Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey - Chapter 48: After Duel

Allison is an adventure series set in a world containing one continent (extending roughly from the Equator to 60 degrees North latitude) which is divided down the center by a towering mountain range and a huge river. The industry and technology of the world are roughly equivalent to Europe in the 1930s. Due to the geography, two cultures developed on either side of the divide, and at the time the story begins, the cultures have been at war on and off for hundreds of years. The bloodiest conflict yet began thirty-five years before the start of the story; both sides are so exhausted by the conflict that an uneasy armistice is signed after some five years of fighting. Aside from a brief conflict over the jurisdiction of the river, resulting in the formation of a buffer zone on either side, this peace has largely been unbroken. The east side of the world is known as Roxche, though formally the region’s name is the Roxcheanuk Confederation. The entire region comprises sixteen countries which all speak a common language. The west side is known as Sou Beil, though formally the region’s name is the Allied Kingdoms of Bezel Iltoa. The region comprises the two kingdoms of Bezel and Iltoa which both serve to bring together a small number of countries under a common language different than that of the eastern region. There are far more blond-haired people in the West than the East.

At the beginning of the first novel, Allison, a pilot in the Roxche Air Force, has come to visit her childhood friend Wilhelm (“Wil” for short), who has remained at school over his summer break to continue his studies. While traveling in the countryside near the school, the two encounter an old man well-known to Wil’s schoolmates as a teller of tall tales. Nevertheless, he captures their interest with his talk about a “treasure” which, if found, is said to be able to put an end to the war. No one would believe him that the war between the countries could ever end, so no one listened to him. When the old man is abducted and taken over to Sou Beil, Allison and Wil steal an airplane and chase the abductors across the river into the next region. Fortunately, the two were raised as orphans by a woman who came from the West, and thus can speak both languages.

The Fears of a Billionaire: SynopsisDominic Hayes, a self made billionaire and CEO of one of the world’s most powerful tech conglomerates, lives a life most could only dream of. From his towering penthouse in New York City, he commands vast empires of wealth and influence, controlling everything from global markets to cutting edge technologies. To the outside world, he is the embodiment of success a man who has it all.But beneath the surface, Dominic's carefully constructed world is starting to crack. When he receives a cryptic message .“I know what you did”—he is thrust into a psychological game that threatens to unravel everything he has built. The message brings back memories of Andrew Cole, a former rival whose tech startup Dominic crushed in his ruthless climb to the top. Andrew disappeared after his company was destroyed, but now, it seems, he has returned.As Dominic digs deeper into his past, he begins to uncover the possibility that Andrew Cole isn’t the only one who has a score to settle. Mysterious forces seem to be working against him, targeting not just his empire but his sanity. His corporate deals start to collapse, his closest confidants turn against him, and strange occurrences lead him to question who he can trust even his wife, Alyssa, and his most loyal employees.The deeper Dominic falls into this web of paranoia and fear, the more he realizes that the threats against him are not just external. The guilt from his past actions begins to eat away at his mind, slowly eroding the steely confidence that once defined him. The higher he climbed, the further he has to fall, and now, as his enemies close in.

Anne's life takes an unexpected twist when she meets her mate, the Alpha wolf prince Damien. Her world shatters when he rejects her, casting her out of the pack and into exile. To escape certain death, Anne flees to the human world, hiding her true nature and the secret she carries.Five years later, Anne has built a new life among humans, raising her son in peace. When Damien unexpectedly stumbles upon Anne and discovers their child, the heir to his pack, old wounds are reopened, and forgotten bonds are reignited.Damien is determined to reclaim what he lost, but Anne is no longer the same broken wolf who once loved him. She is stronger, fiercely protective, and unwilling to be hurt again. As Damien battles to win back her trust and integrate their son into his legacy, they must navigate a path of betrayal, redemption, and unknown enemies.Can Anne forgive the past and accept a future with the man who once shattered her heart? And can Damien prove he’s worthy of the mate and child he abandoned?

Li Xiandao obtained the ancient Bank of the Universe but now the bank was totally empty and had no treasures at all. The only thing it had were a bunch of debts.