"Zhang Xinyuan, there's something I need to talk to you about separately."

After the meeting, Verily and Kana took Zhang Xinyuan to a corner.

Verily still had a smile on his face, but Kana was unusually serious.

"Zhang Xinyuan, among these newcomers, you are the most special and the most dangerous one." Kana looked at Zhang Xinyuan.

"Is it because I wrote myself into Horror Novel Web?"

"That's one of the reasons. Another reason is that your novel is 'realistic' while the others are 'unrealistic'. There are more than a hundred 'unrealistic' authors, but there are only about a dozen 'realistic' authors. The 'realistic' authors have a shocking high rejection rate because they are almost dead."

The term "realistic works" here does not refer to literary works that satirize the dark side of society, but rather works created based on the worldview of the universe where humans reside.

Kana's words made Zhang Xinyuan feel a chill all over his body. He felt like he had been sentenced to death.

"If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have written this. What should I do now? Is it still possible to rewrite it..?"

"It's too late, but don't panic, my friend." Verily patted Zhang Xinyuan on the shoulder. "From now on, you will update according to our requirements. While you haven't signed a contract yet, I will try to help you transition. Your novel must change the protagonist, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable."

"Although the mortality rate of 'realistic' authors is high, as long as there is no fixed protagonist, there should not be too much risk. There is an author called 'harboring hate' who has survived for seven years and is currently the longest-surviving 'realistic' author. His works do not have a fixed protagonist, and each volume ends with the death of the protagonist. This writing method is called 'episodic drama'. If you can't change the subject, you can imitate him."

"What about him now?"

"Unfortunately, he died last month. We tried to find him before, but we couldn't locate him."

---

Except for Zhang Xinyuan and Heize Lianyue, the other newcomers stayed at the association's base.

It seemed unsafe elsewhere, so no one wanted to leave. Moreover, the villa's conditions were not bad, and everyone could have their own room.

They could order from restaurants in the city or have a chef come directly, and the expenses would still be reimbursed by the association.

As for why Heize Lianyue and Zhang Xinyuan left headquarters, Zhang Xinyuan needed to go to the city for a medical check-up, but he knew nothing about the New Contract City. He didn't even know where the hospital was, and his English was not good enough to communicate with others.

Originally, Kana was planning to personally accompany Zhang Xinyuan for the check-up, but Heize Lianyue stepped forward and said she could accompany him.

Heize Lianyue had studied in multiple countries before, and America was one of them.

At first, Kana was still worried about their safety and insisted on going together, until Zhang Xinyuan persuaded her, she gave up.

Zhang Xinyuan didn't want to trouble Miss Kana anymore. He had already received so much kindness from the association, and he didn't feel right to ask Kana to accompany him like a child.

...

After arriving in the city by car, it was already 4:30 in the afternoon.

"What did the President say to you?"

As they walked through Times Square, Lianyue casually asked.

"I'm a 'realistic' author, more likely to die than you guys. The President said he will try to save me, but whether he can succeed... I don't know, sigh!"

Zhang Xinyuan no longer expected to get anything from Horror Novel Web. He just wanted to survive.

Every year, ten thousand people become authors, but the number of authors has always remained at just over a hundred. After ten or twenty years, the dead authors are forgotten in the world, just like the vast majority of ordinary people, without causing any waves.

He probably was going to become one of them.

Suddenly, his sleeve was pulled. Zhang Xinyuan snapped out of his negative thoughts and looked into Lianyue's clear and bright eyes. He was stunned for a moment.

Heize Lianyue smiled.

"Hey, Xinyuan, don't think too much. First, you need to keep a happy mood. In your country, there is a saying, 'The ship will straighten itself when it reaches the bridgehead.' The problem will always be solved in the end, right?"

Her smile was like a gentle breeze blowing into Zhang Xinyuan's heart, and he stuttered for a while before saying, "Tha-Thank you for coming with me."

"No need to thank me, actually I just wanted to come out for a walk. There are many interesting places to see in Twisted City, since we're here, it's a pity not to take a look. It's also a good opportunity to help you adjust your mood during your treatment," Black Ze Lianyue said.

"Yeah, you're right," Zhang Xinyuan replied.

Zhang Xinyuan's mood improved a lot. He walked out of his inner world, lifted his head, and looked towards the "intersection at the center of the world" - Times Square.

Tall buildings, huge billboards, live fashion shows, celebrities gathering, people of different skin colors rubbing shoulders, various elements converging together, it truly was a world of art and fashion.

"This is a paradise for entertainment and shopping. Let's find a hotel nearby first and settle down. We can spend a day here to adjust our mood before going to the hospital the day after tomorrow," Black Ze Lianyue suggested, looking around.

Zhang Xinyuan agreed. In fact, he couldn't refuse the girl's proposal.

At that moment, his phone suddenly rang. He saw that it was Ma Youcai calling.

