Morning Glow Plains

Before deciding to create something, I did some "market research" too.

In this world, web novels had only just begun to rise. Although all sorts of masters were already dominating the scene, the tropes were quite old-fashioned, still stuck in the kind of story where someone fell off a cliff and obtained an ultimate martial art. There were no plots like an overbearing CEO falling in love with me or a rich, beautiful girl falling for a poor boy. So if I used that as a breakthrough, I was sure I could achieve something!

Strictly speaking, the book I was about to write was an urban novel. The protagonist was called Ding Han, shamelessly modeled directly after myself. As for the female lead, naturally, she would be Lu Xiaobei.

Lu Xiaobei was exactly twenty-three this year. She was beautiful and sweet-voiced, perfect for the role of the female lead.

I had already drafted the story outline in my head.

First, the poor protagonist arrived at Feiyang Internet Cafe during his lowest point, where he encountered Lu Xiaobei and became the cafe's main network administrator. Afterward, he revealed terrifying business talent and helped Lu Xiaobei's internet cafe flourish. Then, by chance, Lu Xiaobei discovered Ding Han's remarkable gaming aptitude. Before long, he became a famous CS sharpshooter throughout the region, even representing the internet cafe in competitions and winning the regional championship.

Lu Xiaobei grew increasingly fond of Ding Han and gradually fell in love with him.

But just then, Lu Xiaobei's father, a super tycoon renowned throughout BH City, descended upon Creek City. He bluntly declared that the two of them could not be together, then slapped a one-million-Star-Coin check into Ding Han's face and said, "Stop dreaming of a toad eating swan meat. How could my daughter possibly be worthy of a poor nobody like you?"

At that moment, Ding Han remained neither humble nor arrogant. He threw the check back and delivered that classic line: "Three years from now, I'll definitely make you see me in a new light, Uncle Lu. What goes around comes around. Never mock a poor young man!"

After that, Ding Han charged into the esports world. He went to BH City and joined the WE Team, becoming Crimson Dragon Country's youngest player. Then, in a world-class competition, he defeated an established king and ultimately became a man standing at the pinnacle of the world.

Lu Xiaobei was imprisoned by her father, who still refused to let them be together. He believed that even a mere world champion was just someone who played games, nothing worth mentioning!

After suffering endless humiliation, Ding Han decided to enter the business world. Using the resources in his hands, he became WE's general manager. He then leveraged enormous amounts of capital and began building the nation's premier CPL league... In the end, he became an industry kingmaker. His company went public, its market value surpassed ten billion, and he completely became a major figure who could stand on equal footing with Lu Xiaobei's father. Finally, he won the beauty's heart and lived a shamelessly happy life with Lu Xiaobei.

Mm...

This kind of approach might just become a massive hit!

I had already thought it through. Creating My 23-Year-Old Beautiful Boss in Star Abyss was only my first move. I still had another plan in reserve: once I had the chance to return to reality, I would go straight to Original Point Novel and write a book called The Days I Spent Writing Novels in Another World to Earn Money for Weapons. Maybe it could achieve decent results too. By then, getting featured on a premium channel, earning over ten thousand a month, and marrying a rich, beautiful girl would no longer be dreams!

The future was bright. All I needed was to work hard.

For now, the first thing I needed to do was write the first five chapters, then publish them on Original Point Novel. I would worry about the rest after securing a contract.

So I began writing furiously at the network administrator's computer.

Eight working hours, shamelessly slacking off. Writing fifteen thousand words a day wasn't too much, was it?

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

My submission had not vanished without a trace. When I opened the author backend of Original Point Novel Network on the third day, a system notification popped up with a beep!

[Congratulations, your submission, My 23-Year-Old Beautiful Boss, has passed the contract application. Please follow the steps to complete the contract and mail the printed documents to this site's address!]

It worked. I had successfully signed a contract!

I was overjoyed, and my confidence instantly surged! Damn it, I really was a literary genius!

I got busy right away. I went to the print shop next door, printed the contract documents, and paid out of pocket to mail them off. Original Point Novel Network was Crimson Dragon Country's largest original fiction website, located in BH City, the nation's capital. Being able to sign with such an authoritative website was enough to prove that my writing and ideas were competitive!

Next, I just had to focus on writing. Since it was a short novel of only five hundred thousand words, the earnings might not be much. But if I got lucky and it was picked up for a television adaptation...

That would be incredible. I would truly be on top of the world!

At that thought, every cell in my body rejoiced.

"Beep!"

Just then, my phone rang. It was a WeChat message from Zhang Ruolin: "Ding Han, we haven't talked in a long time. What have you been busy with lately? You haven't even been talking to me."

"Nothing much. What about you? Is something up?"

"There is."

Zhang Ruolin said, "Starting tomorrow, Creek City's Phase Teleportation Array will officially be completed. Xiao Bai and I are planning to use phase teleportation to go to the Morning Glow Plains to kill monsters and level up, while refining our Essence Furnace levels. Do you want to come? If you do, the three of us can form a team. We'll have a tank, physical damage, and magic damage. It'll be a perfect three-person squad."

"I can go with you."

I replied, "But I just rented a place recently, so I'm tight on money. I don't have enough to buy bullets. There are only around eight hundred bullets in my Dimensional Storage Space right now, nowhere near enough for a full run. How about... you lend me a thousand rounds first, and I'll go with you."

