147 Determining the Plot Points

Li Daniu’s identity in this new world was once again that of an insignificant little reporter. Although he worked for the famous New York Post, there were plenty of reporters like him at the paper—people who hovered somewhere between staff and freelance status.

After recalling the plot of the film, the only clues Li Daniu could remember were the protagonist’s name and occupation.

“Eddie Morra! A down-and-out writer!”

The name was essentially the equivalent of “Zhang Lei” in China. Finding one particular person in a metropolis like New York based on a name like that was hardly easy.

(I know three people named Zhang Lei. Haha…)

Still, difficult did not mean impossible.

Li Daniu searched through the cash on him and discovered that the ten thousand dollars he had previously carried had not been erased by the system.

Ever since his first journey into a film world, when he had brought ten thousand dollars with him at the system’s reminder, the system had ignored everything else he carried during his subsequent journeys.

If firearms and similar items would disrupt the balance of a martial-arts world, then what about gold, silver, and jewelry? They could not possibly have any influence.

Li Daniu guessed that the system simply wanted to increase the difficulty.

As for why it was now able to bring the ten thousand dollars on his person into this world—and even transform dollars from another world into currency usable here—it was undoubtedly related to Tuvalu’s growing national power.

Then… would it really be possible in the future to bring modern weapons into an ancient martial-arts world? Or to materialize technology obtained from a science-fiction film in the real world, then carry it into another film world?

Setting aside his speculations about the future, Li Daniu began searching for the protagonist.

The protagonist, Eddie, was a writer. He had once published a book, and even when he was destitute, he was still bound by a contract with a publishing house.

Li Daniu searched the Internet for every writer named Eddie. More than forty writers across the United States had that name. After comparing their photographs with the protagonist’s appearance in the film, he eliminated some of them. Unfortunately, not every writer liked to post a photograph of himself online.

Besides, Li Daniu had no idea what the title of Eddie’s published book was. Perhaps the film had never mentioned it—or perhaps it had, and Li Daniu simply could not remember.

After a great deal of effort, Li Daniu confirmed that three men named Eddie were in New York, though he did not know what any of them looked like. He then called the publishing houses representing each of the three writers.

When he identified himself as a reporter and requested an interview, the publishers were naturally willing to put him through.

After another round of twists and turns, Li Daniu finally confirmed which of the three Eddies was the protagonist.

But when he saw the homeless Eddie standing before him, looking exactly as he had at the beginning of the film, Li Daniu’s mood instantly sank.

In truth, the ideal time for Li Daniu to enter this world would have been after the protagonist obtained the pill. Although the pill could unlock the human brain, it only improved intelligence. Even if someone learned combat techniques and became a skilled fighter, the pill could not grant him superhuman strength.

Li Daniu could simply have taken the pill by force from the protagonist. As for whether Eddie would report him to the police—

Let him. What exactly had been stolen from him?

Besides, with Li Daniu’s abilities, how could an ordinary person possibly catch him in the act while he was taking something?

But Eddie’s current condition clearly showed that he had not obtained the pill yet. If he had to wait more than four months before Eddie encountered his brother-in-law and received it, Li Daniu would be in serious trouble.

Following Chinese custom, when Li Daniu arranged to interview Eddie, he first invited him to dinner.

Eddie was so impoverished that he only remembered the man buying him the meal was a reporter after wolfing down his food.

“Sorry. I was hungover yesterday, so I didn’t eat breakfast or lunch today,” Eddie explained apologetically.

“It’s all right. The interview isn’t urgent.”

“Do you have something on your mind? You seem to have been thinking about something the whole time.”

I’m thinking about your brother-in-law.

Li Daniu smiled and said, “I was thinking about another article of mine. You know how it is. Getting an interview or news piece published—and actually receiving a bonus for it—isn’t easy.”

“Then we’re in the same boat.” Eddie wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’ve also been working on my new novel lately. It’s really difficult. A novel is much harder to write than a news report or an interview.”

“Your new novel?” Li Daniu immediately became more alert. In the film, Eddie had been working on a new novel when he encountered his brother-in-law.

“Yes.” The moment Eddie began talking about his novel, his mood visibly changed. He launched into an animated explanation of the story.

Li Daniu listened with a smile, occasionally taking notes with his pen. He behaved exactly like a genuine reporter interviewing a writer.

Eddie’s new novel was only an idea, however. Everyone had ideas, but when it came time to write, one might not be able to produce a single word—or might produce something so dreadful that no one would want to read another page.

After they finished discussing the novel, Li Daniu asked Eddie a few questions about his previous book and his current circumstances.

On the surface, he was a reporter seeking information about a writer named Eddie. In reality, Li Daniu merely wanted to use those details to determine Eddie’s current situation.

While they were talking, Eddie’s phone rang. After apologizing to Li Daniu, he walked a short distance away to answer it.

They were in a restaurant, which was not particularly quiet to begin with, so Eddie did not go far. For an ordinary person, he was far enough away that Eddie’s words would have been impossible to make out. But Li Daniu could hear every word clearly, including the voice coming through the phone.

“Eddie, are you free tomorrow at noon? I’d like to see you.”

“Of course. Don’t you have a key? You can come straight to my place tonight.”

“No, forget it. Let’s meet at the café we always go to tomorrow at noon.”

Before Eddie could ask why, the other person hung up.

Li Daniu watched Eddie return with a troubled expression and made no attempt to comfort him. He had already confirmed the timeline. Tomorrow was the day Eddie would break up with his current girlfriend.

There was not much to say about the breakup. No woman would be willing to remain with a man who could not write anything and was unwilling to find a job.

The important part was that after the breakup, Eddie would encounter his former brother-in-law on the way home and obtain the pill that would change his fate: NZT-48.

Having achieved his objective, Li Daniu no longer felt like wasting time with Eddie. After asking a few perfunctory questions, he made an excuse about having other business and prepared to leave.

“May I ask when my interview will be published?” Eddie asked eagerly before Li Daniu departed. He imagined that if a news article mentioned him, it might help his earlier book sell a few more copies and earn him additional royalties.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t guarantee that. You know how it is—I have an editor above me. Of course, I’d like every article I write to be published…”

“I understand. Thank you for interviewing me.”

Eddie said goodbye to Li Daniu with obvious disappointment.

“I’m sure you’ll succeed. Don’t give up.”

Leaving behind words that even Eddie himself was unwilling to believe, Li Daniu returned to the place he had been assigned to live in this world.

Dirty, chaotic, and wretched.

“System, if you were going to arrange a place for me anyway, why give me somewhere this terrible?”

After entering the room, Li Daniu had no intention whatsoever of staying there.

Although the surroundings were still better than those of the place he had lived in his previous life, he had grown accustomed to the life of a wealthy man and genuinely could not tolerate this. It was easy to go from poverty to luxury, but difficult to return from luxury to poverty.

After receiving the expected answer of “no comment,” Li Daniu left his home and checked into a hotel.

In any case, he had money. When he had no choice, he could endure hardship. But when he had the means to live comfortably, continuing to force himself to live frugally was simply not Li Daniu’s way.