Jiang Churong had transmigrated into a book as a s*upid and poisonous cannon fodder who looked eerily similar to the protagonist, Gu Mingxiao. ... more>>

Gu Mingxiao was born with an innate talent for swordsmanship, and looked cold and transcendent, as unattainable as the silver moon in the sky. The cannon fodder had little talent and a despicable temperament. All he could do was rely on his similarity to Gu Mingxiao, beg for mercy amongst Gu Mingxiao’s suitors, and eventually become jealous of Gu Mingxiao to the point of almost going crazy.

When Jiang Churong transmigrated, the original owner had just slandered Gu Mingxiao and was sent to the Forbidden Forest by the sect leader. There, he was deceived by the future main villain and turned into a blood sacrifice. At that moment Jiang Churong, who had accidentally released the first seal, freeing the villain, took his last breath after having his blood drained to break the remaining barriers.

Jiang Churong didn’t panic. Instead, he bit the tip of his tongue, spat out blood, kissed the villain’s lips, and smiled. “I know you lied to me, but I fell in love with you from the moment I first saw you. As long as I’m alive, I will not let you die.”

In the twisted and complicated gaze of the villain, Jiang Churong, who had formed a life-and-death contract with him, pushed him and said, “Let’s go.”

------

As Jiang Churong expected, the villain kidnapped him that night. 

The villain was still just a young man with a sinister and indifferent expression. He grasped Jiang Churong’s slender neck and said, “I know you’re just playing hard to get, but for the sake of our life-and-death contract, you better behave.”

In his heart, Jiang Churong was laughing, but on the outside he said in a joyful tone, “Of course, of course, I’ll listen to you.”

Later, Jiang Churong and the main villain went through life and death situations together, and became an odd pair that terrified everyone in the cultivation world. The two of them turned the world of cultivation on its head.

During this time, Gu Mingxiao became known as the Venerable Mingxiao.

One day, Jiang Churong and the main villain were accidentally besieged by the forces of decency. Gu Mingxiao descended from the sky, dressed in white, and pressed the tip of his sword to Jiang Churong’s collarbone. 

There was blood on Jiang Churong’s lips as he raised his head and smiled lightly. “Eldest senior brother, I hope you’ve been well.”

Gu Mingxiao said expressionlessly, "Wen Ling is dead."

Jiang Churong raised his eyebrows. "Is it alright for the Venerable Mingxiao to lie?”

Under the watchful eye of the cultivation world, Gu Mingxiao took Jiang Churong away.

------

Jiang Churong was imprisoned in an underground palace. He was very calm, spending his days thinking about nothing but escape. He refused to believe that Wen Ling would die like that.

That night, Gu Mingxiao came to visit and their eyes met. Jiang Churong looked away lightly, not in the mood to quarrel with Gu Mingxiao again. But in the next second, Gu Mingxiao suddenly grabbed his chin and kissed him hard!

At first Jiang Churong was shocked, but then his shock turned to surprise as he felt a familiar aura. He thought ecstatically, ‘Husband, you’re amazing!’

But why hadn’t he known that Wen Ling liked to cosplay?

------

Wen Ling was the inner demon that Gu Mingxiao had separated from himself using forbidden methods when he was young, in order to obtain the Dao. He was the dark side of Gu Mingxiao’s heart.

Jiang Churong was the bastard that Gu Mingxiao despised most in the world. He used his face, which was so similar to Gu Mingxiao’s own, to do lowly and despicable things.

Gu Mingxiao never expected that person and his inner demon would come together. 

But when he saw Jiang Churong smiling and confessing to the demon he had abandoned through the eyes of that very demon, he couldn’t help but be moved…

Everyone loved the bright and graceful Venerable Mingxiao, but no one knew that there was a dark hole in Gu Mingxiao's heart that no light could penetrate.

Later, Gu Mingxiao found Jiang Churong and thought, ‘If he could love my inner demon, couldn’t he also love me?’

Scheming Beauty Shou × White On The Outside But Black On The Inside, Strategic Gong <<less

With the advancement of science, human life has changed dramatically.... more>>

And such changes have also affected not only humans but also 'non-human beings'.

"Hello, this is Vampi the vampire. I mainly play horror games on weekdays. On weekends, I do casual broadcasts and chat with viewers who volunteer for blood donations."

