The conversation with Heize Lianyue didn't stop until one o'clock in the morning. After that, she left here, leaving behind a few pieces of paper.

On the paper were the information she organized about Horror Novel Web. There were the rules of the novel website, introductions to different sections, a list of current authors, and a list of known members of the Hope Association. She wrote it in Chinese so that Zhang Xinyuan could read it easily.

Lianyue guessed that the number of members in the Hope Association might not be as many as dozens, it might be only a dozen or even just a few people. The people they met at the meeting today might be the majority of the association's members.

The "gag curse" on them was set up by the president or someone close to the president, and only they knew how to lift the curse.

Zhang Xinyuan didn't understand why the president would curse the new members.

If the Hope Association is really an evil organization, as Heize Lianyue said, what do they want from him?

Zhang Xinyuan has no money, no looks, and is sick. Besides being an author, he has nothing. If the Hope Association wants his points, why not just kill him? Do they have to fatten him up like a farmer and then kill him?

Zhang Xinyuan didn't understand.

The first night in Twisty Night, went by in such a hazy way. Zhang Xinyuan originally had no mood to go out and play again, but early the next morning, Heize Lianyue knocked on his door and insisted on taking him out for a walk, saying that it would help him cheer up.

It's hard to refuse an invitation from a beautiful woman. The mentality of young people is good, and their way of thinking is completely different from his. If he was in a bad mood, he would probably stay at home and not want to see anyone. But Heize Lianyue chose to go out and see the sights to relax.

Ma Youcai didn't know where he went last night, lying unconscious in bed, and forgot to lock the door.

So it was only Zhang Xinyuan and Lianyue who went out.

They went to Hudson Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty, overlooked the whole of Twisty Night from the Empire State Building, watched a classic opera on Broadway, and went crazy shopping on Dream Street...

Zhang Xinyuan didn't expect that they could do so many things in one day. They were basically on the go since leaving the hotel. Although he was tired, he felt a kind of happiness spreading in his heart.

During the trip, he gradually told Lianyue about his early years. Originally, he wanted to bury these painful memories, but if he was going to confide in someone, perhaps it wouldn't matter if it was Lianyue.

"... It's all because of my bad luck. I lost all my money in gambling and burdened my seriously ill mother."

"Xinyuan, most casino owners are masters of psychology. They collect information about their clients and use their economic situations to determine their chances of winning and the odds, in order to take more money from them. Once you fall into their trap, there is no way out. Even if you win 400,000, would you use the money to start a business?"

"I..." Zhang Xinyuan was secretly shocked. If he really won 400,000, maybe he would use the money to treat his mother, but he might not want to start a business again. He might continue gambling, even if he knew he could end up losing everything, he couldn't resist the temptation.

Once addicted, his thoughts would be subtly controlled. Even until now, he still had a feeling of unwillingness.

"I've been living a wasted life all these years, and you, a little girl, can see through it." Zhang Xinyuan laughed at himself, "Miss Lianyue, since I couldn't gamble back then, what should I do?"

"There are two methods. One is to trick newbies out of their money, using other investors' money to pay off the initial investor, and in the meantime, find someone to take over before they realize what's happening. The other is to trick capital out of money, preferably from abroad, make a profit and then flee. The difficulty lies in finding someone to take over your mess if you can't escape, and if you can't find anyone, think of a way to legalize it. But no matter whether you can escape or not, you can make money to treat your mother's illness and start a business at the same time, isn't that a win-win situation?"

"This... isn't this illegal?" Zhang Xinyuan was dumbfounded.

"Of course, this is essentially a Ponzi scheme. But if it is legalized, even if your financial chain collapses, you only declare bankruptcy without going to jail. Moreover, you are just profiting once and leaving, the risk is much lower than those bad guys who keep changing their identities and scamming people. In addition, you can also obtain a large amount of customer information, which can be a shortcut for your next business venture."

"I wouldn't dare to do anything illegal, even if you gave me ten times the courage. Besides, I can't do the things you mentioned..."

Zhang Xinyuan knew why he had been ordinary until now. He dare not think, dare not do, and is not intelligent. He can only live an unchanging life within the framework set by others, and is easily defeated by setbacks. When faced with a crisis, intelligent people know how to take risks and profit, but he jumps into the pit like a fool and blames his bad luck after getting injured all over.

If only life could start over again.

The starting point is Times Square, and the endpoint is also Times Square. When he returned, it was already 9 p.m.

As soon as he entered the hotel, Zhang Xinyuan saw Ma Youcai squatting at the staircase, chewing on gum.

"Xinyuan, we're going to the hospital tomorrow, bye!" Lian Yue waved at Zhang Xinyuan and returned to her own room.

"Goodbye."

After Lian Yue left, Ma Youcai walked over and gave Zhang Xinyuan a thumbs up without saying a word.

