Chapter 7 – Success & Failure

The two didn’t say much more, finished the bottle of wine and went back to sleep.

It was already past midnight…even if there are a lot of problems in life, it’s not like they’ll die suddenly.

This time, Chu Ge slept very deeply. When he woke up, it was already noon. When he got up to wash, he found Zhang Qiren’s door wide open, and he was nervously refreshing his computer screen.

Chu Ge checked the time and saw that it was one o’clock in the afternoon. It looked like Zhang Qiren’s new novel had just been released for an hour. After quickly washing up, Chu Ge went over and asked, “How’s it going? How many subscriptions in the first hour?”

Zhang Qiren’s face showed a hint of excitement. “There are over four hundred.”

Over four hundred subscriptions in the first hour…it’s very likely to reach around two thousand in twenty-four hours. It’s not very difficult to reach the level of “premium” work (three thousand subscriptions) in the future.

Premium work is far from being as popular as a “hit,” but it is enough to support oneself.

Chu Ge’s achievements now are only slightly better than those of premium work.

Chu Ge was also happy for Zhang Qiren, but also a little surprised. Zhang Qiren’s previous collection was not high, so he felt a bit discouraged. Of course, it wasn’t so low that it would immediately fail, which is why he had some expectations and felt nervous.

But the fact that this low collection could have such a high number of subscriptions in the first hour shows that the subscription rate is quite high. This is not easy for online novels that are plagued by rampant piracy, and it proves that Zhang Qiren’s readers are very loyal.

What Chu Ge had said before about “having a lot of hardcore fans even in a niche genre” seems to be becoming a reality.

To be honest, this exceeded Zhang Qiren’s expectations. He was clearly very excited and tugged at Chu Ge with a flushed face, saying, “Let’s go, Chu Ge, I’ll treat you to a meal!”

“Not…” Chu Ge looked at him speechlessly. “Your eyes are red. You haven’t slept all night, have you?”

Zhang Qiren waved his hand domineeringly. “I’m a cultivator, what’re a few days without sleep?”

Chu Ge was about to persuade him to rest when Zhang Qiren’s QQ notification sounded.

Zhang Qiren looked at the flashing avatar and his expression became serious. He quickly sat back down and typed, “Editor, do you have any instructions?”

The following message came from the other side: “Your novel has been reported, saying that it uses satires to criticize the current government.”

“???” Zhang Qiren exclaimed, “This is a mistake, sir. I only write fantasy novels about leveling up and clearing dungeons. How could there be any criticism of the government?”

“It might be a problem with the design of the dungeon. People may have associated it with something else,” the editor said. “We will provide protective screening and you can modify the content during this time. Once it’s fixed, we can release it again.”

Zhang Qiren became anxious, “If it’s screened right after being published, who would even read it once it’s released?”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do,” the editor replied curtly.

“I…” Zhang Qiren’s fingers hesitated over the keyboard and he didn’t type anything for a while.

Chu Ge watched as the redness on Zhang Qiren’s face faded away, and the feeling of exhaustion from staying awake for a day and a night crept up onto his face, making him look much older than he was.

“Why is this happening…” Zhang Qiren muttered to himself, “They know that I didn’t write about anything like that…”

Chu Ge pursed his lips and didn’t dare to speak the truth.

The truth was that Zhang Qiren’s writing wasn’t good enough to be protected, and modifying the content wasn’t worth the trouble. But to Zhang Qiren, this was the end of all his expectations.

Suddenly, Chu Ge thought of Qiu Wujie. To him, writing was just a way to spin stories, but to her, it was her life.

“What do these complainers even want…” Zhang Qiren muttered to himself, “How did I even offend them…”

“If you’re doing well, there will always be people who can’t stand to see you succeed,” Chu Ge finally sighed. “Your readers are loyal, so hurry up and fix it. There’s still hope for you.”

“Don’t lose heart…”

Zhang Qiren sat there staring at the screen, his eyes empty and vacant.

After a long time, he whispered, “That’s just self-deception, Chu Ge. This is just a new novel, and it hasn’t been going on for a year or two, so it’s not the kind of inertia that people can’t forget. It won’t take long for people to lose interest… Besides, how long will it take me to finish revising it? And… I don’t even know how to revise it.”

Chu Ge remained silent.

He was afraid of even missing one day of updates, let alone revising the book to the point of passing. He didn’t know how long it would take, and he couldn’t convince himself that he could still retain his readership after all the changes.

