Chapter 2

To put it simply, Su Shichen was not originally from this world; he was what people on the internet commonly referred to as a "穿越者" (穿越者, time traveler).

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary man, a homebody who liked to talk big but lacked the courage to act, only daring to voice his opinions online.

He had an average appearance, an ordinary job, and a mediocre family background. All these factors led to Su Shichen being a virgin in his thirties, despite having had many girlfriends, all of whom were only online. In real life, he would always fail to impress when he met them in person.

Although Su Shichen had the desire to lose his virginity, he was powerless to change his situation. He had once considered visiting a brothel but quickly strengthened his resolve and ultimately couldn't overcome the mental barrier.

He wasn't hit by a car, struck by lightning, or drunk. He simply woke up in bed one day and found himself in this world for no apparent reason.

At first, he thought he had been reborn, but upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't that simple.

The year was 2012, and he had "穿越" (穿越, time traveled) in 2013. This meant that only a year had passed, so if he had been reborn, he should have been 32 years old, not 14.

Soon, Su Shichen, who was used to surfing the internet, discovered something very strange.

This world seemed to have never experienced World War II, and it was very peaceful. As a result, people's pursuit of art was much higher, and the entertainment and literary industries were exceptionally developed.

Another reason for this phenomenon was that this world had a relentless crackdown on tomb raiding, especially in terms of intellectual property. China was no longer a country known for knockoffs.

When Su Shichen first arrived in this world, he wanted to download two 3GP format movies on his phone, but he found that there were no pirated versions available online. In the end, he had no choice but to pay for the downloads on legitimate websites.

In this world, the United States was still a world leader, the Oscars and Grammys still existed, and Los Angeles was still the world's entertainment center. However, China's international status had significantly improved, and there was no longer any dispute over the Diaoyu Islands.

Although the entertainment and literary industries in this world were highly developed, some famous people and works from Earth were missing.

He didn't realize this until he started looking for them. Where were the King of Pop, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Justin Bieber? Where were Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne? Where were the three generations of "God of Songs" in China—Samuel Hui, Jacky Cheung, and Eason Chan? The world of comics, songs, and novels was also very impoverished. This place was similar to his previous world but was not the same.

Having traveled to another world, his name remained the same, and his body was the same as when he was 14. His parents were also the same as in his previous life, which was the only comforting aspect. After all, it would be very difficult for a 33-year-old man to recognize strangers as his parents.

"Hey, Xiao Si, why are we here?" Li Dongfang tugged at Su Shichen's sleeve.

The 18th floor was an office, with neatly dressed employees and attractive office ladies. However, Su Shichen and Li Dongfang stood out as they were only 14 years old and carried small backpacks.

"Little boy, who are you looking for?" The receptionist didn't look down on them because of their age but asked professionally.

Feeling nervous in this unfamiliar environment, especially as they sneaked into the building like thieves, Su Shichen became even more nervous when the receptionist asked a question. He finally looked up and saw the name of the 18th-floor office: "Deyun Publishing House." It was a publishing company.

"I'm looking for the editor-in-chief of your publishing house."

"You're looking for Editor Wang. Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes."

"May I ask the little boy's name? I'll check for you."

"Su Shichen, the '苏' in '苏醒' (awakening), the '释' in '释放' (release), and the '晨' in '早晨' (morning)."

"The appointment is at 8:30. The time is just right." The receptionist called the editor-in-chief's office, had a brief conversation, and then directed Su Shichen to enter. He knocked on the door of the editor-in-chief's office.

"Please come in." It was a woman's voice. Was it the secretary? He pushed the door open and entered. The editor-in-chief's office was elegantly decorated, with a purple theme, giving a sense of seriousness and elegance.

There was no secretary in the office. The editor-in-chief, a beautiful woman in her thirties with fine eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, sat behind the desk. She had a cold expression and wore a black-brown business suit that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Even when she bowed, her cleavage was visible, and the purple bra strap could be seen. However, because she was sitting, the wrinkles in her waist revealed a patch of white skin.

"Deyun Publishing House, Editor-in-Chief, Wang Ni."

"I thought you were Mr. Su Shichen, but it turns out you're Little Brother Su Shichen." Wang Ni's smile was beautiful, like an ice mountain melting. The mole below her lip and her watery almond eyes were very alluring.

"I don't think my age should be an issue, right?" Su Shichen said.

"Hehe, indeed, it's not an issue. Please sit down, both of you," Wang Ni invited them.

Su Shichen and Li Dongfang sat on the sofa.

"Editor Wang..."

"Little Brother Su Shichen, you're the same age as my daughter. Calling me 'Editor Wang' is too formal. Call me Aunt Wang, and I'll call you Xiao Chen, okay?"

"That would be presumptuous, Aunt Wang."

"There's no such thing as presumption. If you keep saying that, Aunt Wang will be upset," Wang Ni said with a deliberately cold face, but her tone and expression softened when Su Shichen called her Aunt Wang.

