Chapter 44

【ps: Thanks to the generous support from Nine Dragon Island King, Book Friend 15021123150495, The Devil's Tailor, and A Smile of Many Sorrows~】

Liu Ming had been waiting by his computer desk for the new chapter from Tong Yan, even turning down his girlfriend's invitation for the evening.

When the clock struck 11, Liu Ming knew his cousin probably wouldn't finish today's writing task on time. But that was fine; high school students had heavy academic loads, and it was necessary to make appropriate sacrifices. He believed that with this break, Tong Yan would get used to taking breaks, which would make things easier for him.

Thinking of his cousin's previous instructions, Liu Ming prepared to write a "Pause in Updates" notice. His typing speed had improved a bit since Tong Yan left, but his writing skills were still as poor as ever. So, he didn't write it in the style of a shop assistant but directly in his own voice, penning a few dozen words:

"Dear readers, hello. I'm not the shop assistant; I'm his brother. There won't be an update today, so you don't need to wait. I don't know when the next update will be, but I do know that within the shop assistant's capabilities, he will continue writing. I hope everyone can still support him."

Perhaps Liu Ming's tone was a bit heavy, and the line "I don't know when the next update will be" scared many readers. They all thought it was the prelude to the story being abandoned, so many previously silent readers began to leave comments.

Some expressed condemnation.

Qu Kai: If there's a break today, there might be an abandonment tomorrow. I advise all readers not to fall into this pit, or you might not be able to climb out. Haha~~

Some expressed disappointment.

I Eat Tomatoes: This book is really good, but the author's updates are very disappointing. I don't know when the next chapter will be released. As a writer, one should update every day.

Some expressed anger.

Sick Penguin: Damn it, can you still write? If not, speak up early; my bookshelf still has a spot!

"Little Soldier's Wild History" was a novel with over 5,000 followers (total 5,133). Even at nearly midnight, many night owls were still reading and commenting on the single chapter.

A Smile of Many Sorrows belonged to the disappointed group. Some readers who were deeply immersed in web novels had a certain mindset: they hoped that the authors they liked would gain more recognition and become famous writers, which would indirectly validate their taste and bring them a sense of satisfaction.

A Smile of Many Sorrows was such a reader. He had feelings for "Little Soldier's Wild History" and hoped that the shop assistant would become famous. But seeing his current casual attitude, he felt it would be difficult for him to stand out.

A Smile of Many Sorrows closed the webpage and started playing an online game. Around 12:30, he logged back into Qidian, wanting to see if any new posts had been made to mock the shop assistant. In the past, he couldn't stand others saying bad things about the shop assistant and "Little Soldier's Wild History," but now, he had not only gotten used to it but also enjoyed the atmosphere of readers condemning the bad author. Perhaps this was the result of love turning to hate.

But an unexpected scene unfolded. "Little Soldier's Wild History" actually updated a new chapter. At 12:31 AM, an hour and a half after the "Pause in Updates" notice, "Chapter 60: High Energy Ahead" was posted. When A Smile of Many Sorrows saw the new chapter, he first suspected that the shop assistant was playing a trick, then felt a sense of relief, and finally opened the new chapter, reading it with satisfaction, forgetting all his grievances.

After clicking to publish the chapter, Tong Yan leaned back in his chair, needing a moment to rest.

He had really pushed himself to write. He knew that a few days ago, a new high school student had been caught and punished by standing as an example, but he still bravely jumped over the school wall for the second time, running all the way to the internet cafe and starting to type without resting.

This was Tong Yan's second all-nighter at Spider Internet Cafe. Coincidentally, the owner, Zhan Hong, was there, and Tong Yan easily got permission for a free all-night session, as compensation for the previous incident.

After turning on the computer, Tong Yan first logged into QQ, read the messages that popped up, then opened his email and started typing. Learning from his previous mistake, he decided to write his novel only in his web-based email, a habit he only broke after buying his first laptop and no longer worrying about sudden power outages.

The sound of Tong Yan's frantic typing caught the owner's attention. She had intentionally circled around behind him to see what he was typing, but she couldn't understand what he was writing. It was clear he wasn't searching for inappropriate videos or playing games, unlike most internet cafe users.

Despite his efforts, Tong Yan still didn't finish a chapter before midnight. He had to connect with the previous content and think about many things, so he only managed to finish by 12:30.

After uploading the chapter, Tong Yan glanced at the book review section. The previously quiet section had become lively due to the "Pause in Updates" notice. Tong Yan's face turned red as he read the readers' criticisms, but he didn't dare to reply to any of them. However, when he saw the review written by I Eat Tomatoes, he suddenly thought, "Tomatoes are just tomatoes, so I Eat Tomatoes must mean I Eat Tomatoes, right?"

I Eat Tomatoes? A thought flashed through Tong Yan's mind. "Hmm, this sounds familiar, like the first time I saw 'Tang Jia San Shao.' Could he be a famous web writer?"

Tong Yan opened his personal center and, to his surprise, found that I Eat Tomatoes was not a writer and had no works under his name. But following his intuition, Tong Yan still followed him. The next day, when the plump teenager named Zhu Hongzhi logged into his personal center, he was pleasantly surprised and quickly followed the shop assistant back, apologizing for his harsh words the previous day. However, Tong Yan didn't immediately reply, leaving Zhu Hongzhi slightly disappointed.

That night, Tong Yan's main focus was still on writing, typing non-stop. In the QQ messages he had just read, his editor, Watermelon, said the manuscript had been handed over to the chief editor, and they didn't know if it would be approved. His cousin still advised him to take care of his health and prioritize his studies, saying he would support him even if he took a break or permanently stopped updating. Zhang Xiao also comforted Tong Yan, saying he only read "Little Soldier's Wild History" once a week, so he didn't feel the updates were slow. The junior high school student showed understanding for the high school student.

But not every reader was as understanding as Zhang Xiao. If it weren't for their real-life friendship, Zhang Xiao might have joined the critics. Just look at the complaints in the book review section. So, Tong Yan had to write as fast as he could. This time, he brought bread and water, eating and drinking when he was hungry and splashing cold water on his face when he was tired. The conditions were tough, but Tong Yan enjoyed it.

In the morning, Song Rao deliberately took a detour to the street where Spider Internet Cafe was located. Last night, when she went to the bike shed to get her bike, she noticed Tong Yan suspiciously observing the wall in that area. So, she changed her route this morning, hoping to catch him.

【ps: A few recommendation votes would be greatly appreciated after you finish reading~】

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