Forge a path to success

He took a sip of water to moisten his dry lips. Memories flowed like a floodgate opening, once started, they were hard to stop. He started from meeting Violet and continued until the topic of quitting smoking came up, omitting all the personal details about her—such as her crying, her tantrums in the bathroom, and her fear of thunderstorms.

He didn't want anyone to know about these things; they were memories that belonged only to him and Violet.

Therefore, when he recounted the story, he only retained the best aspects of the girl from his memories: her strength, intelligence, and the kind of care she had never been good at expressing since childhood. After the story was finished, the bookstore was silent; everyone watched him quietly. He wanted to say something, to ask if this information was sufficient.

"I miss her very much," Chu Hengkong said.

But what came out of his mouth was this.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” Van Der told him. “You’ll find it. You two are such good friends… everyone will help you.”

“We will definitely help,” said the poison otter.

Sriel stopped writing: "I'll finish the music first, and I might ask you to fill in the details later—but I'll do my best, Inspector Chu. Rest assured, this is my promise."

Everyone expressed their support and hoped he would succeed, which made Chu Hengkong feel much better. The gloom that came with his memories faded away with everyone's kindness.

Ji Huaisu encouraged him for a while, and he and Fan De secretly slipped out of the bookstore, feeling somewhat dejected.

“Vander, I didn’t mean to cause trouble, but…” she sighed, “you may never be able to become his best friend. You know, Vilbert came too early, and he influenced Akong too much.”

Vande looked back at her in astonishment: "My God."

“Right, I was shocked too. It’s just that it’s very obvious…” Ji Huaisu hesitated several times before continuing, “His boss might have feelings for him that go beyond friendship, not just simple brotherhood, but… sigh, they’re so close, I don’t know how to tell A Kong.”

“I’m honestly not sure how to tell you this,” Van der said, shocked.

"There will always be a way to solve it by the time he realizes it, right?"

“When we realize it,” Van der nodded vigorously, “I think there will always be a way.”

Chapter 289 The Carnival of Bad Movies (Part 1)

The assassin logged into the chat room "Detective Chu's Harem".

-

Current online users: 3

[Dynasty Warriors]: Hey Chu Hengkong, long time no see~~

[Dynasty Warriors]: It's 3 PM now, it's rare to see you not doing anything productive and just playing group chat OVO

[Dynasty Warriors]: Relaxing in a hot spring~

[Dynasty Warriors] sent a picture.

-

[Killer] withdrew the image sent by [Dynasty Warriors].

[Killer]: Don't post pornographic pictures in the group, not even your own.

[Mian Sheng]: Damn it! I haven't saved it yet!

-

[Assassin] changed the group name to [Wilderness Warriors Alliance].

[Killer]: If you keep changing your name randomly, I'll ban you.

[Dynasty Warriors]: But Shax left the group as soon as he was added, and Vande and Gulibo don't use this.

[Dynasty Warriors]: It's basically just a harem group, isn't it?

[Mian Sheng]: I'm not!

【Miansheng】: I'm angry. I've blocked them.

Dynasty Warriors: Hey, is the City of Thorns interesting?

[Mian Sheng]: He's completely ignoring me.

[Assassin]: To be honest, it's quite interesting. Currently, Huaisu and I are living in a seafood bookstore, and we see all sorts of strange and interesting things every day.

The style of Jingsha differs from most of the Dust Isles. Its strong foundation allows most of its inhabitants the right to enjoy life, while its open atmosphere fosters the continuous emergence of new ideas and things. The vast majority of Jingsha's citizens likely never have to worry about battles or life-or-death crises throughout their lives, which is extremely rare.

[Dynasty Warriors]: ...Suddenly, the hot spring doesn't feel so comfortable anymore.

[Mian Sheng]: This is too much of a fairy tale. Just how rich is this place?

[Assassin]: Not only rich but also powerful, there are many experts here.

How are things on your end?

[Mian Sheng]: I've been extremely busy these past few days. The rotation period for the Desperate Front is about to end, and mercenaries from the entire Submerged Realm are all heading towards Jing Sha.

[Dynasty Warriors]: What is its connection to Huilong City?

