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Chapter 19




After sending the picture, Li Shuoxing waited patiently.
He saw the little person reach out his hand, press the screen, and swipe back and forth. He watched him from head to toe for five minutes, but he never made a sound.
While idly waiting, Li Shuoxing couldn’t help having some doubts.
Is this page really that interesting?
He tried sending a new message: “Cub?”
The new message was like an alarm clock, waking up the little person immersed in his own world.
The little person, who’d been staring at the screen, finally reacted. A bubble appeared above his head, which had also turned into a silvery-white metallic look, looking like the chat box skin he’d bought earlier.
The little person asked him, “You’ve been writing novels for ten years?”
Isn’t that focus a bit odd?
Li Shuoxing thought and casually typed, “Technically, it’s been more than ten years. The earliest was when I wrote in an exercise book with a pen.”
Su Mingqian: “Then your age this year…”
Li Shuoxing: “26.”
Su Mingqian: “As young as I thought.”
Of course, otherwise how old did you think I was?
Li Shuoxing stated, “I’m in my prime.”
Faint +1.
Su Mingqian continued, “Ten years ago you were only sixteen. Why did you want to write novels when you were sixteen?”
This question…
Li Shuoxing thought for a while before he began to answer. It wasn’t that he had too much to say, but too little to say. “There’s no special reason, just that I like reading novels. After reading so much, I started to have messy stories in my mind… and then I started writing.”
Su Mingqian: “It’s not easy sticking with it for ten years.”
Li Shuoxing: “It really wasn’t easy.”
Su Mingqian: “It’s a good thing you got good results.”
Li Shuoxing: “A pleasant surprise.”
At this moment, he wondered the same thing as Soren. What does the cub want to say? Just say it straight.
Su Mingqian showed a tentative tentacle. “Then, how do you see how good your results are, and by what are they measured?”
Li Shuoxing stared at the tentacle and began to explain, “It depends on whether it’s before or after going VIP. Before going VIP, it’s the clicks, recommendations and favourites. The higher the data the greater the potential of the novel. After it goes VIP, it’ll only look at the subscriptions.”
These terms were very simple. Su Mingqian could understand them.
What he wanted to know wasn’t these simple things that anyone knew, but more professional content.
Whatever the truth was, at this stage he could only have contact with the Watcher.
He had only one way he could go: to get closer and closer to the Watcher, to get a better and better understanding of the Watcher.
Su Mingqian thought for a moment before continuing, “Can I see the homepage of the Terminal website?”
Li Shuoxing: “Huh?”
Su Mingqian: “I can’t?”
There’s nothing you can’t do.
Li Shuoxing moved his hand and showed the novels on the entire Terminal homepage to Su Mingqian. “This is the homepage of the Terminal website.”
Su Mingqian studied it carefully. “There are a lot of books.”
Li Shuoxing: “Of course. Now, there are about two or three million works on Terminal.”
Su Mingqian: “Are the ones on the homepage the best of these works?”
Li Shuoxing: “I would say they’re the better works within this period.”
Su Mingiqn hesitated. “But I don’t see your work.”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
Su Mingqian wondered, “Is it because your work isn’t good enough?”
Li Shuoxing kept smiling. “…No, it’s because my work has just been published. Just published works won’t appear on the lists immediately.”
Su Mingqian: “But Master of Myriad has also just been published, and it’s on the signed author’s new book list, as well as the weekly recommendation vote list and the new member click list.”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
His smile faded, but not because Silent Stream was back in the picture, but because—
Li Shuoxing: “…Cub, how do you know that Master of Myriad has also just been published?”
Su Mingqian: “People in the discussion forum you showed me earlier said that Silent Stream’s novel was published a day before yours.”
Li Shuoxing let out a sigh of relief.
It’s decrypted.
Scared the hell out of me.
I thought Silent Stream’s advertisement made it all the way to the game.
