The "pen-sealing and speech-ban order" was something that appeared on Blue Planet for the first time. But since the universe was just getting to know Blue Planet, no one could dispute claims that it had existed for ages.

At most, cosmic beings were a bit confused.

 

[

Who exactly is Yujin?

 —

All I know is that he's written things like Three Turning Points in Life: Either Be Surpassed or Surpass Others and Do These Ten Small Things to Improve Your Life's Happiness. The titles alone are magical, and I can't help but keep reading. After finishing, it feels like I learned something, but also like I understood nothing. His level is just okay. I'm quite puzzled why he's the editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest.

 —

The second issue of Reader's Digest still has his healing short essays. The second issue just came out recently. Does that count as a writing ban?

 —

But Yongye and Xun Ming's attitudes are very serious.

 —

Yeah, I'm genuinely scared.

 —

I didn't even dare leave comments on Reader's Digest. I scurried over to the forums. Who exactly is Yujin?!

 —

I got it! Could it be that Yujin is under a writing ban, which is why he can only produce things like One Sentence from a Famous Health Expert Made Countless Young People Fall Silent and Every Family's Stove Holds the Children's Happiness?

 —

Those titles are really magical...

 —

I just remembered. Several of my long-lived-species friends love sharing links to his articles. So I actually read his short essays before!

 —

What I mean is, he can't use his true abilities, because once he does, the consequences would be irreversible.

 —

Don't you people scroll down? His later piece When the Sun Rises as Usual is really good! Maybe that's his true style.

 —

Can he actually compete with Xun Ming?

 —

No idea, but one thing I do know is that Yujin has great power on Blue Planet. Has anyone noticed? He approved his own ban removal. So the truth is clear! He applied for this restriction himself!

 —

And now Xun Ming has released him.

 —

Or rather... invited him out to play.

 —

Yujin posted something!

 —

That fast?

 —

What genre?

 —

Terrifying.

 —

In Reader's Digest's new column, flip to the last page. It's called Flying Over the Pyramid.

 —

Is it actually a derivative fanfic of Million Gods' Wager?

 —

Impressive.

 —

I'm scared again.

—

This Yujin's ability to imitate writing styles is too strong! If you covered the name, I'd really think Xun Ming wrote it! That flowing sensation of rapid reading is identical. What elegant and refined writing?! Who spread that rumor!

]

 

In Reader's Digest's second issue, in the newly added column "Elegant Critiques for Appreciation," Yujin's fanfiction of Xun Ming's novel was posted.

Yujin had a humble attitude, directly responding to Xun Ming in the opening, completely different from how Xun Ming and the others had been bracing themselves.

He wrote: "Literature that the masses enjoy is good literature. You've already surpassed ordinary people in achieving the lightheartedness and fun of web novels. It's just that literature seems to have two sides, light and shadow. The protagonist's expansion and indulgence in wealth and pleasure is the bright line, so let me write about the hidden line. This isn't about winning or losing. This is just a literary criticism."

Xun Ming: "You're really putting on airs. You can imitate my style this well; you must have read quite a bit?"

Yujin: "I'm Blue Planet's diplomatic representative. I'm very busy."

To onlookers, these two novelists spoke familiarly with each other. The hearts that had inexplicably tensed up relaxed again, and everyone settled in to read Flying Over the Pyramid, calling friends to watch this literary duel. Little did they know everything was a pre-arranged stage.

The suddenly emerging web novel genres, the literary competition between two friends, leading to one declaring dominance over the literary world just to challenge Yujin, and Yujin's pen-sealing and speech-ban order being officially lifted; all of it gradually pushed the entire drama toward its climax, making all creatures look up at this legendary novelist.

Reader's Digest's official website temporarily became the highest-traffic literary website in the Pangshi Galaxy.

At this moment, countless beings, together with readers they'd never met, operated their optical computers to turn pages. Information composed of text was deconstructed and reconstructed in their brains, striking directly at the soul.

 

[ 

Flying Over the Pyramid's first chapter was titled:

What is Outside the Pyramid?

The protagonist, Nameless, first experienced a series of power fantasy operations that left readers both delighted and suspicious. While he was eating at a luxury restaurant, a commotion and explosions suddenly erupted from below. The ground shook violently, and the entire tower-like restaurant toppled outward. Even with Nameless's skills, he was struck by flying tables and chairs, his vision going black as he lost consciousness.

