Prologue

Zhu Chuan

Passerby A girl : `` ... ... ''

Upon submitting my resume, I caught a glimpse of the five interviewers present, all of whom appeared disinterested, wearing expressions of impatience as if they were burdened by the prospect of working overtime on a weekend and eager to leave for dinner at home.

As I wandered around, peeking here and there, I felt a surge of excitement while passing by several offices adorned with posters of "Star Tracks" magazine. I continued to walk and observe, and before I knew it, I had reached the end of the corridor—where one office was surprisingly lit, with the door half ajar.

Oh my, is it the Zhu Chuan I know, the one who wrote "Eastern Yiwenshu"?! He collaborated with the Yuan Yue Society!

Dr. Jiang hesitated for a moment, then randomly smiled and nodded: "That friend you mentioned before."

The indifferent interviewer... ? ... It seems that the beginnings of Japanese dramas are always like this ?

The passerby girl: "That person who caused a large recall of books from the Yuan Yue Publishing House, now the entire publishing house is in a state of disarray with no one to rely on"

"You have arrived," Dr. Jiang smiled and said, "Come in quickly, what are you doing standing at the door?"

The girl raised her head and said: "But she... has also done many bad things, and has not faced any consequences."

Cold sweat broke out

The passerby girl slightly widened her eyes: "No, I—"

The staff member distributing the number cards was momentarily taken aback. She raised her hand to check the time and realized that she had not exceeded the allotted interview time. Therefore, she readily handed over the later number card to her, and while passing the name card, she quickly glanced at the resume in her hand. This glance was too hurried, and she only had time to see the name section, which displayed the two large characters: Chuli.

Black question mark face

Hello? Is this the first greeting? It's me, I'm at the psychologist's office. I told him about your situation, the matter with the Yuan Yue Society was done by you, right? If it wasn't you, then who else could it be! My psychologist said again that you are a non-existent person, what should I do? Do you have time to come and do some couple therapy with me

Is this person distributing their resume like a flyer by taking a stack of resumes

Dr. Jiang's gaze flickered behind his glasses: "Child, in fact, you are just madly bringing in everything around you that you think can fit into this situation. You imagine that she is the editor of the Yuanyue Society, which has suffered in this news—she is the one who caused the current desolation of the Yuanyue Society—yet what is the truth? According to your description, your friend's persona lacks coherence; her image has been constantly changing... So, do you know what I think?"

Is anyone inside

Ten minutes later, as the last interviewee, Chuli walked out of the conference room—at this moment, the outside was even quieter than before she entered the conference room. The staff were tidying up the props used for the interviews, such as number tags and water, while the interviewers were also coming out with the interviewees' materials, chatting among themselves, and dispersing in small groups.

The spokesperson of the Yuan Month Society on Weibo: I know who is behind the scenes driving everything to happen, and I also believe that the way of heaven has its cycles... Just wait and see, one day, you will receive the retribution you deserve

... ...

Stay calm, do not panic

It is currently 1:25 PM

At first, Li maintained an expressionless demeanor while evaluating the thirty-second candidate, who resembled a bodybuilding coach more than an editor. An hour and ten minutes had passed, and the staff member who had just given her the number card finally called her number. Li stood up, only to realize that the surrounding atmosphere was eerily quiet, with only herself remaining among the participants of this round of interviews.

It seems that due to certain special reasons, a series of news notifications piqued her interest. The young girl raised her hand to wipe the screen of her phone and was about to continue scrolling to see if there were any other news items. At that moment, her phone vibrated, indicating that she had received a text message

... ...

The Monkey's Water Army: Do you think among those who are secretly observing me, there might be high-ranking figures such as the chief editor of a publishing house, pretending to be interviewees, infiltrating the ranks of the candidates, and then selecting their preferred talents—this is what self-help magazines often write about

The decline of the traditional print media industry - the publisher "Yuan Yue She," which once set a record for monthly sales in the country, has announced the failure of its Series B financing and is open to acquisition

This seems to be the doctor with the highest rating of 4.7 in the public reviews!

The girl, referred to as Passerby A, hesitated for a moment after being asked a question. She nodded, then shook her head—then raised her finger to point at the phone in Dr. Jiang's hand and slowly said: "The person mentioned by the spokesperson of the January Society, I know him."

