Chapter 45: The Boss (New Book Seeking Monthly Votes)

Tall and handsome, with thick hair, Li He emerged from the cafeteria and parted ways with the shameless scoundrel, each heading back to their dormitory, each seeking out their own roommates.

On the way, Li He once again encountered the burly man sitting on a bench, pretending to watch a game played under the blazing sun. Yet those almond-shaped eyes kept sneaking glances toward the path from the cafeteria.

Hmm, such poor acting… Li He saw through it but said nothing, feigning ignorance as he strode confidently past He Xier.

He Xier grew anxious at once. Unable to keep up the act, she sprang from the bench and followed behind Li He, who kept his gaze straight ahead.

“Mr. Gabay, about that song…” He Xier’s tone was gentle, wary of upsetting Li He.

Ever since she’d seen the truncated version of the “Bridge of Fate” score, she’d been utterly captivated. Like her friend Jiang Qi, she’d become a devoted little follower of Gabay.

Hearing the name 'Gabay,' Li He could no longer pretend. He whispered, “Shh!”

If Gabay’s true identity were exposed, he wouldn’t last long at the school—he’d be easily targeted. It was all the fault of that damned system; even a moment in the spotlight came with the risk of exposure and mortal danger.

He Xier understood and her almond eyes swept the surroundings. Seeing no one paying attention, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Almost exposed Gabay’s identity—how foolish of me… He Xier apologized, “Gab—Li He, I’ll be more careful next time.”

“What are you up to, skulking around? It’s bad for your image,” Li He asked, though he knew the answer.

He Xier was a bit embarrassed. “Li He, have you finished writing ‘Bridge of Fate’? I love that song.”

Her hands were clasped before her chest, her dreamy eyes blinking, her lips—painted with the perfect shade—bit gently between her white teeth.

I don’t fall for that… Upright as ever, Li He laughed, “If you like it, just sing it. Didn’t I send you the lyrics and sheet music?”

Li He asked, “So, have you learned it all?”

“No, no, not yet,” He Xier denied hurriedly.

No way. Without Li He’s authorization, she dared not admit she’d secretly mastered it.

A song perfectly suited to her, and so exquisitely composed. With the lyrics and score right in front of her, who could resist?

She certainly couldn’t.

He Xier had already learned it in secret, but hadn’t dared to sing it publicly—not even her roommates knew.

Li He played along, instructing, “First master the part I sent you. Become proficient, then consider the rest of the lyrics and score.”

“The road is walked step by step; learn to walk before you run.”

“Singing is the same—you can’t skip ahead.”

You haven’t even started? I don’t buy it—I wonder how many times you’ve practiced in secret.

Li He knew from the system’s backend that He Xier’s name had contributed four or five negative emotions, even more than Jiang Qi.

He Xier, having dug her own pit, nodded meekly, swallowing her regret.

As he departed, Li He turned and said, “Every singer needs an audience. Once you’ve mastered the first half of ‘Bridge of Fate,’ try singing it for others. Listen to the audience’s feedback—it’ll help you improve.”

That way he could harvest negative emotions and give He Xier something to do—a win-win.

After parting with He Xier, Li He returned to his dorm in high spirits.

No sooner had he entered than he heard his roommate Xu Teng complaining, “That bigshot is so infuriating, I just want to send him razor blades!”

How can someone so young harbor such venomous thoughts… Li He admonished, “Sending razor blades is illegal. What did this bigshot do to upset you?”

Xu Teng grumbled, “He’s an online novelist. His books are insanely good, but he’s also infuriatingly manipulative.”

He paused, gnashing his teeth. “Whenever the plot gets critical, he takes leave. And his excuses are so perfunctory—‘bleeding gums, one day off,’ ‘severe hair loss, one day off,’ ‘bad mood, one day off.’”

Damn.

So half-hearted about taking leave, as if he wants everyone to know he’s deliberately stalling the plot.

Xu Teng was at his wit’s end.

Follow singers, and your favorite releases a truncated version.

Read novels, and the ones you chase are interrupted at the climax.

For crying out loud…

I’m about to disconnect from the internet.

Li He sympathetically patted his roommate’s shoulder.

Poor kid—how do all the bad things find you?

But it reminded Li He that he had a novel sitting in his system’s warehouse.

The last time he drew a prize, he got “Martial Universe,” which had been gathering dust in storage.

“It’s time for you to shine.” Li He used a different phone number to register a new writer’s account on Reading Literature.

When it came to naming, Li He carried on his usual style—decisive and precise.

“Big Boss”—a pen name as good as ‘Bigshot.’

Li He was surprised; such a great name hadn’t been taken.

No taste, these people.

Having mastered the process, Li He quickly completed registration, uploaded chapters, and waited for approval.

…

Reading Literature.

Determined to turn the tide, Wang Ke was reviewing manuscripts with diligence.

He’d already summarized why he lost to Liu Da last time—it was all about the Bigshot.

Look at that pen name; immediately, it stands out.

Compare that to ‘Little Rookie’—just doesn’t cut it.

Having learned his lesson, Wang Ke now paid much more attention to author pen names.

But June hadn’t gone well for Wang Ke; he hadn’t found any promising manuscripts or authors worth cultivating.

“Ah! Where is my Bigshot?” Wang Ke raged inwardly.

Just then.

His reviewing hand suddenly paused.

“Big Boss.” Wang Ke took notice.

It didn’t matter if the writing was good or bad; the name alone rivaled ‘Bigshot.’

This time, Wang Ke read with extra care.

Soon, ten chapters were finished.

“Whew!”

Rubbing his eyes, Wang Ke was overjoyed, nearly dancing with excitement.

“My Bigshot has finally arrived—I've waited so long for you!” Wang Ke was torn between sorrow and joy.

This “Martial Universe” was as good as “Battle Through the Heavens,” sure to be a hit.

Though ‘Bigshot’ pioneered the underdog genre, ‘Big Boss’ would bring it to new heights.

Then Wang Ke hesitated.

June was already a third over; launching a new book now would make climbing the newcomer rankings tough—especially for a high-quality novel.

Wang Ke added Li He’s chat ID from his profile, intending to give Big Boss some advice and clarify the situation.

Soon, Li He accepted Wang Ke’s friend request.

Wang Ke typed, “Big Boss…”

The next moment, his hand paused. Why did he feel like he was being taken advantage of?

Calling out ‘Big Boss, Big Boss’ felt so damned strange.

But to turn the tables and crush his rival Liu Da, Wang Ke endured it: “Big Boss, I’ve read your ‘Martial Universe.’ It’s excellent—definitely has the potential to win Newcomer of the Year.”

“But June is already two-thirds over. Publishing now puts you at a disadvantage for the Newcomer award. Why not wait until July? That way, your chances will be much better.”

Li He wasn’t bothered about the Newcomer award; he only cared about harvesting negative emotions.

The sooner he published, the sooner he could reap those emotions—Li He’s calculations were clear.

“I can update plenty—twenty thousand words a day, easy.” Li He replied.

Holy crap.

Twenty thousand a day, on par with Bigshot.

I’ve struck gold… Wang Ke quickly calculated.

“If we publish now, with my resources, we should be able to make a run for the newcomer rankings,” Wang Ke considered.

Actually, Wang Ke had already allocated his main promotional resources at the start of the month. If he were to push “Martial Universe” hard, he’d have to snatch resources from other authors.

“Let’s do it.” Wang Ke gritted his teeth.

To crush Liu Da, he’d risk it all.

—

(Publish first, revise later)