I'm in Love Apartment, and the system is making me cultivate immortality.

Chapter 349 New Comic: Betting Guan Gu's Career as a Comic Artist!
[You've provided Wu Zetian with a job to make a living, and you've received the following rewards: The Self-Cultivation of a Movie Emperor, a High-Level Voice Actor Experience Pack, and one tael of merit!]

[The Self-Cultivation of a Best Actor]

[From the history of the Eastern Wilderness, the sixtieth emperor of a kingdom called 'Shadow Kingdom'! He was actually an imposter emperor who switched the crown prince with a cat, reigning for thirty years without being discovered, allowing Shadow Kingdom to revive! After learning, you will be able to adapt to more roles!]

Hu Shanxiang's favorability towards you is 37 (maximum: 50)

After careful consideration, you believe that increasing your contact with this future empress might trigger events related to the nation's destiny, which could be helpful to the increasingly unstable coastal city.

Gu Yifan: System, you're a genius!

The movie star is the emperor of the movie kingdom, right?

This is absolutely brilliant!

3602, living room.

Gu Yifan pushed open the door and walked in.

They discovered that Ziqiao, Meijia, and Guangu were playing Dou Dizhu (a card game).

To be precise, it was a deck of cards created by Ziqiao himself.

Gu Yifan was taken aback when he saw Guan Gu.

Unexpectedly, Guan Gu came out of the art studio.

For the past few days, the two have been in a state of bickering over 'a trivial matter'.

It's a long story.

"Look who's here, caught slacking off." Gu Yifan had been quietly walking around behind the sofa before suddenly speaking.

“Smith Marseille, it’s not what you think. I wasn’t slacking off; I was just looking for inspiration.”

Guan Gu, who had been caught in the act, was laughing heartily, calling himself the God of Gamblers.

The next second he was startled and subconsciously stood up, bowed and explained.

A set of movements flows smoothly.

Once he realized it was Gu Yifan, Guan Gu sat down again and stiffly turned his head away.

"You're making fun of me again."

Because his manga volume failed, Guan Gu was forced to work for Gu Yifan.

But he was used to living alone in the apartment and didn't quite get used to the habits of the company's artists.

"Guan Gu: They all like to make fun of my accent! And they even touch me inappropriately."

After all, Guan Gu looks like a character from The Prince of Tennis, and the company is full of manga fans.

So Guan Gu was surrounded by people like a giant panda, which made him very uncomfortable.

Gu Yifan simply let Guan Gu stay in the apartment and continue drawing.

They also provided him with some ideas.

As a result, these 'thoughts' led to several arguments between the two.

Guan Gu felt that Gu Yifan was making fun of him, disrespecting him, and even more so, disrespecting the comics.

Gu Yifan felt it was necessary to resolve this matter completely today!

"Guan Gu, how's the comic draft I gave you coming along?"

Gu Yifan thought for a moment and then sat down next to Guan Gu to ask.

Wanyu shared the steaming hot soup dumplings she brought back with Meijia.

"Hiss, it's so hot!" Ziqiao couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks, grab a soup dumpling, and stuff it into his mouth. The next second, he grimaced from the heat.

"Serves you right." Meijia laughed loudly. "Even a fool knows to blow on it before eating."

Ziqiao gulped down half a bottle of beer and snorted sullenly.

next to.

"Oh, you mean that cartoon you drew that looks like a child's scribble?" Guan Gu's tone became sharp when he mentioned this.

That's right, that's the attitude!

That's what caused the argument between the two.

Gu Yifan suppressed his twitching eyes: "I admit it was just a quick sketch, but it's not exactly childish doodles."

He respects the original author; after all, that's just how the original author's art style is.

Guan Gu shook his head, his tone still stiff, "Compared to your previous drafts, it's no different from doodles."

"What are you talking about? Hurry up and eat, it won't taste good if it gets cold," Meijia urged the two.

"No, I want everyone to give their opinions."

Guan Gu clearly seized the opportunity to complain, then turned around and went back to his room to get his artwork.

"What's going on? Why are you picking a fight with Guan Gu?"

Lin Wanyu carefully picked up a soup dumpling with her chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and brought it to Gu Yifan's mouth while asking in a low voice.

This was the first time she had ever seen Guan Gu so serious.

Ziqiao and Meijia also perked up their ears.

"Thank you, darling." Gu Yifan took a bite, sucked the hot soup, and then swallowed the deflated soup dumpling in one gulp.

