Chapter Ninety-Six: The Vision of a Cultural Industry Kingdom

Zhang Ye was suddenly overcome with a surge of excitement, inexplicably so. He felt a pressing urgency, as if his future path in life was destined to be profoundly intertwined with this very moment.

“However, while ideals are beautiful, reality is often harsh,” Zhang Ye mused suddenly. Taking over a publishing house was no simple feat—at least, he had no money to speak of.

His family was out of the question. Although his recent achievements had earned him a certain voice at home, convincing them to support this venture was simply impossible. Even if they agreed, the modest profits from the Pin Yi clothing store would barely cover a tenth of the publishing house’s costs.

As for his internet café, he couldn’t divert funds there either. The business needed to grow and expand; hoarding money would only allow competitors with greater vision to surpass him. Reinvesting earnings into purchasing new computers was an inevitable necessity.

Thus, Zhang Ye bleakly acknowledged the truth: he was still a poor man.

“Looks like I need to find a way to make some money,” he thought with a bitter smile, his eyes drifting to the text on his screen.

After days of hurried effort, Zhang Ye’s novel was finally more than halfway complete. Only the final touches remained—about ten thousand words to wrap it up.

“Should I publish it now?” a sudden idea struck him.

Originally, when he first started writing this book, it was meant as a challenge against Wang Mengzi. Then, with his rebirth, his intentions shifted—he wanted to surprise her, to leave her stunned and speechless, and through the novel, pour out his feelings.

That goal had yet to be fulfilled. But if money became involved, Zhang Ye felt it might sully the purity of that intention.

“I’ll write something else to make money. After all, I have plenty of ideas and creativity now that I’ve been reborn,” he decided. He resolved to submit a new book to publishers, ensuring that this first novel’s first reader would be Wang Mengzi, as it was written solely for her.

He spent the entire day finishing the manuscript, then began brainstorming his next work.

After much deliberation, Zhang Ye settled on a fantasy xianxia novel. Martial arts stories were still popular but showing signs of fatigue. He believed that introducing xianxia—with its unique power systems and grand world-building—would ignite a new craze. It was an evolution of imagination, a step ahead of its time.

But what exactly to write?

He hesitated.

“Zhu Xian it is,” he finally decided. Among the three great masterpieces of online novels, the pioneering work was undoubtedly “The Mysterious Journey,” the origin of cultivation novels. Its concepts of cultivation, mystical artifacts, and imaginative storytelling had set the standard for the genre and greatly influenced its successors.

However, since he intended to make money from his novel and rely on traditional publishing, Zhu Xian was the most fitting choice among the three.

Moreover, it was Zhang Ye’s favorite. He had fallen in love with it the moment he discovered it in his previous life and reread it over ten times, never growing tired. Many scenes remained vivid in his memory even now.

But just as he prepared to start writing, he was stunned. It was as if a memory vault had been installed in his mind—every plot detail, every phrase from Zhu Xian emerged perfectly, unaltered, as if etched into his consciousness and ready for instant recall.

He was dumbfounded.

Could this be a special ability granted by his rebirth?

In his past life, Zhang Ye had read many online novels, often dismissing their wild ideas with a smile. Now, he realized such a phenomenon might actually be manifesting within himself.

No longer limited to Zhu Xian, he began to sift through other novels he had read.

To his amazement, every book from his previous life could be vividly imagined in his mind, as though he were directly “reading” it anew through a unique rhythm and clarity.

“So that means…” Zhang Ye’s breath quickened.

It took him half an hour to calm down. Then he began to carefully contemplate his life ahead.

Originally, his plan was simple: use memories from his past life to earn money. That was the natural course—after all, most reborn individuals would think similarly. But now, a new perspective dawned.

This so-called ability was undeniably linked to novels, especially online fiction. His future path had to revolve around them.

During those thirty minutes, Zhang Ye also pondered other possibilities, but sadly, his special memory seemed confined to novels alone.

“Writing novels is definitely a must,” he resolved, secretly making plans.

“But if I just write novels to make money, is that really ambitious enough?” Zhang Ye suddenly felt his vision was too narrow.

After all, if he was simply here to get rich, then with his memory, becoming a carefree wealthy man was entirely feasible—perhaps not the richest in the world like Bill Gates, but comfortably wealthy nonetheless.

Was that all there was?

“Then I’ll set myself a grander, more dazzling goal,” he thought, making a decision that would profoundly affect not only himself but the world.

“I will build a cultural empire—an entire kingdom dedicated to everything related to online novels. I’ll integrate all aspects, nurture them to bloom, and become a true cultural tycoon,” Zhang Ye declared, standing up with a spark of unconventional passion in his eyes.

Though it was his first time considering such an idea and details were still vague, he was resolute.

“But in the end, it all comes down to money,” Zhang Ye chuckled ruefully. Ideals were splendid, but reality was often cruel. His visions were like moonlight reflected on water—visible yet untouchable. It was too soon to think of these things now.

“Alright, alright, time to write. Fastest speed possible—to earn that first pot of gold,” he said. He had no intention of dipping into the internet café’s funds. Building such an empire was far beyond his current reach. He would take it step by step, with the internet café business as his foundation.

The true flourishing of online novels would come years later. He had ample time to prepare. When computers became widespread in his country, that would be the moment for him to expand boldly.

From this point, the main storyline of the novel finally emerged. The transition might feel abrupt—I am aware of that—but the plot was conceived from the start. It was simply overlooked in the original outline, which is my fault as a writer. As a novice, I lacked experience, and this is a hard lesson learned.

I can only hope readers will watch eagerly as the story unfolds into something truly compelling.

That is all.