Chapter Summaries

Yan Xiao began preparing to produce music and went to Liuli Factory to buy instruments. He chose a keyboard for arranging and a digital piano for learning to play.

• Yan Xiao decided to write and record music, then ask Zhao Zimo for help promoting it.
• Yan Xiao copied songs from a pop songbook and started downloading a music arrangement program before leaving for Liuli Factory.
• Yan Xiao visited Meow Meow Musical Instruments and asked the owner about keyboards and digital pianos.
• Yan Xiao chose a keyboard for arranging and a digital piano for learning to play.

Yan Xiao was approached by Tang Yue, the general manager of Tianmei Entertainment, who tried to recruit him as a celebrity. Yan Xiao asked what contract he would need if he supplied original music, and Tang Yue welcomed the possibility while doubting a young person's songwriting ability.

• Yan Xiao refused Tang Yue's initial street approach but listened after Tang Yue introduced himself and explained that he wanted to recruit him.
• Yan Xiao looked up Song Xiaoting and concluded that Tianmei Entertainment was a small company.
• Tang Yue promised that Tianmei Entertainment would invest major resources in Yan Xiao and showed him a business card identifying himself as the company's general manager.
• Yan Xiao asked what kind of contract would cover releasing his own music, and Tang Yue was pleased by the idea but privately doubted the quality of music written by young people.

Yan Xiao turned down Tang Yue's invitation, bought instruments and furniture to set up a home music studio, and decided he needed in-person piano lessons. At school, he chose literature and business electives, relying on technological achievements from the system to qualify for his degree.

• Yan Xiao declined Tang Yue's offer and continued shopping in Liulichang, where he bought several instruments and arranged for them to be delivered home.
• Yan Xiao returned home, thanked the deliverymen, and paid the piano deliveryman two hundred yuan for waiting and helping unpack the equipment.
• Yan Xiao planned to turn his living room into a music studio, bought desks and a chair, and found that books and an app did not teach him piano effectively.
• Yan Xiao learned that a nearby shop offered music lessons and decided he would need to enroll in an in-person class.
• Yan Xiao received a course selection form at school and chose literature and business electives, leaving out science and engineering courses because he planned to use technological achievements from the system to qualify for his degree.

Yan Xiao visited a music shop to learn piano, keyboard, and guitar so he could recreate music from his previous life. Zhang Meimei warned him against trying to learn everything, but he said he wanted to try each instrument before choosing.

• Yan Xiao arrived at a nearby music shop and found it empty until Zhang Meimei came out to help him.
• Yan Xiao asked to learn piano or keyboard and guitar, and Zhang Meimei explained the shop's lessons and suggested he start with one instrument.
• Zhang Meimei recalled how her own lack of focus had limited her music career and advised Yan Xiao not to spread himself too thin.
• Yan Xiao said he wanted to try each instrument and find the one he liked best before committing.

Yan Xiao chose expensive introductory instrument lessons, then spent two weeks adapting and preparing the novel "Fortress Besieged" for publication. He turned to Wang Yiying, who offered to submit it to her group's publishing house if it was good enough.

• Zhang Meimei gave Yan Xiao brochures, and he selected instrument lessons with the most expensive teachers, paid, and left.
• Yan Xiao began recreating Earth's classics and chose "Fortress Besieged" as his first book to adapt.
• Yan Xiao used his enhanced memory to type out the novel and spent two weeks adjusting names and cultural details for the new world.
• Yan Xiao contacted Wang Yiying about publishing his marriage novel, and she offered to handle it through her group's publishing house if she liked the manuscript.

Yan Xiao sent Wang Yiying his completed manuscript, Fortress Besieged, and waited while she handled a demanding week of work. After reading it through in one sitting, Wang Yiying declared it ready for publication and promised to secure him the best possible terms.

