I asked you to write a light novel, but you wrote about living?

StarNet platform.

It was the peak of nightlife, and countless readers were browsing various sections, posting and complaining about a lack of books.

Suddenly, a profile picture that had been dormant for a while lit up without warning.

[The author you follow, Yu Huashi, has started a live stream to preview his new book!]

This notification sound was like a bomb dropped into a deep pool.

After a brief silence, the data in Yu Huashi's exclusive live stream exploded instantly!

The number of online users skyrocketed at an astonishing rate: 10,000, 100,000, 500,000...

The holographic screen lit up, and Yu Wen, sitting in a wheelchair, appeared in the live broadcast room.

Before he could even speak, a deluge of comments flooded the screen like a waterfall.

[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! That old scoundrel Yu has come back to life!!]

[Am I seeing things? They just announced a hiatus, and now they're going live? Wait, am I seeing things? A new book announcement?!]

[You're such a liar, even with your own promises?! Didn't you say you were going into seclusion to recover from leg surgery? You only sent out the leave slip a few days ago? And you're back with your new book?!]

[Haha, what do you call this? This is called "a tactical retirement of a master creator"! I remember a holographic film master used the same tactic before, holding a press conference and confidently saying, "This is my last work, I'm retiring," only to return two years later with an itchy hand. Yu Chengdong has definitely mastered the core essence this time!]

[Quick, quick, quick! What's the genre of the new book? Wasteland? Eastern classical? Or West Coast hardcore?]

[Old scoundrel Yu, it's not that we don't want you to rest, it's just that your books are too short! Other people write millions of words, but yours is only a few hundred thousand words—not even enough to fill a tooth gap! Hurry up and write a new book to make up for our wounded hearts!]

[Exactly! Not only is it short, but it's also written by a heartless, razor-blame-free author! But when I saw the words "new book," I was so excited I almost smashed my nutrient tank! Who's going to torture this time?!]

[As long as you dare to release a new book, we dare to read it! Any genre is fine, we accept a short word count, we even tolerate angst, just don't actually retire, hurry up and hand over the new book!]

Seeing the screen filled with joyful, lively comments, mixed with fervent anticipation for the new book, Yu Wen's heavy heart, which had just been weighed down by that letter, was gradually melted away by this pure enthusiasm.

He didn't speak immediately, but simply stared quietly at the camera.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the fluctuating data, through the bustling central district, and look towards the dimly lit, crowded lower district.

He knew that in this wave of celebration sparked by the "new book,"

In some inconspicuous corner.

That old electronic prosthetic eye, flashing a malfunctioning red light, must be watching him right now.

……

Seeing the constantly scrolling comments in the live stream, Yu Wen did not immediately announce the new book.

He paused for a moment before slowly speaking.

Before discussing the new book, I'd like to tell you about a person.

"A little girl who is not even ten years old."

The chat in the live stream slowed down slightly.

Yu Wen looked at the camera.

"She is a reader of 'To Live'."

"He was also a child suffering from a terminal illness."

"She left some time ago."

The audience, who had been urging the new book to be published, suddenly quieted down considerably.

[Under ten years old?]

[Has he already passed away?]

【…】

"Her mother found me."

"She brought me a letter she wrote before she died."

"That was also her last wish."

"Have my mother find me and hand this letter to me."

Yu Wen did not bring the letter in front of the camera.

He didn't read out all the contents either.

"She said in the letter that she really liked 'To Live'."

"I also hope that my mother can live a good life like Fugui."

Yu Wen paused for a moment.

"She probably doesn't understand the meaning of life."

"They also wouldn't understand what a work of art can truly bring to the world."

"She may not even truly understand death."

"But as her life was drawing to a close, what she was most worried about was not herself."

"But it was her mother."

The comments in the live stream gradually stopped.

Yu Wen did not continue speaking.

He was constantly thinking about one question.

In this era filled with steel, cybernetic bodies, and cold data, what exactly is human nature?

Some say it's greed.

Some say it's about seeking advantage and avoiding harm.

Some say it's the instinct to do anything for survival.

These answers all seem to make sense.

After all, everything in this world can be calculated.

The amount you put in determines the amount you get out.

What choice should be made to best serve one's own interests?

Even human emotions can be broken down into sets of data and given to AI to analyze and arrive at the so-called most reasonable answer.

But after learning about the girl, Yu Wen suddenly had another answer.

Human nature may have many aspects.

Greed is.

Selfishness is...

The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, and the instinct to survive, are also included.

But kindness and love must be the most important of them all.