A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Being able to learn new writing techniques from Li Wei and fill her own gaps in her knowledge would be a bonus, even without any income. Plus, Li Wei would pay her a fixed monthly salary, so naturally she wouldn't refuse such a job.

Kasumigaoka Utaha gently brushed her long hair back with her fingers: "Li Wei-kun, your proposal is hard to refuse. I can work part-time as a scriptwriter, but I would prefer to learn new writing skills from you."

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't beat around the bush like she did with Aki Tomoya; she stated her needs right away because she felt that dealing with a capricious person like Li Wei sometimes required tact, otherwise Li Wei would pretend to be stupid.

Li Wei smiled and said, "If it's just about exchanging writing techniques, you can come to me whenever I have free time. But I feel that my writing skills are just so-so, and I probably don't have much to offer you."

“Excessive humility is arrogance, Li Weijun,” Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed.

Some top students always like to be overly modest, saying that they are just lucky. Such people are generally called academic bitches.

Li Wei continued, "I'm just telling the truth. When it comes to writing, hard work is important, but without talent, it's very difficult to climb to the top. I've only climbed halfway up the mountain, and there's still a long way to go to reach the summit. Senior, you've already climbed to a higher place than me. It's just that the path you've chosen isn't very stable, and it needs some reinforcement."

Kasumigaoka Utaha inwardly sighed. Li Wei was quite adept at flattery; at least, his way of speaking made her feel comfortable. No one dislikes hearing praise, but praise from ordinary people often lacks substance and leaves the listener feeling "nothing special." However, the praise from a writing expert like Li Wei carries a different meaning.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Li Wei's computer screen and said, "Li Wei-kun, when are you going to submit your work?"

Li Wei didn't even look up: "I'll submit it after I finish writing it, but I'm not sure if what I've written will pass the review. If this version is rejected, I'll just change the subject and start a new book."

It's perfectly normal for a seasoned writer like Li Wei to cut his work if the beginning isn't ideal. In fact, many writers have this habit: if the first 30,000 words don't perform well, they'll cut it off without hesitation.

Some even went so far as to cut off the app if it didn't reach a certain number of favorites on the first day.

In comparison, Li Wei's decision to cut the novel after 150,000 words is considered rare among writers. Nowadays, novels are getting faster and faster, often involving multiple worlds and quick transmigration. Li Wei's slow-burn style is actually at a disadvantage. However, slow-burn also has its advantages, namely, it's less likely for the plot to collapse after a few hundred thousand words.

Li Wei used to write fanfiction about anime and manga, and the entire website had a very fast pace. Many writers had the idea of ​​making a quick buck and leaving. Often, the first 300,000 words were wonderful, with one plot climax after another, but after 300,000 words, the writing would fall flat. Some writers even handed over their works to ghostwriters so they could just lie back and make money.

Once it's exposed that they used a ghostwriter, their reputation is ruined, and they immediately switch to a new account to start a new scheme and make money again.

Li Wei, who has always written honestly, is already one of the few conscientious people on the website, although his conscientiousness is a failure and his achievements are not very good.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the constantly flashing characters on the screen and said, "Isn't it a bit of a waste to do this? Li Weijun, the quality of the work you're writing now is absolutely top-notch. It would even have a chance to win an award if it were submitted to a newcomer award. If it doesn't pass the review, you can revise it. There's no need to give up the whole work, is there?"

Li Wei said, "Because I don't know where the bottom line is for light novel censorship in Japan, this work is a test of the industry's bottom line. If it's allowed, then this work can naturally continue to be written; if it crosses the line, then it should be cut off."

In the real world, even works like "Saga of Tanya the Evil" and "OVERLORD" can pass censorship, so the censorship standards are relatively lenient. However, Li Wei, who comes from the real world, doesn't know where the standards are in this world, so he plans to test the waters first.

If the censorship standards in this world are relatively lenient, then this villainous protagonist's story, "Today, His Majesty the Demon King is Also Talking Rakugo," can continue. If it doesn't pass censorship, then he'll decisively switch styles and write purely lighthearted works.

After all, times have changed. With the decline in the age of the light novel audience and the lowering of literary literacy requirements, classic works from the last century that required a certain reading threshold, such as "Legend of the Galactic Heroes," "The Twelve Kingdoms," and "Slayers," may not stand out in today's era. Every era has its own aesthetics, and even in the light novel world, there is a saying that "times create heroes." Only by adapting to the times can one survive.

