Chapter 139: The Rise of the ACG Website
Once the idea of founding a website came to him, Yun Xuan could no longer sleep.
He left home wearing his power armor and made his way to Research Institute No. 258.
“Bring up the most popular bullet-comment anime websites from the apocalypse era, then create a similar site. The website should include anime, manga, games, novels…”
Yun Xuan suddenly remembered Bilibili, the site he had often visited in his previous life.
“Construction complete. Please provide a name,” Zi’s voice announced.
“The Second Dimension,” Yun Xuan replied without hesitation.
“Name registered successfully. The site has been officially submitted to the search page and will be placed at the top of all relevant search results by default.”
As Zi spoke, Yun Xuan stared at the empty website. The basic framework was complete. What remained was the content.
“Select classic novels and anime, and remove all identifying marks. The first three episodes of each anime will be free. After that, viewers must register as members to continue watching.”
Yun Xuan smiled.
“Please wait.”
The moment Zi finished speaking, countless files flashed across the screen. As an intermediate artificial intelligence from the future, such a task was simplicity itself.
Even if he had asked it to independently create an entire anime series, it could have completed the work in a short time.
Some of the novels required exchange points. Yun Xuan’s 550,000 points instantly dwindled to 50,000, but in return, the website gained more than a hundred classic novels and over three hundred carefully selected anime series.
…
Lin Ximeng tapped idly at her computer, bored out of her mind.
Ever since she had left Fangyu City, the old master had flown into a rage and punished her with a month of confinement.
Locked inside her room, she was allowed to go no farther than the courtyard. Someone delivered her meals every day, but Lin Ximeng possessed a heart that could never bear loneliness.
“I might as well see whether there are any new series.”
She glanced at the time. It was already well past midnight.
She opened the search page for new anime. When she entered her query, she stared in surprise at the website listed above Manga World.
“The Second Dimension? When did this appear?”
Curious, Lin Ximeng clicked on it.
“Welcome to the world of The Second Dimension. Allow me to introduce the website.”
A tiny angel appeared on the screen. Its adorable appearance immediately brightened Lin Ximeng’s eyes.
So websites could be designed like this?
Lin Ximeng watched the entire beginner’s guide with unusual seriousness, then clicked on the mixed trailer recommended on the homepage.
“My ninja way is to say exactly what I mean!”
“Wherever my sword reaches, that is my country!”
“I’m the man who will become the Pirate King!”
“There is only one truth!”
A giant breached the city wall. In that instant, a boy’s mother was bitten apart by the monster, blood spraying through the air—a shocking first episode.
A silver-haired man with naturally curling hair clutched a samurai sword. His head was covered in blood as he panted and stared at the person before him.
A railgun fired. A young high school girl in a sailor uniform and safety shorts stood amid the blast.
A boy stole his village’s forbidden technique solely to pass an examination. Used by others, he ultimately mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and, beneath the morning sun, fastened his forehead protector into place.
A life in another world beginning from zero: a protagonist who died and returned again and again, struggling in agony as he searched for a way to survive.
A handsome white-haired boy wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Behind him, a tail pierced the masked man and drove him into the ground.
“What is one thousand minus seven?”
…
After watching the mixed trailer, Lin Ximeng remained shaken for a long while. She felt as though all the anime she had watched before had been a waste of time.
By the time she finished registering an account, she discovered that she was already member number 1,250,000 and beyond.
The annual membership fee was 120. Did that mean the website was earning 150 million a year?
And that did not even include tips!
Bullet comments swept across the anime like falling snow, startling Lin Ximeng into hurriedly switching them off.
The number of viewers online had surpassed six million, and the figures on the website continued to rise. More and more people were registering. Once the tips reached a certain amount, the next episode would be released!
Like the anime of the present day, all the series initially released one episode per week. Tips could unlock additional episodes and even raise a member’s level.
After watching three episodes, viewers could generally tell whether an anime was good or bad. Lin Ximeng casually clicked on three series, and every one of them proved impressive.
She watched several of the recommended shows, followed them all, and posted screenshots to her public account.
Autumn Snow Princess: What exactly is The Second Dimension? How can its anime be this good? I suspect it’s trying to crush Manga World. But that’s not important. The important question is: where did all these excellent anime come from?!
Less than ten minutes after Lin Ximeng posted the message, the replies had already surpassed ten thousand.
Passerby A: Bowing before the great master in the front row. I just watched The Second Dimension, and the novels are amazing too.
Passerby B: Both the anime and the novels are above standard. I’m a huge fan of Railgun.
Passerby C: I prefer Naruto. I have a feeling it’s going to be a masterpiece!
Comment after comment appeared, and the post was shared more and more widely. The number of users on The Second Dimension soared at an astonishing rate.
The website possessed high-quality new anime and novels, and it also opened the door to derivative works. Anyone who signed a contract and became a creator could produce videos for the site, with half of the earnings going to The Second Dimension.
In the blink of an eye, the number of users surpassed ten million!
…
“The rise of the strongest new website—are you sure you’re not going?”
“A website with countless new anime, all available exclusively—are you sure you won’t come?”
“Every novel is utterly absorbing, with at least ten thousand words updated daily—are you sure you won’t read them?”
One headline after another pointed readers toward The Second Dimension, and most of Manga World’s users abandoned the site and flocked there.
When Manga World’s headquarters received the news, everyone was stunned.
They did not possess a single one of those series. In fact, they had never even heard of them.
“Contact The Second Dimension and find out whether they are interested in cooperating. Ask whether they would be willing to work with us on light-novel publication and anime production.”
The founder of Manga World was panicking. Although Manga World had been established earlier than The Second Dimension, success ultimately depended on the quality of its anime.
He watched every anime on The Second Dimension. Each one was excellent, and any of them could easily have become the most popular show of an entire season.
It was four-thirty in the morning.
Yun Xuan received partnership proposals from several websites, publishing houses, and animation companies.
The Second Dimension owned the copyrights to all its anime and novels, functioning as a single integrated entity. Even the cultural authorities had been alarmed by its sudden rise.
The publisher chose to work through Manga World, splitting the profits sixty-forty, with Yun Xuan receiving sixty percent for granting publication rights alone.
For the release of physical anime discs, he chose Purple Moon Animation. The division was the same: sixty percent went to Yun Xuan.
Manga World and Purple Moon Animation had no choice but to agree. The rise of The Second Dimension had come completely out of nowhere, and even an established website like Manga World could sense that things were turning dangerous.
Did Manga World have any long-running flagship anime? Of course it did.
The problem was whether those series were as entertaining as the ones Yun Xuan had selected.
That was where things became awkward.
Among the novels were several fantasy titles. Xuanwen Publishing House sent Yun Xuan an invitation, and he did not refuse. Some of the fantasy novels were uploaded simultaneously to the Xuanwen website, with publication profits divided sixty-forty as well.
For a time, The Second Dimension’s popularity exploded. Its membership surpassed fifteen million, while the number of online viewers became frighteningly high.
At six in the morning, The Second Dimension announced that the website would undergo maintenance. A new gaming section would be added, and exclusive Second Dimension games would soon be launched.
The news created a sensation. Q.Q. Corporation quickly sent over a proposal for cooperation, and Yun Xuan accepted with pleasure.
“From now on, young man, you’ll have to take good care of your liver.”
Yun Xuan smiled faintly and selected two games he had played in his previous life.