“Here’s the situation…” He briefly explained the situation of Silent Stream to the little person, then said, “Simply put, Silent Stream is now bug-ranked and can’t be included in the normal discussion scope, so it’s alright to cross him out of the baseline. My novel is doing quite well based on the current data, and I reckon it’ll make it on the new book list at 50,000 words. Normally, making it on the new book list with 50,000 words is already pretty good.”
On the silvery-white screen, the black font flashed line by line, accompanied by the clattering sound of a keyboard between the flashes.
A chat skin that matched the Watcher very well.
Su Mingqian thought.
He heard something from the other’s tone, so, after a brief silence, he chose to tell him what he really thought to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. “What happens to Silent Stream has nothing to do with me. Ximu, I only care about your novel. I found out about Silent Stream only because his results seemed to be better than yours. That makes me a little unhappy.”
Li Shuoxing was a little stunned. Although the little person’s words were touching, in the midst of that, he smelled something a little unpleasant.
He decided to test it out.
Li Shuoxing cautiously said, “Cub, do you think that once you choose to do something, you must do the best?”
Su Mingqian: “Of course.”
Li Shuoxing: “Not even off by a bit? Just a little bit.”
Su Mingqian: “No.”
Things are clear.
The ominous premonition has become reality.
My cub doesn’t just want to be popular, he’s also obsessed with the top <sup>1</sup> TOP癌 refers to fans who only like stars at the top. .
Li Shuoxing couldn’t help being silent.
He was in a bit of a trance, with the feeling that he was inexplicably facing his editor… or editor evolved version, editor plus.
After all, Calamus’s goal was merely for him to get top three, while the little person’s goal was to aim for first, wanting to directly kick away Silent Stream.
That was really a bit of a tall order.
Moreover, he had a hunch that even if he passed the gag today, the next time, tomorrow, the day after, the nth day, the little person would still bring the topic back up.
And on the game three meals a day, he couldn’t even avoid the little person like he avoided his editor.
Li Shuoxing was silent for a long time.
So long that the little man’s head popped up with another text bubble: “Ximu?”
Li Shuoxing replied, “I’m here.”
He typed word by word, making his final struggle. “You have a point. Once we start doing something, we just run for the best. But, after all, you work hard, and others work hard. We can control the process of hard work, but not the result of hard work. Therefore, we need to have a good mindset. The process depends on hard work, the result depends on fate…”
Su Mingqian asked back, “But isn’t not getting the result you want most the most concrete manifestation of failure? Ximu, if you start out thinking about what to do if you don’t get the best result, you’re actually conceding that you’ll fail.”
Yes.
The struggle still failed after all.
Li Shuoxing’s heart went cold.
He realised that it was impossible for him to agree with the little person on this matter. His obsession with the top was absolutely hopeless. How on earth was this AI designed to become like this? People do things…
Then he could only start option two.
When his new book rushed to just below Silent Stream, he would photoshop off Silent Stream, pretend he’d reached the top, and send the picture to the little person.
Li Shuoxing looked at the webpage, sighed, and said to himself, “Old Silent, I’m sorry. I’ll give you a reward later. My cub has to be petted with the fur…”
When the little person sees that I’ve reached first on the signed new book list.
He should be satisfied and won’t mention it again… right?
The topic came to an end. Inside and outside the game, both of them were silent.
Li Shuoxing was still watching the game. He saw the little person press his hands against the edge of the light screen, as if doing some kind of operation… After a while of this, he pulled off a piece of paper from the light screen!
The light screen could even operate like that?
Li Shuoxing was amazed. After that, he suddenly felt that the layout on the piece of paper looked very familiar. When he took a closer look, wasn’t it the homepage of the Terminal website?
Amazing, my game.
You can’t be thinking…
The game was really thinking this.
After Su Mingqian pulled off the picture of the Terminal homepage, he then pulled off the page of the Nine Crossings novel. With two pieces of paper in his hand, he sat at the table and scrutinised them, not forgetting to ask, “I see that the signed new book list has potential values. How are these calculated?”
Li Shuoxing recalled for a moment. “I remember it’s calculated based on clicks, recommendations and favourites.”
