[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-hong-kong-1984":3,"chapter-hong-kong-1984-hong-kong-1984-entertainment-empire-chapter-12":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Hong Kong 1984: Rise of the Cultural Empire",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2223675,4066,"Chapter 12: Ghost Blows Out the Light Serialization","hong-kong-1984-entertainment-empire-chapter-12",12,"\u003Cp>Morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, spilling onto the desk where Xiang Qian stared at a blank sheet of manuscript paper, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface. Suddenly, his eyes lit up: \"Those blockbuster novels from my past life... Ghost Blows Out the Light!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaped to his feet, rummaged through the bookcase for a stack of paper, and with flourishing strokes wrote the title—Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Ancient City of Jingjue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fountain pen scratched across the page as scene after heart-pounding scene leaped onto the paper:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hu Bayi stood at the entrance of an ancient tomb, the needle on the compass in his hand spinning wildly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian rubbed his sore, swollen wrist, looked at the thick stack of manuscripts before him, and nodded in satisfaction: \"The first twenty chapters will suffice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carefully slipped the pages into a kraft paper envelope and, using a brush pen, wrote the pen name \"Songbai\" on the cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qianzai, breakfast is ready!\" his mother called from downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coming!\" Xiang Qian replied as he headed down the stairs, then asked, \"Mom, do you know where the headquarters of Sing Tao Daily is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father looked up from his newspaper: \"Pedder Street in Central. Why the sudden interest?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian offered a mysterious smile: \"Going to negotiate a deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the imposing building, Xiang Qian looked up at the slightly weathered signboard and straightened the collar of his suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The receptionist looked up: \"Good morning, sir. Do you have an appointment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, but I have important business with the publisher.\" Xiang Qian handed over the manuscript. \"Tell him someone has brought a novel that can save Sing Tao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The receptionist dialed the phone skeptically: \"Publisher, there's a gentleman downstairs... Yes, understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hung up: \"The publisher asks you to come up to the 12th floor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publisher Lin, his hair completely white, was reviewing financial reports; seeing Xiang Qian enter, he wearily rubbed his brow: \"Young man, you claim to have a novel that can save our newspaper?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian confidently handed over the manuscript: \"Please take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publisher Lin put on his reading glasses; at first he flipped through casually, but soon his expression turned focused. The office fell silent except for the rustling of turning pages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... this is astonishing!\" Publisher Lin suddenly looked up. \"'Songbai' is you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian smiled and nodded: \"My pen name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publisher Lin jumped to his feet excitedly: \"This genre is unprecedented! Grave robbing, feng shui, suspense... Jin Yong writes martial arts, but you are about to create a 'grave-robbing school'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paced back and forth: \"I want the serialization rights. Name your price.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian held up five fingers: \"Five hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, for serialization until completion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Five hundred thousand?!\" Publisher Lin's eyes widened. \"That equals half our annual manuscript budget!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfazed, Xiang Qian began gathering his manuscript: \"Then I'll try Ming Pao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait!\" Publisher Lin hurriedly blocked his path. \"We'll sign now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The financial director rushed in: \"Publisher, are we really spending this much on a newcomer's work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publisher Lin nodded firmly: \"Sing Tao needs a sensation like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully reading the contract, Xiang Qian suddenly said: \"Add one more clause: all film and television adaptation rights remain with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publisher Lin hesitated for a moment: \"Agreed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fountain pen struck the contract with a crisp sound. When the finance officer handed over the check, his hands were trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching the scorching-hot check in his pocket, Xiang Qian paused as he passed a newsstand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newsstand owner was gloomily arranging copies of Sing Tao Daily: \"Sigh, can't sell them all again...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian bought a copy and said meaningfully: \"Boss, make sure to stock up on next week's Sing Tao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner was baffled: \"Kid, do you have any idea how hard Sing Tao is to sell right now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Qian just smiled without speaking and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the third morning, a rare long queue had formed before the newsstand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give me two copies of Sing Tao!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want three! That 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' by 'Songbai' is too thrilling!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newsstand owner fumbled wildly with the money, muttering incessantly: \"It's haunted... truly haunted...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phone rings erupted one after another:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this the printing plant? Print another hundred thousand copies!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Advertising department? Raise rates on all ad spaces by 30%!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publisher Lin looked at the latest sales report, his hand trembling slightly: \"Daily sales have tripled...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew that at this very moment, Xiang Qian was sitting leisurely at home, watching the frenzied coverage of Ghost Blows Out the Light across various newspapers, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>",778,"2026-06-17T20:24:38.058Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","b8e714ed7418482ce0e90e030cddb315d726e35e341132cd0965b54fc740e04d","hong-kong-1984-entertainment-empire-chapter-13","hong-kong-1984-entertainment-empire-chapter-11",152,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhong-kong-1984-rise-of-the-cultural-empire-cover.jpg"]