Yun Zhen was deeply troubled, pondering what her next book should be.

In the past two months, she had already been rejected three times by her editor. All three manuscripts were romance novels, with love as the central theme. No matter how much she revised the settings and openings, they just couldn’t pass the editorial review.

Was it true that never having been in a relationship was a disadvantage in writing? No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t capture the nuances of the push-and-pull, the sweet tension between men and women.

“Sigh…” Yun Zhen sighed heavily, her gaze drifting aimlessly around her study.

Unintentionally, her eyes landed on the bookshelf, and suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through her mind.

What if she tried writing a post-apocalyptic survival story?

The material was right there in front of her—she wouldn’t even need to research too much. If the system upgraded, she might even get to see more of the tiny apocalypse-stricken world.

What could be more compelling than a real-life disaster?

This was unique, first-hand material!

The more Yun Zhen thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. She opened a new Word document and began typing furiously, first outlining the story’s framework and then brainstorming an engaging opening scene.

The crisp sound of keyboard clicks filled the study as a surge of inspiration flowed through her like a spring.

The more she wrote, the more her eyes lit up. The anxiety and frustration from her earlier rejections melted away.

Time flew by as she worked, and soon, the outline of her new story began to take shape.

Yun Zhen stretched her stiff neck and glanced at the time. It was already 5 PM. Standing up to take a break, she suddenly heard a commotion coming from the direction of the bookshelf.

What’s going on?

Although she hadn’t heard any cries for help, Yun Zhen quickly went over to investigate.

In the tiny world, Pei Hao had returned to the camp halfway down the mountain. He was standing just outside the makeshift gate made of toy blocks, holding a simple toolbox in one hand and a mysterious black baton in the other.

His entire demeanor was tense and alert, his expression grave.

A group of armed thugs had surrounded him, and it seemed like a standoff had just begun.

The tension between the two sides was palpable, a dangerous standoff with the odds clearly stacked against Pei Hao.

Yun Zhen counted seven thugs in total. Most of them sported identical, prison-style buzz cuts. Their faces were hardened, menacing, and they looked like escaped convicts from the post-apocalyptic world.

The leader was a muscular, bald man who looked particularly tough. He eyed Pei Hao with a sneer and nodded at one of his underlings. “Go.”

A burly man, taller than anyone else in the group by at least a head, stepped forward.

He had a rugged face and a massive build. His voice was deep and booming, like thunder. “This is a robbery! Hands up and hand over your supplies!”

The man tried to look fierce, baring his teeth and brandishing a watermelon knife with a fist the size of a sandbag. His muscular arms were twice as thick as Pei Hao’s, making him a formidable threat.

Before Pei Hao could react, the bald leader frowned and barked, “Wrong!”

The tall thug, confused, turned to look at him, his expression blank.

The bald leader didn’t speak, but a short, dark-skinned man stepped forward to explain, “You got the slogan wrong. We went over this this morning—how could you forget so quickly?”

The tall thug seemed to think back for a moment before suddenly realizing his mistake. He turned back to Pei Hao, baring his teeth again as he corrected himself, “This tree wasn’t planted by me, and this road wasn’t opened by me, but now that I’m here, you have to pay the toll! Robbery! Hand over your supplies!”

After finishing, he glanced sideways at the leader, looking a bit embarrassed.

The bald leader nodded in approval, his face filled with pride.

The tall thug, tired of baring his teeth, relaxed his expression and scratched his head. “Boss, why do we need to shout slogans for a robbery?”

The bald leader, cool and composed, didn’t bother to explain.

The short, dark-skinned man stepped in again, acting as the spokesman. “This is part of our Seven Deadly Sins Gang’s corporate culture. If we want to grow big and strong, we need to start by shouting slogans. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. If you’re a real man, don’t feel shy!”

The tall thug immediately puffed out his chest, standing up straight to prove he was indeed a real man.

The other thugs also perked up, trying to use their presence to intimidate their target.

Watching from outside the bookshelf, Yun Zhen couldn’t help but think to herself, “The times sure have changed. Even criminal gangs are focusing on corporate culture now.”

Pei Hao, surrounded by this motley crew, didn’t let his guard down for a second.

He calculated the distance between them, running through various escape scenarios in his mind.

Even though he knew he could call for help, he wasn’t sure how quickly the goddess would respond. If the thugs got close enough to hurt him, by the time the goddess arrived, he might already be dead.

In fact, he had learned some military-style self-defense techniques, but in this situation, it wasn’t wise to act rashly. The idea of single-handedly taking on multiple opponents was a myth—realistically, even a skilled fighter could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

He needed to escape first and then find a way to call for help. Using the terrain to buy time, if the goddess couldn’t get there in time, he’d have to seize a weapon and fight back.

Pei Hao subtly shifted his stance, preparing to spring into action.

The seven thugs all simultaneously turned to look at him, their movements synchronized, their gazes eerie, like zombies spotting fresh prey.

The bald leader smirked, his lips curling with disdain. “Hmph.”

The tall thug barked, “What are you moving for? You looking to die?”

The short, dark-skinned man casually flicked nonexistent bangs out of his face, his tone relaxed and confident like a cat playing with a mouse. “You’re not getting away. We’ve got people surrounding the area. Hand over your supplies and money, and I’ll make your death quick!”

At that moment, one of the younger thugs stepped forward with a suggestion, “Boss, this guy’s got smooth, fair skin. Why don’t we keep him…”

Before he could finish, the bald leader’s face twisted in anger, and he spat in the thug’s face. “Get lost!”

The short, dark-skinned man clicked his tongue, glaring at the young thug. “We, the Seven Deadly Sins Gang, have discipline and principles. We don’t do those kinds of twisted things. We stand upright and walk straight. If you’re not satisfied, you can go ahead and kill yourself.”

The young thug, thoroughly chastised, slunk back into the group, his lips trembling, too scared to protest.

He had only meant they could keep the guy around as backup food. Why did the bosses have to misunderstand him?

He was miserable, but he didn’t dare say a word.

The other thugs, seeing his fate, fell silent, too afraid to speak out of turn.

After all, their leader’s orders were the law. Whatever he said, they would do. They could figure out the rest after they’d secured the loot.

As the saying goes: “The bigger the ambition, the bigger the stage.” What kind of dream had led these thugs to come and cause trouble in her bookshelf?

Yun Zhen couldn’t stand these bizarre characters any longer. Their weirdness was almost painful to watch, and their endless chatter was irritating.

Didn’t these thugs know that villains always lose because they talk too much? What was the point of all this dialogue? Were they trying to reenact the “Six Major Sects Besieging the Bright Summit”?

Or perhaps it was more like “The Seven Deadly Sins Gang Attacks Dragon Mountain”?

Yun Zhen rolled her eyes, losing interest in this strange bunch.

She turned her attention to Pei Hao, who was poised to make his move. Her heart couldn’t help but ache for him.

Poor kid, still planning his escape route, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, yet he hadn’t begged for mercy or called for help.

Well, the task of punishing these thugs would fall to her. The little guy just needed to sit back and win.