Li Ye

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Ye (李叶)
Alias(es)	Seven-Inch Blade; Zhang Xiaofan
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Capital University; Lone Army Literary Society; First Branch Factory
Occupation/Role	Student; novelist and screenwriter; literary-society leader; businessman and industrial manager
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Li Ye is a soul from the future who awakens in the body of a 1981 high-school student sharing his name. His transmigration leaves him with exceptionally clear access to both his former-life memories and the original Li Ye's residual memories. 1

The original Li Ye grew up under the training of his grandfather, Li Zhongfa, whose military background and martial-arts experience shaped Li Ye into a capable fighter. However, ridicule surrounding his relationship with Lu Jingyao, repeated school fights, and poor academic performance had left him withdrawn and insecure before the soul transfer. 1 3

After confronting He Weiguo's bullying, Li Ye resolves to stop being defined by his past and to pursue a stronger academic future. He is transferred into the school's fast class, where he becomes Wen Leyu's deskmate and begins rebuilding his confidence through study, writing, and new relationships. 1 11 20

Appearance

Li Ye is a handsome, athletic young man standing about 1.8 metres tall. Though lean rather than heavily built, his appearance and bearing are repeatedly noted as striking. 303 881

• Described as handsome enough to be compared favorably with film actor Lin Qiang. 303
• Has a lean “wasp-waist” build rather than Li Dayong's massive physique. 881
• Carries himself with a military-like bearing when facing crowds or pressure. 62
• Can wear heavy armor and still move with speed, balance, and precision. 303

Personality

Li Ye is generally calm, observant, and difficult to provoke. He prefers direct cooperation over empty negotiation, often hides the extent of his knowledge, and thinks several moves ahead in business, politics, and interpersonal conflicts. 151 283 998

He is also deeply protective of those he accepts as his own, particularly Wen Leyu, his family, friends, and trusted subordinates. This loyalty can turn ruthless when he believes someone is exploiting or threatening them; he is capable of both physical violence and cutting verbal retaliation. 262 751 1336

Despite his wealth, influence, and unusual foresight, Li Ye retains a strong belief in China’s future and repeatedly frames his literary, industrial, and cultural work as contributing to national strength. 232 1020 1692

Abilities & Skills

Future Knowledge and Exceptional Recall

Li Ye’s transmigration grants him highly accessible memories from his former life, alongside the original Li Ye’s memories. This knowledge lets him recognize future trends, reproduce or adapt works, and make unusually accurate long-term judgments. 1 27 921

• Uses former-life knowledge to foresee industrial and market opportunities, including advance preparation for imported technology projects. 497 1114
• Is regarded by associates as possessing predictive ability, though his “prophecies” are rooted in knowledge and planning rather than confirmed supernatural power. 921 963
• Acknowledges that he remains mortal despite having physical and mental advantages beyond ordinary people. 595
• His future knowledge becomes less certain as events move beyond the period he remembers. 1579

Writing and Literary Adaptation

Li Ye is a prolific writer whose best-known pen name is Seven-Inch Blade. He adapts remembered stories into work suited to his era’s readership, censorship environment, and cultural concerns. 27 29 232

• Writes the popular novel Latent, adapting and expanding material remembered from a later television series. 27 28
• Writes Shuo Feng Fei Yang, a historical novel centered on the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions. 138 151
• Uses historical fiction to promote Chinese cultural confidence and national pride. 151 232
• Later writes the xianxia novel Zhang Xiaofan anonymously on a BBS platform. 1544
• Gives practical guidance on character focus, historical exposition, visual style, and narrative structure to other writers and artists. 164 263

Martial Arts and Physical Combat

Li Ye was trained from childhood by Li Zhongfa in martial arts, spearwork, and bayonet techniques. His body has reached an exceptional level of human physical potential, allowing him to overpower most opponents with little effort. 1 91 595

• Subdues He Weiguo by bending his fingers and intimidating him through sheer strength. 1
• Defeats He Dazhuang repeatedly while remaining outwardly neat and composed. 138
• Performs traditional spear routines with forceful thrusts, aerial flourishes, and precise weapon control. 186 350
• Wears heavy Mingguang Armor, performs spear forms, and damages target armor with a powerful strike in Japan. 595
• Quickly incapacitates several special-ability enthusiasts who confront him. 748
• His strength still has physical limits; a full-power kick causes him pain afterward. 783

Observation and Strategic Judgment

Li Ye possesses unusually sharp observational skill, allowing him to read emotional cues, hidden intentions, and changing power dynamics. 768

• Estimates that his ability to infer people’s thoughts from expressions and behavior approaches “mind-reading” in some situations. 768
• Detects suspicious details in investigations and interpersonal disputes. 751 1734
• Avoids becoming entangled in political traps, such as refusing to accept Yue Lingshan’s embezzlement evidence directly. 998
• Builds trusted core teams and prioritizes loyalty, decisiveness, and capability in subordinates. 876 1268

