Boston, suburbs.

Upon reading the contents of the letter, Ma Youcai and Heize Lianyue had different expressions. Lianyue seemed both surprised and anxious, while Ma Youcai was completely astonished.

"Kena's betrayal is too straightforward. It doesn't fit her style. This letter is confusing." Lianyue leaned against a tree, her female intuition telling her that something was suspicious.

Ma Youcai exclaimed, wide-eyed, "What's going on? How did this letter suddenly appear out of thin air? Did someone squat on top of a tree and throw the letter down?"

Lianyue said, "Hey! You're focusing on the wrong thing!"

Xu Fang explained, "Within a radius of three kilometers from where I am, there are no humans except for the two of you. This letter wasn't delivered by a human, but rather by that website. As for how the website sends letters, you'll understand when you become a high-ranking author."

Ma Youcai was stunned, "Are you, Xu Fang, a high-ranking author?"

Lianyue was exasperated. Ever since Ma Youcai joined, the efficiency of communication between people had dropped significantly. They should be discussing whether to reply to the letter and how to reply.

"Xu Fang, should we reply? Kena provided her email address, so even without the website, we can still communicate with her."

"Reply." Xu Fang said without hesitation, "But we can't write the letter ourselves."

"Oh, then we can find a scapegoat to ghostwrite it and leave his contact information behind to observe the situation. How about that?" Lianyue glanced at Ma Youcai intentionally or unintentionally.

"That can work, but there are a few points to improve." Xu Fang added, "Firstly, make sure there are at least two or more people ghostwriting. Secondly, the person sending the letter should not be the one ghostwriting it. Thirdly, the content of the letter should not be decided by us. Regarding the third point, we should let two or more people collectively decide the content of the letter. I intend to involve the website in this decision-making process."

"You want to let the website decide the content of the letter? Through the customer service center?" Lianyue nodded.

"Yes, but only decide half of it. The other half will be decided by others." Xu Fang said.

"In that case, we'll need at least four scapegoats, not including the website." Lianyue clasped her hands together and smiled, "Control variables, this will produce various interesting results. The first is everyone dies, the second is the person writing the letter dies, the third is the person coming up with the ideas dies while the website remains unaffected, the fourth is both the person coming up with the ideas and the website die simultaneously, the fifth is the person sending the letter dies, the sixth is everyone survives, and the seventh is random deaths."

"Also, according to the Association's style, even if everyone survives, it doesn't diminish the threat of the God of Destruction." Xu Fang put Kena's letter into his cloak. "We shouldn't delay, let's go find some guinea pigs."

"Okay!"

Seeing the conversation between the two coming to an end, Ma Youcai finally had a chance to interject, "What are you guys talking about? Why is it so complicated to reply to a letter?"

Xu Fang and Lianyue's thoughts were too scattered, and Ma Youcai couldn't understand at all.

"This is a test against the God of Destruction. Currently, all we know is that it possesses the 'power to destroy everything.' But we have no knowledge of how it uses that power, whether there are any limitations, or how it brings about destruction. If we want to survive, we must understand the enemy enough to find their weaknesses." Lianyue said.

"But Kena betrayed, right? Even if we reply, it won't reach the Association, right?"

"Oh, you're so naive, Ma Youcai. First of all, the genuineness of Kena's betrayal is in doubt. We can't fully trust her. Secondly, even if she did betray the Association, it doesn't mean she's completely turned against them. She could change her mind at any moment and sacrifice us to the President. Lastly, even if she really became enemies with the Association, she can still use the Association as a weapon to threaten and control us. Sometimes, the enemy of your enemy doesn't equate to being your friend." Lianyue explained.

"You're right." Ma Youcai admitted defeat.

"Xiaoma, Lianyue, since the website will also be involved in the reply, I want one of you to go to the customer service center and inquire about a set of reply letters. As compensation, I can let that person use one less setting column." Xu Fang said.

"How many points will I have to pay the customer service? And if the point consumption exceeds my capacity, will the customer service notify me?" Lianyue asked.

"No, but you can inquire about the points required in advance," said Xu Fang. He made an "OK" gesture and smiled, "Then I'll do it."

"Ah, um... is there anything I can do?" asked Ma Youcai, scratching his head in confusion.

"I have more points than you, so it's better for me to do it. If you can't ask properly, you'll just waste the points," explained Xu Fang.

"Alright," Ma Youcai agreed.

After inquiring with customer service, Liang Yue quickly received the "incomplete reply" from Horror Novel Web.