Ignoring Ziqiao and Meijia's simultaneous "Tch~"

Gu Yifan replied vaguely, "It's a long story, because of the comic manuscript I showed you last time."

Lin Wanyu blinked, then suddenly remembered something, clapped her hands, and said with a grin, "Oh, you mean that bald Superman!"

"It's One-Punch Man, okay?" Gu Yifan's forehead creased with annoyance.

“But I think Bald Superman is more fitting.” Lin Wanyu chuckled, clearly recalling Gu Yifan’s elementary school-style drawing.

"You two got into a fight just because of this?"

"It's not an argument, it's just that we each have our own opinions!" Gu Yifan said, shaking his head.

"What One-Punch Man?" Ziqiao asked curiously. This time he was smarter. He took a small bite first, sucked out the soup, and then ate the bun.

At that moment, Guan Gu returned.

He showed the draft he had drawn, along with the sketch Gu Yifan had given him.

Everyone crowded closer to take a look and fell silent.

Mika chuckled, "Wow, is this some elementary school student's homework?"

Gu Yifan: "."

Meijia asked in surprise, "No way, you drew this, Yifan?"

Gu Yifan's manuscript looked like a comic strip drawn by an elementary school student.

The drawing skills cannot be described as minimalist, but they are practically nonexistent.

"Even a child in a Japanese kindergarten could probably draw better than this." Guan Gu was gradually revealing his sharp-tongued nature, taking the opportunity to vent his dissatisfaction over the past few days with his hands on his hips.

Gu Yifan didn't back down either, rolling his eyes and saying matter-of-factly.

"What matters is not the drawing skills, but the content!"

"It's like reading a novel. The writing style is secondary, it's just icing on the cake, but the important thing is that the story is good!"

Guan Gu looked conflicted. "I understand, but it's really painful to watch. Why can't you just draw properly, Yi Fan?"

Gu Yifan thought to himself, "I can't exactly say it's based on the original author, can I?"

Gu Yifan shrugged. "Because I don't have time."

Guan Gu's eyes widened. "So, Yi Fan, you've already started to just brush me off?"

"We cartoonists should treat our comics like our own children. Do you just see them as a tool to make money?"

The two started arguing.

Ziqiao and Meijia exchanged a glance.

'I think they're the more like a couple.'

'+1'

After exchanging glances, the two stepped forward to act as peacemakers.

"Stop arguing, it's no big deal." Ziqiao stepped forward and pulled Guangu away to prevent his spittle from flying into the lunchbox and contaminating the soup dumplings.

"Guan Gu, let me ask you this: if Yi Fan handles everything, how will your value be demonstrated?"

Meijia then advised Gu Yifan, "Guan Gu is actually right. I'm not saying you're bad, but this draft does look a bit perfunctory."

Gu Yifan shrugged, sticking to his own opinion.

"My output is content; if I were to prioritize quality as well, it would only slow down my creative process!"

"This isn't about prioritizing quality; it's about having absolutely no quality!" Guan Gu shouted.

The two glanced at each other.

I can't stand the sight of it.

"Humph!"

"Cut~"

At the same time, he turned his head away.

Lu Ziqiao took the opportunity to glance at Gu Yifan's 'masterpiece', but couldn't bear to look at it anymore, so he turned to look at Guan Gu's.

As he looked at it, Lü Ziqiao's eyes lit up. "It seems to be drawn quite well."

"Don't touch my draft with your dirty hands!" Guan Gu roared deafeningly.

Lu Ziqiao immediately withdrew his hand.

"Is this the University of Tokyo version of Superman?" Mika put down her chopsticks, picked up the draft, flipped through it, and asked curiously.

“That’s right.” Gu Yifan nodded. “It specifically takes place in a fictional hybrid world.”

"Then why is the main character bald? Guan Gu's characters are so handsome, it's so ugly with that big light bulb on his head," Mika said regretfully.

As someone who's obsessed with looks, she simply can't stand this kind of behavior.

"This involves the setting of the comic," Gu Yifan explained casually. "But to put it bluntly, it's a way to attract the audience's attention. The protagonist, after all, has to have some extraordinary aspects."

Meijia suddenly realized what was going on and continued reading, but as she read, she became quite engrossed.

It is short and concise, highlighting a devastating violence, and the beginning is indeed quite captivating.

Seeing that Guan Gu was still unconvinced, Gu Yifan said with a half-smile, "Guan Gu, don't be unconvinced."

"Even without you, I can still attract people by having my senior brother or any other cartoonist do some retouching. Do you admit that?"

