Two o'clock in the morning, at the Jiangcheng "New Tide" magazine office.

The ashtray on Wang De'an's desk was piled high with cigarette butts.

The monitor's bluish light shone on his oily face.

It reflected those bloodshot yet frighteningly bright eyes.

The document contains the outline of the new book sent by "Jian Shen".

There was no complicated formatting, just a few lines of text.

Book Title: The Ferryman

[Core Concept: If fate is a lonely river, who will be the ferryman of your soul?]

[Brief Introduction: Dylan, a single-parent girl, whose life is a mess.]

She was in a car accident on her way to see her father, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

When she crawled out of the ruins, thinking she was the only survivor, she found that the world had turned into a wasteland.

There is no sun there, only endless night and demons.

At the edge of the wasteland, a boy was waiting for her.

He said, "My name is Tristan, and I am your ferryman."

...

Wang De'an's fingers slid lightly across the mouse wheel, his breathing becoming heavier as he delved deeper into the text.

This is not the kind of heartwarming healing found in "Miracles of the Namiya General Store".

This is a grand allegory about death, redemption, and love.

If "The Miracles of Namiya General Store" is a cup of hot cocoa on a winter's day...

"The Ferryman" is like a bottle of strong liquor; it burns your throat when you drink it.

Yet it can make people feel warm and alive even in the freezing cold.

"wilderness……"

Wang De'an muttered to himself.

He lit his last cigarette and took a deep drag.

The acrid smoke swirled in my lungs, and when I exhaled it, it turned into a long sigh.

"Jian Shen, oh Jian Shen, what kind of person are you really?"

To be able to write with the delicacy of "The Relief of Sorrows"

It can also construct a desolate yet magnificent worldview like "The Ferryman".

This is something that an ordinary scholar could never achieve.

This requires a profound understanding of life and death, even...

It carries a certain compassion that looks down upon all living beings.

Wang De'an picked up his phone, intending to call Jian Shen.

I glanced at the time, then put it down again.

He stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The cold wind blowing in at dawn dispersed the smell of smoke that filled the room.

In the distance, most of the lights in Jiangcheng had gone out.

"Pay the principal."

Wang De'an looked south.

"You want to pick the peach? This peach is so tough that even if you broke your teeth, you still couldn't bite into it."

...

Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School.

The buzz surrounding the grand prize has been building for several days.

Instead of cooling down, the situation is showing signs of escalating.

As soon as Lin Que entered the classroom, he sensed that something was wrong.

Wu Di, who is usually so loud and boisterous, was unusually quiet today.

He was slumped over the table.

He held a newly distributed school magazine in his hands, his expression solemn.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Que stuffed his schoolbag into the desk drawer.

Did you eat too much for breakfast?

Wu Di suddenly looked up, his eyes were actually a little red.

"Brother Que."

Wu Di sniffed.

He pushed the school magazine in front of Lin Que and pointed to the article titled "The People Waiting to Die" printed on it.

"Did you really write this?"

Lin Que glanced at it.

"Otherwise what?"

Lin Que took out his thermos and took a sip of water.

"What, did your writing get so bad that you cried from how ugly it is?"

"Rotten my ass!"

Wu Di slammed his hand on the table, making the water glass rattle.

"I'll take it back to show my mom, my mom is that heartless, strong woman."

She actually cried while watching it, and surprisingly, she didn't force me to do math problems; instead, she peeled an apple for me.

He looked at Lin Que, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Brother Que, you usually seem so carefree..."

I didn't expect you to be carrying so many burdens? What made you think of that homeless man?

Lin Que almost spat out his water.

"Artistic embellishment, you understand?"

Lin Que pulled out a tissue and wiped his mouth.

"Originating from life, yet transcending life."

I don't believe it.

Wu Di shook his head, his face showing an expression that said, "I understand."

"Brother Que, don't hold on. You can't fake these genuine feelings."

From now on, I'll take care of your homework. You can sleep whenever you want, just don't overwork yourself.

Looking at Wu Di's sincere face, Lin Que could only sigh helplessly in the end.

"Okay, then you can take notes for me in this math class first."

After saying that, Lin Que comfortably lay down on the table.

He pulled his school uniform jacket over his head.

He did not sleep in the darkness.