Siwol is a half-vampire who has lived for hundreds of years.

A 21st-century customized streamer vampire who pretends to be a vampire and streams horror games, sustaining his life by receiving blood donations from volunteers.

"Your precious blood saves a poor unfortunate vampire! I usually only accept volunteers via email, but today I will accept volunteers through chat as well. Why? Because I'm really thirsty...."

Then one day. To Siwol, who hadn't drunk blood in a long time and was starving.

[Thank you, 'Hunter', for donating 100,000 won!

I would like to volunteer for blood donation.]

[Thank you, 'Hunter', for donating 1,000,000 won!

I have to leave Korea soon. I think this is my last chance, so I ask you.]

[Thank you, 'Hunter', for donating 5,000,000 won!

Is it really not possible?]

"Yes..... you can come. I mean, please come."

A viewer with a nickname he has never seen before generously donates and volunteers for blood donation, and Siwol, who is blinded by blood rather than money, readily invites him to his home.

But why does this 'Hunter'-nim seem suspicious?

"You can't give me your autograph?"

"Cough, cough! ..... Y-You want my autograph?"

"That's what I came here for."

"Ah....., haha. I-I see."

Siwol is uncontrollably swayed by his assertiveness.

The viewer with the nickname 'Hunter' makes a dangerous proposition to Siwol.....

"Suck."

..... This viewer, who on earth is he? <<less

[All content is fictional, everything is set up, it's imaginary, please don't take it seriously!]... more>>

Master said Jian Xi was born to make a living out of metaphysics!

She has two of the five flaws and three deficiencies!

Widowed, orphaned, lonely and disabled, she got orphan!

That's right, she's an orphan who was picked up!

Of the three deficiencies she got no money!

That's right, she can't save money, nor have money!

Just as Master was about to pass away, he put the Taoist temple in her name, but it went bankrupt in less than a month!

Luckily she has a brother who, though not related by blood, cares for her like one... So she could only go find him first!

So she decisively packed up and went down the mountain to find her brother!

*

He Qingchen, the person in charge of the He Group, acts recklessly with an unpredictable personality. One second he could be laughing with you, the next he might send you to the King of Hell!

He doesn't seem to care much about anything.

Oh no, there is one thing he cares about - the Five Emperors coin he wears around his neck!

*

Ever since Jian Xi rushed into He Qingchen's arms and called him brother at the He Group reception, rumors spread throughout B City that He Qingchen has a sister!

More importantly, this sister of his can read faces, see one's life with a glance, and determine life and death with a word. Many big shots competed to ask her for a reading!

But soon after, He Qingchen put out the word: "Those who want to seek my wife's service, please hold off for now. She's pregnant and can't be too overworked!"

Everyone was confused. Wasn't she his sister? <<less

Every mu*der has its own reasons behind it.... more>>

With the help of criminal investigation, we can restore the killer’s appearance, predict their psychology and unravel the truth.

Captain Song Wen of the Criminal Investigation Department has repeatedly solved strange cases using his masterful ability to simulate criminal portraits down to the last detail. With the arrival of the blooming season, the South City Bureau welcomed a new trainee police officer, Lu Siyu, a taciturn officer who is always able to uncover the truth. And behind him there are also hidden secrets….

Song Wen: Where did this rich second-generation newcomer come from?? No, no need! It hasn’t been seven days. I want to return the goods. There’s no reason.*

A week later — The report written by Lu Siyu is good. The food cooked by Lu Siyu is also good. Ah Lu Siyu, you can also solve the cases so quickly (^o^)

Six months later — Wife, whatever you say is right ヽ(^o^)丿

Even Song Wen couldn’t escape the law of true fragrance*.

Powerful Wolf Dog Chief Gong × Beautiful Yet Cruel, Cold-blooded Pe*vert

The new book “Criminal Investigation Notes” is here for collection.

The process of solving cases becomes refreshing and sweet when emotions come into the picture

Notes :
1. Taobao, which allows customers to return any product within 7 days. No reasons asked! (七天无理由退换)
2. The popular Internet term zhēn xiāng or “true fragrance” is mainly used to ridicule the contradictory behavior of a person who is dead against doing something, but later on falls in love with the same thing and turns back to slap their own face. <<less

I became the Scion of the Labyrinth City from the Gacha game I play—the character who’s fated for downfall in the main story. “I'll crush... more>> the heads of those who oppose my policies with my war hammer.” <<less

When I saw the princess who was unfairly exiled, I remembered my younger sister. I felt sorry for her and took care of her……... more>>

“Thanks to you, I wasn’t lonely at all in exile.”