“I really like writing books… I’ve always thought that it’s great to show the world in my heart to others, and I’ve been arguing with my family about it for so long…” Zhang Qiren whispered, “Before, when I was a loser, I knew I was not good, so I worked hard. I read books and watched all kinds of instructional videos every day. My notes could almost become a book…”

He paused, sniffled, and continued, “I wrote two books when I was still delivering takeout. Even though there were only a few dozen subscribers, I never missed an update. It was both practice and accumulating good karma. After I moved here, I wrote for ten hours a day, staying up every night. At such a young age, my waist and neck are already suffering from illness. Am I not working hard enough, Chu Ge?”

Chu Ge whispered, “Well, you’re working harder than me.”

“We’ve always heard that hard work pays off, right, Chu Ge…” Zhang Qiren choked up, “Moreover, my direction is not wrong, and the fact proves that this novel is not bad… But… why is it like this?”

Chu Ge could only comfort him, “Since this book is not bad, it means you’ve found the key. Just hold on a little longer. If it doesn’t work out, you can always start a new one. Success will come eventually.”

Zhang Qiren shook his head slightly, “I have an agreement with my family. If this book doesn’t work out, I’ll go back. I’ve been willful for so many years, and it’s about time to stop. They want what’s best for me… Besides, the performance of this book is not great, and luck plays a part in it. If I have to start another one, there’s no guarantee of success. One book after another, when will it end?”

He let out a long sigh and suddenly revealed a weak smile, “I’ve been dreaming for so many years, and it’s time to wake up and live a normal life.”

Chu Ge knew that this guy’s spirit had been completely broken, he can now be called as becoming disheartened.

He hesitated to speak, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. He watched as Zhang Qiren opened the backend and posted a single chapter while the novel hadn’t been blocked yet: “Novel was banned, sorry, everyone.”

“Banning a book is like castrating a writer, and eunuchs have lost their power.” Zhang Qiren suddenly laughed to himself, “My pen name is Zhengshi Qi Ren (‘power’ or ‘influence’) and I have lost my power. Doesn’t that make me Zheng Qiren?” 

Chu Ge couldn’t laugh at all.

Zhang Qiren moved out that afternoon without even eating dinner. Chu Ge didn’t even touch the plot he was supposed to revise today. Instead, he helped Zhang Qiren pack his things and was busy all afternoon until it got dark.

Zhang Qiren sighed as he left, “I’ve been struggling for the past few years, but I’ve gained something. My biggest gain is meeting you, Brother Chu. You’re a loyal friend. If you need any help in the future, just ask.”

Chu Ge patted his shoulder but didn’t say much. Although they didn’t talk about what their families did, Zhang Qiren used to deliver takeout, which seemed to indicate that he wasn’t well off. Chu Ge didn’t think he could help himself in any way, so making friends wasn’t about that. “Work hard and let’s drink when we’re free. We can still chat in the group, and we’re in the same city, so it’s not like we’re saying goodbye.”

“Okay, I wish Brother Chu’s book a great success!” Zhang Qiren hesitated for a moment and whispered, “If you can communicate with the girl next door, please advise her not to rely on drinking too much. In the end, it’s not worth it… ah, forget it. Who am I to say this?”

He finished speaking and left with his suitcase.

Perhaps Zhang Qiren wanted to chat with that girl after the novel became popular, but unfortunately, it never got started and ended up being nothing.

Alone in his rented room, Chu Ge stood by the window and let out a long sigh.

In recent years, he had seen too many writers exit the stage sadly. He thought it was commonplace, but when it happened to a friend in reality, it was particularly heart-wrenching.

Especially when the reason for quitting was not due to the writer’s own problems but because of the ubiquitous malice of small-minded people in this world. That makes it even more painful.

It is not wrong to say that this profession is for jobless wanderers; it is too unstable. A simple and almost groundless accusation can ruin a person’s years of hard work and dreams.

He doesn’t know if the next one to quit will be him… As a writer of harem novels, he has faced no less accusation than anyone else, and this is truly a shared feeling of empathy.

Looking around, the two-bedroom apartment that used to seem small now appears spacious and desolate. When Zhang Qiren was around, it seemed like there wasn’t much communication between them, as if things would be the same with or without him. But as soon as he left, the boundless loneliness began to spread.

From now on, there won’t be anyone to talk to.

I don’t know if I should find a roommate… but this kind of thing depends on fate. Not everyone would be as compatible as Zhang Qiren. Having bad luck might cause more trouble instead.

Just as he was thinking this, he felt a chill on my neck, and a long sword lay across his neck. The light voice of Qiu Wuji came: “Are you asking for death with that sentence you wrote?”

Chu Ge did not turn around, standing quietly for a moment before exhaling and suddenly laughing. “Thank you… for coming at just the right time.”

Qiu Wuji: “?”