The back of the girl, passerby A, suddenly tensed up

Doctor Jiang

The person on the other end of the phone was harsh and hung up before the young girl, passerby A, had a chance to speak again

The passerby girl suddenly stood up from the sofa with a "whoosh," her voice sounding somewhat flustered and anxious: "I, I, I... did not fabricate anything! I can call her, I have her number, I am not lying, I can prove it, I am not imagining things, I am not experiencing a worsening of my condition—"

Dr. Jiang raised his head and saw a girl standing outside the door—her complexion was so pale it was almost transparent, and she had dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep and nervous exhaustion. She was dressed in a white dress, completely enveloped in white.

... ...

Dr. Jiang: "Oh?"

Thus, the Great God Chaochuan conquered a truckload of female fans with his legendary handsome face and his gentle, golden retriever-like personality; then he won over another truckload of young boys with his writing prowess

Upon reaching this point, Chu Li seemed to have thought of something, cleared her throat, straightened her back, and pretended to look around calmly... After patiently waiting for a while, Chu Li did not receive a reply from the person named "Mr. L, who has disappeared". Feeling slightly bored, she pouted, speculating that the other party might be busy with trivial matters again. She pouted again and stuffed her phone back into her pocket

Approaching the half-open door, she cautiously pushed it open, peering her head inside, and immediately spotted a middle-aged man sitting on the sofa. He was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and was reading the news on his mobile phone.

I glanced back at the half-open door of the psychotherapy room

Chuli always felt that according to the typical plot of Japanese dramas, the interviewer should be moved by her enthusiasm at this moment. However, unexpectedly, as soon as her words fell, she heard the interviewer sitting on the far right, who had maintained a completely indifferent expression throughout, and whom Chuli even suspected might have fallen asleep, casually ask: "One thousand five is too low, would you consider one thousand eight?"

Dr. Jiang: "I am not suggesting that your condition has worsened, but rather that if such a person truly exists, she is merely one of the sources of your psychological burden. If possible, I believe you could invite her to participate in a 'couple therapy' session together..."

Passerby A girl : `` ... ... ''

She reached up to touch the top of her head, which was scorched by the sun, and after a brief hesitation, quickly walked over to sit on the stone bench under the shade of the tree. Raising her hand to wipe away the sweat, she decided to rest for five minutes before continuing her journey. It was as if, subconsciously, she took out her phone, squinted slightly, and upon unlocking the screen, saw several trending news headlines from Weibo.

The young girl, referred to as Bystander A, put down her phone and walked back to the psychological counseling room. She made eye contact with the middle-aged doctor sitting on the sofa and said, filled with immense frustration: "She turned off her phone."

... ...

Shh! Keep your voice down. I heard that in relation to the traditional literary monthly magazine "Star Trails," Yuan Yue Publishing has also launched a new youth novel monthly publication called "Moonlight." Ah, I also heard that several issues have already been released, and they have invited Chuchuan...

The scorching sun bakes the earth, and the sound of cicadas, whose origin is unknown, vibrates the eardrums. In the distance, the sounds of young people playing basketball on the playground during summer vacation can be heard

A young girl, passerby A, walked into the psychologist's office. Her gaze swept over the words "Jiang's Psychological Counseling Room" but remained calm and undisturbed. Then, as if familiar with the surroundings, she sat down on the sofa opposite Dr. Jiang, glanced at the phone in his hand, and softly asked, "Are you reading the news too"

Ah! Have you heard? The Yuan Yue Society is expanding its recruitment, apparently because the company is preparing for an IPO, and in order to achieve a good valuation, it needs to increase its workforce size

A passerby girl whispered

... ...

Very expensive

Passerby A girl : `` ... ... ''

This person is not only acquainted with him but is also one of his little fans

The gentleman is as warm and gentle as jade.

Sitting upright in her chair, Chuli's position faced the conference room designated for interviews, allowing her to gaze with her distinctly black-and-white eyes at the stream of interviewees coming in and out.

This text appears to be a series of equal signs and does not contain any translatable content.

Dr. Jiang smiled and said, "This conflicts with the persona of a just person"

March 2013

Oh my, hasn't the novel genre always been handled by New Shield Publishing? Is Yuan Yue Publishing trying to take away their business?

