The Wanderings of the War of Money

——Dedicated sincerely to all dream-chasers on the path of literary creation

In 2008, I published my debut short story, Oasis of the Soul, on a certain novel website.

The origin of Oasis of the Soul lay with a classmate of mine from military academy who was also a fellow townsman. After suffering emotional trauma, he found himself wandering at the crossroads of a lonely life. All our classmates missed him dearly and frequently asked me about his well-being.

He was exceptionally handsome, bearing a striking resemblance to the film actor Wang Xinggang. That year, he had entered our school as the top scorer in our major.

Guitar playing and singing were all the rage in the mid-1980s. He played the guitar brilliantly, and his rendition of *The Spanish Matador* could leave anyone spellbound. Following the trend blindly like everyone else, we took him as our master and learned to play the guitar.

To express our camaraderie as classmates and fellow soldiers, I spent a week writing Oasis of the Soul, intending to help him emerge from the shadows of his trauma as soon as possible and embrace a brilliant, beautiful tomorrow.

After finishing the story, I searched for a website to publish it, registering on a fiction portal back then under the pen name Sunrise on the Sea.

Less than a week after Oasis of the Soul was published, its view count exceeded five thousand—a figure I had never anticipated. One day shortly after, recalling the misfortunes of a friend, I began to dream wildly, harboring an extravagant desire to write a full-length novel centered on the theme of gambling.

My engagement with the written word began during my time at a certain political academy. Under the guidance of my history teacher, Wang Jian, I wrote an article titled *Inheriting and Carrying Forward the Three Major Styles of Our Military's Political Work*, which was published in *Political Work Journal*. From that moment on, I fell in love with writing.

Upon returning to civilian life, I continued to pursue the writing work I loved—drafting speeches for leaders, research papers, and information briefings, keeping myself wonderfully busy!

Although I had been engaged in professional writing for a decade, writing a novel was an absolute first for me. Consequently, I sought out *Creative Techniques in Fiction*, and following the masterworks mentioned in the book—such as *Garden of Forking Paths*, *Ulysses*, *Kafka on the Shore*, *Immortality*, and *The Unbearable Lightness of Being*—I began to learn how to write a novel.

During this period, some people said to me, "You aren't any sort of celebrity, so don't waste your energy. Setting aside whether you even have the capability to finish a full-length novel, even if you do complete it, I doubt anyone would ever read it." Hearing this, I always remained unimpressed. I thought to myself that regardless of whether anyone wished to read it, I was determined to transform it into printed words and publish it. For every additional person who came to know the words I wrote, one fewer person would be harmed.

At the end of 2008, under the title *Overdrawn Life*, I began writing my full-length novel. Back then, fueled by my dreams, I started serializing it on a certain website after completing fifty thousand words. An influential master in the literary world even promised to write a preface for my book once it was finished.

Regrettably, after serializing thirty chapters of *Overdrawn Life*, I acutely felt that I could not keep pace with the update schedule demanded by web fiction readers. Consequently, I abandoned the creation of *Overdrawn Life*. Unintentionally, I had dug a massive, unfinished pit on that website.

Originally, *Overdrawn Life* was meant to be a simple novel solely about gambling. The characters within it possessed only one primary plotline and two hidden subplots, making the plot structure relatively simple. Even so, I found myself unable to finish it. Analyzing why I failed to keep up with the update speed of web novels, I realized that my accumulation of creative knowledge was still insufficient; I lacked the ability to command a full-length novel and narrate a story. I did not even possess the most basic skill of typing. How could creation possibly be easy?

A fine steed cannot leap ten paces in a single bound; an inferior horse can cover the distance with ten days of effort, its success lying in perseverance. For the sake of my ideals, I embarked on another eight-year journey of studying creative techniques. I carefully re-read those few novels resting on my shelf. Struggling with the question of where a story springs from, I consulted a vast amount of literature. Through study and comprehension, I finally understood that this question essentially boils down to where a story begins. The skylight of my mind's enlightenment seemed to have finally been unlatched.

The realm of literature and art is vast and boundless. Especially in Chinese, the mysteries of language are inexhaustible. Without the mental state of forging oneself like Mount Tai, one cannot perceive or experience the exquisite beauty of literature.

To elevate my creative abilities, I watched nearly three thousand domestic and foreign television dramas during this period, absorbing beneficial nutrients from their settings, music, language, and dialogue, thereby doing thorough preparatory work for the depiction and portrayal of fictional characters.

In 2018, a campaign to combat organized crime and root out local mafia forces was launched across the nation. I suddenly thought of doing something. What if I added two more hidden subplots to my novel and incorporated elements of the anti-crime campaign, dedicating a literary work to this cause? Wouldn't that be a marvelous thing? It could also fulfill my lingering aspiration.

Learning is the means to understand the Dao, and writing is the vehicle to express principle. I took up my pen once again, redrawing the *Creative Outline* for the novel. I replanned the character designs, plot, and structure of the original work, renaming the novel *Lost Web*. The meaning I wished to convey was the story of a group of people trapped within an invisible web, losing their direction in life and marching toward degradation and destruction.

Just as my novel was nearing completion, a Hong Kong television series titled *Lost Web*—which dealt with financial fraud—became a hit online. Sharing the exact same title, I was forced to consider renaming my own novel.

I racked my brains, unable to figure out what title could adequately express the theme I wanted to write about. Finally, I decided upon the title *City of Desire*.

As my manuscript was about to be finalized, a publishing friend of mine took my *Creative Outline* and the first three chapters to contact publishing channels on my behalf.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity of two weeks, my friend informed me that he had contacted multiple publishing houses, all of which stated that my novel could not be published domestically.

