Chapter 20: Chapter 20 No good, no good!

The restaurant was bathed in a soft blue light.

Lin Chuan’s face darkened.

As the Two Heroes vied for supremacy, I ended up as cannon fodder.

Dammit, it’s the Innate Loser’s Holy Body after all!

Old Wang patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder and laughed, “Qiqi, Handon’s new book is called ‘King of Cheating,’ and Lin Chuan’s book is called ‘Swindler.’

Xue Qiqi’s mouth dropped open slightly, a look of surprise appearing on her face, and she immediately gave Lin Chuan a thumbs up: “Hell-level difficulty.”

Shen Qianqian sat aside, took a sip of orange juice, and pondered thoughtfully.

Although she wasn’t a writer, she could roughly understand the challenges Lin Chuan faced. She pursed her lips, smiled, and asked, “Is there any way to get some recommendations?”

Old Wang laughed, “Yes, recommended chapters.”

Xue Qiqi nodded and joined in, “You can also pay bloggers to promote your book and bring in traffic.”

Lin Chuan subconsciously reached for his pocket, finding it empty.

Alas!

Fortune is fickle, life is full of hardships!

Chuan, with a tiny life and an innate loser, has no avenues for recommendation, yet alongside those with ten thousand orders, he harbors the ambition to ascend to greatness and yearns for the lofty breezes.

Damn…

Lin Chuan smiled, the look of defeat fleeting from his face: “A thousand orders, and I’ll be satisfied.”

After reaching a thousand orders, he could once again embark on a new professional life experience.

If the options are there, one must give it a shot, right?

Shen Qianqian smiled gently and encouraged, “I have a feeling that this novel of yours will far exceed a thousand orders.”

Lin Chuan gratefully smiled, “Then I will have to borrow your auspicious words.”

His gaze fell upon Shen Qianqian, who was sitting across from him.

Under the pale blue light of the restaurant, it reflected on Shen Qianqian’s fair and delicate face, her features beautifully outlined, her sparkling eyes and white teeth, and the corners of her mouth curved in a subtle smile.

“Ahem.”

Old Wang coughed lightly, subtly nudging Lin Chuan, “Old Lin, the food is here.”

Lin Chuan turned his head and gave a sheepish laugh.

…

About an hour later.

After Lin Chuan and Wang Zikai saw the two girls drive off, the two men strolled along the Anling River, enjoying the breeze.

The night was as dark as ink, spreading out over the tranquil Anling River, turning the whole river black.

The high-rise buildings on the riverbank shimmered with lights, like stars fallen to earth. A gentle breeze wafted by and the silvery moonlight mingled with the colorful neon, weaving sparkling ripples across the river.

“You and Xue Qiqi seem to get along quite well,” Lin Chuan said with a smile.

“Maybe my good looks scored me some points,” Wang Zikai said with a grin, laughing heartily.

Lin Chuan took a careful look at Old Wang and agreed wholeheartedly, “The good looks are indeed there, almost catching up to mine.”

“Get out of here.”

Old Wang laughed mockingly, then spoke seriously, “But seriously, I really like girls like Qiqi.”

“Xue Qiqi is a fellow writer, pretty, lively, and crucially, she’s rich. Who wouldn’t like her?” Lin Chuan recounted, counting off on his fingers.

“I think you’re more into the police flower,” Old Wang chuckled teasingly.

“That’s something you can’t just blurt out!”

Lin Chuan immediately shook his head.

“From all aspects, Officer Shen is quite good, gentle, with a pleasant voice, and just now you were staring at her quite intently,” Old Wang said with a smile.

Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, “What you see now is only her sweet temperament. You haven’t seen her cool and detached demeanor, so you’re making a mistaken judgement.”

“What sweet and cool temperament?”

Old Wang looked puzzled.

Lin Chuan gave a wry smile, “Don’t let her gentle and bright demeanor fool you, she’s as sweet as a first love, but in the interrogation room, it’s not like that.”