Su Mingqian: “Mm.”
After this sound, there was no more movement.
Li Shuoxing waited a while. He had nothing to do, so he refreshed the webpage to check the data. He saw that the original 500 discussions had jumped to 1800. A quick sweep showed that all of them were arguing about his new single chapter.
“Posting a single chapter to pull comments, seriously?”
“After reading books on Terminal for so long, I’ve seen single chapters asking for votes, subscriptions and rewards. It’s the first time I’ve seen a single chapter asking for comments.”
“I even thought Eunuch had finally gotten enterprising and learned to post a single chapter to pull votes. Maybe in a couple days he could also learn to add extra updates to pull votes. I’m feeling great, and then I take a closer look… Naive, blame me for being too naive, always being let down by you.”
“I have nine votes in my hand, and I was going to vote with them. Now—tear—Eunuch, do you hear that?”
“As soon as your new book comes out you’re lax, so lax that we’re a little flustered.”
“I don’t care what you’re asking for. I just have one question: Where are the updates?”
“If the updates aren’t scheduled, we’ll schedule Eunuch.”
…Hey.
I posted a single chapter to pull comments, not whatever you’re complaining about me.
Besides, I just had three updates on the first day, and you’re asking me for more? Isn’t that too much?
Li Shuoxing had to post a second single chapter to state his thoughts and attitude.
Title: About Comments
Main Text: After writing for so long, I’ve never asked for comments. This time I ask for comments just to have some more in-depth communication and exchanges with you, just like falling in love and stepping into each other’s hearts.
The single chapter had just been sent out, and soon people were scrambling for position.
“First.”
“Leave a comment.”
“Third. Eunuch is worthy of being Eunuch. Three chapters of the main story and two single chapters. Awesome.”
“This single chapter… Why doesn’t it look that way to me.”
“It really isn’t that way. Eunuch has been a eunuch for so long that he’s finally secretly become perverted?”
“Go away! Who wants to fall in love with Eunuch.”
“Eunuch, you’re an emotionless writing machine. Write well and don’t think of anything else.”
“Eunuch, don’t lose heart. As long as you can keep to three updates a day, I’ll sacrifice my ass to you.”
“How are three chapters enough! It has to be at least ten chapters a day. Ten chapters a day, and I’m yours.”
“No, ten chapters won’t buy me, unless it’s eleven chapters a day! Eleven chapters a day, and my wallet and I are both Eunuch’s!”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
I really don’t need your people, wallets and asses.
By all rights, he really shouldn’t post anymore after posting two single chapters on the opening day of his novel, but Li Shuoxing really felt that he had to say something more. Otherwise, people wouldn’t call him Eunuch Ximu, but Empress Ximu…
His hands were on the keyboard again, about to type, when, out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a text bubble popping up in the game.
He took a closer look. The little person was speaking.
“I’ve worked out the formula for calculating the potential value of new books. The formula is: potential value = (weekly clicks × 5 + weekly recommendations × 2 + weekly favourites × 2) / 1.8”
Li Shuoxing: “???”
The little person was still speaking. “The formula is very simple and doesn’t require any more analysis. In terms of weighting, clicks account for the highest proportion. If you want to occupy the most advantageous position, you should work more on clicks.”
Li Shuoxing: “???”
…
…
In the long and strange silence, Li Shuoxing wiped his face.
My cub.
He’s kind of good.
I’m suddenly beginning to worry.
Can a photoshopped picture really fool him?
“In addition, there’s also…”
Suddenly, another text bubble popped out of the little person’s head.
Li Shuoxing was physiologically nervous. “Also what?”
Su Mingqian: “Can I ask you a favour?”
Li Shuoxing got even more nervous. “Tell me what it is first.”
It couldn’t be that he wanted him to immediately make a plan for climbing to the top and then strictly implement it from now on, reviewing the plan every morning at seven when he got up and reviewing the completed plan every night at twelve when he went to bed, right?