[Mian Sheng]: The vast majority of people travel by air route, and Huilong City is currently the safest transit point to Jingsha...

The crammed-in Huilong City has increased work pressure 50 times. All I want to do every day is collapse on the sofa and sleep forever.

[Dynasty Warriors]: Only 50x speed and it's already not good enough, Xiaoye is such a weakling.

Even 3000 times the normal amount wouldn't be a problem for me!

[Mian Sheng]: I have absolutely no interest in knowing what you mean by 3000 times...

[Dynasty Warriors]: This refers to the number of enemies killed.

[Mian Sheng]: I won't lose if it comes to this!!!

[Dynasty Warriors]: Wow, I was a little scared.

[Assassin]: It's good that you all seem to be in good shape.

Is everything alright with Qingxia?

[Dynasty Warriors]: There are many strange creatures, monsters and treasures on the border island, and I enjoyed eating there.

I'll fly over to visit you guys once I've settled down!

[Miansheng]: How is Mr. Chu's progress going?

[The Assassin]: Generally going well. Now waiting for the music to be composed.

Dynasty Warriors: ? ? ? ? ?

【Mian Sheng】：？？？？？？

Chu Hengkong ignored the series of question marks in the chat group and placed the thick, brick-like crystal plate back on the bedside table. The flowing beads on the back of the plate stopped operating; after only a few minutes of chatting, the divine power in one of the large flowing beads had been exhausted.

This crystal plate, inspired by a mobile phone, enables long-distance communication within the Huilong City shipping lanes. Its energy consumption is so high that simply starting it up is like burning a molten pearl, and its size is so large that even Gulibo couldn't handle it. Yet, it was still rated by the City Lord's Mansion as Huilong's best invention in the past six months—because sending a text message in the Submerged Realm is incredibly difficult; even the shabby gadgets of the Dustless Land can't compare. Perhaps only Imperial technology could surpass it.

After finishing with the crystal plate, Youyou kept staring at someone's spine with predatory intent, guessing that if Chu Hengkong hadn't come to Jing Sha so early, he would already be contributing to the Empire's technological analysis cause.

He pushed open the door and heard music coming from downstairs. Today, the bookstore was playing jazz, and several employees who were good at orchestral instruments were playing together with small instruments. Gulibo, who couldn't play music, was lying next to a flowerpot, looking worried.

After learning about Gulibo's adventure, the bookstore manager, Da Haibao, warmly invited everyone to stay at the bookstore. Considering that accommodation in the core business district of the Third Pulse was not cheap, and the atmosphere of the bookstore was quite nice, they happily accepted the manager's kindness.

With the missing person posters all done, the next steps would have to wait until Sriel finished writing the song, so Chu Hengkong could relax for the time being. He joked with Gulibo, "Did the tomatoes wilt?"

"I never ruin plants!" Gulibo proudly tilted her head back, then immediately wilted. "The more serious thing is... payday is almost here..."

"I don't think the editor is so bad as to deliberately deduct your salary."

"The editor seems to be in a good mood these past few days, so he shouldn't make things difficult for me..." Guli Bo wrinkled his nose, "But the first quarter's performance bonus is due this month! And I've been absent for the entire quarter, what am I going to do, Bo!"

"You want a bonus without doing any work?" Chu Hengkong said with a half-smile.

"I've already tried my best just to survive, this bonus is rightfully mine," Gulibo said matter-of-factly. "Besides, without the quarterly bonus, I wouldn't be able to buy the lily seeds I wanted... the seeds from Cabbage Fortress... the seeds from the Rotten Wood Warrior..."

"Aren't you asking for a bit too much?"

A blazing fire ignited in Gulibo's eyes: "Everything else can wait, but the seeds of the giant lily are a limited edition for this season! I'll be upset for three days if I don't get them!"

Chu Hengkong was astonished, thinking that this was the first time he had ever seen a small animal poisoned by consumerism after traveling for so long. Not one to shy away from a good spectacle, he deliberately fanned the flames: "Then you'd better try to please the otter editor. Didn't you bring it a gift? Give it to it."

Gulibo lost his strength once again and lay dejectedly on the flowerpot.