“What’s it like in the interrogation room?” Old Wang inquired.

Lin Chuan recalled being interrogated, “In the interrogation room, Officer Shen has a cool and detached air that can be quite oppressive. I was almost out of breath at the time.”

“That’s just a psychological effect, nothing to do with Officer Shen,” Old Wang laughed.

Lin Chuan shook his head.

Old Wang patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder, revealing a meaningful smile, “Really, you could consider Officer Shen.”

Huh?

Lin Chuan widened his eyes, “You’re suggesting I consider Officer Shen?”

“Yes!” Old Wang nodded.

Lin Chuan couldn’t help but give a wry smile, “What’s the use of me considering it one-sidedly?”

When it comes to looks, Shen Qianqian is as beautiful as any actress with makeup on, and when it comes to temperament, sometimes she’s sweet and gentle, sometimes she’s a cool and commanding beauty, able to switch between the two with ease.

And indeed, she is very beautiful.

But!

It doesn’t matter if I consider her when she doesn’t even spare me a glance.

Lin Chuan was quite self-aware.

The budding affections of one’s school days can overlook many factors.

But once you leave school, reality sets in.

For most ordinary people, romance is built on material foundations.

But what about him?

A struggling writer, completely unaccomplished.

Besides being handsome, there aren’t many other commendable qualities to speak of.

The survival skills he finally acquired through a stroke of luck: Theft, Cheating Techniques, but these quick-money methods are already written up in the criminal code.

If he actually used these skills to make a fortune, he’d just be increasing Shen Qianqian’s performance.

What’s more.

Apart from interrogations, he and Shen Qianqian had no other interactions.

The two of them live in entirely different worlds.

It’s not just a case of being out of reach; not even eight hundred poles could hook them together.

Alas…

Lin Chuan shook his head, thinking instead about how to promote anti-gambling, and to take this opportunity to endorse “Swindler.”

Ring ring ring–

At that moment, Lin Chuan’s phone rang.

“Hello, who’s this?”

Lin Chuan answered the call from the unidentified number.

A sweet, glutinous voice came from the phone: “Lin Chuan, it’s me, Shen Qianqian.”

“There’s drama.”

Old Wang muttered under his breath, giving Lin Chuan a meaningful look.

Ignoring Old Wang, Lin Chuan confessed proactively, “Officer Shen, I’m just walking by the Anling River with Old Wang right now, not doing anything illegal!”

Shen Qianqian laughed like a silver bell, “Lin Chuan, you’re overthinking it, I’m not out to catch you!”

“As long as you’re not catching me, that’s good.”

Lin Chuan heaved a sigh of relief, dreading that Shen Qianqian might suddenly turn around and drag him back to the police station for another round of intense interrogation.

That would be torture!

“My fingerprint lock is unresponsive, can you come over and take a look?” Shen Qianqian asked, “No locksmiths are accepting jobs at this time.”

Lin Chuan thought for a moment, “Add me on V and I can guide you on how to open it through video.”

“Okay.”

Shen Qianqian hung up the call.

“Officer Shen is asking you to help her with the lock, why aren’t you going?” Old Wang listened on the side, with an expression like he was frustrated at Lin Chuan’s lack of initiative.

Lin Chuan retorted, “A video guide is sufficient, why need to go in person?”

“Ah, you’re missing a great opportunity!+”

Old Wang looked at the hapless Lin Chuan, “This is a chance for you to build rapport with Officer Shen. Think about it, this late at night, Officer Shen can’t get into her house, and you dash over to help her with the lock, how could her impression of you not improve? Isn’t this how they write it in the novels?”

“I know,” Lin Chuan smiled.

“Then why won’t you go?” Old Wang asked.

Lin Chuan turned his head to look at the colorful Anling River, saying with a laugh, “I’m barely managing to keep myself alive, how could I have the terrifying thought of dating?”

No way, no way!