"What's going on?" Zhang Xinyuan was puzzled.

"You're awesome, my little brother. You actually managed to score with that neon girl. I'm so jealous!"

Before meeting Zhang Xinyuan, Ma Youcai had tried to flirt with Lian Yue, but their levels and backgrounds were quite different.

Every time Lian Yue said a few words casually, Ma Youcai would feel inferior, and it was fortunate that he had thick skin, otherwise he would definitely have had psychological trauma. Since then, Ma Youcai knew that Lian Yue was not an ordinary person and was someone who couldn't be easily approached.

He had never expected that Zhang Xinyuan, who appeared to be honest, would take her out on a date in just two days. This progress was too fast. It seemed that he would be able to reach the goal in a week.

Clearly, Zhang Xinyuan's level was higher. He was truly a socialite.

"You're thinking too much, we don't have that kind of relationship."

"Is that so? Why do I feel like that girl is pursuing you?"

"No, actually..." Zhang Xinyuan almost told Ma Youcai about Lian Yue's speculations, but considering that Ma Youcai might be a "mole," he didn't say it in the end—although Lian Yue had said it was unlikely that Ma Youcai was a spy for the association, it was better to be safe and not tell him.

"I'm already in my thirties, poor and simple. Do you think she would be interested in me?"

"Well, you're right. Xinyuan, you don't look like you're in your thirties. I would believe it if you said you were forty."

Zhang Xinyuan: "..."

Well, there was a reason why Ma Youcai was not well-regarded.

In the evening, Zhang Xinyuan received a call from Kela. She asked about the status of the website, whether there were any urgencies, and casually talked about other things.

Listening to Kela's friendly voice, Zhang Xinyuan found it difficult to associate her with the evil organization that Lian Yue suspected. But the "forbidden curse" was a real thing, and in the midst of conflicting thoughts, Zhang Xinyuan hung up the phone.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed. The next morning, Zhang Xinyuan and Lian Yue went to a hospital for a full-body examination.

Before the check-up, Zhang Xinyuan knew that his body must have a lot of problems. After all, he had been working under high pressure for these years, not paying attention to diet, so he was surely prone to illness.

However, he didn't expect the first step, the blood test, to have a problem.

The blood test results showed abnormal levels of his cancer embryonic antigen and cytokeratin.

Following the doctor's advice, he did a laryngoscopy and chest CT scan. The images showed large shadows in his lungs, with masses of soft tissue density in both ends of the left and right lungs. The cancer had also spread to the lymph nodes in the left lung, accompanied by mild superior vena cava syndrome—indicating that he was already in the late stage of lung cancer.

Zhang Xinyuan couldn't understand the professional terms, so he directly asked the doctor how long he could live.

The doctor gave him an answer: with aggressive treatment, about six months.

Zhang Xinyuan was in a daze for a long time.

Six months, heh...

His father had early-stage lung cancer and a lung tumor, and he only survived for less than three months before leaving this world. The spread of late-stage cancer cells couldn't be stopped at all.

Zhang Xinyuan's symptoms were even more severe than his father's. He was already in the late stage of lung cancer. Aggressive treatment meant that he would need surgery and chemotherapy, then he wouldn't be able to take care of himself, lose all his hair, and have a withered complexion.

Chemotherapy kills a thousand enemies but harms eight hundred of your own. He was already living such a difficult life, and he didn't want to die in such pain.

In the rest area of the hospital corridor, Zhang Xinyuan sat there in a daze for a long time. He thought about many things, both good and bad, and finally sighed deeply.

Life is unpredictable, and his ordinary life has been full of ups and downs. Although he couldn't choose his birth, he could choose how he would depart. He had accepted this fact.

"Xin Yuanjun, you should go to the hospital." Heize Lianyue whispered.

Zhang Xinyuan shook his head slowly.

"There is no cure for this incurable disease. Even in a country as medically advanced as the United States..." Zhang Xinyuan smiled and stood up. "I suddenly have an appetite and want to eat something delicious. Miss Lianyue, will you accompany me?"

"What do you want to eat?"

"Spicy hot pot."

"Okay, I'll go with you."

...

In the villa area, the headquarters of the Hope Association, in the President's room.

"Sir Willy, I just received a call from Heize Lianyue. Zhang Xinyuan's condition is more serious than we thought." Kenna said to Willy, "He has a terminal illness and is expected to live no longer than six months... Should we give up on him?"

"Six months?" Willy took a sip of Pu'er tea and then put down his teacup. "That should be enough time. However, the worsening of his condition will affect his writing progress. We need to arrange the best hospital for Zhang Xinyuan, provide him with the best treatment, ensure his mental well-being, and fully reimburse all medical expenses. We need him to live as long as possible. And if it's really impossible..."

"Then kill him."