Business and Industrial Leadership

Li Ye develops from a student writer into a major investor, publisher, and industrial leader. He favors long-term planning over short-term profits. 497 553

• Demands a profit share and Hong Kong invitation from publisher Pei Wencong for Shuo Feng Fei Yang. 154
• Proposes a twenty-year reinvestment pact focused on mainland manufacturing. 553
• Leads expansion plans for Pengcheng Factory Seven, including shopping-mall development and Xiushui Street renovation. 213
• Helps direct the First Branch Factory’s funding, technology development, production, and response to headquarters pressure. 921 998
• Plans to enter mobile communications and high-end electronics by leveraging China’s domestic market. 954

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Wooden spear — Used for training in spear and bayonet techniques inherited from Li Zhongfa. 91
• Mingguang Armor replica — Purchased from Chang'an Film Studio after demonstrating interest in its historical and martial value. 304
• Spear and armor collection — Keeps a dedicated room for spears, armor, and bayonet-training weapons. 713
• Writing manuscripts — Regularly carries manuscript paper and writes fiction during breaks and meetings. 138

Relationships

• Wen Leyu — Former deskmate, longtime partner, and later wife. Their relationship grows through shared study, writing, travel, business decisions, and mutual protection. 20 129 1692
• Ke Xuan / Teacher Ke — Wen Leyu’s mother and Li Ye’s mother-in-law. She recognizes his talent early, supports his writing, and later advises him on career and business decisions. 20 35 553
• Zhang Qiyan — Teacher and senior mentor who sees Li Ye as a possible inheritor of his reformist legacy. 1691 1692 1745
• Li Zhongfa — Grandfather who trained Li Ye in martial arts, spearwork, and bayonet fighting. 1 91
• Li Yue — Elder sister. Their relationship is blunt and occasionally combative, but rooted in strong mutual loyalty. 377 497 577
• Lu Jingyao — Former high-school love interest whose departure and perceived betrayal contributed to the original Li Ye’s insecurity. Li Ye later protects her reputation despite their estrangement. 3 59 133
• Pei Wencong — Hong Kong publisher and business associate who profits from Li Ye’s works and follows his investment judgment closely. 154 497 1384
• Lu Zhizhang — Trusted colleague at the First Branch Factory who helps Li Ye navigate institutional politics and recognizes his integrity. 921 1020
• Aqiang — Hong Kong comics creator whom Li Ye mentors on artistic standards, historical representation, and ideological content. 236 263
• Mu Yunning — Capital University class advisor who handles his disciplinary disputes fairly and supports his development. 138 147
• Li Dayong — Close companion whose size and presence often complement Li Ye’s own authority. 62 881

Story Role / Major Arcs

High-School Rebirth and Academic Turnaround

Li Ye arrives in 1981 after transmigrating into his younger self, breaks away from the original host’s timid pattern, and confronts He Weiguo’s bullying. His move into the fast class and growing bond with Wen Leyu mark the beginning of his personal recovery. 1 11 20

Rise of Seven-Inch Blade

Drawing on future memories, Li Ye writes Latent and later Shuo Feng Fei Yang. His literary success establishes Seven-Inch Blade as a major young writer while bringing him into contact with publishers, journalists, students, and cultural figures. 27 35 133 232

Capital University and the Lone Army Literary Society

At Capital University, Li Ye becomes a key creative force in the Lone Army Literary Society. He guides historical-fiction projects, supports society members, helps launch Lone Army Gazing Homeward, and becomes the only freshman from his cohort selected as a main debater for the university team. 151 263

Cultural and Commercial Expansion

Li Ye expands his influence through publishing, comics, film collaboration, overseas literary exchanges, and investment. He works with Pei Wencong, develops historical intellectual property, and begins treating media as a strategic cultural tool rather than merely a source of profit. 283 304 344

Industrial Leadership

Working through the First Branch Factory, Li Ye becomes central to technological development, factory reform, resource disputes, and long-term industrial planning. Though Lu Zhizhang is the formal head, Li Ye is widely recognized as the branch’s key problem-solver. 921 998 1020

Legacy and National Responsibility

As Zhang Qiyan’s health declines, Li Ye is drawn toward a larger role among Zhang’s students and associates. He struggles with whether he is worthy to inherit that legacy, while Wen Leyu insists that his enduring scholarly spirit, adaptability, and commitment to national affairs make him suited for it. 1691 1692 1745

Notable Quotes

“My pen name is—Seven-Inch Blade.” 232

“I want to promote the glory and splendor of the great Hua Xia to all corners of the world.” 232

“I’m a civilized person, how could I casually spit at someone?” 1020

Trivia

• Li Ye’s first major public identity as Seven-Inch Blade surprises people who know him only as a student. 133
• He has appeared in a Fenghua Apparel advertisement and as part of Capital University’s winning international debate team. 1135
• His drinking capacity becomes notorious after he drinks down more than a dozen writers at a Singapore literary event. 344
• Wen Leyu compares him to Sun Wukong: “both powerful and kind.” 604