Su Mingqian: “Can you search something on the search engine for me?”
Luckily it wasn’t a plan!
Li Shuoxing sighed in relief.
After that sigh, he realised… the little person in the game had asked him to search the specified content on Baidu for him.
It was a bit strange.
But Li Shuoxing had become used to this strangeness.
He asked calmly, “Search what?”
Su Mingqian: “Su Mingqian.”
He said that, but felt that it wasn’t enough to fully explain things, so he added another sentence.
Su Mingqian: “Just search the words ‘Su Mingqian’.”
The cub’s heart was a needle on a seabed <sup>2</sup> 崽崽的心，海底的针 is a play on a common saying 女人心海底针 (lit. woman’s heart, seabed needle), which means that a woman’s mind is difficult to understand, and that a woman’s mind is delicate, not good at showing, subtle and humble. .
Li Shuoxing had learned not to guess what the little person was thinking. After he got the answer, he tapped the keyboard with his fingers, putting the words Su Mingqian in Baidu, and searched.
Dense search results appeared on the page.
The first was his novel.
The second was his pirated novel.
The third was also his pirated novel.
…
He had turned to the last page of the Baidu search results, but didn’t find a third kind of search result.
This was within Li Shuoxing’s expectation.
He had searched the name on Baidu before posting his novel, and there was no information at that time either.
He screenshotted all these pages and was about to send them to Su Mingqian when, with a flash of wisdom and a twist of his hand, sending pictures turned into typing. “I can do that, but…”
Su Mingqian: “But?”
Li Shuoxing: “Cub, shouldn’t you do something for me too? We help each other.”
Su Mingqian: “Sure. What do you want me to do?”
After this text bubble popped up, the little person stood up from his chair. He walked around the room for a while, entered the kitchen, stood in the kitchen for a while, turned on the tap and washed his hands.
Li Shuoxing was originally unconcerned.
How unusual was it for the little person to move around when he’d become tired of sitting?
But then, the system narration suddenly jumped.
He opened it, and three messages refreshed on it.
[Su Mingqian walks around inside.]
[Su Mingqian starts to wash his hands vigorously.]
[Su Mingqian seems a little nervous.]
At that moment, another text bubble popped up.
Su Mingqian said, “What is it? As long as I can do it, I’m willing to fulfill it.”
Li Shuoxing unconsciously pressed his lips.
This game… was really superb when it came to stimulating people’s emotions.
Li Shuoxing suddenly had no desire to tease the little person. “It isn’t difficult. It’s something you can do. Cub, just plant the pumpkins well, okay?” He promised, “It’s alright to just plant them. I really won’t force you to eat pumpkin for a month.”
Su Mingqian: “…”
Su Mingqian: “Oh…”
He kicked the trash can, quietly.
Silly cub, all your secret little actions are recorded by the system narration.
Li Shuoxing was expressionless for three seconds.
Three seconds later, he broke into laughter, laughing as he sent all the pictures he’d screenshotted to Su Mingqian.
After that, Li Shuoxing then typed, “Your name is very good. I searched it on the internet before posting my novel. Not to mention people with the same name, there aren’t even any company names or internet IDs similar to this name. It has no search results…”
As a result.
-1.
-2.
-10.
The little person looked at the light screen, expressionless.
However, the negative favourability that successively appeared above his head frankly and unmistakably explained everything.
Li Shuoxing: “?!?!”
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
I satisfy your request and you drop my favourability?
That’s too ruthless and unreasonable!
Li Shuoxing wanted an explanation for himself, but, before he could type anything, the little person in the game spoke first.
Su Mingqian: “There’s not a single trace of anything else.”
Li Shuoxing didn’t understand.
Su Mingqian: “All I can remember is my name. But now, the search tells me there’s no trace of this name. This name has no meaning, it only holds a blank… Maybe you don’t want to hear me say this. I’m a little confused. Sorry.”
Li Shuoxing understood this time.
One of his fingers mindlessly tapped the keys on the screen, once, twice, thrice…
The same letters appeared on the screen one after another, forming a nonsensical sentence.
