Chapter 7

In the morning, without the disturbance of an alarm clock, Li Minghui woke up naturally. He grabbed his phone and exclaimed, "Oh no, it's already half past six!"

He sat up abruptly, about to get dressed, but then stopped. He remembered that he had quit that frustrating job and was now a carefree person. However, the habit of years had left him with little drowsiness. Since he couldn't sleep anyway, he decided to get up. First, he prepared the rice cooker, then washed the rice, and started cooking the porridge. Only then did Li Minghui leisurely begin his morning routine.

"Really refreshing, no work pressure, no need to worry about time!"

While brushing his teeth, Li Minghui muttered contentedly.

After finishing his morning routine, he checked the time and found it was still early. Li Minghui thought for a moment and then turned on his computer, opened the writing software, and transformed into a top-notch novel creation genius. Two hours passed, and Li Minghui checked the document, exclaiming, "Another 5,000 words done!"

He didn't bother to revise it. By then, the porridge was already fragrantly thick, and the rich aroma made Li Minghui's stomach growl.

Eating is the most important thing; food is the sustenance of life. He drank the porridge and ate the steamed bun, finishing it off with a satisfying slurp. After eating, he cleaned up and took care of all the miscellaneous tasks. It was exactly nine o'clock when he finished.

Sitting in front of the computer, he quickly logged into QQ, then the internet, and entered the author's section. When he checked the backend, Li Minghui was delighted to see that the number of favorites had changed overnight, now totaling 13.

"Great, finally someone is interested!"

Li Minghui was overjoyed and immediately clicked on his book, "Zhu Xian," to check the data.

Total clicks: 58

Member weekly clicks: 15

Weekly recommendations: 3

Total words: 6,318

"Not bad, readers are already giving recommendations. It seems that online readers are discerning; a good book will naturally gain support!"

Li Minghui's lips curled into a smile. He then checked the book review section, where a few genuine reader comments had appeared among the advertisements, which excited him even more.

As an author, he naturally paid great attention to the book review section. Despite the ads, the few genuine reader comments gave it a lively feel. Li Minghui happily browsed through all the comments.

"Great book, just too few updates. Here's a recommendation ticket." — ThisIsMine

"This book is a hit, verified!" — CallMeWanZunBro

"Please join group xxxx" — 24563346521

...

Although there weren't many posts, Li Minghui read them all carefully. Filled with determination, he entered the Word document and carefully checked and revised the 5,000 words he had just written.

For every author, due to the nature of online novel updates, typos are inevitable. Although readers might not say anything, they undoubtedly affect the reading experience. As an experienced author, Li Minghui knew this. Since he couldn't write without the creation software, he had plenty of time to make the reading experience more comfortable for his readers.

After correcting the typos, he checked the time and immediately opened the saved drafts, uploading two chapters totaling 6,000 words. This brought the total word count of "Zhu Xian" to over 12,000.

Satisfied, Li Minghui checked the new book rankings. Under the public new book rankings, he saw that his book had a score of 271, ranking over 100th. Li Minghui wasn't discouraged, knowing this was normal. He closed the rankings and continued browsing a new book he had found interesting the day before. The book was by a god-level author with three completed works and had risen to the top of the new book rankings for signed authors.

"Oh, no wonder it's so good!"

Li Minghui sighed, wanting to write a comment but realizing his new account didn't have enough points to post. He didn't mind.

He then entered the author backend and refreshed it. Perhaps due to the new chapter, the number of favorites had increased by five, reaching 18. This instantly filled Li Minghui with confidence, "It seems a classic book will never be buried."

With only four chapters and being a new, unsigned author, the increase was quite good. A smile spread across his lips. Li Minghui thought for a moment and then went to a forum he often visited, where many authors gathered.

In the past, Li Minghui had visited as a reader to meet some of the elusive top authors. Now, he was there as an author.

Why did Li Minghui go there? To promote his book. As the largest online novel forum in the country, it had many sections, including a section for news and a book recommendation section. If his book could gain recognition here, the promotional effect would be comparable to a mediocre official recommendation.

Excitedly, Li Minghui applied for a new account to use for his future author activities and went to the incubation section to start the incubation process.

