Chapter 36

【PS: Thanks to YiXiaoJiDuoChou and XunQianMo for the donations~ First update, second update after 5 PM. A new week, please give me your recommendations!】

Back in the dormitory, Tong Yan saw the class monitor, Huang Yelou, chatting idly in the room. When he saw Tong Yan walk in, he looked a bit disappointed.

The big guy, Qi Delong, showed his obvious dislike for Huang Yelou, "Now that Xiao Tong is back, you can go do whatever you want, class monitor."

"I wasn't waiting for Tong Yan specifically. I just wanted to see if anyone needed help. We should help each other, and besides, I'm the class monitor," Huang Yelou said seriously.

"Then why don't you help me by pouring out my foot washing water? Help each other, class monitor," Qi Delong pushed the basin of water at his feet.

Huang Yelou left with an awkward smile, "I just remembered I have something to do. I'll go, I'll go." Before leaving, he didn't forget to say to Tong Yan, "Xiao Tong, don't take what happened this morning to heart. I was just trying to help you."

"I understand, I understand," Tong Yan said sincerely, but in his heart, he had already cursed Huang a hundred times.

When the dormitory was left with only his roommates, Wang Ping, Zheng Jing, and the others all put on a serious look, "So, nothing to say to us?"

"Let's talk during the bedtime chat."

After the lights were turned off and the sound of the teachers patrolling the hallway disappeared, Tong Yan began.

"Thanks a lot, guys. If you need anything in the future, just say it."

"Don't beat around the bush. Just tell us where you went and what you did yesterday," Zheng Jing asked.

"Actually, I went to the internet cafe last night."

"Sure enough, I knew it!" Wang Ping guessed correctly, feeling a bit smug.

"So, what did you do at the internet cafe?" Qi Delong interjected.

"Let me keep you in suspense. What I did isn't illegal or anything like playing games. Since I haven't finished it yet, I don't want to say. I'll tell you as soon as I succeed." Tong Yan thought that his identity as a web writer was still unstable, with no steady updates or income. He wanted to wait until his writing income was stable before telling his roommates.

"You're so annoying, always leaving things half-said!" Zheng Jing scratched his head, feeling incredibly curious about what Tong Yan was doing, but Tong Yan refused to say more, which frustrated his curiosity.

After partially confessing to his roommates, Tong Yan felt much better. He closed his eyes and calmly visualized the story in his mind.

It was a science fiction story, borrowing some settings and characters from "The Little Soldier's Wild History," but it wasn't a traditional spin-off or side story. It was more independent and could stand alone. It mainly told the story of the Meow Star people infiltrating Earth to compete for fish resources.

Tong Yan wrote it in a serious but absurd manner. Although each plot point seemed ridiculous and amusing, he wrote it very seriously, as if the aliens were really plotting against Earth. In reality, they were just a bunch of cute and silly cats.

Opposing the Meow Star people were the Woof Star people, a self-proclaimed cosmic police force that liked to meddle in others' affairs. They couldn't stand to see the Meow Star people take advantage of the weaker Earthlings and constantly opposed them.

Due to the length limit, Tong Yan had only about 20,000 to 30,000 words to work with, equivalent to about seven or eight chapters of "The Little Soldier's Wild History." In "The Wild History," it might only cover a small event or a transition in a larger plot, but in this short story, Tong Yan had to fit in characters, background, and plot, and tell a complete story with a beginning and an end. This was quite challenging, and he had to refine his writing and plot to make the story coherent and rich in content.

This was much harder than writing an 800 to 1000-word essay.

Over the past two days, Tong Yan's routine was to brainstorm in his mind and then write it down in his notebook. With the settings and drafts from "The Little Soldier's Wild History," the notebook was almost full.

Of course, everything was done secretly. Even his desk mate, Dong Mian, didn't know what Tong Yan was writing in the notebook. Gradually, the content of the novel became more substantial, and Tong Yan felt it was necessary to visit the internet cafe again at night.

He set the time for Wednesday night, which unfortunately coincided with Old Song's duty. Tong Yan didn't dare to sneak out directly but waited until the dormitory lights were turned off and the teachers had left. He then disguised his bed to look occupied, told his roommates he was going out, and escaped through the window.

While sneaking along the wall, he saw a light still on in a room on the first floor. That was where the dorm supervisor, Old Liu, lived. His room was the only one in the dormitory that wasn't subject to the 11 PM power cut, and students' rooms had no power outlets.

Perhaps it wasn't a good night to go out. As Tong Yan crouched and sneaked to Old Liu's window, a cup of warm water was poured over his head. He could smell the scent of jasmine tea.

It was probably the teacup Old Liu often used. A cup of tea water drenched Tong Yan, wetting his hair and shirt. Although it wasn't cold, it was very uncomfortable.

Encountering such bad luck, Tong Yan couldn't confront Old Liu. He had to swallow his frustration and, fortunately, hadn't gone far. He climbed back to change his clothes.

"Ah, how did you come back so quickly?" Wang Ping, who was in the top bunk, mumbled groggily.

"Nothing, nothing. Go back to sleep." It was almost midnight, and Tong Yan had to act quickly.

After wasting some time in the dormitory, when he tried to sneak out again, he was shocked to see several flashlight beams outside. He quickly retreated and cautiously observed the outside.

The people with flashlights were teachers and security guards, including Old Song. Among them were two young guys, who were likely the freshmen he had seen at the Spider Internet Cafe.

"Damn, the wall-climbing thing has been exposed. I probably can't go out tonight!" After this incident, Tong Yan didn't dare to take any more risks. He took off the clothes he had just changed into and lay in bed, secretly relieved that he had been drenched by Old Liu's tea water. Otherwise, he would have fallen into the trap set by the duty teachers. He couldn't imagine how disappointed Old Song would be if he caught him climbing the wall.

Old Liu refilled his teacup and, hearing the approaching footsteps, opened the dormitory building's main door before anyone could knock.

The next morning, when Luo Xiaoxu, the first to wake up in Room 121, saw Tong Yan in bed, he was surprised, "You didn't go out last night?!"

"I did, but I came back quickly. The duty teachers caught two freshmen, and I got scared," Tong Yan said with half-closed eyes, looking exhausted.

"Ah, so you can't go out anymore?" Wang Ping, in the top bunk, also woke up.

Tong Yan sighed. Whether he could go out in the future was another matter, but what about today? If he remembered correctly, his cousin's backlog of drafts would run out today!