Chapter 120: Who Knows Who He Is?

Actually, there are many aspects to consider when starting a magazine. One must account for the complexities involving the state, the General Administration of Press and Publication, and the Radio and Television Bureau.

Furthermore, the country currently faces a severe issue with piracy and copyright infringement. There are virtually no effective preventive measures, and failure to address this would lead to enormous losses. Then there is the matter of distribution, which is the most critical factor; whether the magazine can turn a profit depends entirely on it.

However, although there are many problems, they are all solvable. Everything is difficult at the start; if one gives up because of obstacles, how can one talk about success?

That evening, Zhang Ye did not disturb Wang Mengzi’s rest, as she was surely exhausted from the train ride. Instead, he stayed home and began thinking about writing another book.

A new magazine is bound to lack manuscripts. Although everything was still in its infancy and the magazine did not even exist on paper yet, being well-prepared was never a mistake.

Therefore, Zhang Ye decided to start a new novel. After filtering through the stories in his mind, he settled on *A Journey to Immortality*. This novel could be considered the true progenitor of the immortal cultivation genre. Its story was far more compelling than *Zhu Xian*, particularly in its depictions of the cultivation world, the magical treasures, and the novel definitions of cultivation realms, all of which pushed the boundaries of imagination.

This novel aligned perfectly with the fundamental concept of Zhang Ye’s magazine, which centered on imaginative storytelling.

With this in mind, Zhang Ye mentally reviewed the plot of *A Journey to Immortality* and began typing on his computer. As the story, characters, and plot points played back in his mind, his pace was rapid. From the first volume, where the protagonist Li Qiang is deceived by a friend and subsequently taken away by the mysterious Fu Shan, to the use of the teleportation array...

Since the entire narrative was replaying in his head, Zhang Ye only needed to focus on typing, allowing him to finish the first three chapters in just an hour.

Zhang Ye stretched his back. Seeing that he still had time, he continued to work without resting. After three or four hours, he checked the word count and was surprised to see he had written thirty thousand words. Satisfied, he smiled and lay down to rest.

The next day, while Zhang Ye was at school, Wang Mengzi wasted no time and immediately began investigating magazine publishers around Lihua County.

Shrewd as she was, she kept her intentions hidden. Leveraging her connections from her time at the newspaper and her status as a well-known author, she began inquiring about local publishers, consolidating data, and considering which ones would be the best partners for acquisition.

There were six magazines in total in Lihua County. Three were focused on fashion and gossip, which had little to do with novels. One was a story anthology, one was a serial novel publication featuring local contributors (mostly short stories), and the last was a comic magazine, which was quite rare at the time.

Thinking back to his detailed conversation with Zhang Ye and his visions, she frowned. None of these magazines met his requirements. However, she was only looking for a structural framework; the content could be decided later. She quickly refocused and continued her deep investigation, primarily observing their sales and market prospects.

Today was the day classes were assigned.

Zhang Ye had assumed that, given his status as the third-to-last student in his grade, even if he weren't placed in the worst class, he wouldn't fare much better. However, when he saw his name on the list for Class 1 of the second year, he found it hard to believe his eyes.

He soon realized the reason. While his conflict with Li Yifan and the others hadn't become a school-wide scandal—and his homeroom teacher, Miao Jianghong, might not even be aware of it—the principal and the dean of students were certainly aware of his background. They must have been trying to curry favor with him, recognizing the influence he possessed to command the attention of the County Party Secretary and the Director of the Education Bureau.

Zhang Ye smiled bitterly at this, but he did not refuse. He saw Li Qianqian’s name in the class list. She had placed in the top three during the previous exams, so her entry into the honors class was well-deserved. Thinking that he would continue to be in the same class as her, Zhang Ye felt a sense of comfort.

Shi Lei was in high spirits today. The breeze was refreshing, the autumn leaves were drifting, and more importantly, he could finally shed his "eternal runner-up" title. Although he wasn't first in Class 1, the gap was narrow.

What delighted him most was that Li Qianqian was in his class. After three or four years of secret affection, and with his greatest rival, Zhang Ye, surely relegated to a lower class due to his poor grades, he felt as though he had the advantage of being close to the water to catch the moonlight first.

Shi Lei arrived early. Sitting in the front row of the new classroom, he watched the students entering with their mix of nervousness and excitement, feeling like a monarch observing his subjects, smiling at their joy and anticipation.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

The school was not lacking in beauties. Although science students were fewer, there were always girls who could captivate everyone.

The girl who walked in then was tall and beautiful. Though she appeared slightly aloof, her refined and ethereal face made her the perfect dream girl for any teenager.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Shi Lei felt his heart pounding, as if it wanted to break free from his chest and approach her. He used to think he was quite pure, having liked Li Qianqian for three years. But now, he was confused. He wondered if his horizons had been too narrow, always limited to his own class.

He didn't recognize this beautiful girl, likely due to his own past obsession with hard study. Feeling like a failure for not knowing her, he put on what he considered his most charming smile and stood up to greet her. He believed his grades were enough to attract her attention.

However, he forgot that this was an honors class; everyone here was extraordinary. Moreover, a beauty like her was never short of admirers or persistent pests. Under the gaze of his lecherous—though he thought it was sincere—smile, the beautiful figure ignored him completely, walking past him without a single glance.

Who even knew who he was?