When he woke among the ruins, he found himself in a strange place. The sky seemed very high and distant, gray and hazy, with brown and pink fog everywhere. Taking a deep breath made him cough.

Beneath him was cracked earth and restaurant rubble. He realized he was outside Duat, where the environment was terrible and completely unsuitable for human survival. He needed help.

But there were no other living people nearby, and his optical computer flickered a few times before dying. The god who was omnipotent inside Duat apparently had places it couldn't reach, so Nameless could only walk toward the light.

As he walked, he saw dried grass lying on the cracked, yellow earth, indicating traces of people. He ran forward and finally saw someone.

A person with body paint and simple clothing, feathers hanging from their body, was holding a sharp spear in their hand.

Inside the pyramid: cyberpunk.

Outside the pyramid: primitive wilderness.

 

The second chapter was titled:

What Is the History of the Pyramids?

This person helped bandage Nameless's wounds and introduced himself, saying his name meant "Primordial," so Nameless called him Primordial.

Nameless said he needed electricity, and Primordial replied that they didn't use electricity. Their tribe lived by slash-and-burn agriculture and never casually went to areas with pyramids. Nameless was grateful for Primordial's help and said he'd be willing to take Primordial into the pyramid; inside, he was very wealthy and had a god helping him. Primordial said the gods of this world were dead, and everything else was counterfeit.

Primordial was kindhearted and didn't dwell on this issue. He offered to take Nameless to the ruins of an old pyramid, where there might still be electricity.

Nameless said in surprise: "There's more than one Duat?"

Primordial: "My ancestors told me the Sun Tower has been relocated many times, each time killing half the population. At first, the Sun Tower was spacious and bright. With each new tower, the level of enclosure increased. Until it looked like your current tower, and only those at the top can see the sunlight."

Nameless pondered: "Could it be because of plagues? Or AI rebellion? I knew androids weren't reliable!"

They arrived at the ruins of a pyramid from who knows how long ago. The bottom level here was especially large, with factories everywhere, but each compartment was particularly small, and the environment was extremely dirty and chaotic. Nameless browsed through a worker's plastic journal.

At first, this factory had only three workers. The boss also worked alongside them. Conditions were harsh, but everyone found joy amid the hardship.

The boss earned some money and bought more factories and more workers, so the boss stopped working. They produced large quantities of bread, so all the small bakeries went out of business. More people became unemployed, and more people came to work at this bread factory for low wages.

Because many people competed for positions, their wages decreased more and more. Later, the boss decreed that only by working ten hours for three consecutive days could you receive those three days' wages. The reason wages were paid late was supposedly to prevent people from working and then running off. Also, bread quality needed to be verified before workers could be paid. But in reality, many people died from overwork and disease in those cramped workspaces.

"At this bread factory, I work from six in the morning to nine at night, producing 100 loaves of bread for citizens. So why does the money I receive barely buy enough food to survive? Why does my boss get thousands upon thousands without doing anything? Where did my money go? I want to take back what I deserve!"

 

The third chapter was titled:

Who Does the Missing Money Belong To?

Nameless was also pondering this question. He hadn't known Duat had once looked like this. He was born poor, so he naturally assumed that he was meant to be poor.

Primordial offered a theory at the right moment: labor creates value.

A worker only needs 1 loaf of bread to survive, plus 2 for their family, so the factory owner pays the worker 3 loaves. But the worker produces 100 loaves at the factory. Those 97 loaves represent the surplus value created by the worker's labor.

Yet this surplus value is all appropriated by the factory owner without compensation. Perhaps the owner expends effort in management, and in practical application, more factors need consideration, so those 97 loaves don't entirely belong to the laborer. But the fact that capitalists steal and rob, disguising others' labor as their own and appropriating workers' surplus value, is undeniable.

This is exploitation.

 

The fourth chapter was titled:

What If Money Were a Person?

Nameless was greatly shaken by Primordial's theory, and he seemed to understand many things now.

He decided to bring Primordial into Duat. The two browsed Duat's scenery starting from the bottom level, deeply moved. Nameless first said that those upper-class people probably became upper-class because they were smart and bold.

Capable people become bosses.

Primordial asked: So your current million-dollar worth isn't because you met a god, but because your abilities are worthy?

Nameless was speechless. Later, he argued that others had generations of accumulated wealth. Even if his abilities were excellent, how could he dream of beating them? Everything was natural survival of the fittest.

