Hell Game: Starting from Metropolis

"How does it feel? Don't you feel honored?"

He raised an eyebrow and said.

"Are you crazy? Is it really worth it just to deliver takeout?"

The tentacle cursed.

"Are you crazy? Is it really that big of a deal to just pick up takeout?"

Liu Zheng retorted.

"Of course, I might die if I accepted takeout."

"Of course, I'd die if you didn't accept takeout orders."

What does it matter to me whether you live or die?

"If I'm going to die, you'll definitely die before me."

"You stupid delivery guy, I'll fuck your grandpa!"

"Damn it. Wait, what are you doing here again?"

He seemed to have thought of something.

"I'm a novelist, way more awesome than a moron like you who delivers takeout!"

The tentacle monster said smugly.

"If you can't get your product listed, you won't even get the full attendance bonus. What are you bragging about?"

Liu Zheng exposed it without any mercy.

"How did you know?"

The tentacle monster exclaimed in shock.

"Because I've not only written novels, but I've also published some excellent ones. Do the owners of apartment 606 in building 4 know that?"

He said.

"I know a little bit about him. He seems to be a novelist, but he probably hasn't achieved much."

The tentacle monster thought for a moment and then said.

"You know nothing. She was originally a top-notch author in the field of short stories. She switched to novels in order to pursue a higher level, and she just had a little trouble adjusting to the new environment."

"After some guidance from me, she is now on the right track and will definitely become a master in both short story and novel writing."

Liu Zheng said with certainty.

"Really? What was her pen name before?"

The tentacle monster asked suspiciously.

"Would you sign for the takeout if I told you?"

Although revealing the novelist's original pen name wasn't ideal, in a crisis, one couldn't worry about that now; at worst, they could just help her find a new place to live.

"That's impossible, but I can give you a chance to convince me."

"That's what the tentacle monster said."

"Hehe, that works too."

If words can't persuade him, then he'll try to persuade him physically.

"Her original pen name was Izanami."

Liu Zheng said.

"Wow, she really is a pro! I never imagined I'd be living in the same neighborhood as Izanami. I'd heard people say there were a lot of pros in this neighborhood, and it's true. This is so exciting!"

"The tentacle monster said excitedly."

"No, you've lived here for several years now, and you haven't met any other top-tier authors yet?"

"Haven't you written novels yourself? It's good enough to chat online, who has time to meet people offline?"

The tentacle monster looked at him with a strange expression.

"Who said that? I know a great author who likes to go out and mooch meals off other authors whenever he has free time."

Liu Zheng said indignantly.

Does he know you?

"The tentacle monster asked."

"Let's talk about food delivery."

"Hahaha."

The tentacle monster smiled smugly.

However, seeing Liu Zheng's humiliation lessened its anger somewhat.

"How about this, if you can help me get a chance to be mentored by a great author, I'll accept this takeout."

The tentacle monster thought for a moment and then said.

"No problem, as long as you're not writing romance or harem stories, I'm good at it."

Liu Zheng readily agreed.

"Who asked you? You're just a mediocre author. You're a little bit better than me, but you're not worthy of me signing for your takeout."

The tentacle monster scoffed.

"You're still complaining? Go and try to find one yourself. Even if you pay someone, you might not be able to find a top-notch author to teach you step by step."

He said this with some displeasure.

Writing is something that can't be taught in a conventional way, and those step-by-step courses are utter nonsense.

Even if you teach someone step by step, they still need to have the foundation and comprehension. The effort required in this process is even more than the author writing a new book himself.

Therefore, unless they are extremely close, no one would be willing to put in the effort to teach someone how to write.

"Then let's not look for it. Right now, it's a buyer's market, not a buyer's market, you know?"

"The tentacle monster said smugly."

"Damn, creative minds are definitely better than screwdrivers."

Liu Zheng said, cursing.

"That's right. So, can you do it?"

The tentacle monster looked at him with a defiant gaze.

"Is it possible? I'm much more capable than you think."

he sneered.

"But let's make this clear first, it's impossible for me to teach you step by step. At most, I'll give you a chance to become my apprentice."

Liu Zheng said.

"You think you can get me to sign for takeout like this? No way."

The tentacle monster flatly refused.

"What if it's by a platinum author?"

"Then let's wait a bit. What author did you just mention?"

The tentacle monster suddenly looked at him.

"A platinum author, and an active platinum author at that."

Liu Zheng said.

The Platinum Quill Pen is a permanent honor. As long as the Writers Association does not strip the quill pen of its honor, it can be retained regardless of the subsequent achievements of the works. The only difference is in the actual influence.

Therefore, some platinum authors lose their momentum, their new books don't perform well, or they even stop writing altogether, and they are jokingly referred to as retired platinum authors.

Platinum authors who are currently in their rising or peak creative period are referred to as active Platinum authors.

Every active Platinum member is at the very top of the Writers Guild's pyramid, wielding significant influence even throughout the Metropolitan Area.

"You're just a food delivery guy, how could you possibly know a current Platinum player and ask him for help?"

The tentacle monster didn't believe it at all.

"Can the delivery drivers of a blood-themed restaurant be compared to regular delivery drivers? See this?"

Liu Zheng took out a small ball of yarn.

"Why are you giving me a ball of yarn? I'm not a cat."

"I know you're not qualified to play this either. This is a gift for my platinum-level author friend."

He said.

"The platinum author who plays with yarn balls. You're not talking about The Fool, are you?"

The tentacle monster exclaimed in shock.

"That's right, it's the Fool."

"Fuck!"

The tentacle monster's eyes were practically bulging out.

In recent years, The Fool has been incredibly popular, with its subscription numbers and popularity surpassing all other long-form novels.

Despite some controversy surrounding the recent sequel, its status in the industry remains undeniable.

"Do you really know the Fool?"

Even after being shocked, the tentacle monster still couldn't quite believe it.

"Of course, I won the last quill club's dance game, and they even invited me to join the Writers' Association, which I declined."

Liu Zheng said briefly.

Why are you refusing?

The tentacle monster asked, puzzled.

"Because I feel that delivering food is more suitable for me."

"Are you mentally ill?"

The tentacle monster blurted out.

"Yes, how did you know?"

He asked rhetorically.

"Because authors who are good at writing books are all a little bit mentally ill."

The tentacle monster looked at him with a mixture of pity and envy.

"You have the nerve to say that to a fool."

Liu Zheng squinted and said.

"Do you think I'm stupid? If the Fool King were willing to see me, I'd be too busy licking his paws to have time for conversation. Hehehe."

The tentacle monster fantasized about the scene of their meeting and revealed a perverted smile.

"Your smile is a bit disgusting."

he commented.

“You talented authors would never understand how painful it is to be stuck at the threshold of becoming a masterpiece. Just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more. If I can get over it and write a masterpiece, it would be worth it even if you delivered takeout to my death.”

The tentacle monster's smile vanished, replaced by an extremely serious tone.

"It's not that I can't understand it at all."

Liu Zheng initially decided to switch careers because he couldn't reach the threshold of 10,000 subscribers.

"Can you really persuade the Fool to take me as his apprentice?"

The tentacle monster stared into his eyes and said.