New accounts on the forum couldn't post immediately; they had to go through a three-day incubation period before being recognized and allowed to post.

After starting the incubation process, Li Minghui logged out of his new account and returned to his old one, heading to the book recommendation section. He posted the four chapters of "Zhu Xian" he had published on Chongsheng.

As a new author with a strong desire to succeed, he was unwilling to miss any promotion opportunities. Since the forum's resources were public, why not use them?

Moreover, Li Minghui was confident that his book, a classic from his previous life, and enhanced by the creation software, would be recognized by discerning readers.

With everything done, Li Minghui breathed a sigh of relief and found a good online novel to read, immersing himself in it.

Although he was now an author, reading online novels was still one of his hobbies. Li Minghui didn't like spending money on online games, and single-player games were boring, so online novels were his main form of entertainment.

He read until noon when his phone rang, pulling him out of the novel world. He answered lazily, "Hello, Boss, what's up?"

"Number Five!"

Zhang Wei's roar came through the phone.

"What's wrong, Boss?"

Li Minghui was startled and asked cautiously.

"What's wrong? Did you receive the text message I sent you yesterday?"

"Received it, yeah?"

Li Minghui was a bit confused, not understanding the connection.

"You... you, I'm speechless, Number Five. I gave you Cheng Juan's phone number, and you didn't even take the initiative to contact her."

Zhang Wei's tone was one of frustration and defeat.

"Boss, I..."

Li Minghui realized he might have done something wrong and stammered.

"Alright, Number Five, I'll give you another chance. Meet me at the usual place today. I've arranged for her to be there. You figure it out!"

Zhang Wei said lazily.

"Boss, I... alone?"

Li Minghui asked, a bit worried.

"Of course, do you want me to accompany you?"

Zhang Wei replied.

"But what do I say to Cheng Juan?"

Li Minghui was at a loss.

"You... fine, fine, I'll bring my wife along. Also, I heard you quit your job!"

Zhang Wei sounded frustrated at first but then seemed to remember something and perked up.

"Boss, you have to come. As for quitting my job, I'll tell you later. Gotta go!"

...

At Lin Family Restaurant, Li Minghui seemed to realize something belatedly: "I guess I should be more proactive in pursuing a girl, but although I have some feelings for Cheng Juan, it's still a bit... awkward!"

Li Minghui had booked a private room and was sitting in the main hall, waiting for Zhang Wei, lost in thought.

Zhang Wei soon arrived with his family and Cheng Juan.

"Number Five, did you book the private room?"

Zhang Wei patted Li Minghui on the shoulder and asked in a low voice.

"Yep!"

Seeing Li Minghui nod, Zhang Wei relaxed and said, "Alright, lead the way, Number Five."

The four of them entered the private room. Li Minghui took a deep breath, called a waiter, and ordered several signature dishes. He then handed the menu to Zhang Wei, "Boss, you order some more!"

Zhang Wei glared at Li Minghui and didn't even take the menu, "Ladies first!"

Li Minghui suddenly understood, scolded himself, and handed the menu to Xie Xiaowen, "Boss doesn't want to order, so you do, Sister-in-law!"

Xie Xiaowen smiled happily, took the menu, and gave it to Cheng Juan, "Cheng Juan, Li Minghui is a bit shy, you order!"

Zhang Wei, once again defeated by Li Minghui, called out, "Waiter, bring a case of beer!"

"Li Minghui, I'm off today, and my wife and Cheng Juan are also off. If you don't spend a lot today, you won't know why the flowers are so red!"

Zhang Wei glared at Li Minghui fiercely, implying he needed to perform well today.

Li Minghui gritted his teeth and thought, "Damn, so be it. Since Boss is doing this for me, I need to end my single life!"

However, as he thought about his wallet shrinking, Li Minghui felt a bit helpless.

When the beer arrived, Li Minghui poured a full glass and said, "Cheng Juan, can I toast you?"

"Sure!"

Cheng Juan blushed slightly and nodded softly.

Seeing Li Minghui's newfound confidence, Zhang Wei and Xie Xiaowen exchanged glances, thinking, "This kid still has hope."

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