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For Li Tian, returning home never meant rest.
The moment his steps entered the Li Family compound, his mind began moving again.
As he observed the city, one thing kept bothering him.
Accounts were written on bamboo slips.
Contracts on cloth.
Books were heavy, expensive, and painfully difficult to copy.
Seeing all this, an old memory surfaced in his mind—
a material that was cheap, light, and untouched by this world.
Paper.
The very next morning, he sent his men to the forests and workshops around the city.
Quality of trees.
Rice straw waste.
Old cloth suitable for reuse.
Everything was recorded carefully.
No one understood Li Tian's true intention, but no one questioned his decisions anymore. His name now carried weight.
A few days later, in an empty courtyard of the Li Family estate, an unusual setup was constructed.
Wood was cut into fine pieces.
Soaked in water.
Then boiled for hours until it turned into soft pulp.
The pulp was spread evenly over thin cloth and left under the sun to dry.
When the cloth was lifted, a thin white sheet remained.
Light.
Smooth.
Perfect for writing.
Li Tian held it in his hand and compared it to bamboo slips.
Not heavy.
Not expensive.
And most importantly—fast.
He immediately understood that this was not just a product.
It was a foundation.
That same day, a new decision was made within the Li Family:
— Expansion of the Li Family Chamber of Commerce
— Paper production strictly under family control
— Formula kept completely confidential
— First usage: accounts, contracts, manuals
There was no plan to flood the market immediately.
Li Tian knew—
Once something becomes a habit, its value builds itself.
That night, he sat alone, writing on a fresh sheet of paper.
The ink flowed smoothly.
The brush did not hesitate.
The gap between thought and writing had almost disappeared.
"When writing becomes easy,"
Li Tian murmured softly,
"power spreads faster."
He folded the sheet and placed it aside.
For the people of this era, paper would be just a new invention.
But for Li Tian—
it was the first stone laid on the path
that would change the thinking of an entire age.
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