The princess’ older brother rebelled and became the Emperor! Naturally, the exile of the princess ended.

“You saved my life last time, so you are my lifesaver. Come with me to the Imperial Palace.”

Eventually, I went to the Imperial Palace with her and met the Emperor……

“……Jerald?”

Wait, why is my ex here? <<less

Four days ago, the evil god left the 《Unlimited Ghost Game》 and became the first player to ever leave the system.... more>>

Four days later, Su Li woke up in the real world, from an evil god feared by all ghosts, to a miserable social animal with a crippling debt.

Su Li, whose goal in life is to be a rich salted fish who can eat and sleep like a fool: “…”

*

Su Li began working at the Supernatural Section of the Bureau of Investigations as a delicate, weak, and timid intern.

A colleague of the Supernatural Team: “Damn, you’re so weak. Rest assured, the task of catching ghosts will never fall on you.”

Su Li: “Thank you; I’ll be relying on you then.”

Su Li quickly slipped away from the scene, but when he turned around, all of his teammates were eaten up by ghosts.

The malicious spirit proudly said, “Don’t worry, you’re next.”

Su Li: “…”

There was no choice; he could only roll up his sleeves and fight back.

While fighting, Su Li noticed something wrong. Why were all these powerful ghosts his old acquaintances from the game?

Those ghostly acquaintances were angry. “That dogsh*t system! Is this what you mean by an ordinary person deprived of power? Look at him beating me up, my head has been ripped off wuwuwu!!!”

Su Li slowly tidied up his sleeves and raised the corners of his lips, revealing an extremely gentle smile: “Going back on one’s words, system, you’re really… looking for death.”

**

He Duo, the new head of the He family.

It’s said that this person was neither a human nor a ghost. Not only does he have a venomous personality, but he also acts extremely crazily. In front of him, people would respectfully refer to him as He-shao, but behind his back, they would refer to him as the mad dog.

Then one day, he found out that he had a fiancé named Su Li.

He Duo’s lips raised slightly as he smiled as lightly ordered his subordinates: “Then just peel off his skin.”

*

Afterwards——

Su Li sat on a soft sofa, stepping on He Duo’s knee as he spoke, “If you want to stay by my side, that’s fine. But, are you obedient enough?”

*

“I love you.”

“I love you too, little puppy.” <<less

“Run away from that scoundrel, Miss New Bride.”... more>>

On the day of the wedding, a man who came as a guest gave her advice.

I should have listened to those words. But foolishly, I did not.

I sacrificed everything for my ex-husband.

But he threw me away like a used rag in front of his new lover adorned with flowers.

Having obtained a new life in the face of death, I firmly resolved to destroy those wicked people by any means necessary.

* * *

“You only come to me on sleepless nights.”

Seated in the bedroom, the man who welcomed her smirked. He acted as if he knew it would happen.

“You’re a woman who requires a lot of attention.”

As he rose from the bed, the sheet covering him fell off. The moonlight subtly shone on his firm body.

“Come here.”

The man with beastly eyes reached out his hand.

“I’ll make you forget about your ex-husband.”

A sly smile appeared on his face as he slowly l**ked his red lips. <<less

Li Zhizhi was taken back to the capital at the age of fifteen to recognize her ancestral roots. As the true eldest daughter of the Li family, she should have been cherished. However, everyone preferred Li Suwan, who was knowledgeable, polite, and clever. As for Li Zhizhi, she grew up in a remote and impoverished village, ignorant of the ways of the world, and her name even carried a sense of disdain.... more>>

One night, Li Zhizhi had a dream in which she returned to the Li family in her previous life and desperately competed with Li Suwan for favor. She studied diligently, excelling in literature, music, painting, and etiquette, surpassing Li Suwan in every aspect. But on that day, while everyone comforted Li Suwan, Li Zhizhi was still the one who was despised.

When she woke up, Li Zhizhi went to see her father, her eyes red, and said, “Father, please send me back to the countryside. As soon as I returned to the mansion, my sister’s health deteriorated. It must be because I have an unlucky fate that has harmed her.”