Guan Gu wanted to refute, but after thinking about it, he found himself unable to do so.

"Yes, I admit it, but I can also say for sure that no one will read a draft like this!"

"That's not necessarily true," Gu Yifan said, seizing the opportunity.

"How about we make a bet?"

"What?" Guan Gu asked.

"It's very simple, just put both your manuscript and my manuscript in the living room."

"That won't do! What if someone like Ziqiao uses it to line plates or wrap fried dough sticks?" Guan Gu valued the manuscript as much as his own life.

Gu Yifan frowned. "Let me finish speaking first."

"When Yifei and Zhanbo come back and see your work, will they be unable to accept my art style and choose to wait for you to paint, or will they continue to look at my drafts?"

Gu Yifan pointed to the draft on the table. Although his drawing style was abstract, he was fast.

He drew about five chapters on a whim in just two or three hours.

Guan Gu only drew a little over one chapter, less than twenty pages, and it took him more than half a month to finish it.

Upon hearing this, Guan Gu immediately nodded, "Alright then, what should we bet on?"

"Guan Gu: After Yi Fei and the others finish reading my comics, they definitely won't be able to get into his 'comic strips'! I swear on my reputation as a true cartoonist!"

“If you win, then I’ll admit you’re right. Change this style and try to make the manuscript as perfect as possible,” Gu Yifan said immediately.

"What if I win?"

Guan Gu, his neck stiff with arrogance, declared, "Impossible! I'll bet my entire career as a comic artist! This time, I cannot afford to lose!!!"

Gu Yifan: What's with this sudden surge of passion?

"What if I win?"

"Then I'll stop complaining, stop this elementary school style! I'll admit that the content of the work is more important than the quality! I'll admit that I'm not as good as you!" Guan Gu said indignantly.

"Deal. If you complain again, I'll deduct 100 from your salary for each complaint." Gu Yifan immediately clapped his hands.

"Ziqiao and Meijia are witnesses!"

Ziqiao and Meijia, always eager for a good show, immediately raised their hands.

"First, never act on impulse!"

"Second, never miss a single bad thing!"

"Thirdly, absolute refereeing, fair and just!"

"Referee Meijia (Ziqiao) has come to pay her respects!"

"I hereby declare the bet settled!"

Guan Gu had nothing to say, and angrily turned around and went back to his room.

I will absolutely not step out of the room again until the results are in.

"Tch, childish," Gu Yifan muttered.

Miss Lin chuckled.

Haha, Gu Yifan still has the nerve to talk about Guan Gu.

They both seemed like children who hadn't grown up.

Gu Yifan did this not only to prove himself, but also because if he didn't, Guan Gu's seriousness would lead to arguments with him that would continue until next year.

Being meticulous can be a good thing sometimes, but being too meticulous is not good. Guan Gu belongs to the type who is too meticulous.

Gu Yifan gave him the drawing draft more than half a month ago, and he has only managed to draw one chapter.

If this were an original work, it would be fine, but this is heavily edited, so it's taking too long.

It's because Guan Gu always gets caught up in small problems that he gets stuck in a vicious cycle.

Gu Yifan wanted to tell Guan Gu that he should stop getting hung up on those details; people who are obsessed with logic and details are always a minority.

Such indecisiveness will only lead to internal friction.

"But what about the leftover soup dumplings? They won't taste good if they get cold," Lin Wanyu asked, raising her hand.

Gu Yifan hesitated for a moment.

Walk up to the gate of Guangu and knock on the door.

"Sekiya?"

"Crack!"

Gu Yifan pushed open the door.

Guan Gu was kneeling on the ground, now dressed in a white samurai outfit, holding an unsharpened katana against his stomach.
"Don't worry about me! I won't make a move until the results are in."

"Once the results come out, I'll commit seppuku to prove my innocence!" Guan Gu said indignantly.

Gu Yifan: "."

"How about we save this game? You can finish eating the soup dumplings before you commit seppuku?"

Faced with Gu Yifan's ambiguous smile, Guan Gu was about to refuse outright, but then he smelled the rich aroma of the soup dumplings and couldn't help but swallow.

"Shall we save this first?" Guan Gu asked tentatively.

"Okay, let me save this first," Gu Yifan said with a smile.

After a while.

"Oh, Yifan-kun, you've come at the right time. I still have a lot of questions I'd like to ask you about the One-Punch Man manga."

Guan Gu leaped up, threw his katana at his feet, and excitedly pulled out his notebook to ask a question.