Suddenly, she changed the subject. "Xiao Chen, is the person next to you your little girlfriend? How about introducing her to Aunt Wang?"

Before Su Shichen could speak, Li Dongfang blushed and shook her head. "No, we're classmates. I'm here to accompany Xiao Si."

"Ah," Wang Ni drew out the word, making Li Dongfang blush and lower her head.

"Alright, Xiao Chen, let's get to the point. Aunt Wang just wants to confirm that 'Journey to the West: A New Tale' is really written by you?"

"Of course. Piracy can result in a 30-year prison sentence. I'm still young and don't want to go to jail. And Aunt Wang should have already confirmed this online."

"Yes, Aunt Wang just wanted to make sure. So, do you still have the simplified and traditional Chinese publishing rights for 'Journey to the West: A New Tale'?"

"Yes, I still have them."

"Good. Since you call me Aunt Wang, I won't treat you unfairly. Here's a contract. The rate is 50 yuan per thousand characters. Your book 'Journey to the West: A New Tale' is 100,000 characters, so you'll earn 5,000 yuan. Although the literary industry in this world is developed, 40 yuan per thousand characters is already very good for a new author, so Su Shichen nodded in agreement."

"Here's the contract. Since you're not 18, you need a guardian's signature. You can take the contract home and discuss it with your parents." Wang Ni was as efficient as her neatly tied hair.

"Okay." Su Shichen put the contract in his backpack.

"Aunt Wang, what are you publishing? What's 'Journey to the West: A New Tale'?" Li Dongfang's eyes, like those of a cat, were wide with curiosity.

"I'm not sure yet, but it's Xiao Chen's book. This is the manuscript he wrote." Wang Ni's words left Li Dongfang stunned. Publishing a book was a big deal, especially for a middle school student who found it challenging to write a 600-character essay. She was handed a stack of A4 paper.

"Journey to the West: A New Tale" was a strange title. Was it about Sun Wukong?

As one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China, "Journey to the West" was well-known to everyone. The TV series was always rebroadcast during the summer. What more could there be to write about? And it couldn't be in classical Chinese, could it?

Li Dongfang continued reading with these thoughts in mind—

Chapter 1

The four of them came to a dense forest with no path.

"Wukong, I'm hungry. Find some food," Tang Sanzang said, sitting down on a rock.

"I'm busy. Can't you find it yourself? You have legs, don't you?" Sun Wukong said, leaning on his staff.

"Busy? With what?"

"Isn't the sunset beautiful?" Sun Wukong said, looking at the sky. "I can only keep walking west every day by looking at this."

"You can look while you search. Just don't bump into a tree."

...

To Li Dongfang's surprise, it wasn't in classical Chinese but more like a prose style, with many exclamations and humorous sentences that made her laugh, such as—

"What is love? The Buddha says: Rubbish!!"

"If the heavens know my sincerity, let the stones sprout."

"The Buddha is in my heart. Why do you speak of it? Better to fart!"

The Sun Wukong in "Journey to the West: A New Tale" was humorous but also exuded a sense of grandeur and heroism, like "Why was I born if I can't laugh? Why should I be destroyed if I don't lose my pride?"

"If the heavens oppress me, I will split them open. If the earth restrains me, I will crush it. We are born free, and no one should stand above us." ... Sun Wukong was a hero, a towering hero. This was Li Dongfang's impression after reading the book.

"This is Aunt Wang's private phone. If your parents agree to sign the contract, you can call me." Realizing this was a polite way to dismiss them, Su Shichen, being considerate, left the publishing house with Li Dongfang.

"Xiao Si, is 'Journey to the West: A New Tale' really written by you?" Li Dongfang asked.

"Of course. China has strict laws against plagiarism, with a 30-year prison sentence."

"Xiao Si, you're amazing. You actually wrote a book!" Li Dongfang's eyes were filled with admiration.

Some people say that the three types of men most attractive to women are: the literary youth, the rogue, and the older man. The literary youth can speak eloquently and write romantic poems, which are particularly appealing to young girls. They call it romantic.

The rogue is like a gust of wind, free and unrestrained, which easily stirs the maternal instincts of mature women, making them want to calm the wind. However, they end up following the wind.

The older man is a term reserved for wealthy and successful men. The phrase "a poor man can only be called a teacher when he gets old" highlights that not everyone can be an older man. These men are mature, knowledgeable, and caring, making them particularly attractive to young girls who lack fatherly love.

Young girls, mature women, and young girls are all vulnerable to the charm of literary youths, rogues, and older men.

"Xiao Si, where are we going now?" Li Dongfang asked.

"Back to the classroom, of course. I think the first class is over. Congratulations, you've successfully skipped class."

"Ah!" Li Dongfang's face turned pale as she realized they had skipped class to go to the publishing house.

"Haha, I was just kidding. I've already asked the teacher for permission."

"Bad Xiao Si, you tricked me!" The chase and play between the young boy and girl under the morning sun was a beautiful memory of their youth...