Come to think of it, what Zhang Qiren planned to do after making it big really did fit that "models at a private club" line... he just had a more specific model in mind than most...
But whether she actually worked as a hostess was still pure speculation. There was no point dwelling on it-if they were wrong, wouldn't that be mortifying?
Neither of them said much more. They finished the beer in their bottles and went back to their rooms to sleep.
It was already well past midnight... no matter how much weighed on their minds, it wasn't worth dropping dead over.
This time, Chu Ge slept soundly. By the time he woke up, it was already midday. When he got up to wash, he found Zhang Qiren's door wide open and the man sitting nervously in front of his computer, refreshing the screen over and over.
Chu Ge checked the time. One in the afternoon-apparently, Zhang Qiren's new book had gone premium exactly an hour ago. He hurried through washing up, went inside, and leaned over to look. "How's it going? How many in the first hour?"
Excitement shone on Zhang Qiren's face. "Over four hundred."
Over four hundred first-chapter subscriptions in the first hour... that could very well reach around two thousand within twenty-four hours. Hitting the quality tier-an average of three thousand subscriptions per chapter-wouldn't be too difficult down the line.
A quality-tier book was still a long way from "making it big," but it was enough to support its author.
Chu Ge's own results were only a little above that threshold.
Chu Ge was happy for Zhang Qiren, though also somewhat surprised. Zhang Qiren's bookmark count hadn't been particularly high, which was why things had seemed bleak. Of course, it hadn't been so low that failure was obvious at a glance, either. That was why he'd still had hopes, and why he'd been nervous.
But getting that many first-chapter subscriptions from a modest bookmark count meant his conversion rate was remarkably high. That was no easy feat in a webnovel market riddled with piracy, and it proved Zhang Qiren's readers were very loyal.
Chu Ge's earlier reassurance that "some books look niche but have plenty of diehard fans" seemed to be coming true.
Honestly, this had exceeded Zhang Qiren's expectations. He was clearly thrilled, his face flushed as he tugged at Chu Ge. "Come on, Brother Chu! Lunch is on me!"
"Hold on..." Chu Ge looked at his eyes, speechless. "Your eyes are bloodshot. Have you been awake all night, right up until now?"
Zhang Qiren waved a hand imperiously. "I'm cultivating immortality! What's a few days without sleep?"
Chu Ge was about to urge him to rest when Zhang Qiren's QQ chimed.
Zhang Qiren glanced at the flashing avatar, his expression turning solemn. He hurriedly sat back down and opened the message. "Dear editor, what are your instructions?"
The reply read, "Your book has been reported for using an ancient setting to criticize the present and making malicious political insinuations."
"???" Zhang Qiren hastily replied, "I'm innocent, Your Honor! It's just a fantasy story about leveling up and clearing dungeons. What political insinuations?"
"It's probably the dungeon design. Someone's twisted it into something they can complain about," the editor said. "We'll temporarily hide it as a protective measure. Make some revisions in the meantime, and we'll restore it once they're done."
Zhang Qiren panicked. "If you hide it right after it goes premium, who'll still be reading when it comes back?"
"There's no choice." The editor left it at that and said nothing more.
"I..." Zhang Qiren's fingers hovered over the keyboard. For a long time, he didn't type another word.
Chu Ge watched helplessly as the flush faded from his face. The haggardness of an entire day and night without sleep crept over his features in an instant. He seemed to have aged all at once.
"Why is this happening..." Zhang Qiren murmured. "They know perfectly well I didn't..."
Chu Ge pressed his lips together, afraid to tell him the truth.
The truth was that his results weren't good enough for anyone to fight to protect him. It was only a revision-not worth the effort or the trouble.
But what was "only" a revision to someone else brought all of Zhang Qiren's hopes to an abrupt halt.
Chu Ge suddenly thought of Qiu Wuji. To him, it was merely weaving a story. To her, it was her life.
"What do the people reporting it even get out of this..." Zhang Qiren muttered. "What did I ever do to them..."
"They saw you doing well... plenty of people can't stand seeing others succeed." Chu Ge finally sighed. "Your readers are pretty loyal. Get the revisions done quickly, and you should still have a chance. Don't lose heart..."
Zhang Qiren sat there numbly, staring at the screen with vacant eyes.
Only after a long while did he say quietly, "That's just fooling ourselves, Brother Chu. This is only a new book. It doesn't have the momentum of something people have followed for a year or two and can't forget. It won't take more than a few days for most of them to drift away... and how long will it take before my revisions count as finished... besides... besides, I don't even know what to change." Chu Ge fell silent.
He himself was afraid to miss even one day of updates. With revisions like these, where nobody knew how much had to change before they would be approved, there was no telling how long the interruption would last. Any hope of retaining much readership was just wishful thinking. He couldn't even convince himself.