Primordial replied: Natural selection? This isn't natural. In the wild, vultures will peck at carrion. But if a vulture tried to pile up six hundred pieces of carrion for the next generation, microorganisms would foil its scheme. Nature has no capital accumulation.

Nameless argued back: Today's working environment is different from before. We don't have cramped workspaces or terrible diseases. Machines do the work everywhere, so people only need low-level entertainment. Plus, people can only do a small portion of the division of labor. Being a worker under a capitalist isn't so bad.

Primordial replied: Don't you think money resembles a person more than any of you do? You enjoy low-level pleasures and have never seen the blue sky; is that called being a person? The one who truly lives a human life is money; that's why it stands at the top of the pyramid. The entire pyramid is its supply machine. Upper-class people manage middle-class people, middle-class people enslave lower-class people, and the lower-class people are squeezed out of surplus value bit by bit. Capital is practically a bloody, flesh-mangled monster.

Nameless felt thunderstruck, muttering: We're enslaved by something so terrifying. Is there no way to fight capital?

Primordial replied: How could there be no way? What's truly headed to ruin is capital. Its nature destines it to fail. Think about it, why did the Sun Tower relocate so many times?

Nameless shook his head: The environment? Covering up crimes? I can't figure it out.

Primordial said: Because it has reached the end of its road. A bakery owner earns the most money and buys more advanced machines. Now he doesn't need workers, so he kicks them all out, keeping only one to falsify accounts. In this city, it's not just the bread factory that does this; other factories do too, so more and more workers became homeless. They have nothing on them but chains, and there was nothing worse they could lose. And so the fighting broke out. Those ruins you saw are all traces of war.

Do you think you really live well? Capitalists merely use entertainment to corrode your will, use wages to conceal the essence of exploiting surplus value, and use honeyed words to make you think they're the vulnerable ones! Everything is just to keep you unaware of the chains on you!

Nameless suddenly understood many past injustices. He felt Primordial's sentences were so powerful, yet so frightening. Nameless asked Primordial to stay and answer his questions; he still had much he didn't understand. The outside environment was harsh, and a primitive person like Primordial would have a hard life. Wouldn't it be better to stay in Duat?

Primordial said: How could I be a primitive person? I'm an artificially created android. Once, an electronic ghost created us and released us outside the pyramid to recite these theories to people outside the tower, one by one. I've recited them 18,732,908 times. It's time to leave.

Nameless said anxiously: If you leave, how will I know what to do in the future? You can't wake me from a beautiful dream without teaching me how to face reality!

Primordial said: I only help you understand the pyramid's essence. But changing the pyramid, that's something you must do yourself.

Primordial left easily. After he departed, the electronic screen beside Nameless awakened, and the cyber god descended once more with its gospel: "Long time no see, my faithful believer…"

]

 

Yujin's derivative work, Flying Over the Pyramid, had only four chapters, packed with insights from Earth's philosophers. These theories were extremely complex, spanning from commodity fetishism to consumerism traps, interconnected and affecting everything.

Even in Earth's textbooks, there were many misunderstandings and simplifications that couldn't be briefly summarized.

Looking at Yujin's fanfiction alone, it was very short, but the actual length was staggering. Even ten or twenty thousand words more than the original Million Gods' Wager. In the short time available, readers hadn't finished reading it.

After a while, Xi Yujin felt a spiritual waterfall crash into his brain, rumbling ceaselessly. He clutched his head for a moment, found it useless, and simply let it flow.

He continued simulating the dialogue between Yujin and Xun Ming. Xun Ming was a good alias, but openly writing a fanfiction with opposing themes would be slapping the other party's face. He still cherished all his personas' reputations, so he needed to smooth things over afterward.

 

[

Yujin: Finished. That was very satisfying.

—

Xun Ming: AHHH! Is writing such heavy content your daily job?

—

Yongye: Thoughts so sharp that they can actually scorch the soul.

—

Canghai: I told you not to let Yujin out…

—

Yujin: I only hope Blue Planet receives the respect it deserves.

—

Yujin: The journey in the Pangshi Galaxy has been interesting. I hope all Blue Planet citizens and their friends can leave with beautiful memories.

—

Xun Ming: …I finished reading your article. I'm convinced! Tell me, what do you want me to do? I'll agree to any request except staying in the little black room to work on manuscripts. I need to go out for inspiration!

