. I also want to secure you a second opening screen recommendation. I’m writing a proposal to actively secure it for you!”
Li Shuoxing: “
We can have a second one?”
Calamus: “Usually not, so I’m thinking about how to write the proposal to impress the editor-in-chief.”
Li Shuoxing: “You don’t have to go to such trouble.”
Calamus was determined. “I do.”
Li Shuoxing: “
?”
Calamus: “Ximu, I’ve read the beginning and synopsis of your book. The beginning is good, very creative, with a very different atmosphere.”
Li Shuoxing: “Thank you.”
Calamus: “So I want to give you enough recommendations and exposure.”
Li Shuoxing: “
”
Calamus was serious. “I want to send you to the top three in subscriptions and the top three in monthly votes. I want to witness the birth of a popular novel in my hands!”
Li Shuoxing looked at the impassioned and resounding words that seemed like a declaration of war. After thinking for a long time, he replied, “I wish you success.”
Calamus: “
”
The one sending ellipses changed.
She went mad. “You should have a little more initiative, Eunuch Ximu! Stockpile! Update sprees! Recommendations! Profit! Don’t only write 3,000 a day after going VIP and make everyone curse you that you have no dick, okay?!”
He is strong as he is, the breeze blows over the hills; he’ll do as he pleases, the moon shines on the river <sup>3</sup> This comes from the mantra of Jin Yong’s The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber . It means that no matter how strong and vicious the enemy is, they can be treated as a breeze blowing on the mountain and the moon reflecting on the river. .
There are 3,000 words, but no extra updates.
If people want to curse, then let them curse.
Anyway, they’re always cursing while enjoying it.
Li Shuoxing thought calmly.
For the sake of friendship between author and editor, he didn’t type these words on QQ, but said a polite goodbye, calmly went offline, and then slumped onto the couch and opened the game to see the cub.
Don’t say it. I miss him today after not going online last night.
Then, a brand new house appeared on the phone screen.
In just one night, the plain room had been transformed, with rainbow triangular flags hung from the windows and door frames, a small pumpkin lantern added to the table, and an upside-down hat filled with candy beneath the window.
In addition to all this, some changes had also taken place around the iron bookshelf, with a shaggy rug and two cushions added there, making it look like a small lounge. Su Mingqian was sitting there, leaning on the cushions and reading a science fiction book.
Li Shuoxing was stunned for a long time. “
Cub.”
Su Mingqian looked up. “You’re here?”
Li Shuoxing: “Why has the house changed?”
Su Mingqian was slightly puzzled. “What do you mean by change?”
Li Shuoxing: “It’s just, the extra decorations in the room
”
Su Mingqian: “I collected them from the courtyard.”
Li Shuoxing: “
”
Su Mingqian: “After all, it’s a holiday and the house should be a bit more festive, so I decorated it a little. Why, you don’t like it?”
Li Shuoxing: “
”
For a moment, he didn’t know whether to comment about how the little person could decorate the house, or about how the game could be so elaborate that even little decorations outside in the courtyard could be brought into the house

But, wait

This courtyard skin was time limited, so could these items from the courtyard be kept or were they still time limited?
Li Shuoxing couldn’t help but tap the pumpkin head on the table, and immediately, a menu popped up.
[Name]: Small Pumpkin Lantern
[From]: Pumpkin Party Starts Today (limited time version, countdown 5:08:23)
It seemed that the game was still a normal game, not letting the player take advantage at all.
Li Shuoxing was relieved and answered Su Mingqian, “No, I like it very much. I was just a little surprised. Cub, you’re so amazing, you can decorate the house yourself!”
Su Mingqian: “
”
A faint -1, with the effect added, became -2.
Su Mingqian: “Why’d you come so early today?”
Again

Forget it, I’m used to it.
It’s just -2.
Li Shuoxing was unfazed. “I’ve finished my work, so I came early.”
Su Mingqian: “I remember you said before that you write novels. Did you finish writing your novel?”
Li Shuoxing: “No. But the novel’s been published, which can be considered a stage of completion, so I can take a break
”
Suddenly +5!
Su Mingqian: “Your novel’s been published?”
Li Shuoxing was a little confused. “Yeah, you
”
Another +5!
Su Mingqian: “Can other people read your novel already?”
Li Shuoxing: “That’s right, you
”
A third +5!
Su Mingqian: “So can I read it too?”
Li Shuoxing finally finished his sentence. “You’re very happy?”
Su Mingqian: “Yes.”
As he said that, another +5.
The increase in favourability was like a tornado. Li Shuoxing had gone from confusion to numbness.
Under the courtyard skin’s effect, the sky in the game was dark now. He had come online with the intention of continuing to refer to love words from female-oriented novels to chat with the little person to add favourability points while it was still double time.
But now it seems

The cub’s a bit more interested in my novel

Maybe because Li Shuoxing hadn’t spoken in a while, another text bubble popped up above the little person’s head on the screen.
Still the same words from earlier.
Su Mingqian: “Can I read your novel?”
Li Shuoxing finally typed, “Yes you can, but
”
Suddenly +25!
Li Shuoxing was subdued. The sentence of refusal was right at his fingertips, but he couldn’t type it out.
In just this little bit of time, nearly one hundred favourability points have been added. This is simply too efficient. Come to think of it, it seems that every time I talk about my own career, the little person gets especially happy

Is this a built-in key topic specially to grow favourability?
Li Shuoxing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to the computer.
The computer screen still displayed the Terminal page.
He moved back from the couch and first copied the original. He had pasted it all into the dialogue box, but then he thought about it and deleted it.
There was no other reason than that the original text was really too long. No matter how he thought about it, the little person probably wouldn’t be able to understand it.
It was better this way.
Li Shuoxing picked and chose, taking the comments about the novel and copying them into the game’s dialogue box, and sent them.
The light screen flashed and content appeared.
Su Mingqian saw what the Watcher sent. They were
 comments about the novel.
His eyes flickered.
It wasn’t what he’d originally asked for, but it turned out to be slightly better than what he’d originally asked for.
He didn’t really want to read the Watcher’s novel; what he wanted to know was all the information about the outside world.
These comments revealed a lot.
The Watcher’s novel was called Nine Crossings , and the main character was indeed called Su Mingqian.
The Watcher’s novel had a lot of comments. He could see that not much content had been released yet, and everyone was speculating about the subsequent plot.
The Watcher’s novel was very popular.
The Watcher

Su Mingqian’s eyes focused on a comment.
This comment, apart from discussing the plot, also said something else.
“Ximuzi always writes so well!”
The Watcher’s pen name was Ximuzi.
A very feminine pen name.
Su Mingqian calmly kept the name in his mind and continued on, but there was no more information after that. So, he said, “Everyone likes your novel very much.”
To his cub, Li Shuoxing was not modest. “Quite a few people like it.”
Su Mingqian then asked, “So when will your novel be popular?”
Li Shuoxing: “
”
Li Shuoxing: “???”
1
䞇䞈高愌ćčłćœ°è”· [wĂ n zhĂ ng gāo lĂłu pĂ­ng dĂŹ qǐ] means to build something from scratch. In Chinese forums, a post is referred to as a building and the replies underneath are referred to as floors. 2
毂 [jì] can mean silent or solitary. 3
This comes from the mantra of Jin Yong’s The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber . It means that no matter how strong and vicious the enemy is, they can be treated as a breeze blowing on the mountain and the moon reflecting on the river.