Li Zhizhi’s father was taken aback and said, “Why do you say such things? Suwan is just sick. She will recover after seeing the doctor.”

Sure enough, a few days later, Li Suwan’s illness improved.

With her skill in brewing green tea, Li Zhizhi’s days in the mansion became much better. Until one day, she met the Crown Prince, Xiao Yan, who saw through her tricks at first sight. Upon their first meeting, Xiao Yan believed that Li Zhizhi had ulterior motives and refused to give her the opportunity to use him. He watched as Li Zhizhi pretended to be obedient and innocent, clinging to the thighs of various influential figures, prospering in the capital. The Empress treated her as an adopted daughter, noble ladies treated her as a sister, the favored concubines in the palace regarded her as a close friend, and she even received the title of a county princess. Countless men who were attracted to her couldn’t be counted with just one hand. Even his own younger sister called out for Li Zhizhi to be her sister every day.

Xiao Yan waited and waited, but Li Zhizhi never sought his support. Unable to bear it any longer, he finally asked her, “Do you want to become the Crown Princess?”

Li Zhizhi didn’t want to. <<less

Su Yue, a heavyweight in the assassin world, was reborn as a newborn baby girl.... more>>

She thought she would leisurely live this life by eating, drinking, cultivating medicinal herbs, and playing with venomous insects... leading a carefree existence.

However, her master expelled her from the mountain.

Her eldest martial brother is the prince of another country, her second martial brother is the leader of the martial arts alliance, her third martial brother is a divine physician, and her fourth martial brother... well, let's ignore him.

The emperor is her father, her brother is the prince, the national commander-in-chief is her maternal grandfather, and she has three uncles. She thought she could comfortably lead an idle life, but who knew... <<less

Interview with the protagonist:... more>>

Q1: What is your secret to becoming the ace of the Black Organization?

Jiang Xia: “Take Conan to the target’s house for a stroll.”

Q2: What’s the secret of your repeated recovery of the treasures stolen by Kidd?

Jiang Xia: “His accomplice was my vest.”

Interview with the detectives of Conan World:

Q1: How do you view Jiang Xia?

Detectives: “Except for solving the case too quickly + being difficult to hold back, there are no other shortcomings.”

Q2: Everyone is a detective. Why not join forces with Jiang Xia to fight against the Black Organization?

Detectives (hurriedly wave their hands): “No no no, can’t tell him that the darkness is too heavy for him.” <<less

Ten Years of Marriage!... more>>

An'nuo thought she had married the perfect man.

Little did she know, this man would lead her to her death!

He used the guise of marriage to deceive her feelings, calculate her assets, and even wipe out the entire An family, all to win the smile of his true love.

A premeditated mu*der let her reincarnate ten years prior.

This life, she will definitely make him bankrupt and disgraced, make his family disappear without a trace, make all associated with harming her die a terrible death. For this, the first thing she did after reincarnating was rejecting the scumbag and resolutely marrying the business tycoon who was her nemesis in her past life, someone she shouldn't have provoked in this one!

She thought their marriage was one of convenience, she didn't expect to be spoiled rotten after the wedding. <<less

It’s said that the human world’s emperor is muddle-headed, so I decided to go to the mortal world and teach the bullied prince and support him onto the throne, to bring peace to the land.... more>>

The process was difficult, but I succeeded.

10 years later, when the young emperor was enthroned, black clouds covered the sky and tribulation lightning rumbled.

I stood outside the throne room and distantly gave him one last look.

He didn’t know what was happening outside and smiled at me, his pitch-black eyes were filled with a thousand words.

Then, I turned around and ascended.

I didn’t even give him a proper goodbye.

When I opened my eyes, it wasn’t the Heavens.

I blankly lay on the carpet of the imperial study room, and the eunuch beside me was submissively introducing, “Your Majesty, this is the remarkable beauty Prince Jin is giving as a tribute.”

From above came a familiar yet cold voice, “Prince Jin has spared no effort. Pity, that what We hate the most in this life is other people looking like… that person.” <<less

I am a demon who has infiltrated the empire under the orders of the demon king and pretended to be a saint.... more>>

But today, news came that the Demon King was killed by the warrior party. <<less

“Me, Ain’t I seen as a villain even by regular folks?”... more>>

It’s been about a year since the sudden appearance of the monsters, the enemies of humanity. Katsuki Homura, who had wandered into a research facility and stolen a combat suit, operated in the shadows as the “Black Knight.” He fought off the monsters that came after him and occasionally rescued people under attack by these monsters.