"..."

Zhang Ruolin sent a bomb emoji and said, "Why are you so poor... Do you think it's easy for me? I often work part-time as atmosphere crew in bars. Sometimes those perverts in the game accidentally grab my leg. Do you think it's easy for me? Can you really bear to use the money I earn keeping drinkers company to buy bullets?"

"I said borrow... I'll definitely pay you back!"

"Forget it."

Zhang Ruolin sent a sighing emoji. "There's really nothing I can do with you. One thousand rounds of 9mm Submachine Gun ammunition, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Fine. Xiao Bai and I are planning to leave at nine tomorrow morning. The location is in the black market. That Phase Teleportation Array is inside the black market, so we can meet at the array. Can you make time?"

"I can switch shifts. Just remember to bring my bullets, and tell Xiao Bai I miss her while you're at it."

"Tsk, tsk. You're this bold on WeChat? Tell her yourself later."

"Hahahaha, don't take it seriously. It was just a joke, only to build rapport between teammates."

I sent a dog-head emoji, then stopped chatting with Zhang Ruolin and sent Sakura a message to switch shifts. I would cover her evening shift today, and she would cover my day shift tomorrow.

Sakura readily agreed.

That night, around midnight.

I returned home, so exhausted that my whole body was about to collapse.

Milo had not returned yet. The bar where he performed ran until three in the morning, so he was probably still at the bar, singing rock music at the top of his lungs. I really did not understand why these so-called artists were always so miserable. If they were singing, they could just sing. Why did they have to tear their voices apart until they cracked? Were they really in that much pain?

Mm, I neither understood nor respected it.

After taking a hot shower, I fell into a groggy sleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

The next morning.

I woke up early. After washing up, I ate a bowl of spicy hotpot, five Fried Dough Sticks, and two sesame flatbreads at the residential plaza downstairs. Once I was full, I headed for the Old City District.

"Beep!"

A WeChat message arrived from Lu Xiaobei: "Ding Han, you're not working today?"

"Mm, Sakura is covering for me. I have something to do today, so I'm heading out."

"Oh..."

Lu Xiaobei seemed a little disappointed. "I even bought you breakfast."

"You should eat more yourself. I've already eaten."

"Okay."

Lu Xiaobei sent a glum emoji, then stopped talking.

Not long afterward, I arrived at an inconspicuous alley in the Old City District.

A light drizzle had unexpectedly begun to fall. Two burly men stood beneath umbrellas at the end of the nearly abandoned alley like guardian statues.

"Identity?"

"Player."

I instantly switched into Combat Form and flashed my health bar for half a second.

"Confirmed. Go in, brother."

The two burly men were exceptionally polite. I guessed it was most likely because they had seen my level and ID.

Shadow Chaser, Level 18, currently one of the top five players in Creek City.

And in Star Abyss, physique was not actually important. Attributes were what mattered. Although these two men were built like mountains, their Strength was far below mine. If we really fought, killing both of them would not take much effort.

"Thanks, brothers!"

I smiled slightly, returned their courtesy, and then stepped into the depths of the alley.

Players came and went farther inside. After asking around briefly, I learned that the Phase Teleportation Array was located in an ancestral hall deep within the alley. The hall enshrined an unrecognizable statue, and behind it was a glowing azure Teleportation Array that flickered with a "crackle, crackle." Four machines had been placed around the array, making me take another look.

"Bandwidth Catchers."

Zhang Ruolin appeared beside me and smiled. "They're machines that can capture magnetic fields. The magnetic field released when the Phase Teleportation Array activates is extremely strong, so we need these machines to wear away all the signals. Otherwise, people in Creek City and Crimson Dragon Country would have discovered this hideout long ago. Then the player organization would have to find another base, which would be quite troublesome."

"Mm."

I nodded. "That's pretty impressive. What about the ammunition? Trade it to me first."

"Okay."

Zhang Ruolin traded a thousand rounds of ammunition to me, then said, "Oh, right. The Phase Teleportation Array isn't free. The farther the destination coordinates, the more expensive it is. A round trip to the Morning Glow Plains costs one thousand Star Coins. Do you have that much?"

"Yes."

I glanced at my little stash. I only had a little over thirteen hundred Star Coins left. How pitiful. I was so poor I was almost out of underwear.

"Sister Ruolin, does your bar hire male models?"

"..."

Just as Zhang Ruolin was left speechless, Xiao Bai arrived.

"Alright, tell her yourself."

Zhang Ruolin said, "Xiao Bai, Ding Han said he misses you."

"Is that so?"

Xiao Bai glanced at me. "How much do you miss me?"

"Not at all."

"That's completely insincere."

Xiao Bai smiled faintly. "I knew I wasn't your type."

"Alright, time is money, my friends. Let's teleport and level up!"

I walked straight toward the Teleportation Array, confirmed Morning Glow Plains as the destination, and paid one thousand Star Coins. With a whoosh, my body was sucked into the array. It felt as though my flesh was being torn apart and gradually turned into particles. It did not hurt, though it was a little numb. After the white light flashed, my body suddenly dropped and landed on the ground.

Before one's eyes stretched a vast plain.

[You have entered the dangerous map Morning Glow Plains (15-25)!]

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