Chu Ge couldn't understand this kind of story, which only existed in jokes—like a failed writer going home to inherit a million-dollar fortune. He'd just laugh it off, but could this actually be true?
He didn't even know if he should go chat with Zhang Qiren, satisfying his writer's curiosity and concern for his friend. This guy's current entourage clearly indicated he was wealthy; would it be strange for him to approach him? Would the people around him think he had ulterior motives?
Chu Ge sighed inwardly.
Friendships, once mixed with money and power, can easily become strange, for both parties.
On the contrary, the class reunions he'd previously been reluctant to attend were actually more genuine.
Like Lin Wuyang in front of him, laughing and punching him on the shoulder: "Didn't see that coming! I thought you'd become a couch potato writing books at home, but you're still quite energetic. You weren't this energetic last time I saw you. Have you been taking Viagra lately?"
Although he was a policeman and somewhat of a minor official, there weren't many ulterior motives between old classmates. Chu Ge chuckled, "It was the middle of the day, unbearably hot, how could we have any energy? You think we were all trained officers?"
Lin Wuyang laughed heartily, "Coincidentally, I'm one of those who haven't trained much."
Chu Ge asked seemingly casually, "That guy earlier..."
"That guy? You know him better than I do." Lin Wuyang smiled slightly, "He once rented a place for six months. When I saw the roommate's name, oh ho, isn't that our great writer Chu?"
Chu Ge: "..." Lin Wuyang didn't say much, pulling him to sit down, "It's none of your business, don't worry about it."
Why does Zhang Qiren seem so strange?
Just as he was about to probe further, classmates arrived one after another. The noise wasn't conducive to conversation, so Chu Ge could only suppress his thoughts and greet the new classmates with a smile.
The overall atmosphere of the class reunion was quite good.
Boasting, comparing, showing off, and face-slapping weren't uncommon, but they were relatively rare, or even if they happened, they wouldn't be openly discussed.
Having navigated the complexities of society for years, few people are truly superficial. Even those with a penchant for showing off will do so subtly. For example, Lao Hong remarked, "Last year in Switzerland, someone showed me watches, but I didn't understand them, so I just bought one randomly." A few envious comments about his watch were enough; that was it.
Let him flaunt it if he wants. No one will show jealousy, and no one will embarrass him if someone is doing better.
It's unnecessary.
As for classmates who aren't doing so well, no one will show discrimination. That wouldn't be embarrassing for them, but for you.
On the contrary, people will be even more friendly, reminiscing about the past to demonstrate their loyalty and lack of materialism.
Regarding professions like Lin Wuyang's, which are clearly "useful," everyone shows respect, making them the "stars" of the gathering, but no one displays obsequiousness or fawning—it's not necessary. Lin Wuyang wasn't one to boast, and with Zhang Qiren on his mind, he didn't say much, just cheerfully returned a few toasts, his protagonist status fading.
After a few more drinks, the main activity was reminiscing about embarrassing moments from the past, everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.
The most crucial thing was that no teachers could be present.
Otherwise, it would become an unusual teacher appreciation banquet after so many years, and the casual, lively atmosphere of classmates would be lost.
The only exception was people like Chu Ge. It wasn't that others looked down on him, but rather that they genuinely didn't understand him. So, after Lin Wuyang's protagonist aura faded, Chu Ge became the protagonist. Five out of ten questions people asked Chu Ge were:
"Hey, where can I buy your book? Does Xinhua Bookstore carry it?"
"Emmmm, no."
"Then how do you make money? Through clicks?"
"Well… in recent years, there has indeed been a model that calculates advertising revenue based on clicks, but mine is more traditional: paid reading. The more people pay, the more revenue you get."
"Clicks in recent years? That can't be right. I've heard about so many clicks for ages."
"…This used to be just a way to show popularity and a selling point. Now, in the era of internet traffic, it can be monetized. But I don't have a high opinion of this model, mainly… uh, so I choose… sigh, why talk about this? Let's drink."
Chu Ge felt he didn't even know where to begin explaining. It was a long story, and not important anyway, so he might as well drink.
Unable to resist his curiosity, he said, "Sometimes I see ads on WeChat, click on them, and just when I'm really itching to read a few chapters, it tells me I have to pay to read the rest. I thought it was a scam."