The passerby girl was left speechless.

As she spoke, she lifted her head, her calm gaze sweeping around the surroundings

The sound is clean and crisp

This individual rose to fame at the age of 17 with a work titled "Records of Eastern Enchantment" and officially became a leading writer in the genre of Eastern fantasy in the country at the age of 21. Young, handsome (as the legend goes), wealthy, it is said that Chuchuan was born into a traditional literary family... a scion of a prestigious literary lineage, with a father who is a prominent figure in the provincial writers' association, known for his significant influence. Most notably, this person, who has everything one could desire at such a young age, possesses an exceptionally good-natured character.

The girl with strikingly contrasting black and white eyes gazed into Dr. Jiang's eyes, which were filled with a gentle smile. She heard him say: "I believe this person does not exist"

The empty corridor of the office building is devoid of any people

Chuli could only fixate on one of the prominent figures who still had a slight smile on his face and began to introduce himself. After sharing his basic information, he passionately extolled his love for traditional literature and how deeply he cherished the magazine "Star Tracks." When he became excited, he stood up and fervently declared to the interviewers: "If I could have the opportunity to work at the Yuan Yue Society, even if it were only 800... no, 1,500 yuan! I would gladly accept!"

It can be the icing on the cake

The girl, known as Passerby A, lowered her head, her hands resting on her knees slightly clenched. She bowed her head, revealing a look of struggle: "This time she has committed such a wrongdoing again, recalling the books, damaging her reputation, and the publishing house facing a significant blow resulting in a huge financial crisis..."

... ...

Ah, I really can't remember it

Thus, I was in a meeting, busy, and hung up

Dr. Jiang's smile became a bit clearer: "A phone belonging to a non-existent person will, of course, never turn on."

Try! Try! Water! Do you dare to say it again?! Am I begging for alms here?!

Initial greeting: `` ... ... ? ''

... is certainly not some street-side barefoot immortal

It can be likened to providing timely assistance in a time of need

At that moment, Chuli felt that none of the people he encountered today, from the driver to the interviewer, were good individuals

First, let's start with a print run of 32,000 copies to test the waters

The air conditioning was quite strong, and the sweat that had originally been on the forehead of the girl, Passerby A, had already dissipated. She raised her hand to check the phone she was holding, and it was exactly 1:30. She lifted her head to glance at the half-open door at the end of the corridor, let out a long sigh, slightly slowed her pace, stuffed her phone into her pocket, and casually used her fingers to tidy her hair.

Chuli liked this author and thought that if she could really join the Yuan Yue Society in the future, she might even get to see the true face of the great Zhuchuan and perhaps take a signed photo or something... With this thought, Chuli chuckled softly while pulling her suitcase, and after her daydreaming was over, she prepared to turn and leave. However, at the very moment she turned around, she heard a powerful roar coming from the office.

Dr. Jiang looked at the hesitant and tense girl sitting on the opposite sofa, his voice gentle: "You know, in our previous two conversations, you spent a lot of time talking to me about your friend—she is an editor, warm-hearted, persistent, just, decisive in her work, and full of vitality. You admire her very much"

The girl, a passerby, had a hint of hesitation in her black eyes. She bit her lower lip and cautiously glanced at Dr. Jiang: "It is her"

Embarrassed, she exchanged a smile with the staff calling the numbers, then raised her hand to knock on the closed conference room door. Upon hearing a voice from inside saying, "Please come in," she finally pushed the door open and walked in

Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''

Dr. Jiang: "Who?"

Yes, yes, yes ... ...

... ...

Why don't you, with such a rich imagination as a psychologist, write a book? Once it's finished, you could submit it to me. The voice that echoed in my ear was frivolous and sharp, akin to a refreshing breeze in the summer. I would donate a dime; could you perhaps find a more expensive doctor instead of casually picking a barefoot mystic from the street to treat your bipolar disorder?

With the Spring Festival just passed, major companies and organizations have begun a new round of recruitment for new employees. For most students majoring in Chinese Language and Literature, the most explosive recruitment news is undoubtedly that the leading domestic publishing house, "Yuan Yue She," has surprisingly released a large number of job openings this year. Therefore, on the day of the interview, even though it was a weekend and a non-working day, the Science and Business Park where Yuan Yue She is located was inevitably bustling with crowds and a lively atmosphere.