After all, Li Wei was very serious about becoming a light novel author. He didn't expect his work to reach the terrifying sales of over 30 million copies like "A Certain Magical Index"; he would be content with a million copies sold. However, every writer hopes their work can be seen by more people, and Li Wei shared this sentiment. Therefore, he was very serious and dedicated to his writing.

Chapter 23. Current State of the Industry

Although Kasumigaoka Utaha herself didn't say it, Li Wei could sense that she was looking for change and to move into new areas.

The differences between light novels are also huge, and the ceilings of different types of works are also different.

Take Kasumigaoka Utaha's "Love Metronome" for example. With a total sales volume of 500,000 copies and 100,000 copies sold per volume, it is already considered a good result in the slice-of-life romance novel genre.

However, other types of light novels have a higher ceiling. For pure slice-of-life romance novels, being able to sell 200,000 copies of a single volume is already considered a "big shot." Kasumigaoka Utaha's starting point is indeed quite high.

However, the ceiling for romance novels in this world is too low. Li Wei checked and found that the historical best-selling book in this genre is a work called "Koga-kun and the Others", with a single volume selling 350,000 copies and a total of 2.45 million copies sold across seven volumes.

The fantasy adventure series "Nioh" has sold 2.1 million copies per volume. This ongoing series has sold a total of 25 million copies across its twelve volumes to date.

The gap between light novels is greater than the gap between a person and a dog. It is precisely because of this that Kasumigaoka Utaha seeks to transform herself, wanting to break free from constraints and enter a higher realm.

Li Wei could understand this sentiment; after all, light novel authors who make a living through writing naturally hope their works will sell well. Ironically, however, light novel sales sometimes depend not on the quality of the author's writing, but on a combination of factors.

Just like the "wall of masterpieces" in the real world, its original work, "Infinite Stratos," was criticized by readers and other light novel authors as being written like garbage. However, in times of scarcity, even a mediocre work can become famous, and it still sold more than two million copies. Moreover, it set a bad precedent for the entire industry, where bad money drives out good. As a result, various light novels afterward were like reskinned dolls, becoming a representative of buying illustrations and giving away toilet paper. The decline of light novels was also related to this reverse operation in the industry.

It's not that there aren't any works that can impress people after the "great writers," but in the current climate, it's become much more difficult to find truly good works among a bunch of "garbage" that includes illustrations and toilet paper. This has forced many readers to quit the fandom and only follow the works they used to follow. Once the works they followed are finished, they quit completely.

Light novel authors like Kasumigaoka Utaha often face tragic situations. Despite producing high-quality works, they fail to achieve widespread popularity. Even when they do write excellent works, they often end up serving as stepping stones for established literary giants. To be honest, Li Wei feels sorry for them. If Kasumigaoka Utaha were to write traditional literature, she could completely avoid this bizarre industry situation.

With her talent, even if she doesn't become like Murakami, who is a perennial Nobel Prize nominee, it would be easy for her to make a living. It's a waste of her talent to plunge headfirst into the quagmire of light novels.

Having achieved his goal, Li Wei said, "Senior, let's exchange contact information. It will be convenient to keep in touch when the production team is established."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, gave a number, and Li Wei dialed it. The two then saved each other's numbers.

Seeing Li Wei begin to shut down and pack up his computer, Kasumigaoka Utaha knew he was about to leave and said, "Li Wei-kun, have you decided which paperback publisher you'll be submitting your work to?"

Li Wei shook his head and said, "Not yet. The first volume isn't even finished yet. I haven't considered this kind of thing for the time being."

Li Wei wasn't worried about the library; after all, gold shines wherever it is.

Although the light novel industry in the real world is in a mess, the light novel industry in this world still has some merit. The fierce competition has not given bad money a chance to drive out good.

Discerning readers simply don't give inferior works a chance to stand out. Although this is even more unfriendly to authors with insufficient talent, it also prevents the emergence of negative examples like the "great writer" of "Infinite Stratus".

However, problems soon followed. The fierce competition in the light novel industry is no less intense than in traditional literature. Even for a newcomer like Kasumigaoka Utaha, who possesses immense talent, it is not easy to stand out. This is because the veteran authors competing with her are all seasoned veterans who have eliminated many of their contemporaries, and each of them has considerable skill.