"The editor didn't watch it... It's a sequel to a series they really like, but they don't even have the intention of opening it! When I asked them, they just kept saying things like 'I've had no expectations for it for a long time,' 'My radar keeps going off,' 'I've already cut it off and I won't watch this again,' and other inexplicable things. It seems like they have no intention of watching it at all!"

Chu Hengkong recalled the terrifying DVD case of "Dream Girl Musician - Divine Voice Puppet" that gave him goosebumps. He figured that the editor, Otter, had probably already judged the film to be extremely bad, so he simply kept his distance and avoided watching it to prevent himself from being hurt.

The matter was supposed to pass quietly, and Gulibo's letter would never have been opened. But by sheer coincidence, Vande happened to pass by, leaning against the vase, glancing sideways at Gulibo with an enigmatic look.

"BoBo, I'm not trying to be mean, but with your tendency to give up so easily, getting a raise is just a pipe dream."

Gulibo was taken aback when he heard this: "Why did you give up, Bo?"

"Think about it, why didn't the Poison Otter watch this movie? Because it didn't have any expectations for your gift!" Vande chuckled. "When it saw it, it thought, 'Oh, this DVD was bought by Guli Bobo. Who is Guli Bobo? He's a vegetable grower! What does it know about good movies? It won't watch it."

Gulibo's nose turned red with anger: "I, I, I—"

Vande continued, glancing sideways, "And then, you just stand there, and I... I... I can't say anything else. You just wait, waiting for the editor to be in a good mood and say, 'Hey, even though Gulibo didn't have any achievements this month and skipped five days of work, I'm in a really good mood, so I'm giving him an A performance review!' Do you think that's possible? Is there any chance?"

Gulibo was initially angry, then saddened: "It's hopeless, Bo."

"So you have to work hard, you have to let the editor see your taste and ability!" Vande slapped it with his tentacles. "If it doesn't want to watch, you have to raise its expectations, find ways to praise your disc, whet the editor's appetite, make it think that if it doesn't watch this movie which is so good, it's a waste. Then the editor will see it and say, 'Wow, that's really something! Gulibo, that kid has a knack for it!' That's how you get the editor to think highly of you, right?"

The more Gulibo listened, the more it made sense, and the more it thought about it, the more it believed it made. Its spirits immediately lifted, and its little body was filled with motivation: "Vander, you're absolutely right, thank you, Gulibo! I'll try my best to please the editor!"

"I think the starting point of your efforts was already problematic," Chu Hengkong commented.

"No big deal, what's our relationship? We're fucking buddies!" Vande's tentacles slapped...slapping as they grew longer. "I saw they're having some kind of screening event at the store later, this is a perfect opportunity delivered right to our doorstep. Want to give it a try?"

"The event... it's that one, Bo!" Gulibo's eyes lit up as if he had just remembered something. "Thanks to your reminder, I've figured out what to do, Bo!"

Vande and Gulibo walked downstairs arm in arm, with Chu Hengkong following behind with great interest, eager to see when the little mouse would realize Vande's treacherous nature. He judged that Poison Otter was indeed in a good mood today, because the editor was unusually not doing anything productive and was instead idly fiddling with the cocktail shaker behind the counter.

It's common knowledge that venomous otters love to drink alcohol, just like seals love to eat and crucian carp love toy figurines. They enjoy collecting fine wines and even invent their own unusual cocktails. Occasionally, when in a good mood, they'll open the liquor cabinet and offer the staff a free drink.

Ji Huaisu had been waiting eagerly by the counter for a long time. The Poison Otter poured out a glass of crimson liquid, which looked like liquid gemstones.

"High-purity 'white liquor,' cherry tomato juice, rose salt, peanut pepper, a touch of chili oil..." Poison Otter poured a piece of yellow crushed ice into the glass. "And a little lemon ice. This is 'Crimson Butterfly,' perfect for the screams of idiots."

Ji Huaisu took a sip, smacked his lips, and exclaimed, "So high-class!"

"Quite potent, savor it slowly." The Poison Otter wiped its paws with a towel. "Detective Chu, would you like a drink too?"

"Please have a refreshing drink." Chu Hengkong tapped the table with his fingertips. "Did something good happen?"

