Chapter 68: Learning from Cao Sheng, Imitating Cao Sheng

That evening, while many people were influenced by Cao Sheng on television, Cao Sheng himself was not influenced in the slightest.

In the courtyard on Binjiang Road.

After finishing a bowl of chicken soup noodles, Cao Sheng brewed a cup of Mao Feng, went upstairs, and turned on his computer.

He pulled up the drafts, outline, and detailed outline of "I Wish to Become an Immortal," pondered for a moment, and then began typing.

His eyes half-closed, staring at the document on the computer screen with deep gaze, his hands tapping the keyboard as if very casually.

His mind was completely immersed in the story of "I Wish to Become an Immortal."

His hands typed purely by instinct.

Amidst the continuous sound of typing, lines of text leaped onto the document.

His state tonight was good; he could type out a chapter in about an hour.

Every time he finished a chapter, he would rest for a while.

Taking advantage of this break, he would drink a couple of sips of tea and revise the chapter he had just finished.

Once the revision was done, he would think about the plot of the next chapter, conceive the beginning and end of the next chapter in his mind, put down the teacup, and then start typing the second chapter.

He was already a seasoned web novel writer.

Even though before his rebirth he was just an old has-been who never became popular, the years of typing added up, the number of works he wrote increased, and slowly his typing skills and mindset matured.

His reflection on his own mindset last night had already allowed him to adjust his own mental state.

So, even though a TV station came to interview him today, he could still calm his mind tonight and focus on typing.

The ability to adjust one's own mindset is essential for every web novel writer.

If one cannot adjust one's mindset in time, this career cannot last long.

Because every web novel writer encounters things that affect their mindset every day.

For example: your ongoing work has dismal popularity, very few people are collecting it, hardly anyone speaks in the book comment section every day, and occasionally someone does speak, but they are cursing your writing as garbage; in this situation, as the author of this book, how do you adjust your mindset to strive to write the following plot well?

For example: your ongoing work has decent popularity, but the book comment section is always full of curses, posts cursing you are endless to delete every day; if you ignore these posts, they will affect the popularity growth of your book; if you deal with them, you must delete these posts every day, and while deleting them, you inevitably see the content of these posts; can your mindset remain unaffected every day? Will you also feel that you are writing garbage? Can you still maintain your passion for creation?

Another example: your ongoing work has great popularity, and every day in the QQ group many book fans want to discuss the plot with you; everyone calls you Great God, and that feeling of being recognized makes your heart feel incredibly good; additionally, there are a few female book fans in the group who frequently send you private messages saying they like you, and sometimes they ask if you want to meet up?

I ask: Can you resist going to the group to listen to everyone praise you? Can you resist looking at the private messages from those few female book fans? And... can you resist meeting up?

Some people become depressed from being cursed by readers and choose to quit the industry.

Some people choose to abandon their work and start a new book after being cursed.

Some people get lost in the adoration of book fans, especially in the advances of female book fans.

Cao Sheng experienced all these things during the years he was a has-been before.

Although he always considered himself a has-been, some book fans still called him Great God, and female book fans had also tried to advance on him.

So, he needed to frequently adjust his own mindset.

Just like last night.

That night, he typed three chapters, totaling more than nine thousand characters.

When he finished, it was already close to 1 AM.

Turning off the computer, he stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the night outside.

Outside the window, the moon was already high in the sky; under the hazy moonlight, a clear breeze stirred the willow branches on the river embankment, all sounds were silent, and only the faint rustling of leaves blown by the night wind and the whispering chirps of insects could be heard.

With his hands clasped behind his waist, he quietly watched the night outside the window.

His heart felt very secure.

Because his typing state tonight was very good, and also because he typed more than nine thousand characters tonight.

He liked this feeling of silently striving.

This feeling made him feel that he had not wasted time.

It also made him believe he was walking the path of struggle.

He felt that what people fear most is self-denial; if one looks down on oneself in one's own heart and feels one is just muddling along, then true confidence is impossible.

The next morning.

When Cao Sheng arrived at the classroom, he noticed quite a few classmates were looking at him with strange eyes; he was already accustomed to such looks, so he simply found an empty seat in the back row and sat down.

Song Chao, a roommate who had a relatively good relationship with him, came over with a textbook and sat next to Cao Sheng.

As soon as he sat down, he whispered: "Hey! Cao Sheng, do you think I can write a novel?"

Cao Sheng was somewhat surprised, turned his face slightly to look at Song Chao, "You also want to write a novel?"

Song Chao was a bit embarrassed, but still nodded, saying in a low voice: "Yes! Look at you, writing novels makes you famous and earns money; who wouldn't be envious seeing that? I also like reading novels; I finished your "Living with the Air Hostess," and for "I Wish to Become Immortal" that you are writing now, every time I go online, I also read it; I want to try writing one myself, can you teach me?"

Song Chao looked at Cao Sheng expectantly.

Cao Sheng laughed helplessly, "How can this thing be taught? If you want to write, just try it yourself! The more you write, the more you will naturally learn."

Song Chao was somewhat surprised, "It can't be taught? Can I only rely on my own trial and error?"

Cao Sheng nodded, "More or less! Or, if you encounter problems during the writing process, bring specific questions to ask me; at that time I can answer you, but if you haven't started writing yourself and ask me to teach, I really don't know how to teach."

Song Chao hesitated and nodded slightly, "I see, then I'll try writing it later."

Cao Sheng nodded and made an "mm" sound.

About the same time.

In the front row of the classroom, Luo Xue and her boyfriend Zheng Chu sat together; they had started dating last semester, making them the only openly coupled pair in their class.

Zheng Chu was the study committee member of their class.

Before Cao Sheng published his novel, Zheng Chu was the recognized talent of their class.

But today's morning self-study, Luo Xue clearly sensed Zheng Chu's odd behavior.

She couldn't help nudging Zheng Chu's ribs with her elbow; Zheng Chu frowned at her, silent. Luo Xue frowned and asked, "What's wrong with you today?"

Zheng Chu replied softly, "Nothing."

Luo Xue didn't believe him. "Still saying nothing? Since you saw me today, you haven't said a single word to me voluntarily—still saying nothing? What's really going on? Speak up!"

Zheng Chu fell silent, recalling the interview with Cao Sheng he'd seen on the cafeteria TV yesterday evening—Cao Sheng had said one line that had echoed in his mind since last night: "I just want to hold back what I usually say and write it into a novel…"

Cao Sheng's words continued to affect Zheng Chu.

Once a talkative man, Zheng Chu had become quiet and withdrawn since watching Cao Sheng's interview.

Because he wanted to try holding back what he usually said—could he really write a decent novel?

As the class's former recognized prodigy and study committee member, Zheng Chu watched Cao Sheng's fame grow and his royalties likely pile up; naturally, he felt envy and jealousy—he believed that if Cao Sheng could write novels, so could he.

He wanted to learn from Cao Sheng, to surpass Cao Sheng.

But he didn't want Luo Xue to know he was learning from Cao Sheng.

So, facing Luo Xue's probing, Zheng Chu only shook his head.

…

In fact, who else was learning from Cao Sheng lately, besides Zheng Chu?

Beneath the banyan tree, numerous serialized novels had appeared, many stylistically similar to *The Days Living with an Air Hostess*.

More still resembled *I Wish to Become an Immortal*.

Unconsciously, the banyan tree was no longer merely the domain of literary youths.