However, he was ultimately a criminal who used the stolen combat suit to wreak havoc in the city during battles with monsters. His envisioned fate as the Black Knight was to be defeated by the “Justice Crusader” and meet his end. But for some reason, he was invited to join the Justice Crusader?! In reality, in the eyes of the public, the Black Knight was a popular figure as a dark hero, and shocking truths were revealed!? What will be the fate of the Black Knight? This is a comedic tale of a misunderstood dark hero who sees himself as a villain and the chaotic events that follow, fueled by his enthusiastic fans! <<less

Living in Ataraxia, a world of swords and magic, a reincarnated individual decided to make a living out of streaming.... more>>

Living in a world where such a thing did not exist despite the many forms of entertainment, he quickly made a name for himself.

This is not the tale of just a streamer... but of a boy who becomes a legend as a haishinsha. <<less

Ralphene, who grew up in the countryside due to some circumstances, went to the capital to get married to Cermiane, a poor knight who fell in love with her at first sight. This was the beginning of Ralphene’s hectic life.... more>>

This is the biography of the lady who was later known as the “Extraordinary Empress”. <<less

I was the reason my idol cancelled her stream…?

Ji Mian was forced out of the family after his mother passed away and his father got married to someone else. He was attacked while traveling and suffered major injuries when he crashed into a Desolate Star.... more>>

He thought he would die on this Desolate Star, but he didn’t expect to wake up again covered with clean bedding and the smell of a hot meal permeating the humble house.

Ji Mian tilted his head, not far from him a handsome young Alpha was bent over, silently cooking soup. The Alpha’s name was Chu Shiye, with the lowest level E-Class Attack Power, which in the Capital Star, is regarded as a waste existence.

But his eyes were clean and pure, the pair of deep black eyes quietly looked at Ji Mian, as if Ji Mian was his whole world. So Ji Mian thought to himself that it would be good to stay here.

However, the good times did not last long when the Desolate Star was suddenly attacked and Ji Mian was separated from Chu Shiye in the chaos, being forcibly brought back to the Capital Star by his own family.

The Ji family locked him up for several days and then forced him to marry a person from another rich family. At the engagement party, Ji Mian was about to escape, but unexpectedly a shocking change occurred.

An army barged into the engagement venue, led by a young Alpha in uniform, with a frosty face, he walked straight towards Ji Mian.

“A-Mian.”

Chu Shiye trapped Ji Mian in his arms, his eyes flushed red, and fondly rubbed against the corner of his Omega’s forehead a few times, then said in a dumb voice.

“Finally, I found you.” <<less

Cha Ui-jae, a hunter assigned to repair a rift in the West Sea, was thrown out when the rift closed abruptly. He then wakes up in a garbage dump.... more>>

Extremely hungry and in a zombie-like state, he’s drawn to a hangover soup restaurant, where he realizes that he has fallen eight years into the future.

In this era, an emergency alert tells you when and where a gate will open, ASMR videos of dungeon slimes go viral, and a leisurely hunter broadcasts an unboxing of an A-class longsword.

Unlike the past, where everyone feared the arrival of the end of the world, the future was peaceful. Ui-jae felt empty. Now, instead of being a hunter, he is going to start the second act of his life as a part-timer at a hangover soup restaurant?!

“Strange.”

“…….”

“Where have we met before?”

As the only part-time worker at a decades-old hangover soup restaurant, Cha Ui-jae’s plans to spend the rest of his life quietly go awry when he encounters a mysterious ‘gas mask’… <<less

Marie, a useless maid who had always been bullied for being not good at anything, experienced something incredible. ... more>>

“I want to pray for you. Is there anything you wish of?”

A miracle came to Marie, after caring for a dying prisoner.

“I want to be a capable person.”

From that day on, she began to have mysterious dreams!

Perfect maid! The best sculptor! Genius Musician!

Through dreaming, she acquires the abilities of the person she’s dreaming of! The story of the maid Marie, who is a capable maid, starts now. <<less

“Do as I say if you value your mother’s life.”... more>>

Erica was the nanny’s daughter and was forced to get married in place of the lady she served. Even the groom-to-be was the prince of the evil Archleiff Dukedom.