"First, Saitama is Japanese, right? Second, is Saitama also a weirdo? Third, Saitama's parents?"

Gu Yifan: "Brother Guan Gu, those are very good questions, but... I think we should go eat some soup dumplings first?"

"Of course, Yifan-jun, how did you know I wanted to eat soup dumplings? You really are the man in the apartment who understands me the most."

Outside.

Everyone who witnessed this scene was somewhat taken aback.

"Can arguments be saved?"

"Cartoonists are all eccentrics after all."

"Wanyu, Gu Yifan is so childish, you must be having a hard time."

"Hehe, actually it can be quite fun sometimes~"

As Lin Wanyu spoke, she took out her phone and snapped photos of Guan Gu's image.

evening.

Zhanbo returned to 3602 and found that one of the living room lights was on, facing the coffee table, and the room seemed to be empty.

A faint aroma of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) lingered in the air.

"Zi Qiao? Guangu? Meijia."

Zhanbo put down his bag and walked over. "You didn't even spare me a single thing! What is this?"

Zhanbo was drawn to a sign made from a cardboard box on the coffee table.

"No clutter on the coffee table. Finish reading the comic."

Zhanbo flipped the page, then suddenly realized what he was reading and continued, "Please return to your place?"

"Where are the comics? There are more than just two plastic covers."

Zhanbo hesitated before removing the plastic cover from the coffee table.

Below was a stack of comic book manuscripts.

"Oh? Is this Guan Gu's new comic?" Zhanbo turned on the living room light, then sat down and picked up the manuscript to look through it.

"Guan Gu, if you're going to show off, just show off, why make it so mysterious? Oh well, it's fine to take a look."

Zhanbo muttered to himself, captivated by the scene of the city's destruction right at the beginning.

Immersed in the comics.

Wow! Cool!

Zhanbo finished watching the first episode in less than five minutes.

But I still felt like I hadn't had enough.

Especially the ending of the comic.

The moment when the vaccine man, who had so ruthlessly destroyed an entire city, extended his terrifying claws to the little girl.

Zhanbo's mood was also gripped.

I can't wait to continue watching.

But then the scene reversed back to the very beginning.

"That's all?"

Zhanbo was immediately annoyed.

How could it disappear at the most crucial moment? This is simply... utterly unforgivable suspense!!!

Zhanbo couldn't wait to get up, grab the sketches, and head to Guan Gu's room to check; there were definitely more.

But just as he got up, he inadvertently noticed another plastic cover.

"Could the rest of the story be coming up here?"

With this expectation in mind, Zhanbo sat down again and eagerly lifted the lid.

I was stunned when I saw the bizarre and absurd art style at the beginning.

"Eh?"

"Was this also drawn by Guan Gu?"

The balcony of apartment 3601 next door.

The lights were all turned off.

Gu Yifan and Guan Gu each held a pair of binoculars, staring intently at Zhanbo, who was sitting on the sofa in 3602.

Seeing him get up so eagerly, as if he had made up his mind, Guan Gu almost shouted out in excitement.

Fortunately, Mika patted Guan Gu from behind, preventing him from being exposed.

But then, Guan Gu's good mood plummeted again, as Zhan Bo actually sat down again.

He sat down!

Guan Gu's eyes widened.

"No, this shouldn't be happening! Don't sit down, go find me in my room, you bastard!!!"

Amidst Guan Gu's despairing gaze, Zhan Bo picked up Gu Yifan's stack of comics.

Guan Gu comforted himself.

It's okay. With such a clear contrast, Zhanbo definitely won't be able to stand reading that elementary school-level comic book anymore.

After all, who could stomach a simple roadside ramen after enjoying a high-end, delicious meal?

The facts were just as Guan Gu had imagined.

Zhanbo frowned, hesitated, and then put down Gu Yifan's manuscript.

Yes! That's right! That's exactly it! Well done, Zhanbo.

Guan Gule's teeth are sticking out.

Gu Yifan, however, disagreed.

Let the bullets fly a little longer.
Zhanbo was clearly conflicted. He hesitated, raising his hand, then lowering it, then raising it again.

Guan Gu's eyes widened, his heart rising and falling with each step.

at last.
"No, Zhanbo, you can't! You can't do this! Stop it!!!"

Despite Guan Gu's intense anger, Zhan Bo finally made the resolute decision to pick up Gu Yifan's manuscript.

Looked up
Gu Yifan closed his eyes and put down the binoculars.

Excuse me.

I'm going to win!
(End of this chapter)