Li Shuoxing deleted the sentence again.
Unimaginable.
He actually felt a little heartache watching the 2D little person say a cliche background setting.
But, there was nothing wrong with empathy.
After all, it was the immersive gaming experience that was the best.
So now, it was time to start the philosophical battle!
Li Shuoxing sorted out his thoughts, prepared himself, and began answering the questions.
The first sentence stated the main idea.
“The past is just the past, now is the present.”
The second sentence emphasised the argument.
“It’s true that you’ve lost your past, but every second of the present, you’re also creating a new past.”
The third sentence concluded.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to pursue the past, but I think it’s not the past that really carries you, but you yourself. You yourself are the truest you.”
Silence.
The little person in the game didn’t respond.
No change in favourability, and no narration spoiler.
Li Shuoxing began to feel nervous, just like the nervousness in an exam when he gave an answer he was very satisfied with and waited for the teacher to mark it.
Until a sentence popped up above the little person’s head.
Su Mingqian asked, “If it were me in the novel facing this, what do you think he’d do?”
He’s asking me how my protagonist would react to this situation?
Li Shuoxing took a moment to come around. Then, he replied decisively, “Of course, being a man he has to stride forward, and he will find his past and create his own in the process!”
Silence again.
The little person’s hands propped up against the edge of the sink.
He raised his head.
Su Mingqian: “Ximu, I’m glad to have met you.”
+50.
Su Mingqian: “I’ll plant pumpkins well.”
-10.
Joy and surprise came like a tornado.
20 points were deducted from a 100 point exam paper.
Li Shuoxing: “???”
Cub, can you not deduct that favourability at the end?
Li Shuoxing was a little tired from the unreasonable little person.
He decided to call it a day, just in time to take his heart off the roller coaster, rest and relax, and wait until the afternoon to write well, make progress every day, work hard to raise his family and try to satisfy the cub’s obsession with the top…
Alas.
With a family.
It’s different from the past.
He briefly said goodbye to the little person, got off the game, then ordered himself takeout and returned to the computer to refresh the page.
Favourites: 12,000
Clicks: 41,200
Recommendations: 21,600
Work Discussions: 5,300
Emm?
Li Shuoxing stared at the work discussions. He didn’t understand what had happened in the short time just now, how the number of discussions had shot from 1800 to 5300.
It couldn’t be that they forced out 3500 comments from the new chapter I posted, could it?
He opened the chapter, but before he could read it, a message popped up on QQ.
Terminal Food Group:
“@All members, come out for some gossip.”
Li Shuoxing opened QQ to see that the one who had performed the All Members Great Summoning Technique was Calm Egg. This guy was always on the front line of gossip.
Calm Egg: “A post in Paper Forum said that an author of a new book published on Terminal posted a single chapter not to ask for votes or rewards, but to ask for comments, even two chapters of it.”
Soren: “Huh.”
Interfinger Storm: “Where’s this newcomer from.”
Ten Zero Ling: “No one explained to this newcomer how performance is calculated on Terminal?”
Six Flavour Monk was friendly and kind. “Which newcomer is it? The monk will go over and help them out.”
After everyone had emerged, Calm Egg burst out the next sentence: “But the one who posted a single chapter to ask for comments isn’t a newcomer, but a great god who started a new book, with only three chapters of the main story and two chapters asking for comments.”
Soren: “?”
Interfinger Storm: “…”
Ten Zero Ling: “You’re talking about this post? [link]”
Six Flavour Monk read out the title: “[Chat]: Has the operation of Terminal become so foul now? An author even has to devote himself to falling in love with his readers in order to get some comments?”
Li Shuoxing had been taken into the group by the Great Summoning Technique. He didn’t even get a chance to say anything before everyone had already had two rounds of discussion.
The full name of Paper Forum which Calm Egg mentioned was Paper View World, the most popular forum for authors in the online literature circle.
