Liu Jia thought about the monthly income of the author of "Battle Starry Sky" he had just looked up, and he was at a loss for words.
"That’s low, that’s way too low. Yuan must be a multimillionaire, at the very least. Even at a million a month, that’s an annual income in the tens of millions. I can’t even dream of that kind of money in my lifetime."
Yi Jing’s curiosity was piqued. "What’s with all the whispering?" he urged. "Hurry up and tell us, what’s going on with Yuan?"
Zhou Tianyu finished a game of Cross Fire and paused, looking over at Liu Jia, Xu Ziqiang, and the others. "I’m just trying to play a game. What’s all the fuss about?" he grumbled.
Ever since his defeat in the election for freshman class representative, Zhou Tianyu had lost all interest in class affairs, immersing himself daily in video games and chasing girls. In his own words, women brought his body pleasure, while games brought his spirit pleasure.
Liu Jia glanced at his roommate. Zhou Tianyu always carried himself like a "Business Heir," strutting around with an arrogant "I’m second only to heaven" attitude. He decided to mess with him a little and give him a mental shock.
"Tianyu, I heard your family runs an intimate apparel business in Guanyun. How much do you guys make in a year?"
Zhou Tianyu lived a comfortable life and, as a "Business Heir," had actually looked into the family business. They owned a factory with over a hundred workers, and the annual payroll alone ran into the millions. In a good market year, their net annual income was around two to three million. This was no small sum. At the time, an apartment in Modu or Beijing cost only about a million.
"We make about a million a year, I guess. It’s average! Nothing to write home about," Zhou Tianyu said nonchalantly, with an air of superiority.
He had intended to show off, waiting to hear the shocked and admiring remarks from Liu Jia, Xu Ziqiang, and the others.
To his surprise, Liu Jia just nodded seriously. "If it’s only a little over a million, then that’s really not much. You’re a far cry from Yuan."
Zhou Tianyu frowned. This isn’t how this is supposed to go. And what does Li Yuan have to do with any of this? What does he mean, "a far cry from Yuan"?
"Liu Jia, I’m talking about an annual income of over a million, not total assets. Don’t get it twisted."
Liu Jia chuckled, about to reply just as Li Yuan emerged fresh from the shower.
He hurried over and gave Li Yuan a serious look. He took in his muscular physique, especially the well-defined eight-pack abs, and then recalled his status as a Great Writer with a monthly income in the millions...
"Yuan," Liu Jia said cheesily, "do you need someone to warm your bed tonight? I’m already squeaky clean."
"Get lost, you little sissy," Li Yuan shot back with a laugh, heading to his bed to pull on his jersey.
Xu Ziqiang also walked over and gave Li Yuan a thumbs-up. "Yuan, you really are full of surprises," he said meaningfully. "We all underestimated you. We thought you were already a legend with the ladies, but we never imagined your true talent lay elsewhere."
Hearing this, Li Yuan instinctively glanced down at his lower body. It is indeed quite formidable and robust. It’s a real shame I didn’t use this gift to earn some extra cash in my past life. If I had just channeled Liu Xuande and declared, "My second brother is invincible," I could have had all those lonely, wealthy women eating out of the palm of my hand. Wouldn’t that have been much easier and more comfortable than that lousy job coding or staying up all night writing?
Before Li Yuan could say anything, Liu Jia grinned and stared at him. "Yuan, come on, tell your brothers. How did you do it?"
Li Yuan gave them his signature look of confusion.
Liu Jia’s eyes burned with excitement as he stared at Li Yuan. "’Battle Starry Sky,’ ’Life Like Summer Flowers.’ Yuan, do I need to say more?"
Xu Ziqiang also laughed, then glanced at the still-confused Yi Jing and Wu Hao, and the utterly bewildered Zhou Tianyu. "Yuan," he said to Li Yuan, "it’s time to reveal your true identity to the guys. Go on, blow their minds."
Only then did Li Yuan realize that his cover had been blown.
Adopting the famous line from Xia Luo, he sighed dramatically.
"Alas, I wanted to get along with you all as an ordinary person, but all I got in return was distance. I’m done pretending. I’m a Great Writer and a millionaire. The cards are on the table!"