• Yan Xiao emailed Wang Yiying his finished manuscript and confirmed its delivery through WeChat.
• Yan Xiao settled into his first week at university, attending classes, practicing instruments, and studying with the system.
• After finishing a week of interviews and writing, Wang Yiying downloaded Fortress Besieged and began reading it.
• Wang Yiying read the entire manuscript by midnight and wanted to read it again.
• Wang Yiying messaged Yan Xiao that the manuscript was ready for publication and that she would help him get the best possible terms.

Yan Xiao prepared an autonomous-driving research project and realized he needed help forming a team, so he planned to ask Lin Fangxin. The next morning, he sat beside her in class while his classmates looked on enviously because she had become Shuimu’s new campus beauty.

• Yan Xiao thanked Wang Yiying for contacting him about Fortress Besieged and continued working on his autonomous-driving project.
• Yan Xiao modeled several publicly available algorithms, then considered how to recruit the required project team members.
• Yan Xiao decided to leave the difficult task of finding teammates to Lin Fangxin and went to sleep.
• Yan Xiao went to campus the next morning, where Lin Fangxin had saved him a seat in the back row.
• Yan Xiao sat beside Lin Fangxin as his classmates watched enviously because she had become a contender for Shuimu’s new campus beauty.

Yan Xiao asked Lin Fangxin to recruit classmates for his research group after completing its main work, and she studied his algorithm printouts during an advanced mathematics lecture. The chapter ended with Lin Fangxin deciding to ask the teacher about a problem in the material.

• Yan Xiao told Lin Fangxin he had chosen a research topic and finished the most important part, then asked her to find group members.
• Lin Fangxin asked to see Yan Xiao's work and found the algorithms difficult to understand.
• The advanced mathematics teacher called Lin Fangxin several times while she was absorbed in the printouts.
• After the teacher invited her to ask questions, Lin Fangxin decided to raise one of the algorithm problems.

After Lin Fangxin pressed him for an explanation, Yan Xiao described Dijkstra's Algorithm, A*, and their uses in autonomous driving, which only deepened her interest. He escaped her questions to go learn an instrument, but Wang Yiying called him as he was about to enter Zhang Meimei's instrument shop.

• The advanced math teacher deferred Lin Fangxin's question about Dijkstra's Algorithm and resolved not to call on her or Yan Xiao again.
• After class, Yan Xiao explained Dijkstra's Algorithm and A* to Lin Fangxin, then answered her questions about autonomous driving over lunch.
• Lin Fangxin asked Yan Xiao to keep teaching her, but he left campus to learn an instrument.
• Yan Xiao arrived at Zhang Meimei's instrument shop, and Wang Yiying called him before he went inside.

Editor Lin Feng opened Yan Xiao’s manuscript after Wang Yiying recommended it, and he and Ma Liang became engrossed in reading it. The chapter left them turning through the manuscript, eager to continue.

• Lin Feng opened Wang Yiying’s email and downloaded Yan Xiao’s manuscript.
• Ma Liang startled Lin Feng, and Lin Feng quoted the manuscript’s observation about marriage and life as a fortress.
• Lin Feng told Ma Liang that a university student had written the manuscript and complained about another author’s missed deadlines.
• Lin Feng began reading the manuscript, drawing Ma Liang in as well.
• Ma Liang grew impatient with Lin Feng’s slow scrolling and advanced the page himself.

Ma Liang and Lin Feng became absorbed in a manuscript written by Lin Feng’s college-student classmate, and their praise stirred editor-in-chief Zhang Xiao’s curiosity. Zhang Xiao finished his work, downloaded the manuscript, and began reading it.

• Lin Feng sent Ma Liang the manuscript, and Ma Liang read it with growing amazement.
• Zhang Xiao noticed Ma Liang’s unusual enthusiasm, tried reading over his shoulder, and gave up because he had missed the beginning.
• Ma Liang explained that the manuscript came from a college student, which initially made Zhang Xiao dismiss it.
• Lin Feng praised the writing as unusually assured and mature, prompting Zhang Xiao to ask for a copy.
• Lin Feng sent Zhang Xiao the manuscript, and Zhang Xiao opened the electronic document after finishing his work.

