"How exactly do I fish? By taking off my pants to fish?"
Liu Zheng said with a skeptical look.
Bullhorse gave him a disdainful glance.
"You have so many tentacles - aren't they all fishing bait plus fishing line?"
"I suspect it would bite them off at the roots."
He looked at the Megamouth Whale's mouth full of sharp teeth and said.
"If they get bitten off, then they get bitten off. You can always grow them back anyway."
Bullhorse expressed indifference.
"That's why I gave you that knife. Napoleon never said it had to be alive - just stab it to death and be done with it."
"Oh, that would work."
Catching dead things was much easier than catching live ones.
"Don't make it too unsightly though, otherwise Napoleon might not accept it."
Bullhorse reminded him.
"Speaking of which, where's the sewer entrance?"
Liu Zheng took out the map and asked.
"It's called a sewer system - it's everywhere, obviously."
Bullhorse looked at him strangely.
How could this guy be so cunning one moment and so stupid the next?
"Only because your world is such a mess."
Liu Zheng felt irritated but didn't say it out loud.
"I'm asking if there's a fixed entrance?"
"No, any manhole cover or ditch can lead into the sewer system. But if I had to recommend, I'd say either go down through the restaurant's entrance or use the entrance on That Tree Street."
"Megamouth Whales prefer nutrient-rich water quality. The sewer under the restaurant has accumulated years of essence, making it perfect for their growth. If you can catch a Gold Crown grade Megamouth Whale, Napoleon might just give you the knife outright."
"What's the advantage of going through the entrance on Delago's street?"
"It can cover your back. Did you think it accumulated all that wealth just by digging in the dirt?"
"However, the sewer system beneath it probably isn't very well maintained, so there might not be any Megamouth Whales there."
"Then I'll try Delago's place first."
Liu Zheng quickly made a decision.
If he couldn't catch anything there, he'd try under the restaurant.
"Suit yourself. Also, take this - it's also from Napoleon."
Bullhorse gave him a bag of freeze-dried substance.
"Name: Special High-Potency Fish Attractant"
"Effect: After consumption, the user will emit pheromones specifically attractive to Megamouth Whales and their related species."
"Note: Bro, you smell so good."
"Can be taken out of dungeon: No"
"Wait, what's this about 'related species'?"
Liu Zheng spotted the problematic detail.
"Biological classification - kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. Didn't you pay attention in class?"
Bullhorse looked down on him like a top student.
"I know about biological classification. What I mean is, will this attractant lure things other than Megamouth Whales?"
"Of course. How precise do you think attractants are? Being limited to the same genus as Megamouth Whales is already pretty good."
"Where do Megamouth Whales rank within their genus in terms of combat ability?"
Liu Zheng asked somewhat apprehensively.
"If you're talking about meat quality, they're definitely top tier. I once managed to get some offal - it was incredibly tender when used in hot pot."
Bullhorse said while smacking his lips.
"What about combat ability?"
"Combat ability? The juvenile forms of other species play with adult Megamouth Whales by slapping them with their tails."
"Heh, then I think this should be renamed 'High-Potency Suicide Agent' instead."
Liu Zheng complained.
"Anyway, I've given it to you. Use it or don't - your choice."
"Actually, catching other related species isn't bad either - Napoleon accepts them all. If you don't want money, you can trade with it for other things. Not to mention, its collection of vintage wines alone would keep you quite satisfied."
"I'll think about it."
He responded noncommittally.
At the very least, he needed to confirm the Megamouth Whale's strength first.
If catching a Megamouth Whale was already difficult, then he definitely didn't want to catch its relatives.
Liu Zheng had no intention of using himself as bait.
With the plan set, he now faced a recurring problem again.
Based on his limited fishing experience, the delivery time definitely wouldn't be enough.
It seemed he could only seek outside help again.
Two phone numbers flashed through Liu Zheng's mind.
After some consideration, he made a decision.
"Senior, what can I do for you?"
Novelist's voice was still full of energy when she answered the phone.
"How's the novel writing going these past couple days?"
"The plot is fine, but my editor says the writing style isn't working. When I asked specifically what wasn't working, he hasn't replied yet."
As soon as the novel was mentioned, Novelist immediately became distressed.
"Send it to me to look at."
"Won't that be too much trouble for you, Senior?"
Novelist sounded somewhat embarrassed.
"It's fine. Actually, I need to ask you for a favor too."
"Okay, I'll send it to you right now, Senior."
Hearing his straightforward words, Novelist became more decisive.
Soon, she sent several MMS messages.
The photo quality wasn't great, but the words were still barely legible.
It only took Liu Zheng a few minutes to read through her manuscript.
"The pacing is too draggy."
As soon as he entered his professional domain, Liu Zheng switched into tyrant mode.
Liu Zheng complained.
Novelist mumbled in response.
"Then why are you writing about them? The first chapter is prime real estate, and you're wasting it ?"
Liu Zheng said fiercely.
"I was thinking it would add some immersion."
"What immersion do readers get from reading about supporting characters? It only causes perspective confusion."
Even through the phone, Liu Zheng could almost see her lowering her head.
"Also, why are all your sentences so long? Not a single sentence has fewer than forty characters."
He pointed out another problem.
"I feel like I can't finish what I want to say without writing this way."
Novelist thought about it and replied.
"You might finish saying it, but readers don't want to hear it. Change it - no sentence should exceed twenty characters, and delete all those meaningless rhetorical flourishes."
"You're writing urban fiction - why are you using phrases like 'eyebrows like faintly gathered mist, eyes that seem happy yet not happy, filled with emotion'? Are you trying to make sure readers get completely pulled out of the story?"
Liu Zheng said sternly.
"When I used to write historical romance, readers quite enjoyed it when I wrote like that."
Novelist said quietly.
"Do you wear a qipao when you go swimming?"
Novelist understood his meaning, her voice becoming even quieter.
"Word choice and sentence construction should match the genre, even conform to that genre's readers' reading habits. Otherwise, it's like selling braised pork at a temple dedicated to Ding Zhen - no matter how delicious, nobody will buy it."
Liu Zheng said with profound sincerity.
"I understand, Senior."
Novelist responded loudly.
"I'll rewrite a version for you, and you can compare it when revising your own version to send back to me."
"Mmhmm. Thank you, Senior."
Novelist's voice became slightly higher pitched again. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
After hanging up, Liu Zheng spent ten minutes writing an opening and sent it to her via text message.
Five minutes later, Novelist replied with a text message.
Although he didn't write web novels anymore, creating a standard opening was still effortless for him.
Thirty minutes later, Novelist sent several more MMS messages.
"How do you feel about it yourself?"
Liu Zheng called her after reading them.
"It feels a bit unfamiliar, but it does read much more smoothly than before."
"Exactly, this is standard web novel writing style. First lean in this direction, and after you've mastered the basics, then explore developing your own style."
His tone softened a bit.
On the other end of the phone, Novelist nodded vigorously.
"Senior, what do you need me to do? I'm available these next few days."
She offered proactively.