It seems that Zhang Qiren's actions after becoming famous perfectly corroborate the "club models" stereotype... except his target models are more clearly defined than others...
However, whether he actually works as a hostess is still just speculation, and it's best not to dwell on it too much; what if he's wrong?
The two didn't say anything more, finished their drinks, and went back to sleep.
It was already past midnight... No matter how many worries he had, he couldn't afford to die suddenly.
This time, Chu Ge slept very soundly. When he woke up, it was already past noon. When he got up to wash, he found Zhang Qiren's door wide open, and he was already nervously sitting in front of the computer, constantly refreshing the screen.
Chu Ge checked the time: 1 PM. It seemed Zhang Qiren's new book had been available for just one hour. He quickly finished washing up, went in, and peered inside: "How's it going? How much in the first hour?"
Zhang Qiren's face lit up with excitement: "Over four hundred." Over four hundred in the first hour... it's very likely to reach around two thousand in twenty-four hours, and reaching the premium level (three thousand average subscriptions) shouldn't be too difficult.
A good work, far from being a "hit," is enough to support oneself.
Chu Ge's current performance is just above "good."
Chu Ge is happy for Zhang Qiren, but also somewhat surprised. Zhang Qiren's previous readership wasn't high, so he felt a bit disappointed, but it wasn't so low that it would flop at first glance, hence the anticipation and nervousness.
However, that relatively low readership yielded this number of initial subscriptions, indicating a remarkably high subscription-to-collection ratio. This is quite difficult in the era of rampant piracy in online literature, proving Zhang Qiren's reader loyalty is very strong.
Chu Ge's earlier consolation, "Some people think it's niche, but it has a lot of die-hard fans," seems to be becoming a reality.
To be honest, this far exceeded Zhang Qiren's expectations. He was clearly very excited, his face flushed, and he tugged at Chu Ge, "Come on, Brother Chu, I'll treat you to dinner!"
"No..." Chu Ge looked at his eyes speechlessly, "Your eyes are so red, haven't you slept all night?"
Zhang Qiren waved his hand domineeringly, "I'm a cultivator, what's a few days without sleep?"
Just as Chu Ge was about to persuade him to rest, Zhang Qiren's QQ beeped.
Zhang Qiren glanced at the bouncing avatar, his expression turning solemn. He quickly sat back down and opened the app: "Editor, what are your instructions?" The reply read: "Your book has been reported. They say it uses historical allegory to satirize contemporary politics."
"???" Zhang Qiren cried out, "Innocent, sir! I'm just a fantasy character leveling up and doing dungeons. What kind of political allegory is this?"
"It's probably a problem with the dungeon design. People have misinterpreted it," the editor said. "We'll implement protective blocking. Revise it in the meantime, and release it again once it's fixed."
Zhang Qiren panicked: "It's blocked right after it's released! Who's going to read it when it comes out?"
"There's nothing we can do," the editor said, then fell silent.
"I..." Zhang Qiren's fingers hovered over the keyboard, unable to type anything for a long time.
Chu Ge watched helplessly as the rosy glow on his face faded. The weariness of not sleeping for a day and a night instantly crept onto his cheeks, making him look much older.
"Why is this happening…" Zhang Qiren murmured to himself, "Knowing I didn't…" Chu Ge pursed his lips, afraid to tell the truth.
The truth was that his performance wasn't good enough to warrant protection; it was just a revision, not worth the trouble.
However, what was "just" to others meant all of Zhang Qiren's expectations to an abrupt end.
Chu Ge suddenly thought of Qiu Wuji; to him, it was merely weaving a story, but to her, it was life itself.
"What are those who reported me after…" Zhang Qiren murmured, "What did I do to offend them…"
"Seeing your momentum… there are many who can't stand to see others succeed." Chu Ge finally sighed, "Your readers are quite loyal. Hurry up and revise it; there should still be a chance. Don't be discouraged…" Zhang Qiren sat there blankly, staring at the screen, his eyes vacant.
After a long silence, he whispered, "That's self-deception, Brother Chu. This is just a new book; it doesn't have the same staying power that comes with following it for a year or two. In just a few days, most people will have left… Besides, how long will it take me to finish revising… And… besides, I don't even know how to revise it." Chu Ge remained silent.
He himself was afraid of even taking a day off, let alone revising a manuscript to the point where he didn't know how long he would have to stop. How much popularity he could retain was just a fantasy; he couldn't even convince himself otherwise.