That's why Li Wei's attitude was very proper. He wasn't confident that he could become a legend with his first book, selling millions of copies. He would have been content if his first book sold 100,000 copies per volume.

Kasumigaoka Utaha said, "If you can't find a place, I can ask Shinazugawa Bunko for you, Li Weijun. Shinazugawa Bunko hasn't been doing so well these past two years. They've been suppressed in competition with other bunko, so they urgently need high-quality works as their mainstay. I think your work is great, Li Weijun. You can give it a try."

Li Wei nodded: "Thank you for your suggestion, senior. It's better to help someone in need than to add flowers to brocade. I will give priority to Shinazugawa Bunko."

Kasumigaoka Utaha wasn't acting out of any personal motives; she was simply stating a fact. Because of the suppression of Shinazugawa Bunko over the past two years, it has become more difficult to receive good works. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before they are squeezed out of the stage.

At this critical juncture, this timely assistance allows both Li Wei and Shinazugawa Bunko to get what they need. Shinazugawa Bunko needs works that can support its reputation, while Li Wei's new work, as long as it passes the review, will inevitably receive a lot of publicity.

Kasumigaoka Utaha believes that Li Wei is much more capable than her, and with proper publicity, he might become this year's "Rookie of the Year".

Chapter 24. A Low-Profile Version of Okada Mari

Li Wei has achieved his goal. For the next period of time, he will no longer come to the Literature Club frequently. The next thing to do is to contact Sawamura Eriri and prepare Eriri as a trump card.

After saying goodbye to Kasumigaoka Utaha, Li Wei left the Literature Club's activity room and returned to his rented luxury apartment. On his way home, he passed by one of the larger bookstores in the area and found Kasumigaoka Utaha's "Love Metronome," which he bought and took home.

The hype surrounding "Love Metronome" has died down, and it has long been removed from the most prominent recommended bookshelf by the entrance. It has been placed on a larger bookshelf further inside, alongside other light novels, and is quite inconspicuous.

Li Wei sighed. If "Love Metronome" were in the real world, its sales would definitely be more than 500,000. However, in this world, the entire light novel industry is in a Warring States period, with many powerful figures emerging. Kasumigaoka Utaha's debut work can only be considered as an ordinary samurai, not even a minor daimyo. This shows how fierce the competition is in this world's industry.

Back in his apartment, Li Wei continued downloading anime on his laptop. After setting the laptop aside, he took out the novel he had just bought that day, sat down on the massage sofa, tore open the seal on the second volume, and began reading it with great interest.

Then, as Li Wei read on, he realized something was wrong. No wonder the second volume received terrible reviews. Although Kasumigaoka Utaha handled the details very well, the addition of the second female lead was too abrupt in the sweet interactions between the male and female leads. So, instead of creating the fan wars she hoped for, it made most readers dislike the second female lead.

Actually, the second female lead didn't do anything wrong, but because she was added to the story at the wrong time and too hastily, the pacing of the second volume collapsed.

Li Wei is considered a relatively rational reader. After all, he has read so many online novels over the years and has seen all sorts of messy content. His tolerance for such content has long been developed. However, ordinary readers don't care so much. Especially since Kasumigaoka delivered a perfect start but then faltered in the second volume, it's normal for those with bad tempers to start criticizing.

"Love Metronome" gave him a "White Album" feeling. Kasumigaoka Utaha herself is a character created by Maruto, and as a result, her work is extremely similar to the style of her "creator," but it is not mature enough, so this kind of train wreck scene occurred.

Li Weimo stroked his chin. He was, after all, a long-time anime fan, and had also written anime fanfiction for a long time, so he had seen quite a few anime. He found that Kasumigaoka Utaha's style was very similar to one person, namely Okada Mari, who was jokingly called "Okada Mom".

Although Okada Mari had some disappointing moments with "Mayoiga" and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans," it doesn't mean she's not talented. She handled these multi-character, stomach-churning plots quite well.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was simply too inexperienced and couldn't grasp the rhythm of the characters' introductions. In addition, her writing style was to hand over the initiative to the characters rather than forcefully controlling the story's pace. Therefore, the appearance of the second female lead in the latter half of the second volume was a huge disappointment for the readers. Those who continued to read the third volume were truly devoted fans.