—

Yujin: Write a 10,000-word review of my The Truth Behind High-Education Families Turning Against Each Other: This Is the Real Culprit of Family Division (Highly Recommended). Thank you.

—

Xun Ming: Just lock me back in the little black room!!

—

Yujin: @Canghai @Yongye, those watching the show have to do it too. Many thanks.

—

Canghai: Huh? Why? Did I do anything wrong?

—

Yongye: This seems improper. I only commented once.

—

Yujin: There's also my Young People's Lonely Socializing: Why Do I Want to Reply to New Year's Greetings Less and Less Every Year (Profound)

—

Yujin: Or Mental Exhaustion Trending at #1: How Reality Defeats Dreams

]

 

Although there were many readers in Reader's Digest's comment section, at this moment, there were no new comments. It seemed that only the Blue Planet novelists were talking to themselves.

After a long while, a few replies finally appeared, but they were all meaningless screaming.

After the screaming, silence again.

Silence across the entire galaxy.

A taxi spaceship that had been traveling through space stopped at a port. The driver, who had just been complaining about how exploitative the platform was and how he’d had to raise fares, was now so absorbed in Flying Over the Pyramid that he accidentally rammed the left side of his head.

A capsule-shaped alien at a repair shop was reading Flying Over the Pyramid while eating crackers. This was where the hottest gossip was lately, so of course, it had to watch. But as it read, it stopped eating altogether.

"It hurts."

A cosmic reader clutched its head with all four hands.

It felt as helpless as if encountering the world for the first time, yet also as if emerging from thick fog to see everything more clearly. Flying Over the Pyramid had many theories, and many sentences were awkward after translation, but each one seemed to match reality so well. After reading, the reader suddenly realized: they had always been exploited by capitalists!

"It hurts."

Clutching its head, the shock to its soul made it dizzy, but its gaze remained steadfast, unable to stop reading. It was as if an axe had forcefully split the darkness before their eyes, revealing the ugly capitalist world.

It had always thought that those bosses were right, but no one is born correct. It had thought it was free, only to discover that it was a slave to money.

At times, it felt the urge to give up: Stop reading. What’s the point? Aren’t all problems just about the lack of money? What can you change? What good does it do to know that this galaxy is ruled by capitalism? Why wake from a beautiful dream? You should blame Yu Jin! Why did he write this and ruin The Million Gods’ Wager?

Flying Over the Pyramid wasn't a book of answers. It merely used theory to describe a certain world, explaining why the world became this way, why it was inhumane, how capitalists deceived laborers, and why laborers should oppose such merciless exploitation. But it didn't answer the most crucial question. The article cut off right at the moment Nameless met the god again. What would he do? Continue enjoying that life? But by now, any observer could see clearly: such a life was nothing more than being a puppet of the god.

Knowing the truth brought no benefit.

Would you rather be awake and in pain, or a happy puppet?

Every reader had their own answer.

The future wouldn't be decided by Blue Planet philosophers, but by the beings themselves. The moment the article was published, the future had already begun to change.

"Yujin, how did he come up with all of this…"

Countless beings murmured this name. Looking back at the pen-sealing and speech-ban order, they seemed to understand something.

Words have power. And some beings' words weigh as heavy as planets. They could even be called planetary weapons.

These novelists' power no longer came from intricate plot twists, but from using thought as a weapon to precisely cut the soul.

Readers would feel unbearable pain while reading. But like cutting away an abscess, after the pain, scars would heal, and souls would be reborn.

Yujin's ban was both a self-warning and Blue Planet's friendly policy toward foreign civilizations!

That was why Yujin could only be Reader's Digest's editor-in-chief, stuck in writing motivational pieces. Unless someone invited him, he could occasionally show his skills.

How fortunate the Pangshi Galaxy was to witness this moment.

After the pain, many readers felt as though they’d been reborn. They were immensely grateful to have seen this literary duel and to have seen this glimpse of brilliance from Blue Planet's diplomatic representative. After the gratitude, however, came a sudden hint of fear: reverence for the strong.

Blue Planet has a formidable race!

If Flying Over the Pyramid had been published alone, it wouldn't have caused such a reaction; perhaps only a handful would discuss it. But all the interactions between the three persona novelists acted as amplifiers for this derivative work. From there, like surging tides, waves pushed higher and higher, until they became an insurmountable wall in readers' hearts.