"I provided three locations: Trinity Church, Berkeley Music Academy, and Newbury Street. Tomorrow, from 8 am to 4 pm, please keep wandering around these three locations. I will contact you at the appropriate time," Liang Yue read out loud with a smile. "I asked the website how to safely and cautiously meet a dangerous online friend in Boston, and this was the answer it gave me. Ah, it only cost me 40 points in total. It was a pleasant consulting experience."

Xu Fang didn't say anything and just stared at Liang Yue, making her feel unnerved.

"I really only asked that one question to the website. If you don't trust me, you can check my points!" Liang Yue defended herself.

"You don't have to explain in such a hurry," Xu Fang said. "I didn't forbid you from asking other questions, so feel free to ask anything you're curious about."

Liang Yue's expression turned subtle. "Then why have you been staring into my eyes as if you want to see deep into my soul?"

"I was just testing out the effect of my new colored contacts... Okay, let's not waste any more time. Let's go find the letter writers." Xu Fang put on his hood and led the way towards the neighborhood.

Following behind Xu Fang, Ma Youcai cautiously asked Liang Yue, "Neon sister, who is that doll-like kid? Why do you listen to her so obediently?"

Liang Yue glanced at him and explained, "It's not that I listen to her, but our fate is in her hands, just like yours... Also, Xu Fang is at least 30 years old mentally. It's very impolite to call him a 'kid.' Don't judge a book by its cover."

"But she's ranked higher than us, right? And she's just a little girl. No matter how mature she is, she's still a child, right? Fighting with the association is not child's play. It could be a matter of life or death..."

"Xu Fang isn't human, you know. He's merely a creature with a cute human appearance. His way of thinking is completely different from humans, and sometimes I can't even keep up with his thoughts. If human thinking is like the Las Vegas algorithm, then he is more similar to the limitless Monte Carlo algorithm. We might be misled by fallacies and go in the opposite direction or spiral upwards, but for him, every fallacy is valid information that brings him closer to the truth, no matter which direction it leads him to."

Ma Youcai looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? It's all jumbled up..."

"In simple terms, Xu Fang is very intelligent and cautious. He thinks of everything you think of and even what you don't. Just rely on his wisdom and don't worry about anything!" Liang Yue smiled.

"Oh, I see now. Wait, Neon sister, are you looking down on me? Don't make me out to be a fool," Ma Youcai said.

"Well, I'm sorry, sorry," Liang Yue chuckled.

...

Next was the "selection" process.

Since Xu Fang looked underage and Ma Youcai couldn't speak English, the negotiation task with the foreigners naturally fell to Liang Yue.

She randomly knocked on the doors of a few "lucky users."

Wherever money goes, everything becomes easier. She easily persuaded five people.

All of them lived in the same area and were low-level workers, living a life of scraping by.

They didn't care why someone asked them to do these things, they only cared that they would receive $100, which was equivalent to several days' income for them. Most people wouldn't refuse such an opportunity to earn money by simply clicking their fingers.

Things went smoothly, but there was a small incident in the middle. A sleazy guy offered not to take the $100 and only asked for a night with Liang Yue. After she rejected him, he even said he would pay her $100 instead.

After months of helplessness, Xu Fang could only use the excuse of reporting to convince the creepy guy to leave.

Among the five bribed individuals, each had a specific role. Two of them were responsible for writing the letters, one person was in charge of crafting the first half of the letters (the second half was given to the Horror Novel Web), one person organized the letters into electronic files, and the last person was responsible for sending the letters.

Afterward, Xu Fang obtained their contact information, allowing her to keep updated on their situation through phone calls.

Once the letters were finished, Xu Fang and Lian Yue returned to their temporary base with Ma Youcai.

"Come here, Ma," Xu Fang said as soon as they entered the room, pulling Ma Youcai to the laptop. "Take a look at these people. Do they match your impression of them?"

Controlling the mouse, Xu Fang clicked a few times, and eight black and white portraits appeared on the screen.

"Wait... are these the people from the association? Holy cow, this is too accurate. Did you draw these?" Ma Youcai exclaimed in surprise.

"No, Lian Yue drew them. It seems she didn't deviate much from the actual appearance. The next step is to search for as much information as possible about these eight individuals through big data matching on the internet," Xu Fang explained.

"I'm already working on it," Lian Yue interjected. "All the association members are undocumented immigrants, and their identification documents are fake. It's strange how these fake documents easily fooled customs."

"...The average level of the association members should be at least E-rank," Xu Fang mused.

"Oh? E-rank? Does that mean their identity can change once they reach E-rank?" Lian Yue keenly caught onto the connection between rank and identity.

"E-rank authors can buy new identities and bodies from the store. If you have enough points, you can even buy someone else's body," Xu Fang stated casually.

