"Man, you're seriously such a jerk, aren't you? Just playing the nice guy, huh?"
Zhao Zikang said with a mix of admiration and sarcasm.
Honestly, after thinking it through, Zhao Zikang figured that if he were in the same situation, he'd probably think like Shen Lang.
With a girl as pretty and well-shaped as Li Liusi confessing, who wouldn't want to say yes right away?
"What do you mean, 'jerk'? It's not just guys who think this way—most girls do too."
Shen Lang added, "You think in today's world, any girl's gonna get past a guy's greasy and scruffy appearance to really get to know his inner self?"
"Actually, you can think of it like this: I'm confirming the relationship first and then getting to know her inside."
Shen Lang explained seriously.
"If I find out Li Liusi and I don't see eye to eye on important things and break up, isn't that just cutting my losses and protecting myself?"
"And what if her values are fine?"
"If her values are good, I'd treat her well."
Shen Lang said honestly, "You know how the guy named Dong on Douyin said, 'Don't waste good girls, and don't waste time on bad girls'?"
"Damn, are you speaking in Chinese characters?"
Zhao Zikang was completely stunned by Shen Lang's insane logic: "How come I understand each word, but when they're put together in a sentence, I just don't get it?"
These words, from any angle, definitely sounded like they came from a jerk.
But if you think about it, they do reflect some harsh realities.
"You've got more to learn, buddy."
Shen Lang proudly finished his soy milk, tossed the cup in the trash, and said, "Alright, I've got to stay home and write today, so I won't keep you for lunch."
"Fine, I've got stuff to do too."
Zhao Zikang patted his knees and stood up.
"Now that I'm with Qianqian, I might need to consult you often, so don't get annoyed."
"OJBK!"
Shen Lang patted his chest confidently.
"If you think you're struggling to talk to her, I can help you chat with her. I guarantee you'll win her over in a week!"
"Seriously? A week?!"
Zhao Zikang was intrigued.
If Shen Lang could really help him win Li Qianqian over in a week, he was definitely interested in trying it out.
"Maybe even sooner. Your job and looks are pretty good, so if I build up your image, it'll be quick. You can even check out our chat logs to see how we communicate."
With a girl like Li Qianqian, who's materialistic and a bit of a tease, Shen Lang could probably get her interested in just two days if he went all out.
"Never mind, even if you help me chat with her, I'd still be myself in real life, so it might not work out."
Zhao Zikang had a strange feeling, so he declined: "Plus, it feels like it'd be like you're the one taking over for me. I'll handle it myself."
"Haha, so you want me to take care of your future wife, huh?"
"Get lost."
Zhao Zikang laughed and gave him a mock insult, then put on his coat: "I'm heading out. I'll ask you if I have any more questions."
"Alright, no need to see me off. We can chat on WeChat if anything comes up."
After Zhao Zikang left, Shen Lang finally opened his computer after a long time and started working on his martial arts novel, planning to earn some extra money in the next few months.
Zhao Zikang's visit had given Shen Lang a glimpse of some avoidable factors in the future.
Of course, Shen Lang wasn't naive enough to think that just having money would let him win over two girls who weren't interested in material things.
But money is crucial. If a love triangle really blew up, money would play a huge role in future life.
He had already uploaded all the drafts he'd written.
With his fast typing and writing talent,
Shen Lang banged out a hundred thousand words in a morning, his fingers slightly sore, and then happily closed the writing software.
After uploading today's chapter, Shen Lang estimated the value of his book. The plot could still stretch to about a million words.
With the copyright and channel fees, this martial arts novel could potentially make just over ten million, which would take about a year.
Ten million—Shen Lang wouldn't have dared to dream of earning that much while writing novels before.
Now, he already had over ten million in his bank account and a villa worth over a hundred million.
If he only relied on writing novels, even if every book was a bestseller, the money would come too slowly.
"Hey, how about I learn to create multimedia content myself and adapt my novel into short videos?"
These days, famous web novel authors mostly shift to multimedia or scriptwriting.
Among these, the multimedia industry is the most profitable—turning a popular novel into a drama with actors and promoting it on Douyin.
Once the drama reaches a climax, viewers would need to pay to watch.
Such short videos are very popular on Douyin and have a huge audience.
Older folks like rural widow stories, dragon kings returning, guys like action-packed martial arts and rebirth stories, and girls enjoy palace intrigue and romance.
Simply put, if you have a good novel, turning it into a video can be way more profitable than just writing.
Several well-known authors made huge profits from multimedia, earning several times what they made from their novels.
Once they built up enough fame from adapting their novels, they could move on to scriptwriting and achieve financial freedom easily.
With Shen Lang's book being so popular, he could definitely keep the rights and use his own directing talent.
Why sell it to other multimedia companies when he could make money himself?
"Hmm, sounds promising."
Shen Lang thought it over and decided this was definitely feasible.
Besides, with his directing talent, it's just a matter of how much he can earn.
As long as he manages it well, it could be more profitable than writing novels.
So Shen Lang began researching the multimedia industry.
By evening, when Li Liusi returned to the neighborhood and started cooking in Shen Lang's tiny apartment,
Shen Lang had almost finished his research. He then created a new Douyin account for multimedia use.
Next, he just needed to find actors with good looks and acting skills, hire multimedia staff, and buy the equipment needed for filming.
He'd collaborate to adapt the novel into a video, then spend some money on Douyin to promote and attract viewers.