In addition to receiving the direction, price and other news of the male and female channels, it also gathered the gratitude and resentment between authors and authors and between authors and readers. It was rich in content with many creatures, making it the first place for many authors to loaf around.
However, Li Shuoxing had never been very interested in such gossip. He usually dismissed them when he saw them. But this time, it was a little different.
He felt that the content above seemed somewhat familiar, so he couldn’t help but click on the forum link.
He saw that under the title, many paper pasters were laughing together at the stupid fool for two or three pages.
The original poster suddenly popped out to add, “The one who posted a single chapter to ask for comments isn’t a newcomer, but a great god. Favourites broke 10,000 and recommendations broke 20,000 within two days the novel was posted. I went to read the beginning. In my humble opinion, the book will blow up.”
Another two or three pages of ellipses.
Everyone stopped laughing and began discussing.
“Decoded. True Great God. What was he thinking? Crippled hand? Possessed by a ghost? Not only pulling comments but even two chapters of it.”
“I’ll tell a joke. You get possessed by a ghost and pounce on the street howling only 50 initial subscriptions <sup>3</sup> 首订 [shǒu dìng] refers to the number of subscriptions of a work within 24 hours of going VIP. . A great god gets possessed by a ghost and pounces on the street howling only 5000 initial subscriptions.”
“Same decoding. It’s the one I’m following. I’ve never seen him post a single chapter to ask for comments before. This handicapped person hardly even posts single chapters to ask for votes.”
“I carefully studied his single chapter and found that it’s really like what OP said. He’s willing to endure humiliation falling in love with his readers for comments.”
“What do you mean endure humiliation? He’s clearly openly embracing it!”
“It still makes a lot of sense for a great god to endure humiliation. Readers leave one after another. Look at this rush of comments. The day the novel was posted it spiked the discussion forums of 99.9% of the novels on the whole site.”
“Pulling comments makes no sense. The editorial ranking lists look at clicks, favourites and recommendations. Who cares about comments?”
“Wouldn’t it make sense if the potential value formula for the signed author’s new book list is changed?”
“Sheesh, weakness limits my imagination…”
“Don’t talk nonsense. There was no announcement on Terminal.”
“If a great god’s information channel was the same as ours, would they still be called a great god?”
“So Terminal is really going to change the new book list? Add weight to comments?”
“Paper pasters, I found an interesting comparison. Comparing the Lord of the Universe, who started writing in the same period, and this God of Tribulation, the clicks, recommendations and favourites of the Lord of the Universe’s novels have always killed the latter by several times, but the discussions of the latter have killed the former by several times.
“Known: The Lord of the Universe is promoted on all platforms and has signed a non-exclusive contract with Terminal.
“Known: The God of Tribulation is exclusive to the Terminal platform, hasn’t moved his nest for many years, and is a hardcore god of his own.
“Question: Whoever is first on the new book list is most in line with the interests of Terminal; whoever becomes the most popular in the end is most in line with the interests of Terminal.”
The original poster of this thread was really a master of rhythm. Once the rhythm came out, the style of the whole thread changed again.
“The results are out. Everyone can scatter. Go home and beg for comments.”
“How much weight needs to be added to the discussion forum for the God of Tribulation to overtake the Lord of the Universe? Not to mention comments of Terminal’s little authors before 300k, they hardly get any votes. With this change, little authors will never get ahead, right?”
“Three angry curses in a row, three obscenities in a row.”
“Come on, paper pasters, be more realistic. Since you can’t beat the great god, you have to learn to lie back and enjoy his ravages.”
Li Shuoxing was full of bafflement as he read this, and was once again @ by someone in the group.
This time, Calm Egg pinged him.
Calm Egg: “@Caramel Ximu, Eunuch, don’t lurk. Come out and share the information. Let’s have an anonymous, quiet exchange. No shooters.”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
Interfinger Storm added, “Great god! Is Terminal really going to change the potential value formula for you?”
Ten Zero Ling lamented, “So that’s why you don’t mind bumping heads with Silent Stream… I’m sorry. Don’t forget us when you become rich!”
