The middle district was the oldest district of Jiangnan City.

Although it had fallen behind the high-rise development zone in the recent city-building campaign, it was still quite popular because of the beautiful scenery and the favorable location.

It was especially so for the few commercial walking streets that had all kinds of distinctive colors. Every time the lanterns were lit, crowds of people would come and go. It was quite lively.

The ‘Hermit Crane Cuisine’ was located in a prime location on a pedestrian street named ‘Pingyang Road’. It had a lavish entrance and was a forest of man-made bamboos. In the downtown area, it forcefully created an atmosphere of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle. It did not have the slightest intention of hiding.

Opposite the Hidden Crane Restaurant was the top department store of Jiangnan City, which had a history of 30-40 years. When it was built, it was the tallest building in the entire city. It had flourished for a time, but naturally, it had long declined. No matter how it was renovated and renovated, it could not change the overly cramped layout. However, it was more than enough to act as a high point to control a radius of 300-500 meters.

In the men’s restroom on the fifth floor of the first department store.

From here, he could overlook the entire Ping Yang Road and clearly see the passersby and tourists coming and going.

6:30 p.m.

Li Yao had been standing there for half an hour, observing the stores and people nearby with the telescope. Not only did he have to meet the author of ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivation’, he also had to determine whether the author lived nearby or far away. It would be best if he could follow the clues and lock onto the author’s nest.

As time went by, his eyes became sharper and sharper. He could lock onto the different features of hundreds of passers-by and analyze their trajectories clearly.

“Master Niu, are you here?”

After scanning the environment and the passers-by, Li Yao sent a message in the name of ‘rabbit in the sea of stars’.

“I’m here. I just got here. I’m wearing blue, and there’s a ‘Grandma Fried Chicken’ next to me. Are you here, too?”

The other side replied.

Li Yao aimed the telescope at a milk tea and fried chicken shop twenty to thirty meters away from the Hidden Crane Restaurant.

Other than a few high school girls who were buying milk tea, there was a skinny man wearing a wrinkled blue suit.

“Is it him?”

Li Yao observed carefully. The guy seemed to have just shaved his head, but the depression on his face could not be concealed no matter how hard he tried. Maybe because of the years of desk work, his eyes were somewhat green, his cheeks were sunken, and his back was slightly hunched. The cheap suit he had bought was a size larger, too. It looked like a plastic bag on his body. A gust of wind could blow him away easily.

Of course, even if the suit was well-fitting, it still looked quite awkward. Today was the hottest day since the summer. The highest temperature was 35 degrees. Other than real estate agents and insurers, who would wear such a serious suit?

While Li Yao was staring at this guy, this guy was using the dressing mirror of a nearby clothing store to tidy up his appearance. He sprayed something like a breath of air freshener into his mouth. At the same time, he used the reflection of the mirror to secretly glance at the high school girls who were drinking milk tea.

“There seems to be no one else nearby.”

Li Yao scratched his head. He had thought that he would be able to write characters such as Yan Xibei, Xiao Xuance, Jin Tuyi, Lu Zui, and Boss Bai. The author could be down and out, he could be down and out, he could sigh, but there had to be a hint of ambition in him.

But it seemed that there were none.

After carefully scanning the surroundings and making sure that no one was following the author, Li Yao sent a message saying that he would be there soon and got off the elevator.

He squeezed back into the crowd, but he wasn’t in a hurry to greet them. The few female high school students were still drinking milk tea. From time to time, they would burst into a burst of youthful laughter. Zhang Daniu had also been dawdling next to them. His eyes were constantly darting around.

Li Yao took out a toothpick crossbow from his pocket. It was a toy that kids often played with. With the cover of the crowd, he threw a toothpick at Zhang Daniu.

The two parties were seven to eight meters away from each other. When the toothpick lightly flew over, it no longer had any strength. Zhang Daniu was completely oblivious. It was not until the toothpick pierced into his back that he let out a cry and turned around to rub his back. He simply didn’t realize what had shot him.

“So, he doesn’t have any ‘superpowers’ and is just an ordinary person with dull senses?”

Confirming this point, Li Yao threw the toothpick crossbow into a trash can on the side of the road. Only then did he go forward and heavily pat the other party’s shoulder. With a beaming smile, he said, “Master Niu, hello!”

Zhang Daniu jerked his head back and discovered a young man whom he had never seen before. The excitement on his face turned into surprise. “You are…”

“I’m Rabbit’s senior brother. I’m from the Jiangnan Normal University. I’m truly sorry. It’s truly unfortunate. Last night, a thief broke into our school’s female dormitory. The few girls were scared quite badly. They were shouting and shouting in the middle of the night. Today, the school’s leaders flew into a rage. The dormitory is strictly guarded. They say that it’s best if the girls don’t come out at night and run around!”

Li Yao grinned. “So, there’s nothing we can do. I’m the only male member of our Science Fiction Association. Rabbit and the rest of them asked me to be their representative to express their sincerest apologies to Teacher Niu. The few girls all said that there would be plenty of time in the future and that they would find a day off in a few days. During the day, they would come and talk to Teacher Niu about literature, science fiction, and their dreams. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Ah—”

Li Yao saw Zhang Daniu’s face, which had just been shaved clean and still had a few cuts on it, collapse bit by bit. Like an ice block under the scorching sun, it quickly lost its shape. “No, no. Of course not. Hahahaha. Girls should be careful when they go out at night. There are too many bad people in society nowadays…”

“It’s great that you can understand. Rabbit and the others were worried that you would be angry and not go to our school as a guest, so I told them, how could Teacher Niu, who could write ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivation’, be such a petty person?”

