Loading Back to 1998

There's a reason this book didn't become popular. Zhang Xiao, whom the protagonist has only known for a few days and who only causes him trouble, is someone he not only doesn't keep his distance from, but he even helps her pay off a 100,000 yuan debt from 1998.

My name is Yang Fan, born on December 19, 1998. Seeing this introduction makes me want to read it, yet I'm also afraid to—it's a strange feeling.

Why do authors nowadays like to write about protagonists having so many women in urban fiction? It annoys readers. Are you writing a story or just padding your word count?

The beginning was exceptionally well-written, portraying a pure and youthful life. The protagonist was shrewd and calculating in business. Later, however, he became incredibly dissolute. When he had to borrow millions, he changed women like clothes, buying luxury cars and villas for his mistresses at will.

The protagonist's foray into real estate development was a major mistake; is real estate a business for ordinary people?

'96 was so good, it was shut down...

I immediately dropped the book after reading the chapter about beating up the female teacher's boyfriend. What? Wanting to help the female teacher? You could just say you wanted to sleep with her! I hate novels with this kind of cliché. It's disgusting. Like a prostitute trying to maintain a virtuous image.

Are you kidding me? 200 Computers, hiring 50, 50, 50, 50?! Let's not even talk about internet cafes these days (in 2020). A typical internet cafe has at most 1.2 Square meters of space for one computer and its case. 200 Machines, let's say 300 square meters. You need 3 cashiers for the day shift, 3 network administrators and maintenance staff. What's the point of having more?

The author clearly has no business experience and is relying entirely on conjecture. In 1998, opening a slightly upscale internet cafe with 200 machines would require employing 50 workers, with salaries of 800 plus commission (my base salary in 2007 was only 600 including room and board).

The author misses the point. He tries to write about entrepreneurship, but keeps focusing on women, switching between them constantly. Many plot points are completely meaningless. For example, a barbecue restaurant owner gets a long chapter about him, only for him to disappear without a trace. There are so many filler scenes like this.