Li Shuoxing had a black face. “What nonsense are you spouting? How come I don’t know Terminal is going to change the formula for me?”
Everyone: “…”
Calm Egg spoke on behalf of everyone, “No change in the formula?”
Li Shuoxing: “Of course not.”
Calm Egg: “No added weight?”
Li Shuoxing: “Definitely not.”
Calm Egg asked directly, “Then why did you post a single chapter to ask for votes, three chapters of the main story with two chapters asking for comments?”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
Yeah! Why did I do that?
He was momentarily lost for words. After a long time, he answered, “Because I was possessed by a ghost…”
Everyone: “Tell the truth!”
Li Shuoxing gave in and changed his words to the truth. “In fact, I can’t help it. My family wanted to read the comments, so what could I do? I could only post a single chapter to ask for comments.”
Everyone didn’t believe it and thought that Caramel Ximu was really possessed by a ghost.
Who still dared to talk about falling in love with readers when they had family?
Calm Egg advised, “Eunuch, the truth is that love in reality isn’t really worthwhile. How about you be like me and write yourself into your novel as a side character to fulfill some plots that can’t be fulfilled in reality, such as being cuckolded, forced…”
Interfinger Storm: “Ximu, I understand you. When I was reaching the ten-year itch in writing, I almost became shut-in too. Take a walk while your novel’s still public. When you go VIP, you can only write to death in front of the computer.”
Ten Zero Ling had a big brother-like care. “Ximu has reached the age, and it’s time to solve his personal problems. Why don’t I introduce you to the players of the women’s football team next door? All of them are pretty and curvy. It’s just that they may be too fit for you.”
Six Flavour Monk proposed a different direction of advice. “Almsgiver Ximu, if your six roots are pure <sup>4</sup> 六根清净 [liù gēn qīng jìng] is Buddhist terminology that refers to cutting off the desires caused by the six roots of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, in order to achieve a state free from troubles and worries. , you can attain the right outcome. Come to my Buddhist temple. I can arrange for you the best master to cut off the roots of troubles in your heart.”
Soren also said honestly, “Ximu, you really are a bit perverted. After reading your single chapter, I felt my ass chill, and I kind of don’t want to follow your novel anymore.”
Li Shuoxing gave them all a middle finger.
He couldn’t stand the bunch of animals and completely blocked the group. Before he could take a breath, he noticed Calamus’s avatar jumping on the status bar.
…Why’s my editor looking for me during lunch break?
…I have a bit of an unsettling feeling.
Li Shuoxing clicked on the avatar.
He found that five minutes ago, Calamus had sent him a message with a very serious tone.
Calamus: “Ximu, we should keep a low profile and not be too arrogant. If some things are exposed in advance, our work won’t be carried out well…”
Li Shuoxing: “I’m not, I haven’t.”
Calamus’s head went bald. She said bluntly, “It’s chaos in Paper Forum. Many editors have been asked by their signed authors if the algorithm is being changed, and you aren’t? You haven’t?”
Li Shuoxing retorted, “You’re an editor of Terminal. Don’t you know if the algorithm is being changed?”
Calamus: “Although I’m an editor of Terminal, you have a better relationship with the boss than I do.”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
Calamus: “…”
They were both silent.
After a moment, Calamus responded, “You really haven’t received any news that it’s being changed? Then why did you post a single chapter to pull comments?”
Sure enough, it’s come.
How many times do you guys have to ask the same question.
Li Shuoxing took a breath and copied and pasted. “Because I was possessed by a ghost.”
Calamus: “Uh…”
Her avatar suddenly went black.
A few minutes later, the blackened avatar lit up again.
Calamus spoke again, “The boss is in the office. He came to work an hour earlier than usual today, probably because of you…”
Calamus’s words had just flashed on the screen when another avatar appeared in Li Shuoxing’s status bar.
This avatar was entirely black with only a little fire in the centre. As it flickered and jumped, it looked like a tiny flame was flickering in Li Shuoxing’s computer.
