As for why she had tipped the author all the way up to League Leader, Zhao Youyue obviously couldn't answer honestly. She could hardly say it was out of guilt, or admit that she wasn't even that interested in the novel itself. Her fingers hovered over the smartphone screen for a moment, the light reflecting in her eyes, before she typed out a casual excuse. She claimed the writing was smooth and satisfying to read, and since the author had released such a massive burst of chapters yesterday, she wanted to offer some encouragement.
Someone in the group asked whether she had read the latest chapter yet. Zhao Youyue typed back decisively that she hadn't. She said she had only turned on auto-subscription and hadn't gotten around to opening the app for a proper read.
That answer didn't surprise anyone. Just as a few group members were about to gleefully jump out and warn Zhao Youyue about the issues in the newest chapter, the author himself, Wo Zuiqiang, suddenly appeared in the chat. He had been lurking while frantically revising his manuscript and had naturally noticed the interaction between his first ever League Leader and the rest of the group.
To be honest, having a reader who liked his work this much really moved him. Even if the other party was more likely a guy—he knew his readership demographics well—it didn't matter. The QQ account was clearly a small alt account. In his experience, a true big spender would definitely have a main account with Super Membership and plenty of paid perks activated. A guy setting an alt with female profile info was a completely normal occurrence in the world of web fiction.
No matter what, he couldn't let a wealthy reader see his eye-searing latest chapter. He jumped into the conversation and explained to Zhao Youyue, telling her to wait until he finished revising before she continued reading.
Seeing the author show up personally made Zhao Youyue feel a bit guilty, her stomach giving a small, nervous knot. But when she saw that he was willing to revise the content, she finally let out a long breath of relief. At least her mistake could still be fixed.
After that, Super King of Psychic Powers was slowly pulled back onto the right track. Readers who had left began to return to the fold, and later on, several more League Leaders even appeared on the leaderboard. What shocked Wo Zuiqiang most was that even after becoming a minor god through this book, he still deeply missed that drunken writing session. In that moment, he had felt like a true creator, producing words that carried a real, tangible soul.
This incident also gave Zhao Youyue a new realization. In the future, if she entered a story world through the Dimensional Gate and recklessly stirred things up, she might not achieve the results she wanted. Not every author would be as careless as Wo Zuiqiang, posting content while drunk. Some serious authors would revise their work repeatedly, and if they sensed that something felt off, they might decisively delete that entire section. In that case, all her effort would be wasted.
Only then did she feel that her golden finger came with quite heavy limitations. It was never going to let her soar straight to the top without effort.
Even so, Zhao Youyue wasn't discouraged. She was already used to being a background character. Even if she entered a story and remained a passerby, so what? She had plenty of patience.
Once her mindset settled, new ideas naturally followed. All she had to do was wait for the next time the Dimensional Gate appeared.
At this moment, she was sitting in the school gymnasium with the entire first year cohort, listening to the principal's speech. It was the opening ceremony. The air in the gym was heavy and humid, smelling of floor wax and the collective breath of hundreds of students.
"In this early autumn of September, a new semester begins today," the principal's voice echoed through the speakers, slightly distorted. "I hope every new student cherishes this sense of freshness upon entering school and allows it to enrich your campus life. During your first year, it's essential to set long-term goals and establish lofty ideals. Three years from now, the college entrance examination will be your battlefield."
While the principal was speaking, many of the first year students below were quietly chatting among themselves, their whispers a constant low hum beneath the official address. Some had been classmates or close friends since middle school. Opening ceremonies were always this boring. Still, no one dared to pull out a phone. Phones were officially banned on campus, and with homeroom teachers supervising nearby like hawks, everyone behaved themselves.
No one talked to Zhao Youyue, which was completely normal. Her background character aura practically rendered her invisible in the sea of uniforms. Even if someone did talk to her, it would probably turn into an awkward, brief exchange.
After getting used to this state, she actually found it quite peaceful. She suddenly felt that the reason Katou Megumi had become a saint might be because she had long existed in this observer-like state. There's a saying that observers see most clearly, and it explained well why Katou Megumi's insight was so sharp, always able to see through the drama of those around her.
Zhao Youyue admitted that she was unconsciously learning from Katou Megumi. It helped her maintain a calm, detached mindset and suppress her urge to stir up trouble, storing strength for doing something much bigger in the future.
After the principal finished speaking, an outstanding student representative took the stage. He was the city's top scorer in the high school entrance exam, named Huang Zongchao. He had been a prominent figure since middle school, possessing an overwhelming presence that seemed to fill the room. Not only students from this school knew him, but even those from other districts had heard his name.
This was Zhao Youyue's first time hearing of him. Sitting on the stage, he wasn't traditionally handsome, but he looked spirited and confident. This surprised her. She had assumed the city's top scorer would be a bookish, tired-looking nerd.
Huang Zongchao's speech was interesting, too. It wasn't filled with boring clichés. Instead, he shared a few humorous anecdotes, clearly improvised, which even made the principal beside him smile in satisfaction. The students actually paid attention to him, their gazes fixed on the stage.
Sometimes, one had to admit that besides ordinary background characters like Zhao Youyue with no particular strengths, there were also top students like Huang Zongchao with overwhelming presence. Years later, when many people from the same school looked back on their student days, they would probably remember someone like him vividly.
Not long after school started, a placement test was held. Zhao Youyue found it very difficult. The paper felt rough under her hand, and the scratching of pencils around her only added to her stress. She handled the easy questions without much trouble, but once she hit the hard ones at the back, she was completely stuck. It felt like an intelligence issue.
Well, it was also an issue of perseverance.
She came from a well-off family and wasn't used to hardship. Her parents were very relaxed with her and felt that maintaining average grades was good enough. After all, her middle school and high school were both quite good. Being able to stay solidly in the middle already meant something. With her current grades, she could barely make it into a tier one university, and with some connections and money, she could even get in as a special talent student. Getting into a prestigious university later wouldn't be a big problem.
Because of that, the original Zhao Youyue had never had much ambition. She lived a happy, comfortable, and ultimately unremarkable life.
"So why did I transmigrate into a girl built from this kind of template, even fully merging souls? It feels like my drive is going to be worn down bit by bit." Zhao Youyue complained to herself yet again.
She just wanted to become a little more capable, at least so exams wouldn't feel that painful. Facing questions she couldn't solve and doing nothing but stare at the blank white space was an awful feeling.
At last, the Dimensional Gate she had been waiting for finally appeared again in her dreams. She stepped into the shimmering void without hesitation.
This time, what kind of world awaited her?