Chapter Ninety-Five: A Sudden Thought

“Phew…” Walking along the crisp, refreshing street, Zhang Ye exhaled deeply. This time, the matter had been resolved without any real danger.

Aside from Zheng Fan and Shen Kaixing being arrested, there were three other underworld debt collectors involved. Their true intention was far more than just chasing debts from Shen Kaixing. Since Lihua County had been quiet for over half a year due to a crackdown, it naturally attracted many restless elements. Every county town and city was a vast treasure trove, waiting to be exploited. Shi Fei and his group were merely the vanguard.

However, thanks to Zhang Ye’s interference and the police finding lethal weapons like machetes and hammers at their residence, their mission ended in failure before it even began. Whether they would be released anytime soon remained uncertain.

The next day, Zhang Ye’s aunt Liu Xin arrived with her son Shen Cong. There were many things left unsaid over the phone, but upon hearing of Shen Kaixing’s actions, her face turned pale with shame. Her husband’s deeds were a huge blow to everyone. After a period of bitter weeping, she resolutely made her decision.

Just as before, Aunt Liu Xin chose to divorce. Her reaction was fierce and non-negotiable. In her own words, if she didn’t do this, how could she face her elder brother and sister-in-law? What right would she have to raise her child properly?

Divorce was still rare at this time. When it happened, it caused a storm of gossip and endless nagging from relatives. Usually, even if a couple’s relationship was tense, divorce was never seriously considered. Yet this time, even their relatives knew that trying to persuade her otherwise would only harm her, so no one said a word.

The divorce decree was finalized over a month later. Though Liu Xin’s life became much quieter afterward, it was also more stable. On one occasion, Zhang Ye was surprised to find that Shen Cong showed no sadness over his father’s situation; in fact, he seemed even more cheerful than before.

Curious, Zhang Ye asked him why. The answer stunned him.

“He’s not my dad anymore. Divorce is better. It’s better that he’s locked up—I hope he never comes out. He only knew how to hit me and my mom all day long. Drunk or in a bad mood, he’d beat us. I don’t recognize him as my dad,” said the seven or eight-year-old boy. It was hard to imagine how Shen Kaixing must have treated his wife and child to make Shen Cong feel this way.

At least this proved one thing: Shen Kaixing’s imprisonment hadn’t negatively affected Shen Cong. This comforted Zhang Ye considerably. No matter what, he had contributed greatly to sending Shen Kaixing and Zheng Fan to prison.

The holiday was winding down, and Zhang Ye felt he had fared well. He had gone from penniless to owning a modest internet café. Although the café was small, barely fitting fifty people, the daily income was enough to impress countless factory workers.

Another point worth mentioning was Liu Meiju’s Pin Yi clothing store, which had finally turned a real profit. The initial investment of tens of thousands of yuan had been fully recovered, and with over five thousand sets of imported South Korean clothes remaining, each sold piece would yield several hundred yuan in profit. At that moment, South Korean imports were at their peak popularity in Lihua County. Liu Meiju’s daily income surpassed even Zhang Ye’s internet café.

Naturally, such large profits attracted many imitators. Around the Pin Yi store, other clothing shops had begun importing similar styles. But Pin Yi’s reputation was already well established, and customers naturally preferred it first.

What pleased Zhang Ye most was that, through his efforts, he had helped his uncle’s family escape bankruptcy. Now, Liu Boqing had recovered all five hundred thousand yuan he had lost. After some thought, he decided to continue with potato chip production. Having experience in the food industry, he felt confident despite the difference in product.

Although there were many matters at home needing attention after the recent events, Zhang Ye wasted no time and headed to Hangzhou. Zheng Fan had not lied—there was indeed a boss in Hangzhou who once ran the same business but had closed down due to poor management. The machinery was idle, and if Liu Boqing negotiated, there was a good chance to lower the price.

In the last days of the holiday, Zhang Ye didn’t go out for fun but stayed at the internet café. Liu Wentao teased him, remarking it was rare for the big boss to make an appearance. Zhao Haidong was frustrated, as he had recently become obsessed with online games, especially Monopoly Xuanyuan Sword, his favorite. He loved playing in Zhang Ye’s private booth, but now that Zhang Ye was there, his fun was spoiled.

Zhang Ye’s presence wasn’t to manage daily operations; after all, he still had school. Everything was entrusted to Liu Wentao and the others, whom he trusted had grown capable over time. Zhang Ye’s role was to devise management plans and offer suggestions from all angles. Execution was in the hands of the shrewd Wu Dongjun, who Zhang Ye believed would do even better than he imagined.

As for himself, he intended to seize the remaining time to complete the novel outline he had been refining for over ten days and nights—a work he had painstakingly integrated and polished and did not want to leave unfinished.

Sometimes, when sleep eluded him, he thought about building future online novel websites. With his forward-thinking mindset, he was confident he could attract top-tier writers and grow the platform. Yet, the time was not right.

Private computers were still too few. Even wealthy families wouldn’t necessarily buy such devices. Without a vast network, online novel websites were impossible to establish. All he could do now was wait for the right moment.

“Physical publishing?” A sudden thought blossomed in his mind.

In his previous life, he had been a novel enthusiast. If growing up reading novels made one a true fan, then he had been only a pseudo-fan before university. It was in college that he truly fell in love with novels, becoming irreversibly hooked. One thing he was sure of was his absolute passion for literature.

Whether physical or digital, he could always find books that captivated him, reading late into the night. What if those beloved novels from his past life could be published by his own hands? How remarkable that would be.