This was Night Tour, the editor-in-chief of Terminal’s group six, who started work in the afternoon, living in China but loafing in American time.
As soon as Night Tour came online, he said, “Ximu, you’re great. You just started your novel and you got the whole editorial department asking me if the new book list is going to change its algorithm.”
Li Shuoxing: “…Am I to blame?”
Night Tour: “Who do I blame if not you?”
Li Shuoxing: “Of course blame that master of rhythm in Paper Forum.”
Night Tour obviously knew of that master of rhythm as well. “That’s true, I almost believed it at first.”
Li Shuoxing: “I believed it too.”
Night Tour: “I feel like if he’s not writing politics, he’s writing history.”
Li Shuoxing added, “He may also be writing house fights <sup>5</sup> 宅斗 [zhái dòu] is a genre where the plot focuses on the power struggle between wives and concubines and the emotional entanglement of the male and female leads. . After so many years, I’ve never felt I’ve become popular until now.”
They talked to each other for a long time.
Night Tour suddenly sighed and complained, “It’s just a rumour in the forum, but it’s made half the Terminal site unsettled. I was still asleep when I was called and woken up.”
Li Shuoxing took a moment to look at the clock.
Half past one nearing two in the afternoon.
He was expressionless, unable to empathise with Night Tour’s complaints. “Just get used to it.”
Night Tour: “Is it really okay for you, the chief culprit, to speak in such a light tone?”
Tsk, what a nuisance.
Despite being in the vortex of the rumour, Li Shuoxing remained as motionless as a mountain.
What could be moved across a screen.
Li Shuoxing: “Then you should quickly refute the rumour.”
Night Tour: “Not for the time being.”
Li Shuoxing: “?”
Night Tour: “Several chief editors just touched heads and thought that while the rumour is nonsensical, it isn’t without its share of food for thought. For example, the potential value weighting change to introduce comment calculations is actually an idea. The female channel website next door has successfully become the site with the highest reader stickiness and highest favourite to subscription ratio in the entire literary network through comments. Now, the present chapter of Terminal says to do so, and there is this soil. We’re discussing whether the introduction of comment weighting to guide authors and readers to interact with each other will appropriately increase the stickiness of readers to the site and thus improve the income of authors.”
Li Shuoxing: “…”
Li Shuoxing suddenly had a bad feeling. “Wait, if you end up passing this issue and changing the formula, then what about me?”
Night Tour laughed. “Then you’ll be the son of our editorial department, the next great god to preach. How about it? Happy? Surprised?”
Happy my ass!
Li Shuoxing refused to carry the blame and wanted to shove the keyboard in Night Tour’s mouth. “I strongly request the organisation to give up the idea of changing the algorithm to make an exemplary contribution to the peace and stability between authors!”
Night Tour: “Hey, take it easy, calm down. Ximu, you should get used to it. Although some things are false, they become true the more people say them.” He ended this conversation with a joke. “Maybe we’ll actually hype you up against Silent Stream?”
The author has something to say:
Single chapter pulling comments/votes: refers to a Terminal author posting a separate chapter to ask readers for comments and votes; usually placed in a separate volume before the main story, but some authors place it directly between chapters of the main story. (Example: Chapter 123, Asking readers for votes, Chapter 124)
1
TOP癌 refers to fans who only like stars at the top. 2
崽崽的心，海底的针 is a play on a common saying 女人心海底针 (lit. woman’s heart, seabed needle), which means that a woman’s mind is difficult to understand, and that a woman’s mind is delicate, not good at showing, subtle and humble. 3
首订 [shǒu dìng] refers to the number of subscriptions of a work within 24 hours of going VIP. 4
六根清净 [liù gēn qīng jìng] is Buddhist terminology that refers to cutting off the desires caused by the six roots of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, in order to achieve a state free from troubles and worries. 5
宅斗 [zhái dòu] is a genre where the plot focuses on the power struggle between wives and concubines and the emotional entanglement of the male and female leads.