‘What if I am hated there, too?’

I’m dead meat if I get caught!

Even if it was frightening, Erica was prepared to put up with all forms of prejudice, mistreatment, and bullying in order to see the day when she would be reunited with her mother. But contrary to her expectation, the life of a fake bride turned out to be sweet, after all…?

“I take back what I said that you should live here like a mouse. Do whatever you want. Do as you like to your heart’s content.”

Erica tries hard not to forget that this marriage was bound to end someday, but it wasn’t easy at all. “Didn’t we agree to divorce once I become an adult?”

“That’s right. And at that time, I didn’t give you an answer.”

Unlike his gentle smile, her husband’s eyes flickered like a wildfire.

“Erica, if you ever have any place to go, shouldn’t it only be next to me?”

Will Erica be able to live the modest life she had always wanted without ever being discovered as a fake bride? <<less

When a boy coincidentally fell into a dimension hole, what awaited him was a world of sword and magic.... more>>

Two years of tragedies, wars, and schemes, passed until he was finally able to return to Earth.

But when he came back, the world was no longer the same.

A new world with advanced technology, Garesto, was now trading with Earth, leading to a complete overhaul of Earth’s technology.

In the long years that have passed and the great changes that have occurred, his family was not left untouched.

His parents were now divorced. His siblings were now strangers. And all his friends were now gone.

He who possessed otherworldly power and knowledge hid himself for various reasons. But though he was able to somehow pull the wool over the world’s eyes, there were still those who noticed him.

This is a tale that came to be because of a boy who came back home.

———————————————————

Frequently Asked Questions

1. In what order should I read this?

Read it from the oldest release until the newest one. This story is NOT written in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, and is meant to be read according to the RELEASE ORDER.

2. What do the numbers AA-BB mean in the titles?

They mean Time Axis-Act.

E.g., 03-01 happens after all the 02-BB, but before 03-02.

02-02 means that there’s a 02-01 chapter.

This also means that 05-00 happens in the far later.

NOTE: The first six releases are PROLOGUES, main chapters start from the seventh release onwards. <<less

Yeya is a little sprout of the Plant Clan, who has just turned 100 years old. To save her family, Yeya transmigrates into a novel.... more>>

The original owner of the body was a vicious villainess; the system asked Yeya to fulfill the task in place of the dead villainess.

She needs to be vicious and mercilessly suppress the protagonist at every turn. To do that, she needs to snatch away all his resources. And when the male lead is at his most vulnerable, she needs to hit him with a fatal blow.

Yeya nodded her head, indicating that she understood the task. However——

“Uncle, what does it mean to be vicious and merciless?”

“...” The system was extremely depressed and frustrated as he stared at the three and a half years old villainess.

***

Yeya earnestly acted her villainess role according to the mission. However, the result was always contrary to the system’s expectations. As a result, the progress of the taskbar lengthened in reverse. The system eventually collapsed in despair, “Little one, what breed of plants are you? I’ve worked with your mother before. Your mother is a corpse flower*. She’s super malicious!”

Isn’t genetics supposed to be strong?

Yeya, who is playing in the mud, has a soft and tender voice, “My father is a four-leaf clover, so I am a four-leaf clover as well~”

The system, “...” Wow, like father like daughter!

T/N: * A carnivorous plant that mainly eats insects. It earned its name ‘the Corpse Flower’ because it smells like rotten flesh when it blooms. It’s also literally translated to ‘man-eating flower’. <<less

For two years, I've been diligently working as an adventurer while hiding the fact that I'm the fourth prince. It seems I've accidentally made advances on a female adventurer whom I've been adventuring with for a long time (cue awkward comedy). And to make matters worse, the woman, Anri, has been disguised using a magical tool called "Disguise" and her true identity is the princess of an enemy nation. Similarly, I've been using a disguise as well. Anri's disguise has been lifted, but mine hasn't. I'm the only one who knows she's a princess.... more>>

If things continue like this, I, as the scumbag who made advances on the second princess (a fact), will cause the kingdom to fall. For the sake of my own love life and to evade responsibility, let's aim for peace negotiations.

Will this battle, which determines the fate of the kingdom, succeed? <<less