Xi Yujin's ultimate goal wasn't to prove how impressive his personas were, but to make all beings who heard Blue Planet's name revere it, and even fear testing its true strength.

He just wanted to live well, and the best tool for that was the philosophy that Earth had refined through thousands of years of debate. This universe might once have possessed similar treasures, but they had been lost.

Somewhere beyond the darkness, Earth was still protecting its children.

"Yujin is too terrifying. He’s far beyond the level of a web novelist, and this is just a derivative piece from a literary duel. How powerful must his real works be?"

"I'm guessing we won't get to see them. They're probably all locked in Blue Planet's vault. No wonder I couldn't find any of Yujin's full-length novels!"

"I still haven't finished reading it. It made my head hurt over a dozen times. What kind of intellectual weight is this?"

"A worthy planetary weapon. Blue Planet is actually this terrifying…"

Under the multiple sensory stimulation, readers returned to reality.

This Pangshi Galaxy had been steeped in the chamber of commerce's influence for long enough… But what exactly was the way out for the creatures here?

One reader began posting their views online. This was the universe, not Earth. Different societies would develop different forms. But one thing was universal: the pursuit of, and respect for, the meaning of one's own life.

Capital wasn't any creature's master. They refused to become the bloody tools of the capital monster.

After one reader posted, it triggered a massive discussion echoing like mountains as they answered one another.

"I never thought that such tiny amounts of money had already changed us beyond recognition…"

"This book gave me another perspective on the world. I also used to think that if I were just smart and hardworking enough, I could be richer than the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce's boss. But I never considered that they've passed down wealth for 33 generations! From selling duck-feather down jackets at the beginning to now expanding across the entire galaxy. Capital resembles a dignified, growing creature more than we do. We've all become its vassals."

"This Flying Over the Pyramid targets the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce most directly. Wait! Didn't Xun Ming submit his works to the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce? And Yujin and Xun Ming's relationship looks pretty good." This reader lowered their head in thought. "Could there be inside information we don't know about…?"

"Perhaps even Million Gods' Wager's appearance was planned…"

"I remember not long ago, Yongye and Canghai collectively took a hiatus. Blue Planet suddenly issued Yongye's innocence certificate, and Xun Ming suddenly started many new novels… Could there be a connection?"

More readers' gazes turned toward the depths of the universe, as they had sensed the smell of drama. Perhaps this wasn't a literary duel, but a threatening letter from Blue Planet to some power.

Beep beep.

A notification sounded on the Tidal Peace: a communication from the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce.

Xi Yujin leisurely accepted the call.

On the electronic screen before him was Yellow Duck Boss's gloomy appearance.

They stared at each other through the electronic screen, silent for a long time.

"It was you…" Yellow Duck Boss finally said hoarsely. "How could you, how dare you…"

This terrifying Blue Planet creature could reveal the essence of value that many creatures didn't even understand, with just one piece of writing!

Yellow Duck Boss had only read the first two chapters, but already had many moments of sudden realization. But cleverness was an asset for merchants. For the masses, it was a terrifying fuse. Its commercial empire's great ship was slowly heading toward an iceberg, and it was powerless.

"You are planting seeds of disaster," Yellow Duck Boss said through gritted teeth. "You did this on purpose! Xun Ming definitely discussed writing this kind of web novel with you. You had this derivative work ready all along. You're… threatening us, Yujin!"

Xi Yujin sat in his swivel chair. Hearing this, a slight smile appeared on his face: "So what? My collaboration with my friend is none of your business."

Yellow Duck Boss's eyes nearly split open while endless regret welled up inside. If only they hadn't offended Xun Ming back then. If only they hadn't turned a blind eye to the Ginseng Spirits. If only they hadn't angered Yujin. If only, if only…

"Sweet dreams, little yellow duck."

Xi Yujin murmured softly, seemingly unconcerned with Yellow Duck Boss's reaction, and ended the communication.

Three seconds later, he broke free from his split-personality mode and shouted toward the door: "Gano! Prepare to run! Grab the prizes and go!"

Meanwhile, in the Flying Duck Chamber of Commerce's top-floor office, Yellow Duck Boss collapsed to the ground. The cold floor jolted it sharply.

Several of its feathers fell, dimming as they drifted down. Its current thoughts were aligned with those of the star pirates from before and some cosmic readers now:

Don't let Yujin write again!