Li Yao smiled happily. “It’s the same today. I have a lot of questions that I want to discuss with Master Niu, too. Besides, I know everything about Rabbit and the rest of them. You can ask me whatever you want to know!”

“I—I don’t want to know anything!”

Zhang Daniu said, “The main thing I want to know about is the development status of your sci-fi association. I’m concerned about the current university students’ views on sci-fi, their dreams, and their future. What else can I know?”

“Yes, you are right. Let’s talk about that.”

Li Yao slapped his head. “I almost forgot to introduce myself. Do you think it’s a coincidence? My name happens to be ‘Li Yao’. I share the same name as the male protagonist in your book. I especially like to read . Really. I even feel like I’m the Li Yao in the book. I feel… connected to Teacher Niu. I feel like I’m his soul mate!”

“En en.”

Zhang Daniu seemed to have lost his desire to chat. He replied to Li Yao half-heartedly.

“Don’t just stand there. It’s too hot.”

Li Yao pulled Zhang Daniu. “Let’s eat first. Shall we talk while we eat?”

“…Sure.”

Zhang Daniu replied lethargically. Then, he suddenly came back to himself. “Where are you going?”

“Crane cuisine!”

Li Yao said, “Rabbit said that you asked her to cook in He Yin, didn’t she?”

“…Ah, y-yes, that’s right. Wait at the entrance of Crane Concealing Kitchen. It’s easier to find it here.”

Zhang Daniu glanced at the low-key and extravagant Hidden Crane Restaurant. The corners of his eyes twitched a few times as he said, “However, I’ve been having a stomachache for the past two days. It’s not suitable to eat these raw and cold things. Those raw fish fillets all have parasites. Why don’t I treat you to a casserole made of bones? It’s a century-old restaurant nearby. The bones are rotten. It’s much better than raw fish fillets.”

The two of them walked for more than ten minutes before they left the pedestrian street and arrived at an old-fashioned residential area that was full of life.

Li Yao didn’t care what he ate as long as he could confirm that Zhang Daniu lived nearby.

While he was walking, he carefully observed that Zhang Daniu was holding his right hand and avoiding passers-by. His right hand was slightly swollen, indicating that he was indeed wounded.

Zhang Daniu seemed to have eaten a bellyful of dust. His face had always been gloomy, but when the steaming, mountain-like bones were brought to the table, he seemed to have accepted his fate. A dry smile appeared on his face again.

“A thief has entered the female dormitory. Rabbit and the rest must be scared out of their wits, right?”

Zhang Daniu laughed. “Rabbit… Her boyfriend must be worried sick, right?”

“Rabbits don’t have boyfriends.”

Li Yao was dazed for a moment. He replied immediately, “My junior sister is a girl who pursues the soul and has a great sense of aesthetics. She is a maverick who always thinks about the universe, the future, and civilization. Ordinary people are nothing in her eyes.”

“Oh…”

Zhang Daniu’s smile lit up.

“What about you?”

Li Yao took the opportunity to inquire about Zhang Daniu’s situation. “Master Niu, you are here for a meal. Don’t you need to report to your wife?”

“No, no. In fact, I’m single, too. I’ve been wandering alone for more than thirty years. How can I have a ‘master’s wife’?”

Zhang Daniu smiled and said, “Also, fellow student Li Yao, let me give you a suggestion. We are all fans of science fiction. We are the same kind of people. Don’t call me ‘Teacher Niu’. ‘Teacher Niu’ is too short. It sounds like the difference in seniority, but in fact, we are about the same age. You are all in your twenties this year, right? I am also in my thirties. My mentality is especially young. We can be considered to be the same age. Don’t call me ‘Teacher Niu’. Just call me ‘Brother Niu’!”

“…Brother Niu.”

Li Yao took a deep breath and tried to control his facial expression. He looked at Zhang Daniu’s right hand and said, “Brother Niu, do you want to drink some wine? With the fresh blood, your wounds will heal faster!”

“Alright, let’s drink a little then!”

Zhang Daniu waved his hand. “That’s right. Don’t treat me as a teacher. Just treat me as a friend. Between friends, what can’t we talk about and what can’t we help with?”

“That’s right, Brother Niu. After reading , I knew that you must be a very straightforward and confident person. Indeed, it’s better to meet you in person than to hear your name. Come, let me propose a toast to you first!”

Li Yao was planning to get Zhang Daniu drunk so that he could ask for some crucial information. After all, his body had been greatly strengthened. Ordinary alcohol was simply not enough to numb his nerves. One glass to the left, one glass to the right. After three rounds of alcohol, five dishes had passed. Under Li Yao’s meticulous plan, Zhang Daniu had already drunk so much that his face was flushed red, his legs were shaking, and even his tongue was a little loose.

“Brother Niu, can you tell me the details of your journey in creating ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivator’?”

Li Yao took the opportunity and said, “This is also a task that Rabbit asked me to do. Everybody wants to know how you thought of writing such a work in the first place.”