When I asked why, he replied, "After reviewing your outline, several publishing houses stated that the novel involves both police investigations and criminal syndicates, which does not conform to current publishing policies and guidelines. Their final conclusion is that it cannot be published."

Upon hearing this, my heart went cold by half. I asked, "Aren't *In the Name of the People*, *The Knockout*, and *Operation Mekong*... all centered around this exact theme? I am raising the high banner of combating organized crime, so why won't this work?"

My friend smiled and replied, "I said everything that could be said, but it still won't do. Those works you mentioned are specially designated projects or creations by official writing teams."

Suddenly, it dawned on me. So that was how it was; I simply lacked the qualification to write on such a subject matter. My dream was nothing at all—it was merely my own pipe dream.

Holding those worthless manuscripts of mine, I was deeply unreconciled. I asked my friend, "If the publishing houses won't allow me to touch upon the police or criminal underworlds, I won't touch them at all. I'll change the police to yamen runners; if football isn't allowed, I'll write about Song Dynasty Cuju; if usury is deemed criminal, I'll chop off usury's head. Surely that must be acceptable?"

Seeing that I was willing to drastically alter my work, willing to make it unrecognizable if necessary, my friend replied, "I'll ask around for you again."

Two weeks passed, and my friend called to say, "It still won't work, brother! Your work has already been branded with the mark of non-compliance!"

Upon hearing this, a chill ran down my spine once more. I never imagined that my lifelong aspiration would end up like someone entering the imperial palace—castrated and turned into a eunuch.

Left with no other option, I sought out that legendary master of the literary world who had once promised to write a preface for me. He was a towering figure who paid attention to unestablished writers; perhaps he had a way to help me fulfill my publication wish.

With my search yielding no results, I thought of the writer and publisher Teacher Li Zhaoqing in Beijing, and inquired with him about the master's whereabouts.

It turned out I had finally knocked on the right door. Teacher Li informed me, "The teacher has emigrated abroad. Writing a preface is likely no longer possible."

Hearing that I wished to publish a book, Teacher Li cordially inquired about my recent circumstances. I explained my situation and request to him. While expressing his understanding, Teacher Li also showed deep concern for the progress of my writing.

Who exactly is Li Zhaoqing? He is a renowned writer and publisher who has published over a dozen works, including *Genghis Khan*, *Biography of Lu Yao*, *The Family of Tolui*, *The Great Tang Xuanzang*, *Kublai Khan*, and *The Village Where Birds Fly Over*.

At the time, Teacher Li Zhaoqing was wholly absorbed in writing a full-length novel titled *The Great Yuan Empire*. Despite his busy schedule, he searched for domestic publishing houses on my behalf to coordinate the publication of *City of Desire*. However, the reply he received remained unchanged: "Not to be published."

The novel I had conceived and written over the course of a decade thus lost the soil to grow in its native land. Like a child without a household registration, it lost the opportunity for public release domestically. It drifted like a malfunctioning airplane, circling and floating above a foreign land amidst a few sorrowful wails...

Finally, as a last resort and through Teacher Li Zhaoqing's mediation, this malfunctioning airplane made an emergency landing in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region—with the China Culture Development Publishing House.

Teacher Li revised my novel three times. His rigorous attitude toward literature filled me with heartfelt admiration! I said, "My wish to have the master write a preface could not be fulfilled; could Teacher Li perhaps grant this unreasoned request of mine?"

The modest Teacher Li paused in thought for a moment and humbly replied, "I'll give it a try." Hearing this, I instantly felt a sense of comfort.

With *City of Desire* having no resting place, once it entered the publication process, I wanted to find a small nest on a literary website for it to settle in; otherwise, it would truly be homeless.

Because I had dug a massive pit on a certain website years ago, that plot of land was unwilling to take in this undocumented child once more. Yet, I was deeply reluctant to part with my pen name, Sunrise on the Sea. After being rejected, I felt an abundance of lingering reluctance. I wanted to say something, to voice what I had once told someone, but there was no one who understood.

The shallows cannot fathom the depths; the foolish are not worth consulting with on wisdom. One cannot speak of the joys of the Eastern Sea to a frog at the bottom of a dried-up well. I could find no one to explain to me what evil truly was, nor did I know what kind of whiteness the whiteness they spoke of actually represented. God had already covered their eyes; speaking to them was as futile as silence.

Flipping through my past creative notes, I happily discovered that I still had an account on the 17K Novel website. The creation center showed a writing history of over four thousand days, and my pen name there was also Sunrise on the Sea.

Feeling somewhat apprehensive, on the third day after submitting my text, I saw the notification that the 17K editor had approved it. Perhaps it was destined by fate, or perhaps my past karmic ties with 17K remained unbroken, but I was destined to unfold my literary dreams upon 17K. There was only one minor change: the title *City of Desire* was not approved, so it was renamed *War of Money*. Here, I must express my gratitude to the 17K website, to Teacher Hehua for her endless patience, and to my dear friend who participated in the entire editing and revision process of my novel. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

From the start of serialization to signing the contract, and from zero views to twenty-four thousand now, watching the view count of my novel grow day by day fills me with genuine joy, because an increasing number of people are finally seeing my work.

When I received the preface Teacher Li Zhaoqing wrote for my *City of Desire*, I was somewhat astonished by the high degree of recognition he bestowed upon my work. I know that this is encouragement, spurring, and hope bestowed upon me by a writer, and I shall engrave it in my memory forever!

Once *City of Desire*—or rather, *War of Money*, which I am currently serializing—officially meets the public, I will present Teacher Li Zhaoqing's wonderful preface to you at the very first moment, alongside the simultaneous release of all chapters! Thank you for having you by my side!