Chapter 3

2005, a kind of future

In the year 2005, things were still pretty good. All fantasies were being realized or were in the process of being realized in YY, including those that were expected and those that were not.

Tigers eyed the world with ambition, dominating the six directions; the slaughter of Japan and the destruction of America, unafraid of bloodshed; immortality through cultivation, killing gods as a skill; the thick and black ruled, the internet reigned supreme; few remained content with self-cultivation in poverty, while many flocked to the idea of having a harem when they achieved success.

This year, things were still pretty good.

Thanks to the efforts of the paid reading system for online novels, a mature industry chain began to form. The continuously rising number of subscriptions spurred many to join the ranks of writers. Stories, in essence, were no different. Although the tragic story of a writer who was taken away by the police after being unable to pay his internet fees after a month of being stuck in an internet cafe served as a reminder of the risks of entering the field, many established authors also came forward with good intentions or a bit of superiority to question: Are you really ready to make a living by writing novels? However, the fact remained that the low threshold of online novels still created a vast army of tens of thousands of writers.

The only future we can predict is that only a very few lucky and talented writers will reach the pinnacle of the pyramid.

A promising trend also emerged this year: novels like "The Chronicles of the Extraordinary," "Jade Dynasty," "Desecration," "Evil Cherry," and "Ming" were successfully published domestically and received positive reviews. This seemed to indicate that the physical books of online novels were finally beginning to break free from the predicament of being out of reach for most readers. However, the depth of the seemingly prosperous publishing market still needed to be tested by time. The future remained as vague and unattainable as an island in the clouds, high and without foundation.

For example, the copy of "Shanda Entertainment Novel" you now hold in your hands represents a kind of exploration and another direction of effort. We are not trying to set a precedent; we just want more readers to know, and for you to know, that some futures are in your hands.

In "A Tale of Two Cities," Dickens wrote: Such phenomena, along with a thousand similar events, occurred one after another in the lovely year 2005, endlessly. Amid these events, countless benevolent and brave individuals quietly and consistently used various means to return to the past or to wander in foreign lands; while the gods and the lofty rulers were destined to be ridiculed and whipped again and again, countless times. Vases and not just vases of beautiful women would continue their great project of throwing themselves into the arms of others. The year 2005 demonstrated its greatness in this way, and it led countless ordinary people down the path before them—us included.

Well, to put it in a cliché: The wheels of history are still turning... even if they are already broken.

We hope we still have the skills of mechanics.

[PS: At the time, this magazine was given high hopes, but unfortunately, it only lasted for a little over a year before it ceased publication. Also, I forgot who wrote this preface. If anyone knows, please remind me, and I will add the credit~]

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