"Uh, it's not a scam. It's just to get you hooked first, then you pay to read it. It's standard practice."
"So, if I pay, can I read something erotic? I was reading that 'Lonely Sister-in-Law in the Countryside' thing..."
"?" Chu Ge sighed, "No, they're cracking down on that now. Don't be fooled by the titles and descriptions; the content is mostly just a little suggestive."
"If it's not erotic, why do you have to pay?"
Chu Ge: "..." Wait, what's the direct connection between erotic content and paying?
You guys were just asking me how to make money. If I don't make money, what will I live on...?
Seeing him speechless, the people understood: "So you're that kind of person?"
"I'm a little different from that kind of person. I'm on a website, but you can think of it that way too. The essence is similar." The students' eyes changed slightly; they felt he was writing about mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Chu Ge was both amused and exasperated, unable to explain himself. Anyway, his writing was rather...unconventional, so it didn't matter. "Drinking, you guys? What are you all asking me? I'm just a writer of erotic novels making a living. Should we have Wu Yang arrest me?" Lin Wuyang, who had been watching the drama unfold, smiled and said, "I'm not from the internet bureau. Don't worry, I know the prison guards. If you really go in, I'll put in a good word for you so you won't get bullied."
Chu Ge: "...Thanks a lot." With Chu Ge admitting to writing erotic novels, his classmates' curiosity was temporarily extinguished. The questions about how he made money stopped, but one female classmate sighed, "What a pity, Chu Ge used to be a very good writer." Her disappointed expression suggested she might have had a crush on him before. Chu Ge smiled slightly and didn't reply.
This remark sparked a new conversation among others. Old Hong's wife, Yu Xiaomei, asked, "Hey, Chu Ge, have you found a girlfriend yet?"
Chu Ge joked, "No. The one I had my eye on back then married Old Hong. I'm destined to be alone for the rest of my life."
Yu Xiaomei spat and burst into laughter.
Old Hong pointed at Chu Ge and laughed, "Want to duel?"
Lin Wuyang said, "You love your wife, and Chu Ge loves your wife too. You're on the same side, why would you duel?"
"Pfft..." Even Chu Ge was amused by this and burst out laughing. Everyone at the table pointed at Lin Wuyang and cursed, "How can such an indecent person be a police officer!"
Zhang Manli from the Civil Affairs Department laughed, "Speaking of which, Chu Ge, who stays at home writing all day, has too little social life. It might be hard for him to find a girlfriend. It's not good to be single at this age. Do you want your classmates to introduce you to someone?"
Old Hong laughed, "What do you know? Writers have female fans. I saw a video on Kuaishou the other day about an author who married a fan and even dated an editor. That's amazing! Do you know Chu Ge?"
Before Chu Ge could answer, someone said, "That must be a famous writer, right? Chu Ge writes... uh."
Realizing his slip of the tongue, the person quickly punished himself with a glass of wine to apologize, creating a slightly awkward moment at the table. Deep down, none of his classmates thought he was particularly successful. They didn't show it, but it would always slip out unintentionally, and Chu Ge didn't take it to heart.
In fact, Chu Ge not only didn't care, but he also felt a secret sense of pride.
Chasing fans?
My heroine has jumped out of the book…
Just then, a girl in a white shirt, blue jeans, and a high ponytail came running up from the side, clenching her fists in a surprised gesture: "Are you Chu Ge? I love your book so much! Can I get your autograph?"
The whole room was shocked.
There really is a female fan, and she's so beautiful, ridiculously beautiful!
Is Chu Ge really that famous? He gets recognized by fans even while eating in the lobby. Everyone's really blind to his talent…
Uh, wait, you write about rural mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, why would you have female fans?
Little did they know, Chu Ge was even more shocked than they were. He stared dumbfounded at the "female fan" who had suddenly appeared, completely dumbfounded.
Qiu Wuji, what are you doing? I didn't say I was going to show off like that!
Upstairs in the VIP lounge, Zhang Qiren suddenly laughed and instructed his subordinate, "Go and settle the bill for Section Chief Lin's two tables. Tell them that your boss really likes Mr. Chu Ge's work, and this is just a small token of his appreciation. He hopes you will create more masterpieces in the future."