Rebirth of the Godly Prodigal

Chenhui Building, eighth floor, Zhong Dian website.

“Manager Zhang, according to the tabulations, Feng Yun website has already broken past the 2.4 million mark of daily IPs. And it’s still increasing at a rapid speed.” The secretary’s forehead brimmed with sweat as he stood in front of the manager, Zhang Wenyang, and cautiously said, “Moreover, their updated books in these three days have exceeded 3,500. It’s going to catch up with ours soon. Manager Zhang, what do you think…”

“This Feng Yun website definitely has a master assisting it.” Zhang Wenyang tapped his fingers on the writing desk and slowly said, “These six tactics have evidently aimed at the vitals; we haven’t thought of this back then. Looks like the enemy is very strong this time.”

“Yes, Manager Zhang, what should we do? Should we think of a way to launch a counterattack?” The secretary anxiously said, “It won’t do to just sit here and wait! Why don’t we ask the Young Master’s side for advice?”

“Mm, does Young Master know about this?” Zhang Wenyang asked.

“For now he probably still doesn’t know about it. Manager Zhang, you’re trying to say…” The secretary asked.

Zhang Wenyang touched his chin and thought for a while, then said, “Report this first. See what the Young Master thinks about it and whether he has any instructions.”

“Alright!”

…

“Dali, news has just come from Zhong Dian. There has been a huge increase in the updated novels from Feng Yun website these few days,” Tang Muxin looked at Hong Dali, who was lying on Li Nianwei’s lap and preparing to take an afternoon nap. She anxiously said, “Now, the number of novels updated in these three days has already exceeded 3,000. We only have around 4,000 of them on our Zhong Dian website currently. If it continues on like this, we’ll lose!”

“Oh… It’s not a big problem, it’s fine…” Hong Dali listlessly said, “What kind of big thing is this, it doesn’t matter…”

“You’re really…” Tang Muxin couldn’t help but feel like kicking him ferociously. “Can you not be so carefree!”

Hong Dali said without hesitation, “I can’t!”

Tang Muxin angrily said, “If we lose, it will cost 50 million, 50 million! It’s not a small figure, and we’ll lose everything we’ve previously won!”

“I know.” Hong Dali turned his body over and prepared to sleep. “Get them to just do as they deem fit.”

“Ahhhhh!” Tang Muxin was enraged. “Are you not the least bit concerned about it!”

“This novel website was all along for me to squander on…” Hong Dali mumbled. “Why would I care whether it earns money or not?”

Tang Muxin despondently said, “Forget it, I’ll ask them to think of a way themselves. I’ve really been defeated by you, you prodigal!”

“Wrong.” Hong Dali stretched out a finger. “It’s superprodigal!”

…

Eighth floor, Zhong Dian website.

“Manager Zhang, Young Master’s side, Young Master’s side says…” The secretary violently swallowed his saliva. “Young Master asks us to do as we deem fit.”

“Hu…” Zhang Wenyang took in a deep breath and said, “Looks like the matter it’s difficult to handle this time! Mm, how about this, go and inform the finance department to up the latest welfare benefits policy. Since the other party is so willing to spend money, then, of course, we need to follow suit. Increase the perks for the authors and then give discounts for the readers.”

“OK.” The secretary thought for a while, then asked again, “What about the smartphone reading app?”

“Increase a few more recommendation slots for the smartphone reading app.” Zhang Wenyang thought for a while, then said, “For now, let’s adopt a more prudent guideline. Let’s not care about whether the other party’s data is good or not first. Anyway, if they can continue wasting money, we can too. But we mustn’t copy them entirely. How about this, go and get the finance department to apply for some funds for more advertisements to increase our popularity. At the same time, go to the online novel forum to expose the earnings of the smartphone reading app side. To the authors, the earnings is the most practical aspect. Quickly go!”

“Alright!”

…

While Zhong Dian website and Feng Yun website were waging a huge battle, at an unassuming corner in the online literature industry, something that wasn’t counted as a big thing had happened.

On July 24, 2014, an ongoing fantasy novel on Feng Yun website, “Martial Spirit,” had updated another chapter. After more than 10 hours, it stopped updating on July 25. Just as the readers were anxiously waiting for the next chapter, “Martial Spirit” updated a single chapter.

The title of the chapter was: “A fantasy dream abruptly stopped, author Luo Xue’s sudden death.”

And its content only contained one sentence: “On July 25, 2014, author Luo Xue dies suddenly in front of the computer.”

In the group chats for Feng Yun website authors—

Author One: “Have you all heard of it? An author on our website, Luo Xue, has suddenly died in front of the computer. So tragic!”

Author Two: “I’ve heard of it, sigh. Who would have thought that this person would die just like that? So fragile.”

Author Three: “Speaking of which, I have had some encounters with Luo Xue before. He’s quite nice. Back then, the results of my book weren’t very good and I requested for his help to recommend my chapter. He didn’t show any hesitation and helped me do it. Sigh, what a pity, he’s such a nice person…”

Author Four: “The latest news are out, everyone, do you want to know?”

Author One: “Of course, quickly say it!”

Author Four: “Luo Xue’s fees are 100 yuan per 1,000 words. But he types quickly, over 20 thousand words per day. He tired himself to death, what a pity.”

Author Two: “Is that so, but the fee of 100 yuan per 1,000 words is not low. Why does he have to work so hard?”

