Planning

Listening to his father's soft snores, Wei Jin began to concentrate on the future.

He still didn't know whether this world was the same as the one in his previous life. As an avid novel reader, he was no stranger to transmigration.

It usually meant traveling through time, transmigrating to a parallel world, or going to another world, among other possibilities. Which kind he had experienced would have to wait until he had gathered more information over the next few days. So his most pressing concern was:

System?

Golden finger?

Grandpa Delin?

Old Yao?

Deep Blue?

Dear readers?

After calling out in his head again and again, Wei Jin scratched his hair. That wasn't right. Where were his transmigrator benefits?

He had neither a golden finger nor a rich father. This wasn't much of a start.

It looked like he could only follow in his predecessors' footsteps and make use of his advantage as a literary plagiarist...

All kinds of thoughts clamored in his head, and his mind grew hazy. Wei Jin stopped dwelling on it and drifted off to his father's snores.

Apparently, though, transmigration had brought his insomnia from his previous life along with it. He didn't sleep well all night.

For several days running, Zeng Li brought him carefully prepared breakfasts and stayed by his side. Wei Jin had long since hit it off with the slightly mature Zeng Li, and he learned that she was currently single, lived alone in Beijing, and had no engagements or appearances scheduled for the next two or three months. That made it possible for him to put the ideas in his heart into action.

After several days of observation and questioning, Wei Jin had confirmed that this was his original world. He had simply returned twenty years into the past.

As things stood, even without a golden finger, he could use his foreknowledge, plagiarized works, and opportunities in booming industries to become an overlord in his own right. Then he could keep several lovely wives and beautiful concubines. Wouldn't that make him a winner in life? Without realizing it, he wore the smile typical of a villain.

Seeing the strange grin on Wei Jin's face, Zeng Li said irritably, "What crooked idea are you cooking up now?"

"I'm innocent! I was just thinking, I'm sorry to trouble you to look after me every day, Sister Li. How should I repay you?" Wei Jin looked helpless.

"I was the one who got you hurt. It's only right that I take care of you. I still feel guilty about it even now. Thank goodness you're all right, or I..." Zeng Li began blaming herself again.

"Don't. If it weren't for this accident, how would I have met you, Sister Li? It takes five hundred backward glances in a previous life to earn a single meeting in this one. Sister Li, do you believe in fate?"

When Wei Jin finished, he gazed sincerely at Zeng Li, a hint of heat in his eyes.

Although Zeng Li was twenty-seven, she didn't have much experience with romance. Even so, she understood what Wei Jin meant. Looking at the handsome young man before her, she didn't say anything to turn him down and could only remain silent.

Seeing that Zeng Li had fallen silent, Wei Jin reminded himself that you couldn't eat hot tofu in a hurry and quickly changed the subject.

"Sister Li, do you know anyone at a newspaper?"

Zeng Li's thoughts had been wandering, and the sudden question caught her off guard. She quickly answered:

"Ah, I have a childhood friend who works as a reporter and editor at the Capital Evening News. She should be able to help. Are you looking to publish an article?"

"I'm planning to serialize a novel and make some money," Wei Jin replied.

"You're only a freshman. What do you need money for? Making a movie?" Zeng Li asked, puzzled.

"I'm saving up to get married. Otherwise, it'll be hard to find a wife later."

Wei Jin spoke pointedly. "I just don't know how much I'd need to save for the bride price if I wanted to marry you, Sister Li."

"Hey, you little brat, what goes on in that head of yours all day?"

Even though Zeng Li had grown used to Wei Jin's smooth talk over the past few days, she couldn't help spitting at his words.

Wei Jin said nothing. He simply looked at Zeng Li in silence, his eyes full of laughter, until she fled.

On the third day, Zeng Li brought news that the Capital Evening News could serialize his novel.

If Wei Jin submitted his manuscript and it passed review, he would currently be paid fifty yuan per thousand characters. After ten installments, the rate could be adjusted according to the novel's reception on the market.

With that avenue open to him, Wei Jin began his plan to dig up his first pot of gold.

What kind of book should he write at this point in time? The answer was, of course, wuxia.

