The Intoxicating Beauty

Li Ye ultimately chose "Lurk" as his trial work for entering the 1980s novel scene.

After all, "Battle Through the Heavens" was truly too ahead of its time. If he submitted it to a Hong Kong publisher in this era, they might treat it as a priceless treasure, but in the great Celestial Dynasty where the spring breeze had only just begun to blow, it was still rather unorthodox.

Even a classic like "The Ordinary World" had drawn a great deal of opposition during award judging because it was deemed to carry the taint of an "Addictive Novel."

At this moment, "Addictive Novels" were not particularly well received in cultural circles.

If Li Ye had been an established author, there might still have been room for discussion. But he was a brand-new writer, smooth as a bare board without a single hair; they might simply reject his manuscript outright.

After choosing his target, Li Ye began listing an outline and a general plan on paper. Then he tapped into the memories of his previous life and started drafting a detailed chapter outline based on the television drama's plot.

The original novel of "Lurk" was a short story, only ten or twenty thousand words in total, with merely five main characters. In terms of sheer brilliance, it could not compare to the adapted television version.

So Li Ye needed to turn the television drama's content into chapter after chapter of written plot. It was, in a sense, "somewhat difficult."

At that moment, Li Ye was glad that he had read enough in his previous life and had even tried writing webnovels. As a result, he encountered no stumbling blocks during the process of adaptation and recreation. Instead, he felt the exhilarating ease of writing as though possessed by a god.

Yu Zecheng gave gifts to Station Chief Wu, plotted to frame Li Ya, and Zuo Lan sacrificed herself.

Li Ye was happily writing his outline when he vaguely sensed that someone was "watching" him.

When he turned around, his eyes met Wen Leyu's just as she craned her neck and carefully peeked at his writing.

Having been caught by Li Ye, Wen Leyu did not shrink back like lightning as she had last time. She merely smiled brightly, looking a little shy.

After helping each other over this period, the two were no longer strangers. Their relationship was tending toward that of close girlfriends or brothers, so there was naturally less embarrassment.

Looking at Li Ye's densely packed outline, Wen Leyu asked, "What are you writing?"

Li Ye thought for a moment, then wrote on a sheet of paper, "I'm writing a novel."

"..."

The curious little kitten Wen Leyu had been a moment ago instantly became a bewildered cat.

Her large eyes stared at Li Ye without blinking, her small mouth forming an O that did not close for a long while.

She had lived eighteen years in complicated circumstances and had seen more kinds of people and events than she could count, yet she had never encountered someone so... confident.

Wen Leyu thought for a moment, took out a sheet of paper, and earnestly wrote a passage.

An inch has its strengths, a foot has its shortcomings. Do not feel inferior because someone else flashes with brilliance for a moment. Look more closely at yourself, and you will discover countless stars of light that the other person does not possess.

After writing it, Wen Leyu nudged Li Ye's arm with her elbow, signaling for him to read her note.

Li Ye, who had been writing furiously, turned his head and looked at those brief words in surprise. Before he knew it, a warm comfort flowed through his heart.

Li Ye took the note and wrote his reply beneath Wen Leyu's words.

I have nothing to do with Lu Jingyao anymore. There will be nothing between us in this life, so please, really don't misunderstand me again.

Wen Leyu stretched out her little head and watched Li Ye finish writing his answer. After freezing for several seconds, she casually took Li Ye's fountain pen.

She wrote on the paper: What if Lu Jingyao turns around and comes looking for you?

Li Ye answered instantly: Tell her to get lost.

"..."

Wen Leyu looked calmly at Li Ye. After a long while, a smile slowly appeared on her palm-sized face, rippling outward as it bloomed.

Li Ye actually lost himself in it.

Some people hid a beauty intoxicating enough to make one drunk. Wen Leyu's smile was like a peony in full bloom.

You might have thought its outer petals were already beautiful enough, but in the next moment, the even more stunning flower core had only just revealed its true face.

Hao Jian was highly efficient. On the fourth day after Li Ye gave him five yuan, he came to County Second High School to find Li Ye.

"I spent two days going around the provincial capital and found some... partners according to what you said.

"Some of them were quite willing to wholesale malt candy from us, though their quantities were not large. Others were harder to deal with and demanded credit sales on consignment."

"We don't do business on credit," Li Ye said with a wave of his hand. "Don't think that small quantities aren't meat.

"Start bit by bit. Figure out these people's backgrounds, determine who can be long-term partners and who must be guarded against and kept at a distance."

"I understand that."

Hao Jian nodded. "I'm quite good at judging people. I knew you were a good person the moment I saw you."

Li Ye: "..."

When you looked at me back then, didn't you think I was a gullible fool?