“Oh, I’m quite good at taking pleasure in other people’s suffering,” the Poison Otter said cheerfully. “Soon the bookstore will be filled with screams and wails, the perfect accompaniment to my drinks.”

Just then, the jazz musicians put down their instruments and quietly left. Bangbangji banged on his broken gong, the bookshelves in the center of the lobby receded, making room for a large amount of water, and a huge spray of water fell from the upper floors, turning into a giant water curtain.

"It's about to begin!" Bangbangji cheered.

The seal immediately shrank into the water basin, looking just like an ostrich in the water. The lights in the bookstore dimmed, and then the door suddenly opened. A silver-haired mercenary woman and a group of small animals with strange, croaking laughter stood at the bookstore entrance, holding up a series of extremely terrifying image crystals.

"The last afternoon of the month has finally arrived!" Lico cheered. "The carnival of bad movies has begun!"

Chapter 290 The Carnival of Bad Movies (Part 2)

Led by Lico, a group of animals of various sizes stood in front of the bookstore. These uninvited guests each held a CD or book, their faces twisted with terrifying smiles, many even licking their lips excitedly. A powerful aura emanated from their contents, an indescribable and eerie atmosphere so repulsive that it caused any intelligent creature to retreat ten meters on the spot!

Regardless of their relative heights, everyone felt a chill. What was it? What terrifying thing could cause even these advanced beings to break out in a cold sweat?!

Manager Bangbangji raised his fin high and cheered, "The end-of-month 'Bad Movie Carnival' begins! Contestants, please enter!"

The shop assistants played fast-paced and exciting music, and Miss Lico rushed in without hesitation, holding up the crystal in her hand: "The end of hard work is defeat, only without your leadership can we win! 'Shanghai Music 3' is here in full force!"

A little hippo tosses up a comic strip featuring a chainsaw, exclaiming with fervor: "Who says the pacing is bad! This comic is amazing! Every week brings a climax, every month there's a romantic subplot, and each time there's an unprecedented development! 'Train Man 2' is in the fray!"

"Do you know how strong the strongman is? Witness twenty years of accumulated comedic manga!" A robust, slime-like creature vigorously stretched its four legs, "Knife and Fang Path 2 is here~~~"

"A stab and a leap into the water, all done in one swift motion; a single, astonishing blow at the grave—this is my perfect revenge!" The blue-furred donkey brayed loudly, "The strongest idol comic, 'The Child I Raised,' joins the battle!"

The deer-antler cat waiter stands on a donkey, showing off cards: "Lovers eventually become mother and child, bringing smiles through duels. The comics and animations each have their own amazing aspects, this is our 'Hairstyle King A5'."

“Restarting year after year, writing volume after volume in a flash! Ten years of serialization and now it’s been abandoned again!” An earth dragon angrily hoisted up the thick book. “The Poppy Clan deserves a place.”

"There's no point in playing this game. The worst protagonist in the series' history." A sparrow pulled out a game disc. "Real Carrot vs. K is here!"

Behind it was a black raven, clutching an animation disc and wailing pitifully: "The big one is coming! The big one is really coming next week! As long as there's yuri, anything can be forgiven! Please watch 'The Fox Spirit of Saturn'!"

"Family Knight is all about bonds, what is this thing that you don't want anymore and just throw away!" The green duck quacked loudly, "Masked Rider Thursday, witness the ultimate high start and low finish."

"Flamethrower, four hands, and a ticker timer. The worse it is, the funnier it gets. A single, decisive cut makes it infamous!" The owl flaps its wings. "Last year's hottest topic, *Mahou Kaisen*. Will it win? It will win!"

Manager Bangbangji chimed in, proudly displaying a comic book as if presenting a treasure: "The other side of the sea is a failed project! We don't want that! 'Attack on Dwarfs' is destined to take the championship!"

The various animals entered one by one, each carrying their own treasures and each with a carefully prepared entrance speech. The bookstore lights flickered back and forth, creating a lively atmosphere. Afterwards, many famous works such as "The Last Dead 2" and "Masked Rider 01" took turns to appear, making the small seafood bookstore seem to be filled with powerful figures.