The Monkey's Water Army: I have arrived at the interview location! That damn driver pretended not to know the way and tried to take a detour, almost making me late. I directly opened the navigation and turned the volume on my phone to the maximum—"In 300 meters, turn left"—hahaha, let's see where he dares to go. Ah, but now everyone around is looking at me as if I were a monster...

At 1:00 PM, it is precisely the hottest time of the day

This is what the initial ceremony is meant to accomplish

Oh, this young lady is so beautiful. What is she doing as an editor? If she acted in a TV drama, she would be more famous than Liu Yifei in no time

Initial Greeting : `` ... ... ''

During the interview, she talked quite a bit, which was mostly just rambling, but her fondness for the Yuan Yue Society was not a lie

Chuli sat down on the chair and quickly surveyed the interviewers sitting opposite her with her eyes, rapidly running through the possible identities of each of them in her mind—yet this was of no use, as in her eyes, everyone was a big shot.

In this broken city, fifteen hundred yuan a month is only enough to live in a sewer

A girl with long curly hair, dressed in a white dress and wearing faded white cloth shoes, hurriedly walked past the edge of the playground. Occasionally, a gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, would lift her soft hair. The trees planted beside the playground rustled in the wind, and the girl paused, looking up at the shade of the trees not far away. She hesitated for a moment, extending her tongue to lick her cracked lips.

The original author of the serialized work in "Moonlight" magazine, the renowned domestic Eastern fantasy writer "Zhou Chuan," was the first to issue a statement on Weibo: If I don't want to write, I won't write. Although it is a serialization, it is quite strange that I was not required to sign a so-called serialization contract from the beginning, so I am free to come and go. In the spirit of being responsible to the readers, the subsequent stories that were originally serialized in "Moonlight" magazine will be completed on Weibo as the platform. Everyone can rest assured and look forward to it.

On the surface, this seemingly harmless delicate young girl has a name that matches her appearance, called Chu Li

How can such a large publishing house as Yuan Yue She afford to pay its employees only 1,500 a month

Restart, shut down

The furtive glances that had been cast were quickly withdrawn.

No

Just as I was silently complaining in my heart, at that moment, the notification sound of news alerts from the girl in the crowd vibrated. She grabbed her phone and took a glance, discovering two consecutive news updates that had come in.

August 11, 2016, midsummer

exterminate completely

Light rain is falling gently, and this year the winter in the south seems particularly cold

I can do that, I will call her right away

At the moment she sat down, the smile on her face vanished, replaced by the excitement and nervousness flickering in her eyes. Chuli took out her phone, logged into her mobile QQ, and quickly found a guy named "The Disappearing Mr. L," her fingers flying over the keyboard.

Chuli shrank her neck, pondering that it would be impolite to disturb others at work. Just as she was about to turn around and make a run for it with her suitcase, her peripheral vision accidentally caught sight of a huge blackboard at the entrance. On the blackboard were various promotional posters for a magazine titled "Moonlight," and it was chaotically scribbled with chalk, including phrases like "The Eastern Fantasy Master 'Zhou Chuan' joins, a luxurious lineup of authors not to be missed," "Zhou Chuan's annual masterpiece," and "The 'Moonlight' series of reading materials 'Star Tracks' is coming with a bang" among other disorganized promotional slogans.

In such cold weather, she wore high-heeled boots, a short skirt, and merely draped a long trench coat over herself, making her appear as slender as the sturdy suitcase she was dragging behind her. At this moment, one hand held a completed resume, while the other pulled a massive suitcase as she hurried to the staff of Yuan Yue Society, who were distributing interview number tags. She came to a stop, let out a long sigh, and smiled: "I apologize, there was a traffic jam on the way from the train station. I am a recent graduate from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and I would like to request a number tag."

Major Publishing Incident: The annual key publication "The Last Whale of the Pacific" by "Yuan Yue She" has announced the recall of all 450,000 copies of its initial release! The relevant authorities have ordered a suspension of operations for rectification

With a slight smile at the corners of my lips, I lowered my head in contentment and continued typing

... ...