"Damn, no wonder most people in the association are handsome and beautiful. Their looks are off the charts. So they've actually changed their bodies!" Ma Youcai exclaimed in amazement, then asked excitedly, "Can I become the President of the United States?"

"In reality, the more prestigious, influential, and wealthy a person is, the higher the price. I believe no author can afford the price to become a president," Xu Fang replied.

"Besides, it wouldn't serve any purpose," Lian Yue continued Xu Fang's point. "The more famous an author becomes, the more exposed they are, which increases the risks. Ma Youcai, you have quite the appetite..."

Ma Youcai chuckled. "When I was in elementary school, my classmates either wanted to be teachers or scientists. What fun is that? I wanted to be a president."

"Lian Yue, how much manuscript do you have on hand now?" Xu Fang asked.

"About 60,000 words. Should I publish it?" Lian Yue replied.

"Yes, publish it so that we can use the setting column twice consecutively," Xu Fang said.

"Okay."

Lian Yue hadn't signed any contracts yet, so she could only use the one-time setting column randomly given by the Horror Novel Web.

"Ma, do you have any manuscripts?" Xu Fang inquired.

"No," Ma Youcai replied blankly. "I currently have only a little over 10,000 words. It seems I can't use that setting column. Should I start writing now?"

"No need, I'll write it for you. Just tell me the plot and setting, and after I'm done, you can make some modifications and publish it as your own work. I type quickly, so it'll save us time," Xu Fang suggested.

"That sounds great!" Ma Youcai exclaimed in joy. He loved reading novels but disliked typing. Each time he hammered the keyboard, it made him uncomfortable. Since Xu Fang was willing to help, he gladly accepted.

Ma Youcai's novel was a mishmash of various elements, set in the world of cultivation. In the beginning, the male protagonist was rejected by the sect leader's daughter due to his lack of talent. Just as the readers thought it would be a story of his revenge for being rejected, the protagonist's power suddenly breaks out during a martial arts competition. He then reunites with the sect leader's daughter, and they enter a prominent family after their marriage is restored.

In reality, the male protagonist had a strong background but pretended to be weak to experience an ordinary and unassuming life. Then, it followed the classic plot of showing off and countering expectations, along with the theme of being a dragon king's son-in-law.

Various common web novel settings were haphazardly thrown into Ma Youcai's work, making the entire book full of spoilers. But it couldn't be denied that there were specific groups of readers who enjoyed reading this type of book.

After Xu Fang clarified the content Ma Youcai wanted to write, she opened a Word document and swiftly switched her input method to Wubi. With her fingers and hair working in unison, the room filled with the sound of rapid keyboard typing, like a rainstorm, with each line of text growing rapidly at a speed that far surpassed a person's reading pace.

Lianyue and Ma Youcai were both amazed. This was the first time Xu Fang had shown such an obvious side that was not in line with being human. His typing speed was like a rocket, with each character following the most concise input path and the keystrokes being extremely precise. Because the speed was too fast, they could only see a blurry phantom on the keyboard.

"Due to the limitations of this low-end processor, I can only type 1,500 characters per minute. If I go any faster, there will be skipping characters," Xu Fang said, appearing to be at ease.

"This single-handed speed that has lasted for ten thousand years..." Ma Youcai wanted to take out his phone and capture this astonishing scene.

"Youcai, I think we have about half an hour of rest time. Once Xu Fang finishes typing, we will be busy," Lianyue said as she took a piece of bread from a plastic bag on the table, leaned against the wall, and opened the Horror Novel Web, publishing a ten-thousand-word chapter.

"Why do you say that?" Ma Youcai grabbed some food, feeling a bit hungry as well.

"Xu Fang wants you to sign the contract quickly so that you can use the setting panel. And if Nina can really help us break free from the association's control, the demand for the setting panel will decrease. However, Xu Fang doesn't believe in the possibility of cooperating with Nina—Nina may not betray the association."

"Huh?" Ma Youcai couldn't make sense of Lianyue's logic and asked in surprise, "But didn't we test that... whatever, the Destroyer before? No one from the five people we messaged had any accidents, which might mean that the association didn't receive the message, right?"

"Not necessarily... Youcai, there is an algorithm in mathematics called the greedy algorithm, which always makes the current seemingly best choice when solving a problem—this is the thinking mode of the association. Because they are greedy, they didn't immediately try to kill you when you left the contract ceremony, otherwise you would have died long ago. If there are several ways to eliminate the enemy, the association will definitely choose the one with the greatest benefit."

"The association wants to obtain maximum benefits, and we also want to use their thinking to gather more information."