Li Ye did not expose Hao Jian's flattery. He pulled fifty yuan from his pocket.

Hao Jian's eyes lit up, nearly matching a hundred-watt light bulb.

In Qingshui County at the time, the bride price for marrying a young woman started at only forty yuan, at most with two outfits added—though that still meant buying cloth and making them yourself. Fifty yuan was truly a "large sum."

Li Ye handed the money to Hao Jian and said, "Put this away carefully. I'll take you to meet someone."

Hao Jian carefully accepted the money and tucked it into the inner pocket of his undershirt. He casually asked, "Who are we meeting? Your relative who's a precinct chief?"

"No, a brother who practices martial arts. Have him lend you a hand from now on."

"A brother who practices martial arts?"

Hao Jian's brisk footsteps noticeably faltered. Then he said in a low voice, "This is a small business. If we add another person, there won't be much profit left."

"You don't need to worry about that. Just do as I say."

Li Ye glanced back at Hao Jian with a half-smile. "What, do you think that because I have a stake in this, I'm just taking money without doing any work?"

Hao Jian immediately shook his head and said firmly, "How could that be? You put up all the capital, so naturally you have the final say. You're the owner, and I'm the shopkeeper."

It had to be said that Hao Jian was truly a smart man of this era. He immediately and accurately found his place.

Li Ye provided the capital, and Li Ye covered the market connections. Even if you, Hao Jian, were the Monkey King, you still had to obediently wear the tightening headband spell and lead the horse while working for your master.

Li Ye brought Hao Jian to a shantytown in the north of the city. Following his hazy memories, they circled around and turned several corners before finally finding a dilapidated little courtyard.

In his memories, this courtyard housed one of Li Ye's "senior brothers," who had practiced some boxing and kicking with Li Ye's grandfather when he was fifteen.

Later, after going to the countryside and returning to the city, he had not broken off contact. During holidays and festivals, he still made the rounds at the Li family home and showed filial respect to the old man.

But this fellow was not very manageable. After returning to the city, he had been assigned to a construction company, yet in less than a month, he beat up the team leader.

After leaving the construction company, this senior brother drifted around society. Either he holed up at home playing cards, or he squatted outside the cinema to watch girls.

His old mother was worried sick, but he was her biological son. What could she do, chop him in half?

Before Li Ye even reached the courtyard gate, he heard noisy shouts from inside: "Two Ks!" "A pair of twos!"

"Jin Peng, Jin Peng, come out for a moment."

Li Ye did not intend to deal with the people inside, so he simply stood at the gate and called for Jin Peng.

"Huh? Who is it?"

The window in the courtyard opened. A crew-cut man sitting on the kang saw Li Ye, hurriedly climbed down, put on his shoes, and came out.

"Xiao Ye, why are you here?"

"I came to discuss something with you."

Li Ye pulled Jin Peng a few steps away, pointed at Hao Jian, and said, "He's a relative of my classmate. Recently, he wants to go to the provincial capital to do some business.

"That isn't our turf, so he needs someone bold, meticulous, and dependable to give him a hand. What do you think?"

"Going to the provincial capital to do business?" Jin Peng froze for a moment, then asked, "What business? Will there be bloodshed?"

"..."

Hao Jian was utterly speechless. Why were they all such blockheads? We're going there to make money, not roam the underworld and seize territory, alright?

Li Ye said, "Just selling malt candy. No retailing needed; local peddlers will take it over there. If you run into trouble, scare them first. If that doesn't work, then safety comes first—turn around and run."

"Then I understand. Just call me whenever it's time to go."

Jin Peng agreed readily and was about to go back to playing cards. He still had a pair of jokers in his hand that he had not played yet!

But Li Ye grabbed him. "You may not understand. If this goes smoothly, it'll be a long-term business, not a favor you're doing for free. For every pound of candy sold, you get two cents as an escort fee."

"..."

Jin Peng blinked, seeming to come around. He looked at Li Ye and smiled. "Xiao Ye, you have a share in this business?"

Li Ye did not answer. He simply said, "Just tell me whether you'll do it or not. If you won't, I'll find someone else."

"I'll do it, I'll do it." Jin Peng hurriedly grabbed Li Ye and said with a grin, "I'm about to be nagged to death by my old mother staying home all day. Xiao Ye, you're giving your senior brother a hand here!"

Watching Li Ye and Jin Peng acting so close, Hao Jian felt both admiration and disappointment.

Well, damn. You planted a spy beside me!

Hao Jian could guess with his toes that Li Ye's two-cents-per-pound "commission" was a poisonous scheme.

Judging by how sharp and capable Jin Peng looked, he would definitely keep a close watch on Hao Jian. There would not even be an error of one or two liang of malt candy.