"Ma Youcai?"

"Brother Yuan, I also want to go to the city center, can you take me with you?"

"Huh? I thought you said you wanted to stay at the villa?"

"Forget it, I regretted it as soon as you left. The villa is full of foreigners, and there's no one to chat with. It's so boring to stay there," said Ma Youcai.

"Well, where are you now?"

"I'm already at the subway station. You guys are at Times Square, right? Wait for me for half an hour, I'll be there soon."

...

Although Ma Youcai said it would take half an hour, after he arrived at the place, he immediately got confused about his location. Helplessly, he took a photo and sent it to Lianyue, who then found him through the photo.

After this little ordeal, an hour had passed. The sky was getting dark, and the neon lights around them started to illuminate one by one.

"Brother Yuan, I finally found you... This place is so lively, it's a hundred times more bustling than the food street near my school! Here, Brother Yuan, and Miss Yue..."

Ma Youcai handed a cup of Starbucks to Zhang Xinyuan.

"After all, it's a busy downtown area, it's normal to have many people," Zhang Xinyuan took a sip of the coffee and immediately frowned.

The taste of spiciness, burnt flavor, and bitterness mixed together, making him lose the desire to take a second sip. But out of politeness, he held the cup in his hand.

As for Black Ze Lianyue, she didn't even touch it. "I don't drink coffee, sorry, Youcai-kun."

"This is a famous brand, it costs more than 30 in our country. Normally, I can't afford to drink it!" Ma Youcai replied, shaking his head in regret. Then, he opened the lid and took a big sip.

"How did you know that Brother Yuan and I were at Times Square? We didn't seem to tell you," Zhang Xinyuan asked.

"I asked Sister Kena, what's the matter? Is there a problem?" Ma Youcai wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Nothing, just curious."

The three of them strolled around Times Square, bought some novelty items, had Western food, and then found a five-star hotel, each having their own room.

It was late at night.

The buildings outside were adorned with colorful light curtains. Except for the sky, everywhere was bright, showcasing the prosperity of the city to the fullest extent.

Zhang Xinyuan opened his phone and entered the Horror Novel Web. He stared at the author's background page, looking lost for a while.

It was already 40,000 words, and there was only 10,000 words left for him to sign the contract.

But he couldn't update anymore.

He browsed through other pages, feeling like he couldn't do anything. So he decided to open other works to see how others write novels.

Authors on the Horror Novel Web came from all over the world and used different languages. But to Zhang Xinyuan, all the texts were translated into Chinese, and the translation was of high quality, almost devoid of any translation awkwardness.

The only downside was that most of the novel's main characters had strange names, with styles like Grave Love, Western Fantasy, or Stream of Consciousness, which greatly broadened Zhang Xinyuan's horizons.

He clicked on a novel called "Intimidation System," but the protagonist's name in this book was even more absurd - "Dream Walker."

Author-san, can't you come up with a more casual name?!

Compared to that, the name of his own novel, where he was the protagonist, was unbelievably ordinary.

Zhang Xinyuan continued to read other novels, completely forgetting that "Intimidation System" was also a "realistic" work.

…

At half past eleven in the middle of the night, Ma Youcai invited Zhang Xinyuan to the dance hall to watch girls dance and have a barbecue. However, Zhang Xinyuan refused him.

"It's already so late, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"The nightlife has just begun, Brother Yuan. As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. We're in America now, we can't miss out on experiencing the decadent life of excess, right?"

"You brat, if you want to go, go by yourself. I'm too old to be messing around!"

After sending Ma Youcai away, Zhang Xinyuan tidied up the bed and was about to go to sleep when the door was knocked again.

Zhang Xinyuan thought it was Ma Youcai returning and was ready to scold him. But when he opened the door, it was Heize Lianyue.

Heize Lianyue was wearing loose pajamas on the upper body, with a pair of tempting long legs exposed below. Her black bra was visible but also hidden at the same time.

"Miss Heize, you..."

Zhang Xinyuan felt a surge of heat in his heart. No normal man would be unaffected by such attire, especially when the person wearing it was so beautiful.

In the deep midnight, why did she come? Could it be...

"Xinyuan, can I come in? I need to discuss something important with you." The girl's gaze was serious, her expression grave.

Only then did Zhang Xinyuan notice that Heize Lianyue was holding a laptop in her arms, with paper and a pen in her hand. It was obvious that she didn't come for "that kind of thing."

After entering the room, Heize Lianyue closed the curtains and locked the door. She then came to the side of the sofa and placed the laptop and paper on a low table.

"What's the matter? Why is it so mysterious?"

"I feel like our situation as newbies is very dangerous."

"Dangerous? Did something happen again?" Zhang Xinyuan couldn't help but think of the previous incident of Cai Yanzhen's death.

"No, what I mean is... something is not right with the Hope Association. It's very suspicious! We may have been deceived!"