"I really love writing... I've always thought showing people the world inside your head was something wonderful. I fought with my family over it for so long..." Zhang Qiren said softly. "When my earlier books flopped, I knew I wasn't good enough, so I worked like crazy to learn. Every day, I read books and watched all kinds of instructional videos. I've taken enough notes to practically make a book of their own..."
He paused, sniffed, and went on, "Two of my books flopped, with only a few dozen subscriptions each, but I never missed a single day of updates. I delivered food while writing both of them all the way to the end. It was practice, and it was a way to build readers' trust. After moving here, I wrote ten hours a day, staying up past midnight every night. I'm still young, but my lower back and neck are already a mess. Haven't I taken this seriously enough? Haven't I worked hard enough, Brother Chu?"
Chu Ge said quietly, "Yeah. You've worked harder than I have."
"Ever since we were kids, we've been told hard work always pays off. Right, Brother Chu..." Zhang Qiren's voice choked up. "And I wasn't even working in the wrong direction. The results proved this book was good... but... why did it turn out like this?"
All Chu Ge could do was comfort him. "If this book was good, that means you've cracked the code. Keep going a little longer. Worst case, start another book. You'll succeed eventually."
Zhang Qiren shook his head slightly. "I made a deal with my family. If this book didn't work out, I'd go home. I've had my way for so many years. It's about time I stopped. They only want what's best for me... besides, even this book's results weren't all that great, and some of it was luck. Starting another one might not lead anywhere, either. One book after another-when would it ever end?"
He let out a long breath, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile. "I've been dreaming for so many years. It's time to wake up and live a normal life."
Chu Ge knew his friend's spirit had been utterly crushed. This was what it meant to lose heart.
He started to speak, then stopped. In the end, he said nothing, watching helplessly as Zhang Qiren opened his author dashboard and, before the book was hidden, posted a standalone chapter: "I'm dropping it. Sorry, everyone."
"Dropping a book makes you a eunuch, and a eunuch's lost his balls." Zhang Qiren suddenly burst out laughing at his own joke. "My pen name's 'Throwing My Weight Around.' Take away the weight, and doesn't that just leave Zhang Qiren?"
Chu Ge couldn't laugh at all.
Zhang Qiren moved out that very afternoon, without even eating. Chu Ge had planned to revise his outline that day, but he didn't change a single word. He helped Zhang Qiren carry things up and down, keeping busy all afternoon until it was dark.
Before leaving, Zhang Qiren sighed. "All these years of struggling weren't for nothing. The biggest thing I gained was a friend like you, Brother Chu. You really came through for me. No question-if you ever need help, just say the word."
Chu Ge patted his shoulder without saying much. They'd never discussed what their families did, but Zhang Qiren had delivered food before, so his circumstances probably weren't great. Chu Ge didn't think he could offer much help, but that wasn't what friendship was about anyway. "Work hard at your job. We'll have a drink when you're free. We can still shoot the breeze in the group chat. We're in the same city-it's not like we're saying goodbye forever."
"Right. Hope this book makes you a huge hit, Brother Chu!" Zhang Qiren hesitated, then still said quietly, "That girl across the hall... if you get a chance to talk to her, try saying something. Working as a hostess is, after all... ah, forget it. Who am I to say that?"
With that, he picked up his suitcase and left.
Perhaps Zhang Qiren had wanted to wait until he made it big before talking to that girl. Sadly, nothing had even begun before it quietly ended.
Back in the apartment alone, Chu Ge stood by the window and let out a long sigh.
He'd seen so many writers bow out in dejection over the years that he'd thought he was used to it. But when it happened to a real-life friend right beside him, it still left a particular heaviness in his chest.
It was especially painful because Zhang Qiren hadn't left over any fault of his own, but because of the petty malice that was everywhere in this world.
People called writers in this line of work unemployed drifters. At least one part of that wasn't wrong: it was far too unstable.
A single flimsy report, based on a forced interpretation that bordered on persecution over words, could destroy someone's years of effort and dreams.
Who knew if he would be the next to leave... as a harem novelist, he'd never faced fewer reports than anyone else. He truly understood how it felt, grieving another's fate because it might soon be his own.
He looked around. The two-bedroom apartment he'd once thought too small now seemed so empty and cold. When Zhang Qiren had been there, they hadn't talked much, and it had seemed to make no difference whether he was around. But the moment he left, an endless loneliness began to spread.
Now he really wouldn't have even one person to talk to.
Maybe he should find another roommate... but that sort of thing came down to luck. Not every roommate would get along with him as well as Zhang Qiren had. If he was unlucky, it would only bring more headaches.
As he was thinking this, a cool sensation touched his neck. A longsword lay against its side, and Qiu Wuji's voice came calmly. "Did you write that line because you wanted to die?"
Chu Ge didn't turn around. He stood quietly for a moment, breathed out, and suddenly smiled. "Thank you... you came at just the right time."
Qiu Wuji: "?"
Thanks to Yu Lingqiu for the 2,000 tip, and to Dummy Cat's Alt and Qianqian Ziluo for the 500 tips~
(End of chapter)
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