"I really love writing… I've always felt that showing people the world in my heart is a wonderful thing, and I've argued with my family about it for so long…" Zhang Qiren said in a low voice, "Before, when I flopped, I knew I was bad, so I studied desperately. I read books and watched all kinds of instructional videos every day, and my notes were almost enough to fill a book…"
He paused, sniffed, and continued, "I had two books that flopped, with only a few dozen subscriptions each, but I never missed a single day of updating. I finished writing them completely while delivering takeout, both as practice and to build up my reputation. After moving here, I write for ten hours a day, staying up until midnight every night. I'm so young, and my back and neck are full of problems. Isn't my attitude good enough and hardworking enough, Brother Chu?"
Chu Ge said in a low voice, "Yes, you're more hardworking than me."
"We've all heard since we were little that hard work always pays off, right, Brother Chu…" Zhang Qiren He choked back tears: "Besides, my efforts weren't in the wrong direction, and it turns out this one was pretty good... but... why did it turn out like this?"
Chu Ge could only comfort him: "Since this one was good, it means you've found the password. Keep going, if all else fails, you can always try another one. You'll eventually succeed."
Zhang Qiren shook his head slightly: "I have an agreement with my family. If this one doesn't work out, I'll go back. I've been willful for so many years, it's about time. They're doing this for my own good... Besides, this one's not exactly a great result, there's an element of luck involved. Even if I try another one, there's no guarantee of success. One book after another, when will it end?"
He sighed deeply, then suddenly broke into a bright smile: "After dreaming for so many years, it's time to wake up. Time to live a normal life."
Chu Ge knew this guy's spirits were completely broken; he was utterly disheartened.
He hesitated, then ultimately said nothing more, watching helplessly as Zhang Qiren opened the backend and, before the book was blocked, posted a single chapter: "I'm done, sorry everyone."
"Cut off a book, that's like a eunuch, a eunuch is castrated." Zhang Qiren suddenly burst out laughing to himself, "My pen name is 'Breaking Free from Power,' so 'castrated' makes me Zhang Qiren, right?" Chu Ge couldn't laugh at all.
Zhang Qiren moved out that afternoon without even eating. Chu Ge, who was supposed to revise the outline that day, didn't do a single word. He helped Zhang Qiren move things around all afternoon, and it was already dark.
Zhang Qiren sighed as he left, "These past few years of struggling haven't been without results. The biggest gain is making a friend like Brother Chu. He's loyal. No problem, just ask if you need any help in the future." Chu Ge patted him on the shoulder without saying anything more. Although they hadn't discussed their families' occupations, Zhang Qiren used to deliver food, suggesting his circumstances weren't great. Chu Ge didn't think he could be of much help; after all, friendships weren't based on that. "Work hard, have time for drinks. We can chat in the group chat anyway, and we're still in the same city, it's not like we're parting ways."
"Okay, I wish you great success with this book, Brother Chu!" Zhang Qiren hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "That girl across the hall, if you can talk to her, try to persuade her. Being a hostess is ultimately… oh well, what right do I have to say that?" He then picked up his suitcase and left.
Perhaps Zhang Qiren wanted to talk to that girl after his book became popular, but unfortunately, it all ended without a trace.
Back in his rented room alone, Chu Ge stood by the window and sighed deeply.
Over the years, he'd seen too many writers fade away, thinking it was commonplace, but when it happened to a friend of his in real life, it still felt particularly painful.
Especially since the reason for his departure wasn't Zhang Qiren's own fault, but rather the malice of the ubiquitous petty people in this world, it was especially distressing.
Calling this industry unemployed is true in at least one way: it's incredibly unstable.
A simple, far-fetched accusation, bordering on a literary inquisition, can destroy years of hard work and dreams.
I wonder if I'll be next... As a harem novel writer, I've dealt with just as many accusations as anyone else; this is true empathy, a shared sense of unease.
Looking around, the two-bedroom apartment, which I once found cramped, now feels so empty and desolate. When Zhang Qiren was around, it felt like we didn't really interact; it was like his presence or absence made no difference. But as soon as he left, an overwhelming loneliness began to creep in.
From now on, I really won't have anyone to talk to.
I wonder if I should find a roommate... but this is all about fate. Not every roommate is as compatible as Zhang Qiren; bad luck could just cause more trouble.
Just as he was thinking this, a chill ran down his neck, and a long sword was held against his side. Qiu Wuji's voice came softly, "When you wrote that sentence, were you seeking death?" Chu Ge didn't turn around. He stood quietly for a moment, exhaled, and suddenly smiled, "Thank you...you came just in time." Qiu Wuji: "?"