Author Four: “Speaking of which, he got this fee because of our website. Actually, with his results, his fee would be more or less around 20 yuan per 1,000 words. But because he’s very experienced, back during the merger, in order to keep him, the boss offered him a price of 100 yuan per 1,000 words. I heard that he has a handicapped father at home, and his mother doesn’t have much income. He still has a sister schooling. So he goes all out in writing his novels to earn money! Think about it, 100 yuan per 1,000 words, 20 thousand words per day, one month would bring him 60 thousand yuan. It’s not little. But that won’t do, he still needs to pay for his father’s treatment and prepare to get married and buy a house. Initially, he was thinking of exerting himself for this period of time, but who knew such a thing would happen. What a pity, sigh…”

Author Three: “It’s such a pity. His family must be devastated, right? Has the website done anything about it?”

Author Four: “Not at the moment. I’m not sure what the website can do, let’s wait for further news.”

…

Tianjing City Center, Pailun Office Building, sixth floor, Feng Yun website headquarters.

Ko Gohon and Shiroishi Kazuma were sitting on the sofa in Feng Yun website headquarters, looking at the documents in their hands.

“Young Master Gohon,” Shiroishi Kazuma, after reading all the documents, asked Ko Gohon, “The author of ‘Martial Spirit,’ Luo Xue, has suddenly died. What do you plan to do about this?”

“He’s just an author. If he’s dead, then let it be. His fees are not low.” Ko Gohon casually placed the document aside. “He doesn’t have many subscriptions. We’d previously offered him such a high fee because we’d taken his experience into account. He doesn’t belong to our Jaban Empire, so it doesn’t matter that he’s dead. I don’t plan to waste money on him again.”

“Mm, a discarded chess piece.” Shiroishi Kazuma nodded. “I can only express my condolences.”

GM Liu of Feng Yun website stood in front of the two of them in trepidation as he carefully asked, “Then, may I know your opinions about this matter…”

“Deal with it subtly.” Shiroishi Kazuma slowly said, “Cancel all the upcoming recommendations for his books. I believe that not long later, this matter will be forgotten by everyone. Remember, we want to earn profits from now on. Now that we’ve already invested a lot of capital, we can’t go on like this.”

“O… OK…”

…

July 25, 2014, at 9:00 PM.

“Martial Spirit,” which was currently on the recommendation lists, had silently been replaced by another book. There was completely no news about this throughout the entire process, and it didn’t attract anyone’s attention.

…

July 26.

A loyal reader of “Martial Spirit,” as usual, wanted to read the book through the recommendation slot. Alas, he found that that book that was initially on the recommendation slot had been replaced by another book. This reader searched for it for a long while, and after confirming that it couldn’t be found, he could only go to the bookshelf to read it—not all readers would update their books on the bookshelf. Evidently, this reader was one of them.

Then, very soon, he discovered that he couldn’t find “Martial Spirit” on the bookshelf as well.

In the readers’ group chat—

Reader: “Does anyone know what happened with ‘Martial Spirit’? Why has it disappeared from the recommendation slot and it can’t even be found in the bookshelf? What exactly happened to it?”

Reader One: “Martial Spirit? The author is already dead. It’s quite a pity. I heard that he died all of a sudden at the keyboard due to over-exhaustion, sigh.”

Reader Two: “Yes, what a pity. I was still planning to subscribe to his book to express my condolences, but now I can’t even find it.”

Reader: “What is the website doing? It isn’t doing anything about it?”

Reader Three: “They should be playing the matter down. Probably, not long later, everyone will completely forget about it. There aren’t many people reading it in the first place. It’s just that their behavior is really cold, sigh…”

In the authors’ group chat—

Author One: “Have you guys discovered? ‘Martial Spirit’ is gone, it can’t be found anymore.”

Author Two: “I wouldn’t have noticed it if you didn’t say that, it’s really gone.”

Author Three: “Sigh, the way they handled this matter is not nice…”

…

Zhong Dian website.

“Manager Zhang, I heard that a few days ago, there was a writer with the pen name of ‘Luo Xue’ at Feng Yun website that suddenly passed away. Do we need to do anything about it?” The secretary asked Zhang Wenyang.

“The writer suddenly passed away?” Zhang Wenyang touched his chin. “This is truly tragic. Go and ask Young Master about it. He should have some ideas. Our Young Master is very kind, I believe he’ll do something about it. Let’s not intervene in this.”

“OK.”

…

Chenhui Building, ninth floor, Caiwei Entertainment.

“Oh? You’re saying that an author has suddenly passed away? This is truly a sad thing.” Hong Dali touched his chin. “Can you contact this author’s family?”

The secretary shook his head and said, “Only Feng Yun website has his contact details. We can’t contact them at the moment.”

“Is that so…” Hong Dali thought for a while, then he took out his smartphone. “I’ll go and ask!”

Very soon, the call had gotten through. Hong Dali asked, “Young Master Gohon, hello. Hehe. I want to ask whether you’ve got the contact number of that Luo Xue?”

“Oh? Young Master Dali, do you have any ideas about it?” Ko Gohon sniggered. “I do have the contact details.”

“That’s good. How about this, I’ll buy all the copyrights of his book. State your price.” Hong Dali said.

“Young Master Dali wants to buy the copyrights of his book?” Ko Gohon was elated. This prodigal Hong Dali had come to him on his own accord. Of course he had to seize this opportunity to get some money from him. Thus, he directly demanded an exorbitant price. “One million.”

Alas, Hong Dali directly agreed without even thinking. “OK!”