It seems that the scope of business will also expand, which is why so many new positions have been added. Previously, the Yuan Yue Society focused on traditional literature, but now it surprisingly wants to share a piece of the pie in the novel category...

Upon receiving her number tag, she revealed a clear smile while being silently observed by those around her, nodded at the staff distributing the number tags, and then, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, walked to a corner with her box and sat down on an empty chair

The water army summoned by the monkey: just like having never seen a beautiful girl in a trench coat

Indeed

When was the last time I read the news in a newspaper? Was it in middle school? Elementary school? ... Or perhaps even earlier than that ...

Please remember to come for the appointment at 1:30 PM. I will be waiting for you. - Dr. Jiang

Outside the conference hall in January, a considerable number of young people gathered, holding interview waiting number cards, clearly having just met. At this moment, small groups of three to five huddled together, whispering to each other—such conversations continued until they were interrupted by the sound of wheels rolling on the ground coming from the end of the corridor.

Dr. Jiang lowered his head and quickly wrote something in the notebook in his hand, while not raising his head, he said: "Bipolar disorder makes you envy the life in the sunlight, yearning for passionate, persistent, just interactions with others, hoping to act decisively and with vigor; however, at the same time, you cannot conceal the malicious dark side within your heart, so you have fabricated such a person: one who commits numerous wrongdoings yet faces no retribution, filled with contradictions"

Initial greeting: `` ? ? ? ''

Outside the window, the sound of cicadas seems to have become indistinct

A passerby girl anxiously took out her phone while speaking, dialed a certain number, and hurriedly walked outside. The phone rang a few times before being answered, and the person on the other end said "Hello" in a voice that sounded calm yet distant.

The decline of the traditional print media industry

The sunlight illuminated her pale cheeks, her skin almost translucent, revealing the bluish veins beneath the surface.

In the room, the air conditioner emits a buzzing sound

The entrance to the office building is just a few hundred meters away, and the sun is scorching. Nevertheless, the young woman, a passerby, has no choice but to stand up from the slightly cooler stone bench and jog towards the office building.

On this grand weekend, the entire office building of the Yuanjue Society was so empty that one could almost pull a ghost out from the corners—based on the fundamental principle of "since I am already here," Chuli did not rush to leave. Instead, she slowed her pace, dragging her suitcase, preparing to take a look around this publishing house that had accompanied her growth through various publications, from "The Little Prince" in elementary school to "Stellar Tracks" in university.

Indeed, I am watching. They say it is the issue of the decline of traditional print media—thinking about it, it seems to be true. In the past, during meals, there would always be a pile of old newspapers on the table, but now, when I try to find some, I can't seem to locate any. After all, news is all read online; not only is the information quick, but it is also so convenient on mobile phones. Dr. Jiang smiled, casually picked up a notebook that was on the table, opened it, and scribbled a few lines on it, seemingly indifferent, and said, 'Enough about me, how have you been lately?'

However, this did not prevent her from nodding and smiling as she uttered a few words that might carry another meaning: "Eighteen hundred? I can do it."

After taking a few steps forward, she turned around and realized that she was the only one left in the corridor

I can't believe what's in this box—it's actually a whole box of "Star Tracks" magazines—impressive, my friend, this is quite a strategy, a formidable competitor!

As soon as the female interviewer spoke, it seemed that Chuli was caught off guard and her bewildered expression was too late to retract. In any case, the remaining four interviewers burst into laughter.

It can also be ... ...

But this is all a trick

The authors under the magazine's umbrella have collectively departed, announcing a suspension of cooperation. The bestselling magazine "Moonlight" under "Yuan Yue She" has announced that it will officially cease publication starting next month

Everyone curiously raised their heads, and at a glance, they saw at the end of the corridor a young girl in her early twenties with a slender figure and short hair. Her skin was fair, and perhaps due to running, her cheeks were slightly flushed. The tip of her small, pert nose was also reddened from the cold. Her features were delicate, but when combined, they were unexpectedly unremarkable. Only her distinctly black-and-white, exceptionally bright eyes revealed a hint of cuteness and liveliness.

Hold your head high and stand tall

A contemptuous sneer came from the other end of the phone

... ...