Zhang Xiao became engrossed in a manuscript and proposed adding it to the publishing house’s lineup, despite objections from department heads who doubted an unknown college freshman’s book. When Lin Feng brought him the same manuscript, Zhang Xiao raised the author’s pay and moved its release up to next month.

• Zhang Xiao lost track of time reading a manuscript and arrived late to the publishing house meeting.
• Zhang Xiao proposed adding a college freshman’s book to next month’s lineup and urged the department heads to promote it heavily.
• The marketing director and other department heads objected, citing the author’s lack of reputation and the disruption to their budget and schedule.
• Zhang Xiao sent the manuscript to key department heads so they could judge it themselves.
• Lin Feng asked Zhang Xiao to approve a contract paying the author five hundred per thousand words, with top-tier royalties, and a release the month after next.
• Zhang Xiao recognized the manuscript and approved eight hundred per thousand words, keeping the royalties and moving the release to next month.

Lin Feng and the publishing house committed to publishing Yan Xiao’s manuscript, impressed by its quality and potential. Yan Xiao accepted the publishing terms, leaving the book’s publication moving forward.

• Lin Feng handed Yan Xiao’s manuscript to the layout designer, and the company formed a team to prepare the book for publication.
• The project team praised the book, and Lin Feng brought their meeting back on topic.
• Lin Feng thanked Wang Yiying and asked her to pass his number to Yan Xiao after he could not reach him.
• Yan Xiao added Lin Feng’s number to his contacts, and Lin Feng called him less than fifteen minutes later.
• Lin Feng explained the payment and royalty terms, and Yan Xiao agreed to proceed, pleasantly surprised by the offer.

Yan Xiao visited Zhang Meimei's instrument shop, where a gathering of musicians urged him to perform. After considering folk music, he decided to try a song using the guitar skills he had been learning for over a week.

• Lin Feng asked Yan Xiao to consider his publishing house for any future writing, and Yan Xiao agreed.
• Yan Xiao went to Zhang Meimei's instrument shop and watched a group play music together.
• Zhang Meimei and the other musicians encouraged Yan Xiao to perform, while Gao Fen suggested folk music.
• Yan Xiao thought about folk music and decided to try playing a song as an experiment.

Yan Xiao performed an original song about the quiet comforts of ordinary life, moving the people in the shop with its lyrics. He finished without remembering the ending, leaving everyone reflecting on the value of their own everyday moments.

• Yan Xiao took Zhang Meimei’s guitar and recalled a song from his former life.
• Yan Xiao sang and accompanied himself as he thought about his former life, his current friends, and the kindness around him.
• The people in the shop fell silent and listened, thinking about their own lives.
• Yan Xiao stopped singing and playing, having forgotten how the song was meant to end.
• The listeners were touched by the song’s music and lyrics, despite Yan Xiao’s limited guitar technique.

Yan Xiao impressed a crowd with his song “An Ordinary Day” but declined offers to sell it or join a record company. After learning that Yan Xiao attended Jida University, Song Qingyu recognized him as the inventor of the Black Light Insect-Killing System and a celebrated academic prodigy.

• Yan Xiao performed “An Ordinary Day,” earning heartfelt applause and praise from the audience.
• Song Qingyu and a record company representative asked Yan Xiao to sell his song, and the representative offered him a debut contract.
• Yan Xiao declined the offers, saying that he was still prioritizing his studies while learning instruments to write and release songs.
• Yan Xiao told the two men that he attended Jida University’s Yuanpei College and was named Yan Xiao.
• Song Qingyu recognized Yan Xiao and told the crowd that he had invented the Black Light Insect-Killing System, coauthored research on oracle bone script, and earned full marks in every Gaokao subject.