Li Wei didn't linger and started reading the third volume as well. Because of Aki Tomoya's suggestion, there were compromises in many parts of the third volume. Overall, although it couldn't reach the level of the first volume, it was still much better than the second volume.

Although Aki Tomoya has almost no creative ability, his appreciation ability is really strong. The mistakes that Kasumigaoka Utaha made in the second volume are completely gone in the third volume. If the second volume hadn't ruined the reputation of the entire series, the sales of the third volume would definitely be much higher than they are now.

Relying on his extraordinary reading efficiency, Li Wei spent more than two hours reading through "Love Metronome". Except for the second volume, which was a disappointment, the subsequent three volumes were all above average. If it weren't for the "car crash" in the second volume, this series could have sold millions of copies, which is a real pity.

Li Wei put all the books on the bookshelf, sat down in front of the computer, checked the download software's efficiency, and transferred the downloaded content to the external hard drive.

This old computer, limited by its own performance, has a slow upload and download speed. If you download and cut and transfer at the same time, the whole computer will lag terribly. Considering the lifespan of his old friend, Li Wei did not push it so hard. Instead, after a piece of content was downloaded, he would take advantage of the idle time in between to transfer the downloaded content to an external hard drive.

After reading Kasumigaoka Utaha's debut work, Li Wei closed the download software and began writing. As an online writer, he had relatively rich experience, although most of that experience consisted of failures. But as a light novel author, this was his first time. Therefore, Li Wei approached his debut work with a very serious attitude, aiming to ensure quality and pass censorship.

As his brain development progressed deeper, Li Wei felt his abilities had reached their peak. He was now like a top Coordinator from Gundam SEED, his personal abilities far exceeding the limits of ordinary people. His writing speed also increased, and he could finish the first volume of his debut work in one night. After that, there was only the post-production work of checking and revising, and he could finally take a breather and rest for a while.

When Li Wei finished writing the first volume, he glanced at the time on his computer screen; it was already 10:30 PM. He put his hands behind his head, leaned back in his ergonomic chair, and stretched his legs out like a cat stretching.

A message notification suddenly popped up on the LINE client logged into on the computer. Li Wei clicked on it and saw that it was a message from Kasumigaoka Utaha.

(Li Weijun, are you there? ┴┤?ω?)?)

(Yes, what's up, senior?)

(I have a question I'd like to ask you, but I don't know if you're free.)

(I just finished writing the first volume and am now about to take a break. I have plenty of free time.)

Kasumigaoka Utaha sent him some writing-related questions. Li Wei took a look and then gave his answer, which he thought was appropriate.

(Senior, you write light novels, so read less traditional literature. Light novel readers are not as receptive as traditional literature readers, so please don't test their patience.)

(Thanks for the reminder, Li Weijun??)

Li Wei smiled. Kasumigaoka Utaha appears very aloof when facing others, but online, she has a personality that is somewhat like a little girl, and is quite lively.

Chapter 25. The Dilemma of Shinazugawa Bunko

At this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha had a faint blush on her face. The problem that had troubled her for so long was easily overcome under Li Wei's guidance. This feeling relaxed her long-suppressed emotions. The failure of "Love Metronome" had cast a shadow over her career, but Li Wei was like the sunlight piercing through the gloomy sky, forcefully pulling her precarious career back.

It is said that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. The previous "Love Metronome", volumes three to five, was able to deliver a barely acceptable result thanks to Aki Tomoya's advice. However, Aki Tomoya's advice was only a temporary solution, while Li Wei directly gave her the core solution, which allowed her to create works that were entirely her own in the future, without having to worry about the quality of her works declining.

In her mind, Li Wei was already considered the "mentor" who saved her career.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's hands flew across the keyboard.

(Li Weijun, you've finished your first volume. When are you planning to submit it for publication? (?′ω`?))

(I'm planning to take a day off in the next few days to submit my work to the online literature platform.)

(If you're submitting to Shinazugawa Bunko, I can help you, Li Weijun, contact an editor and go through the internal review process ξ(?＞??))

(Thank you very much then)

(I can call the editor for you, Li Weijun, so you don't need to make a separate trip. If you're sure you want to submit your work, I can arrange a meeting for you right now.)

(Thank you very much. It's already past 10 o'clock, so you should get some rest.)