In 2003, the wuxia craze was in full swing. With the release of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, wuxia fever had become a nationwide phenomenon, and several hundred wuxia dramas were greenlit in 2003 alone. So if Wei Jin wanted to make a name for himself in one battle, jumping on the bandwagon was a good choice.

And so Wei Jin began his journey of copying books. As an avid reader with fifteen years of experience in his previous life, he had read several novels three or four times over, and those were probably the only ones he could reproduce in full.

For the first novel he intended to make a splash with, Wei Jin chose Snowstrider.

Although the book hadn't ranked particularly high on the physical-book bestseller lists in his previous life, it was the one that best suited the demands of the current era among the few he remembered relatively clearly.

His other fantasy novels had yet to become a market trend. He didn't want to be a market pioneer; he only wanted to rake in money. What a simple wish.

Zeng Li said nothing, watching from the side as the handsome young man with a bit of a roguish air rapidly covered the pages with words.

People said a man was most attractive when he was focused. Add that to looks that already scored ninety out of a hundred, and in that moment, Wei Jin grew infinitely taller in Zeng Li's eyes.

As the words flowed from his pen, a wuxia world where the jianghu and the imperial court, political schemes and martial might intertwined gradually unfolded.

After writing more than eight thousand characters in one go, Wei Jin shook out his wrist. Writing on paper was indeed too much of a strain; his super-fast typing skills were no use at all.

There was no helping it. That was how print serialization worked in this era. After resting for a while, he handed the manuscript to Zeng Li and asked her to pass it to the newspaper's reporter and editor. Wei Jin let out a long breath and lay back on his hospital bed with his eyes closed to rest.

Zeng Li took the freshly written manuscript and began reading it on her own. She was immediately captivated, but eight thousand characters were only enough for an opening. Being left hanging like that was terribly frustrating. She opened her mouth, but in the end said nothing.

That afternoon, Zeng Li found time to deliver the manuscript to her childhood friend, Lin Xue.

Lin Xue said the review could be completed as early as that day, and if all went smoothly, it could appear in the paper the day after tomorrow. She told Wei Jin to keep writing so he wouldn't run out of material when the time came. Zeng Li could only agree on his behalf.

Back at the hospital, after Zeng Li left, Wei Jin also began thinking about his plans for the future.

If the serialization went smoothly, four thousand characters a day would earn him two hundred yuan a day. If the rate increased later, it might reach as high as a thousand yuan. In other words, without publishing the book, it could bring Wei Jin roughly seventy thousand to three hundred and sixty thousand yuan within a year.

Thinking about it that way, Wei Jin immediately felt he had to pursue publication. If he could publish several million copies within a year, he could earn one or two million yuan in royalties, basically enough for him to use a small stake to win big.

That was right. Wei Jin had already decided to take part in the UEFA European Championship a year later. He wasn't a serious fan and only watched football for the excitement, so he couldn't remember the outcomes of many matches.

But 2004 was the exception. He had heard the legend countless times: Greece won six matches and was crowned champion. He was going to stake everything on this one. If he won, it would be private clubs and young models; if he lost, he would simply keep typing away.

Before dinner, Wei Xingbang took a phone call. When he returned, his expression was troubled.

Wei Jin couldn't help asking, "Dad, did something happen?"

"I got a call. Your eldest uncle fell in the bathroom while showering at home alone. Luckily, he called for help and has already been taken to the hospital. But there's no one to look after him right now, so I need to go back and check on him. I'll find you a caregiver to look after you for a few days. Once I'm done, I'll come back and take care of you."

"It's all right. Go back and take care of him. I've been feeling much better these past few days and can look after myself. Don't worry."

There wasn't much he needed help with at the hospital during the day anyway, so Wei Jin answered without any pressure.

His eldest uncle was his father's own elder brother, and an eldest brother was like a father. Moreover, his uncle had suffered during those special times and had no children, and he treated Wei Jin as his own. It was only right for Wei Xingbang to go back and care for him.

Wei Xingbang still wanted to arrange a caregiver and was about to say something.

"How about I take care of him?"

Sister Li's voice rang out just in time, like heavenly music.